Category Archives: Music

Review of Sansara’s new EP, ‘Defiance’

September 30, 2014 queenofrock75 Leave a comment

Bournemouth rockers Sansara have had a funny old time over the last 12 months or so, with some changes in their line up making for a bit of an unsettled first half of the year. However, ‘Defiance’ is their third EP and it’s a hotly anticipated release; they’ve been a bit quiet on the local scene whilst concentrating all their energies on the recording process. I have to say, it’s everything I hoped it would be and more – I haven’t stopped listening to it since I got it …

When the first chords of the opening track, ‘Stronger’ kicked in, followed by Tom’s sublime vocals, I knew I was in for a treat with this EP. ‘Stronger’ is the perfect opener, a huge track that could well become anthemic over time. Drums, guitar, bass and vocals seem to come together almost effortlessly, the chorus is catchy and memorable and I just love it.

Second song ‘Refine Your Mind’ starts slowly, building to a bruising chorus, again sounding tight and accomplished. I love the lyrics; in fact I like everything about it. So far, this is proving to be my favourite track on the EP.

Third offering ‘On Your Own’ is another solid slab of rock and closing track ‘In Your Hands’ is an absolute belter – Tom’s vocals are outstanding on this song. From the super-long note at the beginning to the very last note, it’s a real crowd pleaser.

Sansara, l-r Tom Sawyer, vocals; Dee Aldwell, bass; Mike Rigler, drums and Sam Hughes, guitar

New bassist Dee Aldwell appears to have settled in to the role with ease and Sansara now seem to be 100% complete and focussed on the task at hand; indeed, I find it hard to be at all critical of ‘Defiance’. Sansara have matured and grown with each of the EP’s that they’ve put out; they now seem completely at home with the music they’re making and the line-up that they have. If I had to find fault with something, it would be that I wish that they would consider putting out a whole album of songs, because they have the ability and the talent. Put simply, four songs isn’t enough. But that’s all. It’s blatantly clear that, whilst Sansara’s foundations may have been a bit shaky at the start of this year, they’re certainly heading out of it stronger than ever and 2015 may just be their year.

If you haven’t yet got a copy of ‘Defiance’, make sure you get one as soon as – don’t just take my word for it, hear how great it is for yourself! Don’t forget that the hometown launch show is THIS Friday, 3^rd October, at Bournemouth’s home of metal, The Anvil.

In the meantime, to whet your appetite, check out the video for ‘Stronger’ here – http://www.videscape.com/watch?v=aq9y8hfpc0cv9zw5

Track listing –

Stronger

Refine Your Mind

On Your Own

In Your Hands

www.facebook.com/sansaraofficial

Music, Pop rock

Interview with Ocasan

September 11, 2014 queenofrock75 Leave a comment

Buckinghamshire pop-rock trio Ocasan are all set to release the third instalment of their second album, ‘Elixir’ later this month. I caught up with them in the calm before the launch-storm to get answers to some burning questions …

– Firstly, I have to ask, how did you come by your band name?

Ocasan is my family’s old Celtic name – ‘Okasan’ (with a K) is Japanese for Mother. Feels good to say, right?

– You’re about to release the third EP, ‘Confessions’, the last of the trilogy that make up your second album ‘Elixir’. That was a bold step, what made you decide to do that rather than release a complete album?

We think that the EP model is more suited to our listeners. It’s a great way for fans to digest your music over a period of time, rather than overwhelm them with a barrage of songs at once.

– What’s the reaction been to the first two instalments?

We’ve had no end of incredible feedback from these records, we’re very proud. You know the EP’s are doing their job when you see new faces constantly appearing at live shows.

– Who are your biggest influences when you’re writing?

We’ve gone back to our grunge and rock roots. Reuben have been a big influence on our latest writing. If you we’re to listen to ‘Elixir’ as a whole album, I’m sure you’d hear Foo Fighters, The Police and Incubus in their as well.

– Which two songs would you pick to introduce a new fan to your music?

We’re pretty eclectic as a band when it comes to genres. I would say a good intro would be something like ‘No One’s Safe in Soho’ from our first record and “The Whitey Two Step’ from our latest.

– You’ve been together as a band for quite some time now – what would you say is the key to a harmonious relationship between you, especially on tour?

You learn an incredible tolerance for each other. I’ve always thought we’d be an amazing study for a psychologist. I think being in a band is like having two girlfriends at once (without the sexy benefits).

Having been with the guys for almost 10 years now we know all our idiosyncrasies back to front and this helps prepare you for certain behaviour. You learn the best ways of dealing with people in all circumstances. In fear of sounding a little cheesy, no matter how hard it gets we’re bound by the incredible times we have and the music we make. No petty argument will outweigh it.

– Talking of touring, you’ve toured pretty extensively in the past. How does Europe compare to places such as Russia and Canada? Do you have a favourite country to play in?

Every new country has something different to offer. In terms of audience interaction, there is nothing quite like eastern Europe. Those guys are nuts for live music!

Russia nearly killed us, they seriously know how to party with little-to-no sleep, we had a lot of fun there. As for Canada we got to hang out with some of the nicest people, it’s a lot more laid back than other places we’ve played and that accent is just priceless. We love the Canadians!

Italy is beautiful and we’re always so well looked after. The food and wine is out of this world! In terms of a solid favourite it really depends on your mood, I could never pick one.

Can someone send us to Japan? That’s next on the list.

– Any tour dates coming up?

