Greenock's greatest guitarist: The story behind the overlooked musician who played with Siouxsie and the Banshees

Born in Greenock, John McGeoch rose to become one of the most respected guitarists of his generation, creating his own sound which influenced the likes of Johnny Marr, Johnny Greenwood, Steve Albini, James Dean Bradfield, and John Frusciante.

McGeoch played in Magazine, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Armoury Show, and Public Image Ltd. and worked closely with Howard Devoto, Siouxsie Sioux, and John Lydon. He pioneered new ways of playing that influenced generations of guitarists.

As McGeoch forged a new guitar style that defined the sound of the 1980s and 1990s, it exacted a heavy toll on his personal life. The damage from drugs and alcohol, combined with the loneliness of being away from his family, impacted negatively on his mental health.

McGeoch was a brilliant, contradictory, and complex man. On the road he was funny, confident, and full of life. Away from this environment he was kind, loving but gripped by insecurities.

When John’s daughter Emily was born, he actively embraced fatherhood, unhappy at the prospect of leaving his family on lengthy tours with The Banshees and Public Image Ltd. An underlying theme of an upcoming documentary film explores masculinity and the gender stereotypes that existed in the 1980s, as John chose to give up music to look after his young daughter and work in the care sector with Alzheimer’s patients.

The film also explores what has been lost in relation to the time period and how the world has changed and moved on.

The film is co-directed by Paul Sng and Nicola Black, who is a life-long fan of the Greenock artist.

Co-director, Paul Sng said:“This is an analogue film framed for a digital age, employing a wealth of archive material across multiple formats, including Super8 (70s), VHS (80s) and MiniDV (90s). The footage from now obsolete media enables the filmmakers to tell a story about a vanished world and explore what has been lost from decades past, juxtaposed with the loss felt by Emily in losing her father and the world in losing a genius guitarist.

"This is John’s story, told by those who loved him most; his close family and the wider family of leading musicians who are all proud to have known and recorded with him,”

The film is made with full support from John McGeoch’s family and with the blessing of Rory Sullivan-Burke, his authorised biographer.

Having secured the rights to tell John McGeoch’s extraordinary story, the film is based on the best-selling biography, 'John McGeoch: The Light Pours Out of Me' by Rory Sullivan-Burke, which includes original interviews with Siouxsie Sioux, Howard Devoto, Johnny Marr, Billy Idol, John Frusciante, Keith Levene, Jonny Greenwood, Nick Launay, Ed O’Brien, Peter Hook and more.

Co-director Nicola Black said: "Universal questions, not just about music and creativity, but also about what an artist is willing to sacrifice on the path to recognition are embedded in this film. When success turns to pressure, pressure to addiction and fragility is masked by substance abuse, the effects can be devastating.

"Issues of mental health and addiction that are part of our contemporary conversation were not widely discussed when John was at the height of his fame. ‘The Light Pours Out of Me’ considers these themes in a sensitive way, giving them a context, which resonates with audiences today,”

Famous musicians who have been inspired by McGeoch include: Johnny Marr from The Smiths, The Edge from U2, Radiohead, Robert Smith, Jane's Addiction, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Mogwai, and many, many more. Johnny Marr from the Smiths said of McGeoch: "When I was in my teens, there weren't many new guitar players who were interesting and of their time, John McGeoch made really innovative guitar music which was pretty hard to find back then. To a young guitar player like myself, those early Banshees singles were just class."

On a later occasion, Marr said:"Really my generation was all about a guy called John McGeoch, from Siouxsie and the Banshees".

You can watch the trailer for the new film, and check out the directors Kickstarter, by clicking here.