Dreamcatcher – Bleeding Heart (2025)

 

Formed in Paris in 2001, Dreamcatcher are a French heavy metal band known for blending classic metal influences with powerful storytelling and historical themes. Over the years, they have built a solid reputation for both their songwriting depth and uncompromising sound.

Set for release on December 18, 2025, Bleeding Heart is a passionate and hard-hitting album that showcases the band at its most focused and committed. Musically, the record delivers driving riffs, sharp melodies, and an unmistakable old-school metal spirit, while lyrically it explores themes of injustice, resilience, and identity.

It is worth praising Chris Garrel’s dedication to the defense of Native American peoples. In songs such as “Full Blooded Indians” and “Tatanka,” Garrel pays tribute to the struggles, dignity, and resistance of Indigenous nations, transforming historical memory into powerful metal anthems. His approach is sincere and respectful, elevating the album beyond entertainment into a statement of solidarity.

Bleeding Heart is a solid record driven by conviction, heart, and a deep sense of human awareness, whether you’re drawn by the thunderous instrumentation or the profound narratives.

Paul Hale (Alverna Gunn)

From Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, comes Alverna Gunn, formed around 1975. They recorded two demo tapes (1980 and 1982), in addition to the recently released compilation 1980-1982 Recordings. We talked to drummer Paul Hale about this underrated band.

Q. - Hello Paul, tell us a bit about the origins of Alverna Gunn. How did it all start? Who were the first members of the band?

Paul - The band first formed by myself, Phil Quantrill on guitar and Ashley Morse on bass and vocals. This was in 1974/5 I believe. We played covers like Caroline, by Quo and several Budgie songs such as Breadfan and Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk. The band split when Ashley joined a punk band called The Crabs. A couple of months later, I joined them too but it only lasted about 6 months before we broke up. Almost immediately after, I joined up with Phil again, along with Mark Holmes on guitar Steve Gamble on bass and shortly after Keith Thacker joined us on vocals. We once again decided to use the name Alverna Gunn and began writing our own material. Phil decided it was not for him and left, leaving the AG lineup that went on to record all the demos whilst playing gigs as support to bands such as Samson (with Bruce Dickinson on vocal), Hawkwind and our biggest influence, Budgie.

Q. - How did the band name come about?

Paul - The name was suggested by Ashley Morse and I believe it was the name given to a show winning dog but I can’t verify that.

Q. - Who were your main influences at that time?

Paul - As I mentioned Budgie were a huge influence but other influences were bands like Zeppelin, Scorpions, Rainbow and AC/DC.

Q. - Did you play in any other bands before Alverna Gunn?

Paul - Apart from the first Alverna Gunn, I did spend around 6 months touring around the UK with The Crabs.

Q. - What can you tell us about the two demo tapes recorded in the 1980s, knowing there’s not much information available about it?

Paul - The Demos were recorded at Elephant Studios in Wapping, London as there were not many reasonable quality studios where we lived in East Anglia. East or West and Mad Dog were recorded and mixed in a day in 1980. The rest of the tracks we recorded over 2 weekends in 1982. We sent tapes off the various record labels but got no real interest. However, on the back of the 1980 recordings we did get the opportunity to play several gigs with The Radio Caroline Roadshow in front of large audiences.

Q. - Did you sell those tapes at shows, or send them to fanzines?

Paul - We did have a very good review in Kerrang for the demo but didn’t produce the tapes in quantities to sell.

Q. - How was the Suffolk metal scene back then?

Paul - In Lowestoft there was an excellent venue on The South Pier and every Friday was NWOBHM night. Bands such as Praying Mantis, Vardis and Samson played there as well as many others. We also played quite regularly at West Runton Pavilion which was an established venue on the rock touring circuit.

Q. - Did you play regularly there, or even across the rest of the UK?

Paul - We played mostly across the East of England.

Q. - Did you open for other bands, or were you headlining shows?

Paul - We did headline our own shows as we had built quite a strong following in the East but were always chasing supports with named bands.

Q. - Did you try to approach a record deal at that time to record an Lp?

Paul - We did but really needed someone to manage the band as we didn’t really know how to go about getting a deal.

Q. - Did it get any airplay on radio stations?

Paul - Unfortunately, back then, there wasn’t all the independent stations there are today and again, without management we probably missed opportunities to get airplay.

 

Q. - In your opinion, what do you think kept Alverna Gunn from having a more successful career?

Paul - I think it was a combination of not being in London or a big city and our own naivety.

Q. - Have you stayed in touch with the other former members over the years?

Paul -We are all still good friends and although we have lost touch a few times over the years, we are now in regular contact and get together for a beer often.

Q. - What other musical projects did you work on after the end of Alverna Gunn?

Paul - After Alverna Gunn Mark and I joined a band called The Buster James Band and are still playing together today. It’s coming to an end but it’s been an enjoyable 42 years. Mark and I took a few years out from Buster James to form an AOR band called The Bash Street Kids. The vocalist, Richard Taylor is now with Steve Harris’ British Lion along with Simon Dawson.

