John Sloman (Lone Star, Uriah Heep, Gary Moore)

John Sloman is one of the greatest voices in rock. From "Lone Star" to his solo career, passing through Uriah Heep, Badlands or Gary Moore, his legacy is extremely precious, and recorded three solo albums in the last three years, Don't Try This at Home (2016), The Taff Trail Troubadour (2017) and “El Dorado” (2018).

Q. - Hello John, tell us a little bit about your beginnings in the hard rock world, what were your main influences, what lead you to be a hard rock singer?

John - I grew up in the era of great hard rock bands who all had great vocalists fronting them: Plant, Gillan, Hughes, Rodgers. Every new album I discovered at this time (early teens), featured this imposing vocal presence. I’d been singing since I was seven – my grandmother taught me songs by Bing Crosby and Al Jolson. A bit later I heard Ray Charles. Then Stax and Motown. Then a friend of mine played me Led Zep 2.  Soon after I discovered Deep Purple (In Rock and Fireball), Uriah Heep (Very ‘Eavy Very ‘Umble and Look at Yourself), Black Sabbath (First album, Paranoid and Master of Reality) and Yes (Yes Album and Fragile). From then on I just wanted to be in a great band. Then one day at school, a classmate came up to on the school playing fields and asked me if I wanted to form a band. Everything changed after that. School was a thing of the past.

Q. - You have been very busy with your solo work, having recorded three albums in the last three years, Don't Try This at Home (2016), The Taff Trail Troubadour (2017) and “El Dorado” (2018), how are things going so far?

John - I’m always working on new material. And the last few years (I hope) has shown how productive I can be. El Dorado is being well-received. I’m especially happy about that, as the album is very personal to me.

Q. - You started your solo career with "Disappearances Can Be Deceptive", was that album a dream come true?

John - Disappearances was kind of a dream come true at the beginning. But over-time, it gradually became a nightmare, and was finally released four years after its initial recording. Having said that, it still means a lot to me, as it’s the first solo thing I ever did. I say ‘solo’ – but there was a cast of thousands on that record, featuring some of the best musicians in the country.

Q. - After the end of Lone Star, comes the invitation to join Uriah Heep, and the album "Conquest", how did that happen?

John - After Lone Star, I was living in Canada. I had a band called Pulsar with Lone Star drummer Dixie Lee and Pino Palladino. When that faltered due to Dixie leaving and issues with visas, I returned to Britain with the intention of going back to Canada at some point. But when I got home, there was a telegram requesting I call Bronze Records. Trevor Bolder had watched my performance at Reading Festival in ’77, and was impressed, so when Heep were looking for a vocalist Trevor suggested they call me. There’s much more to the story of course. But that would take more than twenty pages to tell. I go into more detail in my forthcoming book.

Q. - Then you formed Badlands, with John Sykes, Neil Murray and John Munro, but it only lasted two gigs, why did the band split up so quickly?

John - Badlands had huge potential. We did just two gigs. Then John Sykes had the offer to join Thin Lizzy. Also, Neil Murray went on the road with Gary Moore.

Q. - Did you record any songs with this line up?

John - Badlands recorded a demo for EMI – which is circulating on the internet. I have no idea who uploaded it. But it’s there.

Q. - How did the idea of sharing vocal duties with Gary Moore came up? Did you enjoy the "Corridors of Power" tour?

John - The offer to join Gary Moore came via Neil Murray, who was already working with Gary. I’d met Gary a couple of times and we seemed to have a lot of common ground. Things were going well. Then I got ill – and stayed ill for the whole time I was working with Gary. As a result, my memories of that time are not happy ones. But Gary of course was one of the all-time great guitar players.

Q. - Did you sing any song for Baron Rojo, when they recorded "Volumen Brutal" in London? For their English version of the album?

John - I didn’t record anything with Baron Rojo. But I jammed with them once at The Marquee Club.

Q. - In your opinion, were the 90's hard times for hard rock and heavy metal bands?

John - I thought the 90s were a promising time for rock music. After the drum-machines of the 80s, Grunge made it ok to play rock music again, with a great drummer at the helm. And of course, people were opening up their voices again. I viewed Soundgarden’s excellent vocalist Chris Cornell as a throwback to that great early 70s period. I read an interview with him where he referred to himself as having a “classic rock voice”.

Q. - How did you end up doing backing vocals on "It Ain't Over till It's Over" for "Fast" Eddie Clarke?

John - I knew Eddie Clarke from Heep days, as Motorhead were on the same label. Also, my girlfriend at the time worked at Motorhead’s office.  Working with Eddie was easy. A studio over in Chalk Farm (I think?).

Q. - And what about Praying Mantis, did you have some fun recording "The Journey Goes On"?

John - The Praying Mantis album came about from knowing Dennis Stratton way back. I’d always run into Dennis when I was out socialising around Soho. He and I always got along. So when he called me about the Praying Mantis thing, I said yes straight away. And yes, it was fun doing the album. Dennis, Tino and Chris were fun to be around. Although, I remember my voice wasn’t at its best, due to having had a virus for most of that year.

