Listening to Immortal, the new album from the Michael Schenker Group, there is one thing that I have read quite recently that I simply cannot get out of my head.
Apparently the guy has NOT yet been inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame- I find this incredible! Surely this cannot be true?!
He is, in my opinion, one of the top three guitar players I have ever heard.
I find myself listening for all the guitar work above everything else( it has always been the way when I listen to anything written by or played on by Schenker).
That is not to say that the album is bad at all. I like it. There are some really great songs on it . My own favourites include Don’t Die On Me Now , Devil’s Daughter and Sail The Darkness. Overall it is a really nice collection of good rock songs with a couple of slower ballads thrown in as well.
In Search Of The Peace Of Mind is a lovely little hat tip to the 70s Scorpions days.
It may sound as though I am being a bit dismissive of the actual songs and I do not mean to be at all. I believe Immortal is as good as some of Schenker’s earlier work and would deserve about a 7 out of ten.
The thing that probably pushes it up to an eight or nine is the guitar playing. It is unmistakeable melodic and lyrical. Schenker seems to avoid the over technical barrage of notes that some strive for. He sound totally effortless and the work fits with the songs beautifully.
Some of the picking in the slower After The Rain is stunning and takes me back to High Flyer from the album Force It and maybe also Love To Love from the slightly later Lights Out .
Lockdown cannot end quickly enough for a lot of far more important reasons than live music, but seeing another live performance from this man will be very near the top of my To Do list.
The songs on Immortal will fit in well with any other that are included in a live set.
Michael Schenker is alive and well and still shredding like the guitar hero that he always has been.
Go and buy this and just listen to a guy who is a master of his craft, doing what he does best. It will make you realise that form is temporary but class is permanent- and Michael Schenker is pure class.
I recently had the pleasure to be able to pick the astute, fellow cat-loving, brains of a band of young brothers called Radkey. Radkey is an American punk rock band formed in 2010 that consists of three brothers from St. Joseph, Missouri. Isaiah Radke (bass), Solomon Radke (drums), and Dee Radke (lead vocals and guitar) and are managed by their Dad, Matt Radke. Radkey played their first show in 2011 when they opened for Fishbone & they have since played with the likes of Jack White, The Offspring, Descendents, Local H, Black Joe Lewis, Titus Andronicus and performed at festivals like SXSW, Riot Fest, Afropunk, Japan’s Punkspring the U.K.’s Download Festival, and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Back in the beginning of 2020 (just before the world shut down) I had made it a point to explore the world of more obscure bands in order to better get the word out about talent on the rise in Rock ‘N’ Roll. A little birdie told me to take on a Radkey show & I was instantly hooked. I recorded a few songs & grabbed some pics for a short Instagram review & was then compelled to put my work away & join the rest of the rousing Radkey diehards in song & mosh! I had a blast & afterwards chatted with the humble & kind trio of brothers for a few moments, then headed off to compile what I’d gathered in order to post.
A few months later one of my favorite bands (who’s well known for encouraging & uplifting the careers of fellow musicians) The Foo Fighters, announced their inaugural D.C. Jam & Radkey had been hand picked to join the lineup! I was super excited for them & immediately started to contemplate how to snag tickets. I’ve always had an affinity for people of color in modern Rock. It’s a major cause after my own heart as growing up, I absolutely loved Rock ‘N’ Roll, but didn’t see very many people who looked like myself in the mainstream spotlight. Before the pandemic, I personally feel that Radkey was beginning to take some very important steps on a major road to becoming more of a household name.
Majority of Radkey’s touring, albums, & gigging efforts have been funded & or sourced by the fans which literally makes Radkey a band for the people, of the people. I felt that it was completely refreshing to see & hear majorly talented, young, up & coming, black voices in modern Rock ‘N’ Roll. I was very excited & grateful when I was notified of the opportunity to get a few moments to chat with such an innovative group.
Roctavia: Thank you for taking the time out to interview with me today guys! So you guys are literally a band of brothers! What is it like to grow up performing with family?
Radkey: Since we grew up homeschooled, we’ve actually been really close throughout our whole career. Comes very natural to us.
Roctavia: How did you guys feel about being homeschooled growing up?
Radkey: I’m really happy about it. There are some things that I missed out on as far as having friends, but I had a ton of fun just being a nerd with my cousins. Homeschooling gave us all the time that we needed to perfect our craft and also grab a ton of inspiration.
Roctavia: what & or who inspired each of you individually to become musiciansgrowing up?
Sol: We always loved rock and wanted to get more of it out there.
Dee: Listening to bands that dad had in his collection. Watching Music videos of those bands.
Sai: When dad brought back the movie School of Rock, that really changed the game. Dad had a lot of the music that was in the movie, and that was a really great start for the career.
Roctavia: I couldn’t agree more! I’m beginning to see a trend that School of Rock had a major influence on a lot of young musicians.
Roctavia: Tell us a little bit about your most favorite gig.
Sol: Definitely opening for Jack White and getting to meet him.
Dee: Punk Spring Fest in Tokyo. It was so much fun. It was one of my dreams for the longest time to visit Japan. Before the band even started. Never thought I’d get to visit Japan let alone perform in front of thousands of Japanese people. I had been studying Japanese before and I got to speak the little Japanese I had learned with Japanese People. It was so cool. Also visiting Akihabara was so cool.
Sai: I really loved our run with Jack White. Feeling your body adapt to that environment was really a blessing.
Roctavia:…Yes, the incomparable Jack White. You guys are so lucky. I’m not jealous or anything haha!
Roctavia: Over the years who have you loved performing with/opening for the most?
Sol: We love playing with Descendants.
Dee: Descendents, WIZO, Rise Against, Flogging Molly, The Damned, Drenge. They were all great tours.
Sai: Local H, Jack White, Offspring and theres gotta be a few that I’m missing…
Roctavia: Great picks. Definitely of the greats for sure.
Roctavia: I hear that you were hand picked to perform at the Foo FightersInaugural D.C. Jam! Walk us through how you all felt when you found out!