Over the past few years Mark and I teamed up with an old friend to form The Coronation Kings and more recently The Tin Foil Aliens as a side project writing and recording.

Q. - Now, more than 40 years later, with all the Alverna Gunn songs compiled on 1980-1982 Recordings, what do you think about it?

Paul - The thing I value the most is the enduring friendships I have because of making music.  The interest you have shown in what we did has brought us back together as good friends and we are all extremely grateful for that Paulo.

Q. - How did you view the whole NWOBHM movement back then, and how do you see the current interest in those bands and recordings today?

Paul - It was an exciting time and making music was all we wanted to do. We were so lucky to have the opportunity to see and sometimes share a stage with so many great bands.

Q. - In your opinion, what are the main differences between the 1980s and the music scene today?

Paul - To be totally honest, there is no comparison. It was all raw energy, plenty of venues to play totally genuine. No studio tricks, just real people playing real instruments. That couldn’t be further away from a lot of the “music” produced today.

Q. - Is there anything else you’d like to say to wrap up this interview?

Paul - Just to thank you again for taking such an interest in Alverna Gunn.

Thank you for your time, and wish you all the best.

Dave Slater (Force Nine)

 

From Lostock Hall, Lancashire, England, comes Force Nine, formed in 1979, who recorded two demo tapes (1980 and 1983), in addition to the recently released compilation Sands of Time - The Anthology. We talked to vocalist Dave Slater about this underrated band.

Q. - Hello David, tell us a bit about the origins of Force Nine. How did it all start? Who were the first members of the band?

Dave – My cousin Mick, who’d being playing the drums for a couple of years, was already in a band doing covers of Free, Beatles and the Rolling Stones. They needed a singer, and Mick was aware I had done some singing in the past with choirs (ha ha), so he asked me to have a try out and see if I’d like to join. This was around July 1977. I quite enjoyed the vibe, so I gave it a go. We called ourselves Quartz, until somebody pointed out the name was already in use. In November of that year, Mick and I went to watch Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow at Preston Guild Hall. We were both absolutely knocked out by the standard of musicianship, and suddenly the music we were performing seemed to lose its appeal. That band spit up, and Mick and I spent the whole of 1978 trying out various musicians with a view to forming a heavy rock band.  We acquired a decent bass player via a newspaper advertisement, but a good guitarist was proving elusive. Then, Mick had a brainwave. There was a local guy called Martin Jay, who looked the “business” and from all accounts played a mean guitar. Martin agreed to a jam session, and appeared to like what he heard, so the first Force Nine line up was completed as a four-piece in April 1979 with Mick, myself, Graeme Taylor on bass and Martin.

Q. - How did the band name come about?

Dave – Some people may struggle to believe this, but I swear it’s the truth! I was messing around with an old reel to reel tape recorder with a cheap little mic, trying to come up with ideas for a song. When I played back what I’d recorded, I’d inadvertently been breathing into the metal mesh at the end of the microphone. This resembled the sound of a hurricane, and I instantly thought of a Force Nine gale. Then it struck me it might be a cool name for the band. I put it to the other guys, and they agreed, so the name stuck.

Q. - Who were your main influences at that time?

Dave – Speaking for myself and Mick, the bar had already been set at a lofty height by Rainbow, so our influences were Cozy Powell and Ronnie Dio. We were also very much into Judas Priest, and I know Mick spoke very highly of Les Binks, their drummer at the time. I had a lot of respect also for Klaus Meine of the Scorpions, so for me it was mainly Dio and Meine. Martin was a Black Sabbath fan, so I presume he really liked Tony Iommi.  

Q. - Did you play in any other bands before Force Nine?

Dave – As mentioned earlier, Mick and I had many lineups before F9, and I know Martin had been in at least one band before he joined us.

Q. - What can you tell us about the 1980 demo, knowing there’s not much information available about it?

Dave – This was our first time in the studio. The two-track demo of Force Nine and Carbon Copy Man was recorded at Storm Records in Blackpool on 15 June 1980. I still have the original master reel to reel somewhere, but it’s probably not in such good shape now.

Q. - Did you sell those tapes at shows, or send them to fanzines?

Dave – The reason for the recording was mainly to submit the tapes to the A & R departments of major record companies. We did get feedback from some labels, but the general consensus was that we were not quite what the company was looking for right now. I recall we sent one to somebody up in Newcastle who ran the heavy metal charts for Sounds magazine, and he placed us at number 1 around October 1980, if I remember correctly. We also sent them to various radio stations, including Radio City. As a result, we were selected to headline at their Radio City Rolling Rock Road Show at the Tivoli Ballrooms in Buckley in October of that year.