Q. - What plans do you have for the future? Are you working on new music’s, or is just too soon?

John - I’m already working on the follow-up to El Dorado, which I intend to release later this year. I also have a follow-up to The Taff Trail Troubadour which I may also release this year (if there’s time). I’m also editing a book I intend to publish this year.

Q. - Did you pay attention to the NWOBHM back in 79/81? What did you think of the whole movement?

John - The NWOBHM was a positive thing. Punk and New Wave had ruled Britain for several years - Lone Star were one of many bands who fell by the wayside during this period. It felt like all the young rock musicians (and rock fans) in the country decided that they weren’t being catered for, and formed their own movement. And it worked. Bands like Iron Maiden never looked back. 

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

John - For many years, I couldn’t get my material heard, meanwhile all that was available was old Lone Star, Heep and Gary Moore albums. But then I started recording at home, and that really set me free to do exactly what I wanted, albeit making compromises here and there. Over the coming years, I intend to release some of the material that I couldn’t get released back in the 90s.

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

Satan's Empire

Formed in July 1979, in Dundee, Scotland. They recorded the song "Soldiers Of War", for the compilation “Lead Weight” in 81. They have been active since 2017 having recorded the EP Satan's Empire, and the new album Rising. We had a chat with both guitar players Sandy McRitchie and Paul Lewis.

Hello Sandy! When did Satan's Empire start? Tell us a bit about the beginning of the band.

Sandy - July 1979. Formed from High School, we were originally a covers band doing Priest, Saxon and Zeppelin songs.

Q. - And how did the band name came up?

Sandy - There was a focus on Black Magic and Demonology in the New Heavy Metal (Venom, WitchFynde, Satan, etc.) so we decided on Satan’s Empire.

Q. - Who were your principal influences at the beginning of the band?

Sandy - Mainly Priest, Rush, Saxon, Zeppelin to name a few.

Q. - Hello Paul! Tell us a bit about your background in heavy metal, what bands did you play before Satan's Empire, and what your main influences?

Paul - I first got into heavy metal at the age of 13, I heard the Black Sabbath song "Paranoid" playing in a market stall at Whitechapel (my home town, famous also for “Jack the Ripper" and "The Kray Twins" , nice !  I started a band with my twin brother (Eddy) on drums playing some rock classics. My first proper Heavy Metal band before Satan's Empire was "Devil's Chariot", that lasted about 2 and a half years, we recorded a demo at "Mount Pleasant Studios" in London and played a few gigs at The Ruskin Arms (home of Iron Maiden) East Ham plus one or two other East London venues, but we split up when we weren't really getting anywhere. I joined Satan's Empire at the age of 25 after Devil's Chariot split and after spending a few months with a band called "Flight 19", which featured original "More" drummer Frank Darch. My influences bandwise were Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, UFO, Iron Maiden and Angelwitch although I liked most other Heavy Metal bands that were around at the time. I also liked a bit of prog music, especially "Camel", Eddy and I used to go to see them in London whenever possible. My guitarist influences are (chronologically): Eric Clapton (with Cream), Jimi Hendrix, Michael Schenker, Eddie Van Halen and my biggest influence of all Randy Rhoads. My biggest musical influence post NWOBHM is Warrant, I love their songs and I am into that whole glam period where every gig was one great big rock n roll party.

Q. - When did you join Satan's Empire? Tell us a bit about your early days in the band too.

Paul - I joined Satan's Empire at age 25. I was living in Seven Kings, Essex, just outside East London and the band had relocated to East London from Dundee. I met Derek when he joined Flight 19 as vocalist, Satan's Empire were having a bit of time out at that point, after a few gigs, Derek was missing Satan's Empire so much that he wanted to return, but he also wanted to take me with him to join the band. I went along to a rehearsal at Scarf Studios in Bow (East London), the lineup at that time was; Derek Lyon (Vocals), Sandy McRitchie (Guitar), Billy Masterton (Drums) and Wayne Hudson (Bass) who had only joined them a few months previously. Things clicked immediately and I really loved their music and was made very welcome by all band members, the rest is history as they say. We played some gigs at The Ruskin Arms, the Red Lion at Gravesend, Kent and a very memorable gig at The Mitre, just on the south side of Blackwall Tunnel, we supported T34 on that night who were one of the big bands on the East London circuit at the time, we went down a storm and everyone said we were the best band on the night.

Q. - In the summer of 1981 you played at the Dundee Festival supporting Budgie, what memories do you keep from that show?

Sandy - It was loud and our first major gig. We were only a four piece then and the set was short.

Q. - Why did you move from Dundee, Scotland to London, England?

Sandy - To get work and better exposure. Nobody would come up to Dundee just to see us so we had to go down.

Paul - To try to secure a record deal. The record companies were unwilling to travel to Dundee to see the band and they hadn't played outside of Scotland at that time to my knowledge.

Q. - How did you get the chance to enter in the Neat “Lead Weight” compilation?

Sandy - We sent a demo cassette to David Wood at Neat and he called us to ask if he could include it in his Sounds sampler Leadweight.

