Dave Tattum (Angel Witch, Blaque Jaque Shallaque)

Dave Tattum was the lead singer of Angel Witch between 1984 and 1986, filling in for Kevin Hetbourne (who was having vocal trouble at the time), having recorded two LP's with them: Screamin' n' Bleedin' and Frontal Assault. We had a chat with Dave about Angel Witch and his previous bands, as well as his new project Dave Tattum & The Rattlesnake Bones.

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

Dave - I was in a scooter gang with a guy called Ian Cramer and he had a drum kit in his garage. I had just acquired a bass guitar and was trying to learn to play.

We decided to try and form a band with him on drums and me playing bass and singing. We found a guitarist and formed a three piece, but I found it hard to play bass and sing and also I was a very bad bass player. The guitarist also was very poor.

We used to rehearse in an old cinema which Ian’s Father owned and converted into a bingo hall.

We rehearsed in a room upstairs and I would leave my gear and bass there.

After a few weeks I walked in on Ian playing my bass and he was very good and so much better than me so we decided to sack the guitarist and look for a replacement. Also we decided I would sing and Ian would play bass and we would look for a new drummer.

Eventually we found a guy named Dave Blackie to play guitar and a guy called John Farrow to play drums.

Dave Blackie came up with the name Skin Deep named after the Louie Bellson drum solo.

We gigged around for a year or so until farrow fell in love and left the band. To tell the truth he was a very poor drummer, in fact the worst I have ever played with. He wasn’t a very nice guy either.

We found a replacement in Steve Williams who was excellent and a breath of fresh air.

We gigged around for a while until Steve left to join Budgie.

We never recovered from Steve’s departure and folded shortly after.

There were a few reincarnations of Skin Deep such as The Skin Deep Band which was a six piece, but it was never the same so I left and started auditioning for bands in London.

Q. - Was Skin Deep a punk band? Were punk rock your major influence on you?

Dave - Skin Deep was mostly a covers band as we were very young and hadn’t really got into writing our own material.

Although I liked punk a lot it wasn’t a major influence on me as I was a singer and was influenced by people like Paul Rodgers, David Byron, Ozzy Osbourne, and Steve Marriot.

Q. - Around 1978 comes Bill The Murderer, tell us a bit how did the band got together?

Dave - Bill the Murderer was formed in 1977 from the remnants of Skin Deep and a band called Ted.

I was auditioning for other bands when I was asked by a friend of mine Steve Aldridge, one of the guitarist in Ted to come along to one of Ted’s gigs.

When I turned up to the club, Ted were sound checking but the singer hadn’t turned up. Apparently the singer had decided to go to a party with his girlfriend and just didn’t show.

The band asked me if I knew the songs and if so would I help them out as the other guitarist Dave Blackie (Skin Deep) struggled to sing them.

I told them I would as long as they sacked the singer and gave me the job instead. They all agreed whole heartedly, so that night I became the singer with Ted.

After a few months we changed our name to Bill the Murderer and started writing our own material and travelling further afield to gig.

Dave Blackie left and was replaced by Pete Downes. The drummer was sacked and replaced by Ray Bibby who was eventually replaced by Dave Pendrey.

So Bill the Murderer ended up with the line-up – Steve Aldridge guitar, Pete Downes Guitar, Dave Tattum Vocals, Ian Cramer Bass, Patrick Cramer keyboards.

Q. - How was the single "I'd Find You / Spring Rain" received by the fans at that time? Did it have airplay on radio stations?

Dave - The single was received very well by our fans and sold at gigs but it wasn’t promoted very well and did play on local radio a few times but our management did not push or promote us towards a record deal. Also at this time Pete was getting a bit disillusioned with it all and wanted to pursue his love of jazz.

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

Dave - We played all over North Wales and the North of England as far up as Leeds and Sheffield, down to Stoke on Trent. At one time we were gigging 4, 5 and sometime 6 nights a week.

Eventually Pete left and the band folded due to a lack of interest and some member’s laziness in writing songs. When you get two band members who are brothers and live in the same house and never came up with one song or riff, it’s time to give up.

After we split I went for an audition to London and got the job.

