Sacred Oath (Tamworth)

Sacred Oath were active between 1983 and 1985, and recorded the demo tape "The Power Of The Oath" in 1985. We had a chat with guitar player Muz Pickett, about these obscure band from Tamworth.

Q. - Hello Muz, tell us a bit about the origins of Sacred Oath, how and when did it all start? Who were the first members of the band? How did you get in touch with the other members?

Muz - Hi. Sacred Oath started in 1984, whilst myself, Paul Keeton (guitar, vocs) and Neil Concannon (bass) were still at school, where we first met. A little earlier in the year, the other two members had teamed up with vocalist Star Trek, who was from the local area. We met up for a jam at Paul's and the rest is history.

Q. - Who would you cite as your major influences at that time?

Muz - Our influences at that time were AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Status Quo and U2 amongst others.

Q. - What other bands did you play before Sacred Oath?

Muz - None. It was our first venture into the world of music.

Q. - How was like the Tamworth metal scene back in the day? Was it a united scene? How were your relations with other local bands?

Muz - The metal scene back then was in it's infancy. There weren't many Metal bands doing the rounds locally. It would change a few years after. Most local bands got on with each other. I don't remember much animosity.

Q. - Did you play regularly in the UK back then or was it hard for a heavy metal band to be booked at that time?

Muz - You  have  to remember that as a band are ages were 15-16 when we started, and by the time we morphed into The Judas Cradle, we were still only 17. So we played regularly in Tamworth but only got as far afield as Birmingham, some 15 miles away. Obviously we made plans to range further but none of us could drive, including all but one of our roadies. We never found any barriers to getting gigs back then, apart from that.

Q. - Do you remember the set list that you use to play with Sacred Oath?

Muz - Mostly. We used to start with an instrumental simply titled Sacred Oath, while the smoke and flashbombs would be happening. Magdellana was one of our better tunes in my opinion and would often follow the opener. Others were Honour & Glory, Love Kills (which made the demo, along with Lie With Me, Love With Me and On The Borderline) and Take Me To Your Leader which was one of the first songs we wrote as a band. Other titles were End Of The Road, Dedikated and One Day I'll Be King. A couple or three tunes which we played less frequently were Afraid Of The Dark, Fighter Pilot and Second Hand.

Q. - How did the idea of record the demo "The Power Of The Oath" came up?

Muz - Just a natural progression really. That was the path to get yourself heard and we heard of a local studio (Expresso Bongo) recently opened which fit the bill. So we went in and booked it for two days in the early Summer of '85 to record the three tracks. We decided we needed a demo to get gigs, attract an agent and to send to record companies. We achieved the first two!. I'm not sure if the demo was ever sent to any record companies. Probably not.

Q. - Did you get support in the media back then? Radio, magazines, fanzines?

Muz - Yes, to a degree. The local paper was the main source (Tamworth Herald) and the music editor was always a delight to work with as he was so enthusiastic about the local scene. Sam Holliday, take a bow... Their were a couple of local fanzines at the time, but nothing Metal-wise. We always believed in self-promotion and we would generally advertise the band as much as possible, albeit by word of mouth in those days of pre-internet.

Q. - After this demo, did you try to approach a label, to record an LP?

Muz - That would have been the original plan, but as I've said previously, it never actually made it to any companies. I think part of the problem was a couple of line-up changes and the band developing a new direction, which would evolve into an alternative rock edge around the Judas Cradle time. we were listening to bands like The Cult circa their Spiritwalker and Love albums and The Cure and Sisters Of Mercy. We did another demo a year later but by then the Metal was largely gone.

Q. - Do you have some other demo recordings, besides the 1985 demo?

Muz - Not of Sacred Oath, no. I have somewhere a cassette of our first gig at Tamworth Arts Centre supporting Scarab, who we supported around three times at the same venue. There is also a camcorder recording of our '85 appearance at Tamworth Rock Festival, but it's missing the cassette recording that makes it listenable. The sound currently on it is from the tiny microphone on the camcorder. Not great.

Q. - What do you think that went wrong at that time, so that Sacred Oath did not have continuity? When did you split exactly and for what reasons?

Muz - As above, with the change of direction and two line-up changes. We were growing up I suppose and tastes and ideas were changing. Bound to happen but it was fun while it lasted. Sacred Oath didn't actually split. We turned into the Judas Cradle then The Cradle and in six months we were history. That split was the usual musical differences and ego clashes that always goes on. In May '86.

Q. - Did you keep in touch with the former members all over the years?

Muz - Mostly yeah. I've played in bands since then with Jim who drummed for Sacred Oath (he could hardly play when he joined, but he turned into a great and versatile player of the tubs). Niz the bass player spends a lot of time in India but we catch up occasionally when he's back in Blighty. Paul went into business and I don't think he has any musical outpourings these days. Star Trek unfortunately is no longer with us. Quite a complex character, but a lovely fella and he evolved into a fine frontman with bands that followed the Sacred Oath days.