Our agent has us up for a few tours at the moment so we’re just waiting to hear back. In the mean time we have our EP launch show at The Craufurd Arms in Milton Keynes on 20th September. This should be a blinder!

– Any funny/notable tour moments?

I could keep you up all night, but if I was to be ruthless, the one the springs to mind immediately is one the lads love winding me up with. They love recollecting the time Nathan (our bass player) tried inserting his fingers inside me mid-sleep. Our relationship has never been the same. I think he thought I was someone else. I hope he thought I was someone else …

– What are you listening to at present? Anything to recommend?

I’m still digging Skindred’s ‘Kill The Power’ and Jamie Lenman’s ‘Muscle Memory’ is a beaut!

– What’s been the biggest highlight so far for Ocasan?

Not being fingered! I’m not sure … skinny dipping in the black sea at 3am with our sound man, roadie, several Russian girls and Mr JD was a giggle.

– Finally, what’s next for the band in the next 2-3 years?

There are a few music videos on the go at the moment to help promote the release of the EP on 21^st – expect these imminently.

We’re already working on our next record so we’ll look to release that about this time next year. We’ll carry on touring extensively and exploring this vast and wonderful third rock from the sun.

So, you can catch Ocasan at their ‘Confessions’ EP launch party, at the Craufurd Arms in Milton Keynes on 21st September. In the meantime, have a taster … here’s the vid for ‘Whitey Two Step’ – http://youtu.be/NLDNRoc76uo

www.ocasan.co.uk

www.facebook.com/OcasanMusic

Music

Interview with Screaming Steel

September 3, 2014 queenofrock75 Leave a comment

I recently caught up with Martin and Ryan from Hampshire-based rock band, Screaming Steel to talk about all sorts of lovely things, including their eclectic musical influences, how they came by their band name and … why they’re ‘friends’ with inflatable swords … enjoy!

– How was the recent Joiners gig (supporting Dendera) for you? The crowd seemed to like you … the inflatable swords went down a storm!

Ryan: It was the best response we’ve had so far and not just down to the inflatable swords, we hope. It’s always easier for the first band to be watched as the crowd are more engaged at that point, so we were chuffed that everyone turned up to watch.

Martin: I really enjoyed the Joiners gig from where I was sitting. Like Ryan said, it’s easier to be the first band on but at the same token, it can be a killer if no one turns up when the doors open. We had to make an impact both visually and musically and the inflatable swords and the music were our friends on the night. We all had a great time.

– How did you choose the name ‘Screaming Steel’?

Ryan: I actually can’t remember!

Martin: That was down to me, I recall. We needed a “metal” name and I grabbed a band name generator from the net, specifically a metal one and after two attempts, Screaming Steel popped up, it was a no brainer as it just fitted the band perfectly.

– How would you describe your style?

Ryan: Judas Priest with Pantera vibes

Martin: I’d like to add that our style can’t be specific to one or two bands because every member of the band has different influences. My music taste is very eclectic and I’m proud to admit it, so listening to different genres of music, from funk and soul to heavy metal, has defined my playing style. If I had to put my finger on one ancestral origin for the band, I’d say NWOBHM (Saxon, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath).

– If you had to recommend one of your songs for a new fan to listen to, which one would you pick and why?

Ryan: ‘Deathclaw’ or ‘Hammered’?

Martin: I am particularly proud of ‘Rider’. Joe (our singer) phoned me just after I joined the band and said “You ride a motorbike don’t you? I’m gonna write a song about riding a bike”; the rest is history. ‘Rider’ shows all sides to “The Steel”, it’s just a pulsing great foot-tapper. However, if I was to recommend a chanting metal anthem, it would be ‘Hammered’, a song we wrote in five minutes and has had little change in composition since its inception. I have a great friend in California – he builds the best snare drums on the planet – I sent him a copy of our demo and within a week ‘Hammered’ was played on his local radio station (they had a charity day where they’d play anything you requested for a $20 donation) and the DJ’s were singing the chant during the song that was played after ‘Hammered’. It was a proud moment to know we’d been played on radio in the USA.

– You’ve been doing your bit for charity lately, do you feel it’s important for bands to get involved in charity work, or do you just do it because it’s a local cause close to your hearts?

Martin: Well, I can answer that one as charity gigs stem from links to me. Last year in May, our first gig was a joint concert with various acts from the Isle of Wight who came together to perform a concert to raise funds for the Lottie Rann trust. Lottie is my niece and to cut a long story short, contracted meningococcal meningitis twice. That type of meningitis is the most dangerous of all and can be a killer. We all rejoiced when Lottie recovered from the first one, but when she got it a second time (which is a billion to one chance) she was paralysed from the neck down. That was two years ago and now she’s in an electric wheelchair, has control over her limbs, can speak and is able to feed herself. The concert was all for her, so that she had funds to get a wheelchair and all the adjustments to the family home to make it wheelchair friendly. Ironically, I met Ryan and Joe for the first time the evening after Lottie contracted it for the second time to talk about joining them to form a band, so Lottie has been there from the beginning of The Steel and thus is a cause close to the heart of the band.

We are doing a joint charity night in Ryde, Isle of Wight in November for another charity cause that’s personal to me – Ryde Inshore Rescue. Recently some nasty individual took a screwdriver to both of the rigid inflatable lifeboats and destroyed their capability to save lives. Both boats were out of action and still are right now, but they’re being fixed. So both The Steel and another band I am in (Ozzy Osbourne tribute band We Waz Ozzy) are doing a gig to raise funds for RIR.