Q. - What about Blaque Jaque Shallaque were you a founding member with Dave Hogg? Tell us a bit about the beginning of the band.

Dave - I saw an advert in Melody Maker for a singer to join the better half of Angel Witch which had Rob Downing and Dave Hogg. I auditioned for the band and got the job. We rehearsed for months and eventually went into Bronze Studios and recorded an EP. I couldn’t see the band getting anywhere so I left but remained great friends with Dave Hogg.

I then joined a great little band called 11th Victim and gigged with them for a while until the drummer left. He was Frank Darch (Ex More). I phoned Dave Hogg and he joined us on drums.

I had the name Blaque Jaque Shallaque in my head and we decided to change the band’s name to that.

We gigged around London for a while and again went into Bronze to record an EP. I don’t know where these recording have gone.

We entered a Battle of the Bands competition in Southend. Neil Murray and Fast Eddie Clarke were the judges and we won it. We did and encore at the end of the night and Neil and Eddie got up on stage and jammed with us.

Rod Downing played guitar at this gig as our guitarist had gone on holiday.

Blaque Jaque Shallaque eventually ran out of steam and split up.

Q. - Did you record any demo tapes with Blaque Jaque Shallaque? Have you ever thought about compiling all the " Blaque Jaque Shallaque " recordings in a cd release?

Dave - We recorded two demos as I have previously stated and maybe one day someone will compile a cd. I haven’t got all the recordings but I believe Dave Hogg may have them.

Q. - How did you end up being Angel Witch lead singer?

Dave - After BJS split, Dave Hogg and I remained great friends and hung out together. Then Dave got the call from Kevin Heybourne to reform Angel Witch. As I was had a keen interest in drumming (Drums are my favourite instrument, even though I don’t play) Dave asked me to be his drum tech when he gigged, which as I was doing nothing at the time I accepted.

Kevin was struggling with his voice as he constantly screamed which if not controlled can destroy your singing voice. I would sing at the sound checks just to save his voice for the gig.

Then I had a phone call from Kevin asking me if I would like to become the singer in Angel Witch, of course I accepted.

Q. - What memories do you keep from the "Screamin' n' Bleedin'" recording seasons and following tour?

Dave - I remember having a very short time to prepare for the recording which put me at a bit of a disadvantage as we didn’t gig before going into the studio so I couldn’t really get a feel for the songs.

I don’t believe I sang my best on that album as I was under quite a bit of pressure and under the spotlight from the rest of the band.

I wish I could record my voice on that album again.

I can’t remember much about that tour only that we lived on the road very roughly in very poor and dirty Bed & Breakfasts and dirty cheap hotels.

It was quite a strain as we burned the candle at both ends and I didn’t get the proper rest a singer needs.

My first gig was at a Hell’s Angels club in Oxford which was quite an experience as the showed no appreciation between songs.

I was told afterwards that they really enjoyed our show but it wasn’t cool to applaud and they would have let us know in no uncertain terms if they didn’t like us!

Q. - Did you tour with Angel Witch after the release of "Frontal Assault"?

Dave - We did a short tour with a new drummer (Spencer Holman) as Dave Hogg had been sacked a couple of months after the Screamin’ n Bleedin’ tour. I can’t go into the reasons why I’m sorry.

One of the gigs on the tour was in The Marquee Club in London which was great for me as I had always wanted to sing there.

Q. - Do you think that Screamin' n' Bleedin' and Frontal Assault, can be reissued on CD, in the near future?

Dave - I have no idea Paulo. It would be nice to see them re mastered and out on CD.  There are a lot of people who have been in contact with me asking questions about re mastering and re issuing the albums. I wish I could go back and do it all over again. I really miss those days.

Q. - Was it hard task, to replace Kevin as Angel Witch’s frontman? How did you feel about that?

Dave - Of course it was a difficult job to take over duties from Kev and I felt very honoured to be given the task, but I had a professional mind-set and gave it my best shot.

I found some of the old AW songs challenging as Kevin screamed a lot on some of those songs and I am not really a screamer. I had taken singing lessons for about four years before I joined AW, so I knew how to sing but having being trained as a singer I was taught to sing from the stomach and the head and not from the throat which had damaged Kevin’s voice.