Q. - Did you try to find a record deal after the edition of the compilation “Lead Weight”?

Sandy - We did have some interest but the difficulty in getting regular work was prohibitive.

Q. - What do you feel about the coincidences between the song "Soldiers Of War" and Maiden's "Weasted Years"?

Sandy - There are not that similar to be honest and I don’t think there is any plagiarising on their behalf!

Paul - Ha ha, that's a great question. There are certain similarities, but Soldiers Of War was written in 1979 and was released on Lead Weight well before Iron Maiden released Wasted Years. i suppose if Iron Maiden had heard Soldiers Of War and were influenced by it in any way, we can take it as a huge compliment lol.

Q. - Satan's Empire split up around 1984, what do you think went wrong that lead to the end of the band?

Sandy - We just got fed up and the cost was prohibitive for rehearsing and travelling.

Paul - Probably frustration with the industry. we never fell out of love with each other but it was extremely difficult to get signed at the time and the musical trend was going away from NWOBHM. Derek and I formed VHF after Satan's Empire, but even that band had limited success.

Q. - Did you all remain friends after the split?

Sandy - I kept in touch with Billy and Derek.

Paul - We all remained friends, but we kinda drifted apart when we didn't have day to day contact with each other, as is the natural order of things. We also lost contact when various members had moved away from East London. I have been in contact with Wayne though for most of the time as we both stayed in East London and Essex and his band "Aftershock" rehearsed at my rehearsal studios (OTR) for a good few years before it closed. Wayne had also depped on bass in my rock covers band "Anthem" on a few occasions.

Q. - Then comes VHF, were you a founding member Paul? What do you recall from VHF early days?

Paul - Myself and Derek formed VHF. The lineup was, Derek (Vocals), Myself (Lead Guitar), Sean Elliot (Bass) and Neil Richards (Drums). We later added Bill Mulldowney on 2nd Lead guitar.

Q. - Did you record any demo tape with VHF?

Paul - We recorded a 3 track demo "Heartbeat City" at Scarf Studios London on 22nd-23rd July 1985. Track listing is; Burning the flags, nowhere to hide and Heartbeat City.

Q. - Did you tour around the UK back then?

Paul - Not whilst I was with the band, we didn't gig very much and stayed within the London area.

Q. - Have you ever been confused with the other VHF from Manningtree?

Paul - Not to my knowledge. We were there first ha ha.

Q. - When did you leave VHF? And why?

Paul - Can't really remember why I left VHF, possibly due to the time honoured musical differences, I think there was talk of bringing keyboards into the band which wasn't really my thing at the time. I also was offered the guitarist vacancy in Thunderstick around that time, which was a big step up and an offer I couldn't refuse.

Q. - What other musical projects did you have after Satan's Empire and VHF?

Sandy - Myself and Billy did a project called Partners In Rhyme writing all sorts of music from Pop to Heavy Rock. Paul formed Belladonna and Wayne joined Aardshock.

Paul - I have always been big into Glam Metal and I formed the Glam Metal Band "Belladonna" in 1986. We toured extensively around the UK and also played the London Marquee and other prestigious venues. We released a 3 track 12 inch Ep "High on Rock n Roll", also recorded at Scarf Studios, London (special thanks to my good friend Nigel Palmer here who has done a streling jib recording and producing most of my early work), the EP is very rare now and features a cartoon insert of the band drawn by world famous cartoonist Dave Gaskill who is the father of Chris who was bass player with the band.

Q. - After almost 30 years, the band is active again, what made you feel like reunite Satan's Empire?

Sandy - Guido Gevels and Andy Gregory kept hounding us to reform and via Facebook we met up in the Autumn of 2015 to discuss and all went well, we just needed a drummer and Garry joined officially in November 2015.

Paul - I met Wayne when he did a dep gig for Anthem and he told me there was some interest from Europe. It turns out that this interest had gone back to some 3 years previous (which I was totally unaware of). Guido Gevels who runs "Negasonic" club in Aalst, Belgium was a big fan of Satan's Empire and said there was a lot of people in Europe who would love to see the band reform, we heard of this interest from our mutual friend Andy Gregory. A few phone calls later and a meeting in a Cambridge pub with Derek, Sandy, Wayne and myself and we decided to go full steam ahead with a reunion.

Q. - Some of these songs in “Rising", like "Suicidal Man", "On The Road To Hell", "Slaves Of Satan", "Come Back" and "Strange World" are old songs revamped for "Rising". Did you try to keep the essence of to the original recordings?

Sandy - All of the songs originate from the early 80’s, we just cut down some of the long intros and tightened up the arrangements.

Paul - Yes, we tried to keep the essence of the old songs, Come Back and Slaves of Satan in particular have remained largely unchanged. Some of the other tracks had to be shortened down and revamped from their original format to make them more straight ahead metal songs. The songs have been given new life and sound more powerful now, particularly with the addition of Magpie on drums, who was very involved with the new arrangements.

Q. - How’s "Rising" being received by Satan's Empire fans so far, despite the severe economic crisis that affects all of us?

