HRH Mag XXV - September 2024

Black Eyed Sons

MARCUS KING ANVIL THE HU BLUES PILLS VISIONS OF ATLANTIS STEVE LOUW TUK SMITH CRYPTA BYWATER CALL MAN WITH A MISSION THE DEAD DAISES SIMONE SIMONS STEVE CROPPER CAVALERA MOJO THUNDER ROYAL REPUBLIC CHARLOTTE WESSELS PHIL MOGG

04 Black Eyed Sons

10 Viki’s Gates of Hell

- 10. King Voodoo

- 12. Zac the Locust

- 14. AK and The Red Kites

- 15. Blockade

- 16. Otis

20 Blues Pills

22 The Dead Daisies

24 Anvil

26 Tuk Smith and The Restless Hearts

28 Visions of Atlantis

30 Charlotte Wessels

32 Cavalera

34 Royal Republic

36 Simone Simons

38 Man With a Mission

40 Live Reviews

- 40. Hillbilly Vegas

- 42. Alkaline Trio / Lowlives

- 44. The Black Crowes

- 46. Cavalera

- 58. Crypta

- 50. Jay Buchanan

- 52. Hannah Wicklund

- 56. The Cadillac Three

- 58. Korn / Wargasm

- 60. Mr Big

62 HRH Punk 4 Spotlights - 62. Healthy Junkies - 64. The Vapors - 66. Pollypikpocketz - 68. Yur Mum - 70. Chelsea

72 Download Festivals Highlights Defects / Wheatus / Atreyu / Calva Louise

76 HRH Ibiza Road Trip XIII Photo Gallery

80 Crypta

82 Steve Louw

84 The Hu

86 Mojo Thunder

88 Phil Mogg

90 Marcus King

92 Album Reviews

The Dogs D’Amour | Bywater Call | Francis Rossi & Hannah Rickard | Psych! | Anvil | The Dead Daisies | Hawkwind | Black Sabbath | Halestorm | The Cold Stares | Jethro Tull | The Warning | Sam Millar | Robin Trower | Mojo Thunder | Renaissance | Blues Pills | Phil Mogg | Tuk Smith and The Restless Hearts | Lixx | Mr Big

102 Bywater Call

104 Steve Cropper

106 HRH Sleaze 7 Spotlights - 106. The Midnight Devils - 108. Black Roze - 109. Kickin’ Valentina - 110. Shiraz Lane - 112. Bai Bang

Welcome to volume XXV

The Team

Editorial

Chief Editor - Adam Kennedy adam@hrhmediahub.com

Designer - Charlotte Hooper

Contributing Writers:

Russell Peake, Viki Ridley, Adam Kennedy, Paul Davies, Charlotte Hooper, Dennis Jarman, Peter Ray Allison, Diane Davies, Victoria Llewelyn

Contributing Photographers: Adam Kennedy, Simon Dunkerley, Eric Duvet, All Others Credited.

Subscriptions Visit hrhmag.com/subscribe or email info@hrhmag.com

Management

Publisher - Dark Watch BVI Limited

As always, a

HRH Experiences Ltd Chairman / Founder Jonni Davis

European Director John Ellis john@darkwatch.net

Head of Marketing Charlotte Hooper charl@darkwatch.net

Head of Sales

Jessica Lloyd jess@darkwatch.net

HRH Official Photographer Simon Dunkerley simond@hrhmag.com

Cowboys In Pinstriped Suits

Now, who are the Black Eyed Sons, I hear you ask? Of course, their faces are well known to many, but under their previous guise. The band formerly known as The Quireboys are preparing to enter a new chapter of their history. But why now? The Quireboys’ split is well documented and now all just water under the bridge – perhaps Newcastle’s Tyne Bridge you might say. So, there is no need to go over old ground. Maybe the group could have changed their name then. However, with commitments dating back to before the pandemic, the Brit rockers had to clear the decks and their existing touring obligations before looking to the future.

Now with a clean slate and a brand-new album that’s set to knock your socks off, it’s time for the group to shed their skin and start afresh as we welcome Black Eyed Sons. From this point forth, there is no looking back or even sideways, as this band of brothers look to a new future together.

Frontman Guy Griffin brings us up to speed.

“We’ve taken a low profile for a while because a lot of stuff has happened in the last few years and everyone has had a lot of upheavals and personal things happen. There’s been deaths, divorces so, just life, really,” he says. “In the meantime, we’ve been putting the finishing touches

to the record. It’s been going on for the last year and a half, but it’s changed as it’s gone along and circumstances have changed as well.”

Regarding life and personal struggles, the artist reflects on the passing of his late friend Guy Bailey. “Guy’s death really affected me, still does and it made me re-assess a lot of things. Guy and myself created a signature two-guitar sound on those first two albums. I played with him the last time he ever performed a live gig, which was with The Dirty Strangers in London,” recalls Guy. “Friendships run deeper than bands. I’ve given up alcohol since. So many funny and happy

memories, I miss him greatly. He really was a one-off character, and I learned a lot from him. I was actually with Guy two days before he passed and I can’t believe he’s not with us anymore. I was close with both Guy and Chris Johnstone in all the years after the band first split, in fact Chris is playing on our album, a track called ‘Savoir Faire’”.

Just like the famed track by Joe Cocker, the group received a little help from their friends on their forthcoming release. “The original idea was to try and involve some guest artists and we were lucky enough that there were a lot

together. It’s been like wrangling cats at times!” jokes Griffin.

In a lot of cases, artists may have one or two guests on their record. The Black Eyed Sons’ new album has rock and roll royalty coursing through its veins. “A lot of these artists are in much bigger bands and are very talented people, it’s just great to have them all on board. If I told myself 30 years ago, I’d be doing a record with all these different people, I wouldn’t believe it. So, it’s quite a roll call when I look at the list of people I need to call today - they are all over the world,” proclaims Guy.

of people who stepped up and wanted to be involved. And that’s been really humbling and gratifying,” said Guy.

Of course, such is the nature of the music industry, with in-demand artists, you are always going to be up against their hectic touring schedules to make a project like this work. “It’s been difficult to bring it all together, as you can imagine. But obviously, these people, they’ve got their own schedules and the guest artists, they’re doing it out of the kindness of their heart. So, it’s been quite a project production-wise, as far as organizing and trying to collate everything

Of course, the album is not all about the guest performers. “There are probably two or three songs on the album which don’t have any guests or should I say they don’t have any famous guests. But we’ve got a lot of musicians who are friends of the band who lent their time and their talent to it, like female backing vocalists, the harmonica and pedal steel, and things like that. There are about three or four songs with just myself singing. One of those is ‘Lie To Me’ which we put out a year or so ago but we’ve sort of changed it a bit for the record.”

If this list of artists featured on the record doesn’t get you excited, it’s perhaps time to check your pulse. “We recorded a song called Medicine which we did with Stevie D and Josh Todd from Buckcherry and I’m really happy with that. It’s a very commercial song,” explains Guy.

The songs featured on the band’s new album eloquently encapsulate their heritage and musical provenance.

“We’ve got a track called ‘Savoir Faire’ which is a cover of a song by Mink Deville. Willy Deville was the singer of Mink Deville in the 70s/80s,” said Guy. “The old band, when we first split up in ‘93, the last ever show we did was supporting Willy Deville in Belgium and the opening band was Radiohead! We were in the middle of the bill. Steve Conte from Michael Monroe’s band, Company of Wolves and the New York Dolls obviously, he’s playing guitar on that song. And he incidentally played guitar in Willy Deville’s band. My friend Alan Clayton from The Dirty Strangers is singing with me on it too and he has a big connection with us, having worked with the band over the years. And I’ve also played and recorded with The Dirty Strangers”.

Steve Conte and Company of Wolves bandmate Kyf Brewer also feature on a further composition.

“We did a song called, ‘Foolin’ Yourself’, which is actually a song that’s written with Steve Conte. So, he’s on that one as well.” Steve explains: “Not only was it a pleasure to play guitar and sing on this record - it was an honour to have Griff and the band record one of our songs!”

Guy continues down the track listing. “We’ve got a song called ‘Dig Me Out of This Hole’ which has Scotti Hill from Skid Row playing some lead slide guitar”. The Skid Row guitarist has a long history with the band saying “I go back 30 years with these guys, a band that I’ve always loved and respected. To be asked to be part of this project was a great thrill, and proud moment as a guitarist.”

Some of the songs on the album Guy had in his back pocket for a while. “We’ve got one called ‘So Glorious’ which was the first one that I wrote for this album. It was written about five years ago and at the time, it was never really ever going to be a Quireboys song, but I thought to myself, “this would sound really great with Dan Reed”. So, when we came to make this record, I thought, well there’s no rules anymore and I’ve never really liked sticking to a formula anyway, and now we don’t have to anymore. So, that song is Dan Reed and myself singing, Dan wrote the lyrics,” said Guy. “We’ve got two different versions of it - one that’s leaning more towards how he would sound and the version on the record which we’ve changed a little bit, more to how we sound now - but it’s come out great.”

Guitarist Paul Guerin penned a song called ‘Your True Colours’.

“Not only was it a pleasure to play guitar and sing on this record - it was an honour to have Griff and the band record one of our songs!”

- Steve Conte

“It’s got a real slinky groove, a sort of Stones or Roxy Music thing to it. We’ve got Mike Tramp on that one singing, who’s been a good friend of ours over the years and I really like all his solo records, they have a sort of Americana-type vibe and his voice really suited this track.” Speaking of the song, Mike Tramp said: “My friendship with the Quireboys started a long time ago and each time our paths have crossed, the bond has grown stronger. Therefore, I would lie if I didn’t say that in the back of my mind there always was a wish to do something together. So, I am more than thrilled when I was invited to sing on the Black Eyed Son’s new album and that they also gave me a song where I could be who I am.”

The calibre of artists on the album is second

to none. “We did a song called ‘Autumn Reigns’ which is quite a personal song to me as it’s dedicated to my brother who passed away a couple of years ago,” reflects Guy. “I’ve got Charlie Starr from Blackberry Smoke singing and playing guitar on that with me.” Starr adds: “This song feels so real and natural. Like a hug from an old friend. I’m proud to be a part of it.”

With both Guy, Paul and Keith having played with The Down N Outz, it only seemed fitting to call up their mutual friend and bandmate.

“We’ve got what I guess would be the title track, which is ‘Cowboys in Pinstriped Suits’ and that has Joe Elliott singing with me. Ryan Roxie from Alice Cooper, another old friend, plays some lead guitar on it at the end.”

But that’s not the only appearance on the album from the Alice Cooper guitarist.

“We’ve done a version of ‘Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory’ by Johnny Thunders. The reason I got the idea to include it on the record is because I’d done a version of it in lockdown with Ryan Roxie and some other artists for charity. I thought it’d be a nice tribute to a couple of friends that I’ve lost recently. So, I changed it around to suit how I would sing it and Ryan’s on there playing guitar and singing backing vocals. We also added a string arrangement” The pair share a mutual respect for one another. “I’ve known Griff since the beginning of our respective careers. We are both from the old school baby, and Griff has always been the embodiment of rock n’ roll - genuine, classy, trashy, and an attitude that exemplifies what it is to be a rock n’ roll troubadour,” said Roxie.

really enthusiastic to be involved, especially at the beginning of something new and fresh, not bound to or stuck to any preconceived formula of whatever people think we should be doing,” said Guy. “It just seemed like a natural thing. Everybody came to the same sort of conclusion as we got further into the record. It was like, this is something else, and it needs to stand on its own merits, without prejudice - it’s a new thing. This is now. Actually, ‘This Is Now’ was almost the title of the album.”

“Lead Single ‘Cowboys in Pinstriped Suits’ has Joe Elliott singing with me. Ryan Roxie from Alice Cooper, plays some lead guitar on it. ”

- Guy Griffin

To get to this point, the band had to sail through some choppy waters. “We’ve continued playing as a band. We did a year and a half of touring after the split. We’ve done two American tours. We did Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, and the UK, obviously. And those were contracts or things we had to fulfil. There is a real grown-up world out there where you actually assume responsibility. Gigs are booked a year in advance - a lot of them. And some of those gigs were booked pre-lockdown,” recollects Griffin. “So, that year and a half during Covid, we had to keep the company running while there was nothing coming in. And then, once the lockdown was finished and bands were able to go out and tour, we were obliged to go back out there and play the shows we were legally contracted to do.”

crowd were with us all the way, we got them singing and I did all the stuff I was supposed to do as a frontman... I got the crowd going. So, I know I can do that, it’s something that I can turn on when I go on stage,” confirms Guy. “It’s not who I am naturally, but like anyone who’s performing on stage, they’re putting on some sort of persona. I always feel strong and confident because the band is great, something that comes from playing together for many years.”

The frontman had some good times with the group before the split. “Since the band got back together in 2001, or whenever it was, we’ve got ten studio albums there. It’s not only the first two albums believe it or not! I’m just as proud of those first albums as anybody,” he says. “I’ve got some nice memories and I’ll keep those, remembering all the good stuff. This is a new beginning. We will put a song out in the next couple of months ahead of the album release and then you’ll see us on the road in 2025. That’s the realistic thing. Give it a few months to settle in there and get the name out there, let people know it’s a brand-new thing. And let it just stand on its own merits.”

Quite a mouth-watering list of guests – perhaps you will agree? “There’s a few different artists on there and a constant on it, through at least half the tracks, is Chip Z’Nuff on bass. He did a few tours with us, the two recent American tours and a Spanish tour. He’s like an honorary member of what we call the Black Eyed Sons now.”

In light of the band’s approach to their new album, it was very clear that this was something quite different to their past. Hence the project became Black Eyed Sons. “It’s kind of like a collective really, more than a band. It’s nice to be able to write a song and go, “this would really suit so and so. Oh, wow! now I can actually give them a call’. All they can do is say no and luckily for us, everyone’s said, yes. They were all

Guy is enjoying his current role in the band. “I had no plans to become the singer, otherwise I would have done it a long time ago or would have left a long time ago and done my own thing. But I love playing with the guys in the band, it’s the same five guys who’ve been playing together for the past twenty years. It’s the same record we started; it’s just taken a few turns along the way and it’s taken a life of its own and an identity of its own,” explains Guy. “I don’t want to be bound by the past, I want to move forward. There will still be some Quireboys stuff that will come out because we’ve got a live album that we recorded and there are anniversaries that come up when you’ve got as many records as we’ve made.”

The role of a frontman can be a different animal. “I always say that there’s a little bit of pressure there. But I’m not trying to be anyone else - it’s a different thing. I play guitar, I’m not going to be throwing a mic stand around and all that kind of stuff, that’s not me. We did some very big gigs like Hellfest in France with Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard, playing in front of 50,000 people. The

The band are overjoyed with the support they’ve received from their peers. “With the way the music scene is nowadays, first of all, it’s great to have some really well-respected musicians (and friends) helping us out. And the one thing that all the people we’ve been involved with have in common is that they are very professional and reliable. They are all in very successful bands in their own right and work hard at it,” he says. “The last few years we were making a good living playing music, but I don’t have any illusions that we’re starting from the same point we were before. We know we do have an audience because we were out there still playing when all the dramas happened and there wasn’t a drop off in attendance. We’re lucky to have fans who were just open-minded enough to listen without prejudice and enjoy the music. Some people will always have their own opinions and just stick to whatever that opinion is regardless. Some people like to take sides and that’s just how it is.”

Guy remains excited about the future and Black Eyed Sons. “Personally, I’m in a much better place and all the stuff that happened in the past couple of years seems a bit silly to me now. I don’t really want to get involved with it. There’s a lot more important stuff going on in the world than some silly squabble between a bunch of blokes who should be old enough to know better,” jokes Guy. “I had a great time in 1989 but I’ve got no desire to go back there. I just want to move forward. You’ve only got so long doing this, you never know what’s around the corner. So, I just want to work with people that love playing music as much as I do.”

Words by Adam Kennedy

GATES OF HELL Vikis

KING VOODOO

Who are you?

We (King Voodoo) are a Merseyside based Hard Rock outfit who pride our sound on heavy riffs catchy melodies, lyrics you can really connect to and a groove that will have your foot tapping and will also have you singing along to every word. We are very much a band for the people and for the fans. As much hard work we put into writing our music we dedicate so much to our live show we strongly believe that if you go to see a band, any band you are going to see a show and that is exactly what we deliver. We have been in motion for 4 years now and have no interest in stopping with big goals on our horizon that seem very much within reach we ask

simply.. Come join the party. Have fun and most importantly… be more voodoo.

Roll call:

On lead vocals & guitar we have Jamie – inspired by the classics such as Queen, Foo Fighters he has one of the most unique vocals on the scene at present and it is a powerhouse at that with his captivating lyrics he will have you hooked in seconds. Next up we have Ian on lead guitar with his juggernaut tone that could knock a house over he is heavily influenced by the guitar gods such as Zakk Wylde, Van Halen and Nuno Bettencourt he can literally shred your face to bits and is also the result

of every king voodoo solo you hear.

On the Bass guitar we have Josh straight out of circa 1987’ his whole existence bleeds the 80’s L.A scene with his biggest bass idols being Duff McKagan and Rachel Bolan to name a few he brings the sleaze into the King Voodoo fold with his melodic bass lines and huge tone. And lastly but certainly not least! We have Graham on the drums who without a shadow of a doubt has the biggest range of musical styles under his belt from bubblegum pop to folk and country all the way up to death and black metal. Graham is the definition of ‘who me? I listen to a bit of everything’ with his powering rhythm his cow hat and infectious smile he is the true backbone

for King Voodoo

The Journey so far

King Voodoo had a dream to make music and get everyone moving. The band understood the challenge ahead of and have been lucky to meet the most important people in the industry...the fans. They took their music out on tour and have played up and down the UK playing some of the best festivals and venues. These have included HRH, Call Of The Wild, Breaking Bands, Savfest, Station 18, Wildfire, Rockwich and recently playing a headlining Rifleriff Festival in Barcelona. It’s been life changing meeting so many awesome fans, bands and everyone in the music industry we have crossed paths with. We have created so many amazing memories and we are always looking forward to the next big event. Playing these festivals are what dreams are made of, imagine writing music and having fans move, groove and sing along. It doesn’t get old it just gets better.

Influences and sounds

King Voodoo have such a wide vary of influences, this helps them obtain our sound which make our songs sound so unique and a bit of a mashup of everything from:

Ozzy Osbourne

Foo Fighters

Guns N’ Roses

Biffy Clyro

Just to name a select few we will always pour every single bit of influence into every note of every song.

Biggest gig, proudest moment?

Love this question, every day we play it’s like the energiser bunny on steriods.....buzzing...you have to keep up with the lads leave your heart and soul on stage but when you play festivals like HRH we had our first experience of the crowd singing back. This blew us away...little threw us a little ha!.

We try and get people dancing which has been happening at our shows, jumping, singing raising beer...every gig makes us proud to hear stories of

fans and how the songs mean something to them, like there own release. What more could you ask for our fans the #voodoocrew are amazing and make our gigs better..the voodoocrew is growing which make us so proud

Future hold for KV

We are working with our new management team and also working on our new album always trying new stuff, maybe some solo tap dancing sections, jazz flute or maybe just more cowbell...remember there is always room for more cowbell. We are planning tours in 2025 hopefully back to Europe the uk and more HRH...wink wink. We have to try don’t we. Hope to see you in one of our many shows booked in 2025 supporting not only us but all the awesome bands out there.

Photo Credit: Si Dunkerley

ZAC THE LOCUST

Who are you?

- Ashley: We are a rock/punk powerhouse known as ZacTheLocust, we’re all about music that makes you feel excited. Massive choruses, big riffs and hooks galore!

- Keryn: Wow!! What an Introduction! I don’t think there’s anything the rest of us can add to that to be honest, Haha!

Roll Call (who’s who in the band and what do they play)?

- Keryn: I now sing lead vocals and play guitar. I was the backing vocalist until we sadly lost our lead vocalist, Cory James, back in May of this year. He sang on all except one song on the album.

- Ashley: So I’m Ash, I’m the deafening whittler at the back, I play drums, biscuit tins, bottles, buckets, small mammals… anything that makes a sound,…I’ll hit it with a stick!

- Rob: I mostly ride majestic steeds and ride the lightning (if you know what I mean, because I don’t) I play bass to a level which I believe is between subtle to absolutely thunderous, I throw out some backing vocals when I’m not screaming at antisocial youths.

- Archie: I’m Archie, I like to play badminton up the country club on the weekend and afterwards, sipping brandy whilst talking over moustaches and cigars. I also play lead guitar.

Hailing from?

- Keryn: South Wales is the short answer. We are quite spread out around the Valleys, none of us live anywhere near each other really. I’m from a small village called Ogmore Vale which is near Bridgend.

- Ashley: We are all over South Wales, I’m from Tonyrefail though.

- Rob - Originally a small village called Abertysswg, now Nelson

- Archie: I’m in Rhydyfelin near Tom Jones country! Haha! That’s Pontypridd for anyone who doesn’t know where Sir Tom is from!!

Journey so far?

- Keryn: I started ZacTheLocust as just a solo project around five years ago. I

had around fifteen songs and just really needed to get them down and out of my head. I recorded some songs with a friend who had a home studio. I was just about to get more people involved and then the dreaded Covid pandemic came along. After Covid, Ashley, Archie and Rob joined me and off we went, jamming and writing as much as we could. I still felt we needed a lead singer though, someone to front the band. When Cory came along everything seemed to fall into place. He really did complete the band. We recorded our album between March and July 2023, and started doing gigs pretty much straight away. We’ve released a steady stream of singles from September 2023 up to now. Everything was great until very suddenly Cory passed away in May of this year. As you can imagine we are all devastated, it’s been a massive loss, not just for us, but for everyone who knew him. Although he has left a hole that can never be filled, we owe it to him to carry on. His family have been so supportive of us and want us to carry on his legacy. We are so grateful for the time we had with him and that his voice will always be there on the album.

- Ashley: Where do we start,… it’s been a proper rollercoaster!! All positive and looking forward to the future, then tragedy struck us hard. Very recently we lost our brother and frontman Cory James, absolutely devastated us all and brought us crashing down. It’s incredibly hard to talk about and even harder to think about. We miss him everyday and will endeavour to have his voice heard far and wide for as long as we can.

- Rob: As the boys have already said we lost our brother Cory, which for all of us has been so hard and the grief we feel will continue for a very long time. Cory has given us so many lessons without him even knowing and also a different perspective of what a band is, it’s become a family thanks to him. We saw him grow as a frontman and as a person which was a pleasure and I will always laugh at the crazy memories he’s given us. I think we are more determined to kick ass for Cory, we will play loud and proud and take everything as it comes!

- Archie: it’s been one hell of a journey so far. Recorded in some really great studios, played some amazing gigs and met a lot of people. Recently lost our brother and frontman abso -

lutely devastated, however his voice will always live on through the album.

Influences/sound?

- Ashley: So many influences have been smashed together to create our sound and it’s still evolving with every new tune we write, there’s the essence of Green Day, blink 182, Offspring, Thin Lizzy, Rush, Royal Blood, and Queen, all mixed up into our sound.

- Keryn: I have always been a huge Green Day fan. The first album I ever bought was Dookie. But I do love a lot of other bands. I learned to play the guitar with the Beatles songs. The chord book I had really was my bible I learnt from. Anything from Metallica to Blink 182, Oasis to Rage Against the Machine.

- Rob: Man that would be a list! My main influences would be: Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Red Hot Chilli peppers, Blink 182, Green Day, AC/ DC, Rage Against the Machine, Rush, Primus to name a few.

- Archie: I have been influenced by so many bands and artists it would be impossible to name them all. To get a rough idea though, some of my favourite bands and artists are........ Blink 182, Sum 41, Oasis, The Jam, AC/ DC, Black Sabbath, and many many more.

Biggest gig/proudest moment to date?

- Ashley: For me, probably supporting Punk rock factory to a sold-out crowd in Swansea, it was a great night. Proudest moment is probably holding our upcoming album in my hand, we put everything into it. Cory put his heart and soul into it too and was incredibly proud of it. It’s all the more special now as I believe it’s now an album full of Cory’s messages to us all.

- Keryn: Supporting Punk Rock Factory was definitely a highlight gig wise. To play to a sold-out venue is always a great boost for our confidence and we seemed to go down really well with the crowd. I have to agree with Ash that completing our album has been a very proud moment. But one other for me was recording two songs in Rockfield Studios. Just an amazing place steeped in music history, we had a great day there, great memories.

- Archie: Yes, the biggest gig for us as a band was probably opening for Punk Rock Factory, what a night that was! Proudest moment for me would have to be when we played at my dad’s

wedding, also a great day and night.

- Rob: The Punk Rock Factory was the last gig we did with Cory at the CC9 festival in Reading. Everything slotted into place effortlessly and just sounded great, but Rockfield is blurry to me (which means I did it right haha) What an experience!

What does the future hold for the band?

- Ashley: I think we were uncertain of the future after Cory passed away, we all felt lost. We all got together and met up and had a chat with Cory’s family too and agreed that he wouldn’t want us to stop, so that’s where we are heading, we are going to keep the music coming and see how far we can take ZacTheLocust, all for our fallen brother Mr C James.

- Keryn: Just doing our best to carry on and keep Cory’s memory alive. We have a lot more music to share which is kind of bittersweet to say because we know Cory won’t get to sing on any of it. We were lucky enough to have two more songs that he sang on. We will release them probably later this year and early next year. We just want to play live as much as possible and to as many people as we can. There will be another single and video released on August 23rd.

- Archie: The future is bright for ZacTheLocust. We have the release of our new album “All I Am” coming on the 30th of August, plenty of gigs and more new music still to come.

- Rob: This is just the beginning, wait until you see the middle. Buckle up and hold on tight, Zacthelocust are about to take you on the best ride of your life!

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

AK & THE RED KITES

Who are you?

We are AK & The Red Kites, a brandnew band from the Chiltern Hills UK. and we play a modern retro infusion of song driven rock! There’s a lot going on and our debut EP ‘Proverbial Storm’ which will give you a good idea of what we’re about. There are strong blues, country & hard riffing modern alt-rock vibes for you to get your teeth into. This is a musical venture that’s all about the songs and putting on a great stage show.

Roll Call?

Andrew Knightley, previously frontman of Trident Waters. The band also consists of Mr Rob Hoey on Bass guitar, he’s been in a heap of bands but most recently fronting Limb. He even has his own Wiki page! On the drums we have Mr Ash Sims who has toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Mike Estes and has a global following on Twitch. These boys absolutely rock and it’s great to be playing with them. We may add another member yet!

Hailing from?

The Chiltern Hills just outside the M25 motorway. We all migrated from London at some point and there’s a new magic happening here. It’s a really inspiring place to write and play music.

Journey so far?

It all started with a recording project. I worked with multi-platinum producer Mike Krompass at his state of the art Base Culture studio in Yorkshire (he’s since speed sticks to Canada). The songs have come out sounding really great and the EP was born from those sessions. Now we have a live band ready to go hit the road later this year.

Influences/sound?

It’s a melting pot of lots of stuff from Zep, Free, Hendrix to more modern stuff like Chris Stapleton, Joe Bonamassa, Rival Sons. There are elements of stoner riffs mixed with some pop melodies. It sounds like a lot but there’s a synergy that makes it all

work…I hope ha! Biggest gig/proudest moment to date?

Not specifically with this band yet but playing at Kentish Town Forum with Quireboys was special and playing the inaugural Maid Of Stone Festival was pretty cool. I hope we can make some bigger, prouder moments with this band.

What does the future hold for AK and the Red Kites?

The EP ‘Proverbial Storm’ dropped at the end of June, and we will be backing that up by going out on the road later this year. We’ve released 2 video singles ‘Devil’s Stomp’ and ‘Wolf Moon’ so far and will be doing some more videos before the end of the year. It’s a really exciting time right at the start of our journey. Let’s see what happens! Photo

BLOCKADE

Who are you?

We are Blockade, a 4-piece alternative rock band igniting the scene with electrifying riffs, soulful vocals, and dynamic performances. Our sound is a powerful blend of hard rock and metal, drawing from influences like Don Broco, Nothing But Thieves, and Royal Blood.

Roll Call?

Consisting of vocalist Olly Davies, guitarist Jack Messer, bassist Luke McCormick and drummer Jack Reynolds, we formed during lockdown, over the joyous space that is social media, and started writing all of our tracks and parts remotely before eventually meeting up in a practise space to thrash out those ideas into fully fledged tracks. After a year or so of writing material we booked our first show in 2023 courtesy of London Music Showcase down at The Star In Shoreditch; a venue known for being possibly hotter than the sun.

Journey so far?

We have released 3 singles so far, our debut ‘Mess You Made’, ‘Avarice’ and our most recent track ‘Better Off Without’, which have all received such huge support from all of our fans and continues to push us to release even more new music; this where we insert a generic sentence about BIG THINGS COMING SOON right? We’ve been super mindful to look at which tracks we release in which order, but trust us when we say the next couple of months we’ll be dropping some jaw-dropping slammers for you.

Biggest gig/proudest moment to date?

Some of our biggest achievement to date include selling out the venue The Water Rats, alongside our pals in Panic Atom & packing out the O2 Academy 2 in Islington where we saw the crowd singing Better Off Without back to us with all of their phone torches on - it was pretty magical. Each of our shows we put 100% energy into, whether it’s

packed or not, to give everyone 30 minutes to forget about their problems and just absorb themselves into singing along, spin kicking in the pit or watching at the bar; it’s the reason we keep going!

What does the future hold for Blockade?

We’ve got some pretty dope things in the works, more high energy shows booked supporting some awesome people, working on our new release, recording all of the tracks for a future EP or album, designing more cool merch to see our fellow Blockaders in & more - it’s just a matter of time before we can bring it all to the masses!

If you love sing-along hard rock with a metal edge, Blockade is your bandcome be a part of the movement!

OTIS

Who are you?

We are OTIS! A high energy bluesbased rock & roll band! Two guitars, bass, drums, and some soulful vocals on top. No click or backing tracks, just four dudes that love a nasty groove.

Roll Call?

Boone Froggett with the vocals and guitar, John Mark Seeley holding down the low end on bass, Alex Wells with more guitar and Dale Myers with the back beat drums.

Hailing from?

United States, south central Kentucky to be exact and it’s been the perfect area to launch a blues rock band from as we’re geographically located between Chicago, IL and the deep south. It’s really a melting pot of musical and cultural influences. We’re proud of where we come from and it’s a privilege to take a little piece of Kentucky and share it all over the world.

Journey so far?

It’s been a bit of a slow journey for us, but it’s allowed us time to really get it right and figure out who we are as a band. Our first album came out in 2015 “Tough Times: a Tribute to John Brim” John Brim was a Kentucky native who moved up Chicago in his teens and recorded for the legendary Chess label along with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and all of the 50’s Blues titans. So at the encouragement of Greg Martin of The Kentucky Headhunters we did this album of John Brim’s lyrics and our music to celebrate Kentucky’s blues heritage. The magic of this album was that we caught the attention of our hero ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons and he started mentioning us in some of his interviews and his secretary sent us a press quote to use, it really was integral in

getting the ball rolling for us. Then “Eyes of the Sun” followed on Cleopatra Records in 2018 which allowed us to do a lot of touring here in the U.S. and we also had the pleasure of coming over to the U.K. and mainland Europe in 2018 & again in 2019. We suffered a couple of speed bumps in 2020 which brought about a threeyear hiatus, but it also gave us the opportunity to be reborn with renewed energy, bigger sounds with the addition of Alex Wells on guitar and Dale Myers on drums. We started back touring last year, and we’ve been able to release two singles this year, our version of the Betty Harris soul classic “There’s a Break in the Road” in March and our most recent single “Last Fool in the Line”.