Obviously we can’t perform for every charity we’d like, but charities that are close to us get our undeserved attention.

– You recently acquired a new bassist; how has that affected the band dynamic?

Ryan: Dramatically, he has reaped new life into the dexterity or our playing and writing.

Martin: When James, our founder bassist decided to leave we thought it would be a struggle to find a replacement, but we found Sam through an internet ad and he’s brought an explosive dynamic to the band that we’d never thought possible. He’s brought fun and oodles of enthusiasm and the whole direction of the music has improved, he really is a diamond (but don’t tell him I said so!).

– I understand you’re currently writing some new material, can we expect to see a release soon?

Martin: With Sam on board, we’re foregoing songs that were in the pipeline for songs that the four of us have written together, normally through a warm-up jam at rehearsals. The new material, like ‘Deathclaw’, is an improvement from the past songs, and we’d like to think we’ll have enough new material to start recording an album in the early part of 2015.

– Who influences you musically?

Ryan: Everyone!

Martin: Where do I start? Drumming-wise, it started off with Phil Collins and Phil Gould (drummer for Level42) but as I progressed with my playing and listening to different music, I have a plethora of drummers who I’ve pinched ideas from. Musically, I’m a big fan of 80’s American hair metal (Poison, Cinderella, Mötley Crüe and Dokken, to name a few) and that whole genre has become a major influence and source of playing ideas.

– If you could tour with any band, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?

Ryan: Metallica, just because they are Metallica.

Martin: I’d like to say Led Zeppelin but then our performance would have to be legendary for the audience to remember us. Opening for our heroes like Judas Priest and Iron maiden would be a real compliment. And I love Rammstein, so supporting them would be just as cool.

– What do you think about the current state of the music industry? Where do you see rock and metal heading in the next 5-10 years?

Ryan: It’s pretty much a developing world with metal. It has been around since ‘69 and has a very stable dynamic in the musical world. The fact it’s managed to stay a niche for so long is fantastic and keeps itself fresh. New bands come and go; eventually the style shifts slightly but usually for the mainstream, not the fans. Metal is an intellectual people’s music and will always be a back burner of any household from Thin Lizzy to Dimmu Borgir. I hope I’m still part of it in 10 years, or at least helping to shape it.

Martin: Ryan has summed it up perfectly. I see that rock will never die, it’s just ace to see young kids walking round with Guns ‘n’ Roses t-shirts and them actually knowing who G’n’R are. You never see youngsters walking round wearing a t-shirt of a boy band from 20 years ago. Rock will never die, it’s too awesome.

– What’s the plan for the next 12-18 months?

Ryan: Ride the unknown!

Martin: I’d like to think that The Steel will collect new friends, or ‘Screamers’ as we call them. I’d also like to see us record some of our songs, we have some great feedback from people who’ve been to our gigs and they’ve been hungry for an album size collection of material. The great unknown, as Ryan put it, is actually where it’s at, we can’t predict our future but if we’re healthy, still great mates and having a blast, then that would be the best thing to look forward to.

Catch the video for ‘Deathclaw’, filmed at the Joiners gig https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=664586440301511 – you can also check out Screaming Steel at www.facebook.com/ScreamingSteel

Music

Work hard, play hard, engage or die …

August 24, 2014 queenofrock75 Leave a comment

So. I’ve just had a bit of a rant over on Facebook (no change there), but it actually made me so cross that I actually felt I had to write a ‘piece’ about it. Of course, it’s only my humble opinion, but it makes sense to me!

Bands that quit when the going gets tough. There. I’ve said it and I’m almost foaming at the mouth again just with those eight words. I went on to a band’s Facebook page this morning, only to discover that they have changed their name and started again. Fine, no problem with that. The pinned post at the top of the new page, however, was a great long diatribe about how they’ve given their all for however many years but feel that they can’t continue, blah, blah, blah. It was a self indulgent whine about how hard it is these days, what with venues closing up and down the country, the music scene dying off and basically slating the very people who have kept them going, because they’re moaning that no-one ever came to see them. It may not surprise you to learn that I have some thoughts on this.

Firstly, your music was probably mediocre anyway. You can get quite a long way with the support of a few hundred fans even when your music is crap. It’s called ‘loyalty’ and these are the people that will come out and see you, buy your tee-shirts and wristbands and spend money they haven’t got on travelling to some godforsaken hole in the middle of nowhere, even if they know in their heart of hearts that actually, you’re not that good. Hey, you might improve and they’ve already invested time and money, so they’re sticking with you because they feel part of something and are glad to be involved from the start. I know, because I have done this many times (and just occasionally, I’ve backed a winner).

Secondly, everybody accepts that the music scene, particularly rock and metal, is changing. If it doesn’t adapt to roll with the way the music industry as a whole is evolving, it will die. All those millions of fans (yes, they’re still there, contrary to popular belief) don’t want it to die, so they keep buying the music and merch. If the band is good enough and fully committed, they will make the effort to get off of their sofas and come and see them.