Sandy - Critically, it has been brilliant. We have not had one bad review and there were several magazines and fanzines who enjoyed the album. Feedback from the public has been overwhelming and we have had the album in people’s Album of the Year listings.

Paul - Rising has exploded with a big bang and has been very well received. As far as we are aware, the album is selling very well and has exceeded our expectations.

Q. - And what expectations do you have for Satan's Empire? Are you recording a new album? What can you tell us about it?

Sandy - We would like to carry on working but doing more festivals abroad and at home, as well headlining our own gigs. We have 8 out of 10 songs written and are currently spending time rehearsing in early 2019 to finish the 10 songs we need for the second album.

Paul - We have gigged extensively both in the UK and Europe since reforming. We have nine new songs and have plans to start recording a new album in 2019. The new songs are being very well received at out gigs.

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

Sandy - Great! It’s live music and from the reception we have had at all of our gigs, people love to hear live bands and we would like it to stay that way.

Paul - I think its great, there was so much bland music around and rock was dying, so this is a very welcome "shot in the arm" to coin a phrase.

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

Sandy - Thanks for the invite and send us a copy link to your finished article and we will put it on our new website in 2019!

Paul - Looking forward to the future. Exciting times are ahead, we pan to gig more in Europe next year and get into some of the big festivals at home and abroad, and, of course, release album number 2 before the end of 2019.

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

Sandy - Your welcome!

Redd Barron

Redd Barron recorded the Redd Barron EP in 87 and the "The Barron's Here to Rock" demo in 1990. Both albums were compiled by "Heaven and Hell Records" in a cd edition in 2016. We talked with lead singer Brian Lee about this great Heavy Metal band from Illinois.

Q. - Hello Brian! When did Redd Barron start? Who were the first members? Tell us a bit about the beginning of the band.

Brian - Me and Pete formed the band. We’ve been friends since high school and decided to form our own band after a couple other bands we joined didn’t work out. Pete was introduced to Rod our drummer and then Greg joined shortly after we released the initial 4 song Redd Barron demo. (Burning Cities, Kill or be Killed, Shadows, Search for Love).

Q. - Who were your main influences back then?

Brian - Dio, Iron Maiden and Queensryche, Dokken, Judas Priest. In fact the first song Redd Barron ever played live as a band was Queensryche’s “Queen of the Ryche” since we only had about 6 or 7 original songs at that point.

Q. - How was the Chicago metal scene like back in the day? Was it a united scene? What were you relations with other local bands? Did you help each other?

Brian - The scene at the time was as you could imagine. With Metal popularity at its prime, there was no shortage of bands and venues to play. Thirsty Whale and a few others were certainly the immediate goal. If you headlined there, it meant you’ve definitely made a name for yourself in Chicago. As far as bands getting along and helping each other, I’m sure there was some aggressive competition amongst the bands, but Redd Barron has always gotten along with everyone really. Our mentality then and now is really about getting up on stage, giving our best and appreciating the opportunity to rock out and have fun.

Q. – After the edition of the demo tape "The Barron's Here to Rock", did you try to find a label to release it on LP too?

Brian - The Barrons Here to Rock was our second release and alot of things really started coming together. Prominent harmonies, two guitar players with Greg onboard, an evolving maturity in our song writing, etc. Like other bands, we tried as many avenues as there was to get signed. The melodic ballad Too Good To Be Forgotten made its way on a few compilation CD’s but a major label never picked us up at that juncture.

Q. - What do you feel when you look back to the 90's when the survival of heavy metal bands was very difficult?

Brian - Well it’s always unfortunate when the genre you grew up with begins to get pushed aside a bit as another genre emerges in popularity. But such is life, the only certainty is change. I actually look at the difficulty that bands have today trying to survive with the modern day streaming model, which is void of any opportunity for any real revenue.

Q. - Are you happy with the recent reissue of "The Barron's Here to Rock" that includes the demo tape from 1990 and the 1987 EP, by “Heaven and Hell Records”?

Brian - I think we’re all happy that the material was finally re-released. We had been talking about it for years and approached by several labels but for one reason or another, just didn’t get it done. We’re appreciative of our relationship with the guys at H&H. Even more important, was that the release and the gig to promote it was the catalyst for the band to finally get back together in earnest. We had talked about it. Got together for a few jam sessions over the years. And many of us were still in contact with each other so in theory it was indeed possible prior. But... life is busy and sometimes its all about purpose, commitment and momentum. (Greg deserves alot of credit for driving the initial momentum).

Q. - Wasn't it possible to include the dvd "Live and Redd" on that edition?

Brian - During some of my conversations with H&H I had actually suggested that we may want to add some bonus tracks such as some of the live songs from Live and Redd or a new studio track, etc. Can’t say for sure why that wasn’t explored further, perhaps timing. I think they took the approach to re-release the body of work as it was originally released, which is a nice classic approach.

Q. - What's the current line-up of the band?

Brian - The current lineup is essentially the same as it was after the release of The Barrons Here to Rock. Myself, Pete Alvarez and Greg Eichelberger on guitars, Rod Gardner drums, and Frank Masterson on Bass.