It was challenging but I think I did ok, and I felt I grew into the job. There were a few that hated me taking over from Kevin, and you can see those in some of the comments on You Tube. Things like AW should always be a three piece and that I never should have took over from Kev.

Q. - Did you start Jack Flash after you leave Angel Witch?

Dave - No I started Jacflash in 2011 with Steve Aldridge (Bill the Murderer) as just a bit of fun really playing covers around the local pubs.

I had moved back home to North Wales a year or so after my AW departure and played in a few bands but then retired for a few years.

I was building a rehearsal studio in my garden for my young son who was just learning drums and was very good even if I say so myself.

I was building this soundproof studio so he could practise without annoying our neighbours.

After it was finished I looked around it and thought this is wasted on one person so I formed Jacflash so we could use the studio to rehearse.

Q. - Did you stay in touch with each other’s all over the years?

Dave - I saw Pete Gordelier last year when he came up to play a gig near where I live. I am not in contact with Kevin or Spencer Holman. I used to be friendly with Dave Hogg but I think he has fallen out with me due to me not attending one of his birthday parties in London.

I was quite sick at the time and couldn’t attend and I don’t think he has forgiven me, which is a shame.

I am in touch with other members of other bands I was in but there are some members of previous bands I never want to see again and wouldn’t be responsible for my actions if I did. To tell the truth I wouldn’t give them the steam off my piss.

Q. - Tell us a bit about "The Rattlesnakes Bones", how did the idea of recording this album came up? Which other musicians do you play with in this album?

Dave - I was in Leuven in Belgium having a drink with my friend Dirk Lekenne who owns Studio Fandango in Boutersem in Belgium and he asked me if I fancied writing some songs with him and maybe recording them.

We sent each other music and lyrics and over the next few months we had written 15 songs.

I went over to his studio in March 2019 and recorded all the songs with Dirk.

He had all the tracks already recorded by musicians he knew and also by my old friend drummer Rik Volkaerts.

All I had to do was to put down vocals and backing vocals and put on a bit of harmonica.

I thought of the name ‘The Rattlesnake Bones’ for the guys who played on my album.

They are: - Dirk Lekenne Guitars, Rik Volkaerts Drums, Pieter Akkermans Keyboards and Luc de Graff.

Q. - Do you have already any plans for the future, or it’s just too soon?

Dave - I am going to continue to write and record with Dirk Lekenne and am looking to start something bluesy in the near future. I doubt if I will get the chance to sing metal again but who knows? Never say never!

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

Helix - Breaking Loose

This is the 40th anniversary edition of the first Helix release, Breaking Loose, released by Dyamond Roxx, sub-label of Progaor Records (first time on CD, in Europe).

Breaking Loose is a much underrated album by veteran Canadian heavy rockers Helix, with a late 70's classic hard rock sound loaded with great guitar solos, with a great remastering sound.

Apart of the eight original tracks: I Could Never Leave; Don't Hide Your Love; Down In The City; Crazy Women; Billy Oxygen; Here I Go Again; You're A Woman Now and Wish I Could Be There, it contains two unreleased extra tracks Let Me Take You Dancin' and Sidewalk Sally.

This is a great release for fans of late 70s Hard Rock. It's available at:  https://www.discogs.com/sell/item/1008565384   

Lust ‎– Hollywood Roxx 1976-80: Studio Sessions

Hollywood Roxx 1976-80: Studio Sessions is a compilation that includes the best recordings made by Lust, the band of the guitar player Austin M. Carrino, that featured mythical Keith Deen on lead vocals, who later joined the speed metal band Holy Terror.

Lust's sound brings us to a typical hard rock of the late 70's, featuring short guitar-oriented songs being the highlight the great guitar work done by Austin Carrino.

It should be noted that Keith Deen sings in a very different way from the one that he got us used to, later in Holy Terror, in a much more melodic way.

An excellent record that also includes a song from Austin M. Carrino's solo project, Awesome Austin: I Need Your Love. For Hard 70's sound lovers.

You can find it here:  https://www.discogs.com/sell/item/1010830950?ev=bp_img 

ROD1313 - Gravity

Gravity is the first solo work of Miguel Rodrigues aka Rod, a guitar player with great experience since the late 80's.