Influences/sound?

We collectively wear the southern and classic rock influences really well. The debut albums from both The Allman Brothers Band and Led Zeppelin served as blueprints for this band, mainly due to the freedom and recklessness from the performances and the heavy-handed blues influences. If you take a look at the track listings there’s a lot of reimagined 50’s blues classics on both albums but our influences run deep in the band. We listen to a lot of jazz, 70’s progressive rock and even West Coast country like Gram Parsons and Marty Stuart. We’re firm believers that whatever you listen to will eventually manifest back into your playing, so we’re very conscious of what we consume as a band. In terms of a live experience, you’ll pick up on notes of classic Blues, 60’s soul music mixed with our love of improvisational classic rock. While we’re admittedly torch bearers of all the classics be prepared for a new rock & roll experience.

Biggest gig/proudest moment to date?

We’ve had the opportunity to play some incredible places and play with a lot of our heroes! It’s hard to pin down one that stands above the rest! But, in the summer of 2019 we got lucky enough to be on the bill at The Burg Herzburg Festival in Herzberg, Germany! The festival pre-dates Woodstock and has kept the same open-air vibe that was prominent in the late 60’s, it’s as close as anyone our age can get to the real deal type of music and art freeform gathering. I’ve never felt so much spirit and energy from a crowd before or since. To see our bands name among Graham Nash, Doyle Bramhall II and UFO still gives us chills when we recollect the experience. Sometimes the details of a show can become foggy after so many, but we’ll never forget being on stage that day in 115 degree record temperatures and the feeling of the love that the crowd gave us.

What does the future hold for Otis?

Since reemerging on the scene in 2023 after our hiatus, we’ve been received so well and it’s truly inspiring to see everyone’s enthusiasm! So, you’re going to be seeing and hearing a lot more from us in the future! Our ultimate goal is to get another fulllength release out into the world but until then look for us to keep churning out singles on a regular basis and of course lots of touring! Live shows are the lifeblood of any rock & roll band, so buy a ticket and come hang with us!

Credit: MM Photography

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BLUES PILLS BLUES PILLS

Swedish rock n rollers Blues Pills recently unveiled their impressive fourth studio album Birthday. The album was recorded in the rural Swedish countryside and took just ten days to come together under the auspices of songwriter and studio guru Freddy Alexander.

The album was recorded at a time when lead vocalist Elin Larsson had just found out she was pregnant. Speaking about the year so far, Larsson said: “I just had my son, so I’ve been in bliss and very tired as well. But musically, we’ve played a few shows and just done a lot of content, because I guess that’s what you have to do now when you’re a musician this time around. And we also did a lot of music videos.”

With their new record, the band have developed their sound somewhat. “It’s going to be very interesting to see how people react to maybe the more poppy songs,” explains Elin. “For me, I’m just pumped to get it out because we’ve been listening to it, and it was done a long time ago. Last year we were completely done. So, for us, it’s like almost releasing it a year after it’s been done. So, I just want to get it out.”

The title track of the record has a bit of a story behind it. “This is about my birthday. It sort of turned to shit because I was going to have a great birthday party. And I was inviting everyone in the band and the crew. And I was going to buy everyone dinner and have a few drinks and so on. So, then we booked the table. We were on tour in Mexico, and we loved Mexico - it was awesome. But then this event happened. It turned a bit sour,” recalls Elin. “This waiter was harassing me and doing very bad things that I don’t think that’s OK. So, it sort of ended pretty badly.”

Elin adds: “We got home from Mexico, and I wanted to write a song about that whole weird situation that happened. So then, sort of taking the power back, I would say. I told the guy what I wanted to say when everything went down. But then again, you take the lemons and then you make lemonade. It’s a pretty bad story, but it turned out to be a good song. So, I guess I won in the end.”

Blues Pills took an organic approach to the sound on their new album. “Every song stands for itself, I think. It’s very schizophrenic, this whole album. I would say there’s probably one song for everybody, but it still has this thread through the whole album,” explains Elin.

Kristoffer adds: “Before we started recording, there were so many ideas. So, we kind of just threw in all the song ideas we had and turned into what it is now. So, it wasn’t thought through in that way at all.”

The song Hold Me Back on the record has a pretty strong message. “It’s like when you get painted in a corner and then people are holding you in there in your little box. And you feel like you

just get shit constantly, whatever you want to try and you can’t get away from it. You sort of always get the blame. And so, it’s a big f*ck you,” says Elin.

The group’s approach to recording their latest record was somewhat different to previous albums such as Lady in Gold. “For Lady in Gold, we did so many overdubs. It’s not even possible. I had a twenty-people choir going on - it’s insane. And we did overdubs and overdubs. So, what we noticed with that, even though it’s a great studio album, it’s impossible to play those songs live because we can’t afford to have so many musicians on stage. So we learned a lot from it,” said Elin. “I think for the last albums, what we wanted to do was capture the live feeling, because we are known for putting on a great live show. So, for this album, even though it sounds more pristine because of the mix and everything. It’s recorded in the same room – bass, drums, guitar and then a few overdubs. So, it’s very live. And I was in the studio, I was singing with the guys, almost like a practice.”

One of the band’s recent singles, Don’t You Love It, was received very well. The track reached Number 2 in the radio charts in Germany. “That song is basically just a positive song, which is pretty weird because usually, we are pretty depressed people. We usually don’t write so happy-sounding songs, but that’s the thing with this whole album. This song is just a fun song that you should go on and live on and do whatever - enjoy every moment as it is,” said Larsson.

Elin discovered that she was pregnant during the recording of Birthday. It gave the artist a new perspective on everything. “I think what was beneficial in my mind was I had something way more important to be worried about. So, I could enjoy my time recording and hanging out with my boys. And, it’s being there and just focusing on writing music,” recalls Elin. “I think the last two songs I recorded vocals for that when I was nine months pregnant. So that was pretty hard physically. Otherwise, mentally, I thought it was helping me because I wasn’t worried at all. I was just like - let’s have some fun.”

Blues Pills will be returning to the UK to tour in October. “It’ll be wonderful to be back playing again. We can’t wait. And this is our first headlining tour since before Corona,” said Elin. “And we’re super pumped to play with this Canadian band, Daniel Romano’s Outfit. It’s going to be nice to hang out with them and see them play every night. And they’re such a good live band. We have to up our game completely. So, it’s going to be going to be fun,” concludes Elin.

Birthday, the new album from Blues Pills, is out now. The group will tour the UK and Ireland between 8th and 15th of October. For further information, please visit: https://bluespills.com/.

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Dana Trippe

The Dead Daisies Prepare To Light Up The UK

Interview with Doug Aldrich of The Dead Daisies

The Dead Daisies are back with a new album titled Light ‘Em Up which is going to knock your socks off. It’s the first record to feature the supergroup’s current line-up, which also sees the return of John Corabi on vocals.

The US-based outfit has been creative so far this year. “We’ve done a bunch of recording. We’ve got the new album ready to drop. And

then we also did a bunch of blues recording as well. We went down to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to Fame Studios. And we just had a great time. And every day, we’d just start jamming on some blues stuff. And we just started to hit record,” said guitarist Doug Aldrich. “We did some things our way and changed up the arrangements, changed up the grooves, just for fun and it turned out really good.”

The band has also been touring the US in preparation for their upcoming dates on our

shores. “We’re very excited about getting over to the UK. It’s been probably five or six years since John was over there with us so it’s gonna be great. There will be a bunch of new songs, a new show, new production that nobody in the UK has seen us do. So, it’s going to be good,” said Doug.

But how did it feel for the group to get back in the studio with John Corabi? Did it feel like no time had passed? “We didn’t talk about doing any recording in the beginning, we

had put out this best-of album last year. And we wanted to do some dates to support that, and I think Glenn had already committed to doing his thing. And, when we looked at it, it felt like, it’d be nice to get John back out. And he was available. And we had a blast,” explains Doug. “And then in January, we started to talk about music and getting in the studio with John. In my mind, the traditional Dead Daisies way.”

tour or not, whatever, he just kind of left it open. But it feels like with John, it’s always a solid line-up.”

Doug adds: “It just felt really good because I enjoyed all the stuff that I’ve done with the band. But the first album Make Some Noise is just special. I had never worked with John before. Of course, I’ve known him since we were kids. So, it was cool. It’s great to have him back. He’s the quintessential voice for the band.”

Aside from founding member of the group David Lowy, Doug Aldrich is the longest-serving member of the band. “There’s been some really cool line-ups. I think one of my favourites, aside from obviously this lineup right now, I love it because Michael Devin brings a lot to it. But I liked the line-up prior to me being in the band, with Richard and Dizzy. That was cool - it was really good. I never saw them with Jon Stevens. But I know he’s a great singer.”

The band line-up for The Dead Daisies has been interchangeable over the years. “David started it at a point where he wanted musicians that were going to be good. And that meant that they were probably going to be busy. And so, he put it in the very beginning, anybody can do what they want - come and go as they, please. They can make some music, go away, come back make more music,

The Dead Daisies have always been a band that wears their influences on their sleeves. There’s a song on the band’s new album called Way Back Home which certainly has a degree of classic rock familiarity about it. “The main thing I was going for was Aerosmith because I know John likes it. So, I was just thinking, like Aerosmith had that song, Mama Kin. And it had this part where there was just guitar and vocal together and I was trying to do something like that,” recalls Doug. “It kind of got changed a few times during the process. So, it turned into Way Back Home. But it’s definitely got a Zeppelin feel or a Faces type of Stay With Me kind of thing. But I was thinking more of the Rock and Roll vibe of Aerosmith or the Stones.”

As has become customary, The Dead Daisies have put forward a new cover on their latest release. “Take A Long Line is a cover from The Angels. That’s a song that David used to play. I think he played it with the band a few times or toured with them. And he always loved it. And we did a little bit of a different take on the song,” said Doug. “It just reminds me of being in a pub jamming and it’s catchy, but it’s not a well-known song, I guess. We’ve been playing that already. And we took it out, we put in something else. For the UK, I think we’ll be putting it back in because it just kicks ass. It’s really fun”.

The band are raring to return to the UK. “We love it there, man. For me, it’s probably one of the most favourite places that Ronnie Dio would ever play was in the UK. He loved it.

I mean, for all intents and purposes, Ronnie was British, because he worked with Blackmore, first and then Sabbath and he just was like you,” recalls Doug. “He’s from New York. And so, I got the chance to come with Ronnie. I spent a lot of time with Whitesnake in the UK and it’s David’s home as well. I mean some of the gigs that we did were big. But still, my favourite ones were the time we got to play at Hammersmith because that was legendary that place.”

Doug adds: “The Dead Daisies we’ve had a blast there. We’ve got so many friends from all the different bands we’ve been in. And I think something about British people is they like to have a laugh and a good time. And they’re not so serious. I mean, you’ve got to play good, because in the UK, there’s a lot of competition, and you’ve got to play good, but people want to have a good time. And I think that’s why they enjoy the band with John because John makes everybody have a great time. It’s like he’s MCing his own backyard barbecue party. He’s just talking to people like we’re together at a party. It’s what it feels like, he makes people laugh. And I think in Britain, it just fits. So, we always have a great time. Love the people, love the food, love the beer - everything. So, we’re very excited. And we’re going to make the most of it.”

Light ‘Em Up by The Dead Daisies is out on the 6th of September. The band will be touring the UK throughout September. For ticket information and further details please visit: https://thedeaddaisies.com/.

Words by Adam Kenendy

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

THE ONE AND ONLY ANVIL

Canadian metal legends Anvil recently released their new studio album One And Only via AFM Records. The group are regarded as one of the most influential metal bands of the time having influenced luminaries such as Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax and Metallica, to name but a few.

Speaking about their influence on the metal world, guitarist/vocalist Steve “Lips” Kudlow said: “It’s a cycle that everybody’s in, including myself and including anybody that comes after me. It goes back to the conversation that I was having with Lemmy in a hotel room in Birmingham. And I’m going, Lemmy, you’re the biggest influence on metal that has ever existed. You’ve completely influenced and

inspired an entire generation,” recalls Lips. “And he just looks at me. He said I’ll tell you what, there’ll be a bloke sitting across the table saying the exact same thing to you in six months.”

Lips continues: “It’s so funny when you stop and think about it, that’s the truth, because within six months or a year, at Metal Joe’s place in New Jersey, is where Johnny Z brought Metallica to do their first album. They were staying at Metal Joe’s house. So, we show up at Metal Joe’s house and Metallica’s there. And they’re freaking out. They go, holy f*ck, man, it’s Anvil, and they are all freaking out. So how does that feel? Well, it’s an up-and-coming band and a band that came before them, the same way that I was freaking out to Lemmy, these guys are freaking out to me. It’s just the way it works. It’s not that you take it for granted. I certainly don’t take it for granted. Obviously, I meant something. Obviously, if I meant something to them, I can only assume that. But of course,

they’re not the only ones. There was a whole generation of fans themselves. And as we all know, metal musicians are metal fans, so that’s the way it works.”

The history of the group is well documented in the movie Anvil: The Story of Anvil. The movie project had quite a backstory to it. “It has a very long history, in a certain sense that started at the Marquee in London, England in 1982, when this kid came knocking at the door of the changing room and we let him in. And he was a nice kid. And we made friends with him immediately and found out that he has family where we come from. And so, he started visiting us in Canada,” said Lips. “Fast forward 30 years, he becomes a screenwriter for Steven Spielberg. He thinks about his old friends at Anvil and contacts me in 2005 and realizes that we’ve put out 12 albums and that we still exist and we’re still fighting. And here he is in the movie business. And he goes, I’ve got a great idea. Let’s make a movie about Anvil. And that’s how that happened.”

Anvil returned this year with their new album One And Only. This is an album which is said to be more like Anvil’s old selves than in previous years. Lips goes on to discuss that point further. “There was a period of time through the 90s that you would purposely complicate your music to keep it even further underground. Because there was no above-ground, you could be totally ridiculously self-indulgent and get away with it with no problem. And you’re just giving to the people more candidly because the people themselves were unhinged when it came to that too. Everybody was sick of the latter in the 80s with all the poser rock. So, they don’t want to hear that. And the metal people certainly didn’t want to hear anything remotely accessible. So, you don’t want to do that. And there was no hope of any kind of radio play or anything like that. So, the whole gamut of being as ridiculously obscure as possible, it was open to do. And in doing so, we ventured into areas that I would probably say were not necessarily what our fans would

have preferred. And instead of being leaders, we were followers,” explains Lips. “So, we started listening to what was current at that particular time. So, we’re listening to Slayer, Anthrax and Pantera and it all turned quite progressive and extreme in many different aspects. And we let those influences into our music.”

Lips continues. “We came from the late 70s. What happened to the band that did the first Anvil album? What happened to them? They got so metalized and then so speed metalized and so thrash that the good old Anvil that people thought we were was stuck in the 90s. And that’s where I put it. I put that type of stuff away because there’s no point in doing it. And I took a very good long look at what we’ve done in the past. And in my opinion, the best stuff was from when we were more simple.”

Anvil’s approach to their latest record was very thorough. “What changed is I came in

completely prepared and determined in a different way than I’ve ever been before. I demoed every note. I knew every note I was going to play and sing, whereas in albums since Metal on Metal and Forged in Fire, there was a lot of spontaneity. And I went back to the old format like I did on those albums in the sense that I’ve already done it before I do it. So, it’s just a matter of doing it again, but do it better,” explains Lips.

Touring is very much on the band’s agenda moving forward. “We’ve got about 27 or 30 shows in the U.S. coming up and starting in July. After that, we’re probably going to be in Europe for about two or three months,” concludes Lips.

One And Only by Anvil is out now via AFM Records.

Words by Adam Kenendy

Photo Credit: W. Cliff Knese

US rockers Tuk Smith and the Restless Hearts recently released their sophomore album Rogue To Redemption. The Biters frontman has witnessed both the best and the worst of the music industry and is now ready to forge ahead with his latest project.

Speaking about the year so far, Tuk said: “I’ve been producing and writing with a lot of other artists. And then I started my label, essentially to put my record out and I’ve been recording my own record, which is definitely a labour of love. So just a lot of music this year, which is good.”

For his latest offering, the artist self-produced the record. Tuk discusses his approach. “A lot of things that happened with me come out of necessity for budgets. It’s always good to have somebody else’s ear on your records. And that’s why I like working with another producer. And this one, a guy that I worked with lives in Atlanta and I moved to Nashville. And so, I just felt confident enough that I could do it this time because it was the most logical next step,” he says. “I can also record about 70% of things in my home studio. So, I would just go record drums at a studio and then take the hard drive back, the Pro Tools and load it into my studio here.”

Of course, there will always be a few obstacles in the way with the artist’s chosen approach. “There are pros and cons to both. Some of the pros are you get to spend as much time at your home studio on it. That’s also a con

too, because you can go down a rabbit hole. So, I had to make a conscious decision to limit myself.” Tuk elaborates: “It was a leap of faith for me because a lot of the stuff I was doing was new to me, just being completely 100% manning the ship. But I’m very proud of the record. I think it sounds great. And it sounds like a very high-end record that I did in this garage right here.”

Hailing from Georgia, the versatile performer recently moved to Nashville. But was that the change of scenery the artist needed? “Once again, it’s just the duality of life. There’s always pros and cons to everything. And sometimes they’re a blessing. And I think, I really wanted to pursue songwriting and producing more. In Atlanta, I kind of hit a ceiling. There’s not an industry for it.

So, I kind of had to take the leap of faith and move here. And my band that I was playing with at the time, they lived here. So, it was kind of the next step,” explains Tuk. “I knew a couple of producers and writers, but not that many. I had no publishing deal. And I just kind of took the leap of faith.”

They say that Nashville is a ten-year town because it takes ten years to make it there. “The first year, it was really hard. I was doubting whether I should move here because I don’t fit in with the rock and roll scene here very much. It’s a different kind of aesthetic and mentality than I grew up. Because Atlanta, the East Coast is very working class. And it kind

of has a grit to it. And Nashville is kind of like Hollywood with a cowboy hat on,” describes Tuk. “And so, I felt like an outcast because a lot of the influences, the rock bands here are not my influences or my vibe. But what that did was it reignited my love for all the music that I was into that inspired me to start writing in the first place when I was young. So, I got back into all my power pop and seventies punk records and glam records.”

Nashville catalysed the artist to make his new album. “I got back into everything I loved. And that kind of influenced me to write my record. I was like, I’m never going to be as good a singer as these people in Nashville. I’m never going to be a good guitar player, but I know I can write. And so, I just relied on my personal strengths. So that’s a blessing,” he says.

Tuk had a strong idea of how his new album Rogue to Redemption was to feel. “I wanted to do something like Born to Run, that album by Bruce Springsteen, it feels like a concept record. It feels like a soundtrack to a movie like each song’s a different chapter in a book. And so that’s how I wanted this album to feel. Not like a concept record, but like a themed record where it invokes this imagery of these characters and they’re doing these things. And also, with my life force in it. Because I love records like that, because Ziggy Stardust, that record is kind of like that too. It’s kind of a thematic record. So that was the goal, I think,” he says.

It has been said that Tuk’s music captures the sound of a man battling a lifetime of experiences. His recent single Blood on the Stage certainly encapsulates that spirit. “The title came from my manager. He’s amazing and he’s been with me through the storm and through everything - he’s stuck with me. But he would call me on tour a lot with Biters and say how’s it going out there? And I’d be like, John, I’ve got to be on stage in 10 minutes. And every time he would go, leave blood on the stage out there. Leave blood, like, that was instead of break a leg,” recalls Tuk. “And I always thought it was such a cool title. And so literally the title means when I go out on stage, I throw down. But metaphorically, the song is about your life. Did you live it to the fullest? Did you give it all when you look back? So, it’s a life song and there’s a metaphor to it.”

In 2018, Tuk’s previous band Biters announced their indefinite hiatus. But did the artist feel like it was the right time for the group to call it a day? “I did. I felt like, you don’t know what the right decision is. You could spend an eternity guessing,” he says.

“We all did kind of feel like it was best for us to pursue other things because we had been going hard as f*ck with Biters for years and we were broke as f*ck. And look, people are artists because they’re not normal - that’s why you do this. So, you’re dealing with a lot of personality things and we’re trying to not drink. And I’m still friends with all those guys. We were close, but sometimes you just need a fresh start to be the best version of you.”

He adds: “I was like, I’m just going to do a solo record. And I didn’t know if I was going to get Biters back together. I felt like we needed some time apart. And it was probably for the best. And I’m proud of what we did. We did a lot. We worked hard and I don’t feel like we quit early. I felt like we really gave them hell.”

The artist is happy with how his latest songs have been received thus far. “The response to these songs has probably been the best of anything I’ve ever put out, including Biters, which feels good,” he says. “It’s a hard industry and you don’t know what you’re going to do. And especially the kind of music that I’m doing right now, there’s no scene for it. There’s no pocket and people really like it. And they’re digging the tunes, which is most important to me.”

Tuk’s album release will be accompanied by a run of UK dates. Speaking about the tour he said: “I love the UK. It’s one of my favourite places. And a lot of my favourite music is from there. And so, I’ve been trying to get back there for a while. The pandemic knocked everything for two and a half, three years. And it’s so hard logistically to tour overseas right now as an American band. It’s not an easy task. It took a lot of work to get it. And it’s a big financial risk with debt and credit cards, but you just have to take risks. And I want to get back over there, even if it’s for four shows. So hopefully some people come out and enjoy it.”

Moving forward Japan is on the artist’s radar. “I don’t know how it happened, but somehow, I ended up getting connected with Japan and I licensed Ballad of a Misspent Youth to Sony Japan. And the record did really well. Apparently, the Japanese rock fan base loved that record. So, I just licensed this next upcoming record to Sony as well. And they’re bringing me over to Japan and the venues are big. I’m doing a lot of press. So, maybe I’ll be a rock star in Japan and then come back here and play 150 cap clubs,” he concludes.

Rogue to Redemption, the new album from Tuk Smith and the Restless Hearts is out now via Gypsy Rose Records.

Words by Adam Kenendy

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

Riding The Wave

The pirate armada of Visions of Atlantis once again set sail for the high seas ready to start a new battle via their new opus Pirates II – Armada. The band’s latest album is a new symphonic, cinematic, dramatic, and heavier-than-ever adventure. The release is a true hurricane of feelings proving that the band is mature and ready to claim the crown of Symphonic Metal.

The band recently returned from a tour of the US. “It was in 2022, in February or March when we went there for the first time, which was only two years ago. And for most of the people that didn’t know about us, we are a new band to them. So, we could build a fresh image, a fresh universe from the very beginning,” explains vocalist Michele “Meek” Guaitoli. “With the history of Visions of Atlantis, this is a blessing, because basically, we could present them the band at its best with the current line-up, which probably is going to be the final line-up since it’s six years that we are together without any change and without any foreseeable change.”

The group were happy with the response to the US dates. “The package was really good. The attendances were good. We had a lot of fun. And it seems like the new songs from Armada, we played a couple of songs over there, were well received.”

The band’s latest offering Armada is the second chapter of the Pirates series. But was it apparent to the group initially that this saga would evolve beyond the Pirates I release? “This is the most reoccurring question lately. And indeed, it was not,” explains Meek. “We plan to go all in with a pirate outfit and the pirate universe. But this is nothing that was not done before for Visions of Atlantis, because on The Deep and The Dark in 2018, there were songs in the record, which were called The Silent Mutiny and The Deep and The Dark itself had pirates in the video. And we clearly are pirates that have only two survivors, the sole survivors of this shipwreck. So, it’s not like, we were never pirates. And we just suddenly decided to become pirates. And now we stick to the pirate thing.”

The new album Armada has effectively become part of the Pirates franchise. “With Pirates, we made a massive step forward in terms of universe creation,” he says. “When it comes to the title, even internally, we discussed this a lotshould we call it Armada, just Armada? Or should we call it Pirates II - Armada? So that somehow, we create a franchise,” elaborates Meek. “Musically speaking, it is a continuation of where we left our music in Pirates I.”

With their music, Visions of Atlantis aims to go further than just a collection of songs. “Our goal is to create a cinematic universe. When I say cinematic, you have to picture a big pirate movie, not necessarily Pirates of the Caribbean. Of course, this is a massive inspiration, but it could be Black Sails, I don’t know if you know the TV series or a Hook movie. And we would love our music to be the perfect soundtrack for that kind of cinema. This is why we call it cinematic. And of course, our way of seeing the pirate universe, it’s a dark universe. It’s not like this Peter Pan style of Disney, the cartoon piracy,” he says.

The group had a strong idea of how they wanted the record to sound. “There was a goal in terms of atmosphere, there was a goal in terms of orchestral arrangements, but sometimes what you have in mind where you want to arrive, and what you actually write collide in a way. So, it’s not like you can control inspiration, it has to be natural, it has to be spontaneous. So, most of what we wanted to do, ended up as we wanted to do, but we had some surprises,” elaborates Meek.

Visions of Atlantis made some positive changes concerning their approach to Pirates I. “We made the right moves because we changed producer, we changed mixing and mastering engineer, we changed everything in regards to the songwriting, the process was completely different from before. So, a lot has changed on our end, and this paid off because everything happened consequently. We started to play bigger festivals, we started to have way more people attending our shows, pre-sales, especially the pre-sales of Pirates I after we dropped the first singles and the first videos, and we also changed video makers,” explains Meek. “And now it’s paying off even more - not to mention the US touring was possible thanks to Pirates. So, we started to spread outside of Europe and now things are moving again because the pre-sales of Pirates II are 70% higher compared to the pre-sales at this point of Pirates I. So, it feels like we are riding a wave, and for now, the winds are on our side. So, we just need to keep on doing things as we are and keep on going. We feel like we still have a lot to say, so let’s ride this wave,” concludes Meek.

Pirates II – Armada, the new album from Visions of Atlantis is out now via Napalm Records. The group will be touring the UK in October. For ticket information and further details please visit: https://www.visionsofatlantis.at/.

Words by Adam Kenendy

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

Dutch singer/songwriter Charlotte Wessels has teamed up with many of her former Delain bandmates for her new album The Obsession. The record follows the artist’s earlier solo releases including Tales From Six Feet Under Volumes 1 and 2.

The year has seen Charlotte working on projects surrounding her new album release. “The whole beginning of the year was finishing the album. And then we did the videos starting in March. And now we’re still doing videos,” she says. “Now we’re preparing for the live show. So, I feel like you have these next to the regular seasons. You have these seasons in life of sowing and harvesting. And this has been a sowing year so far. It has been a lot of work and a lot of making things. So professionally, I’d say that that is the general impression of the year.”

Speaking about the record Charlotte proclaims: “I’m very excited about the album. I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited about an album, about the music coming out.”

With her latest offering, the symphonic metal artist realised that there was a common thread through her writing. “It’s funny because I didn’t set out to write something with a theme or a thread running through it necessarily. And I remember that I was on a residency in Poland in February. And this was the moment when I sat down, and I looked at the songs that I had as candidates for the album and came to the conclusion that all of them were either about fear and intrusive thoughts or the escapes from them,” explains Charlotte. “I was diagnosed with OCD a few years ago ... I’m not very compulsive, but I’m very obsessive. I’ve not been believing my own diagnosis for a long time, but I’ve started to see over the last couple of years since I know how a lot of my own behaviours fit into that. And when I saw what everything was about, I thought …I’ve got to call it what it is. So that’s why it’s The Obsession.”

Charlotte’s approach to The Obsession has been somewhat different to her previous solo endeavours thus far. “With Tales from Six Feet Under, I made all of the songs here in the basement. There are some parts like on Against All Odds where Timo plays the acoustic guitar and there are some cellos on there. But for the most part, those are all digital instruments that I played or programmed or produced here in the Six Feet Under studio,” explains Charlotte.

“And basically, what I do is I make a song every month for my patrons. Patreon is the biggest part of what funds everything I do.

So, it’s very important to me.”

Charlotte continues: “What I do is I put a song out every month and I put those on there and then I didn’t change it anymore and it went straight to the record. So, it was very spontaneous and very free. It was also very eclectic. And then after a year, I would be like, what are my favourite songs that I can put on an album? But they weren’t made to be on an album together.”

After the musical excursion that came about via the Tales project the artist wanted to return to a more traditional format of making a record with her latest album. “I want to make an album again where I write the songs to be on an album together,” said Charlotte. “I write them and then not put them on the album directly, but then to rewrite them, think about where they could have improvement and then also have all the parts played by actual humans and not any humans, but my best humans.”

The band Charlotte is referring to is of course her former Delain bandmates. “I got the band involved,” she says. “I wrote the songs for the song of the month and then after that, I went over which songs I wanted to do. There were some restructurings and then I went to go and rearrange the songs with Timo to make them ready for the band recordings.”

Charlotte adds: “It’s a real opposite from those records before, which were very digital. Then, also Vikram Shankar did beautiful additional orchestrations and key work. And we had the guest appearances, of course, by Alissa [White-Gluz/Arch Enemy] and Simone [Simons/Epica].”

This album sees Charlotte Wessels returning to her metal roots. “When I started to do the songs in the basement, I had been doing symphonic metal for 16 years and I was very hungry to try different things. So, I did that with the Tales records. But then when I started thinking about, okay, I want to do a record, I kind of want to go into the deep again,” explains Charlotte. “I thought about the songs that have made me most happy when I wrote them. And they were the heavier songs. Also, we performed Tales from Six Feet Under 1 and 2 with the band. We had some Dutch club shows where we performed the tracks. You kind of get back into that live mindset.” Charlotte elaborates: “The band came in and did their thing with it, which also really contributed to a much heavier sound. So, there’s a lot of factors that have kind of influenced that direction.”

But how does it feel for Charlotte to be

working with her ex-Delain cohorts, Timo Somers (guitars, additional arrangements), Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (bass) and Joey Marin de Boer (drums). “It’s amazing. There’s a very deep connection there, on a musical level and just a friendship level. And so, it is wonderful to have them on board. And I also feel very privileged that they want to contribute to the album in this way. I think they’re phenomenal musicians. So, I count myself very, very lucky. And one of the things that I’m also very much looking forward to is to be on the road again with them. I absolutely cannot wait,” said Charlotte. “And Sophia [Vernikov (piano/Hammond)] is doing amazing as well - the new kid on the block.”

Charlotte and the band will be taking to the road alongside VOLA on their forthcoming UK tour. “I’m very excited on so many levels. I’m so proud of the album,” said Charlotte. “I want to perform the album live. I want everyone to hear it. I’m so happy to be on the road with the boys again. Every time I think about it, I have Willie Nelson in my head - On the Road Again. I can’t wait.”

Touring with VOLA is a dream come true for Charlotte. “I’m a big fan of VOLA. I’m not afraid to say that when I saw this tour going up, I sent them a DM and I was like, hey, I see no other bands on your poster. May I make a suggestion … I still cannot believe that that worked, but it worked,” said Charlotte. “I’m a very big fan. So, I also look forward to just hearing their set every single night. And yeah, it’s going to be cool.”