Q. - What about shows? You were the opening act for Vicious Rumors "Digital Dictators 30th Anniversary Tour" in Chicago, how did it go?

Brian - That show was actually only the second time we played Reggies. The show went well. As mentioned before, the guys in Redd Barron get along with everyone. Their new singer Nick Courtney is actually quite amazing. The band Acracy was really good as well.  As a fan of metal, I’d say the show had a really good lineup for the night.  Of course Vicious Rumors really did an exceptional job.

Q. - Are you happy with what you achieved so far in Redd Barron? What can we expect for the future? Are you working on a new album? Or will you be touring this year?

Brian - Interesting question. I’m pleased with what we’ve released thus far as well as the many original songs we bring to our live shows - some of which will be on our next CD which we are in the studio recording now. As to the immediate future, we’re certainly excited to finish up the CD. We’ll be starting on vocals and harmonies after the holidays. We’re recording the CD at Grevan Studios. Greg is the owner of the studio and is also heading up the whole project. I will say this, its going to be quintessential Redd Barron at its very finest.

As far as touring or playing venues in general, I’m sure we’ll do some shows in support of the upcoming CD. Lets see where the new release takes us.

Q. - Do you have any favourite song to play live?

Brian - One of my favorites is Blind Date. I love the guitar parts and the deep foreboding lyrics.

But of course everyone loves Kill or be Killed. That song has it all. Shredding guitars and bass along with pounding double bass drums!

Q. - Did you record any solo album?

Brian - I’ve recorded a couple of singles but not a full album. While away from Redd Barron I continued to write of course. I finally decided to get back in the studio once time began opening up. Funny short story. The recording for the single Bittersweet Journey was going well but in my mind it called for some monsterous drums in the style of Vinny Appice. I actually called my friend and guitar player Pete to ask if he knew of a really good drummer that might be interested in replacing the drum tracks. After I got off the phone I said to myself “What the fuck why not ask Vinny himself” - all he could say was no right? Long story short, he heard some of my material and agreed to do the drums on Bittersweet Journey. Nicest guy you can imagine and of course his drums brought the song to a whole new level.

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

Brian - Like everything in life, things are cyclical. Metal is actually more popular now than it has been in years.  Many of the major acts are still out there going as strong as ever (maiden, priest, etc.). It’s also important to note that the metal scene in many ways has never gone away but simply continues to evolve and spawn variations and sub-genres.

As fast as keeping an eye on whats going on, I just ask “Alexa” to serve me up new music on a daily basis. lol.

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

Brian - First and foremost, thank you for reaching out. Whether your blog has 10, 1,000 or a million readers, I’m happy to answer your questions. We’re looking forward to everyone hearing the new CD. (Title pending). Everyone is really putting down some amazing performances and the songs are turning out great. Let me know if you need anything else.

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

Cloven Hoof

Formed in 1979 in the West Midlands, Cloven Hoof have been delivering heavy metal since then, with an hiatus during the 90's, we got in touch with bass player and mentor Lee Payne to talk about this great band.

Q. – Hello Lee! Cloven Hoof started around 1979, tell us a bit about the early days, how did you get together?

Lee - Wow, 1979 that’s a long time ago. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, but I remember it still. It was a fantastic time for me growing up in England at a very exciting time in metal history. Metal kids really did rule the streets in those days and denim and leather armies were everywhere. Everyone would go anywhere to see a live metal band and with the British music media supporting it was an inspiring time.

Geoff Barton, who later formed Kerrang magazine, was the most important writer at the time. He worked for a music paper called Sounds and all the metal kids bought it. Even before we had a singer I sent a tape to him asking what he thought of the music. He loved the fledgling Cloven Hoof sound and when we eventually got a singer I went down to London and got interviewed by him. It was very prestigious and we got respect even from day one thanks to Geoff. He tipped us for success in his ‘Breaking through in 82' article along with Motley Crew and Venom. As for the original band members getting together, like a lot of bands in those days we were just local metal kids that answered ads in the music stores for musicians and sent tapes to each other to get auditions.

Q. - Cloven Hoof was a theatrical band in the early days with a very interesting concept, who came up with the idea?

Lee - I came up with a concept featuring the names Air, Earth, Fire and Water, which worked as there were four band members at that time. Outlandish stage costumes were donned and heavy Kiss-style makeup and masks. We wanted to be the band we always wanted to see and hear...total senses overkill. In a lot of ways, I think we were ahead of our time because our vision of combining image and music were perfectly suited to the multi-media sci-fi games market and remember we were doing the masks thing years before Slipknot and all the others who have adopted it since. I suppose we must have influenced many bands in presenting themselves in a hard rocking theatrical way. We dropped this concept when the image was getting too much attention. It's the songs that matter most!!!

