Pippa Lang

Pippa Lang was a music journalist for thirty years and had such a great work on countless magazines, including Mojo, Melody Maker and, in particular, Metal Hammer, where she was Reviews Editor from late 80s to mid-90s. Played the bass in the punk band 'Disturbed UK' in the 90's. We had a chat about the early days of the NWOBHM, the magazines and Disturbed UK.

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

Pippa - Well just to give you a bit of social background, I was a 70s teenager and, at that time, Britain was still rebuilding itself after World War II, so there was a lot of unrest, dissatisfied youth, feelings of alienation from our ‘War Generation’ parents and we needed an outlet. Luckily, there was this band from Birmingham called Black Sabbath… Metal was like a tool of survival, empathy, expression, catharsis. Still is, I guess, although it’s changed, evolved so much since then.

Q. - What memories do you keep from the Soundhouse in the late 70's? Do you think it was a mythical place?

Pippa - Ah! I don’t know about mythical…but I do remember some great nights with DJ Neal Kaye providing us with tracks from this exciting new NWOBHM ‘movement’. I still have my original copy of Iron Maiden’s Soundhouse Tapes.

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

Pippa - Oh yes – there was a particular guy called Rob Loonhouse who was really dedicated at air guitar, in fact I think was pioneer - he became a bit of a legend!

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

Pippa - Ah I see you’re ahead of me! No…but I could probably find out…..

Q. - And what about the "Friday Rock Show"? Was, somehow, Tommy Vance an influence on you?

Pippa - I listened to Tommy’s show all the time. For sure he was an influence – a place on the airwaves that we could call home. Met him a coupla times, such a nice guy, very down to earth.

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

Pippa - I nearly played bass when I was about 17 – I say ‘nearly’ because there was a missing bassist at a local gig, so I was all ready to wing it (after a five-minute crash course!), when he suddenly turned up! I learnt classical piano from age five till 16, stopped because I thought it was uncool and didn’t pick it up again until much later. After playing bass in hardcore punk band Disturbed UK in the 90s, I started a more melodic rock band called Red-Eyed Suburbanites (piano, vocals, songwriting). Still play and recently picked up bass again.

Q. - When did you start working at the Sounds magazine? How did that happen?

Pippa - 1980 – and I only really compiled the gig guide for Sounds (and Record Mirror), although I did write for Record Mirror. That happened because I was receptionist/advertising assistant at Smash Hits(!) magazine in Carnaby Street in 1979. I was the only hippie/metaller there amongst all these sharp-suited two-toners. I was this scruffy, long-haired chick of 20 who thought a crumpled second-hand velvet jacket and jeans was a smart look! Eugene Manzi, who worked for London Records, used to come in a lot and we’d chat, and he told me about the gig-guide job going at Spotlight Publications in Covent Garden (Sounds & RM’s publishers). Working there really set the ball rolling. Sounds of course came up with the ‘NWOBHM’ label in the first place, Garry ‘Oi!’ Bushell definitely gave metal a leg up.

Q. - And what do you think about all the N.W.O.B.H.M. movement, and the repercussion it had around the world?

Pippa - Well, really it was the commercialising of Metal – but at the same time a necessary evil in order to spread the word globally. It was a crazy time in the UK – both the punk movement and NWOBHM were so vivid – I remember looking down from Smash Hits’ offices above the shops in Carnaby Street and watching the colourful people traffic go by: the dichotomy between the bright coxcombs and mohicans of the punks and the wild uncut hair, black leather jackets and jeans of the metalheads. I was right in the middle of it all. But there was hardly any animosity between the two (contrary to what the media claimed) because BOTH punk and metal were creating an essential wall of expression for dissatisfied youth to throw themselves into, what with Maggie Thatcher’s Conservatives encouraging people to be selfish, buy a house, put yourself in debt for 25 years (I know, I did it, terrible idea). Then when Maiden first went to America, they faced the evangelical mentality of Ronald Reagan’s neo- conservative Republicans, although the ‘clean-up America’ campaign was just as rife with the Democrats. Bear in mind Senator Al Gore’s wife, Tipper Gore, founded the Parents’ Music Resource Center (sic) (PMRC) in 1985 (‘burn all metal albums!’) and you can see what Maiden – and metal – were facing. But, hey, even thirty years of demonization couldn’t keep metal down.