Q. - How do you see the heavy metal scene nowadays? Do you keep an eye on what's going on? Are you still a heavy metal fan?

Muz - Hmm. I've got to admit that I don't follow the Metal scene now. Classic metal a la Sabbath, yes and the NWOBHM stalwarts like early Maiden-first two albums-, Raven's Rock Until You Drop and Wiped Out. I still like Saxon's Wheel Of Steel and Strong Arm Of The Law and More's Warhead, too. To be honest, I probably wouldn't recognise a lot of what passes for the genre these days. I like bands that have metal leanings like Soundgarden and Rage Against The Machine. Probably the last album I bought that contained Metal in it's grooves would be Norway's Motorpsycho with their Heavy Metal Fruit album.

Q. - Have you ever think about doing a compilation on cd with the demos recorded by Sacred Oath?

Muz - No, because we only have them on cassette and I doubt the quality would suffice. They have been turned into mp3's in the past though.

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

Muz - More power to them. Playing music is addictive and there's far worse things they could be doing. I've never been able to shake the bug of performing and these guys are the same. If any of them were as young as I was when I started, then they'll now be far better on their instrument than back then, too, so why not get out there and play.

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

Muz - Only that I'm always surprised that Sacred Oath have attracted so much attention these past few years but I'm grateful for the interest and always happy to share some fond memories of the old days. Thanks all and keep on rocking!

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

Casablanca

Tendo nascido na Amadora no ano de 1982 sob o nome de Valium, alteraram o nome para Casablanca em 1988 e gravaram o seu primeiro álbum, "Tanto", em 1990, edição de autor. Mantivemos uma conversa com os irmãos Figueira (João, José e Jorge), sobre esta mítica banda do heavy metal nacional.

P. - Falem-nos um pouco dos vossos inícios na música, como surgiu a ideia de formar uma banda? Contem-nos um pouco da vossa história.

João - Era normal ouvirmos música em casa. Um amigo deu-nos a conhecer bandas como os Deep Purple (“Made in Japan”), Black Sabbath (“Vol 4”), Sweet (“Fox On The Run”), Suzi Quatro (“48 Crash”, “Can The Can”), Nazareth (“Hair Of The Dog”), entre outras. Ele também tinha comprado uma guitarra acústica que de vez em quando nos emprestava: fomos aprendendo a tocar, até que, um dia, a nossa mãe decidiu comprar uma para nós e um pequeno livro de músicas e acordes. A minha área era mais aprender acordes para descobrir novos sons e dedilhados; o Jorge era mais para a área dos solos e o Zé ficou no baixo. Começou a ideia de formar uma banda, mas faltava baterista e vocalista.

P. - Quais as principais dificuldades com que se deparavam nessa altura em que formaram os Valium?

José - A principal dificuldade foi monetária, pois os instrumentos eram muito caros nessa altura.

P. - E quais as vossas principais influências e grupos favoritos no início da banda?

João - As que já foram referidas anteriormente e outras que fomos descobrindo: Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Sex Pistols, Ramones, Motorhead, AC/DC, Manowar, Whitesnake, Metallica, Anthrax, Pantera, Accept, entre outras.

P. - Começaram logo como banda de originais, ou no início concentravam-se mais em versões?

José - Começámos como banda de originais.

P. - Em 1984, deu-se o primeiro festival de heavy metal em Portugal, que contou com a vossa participação, era a confirmação de um estilo de música que procurava impor-se?

João – O heavy metal já existia, mas era um pouco obscuro. Apenas as chamadas “Rádios Piratas” tinham programas específicos com este género de música. Começaram a surgir grupos que desenvolviam a divulgação através de fanzines e gravações de algumas bandas.

Jorge – Esse primeiro festival foi, justamente, a sequência lógica.

P. - Como caracterizam de uma forma geral, os primeiros passos do heavy metal em Portugal?

João - Ingénuo no bom sentido: havia um bom espírito de apreciar o que era feito pelas bandas, sendo as sessões no Rock Rendez Vous um exemplo.

Jorge – Até ao momento em que essa ingenuidade desapareceu. Algumas pessoas começaram a achar que não havia espaço para tantas bandas e fanzines. Surgiram os jogos de bastidores. A “concorrência” saudável deu lugar à falsidade.

P. - Que memórias guardam do Metal Stage, no Cine Plaza na Amadora, com Cruise, Valium, Satan´s Saints e STS Paranoid?

João - Foi uma enchente: soube depois que alguns dos que lá estiveram tinham vindo de longe para o evento. Os cafés à volta estavam apinhados e circulava-se com dificuldade nas ruas. Nessa altura já estávamos mais habituados ao palco, o que levou a uma boa atuação.

P. - Como se deu a passagem de Valium para Casablanca, sentiram que era o início de um novo ciclo? Uma vez que houve uma alteração tanto a nível de som como de imagem?