This mini-album is instrumental and guitar oriented, recorded at his own studio in Uppsala, Sweden, in 2019 and self-produced, and the project is called ROD1313.

The EP consists of six songs: Scars, Gravity, Silence Speaks, Hollow, Back From The Ashes" and "The Wait", "Hollow".

The sound takes you to some instrumental hard rock melody lines along side with some powerful riffs reminding you of late 80's Power and Thrash Metal bands (like Silence Speaks, Hollow or Back From Ashes), in a mix with very catchy melodies.

And it's available at Rod's page: www.rodriffs.com .

William Hayter (Bloodshot Eyes)

Out of the ashes of Shader comes Bloodshot Eyes, they released the LP "On My Knees" in 1984, now a days considered one of the rarest hard rock LPs. We talked with drummer William Hayter about this underrated band.

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

William - The band came together out of the ashes of Shader. We were all local friends whilst Shader was active. When Shader called it a day, Bloodshot Eyes was effectively the continuation of that band.

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

William: Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, Gong and lots of other progressive rock.

Q. - How did the band name came up?

William - Because of the bands drinking habits!!

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

William - No. Shader toured extensively supporting Budgie and several other shows under their own steam. After a recording contract with Polydor Records fell through Shader split up. Bloodshot Eyes was then formed to keep the momentum of Shader running. At this point, no shows were booked so it was decided to go and record enough songs to do an album first. When the album was released, the band split up before any shows could take place despite interest being generated among promoters to stage Bloodshot Eyes gigs. The individual members moved into other projects with me and Matt Russell joining Sudden Afternoon and Hanif Bulbulia going to Hitchhiker. George was left to pick up the pieces.

Q. - Do you recall the songs you were playing in the beginning? Did you play any covers too?

William - No, no covers as we just concentrating on getting the album songs developed.

Q. - The Lp "On My Knees" was released in 1984, what do you recall from these recording sessions?

William - There were three sessions at Recession Studios in Hackney, London. Memory is a bit vague now but I do recall George shouting at the sound engineer who tried to suggest something with the recording but George was quick to point out that he was paying for the sessions so was boss and had the final say. Quite amusing really. It all sounded good after the overdubs and mixes and no bad feelings were had by anyone. The final sessions sounded good in the end.

Q. - Did you tour supporting "On My Knees"?

William - No.

Q. - Are there any other recordings by Bloodshot Eyes (demos or live recordings) besides the LP?

William - Yes. The band reformed at the end of 1984 with Ian Secombe on guitar and John Prine on bass plus me on the drums. We rehearsed and then recorded six new songs ready for a new album which was going to be called Bad Blood. This eventually never got released due to the band splitting for the last time so eventually got shelved.

Q. - The "Bloodshot Eyes" adventure didn't last much, what led to the end?

William - Frustration at not being able to maintain a regular line up or agreeing on anything finally split the band, sadly. Lives were changing and other bands were taking members away. I was starting the knowledge to become a London taxi driver and it took up a lot of time. I got in to a folk rock band called Caliban that were influenced by Fairport Convention, they played a lot of local gigs around London but never developed beyond recording a cassette album before splitting up.

Q. - Did you stay in touch with each other all over the years?

William - George and I have stayed friends even though there have been lengthy spells where we didn’t see each other. We played together at local blues jams and so forth. Hanif went to Wales so we don’t see so much of each other. Matt is in a punk band called The Outbursts. They gig a lot around London. John and Ian have disappeared and we have no contact with them.

Q. - What do you think that lacked to "Bloodshot Eyes" to have a successful career?

William - Stability.

Q. - So what are you doing these days? Do you still play in any band? Tell us a bit about it.

William - George is now a member Howlin’ Mojo Bones. They are gigging a lot including The Bish Bash festival in Bishops Stortford and the Harlow Summer Link Fest this summer and a blues festival at Butlins in Skegness in January next year with Savoy Brown, The Animals, Climax Blues Band and Nine Below Zero topping the bill.

They also had their CD reviewed by Blues Blast in the USA and were recommended for an award.