The artist is keeping some of her upcoming plans under wraps for now. “It’s going to be December by the time that we’re back from the tour. I’ve got a few plans for December, which I cannot disclose yet. And that is the rest of the year. It’s working towards the album, getting a few more singles out, making the videos, getting the crew together, preparing for the live shows, and rehearsing. And then we’re going to play some shows. We’ve got some summer festival shows and a tour. And then it’s December. So, I feel like the year will fly by. Honestly, it has been flying by so far,” concludes Charlotte.

The Obsession by Charlotte Wessels will be released via Napalm Records on the 20th of September 2024.

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Words by Adam Kenendy

Photo Credit: Tim Tronckoe

Turning

Back The Clocks with Cavalera Interview with Max Cavalera

Brazilian metal legends Cavalera were in the UK recently promoting their album Schizophrenia. This is an evocative release which harkens back to the early days of brothers Max and Iggor Cavalera’s careers.

Having previously re-recorded both Morbid Visions and Bestial Devastation, Schizophrenia was the final piece in the puzzle of the group’s early days trilogy.

were recorded in one take. “We had two days to do the whole thing. We got to do a demo first. So, we had our first experience doing Necromancer, which came out quite cool. I like it. Morbid Visions, we didn’t do any demos. We went straight into the record; we didn’t have that much time. It was like Igorr did a pass on the drums, if there were some mistakes, you have to live with them. There’s a charm about that I think from those records,” explains Max.

Schizophrenia in terms of early thrash and death metal, is a household name for those of us invested in extreme metal. It was the point where the Calaveras refined their dark, dingy, speed-influenced songs, into something a bit more mature, developed, and technical.

There has been a lot of water under the bridge since the album was released back in 1987. How did it feel for Max Cavalera to revisit this key work after all this time? “I think it was good. And I think somehow it was the right time to do it - it was like enough time had passed. The main intention was to make them sound better than the originals and introduce them to a new generation of fans that maybe never knew about these records. And that’s why we took very great care in the production of these recordings,” explains Max. “They achieve two things. One, they have a better sound than the original, but they don’t lose the spirit of the original. That’s very it’s easy to say, but hard to do.”

At the time of the recordings, Brazil was very much regarded as a third-world metal scene. “It was everything that you imagined. It was a struggle to get equipment and a struggle to get gear. We struggled a lot with having a good sound when we played live. But there’s also a passion that goes with that and a commitment to the feeling that you are part of something quite special in the scene. So, the scene that we created in Belo Horizonte in the 80s was special, because most of the scenes were in Sau Paulo and Rio, the big cities with metal scenes, and there was none of that. So from the ground up, we created our own scene, and that’s really cool. I love that,” he says. “With a bunch of friends, we made something exist, we made something happen. And that gave us a purpose in life.”

Of course, when revisiting older works there is always a temptation to change things. “We liked the songs, but we don’t need to change the songs. The songs are great, but let’s play them better and record them better,” said Max. “It’s still dirty and aggressive - I think that’s key.” He adds: “I think we achieved that. And we just gave the new life to those albums. It’s sort of like an old jacket that you haven’t worn in 30 years, and you just take it out of your closet, and you clean it, put it on and it feels great. That’s kind of how this almost feels to me.”

Max has always had a burning desire to revisit Schizophrenia. “It always bugged me - especially listening to it. I know there’s a charm to it. And I understand that, and I love that about those records - don’t get me wrong, but as a musician, the temptation is to hear them the way we wanted them to sound,” explains Max. “There are riffs on Morbid Visions, that people have no idea what it sounds like. There are things that people discover only on the re-recorded versions.” He adds: “It’s good to bring those things to light too. Just to shine a light on them. And the little details, they matter.”

At the time of the band’s early recordings, time and budget were a constraint. Some of the tracks

There is one new track on Schizophrenia. That being Nightmares of Delerium which features lyrics from Max’s son Igor Amadeus Cavalera. Creating a song in the current day that sounds like it originates from 1987 was no easy task. “I spent a whole week just listening to Schizophrenia entirely. That’s all I listened to and nothing else. And I wrote it putting myself in the state of mind of a young Max Cavalera. If we had to write one more song for Schizophrenia, what would that song be like? And that’s what we came up with. I think that was the closest thing to using all of Schizophrenia as influence and inspiration. And I think it came off quite cool. I’ve seen some reviews where people think it’s a rehash of riffs from 1987 – but they are brand new riffs.” He adds: “I don’t know how, but it does work, and it does fit the record perfectly.”

Having spent their recent times reflecting on the brother’s early works, what does the rest of the year hold for Cavalera and Max’s other projects?

“So right now, Soulfly we have a European tour. We have an American tour with Eye Hate God which is going to be really cool. And Mutilation Barbecue are also opening. Then we’re doing the Lamb of God Headbangers Boat. And after that, I don’t know. I’m probably going to use the rest of the time to get the writing done, maybe even enter a studio for Soulfly. Hopefully, so I can get the album out next year,” concludes Max.

Schizophrenia by Cavalera is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.

Words by Adam Kenendy

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

With the release of their latest studio album and an action-packed festival season, 2024 has already been a great year for Scandinavian rockers Royal Republic. The band’s latest offering LoveCop was released in June, just before the group’s eagerly anticipated Download Festival return.

LoveCop has been a long time in the making for Royal Republic. “We started writing during the pandemic. But then we figured that we weren’t ready to release an album because we didn’t know when we’d be able to tour again,” explains guitarist Hannes Irengård. “We decided to release singles instead. I think we released four or five songs during the pandemic. And then we just kept writing pretty much. We decided to keep the songs that we wrote and to make an actual album this time.”

Of course, there is a lot of debate within the music industry with regards to singles vs albums. “You hear it all the time, albums are out - it’s outdated. You release singles. That’s how you do it. You know, I’m not a businessman. I’m sure that’s correct. It was like that may very well be, but for us, it feels important putting out an album. Doing the whole thing with having a start, the middle and end doing the cover, doing the pictures, doing all that stuff. It’s still a big thing for us,” explains Hannes. “

The band invested a lot of time and effort in their latest offering and the results speak for themselves. “We’ve been writing for the good part of two years, I guess, for this album. It always takes a very long time for us to write songs. But it usually turns out very well. And Love Cop is there’s no exception. I think at least,” he says.

Majesty and Frankenstein them together. So that’s sort of where it all started. But then, as always with Royal Republic, we need this one song that we all feel very comfortable and strongly about. And then we sort of centre everything around that one song,” said Hannes. “And so, for Weekend Man, that one song was When I See You Dance with Another and with Club Majesty, that song was Fireman and Dancer. And for this one, it was Love Cop. Love Cop was the first song that we wrote where we were all like, OK, this is what we’re doing now. Let’s try and write songs around this one. So, it happens quite organically. And it’s always like this with us.”

He adds: “It’s very hard writing a Royal Republic song because none of us knows how to do it. But the funny thing is that when we get there, when we hit the sweet spot, then all four of us are like, yes, this is f*cking it. There is no doubt in our minds. So we have no idea how to get there. We could go on all these detours and left and right and up and down. But once we get there, it’s pretty much set in stone.”

For LoveCop the group went to Germany to record at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin. “The main reason for us recording at Hansa Studio is that Michael Ilbert, the guy that mixed all of our albums except the first one. He has a room there, so he’s working there. And for this album, we wanted to work with him again, as we did with Save the Nation. He produced Save the Nation. And now he and Adam produced this one, LoveCop. So that was the main reason for going there,” he says. “Plus, it’s sort of nice when recording an album to go away, so you can be in this recording studio, music-making bubble and not have too many distractions.”

On the track Laser Love the group bring back the concept of the Power Ballad. “The world needs more power ballads. I mean, the four of us, we grew up listening to these power ballads. So, we sort of have it in our DNA,” proclaims Hannes. “We’re children of the 80s. We grew up listening to that sort of music. So, in that sense, it wasn’t much of a stretch for us, but it was a stretch in the sense that this is the first time that we wrote and released a proper power ballad.”

rock, we did grunge, we did disco, we did funk. And now we’re doing this 80s power ballad. I mean, we even did a tour with cowboy hats and banjos and mandolins and stuff - it’s insane. I’m getting shivers just thinking about it because it’s so f*cking awesome that people showed up for these shows. And they embrace a song like this with open arms. And I’m not surprised about the song itself being embraced, because it is, in my opinion, a very good song. But, there are these do’s and don’ts in the world of rock and roll. Some things you do, some things you don’t. We never really gave a f*ck about it. But again, it just goes to show that people are awesome. People want good music. People are open-minded.”

ROYAL HOT FUZZ

The band’s approach to making an album is usually quite organic. “What we set out to do before we started the serious writing process was that we kind of said let’s take the best of Weekend Man and Club

He adds: “Once again, our fans have proven to us that they’re the most awesome fans in the world. I mean, we don’t make it easy on our fans. We did pop

Royal Republic’s distinctive sound easily extrapolates into the live environment. “A lot of times when we write songs. We’re talking in these terms, like how do you imagine this being played live? And a lot of times when we did something, we actually go OK, let’s stand up. Let’s move our hips. Let’s try our moves. Let’s see if this actually works out. And honestly, the live thing is where we take our living, so to speak,” said Hannes. “We never had like a proper radio hit. We don’t dream crazy or anything like that. So, making these songs work live is extremely important for us. Plus, the obvious fact that playing live is why we started the band in the first place. That’s the main reason we’re doing this, because that’s

just the greatest thing on Earth, being up there and rocking with people you don’t know, but you feel like you’re trying to do anyway.”

Following festival season Royal Republic will be back in the UK later this year. “I think we’re starting in October or November. I don’t know which dates are officially out there. And I don’t know what I’m supposed to say and what I’m not supposed to say. But it will be a big tour. And we will be coming your way without a doubt. We’ve missed you guys. It’s been far too long. A lot of things got in the way, the pandemic being one of them. And, you know, it’s a big world. But we’re excited about coming

back to the UK,” concludes Hannes.

LoveCop by Royal Republic is out now via Odyssey Music. The band will tour across the UK starting at the Electric Ballroom in London on the 31st Oct, before visiting Nottingham and Wolverhampton and concluding at Manchester Academy 2 on Sunday 3rd of November.

ROYAL REPUBLIC

Words by Adam Kenendy

Photo Credit: Jonatan Rennemark

Red Letter Day

This year Epica’s Simone Simons will realize her dream of releasing her debut solo album. For her new album Vermillion, Simone teamed up with long-time collaborator Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon).

Between working on her debut solo album along with Epica’s new record it’s been a hectic year so far for the high-flying Dutch artist. “It’s been an intense, interesting, artistic, challenging year where I guess I finally could realise one of my bucket list items, the solo album and at the same time also a new Epica album and some live shows. So, it’s been a really busy year,” said Simone.

In the build-up to the release of Vermillion, the singer has been gradually revealing tracks from the record. “I think I was most nervous for the single releases, I guess. Because you are lifting the veil little by little. And there are two more singles to be released, but the fourth single will be with the release of the album,” said Simone.

The Epica vocalist kept details of the project tightly under wraps until the last moment.

“Having kept this kind of a secret up until a week before the first single release was also hard. I was biting my tongue, not trying to reveal anything. And I kind of laid low on social media, because I thought, OK, let’s just hit them with a big bang,” explains Simone. “I am very happy with the end result. And can’t wait for everybody to hear it. But of course, with art, it’s subjective, it’s personal. And I guess I love it. And if other people like it or love it too, or if it makes them feel something, shed a tear, or bang their heads or smile or go on the treadmill and do some work out like I do with Rammstein. I think then I’ve succeeded. But yeah, music is a beautiful tool and I’m very grateful that I can do this for a living.”

The word Vermillion refers to a brilliant red pigment, as can be seen on the album cover of the release. “I had the name Vermillion or the word Vermillion in my head for the longest time after watching the movie Coraline,” recalls Simone. “It’s a puppet movie. It was filmed after Neil Gaiman’s book Coraline. And she’s describing the different colours of eyes, button eyes. And then she says chartreuse and then Vermillion. And I thought, oh, I like that word. And it’s a beautiful colour. Maybe I’ll use it one day. I always have this list of beautiful words, sentences or word combinations, metaphors, and beautiful-sounding words. I have a list and Vermillion was basically in the list in my head.”

Simone continues: “When I started talking to Arjen Lucassan who wrote the music to brainstorm a little bit about how is it going to sound, which direction are we going to take and which music I like and the vision I had. He then said that he was thinking of the colour red as a source of inspiration and a starting point because red is a beautiful colour. It’s a symbol for many things, love, hate, life, death, anger, passion, and danger. So, it’s a great source of inspiration to write lyrics about, to use the colour for the artwork. And then I told him I have this name Vermillion in my head.”

The idea of doing a solo album has been a long time in the making, although Simone said that there was: “Not necessarily the burning desire, there was always the question from the fan community. Are you going to do a solo album? And then I said, yeah, I think so one day,” she recalls. Now that Epica is 22 years old, it appears to be the right time in Simone’s career to take this step. “My music taste is quite eclectic. It’s not only metal, but metal has my heart. And I have also a background in classical singing. So first I had to set my mind on, which music style is it going to be. With whom am I going to create this album? Because I needed a musical mastermind to write songs for me. One of the first names on my list was Arjen Lucassan because I always admired him even before I worked with Epica.

Simone adds: “So he started writing the songs. I also gave the ideas for all the lyrics, and the titles, and then together with his partner Laura, we wrote the lyrics. And yeah, it was like a kind of metal trinity that we had going on. And every couple of months Arjen would have some songs ready to go. And then I would visit him and record my vocals in the studio. He recorded everything and produced the album as well. So yeah, he’s my Siamese musical twin in this project.”

In terms of touring Vermillion, are there any plans for Simone to promote the album on the road? “I’m thinking, dreaming about it. Realizing it is a whole different world because you already said it before that Epica we have a new album coming up and then tours attached. Plus, Arjen is not so much into touring or playing live. But we have talked about it. If we can find some way to do some shows, hopefully maybe next year or the year after that, we’ll have to see. But for now, this will be just an album first and then we’ll bring it live, hopefully, someday.”

Epica have been in the studio working on their forthcoming new album, but what can Simone share with us about the record so far? “I have to make this joke. It’s going to be epic,” she jokes. “We recorded again with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. We have a huge choir. We’ve added a couple of new elements but also went back to the roots with Epica. So, it’s going to be a very diverse album. I am very proud that we once again, after each album that comes out, you think, how am I going to keep up this level? Are we going to even improve? What can we still do? But somehow, we’re six people, six creative people, everybody who’s writing music. We end up with a bunch of cool songs.”

“We had a little palate cleanser with the project called the Alchemy Project that we did an EP where we worked together with a lot of colleagues and friends and had a different way of writing songs with other songwriters and also recording the songs in a different way. And that’s something we learned from and implemented now also on Epica No. 9.”

With two projects running in tandem, there aren’t going to be too many lulls in Simone’s diary this year. “I will be busy until the end of September. Then October and November will be a time for me to catch my breath a little bit. And then in December, we fly to Mexico. Other than that, in 2025, when the new album comes out, the touring starts and more festivals,” said Simone. “So, we have until 2026 pretty much planned out. But, of course, with the whole band life, you have to plan ahead. But you don’t know where you’re going to be in two weeks from now or what life’s going to bring you.”

Simone concludes. “Once a friend told me, that the older you get, the faster time will go. And he was right. I should have that quote on a T-shirt. I can attest that now.”

Vermillion, the debut solo album by Simone Simons, will be released via Nuclear Blast Records on the 23rd of August.

Words by Adam Kenendy

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

MAN WITH

Man With A Mission is a band at the forefront of the Japanese rock scene and beyond. Perhaps you saw the group touring the UK with Don Broco several years ago. The band recently returned to our shores for a headline date in London at the O2 Kentish Town Forum.

Ahead of their UK return, the group has been on the road stateside. “We just finished our tour in the U.S. and Mexico. That was really amazing,” explains guitarist, vocalist and rapper Johnny. “Luckily we had the chance to increase the capacity of each and every venue. And almost every venue was fully packed. So, we had a great time out there.”

Returning to the road following the pandemic has been something that the band has enjoyed. “It’s really great to be back on the road because, all over the world, we had quite a hard time because of the plague and things like that. And I guess a lot of people were just waiting for us coming back to the States, and coming back to each and every country,” said Johnny.

On the band’s recent US run they were able to realize a dream of performing at Red Rocks. “A lot of my favourite bands performed there,” Johnny says. “And just looking at the posters of all the legends that performed there, that was really a great moment. And being on that stage, just feeling the atmosphere, the air of that place …it was a blast. It was really a great moment.”

Perhaps the thing which separates the group from the rest is their image and stage presence. “It’s a wolf,” said Johnny. “It’s become well-known to a lot of people. Besides comparing us to a normal band, like a normal human being band, the wolf image really gets attention a lot. It’s catchy, but at the same time, it probably somehow makes the audience focus more on the music purely.” Johnny further elaborates. “I don’t know why. But when you look at a normal band, like a normal human being band, it’s always about which country they come from. Or which scene are they in? But as long as we stick to the wolf image, I guess it gets rid of those kinds of preconceptions.”

Man With A Mission has teamed up with anime giants for the release of their new single Kizuna no Kiseki - which was also the opening theme song for the Crunchyroll 2023 anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Swordsmith Village Arc. “The director of the series Demon Slayer had a kind of idea that this series, he wanted the song to be a duet of a male artist and a female artist. And luckily, we took the opportunity. We sent some demos and he kind of liked it. And when we were chosen, we were like, oh, that’s awesome. But at the same time, we were a bit nervous because we were already aware of how huge this series was to the world, not only in Japan but to the world,” said Johnny. “But as being a big fan of animation manga culture itself, myself, I was pretty confident in what I would make would definitely reach the audience, the people who love the animation, but also rock music listeners as well.”

Speaking about the anime and video game world – is this something that the band are interested in off-stage? “Yes, I am a geek. Truly, I am kind of a geek myself. Video games,

A MISSION

manga, animation. I guess that’s probably the primary key to enjoying the collaboration, being a fan of the product itself. It was not easy, but it’s easy for me to interpret the culture,” explains Johnny. “It’s an honour and a pleasure to take part in those kind of collaborations. But as a fan, it’s making a dream come true at the same time.”

The band has somewhat of a unique sound, but where would they say their influences lie? “It’s definitely coming from the 90s all over the world. For example, in the UK - Oasis, the Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Stone Roses, all the bands that were in the 90s. In America bands like Nirvana, the Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies, Rage Against the Machine. I guess we’re a huge fan of that era.”

Man With A Mission are in a very creative place presently. The band released two albums within a year of each other. That being Break and Cross the Walls I and II. “During that time, the whole world was facing quite a huge problem with the plague, and a lot of people had to stay in their homes, including

us. We stayed in the homes as well. But not only the plague, but I guess that problem really exposed a lot of people’s thoughts about the world, maybe even their ideology. A lot of people were fighting against each other because of their ideology, and their way of thinking in that era. It really was a shocking moment,” explains Johnny. “At the same time, it made us think a lot about the moment that we’re living in right now, the era that we’re living in right now. And so, we made that album really focus on that era.” Johnny elaborates: “Usually when I write a song, it’s not always a direct message of something. It’s always more vague and it includes a lot of things. But this time, we were really focusing on what happened during that time. And I guess that made that album really powerful. It’s a powerful in a message way. Maybe the people were more connected when they listened to the album.”

Was it always the band’s intention to release the album in two consecutive volumes? “We were planning to make a double album. A lot of our favourite bands like the Smashing

Pumpkins made Melancholy and Infinite Sadness. That was a dope album, too. So, yeah, as a rock band, we were just trying to do something that our seniors once made. And yeah, we thought about making it in a row, immediately released. But it was pretty hard for us to do that. So, we divided it.”

Following the band’s UK date in London, they will be hitting the road closer to home. “We plan on going on tour in Asia a little bit. And so, we’re going to tour around different countries and in Japan for the year,” concludes Johnny.

Break and Cross the Walls I and II by Man With A Mission are out now.

Words by Adam Kenendy

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

REVIEWSLive

HILLBILLY VEGAS TRILLIANS, NEWCASTLE

Hillbilly Vegas returned to Tyneside for their third show in Newcastle inside of twelve months. This time around the band made their second headline appearance at Trillians Rock Bar of 2024. The Oklahoma based outfit have also performed in the region with Thunder’s Luke Morley earlier in the year.

It was a busy week at Trillians, with Cassidy Paris and Warrior Soul gracing the stage of the venue during the same week. But Hillbilly Vegas are no strangers to the region, thanks to their local tie to the area via Conquest Records. A warm evening in Newcastle helped to bring out a strong crowd. And of course, the southern rock band brought the heat.

Hillbilly Vegas has garnered strong airplay support from the likes of Planet Rock Radio. Renditions of radio hits like Shake It Like a Hillbilly and High Time For A Good Time certainly won over the Tyneside crowd.

However, the locals aren’t the only ones who have fallen for the group. A cover of Down the Honkytonk by Frankie Miller even received an endorsement from the man

himself. A further famous face joined the band onstage during the song, by way of Lorraine Crosby. The latter of course featured on Meat Loaf’s “I’d Do Anything for Love (but I Won’t Do That)”. Collectively the group and Lorraine wowed the Newcastle crowd with their talents.

Several covers featured in the set including the band’s take on We’re An American Band by Grand Funk Radio and Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash. Furthermore, Hell to Pay was always going to be a fiery main set closer.

Now regular visitors to the North East and the UK, it was a case of third time is a charm for Hillbilly Vegas. And if you missed the band on their latest run, they will be back on our UK shores in November. We strongly recommend, you don’t miss out.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

ALKALINE TRIO / LOWLIVES

BOILER SHOP, NEWCASTLE

Fans queued from early in the evening outside of Newcastle’s historic Boiler Shop venue to witness the return of US punk provocateurs Alkaline Trio. Driving through Newcastle everywhere you turned fans lined the streets sporting shirts from each era of the band’s career. Subsequently, it was the trio’s first appearance in the region since their tour with Taking Back Sunday in 2022.

Early in the evening Lowlives opened the show and certainly impressed. Their relentless energy immediately caught the Tyneside crowd’s attention. Drummer Luke Johnson came down on his kit like a tonne of bricks during a frantic rendition of Liar. The infectious melody and catchy hooks of I Don’t Like You illustrated that Lowlives aren’t here to make up the numbers. The group featuring former members of The Defiled and No Devotion had a huge crowd present and fully engaged from the off.

Possibly the heaviest track in their set came by way of Thieves. Recent single Loser was one of the key songs of their turbo-charged performance. With no time to spare, as is the case with most support sets, the band let their music do the talking. It was a no-messing performance, to say the least. A combustible airing of Burn took the band towards the finish line before they rounded out the proceedings with Hate Greed, Liars Thieves. During their forty-minute set Lowlives left everything out on stage and raised the bar very high for the headliners to follow.

Alkaline Trio are presently touring in support of their latest album Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs and subsequently the group set the tone for the evening by opening with Hot For Preacher from the record. The group’s latest offering was released in January of this year, and during

the evening the three-piece featured five songs from the album that included airings of both Bad Time and Versions of You early in the set.

Alkaline Trio stalwarts Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano arrived on stage in dapper black suits. And aside from the new material the group took their fans back to the early days of the band, and their first UK tour by way of a crowdpleasing rendition of Mr Chainsaw.

The band’s career-spanning setlist covered all the bases. The crowd hung on every word of Calling All Skeletons. Whilst Cringe was one of the many highlights of the evening. Armageddon propelled the fans during a number that was executed at breakneck speed.

Aside from the band’s new album, there was a healthy dose of songs featured off Alkaline Trio’s seminal record From Here to Infirmary. Speaking of which, the group even managed to segue a few bars of The Smith’s There Is A Light That Never Goes Out during a fan-pleasing rendition of Crawl.

Crowd pleaser Stupid Kid resulted in a sea of cell phones in the air. And of course, the favourites came in thick and fast at the end of the show, with Private Eye, Time to Waste and a show-stopping performance of Radio rounding out the proceedings to great effect.

Hip hop legends De La Soul once argued: “Three - that’s the magic number” and in the case of US punk rockers Alkaline Trio, we couldn’t agree more. At the Boiler Shop, the three-piece delivered a magical performance for their sold-out Newcastle audience.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

THE BLACK CROWES

O2 CITY HALL, NEWCASTLE

It was the gig that Tyneside-based rock fans had been waiting many years to see. The Black Crowes back on stage in the North East for the first time since 1992.

Of course, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since that time, including numerous albums and a timeline paved with hiatuss and breakups. The most recent of which was between 2015 and 2019. This came at a time when many thought that perhaps it was the end of the line for the Black Crowes. With the Robinson brothers not on speaking terms, signs of a reunion seemed unlikely.

In the meantime, the dynamic duo were busy with their respective projects. Rich with The Magpie Salute and Chris with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood.

Those who had the opportunity to see The Magpie Salute at the Riverside in Newcastle in 2018 perhaps thought that would be as good as it got. Half of the band was comprised of former Crowes members.

But as the old saying goes, time heals all wounds, and just before the pandemic, news broke of a Black Crowes reunion. UK arena dates were lined up - but the inevitable pandemic postponement left the band’s British fans wondering whether they would get their turn.

Following dates in the US and a trio of UK shows to celebrate the band’s debut album Shake Your Money Maker in 2022, the announcement of the band’s latest studio album catalysed a short run of UK dates. A show at the O2 City Hall resulted in the band performing on the same stage they played 32 years prior. By Chris Robinson’s admission, it was the smallest venue The Black Crowes had played in a long time.

Many in attendance recollected the band’s first appearance in this room, with countless others witnessing The Black Crowes for the first time.

The band’s bohemian stage set was embellished with strings of lights which descended from the ceiling. Whilst walls of amplifiers and a drum riser almost at eye level to the balcony filled the stage.

The band kicked off the proceedings with a pair of tracks from their latest offering by way of Bedside Manners and Dirty Cold Sun before the classic Twice as Hard transported the crowd back to the start of the band and their debut album.

On a warm evening in Newcastle, Chris declared: “Three songs in, and I’m sweating like Tom Jones.” And just like the temperature in the room, The Black Crowes setlist equally brought the fire.

The beauty of a Black Crowes gig is that you never know what you are going to get. The band switch up their setlist every night. Before the show, fans speculated on potential song inclusions.

Deep cuts like - Just Say You’re Sorry and a cover of Rocks Off by The Rolling Stones sat nicely in the first half of the show. Whilst a run of classics from the band’s repertoire like Thorn In My Pride, She Talks To Angels, along with the band’s take on Hard To Handle by Otis Redding, had the O2 City Hall crowd in their element. Before the latter, Chris shared that Otis originated from the same town as the band – Macon, Georgia.

Flesh Wound was one of the highlights from the band’s latest record. Whilst the conclusion of the main set was nothing short of transcendent. Sting Me, Jealous Again, and Remedy brought the main set to a close in fine fashion.

On Friday night, The Black Crowes delivered a set which highlighted why they are revered by so many. Perhaps an early contender for gig of the year. A 32-year wait for the band’s Newcastle return was most certainly forgiven.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

CAVALERA RIVERSIDE,

NEWCASTLE

The arrival of South American titans Cavalera marked the second Brazilian metal band to perform in Newcastle within 24 hours. With Crypta headlining Trillians Rock Bar the night prior.

It was always going to be a metal-fueled occasion, with many music fans returning from Download Festival which had taken place at the weekend.

Local outfit Kilanova opened the proceedings, having also supported Crypta the night before. The band who is well supported by the local scene fired up the audience. Lead vocalist Ellen even dominated the circle pit on the floor. Kilanova were the perfect precursor to Cavalera.

By the time the headliners took to the stage, screens baring their moniker featured either side of the room. Max spored a leather jacket emblazoned with the names of punk bands like GBH and Discharge. His sleeves were embellished with metal spikes.

Throughout the show, Max and Igorr turned back the clocks as they walked the North East metal fraternity through the early days of their illustrious career. The set list was peppered with classics from their formative years including the brutal and somewhat groundbreaking releases Morbid Visions and Schizophrenia. Each of these albums has recently been re-recorded and reimagined,

bringing these antiquated and dearly loved recordings up to date. And you could feel that love for those albums throughout the show.

Max’s commanding presence and distinctive vocal when coupled with Igorr’s brutal assault on the drum kit is a force to be reckoned with. The ferocious metal assault of Cavalera catalysed a huge circle pit in the centre of the room which erupted throughout the entire show.

Outside of the band’s early recordings, their encore featured classics from the seminal Sepultura album Chaos AD. The inclusion of tracks such as Refuse Resist and Territory was most welcome. And considering the troubles witnessed around the globe in the present time these songs seem as pertinent as ever.

The whole evening was a true masterclass from these titans of Brazilian metal music.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

CRYPTA TRILLIANS, NEWCASTLE

South American metal outfit Crypta have been touring relentlessly in support of their sophomore album Shades of Sorrow. And with two albums released in the last two years, perhaps you could say that the band are in a creative place right now.

Crypta was formed out of the embers of Nervossa by bass player Fernanda Lira and drummer Luana Dametto. And even though the band’s first appearance on Tyneside clashed with England’s first game of the European Championships and also the Download Festival, the latter were no competition.

And even though it was a Sunday night with the start of a new work week a few hours away, fans flocked to the church of metal for an audience with the South American quartet. Some fans had travelled far and wide to be at the Newcastle show.

Crypta received a warm welcome from the moment the group made their entrance to the stage. Pulverising renditions of The Other Side of Anger, Poisonous Apathy and Lift the Blindfold kicked off the show.

Launa’s devastating attack on the drum kit sounded like machine gun fire. Jessica and Taina’s blistering

riffs scorched Trillian’s stage, whilst Fernanda’s growls, expressive performance and engaging persona captivated the Newcastle crowd all night long.

The band’s setlist was drawn from their first two albums, with thirteen songs featuring. Highlights included Trial of Traitors, Agents of Chaos and the recent single Lord of Ruins.

Based upon this performance, it was no surprise why Tobias Forge from Ghost holds them in high esteem. I’m sure they will soon become every self-respecting metalhead’s new favourite band.

It may have been Crypta’s first UK tour and Newcastle show, but judging by this response it won’t be their last.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

JAY BUCHANAN

STEREO COVENT GARDEN, LONDON

Stepping outside his day job as Rival Sons’ engaging frontman, tonight’s downsized solo show proved Jay Buchanan to be just as charismatically engaging. He’s also a very good talker as he initially demonstrated with his opening preamble: “I don’t have any solo music on Spotify or iTunes, and I don’t know how you’re going to know these songs so thanks for coming tonight.” He added: “Also, some of tonight’s songs will be slow…and some only this band knows”. Not having any awareness of what was to follow further served to raise this evening’s expectations as we journeyed into unknown musical territory together.

Setting this evening’s tone he explained that opening song ‘Corpse’ was written whilst riding a security guard’s borrowed bicycle around a bus depot. It’s one of many acoustic ruminations on love that he narrates via travelling metaphors with his familiar powerful and rangy holler balanced by a tremulous croon. Jay continued his brief descriptions of each song ‘because I like to talk’ as Post Coital drifted in. Its spooky atmosphere, anchored by double bass and guitar reverb, produced a swampy blues vibe including a horn section that somehow managed to fit on this small stage. The power of Buchanan’s voice is more noticeable in this small club setting than the larger venues which he normally inhabits. “I have a lot of friends who are actors, some famous and some getting there, and I’ve had plenty of conversations of the similarities of the theatre and what I do,” he further shared as he dived into the introspective Shower of Roses.