João - Já tínhamos gravado algumas maquetes. Apareceu a hipótese de gravar algumas com o Manuel Cardoso, fundador dos Tantra e Samurai. Ele gostou do que ouviu, mas achou que o nome Valium era um “downer” e seria melhor alterarmos o nome. Nesta altura também estávamos a mudar o estilo.

Jorge - Sempre estivemos atentos ao que se estava a passar em termos musicais fora de Portugal, ao contrário de muitas bandas que se limitavam a ficar “agarradas” aos mesmos clássicos do metal e a copiar as suas “malhas”.

P. - Vocês chegaram a lotar algumas vezes o RRV, com os vossos espectáculos, deixa-vos saudades esta mítica sala?

João – Claro, uma vez que fomos recordistas de bilheteira na primeira vez que lá aparecemos: foi muito bom.

José - A sala tinha condições para a realização de espetáculos, não só na vertente do heavy metal mas também em outros estilos musicais.

Jorge - Pois, mas só enchia com as “festas” e concertos de heavy metal…

P. - Em 1990 eis que chega o vosso primeiro LP, Tanto, ficaram satisfeitos com o resultado final? Sentiram dificuldades com a distribuição?

João - As maquetes que gravámos inicialmente tinham melhor som do que aquele que aparece no álbum: este está muito “limpo”. Como foi Edição de Autor, houve naturalmente dificuldades em distribui-lo. Ainda assim, conseguimos algumas vendas.

Jorge – Gravar qualquer coisa num estúdio profissional, naquela altura, não era propriamente barato. Muito menos no “Angel Studio”. Hoje em dia até se grava em casa…

P. - Depois de tantos anos como vocalista tanto dos Valium como Casablanca, o que levou o Paulo Silva a abandonar o projecto?

João - Não sei ao certo, mas na altura havia alguma tensão na banda por causa das namoradas. Também o facto de pensar em casar talvez tenha contribuído para o seu afastamento.

Jorge - Fama, egos, álcool, namoradas… enfim, clássicos da vida de um jovem músico.

P. - Sentiram dificuldade em encontrar um vocalista para gravar o single "Do Que Passou, Nada Ficou"?

João - Sim. Houve um período longo até descobrirmos alguém.

Jorge - O grau de exigência não era propriamente baixo.

P. - Nesta altura houve também alterações na bateria, uma vez que regressou o Rui Pereira, como se deu este regresso, apesar de breve?

João - O Rui apareceu por acaso e, talvez por nostalgia, quis regressar à banda, pois, afinal, ele foi o nosso baterista inicial. Também o facto de se ter casado afastou-o da banda para se dedicar à vida familiar.

P. - Foi depois da edição do single que entrou para a banda o António Alho, vocalista, que se mantém até aos dias de hoje, uma boa adaptação aos Casablanca?

João - Foi um acaso, pois inicialmente seria para fazer parte de uma banda de covers em que estava incluído o Quim, baterista inicial dos STS Paranoid, que nos havia contactado para o efeito. O Alho também já fizera parte dessa banda (STS Paranoid), mas estava retirado do meio. A partir da banda de covers foi convidado para integrar Casablanca, mas o estilo vocal dele nada tinha a ver com os registos dos anteriores vocalistas. Assim, foi necessário um período de adaptação, uma vez que passámos a escrever as letras em inglês.

P. - Durante os anos 90, quando se apregoava aos quatro ventos a tão propagada "morte" do heavy metal, altura em que a maior parte das bandas do estilo decidiu cessar actividades, vocês foram remando contra a maré com a edição do “Sands of Wasted Time” e do “Another Day”, eram tempos difíceis para manter um projeto de heavy metal ativo?

João - O heavy metal estava a mudar: quando começámos, cada banda soava diferente. De repente, ou talvez não, todas as bandas me pareciam igual com o mesmo som e a mesma apresentação. Mesmo hoje em dia é difícil aparecer Casablanca em festivais, pois estes são vocacionados para aquele determinado estilo, estilo esse em que não nos enquadramos. Ainda assim, ainda conseguimos atuar na altura do “Sands of Wasted Time” e do “Another Day”.

José - Foram tempos difíceis e hoje também não se afiguram ser muito fáceis. Nessa altura mantivemo-nos fiéis ao heavy metal e continuaremos nesse estilo.

P. - O álbum "Once upon a Wasted Time" tem grande potencial, mas no entanto parece-me que a produção do mesmo não ajudou muito, a que se deveu este facto?

Jorge – Ingenuidade. Por incrível que possa parecer. Achar que há outras pessoas que percebem mais de estúdio/mistura/masterização, no que diz respeito ao heavy metal, pode ser um erro. E foi. Estamos sempre a aprender…

P. - Parece-me no entanto um bocado estranho que tivessem decidido acabar com a banda exactamente quando o heavy metal começou a "renascer das cinzas”, a que se deveu esta decisão?

João – Saturação/desilusão com o que se estava a passar musicalmente... Falta de oportunidades para apresentar o nosso trabalho.