I run my own studio now and have a lot of music released. I had a single by The Flaming Gnomes released by Fruits de Mer Records. I have recently worked with a lot of artists like Nick Haeffner, The Revenge and am currently helping in a small way with a forthcoming box set by well known Canterbury band Caravan.

There are loads of other things that are too long to list but one other notable event that I took part in was entering the Guinness book of records when I joined 600 drummers all playing together at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham in 2009.

Q. - Are there any plans to reissue "On My Knees"?

William - Yes. We have been approached by High Roller Records in Germany to have the album released. The remaster is sounding very good and will be out next year

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

George Whitter (Shader, Bloodshot Eyes)

Shader was formed in London at the end of the 1970’s, and last till 1983/84, they did many tours all across the UK and played to a variety of audiences. The single "Bad News Blues" was recorded in 1981, and after the split George Whitter formed Bloodshot Eyes releasing the LP "On My Knees".

Q. – Hello George! Tell us a bit about the beginning of Shader, how did it all start? How did you get in touch with the other members?

George - All local friends/musicians who got together. I was already a local music celebrity. The band just got together to jam and play gigs.

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

George - Jimi Hendrix and other blues rock bands also prog and psychedelic rock.

Q. - How did the band name came up?

George - Good question.......I can’t remember.

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

George - Yes, toured supporting Budgie and spent three years travelling up and down the M1, mostly playing to large rock audiences up the north of England.

Q. - Do you recall the songs you were playing in the beginning? Did you play any covers too?

George - No covers. The Pimp and another song called The Jungle also Bad News Blues, Don’t Treat Me Like a Fool, Banging Like a Shit House Door and other songs that eventually ended up on the Bloodshot Eyes album On My Knees.

Q. - How was the single "Bad News Blues" received by the fans? Did it have airplay on radio stations?

George - Quite a few were sold with a repressing needed. The fans loved it.

Q. - When did you release the demo tape "Rock ‘n’ Roll ‘n’ Toast"? Did you try to find a record deal after that demo?

George - Yes, there was interest from Polydor Records who were keen to sign Shader. The A&R representative that was about to sign Shader got the sack. His replacement didn’t want to sign Shader and the rest is history as they say.

Q. - When did "Shader" split up exactly? What happened that led to the split?

George – 1982. Too many disagreements. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians. Dispute over direction and band leadership.

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

George - The A&R man at Polydor Records keeping his job!!

Q. - Did you formed Bloodshot Eyes right after the split of Shader? How did it all start?

George - Yes. It sort of continued on with other friends who were musicians.

Q. - The Lp "On My Knees" was released in 1984, what do you recall from these recording sessions?

George - Not much. Memory is vague but it was good to be back doing something.

Q. - The "Bloodshot Eyes" adventure didn't last much, what lead to the end?

George - Instability, like William said.

Q. - Did you stay in touch with each others all over the years?

George - Yes with William but lost touch with earlier members.

Q. - So what are you doing these days? Do you still play in any band? Tell us a bit about it.

George - I play with Howlin’ Mojo Bones which is blues based rock. We have had two CDs out. The second CD Voodoo She Do has got a lot of good reaction from fans and press alike. We have also played a number of gigs and festivals in the summer and a big one at Butlins in Skegness in early 2020 which is a blues and rock festival.

Q. - Have you ever thought about doing a compilation with all the recordings made by Shader or Bloodshot Eyes?

George - Not really because High Roller Records in Germany are dealing with that as we speak.

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

George - It’s great to see after all these years that there is still an interest in the songs that I wrote and recorded. Rock n Roll n Toast n Coffee is still a very popular song and has been cite s the one that got away.

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

Francisco Dias (Progaor / Dyamond Roxx)

Francisco Dias have been in the music business for a long time, started as a Hardcore singer, moving later to the metal scene. Nowadays he manages the label Progaor, and sub label Dyamond Roxx, based in the UK. Before Progaor, he managed the label Blood and Iron Records, and was the lead singer for the Doom Metal band Dawnrider. We had a chat about his past bands and current labels.

