Published on September 5th, 2024 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

Guitar Maestro Chris Barclay on His “Las Vegas Alien”

The guitar is sacred for the world of musical composition, and can only be fully understood and appreciated by the few ready to unlock all its magical and wondrous potential. New Zealand’s Chris Barclay does not just understand the guitar, but he lives it, breathes it, sweats it, and bleeds it. From listening to rock growing up to learning scales and modes during his time at university, Barclay has become a master songwriter and guitar slinger, appreciating everything there is to the guitar, from its unique shape to its numerous sonic vibrations. “I draw my inspirations from my own life as a leukemia survivor and other life struggles, as well as my musical and guitar heroes such as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen“. Through tough times in life, music has been with Barclay since day one, and by working tenaciously to hone his craft, he has become one of New Zealand’s top shredders and well-respected guitar virtuosos.

Recently, Barclay traveled to the United States to Sin City: Las Vegas. There, he was greeted by the seductive charisma of the city and its top-shelf, world-class hospitality, which immediately made him feel like an alien in a strange world filled with possibility. From that experience, came his latest offering, “Las Vegas Alien.” Hypnotic guitar and large buildups pair fantastically with Barclay’s voice, which mirrors the mysterious Las Vegas and its surrounding environs. The guitars start in the motif of the Progressive Rock group Dream Theater, utilizing perfect 5ths and suspended chords in the chorus with modulating shred lead guitar. “I fell in love with Las Vegas and Nevada. I have been mesmerized by the region. The glitz, the dirt, and the uniqueness of its own brand of Americana. So much so, as a rock guitarist, shredder, and singer, I wrote and produced a song in my studio and made a music video about my time there“.

As a self-proclaimed Americanophile, Barclay takes viewers through a tour of Las Vegas as any other visitor may see it, with bright lights, magnificent fountains, and large marquees. However, fans soon see that between the aliens and spacemen lurking in the surrounding desert, there is more to this fabled city that can affect a person deeply than just the plethora of casinos and flashy performances. As the viewer witnesses this colorful journey, Barclay shares with us his remarkable abilities to make his guitar sing and his innate, passionate love for songcraft. “Las Vegas Alien” is an introductory handshake to a creative fully committed to sharing his soul through the epic songs he creates.

Of course, we got the New Zealander to weigh in on this creative experience

What inspired you to create “Las Vegas Alien”?

I was inspired by Las Vegas itself. The people, the lights, the dirtiness, the gloss, the rock n roll vibe, the desert, Area 51 and its mysteries and secrets. I was treated so well there by the locals. I felt like I was living in a parallel universe when compared with my home back in Auckland New Zealand. Somehow my time in Las Vegas didn’t seem real. It felt more like a lucid dream. New York City, Manhattan can be indicative of that too. It was like I was the observer of myself watching every experience unfold. Me, this alien in this place I could call home. It was very cool. My pursuit of being a successful musician and all of its trappings seemed like a metaphor for Las Vegas.

How have your personal experiences shaped the lyrics or mood of “Las Vegas Alien”?

I have often felt out of place in my life, in what I do, and how I want to be perceived. In the country of New Zealand we don’t often celebrate like the Americans do. I love the way Americans celebrate success, celebrity and popular culture. Las Vegas seems to me to do this with such abandonment and appreciation. The shows, the music, the people, the glitz. Lyrically ‘Las Vegas Alien’ comments about the contrasts between New Zealand and the USA. “You’re monochrome, I’m like color.” In New Zealand we wear a lot of black. Our National sporting team, sport, rugby and the ‘All Blacks’. All black. In the USA everythings seems technicolor…Like tutti frutti. I love that.

‘Las Vegas Alien ‘as a narrative, talks about my personal experiences of trying to be a successful musician and artist. I use the lyric “walking on a wire” like a tightrope between a “normal life” and that of being what I envision as a successful musician. To me, the many Cirque Du Soleil shows in Las Vegas provided amazing imagery for that lyric.

There is a reference to my mother who died when I was 10. I want to make her proud and Las Vegas and the USA seemed to call to me. When I was there often on my own, I often felt her there with me.

What do you hope your fans will feel or understand when they listen to “Las Vegas Alien”?

I want them to understand that I struggle for that feeling of self actualization. I feel I have had tastes of it and a place like Las Vegas personifies what that would look like to me. I also want them to know it is ok to chase your dreams and not be embarrassed by it. Which at times I have I have to admit I have been. It has been like “who does this guy think he is?” Is there ego in this? There is, I’m sure, but I want my listeners to know that If “I can make it” I can best serve them as a human. I’m ready to give back to the communities I love as a guitarist, musician and Leukemia survivor.

Were there any standout moments or stories from the recording process that you’d like to share?

Yes. The lyrics and music came so easily. In places like Las Vegas, NYC, Rome, I have always got a music video in my head of me walking in the streets of these amazing cities. I often hum the melody while walking around such places. Often I’ve been alone in these places and naturally melodies come into my head I can hum aloud with no one noticing. Then lyrics come and I punch them into notes on my iPhone, often in a cafe or restaurant. In Las Vegas many of the lyrics came to me in many of the Starbucks in Las Vegas or the Chipotle in the Fashion Mall. Nothing too glamorous. I had many skeleton ideas already written before I got home to my home studio. I think I had the chorus pretty much done in Las Vegas without touching an instrument. I find traveling incredibly inspiring.