Q. - Having been a closer friends to Iron Maiden in their beginnings, did you think they would reach as high as they did?

Pippa - I first met Maiden at their groundbreaking gig supporting Judas Priest at The Rainbow in 1980…. In particular, I got to know Dave Murray very well. I remember distinctly traveling with them on their first headline UK tour playing places like Oxford Apollo, Bournemouth (can’t remember the other gigs), middle-weight gigs…but, even then, bursting out of the backstage door with them was exhilarating, such a rush of adoring fans! But still Dave, for one, was still living in a small house with his parents in Clapton, lovely people (both gone, sadly) – so small, Mrs Murray had to do the ironing in the hallway. So this tour, then, was the start of a different life, for ALL of Maiden, and was an indication of what they were about to achieve, that big step from middle to heavy weight – and then they were gone and, pretty soon, would be surrounded by the industry machine, I remember that sense of waving goodbye. That wasn’t the case, of course, because Maiden became very present, visible from then onwards for EVERYONE. I do still get to say ‘hi’ every few years when they come back and tour the UK. They always have these mad aftershow/album release parties! Well, not quite so mad these days – we’re all getting a bit long in the tooth…

Q. - Was there any other bands, besides Iron Maiden, that impressed you at the beginning of the N.W.O.B.H.M.?

Pippa - Definitely Samson – and not just because Bruce started with them. Paul was such a quality guitarist, I was so sad when he died, and then Chris Aylmer followed him, although I think Pete Jupp’s still around. (Nicky ‘Nippy’ Moore isn’t too well these days either…) I knew Paul very well and, although I don’t remember, I used to hang around with Bruce too. (A friend recently told me because my own memory is very bad – we must’ve spent some good times together I guess!). Sledgehammer was another excellent band, and Wildfire, comprising musicians who moved on to many other bands but, particularly, Weapon UK and (the new) Sweet, both of whom are still gigging, lovely guys. Wildfire’s vocalist was Paul Mario Day, of course, who sang for Maiden in 1975/76 and then More. He’s also still gigging. It’s so cool that most of the NWOBHM guys are still around.

Q. - Around 1988 you started to work for Metal Hammer as a freelancer, how would you resume so many years of work with them?

Pippa - It was a very privileged time, being so involved with Metal Hammer then, and I mean that in terms of access to the plethora of fantastic metal around that time, not just the perks of the job (which, as Reviews Ed, were pretty cool though haha!). The early 90s was that groundbreaking era when Nirvana and grunge blurred the edges of metal because, of course, prior to this, bands could pretty easily be regarded as either metal or rock (with ‘hard rock’ in the middle I guess). When Nirvana came along, suddenly sub-categories of metal really opened up. I remember when Kurt died: we’d just put the latest issue ‘to bed’ when I received a phone call telling us he’d gone. We worked through the night and out the other side to change the issue and try and do justice to his life and death in a very short space of time. I think one of the highlights of working at the Hammer was interviewing Nirvana just before Nevermind came out. Many great stories and anecdotes from those days, most of which I remember lol.

Q. - During the 90's you played the bass in the punk band Disturbed UK, for how long did you play in the band? Did you have some fun touring with Disturbed?

Pippa - Ah, that’s nice you know that! We were together for 10 years – we were only a small band but supported Sham 69 and the UK Subs a couple of times, and Kerrang’s Morat put us on his playlist, Garry Bushell liked us and we had a good review in Melody Maker’s demo page. It was a great feeling being up onstage thundering out the bass riffs and, being a girl, it was pretty empowering. I had more girl fans than boys – that made me proud.