This brings me to the heart of the problem. I don’t consider myself to be an expert in all things music, nor do I claim to be some kind of social media guru or have a degree in the music buying and gig-going habits of the general public. I do, however, listen to a lot of music, spend a lot of time on social media, talk to a lot of musicians and have some contacts in the music industry who like to wax lyrical about every music fan’s favourite topic these days. So, based on my experience and in my humble opinion, I’m just going to put this out there. Bands that quit – YOU’RE PART OF THE PROBLEM. There. I feel so much better …

These days, musicians have to roll their sleeves up and get their hands dirty. They need to get on the phone, become a keyboard warrior, engage to a new level with their fans and basically work their fine arses off just to exist in the world of rock and metal. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, venues ARE closing up and down the country (and I’m not commenting on that specifically – it’s a whole other article), but I see it this way; when I go to a gig with a band who is good, whether it’s a well-known and loved venue or some flea pit that nobody has ever heard of, they will pack it out. If it is a band that is, at best, mediocre and who are giving a half hearted effort (and who haven’t bothered to create a buzz around them and build a fan base online as well), of course it’s not going to be busy and they won’t get invited back. Word will spread and yes, they will find that nobody comes to see them. Stick with me, I do have a point and I am getting to it.

My memory of the nineties ‘heyday’ is hazy, but I don’t recall there being quite so many bands who were on the local gigging circuit. Also, musicians seemed to stick with one band, for the most part and worked bloody hard at it (and played hard too). I don’t remember many crap bands, although I’m sure there must have been some, but the gigs that I went to were always pretty much packed. These days, there seem to be bands coming out of our ears and sadly, some of them should never have picked up instruments in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that virtually everyone has the opportunity now and feels able to give it a go, but frankly, it’s a cut-throat business and it’s over-saturated with new music. If you don’t take it seriously, or you’re in it for the money, then you may as well hang up your drumsticks because you’re never going to make it, unless you get through via some steaming pile of excrement that passes for a talent show these days.

I’m going to name some bands here – I have chosen them purely because I have seen first-hand how hard they work to keep their heads above water. So, bands such as Heaven’s Basement, The Dirty Youth, and Feral Sun actually work their arses off. They cane their social media, making sure they engage with their fans – you can knock me for saying that all the time, but it’s the only way to go these days. They make a superhuman effort to make sure that they keep selling their merch, because let’s face it, that’s where the money is nowadays, it certainly isn’t going to come from album sales alone now that we’re in the age of the digital download. The Dirty Youth have successfully got people involved with going down the crowd-funding route. Feral Sun have risked everything by self-financing their debut album to get it out there into the public domain. Most importantly, each and every time they get up on that stage, they make sure they give it 110%; and on the rare occasions that they don’t, they acknowledge it and make damned sure that they do it better the next time.

All of these bands started from nothing and whilst they’re not yet at the top of the mountain, they’re making sure that they have everything in place to be able to reach the top whilst other bands are dropping off around them. Crucially, they are also extremely approachable with fans and will bend over backwards to make a gig an experience that people will remember and want to repeat. Music has become a customer service industry and if you’re not a people person, then you need to become one, or make sure that the rest of the band are.

There’s so much competition out there these days that bands need to be doing it bigger and better than everyone else. If you turn up to a gig, have faces like smacked arses, don’t engage with the people that support you, play your set in a somewhat mediocre and uninspired fashion and then leave without seeing any other bands or speaking to your fans, you don’t deserve to be taking that slot. Give it up to someone who is hungrier for it than you are, because they’ll give it everything they have to try and get to the top.

www.facebook.com/themusicjourno

Music

DEAD! announce September tour – interview here!!

August 21, 2014 queenofrock75 Leave a comment

DEAD!

Southampton punk rockers DEAD! have announced an eight-date headline tour in September to coincide with the release of the video for ‘Phantom‘, the second single off of their ‘Tu Me Manques’ EP. Produced by Dan Weller, the EP has been well received; indeed it was streamed by Rock Sound exclusively on their website earlier this year, when the band toured with Fearless Vampire Killers.

I had a chat with the guys before they head out around the country to talk about band naming, fantasy touring partners and what it really means to them to be ‘living the dream’ …

– How was New Age Fest? Did you get to catch many of the other bands?

We’re still quite new to the festival circuit so it feels chaotic to us! It was really cool to be a part of a smaller DIY festival – that really resonates with how our band operates. We’re all really bummed that we didn’t get to catch The Computers, those guys have such a crazy aesthetic live. You feel like you’re in a film.

– You’re heading out on a headline tour of the UK in September, how are you feeling about that?

There really aren’t many words to describe how we feel about it, we’ve chosen venues that we think are going to look and feel like people are in our latest music video. After a bunch of festival slots and a support tour with Fearless Vampire Killers, we’re actually really looking forward to playing longer sets, and we really hope our fans are looking forward to that too.

– If you could pick any line up of bands to tour with, who would you pick, and why?

We saw Finch the other night, so we’ll take them just because they were impeccable live. Let’s put Taking Back Sunday on as headline and throw in Reuben (back from the dead). Fuck. Looks like we’re on first for that one.

– You describe your genre of music as ‘punk ‘n’ roll’, what can new fans expect from your live show?

We really enjoy the sensibilities of good pop song writing, but we’re a bunch of energetic, passionate young guys, so its just not going to be played in a traditional pop way ha! Come along, stand down the front, we dare you …

– How did you decide on your band name?

It’s actually an odd story – when guitarist Sam had just had his first band implode and thought “Oh shit, what if I get hit by a bus tomorrow and didn’t release any music I was proud of”, he saved everything in a folder on his laptop just named ‘dead’. The idea was partly inspired by a Madina Lake lyric, but everyone ended up with the folder on their laptops to hear the demos and we just stuck with it.