Q. - How was the Lostock Hall metal scene back then?

Dave -Lostock Hall (LH) is quite a small place in comparison to other towns like Leyland and Preston. However, a surprising number of musicians lived in and around LH despite having very few, if any, venues to perform at. We tended to concentrate our gigs in Preston, Leyland, Chorley, Blacburn and Burnley at that time.

Q. - Did you play regularly there, or even across the rest of the UK?

Dave – As mentioned above, we concentrated mainly on gigs in the surrounding Lancashire towns. Our manager at the time secured us a weekly residency on Morecambe Pier, in the belief that we would attract students from nearby Lancaster University. Oh, how wrong he was. I think we gave that one up as a bad job after three weeks. We did play further afield on occasion, like the Lake District, for instance. We did also do one non-stop tour of around 20 venues, predominantly in north Wales, but this also took in towns in Cumbria and other places on the Welsh border with England. We spent the nights sleeping in either the tour car, van or a six-person tent. No hotels for us. This tour was organised by none other than well-known promoter Phil McIntyre.

Q. - Did you open for other bands, or were you headlining shows?

Dave – No, we never got to support any big bands. The only main event we headlined was the Radio City gig mentioned earlier.

Q. - How was the 1983 tape received by the fans?

Dave – This tape was made with the intention of selling at gigs, along with F9 tee shirts. The logo and stage backdrop were designed by artist Tony Corlett, who went to the same school as Mick in Lostock Hall. All our merchandise seemed to be popular with fans from what I can remember.

Q. - Did it get any airplay on radio stations?

Dave – I seem to recall the songs being played on Radio City, and the station plugging our upcoming gig at Follies, which was a nightclub in Southport.

Q. - After releasing the 1983 demo, did you try to approach any record labels for a deal?

Dave – The manager at the time was sending them out to various labels, but, sadly, we apparently weren’t what they wanted.

Q. - In your opinion, what do you think kept Force Nine from having a more successful career?

Dave – That’s a tough one. To be honest, I always felt that we as a band would come into our own at bigger venues, rising to the challenge of higher-profile events. For instance, supporting a well-known band. Sadly, we never got that opportunity.

Q. - Have you stayed in touch with the other former members over the years?

Dave – Following the spit in 1984, I obviously kept in touch with Mick. I’ve been friends on Facebook with bassist Greg for a few years now, but we haven’t met up.  The only time I saw Martin after the split was at Mick’s funeral in August 2011, and we had a good catch-up then.   

Q. - What other musical projects did you work on after the end of Force Nine?

Dave – As mentioned in the F9 history, I did mainly session work, but I did briefly join a band from Burnley called Aga Khan. They contacted me via Ian Blackburn, who produced the Cargo Studio tape. I then did a session for another Burnley band called Khmer in October 1984. I had no real intention of being in another group, but they persuaded me to give it a go and I joined them, spending around two years in total as singer. My very last gig as a rock singer was in November 1985 at a nightclub in Cardiff called Bogey’s.

Q. - Now, more than 40 years later, with all the Force Nine songs compiled on Sands of Time – The Anthology, what do you think about it?

Dave – What can I say? It’s been a great experience getting all these old songs together, and I thank both you and Ian Salpekar for giving me the opportunity to complete the project. It’s uplifting to know that this genre of music is still appreciated and sought after. I believe it was a very special time musically, and, deep down, it doesn’t really surprise me that there’s still an interest in it.

Q. - How did you view the whole NWOBHM movement back then, and how do you see the current interest in those bands and recordings today?

Dave – Well, no disrespect to musicians of other genres, but back in the day you pretty much knew that if someone was playing heavy rock/metal, they were going to be proficient at playing their respective instrument. I think one had to have reached a certain level in order attempt that type of music. Call me biased, but that was my belief at the time, and it still is. And, as mentioned earlier, it really doesn’t surprise me that the interest is still there.

Q. - In your opinion, what are the main differences between the 1980s and the music scene today?

Dave – At the risk of sounding like an old fuddy-duddy, I much prefer the music of my era. With the advent of special effects, auto-tune and AI, how can we even be certain we are listening to a genuine talent? At least back in the day you knew whatever you were hearing was genuinely created by the artiste in question. Another issue, for me, that has crept in over the years is the emphasis on vocal volume. It appears that the current measure of a good singer is by how loud they can sing, not caring one iota that there is little or no emotion present.  

Q. - Is there anything else you’d like to say to wrap up this interview?

Dave – Yes, Paulo. A part of me now regrets leaving rock to train as an opera singer. Some may even suggest that I must never have been a real rocker, or I wouldn’t have switched. Well, I can honestly say I truly loved my time in bands, and I’ve always believed that there are great similarities between singing heavy rock and opera. The real difference is the rigidity and discipline associated with the latter. And here’s where the regret lies. You can be the best Tenor in the world, yet no matter how talented you are, you’re only ever putting your slant on another person’s creation. In other words, the genre of Opera singing is semi-creative. On the other hand, singers such as Ronnie Dio were true artists, constantly writing original music and embracing their creative talents. It was only more recently, having written two novels, that I realised how much I’d shut off my creative side. So, if someone asked me who are, or were, the greatest singers in the world, my list would probably not include many Opera singers and would more likely consist of rock singers.