Sol: That was like a dream come true!
Dee: Yeah, that was crazy. We grew up listening to the Foo Fighters, you know, to be hand picked to perform At their event was a huge honor. Looking forward to hopefully doing something with them in the future when it’s safe to go out again.
Sai: Was really amazing to get that gig. It really made us feel like we finally became a real non baby band. Felt great!
Roctavia: Who would you love to work & or collaborate with next?
Sol: Probably Rivers Cuomo.
Dee: Weezer, Gary Clark Jr., Childish Gambino, Green Day
Sai: It’d be great to get the chance to do our own thing again!
Roctavia: What are some of your feelings & or most memorable experiences aboutbeing people of color in modern Rock ‘N’ Roll? Have you had to overcomeany adversities?
Just a few times in St. Joe, our hometown. A place called Hammerjacks that is no longer around turned us down because “They didn’t book rap groups”. Even with a demo CD. There wasn’t really much of that kind of thing though. Most of the racism we have faced is off the stage and outside of music, just as regular citizens.
Roctavia: What advice do you have for young musicians out there that may be facingany of the obstacles that you’ve faced?
Just hang in there. Keep practicing, keep playing, and keep your head up.
Roctavia: What do you miss most about being out on the road?
Sol: Getting to play live almost everyday.
Dee: Visiting different parts of the country. Playing shows and interacting with fans.
Sai: It was really great to be on the move. I miss that feeling.
Roctavia: I hear you. Hopefully we’ll all be back at it some day soon.
Roctavia: Where would you love to tour most once live shows are up and runningagain?
Sol: Just getting to tour the US again would be great!
Dee: I would love to tour Japan.
Sai: Possibly the west coast
Roctavia: I definitely miss the west coast & would love to see Japan some day.
Roctavia: Where do you see Radkey headed 5 years from now? What goals are youlooking to achieve most?
Sol: Keep making albums we’re proud of and touring.
Dee: It’s hard to tell with how things are going right now with the pandemic… My main goal is to keep putting out music and eventually get back out touring when things are safe again. I want to be packing our own shows, as well as getting some good supporting gigs.
Sai: We wanna be putting out albums, each better that the one before. And to keep that up as long as we can.
Roctavia: So I always love to end interviews on a fun off-the-cuff note so if youcould be any fictional character, who would you each be & why?
Sol: Probably Spider-Man because he’s my favorite.
Dee: Batman.
Sai: I would like to find a Cannabis Devil Fruit. Eat it, then be able to change my body into smoke whenever I want.
Roctavia: Haha great answers!
Roctavia: Thank you all again for taking the time out to interview with me! I had been looking forward to picking your brains & you did not disappoint.
Get ready for the Rat Race - An Interview with Tag Grey of The Treatment 2
If you know me well, you know that there’s nothing that I love more than discovering up & coming bands that not too many people would stumble across in an everyday setting. I mean, after all…that’s why we’re here right? Well a little birdie told me to check out The Treatment for a prospective interview possibility and I instantly liked the vibe of what I saw.
The first video that I came across, “Hang Them High,” had a rag-tag, motley crew of long haired Rock ‘N’ Rollers, making good noise, surrounded by a swarm of close-knit fans. If that doesn’t make you want to jump into the screen after almost a year without live shows…you just might want to check your pulse. British rockers, The Treatment liken themselves to a band of pirates & are, “flying the flag for British Rock ‘N’ Roll”, so yeah, I’m already all in. Anyway, after checking in with their ever so wonderful management team, we were given the go-ahead to pick the brains of The Treatment guitarist, Tag Grey.
Roctavia: Hi! My name is Roctavia & I’m a US Correspondent with Rock News UK. Thank you for taking the time out to interview with me today.
Let’s get right down to it then shall we?
Tag Grey: Absolutely!
Roctavia: First & foremost, if you could introduce your band to the US or any other country as a whole, what would you say is the overall band essence you’d want those new potential fans to absorb? Who is The Treatment & what are you all about?
Tag Grey: We are a high octane rock’n’roll band straight out of Cambridge UK. We are about loud guitars, high energy, good times and bringing the fun back into rock music. We are Dhani Mansworth (on drums), myself Tag Grey (on guitar), Tao Grey (on the other guitar) Tom Rampton (on vocals) and Andy Milburn (on bass).
Roctavia: What made you all want to become musicians?
Tag Grey: We all got here in a similar way, but I know for a few of us was first seeing AC/DC, mainly Angus Young. That band changed my life, a huge part of playing in a band is just having the chance to change peoples lives, to travel the world and not have to work a 9 till 5.
Roctavia: Angus! Yes! Haha looks like we’re on a great path already.
Roctavia: Well what a perfect segue into my next question actually haha. Who or what bands have most greatly influenced The Treatment?
Tag Grey: AC/DC is pretty high on the list, The Cult, Sex Pistols, Kiss, Motley Crue. But our personal influences are all quite different. I’m a huge fan of John Squire from The Stone Roses and Seahorses.
Roctavia: No wonder why I was diggin’ everything during my research lol. Excellent catalogue!
Roctavia: So you have a new album called Waiting For Good Luck coming out this February, can you tell us what the writing process was like?
Tag Grey: I think this year has been pretty tough for all, so “Waiting For Good Luck” seemed like a rather relevant title, however we actually had some luck on our side. When lockdown first hit all we could do was play! There was nothing else we could do but write. We had a four month pre- production and Laurie Mansworth (Dhani’s dad) producing and co-writing with us! When it came to the recording, we settled on Rockfield Studios which has had some legendary names go through it! That’s where the magic on this record came from!
Roctavia: What sound experience can your audience expect from your new album?
Tag Grey: There’s no fancy words for good time rock’n’roll, so if you’re looking for doom and gloom don’t listen to us! That’s all I’m going to say.
Roctavia: Nice!
Roctavia: What are you looking forward to most once gigs are able to start back up again?
