60 Second Interview Matt Fielder – Ransom Rocks

MATT FIELDER

RANSOM ROCKS

HOW IS THE NEW EP BEING RECEIVED? We recorded it a year ago under extremely difficult and problematic conditions. Indeed there was a lot of covert (as opposed to Covid) recording, under cover of the night, very cloak and dagger stuff across various technological platforms which I won’t bore you with now. We were also very humbled and grateful to family, friends and fans who generously supported our Crowd Funding page. Anyway, we eventually ended up with four absolute bangers - and the reaction absolutely blew us away with interest from record labels, radio stations, magazines and Neal Kay, the godfather of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal!

WHAT’S NEXT FOR RANSOM ROCKS? We generally never looked much further than our next pint or the next Boozer we were playing in but with all that’s happened we’ve had to rethink a little more strategically. We have a Christmas Single ‘A Christmas Held to Ransom’ being re-released at Christmas. But more importantly we have upgraded the four tracks of our EP added five more plus the Christmas track all remixed and remastered for an album.

WHAT’S YOUR FUNNIEST TOURING/ GIGGING STORY? I have a book coming out next year about a previous band I was in full of stories but I’m generally of the persuasion that “A gentleman never tells…his wife at least” And of course the old cliché what goes on tour stays on tour…unless she’s free Tuesday afternoons when my wife goes to the gym! But all gags apart I think our first gig with our new drummer Lee was quite funny. Our first gig back since lockdown, we were all a bit nervous and edgy so I phoned him up to check he knew where the venue was and to tell him that I would be a little late as I’d only just finished work. He said not to worry and that he was already at the venue and about to set up. I arrived thirty minutes later and there was absolutely no sign of him. Time was pressing and the punters were getting restless. It was then we remembered that there was also a Barley Mow down the road in Hersham! Lee said later that that although he hadn’t been with us very long he didn’t actually recognise any of the other band members setting up around him. He travels in the band van now with Dave to every gig!

HOW DID YOU COPE IN LOCKDOWN? I got creative as did the band - it was frustrating but we used the anger, confusion divisions and confinement to create the music so it was cathartic. I also wrote two books, the band one I mentioned earlier and a poetry book already published! A Life In A Calendar Year (Austin Macauley Publishers).

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE THREE THINGS TO A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT WOULD THEY BE? Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie and Jennifer Lawrence.

IF YOU COULD PERPETUATE A MYTH ABOUT YOURSELF WHAT WOULD IT BE? That I love myself as much as people might think, that the arrogant stage persona, bravado and apparent flirtatious nature is not the real me and that I’m far deeper conscientious and philosophical that most will ever know. Ok the flirtatious bit is true…

WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN THE MOVIE VERSION OF YOUR LIFE? I used to get told a lot I looked like Richard Gere, But I’ve never owned a gerbil since the school one died on my watch. But maybe Matthew McConaughey? I’ve just read his book Green Lights and we are fairly similar… apart from the fact he’s really good looking, successful and American!

Can a four-piece, 90 gigs a year cover band from Surrey suddenly became an overnight festival ‘headline stealing’ Rock act? We certainly think so…having written, recorded and produced their successful debut EP ‘Halfway to Hell’ they continue to grow from strength to strength with their kick ass Classic Rock material. We caught up with the charismatic lead vocalist and frontman Matt Fielder for our a debrief about the album, performing live and much more.

WHO ARE YOUR IDEAL CELEBRITY DINNER PARTY GUESTS? People who are funny, well-travelled, interesting and at ease with others having the limelight, nothing worse than insecure, diva, look at me types. So, I reckon, Steven Fry, Ricky Gervais, Michael Palin, David Attenborough, Romesh Ranganathan and Anthony Hopkins would be a pretty good start.

BEST ADVICE EVER GIVEN? “Matthew, there are people who say and people who do,” by the late great sports writer, Hugh McIlvanney - his son is my best mate.

MOST EMBARRASSING ITEM IN YOUR WARDROBE? Pretty much most of it really, although I do have a pink G-string from somewhere and have absolutely no idea how it got there or indeed if it still fits!

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE GROWING UP? Taller.

WORST HABIT? Pissing in the sink when it’s a shared bathroom and using my wife’s toothbrush when those panic pandemic freaks buy up all the toilet roll.

IF YOU WERE AN ANIMAL WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A bear in ‘Yosemite Sleep’ during the winter for six months wake up, Yawn, take a massive dump scratch my back and ass on the nearest Redwood tree and then go looking for berry’s and people picnicking. A great life all to the tune of the Bare Necessities.

WHAT´S THE BEST THING ABOUT SURREY? The National Trust walks, many a worry is cured by a long walk and a pint at a nice pub and Surrey has loads to choose from.

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