P. - É então que aparecem em cena os "Smoke on The Motor", projecto de covers. Sentiram que era uma melhor solução para dar continuidade à vossa carreira?

João - Sempre gostámos de tocar e a via para continuar a fazê-lo foi com os Smoke on The Motor, que já existiam em simultâneo com Casablanca. Quem não gostasse de som mais pesado tinha a opção Hard Rock, apesar dos termas escolhidos sofrerem o tratamento Casablanca.

Jorge – Além disso, uma banda de versões ganha mais dinheiro numa atuação do que uma banda jurássica portuguesa de heavy metal…

P. - 12 anos depois eis que voltam ao activo com duas grandes actuações, em 2017, no RCA e o Stairway, sentiram que foram dois concertos especiais para os Casablanca?

João - No primeiro, havia algum nervosismo relativamente à aceitação dos nossos temas, mas a receção foi além do esperado. As opiniões foram muito favoráveis, mesmo daqueles que nunca tinham visto um concerto nosso. Aliás, na segunda atuação, compareceram muitos dos que só nos viram e ouviram no RCA. No Stairway já estávamos mais à vontade e isso notou-se no desempenho da banda em palco. Mais uma vez as reações foram muito positivas.

P. - O que achas da falta de apoio das rádios nacionais, especialmente programas de autor, na divulgação dos sons nacionais de heavy metal?

Jorge - Quando começámos, havia muitos programas a divulgar o heavy metal (nacional e estrangeiro). Hoje, não. Há por aí algumas rádios online. O panorama só poderá ser alterado, por paixão. Mas a paixão, neste caso, não dá dinheiro...

P. - É mais fácil manter o projecto unido uma vez que 3 irmãos fazem parte da banda?

João - Sim, somente nós nos mantivemos na banda desde o início.

P. - Ponderam efectuar uma edição do álbum "Tanto" junto com o single "Do Que Passou, Nada Ficou" em cd?

João - Alguém já nos propôs isso, mas não há nada em concreto.

P. – Jorge, uma das frases mais marcantes que li numa entrevista tua foi: "o metal está-nos no sangue"! Proferida na revista Rock Power em 1991, será que o heavy metal ainda vos corre no sangue hoje em dia?

Jorge - Não tenho feito análises ao sangue, recentemente, mas quer-me parecer que sim. Compro cd’s de heavy metal, decoro a minha casa com adereços afins e continuo a ser (como sempre me considerei) um guitarrista de heavy metal. No entanto, é óbvio que a minha/nossa casta é única…

P. - Olhando para a edição de "Pesadelo Real: Anthology 1985-1988" que reúne as gravações de Valium, fica um sentimento especial ao ver estas músicas reunidas em cd?

João - Sim, pois faz voltar a ouvir coisas que fazíamos e permite perceber a evolução da banda. Claro que hoje já tocamos melhor, mas fica registado o empenho de todos nós nos temas gravados na altura.

José - É sempre gratificante ter num suporte digital e duradouro as músicas feitas nos primeiros anos da banda que estavam em suporte analógico e que se poderiam perder com o passar dos anos.

P. - No entanto houve músicas como a "Pandora" que ficaram fora desta edição, ficarão perdidas no tempo?

João - Algumas gravações não suportaram as condições climatéricas…

Jorge - Há coisas que, inevitavelmente, se perderam e se perderão. É a lei da vida.

P. - Chegaram a dar-vos o rótulo de "vedetas", porque se recusaram a actuar em certos eventos, na realidade, porque tal acontecia?

João - Não era uma questão de vedetismo, mas as condições oferecidas não eram as pretendidas para quem se esforçava tanto. Havia bandas a tocar gratuitamente, o que não entendíamos: isso só levava a que os donos de bares ou outros espaços de espetáculo baixassem os preços pagos às bandas. Também recusámos atuar quando éramos contactados em cima da data do evento, porque entendemos que devemos preparar-nos como deve ser para que o espetáculo não corra mal.

Jorge - Dou-me bem com o rótulo de “vedeta”. Continuo a recusar propostas para atuações. O panorama não mudou assim tanto. Cada vez há melhores condições técnicas para as bandas atuarem. Mas cada vez há mais bandas a tocar de borla. Nós não...

P. - Algumas considerações finais para terminar a entrevista?

Jorge - Obrigado pelo apoio. Vamos aguardar por aquilo que aí vem…

Votos de felicidades para o futuro e muito obrigado pelo tempo dispensado!

Wolf (from Chester)

Ken Tunstall was the lead singer of Wolf, from Chester, England, and recorded the single "See Them Running" in 1981, leaving the band after the release of the single.

Q. - Hello Ken, tell us a little bit about your beginnings in the heavy metal world, what lead you to be a singer?

Ken - Always been a singer, from early school days in the quire and Church as a soloist up to the age of 16 at 17 my best friend at school (Steve Jones, now in the Bundbeds) asked if i was interested in singing in a band, which i did but to start my voice was to clean and bright, but with a bit of miss use it got to rock standard.