Tag Grey: Just getting into a bus and traveling around with the gang. It’s all too polite and peaceful being stuck at home right now. I will never complain about loading the gear or having to drive 30 hours for one gig! Just bring it all back asap please!
Roctavia: Ugg. I hear that. Polite-*scoffs* haha!
Roctavia: So what’s the thing that you miss most about gigging?
Tag Grey: That feeling you get when the band is just rocking, everything is just in the right place and we are all in the groove. There’s no better moment.
Roctavia: On that note…what do you miss the least?
Tag Grey: The ferry ride from Dover (UK) to Calais (France), I think I’ve spent a good few years of my life waiting for ferries every time we’re off to tour in Europe!
Roctavia: Haha I can relate with the occasions that I’ve driven to see my favorite bands in Canada & had to ferry over. Don’t envy you there haha!
Roctavia: What was your most memorable tour experience?
Tag Grey: Japan. The whole experience was amazing. We played Ozzfest and had a 5 day stay in Tokyo. To me, it was just a moment I could never have imagined as a kid. Walking out to an arena full of fans screaming Treatment lyrics back to us was just the best. Oh, and the crazy things you can find in vending machines out there is pretty mad!
Roctavia: Haha! So I hear!
Roctavia: If you could pick any venue to play in in the world, where would you play?
Tag Grey: Wembley Stadium, we played the arena a few years ago opening up for Status Quo, but the dream is to play the stadium!
Roctavia: when all is said & done…what is the one thing that you want most for the future of The Treatment?
Tag Grey: Right now, I think I speak for us all, but just to get out of lockdown and to play a gig is more than enough! We’re not a band that want for much. Just to stay on the road, roaming around like pirates and making a huge amount of noise wherever we go!
Roctavia: *Nods in agreement. Throws horns.
Roctavia: Well our time just flew by! Speaking of, thank you so much for taking the time out to interview with me today Tag. So I always love to end an interview on a fun and off-the-cuff note so what’s your biggest food pet peeve? Is there anything that grosses you out?
Tag Grey: Nothing really grosses me out, but I have a severe hatred for kidney beans, chickpeas (but not hummus) and boiled carrot! Anything else… serve it up!
For more on The Treatment & to check out their new single “Rat Race” & album “Waiting For Good Luck” click the link below.
Introducing NOBRO your new favourite Canadian band.
A few weeks ago Rich Jones Guitarist with Michael Monroe posted a video on Ginger Wildhearts Twitter feed. A video for a song by a band called NOBRO.
I think it’s fair to say that is you are reading this you also to love to discover new music. Once in while you find something truly great, something that blows away the cobwebs of the status quo.
The song in question was Don’t die and I would describe it as a forever song, it got added to my Spotify Ultimate Rock playlist and it will be there forever.
Honestly I have had this song on repeat and devouring the limited output from this band for the last couple of weeks. Watching them on YouTube you know this is going to be one hell of a live experience when they finally get to go back on the road.
We needed to find out more about this band so we asked them for an interview. Enjoy the following then go check out NOBRO.
How did you come up with your band name? When starting the band I was looking for a lead female guitar player, which at the time proved to be difficult, and a few dudes gladly wanted to volunteer for the position but I kept saying “uh no bro”.
What’s the story behind behind how you ended up forming the band?There’s been a carousel of different players in the band. But this most recent formation is the one that stuck. We mostly met each other through mutual friends and loose social connections..lucky we found each other 🙂
What’s the story behind Don’t Die & what inspired the creative concept for the music video? Don’t Die, well, haha is tattooed on my wrist first of all. I’ve always needed to have sage life advice near by. Secondly, the song was inspired from a previous relationship that became dangerous at points. I can’t take any credit for the video that was all Greg DOBLE! We just let him roll in that direction and we are so glad for it!
Any plans for an upcoming album release? Yes! We just recorded our second EP! It’s sick
Can you tell us about your funniest or most interesting giging experience? The funniest gigs in my opinion are the ones where you think to yourself “what the fuck am I doing? Why didn’t I just listen to my mom? Oh god, I’ve made a huge mistake”. There are have been some incredible moments sharing big stages with your some of our idols but the for me the ones when I look back that put a smile on my face are definitely the shows that we were probably the only ones having fun
What would your dream tour look like? At this point, any show would be a dream
Who has inspired you musically the most so far? There are too many people to list
What’s your ultimate goal as far as Nobro is concerned? Keeping shredding until we are 80
We always love to end interviews on a fun and off the cuff note, so if you could eat any food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? I mean I already eat oatmeal everyday so I would say that? Its just my jam
Hello all! Roctavia here and I’m back again with some more wonderful Rock ‘N’ Roll for you my Lovelies. Today I had the privilege of snagging an interview with a band whose music is making some strong vibrations in the UK Rock scene. In this write-up I get to bring you along with me as I was allowed access to take a peek into the world of The Dust Coda.
Per the band’s main page, The Dust Coda was founded in the melodic prowess of Adam Mackie (lead guitar) and John Drake (vocals, rhythm guitar) and completed by the richly rugged groove of Scott Miller (drums) and Tony Ho (bass guitar). These London rockers have thundered into the New era of the Classic Rock style scene with enticingly unforgettable riffs, gravel-soaked vocal soul and sheer swagger.
Once you’ve given The Dust Coda a listen, you’ll be able to pick out the deep & buttery bluesy elements of Led Zeppelin, to the nasty muscle of Guns N’ Roses. This is most definitely the recipe that has brought them kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
I myself was very impressed upon doing my listening research on the band prior to preparing my write-up questions. This band has dealt a respectful nod with a taste of classic rock, but they bring something new & special to the table that I just can’t quite put my finger on. So naturally, being my usual rock-mindedly inquisitive self, I just had to find out a bit more about the band. In this interview we were able to chat with guitarist Adam Mackie.
Roctavia: Hi Adam! Thank you for taking the time to interview with me today! Let’s get right to it shall we?
Roctavia: Your band name, The Dust Coda seems pretty unique. So I gotta know, what’s the story behind it?
Adam: So …..