With the air conditioning turned off to protect his voice, it was becoming a hot and sweaty experience witnessing these breezy country-tinged tunes. Nevertheless, Jay’s impassioned vocal, over a solo piano, added a raw and elegiac dimension to the oft covered classic Stones’ tune, Wild Horses, which provoked a singalong from this packed underground venue. It was one of many performances that revealed this musician stripped to his bare artistic essentials as he confidently walked a musical tightrope without a big stage production safety net. There’s no place to hide in a small venue, as there needn’t be, with the

vocal quality Jay possesses.

Back to the talking: “This is one of my favourite songs and it’s by Leonard Cohen, he’s also one of my favourite writers. This goes out to my wife who I will see in two days…,” he related as he interpreted Cohen’s magic with his own on Dance Me To The End Of Love. Following a song, Rose In Your Teeth, about casting off expectations, he further shared: “Before Rival Sons got back together, I recorded an album back in 2008 and I’m not releasing it until this Holy Spirits album comes out, but I had a band: Buchanan, and I burned that ship on the shore and this song is called Internal Dialogue,” which thoroughly engaged his audience who thoughtfully nodded along to its slow burn rhythm. Following which he introduced the legendary BJ Cole who rolled out his lap steel prose especially on a tune inspired by observing Nashville barflies, “the guy that you see at the end of the bar with his head in his hands”, as poignantly sang: ‘I look to the west and see that sun go down…in goes the liquor and out comes the flame…

Tumbleweeds’ betrayed a country rock Neil Young feel, with BJ sliding in and out, and it was possibly Jay’s best vocal display of tonight’s set. Inspired by his wife, Sway was replete with further vocal gymnastics during this rare solo outing before he introduced the final run of songs: “This is the first song that really broke for me and it’s a big one called The Wilderness. It invoked more than a few gasps from his faithful following as he wound up this triumphant performance with Feel Better. It’s a song that he composed after drinking a couple of bottles of wine at his kitchen table as it stitched the final song thread of tonight’s rich tapestry of songcraft with a returning BJ Cole.

As a settled resident of Nashville, there’s a deeply considered country feel to these new solo songs that he translates, at times, with a Terry Reid, Steve Marriott like soulful timbre that accentuates the positive Buchanan’s natural voice. The holy spirits were most certainly with him and the lucky few who shared tonight’s rare experience.

Words by Paul Davies

Photo Credit: Sam Huddleston

HANNAH WICKLUND

ANARCHY BREWERY, NEWCASTLE

It had been a long time since Hannah Wicklund had last performed in the North East. You would have to look back as far as the pre-pandemic days of 2019 and the Planet Rock Roadstars tour for the US-based artist’s last performance in the region.

Of course, a lot of water has passed under the Tyne Bridge since those days. In recent times Hannah has toured alongside global superstars Greta Van Fleet and also released her latest album The Prize.

Hannah’s eagerly anticipated return to Tyneside saw a large crowd drawn to Newcastle’s Anarchy Brewery. Many in attendance had discovered Hannah via her connections with Greta Van Fleet, whilst others had been following her career for many years.

Performing as a four-piece Wicklund enthralled the audience from the off. The beguiling performer arrived on stage bear footed and sporting a flowery ensemble in the vein of a ballerina.

Early in the set, Hannah’s use of a guitar talkbox during a sublime rendition of Mama Said showcased her unrivalled talents. A spellbinding airing of Shadow Boxes and Porcelain Faces captivated the Tyneside crowd.

Whilst Hannah performed entirely solo during Songbird Sing and the title track of her new album The Prize. The latter illustrated Hannah’s versatility. Not only is she an incredible guitarist and singer, but she can also grapple with keyboard too.

With the rest of the band back on stage, Hannah continued with Can’t Get Enough. And the title was certainly our sentiment for the evening. The artist could have played all night long for her Tyneside audience. The song highlighted Hannah’s passionate delivery and angelic voice.

Hannah’s jaw dropping solo during Intervention was one of the many moments of fancy fretwork from the gifted guitarist. And of course, the hard rocking Bomb Through The Breeze was always going to add an explosive touch to the proceedings.

With no false ending, or pretend walk offs, Wicklund brought the show to a conclusion with Strawberry Moon. A song that rounded perhaps one of the best shows this writer has witnessed in the North East in 2024. The concert was worthy of a prize in its own right. It may have taken Hannah Wicklund five years to return to Newcastle, but it was worth the wait.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

THE CADILLAC THREE

O2 ACADEMY, LEEDS

The Cadillac Three arrived in West Yorkshire, bringing with them in tow a stellar support bill featuring Stephen Wilson Jr and Willy Cobb. The band believe so much in the latter, that during Cobb’s opening set both Jaren and Neil accompanied the US-based artist. In that respect, the show was almost like an evening with TC3.

Cobb kicked off the proceedings, bedecked in Bowieesque makeup and dungarees. The versatile artist wowed the crowd during his 20-minute set. Willy has a countryinfused sound that is surprisingly inspired by the Grunge scene and bands like Nirvana. Willy Cobb’s short but sweet set left us wanting more. He is certainly a name to look out for in future.

Special guest Stephen Wilson Jr is undoubtedly destined for big things. Having already performed on Late Night with Jools Holland the artist’s trajectory is certainly skyward. Performing as a duo and accompanied by a pedal steel player the US-based artist showcased the likes of Cuckoo, Father’s Son and an astounding cover of Something In The Way. Members of the audience described the artist as “The new Springsteen”. Perhaps only time will tell.

If you glance over the edge of the stage at a TC3 concert, you will notice that the band don’t use a setlist. They read the room and go with their musical instincts. And whilst

some bands might phone it in, that’s quite the opposite for the Nashville-based trio. They are true musicians of the highest calibre.

The band’s two-hour set featured classics such as Peace, Love and Dixie, Tennessee Mojo and I’m Rockin’ - and weren’t they just. With a packed-out venue, the band were enjoying their time in Leeds just as much as the audience. Yet Jaren was equally surprised to find good Mexican food in the city. He was even tempted to go back for seconds after the show.

TC3 is presently touring in support of their latest album – The Year’s Go Fast. It seems like just yesterday, but I remember the band’s first appearance in the North East in 2016. One thing is for sure, the group’s latest material showcases the evolution of their sound. And the inclusion of tracks like Double Wide Grave, Hillbilly, The Worst and Young & Hungry are a testament to this.

The trio’s career-spanning set comprised twenty-two songs culminating with The South. Which is ironic considering they were playing in the North of England. But jokes aside, The Cadillac Three took their Leeds audience to Church on a Sunday night in West Yorkshire. And whilst the years may go fast, here’s to many more.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

KORN / WARGASM

OPEN AIR THEATRE, SCARBOROUGH

Nu-metal titans Korn were a welcome addition to Scarborough Open Air Theatre’s stellar summer season. And whilst the group is perhaps slightly left-field of the rest of the venue’s programming they certainly drew a huge crowd to the coastal town.

Loathe opened the proceedings for those in attendance early in the evening. Whilst Wargasm, who were second on the bill, were always going to be a huge draw. The group who is presently promoting their latest album Venom, amped up the crowd with their zeal and enthusiasm. The band has more energy than a case of Red Bull.

Songs from the band’s set such as Modern Love, Bang Ya Head, Feral and Venom, had the Scarborough crowd forming circle pits around the arena floor. Wargasm are perhaps the best modern metal band on the UK scene presently, and their opening set at the Open Air Theatre was a testament to this.

Korn brought a full arena production that included video screens at both the front and rear of the stage. The atmosphere inside the venue was electric from the moment the band’s logo appeared on a screen suspended above the stage.

The band, many of whom were sporting Adidas attire, as has become customary arrived to the stage to a huge welcome. Frontman Jonathan Davis was positioned behind a huge metallic microphone stand, whilst drummer Ray Luzier sat behind his huge kit on a riser at the rear.

Korn opened the show with Rotting in Vain, Here to Stay and A.D.I.D.A.S. And the Scarborough crowd was certainly up for the occasion.

The beauty of the band’s production was that the video screens allowed the band to layer visuals throughout the performance. Sometimes, it felt like Korn was caged behind screens, allowing the band to take the show to groundbreaking new heights.

Whilst rain intermittently punctuated the band’s set, it strangely had an atmospheric quality that heightened the show. Strobe lights flickered between the heavy rainfall. And fans seemed to embrace it whilst rocking out to their heart’s content.

Classics from the Korn repertoire featured such as the anthemic Blind, Falling Away and Coming Undone. The latter also featured a few bars from Queen’s We Will Rock You, to great effect.

The main set closer, Y’All Want a Single, had the whole venue singing at the tops of their lungs. Davis informed the Scarborough crowd that the band will turn thirty this year, but based on this performance, the group are still going strong and showing no signs of slowing down.

Scarborough Open Air Theatre’s summer season concludes with performances from Becky Hill and Brit rockers Busted. For ticket information and further details, please visit: https://www.scarboroughopenairtheatre.com/.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

MR BIG

NX, NEWCASTLE

It’s getting to that time where a lot of our favourite bands are calling it a day. For fans of classic rock, we’ve bid farewell to many bands in recent years including Kiss, Whitesnake and now Mr Big.

Mr Big has been touring relentlessly throughout this year. Starting in the US in January, the band’s non-stop tour finally arrived in Europe after seven months on the road.

Fans flocked to NX in Newcastle for their last dance with Mr Big. And you know it’s going to be some night when you glance at the setlist onstage and see it spans three sides of A4 paper.

You would have to look back to 2017 for the band’s last appearance in the region. Although Eric Martin and Paul Gilbert have appeared in the city more recently as solo artists and Billy Sheehan with The Winery Dogs.

And if you are going to go out, you may as well do so with a bang. By that, we mean a full airing of the band’s seminal album Lean Into It.

Mr Big kicked off their turbo-charged set with Addicted to That Rush, Take Cover and Price You Gotta Pay.

Throughout the night, the quartet delved deep into Lean Into It, performing it in sequence as it features on the original recording. Songs like Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy and Green-Tinted Sixties Mind wistfully took the fans back to the early 90s.

It was a joy to watch Paul Gilbert and Billy Sheenan centre stage playing off each other - their talent knows no bounds. And Eric Martin’s engaging persona radiated

throughout the venue from the off. The singer was simply beaming. The US rockers still have great chemistry even after all these years.

The band’s sadly missed drummer Pat Torpey was remembered during the show. He may no longer be with us, but he will never be forgotten.

Fancy fretwork from Gilbert ushered in Just Take My Heart, which slowed down proceedings momentarily. Whilst it was the first time the group had ever played My Kinda Woman in Newcastle. And based upon the fact it’s a farewell tour it will also be the last.

A Little Too Loose showcased a more blues-orientated sound to the band, whilst a harmonious airing of Road To Ruin was of note.

Of course, the hit single To Be With You was always going to be a crowd-pleaser and concluded the album section of the show. The crowd sang so loudly like a church choir with Martin the leader. On this occasion, everyone was singing from the same hymn sheet.

The undeniable talents of both Billy Sheehan and Paul Gilbert were put in the spotlight later in the set during their respective solo segments.

The show closed with a quartet of covers that included Humble Pie’s Thirty Days in the Hole, Shy Boy and the anthemic Baba O Reilly by the Who.

Mr Big gave the Newcastle fans the Big Finish they promised. For the members of the group, who knows what the future holds - but with their unrivalled talents whatever they turn their hands to it will undoubtedly be Big.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

HEALTHY JUNKIES PUNK SPOTLIGHTS HRH

Popular UK alternative combo, Healthy Junkies are ready to release their much-anticipated new album, Listen To The Mad, out everywhere on Friday 22nd November, via Banana Castle Records. If you’re new to the Healthy Junkies, you’ve been missing out. Cleverly binding together, Punk Rock, Grunge, Psychedelic Rock, New Wave, Garage Rock, and Goth (with an added theatrical layer), the band have an expansive and stirring sound that has earned them global recognition.

Phil Honey-Jones and Nina Courson bring us up to speed on the band’s new album. “This year there has been a lot behind-the-scenes things

going on. We didn’t do as many gigs this year,” said Nina. “We just made up our mind that we’ve got to finish this album. With that, there’s been recording, filming, and editing four music videos. There’s one still to do,” said Phil. “It’s been more about also the creative process of finishing those songs and rehearsing them with the band. It’s been more about that this year really,” explains Nina.

Healthy Junkies took a new approach to their forthcoming release. “We used a sort of slightly different system for this new album being that all the songs come from jams in the studio which Nina recorded on her phone.

We took them away and Nina and I structured them and wrote lyrics for them, demoed them at home, gave them back to the band and then we’ve all learned them. We’ve re-recorded the versions with the drums and the band in another studio. Often in the past, it’s been Nina and I have written the songs and we put them in, but this is entirely done as a band so we’re quite excited,” said Phil.

Not only has their approach changed, but the band’s sound has evolved also. “It’s a different sort of take and different sound for us. We used a different producer and a different studio, so we are very excited about it,” said Phil.

“I think most of our albums we have maybe a funky track, and then we have more of a psychedelic one, more of a garage one - so it’s kind of hard to pin it down to one genre. But I think this one is kind of similar in that sense that we have different genres in it but at the same time I find it still different to the others because of the songwriting process,” explains Nina.

Healthy Junkies are at the heart of London’s underground scene. “We do have a bunch of people that come out to the gigs that we do and we’re really lucky and grateful to know a lot of those people and see regular faces out. London’s traditionally been a place where musicians or people gravitate because of its history in terms of music. So, you’ve always got this strong core of people constantly coming and going for music. I’d say it’s still a very healthy scene,” said Phil. “And I think all the bands know each other as well as the whole community of bands playing together and people coming together. So, I love the scene in London even though there’s a lot of venues shutting down like the Unicorn where we used to do our nights. There are still some venues

left but it’s always that constant battle against the corporates,” said Nina. “You can’t help feeling that they’re just closing it down one by one, but we’re going to keep fighting,” adds Phil.

Healthy Junkies are a band that has a lot of respect on the punk circuit. “We just ended up on this circuit and being welcomed by the punk circuit, which is amazing, but they don’t consider us a punk band - we’re more new wave and we’ve got grunge influence and psychedelic but the punk influence is definitely there. You can’t play with bands like the UK Subs and GBH and not be inspired to speed up your songs,” said Phil.

The group found a lot of inspiration from Nirvana. “It’s like my favourite all-time band. I think if it wasn’t for Nirvana I probably would have just carried on acting, which is what I wanted to do originally. And then when I discovered Nirvana, I was about 16 years old, and I went oh my god. It kind of all made sense to me and I knew I wanted to be a performer and be in a band and that just changed my whole life really,” said

Nina. “Even in terms of songwriting, I can say that I went to the school of Nirvana in the way I write my lyrics. I like the repetition of it, the simpleness of it and the fact it’s accessible. And at the same time, you’ve got melodies. So, I like the whole vibe of it really.”

With their new album set for release on the 22nd of November, Healthy Junkies are looking forward to hitting the road. “We’re looking to build a little tour for the album and maybe go to Europe,” said Nina. “We went to France already this year for a few days about two months ago, so we’ll go back to Europe next year as well. So, we are just planning ahead really, finishing off the album, getting the videos out and trying to focus on that and then planning for next year,” concludes Phil.

Listen To The Mad, the new album from Healthy Junkies is out via Banana Castle Records, on 22nd November.

Words By Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Press Provided

THE VAPORS

British new wave group The Vapors are a band that originally existed between 1978 and 1981. Following a long hiatus, the group reunited in 2016, and since that point, there’s been no looking back.

Bass player Steve Smith brings HRH Mag up to speed. “We’ve done a few gigs; we’d like to have done a few more. The gig scene seems to be a little bit quiet these days,” explains Steve. “But we’re off to America in August to do a few 80s shows on the West Coast and then four of our own shows on the East Coast. Two in New York, one in Harrisburg and one in Woodstock, so we are really looking forward to that. And then we’re going to record our fourth album while we’re out there.”

The US has always been a strong market for the group. Steve recalls touring the States back in the day. “We did three tours of America. We started with just a really short 10-day, twoweek tour. And then we did a couple of quite long tours, like five, six-week tours. And yeah, we did quite well in the States. I think we did better in the States than we did in the UK in some ways,” said Smith.

There has been a lot of water under the bridge since the band called it a day in 1981. “When we got back together, we were just playing the songs from the first two albums. We were offered four gigs, and we thought, well, let’s just do those for fun. And we did that. And then people seemed to enjoy it and were coming and wanted us to do more. And it’s just kind of grown. And the more we rehearsed, Dave would come in, and say I’ve got a song. And we started doing some newer songs. I was really chuffed that Dave was still writing such great songs. And he still is. I mean, we’ve got 20 songs to demo for our fourth album,” explains Steve.

The band has never been too worried about blurring the lines of genre. “The thing is with the Vapors is we’ve

always just done what we want to do. If we want to write a song that’s got a bit of a reggae feel to it, then we’ll do that. And if we want something that’s a bit more rock, then we’ll do that. Part of our problem, I think, back in the day was we didn’t really fit into any category. We weren’t really a mod band. We weren’t really a punk band. I know we weren’t punk, but we came from punk, and we definitely have a lot of the punk ethos in us, but we weren’t purely a punk band. We weren’t purely a mod band. And so, we never really fitted into any kind of defined category,”

Bruce Foxton from the Jam was influential in the band’s early success. “He had a massive impact. In some ways, I think we might still be playing in the pubs of Guildford if Bruce hadn’t chanced upon us that Sunday night, where there were probably less than 10 people in the pub, but one of them was him,” said Steve. “I think it was my second or third gig with the band and the drummer Howard, we’d only just joined the band, really. So, we were just doing our first gigs with that lineup. And then Bruce was there, and he really liked it and said, would you be first on out of three for a couple of our shows? We obviously said, yeah. I mean, I was like, great, I’m getting to see The Jam for free.”

Steve adds: “Bruce started helping us a bit more, and then he brought John [Weller] along to see us at a gig in Guildford. And John afterwards said, right, I want to manage you with Bruce. And then that’s when things properly changed. Within about a week, we were playing with Stiff Little Fingers at the Hammersmith Palais, and John knew a lot of people and had a lot of influence.

And the two of them – without them, I don’t know what would have happened to us, to be honest. They were the two people that helped us along the way the most, for sure.”

The band’s debut album New Clear Days featured the hit single Turning

Japanese. But did the band know they were onto something special at the time? “Well, I think it’s a very catchy song, and it would have been mad if we hadn’t noticed that as well. Vic Coppersmith-Heaven the producer of New Clear Days, actually did a little bit of a rearrangement of Turning Japanese, where he moved the chorus somewhere, and he moved the middle eight forward. And actually, that’s when it all suddenly fell into place,” recalls Steve. “And then when he did that and we played it, I thought, yeah, this is proper good. This has got a chance.”

Off the back of the Turning Japanese, the band got to play on Top of the Pops. “For me, it was a massive thing. Ever since I was five or six, I’ve been watching Top of the Pops. And I always thought, oh, I’d really love to be on that programme,” declares Steve. “And it was obviously a complete disappointment in terms of what happened on the day. You get one runthrough, and that’s it. And the crowd were getting herded around, and huge cameras came flying through the crowd. And you’re miming, obviously, so that was a bit weird because I’d never really done that before. But all in all, I was so proud when I watched it in the pub the next night on the telly. It was, wow, we’ve done it. We’ve been on Top of the Pops.”

But what can the band’s fans expect from their HRH Punk set? “We’ll be playing songs from all three of our albums, and we’ll be playing the fastest, punky, loudest ones we’ve got. We enjoy doing it,” concludes Steve.

Words By Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Press Provided

POLLYPIKPOCKETZ

PollyPikPocketz is a four-piece band part of London’s tight-knit DIY scene. If you were to glance at the band’s Facebook page, they describe themselves as “A very vibrant and colourful mixture of style, culture, sex, musical influence and facial hair all puked up onto a backdrop of thumping beats, grinding bass, screeching guitar and soaring harmonies.” And if that doesn’t get your attention then nothing will.

But what has the band been getting up to so far this year? “We’ve been more selective with our shows because we are waiting for our album to be mixed and ready. So, we can focus on booking tours. We’ve been extra busy with that,” said lead singer Myura. We press the band further for the lowdown about their new record. “We thought it was probably a really good idea to put some songs on,” jokes Frog.

Of course, the lockdown didn’t help. “We were meant to record this in 2021. And then obviously with the lockdown. Then the studio burnt down, and we had to figure out another studio. So, there were lots of things that were stopping us in 2021. And then finally it’s all recorded,” declares Myura. But when can we hear the band’s labour of love? “Hopefully by the end of this year,” said Myura. “It’s not so much a timeframe, it’s more like a time warp,” declares Frog.

PollyPikPocketz recently played at the final Lips Can Kill show in London. That is a tour which over the years has featured friends from the DIY scene including Healthy Junkies, Yur Mum and Tokyo Taboo. But with the latter moving overseas, it was perhaps time for the four bands to have one final show together – at least for now. “It was very emotional. I felt really sad that it was over. It was a lovely final event. It was a goodbye to Lips Can Kill,” said Myura. “I’m sure we will do some shows together in the future.”

How does the band feel about the DIY scene in London presently? “The

thing is the scene is there, but there’s getting fewer venues because they’re all being turned into flats. We used to have a choice of loads of venues and now it’s the same handful of venues,” proclaims Frog. “I’m particularly bitter about the Unicorn in Camden. I love that place and the building’s still there, they just shut it down and it’s got a little bit of graffiti sprayed across the front of it for good measure,” adds Kiki.

What does punk mean to PollyPikPocketz? “For me, it’s the attitude that you can just do it. You don’t need to have music degrees and all this stuff,” said Frog. “It’s this idea that you can make a band and go ahead and do it. And you don’t necessarily need to be good at playing an instrument. You need to be into it,” explains Kiki. “That said though, there is a hell of a lot of genuine talent out there in the underground scene.” Frog jokes: “Just not in our band.” “Not necessarily in our band, but there is still talent out there,” continues Kiki.

Punk is more than just a style of music. “We got into this thing of calling ourselves a punk band, but we’ve got songs that are punk, songs that are a bit metal, we’ve got songs that are a bit grunge,” said Kiki. Frog jokes: “Gregorian chanting.” When asked to hear the band’s songs with Gregorian chanting, Frog jokes that: “We might have Greg or Ian chanting.”

The band’s last album ‘Ang on a Minute was released in 2019. “That was all done in my bedroom,” said Frog. “It’s all DIY,” adds Myura. “But that was a bit of a nightmare as well,” said Kiki. “We haven’t had much luck with recording albums. There’s always been some sort of curse. We did lose the recordings twice – the computer died. Then we had to redo it. And then finally, we released the album in 2019,” explains Myura.

If you look and the band’s press shots, their vibrant image immediately grabs your attention. But how important are image and style to the band? “I think

it helps this band, but the thing is when you talk about image and style, the thing with us lot, we all just look like this every single day when we walk around the streets. It’s not like a contrived thing where we’ve got to look like this, because it’s cool. And I think that really shows in bands where they all dress the same or whatever,” explains Frog.

Sound-wise and influences where does the band think they sit? “I’ve always wanted to be in a band that was an exact cross between the Sex Pistols and ABBA. Is that what we are? I would love to be like that. I f*cking love ABBA” laughs Frog.

Regarding playing HRH Punk, Myura said: “We’re really looking forward to it. I have a bunch of extended family that live in Leicester that always wants to come to a show, so I’m hoping that they can make it.”

What does the band have lined up beyond HRH Punk? “I’ve got some music video ideas that we need to get into motion. We also have some headline shows coming up. I have semi-booked some single launches as well. So that’s the end of the year,” concludes Myura.

Words By Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Gary Trueman

YUR MUM

Hot off the back of their recent appearance at Rebellion Festival, London-based group Yur Mum have been causing quite a stir on the underground scene and beyond. Originating from Brazil, the dynamic duo brings a genre-defying sound that infuses their South American roots with their contemporary rock, punk, and metal influences. HRH Mag caught up with Fabio and Anelise ahead of their upcoming appearance at HRH Punk.

Yur Mum has been branching out into Europe whilst touring in support of their latest album Duality this year.

“It’s been nice and busy. It’s been good as well in a sense of different gigs and different opportunities. So, we’ve been to Norway for the first time,” said Analise. “We went to Belgium this year for a few small music festivals that they have. But it’s been really good, because we love playing. Sometimes people don’t know what to expect and the response has been very positive. We’re going back to Belgium in November for two nights. So, I think this year has been good for new adventures and then of course adding to that HRH, Belgium again and stuff like that. So it’s been a busy year.”

The band give us the low down on their new album Duality. “We released Tropico first in 2021 and it’s been almost three years basically. And the reason why we have the band is to play live shows. So, recording especially is one of those novelties, we do it because we want to give people something new to talk about and to be excited about. But we always test pretty much all the tracks live before we record them. Because from our experience, you realize you have an idea of what the song is, but then when you start playing it live, you start discovering more. You start learning how to really play it and of course, because you get the audience feedback, then you kind of start feeling the moments that are working or if it’s not working at all,” explains Fabio. “I think for the majority of the songs, we had that opportunity to introduce the songs in our live set and get people’s reactions.

So that was really good.”

As an independent band, Yur Mum was conscious of their approach to recording. “We don’t have that thing that we can just go to a studio for three weeks and just let the vibes sink in and record fifteen tracks and choose ten. We went to the studio quite a few times, and in between gigs as well because we don’t have that many weekends or weeks off that we can allow ourselves to go to a studio. So, we started recording in November 2022 and we did the first batch of songs. And it was really nice because we went to Brighton Electric, because we heard about the studio and quite a few bands that we like recorded with them,” said Fabio. “The guy that produced the album, Alex, he worked with lots of bands. He worked with pop artists, he’s done like bands like Yonaka from Brighton, who now are like a huge band. Tiger Cub, who now are a huge band as well, but he worked a lot at Blood Red Shoes - it’s one of the bands that he produced as well. So, we went there with this idea that we know what we want, but we’re also open to suggestions. Like how we can interpret the music. And I think it was really cool, because similar to how we did Tropical Fuzz, it’s still very stripped down, because it’s just bass and drums really. So, most of the tracks that we did are bass and drums. There are no secret takes, or nothing really added. So, we did some percussion takes and it’s just playing around with different techniques, and I think we managed to get the sound that we were expecting.”

But where does the concept of duality come into the album? “The duality idea came because of the sound and our background as well. Like choosing to leave home, but actually being from Brazil. And then when 2020 happened in a way, we were being quite nostalgic and listening and seeing lots of old influences we’ve had in Brazil and Brazilian bands and we naturally felt the will to incorporate that in the sound,” explains Analise. “We’re Brazilians, how can we make this a funky

song? Then for the first time I wrote in Portuguese as well. So, let’s just follow whatever is coming naturally and with that came the idea of calling it Duality. And it can embrace so many things as well.”

As a two-piece group have the band ever been tempted to bring in additional band members? “We started as a three-piece, and when it happened that we became a two-piece, it was our biggest gig coming up, which was supporting New Model Army. And then we had the decision of, do we get another guitarist, or do we just face it and deal with it? And Fabio, originally, he’s a guitar bass player. So, he was like, let’s see what we can do,” said Analise. “So, I got all the support from Fabio to adapt, and I had to fall in love with pedals, which I hated at the time, but now I love them.” Fabio adds: “We worked together to see if we could create a sound that would work for us.” Analise continues: “After those two support gigs with New Model Army we saw how people perceived us and how we felt about it as well. So it was just like, you know what, f**k it, now let’s do this.”

What does Yur Mum have in store for the rest of the year? “We have lots of gigs, for sure. We’re not a band full of videos and ideas for videos, but we are planning to play around with live gig videos, and supporting our releases,” said Analise. “By the end of the year, you should have the whole album on the internet, because we were very stubborn, and we didn’t want to release everything at once when we released the album. So, we’re doing every two or three months a single.” Fabio concludes: “At least they get it track by track, so there’s a reason to celebrate a track a little bit more.”

Duality by Yur Mum is out now. The band will perform at HRH Punk at the O2 Academy in Leicester on Saturday 5th October.

Words By Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Gabriel Ralls

CHELSEA

Formed in 1976, the English punk band Chelsea are one of the old guard. Of course, three of the four original members of the group went on to found Generation X including Billy Idol himself (then known as William Broad).

Mat Sargent and Nic Austin bring us up to speed on the group’s recent endeavours. “We’ve been getting out and about. We’ve been all over the country,” said Nic. “We played a few places we haven’t played for a while.”

With a career spanning over 40 years, the band are happy to be welcoming a new generation of fans to their shows. “There does seem to be this appetite for it,” said Nic. “It’s good to see younger people coming to see the show. I think because we’re one of the last originals, a lot of the fans are dropping by because we’re one of the originals that are still going. I think people are just coming to see it for a taste of nostalgia or to see an original punk band,” said Mat. “A working museum,” jokes Nic.

Of course, Punk has changed a lot since the first wave back in the 70s.

“It’s very different. Back in the late 70s, you really put your life on the line,” proclaims Nic. “We were the first punk band to ever play in Montgomery, Alabama. And there’s things like that where you just think, you could so easily come unstuck. And it was dangerous, and we were really kind of sticking two fingers up to a lot of things.”

“I mean people look alternative and play good music,” said Nic. “Everything’s kind of normalised now, so it doesn’t have the shock factor

that it had then. And, there’s a big influx of new punk bands, which is helping, it’s keeping the scene going, but it’s not really like what it was back then. A lot of the original punk rockers were saying, anything after 1978 was post-punk,” explains Mat.

But what does punk mean to the band? “I think it’s always very much been about free thinking. And, I suppose, about being leaders rather than followers. It’s about really being alive and doing things differently,” said Nic. “It’s not so much the music. It’s just the creativity.” Mat adds: “And the individualism as well. Being what you want to be.”

Mat continues. “It’s definitely not a fashion thing. A lot of people think they have to walk down Carnaby Street and buy all the belts, wristbands and the mohair jumpers. It’s not really about that. In that case, it’s more like a uniform, which is not what we’re about.” Nic adds: “I just feel that now, that with a lot of younger people, they seem to be having that knocked out of them, that free thinking. I guess it’s the digital age and all the rest of it. But I mean, people are kind of glued to screens all the time. And it’s so easy to manipulate young minds, I think. Whereas with the punk thing, we were going out and being different, deliberately different to the TV and just the everyday rules and regulations that were nonsensical. We were going out and challenging it.”

The band’s rich musical heritage is something that they embrace. “I love the fact that we are one of the first wave bands and it’s like, no one can take that away from you,” said Nic. “Even if people don’t like the band, we

are what we are and if people don’t like it, it’s tough.” “Me and Nic have both worked with lots of different musicians and Gene’s one of the best – he’s a great performer and really gives it,” adds Mat. “I’m immensely proud of being in the band and just generally the movement. It’s been an extraordinary 50 years or whatever it is,” proclaims Nic. “We’ve probably got big extended punk rock families with their old musicians and the punters because you see a lot of them at gigs, they turn up to gigs regularly,” eludes Mat. “And so, you get to know people quite well, but then that was always kind of how it should be in that sort of punk world,” confirms Nic.