Thank you for your time, and wish you all the best.

 

Eazy Street – Quest For Glory

 

Eazy Street – Quest For Glory (Remastered Compilation)

Eazy Street was a band from Silsden, Yorkshire, England, that emerged in the early 1980s. Their only original release was the single “Quest For Glory”, self-released in 1984 without a picture sleeve — a true rarity that has since become one of the most sought-after treasures among N.W.O.B.H.M. collectors.

Performing across the pub and small club circuit around Yorkshire, Eazy Street quickly built a loyal local following, thanks to their powerful live shows, outstanding musicianship, and a charismatic lead singer. Despite their immense potential, a record deal never materialized, and the band eventually split around 1986.

This compilation brings together the complete recorded legacy of Eazy Street: the highly collectible “Quest For Glory” single, their four-track demo tape recorded between 1982 and 1983, and two electrifying live songs captured at a special reunion show on February 6, 2015, live at the Sunnybank Social Club in Silsden.

All tracks have been carefully remastered from the original sources, restoring their raw energy and enhancing sound clarity while preserving the authentic 80s spirit. The CD also includes a 12-page booklet packed with rare band photos, liner notes, and memorabilia — a true gem for N.W.O.B.H.M. enthusiasts and collectors alike. 

Released by Hellven Records - HC013.

For fans of classic British hard rock and heavy metal, this release is nothing less than a Quest for Glory fulfilled.

You can find it here:

http://www.hellvenrecords.com

Email:  hellvenrecords@gmail.com

Steve Toplek (Cockneys on Tour)

 

Q. - Hello Steve, how did your interest in hard rock and heavy metal music start?

Steve - Hearing Machine Head by Deep purple, school friend raved about it, was completely blown away hearing it.

Q. - Did you start to go to the Soundhouse in the late 70's? Do you think it was a mythical place?

Steve - No, my Best mate was working with Sid (Simon) Adams at a musical instrument shop in Ealing. He introduces us to the Soundhouse , where he had won “headbanger of the year” and also the Brecknock pub in Camden, where his favourite band Urchin played.

Q. - How would you describe the enthusiasm of the fans? Do you remember the effort and dedication on the cardboard guitars contest?

Steve - It was somewhere where everyone felt at home, they loved the music and the atmosphere, and being part of something where they all felt the same. I was told the cardboard guitars came after one of the guys at the Soundhouse, “Rob Loonhouse” started headbanging with a broom, the guitars followed, and escalated to  the “Headbanging  Band Of The Year” competition, with not onlt cardboard & wooden guitars but roadies with cardboard amplifiers! The competition was judged by members of Motorhead and Iron Maiden and other heavy rock musicians.

Q. - Were you part of Cockneys on Tour? What did it consist of? Did you travel around the UK following some bands? Which bands did you follow on tour, at that time?

Steve - Yeah, it started one night, we were going somewhere, someone made a comment like “the cockneys are on the move”, to which someone shouted out “Cockneys On Tour”, and the name was born, along with a shout of Oh for f***s sake!”. There were quite a few of us, none of whom were actually cockneys, one guy, Tom, was from Sunderland. There was Sid, Mark & Cliff, Tim, Colin, Tom, Dennis & basically anyone with us.

We mostly went to see Urchin & Iron Maiden, who often played gigs together. In the beginning, Maiden were usually the support band for Urchin. Dave Murray of Iron Maiden had been Urchin’s original guitarist, Adrian Smith, one of Urchins guitarists later joined Maiden after Urchin broke up.

Outside of London gigs, we went to see Urchin a couple of times at the Corn Dolly in Oxford, Urchin & Iron Maiden at Upper Heyford US Army base in Oxford (some of the American soldiers were Soundhouse members) and the following week at Guilford University.

 

Q. - Did you guys keep in touch all over the years?

Steve - Yes, unfortunately Dennis and Tim both died, and Sid died last year. Tom disappeared, I think he went back to Sunderland. I did try to track him down, but no luck.  I still see Colin & Mark occasionally, and am in touch with Cliff on Facebook.  I had worked with Colin at City Express courier company in 1978 , I was a motorbike rider and he was a van driver. In fact, when we went to oxford & Guildford, it was in Colin’s van. Through Sid, we met Mark, Cliff, Dennis and a few others at the Brecknock.

Some of us went to the Brecknock (now called The Unicorn) a couple of times a few years back.

I’m still in touch with Steve Allen, saw him in Camden a few weeks ago. Cliff Evans lives in Hastings, and runs a monthly psychedelic disco at a local hotel. Me & my wife, Colin & his girlfriend & Mark went to one last year. Cliff still plays in Tank, mostly rock festivals in Europe. They played here recently Colin & his girlfriend went, but I couldn’t go as we were away elsewhere.