Q. - Hello Francisco, tell me a little bit about you, how did your interest in hard rock and heavy metal music start?

Francisco - Hi Paulo, i am from Lisbon, Portugal but moved to the UK in 2014 and married last year living in the beautiful countryside of Suffolk and expecting our first baby very soon. My interest in Heavy Rock music started about 1985/86 when i saw on TV clips from AC/DC and Iron Maiden plus my interest in going to the local record shop where i lived (in the suburbs of Lisbon) the owner was friend of my parents and eventually i saw the very first hard n heavy record covers in his shop. Live After Death was the most striking since i saw it i felt extremely attracted to it. An older guy who lived in my building (only 3 years older but when youre 11 its a big deal a guy with 14 years old it seems a big gap) he was a proper headbanger and he taped me the first stuff...Maiden, WASP, Motorhead. I was already turned on to Queen and AC/DC then came Europe with Final Countdown album and as soon as i started to tune in the Metal/Hard Rock radio shows, it opened me a door to a wonderful new world...Saxon, Priest, Warlock, Deep Purple, Sabbath, Accept and a few more that was i was tuned in in my year zero along with the ones i mentioned earlier. Maiden seemed to be my favourite band of them all. 

Q. - Did you start your activity as singer with Subcaos? How did the band start?

Francisco - With the decadence of Metal (death metal, black metal) i lost interest and started to tune into Hardcore. This was 1990. I already was listening Crossover stuff and i was skating. I was listening to a lot of Thrash, this was 88/89...then i started to try to reach the Hardcore scene. Eventually i ended up singing (screaming) in the first Portuguese Straight Edge Hardcore band. Then i moved on the band finished and i started my own back in the spring of 91: Subcaos. It started as a Punk/Crust type Hardcore band. For me it was like Thrash Metal but more straightforward and with better lyrics (for my teenage mind at the times). Not all thrash metal had silly lyrics Megadeth always had great lyrics. Anyway...those were the days...trying to catch up with the Hardcore scene of the 80s mainly U.S. and UK bands. Initially Subcaos live was quite an experience the first times we played in Lisbon back in 1992: the punk rockers didnt like it. People into Hardcore liked it and slam danced and thrashers were banging their heads in the front row. It was a great feeling for a teenage kid!

Q. - When did you join "Crise Total"? How did that happen?

Francisco - I had these biker punk friends who were friends of the original Crise members. Some of them were thinking in making a return and record in a studio the songs they were playing in the 80s live. They were considered the Portuguese Discharge. As a fan of Crise and Discharge i immediately said i had interest in sing for them and another Subcaos member came with me to try the bass guitar. We got into the band and we performed live in shows with Portuguese and foreign bands plus we recorded in 96 the CD with all the 80s classic songs. A shame that some of our live recordings sounded powerful and better than the studio recording. Try to put a guy who listens to Dream Theater and Steve Vai recording a Punk band and shit comes out.

Q. - How did the idea to create a label came up? Was Blood and Iron Records your first label?

Francisco - I had a label before Blood & Iron but it was to promote my band at the time and a few friend’s bands from the Lisbon area. The No-Counts D.O.M., Brainwashed by Amalia and We were Wolves. I was a bit naive and eventually lost a lot of money and finished the project after two years. But it was great fun...i did a few festivals for the label and it was a great Rock brotherhood we had around the label bands. Carlos from B.B.A. ended up with me in Dawnrider. When i started Blood & Iron in 2005 i already had a bit more experience and some contacts to get the ball rolling. But the label got more serious 3 years later when i started to release a bunch of LPs. This idea of doing Blood and Iron came from the frustration of having had a record shop for 6 years, that youre stuck in a place 7 or 8 hours a day creating a routine that was not exciting anymore. So i decided to start to envision editions for bands i liked that was lacking in the market a reissue of their out of print album or a compilation of unreleased recordings. I would also make on CD version albums that never came out on that format before or the other way round. I tried to add bonus tracks and even some had bonus DVD to make it better than the previous CD editions. This was very exciting for me and was more rewarding for the soul as youre contributing to the Heavy Metal scene with some releases that are going to cause an impact on people. Some of my favourite releases were Place of Skulls, Dammaj, Taist of Iron, Nitro, Tyrant (U.S.), Tytan, Force, and the Black Rose (UK) ones. 12 years, 47 editions. Two of these i repeated on Dyamond Roxx recently (Nitro and the first Black Rose album) but the NITRO one i just envisioned a retro styled cover design more suitable to the band and added the 83 demos that previously had been included in the Lethal reissue made by Skol, but out of print for some time.