What can the band’s fans expect from their show at HRH Punk? “I’m certainly looking forward to it. I mean the last one we did was terrific. We’re playing stuff from right back to the start of the band to the current day, really,” said Nic. “I mean, it’s a mixed bag. Obviously, there are the big favourites and things, because I think that’s important. Bands that don’t play the songs that everyone wants to hear don’t get very strong ticks in my book.”

What else does Chelsea have in store this year? “Well, we’ve got HRH obviously,” said Mat. “We’ve got a thing in Bristol, near Bristol in December, which sounds like an interesting one,” adds Nic. “We’ve got some GBH shows. And then, we’re getting ready to go to Los Angeles, we’re playing in March,” concludes Mat.

Words By Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Press Provided

DEFECTS

Charlotte: Welcome to Download 2024 guys! Defects: Thank you!

C: You’ve got a lot of festivals, including Bloodstock and 2000 Trees, on your resume. How does it feel to be adding Donington to that list?

Luke: That’s the one, innit?

Harry: Yeah, yeah, it’s like we’ve been saying it’s like the Mecca for metal. You know, if you’re growing up listening to metal or you’re a young kid who wants to be in a metal band, this is it. You know, this is the place, you feel like you’ve made it in a metal band when you’ve been included on this bill. So very happy to be here.

C: And you’re playing the Dogtooth stage later today as well. So for anyone that’s not discovered, you guys, what does Defects represent?

Harry: Having a good time, baby! Just like getting involved, letting it all out. Safe environment, for everyone, it’s got a bit of everything for everyone in there. If you like big riffs, big choruses and fat breakdowns

L: And a very deep lyrical story

H: So, yeah, we’re all family here, come check it out.

C: And you guys write a lot about, and you’re very open about, mental health.

L: I think we’ve all sort of struggled with that, haven’t we?

H: We’ve all had desperate times. Like, some of us deeper than others, I’d say. But, we’re really

proud of Tony, our singer, being able to put that to paper, because some of the themes he talks about, it’s just really not easy. But we’re hoping that inspires other people who listen to it to kind of know that they can talk to anyone. We use this band as our therapy, playing shows. There’s no better feeling. So, anyone who comes and checks us out is doing their bit.

C: Do you feel that helps break the wall between you and the audience so they can kind of connect with you?

L: Absolutely. Yeah.

H: Yeah. We want everyone to connect on a personal level to the music. And, you know, we want people to feel like when they come to a show that they’re able to kind of leave it all at the front door, and have a good time and not have to worry and hopefully meet some friends there, you know, and kind of relate to each other.

C: What do you want people to take away from your performance?

L: Have a good time. Love it. James: Just make some memories.

H: Let those songs, be your therapy, as they have been for us, for years before [it’s] release

C: And I’m guessing we’ll be hearing some new tracks from your latest album this afternoon as well.

L: Yeah. We’ll be playing all the singles. I can’t remember the set now, which we really should.

J: It’s written down, so it’ll be okay.

H: Pretty much all except for one. We end on recurring.

L: Oh, yeah, of course. There we go, that’s like a fan favourite

H: It’s like a middle of the album. Full send, real heavy, big chorus

L: Nice breakdown and some shred that’s what we like in it. Yeah, that’s what you need. All the good stuff, man. All killer. No filler.

C: Modern Error was released last month. Tell me a bit about the idea and the vision for this release.

J: So it sort of started {with} me and Luke in the studio, and we were....How long were we in there for?

L: Too bloody long!

J: Yeah, yeah, just in there and then Tony came in and he just had a lot to say, and his words just worked with the music, and it was just instant sort of chemistry, really, so sort of grew from there.

L: Then we got shot down, didn’t we? World went to poo, and then we all sort of found each other in that weird time and finished the album

H: I think the main elements of the album, though, the start of it was before we decided to kind of go out there and get it out to the people. It was kind of like a cathartic to write songs that we’ve always wanted to, like, no limits, let’s just do what we want to do and, that’s why we’re so proud of it, and that it’s come together this well, really, because sometimes if you try to do that, it sounds like shit, but, some people might think it’s shit, but, we love it, and we’re so, so proud of it and we’re so happy with it and, just nostalgic vibes in there really, from all walks of the musical metal background.

C: Going back to something you mentioned earlier, was it during COVID or pre-Covid that you guys started to form and find your sound?

L: Yeah, I think we found Tony, probably middle of 2019, we went to a party, had some beers, got really drunk. We did a bit of karaoke and an open mic jam, played some pantera, and was like, that guy can sing. Called him up in the middle of the week, I guess, and was like, yeah, do you want to come and hang out and listen to this stuff we’ve been doing? And then just sort of went from there, then the world went down and then, we all just got close, found Harry, found Dave - become brothers, and we just made this album that, I guess, for the fans and for anybody listening to it for the first time, it’s super fresh and it’s like, it’s really nice to listen to it again after it’s been released, because we’ve had it for years, haven’t we?

J: Yeah, yeah. You look at it with new eyes.

C: And your artwork as well. Talk me through the decision-making behind that.

L: Oh blimey

J: seems so long ago now.

L: Yeah, it was. We had that before the album

Hard Rock Hell Radio host of The Rule Breakers Show, Charlotte, spoke with Defects, Brendon from rock band Wheatus, Porter of Atreyu and Calva Louise at this year’s Download Festival, talking about their Donington experiences, their summer plans, album releases and a few surprises too!

was finished. Tony was like, ‘do you like this image?!’

J: Yeah it was the Tony special H: I think the idea behind it was all-encompassing. There’s so many different themes and stuff on the album that we kind of wanted to encompass covering everything, so you’ve got, like the shrubbery, and then you’ve got the moon and the stuff like that

L: As a whole that song, the title track, more about, the chorus is ‘I’ll keep searching for a better world’. The whole thing with the planets and decaying things and shit flying around.

H: I guess the message behind the artwork is searching for something better.

L: Yeah, absolutely.

H: Looking for something better. And if you need to travel far and wide to find it, then so be it. Do what makes you happy, and I think that’s the really deep English year nine Literature/literacy, example.

L: Tally ho, son.

C: We mentioned festivals that you performed at earlier, but you’ve also toured with some incredible bands as well. So tell me some of your highlights and some of your favourite appearances.

H: They’ve all had their moments. Our first ever tour as the band was with InFlames

L: We were finding our feet as a live band then, weren’t we?

H: Yeah, yeah, that was completely fresh. My favourite one has been when we got the opportunity last year to play [with] Funeral For a Friend because they’re like my childhood band growing up, they inspired me to do what I do. So, that was a full circle moment for me. I’d say that was like a big high and I played the biggest venue, I’m from Birmingham and we played Academy One, so that’s kind of like my mic drop moment, bucket list tick-off for me after going to so many shows there growing up.

L: The orbit tour was great. That was a slog, though because it was minimal days off. I slept on my arm and my arm died, then we had two vocalists and I would make drum skins left-handed. It was a weird time. I think no matter what you throw at us, we’ll just try and get through it. I think that’s the whole [thing], we don’t get stopped. Dave wasn’t even on the tour because his back was wrecked. That was a wild thing Of Mice [& Men] before we went out with the Mice men, before that, in November, December in Europe. That was an absolute ball of a time, and we get to do that again next week as well, we’re meeting up on Monday or maybe Sunday. Yeah, it’s gonna be a vibe.

C: Who are some artists that maybe you’d like to collab with or tour with?

L: So many, man.

H: Love to tour. Bleed From Within, Let’s make that happen. I’d love to do some shows of error,

I love error - I’ve seen them loads of times and they’re amazing. Machine Head would be cool.

L: Parkway.

H: Parkway would be very cool. Get Winston on a track. That’d be awesome. Maybe, try a go at some Limp Bizkit support slots, get some early two thousands vibes in there. Anyone with a big catalogue of riffs. Let’s go.

C: And for the rest of 2024, what have you guys got planned?

H: Tour, tour, tour. That’s what we want to do. We just want to be playing as much as we physically can. You know, we’re planning some stuff at the end of the year, which we’re not quite got ready to announce yet, but there’s stuff coming and then we’ve got a busy old summer, so that’s the plan. And writing the album, at the same time.

C: So, it took you so long with COVID to actually get this out, you’ve already got the next one ready!

L: Well, we already have some we had a surplus of excess bangers as well. Let’s just throw another couple in there. Super low boys en route, haven’t we? So, yeah, it’s gonna be good.

WHEATUS

Charlotte: Welcome to Download! It was actually yesterday that you guys performed on the Avalanche Stage and I heard it was pretty chaotic with people trying to get in. It was manic.

Brendon: Yeah, it was crazy. I’ve seen pictures of people outside of us playing, but can’t see us at all. It’s just shot from outside the tent and it looks like it’s about two tents away from the tent, which would indicate that it was like 30,000 people trying to get in there, which sounds scary to me. But, it was fun.

C: And with your set being yesterday, you’ve had some time to take in Download and have a wander around if you managed to see any bands. How’s your Download experience been so far?

B: I haven’t yet. I snuck a selfie with Baby Metal. That’s who I really wanted to see while I was here, and we were playing at the same time that Mr Bungle was yesterday, so that’s annoying

cause I’ve been wanting to see them since I was like 15. But, I think I’m gonna cruise around, I did catch a bit of Queens of the Stone Age yesterday, so that was really cool. And Bowling for Soup, of course, is playing later tomorrow, so we’re super excited about that.

C: This is actually the last stop of your European and UK appearances.

B: It is.

C: But you’ll be out on the road with Bowling for Soup, who you’ve just mentioned as well, a little bit later this year. So what can we look forward to from that? And what other appearances have you got lined up?

B: Well, we’ve never toured the States with them. We’ve toured here with them before. In 2007, we had a sold-out tour with Bowling for Soup that was really fun. I don’t know, we just go really well together. They’re one of the greatest rock bands I’ve ever seen live, it’s really fun to watch them. I learn a lot when I watch them play, so, it’s inspiring that way. But I think that we’re going to finally have a chance to rehearse because we’ve been on the road. I’ve been on the road since February 1, [with] four days off since then. So we’ve been touring the States and touring here and Australia, twice. So it’s been intense, this year has been crazy. But we’re gonna have some time off in July to get our act together in August as well, and then we’re gonna hit the road with Soup in September and rumor has it we might do it in another country. I’m not sure yet, but we’ll see.

C: Which other festival appearances have you got this summer?

B: We’re only doing a couple of them. We’re doing some American festivals in July and in August, so we’re kind of excited about that. But most of the time, we’re trying to keep July a little bit free so we can organize around, because, of course, next year, 2025, is our 25th anniversary of our first record, so we got to get ready for that. We got to prepare a new show and, you know, all that takes time. You can’t do it on the road. You got to do it at home and rehearse a little bit.

C: [For the Anniversary] Have you got anything exciting planned, obviously, you just mentioned a potential tour to celebrate 25 years since your debut album. So is there anything else that we can look forward to for that celebration?

B: Nothing that I can announce earlier than tomorrow.

C: So, as you’ve just mentioned, obviously this year’s 24 years since your debut, and I couldn’t have a catch-up with you without speaking about your classic single, Teenage Dirtbag. So can you just talk me through how you actually wrote that track? And did you expect it to still be in the mainstream 24 years

later as it is now?

B: No, certainly not. Didn’t expect that. I had that riff in high school, and when I got down to writing the song, it was about 1994/95. I was trying to come up with a song that was a sort of identity for myself and for the person I was when I was ten years old and discovered music, or discovered what kind of music I liked, which at the time was AC/DC. But to try and find that headspace of who I was in 1984, in the summer of 1984 made sense with who I was in the summer of 1995, you know, and try and draw the through line with a little narrative, a little poem. It’s a fantasy song. It’s not a real. It’s not autobiographical. But I wrote the first verse laying down on my futon in Queens, cheap apartment that I had for $250 a month. I was sleeping on the floor, and I was staring at the ceiling, thinking about Cindy Lauper and Metallica at the same time. I was just trying to experience both of those feelings at the same time. You know, merge the feeling of listening to Cindy Lauper and the feeling listening to Metallica to put them together. That’s how it came to be.

C: And the Iron Maiden reference, was that just a bit of a fluke or was there an intent to include?

B: Well, it’s a perfect vowel movement. You know, the words fit perfectly. Iron Maiden was always like, from my point of view, the first truly independent metal band that reached the big heights, that did their own thing. Sci-Fi, weird monster zombie music that was like really crazy hard to play. Also technically, like challenging, sort of progressive metal. They were the first to do stuff like that, I thought sort of Sci-Fi metal band, and also number of the beast, it’s the only song that this, six, six, six, you know, it’s right there. It’s just like the best. But yeah, that was the reason they’re in there. I loved Iron Maiden, for many years, tried to play Rime the Ancient Mariner until I gave up because it was too hard, that kind of stuff.

C: Obviously, a few years ago, Teenage Dirtbag exploded over TikTok with the whole trend. Were there any specific favourite participants of that trend?

B: Sza did a really cool version. Are you talking about the tiktok not the covers?

C: Let’s talk about both!

B: Well, I like certain versions of the song. I like them all on some level because it’s very flattering to have somebody do that. But some of them really hit me in the heart. Phoebe Bridgers version hits me in the heart. Sza version. Hip hop artist from Chicago called Rod Wave, Rushton Kelly did a really nice one. As far as the TikToks are concerned, the one that really flattened me was Quincy Jones. I thought, oh, my God, how does he even know our music? Like, why would he know? And he’s the greatest producer of all time, arguably. So it’s just like, I can’t believe this

man knows who I like. It’s just, what is this? You know, overwhelming sense of acknowledgement is crazy.

C: So in terms of music, you released a re-recorded version of your debut back in 2020. Is there any more releases or new music in the pipeline? I know we discussed, obviously, the 20th Anniversary

B: So the 20th-anniversary version of our first record is the original ten songs, plus the b sides from that era. Theres another ten songs that we had from over the years that kind of sounded like they belonged on that first record and we didn’t. That’s why we didn’t release them. We thought, oh, this is old. This is first album stuff. So we put all those songs on a 20-song version and we put that out, and that’s the newest music that we have currently, although we have three singles on streaming from our 7th studio album that we haven’t finished yet. One of them is called Lullaby, a sort of psychedelic metal jazz track. Another one is called Tipsy, which was inspired by Liam Payne from One Direction conversation I had with him where he impressed me. He turned out to be a really conscientious young man, and another song called Michelle, that is on a live record that we released from touring America a couple of years ago. We are trying to finish that 7th album. We just haven’t had a chance to get into the studio to do it.

C: So maybe that’s a plan for the rest of this year, potentially.

B: No, because we’re going to be on the road too much. Maybe December, maybe. We’ll see.

C: So it’s a pretty hectic schedule between now and next year.

B: Absolutely hectic, yeah.

C: Well, I wish you all the best with it, and I’m sure we’ll be covering whatever you’ve got lined up at HRH Mag.

B: Thanks very much.

ATREYU

Charlotte: Welcome back to Donington! You’re playing the avalanche stage later today. How

does it feel to be back at Download?

Porter: Genuinely, it’s an honor. These are some of the best festivals we’ve ever played in our entire career, so we’ll always play when asked. It’s a true joy, and I’m not just saying, like that’s a cliche answer, but genuinely, the moment we heard we were playing this, our whole band was like, yeah, all right, let’s go. I mean, they all have merit, of course, but it’s just something special about download.

C: And you add some surprises to your live shows occasionally. I know that there was a saxophone sing along not too long ago. Can we expect any surprises from today’s show?

P: There’s always a surprise in every show, even to us. That’s part of the fun of it, it’s a very symbiotic thing, us and the crowd, and so sometimes antics happen on stage that we just like, what are you doing? And we joke about it and then something happens in the crowd and we feed off of that. The whole point of this thing for me is for us to connect and make the best day we could possibly have for these people that showed up So, yeah, we’ll see. I mean, we’ll have a 30 minutes set. So festivals are a bit tough. You come and see us in a headliner with no curfew, and it’s going to get even weirder, but, yeah, we got some fun stuff planned.

C: Because you guys were back here in 2016? I think that your last Download?

P: Yeah, I think so, yeah, it’s been a while!

C: Talk me through your schedule for the next couple of months.

P: Yeah, we started this with rock and ring, rock and park. Also very highly respected festivals in Germany, which once again, an honor to play them, too. And I live in Germany and speak German, so that’s a whole other fun experience. So then we did a couple headlining shows in Germany. We did one in the Netherlands. We played Southampton last night, which was delightful. The Engine Rooms shout out, and then, we do this. We’re in France tomorrow and then Luxembourg, and then we just keep going till the end of this month. We got fests all around connected with some headlining shows with Lowlives, so that’s some good buds there.

C: And you’re playing a festival in Las Vegas as well towards the end of this summer?

P: We are, When We Were Young Fest. Which we played the first one, this is now the third one and we’re doing actually one of our albums called The Curse in full, so that’s cool. And then we’re doing a warm up show in Anaheim, California, with that too at the House of Blues. I mean, we have this tour and then we have a couple flight dates and then even that, When We Were Young stuff like, we’ll go out and rehearse for a week before, but it’s not like full, proper tours. This is the only proper tour we’ve done this year.

C: You released your latest album, the Beautiful Dark, in December, which is your 9th studio album. So that includes music from three EP’s that were previously released.

P: Yes.

C: Can you give me a little bit of background in terms of the construction and the making of the album?

P: Yeah. So each EP is its own, path in the journey of a human being in life, and it led to the beautiful dark of life and it’s essentially about enjoying the beautiful times, and it’s enjoying the dark times. There are lessons to be learned and if you view it through the lens of I’m growing from this, it’s all about perspective of this existence, and so it was lyrically, a lot of different things in that album were about that and about how to challenge yourself, conquer your demons, and come out the other side and be the best version you could possibly be. The decision making behind the actual physical release of the artwork, we hired this company called Morning Breath, and they had illustrated lead sales for us and in our wake for us as well, and it’s essentially I art direct almost all of our art, especially the albums and stuff, and I make a lot of videos for us. So it was, a lot of the symbolism and the actual symbols as well, were a brainchild of mine. So I just communicated with Doug, the illustrator, and was like, this is what I want, this is what we want, and Brandon has a good hand in that too. We all just wanted something that was heavily tattoo-able, which has been proven true. We’ve seen a lot of tattoos of the symbol for drowning or the symbol for whatever, so it’s just a beautiful thing.

C: Are there any specific tracks from this album that you’re looking forward to performing later today?

P: There’s two songs I’m looking forward to. Drowning is the first song we released off of that last album, and it goes hard every time. I remember we played it right after it was released on the Bullet For My Valentine tour, and it was like, we’ve never in our entire career had a fresh song go off like that. Truly, the fans were making up their own chants and clapping in their own ways, and it was just fucking mad. So that song is just very fun to play. And there’s a song called Battle Drums that we did with an artist named Kazo that I actually put down the bass and just run around like an imbecile on the mic for a bit, and it’s just fun for me. It’s a whole change of pace, so I always look forward to that.

C: So we’ve touched on some appearances over the next couple of months, what else can we look forward to for 2024?

P: Pretty much just fests is all I can talk about. But we do have a lot of things cooking up behind the scenes, a lot of things that will be announced either at the end of the year or the beginning of next. And we have some music and stuff, but

that’s all I can say is as vague as I can say. So keep a lookout, the label would kill me.

C: Well, the very best of luck with your summer appearances.

P: Thank you!

CALVA LOUISE

Charlotte: Welcome to Download guys!. You played the Dogtooth stage earlier today. So tell me about your set and about your Download experience so far.

Alizon: I mean, it’s been incredible so far, we’re so grateful to be here. Download’s been on all of our lists for such a long time, and it’s all our first time here, even as punters, we’ve never come before, so it’s it’s just incredible.In the past, I’ve had offers from friends who are going to Download, but we’ve always been festivaling, at the same time, so it’s it’s really cool to to finally be here. And the set was the set was incredible. Like, the crowd was amazing.

Ben: Very very, grateful to the audience for showing up first and then just being so supportive and, people were moshing, singing along. It was lovely.

C: So for anyone who’s discovered you guys from your set earlier, can you give me a little bit of background about how you formed? Because you’re all from various places around the world.

A: Right. So Jess, the singer and composer of the band, she grew up in Venezuela, she then moved to France where I’m from and so that’s where we met. And then we moved to London together where we met Ben who’s originally from New Zealand.

B: Yeah. So, like, meanwhile, I was growing up in New Zealand. And then when I was about 14, 15, I moved with my parents to London, and then grew up a little bit more there and then, met these guys on the on the gig scene. and then we formed a band.

C: You’ve just released a single called Under the Skin. So tell me about the idea and creative process behind this single.

A: Cool. So Under the Skin is actually the first single that we’ve released with Mascot, and

that’s the first single as well where we started working with Gareth McGrillen from Pendulum, that was incredible experience. So Jess writes the songs and she co-wrote this song with Gareth, so we went together in the studio in London for like a day and then, they worked out the song, the base of the song and then she wrote the lyrics and the melody and everything. So it’s just been really very awesome to see coming together and it’s the first single of the upcoming body of work that we’re gonna release.

C: How did that writing collaboration emerge?

A: So I think Gareth found us on TikTok because of all the videos that I’ve just been doing with the band. So they’re all DIY videos, it’s basically us 3 filming on the green screen with our friends and then Jess takes that away and she makes those crazy visuals. She’s been teaching herself Blender to be able to expand and tell a story that’s of underlying in the music. And so Gareth found one of the videos and reached out essentially, and it’s been literally the best experience knowing him, getting to know him. He’s been incredibly helpful, giving you advice, helping us out, very precious advice and Yeah he’s just kind of taken us under his wing a little bit and if we’ve had any issues, he’s like, just ask me, message me and, and we do. We made the most of that offer. He’s super lovely, super fun, amazing guy.

B: Incredibly talented. Like, with both projects we’ve been looking up to for years and just being able to meet him and he even invited us to show and we’ve been able to see Pendulum live it’s like a little dream come true.

C: You touched just on some future new music coming out. So can we look forward to an album or an EP? What’s what’s next in terms of music?

A: So we’ve got a new single coming out next week on 20th June which is called La Corriente which will be entirely in Spanish and it’s it’s part of the next body of work, which doesn’t have a release date yet, and we can’t really say how it will be released or how big it will be, but it’s it’s in process.

C: What else can we look forward to for the rest of this year?

A: So we’ve got a a UK headline tour coming up at the beginning of July. So we’re doing Manchester, London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds, and Nottingham and finishing up with 2000 trees as well. So looking forward to that. And a few of the festivals as well in the UK and in Europe. So that’s what we’ve got so far.

C: I wish you the absolute best of luck with all of it, and I’m really excited to see what else this year has to offer for you guys!

A&B: Thank you very much.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photo Credit: Simon Dunkerley

Tales from the Crypta

Brazilian death metal outfit Crypta have been kicking up a storm with their latest album Shades of Sorrow. The group have been touring relentlessly in support of their latest offering.

HRH Mag caught up with Crypta lead singer and bass player Fernanda Lira before their show at Trillians in Newcastle. The road has been like a home away from home for the South American quartet this year. “All the tours have been really cool,” said Fernanda. “We needed to do some headlining dates in territories we haven’t been to before so we could get some numbers for specific reasons. The tour has been great so far, but it’s been very intense. By the time we finish the tour, we’ll have played 80 shows in half a year. Just so people can compare, last year, in the whole year we played 92 shows. I believe by the end of the year we’re going to have played nearly 150 shows. So, it’s definitely going to be an intense year, and it hasn’t finished yet.”

Touring is an integral part of being a musician. “I live for the road. Being on stage is my favourite thing ever - but it can get tiring. It can get physically exhausting, and it can get mentally exhausting because you don’t usually have a lot of private time. And also, being away from home and your routine and sleeping schedule is not always the ideal,” confirms Fernanda.

Crypta have received high praise from fans and the music industry alike. Ghost frontman Tobias Forge said that Crypta is his favourite young metal band, at the moment. High praise indeed. “Some months after he posted this, we were invited to open for them in

Sao Paulo - the home town of the band. And it was amazing,” said Fernanda. “To get this kind of recognition from these big names like Ghost truly means a lot. It still shocks me that these people know my band and who I am.” She adds: “I’m still shocked and also not only does it feel like a compliment to me which I hold dearly in my heart, but also it both serves me as fuel to keep on going and a validation of the hard work we put in.”

The band’s latest release Shades of Sorrow has been billed as a semi-concept album. “When I started writing the lyrics, I already knew what I wanted,” said Fernanda. “I knew I wanted it to be more personal. I knew I unfortunately had a lot of baggage I could use for this album. And so, before writing I was like maybe I can make it a semi-concept album. It was semi-concept because a concept album is a whole different thing, you need to have a whole story underlining all the songs and we wouldn’t have had time for that. And I’m very methodical also. So it was not going to be possible.”

Fernanda adds: “It does talk about one subject, but there’s not a story underlining it. I decided to write about a journey through pain which is a journey we’ve all been there, if not now unfortunately one day you will. It’s about all the different shades of emotions we feel whenever we’re navigating dark times and that’s what the album talks about. And that’s what I wanted to write about since the beginning. So, then I can both express myself and unburden, and maybe embrace people who are also going through dark times.”

There is one track on the record, which slightly deviates from that path. And that is Lord of Ruins. “We have songs that talk about loneliness, fear, rejection,

and anxiety. Since we’re talking about a journey through pain, I wanted to have a more positive approach by the end of the album,” said Fernanda. “So, it’s like it’s a phase because it is. Deep down it’s a phase you go through - all these uncomfortable feelings. But in the end, it always works out and that’s what I wanted with Lord of Ruins. Since it’s an epic-sounding song, I wanted to have an empowering lyric for that too so we could wrap up the album in a more positive way.”

Crypta was formed out of the embers of the group Nervossa, by Luana Dametto (drums) and Fernanda Lira. Since Crypta got together, the band had a change of guitarist when Sonia Anubis departed the group. “I don’t mind the line-up changes because I think they’re a natural part of having a band, unfortunately. No one likes having line-up changes, they can be very sad and uncomfortable, but when you’re in a band for 10 or 20 years people change and goals change. So, I am very understanding of line-up changes,” said Fernanda. “I myself needed to leave a band I was in for 10 years, and it happens. I was very happy then with Sonia. I’m very happy now with Jessica. I think the feedback we’ve been getting live has been great. People really

enjoy watching us live. And seeing us on stage everyone says we have a nice energy. And I think from the inside I think we are a very good team.”

With two albums released almost back-toback inside of two years, the band have all their creative cylinders firing so to speak. “I think the most important thing for us to be able to sit and write these two albums was the time. We had time and we were boiling with ideas. When I started Crypta, I was in another band before. So, it was like a new book and a blank page where I could write anything,” said Fernanda. “So, this is exciting, but time enables us to write nice songs calmly. That is one thing that worries me for the next album because it’s a good thing that we don’t have a pandemic anymore, but this means we’re on the road all the time. This is going to be the most intense year in the band so far. And that’s why next year I decided we’ll have to slow down a bit. We’ll do less tours than we’re doing. It’s going to be one European tour, one North American tour, and one Latin American tour and that is it.”

Fernanda continues: “We’ll have time at home so we can handle having some time to write

songs because we’re a very methodical band and we’re not one of these bands that can write all the time while being on the road. We need to sit still at home with a fresh mind, which is the most important thing and then write our songs. At least from my side, I can tell that’s definitely important. I’m always inspired for lyrics on the road, and I already have the concept for the whole album in my mind when it comes to lyrics. So that is fine, but you need to do some studying and sit and write. But when it comes to riffs, I’m very methodical. I need to listen to a lot of music and get inspired, and this takes time and a fresh mind. So, I cannot write music when I am on the road.”

Crypta already have planned out this year and beyond. “We have 2025 mapped out. We really need to plan ahead, so we have a tour booked for December 2025. That’s how far we plan,” concludes Fernanda.

Shades of Sorrow by Crypta is out now via Napalm Records.

Words & Photo Credit Adam Kenendy

Legendary South African rock, blues, roots and Americana guitarist and singer-songwriter Steve Louw is perhaps best known for fronting one of South Africa’s most critically acclaimed rock bands, Big Sky.

The esteemed artist is preparing to release his new album Between Time on September 6th. The album is an exhilarating double album produced by Kevin Shirley (Black Country Communion, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Joe Bonamassa). The album was recorded in Nashville and Sydney.

Speaking from his home in his native South Africa, Steve is enthusiastic about his forthcoming release: “It’s great to have the album coming out. We’ve released three songs so far. The album will be out in September. So, I’m really looking forward to it.”

For his latest offering, Steve teamed up with his long-time friend and legendary producer Kevin Shirley. “Kevin’s a great record producer in that he understands the technical side completely. So, you know that it’s going to sound great. You don’t have to worry about drum sound, room sound, or guitar sound, he’s got that. And you can trust him 110% that it’s going to be a great-sounding recording. There are a lot of producers that aren’t that technical. But Kevin started as an engineer, so he understands the studio completely. And he understands what all the gear can do. And he has a vision of how he wants the record to sound,” explains Steve. “He knows he can get the sound of the whole band really quickly. I’ve seen people trying to get a snare drum sound for a day. Kevin can make a record in a day. So that’s what’s great.”

One of the guests on the album is none other than blues supremo Joe Bonamassa who lends his playing on the track Cruel Hand of Fate. “It’s such a privilege to have Joe play on a song of mine and to want to play on the song and to want to contribute. And I’ve been so lucky that he wants to do that. And he’s such an intuitive musician that he always knows what will elevate the song,” explains Steve. “So, the part he plays on the song is not a typical Joe, you know, soaring Les Paul. It’s a country-style telecaster with a B-bender. It sounds like pedal steel, but it’s perfect. So, I’m incredibly fortunate to have Joe be so gracious as to play on my records. It was beyond my wildest dreams.”

Aussie keyboard legend Lachy Doley also makes an appearance on the record along with Midnight Oil guitarist Jim Moginie. “We had finished the two songs where the collaborations featured on this album. Giants Walk the Land, which Jim Moginie played on, and

then Streets of Rain, which Lachy played on. And those were the only two things that were added afterwards. When Kevin went back to Sydney, he said, Steve, this one sounds like Jim would be great on it. And I’m going to send it to Jim and see what he thinks. And Jim loved it. And he put guitar on, and it sounded great,” explains Steve. “And he did the same with Lachy. He said, I really think we need a great Hammond solo. And he called him up. Lachy lives near him. And there we were. That’s Kevin’s forte. He’s like, we need this. And he’s got a Rolodex full of contacts.”

Steve’s recent single, Killers, reflects on the madness of waging war on each other and was written in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “I heard an audio clip of radio chatter between the Ukraine soldiers and the invading Russians very early on in the war. And it was an interesting conversation. It inspired me to write about how it’s been happening for so many centuries - people invading other people, whether it was the colonial invasions, Genghis Khan or the Mongols. Humans just want to invade. And that’s basically what is behind the song. It’s just a reflection on that,” eludes Steve.