Q. - Who would you cite as your main influences at the beginning of the band?

Lee - We are a West Midlands band from the heart of England and there is an inherent aggressive sound to our style Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin have all sprung up from the same area as Cloven Hoof and we all have a dark edge that is unmistakable. It is true to say this band could not have come from anywhere else. Maybe life is hard in the concrete and glass industrial heartland. Bands from this area seem to sing about the harsh and depressing things in life. However, I like fantasy worlds more than harsh reality as subject matter, maybe it's a form of escape. JRR Tolkien lived in Birmingham when he was a young man, so we are in good company. I was influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy and Rush. I used to spend every penny I had buying albums and watching live shows. Looking back, I suppose it was serving a musical apprenticeship because I was in the front row intensely studying the guitar and bass players. I was determined to study the chords and musical progressions of those metal gods. One day I vowed to try and make music that moved other people like the songs from my heroes had moved me. If I could do that, then I had touched the sun and my life would mean something.

Q. - Were you pissed off when David Potter leaved to join H-Bomb?

Lee - Not really, it’s just one of those things you have to get used to when you’re in a band, there is no point being pissed off if someone feels their path lies elsewhere.

Q. - After such masterpieces as "Dominator" and "A Sultan's Ransom", why did you decide to call it a day? What happened that lead to the break?

Lee - It was not a matter of deciding to call it a day it was down the contractual difficulties that we encountered. After the release of Dominator in 1988, there was a huge buzz around Cloven Hoof I was convinced that this was the momentum that would carry us through to a real breakthrough deal to put us alongside the metal juggernauts of that time. Ex Judas Priest manager David Hemmings approached us and wanted to manage us through this exciting period. Dave managed to set us up with a life changing record deal with CBS records but during negotiations he tragically died in the middle of a deal with CBS for Cloven Hoof. This caused a lot of legal trouble for us because many people with a sniff of money to be made came out of the woodwork and claimed they had a piece of the band based on David's negotiations. It was a nightmare, but we have thankfully long been free of those ties now, thank goodness.

Q. - What are your thoughts about the 90's? Did you feel it was bad times for heavy metal bands?

Lee - Heavy metal did take a hit during the 90s, the grunge bands were becoming fashionable and it was considered dated to playing guitar solos… I mean really! Hopefully those who thought the guitar solo dead are hangin’ their heads in shame! But for Cloven Hoof we missed the 90s anyway because of the aforementioned contractual difficulties so they sort of passed us by, but thankfully the world has been restored and heavy metal is back for good!

Q. - After some singer changes, do you feel that George Call is the right person for the job? How did you meet him? Were you familiar with Aska?

Lee - I first met George when we were both on the bill to play ‘Keep Lt True’ festival in Germany. George was there with Aska and they were on stage just before us. I had been doing interviews for most the morning so I thought there was just time to catch the group on just before us. Initially I wanted to hear what the sound out front was like but when I heard the vocalist, I was totally blown away! All my life I had a vision in my head what I wanted Cloven Hoof to sound like. Musically we had come close but I was never 100% happy with the vocalist. In the past sure we had some great singers the best probably being Matt Moreton on reflection, but still I was after a certain Dio/Halford delivery. Imagine the shock I got hearing George in full voice looking great … and he was playing a mean rhythm guitar too! It was like finding the missing piece to a jigsaw that I had been after all my career, but how could I entice him to play in my band? As coincidence would have it whilst getting changed for our set this guy came into our dressing room asking could he speak to Lee Payne? He said he was our biggest fan and he wanted some albums signed. It was none other than the killer singer I had just been watching! We hit it off right away! At the end of the festival we agreed one day we would work together when the time was right. Well, now that day has arrived at long last and we are going to make the most of it!

Q. - "Who Mourns for the Morning Star?" was edited last year and was very acclaimed on heavy metal magazines, what do you feel about it? Are you happy with its final result?

Lee - I am more than happy with the final result; I might be so bold as to say it’s the best album we have produced to date. Every song is different and yet somehow fits together. We try to show where we have come from musically and pave the way for a future direction. In my mind Cloven Hoof have always been some kind of atypical NWOBHM band. I think this theme continues on Who Mourns For The Morning Star, because the nine tracks show influences of epic metal, speed metal, melodic metal and even progressive metal, we have dug deep explored all facets of our musical identity on Who Mourns For The Morning Star. No one can ever say we keep on recycling the same three chord trick. Cloven Hoof is forever expanding its musical aspirations and no two songs will ever be the same, I promise. Hopefully there is something for everybody on our albums because stylistically we are a very broad church within a heavy metal framework.

Q. - By some form did you try to approach the sound that turned you well known back in the 80's, a return to the roots?

Lee - It definitely was not a conscious decision to try to recreate the 80s vibe, and I’m not certain I would agree that Morning Star does. We stand apart from many N.W.O.B.H.M bands because our sound is undiluted heavy metal fused with prog rock type multi time changes.

Q. - Hard n’ Heavy music does not pay bills to many people, is it difficult to make this kind of music today?

Lee - If we were in it for the money we would have given up long ago! But it’s probably easier to make music these days than it ever was given the huge advances in recording software and electronic formats, however it just as hard as it ever was to make money! What doesn’t change whether its today or 40 years ago is that you need to have the songs in your head in the first place to be able to make the music.