Q. - When you were frequenting the Soundhouse in the late 70's, early 1980’s were there any bands that surprised you or were you disappointed with?

Steve - They didn’t have that may bands on, it was more a heavy metal & rock disco. I remember Iron Maiden playing several times, and Nutz, other bands might have played there occasionally, but if they did, I wasn’t there. Ted Nugent made an appearance one night, but not to play, just a visit and a few signings.

Q. - Do you think Neal Kay was very important in the revival of heavy metal in the late 70's?

Steve - Definitely. A large music room with a bar, a massive sound system, great records, and a lot of enthusiastic members, all rushing to headbang when their favourite songs were played, it was heaven. Plus the record chart. Iron Maiden sent their demo tape, which topped the cart & was later issued as a 7-inch single “The Soundhouse Tapes”, which today is extremely rare, probably one of if not the most famous HM single ever, copies sell for hundreds of pounds. Praying Mantis also had a Soundhouse tapes single, there’s a 12-inch version of “captured City”, which the band still plays at their concerts. The most amazing story is about Riot from America, a track from one of their albums was a big favorite, apparently, they were about to give up due to lack of success, but they heard about their popularity at the soundhouse, and actually came to the UK to play, I saw them at Hammersmith Odeon along with other members from the Soundhouse.

Q. - And what about the "Friday Rock Show"? What memories do you keep from listening to Tommy Vance?

Steve - One of the few places to hear heavy rock on the radio, I listened every week. There is actually a website dedicated to it, where the fans who run it are collecting all episodes and making them available online.

Q. – At that time did you think that Iron Maiden could have reached so high as they did?

Steve - Maiden seemed different to a lot of the bands before them, playing their own material and very dynamic, brilliant original songs and their own recognizable style Paul Di’Anno was a great frontman. They started off as a support band, but, especially after Bruce Dickenson Joined, with a lot of hard work and good management, they achieved major success.

Q. - And did you feel that the NWOBHM was reaching to a higher point, in the whole UK? What do you think about all the N.W.O.B.H.M. movement, and the repercussion it had around the world?

Steve - Not sure really, bands like Maiden definitely inspired other bands, and people to form bands, but there were a lot of good bands about.

Q. - Did you play or try to play in some bands back then? Tell us a bit about it please.

Steve - Cliff & Mark had a band before I knew them called Moby Dick, not sure how much they played. Me, Tim & a guy Steve Allen formed a band called Cosmic Tortoise, Steve was a Brecknock regular lived at Brecknock School 2 minute’s walk away and also went to the soundhouse. Steve was a great guitarist the rest of us were rubbish to be honest, we rehearsed a bit and gave up. Steve joined a band called Voyeur, they had some success, had a mini album out played a lot of gigs and festivals, did a small US tour, but there were problems and they split up. After that Chris their drummer played with a tribute band The Counterfeit Stones for a while. The only one who hasd any real success was Cliff evens, another from the Brecknock/Soundhouse. He was in the blues band Chicken Shack for a short time, and for many years has been a guitarist in the heavy rock band Tank.

Q. - What are your thoughts about the 90's? Did you feel it was bad times for Hard Rock and Heavy Metal bands?

Steve - I got married, moved and by the mid 80’s had a daughter so didn’t really go to many gigs. I listened to Friday Rock show, but there wasn’t much else on the radio, I wasn’t keen on a lot of the AOR type bands.

Q. - Are there any funny moments that you can share with us?

Steve - Going to see Urchin & Maiden at the USAF base in Oxford. The Americans at the Soundhouse told someone about it, probably Sid, Colin drove us there in the van, with Me, Sid,  Tim, Mark & Cliff in the back . We arrived. It was a military base, with high security, no one knew the American guys names. The guards wouldn’t let us in without invites or passes. Fortunately, one of the Americans came past, and got us admitted. Being a US base, we had to change our money into dollars to buy beer. The bands were in a big room, the others there, all US soldiers & maybe staff’ at the base, were standing or sitting on the floor  in front of the stage. Behind us were some high-ranking American Officers on chairs wearing full military uniforms, not the sort of people usually at a heavy rock gig. Also, some uniformed military Police. Maiden played first. We all got up to headbang, the police made us sit down. Every time they went away, we got up, they would come back & make us sit down again. Gradually others joined in. By the end of the night, security had given up and people were dancing on the tables. Colin started the drive back to London. We were all in the back of the van. It was dark, and we were going down a narrow country road, when someone said “it’s very quiet, where’s Tim”? We looked round. The back doors of the van were open & he was gone, Colin reversed back along the road. The back doors had somehow come open, Tim had fallen out, he was lying in the road, laughing. He had a full-length leather coat on, was drunk but, seemed ok. We got him back into the van and continued on home. It started to get lighter outside. Can’t remember if we stopped or were still in the van, but discover the fall had ripped a big hole in the arse of Tim’s jeans and his arse was redraw & full of gravel. He was so drunk he hadn’t even noticed.