Louw’s relationship with Kevin Shirley goes back to his former band Big Sky. Kevin produced the band’s debut album Waiting for the Dawn. The album arrived just as South Africa began moving away from apartheid rule and the group’s music helped soundtrack a decade of positive revolution. The title track is today considered a South African rock classic. Reminiscing on the track Steve said: “Kevin had just left South Africa then and was in Sydney, and he came back to South Africa to do that album with me. When we recorded Waiting for the Dawn, although it was released after Nelson Mandela had been released from prison, when we recorded it, South Africa was in the grip of apartheid, almost,” explains Steve. “We’d made a previous album, Kevin and I, in 86, that was released in 87, called The Killing Floor. And some of the songs were banned because of the government broadcaster and all that stuff. And when we recorded Waiting for the Dawn, it was in that fraught period. And it was what I felt. We were just waiting, we’re on the cusp of getting out of this repressive regime and getting to the dawn of democracy. I believed that. And it did come about, and South Africa became a democratic country. But I was thrilled that the record was well received in South Africa and played on the radio incessantly. It became a kind of well-known song in South Africa because it had quite a strong message.”

In 1998 Steve’s band Big Sky opened for US singer-songwriter Rodriguez on his

triumphant debut tour of South Africa, with the musicians in the band also backing the US artist. The tour is chronicled in the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man. Reminiscing on those times, Steve said: “It was incredible because as you see in the movie, this promoter phoned me up and said, listen, we’re going to do a tour with Rodriguez. And we want you to be the band. He doesn’t have a band. He doesn’t have a guitar. He hasn’t played in like 10 years. We’re going to bring him out here. And I said, Yeah, cool. I’ll do that. That’ll be great. So, I phoned up Willem Moller, the guitar player in my band in South Africa. And he explains that in the movie. It’s like I phoned him, and I said, Do you want to play with Rodriguez? And he says like, The Rodriguez? I said, Yeah,” recalls Steve. “He said, sure. And what we then did, was we went into a studio in Cape Town and rehearsed all his songs. We took his two albums and learned the songs. And then he was brought to the studio from the airport, we had a guitar and were like here’s your guitar. And we’ll play your songs with you. And we all knew the songs from growing up with him. And everybody knew that stuff. And that was pretty insane to be then in the room with that. It’s always the voice. You see the person. But when he opens his mouth, that voice comes up, and with those lyrics it’s unbelievable.”

Rodriguez’s popularity in South Africa was unprecedented. “It was like The Beatles had come to town. People were insanely hyped up that this person was going to appear on the stage. It was a sell-out tour of these big venues. And you see that in the movie, he couldn’t believe it,” remembers Steve. “He had to be pushed onto the stage, like, come on. And he just walked on the stage and the whole place just went nuts. He didn’t have to even open his mouth.

He just raised his hand. It was like everybody was on their feet. And it was like that for six shows. It was insane.”

With his new album on the horizon, Steve will be promoting the record in his homeland and beyond. “So, I’m touring in South Africa, and I’ve got a couple of festival things that I’m going to be on. And I’m hoping, if the album does well in the UK, that a promoter would be interested in putting me on a festival.” Steve concludes. “I’m available. I’ll come.”

Steve Louw’s new album “Between Time” featuring special guests Joe Bonamassa and Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie, is available from www.stevelouw.com.

Words by Adam Kenendy

Photo Credit: Jacqui van Standen

THE HU

The Hu are a band that crashed into the international metal scene whilst making a huge impact with their unique brand of music. The group fuse traditional Mongolian instrumentation with contemporary metal sounds to great effect. In recent times the band has won over a whole raft of fans including some of the biggest bands in the game.

Gala from the band brings us up to speed with the band’s recent activities. “2023 was a very awesome year, just the fact that we went to Europe and went through the festival season. It was our first time performing at the legendary Glastonbury Festival. And I’m very happy that we were able to release a vinyl of the live performance.”

Of course, Mongolia is a far cry from Worthy Farm. Were the band aware of how big the Glastonbury Festival was before they played there? “Every time we go and do a world tour there is news coverage in Mongolia. People who follow the music industry, and people who are aware of the music industry and especially youngsters were aware of the Glastonbury Festival. And when we announced our festival tour in Europe, they were very happy to hear we were playing. And it was quite an event,” confirms Gala.

The Hu’s performance at Glastonbury was recorded for release. But was this a pre-conceived idea or did the decision to release a live album of the performance come after the event? “We didn’t think that it was going to become a vinyl release. I’m going to be honest with you at the time that it was being recorded, we were on one of the biggest stages. And when I was talking to the people who were working behind the scenes at the festival, they said, the audience was out of the ordinary,” explains Gala. “Also, we were performing on the top three stages of the festival, and when we were on the stage and performing the audience was just in awe of us. And they were crowd surfing over there, and the energy was so good. So, what happened was we really felt the heat of the moment and performed from deep in our hearts and that’s why you could feel it, and

that’s why you can feel it from the recording, that it was such fun on stage. And that exact moment, it was such a fun time to be in, and the audience and the crowd were amazing. And the people who work in the background of the Glastonbury also deserve a shout out, because they make a really good show every year, especially last year.”

The UK has become an important market for The Hu. “Many amazing musicians come from the UK. So that just shows how educated English folks are in terms of music and their taste in good music. And it feels like whenever we tour, it’s always fun to be in the UK. It’s always fun because the audience will know how to hype you up. We feel very lucky because we have been to many festivals including Download Festival. The distinct memory that I have about the Download Festival is the energy that the audience brings. Every time I visit, I look forward to the dates that we perform in the UK,” said Gala.

The group will be joining Iron Maiden on their upcoming tour. “Iron Maiden is a legendary band, and they’re about to celebrate their 50th birthday, and we’re honoured to be on their tour, and to be near them. And we’re, of course, really looking forward to that tour,” said Gala. “Iron Maiden is one of the reasons that we got into the rock and metal scene. We cannot think about the rock/metal scene without thinking about Iron Maiden. So, in our mind, that’s just how big they are. And we’re looking forward to it. And, of course, because we’re going to be on the tour with them in the fall, we are working hard towards bringing in our new, first track of our third album to the tour. So, we will see. We’ve been working on our third album for quite a while now.”

How important was it for the group to share their culture and traditional music around the world? “We wanted to give a good energy to the world through our music. And, of course, the traditional components of our music are really important because we’re Mongolian cultural ambassadors. So, keeping our culture alive and keeping the tradition alive is very important, but also what’s equally important

is to bring in good music that people can feel a deep connection to is also a very important part of what we do,” said Gala. “We feel proud of who we are. And we want to introduce our culture and every piece of our traditions to the world through good music.”

Reflecting on the year so far and looking ahead, Gala concludes: “2024 has been a very productive year for us because we have been working on our third album. And we’re almost done. We’re working towards releasing it in 2025, and we’ve been diligently working on producing very interesting videos that we’re going to be shooting in Mongolia. So up until the fall, we will be working on the creative side of our work and then from September to October, we will be touring in Europe. And in Europe this time around, it’s very interesting, because there are many destinations we mapped out that we have never been to before in Europe. And Europe is a really big continent, so we’re very excited to be visiting new countries and going to the places we’ve never been, and meeting with our fans who we have never been able to meet before.”

“After that, we directly come back to the Iron Maiden tour, and we are so excited about touring with them. We’re hoping to bring out new creative work on our fall European tour, as well as the Iron Maiden tour, and then after that, we’ll work towards releasing our third album, and a tour will also follow. So overall, it’s going to be a really creative and productive year ahead.”

The Hu Live At Glastonbury is out now via Better Noise.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

THUNDERSTRUCK

Mojo Thunder’s sophomore album “The Infinite Hope” will be released by Agelaius Music Group on Friday, August 30th. The Kentucky four-piece blues rock band describe their music as “Southern Alternative.”

Hailing from the south, you wouldn’t be surprised to find some of the obvious influences from the area feeding into the Mojo Thunder sound. “I don’t remember a time when I didn’t have Lynyrd Skynyrd and Allman Brothers records around,” explains guitarist Bryson Willoughby. “I think they’re just kind of implanted in your house somewhere.” Despite this, the group’s distinctive twin-part guitar harmonies come from a source closer to our home. “I’d have to attribute that to Thin Lizzy though, as much as I would Allman Brothers. That’s a huge part of the band’s musical DNA,” he confirms.

Southern rock aside, for their latest album Mojo Thunder wanted to showcase some of their more contemporary influences. “I think more of what was happening with some of those modern influences is not restricting ourselves to a certain time period of music. There’s a little bit of self-policing, especially when we first started, it was kind of a very 70s rock thing. And if it felt modern, we would throw it out. And then, at a certain point, it just kind of became like, why would we restrict us?” exudes Bryson. “As far as creativity and arts to put yourself in a box is insane. So, we just thought if we write it, it’s us and it doesn’t really matter where those influences come from. It’s kind of like you have this whole garden and you only eat out of this one particular lane. There’s all this beautiful, delicious food.”

The band’s latest album The Infinite Hope came together quite quickly in the studio. “We were done, I would say, within a month.

MOJO THUNDER

I want to say it was like two to three weeks,” said Bryson. However, the songs have been in the making for some time. “As far as writing it goes, as far as how long that took. Some of it has been years in the process. I’ve always written songs outside of what I would bring to the table as far as the band goes. It’s just something that’s been therapeutic for me over the years. And there was a point where I thought, maybe I would do a solo album or do something because I just really want people to hear some of these songs and I’m not a hundred per cent confident in all of them. And then I just thought, well, I’ll take a shot and see if the guys like some of these songs. And they were pretty enthusiastic about some of the stuff that I brought to the table and that made me pretty confident.”

Holy Ghost was the first song which we heard from the record. It’s the kind of song that stops you in your tracks and makes you immediately want to listen to more. “So that was one of the ones that I showed to the guys that I had written. And the crux of the music, it’s sort of a homage to say, Little Richard or Chuck Berry. That sort of boogie-woogie jump style thing that they were so incredibly wonderful at doing,” explains Bryson. There are certainly religious connotations within the song. “There’s the religious community here in the States. They’ve really been tethered in a certain direction. I kind of feel that part of that pool is maybe a little bit counterintuitive to what they originally set out to do for humans,” explains Bryson. “So, it’s one of those things where we’re sort of calling to question, how to affirm one another’s humanity and do the right thing by our brothers and sisters here all over the world.”

The Infinite Hope follows off the back of the group’s recent live album. But was a live album something that the group had always had a burning desire to record? “First and foremost, it just seemed like a fun idea to do. There are a lot of areas that we can’t necessarily get to for various reasons and we thought

if we want to give people the live experience of this snapshot of this time in the band’s life, then that just seemed to be the easiest way to maybe get that out to everybody,” said Bryson.

The band’s live record Alive, with Friends, also allowed the group to showcase how a lot of their songs have evolved in the live environment. “We write our album, and then pretty much the second thing we do is start incorporating jams into those. So, it’s a very different context in between what we’ll do in the studio and what we’ll do live. And some of these songs blossomed through the years,” explains Bryson. “And if I’m being transparent, it bought us some time between albums.”

Mojo Thunder are excited to return to Europe to promote their new album. “It was a wonderful experience last time,” said Bryson. “We’re all Southern guys and come from working-class families. So, there weren’t a lot of trips abroad as children. So, this is a nice way to visit the world.” He adds: “It was a very wonderful experience. And so, we’re looking forward to getting back, and talking to people and just playing all of it.”

The band’s plans for the rest of the year are still in the works. “We’ll do some shows here in the States. That would be a big thing as well,” he says. “I think there are some things in the works that I think the guys will probably pull on my shirt for releasing too. But I think we’ll probably just sort of follow our arrow, and whatever of these projects that are circulating we will likely pursue one of them. But most of it will just be focused on this new record and making sure that it reaches as many people as it can.”

The Infinite Hope by Mojo Thunder will be released by Agelaius Music Group on Friday, August 30th.

Words by Adam Kenendy

Photo Credit: Ali Ann Photography

PHIL MOGG

Life After UFO

INTERVIEW WITH PHIL MOGG AT MOGG’S HOTEL

As the old saying goes, when one door closes another one opens. And that’s certainly the case for UFO frontman Phil Mogg, who recently unveiled his new project Mogg’s Motel.

The embers of the group came together during the final days of UFO. “It was purely by chance,” proclaims Mogg. “I was finishing up with UFO and I met Tony Newton in a café. We were both up at the American Embassy to get visas for one thing or another. And I remember just chatting, I said I think I’m going to do something else when this finishes.”

Collectively the pair had some song ideas that would perhaps suit a new project. And with time on their hands over lockdown, the creative fires began to burn. “Tony sent

me stuff and then we would send it back and forth. We mucked around with it until eventually when lockdown was over, we got into the studio,” explains Phil.

Working on this album, without the expectations that come from a legendary group like UFO allowed Phil the freedom to start again with a blank canvas. “It was good from the point of view of having time to go let’s try this, let’s try that. And there was plenty of time to travel around and try different things. So, from that point of view, it was really good and generally very relaxed. The studio was great. That was just down the road. And they had a lovely little inn to stay in. I really enjoyed it. It was a bit like a holiday.” The analogy if you love what you do, it never feels like work comes to mind. Phil goes on to tell me that idea comes from a philosophy by Confucius.

The songs featured on Moggs Motel are original ideas. None of them had previously

started as concepts for UFO songs. “The material was very different from what I’ve been doing before,” said Phil. “And because it was different material, it needed a bit of a different approach. But it was great working on some other stuff that was coming along. And some of it would throw me off balance, but it kind of all kind of knitted together.”

The first single to be released from the album is titled Apple Pie. And if that doesn’t make you hungry for the album nothing will. “That was one of the first ones we did. Tony sent me a tape of the parts and the riff on that. And then I took a couple of beers in the garage and buggered around with it. It was one of those tunes that just shaped up. And I got three wonderful parts to ramble on in and we put it together in there. And then we went down to Steve’s [Harris] place in Essex, the studio there. And I think we did the vocal in a few hours.”

Phil reminisces on the song. “I remember it was winter when we wrote it. It was bleeding

freezing. And Tony locked me out of the studio by accident. I remember that. And I had to sit in the car and put the heater on because he couldn’t hear me,” recalls Phil. But those memories aside, it hasn’t left a bitter taste in his mouth. If anything, it’s quite the opposite. He jokes: “Apple Pie is a treat and I’d like my slice of apple pie and now please.” Doing a solo project wasn’t something that Phil had a burning ambition to do, although he has worked on creative outlets outside of UFO in the past. “I’ve done a couple of things with Pete – Mogg/Way albums and I’ve also done one with Jeff Coleman,” said Phil. “I hadn’t done anything for quite a long time, and you get a sort of a storehouse of ideas of things you’d like to try. But the circumstances don’t always arise. Or they hadn’t always arrived with UFO. So, kind of at the back of my mind, I thought well, I’d like to try that.” Phil reminisced on the late great Pete Way. “He is a bit like what you see is what you get. Back when we were working together, Pete likes his three-chord rock, which is dead simple to sing to,” he says. “I’ve never known him not to be enthusiastic. Even if it was the worst bloody job in the world. He’d still be enthusiastic. There are probably a few drinks going with it which makes you more enthusiastic.” Phil states: “Pete was good fun and great to work with.”

Phil’s fallen UFO bandmates Pete Way and Paul Raymond are name-checked in a song on the album called The Sunny Side of Heav-

en. Speaking about the rather philosophical meaning of the song Phil said: “This is my heaven here. This is how I see it. So, at the moment, I’m on the sunny side of heaven,” he says. “Funnily enough I slipped Pete and Paul into the lyrics in that one. That’s my take on it. I’m on the sunny side of heaven and that’s where I intend to stay at the moment.”

You can only imagine the adventures Pete and Paul would get up to together. “Pete and Paul are the heavenly devils; they are mischief makers and I got dragged along. They pulled me into their web of intrigue,” jokes Phil.

On the subject of former UFO bandmates, would Phil be open to working with Michael Schenker at any point in the future? “I think that ship sailed a long time ago. Because it wouldn’t work. What would you do? Play all your old stuff, it’s all been done. I’d rather do something new,” said Phil. “No, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

With UFO now in the frontman’s rearview mirror, did he think it was the right time for the legendary rockers to call it a day?

“Absolutely. I didn’t have any regrets. Because of the period, I got the feeling sometimes that we were chasing our tail of going round and I didn’t really want to have to do that continuous round and round and doing the circuit over and over again. It was definitely a time to wind up,” said Phil.

The artist seems open-minded about the

future of Moggs Motel. “I’m just taking it as it comes. I don’t know what’s going to happen to this. I’m hoping it does, okay. So, it’s more or less just waiting to see how things go,” said Phil.

With that in mind, are live shows on the agenda? “If we could find some gigs that are ok, that would work. The only thing that we’ve maybe discussed or just talked about was doing some festivals next year. Or if we could find a venue, we would put on our own showcase come October. But it was finding a venue that will be suitable because it’s got to be something smallish or middle-sized, not big, and make it more intimate so that I can bend people’s ears.”

Phil concludes: “We’ll see how this goes. The album comes out in September. I want to hang around and see what happens with that. And then Tony’s away. So, we will be free in the second week of October. So, if we pin something together for a show, I wouldn’t mind doing that. Like a show party.”

Something to look forward to for sure. We will be looking out for our invitation in the mail. The eponymous debut album from Moggs Motel will be released on the 6th of September via Steamhammer / SPV.

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

Marcus King

When it comes to the current crop of blues/ rock artists, just like his predecessors the Three Kings of the Blues guitar – BB, Freddie and Albert, Marcus King is at the top of his game. The US-based artist recently unveiled his new album Mood Swings. A release that shows Marcus’ vulnerability in his songwriting along with the continual evolution of his sound.

For his new album, the artist teamed up with producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin. “I guess it was the fall of 2019. I spoke to Rick on the phone and spoke at great length about mental health and how mental health could be more or less a writing partner in the journey,” recalls Marcus. “Not with the idea that we’d be working together, but just as two people speaking, and that encouraged me. So consciously in my efforts, I would continue writing. And as I was doing that, I found myself being a lot more truthful in my lyrics.”

A trip to California catalysed the artist’s progress on the album. “That led to being in Malibu and hanging with Rick. And the first demo I played him was a song called Bipolar Love. I played him the demo of that. And he joyously lifted both fists in the air in a triumphant reaction. And that kind of created the approach for the rest of the record was just that really brutal honesty and just bearing everything I had.”

Whilst addressing topics like mental health –does Marcus find songwriting to be therapeutic? “Yeah, I absolutely do. And every night, I’m able to have another session of therapy, because that’s why mindfulness is called an exercise or a practice. It’s something you have to keep doing. Just like when I lift my weights, I try to build my muscles. If I don’t do it for a while, they become fatigued and they shrink. So, every night is another opportunity to practice mindfulness.”

With his music, Marcus has been able to give others a lifeline and tell them that they are not alone in what they are going through.

“The only way I was capable of reaching that place was by first - it took me almost a year of writing to find it. But one of Rick’s philosophies is that as an artist, we need to put the audience last. And that concept was foreign to me,” he said. “I spent a lot of time writing in

an effort to make other people feel heard. But for the first time, I feel that I put myself first entirely. And in doing that, I’ve gotten more response from the audience and listeners that they felt heard for the first time. And that means the world to me. And it just showed me that I needed to look within, go deep and put myself first for the first time.”

Taking these compositions to the stage has been another form of therapy for the artist.

“It’s like going to church, like always seeing church and therapy is the same thing. People go to church, and they come out feeling better. They come out feeling a little lighter. That’s how a show is for me. I want to be able to go out there and bare my soul and get anything off my chest and off my psyche that’s been weighing on me. And I’ve got all these wonderful vehicles in which I can do that. And it’s these songs. So, each night’s just another mindfulness exercise and a practice and therapy,” eludes Marcus.

Working with Rick Rubin was an enlightening experience. “Rick’s approach to this was like building a home. And we built a beautiful home with shutters and windowsills and wonderful furniture. And then we just kind of took everything out and we knocked all the walls down. And the only thing that remained were the things that absolutely needed to be there to support the structural integrity of the song. So, all the pillars and everything you see, it’s all just fairly exposed, just structural elements of the home. And that was Rick’s approach. And it created this sparse environment in which the lyrics could really land and resonate,” confirmed Marcus.

One of the many outstanding tracks on the album is titled Delilah. “Well, Delilah is a special track to me, primarily because it’s one that I wrote and I just kind of had it for a while. I wrote it with someone here in town in Nashville. We wrote it almost against our will, like a song was in the room and it just wanted to get out,” recalls Marcus. “And this writer and I didn’t see eye to eye right away. And we later became better friends. But it was almost like there was no option for us to not write the song, it just needed to get out.”

Marcus continues. “We wrote the song and then I held it for five years. And I think it was because I wrote a song. I like the content of the lyrics, but I hadn’t lived it yet. So, it took me living that experience of that song and what it talks about - loving and losing and letting something go and like kind of finding yourself in that place. I kind of had to live that

and experience it before I could honestly play it. And that’s kind of what happened.”

The artist has perhaps pushed the boundaries of his sound with his latest release. “It’s really whatever the music is telling us to do, man. I’m open to whatever just feels right. I don’t really like to put myself in any kind of preconceived box or whatever,” said Marcus. “I know the vehicles in which I can get myself to that place of feeling heard or feeling seen. The guitar and being able to sing and play piano. All these vehicles get me to the place I need to go. And as long as we’re being entirely honest and open with ourselves and with the music, I think it’ll always feel good to me and hopefully to you.”

Marcus recently performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. “The first time I played the Opry was back in 2019. And that performance was actually the performance that Rick saw me and how he became aware of me as an artist. The Grand Ole Opry is an institution - one of the longest-running American institutions for music. It’ll be 100 years old next year. And it’s overwhelming to take part in something that’s been that long-standing and that tried and true. And every time I go there, it feels like I’m visiting my grandparents’ house. I can feel my grandfather’s energy there. Last time we went and performed, in the past, I’ve had my wife come sing with me. I always bring a few friends with me to play my three or four-song set. And this last time, my dad came and played with us. And he had such a great time. And that’s the spirit of that institution. It’s just family and just the joy of music and sharing it with others. It’s such a blessing.”

Continuing on the theme of live music

Marcus King will return to the UK for an extensive tour in November. “Some of the greatest audiences in the world are in the UK. You guys are always really great to us. So, we’re very excited to come back over.” Marcus concludes: “I feel that a nice, dreary, English day is really befitting for a lot of the subject matter on this album. So, it’ll feel really right at home.”

Mood Swings by Marcus King is out now via American / Republic Records / Snakefarm. Marcus will tour the UK throughout November starting at the Eventim Apollo on November 5th before moving through Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Cardiff. For ticket information and further details please visit: https://www.marcuskingofficial.com/.

Words by Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Press Provided

REVIEWSAlbum

THE DOGS D’AMOUR

DYNAMITE CHINA YEARS: COMPLETE RECORDINGS 19881993

Unfashionable. Underrated. Unfairly misunderstood. The (under) Dogs D’Amour have been described as all of the above and more. And yet those who found themselves blown away by frontman Tyla’s whirlwind of creativity in the late 80s knew the score. We were the lucky ones.

For a while, there was no better street poet, alluring songsmith or erudite social commentator on the planet. Combining buzzy narratives with eye-catching artwork and a fashion sense for the ages, Tyla unashamedly reprised the very best of 70s rock and roll and swagger. And despite cracking out albums for fun there was never any sense that quantity would ever affect quality.

This immersive eight-CD set packs in five years’ worth of familiar odes to life, love, loss and, yes, lots of drinking. And here’s the thing: the Dogs always pushed the ‘work hard, play harder’ ethos to the absolute limit during those halcyon, early days.

The ultimate party animals inevitably suffered as a result, with fans and media alike far too focused on Tyla’s headlinefriendly off-stage antics to truly appreciate

his nuanced songwriting and ear for a chartbothering tune. The leader of the Dogs’ pack might have come across as barking mad but don’t be fooled. Beneath the carefully applied layers of make-up, silk and whiskysoaked sleaze, a generational talent was quietly crafting an intelligent and informed body of work that laughed in the face of his lamer hair metal peers. And three decades down the line, a thorough reappraisal of Tyla’s best work seems long overdue. Several years of frustrating false starts led to the collection of songs presented here as the (Un)Authorised Bootleg Album — a bold precursor to the back-to-back classics that would cement the reputation of the Dogs as truly brilliant rock and roll bandits.

Tyla had just about navigated a potentially crippling succession of line-up changes and label disasters to emerge with a bunch of songs screaming potential. Pourin’ Out My Heart, Wait Until I’m Dead and Dynamite Jet Saloon aren’t the sound of some wide-eyed kids taking a punt on instant success. By now, Tyla had poured half a decade into shaping the Dogs’ identity and the band’s ‘debut’ is self-confident bordering on the cocksure. They were ready.

Album number two — In The Dynamite Jet Saloon — upped the ante with outlaw country ballad How Come It Never Rains ultimately nudging the fringes of the UK Top 40. Neither that standout tune nor the album itself were the commercial hits label bosses had hoped for and yet the Dogs were well and truly off the leash. An energy-sapping cycle of writing and touring (and partying, of course) maintained the momentum and within a year Errol Flynn had peaked at 22 in the UK album charts.

Its success accelerated by snappy single Satellite Kid (the band’s sole Top 30 entry), The Dogs’ third long player also featured the apt Drunk Like Me and the doleful Trail Of Tears — Tyla managing to put a fresh twist on the band’s now familiar tropes. Indeed, those looking to identify the point when this classically British quartet peaked may well point to late 1989. Errol Flynn and acoustic EP A Graveyard Of Empty Bottles Vol. 1 were both released that year

and the latter tapped into an increasing demand for stripped back, hazy acoustica (remember GnR Lies?). A typically brave — their label argued foolhardy — move by the Dogs introduced the band to a whole new audience and a fresh army of fans lapped up I Think It’s (Love Again), The Bullet Proof Poet and Angel.

Consequently 1990’s Straight??!! — featuring another bona fide earworm in the shape of Victims Of Success — benefitted from a bigger budget, a bigger production and bigger ambition. Sweeps of classy keys, courtesy of Faces alumnus Ian McLagan, soulful backing vocals and some of Tyla’s finest work to date underpinned a disarmingly mature body of work.

Rockier, more raucous and recognising this was their time, the Dogs were on a roll. Ironically — or perhaps inevitably — with all the pieces finally in place things suddenly took a turn for the worse. To this day Tyla insists there was no break-up but after a typically chaotic show in Los Angeles, a twoyear hiatus ensued.

A comprehensive box set includes 1993’s ‘comeback’ album More Unchartered Heights Of Disgrace but a disjointed record represents the weakest of the material here. World’s Different Now (Ode To Drug Hill) and Scared Of Dying lack Tyla’s authentic touch — too many of the songs here feel forced, false or both.

Fortunately, two discs of B-sides and rarities cap things off in suitably fine fashion: listening to the Dogs perform Trail Of Tears and Medicine Man live is a pure, timeless joy. More standout acoustic moments, including As The Poppies Fall and What’s Happening Here? close out the most complete collection of Dogs D’Amour music ever compiled.

Thirty-five years since the heady days of A Graveyard Of Empty Bottles and it’s high time we raised a glass to the top Dogs.

Words by Simon Rushworth

BYWATER CALL SHEPHERD

The band from Toronto, who have their roots firmly planted in soul-tinged blues and gravity pulling rock, have announced a new album ahead of an extensive European tour. With seven members, they ensure there’s room on the bus for trumpet and tenor sax and with keyboards also included you can envisage the amazing spectacle, that awaits us in October. Ten tracks on ‘Shepherd’ have the fully loaded, rocket launching vocals from Meghan Parnell and the incredible talents of guitarist Dave Barnes. Both heading this band, that have had numerous accolades given them and last year they were part of Joe Bonamassa’s ‘Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea Mediterranean Cruise’, which culminated in an all-star jam, with Joe himself.

Around six of the ten songs have already hit the shelves as singles, including ‘Everybody Knows’ that sounds, intentionally or not, similar to The ‘Black Crowes’ version of ‘Hard To Handle’. They add their multitude of instruments, but the essence is there, and it distracts me somewhat. Anyway, putting the opener aside, ‘Colours’ oozes with warm and swelling introductory notes. Meghan has received praise from all around the world and she puts her vocals to the test, on this surging number. ‘Sweet Maria’ flows like a ‘Lynyrd Skynyrd’ classic after the carousel ride intro, while ‘Holler’ has stomp to get your feet moving. Delicate strings on ‘For All We Know’ and the brass gets polished for ‘Roll’, which is sublime jazz/blues and soul all in one song. After the smooth ‘Gospel’ rhythm of ‘Turn it Around’ they turn the funk up on ‘Now And Never’. There’s some awesome bass from Mike Meusel on ‘As If’, before ‘Sign Of Peace’, with keys and trumpet, signals a different type of coda.

Definitely an album that takes you beyond your expectations and one that astounds, with its contrasting elements.

FRANCIS ROSSI & HANNAH RICKARD

WE TALK TOO MUCH

Going against the grain of the definition of status quo, Francis Rossi never seems to stand still and accept his well-earned lot. This vinyl edition of his 2019 album of beguiling country flavoured duets he recorded with the multi-talented Hannah Rickard is 110 per cent proof of such. We Talk Too Much could be respectfully re-titled ‘we sing and play too much’ to the delight of any open eared and hearted listener. It’s a different type of musical tale by Rossi. It’s a more detailed serif approach than the tendency toward the bold sans serif world of fundamental twelve bar Quo.

With his commercial nous at play, Rossi‘s artistic status remains enhanced by his moving musical lanes and heading off track into country roads and byways as this album instantly hit number one on the Country Album Charts. And its 13 tracks, including vinyl bonus song Broken Memory, demonstrate why as Rickard‘s beautiful vocal and violin nudge Rossi out of his comfort zone into ever greater performances. With Quo seemingly coming to a natural ending, We Talk Too Much presciently signals the musical way forward for Rossi.

PSYCH!

BRITISH PROG, FOLK AND BLUES 1966-1973

It’s time to turn on your mind, relax and float downstream back to the Big Bang moment when psychedelic music became infused with folk and blues influences. In doing so, it gradually heralded in the mighty progressive music movement. This 64 song 3CD set and 24 track 2LP vinyl edition documents the expansion of these musical styles from the esoteric, ethereal and eclectic to the easily recognised.

Labelled as the ‘hip label for groovy people’, Deram - an amalgam of Decca Panoramic (sound recording technique) - became a buzzword for experimental music. Buried beneath prominent bands: Genesis, Caravan, The Moody Blues and Camel, Tintern Abbey, Khan, The Syn, Egg and even Tinkerbell’s Fairydust emerged.

This is a well-crafted biographical audio chronicle of the Deram label’s emergence as the home for experimental music by groups who further developed into progressive entities. It also shines the light into the darker recesses where lurked many worthy musical oddities. Well worth the trip and slight return.

Words by Diane Davies

Words by Paul Davies

Words by Paul Davies

ANVIL

ONE AND ONLY

As Ted Nugent once said, “You can’t keep a good dog off your leg”, point proven by the return of Toronto, Canada based, ankle biters Anvil. Formed back in 1978, the undisputed kings of comebacks unleash their 20th studio album, One And Only, via AFM Records

The triumphant trio of Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow, vocals/guitar, Robb Reiner, drums and Chris Robertson on bass and vocals forge their fire to fire out twelve full on metal tracks to keep the headbangers and air guitarists happy! Lips adds about the album, “We’re more like our old selves than we’ve been in years”. Kicking off with the title track, they kick out their heavy metal jams for a full on, face melting barrage of raging riffs, lyrics are delivered with a snarl, backed by an unstoppable rhythm section.