Q. - Why didn't things work out with Russ North, Andy Wood and Jon Brown when they returned some years ago?

Lee - There are always many factors at play when things don’t work out, too many to go into here.

Q. - Do you think the line-up instabilities prevented Cloven Hoof to reach a higher level?

Lee - That is the million dollar question! It has been troublesome to find the right people with both the talent and commitment to match and personnel change has not been good for the band and we have received much criticism for it over the years, but it’s often been out of our control.  Chris has been with us now since 2011 so he has provided some stability over the last 7 years. To be fair there aren’t many bands that have been in the game for 40 years that still have all the original members but I accept we’ve had more than our fair share of changes.

Q. - What's the biggest difficulties you have faced all over the years to keep Cloven Hoof alive?

Lee - After all the trials and tribulations you have to go through in a band with a 40-year history you have to really love what you are doing. It is true to say I enjoy being in Cloven Hoof more today than ever. I really appreciate the fans sticking with us all these years and our audiences are getting younger every day. We are bigger now than ever so Cloven Hoof must be doing something right!

The hardest part about being in a band is getting the right musicians because the chemistry must be perfect. Everyone has to be great musicians because the songs are challenging to play, but you need all the other qualities too. A band has to have dedicated team players who get on like a family. Sometimes it feels like you are gladiators going into the arena and it is your little band of people against the world. When you take the stage everyone is all on the same side united in metal brotherhood and the feeling can be a magical experience.

We have had terrible contractual problems in the past. We have had to deal with rip-off managers and agents too numerous to mention. In the end, it boils down to your belief in your music and the genre. You just have to have an iron will and the heart of a fighter. Your audience will find you in the end if you stick around long enough.

Q. - It's been hard to keep this line up together, since some of the band members are from the USA and the others are from the UK?

Lee - The biggest challenges in having members from UK and USA are financial. It is costly for European promotors to fly over two members of the band from the USA and obviously the same vice versa. So sadly some shows are just not viable, that said we will always try to make it happen if we can as we love nothing more than playing live shows whether huge festivals or underground venues and meeting the fans who’ve come out to see us.

Q. - "The BBC Sessions" are going to be released by HRR, are you satisfied with this new release?

Lee - Definitely, these have been in our archives for a long time and we are super happy that High Roller has released them, it’s a very important part our history and growth, so it’s great to have the opportunity to share this with everyone.

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

Lee - That is the test of good music, if it can stand the test of time then that is how you can judge its worth. Heavy Metal music in our genre is steeped in quality that leaves people coming back to it over and over again, NWOBHM is experiencing a revival that can be put down to many things, media coverage, fashion, maybe younger fans of heavy metal are discovering N.W.O.B.H.M, whatever the reason, long may it continue there is nothing better than playing to packed houses full of fanatical Heavy Metal fans! I love to listen to new music from old bands like ourselves (laughs), bands like Mythra have had great new releases like ourselves that’s getting a good reception, long may it continue. It is important however that the revival remains more than just a nostalgia trip in order for the revival and growth to be sustainable, this is how we like to approach it.

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

Lee - Cloven Hoof is experiencing the best time of its history and this is all down to the fans. The way they have received the new album and the reception we get at the live shows has been fantastic. We can’t wait to see you on the road in 2019, make sure you get to the merch booth after the show and we guarantee we’ll be there to say hello and sign your albums or take photos. See you on tour!

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

Badger (From Rossendale)

The band Badger is active since 1980, one of the elders bands of the NWOBHM still in action without a break, we had a chat with main man Gian Rothwell.

Q. - Hello Gian, tell us a bit about the origins of Badger, how and when did it all start? Who were the first members of the band?

Gian - The band came together between 1979 and 1980 – we were a loose collection of friends and fledgling musicians who been in and out of each other’s “embryo” bands but none of them had really amounted to anything – we were all still learning our instruments at that stage.

One band stood out more – Mad Dog with Paul Hannah on vocals, Paul Morton on lead guitar, Nigel Clawson rhythm guitar, John Baillie on drums and Roger Dawson on bass. (Roger was actually a big influence on me starting to play bass) They had done a few youth club gigs. I’m not sure why but Roger (bass) and Paul (singer) left the band and were replaced by Steven Killingbeck on vocals and Anthony Saunders on bass. They did a couple of pub gigs, but around Nov 1980 they asked me to join on bass and that’s when Badger started properly.

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

Gian - Punk was still very strong when we were getting going – it was a bit “them and us” but we were die hard rock fans We were listening to all the classic 70’s mega rock bands – Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Sabbath, AC/DC and even bands like Status Quo (since they were easy to cover!) but also some of the NWOBHM bands such as Saxon and Iron Maiden.

Q. - Did you start writing your own songs since the beginning or were you most concentrated on covers?

Gian - For the first 12 months or so we just concentrated on covers, but then we had another line up change – the two guitarists left and we went to a four piece with a new guitarist – Daryl Flagg. He was a huge Ritchie Blackmore fan, and had been playing for a few years longer than most of us, so was quite accomplished. Daryl had quite a few ideas for riffs and that’s when we started writing our own material.