Q. - Tell us a bit about the early days of Dawnrider, was it hard to find the right people to play this kind of music?

Francisco - Oh yes, but as i was an underground rat and always meeting people and talking about music so i could find the right people for the project. Not all were full on Doom Metal fans but it didn’t matter as long as half the band was into it, we could do something. We had many line-up changes. We could have done so much more but anyway im glad the band is still going without me. With this recent line up i can say that the band is finally stable and Hugo one of the former members deserves that stability because hes a true underground crusader.

Q. - Dawnrider recorded three albums with you as singer, did you feel support from radios or magazines?

Francisco - Honestly not much from abroad. But we had support from the main Metal radio show in Portugal, Hypertensao from Antonio Freitas. For the third album he made us an interview. It was good fun in the studio with him. Also we had great support from Loud magazine which is the main Metal mag in Portugal.

Q. - How did the idea to create the traditional heavy metal band Leather Synn came up?

Francisco - Well, he had time on our side...i envisioned that project with Ze Rockhard (Inquisitor) as we were partying a lot together drinking and watching Priest shows on dvd and listening to a lot of underground 80s U.S. Metal. Also in 2010 one year before Leather Synn was formed i had a project with Hugo (Dawnrider) called simply Leather. We were trying to emulate this U.S. Power Metal archaic sound of Ruthless, Omen and a few more. It went nowhere so me, Hugo and Ze Rockhard started Leather Synn then Faria (Non Nobis Prod) joined for the bass and finally on drums, the original Dawnrider drummer Victor Silver joined the ranks because it was more his thing because of the Priest influence. Unfortunately Rockhard left and i was shattered because this project was our drunken fantasy we all dressed up leather and studs onstage, swords, axes, fireworks...it was true U.S. Epic Power Metal spirit.

Q. - Was it hard to move to the UK and adapt to a different reality?

Francisco - It was hard in the beginning. But whenever i was visiting London i was doing ok. I have several Portuguese friends there and foreign too. Later, when i moved to the West Midlands, it was rare to visit London i was in Nottingham for a year and it was OK lots of music events to attend on weekends...but when i moved near Birmingham for the biblical studies college that’s when i felt more isolated. But it didn’t bother me that much i had already a different mentality and a different purpose.

Q. - After you moved to the UK did you try to continue as Dawnrider and Leather Synn singer? Do you miss both bands?

Francisco - Before i left i quit Leather Synn. I tried to continue with Dawnrider but it was like 1 gig or two a year. Eventually we all agreed that it couldn’t continue like that. To be honest, being in a band was not so important to me anymore. I’ve been doing it since 1990 and i gave my last gig in 2016: Dawnrider and Ironsword. Double bill in Lisbon. Legendary night!

Q. - And have you tried to find another band since you are in the UK?

Francisco - I did, right before i married...but I’m glad i didn’t found the whole line up. We moved to Suffolk after a year of being married. Now I’m settled here, but I’m busy with my label, holiday rent management and personal life. I still don’t miss it and probably wont miss for the next few years. I’ve been actively 25 years on stage with several bands. That was a lot of shows and parties.

Q. - Blood and Iron Records was a stable label, what made you feel like start a new label like Progaor, instead of continue with Blood and Iron Records?

Francisco - I wanted a more CD based label and was noticing that there was a lack in the market for a label centered in Prog Rock, Pomp Rock and AOR in general (from melodic rock to melodic metal). My initial aim was having a label with a smaller mailorder, no vinyl and mostly based in wholesales and selling via my distributor. But the bands i release are not Journey or Bon Jovi haha so i ended up with a big mailorder, selling second hand again, doing trades with other labels...just keeping busy shooting all directions from Melodic Rock to Prog Power Metal and everything inbetween. On my mailorder i even go beyond that you can find bits and pieces of thrash, hardcore , 60s psychedelia or blues rock.