It’s all about the drums for ‘Feed Your Fantasy’, first single released from the album, with an unrelenting assault of whip crack snare work, seismic kick drums and fretboard melting guitar solos. After all these years, Lips is still angry about the system as he rants throughout with aplomb to ‘Fight For Your Rights’, a rabble rouser bolstered by a main riff to melt your head!

There’s no stop to breathe as ‘Dead Man Shoes’ stomps along for a speaker rattling tirade of more drum assaults to batter the senses. ‘Truth Is Dying’, second single released, gives a strong message for a brighter future, slowing down the pace with laid back choruses.

‘Rocking The World’ is an autobiographical tune, highlighting their dedication to their fans in the monumental choruses!

My album highlight is closing track, ‘Blind Rage’, that belies their ages for this three minute piledriver! Catch them while you can in 2024 as they are currently undertaking a lengthy tour that would have younger bands shaking in their shoes of a monumental 40 date US/Canadian dates and 46 European dates. Keep on pounding!

Words by Dennis Jarman

THE DEAD DAISIES LIGHT EM UP

Perhaps one of the most prolific supergroups of its time, The Dead Daisies have this incredible ability to reinvent themselves again and again, swapping high profile musicians in and out of the line up, continuously bringing new ways to produce their classic, hard rock and roll sound, played professionally and enthusiastically, and always made to look effortless. This album is their first studio album since the departure of Glenn Hughes after their 2022 tour, and welcomes back John Corabi on vocals, a familiar face (and voice) to Dead Daisies fans everywhere. Returning with his trademark deep, throaty vocals, his first recording with them since 2018, this may well be the best, and most appropriately named album The Daisies have released. It’s full throttle, high energy, and doesn’t slow down from the first track to the last. I have no doubt it absolutely will ‘light up’ any listener.

The Dead Daisies don’t do complicated –they are a straightforward, no-nonsense US rock band producing anthemic, stadium tunes heavy on the feelgood factor. Joining founder member David Lowy along with John Corabi, Tommy Clueftos is surprisingly recording with the band for only the first time, despite having joined them on several tours of duty. Former Whitesnake bassist, Michael Devin also joins the group for the first time, along with Dead Daisies fixture Doug Aldrich, with whom he played in both Whitesnake and Steamroller. However, one significant addition to the team this time around, is the addition of producer Marti Frederiksen bringing in his skills to add extra bite, resulting in an album that’s big on sound, jam packed with hooks and riffs, and loaded with intensity. This is an absolute banger throughout, and already rumoured to be a contender for ‘Album of the year’. The world tour follows shortly, there’s no chance of this bunch running out of steam any time soon! Can’t recommend enough!

HAWKWIND IN SEARCH OF SPACE (DELUXE EDITION)

Hawkwind’s second album, originally released in October 1971, receives the Stephen W Taylor breath of new life remix treatment. Released in two formats, the three-disc set features a remastered original album version, 5.1 Surround Sound remix along with outtakes Hog Farm, Kiss Of The Velvet Whip and remixed hit Silver Machine that rocketed to number 3 on the singles hit parade upon its release. There’s further audio gold in the remixed album tracks on disc two opening with the fifteen-minute trance of You Shouldn’t Do That. They are updated and as experimental in nature as Hawkwind fans would expect. But it’s the original tracks that sparkle like an acid daze on this flashback release. Master Of The Universe is immense as is We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago With a lavishly illustrated 68 page book that reproduces the Hawkwind Log Book. This remastered shebang also includes a gatefold vinyl option remastered from the original tapes and cut at Abbey Road replete with fully restored artwork and a poster. All are value for money. Take your pick and beam up.

Words by Victoria Llewelyn

Words by Paul Davies

BLACK SABBATH

ANNO DOMINI: 1985-1995

The Latin title, Anno Domini, given to this long-awaited box set refers to a specific clutch of albums recorded in the aftermath of the break-up of the Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan and Dio (slight return) fronted line ups. Probably unintentional, but the AD abbreviation can also be loosely interpreted as ‘After Dio’ as, also taking a lead from Ian Gillan’s one and only Sabbath studio album, these four albums, Vertigo label release The

HALESTORM

LIVE AT WEMBLEY

When one of the most powerful vocals in rock, demands that you raise your horns and raise them high, in a pitch perfect growl that elicits the same response as if you were front and centre in any arena across the globe, you do it! What a way to open a show, and, a live recording, that instantly captures the feeling, the energy, the excitement builds and, boom! We are straight into Miss The Misery, the dark tale of passionate warfare in a toxic love. The bar is set so high, it can’t be seen with the naked eye.

Up next, the threatening deliciousness of Love Bites, Arejay Hale drumming with all

Eternal Idol aside, fronted by Tony Martin and recorded for the IRS label are born again in the continuing series of the excellent Black Sabbath box set releases. Overlooked and slightly marginalised as a unit at a time when former original singer Ozzy’s solo career was forging ahead on an upward trajectory, this Tony Iommi led line up consisted, in the main, of former Whitesnake colleagues Cozy Powell and Neil Murray and the powerful, screaming lungs of Tony Martin up front and, emerging from the wings, keyboards player Geoff Nicholls is fully credited. Furthermore, with session bassist Laurence Cottle on Headless Cross on which Brian May also pops up on first guitar solo to When Death Calls, and Geezer Butler and Bobby Rondinelli on Cross Purposes, these records stand the test of time and scrutiny under this remastered and, in Forbidden’s case remixed by Tony Iommi, redux.

Put into a timeline context, the focus on this period in Sabbath’s saga: 1989 - 1995, was one of gradually diminishing sales and a dwindling profile. Spats between both Ozzy and this Sabbath reflected the further souring of relations and the prevailing evil spirits surrounding these times. All of which piques current significant interest over the goings on within this devilish musical box.

his might, demonstrating his prowess, with every roll, fill and blast beat.

Back to 2009 and the first track from their self-titled debut, I Get Off, is dedicated to the sisters and an invitation to the daughters of darkness to take the vocals and own them. Segueing into an acapella snapshot of Crazy On You by the legendary Heart, Lzzy Hale pays homage to Ann Wilson, but takes and owns every note.

Back into I Get Off and we fly headlong into Wicked Ways introduced by Hale’s war cry of don’t call me an angel underpinned by a clean, cutthroat razor sharp guitar from Joe Hottinger. Adding a staccato heartbeat rhythm section from Josh Smith and Arejay and just when you think this is the peak, we just keep climbing. Without pause for breath, the groove of Freak Like Me kicks in and Wembley takes it to another level of loud, crazy, and enraptured.

Amen follows, closely tailed by Terrible Things, it’s time to take it down a notch. In a world filled with war and hatred, the poignant lyrics are like a punch to the heart. Emotions run high but Lzzy loses none of the crowd or the edge or guts of this live show.

Rock Show is the epitome of apt for this recording, we may only get a few lines, but it’s enough. Familiar Taste Of Poison, Takes My Life, a huge drum solo from Arejay Hale, the gigantic Back From The Dead,

Even with an international search warrant these original albums are difficult to locate especially at a reasonable price and, in the box set bingo, this is not quite a full house without TEI. Nevertheless, Anno Domini brings Sabbath’s second longest serving singer Tony Martin and these recordings back in from the cold. In doing so, it celebrates the legacy of these albums during a rocky period in this Heavy Metal institution’s long and distinguished existence and flaunts the imperfections of this Sabbath model in fine style. Indubitably, it’s a timely reminder of just how good this iteration was and a testament to the iron man will of Tony Iommi in keeping the house of Black Sabbath furnished with interesting content.

Also containing a 1989 Headless Cross replica tour book and poster, new liner notes and three tracks: Cloak & Dagger (B side) and the repatriation of previously Japanese only releases of What’s The Use and Loser Gets It All, the many fans who bewailed the lack of attention given to this period will find that the sonic tonic of this box set more than makes up for this.

Words by Paul Davies

lead us to the feminist anthemic clap back of Bombshell. Who better to deliver this message than the storm herself Lzzy. Amalgamating two fan favourites in Break In and Shatter me, and following with Raise Your Horns. The band come together, take a shot and it’s time to bring us home with Here’s To Us.

Opening with the declaration “Wembley, this our church, you are our people!” With every ounce of their remaining fuel Halestorm annihilate us in every beat, riff and note of Steeple. Held high by huge melodic, gravel toned, powerhouse vocals and musicians so impossibly tight, effortless prowess is evident and the audience, in full participation, screams out their admiration and adoration for what has been, sheer magnificence.

Live at Wembley feels just like being immersed in the crowd, horns high, lost in the sensory explosion of a rock n roll show. Live shows often fail to translate into a recorded medium, however, Halestorm have here, lost nothing in translation. Buy the tickets, go to the show, but in between at home, when you need that hit, this, is as good it gets.

Words by Viki Ridley

THE COLD STARES THE SOUTHERN

There seems to be a revival of ‘Southern Rock’ bands around at the moment, swampy groove and lingering drawls are appearing on every festival stage and tour. However, some bands can expand on the genre and turn early influences from artists like ‘Bad Company’ and ‘Robin Trower’, to produce fluctuations, that make their music sound a whole lot more interesting. ‘The Cold Stares’ are one of those bands. They’d been hanging for over ten years as a bare basic duo but in 2023 there was a change, the addition of bassist Bryce Klueh and the huge success of the album ‘Voices’ finally brought them into the limelight.

‘Horse To Water’ is as Southern fried as you can get. Ample grit from guitarist and vocalist Chris Tapp, with a leaning towards the Whiskey Still and there is a rockier sub footing complementing him, from Bryce. ‘Coming Home’ was written by Chris while home in Kentucky, the mesmerising steel of the Dobro taking the song by its roots. The guys are originally from Evansville, South Indiana which is close to the Kentucky border and Nashville isn’t far away, so ‘Level Floor Blues’ is authentic and decidedly raw. Simplistic swamp plucking that cools the air. You can hear the effect ‘Paul Rodgers’ had on Chris during ‘No Love In The City Anymore’ a more bluesy rock number with pressing drums from Brian Mullins. Slide effects on ‘Woman’ bring more soul to the album, while ‘Mortality Blues’ takes a journey along the Ohio River, with more steel scraping the bedrock.

Recorded at the Memphis Magnetic Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, this is an album the band have dedicated to their heritage. “We are so proud to tip a hat to Kentucky on this album and embrace being ambassadors of the South,” says Chris Tapp. While any band that have shared a stage with ‘Grand Funk Railroad’ get my vote.

Words by Diane Davies

JETHRO TULL BURTSING OUT - THE INFLATED EDITION

Everything you hope this box set will be, that’s what it is. Original recordings lovingly remixed in stereo and 5.1 by the ubiquitous Steven Wilson, extra tracks, including sound check recordings - eight of which are previously unreleased, a parallel live concert from Madison Square Garden (originally broadcast on the BBC being the first live transatlantic satellite beamed show) comprehensively presented on CD and DVD. There are also remixed tracks in surround sound and flat transfers of the original album on DVDs one and two and the full 93-minute MSG show with the 50 plus minutes of the transatlantic broadcast in stereo and 5.1 surround making this the inflated edition it is labelled.

Much of this has already been collected officially and unofficially by Tull heads. Nevertheless, this box brings everything together into the shimmering state of the art sonic scape. Already a cherished artefact in various released formats, this edition focuses a forensic lens on the musical and visual eccentricity of this classic line-up whilst touring the much-heralded Heavy Horses release across Europe in May/June 1978.

With the main cast led by Ian Anderson resplendent in tartan togs, the flamboyant and dapper John Evan’s ivory tinkling, the pipe smoking Dave (now Dee) Palmer’s parping pipe organ, John Glascock‘s rumblings in the bass department, a crazed Barriemore Barlow‘s percussive tumbling and a birds nest bearded Martin Barre’s unique trademark guitar sound giving Tull its inimitable sonic palette, this is not only Tull’s finest recorded live hour or three, this Inflated edition elevates Bursting Out into the rarified air of also being ‘folk-rock’ music’s’ all-time greatest ever live album release. Now, that’s something to hang a horseshoe on. Plus, there’s a fabulous booklet to immerse oneself in…

Words by Paul Davies

THE WARNING KEEP ME FED

Sister trio The Warning have released their highly-anticipated fourth album Keep Me Fed, which explores their superb craftsmanship and tight sound. Having toured with the likes of Muse and Foo Fighters you can hear their stadium influence behind each track, with their hard riffs, melodic drives and bold statement-sound.

We are thrown straight into the album with opening number Six Feet Deep, showcasing the bands signature rock vibe. Burnout is a total standout track with its classic rock inspired drive, whilst S!CK and Apologize demonstrate the bands gritter side, with their grunge elements intertwined throughout. This is also echoed through the closing track Automatic Sun, which was one of their lead singles and another demonstration of their much-loved heavy riffs and punchy accent beats. We are even shown a glimpse of their Mexican heritage with Spanish-speaking single Qué Más Quieres which keeps up with the classic rock inspired dominance.

With a combination of catchy, chugging guitar bars, crisp and clean vocals, pulverizing percussion and heavy bass lines, this is a treat of an album that should part of your summer soundtrack, if it isn’t already!

Words by Charlotte Hooper

SAM MILLAR VIRTUAL SUMMER

The artwork for Virtual Summer conjures up images of a pastel hued, neon lit 1980’s. Miami Beach, Boys Of Summer, Michael Mann, palm trees swaying in a warm coastal breeze and everywhere, opulent and wealthy.

Sam Millar himself, is from Wigan, but somehow, has managed to encapsulate in

his sound, everything that was wonderful and, evokes such feelings of nostalgia and familiarity, throughout this, his debut album release for Earache Records, Virtual Summer. Starting strong with an intro that builds from a feint riff into a crescendo of guitar and drums and dictates the pop/rock sensibilities present throughout. Think ABBA could never sound like rock, Sam is here to prove you wrong.

Fooling Yourself continues, brimming with vocal hooks and laden with synth, Millar himself provides riffs here that are as sharp as his lyrical wit. And, speaking of just that, Showbiz is the perfect gleeful pop song, wrapped around the most sarcastic word play, that delivers acerbic, line after line of insults, whilst somehow managing to remain one of the most fun few minutes of aural pleasure on the record. This dedication to a diva, drama queen centre of attention is also punctuated with shredding guitars and a big glistening finish. Showbiz, could well have been penned by Justin Hawkins and, would more than hold its own alongside any track released to date, by The Darkness. Invoking the spirit of the 80’s once again, Dancing On My Own is Sam injecting his sound with Hall and Oates, Maneater and adding Chuck Berry style chords, makes for

ROBIN TROWER

BRIDGE OF SIGHS - 50TH ANNIVERSARY

In presenting the original studio tracks, rarities and a contemporaneous ten track live show, this 50th anniversary Bridge of Sighs release passes the period piece litmus test of satisfyingly informative box set releases with flying colours. Trower’s second solo release is a recording in which an almighty herd of riffs roam freely especially here on the 2024 stereo remix in which the tracks are presented in their unedited forms. For example, the dreamy In This Place and the punchy A Little Bit Of Sympathy are

almost two minutes longer. As further proof the languorous tension of the monumental title track and The Day Of The Eagle’s punchy funk still delivers pleasurable aural bruises. Too Rolling Stoned remains so down in groove that it hits hot magma.

These guitar motifs are as addictive as when they were first dealt out to music blues-rock aficionados in the decade that began with a lucky number seven. These three timeless passages of big music take the spotlight, however, there isn’t a duff track on the original eight song album and this compendium expands the lens on the original release. It also confounds the senses that it was recorded by a trio. James Dewar’s exquisite smoky blues voice and rock-solid bass and Reg Isidore’s funky sticks-man interplay delivering sizzling rhythmic musical chemistry.

A true ace in their pack was having former Procol band mate, Matthew Fisher, producing and Abbey Road alumnus, Geoff Emerick, engineering the huge reverberating studio sonics. Capturing Trower’s guitar by placing three mics at measured intervals created significant results enhanced beyond initial conception on this remaster. This box set reveals everybody involved in its making tuned in to the same frequency and this is especially demonstrated on CD 2. It contains a rich seam of outtakes and rarities including

a heady, catchy track that is finger clicking good.

Single release Déjà vu is a grand, shimmering ballad that dips its toes in the rippling waters of Yacht Rock and segues into Neanderthal Man, which sees Millar return to the play-on wordsmith that he is. Twisting self-effacing humour into a tale of passion and desire, that is more than a little tongue in cheek and, delivers the most impressive synth riff of what surely must be the last decade.

Meet Me Halfway takes us home, but there are 3 additional tracks, different versions of 3 album tracks and, each of them differ enough to make it well worth sticking around until the last note for.

Millar has captured and released the very essence of an era and made it a reality. Well crafted, well written and without question, well played, Virtual Summer delivers on every second of joy and delight that it promises. Grab a cocktail, find your Ray Bans, roll up the sleeves on that white jacket and come, sail away.

rehearsals and early versions of the songs all of which are previously unreleased. CD3 presents a previously unreleased ten track live show from The Record Plant recorded on May 29th, 1974, just over a month after BOS’ original release, and fully represents the intuitive power of Trower’s band.

The Blu-ray also offers a Dolby Atmos mix by audio expert Richard Whitaker. And there’s a detailed 24-page booklet inside for immersion. Value for money is an understatement for this carefully curated and sourced release that’s available as 3 CD plus 1 Blu-ray set and 2 LP vinyl editions.

Words by Paul Davies

Words by Viki Ridley

MOJO THUNDER THE INFINITE HOPE

The second album from this Kentucky band, who have found themselves in favour since they emerged in 2018. They have a rock and roll attitude, with drifting lyrics and soft melodies, that are so exquisite on the ear, you soon find yourself captured in their music. ‘The Infinite Hope’, is a title that reflects the band’s ideals, there’s always a reason to push yourself, whatever has happened, you have to have infinite hope.

The first song ‘The Sun Still Rises’ attests to the same ethic and there’s a Cello played on this, adding an orchestral vibe. Sean Sullivan’s vocals are crisp, soulful and cover several ranges. When he sings on ‘Coming Back To You’ with the caressing guitar of Bryson Willoughby, it demonstrates how well they blend together. The drums of Zac Shoopman and Andrew Brockman’s bass are vital to the delivery of ‘Let It Fall’, which has such a clearly defined rhythm. ‘Holy Ghost’ is a ferocious piece of rock, it’s about a preacher who causes chaos by using his power for wrongdoing. While ‘Memphis’ is a track ‘Chris Robinson’ (Black Crowes) would love to sing. This is close to the heart, a slow winding ballad, with a sound only a band from the Southern States can produce.

‘Caroline’ sends out a more serene message, although it still has those raising vocals. One that entangles straight away is ‘Gettin’ On A Binge’ which has more of a hook and swift flowing lyrics. After the beautifully written ‘Grace’, which also features the cello of Seth Murphy, the album closes on ‘Greetings From Western Art’ a bizarre yet appropriate title, regarding the healing power of playing live.

Mojo Thunder, a four piece, who have wandered out of the Bluegrass, with music spawned on rock. Ten tracks that are full of desirable vocals and enchanting melodies to see you through any storm.

RENAISSANCE TUSCANY - EXPANDED

This recorded testament to the ongoing creative power of the then partly reformed folk/prog institution remains a multitextured sonic tonic with extras. Annie Haslam’s remarkable vocal range and tone is an ear widener especially when set on a pillow of lush orchestration as is Renaissance’s trademark. This album’s title: Tuscany (reflecting the cultural and artistic movement originating from this Italian area) can be interpreted as representing this gilded group’s own ‘renaissance’ period with former members Michael Dunford and Terence Sullivan returning to the fold. Further appearances by keyboard player John Tout on Pearls Of Wisdom, Dear Landseer and Dolphins Prayer, the latter two features Annie Haslam’s former partner Roy Wood, who again pops up on penultimate track, Life In Brazil. Highly respected, and current Fish band member, keyboardist Mickey Simmonds further augments this stellar line-up.

Fittingly, it’s the breath-taking opulence of opening song, Lady From Tuscany, that sets this album’s majestic musical scenery. Sumptuous and dramatic arrangements permeate the fabric of this recording’s vignette like narrative songs.

Furthermore, there’s a contemporaneous full concert from Tokyo, Japan, previously issued as a 2 CD set under the cliched moniker, In The Land Of The Rising Sun, which is reunited with its mother album on this expanded 3 CD release. Both original recordings signalled an upturn in this group’s latter-day fortunes.

Unlike a renaissance master’s painting, there’s absolutely no need to apply for a second mortgage on your imaginary palace or bridging (sigh) loan to acquire this neatly assembled three CD with illustrated booklet hand sized box. Tuscany is a transportive recording.

BLUES PILLS BIRTHDAY

Swedish sensations Blues Pills have gifted us with their fourth studio album Birthday, which shows a luscious display of psychedelic riffs and runs, alongside delicate stand-out moments throughout.

We were given the first two tracks for this album, the lead track Birthday and Don’t Your Love it, for Record Store Day earlier this year, where they released an exclusive 12” red and white marble single to announce this monster release. Birthday is a perfect opening track with its energetic beat and classic rock riff, teleporting you straight to a 70s inspired summer. Their bluesy, rhythmic, iconic sound is a consistent theme throughout this release, with tracks such as Shadows and Somebody Better exploring Blues Pill’s signature sound.

Elin Larsson’s raw vocal talent is a complete highlight throughout the album too, from her ballsy, bold belts in tracks such as Bad Choices and Piggy Back Ride, to her mastered controlled skill in I Don’t Wanna Get Back On That Horse, which hosts silk like vocals that compliment the soft acoustic melody and piano backing, with a gradual, powerful build.

An album full of sombre songbook tracks mixed with summer-blistering anthems that shows everything we know and love of Blues Pills. Must listen album of 2024.

Words by Diane Davies

Words by Paul Davies

Words by Charlotte Hooper

PHIL MOGG

MOGG’S HOTEL

Forever synonymous with legendary hard rock outfit UFO, Phil Mogg may be entering his twilight years as a singer and frontman, but he is raging into the night with plenty of that ‘tin-tac’ road ahead of him to pound down as this remarkable and, frankly, revelatory solo album attests.

His now wizened deep curdle of a voice reflects a long life lived as a road rat. Hard rock survivors like Phil Mogg also have a story or three to tell and he does just that

TUK SMITH AND THE RESTLESS HEARTS

ROGUE TO REDEMPTION

The formidable talents of Tuk Smith, the mullet sporting, denim clad demigod, nonbiological love child of David Bowie and Joan Jett, have long been evident. Tuk writes like a British Glam Rocker but sounds like Cheap Trick met Tom Petty and they made a pact so sell their souls to Willie Nelson. High praise indeed you may say, but Rogue To Redemption provides the evidence to uphold this very statement.

to supreme effect across Moggs Motel’s full house of five-star songs. To begin, his ruminative rumble on the intro to opening slice, Apple Pie, portrays an artist limbering up as the ensuing sonic storm whips these killer songs into wicked shape.

Mogg’s master stroke is in re-igniting a musical partnership with erstwhile UFO musician, Neil Carter. And, my word, they are on fiery form as evidenced especially on mid album tracks Princess Bride and Other People’s Lives in which strings add a depth and finesse to the catchy nature of these stonewall headbanging classy tracks. It’s in these parts that Carter’s classical teachings bring more than an air on a g string learning across their carefully crafted musical arrangements.

Each track also reveals differing strengths and no weaknesses. The stomping rhythm to Tinker Tailor fits like a seen plenty of action leather glove as Mogg measures a judgement day fit up. And The Wrong House plays out like a hammered house of horrors narrative of vengeance. It’s a passage of hardcore music warning feckless would-be home intruders that if he doesn’t get you then his gnarly old Shih Tzu dog will!

Recorded at Steve Harris’ Essex studio, the Iron Maiden founding man is honoured in the jazzy flute led interlude on Harry’s Place.

It’s a breezy breather amidst the fire and brimstone. The autobiographical nature of these compositions is summed up by final track Storyville and its sentimental paean to love.

Overall, Moggs Motel occupies a parallel space to Bob Dylan’s late period studio recordings insomuch as these are deeply thought-out songs, with revealing personal narratives, that are related with the gravitas of the long in the tooth deep patina of Mogg’s charismatic vocals. It’s a repeated joy listening to these tracks compete and arrange themselves around each other as Mogg, and this stellar band of musicians, rip through them like Velcro. It’s quite possibly cool hard rock cat Mogg’s masterpiece. It’s a ten-ten release in the least.

The album title alone offers a hint at the twinkle in Tuk’s eye. Tuk clears his throat, and we are go, kicking off the album with Take The Long Way, an autobiographical twist on Tuk’s snakes and ladders journey. With lines like, I’m on a roll but maybe it’s just mania? It’s clear he is back, true to his true-blue form.

Glorybound, Chuck Berry guitar riffs, Cheap Trick melodies, handclapping fills, so catchy, the lyrics are a stroke of positivity, a poke in the eye to the naysayers if you will. A strong start and what follows loses no momentum or, interest, with End Of An Era, or Still a Dreamer.

The hard to forget melodic, Little Renegade, is a track that could easily take up space on a platinum selling release by Rick Springfield. Drawn in by the riff and carried away by the chorus and words that resonate to the fighter within us all. “Aint it a shame that this world rewards the cream of the rich, baby, you’re too good to quit, don’t fade little renegade.”

Bringing to mind the sound and sensibilities of Slade in vocal harmonies and the clean classic guitar riffs that punctuate Blood On The Stage, Tuk gives nostalgia and familiarity while wrapped around a tale of the blood sweat and tears that it takes to

Words by Paul Davies

make it and lose it all over again.

Tuk writes songs with an intelligent wit, acerbic, acidic, tongue firmly in cheek. Never expect dove, glove, love songs from this guy, he is a storyteller, a musician and a song writing heavy hitter that never lets his guard down.

Closing the show, When The Party’s Over, a metaphorical swan song dedicated to the music industry. Deals getting made while some got laid, burning bridges and broken hearts, and giving Marc Bolan circa 75 this is the perfect end to a cleverly composed, masterfully delivered, ten track stroke of musical genius.

Words by Viki Ridley

LIXX

BOOT STOMPING GLAM PUNK ROCK N ROLL

This, the latest release from LIXX, promises fifteen tracks of BootStompingGlamPunkRocknRoll in this new release and we blast off with a countdown, 5,4,3,2, headfirst into opener, Zero Zero. An anthemic glittering riff laden singalong, that sets the tone for what is to come.

MR BIG TEN

Declaring that their end is nigh, this longstanding supergroup currently consisting of Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan and Nick D’Virgilio have, if true, gone out with a big banger of a final album with Ten. It classily covers the rocky terrain

Carrying on the glam punk theme with In For The Kill, Long Way and All The Wrong Reasons, Frustrated steps away from the theme and pays lyrical homage to The Who. Incredibly hooky, this bar room rollick offers a little more blues, but loses none of the groove.

Chills, belying its title, comes in hot with a huge wall of undulating guitar and pulsating drums. Bound to be a live favourite, it is impossible not to become entranced by this rock n roll tale of love. Next up is Ramones style bop Revved Up. New York punk with a shimmering glam edge, a standout track, Revved Up keeps the pace fast and the momentum high at this halfway point.

21st Century Wreck, an aural attack, a stop, start, riff laden fast paced speedway of a track with blast beats and thunderous hooks, rapid fire guitar and it’s over all too soon. Wham, bam, left with an ear worm, a wink and smile.

Once Is Enough conjures up images of Hanoi Rocks era Michael Monroe. Harmonica and gravel fuelled vocals unite with heart racing bass and drums, hitting hard and heavy throughout.

A sharp, clean guitar permeates through the confrontational Rip It Down. Punk rock at its finest, Social Distortion with a touch of Slash, another moment of true greatness, simple, effective, punchy, and perfect.

So, do LIXX deliver on their promise of BootStompingGlamPunkRocknRoll? Indeed, they do, it’s all in the name, they deliver the goods and then some. There is definitely punk, rock, glam, blues and everything in between. You will want to stomp your feet, shake your hips, and take a shot of whatever your poison may be. These guys are pros, and they have nothing to prove and that, is evident from start to finish. The album is weighty, mighty, and each track is true to LIXX inimitable style, their special brand of eclectic, collaborative, balls to the wall sound.

that they have shaped into their own stylish hard image.

The widescreen flex of individual abilities combines into a bigger whole as evidenced on the raffish rifferama of opening tune, Good Luck Trying. Revealing their long reach of musical flexibility, I Am You follows up with a softer melodic driving rhythm that showcases Eric Martin’s still impressive vocals that once piqued Eddie Van Halen’s interest as a possible Dave Lee Roth replacement.

Moving towards outlier musical territory, eastern flavours heralded by Gilbert’s slide play and Sheehan’s fathomless bass lines on Right Outta Here elides into a catchy deep rock groove in which D’Virgilio flexes his sinuous percussive muscles. He’s also right in the pocket on the stomping hip swirling grenade of groovy melodic rock on Sunday Morning Kinda Girl. This would have been a prime candidate for a heavy rotation rock radio single when they exploded onto the scene, thirty-five years ago, before the business became a devalued free for all.

Ticking the rock power ballad with a big swoosh on Who We Are is another masterclass demonstration for any burgeoning rock band willing to learn from their peers. Then there’s As Good As It Gets uplifting, laidback jazzy vibe showcasing their musical flex once again. As does the head-spinning southern spiced boogie strut on What Were You Thinking, Courageous’ dirty stripped back rock’n’roll workout and the anthemic Up On You.

Finishing off these ten tracks, the wistful The Frame completes this masterful gallery of songs. Plus, there’s a fun 8 Days On The Road bonus track on this European release. Without a doubt, Mr. Big enhance their supergroup status on Ten!

Words by Paul Davies

Words by Viki Ridley

BYWATER CALL

Canadian roots rockers Bywater Call released their new album Shepherd in August. The release will be accompanied by an extensive UK headline tour in October.

Talking to HRH Mag during a recent US tour, lead singer Meghan Parnell said: “We finished writing the few last songs for the album at the end of last year. And then we finished doing all the recording and production on it in January, February, and March. I think it was in the bag in early March.”

Bywater Call’s relentless work ethic has seen the group touring across the US and beyond so far this year. “We did a really small tour in the States in February. And then we went back and did a six-week European tour. A few weeks ago, we came back and now we’ve been in the States for a bit. And before we went to Europe, we did a little tour down to Florida,” explains Meghan. “So, we finished the album. We put all the pieces together for that. And then we’ve been on the road pretty much ever since.”

Bywater Call has been drip-feeding tracks from the album so far. “Half of it’s out there already, which is great. We’ve been releasing stuff from the album since mid-last year,” said Meghan. “We recorded a few of those things in the spring of last year and then did the rest in the winter. And the feedback’s been good, which is great. I’m excited.”

