The Reluctant Keyboardist

"Machines are wonderful labor-saving devices," he insists, "but they can't perform. You're always left with that difficulty of having to inject human life into an inanimate object."

at Utopia Sound studios

For Gregory, there are two problems with mixing music and technology, one financial and one ideological. "Sequencers and drum machines are great," he states, "and really, they've opened my eyes to a lot of possibilities. But I simply can't afford to get involved with computers. It's a matter of finance."

Explaining the other side of the coin, Gregory -- true to the punk credo -- invokes the spirit of rock and roll as an argument against technology for its own sake. "I'm a bit of a blood and guts musician," he maintains. "I just like to stand on a stage with a little amplifier turned up loud and stamp my feet and go. To get high-tech in music is great as an aid to your work, but I think it's wrong to get so involved with it that it becomes any more than a means to an end."

"I can always tell when a song has been written on a computer," he asserts. "The human aspect is missing, and I think that's the most important thing to keep. If I'm totally honest," Gregory reflects, "I think that before I spent a lot of money on any new sequencer or new synthesizer, I'd probably rather have a couple more guitars."