The Dust part represents ‘biker dust’ so it resonates with the imagery of route 66, freedom, bikers, the open road and rock n roll.
Coda is the name of the symbol at the end of a repeat passage in musical transcript. Translated it means ‘completion’.
So for us The Dust Coda is just helping repeat all the great parts of rock n roll and keeping it alive and kicking in modern times.
Roctavia: That’s a pretty inspiring answer! It really fits in with all the Rock ‘N’ Roll power that you guys are bringing to the table!
Roctavia: How did your band end up forming?
Adam: Myself and John met many years ago in another project. I then wanted to start a rock band and asked John to write some songs with me. The early signs were promising and they both liked what they were coming up with. After months and months in my room in Brixton fuelled by copious amounts of Red Stripe, they made garageband demo’s to start attracting a rhythm section to complete the band and form The Dust Coda. A few years later they were well rehearsed, gigging, and self funded the production of their debut album in 2016, which was released in 2017. Things have been getting louder ever since ….
Roctavia: Musically, what was it like growing up for you?
Adam: For me I was lucky to grow up around good music with my parents having good taste, there was always the latest album playing on cassette in the car. Back in the 80’s this would include OMD, Tears For Fears, Simply Red, The Stranglers, Fleetwood Mac and Eric Clapton. That’s how I fell in love with the guitar. I then discovered Guns N Roses and my world changed!
Roctavia: Yes! GNR! I can relate haha!
Roctavia: What’s the story behind getting the first instrument that you were really proud of?
Adam: It wasn’t the instrument, but ….
When I was 13 I got my first electric guitar – a stunning black Epiphone Les Paul. The deal was, if my Dad buys the guitar I had to buy the amp. My only income was from a weekly paper round at the time. I saved up for months and was able to buy the amp. I still own both now and love them!
Roctavia: That’s awesome. I always love hearing stories about how fellow musicians came across their first vessels of musicality. Whatever they may be.
Roctavia: So who are your greatest musical influences? Which of them do you feel shines through most as inspiration for your music?
Adam: As a band we all share the same love for the rock n roll greats – Led Zep, Guns N Roses, Rolling Stones, and AC/DC. These guys are all a string part of our sound.
Myself and John write the songs and we definitely draw upon wider influences between them that come out in The Dust Coda albums. These include (to name a few!) Sound Garden, Bruce Springteen, Ryan Adams, Free, Black Sabbath, Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine.
Roctavia: Haha, I just have to say I’m very impressed with the taste in music here.
Roctavia: If you could map a dream tour, what would it look like?
Adam: At the moment – anywhere!!!
Roctavia: Yeah…I completely understand what you mean. I’d give anything just to be a girl at a rock show again.
We can’t wait to get out and see our UK fans again once Covid eases down, after that we want to get out as many places as possible – nowhere is off limits!
Roctavia: What’s the story behind your most favorite gig experience?
Adam: We played Brewdog’s annual general meeting a few years ago at Aberdeen Arena. It was a 10,000 string indoor crowd which was amazing, but without doubt what made it special was a whole day with free beer 🙂
Roctavia: Haha! A full day of free beer? That does sound like a pretty great day!
Roctavia: When the world opens back up, what’s next for The Dust Coda?
Adam: Like all bands we can’t wait to get back out there playing live again. Our new album Mojo Skyline comes out on 26th March, so we can’t wait to start playing a load of songs that fans have never heard before live
Roctavia: Thank you again for taking the time out to interview with me today. I really appreciate it. So I love to do this thing where I end interviews on a fun and off-the-cuff note so if you could meet with anyone in history, who would it be & why?
Adam: Oooooo – I think I’d go with George Martin. Just to hear his view on what it was like to work with The Beatles in that period of history which changed music forever, through his eyes.
For more on The Dust Coda & to keep up with their soon to be released album Mojo Skyline, you can check them out below.
Terrorvison Tony - An interview with a legendary from man.
We like to shake things up over here at Rock News, normal is boring. So for this one I thought I would tell you my Terrorvion journey first.
During my now many years on this planet I have been to hundreds of gigs and seen bands that are now classed as legendary.
There comes a time in most people’s life when kids come along and you find yourself with no time and money for gigs. During this time a band came along that had hit after hit in the charts, not just the Rock charts but the regular charts. Terrorvison was a Rock Band that appeared on the TV and not just Top of the Pops.
Fast forward to 2012 and my gig going days are back. It’s Friday it’s Download, it’s cold it’s wet and I finally get to see Terrorvison, the first band on the Zippo stage.
Out comes Tony, barefoot jumping around like a teenager, to say they smashed it would be an understatement.
Since that day I have seen them many times and to this day they are the only band I have ever seen that have made the Nottingham Rock City floor bow and flex as the crowd jumped around.
If you ever get the chance to see Terrorvison or Tony’s solo gigs don’t miss it.
So when we started this blog Tony was top of our bucket list for people to interview. Thankfully Tony is a down to earth and nice guy and accepted our request for an interview.
This is where we hand over to the one and only ace interviewer Roctavia.
Thank you for taking the time out to answer a couple questions with us today! We’ve been really looking forward to interviewing you Tony. My name is Roctavia and I’m from the United Stated so these are questions from an American’s perspective. Honestly, an American that very much so loves British rock bands.
So let’s jump right in, from what I’ve noticed so far in getting to know more about the band & your music is that you seem like a really hard working band. There doesn’t seem to be any big egos at all either. What do you think makes you all mesh & get along so well?
We’re all from Bradford and the surrounding areas. It’s quite a unique place where if you have an ego there’s plenty of folk to shoot you down so people meet the friends they make usually at the bars that play the music they are into. We don’t always get along of course but the end result is one we are all happy with and happy to go out and play as many places as we can. Music was a great escape for us.
How did Terrorvision end up forming?
I met Mark and asked when the band were playing again. (They had a different singer) he said they were left looking for a singer. I said I’d do it, he’s said probably not. They couldn’t find anyone else and so had no choice 😂🤣
What is the driving force behind your creativity?