For their latest project, the group have taken an independent approach to their release strategy. “It’s always really nerve-wracking to put stuff you’ve written out there. This one even more so in a way, because we decided to do this one completely independently. So, there wasn’t really much of any kind of outside feedback,” said Meghan. “It was just kind of the band and us bouncing things off of each other. Bruce, the drummer - we did 90% of the recording at his little studio. He did all the mixing and we’re self-releasing. So, it’s even more nerve-wracking in a way, because it’s like, okay, is this the right decision to try and do this on our own? We haven’t done that before. And we just wanted to get that experience. And I’m proud of the music. We’re trying to show growth from one album to the next. And I think we did that with this.”

The title of the album Shepherd ties into not only one of the songs on the album but also the group’s approach to the record. “I like all the tunes, but it’s a lyric from one of my favourite tunes, which is called Colours, which is kind of the power ballad, I guess, of the album. It has really raw emotion. And the lyric is the

shepherd with none of her sheep, which I think is pretty great imagery,” describes Meghan. “And it’s a woman who kind of lost herself in unrequited love. But then taking that imagery outside of the song and kind of applying it to the way that we’ve done this album. We’re kind of on our own without a flock right now. We’re just figuring it out on our own. So, there’s a little bit of a lyric from one of our favourite tunes. Plus, we think it applies a bit to how we’ve approached this album.”

With such a busy touring schedule the band have had to adapt to the way they write songs. “Historically, most of the tunes have started mainly with Dave, a little bit here and there with me, but an idea Dave has, a chord progression, usually he’s got or a vibe. He might have some sort of a melody in his brain, maybe a lyric. And he’ll throw that to me,” said Meghan. “And then I’ll try to get some more going with the melody and the lyrics. And he and I bounce stuff back and forth together until we think it’s ready to bring to the guys to develop further. And then we jam it a bunch and things change.”

Presently, the road has become a place where song ideas have been developed and finessed. “Last year we were so busy that we had to try to find a way to keep the writing going on the road. So, we started bringing things in a little less cooked to the guys and we would jam out during sound checks when we could find the time. So, we’d finish a song, we’d try to make it a goal if we were out on the road for three weeks or a month to finish a tune and start playing it before the end of that tour, just to get it out there.”

One of the many stand-out tracks on the band’s latest record is the song Sign for Peace. It’s a track which conjures up images of New Orleans and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. “So that is one of the first tunes that we wrote. Its origins are from 2018 or something like that. And we’ve played it a lot because it always went over really well on stage. It never felt quite right to record, but it would continue to develop when we were on stage, the vibe changed constantly,” explains Meghan. “The New Orleans vibe in that tune slowly crept in and we added the second line beat to it. And then we had an idea. We have friends of ours who are in a brass band in Toronto. And we’re like, it’d be really cool to get them involved and do this.”

Meghan adds: “We hired a couple of friends to come in and do trombone and tuba. Steve, our trumpet player arranged a whole four-piece horn section for the opening of the song. So, it took an even stronger direction into the New Orleans sound.” New Orleans is a locale which is a source of inspiration for the group.

“We do draw a lot of influences from the scene there,” said Meghan. “Plus, it’s a really nice message. So, it was the right time to put that tune out there.”

Bywater Call’s distinctive sound transcends genres. “We incorporate so many different genres. Sometimes we’re worried that it’s not focused enough, but I do think there is an overall, hopefully, identifiable sound that comes together regardless of how an individual song is,” said Meghan. “I think we do want to give variety on the album. We want every album to be a bit of a journey.” She adds:

“We don’t want a full album of ballads or a whole album of straight-up rock tunes. And we’re leaning a lot now into the more swampy, Americana, soul-rootsy area. We really dig that sound. So, we’re trying and you see that a lot on this album with songs like Sweet Maria, Roll and Turn It Around.”

Bywater Call will be back in the UK in October to promote their new album. “We had a blast last time,” confirms Meghan. “We’re excited to revisit some of the venues that we played before. We’re excited to hit up some new areas. I think we’re going to be in more major cities, which is really great. We haven’t played Manchester before. We haven’t played Cardiff. We’re playing Glasgow.” Meghan concludes: “We’re just looking forward to being back, being in some new places and hopefully seeing that we’ve accomplished some growth over the last year.”

Bywater Call’s new album “Shepherd” is released on August 9th. They tour the UK from October 16 – 27th. Album and tickets are available from www.bywatercall.com.

Words

by Adam Kenendy

Photo Credit: Juan Perez Fajardo

STEVE CROPPER

CREAM OF THE CROP

You don’t get ahead in the music industry by being difficult to work with. Looking at Steve Cropper’s impressive resume, it features a who’s who of the rock and blues world. The latter of course speaks volumes about Cropper’s personality and friendly nature.

During his time as part of the house band at Stax Records, Steve worked with the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Albert King, Rufus Thomas,

Carla Thomas, and Eddie Floyd, to name but a few. For his latest album Friendlytown Steve Cropper has once again teamed up with some stellar names. ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons features strongly on the album. “We’ve been friends for years,” says Steve from his home in Nashville. “My co-producer Jon Tiven ran into him… and Billy said what are you working on Jon? And Jon said I’m getting ready to work on a new album with Steve Cropper. And Billy said damn - Steve Cropper, can I be on it? Jon said, well, I guess.”

Steve goes on to explain: “Billy played at my

80th Birthday show at the Ryman Auditorium, and that was incredible. He came out on Green Onions. We had a different drummer and different people out there on stage with me on Green Onions. Everybody wants to play on Green Onions.”

The Colonel as he is known was named “the greatest living guitar player” by Mojo Magazine. But despite his incomparable career, Steve remains exceptionally humble. “People ask me, what’s your favourite song? I say the one I’m playing,” he explains.

Stax was a record label that embraced diversity. “The only thing I ever said about Stax was that were was no colour at Stax – none. It was just musicians working together, to get a hit record and we did that,” explains Steve.

Steve along with his Booker T and the MGs bandmates, toured Europe with their musical counterparts as part of the legendary Stax/Volt tour. “I think it was the only time in history where the studio band played behind the artists that they worked behind,” said Steve. “Otis said I want you all to tour with me. We did seventeen shows in Europe. We went from France and played in Copenhagen, then Stockholm and over to Norway.”

It was long days in the studio working on songs with the legendary artists of the Stax label. But what was a typical day in the studio like for the guitarist extraordinaire? “It was pretty much isolated. We were just in there working. When the red light came on. Nobody was allowed in a session,” explains Steve.

Steve recalls his dear friend, the late great Otis Redding. “They say, what made him so great,” declares Steve. “A friend of mine nailed it – he said Otis, had a million-dollar smile. He said you could be a hundred yards away, and by the time you walked up to Otis he was your new best friend. He knew, there was just something about him, he just knew, and he was great. He was one of the greatest guys I ever met. He was always so street-smart, I thought he was older than me, but he wasn’t. I didn’t know until I read his obituary, we were born just a few days apart. He was born in September, and I was born in October.”

we had horns on the session, and I overdubbed my guitar and the piano,” recalls Cropper. “I went to work on it Tuesday morning at 7.30 am. His plane went down on Sunday. At 7.30 am on Wednesday morning, I handed it to a flight attendant going to La Guardia.”

Steve has a whole raft of timeless classics in his repertoire. “When I go on stage and they’ve got a guest singer, they want to sing (Sittin’ On) The Dock of The Bay,” he says. “I know they are better singers than I am, but there’s nothing better than the guy who wrote the song, singing the song that he wrote or co-wrote.”

Steve Cropper was part of The Mar-Keys an American studio session band for Stax Records. “Jim knew that our little high school band wasn’t going to make it nationally, but we changed the name to The Mar-Keys, and it made it with the song Last Night.” The guitarist very quickly followed that success with Booker T and the MGs. “A year later we had Green Onions. Both of them were hits because of the beach - a summertime hit. One of them came out in August, way late in Summer. And it was a smash immediately.”

“Otis [Redding], had a million-dollar smile. You could be a hundred yards away, and by the time you walked up to Otis he was your new best friend.”

else. He just knew what had happened – it always happened with them,” explains Steve.

With his current record, aside from Billy Gibbons, Steve Cropper has a track featuring a further legendary guitarist by way of Brian May from Queen. The song in question is called Too Much Stress. “That collaboration came together because Jon Tiven, my co-producer - they’ve been friends for years. He’s crazy. How can you know somebody that famous – he did, ” laughs Cropper. “Brian said what are you doing? And he said I’m getting ready to work on a new album with Steve Cropper. He said when it’s finished send me a track and I will do something for it. So, Jon Tiven, who is the co-producer, had not heard from Brian for a while, and he called him up. And Brian says oh man, I’ve got to apologize - too much stress. He said there’s your right there. That happened for real.”

US artist Tim Montana also joins forces with Steve on the song You Can’t Refuse. “With Tim, he’s been a friend of mine for a long time,” said Cropper. “We had a costume party here at the house. And he comes as me – as Steve Cropper. But I love his album, we wrote together. And his album that’s out now is real good. The single is real good. I wish him a lot of luck with that.”

Otis Redding tragically passed in a plane accident in 1967. Steve was asked to pick up the pieces of an unfinished song they worked on together. “His plane went down on December 10th,” said Steve. “And so, Jerry Wexler called from New York and said what have you got ready on Otis, we’ve got to get a record out really quick. And so, Jim [Stewart] came to me and said what have you got ready on Otis? I said nothing. He said we need something. And I said, the only thing we’ve got is one song and it’s a hit and it’s (Sittin’ On) The Dock of The Bay. And we can’t finish it because Otis’ plane went down, and we were going to put background vocals on and a bunch of other stuff.”

A difficult ask, especially at the time, Steve was able to complete the song for his dear friend. “He never the heard the waves or the seagulls and the guitar licks - he never heard those. I did that later. I played acoustic guitar in the session. And

Steve recalls how Green Onions took flight. “We had a DJ in the morning for drive-time traffic. So, this was 7.30 am to 9.30 am. So, I had him put it on. He stopped it after the intro, and he backed it up. And I said – why? I said you don’t like it. He said I love it; I just want to make sure I heard what I heard,” explains Steve. “What I didn’t know was, the second time he played it, he put it out on the air and the phones started ringing. They said who is that band on the record you were playing; because they didn’t announce it - they just played it. He said, I don’t know but we will find out.” Steve adds: “I knew he knew hits.”

“He is such a well-rounded musician. And such a good guitar player, he’s got an ear.”

With such a great solo album, does the legendary guitarist have any plans to hit the road? “I’m not touring right now. I may go out with this band, I may not. But I doubt we will get Billy, he’s making too much money with ZZ Top,” said Steve. “I had him in the studio on film the day before yesterday and he played me a track. The engineer said to Billy play me one of those Cropper licks … and he sounded just like me. He is such a well-rounded musician. And such a good guitar player – he’s got an ear.”

The Beatles were so impressed with what they were doing over at Stax, that the Fab Four wanted to go to Memphis to work with Steve. “It is true, but it didn’t happen. The lawyer that was part of The Beatles, he came here ahead of the others, and he spent a week and a half with us. He said The Beatles are coming to record. And I talked to him every day. And the only place I thought was secure was a place in the corner, surrounded by walls. It belonged to the manager of the Hilton Hotel.” However, The Beatles team had a change of heart. “They said, I don’t think it’s secure enough. And I said I’m going to tell you; you aren’t going to get fans running after The Beatles in Memphis like they do everywhere

At 82 years old, Steve Cropper is showing no signs of slowing down. “I bust my butt to be nice,” eludes Steve. “They said what would you like on your tombstone – what would you like to be known as? And I said - just a nice guy, friends with everybody. And I always tell the truth,” concludes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted guitarist.

Friendlytown by Steve Cropper will be released on Friday 23rd August via Mascot Label Group.

Words

by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Stacie Huckeba

SLEAZE SPOTLIGHTS HRH

THE MIDNIGHT DEVILS

If you caught the Midnight Devils at HRH in Great Yarmouth you will know fine well that these guys, put on quite the show, and turned a few heads in the process. Thankfully the band will be back with an eagerly anticipated return to HRH Sleaze in Leicester.

We caught up with the band’s frontman Sam Morris whilst on tour in Australia, to find out what they have been getting up to Down Under.

Tell us about 2024 in the lives of the Midnight Devils.

“It’s been the busiest year that we’ve ever had and not just playing shows, but earlier in the year, we went down

to Florida in the USA to record our third album. We joined up with our producer, Ric Browde, who was the producer of the first Poison record, the first Faster Pussycat record, Ted Nugent Double Live Gonzo. He was producing the record along with Share Ross from Vixen and Bam Ross from Dogs D’Amour. So that’s how we kicked off 2024 in Florida, writing this new record.”

“And we pushed it all the way up until July. And so, July 5th, the brand-new album, So Hard It Hurts, our third record by the Midnight Devils, people said is impossible. This band is too glam, they’re too wild. There’s no way

this thing is going to last. And here we are on our third record. The first single just came out called Get Laid. And we started the whole Australian tour on the day that the album dropped. So, we haven’t even been home to celebrate it. We’ve been on the road playing shows, which is, I think, the way we’d prefer it anyway.”

Your latest album So Hard It Hurts quickly followed your previous record. Would you say the band are in a creative place right now?

“Yeah, absolutely. And we thought that we waited too long to put out a record. We thought we toured for too long on Never Beg For It. There were

a lot of good songs. And now looking back, I wish we’d released another single off Never Beg For It. That album was produced by Chips Z’Nuff and really broke us open worldwide. And we did our first international tours. We did our first HRH Festival. And then our second HRH Festival just last year. And that album just really kind of pushed us over the edge into being an international touring rock and roll band. And so, with this one, it was like, there was no brakes on it. It’s like, let’s go. We know what we want. We know what we’re going to do. We’ve got this incredible team that’s going to make just badass songs. And we’re just going to put this thing out and make the album that we wanted to create. And the album that really took the next step from what Never Beg For It was. We weren’t looking for the home run. We were just looking for that next step. What are we going to do?

What’s going to be our story? How are we going to tour this for another two years and then put out another album? The blueprint is there. And we’re just following along.”

Aesthetically Midnight Devils have a very eye-catching image. How important are image and style to the band? “I think it’s very important. I think people watch with their eyes. And I think when we walk out on stage, people’s jaws hit the ground. They don’t know what to expect unless they’ve seen us before. Then they know what they’re in for. They’re like the maniacs in the street. Like, this is going to be the party. This is when it starts. But if you haven’t seen us, we kind of go off that energy of people

going, what did I just look at? What are these three dudes up on stage about to do? Because it looks like the clown convention just let out. And it’s an over-the-top thing. But it’s also new and it’s modern. And it’s not 80s hair metal. It’s not that. It’s similar. We took influences, but that’s not what it is. It’s different. And it’s exciting. And it is the energy. The excitement that we feel on stage, we just throw it out in the audience. And you better be along for the ride.”

You’ve played in the UK a few times now. What do you enjoy most about touring in the UK?

“The UK loves rock and roll. I know America is the birthplace of rock and roll. It’s Elvis and it’s all this, but what the UK did for rock and roll with the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, with Dogs D’Amour, all these great bands that came out of the UK. It’s like we’re going to the place where it kind of festered and brewed and turned into something bigger and something worldwide and something incredible. I love being in the UK because it’s not just about rock and roll music. It’s not just about going to a show. It’s a lifestyle. And you know as well as I do, those people at HRH, they have battle vests. They’re there for five days straight. They’re all getting drunk. They’re all having fun. They’re all partying. I think in my mind, that’s what’s missing. And that’s what the Midnight Devils are bringing back is that we don’t take it so seriously. We’re here to have fun, just like you. We’re here to go crazy and live and be free and create. And I think that’s what the UK audience really brings out. I love seeing it. And I love seeing

the passion and the desire and playing venues like in Blackpool. We play at that beautiful venue in Blackpool. I just love it because it’s like The Rainbow of the UK. And it’s like the history. Lemmy, Motorhead. Oh man, I could just keep going on.”

How does the rest of 2024 look for the Midnight Devils?

“Since it’s been so busy with the new record, we’ll finish this tour up. We’ll go back home in August. We’ve got a few weeks off in August. Then we fly back over to the UK. We’ll be supporting Kickin’ Valentina through the UK for two weeks, including HRH. All of the great UK venues are in there. We are so excited because we have so many great friends and fans in the UK who just love this music. And they’re chomping at the bit to get us back over there. And then we’re flying from the UK. We’re going to cruise over to Norway real fast and touch down in Norway, do a festival called Alvik Rock over in Norway with Crash Diet, and Suicide Bombersjust another great festival. And that kind of caps off what is our summer season. And then we kind of take a break and regroup. And we’ll put out another video. There’s a dance single that we’re going to release for the Get Laid song, like a long extended electronic dance single. There’ll be a single vinyl. And then we’ve got a few shows in the USA and that’ll like end 2024. We’ll kick off 2025 with a whole run through the United States.”

Words By Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Press Provided

BLACK ROZE

Black Roze are no strangers to HRH Sleaze. The band have played at the event many times and are very much part of the HRH family. The group even penned a song about their experiences at Sleaze. The band’s last appearance at the O2 Academy Leicester was at HRH NWOCR just before the group released their latest album Penny for Your Sins. We caught up with Baz and Viixen to find out what they’ve got in store at HRH Sleaze this time around.

Festival season has been strong for Black Roze. You recently performed at the Maid of Stone Festival. How was that experience for you both? We loved it, didn’t we? We were on the Firestarter stage, and the other stages were going at the same time. We thought we were quite early in the day. I think it was 2:20 pm, but we had a good crowd. It was packed, I don’t think you could have gotten many people more in the area. I think we were either lucky or unlucky, because Seeking Akira, I think, were on the other stage, and they’re like a Marmite band for that crowd. They’re quite heavy, so I think a lot of people went to check them out, but then ended up coming back to us. And from what I read, they did go down well, but even though we were competing against them, we had a brilliant time. There were lots of good reviews and good feedback on the day. And lots of new fans as well, which is always nice to go into a place, where that kind of music isn’t traditional.

We are a Sleazy Goth type of band, and there, it’s a softer classic line-up.

There’s quite a lot of country as well, so it’s quite easy listening really. But yeah, we had a great time. It’s a really nice festival, with a lovely crowd, and the organisers were great. And it was only 40 miles from our door. I absolutely loved it. We had a nice time in the backstage area catching up with all our friends, photographers, and bands. And of course, because it was local, our family could come. So, I had my nieces and nephews there, my sister and her husband, and all these friends from school. It was really good.

Black Roze have played with some stellar bands this year including Stone Broken and Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons at the Booking Hall in Dover.

We’re obviously local to Dover, and we’ve supported Massive Wagons there. And it’s like, if the promoter wants someone they can rely on, they know they can rely on us, and they haven’t got to worry too much. To be honest, he didn’t even tell us what time to get there for Stone Broken we know the drill. And I think we only found out five days before the show for that one. He said - do you want to do Stone Broken, and I was like, oh yeah, maybe. And everyone was like, it’s pretty simple. But we thought it’d be a great rehearsal for Maid of Stone, as it was the night before. Then you go into the festival really tight, having just done a set. And then, yeah, we had Phil Campbell. And that was immense, that gig. It was completely sold out. And that place probably holds 300 people.

Pretty much every gig this year has

been amazing. We supported Collateral on their album release at Camden Underworld. And that was lovely.

How much are you looking forward to HRH Sleaze this time around? Are there any bands you are hoping to catch live on the bill?

Well, I really liked Shiraz Lane when we saw them at our first HRH Sleaze. And we absolutely loved it. I saw them there and I was thinking, God, they’re like a young Europe. Like Europe were in the 80s. I remember them playing and that actually took our attention to go up to the front. I was looking forward to Santa Cruz, but they split up again. We’ve got friends of ours, King Voodoo playing as well. I want to see House of Lords as well as Space Age Playboys. We always love Sleaze. It’s a brilliant festival. Every year it’s always been on the calendar.

What else is on the cards for Black Roze?

We’ve got a rock festival happening here in Margate, where we live. A festival which has got a really good lineup. It’s called the Margate Rock Festival at the Dreamland Ballroom. Orange Goblin, Florence Black, and Cobra Spell are playing. There are a few other locals like Collateral playing. The first wave of tickets sold out within about six weeks. So, then they added the second stage which takes it up to 1,500. So yeah, it’s going to be a good crowd. Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

KICKIN’ VALENTINA

Kickin’ Valentina are raring for their UK return and the group’s upcoming tour with HRH alumni the Midnight Devils. We caught up with the band’s guitarist Heber Pampillon to bring us up to speed.

How has 2024 been for Kickin’ Valentina so far?

“So far so good, we can’t complain. All the reviews from the new album have been great, so that’s always good. We’re actually able to tour this time around with this new album, there’s no more COVID. That was preventing us even after COVID was over. It was hard because some countries didn’t really come back fully, so that was kind of hard, but now we’re enjoying it. We just came back not too long ago from Europe, we did a couple of shows here in the US, and we have one here in August also, before we leave again for the UK, and then to Germany again. So it’s just so far so good, and then we have some stuff on the West Coast coming up. We just want to tour, we’re not a couch band, we’re a live band.”

You seem to be regular visitors to Europe. Do you find Europe to be a strong market for Kickin’ Valentina? Oh, absolutely. We love it. I think we’re in Europe, normally about three times a year, at least. We’ve even done it four times in a year. And I mean, that includes the UK also. It’s just a different animal over there - I think it’s still

a way of life. Over here, I think there are pockets, where it’s just awesome. But it’s like rock and roll here is more underground. It’s going back to the way it used to be. So hopefully it starts coming around because there are a lot of great bands coming out. So hopefully people start giving it a chance and start going, you know what, rock and roll is good - it’s fun. Again, it’s not depressing like it was for a while.

Your latest album title, Star Spangled Fist Fight, seems quite pertinent right now.

“It kind of goes along with everything that’s going on. It’s just kind of the way it worked out. It was almost like it was meant to be, maybe just a little wake-up call to say let’s get our heads out of our asses and start having fun again and enjoy each other as people. So, it’s one of those things.”

You’ve got an extensive UK run coming up. You’re playing with Midnight Devils as well, who are a great band. How much are you looking forward to hitting the road with those guys?

“We’ve known some of those guys for a little bit here and there from previous bands, but we’ve never done a tour or done any shows together. Not that I’m aware of. Maybe there were some festivals that we were on. I just wasn’t aware of it. So, we’re looking forward to it, to a little debacle and some shenanigans over there in the

UK and see what comes of it. You never know what could end up happening.”

How much do you enjoy the Hard Rock Hell experience?

“We loved it the last time we played it. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the story. We actually did two festivals on the same day. We did the Stone Dead Festival because both festivals wanted us to play. So, we ended up doing the Stone Dead Festival early. And then we did a signing for about an hour. Then we had to get on the road to go to HRH. In hindsight, it turned out to be good. But we were like, why the f*ck did we decide to do that? Because we were beat to hell afterwards. We were like, oh, my God. But it was a great time. Everybody over there was great. So, we’re looking forward to doing it again.”

What does Kickin’ Valentina have in store for the rest of the year?

“We head over to the UK. And from the UK, we head over to Germany to do a festival and a couple of shows. And when we come back, we end up going to the West Coast, and do The Whiskey and then Fresno and things like that. And then whatever other stuff trickles in after that.”

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

SHIRAZ LANE

Having recently performed alongside rock luminaries such as KISS and The Darkness, High Flying Finns Shiraz Lane are chomping at the bit to return to top the bill at HRH Sleaze. We caught up with the band’s frontman Hannes Kett to catch up on all things Shiraz Lane.

How has 2024 been for Shiraz Lane?

“It’s been awesome. We’ve had some very cool shows. We released our Unplugged EP which I’ve been wanting to do for a couple of years already, and we released beautiful videos with them. We’ve recorded our four first singles for the upcoming album and we are just working on the future tunes with, Jani and Miki. So, we’ve got 20 demos ready, highly produced demos. So, it’s been a blast. We started working on them at the beginning of last year. So, the grind is real while also having our individual lives, which means our day-to-day jobs and stuff like that.”

Tell us about your new Acoustic Archives EP. Did the songs featured on the EP start as acoustic compositions originally?

“Back in the day when we were working on the demos for Vibration Part One, You Will Remain - is a part of that EP, it was a song idea of mine. And I’d tried to play around with an acoustic version. That’s the only song that was kind of like that while we did it with Miki and Jani. For all these other songs, what we wanted to do is we wanted to take it down and make it a bit different because our fans in Finland and abroad, haven’t witnessed the unplugged versions of ourselves, which is something I absolutely love doing because finally, it gives me so much more space to do cool things as you can hear on the EP as well. And we just wanted to make different kinds of arrangements. And we’re already mentally working on, what could come next because the whole reason why we did this is because we have so many more songs that we could arrange differently and give it a different spin. The same goes with Vibration Part One. It’s part one for a

reason, but right now, of course, we’re working on an album, so we’ll see.”

You performed with KISS at an arena in Helsinki. What was it like performing with those guys?

“Well, first, I’d worked at the same venue many times previously, building stages and lights and setups for other bands, but for the fact that I got to play there and open for KISS, it was amazing. And what can I say? They’re legends. And the fact that we got to meet them all, and this was especially extremely important for our bass player, Joel because it’s been his favourite band ever since he was a kid. And it was amazing. First of all, the production that they had there was bigger than what almost was allowed at the venue. And they had so much more stuff that they couldn’t bring in. So, the explosions and the gigging itself, it was awesome. I’ve seen them, I think three or four times, and this was my favourite show. Of course, it might also be because I was also playing on the same stage. Feeling the carpet that they have on the stage felt really strange. After all, I’m used to hard floors, but it makes sense for them at their age. And also, with all the things that they’re wearing, I mean, they’ve got to take care of themselves, but it was awesome. Just one of those core memory kind of deals where it’s just amazing.”

You recorded a cover of Savage Garden’s ‘To the Moon and Back’ which has had 1.5 million streams on Spotify. What made you decide to cover that song in particular?

“Well, the whole thing is that if you approach someone else’s song, you must, first of all, make it your own. I’m very bored with basic songs, especially in Finland and the rock radio that we have here. And literally, it’s a great song. And then someone just put some distortion guitars on it and maybe some screams on it. And it sounds the same. It’s kind of like a pie that you put in the oven and then you burn it up a bit too much. That’s the way it sounds to me. And so, first of all, To the Moon and Back,

it’s a beautiful song with very deep meanings. If you look at the lyrics, the beauty of music is that you never really know what the author is saying. If he or she doesn’t point it out. And we just felt like this could be something beautiful, something different, something danceable at the same time. Because it’s got that Finnish melancholy in it. But it’s at the same time, I find it very hopeful. Because who doesn’t want to escape space sometime? And we just wanted to have fun with it. And obviously, we did a great job. People are loving it. So, yeah, that was the whole point.”

Shiraz Lane are going to be coming over to the UK. You are playing at HRH Sleaze in Leicester. How much are you looking forward to that?

“This is our third time there. Well, on this festival and every single time that we played there, things have been moving in the right direction ever since our first show. I did tell Geoff there that we were going to headline one day, and I think we should headline. And well, here we are. I don’t tell lies; I just tell you how it is. I’m so excited. First of all, it’s our first headlining gig in the UK ever. That’s already one of those core memories. And now finally, during this time, we’ll be able to play during a time where the lights that we have there will have an impact on the show as well. And so, it’s just it’s going to be beautiful. I can’t wait. It’s always just so special to play abroad, because I’m a Swedish-speaking Finn. So that means my mother tongue is Swedish. And then for my Dad’s side, I have my Finnish. So, English just came to be very natural as a kid. And it just seems like that’s the language where I can express myself the most. And that’s fortunate as we sing in English and so do most of our fans are abroad.”

Words

By Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Press Provided

Ahead of their upcoming appearance at HRH Sleaze, Bai Bang frontman Diddi Kastenholt brings us up to speed on the band’s recent endeavours.

How has 2024 been for Bai Bang?

“Very good. We’ve done great shows and with a new bass player, Magnus Rosen - he played with HammerFall before. It has been a marvellous time. He joined us early this year in January. The first gig he did was in Greece. And then he was with us also at HRH in March, I think. And now we do quite some nice shows here.”

Bai Bang recently performed at the legendary Wacken Festival in Germany. But what other gigs do they have in store this year?

“We are planning to do something very special in October. We are invited to play in Los Angeles. And now we got an invitation to play in Sri Lanka. So we are now discussing the details and the conditions. And then in early November, we do two shows now in Buenos Aires, in Argentina, in South America. And then we come home and then three days later we play HRH in Great Yarmouth.”

Tell us a bit about your new album

‘Sha Na Na Na’.

“It started a couple of years ago. And I started to do most of the parts to be put together. I always start with the chorus and try to find a hook. And when I find that I continue doing the verse and the bridge and so on. So that has been a great journey to do that album. Which I think is the best album so far. And within ten songs on that album, there are so many songs that I like. And I think when I wrote the lyrics to that album I didn’t have to think about the theme or something

special. Everything came so naturally. The first time I was already almost shocked about myself.”

“There is one song called All Alone. I wrote to my mom. And she managed to hear it before she died. And she died in February. But that is a song that really touches me. But the other songs - it’s difficult to point out a song that I like and prefer more than others. And one special thing is that the second song on that album is called My Favourite Enemy. My son wrote that. He’s a very famous house DJ. He’s ranked 50 in the world. He’s touring Japan, Korea and China now. He lives in the Netherlands. In Den Haag. His name is Kaaze. When he closes Tomorrowland in Belgium there are 180,000 people there. He wrote the anthem last year for it and played with some other famous DJs. And he also did the mixing of the album, which I think is one of the best mixes we have got. Because he managed to get that crisp sound in the songs and the drums and everything.”

There is a cover of Rock Me by ABBA on the album. How important was it as a Swedish band to represent a group that also has had great success around the world from Sweden?

“I’m a friend of Frida in ABBA. And when she had her birthday two years ago, I wrote to her Happy Birthday, Frida - lots of kisses and I wish you a great day. And then she wrote back to me. She wrote Hello, Didi. Thank you very much. And remember always to Rock Me. Give me that kick now. Rock Me. Show me that trick now. Rock Me. And I didn’t understand what she meant. So, I had to Google all that. And then I found those lyrics. Oh my God. And she wrote down afterwards let’s do that song. So, I listened to the

song, and I said, oh yeah, I remember that song. So, I went into the studio, and we pre-recorded it and then the whole band came in. That’s the story behind it. It was because of Frida herself that I did it.”

How much do you enjoy playing the Hard Rock Hell Festivals? You are quite regular visitors now?

“Very much. We have such a great audience always. People know our songs because perhaps I write songs that you immediately can sing along with. Because I like to have positive songs so people can recognize the song directly after the first chorus. People at HRH, sing along with us. They have a great time and I see all the smiles on their faces. That’s the kick I get, and we get. We get big smiles everywhere in the band.”

What does the rest of the year look like for Bai Bang?

“The rest of the year is mapped out with studio time and gigs. I just came from the studio yesterday. I did a rough new song that I showed to the rest of the band. And they just loved it. It’s not an up-tempo song, it’s mid-tempo, but very catchy. It is like this. When I do together with my producer the chorus, I need to have them catchy. If I can’t sing the song’s chorus after the first listen, I throw it away. Kill your darlings, I always say. Because I can sit there with a song and I can think, I like it. And then I said, how was the chorus now? And when I don’t remember that I throw it away. I don’t even listen to it twice. So, there are many songs gone down the drain, I tell you.”

Words By Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Press Provided