Q. - In 1983 comes the compilation "Metal Plated", with the song "The Traveller", how did that happen?

Gian - We’d written The Traveller about 12 months earlier – Daryl started playing the riff one day and I added the bass line – it came together quite quickly I seem to recall. We’d built up quite a faithful local following by that time and it was a particular crowd favourite (along with Demon Rider).

Somebody saw an advert in one of the music papers that a one man record company – Daryl Johnstone (Ebony Records) based in Hull, UK was looking for unsigned bands to go on a compilation album. He picked 8 bands and we all paid a proportion of the recording and pressing costs, then he promoted the album, and if one band in particular stood out he’d give them a deal. We’d done a demo tape with The Traveller, Demon Rider and a couple of others and he liked The Traveller the best.

Q. - Did you try to find a record deal after the edition of the compilation?

Gian - We did send off to quite a few of the independent rock labels at the time, but were politely refused! I think I’ve still got some of the rejection letters in an old scrap book!

Q. - Did the song "The Traveller" have airplay on radio stations at that time?

Gian - Part of the deal with Ebony was as he was based in Hull he had quite a few contacts in Europe and he did a lot of promotion over there. We were reviewed in a French music mag and an Italian one – he sent us copies of the reviews (again in the old scrapbook) – my French and Italian isn’t great but it seemed to be well received. I never found out if we git airplay in the UK.

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

Gian - Yes I’m still in touch with most of the members. We have been through quite a few line up changes over the years – I’m the only one who has been in the band from 1980 and took over on vocals about 1986. Unfortunately Daryl Flagg died a few years ago, but John Baillie (the original drummer) lives close by and we do a monthly jam night. The original singer Steven Killingbeck lives in Ireland now, but we try to meet up every few years and do a reunion gig. One of our more recent guitarists (Warren Taylor) moved to Canada, so we replaced him with his nephew – Oliver Jones who’s been with us since 2007. And at the start of the year we got our 7th drummer – Alex Entwistle.

Q. - Do you still play the old Badger songs live? Like "Demon Rider" or "The Traveller"?

Gian - We only tend to play them at the reunion gigs.

Q. - And what other songs do you play live nowadays?

Gian - We still a bit rooted in the past – we’re still playing some songs we were playing at the beginning! But they tend to be the songs that people want to hear. We have people who used to come and see us in the 80’s are now bringing their kids with them. I often joke that we’re like one of those “Best Rock Album in the World Ever”. Any decent rock compilation will have a lot of our covers on it – Whole Lotta Rosie, Highway Star, Warpigs (always goes down great), Ace of Spades, The Trooper, Hallowed Be Thy Name. I think the most modern cover we do might be the Foo Fighter’s All My Life and that’s probably ten years old or more!

Q. - And do you play live on a regular basis, or it's hard for a heavy metal band to be booked nowadays?

Gian - Gigs are becoming harder to find – a lot of pub venues are closing down, so consequently there’s a lot of competition between bands. And I think unless you are playing a rock specific pub or club a lot of punters seem to want more mainstream “popular” tunes. And because we don’t really play our own material these days that means we can’t play the bigger rock clubs who are looking for originals bands.

Q. - How did the idea of recording "Live Mistakes An’ All!" came up?

Gian - The venue had it’s own in house PA – we used to play it quite regularly and the guy working the desk always got us a great sound. One time we played and at the end of the night he said he’d recorded us! We hadn’t planned it but the sound quality was so good we thought we burn a few CD’s for friends and family. And there was no editing or overdubs – it just came straight off the mixer. What you hear is what you get – including mistakes!

Q. - What gives you more strength to keep Badger alive after all these years? Have you ever thought about giving up?

Gian - As I’m getting a bit older I must admit gigs are getting physically harder. In our prime we were doing 70 or 80 gigs a year (and there’s only 52 weeks!!) but these days we’re probably only doing two a month so that’s fine. But it’s something I’ve always done – I retired from my job after 32 years, my first marriage only lasted 13 years so playing in the band is a huge part of my life – it’s the longest thing I’ve ever done. And fortunately whenever we’ve had to have a line up change we’ve been lucky that we’ve always found the right people to carry on. I did think about packing in when Warren left in 2007 – he was an amazing guitarist and a great friend and I didn’t think anyone could replace him, but his nephew Oliver stepped in and gave us a new lease of life. Also I’m a bit OCD so I’d like to try and reach 40 years and then I might think about stopping!

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

Gian - I think it’s great. And you can see how talented they were originally to still be able to play such great tunes (although perhaps a few of the singers are struggling a little!) It’s good as well that there are plenty of new bands coming through playing rock and metal, but I can’t really see any of them having a reputation like the megastars of yesterday. I don’t think we’ll be seeing another Deep Purple or Black Sabbath any time soon.

Q. - Are you still a heavy metal fan these days?

Gian - Yes I still listen to rock, but I do find myself concentrating on the old stuff mostly. But a good tune is a good tune whether it’s disco, or pop, or blues. One of my favourite radio stations is Planet Rock – I’ve discovered tunes from the older bands that have passed me by, but have also been introduced to some decent new music.

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