The ambition to be creative and leave a legacy and not just work to produce litter for the bins. Sometimes that is great sometimes it’s hard but it’s something to set and a goal and try to stick to
Can you tell us about your most favorite song that you’ve written & what the creative process behind writing it was like from start to finish?
For me I always feel like I hear the song and just catch it. It might be an overheard conversation snippet or an emotion that is stirred by the news but I don’t have a favourite as my ambition is to keep writing till I hit a pinnacle I can’t get any higher than. Therefore the best is yet to come…. I hope
Terrorvision is majorly well known in the UK for our US readers that are not really aware. Can you tell us what you feel the magic equation was that garnered you such a huge television & radio presence?
When we started most rock bands where we lived had really strong American accents as British media doesn’t support rock music like the States do so most stuff we heard was from the States. You have mainstream media over there that rocks and we have a few safe rock bands that the radio over here will play. They say nothing, challenge less and are safe as safe can be. But Terrorvision had some fans in the TV world and gave us a platform to be seen. Radio never liked us.
Tell us a bit about your favorite gig & why you enjoyed it so much.
I love all gigs. It doesn’t matter where, how big or small. It’s just an absolute pleasure to be in a room with like-minded folk after growing up feeling like you just don’t fit in. Doesn’t matter if that is Reading festival, Download or top deck of a bus… It’s special.
Have you put any thoughts into doing a tour in The States? What would your dream US tour look like?
A dream your would just be an opportunity to tour. We nearly got there but we liked to party quite hard and it just never happened.
What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to you on tour?
Can’t tell you. Haha! Fair enough.
What do you feel is in the future for Terrorvision after pandemic restrictions are lifted?
Maybe another album. More tours and festivals. Putting out our own solo and other band stuff….
Again, thank you so very much for taking the time to chat with us Tony. So I always love to go out of an interview on a fun & off-the-cuff note so who’s your favourite Disney princess & why?
Shera. He man’s girlfriend . Don’t know if she was a princess but she was well fit.
It’s that time of year again when Inked Magazine run their competition to find the Inked cover girl of the year. This year you can vote for our very own Octavia Principe.
We asked Octavia.
What was your first tattoo?
Two Peacemakers (6-shooter pistols) on the back of my neck. My tattoo artist was leery about placement as it was my first tattoo. He was also pretty amazed at the fact that I sat like a stone for it. I’ve always been one for the Wild West lol.
What are your tattoos and what do they mean to you?
I personally love being able to wear art around throughout my journey in life. This way I get to keep my most meaningful pieces nearest to my heart instead of being restricted to solely visiting pieces in a museum for example.
Well, let’s see lol! I have quite a few so I hope that you’re ready for storytime haha.
My Peacemakers
These two six shooters are a nod to quite a few things. My ability to graduate from college on my own (guns blazing) after not having my immediate/closest familial support in my life, a nod to a long-time significant other at the time for their support, and a representation for my love & desire for the Wild West.
My Roses & Butterflies
These tattoos are for my mom…even though she was completely against me getting them lol. I let her know that the rose on my shoulder was the closest that any tat would get to my heart…& that it was for her. She softened up on them after that. We would plant roses along the side of my house growing up and Monarch butterflies would always come fly around me & land on me after they would emerge from my neighbor’s milkweed tree.
My Anatomical Skull with Vertebrae
It’s a reference to death, but not in a negative or scary way. There is still beauty in the imperfections that come with life & death. It also kind of ties in to the Monarch butterflies as well. I watched my neighbor torch their milkweed tree one spring when it was still full of cocoons. An image that kinda sticks with you as a little girl. Instead of taking the situation literally with actual flames, I proposed this interpretation to my artist & he rolled with it. That’s why if you’ve ever seen it up close, you’ll see whisps of smoke in the butterfly swarm in greywash. Kinda heavy I know, but it was a beautiful way to document the trials & tribulations of my life. The fact that I’ve been through so much but I still see so much beauty in coming up through the ashes.
My Frankenstein’s Monster
I love reading & this guy from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein really stood out to me in my literature courses. He was sorely misunderstood. All he ever really truly wanted was love. Relatable lol.
Where The Wild Things Are
This one is a scene of the wild rumpus from one of my favorite books as a kid. I really struggled with learning to read at first as a little girl, but once I did I consumed books like pieces of cereal! I am an only child so I’d escape to so many various wonderlands, galaxies, & places where dinosaurs tromped with ease instead of being on my own when friends couldn’t play or when my parents were busy.
My Realistic Timber Wolf & Wolf Totem
The wolf is my spirit animal. I know that sounds cliché, but a jet black timber wolf with ice blue eyes came to me in my dreams over a consistent period of time during a really rough patch in my life. It came with the message to believe, to not give up & not to stand still. To keep believing & move forward towards better days that were on the horizon.
My Luke Spiller Tattoo
You know after I came out of that rough patch that I was talking about when I mentioned my wolf tattoos to being in a good place, but still a bit shaken by what I’d been through; I remember hearing Could Have Been Me by The Struts as the first song to come through the speakers of the very first car that I purchased on my own. Luke’s voice & that song spoke to me on a soul level. It was a really happy time in my life, soundtracked by such a truly amazing song. Their music has always been there for me, no matter what. It’s gotten me through a lot and it continues to do so to this day. I couldn’t be more grateful so I couldn’t think of a better way to document how much all of it truly means to me.
What will your next one be?
Finishing my sleeve with lace cuff accents and then a butterfly silhouette burst transition from a lace pattern on my shoulder. The next complete one will be creeping rose vine & lace down my left side that ends in a Scorpio on a bed of roses on my glute/upper thigh. It’s going to be pretty painful with the rib cage and all & fairly expensive so it’s why I’ve been holding off lol.
What will you do if you win the competition?