Q. - When did you join Wolf? How did it all start? Tell us a bit about the early days of Wolf too.

Ken - Wolf, with Wally Rumsey. You have to remember in the 70's in the Chester area people moved around to different bands, I meet Wally in a jam session when a number of different bands just got together and had a good thrash and Wally and i got well together and were in a number of different line ups till we got to wolf and played a number of venues across the North west of England.

Q. - What other bands did you play before Wolf?

Ken - Lots lol, Boris, Switchblade, Frostbite if i can remember anymore will let you know.

Q. - What were the main difficulties that the band faced in the early days? Was it hard to find a place to rehearse? Were all of you available to rehearse? Did you need any material?

Ken - As i remember we had a number of places that we used for practice including a Barn full of potatoes, a garage next to Chester racecourse, but mostly Village halls.

I think we all made the practice sessions and if we did not those who did would use the time.

Q. - How about shows? Did you play regularly in the UK back then? Did you share stage with some well-known bands?

Ken - Yes, most weekends in pubs and clubs and some private functions.

I don’t remember sharing with any other better known bands that us.

Q. - The single "See Them Running" came up in 1981, how was it received by the fans at that time? Did the single have airplay on radio stations?

Ken - The single did escape in 81 and was played on radio ones Tommy Vance show, but did not do all that well as it was funded by the band and i departed just after the release.

Q. - When did "Wolf" split up exactly? What happened that lead to the split?

Ken - I know i was the first out, and did not find out till they were playing a club in Chester and thought, that's strange I’m not singing bit of bad blood about that.

Q. - What do you think that lacked to Wolf to have a successful career?

Ken - Never in the right place at the right time. I think the band was good enough but in order to get on at that time it would have ment a relocation to London as some of us were married that was a no go.

Q. - Did you keep in touch with the other former members all over the years?

Ken - Yes we did, but Aldy the bass player is no longer with us, Wally is still going strong and never stopped playing I’m hoping to get something together. But not song in over 5 years due to health reasons.

Q. - What other bands did you play after Wolf? Tell us a bit about it please.

Ken - Frostbite was after wolf, but that imploded due to personnel issues between the two leads after that just random gigs with other bands and line up's but nothing on the scale of Wolf / Frostbite.

Q. - Were you happy with the split compilation "Echoes of the Past" by High Roller Records? Was it like a dream come true to see these songs release after all these years?

Ken - I was unbelievable that something I had a part in creating (words & Vocals) would end up on an LP and recognised so many years later.

Q. - Do you keep an eye to hard rock and heavy metal music nowadays?

Ken - It’s in my blood and still enjoy going to see top bands and support local bands and hope to carry on doing so.

Q. - How did you see the whole N.W.O.B.H.M. movement, back then, and how do you see the interest around those bands and recordings nowadays?

Ken - It’s an incredible movement and just shows the level of talent that was about and is still about in the metal seen where music in my mind is pure and not contrived like the Pop stuff you see and hear today that cannot be reproduced with a band of PC's or additional  musicians.

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

Ken - Keep up the good work. People like myself and others who shall we say are more mature find this resurgence of interest really exciting.

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

Sacred Alien

Sacred Alien, was formed in Manchester around 1980, and recorded the single "Spiritual Planet" in 1981, by Greenwood Music. We had a chat with lead singer Sean Canning, about the early days of the band and bout future plans.

Q. - Hello Sean! Tell us a bit about the beginning of Sacred Alien, how did it all start? How did you get in touch with the other members?

Sean - Hello! It was November 1980. The other members (Martin ‘Ted’ Ainscow, Chris Lea, Dave Clowes) had already been in a band that preceded Sacred Alien called ‘Silverthorn’ – I had been messing around in a few school bands but nothing had really taken off. I had just started at Art College and all the students went on a trip to London to visit the National & Tate Galleries. On the train journey back to Manchester I sat opposite a group of guys whose conversation pricked my ears up. They were talking about music, in particular punk and metal bands and, although they were a bit older than me (I was 16 at the time!) I chimed in and started chatting to them. One of the group set up a miniature drum kit on the table using those little round milk cartons and proceeded to perform an impromptu ‘air drumming’ solo using this teeny tiny kit. It was pretty funny at the time – I guess you had to be there, and be 16, and have had a warm can of lager to get the full effect, but I thought this guy was pretty cool...turns out he is a drummer in a band called Sacred Alien. I glean from his mates that his name is ‘Neil’. At that point the train rolls in the station and we part ways.

The next day in college, I have decided I need to find this guy so am roaming the corridors around where I think their classes might be when I see one of his gang of mates. “Oh Hi!...Remember me from the train?’ He gives me a blank look and takes a swig of coke. “Errm...you were sat opposite me?” No reaction...I am annoying him now, “and you had a guy with you who was drumming on a tiny drum kit made of milk cartons....his name was Neil?” This catches him mid-swig and he nearly chokes on his coke – in fact I am pretty sure some comes out of his nose as he splutters, “Ha, ha! Neil? NEIL??? You mean Chris!” Now it’s my turn to be confused.