– New single ‘Phantom’ is the 2^nd off of your EP, ‘Tu Me Manques’, when might we expect a full-length studio album?

It’s really hard for an unsigned band to fund that kind of thing, and we’ve always been fans of natural growth so when its ready to happen it’ll happen. That’s not to say we haven’t been writing, there’s tons of new material and some is insanely vicious, we can’t wait to get into a studio and see how it turns out.

– Dan Weller, who produced your EP, has worked with the likes of Enter Shikari and Sikth; did you enjoy the recording process?

We’d always dreamed of working with Dan, given his track record, so it was a nerve-wracking experience at first. We actually all got on really well as soon as we got in the room, Dan completely got our sound and what we wanted to do. He knew how to hype us up for the recording process; most of the CD is just us playing live whilst having tequila poured down our faces. That’s why the vibe is so wild and on tracks like ‘We Are Dead’ you can really hear that.

– What does it mean to you to know that people are listening to your music and buying tickets to come and see you headline?

Literally everything. It’s so surreal, we’ll never get used to it. The Dead! family is turning into some giant team trying to breathe some excitement back into the music scene and make live music what it used to be.

– What’s been the highlight for Dead! so far?

There’s too many to mention. Radio One was pretty insane, we kind of got picked up by accident before the track was even finished. ‘We Are Dead’ was never meant to be a single, it just happened! It was a bit odd walking home from the tube station and seeing we were tweeted by Dan P Carter as his ‘Single Of The Week’ on a song we’d been finishing the vocals for half an hour earlier! Our first gig in Glasgow was definitely a highlight, but you’ll have to come see us play in Scotland to understand that.

– How do you feel the local/national rock scene is evolving? Is the future of rock and metal bright?

It looks that way, especially with bands like Bring Me The Horizon keeping metal at the forefront of popular culture. Just look at the Jamie Lenman come back – everyone really gave a fuck about a dude from the past whose band never ‘made it’, and thats awesome. It’s great to be a small part of it.

– What’s next for DEAD!?

Songs! Studio! Video! But first we’re just going to try to get through this tour without being hit by another truck …

You can catch DEAD! on tour at the following venues through September: –

24/09/2014 SOUTHAMPTON – The Cellar

25/09/2014 BRISTOL – The Gryphon

26/09/2014 BIRMINGHAM – Alfie Birds

27/09/2014 LEEDS – Temple Of Boom

29/09/2014 DURHAM – Fish Tank

30/09/2014 GLASGOW – Old Hairdressers

01/10/2014 BOLTON – The Alma

02/10/2014 NOTTINGHAM – The Dog House

03/10/2014 LONDON – The Garage (upstairs)

You can find the video for ‘Phantom‘ here – http://youtu.be/i3Xbs2i0ovU

www.facebook.com/StayClassyStayDead

Music

Planet Rock presents UK showcase featuring Blackwolf, The Brew and Fire Red Empress

August 20, 2014 queenofrock75 Leave a comment

Classic Rock Magazine’s ‘Best New Band’ nominee, Blackwolf, will be appearing alongside fellow British bands The Brew and Fire Red Empress on a mini-tour of the UK in September. Dates as below:

Fri 12th – MANCHESTER – The Roadhouse
Sat 13th – OXFORD – The Bullingdon (Art Bar)
Thu 18th – SHEFFIELD – The Corporation
Fri 19th – BRISTOL – The Exchange
Sun 21st – LONDON – The Barfly* – date change (originally Sat 20th September)

Bristol-based Blackwolf have already toured with the likes of The Temperance Movement and The Answer so far this year and their debut album, ‘The Hunt’, went down a storm. Following the release of new single ‘Moving Mountains’, they also appeared at Wales’ Steelhouse Festival. With a nomination for ‘Best New Band’, alongside the likes of Blues Pills and The Cadillac Three, these guys are not to be missed whilst you can still catch them in a fairly intimate setting. You can watch ‘Moving Mountains’ here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XayXsQIgImU

Blues-infused rockers The Brew have been busy, with lots of headline shows under their belt, as well as support slots to rock royalty such as ZZ Top, Joe Bonamassa and Lynyrd Skynyrd. With an album produced by Toby Jepson, The Brew are set to perform at Hard Rock Hell VII later this year, so this will be the perfect warm up for them! Watch their ‘Repeat‘ video here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhOIbj92wKs

New boys on the block, Fire Red Empress are picking up followers at a rate of knots with their own particular brand of melodic rock and their EP, ‘Paint Me The Devil’, is gaining critical acclaim from music press. You can catch them in the latest issue of Classic Rock magazine. Watch their video for ‘Left Unspoken’ here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxmphhvoN8Q

Tickets for this epic, energy-infused mini-tour can be found here

http://www.ukblackwolf.com

www.facbook.com/ukblackwolf

http://www.the-brew.net

www.facebook.com/thebrewofficial

http://www.fireredempress.com/

www.facebook.com/fireredempress

Music

Interview with Dendera

August 19, 2014 queenofrock75 Leave a comment

Stalwarts of the Hampshire metal scene, DENDERA smashed their headline gig at the Joiners at the end of July – I caught up with them for a brief chat beforehand.

Your first album, ‘The Killing Floor’ was well received; what can we expect from album no. 2 and when might it be released?

The album will hopefully be released in the first half of 2015. We are really excited about the new album, the new material is sounding heavier, bigger and maybe a bit more modern, but still has a distinct Dendera sound.