Pay off some of my pandemic struggles. Donate to NIVA & CIVL. Create/produce a song of my own to reignite the fire for my career in music. GET MORE TATTOOS lol! Finally get my Harley-Davidson Softail. …And do some much desired traveling. I’d love to see the northern lights in Iceland & I’ve never been to Disney World believe it or not (I’m a major Disney movie girl). I’d love to visit a few places in the Pacific Islands, Northern Africa & Ireland as well. I’ve made it a point recently to visit places that are parts of my heritage. I finally got to see Italy last year & it was truly a blessing. Thank you so much for taking the time out to interview me on my Inked Magazine Covergirl Competition experience Andrew! You really got me to spill the beans haha! Hope I didn’t talk your ear off too badly lol.
Some things just do not seem fair. The one big thing I have never understood is the random nature of bands / artists actually becoming a success. Radio play and media acceptance is a total lottery.
I can say for sure that it is not just based on talent and enthusiasm. I am not saying that all successful bands are undeserving- I tend to look at it from the opposite viewpoint, that many very talented musicians are in danger of slipping through the net.
I really hope that this does not happen with Matt Peach. I believe his latest album, Epiphany, may well go a long way to making sure that it will not.
I must, once again, declare an interest here. Matt is not a new artist to me. I have been listening to him and watching him play live for some years. This, however, does not colour my opinion of this new offering.
Listening to Epiphany is a really happy experience. There are some songs on here that will be familiar from live shows, such as Cut Our Teeth (the new single) and One Night in Paris. Even if they are not already known to new listeners, there are accessible and well written.
The whole album is a collection of great pop/rock songs that deserve a much wider audience.
One of my highlights is Guy Bueno- a great story about Matt himself being rescued from a drunken, quite scary situation by a total stranger.
Listen to this album. It will make you smile. The songs are great, and the playing / musicianship is fantastic. It is also worth checking out Blue Skies – a previous album- and his Christmas song – Rock and Roll Christmas. The latter is great fun that should be on everyone’s yuletide playlist.
Go and buy Epiphany and check out Matt live as soon as COVID allows it. Maybe we can all do something small in the name of enabling talent to rise to its deserved level. I really hope that this happens with Matt.
REWS is the fierce, high energy, alternative pop / rock band lead by Northern Irish songwriter Shauna Tohill.
Following the release of 4 hot singles including ’Birdsong’, ‘Monsters’, ‘Heart Is On Fire’ & ‘Today We’re Warriors’, REWS have released highly anticipated sophomore album ‘Warriors’. The album is REWS’ call to arms to unite, stand up, be strong and take life’s challenges head on using music as our binding force… it is a perfect sentiment in this time and the singles highlight what this new album is all about!*
I recently received the honor of being granted a one on one interview with REWS lead singer Shauna Tohill. Aside from being extremely down to earth, she was an absolute champion at navigating every single one of my interview questions to a “T.” She is multi-instrumental and I personally found her to be a blanket of positivity and inspiration, not only in these trying times, but for aspiring musicians inclusively as a whole. You can check out exactly what I mean in our interview below!
Roctavia: What gave you the inspiration for your band’s name & what does it mean?
Shauna Tohill: It was inspired by a surname ‘Reus’ which means the giant people. It was fitting as a wise man once told me a band becomes their name… and I wanted to create music that people might be inspired by and look up to.
Roctavia: How did REWS end up forming?
Shauna Tohill: It all began in an artist residency in Cirencester. I spent 4 months there writing new material for a rock project and Rews was born!
Roctavia: How many instruments do you play in total, and what gave you the desire to take on learning multiple instruments?
Shauna Tohill:Haha! I come from a musical family & being Irish, music is in the blood. I dabble with the drums and play mainly guitar, bass and piano. Would love to play cello one day.
Roctavia: Have you ever encountered any flack for being a “female musician” & do you have any reservations about that title if any?
Shauna Tohill: A little but it says more about the people who attack you than about the person they’re attacking. I am proud to be a woman – the issue arrives when people treat you differently for being a women and assume you’re not as capable as another human being purely because of your genitalia. I’d rather be called a musician, but I don’t mind celebrating and boasting about the fact that women rock too!
Roctavia: What message(s) would you like to relay to all the little girls out there who aspire to be a musician like you?
Shauna Tohill: To all little girls (and boys or non-binary people) out there, I urge you to follow your dreams, be true to yourself, work hard but take time to recoup and invest in good relationships in your life. Life is no bed of roses and the music industry in particular is a tough place to be but if you stay firm on who you are and keep grounded, you will find joy in all you do and strive for.
Roctavia: What inspires you most during your creative process?
Shauna Tohill:Mainly stories that people tell me, experiences that I’m going through and fun chord sequences! 🙂
Roctavia: What was the biggest drive behind your sophomore album? What message are you wanting it to get across most?
Shauna Tohill:The biggest drive was to help people feel part of a community & know that they’re not alone in this world! Music is a healer for the soul & my inspiration was to write honest songs about different troubles that we all go through and show people they can pull through anything that life throws at us whether its relationships, careers, studies, family & pandemics!
Roctavia: I hear that you’ve been majorly active with your online presence during the pandemic, what gave you the desire to maintain such a strong social media foothold?
Shauna Tohill:It’s been such a tough time for everyone and I felt that people needed a space to escape from reality for a while & inject a bit of positivity in such a dark time. So I did loads!! And it was amazing to connect with people in that way!
Roctavia: What has been your most memorable experience about being out on tour?
Shauna Tohill:Good question! Lots of memories! But probably the last tour with The Darkness – on our first night on the tour bus, we slept in and ended up on a journey to Birmingham as the bus needed to be fixed but we were due to play Nottingham… very stressful but we did manage to get back in time before soundcheck! We just needed to entertain ourselves in an industrial estate for the day! 🤣
Roctavia: Speaking of touring, if you could tour the US, what would your ideal first tour look like? Shauna Tohill:I’d love to tour with another artist across the US – ideally it would be with Foo Fighters! 🙂
Roctavia: I always love to end interviews by going out on a kind of fun & off the cuff note so if you could have any super power in the world, what would you choose & why?