“Erm...I’m pretty sure his name was Neil...” I reply meekly. “No, we call him Neil as joke...cos he’s mad about Neil Peart...his real name is Chris Lea.”

So with that sorted out I ask the guy to pass on my number. Chris arrived at his desk that day to find ‘Sean – Singer from the train’ and my phone number. I got a call that night and he invited me down to their rehearsal room in Burnage, apparently only telling the rest of the band I was coming about 10 mins before I showed up “Oh by the way I’ve invited a singer to come and audition”. Ted was a bit shocked as up until now they had been a ‘Power Trio’ with Ted on vocals and guitar, but I guess it went OK as by the end of the rehearsal we were planning dates for gigs. It was the first band I had played with that had a sound I instantly loved. Ted’s guitar in particular was phenomenal, I was buzzing for days afterwards.

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

Sean - I was a pretty mixed up kid musically, there was a lot going on in the late 70s/early 80s musically and although it tended to be quite tribal I was a bit of a rebel...and I think that manifested in the music we ended up making. I was into Sabbath, Van Halen, Rainbow, Rush, Preist, Motorhead...the usual suspects...but I also had time for Bowie, The Cramps, Alice Cooper, Zappa, Buzzcocks, Magazine, Pistols, Kraftwerk and some of the wilder regions of disco and psychedelia. Ted in the meantime was into the same stuff plus more ‘muso’ acts such as Be-Bop Deluxe and King Crimson. He was also a huge Hendrix and Marc Bolan Fan I recall. Chris was Rush, Rush, Rush and more Rush. Dave was into all sorts and introduced me to Parliament, Alex Harvey and early rap (Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, Lenny ‘the hat’ White, etc) – we loved all sorts of stuff. And when Warren Heighway (our manager) came on the scene early in 81 it really kicked in to a whole other gear as we were doing gigs with Angie Bowie, Jayne County and the like and he was introducing us to Nina Hagen, Klaus Nomi, Toyah, the New York Dolls and all sorts of fabulous weirdos. That influenced our theatricality a lot. He also managed Jayne County in the UK.

Q. - How did the band name came up?

Sean - When I got there it was already settled – and I loved it so no argument from me, but as I understand it Ted, Dave & Chris were sat around in the pub thinking that ‘Silverthorn’ was a bit rubbish and started toying with ideas. Someone said ‘Precious Alien’ and it was Colin Seddon from Biting Tongues who said ‘What about Sacred Alien’. The Manchester scene was quite small back then...and everyone knew everyone else. So we all knew the guys from ACR, 808 State, The Fall, Crispy Ambulance, Biting Tongues, and later Oasis, Smiths, Charlatans, etc and hung out with them...even though they HATED metal!

Q. - What do you recall from the recording of the 1981 demo tape? Did you sell that demo at shows, send it to fanzines?

Sean - I remember that it was the first time I had ever been in a studio! We did all 4 tracks in two days I recall and the whole thing cost £100. Tracks were:

1. Portrait

2. Eternal Flame

3. Energy

4. Both Sides of the Globe

It was recorded at Graveyard studios (next to a graveyard natch) and was basically some guys’ damp basement. The playing on it is pretty loose and it is not very well engineered. In fact the track ‘Both Sides of the Globe’ has an acoustic intro on it that is so low in the mix you can hardly hear it for the tape hiss. It sounded fine on the playback but when we got it home it was useless. By the time we went back to the studio they had already re-used the 2” multitrack master so we were stuck with it. We ended up cutting if off the cassette versions we sent out. I do have a version with it on...for superfans only! I think the best tracks on that demo are ‘Energy’ (a full 8:56” version!) and ‘Portrait’. We sent it out to record companies and to Sounds/NME but there wasn’t much of a fanzine scene for metal back then, or at least, not one we knew about. We did send it to some rock club DJs who put it on their playlists. Geoff Barton picked it up and featured it in the ‘Armed & Ready’ section of Kerrang! Number 3. I guess we missed a trick but no, we never sold any at gigs so the original cassettes are pretty rare I guess.

Q. - Did you play regularly in the UK, back then? Or was it hard for a heavy metal band to be booked at that time?

Sean - We played as often as we could! We picked up gigs with bands coming through Manchester and played all sorts of rock pub and club gigs of our own. Not all of the shows were quite the right audience for us...we played a couple of gigs where they were expecting a cabaret covers band and it was a bit of a shock when I leapt onstage dressed in red lycra, wailing like a banshee with Ted’s guitar soaring like a passing fleet of UFOs and the double bass-drum and bass guitar assault from Chris & Dave shaking their pints of Mild & Bitter. We were paid off after the first set a few times. We played gigs with Angel Witch, Buffalo, Hanoi Rocks, Jayne County, Mud, Paul DiAnno’s Lone Wolf, Wrathchild, Silverwing, Diamond Head, Venom...loads of bands.