How do you keep your writing innovative and fresh when people come to expect a certain style from you?

Our influences are always developing and changing with what we are into at the moment, but when we write together the end result is consistent with the sound we are aiming for.

You cite many influences as a band, including Iron Maiden and I’ve heard many people say that you sound like them. Does that bother you or do you take it as a compliment?

Any comparison to one of the best metal bands in the world can only be taken as compliment. We write music that we love and like to play, and so our influences will always come into the music. But that’s not to say we will always sound the same as we are always striving to find our own niche.

Have you any touring plans for the rest of this year?

If an opportunity arises we will definitely take it, however our priority is making the best album possible.

You’ve played with some big names, including Saxon, Soulfly and Gloryhammer. Who have you most enjoyed sharing a bill with?

We’ve loved sharing the stage with all those acts and the Gloryhammer tour was definitely a highlight. I think we will all have our own personal favourites for example, Steve playing with one of his guitar heroes Vivian Campbell with Last in Line.

If you had to choose one Dendera track to introduce a new fan to the band, which would it be and why?

If we had to choose one it would be Senlac Hill, we feel this shows our own sound and where we come from and our influences in one package.

You already have an existing, loyal fan base; how do you engage with people to promote the band? Do you think social media helps or hinders bands’ growth?

Social media is a valuable tool and allows bands to directly connect with their fans all over the world. It’s helped us to grow our fan base and reach people that would never had, had the opportunity to see us live at this point. In terms of engaging with fans we are a very social band at live shows and always try and interact with our fans.

What’s been the biggest Dendera highlight so far?

It would be hard to decide between releasing our debut album or the UK tour with Gloryhammer.

If you could tour or record with any band or artist (current or past), who would it be and why?

You would probably expect us to say Iron Maiden and that would be amazing, but we all have our own particular favourites! Whilst Tony would say Van Halen, Steve would say Dream theater.

I watched the Gloryhammer tour diary from last year – most amusing! You’re like one big family; who throws the toys out of their pram the most when you’re touring?

Thanks for watching our tour documentary! Others can watch it at the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpIZnbzc5Jc . In all honesty, on the road we all get along so well so there aren’t many toys being thrown. If we were to pick something though Andy doesn’t seem to enjoy falling flat on his arse in the shower whilst hungover!

What’s your opinion of the state of the local/national music scene?

Based on our most recent headline show the local music scene seems to be doing well. That being said, it takes a lot of effort from bands and fans alike to keep it going. We all need to pull together to help it thrive.

What’s next for Dendera?

After recently joining AMP Management, the new album on the horizon and big tour plans for next year it’s a really exciting time. We can’t wait to show everybody what we have got coming. Can we also take this time to thank everybody who has supported us so far. We love you all!

See the link below for the Rock Regeneration review of Dendera’s headline gig last month at the Joiners in Southampton. You can catch them again when they support Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band back at the Joiners on 29th August 2014 – it’s sure to be a huge gig and tickets have been flying out – message Dendera via their Facebook page for further details!

www.facebook.com/DenderaUK

www.dendera.co.uk

http://www.rock-regeneration.co.uk/wordpress/2014/07/denderatoledo-steeldeath-headscreaming-steel/

Music

Interview with Between The Void

August 3, 2014 queenofrock75 Leave a comment

I had a nice, pre-show chat with local Dorset-based band, Between The Void, before their gig at the Lord Nelson, Poole Quay on 20th July. The full interview is here, but you can also access the review article via Rock Regeneration via the link at the bottom. Check it out!

You’ve been doing some dates locally in and around Dorset and Hampshire, how have you been received?

John: Pretty well, I think. You don’t necessarily hear from everyone who sees you, but we’ve had people come up after shows and say that they like it. We’ve also had a few follows on social media, which is nice and promoters have asked us back. We’re playing a lot in Southampton because there are a lot of excellent venues there so we’re making steady progress.

Marc: It is difficult playing out of town shows because you don’t have a fan base that you can call upon to come to your show. You just have to go in blind and hope that people come along. You need fans to call upon fans, that’s the difficult thing.

John: Every time we’ve played at the Talking Heads we’ve got a lead which has led to other gigs. Last time we played at Battle of the Bands, the Septic Stars were very nice, very complimentary, so I’m pretty sure that we’ll do some gigs with them.

You mentioned the lack of a fan base; are you not seeing some of the same people at your gigs? Is it different faces every time?

Marc: The difficult thing about a new-ish band is that once you’ve brought your family along to a couple of shows, they don’t want to come any more because they’re bored or have other things to do. It’s difficult to build a fan base from that.

John: We have seen some people more than once though, we’re still on first name terms with all of our fans! We’ve got some people coming to the Railway (in Winchester) who have seen us before. I think if we went back to the Joiners we would get some of the faces that we saw the first time around. You just hope that it will snowball, really.

You’ve been going for just over a year, so how did you come together?

John: Ten years ago Oli and I were in a band and then he went to Tanzania for a while. When he came back we both still had the bug so we advertised on Gumtree and Join My Band and we got Pippa, after going through quite a few people who weren’t really appropriate; they didn’t like what we were doing, we didn’t like what they were doing or they didn’t necessarily fit. We went through about eight drummers before Pippa found Marc.