Q. - Did you feel the 90's were hard times for heavy metal bands?

Pippa - If you mean that, because of grunge, metal bands had problems with identity, perhaps yes… Plus I think the whole Britpop thing put metal in the shade in the UK a bit, made fun of metal. And then of course The Darkness turned up and to my mind that prompted some of the older bands to either reform or, like Uriah Heep, reinforce themselves to show people what REAL metal is about…

Q. - Are you retired from the rock business nowadays? Do you miss it?

Pippa - I don’t miss the music industry at all. However, there is an amazing rock/metal community outside and on the periphery of the industry that thrives despite it. So I love going to pub gigs and most of these comprise members of the NWOBHM who are still gigging in this lively environment that, as long as they stop closing pubs in England, will never die. I do occasionally hang out with old industry/journalist friends at the legendary Crobar in London, plus on the rare occasions I can score a pass, I’ll bump into a few people from the old days. I’m going to Hellfest this year, just one day to see Kiss, Whitesnake, etc., can’t wait.

Q. - You are a PhD Student (Music Autoethnography) in the Kingston University, what can you say about this new experience?

Pippa - It’s insane that despite all attempts to escape metal (lol), I end up being rerouted back to this place that I cannot deny is Home. It was mostly the business itself I was trying to get away from I guess, but I really didn’t get on with black and death metal, my heavy tastes are more industrial or hardcore or dub-metal, not sludge or growling. So, latest attempt to escape was to go to Uni at 50, and suddenly found myself writing about music journalism and problem music subcultures (hip-hop and metal)….revisiting the past. When I finished my Music Masters, I started speaking at metal conferences – as Metal has become a respected academic discipline! I’ve been invited to speak at several I think mostly because of my metal journalism background – I’m like a relic, a source of curiosity, moving from metal journalism to academia. Most recently, I spoke at the first World Metal Congress in London, organised by the amazing Alexander Milas and metal academic Niall Thomas, very exciting. In June I’m going to France and speaking at one of the many conferences run by ISMMS (The nternational Society for Metal Music Studies, started by Niall), called Locating Metal, right before Hellfest. Point is the conferences led to the PhD, thanks to a metal professor called Karl Spracklen, who suggested it. An autoethnography is like an autobiography but in ultural context, so this is about my life in metal, all the different roles I’ve had (PR, roadie, promoter, manager too) but, in context, how metal basically saved mine and others’ lives, which I mentioned before. My life is like an example of what metal meant/means to young people (and adults of course), both the positives and negatives; I have to be objective. It’s brought up a lot of feminist issues, and I’ve realised how different metal (music and subculture) is these days, women are much more empowered, which is both good and bad because it can create too much of a division between men and women – but, and this is an important fact I’ve learnt recently - true feminism is about balance, not division. As both a tomboy and a woman, I’m kind of in the middle – all I’ve ever experienced is support within metal, but I know there are problems that women these days won’t tolerate (which we kinda did in the 70s, we were different people with no support networks) so, yes, I do need to be objective. Ah! There I go, ranting academically, sorry...

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

Pippa - I love it – it’s solid proof that metal is one of the most established popular music genres in the world and isn’t going anywhere! It’s becoming much more accepted globally. Whilst young metal bands are forging new territories for the genre, the older bands are still very much valued and respected and, I would say, needed to remind people of where metal originated, as both a form of music and a subculture. The Home of Metal exhibition in Birmingham this year is celebrating Sabbath’s 50 th anniversary and, by default, metal’s 50 years – and this in itself speaks volumes. I’m hoping to speak at the Home of Metal conference in September…cross fingers. Let’s not forget those other legendary Brummies, Judas Priest, played a major part in metal’s origins. I mean, let’s not forget Rob Halford was responsible for the leather jackets and studs!

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

Pippa - I think I’ve waffled enough, don’t you?! Just that the world has changed and so have attitudes and these are reflected in the world of metal. There are lessons to be learned both from the past and the state of the world today. We have to be better. As an established global community, we have to be an example of tolerance and inclusion. Let’s do it! Be careful out there…

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