Shauna Tohill:Haha! Love this! Probably would be to be able to communicate with all animals and life forms! Then you might know how they are experiencing life. I think it would really open up our minds to how we treat the earth.
Nikodem Hodur takes on Nandi & challenges her back.
There’s a new kid on the block and Nandi Bushell has a challenger. He goes by the name of Nikodem Hodur. Niko is a big fan of Nandi’s and today he has laid down the challenge. He crushes the Green Day song Basket Case and challenges Nandi to cover one of his YouTube drum covers.
Watch the video below.
Niko has a very similar back story to Nandi, his farther played in bands. He is only 10 years old and has already become a better drummer than his farther.
His dad started teaching him when he was 7 but soon found he needed a real drum tutor to take him to the next level.
Niko says “I have my lessons with Paul Mallyon who is one of the best tutors in the UK”
“He asked me on the first lesson if I would like to work on the Rockschool grades, read notes and to play to the music tracks, which I liked very much.”
“Grade 1 gave me some problems because everything was new to me, notes, playing to music sub-frames, and at the right place. Grade 2 I managed to finish in three weeks. I often watch YouTube and try to imitate my idols: Travis Orbin (Darkest Hour) and Matt Greiner (August Burns Red).
In my opinion, they are the best drummers in the world. One time I told my parents that I would like to have a YouTube channel like Travis so I could show my friends how I play and that’s where I came across Nandi.”
Paul Mallyon had this to say about Niko “Niko is a wonderful little drummer. It is rare that someone so young has a real passion for the finer details and techniques of drum kit playing and Niko has this in abundance! He loves his double bass drum playing but has been a star pupil when we have been working through the Moeller hand exercises. Keep at it Niko!”
Watch Niko play The Offspring – The kids Aren’t Alright below.
One thing is for sure with these two at the helm the future of Rock is in good hands.
Lightning to the Nations 2020 I cannot remember exactly when, but I saw Diamond Head live at the Southampton Gaumont ( some time in the early 80s) and I have been a fan since. They were always a bit overlooked at the time, but produced some great work.
I especially like Borrowed Time and ( yes I know I shouldn’t say it! ) Canterbury but Lightning to the Nations is also one of their stand out albums.
So now we have the 2020 version- A full 40 years on from the original and supplemented by four covers( Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin , Judas Priest and Metallica) as a kind of homage to what was going on at the time of writing the original album.
Lightning to the Nations has been cited by none other than Lars Ulrich as the catalyst for Metallica and has also been heralded as one of the pioneering works in what became known as the Mew Wave of British Heavy Metal.
The album has been rerecorded and the sound is AMAZING. Some of the riffs and vocals here are of the highest order and it is easy to see why the original album was the start of something big- for rock music in general if not, unfortunately for the band itself.
Commercial success was achieved to an extent but possibly not as much as they deserved.
For fans of the band, this is a trip down memory lane to listen to a great set of songs. For those that missed out the first time, this is well worth a listen- Am I Evil is still, in my humble opinion, one of the best metal songs ever written.
I have to say I miss Sean Harris. He was the vocalist that I know and I liked his voice a lot. Take nothing away from Rasmus Bom Anderson who has a fantastic voice and fits brilliantly with the rest of the band.
Singers move on for lots of reasons and we would have lost Queen, AC/DC and Deep purple years ago( to name but a few )if this didn’t happen.
The different vocalist is not reason to ignore the album or to denigrate it but it is- for me – different and new. I have rediscovered the band as a result of this rerelease and for that I am very grateful.
The album deserves to be thought of as a solid piece of work – the rough edges have now been removed and it is a reminder of where some aspects of rock music today took a lot of its influence from.
Go listen! Do not forget Borrowed Time and Canterbury as well ( although be prepared for the latter to be a bit of a medieval surprise!)
Lightning to the Nations 2020 – A Review by James Griffiths
Epiphany: Life & Matt Peach An Interview & Album Teaser with A UK Artist On The Rise.
Matt Peach An Interview by Roctavia.
I recently got the chance to chat with rising UK artist Matt Peach. Peach has an impressive repertoire of helping those in need, standing up & speaking out for struggling indie music venues (causes after my own heart as well I’ll admit), and creating deeply thoughtful tracks for his soon to be released album Epiphany. In this interview we were honored with a deep dive into captivating storytelling, trials of overcoming school bullies, and wisdoms in love & life gained, all through the eyes of the budding British artist himself.
Roctavia: Hey Matt, I just wanted thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about your new album Epiphany! After listening, I have to ask, how has nostalgia played a part in your writing process?
Matt Peach: Hey Roctavia, yes musically speaking, I had no intention of breaking new musical ground here. Everyone has a musical home, a place they feel most comfortable and I realised it’s been far too long since I last visited. There’s no reinventing the wheel here. It’s rock n’ roll and I’ve realised it doesn’t need fixing; it was never broken. My previous albums got experimental at times, I love them, but I’ve always wanted to make an album that reminds me of my childhood… that was really important here, because this really is an album about coming of age, the surrender of one era in your life and the start of the next chapter. Sonically you could say the sound looks backwards, whilst most of the lyrics look forwards, it’s an album where the protagonist is poised on the threshold of adventure.
Roctavia: I could sense that it was pretty multifaceted. So what were your inspirations for this album’s sound collectively?
Matt Peach: It was really natural. Often I’ll create a mood board of songs that I really like that I wanna borrow aspects from in terms of production and tone. But this time around almost everything was already in my head, because it’s the sounds that I’ve always loved. If I had to put it into a list:
The Alarm, Green Day, Frank Turner, The Clash, U2, The Darkness. There was one exception, and you can probably spot the elephant in the room when you hear the album. “Crush” was inspired by a Prince documentary I watched, and the moment the credits rolled, I thought “Wow I gotta write a tune in the style of Prince, just as an exercise”. Then I showed it to some people and they loved it and very quickly we knew it had to be on the album.
Roctavia: The album seems pretty deep, was it all written from a personal perspective?