Musically the guitars and musical parts came very quickly. In one day I had the song chord progression worked out and how I wanted the dynamics to work. The guitar solos were quickly developed in my head too. I knew which guitar techniques I wanted to use. The tricky part was nailing them at first. I knew which guitar hero players I wanted to emulate and I discovered the genre vibe that would work best for the song I had in my head. I also knew I wanted the drums to sound like Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater.

Did any artists or specific tracks play a role in influencing “Las Vegas Alien” sound or style?

I met Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme in Las Vegas. I got to hang out with him. He is one of my guitar heroes and his rock n roll swagger definitely had an influence on Las Vegas Alien. I was inspired by his wax lyrical take about Extreme’s latest long coming album ‘Six’ which was still not yet released. He said he had a real rocker coming out. That definitely inspired me to get something out for myself. Las Vegas Alien has 4 separate guitar solos in it. Most songs don’t even have one now.

I have been listening to virtuoso progressive metal group Dream Theater a lot in 2022 and John Petrucci’s alternate speed picking and tone definitely influenced many of the solo’s on Las Vegas Allen. His clean modulated playing style influenced the clean guitar verse sections in Las Vegas Alien too. Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy’s drumming has always inspired me and I try to channel his drum style in the drums. The drums in Las Vegas Alien are some of my favorite aspects of the song. I can visualize Mike or Steve Vai’s drummer Jeremy Colson playing drums live on Las Vegas Alien.

Speaking of Steve Vai, he is a major influence on my playing. I love his arpeggiated notes. He doesn’t stay in a box. He will often finish his arpeggios’ final tone note at the other end of the fretboard or octaves away from where he started. He is incredibly dynamic and fluid. There is Vai’s influence in my guitar solos all the time.

I tipped the hat to many of my other guitar heroes and influences in Las Vegas Alien. Paul Gilbert, Joe Satriani like phrasing are all over the guitar solos. Yngwie Malmesteen like arpeggios and pedal notes in one part, Vai like sweep picking and John Petrucci alternate picking licks all show who I’m ripping off. The tapping sections in the guitar solos use techniques borrowed from Eddie Van Halen and particularly Joel Hoekstra and Guthrie Govan. These players are like my Mt Olympus of guitar gods. I’m very Lucky to have met almost all of them. I write songs which half end up as songs and half as guitar instrumentals. I struggle to stay within one genre too. In my other releases I’ve nudged blues, blues rock, neoclassical, country and pop.

Las Vegas Alien is quite a tricky one to label within genres. It sounds retro 80s at times, progressive rock and metal like, and then alternative rock sounding like Incubus, who I listened to a lot growing up in the late 90’s and early 2000s. Maybe subconsciously they are in there too. I also wanted Las Vegas Alien to have a big power chorus in there so it could live in the commercial sphere or in a stadium.

How has your style of music changed over the years?

My style of music is constantly changing. I am a rock n roller at heart so that is always there in my playing. I think the world is desperately wanting for this kind of organic music to come back. Especially with all the fakery and beige color of much computer based music and AI.

I write how I feel musically at the time. The music genre often changes from one song to another. I then try to include for my audience some guitar pyrotechnics in there. My current musical tastes have definitely been influenced by fusion jazz, and I have created a new track for a later release. I also have a very Satriani Lydian like piece called Ride The Lighting and a funky blues rock piece still in the recording stage coming. For that one the Fender Strats are back. These songs exist digitally on my computer and I am not happy enough yet to release them, though they are sounding close to my vision. My playing is always evolving too. I love copying and learning from other players too. It is part of my practice as a guitarist and musician to watch on social media an amazing player and save their video for later study.

It is hard to fit this in at times with the many demands of trying to market and promote yourself as a musician and guitarist. You really have to wear many hats. practicing, learning, recording, marketing, social media promotion, giving value, and playing live. Then taking out the trash, working out, doing the dishes and paying the bills.

How do you see your music changing as you continue to experience life?

I would like to expand as a musician. Learn more about music and improve. If I practice I get better. I would love more time to do this. My best music is still in me. In my mind my music is always trying to capture color and move people. I long to serve my audience and let them escape in the art or my playing. It is my desire to affect my audience positively and to help them emotionally, to help them get through something tough. To help them whilst listening, let them freely swirl their mind over a favorite memory. To be a companion for them in their travels. To have them react in any positive manner. Like many of my favorite musical bands and songs did for me. I am also fascinated by film and video. Especially as an art form. I would love to have more involvement in this arena too. As for my life experiences? I have dreams. This is the best way I can formulate this: I have many visions for my future as a musician. I would love to be a hired gun for someone else and I would love to be an influential artist with what I call the ‘holy trinity’. Like how John Mayer has achieved this. Songs, commercial success/artistic success, musical virtuosity and be recognised for all three. That is the dream.

What can your fans look forward to after the release of “Las Vegas Alien”?

The fans can expect more guitar pyrotechnics where I try to elevate my playing even more and some more rocking out. My next music is going to be pretty organic and guitar-driven still. I would like to add more musical dissonance and tonalities in my new work too. I would love to get out and play live in the USA and show what I can do. I also have many ideas captured on computer and iPhone which I’m busting to get to once I believe I have given Las Vegas Alien the air it deserves to breathe and exist. I really believe in it.

Follow Chris Barclay

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.