Q. - Do you feel there's still many "treasures" out there, to be found?

Francisco - Oh yes, definitely! And honestly, sometimes it’s the band's fault the recordings keep in the dark. The band members want money upfront or some kind of great deal that you cannot offer. Its 500 copies editions...they don’t understand how low is the market nowadays for underground music. Some of these bands i release i can’t even move 300 copies. It will take a few years more for me to sell out some releases. But it’s not just the demo stuff that’s unheard of the underground public. There’s many privately released albums that were forgotten in time and there’s a new whole potential audience out there to discover them. I’m sorting deals now with a few of these for the 2020 releases. Incredible bands!

Q. - -Do you use any special standard to sign with a band?

Francisco - As long as i like...i don’t need to be a big fan but most of the cases, i am. Sometimes i just discover a musician or I’m going after someone from the band to propose a release. Several years before the greeks released Medieval Steel and Emerald i was on it, the first never replied me because they wanted to sell their self released CD Dungeon Tapes and the second the drummer wanted to ask the band members if they could record new stuff to make a comeback. I was on the race to Glacier but they said they would not involve the 88 demo i wanted as bonus. Then they licensed to No Remorse, but only the EP,  I presume for a big sum of money. You can do a lot of it selling the box sets but i don’t care about box sets for me they’re a bit useless and a big investment. Another band i really was disappointed that they put me on hold (like Emerald), was Child Saint. But i think they’re waiting for a big bucks contract because of the Megadeth riff polemic. Anyway, i have great stuff coming for 2020 in the area of Pomp Rock. And a great Southern Hard Rock band too. I’ve been wanting to include Southern Rock and this will be the first time after 2 years of PROGAOR/DYAMONDROXX. In the meantime just came out LUST-Hollywood Roxx 1976-80: Studio Sessions CD...this is Keith Deen (RIP) from Holy Terror on vocals waaayyy before his Thrash band. It’s a late 70s melodic Metal band perfect if you like very early Dokken and 70s Riot. The drummer was on Warrior (Fighting for the Earth classic album!) and Rhino Bucket.

Q. - Is there any band that you saw a lot of potential to release, but in the end failed the agreement?

Francisco - Yes a few, Some stories i already told in the question before and let me tell you that i was also sad that i couldn’t proceed with the first SYRIS album (great U.S. Power Metal from the 90s) because the band member in question was being lazy. On PROGAOR i tried a few bands from Canada that gave different arguments. One of them i was close to do..FIST/MYOFIST but their manager didn’t reply to me confirming anything. I would love to do STREETHEART's Quicksand Shoes, an album that doesn’t exist on CD (save for a dodgy cdr version) but the band doesn’t have the rights of the album then you have to try to reach which label has the rights its a bureaucratic process that i like to avoid and deal with the bands directly. I don’t respect major labels. Only independent labels.

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

Francisco – It’s all different! The 80s were the times of the tribes on the streets, the times where you proudly wear your outfits, the time of larger than life attitude, the times of buying vinyl when a new hot release just came out, reading paper mags, it was all about physical formats. It would take years in the 80s to learn about 40 or 50 different bands. Nowadays you can become a metal expert in 2 years on youtube and have a huge collection of mp3 in your laptop...and its not real...its just shallow. You dont absorb 50% of the 100% you absorb with the physical objects. And the sound quality...lets not even talk about that, I like to get a CD with photos of the band, a band history and maybe even the lyrics if theyre not silly. We live in the age of information but nothing seems to be deep. And its too much bombardment in a short time. Im glad i still enjoyed a bit of the 80s, headbanging around a ghetto blaster outside school to Slayer, being in a sweaty violent show around guys with patched jackets in the moshpit like if their lives depended on it. It was crazy fun. Everybodys trying to recreate these environments in the new millennium and the good thing now it’s they’re much safer and there’s more civilised people nowadays in the Metal scene than back in the 80s. There’s always pros and cons when we discuss the then and now.

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

Francisco - Oh yes! Heavy Metal Forever! I do not consider myself a Metalhead i am not stereotypical in that sense but i love my traditional Heavy Metal. Specially American Metal.

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

Francisco - I want to shout out a huge blessing for those who took their precious time to read this interview, God bless you brothers and sisters!

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

All the best my good friend and congrats for the great work with the webzine!