Who is Allan Gill?
During the 1960s and 70s, Allan’s musical journey began when he purchased his first guitar from the lively mercado in Saltillo, Mexico. Formal lessons failed to ignite his passion; instead, he embarked on a self-taught path, honing his skills by ear and drawing inspiration from such iconic acts as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Cream, and Led Zeppelin. By age 16, he had already begun performing at parties, which set the tone for his professional aspirations.
During the 1960s and 70s, Allan’s musical journey began when he purchased his first guitar from the lively mercado in Saltillo, Mexico. Formal lessons failed to ignite his passion; instead, he embarked on a self-taught path, honing his skills by ear and drawing inspiration from such iconic acts as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Cream, and Led Zeppelin. By age 16, he had already begun performing at parties, which set the tone for his professional aspirations.
Allan’s devotion to music remained unwavering as he navigated through school, relationships, and intermittent day jobs. He actively participated in rock, pop, jazz, and blues bands [usually short-lived], relishing gigs [mostly for low pay] that kept his music flame alive. As his determination grew, he got serious about songwriting, which caught the attention of bands that eagerly recruited him for increasingly frequent live performances.
“I love rain,” he said. “I love the sounds of moving water. But breaking surf is one of my all-time favorite sounds.” This quote reflects Allan’s profound connection to the natural world and how its melodies have seeped into his musical soul, influencing his compositions and performances.
In the early 1980s, Allan’s dissatisfaction with sound quality in nightclubs led him into sound engineering, to support and elevate the live music experience. He immersed himself in the art of live sound mixing, and his keen ear for songs is a commodity for bands and venues. As an artist sound mixer, he’s traveled extensively across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan. Between tours, Allan continued to showcase his prowess as a guitar player in various captivating rock bands.
In 2021, the global pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to the music industry, temporarily halting live performances and significantly reducing in-person recording sessions. As restrictions lifted, Allan and other live acts gradually resumed their routines. Allan was selective about gigs — many live-streamed — and spent more time on his work as a composer and recording artist, and eventually back on stage as a live performer.
He describes his philosophy of life with admirable clarity: it’s about a commitment to continuous growth and improvement, embracing positivity, and finding joy in his unique brand of artistic expression.
“I want to learn how to do good and be positive,” he said. “But I also want to have fun. I’ve always tried to have a good time, like Viv Savage, and I’m finding it easier as I move along. With age I’ve found new ways of doing things.”
Allan and his architect wife Kathy are currently immersed in a year-long project to remodel and upgrade their studio headquarters and extend the former church’s footprint to create a new space for life and work.
The artist acknowledges that his goal of fearlessly reclaiming his position in the gig circuit will be limited during construction of their new home, but Allan Gill has no intention of slowing down in the studio. He is currently laying tracks for an LP that will be released in October, and he has just finished work on a second music video, which has been entered into a short film competition. And, not to disappoint his live and live-stream audiences, he will continue to play regular and special gigs near home.