Marc: I’d just finished with a band called Dead By Dawn – the singer moved back to Scotland and we disbanded. The two guitarists went to play in a wedding covers band and the bassist went to Metaprism. That left me so I went back on to JMB, I didn’t really want to go back into heavy metal hard core stuff, even though it’s the music that I love, but I wanted to have something a bit more rocky and a bit more intelligent, with various different levels. Pippa asked me along to a practice so I just turned up and that was it. It just worked and happened.

Oli: It was quite comical, the drummers that we went through.

Pippa: We had quite a few people come along and play with us as a favour, even John’s brother.

John: We had a guy who only played the double bass pedal.

Oli: The best one was the guy who was fresh out of Deep Purple. He was an absolute 70’s rocker and hadn’t played the drums for a while – he turned up without drumsticks.

John: Eventually it clicked and everyone was happy straight away.

We’re glad it did! If you had to pick one BTV song to introduce the band to a new fan, which one would you pick, and why?

Pippa: I think I would pick ‘(The Silence of) Alex Marshall’ because it’s got the range of lighter and heavier sounds. Also I like playing it!

Marc: I would say ‘Relax’ based on the reaction that we’ve had to the song, everybody seems to go nuts for it. It’s got riffs, it’s got heavy drums, it just seems to work, it’s got some funky bass parts, it’s got melodies.

John: I agree with Marc that ‘Relax’ has probably, on balance, got the best response, but I’d have to play them ‘Alex Marshall’, just because it’s most representative of our sound all round. ‘Relax’ seems to be every sensible BTV fan’s favourite song …

Oli: I would say, to listen to, ‘Alex Marshall’, but to play it would be ‘Relax’, purely because it’s got a fantastic guitar solo.

John: Oh, very modest …

When you’re writing, what are your biggest musical influences?

John: It’s a big mixture; I’m a massive Seattle fan, so in general, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains – they’re some of my favourite bands that I still listen to a lot, even though everyone else has stopped listening to them. Also Incubus, Funeral For A Friend … although I don’t know how much they [Funeral] influence the writing as they haven’t written anything good themselves for a while.

Do you all write together?

John: Normally one of us will come with the bones of a song and we’ll flesh it out together.

Marc: We build organically …

John: Well done. We promised that we would work in the word ‘organic’ at some point … I think it’s different for everyone. We had to do a cover for one of the Jurassic Mark Battle of the Band nights, so we did Day Tripper and Pippa just went on a reggae/funk trip.

Marc: We actually realised that we listened to the same bands at the same time of our lives. We grew up listening to ska and punk and moved into heavier rock and hard core but we draw influences from everything; jazz, rhythm and blues, Chilli Peppers and the grunge stuff of the 90’s.

Oli: We’re not idiots, we realise that if we rock up here at the Nelson and play an absolute chug-fest then it’s not going to do down very well. I’m not saying we play to each venue, but with the songs we’ve got from start to end it varies a lot.

Marc: I think that plays into our hands with venues like this. In other bands it was difficult to get gigs in pubs because it would be a heavy metal venue that put on heavy metal bands and that’s it. We have the flexibility and opportunities to play in a much wider area. The Goblet is a bar that we played last week – we’d have never got in there if we were in any way heavy. We have heavy riffs, but we’re not shouting and screaming. Anybody and everybody who can appreciate a little bit of this or that in a certain song can latch on to us – that’s the idea I suppose, isn’t it?

What do you think of the state of the local music scene at the moment?

John: I think it’s thriving in certain genres; if you’re a doom band, there’s a lot of support for that. I think Southampton is buoyant – it’s brilliant, but I think a lot of that is down to the venues, there are really good venues with good sound that are prepared to give local bands playing original music a chance without the prerequisite of having to sell 100 tickets. I would love to play Mr Kyps, but I totally understand why they put on bands like Dirty DC and not us. They need to keep their head above water.

Oli: The problem with Bournemouth and Poole, well Poole especially, they shut the centre down, which doesn’t help.

Marc: With Bournemouth being a Uni town, the Uni has no music scene and the students don’t seem to want to get involved in live music. Back in the days of the Gander and Mr Smiths, where you used to play rough and ready punk gigs …

Ah, the days of the Gander and Mr Smiths – happy times! Back to the present, if you could play with any band or artist, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

Oli: Stevie Wonder.

John: I think Led Zeppelin would be hard to beat.

Marc: Probably any punk band that went through the late 1970’s, just for the whole scene and how much influence it had on the culture at the time. It would have been really cool to have been a part of that.

Pippa: I’d play with Mr Bungle but I would be star struck by Mike Patton the whole time so I wouldn’t be able to do anything.

So, what’s next?

John: Recording. We’re going into the studio.

Pippa: We’ve recorded a couple of songs, but we want to go and get the drums down properly. I think we’d like to play some festivals.

Marc: I think we’d like to write some new songs between now and Christmas. I’d like to do some open mic nights. We can transfer four or five of our songs into acoustic versions and I’d like to do an experiment to see how that would go down. There’s people drinking in a pub, they don’t come to see you, they don’t pay to see you, they’re just there soaking at the atmosphere. You come on, you play a couple of songs which are catchy, they go home and think – next time these guys are playing a live set we’ll go along. Building fans is impossible through social media and with friends and family because there’s only a finite number of people available, but I love the thought of just getting out there and playing some songs and seeing what happens.

BTV coming to an open mic night near us soon, then?! Anything else to add?

John: Thanks to everyone that’s come along to see us!