The next week, we all went to Guilford University, Tim got drunk, fell down some stairs, broke his leg, went to hospital and came back to the gig with his leg in plaster!

Q. What about Urchin, with Adrian Smith, did you see them live?

Steve - That's where it all started. Colin was already a friend, he didn't go to the Brecknock much. Met Mark & his brother Cliff there, Dennis, Steve Allen, Tom & Cliff Evans, who'd been at school with Steve. There were a few others, Rob who's now in New Zealand & Paul, no idea where he is now. Urchin were a full-time band I think, they had a big coach, Dave their sound guy & roadie drove it, Dennis roadied with them for a while. We went to Oxford to a music pub a couple of times to see them. Andy their other guitarist was very good, but towards the end of the band, he was noticeably drinking a lot, it's just life that they didn't make it. Sid had a couple of their demo tapes that he shared with people, they eventually came out as LP's & CD's along with the early Urchin singles on a German label a few years back. Dave the sound guy normally drove, one night, we saw them in Oxford and got a lift back on the bus. Andy drove but was a bit drunk. In those days the road to Oxford was the A40, 3 lanes in most places, a 70-mph speed limit, and there were small roads alongside for access to any houses. There were a lot of roundabouts. Andy went round one of the roundabouts, but instead of going down the main road, he accidentally went on the small road at full speed. Narrow road with parked cars, could have been really dangerous Dave told hom he'd never let him drive again. After Urchin split up, Andy & Adrian had a band called Marshall Fury.

No success with that either.  When Adrian joined Maiden, I heard Andy joined Michael Des Barres & His Chequered Past. Michael had been the singer with Silverhead, he was also in a couple of episodes of Superman on TV. He married Miss Pamela, a groupie from the Chicago Plaster Casters (they made an album, Permanent Damage with Frank Zappa, featuring a lot of famous rock musicians like Jeff Beck) The Plaster Casters were famous for making plaster casts of rock stars dicks, the most famous was Hendrix. Pamela wrote a book about it all called "I'm With The Band" I heard Andy was also with the band FM at one point. There used to be a video on you Tube from maybe 10 years ago when Adrian jammed with Andy & some friends for the first time in years.

Q. - Do you still see bands live nowadays? Do you keep an eye to hard rock and heavy metal? Do you try to keep the seventies and eighties heavy metal spirit alive?

Steve - I still go to a couple of gigs a week, usually pubs & small clubs, and a few festivals. It tends to be more rock, blues, & prog than HM. Saw Praying Mantis at a festival last year and at a pub gig this year. Me, Colin & Mark went to see British Lion, the band formed by Steve Harris, Maiden’s bass player the Christmas  just after lockdown ended, And Me & Colin went to see Alestorm at Brixton Academy.

Q. - Anything more you want to say, to end up this interview?

Those of us left and who are still able go to gigs as often as possible and meet up occasionally. We all still love music.

Thank you for your time, and wish you all the best.

Simon Adams A.K.A. Bandwagon Sid

 

Simon Adams A.K.A. Bandwagon Sid, was a regular at the Bandwagon (Soundhouse), in the early days of the NWOBHM movement, even winning the "Headbanger of The Year" contest that was held there in 1979. Here you have some of his memories of pure rock n roll living.

Q. - Hello Sid, how did your interest in hard rock and heavy metal music start?

Sid - For me it began at the age of 11. I was given a place at one of the English public schools through a scholarship (I was seen as highly intelligent) and 95% of the other kids at my school were sons of people in the armed forces or nobility as it was a fee-paying school. Virtually everyone there had a stereo so instead of hearing singles on the radio I got to hear albums. Zeppelin, Purple, Heep, Hawkwind, Sabbath and lots of other bands who were around at the time, too many to mention but you get the idea, right?

Q. - Did you start to go to the Soundhouse in the late 70's? Do you think it was a mythical place?

Sid - I first went there in 1976 as I was working nearby and a there was a girl that I really fancied who said she went there on a Sunday night so I went there just to hang out with her for the evening. This was when it was a disco place and then Neal Kaye came along and totally changed it. To me, it wasn't a 'Mythical Place' as it was just the place that I used to go to. The thing that I loved the most about it was that people from all over London started to turn up there and I got to meet some great people who are still good friends to this day and through them I got into a lot of bands that I'd never heard before.

Q. - How would you describe the enthusiasm of the fans? Do you remember the effort and dedication on the cardboard guitars contest?