It wasn’t particularly hard to get gigs as there was a huge live music scene back then...more than there is now...but finding the right gigs was a bit more difficult.

Q. - Do you recall the songs you were playing at that time?

Sean - Yes, we have a couple of live tapes that still exist from back then. Obviously, the set changed as we wrote new material, but typically we would play a set that included:

Spiritual Planet

Portrait

Welcome Inside

Eternal Flame

Both Sides of the Globe

Electric Beam Squad

Open Your Eyes

Do You See Me? – (Never recorded and lost in the mists of time).

Attack, Attack – (I believe a version of this might exist from a recording of the Glamfest in Salford, but I haven’t been able to track down a copy).

Legends

Energy

We also revolved a few covers around:

Suffragette City

20 th Century Boy

Nights in White Satin

Foxy Lady

Queen Bitch

Knock on Wood

Q. - Did the single "Spiritual Planet" have air play, at that time, on radio stations? And how was it received by Sacred Alien fans?

Sean - The single got some airplay on local radio but not huge amounts. There was only one rock show on national radio at the time which was the legendary Tommy Vance “Friday Rock Show” on BBC Radio 1. However, we were an indie release so we couldn’t get through the BBC defences to get it played at that time. Things were very different, small bands just didn’t have the same access they do now. We did a run of 1000 singles and they sold out, which was cool. So I guess it went down well with fans!

Q. - Did you try to approach a record deal after the edition of the single?

Sean - Yes, that was the ultimate goal and really the single was designed to be a fancy demo to get us a deal. But it didn’t quite work – we were difficult to pin down stylistically and the cracks were starting to show as the band got more serious. Dave was starting to get cold feet about touring and committing 100% to the band. We had interviews at EMI, CBS, Warners...lots of big labels, but none took the bait and that led to more self-doubt.

Q. - Is there any other recordings by Sacred Alien besides the two singles and the 81 demo tape?

Sean - The complete studio recordings are:

1. Graveyard Demos – early ‘81 – 4 tracks as detailed above – released on cassette as promo only

2. Hologram single recording – late ‘81. Released as first single on Greenwood Music. 1000 copies.

Spiritual Planet

Energy

3. Pennine Studio demos – late ’81 - 48 track swanky studio session we won in a battle of the bands competition.

Eternal Flame (a re-record of the song we did at Graveyard and earmarked as our second single – we never sent this out)

Legends – (this was meant to be the B-side but when we heard it we decided this was the single)

Welcome Inside – likewise, never available as a promo as far as I am aware.

‘Legends’ was released as the second single which we split with a band called ‘Virgin’ mainly for cost purposes – their side had a track called ‘Sittin’ in the Front Row’. I don’t think they would mind being described as an Angel rip-off band. The guitarist and lead singer Paul Rooney now plays and writes for punk legends Vice Squad. Fab guy. It was released on our own ‘Heighway Robbery Wreckords’ and we got a fair bit of publicity from the idea of a shared single, including a feature and interviews on BBC Radio 1.

4. Pluto Studio sessions – late ’82.

Spiritual Planet (Re-record 82 version)

Electric Beam Squad

Open Your Eyes

20 th Century Boy – recorded as live

Knock on Wood – recorded as live

Ziggy Stardust – recorded as live

This session was with two new members. Chris & Dave had left and we had Darren Wilcock on Drums and Paul Davies on Bass. This was missing for years but a beaten up 1/4” tape turned up recently and we managed to extract the tracks by baking the tape. The 3 covers were recorded in a hurry at the end of the session live in the studio and are put down pretty much as performed, no overdubs, no do overs. We recorded them so we had something to play potential promoters if they wanted to hear ‘something we know’.

We have a couple of live tapes in the collection as well. One is from the legendary UMIST gig from May 1981 as reviewed in SOUNDS. With Diamond Head, Silverwing, Tora Tora, Venom. Features about 5 songs. The other is a recording of a gig a bit later at the Spread Eagle, a bikers bar in Ashton. A regular stop for rock bands on the North Western Rock circuit.

Q. - Sacred Alien had a theatrical presence on stage, how did that happened and who came up with the idea?

Sean - It was pretty much a natural extension of our personalities! I come alive onstage and we were always very against the idea of just turning up in an AC/DC t-shirt like a lot of bands at the time. Our music isn’t about girls and motorbikes so our onstage persona isn’t either. I was also a trained dancer so if there is a beat I am going to be moving to it. Ted is a great performer and when I first met him his ‘going to the pub’ outfit included a huge black velvet Dracula Cloak. To this day he is a very ‘interesting’ character...I’ll just leave it at that. Chris has always loved to perform...if you see him play you’ll see he is mesmerising and really stands out for the audience, which is quite something for a drummer stuck behind the kit. We really wanted every show to be an experience so music, visuals and performance all become one...it should be a show! We always strove for that.