You can catch the BTV review article here –

http://www.rock-regeneration.co.uk/wordpress/2014/07/between-the-void

facebook.com/betweenthevoid

Music

Interview with Villains’ Matt Steane

August 3, 2014 queenofrock75 Leave a comment

Following the triumphant release of their first single, ‘The Fall’, Chelmsford rockers Villains are back to caress our ears with a new tune, ‘Wicked Ways’. I managed to grab five minutes to interrogate guitarist Matt about the latest happenings in their world.

Your new single, ‘Wicked Ways’, has had over 1,600 views so far and seems to be creating a buzz on social media. How does it feel knowing that people are getting into your music?

It’s one of the best feelings in the world! We played a hometown show on Saturday and it was great to see so many people singing along. Wicked Ways is one my favourites from the album and was always seen as a potential single, so to see that people are picking up on that and enjoying it means the world to us.

Did you enjoy playing Ipfest and did you catch any new bands that you can recommend?

Ipfest was an awesome show. We’d actually shot a video during the day for our next single so we were all pretty shattered by the time we got to the show. But when we went on there were a fair few people down the front and that definitely gave us the boost needed to play. Because we got there a bit later we didn’t get to catch all of the bands, which was a shame, but I can safely say that people need to check out WHEN GIANTS FALL. I don’t listen to much heavy music these days but I was well impressed with these guys. I think it can be difficult to make decent heavy music without being typecast as one thing or another so it was really refreshing to see them putting their own slant on it.

You’ve supported some pretty big names on tour like Soil, Blitz Kids and Fearless Vampire Killers; who has been the best band to tour with so far?

I think they’ve all been great for different reasons. The Soil/Fozzy tour was the first tour we did and it was a great opportunity to get out there and to play to a lot of people in different places around the UK. Playing with Blitz Kids was awesome as well; they’re good friends of ours and being asked to play their album release show was a really great moment for us. It coincided with our single release at the time as well which was perfect really. The guys in FVK are awesome too; some of the nicest guys in rock music to be honest. So I couldn’t really pick a favourite if I’m being honest. Every tour we’ve done has been great for different reasons.

Are you planning on doing any more dates this year?

We’re always keen to get out there and play to new people. We’re hoping that we might get the opportunity to hit up some more support tours later on this year and play in some new towns that we haven’t visited before.

If you had to pick one band to tour with, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

From a completely personal point view it would be The Who. In my eyes they are the greatest band in the world so it’s pretty self-explanatory as to why I’d want to tour with them! I can’t imagine the rest of the boys would necessarily agree with me on that one but hey, I’m doing the interview so I’m answering the questions!

Who or what inspires you when you’re writing songs?

When it comes to song writing I think the key for us has always been to write about things that you can relate to. We all listen to a variety of music and that blends well to create a sound that we would typify as ours. Renz writes the lyrics and a lot of what he writes is auto-biographical and is based on events that have happened directly to him or were close to him. He writes in quite an open-ended way though, which means that his lyrics are always open to interpretation. That still happens with me sometimes; I’ll ask him what a song is about and it will often be something very different to what I thought originally!

Might we expect an album any time soon?

We’re writing at the moment with a look to record a few more songs at the end of the summer. So we hope that they will be available for people to listen to in the not-too-distant future. That’s all I can say about that at the moment….

What’s your take on the state of the music industry right now?

That’s a good question. I think it’s very difficult to judge really. One minute you can be on the up and all of a sudden it is ripped from under your feet. I think British rock music in general is amazing at the moment. There are so many great bands out there that are absolutely smashing it, but how many bands have you seen come and go in the last few years? I think it’s very much a case of living for the moment when you’re in a band these days, because one minute you can have the world at your feet, and the next you’re back stacking shelves at Tesco.

What are you listening to at the moment?

I’ve been spinning the latest Canterbury album a fair bit recently. It’s unbelievably good. The new album from our friends in Verses is also incredible and well worth checking out.

What’s next for Villains?

As I mentioned, we’re writing and recording towards the end of the summer. We’re then hoping to get out on the road towards the end of the year on a support tour or two. We’ve also got another single coming out towards the end of the summer which we shot the video for the other week, so we’re all pretty excited about all of that.

We’re excited too! You can check out the video for ‘Wicked Ways’ at the link below, as well as the band’s Facebook page. Look out for some tour dates and some more music later this year!

http://www.muzu.tv/villains/villains-wicked-ways-music-video/2266781/

www.facebook.com/villainsofficial

Music

Slipknot release new single ‘The Negative One’

August 1, 2014 queenofrock75 Leave a comment

Legions of maggots all over the world are wetting themselves with joy right now to be hearing the new Slipknot single ‘The Negative One’. I like the band, although I’m not a super fan, but I thought I had better give the track a listen in the name of research.

It has everything that we’ve come to expect from the ‘Knot. I had the volume right up and I feel like my brain has been pulverised. Although it is unmistakeably Slipknot’s style, it’s wholly new for 2014 and our heroes are back with a vengeance. Let’s face it, with all the issues they’ve had and with a six year gap between the last studio album and the forthcoming effort, they could either have folded, or come back with something pretty special … and that’s what this is – a massive middle finger up to all the haters.

Corey Taylor sounds angrier than ever and there are some serious musical props going out to him and his boys for knocking out such a tight, killer track. I foresee absolute pit carnage in clubs up and down the country when this hits the turntables.

The video is set for release on 5th August, but in the meantime you can find the audio here: –

http://youtu.be/B3K_q3PpKpY

www.slipknot1.com

Vikkie Richmond is The Queen of Rock

Category Archives: Music

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