Sid - To be honest, at the first 'Headbanger Of The Year' contest the only person who had anything apart from fresh air was Loonhouse. He was without a doubt the man who started off the whole thing although I will point out that his guitars were made of hardboard and not cardboard as many people think.  He used to build them in his garage as I can testify to, he made my gold 'Les Paul' which I used in my '15 minutes of fame' in the Living After Midnight video by Judas Priest (Loonhouse used his trusty red Flying V). I'll put the video clip on your fb timeline so you can see it, the 2 other guys were Dobbo on 'drums' and Clive Bassett on 'bass', (Loonhouse made the Rickenbacker as well). The first time that I ever saw multiple hardboard guitars was at the Headbanging Band contest in 1979 when all the 4 bands that took part had everyone 'fully equipped'. Normal nights at the Soundhouse nobody except Loonhouse had one, it was expected of him and I know for a fact that people came down there just to see this legendary guy with his red hardboard Flying V. He even used to take it to concerts for fucks sake!!! Everyone who came down to the Soundhouse for the first time always got a warm welcome from the regulars for the simple reason that they were rock fans the same as we were and we were seen as 'evil people' by 95% of society because we liked rock music (ask Jimmy 'Tee Rets' Norcott !!!). People who came loved the place because they met like-minded people and got into new bands by word of mouth or swapping cassette tapes, no internet or you tube in those days!!!

Q. - Do you know what ever happened to Rob Loonhouse?

Sid - Sadly Paulo. Loonhouse has apparently become a total recluse. He won't leave his house, won't answer the phone, nothing. One of my great friends from the Soundhouse days is award winning rock journalist Mark Blake and he was very close to Loonhouse. He told me about a year ago that Loonhouse was meant to turn up at a bar for a re-union of some sorts about 10 years ago, he didn't turn up and nobody that he knows has seen him since. I became very close friends with him after the 'Headbanger Of The Year' contest in December 1978 when we were voted best and second best in the competition (I won it by the way, will send you a picture of my trophy presentation later). He actually introduced me to the woman that I ended up marrying (she was his boss's daughter) and he was at our wedding as well.

Q.- What about the Music Machine gig on May 8, 1979, with Samson, Angel Witch and Iron Maiden? Did you see it as the re-emergence of the heavy metal movement?

Sid - The Music Machine gig in 1979? I'm sure that I would have been there but can't remember for sure. Did I see it as the re-emergence of the Heavy Metal Movement? Didn't even think about it to be honest Paulo, it was just another night for me in that I'd go to a gig, bump into the same people from all over London and rock out to some good bands. All I can remember is that slowly the venues that I was going to were now becoming clubs rather than pubs and there seemed to be more new faces appearing that all us 'regulars' had never seen before.

Q. - When you were frequenting the Soundhouse in the late 70's, early 1980’s were there any bands that surprised you or were you disappointed with?

Sid - What you have to remember Paulo is that while there were some really good bands emerging, there were also a hell of a lot of bands that were, shall we say to be polite, not so good. It wasn't a case of being disappointed with a band as I realised that some would be better than others, it was all about getting lucky and coming across the right band, usually by accident. Even if the band you went to see were not that good, you'd have a night out drinking beer with fellow rock fans and maybe make a new friend or two.

Q. - What bands most impressed you at the beginning of the N.W.O.B.H.M.? And why?

Sid - The bands that I used to take an interest in at the very start (or before it even all began maybe) were Angel Witch, Iron Maiden, Praying Mantis and Urchin. They were the ones who, to me anyway, had the best songs and put on the best live shows and I have no hesitation whatsoever in saying that if all 4 bands were playing on the same night, I would be at the Urchin gig as they were my favourite.

Q. - Were there any bands that you used to follow on tour, at that time?

Sid - Urchin. Living in London we saw lots of bands every week and getting around London was pretty easy via public transport so London gigs were never a problem. However, outside of London and within 100km distance, Urchin were my 'go-to' band. Being an Urchin fan made me a lot of new friends as it was the same people turning up for the gigs, we got to know each other well and a 'band of brothers' were born. One of the guys had a transit van so we decided to drive out to Urchin gigs outside London. We went to a lot of US Air Force bases for gigs as well as pub gigs and we became known as the 'Cockneys On Tour' (Cockney is the name used by non-Londoners to describe people from London although a true cockney is from East London). At the airforce base gigs, it was usually Iron Maiden SUPPORTING Urchin as well. I'm still in very close contact with a couple of the guys from COT, would you like me to hook you up for some of their memories from back in the day as well? There is also a Cockneys On Tour fb page if you want to check it out.

Q. - And what about the "Friday Rock Show"? What memories do you keep from listening to Tommy Vance?

Sid - This might surprise you Paulo but I never listened to it once. I heard copies of the show that my friends had taped and, from all the taped shows that I heard, I only heard 2 or 3 new songs that I didn't know. You must remember that I grew up in London, Friday was the start of the weekend after a week at work so it was time to drink a few beers with your mates and there was always either a good band on or a rock club night on somewhere. Stay at home on my own and listen to the radio where I might not hear a single song that I didn't know in two hours? No chance mate.