Q. - When did Sacred Alien split up? What happened that lead to the break?

Sean - It was a kind of slow death rather than an actual split. Dave (bass) left in late ’81 when we got offered a support tour. He basically said “no, can’t go on the tour, never wanted this to be serious, sorry, I’m joining the Police” (as a policeman, not as a replacement for Sting) so we had to turn the tour down and it was a real setback. We got Paul Davies in on bass who had played in funk bands before and was great, he brought a

real groove to the set, but soon after he joined Chris (drums) left and we got Darren Wilcock in. He was a session guy from Rochdale and a brilliant rock drummer, however after a few shows it was clear neither of them really fitted in and so once again it was back to me & Ted. So, determined to keep going we teamed up with an old pal John Murney (also know as Johnny Vincent, and Johnny Skullknuckles) on Bass and Mark Robinson (Robbo) on drums. As Sacred Alien MKIV we released Legends (the Pennine recording) and it is the MKIV line up on the picture sleeve, even though it was MKI that recorded it. Johnny & I really hit it off and started writing loads of new songs but it was very, very different to Sacred Alien...so with regret sometime in late ’83 we decided the cosmic trip was over. Ted left Johnny & I to form ‘White Trash’ who gigged from 84- 88...but that’s another story.

Q. - Did you stay in touch with the other former members over the years?

Sean - I have lost touch with Darren but I hear he is a studio session drummer in Germany...Paul seems to have completely disappeared. As for Johnny and all the originals we all stayed friends and all stayed in Manchester...so we have seen each other a lot over the years. I joined Chris’s rock covers band ‘MonkeyGun’ in the early 2000s and played with him for a few years and Ted and Dave have been in and out of bands together all through the years since. They have a band together playing Blues and R&B called ‘The Basics’ who are brilliant. In the meantime we all went along to each other’s birthdays, weddings and gigs...each time saying “Hey...we should get Sacred Alien back together sometime” but never doing anything about it...until now.

Sadly, Dave was still a bit reluctant to commit to Sacred Alien full time, so for MKV we have drafted in Chris’s brother Mike who also plays bass for Kopek Millionaires and

Department S. We are keeping it in the family.

Q. - Have you ever thought about doing a proper cd edition, compiling the demo tape and singles recorded by Sacred Alien?

Sean - Oh yes...we have thought about it, a lot! And now we have finally got serious. There will be a release of all the old stuff soon probably on CD and vinyl. Can’t say too much right now but more will be revealed.

Q. - After the split of Sacred Alien you tried to move on as White Trash, how did that happen, is there any recordings as White Trash?

Sean - As I mentioned it was a natural progression for Johnny & I and it was a great band.

Quite different to SA, much less psychedelic and cosmic...more punky-metal. We recorded an album for Music For Nations but they never released it. I have quite a lot of stuff in the vault...maybe someday. Johnny went on to play with Goldblade and now has a great band called ‘Kopek Millionaires’ who have actually recorded a couple of White Trash songs. After White Trash, Johnny and I stayed together and in 1990 formed a band in London called ‘Narcotic’. We recorded an album’s worth of demos for EMI that never saw the light of day.

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

Sean - I love it. It’s brilliant. It was actually my good mate Kev from Tysondog (who also played with Chris & I in MonkeyGun) that finally convinced us to get together and do it, he’d left MonkeyGun to reform Tysondog and every time I met him he was having a blast...doing festivals and gigs all over the world for NWOBHM fanatics, some of whom weren’t even born when we were originally around. I think we, like many of the bands who have got back together are now in the position of having the time and money to be a bit self-indulgent and saying ‘sod it...I’m doing what I want!’ – and if they are anything like us they are looking back on the time they had back in the 80s and realising it was effing brilliant. We’ve paid the mortgage, the kids have grown up, somehow we are not dead, and we can remember how to play guitar...so why the hell not...let’s make a glorious noise.

Q. - In your opinion what are the main differences between the eighties and the reality of today?

Sean - There is really one major difference. Technology:

1. Internet: If we had the internet back then things would have been very different. It was so difficult to get exposure back then without a major label or music press behind you – now you can be a star without leaving your bedroom.

2. Digital Recording: We could never afford to buy the 2” masters of our sessions so once they were mixed, that was it. You couldn’t get a decent recording without tens of thousands of pounds worth of equipment and studio engineering. Now...well...bedroom again. It has taken a long time to find the best surviving versions of our original demos (some of which only survive on cassette), which would not have been a problem if they’d been recorded in this lossless age.

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

Sean - If there is anyone reading this who would like to book us for a show, or just have a chat please get in touch. We are on @SacredAlienBand on Instagram and have a facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/sacredalienband/  . I am setting up a bandcamp site for new music and of course, as I write in Summer of 2019...there will be release news very soon. Once we have put the original demos and singles out we will start recording new material. We already have nearly an album’s worth of great new songs which I am itching to get recorded.

Watch the Skies!

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

My absolute pleasure!