Q. – How did you get the chance to be on the “Living After Midnight” video?

Sid - I remember it quite well, this guy came down to the bandwagon looking for guys to be on the crowd for the video clip.

We were a headbanging band and I told him don’t look anywhere else, we’re here we’ll do it! We’ll do it as a headbanging band and we got the job! We did the video! We went to Sheffield and Iron Maiden was the supporting band, and we were friends with Maiden at that time. Rob Halford is a down to earth guy, friendly, very nice guy, all the guys were really nice, a bunch of nice guys.

We stayed there and watched the show and got merchandise for free, we were in the guest list for the whole tour. It will stay with me forever, a chance to hang out with guys I really like. I remember one night at that tour, I was watching Iron Maiden live and Adrian Smith came to me and told me that he was going to join the band. I was very happy for him because he was the right man for the job.

Q. – What do you feel when you look at yourself on the video?

Sid - I feel like I’ve been transported back in time. I’m single, free, and it takes me back to a magic time, I had some really fantastic friends, many people knows that I was part on that video, even here in the Netherlands, that’s something I’ll never forget, something I look back with lots of pride and happiness. My 15 minutes of fame.

Q. - Do you keep in touch with Neal Kay? Do you think he was very important in the revival of heavy metal in the late 70's?

Sid - Yes, definitely, I spoke with him two days ago and message him today, there is this guy that is writing a book about Neal Kay, about his all career, and he is going to interview me about the Soundhouse days, and what went on at that time. Yes, Neal was DJ years and years, way back before the NWOBHM and he was extremely important, there were some rock clubs in London and people from all London went to the Soundhouse, we called it home, people went there to listen to new music. Many bands brought cassettes to him, asking him to listen to their bands, that’s how he knew about new bands and he play them, at the Soundhouse you could listen to music that you couldn’t listen elsewhere, and another thing, when we were rock fans in the 70’s, people didn’t like us, they thought we were devil worshipers, Satanists, that was the reputation we had, this guy gave us a home where we could meet together and everybody was equal. In 4 years, I went there I never saw one fight, we were there to listen to music and I never saw any trouble there it was fantastic.

He was basically the one who built the Soundhouse, Geoff Barton wrote an article in the Sounds magazine, and Neal convinced him to put a heavy metal chart in the magazine, after that it completely took off, everybody knew where to go hanging with rockers and listen to new bands, people started to come from further places, Sweden, Norway. He played demo tapes from bands that we didn’t know, like Praying Mantis, and people took interest about who were these new bands, that would not be possible without Neal,

The worth night was when Neal had to play the standard bands. I was regular, I used to go 3 times in a week, I made a lot of good friends, I met my wife there in 79!

Q. - Did you try to play in some bands back then? Tell us a bit about it please.

Sid - I did but I was useless!! It would be better if I played in a punk band, because it was easier. But I was a good sound engineer, I went to California, San Diego, and learned how to do it!! But never did it in England, only in America I was there for 10 years (89-99). People liked my job, I did hundreds of shows, mostly local American bands. Not because I’ve worked as a sound engineer but the sound guy is the most important guy in the building when a band is playing live, you can have the best band playing, but if the sound guy doesn’t know what he’s doing, it’s going to be shaite!! At one of those shows I’ve met Ice-T, very nice guy.

Q. - What do you think of this recent revival of the N.W.O.B.H.M., and all these bands reforming?

Sid - To me some of them I think they reform because they love what they do, they can’t resist it. For example, Def Leppard, they do it just for the money and it pisses me off, another example, Kiss, they have some great songs, but I would not see them live, they asked for a bunch of money to meet them after the show on the farewell tour, they are extremely rich, don’t need money, why do they not put cheap tickets for their farewell tour, a way to say thank you for their fans! Even if they put cheap tickets people would by merchandise and they would do lots of money.

I would not ever spend money to meet a band, that’s not going to happen. I used to see pub bands, the bands used to hang out after the shows for the fans. It brings me great memories from those days, bands were not there for the money, they were there for rock ‘n’ roll, and that’s what makes it relevant.

Thank you for your time, and wish you all the best for the future!

ROD1313 - Overcome

"Overcome" represents a natural evolution from "Gravity" and "Dark Clouds", both in terms of production and mastering.

"The Path" follows a way that Rod has already accustomed us to in "Dark Clouds".

"Something To Live For" is the advance single, and a personal favourite of mine, with excellent tempo variations, great melodies and guitar solos.

After the dark melodic "Lifeline" comes "Now and Forever" featuring João Brito from the band "Devil In Me" on lead guitar. The title track "Overcome" has the heaviest riff on the album and it ends with "Sign Of Life", which shows a darker environment.

Overall, "Overcome" is a pleasant listening album full of very interesting technical aspects. For catchy melodies and good guitar solos lovers.

Check the new video, "Something To Live For":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAC7TWBATMM