Matt Peach: Yep, even the cheeky ones haha. I decided very early on that I wanted it to feel slightly like a concept record, in terms of the action rising and falling. And to that end I knew that it had to be really honest and open, almost like the audience is watching a tv drama where you see all the characters emotions. I was very fortunate to discover Frank Turner just as I started working on this album and the first thing that hit me about his song writing was how much I connected with every line in his songs, because he’s just so honest. “Surrender” is a completely metaphorical song, it’s based around the “moment of surrender”, which is when an addict realises they’ve got a problem and finally admits they need help. I was really struck by this idea, especially being a rather proud, “I don’t need any help”,
kinda fella. And then there’s “Guy Bueno” which is a true story about a winter night I got spiked and nearly froze to death on a car park floor only to be thrown in someone’s car and taken home. I was so inebriated at the time that I had no idea who had saved me, I could only remember their voice. Months later at a gig I heard this reggae band, and in between songs when the singer was speaking, his voice really pricked my interest – I recognised it. I got speaking to him after the show, and it materialised that he’d saved a half frozen drunkard in a car park a year before. Everything lined up perfectly, location, time, all the events. I couldn’t believe it! I knew it had to become a song.
Roctavia: Oh wow! That is an incredible story! Proof positive that people always come into your life for a reason I guess. Really glad that everything turned out ok. Well, back on to the interview after that! Haha what an incredible story. So, now I have to know, what is your most cherished song on the album & why?
Matt Peach: That’s a real hard one. So hard to choose. “Epiphany” (the song) is the heart of the record but I think if I had to choose, it would be either “Dreaming” or “My Sweetest Friend”, I feel like those are two of the simplest and yet best song writing I’ve ever done. “Dreaming” was inspired by the passing of my Grandmother, and the perfect love that my Grandfather had for her. I thought – I want a love like that. Whereas, “My Sweetest Friend” is a song that hit me at 4 in the morning and made me cry my eyes out with joy when I recorded the first demo. It’s about a real person and real events, but was actually inspired by the line, “what have I become, my sweetest friend,” in Johnny Cash’s “Hurt”. I knew that at the end of this record I wanted the protagonist to have come of age, they’ve changed a lot, they have a new attitude, a new outlook, new goals and morals, they return home, and though they’ve changed, the loyalty to those they love does not.
Roctavia: I had wondered that being a huge Johnny Cash fan myself! What a great story and concept for that song! So how did you get turned on to music in the first place & what made you choose to play the guitar?
Matt Peach: Seeing The Alarm live when I was about 10 years old and getting dragged into a mosh pit by a stranger. I remember watching the guitarist and thinking that’s what I want to do! It made school so much easier, if you’re useless at sports then what else can you do to be cool? Get yourself in a band. It was a lifeboat in a sea of shallow kids and bullies. I had far less altercations at school after that, even the gangster lads that listened to hip-hop and the like had a form of honourable respect for the boys in the rock bands. And then I remember TheDarkness appearing, before then, I kinda thought rock had to be super serious, straight faced. They injected the fun – and the killer guitar parts and I was completely hooked.
Roctavia: I hear that you are mates with Adam Slack of The Struts. How did the two of you end up meeting?
Matt Peach: I don’t think we even know. At one point we thought we went to the same school, then worked out we can’t have. I believe we first properly met when a fledgling version of The Struts and my old punk band did a gig together in Derby at the vic. It was very last minute, mid week, and hardly anyone turned up, haha. I lent Adz a guitar as his got busted halfway through their set, That’s the first time I really remember meeting properly. There’s many different types of guitar player, you’ve got the shredders, the wizards, the 4 chord tricksters, but he and I are made in the same mould. There’s a lotta similar influences with the brit pop and punk stuff, makes him very easy to jam with.
Roctavia: I know that you obviously weren’t able to have the Green Days gig this year, but what has been your favourite part of those experiences?
Matt Peach: My opening support slot! Haha joking, sort of…
At last year’s, it was absolutely rammed and during my support slot with my solo band we could hear the audience singing my own songs back at me louder than the on-stage monitoring. That was an amazing moment, and the first time I’ve experienced it! But in terms of those nights, the best thing is it’s fun – unparalleled.
You’re playing with the best guys, both on and off stage. You’re all in love with the music you’re playing. When we were 12, we all wanted to be in Green Day, and for one night a year we are, sorta. And then there’s the community side of it, everyone comes out to play. It’s the best Christmas party imaginable, you get to see everyone and they’re all having a good time, I suppose really that’s truly the best bit.
Roctavia: Hopefully we’ll all be able to get back into it next year then! You’re a pretty talented musician. I hear that you’ve gotten to play on stage with TheDarkness. Tell us about that experience!
Matt Peach: Thanks, I try my best! That was all a bit of a surprise. Last year I did a stem cell donation for a leukaemia patient and as a “well done”, my family bought me a meet and greet ticket. I’d never been on one these before so just that in itself was amazing. Then it was revealed that one person at the meet and greet would get the chance to play with the band. I never imagined it could be me. So when Justin Hawkins read my name out, I think I just stood there like, “Fuck me, no way!” Climbing onto that stage was the most terrifying moment of my entire life. Then he passed me his white Les Paul Custom, and I could not believe it! Some of my favourite songs ever had been recorded on this guitar. They asked what tune I wanted to do so we kicked into “Love Is Only A Feeling” and my playing got the nod of approval from the band, I relaxed then.
When we finished Justin said to the guitar tech that he couldn’t hear my guitar solo in his monitoring, so we got to do it again! I’ll never forget that. One of the best moments of my life.
Roctavia: That’s a pretty wonderful thing that you’ve done & I say what a treat that was well deserved. If you could have one wish granted in respect for your new album Epiphany, what would it be?
Matt Peach: Have Taylor Swift cover it, in its entirety. We can work out the royalties over dinner.
Roctavia: Haha uh-oh T-Swift, looks like you’ve got another upcoming album option to choose from! So I usually like to go out of interviews on a sort of fun, off the cuff note so I have one last question, if you could be any animal, what would you be & why?
Matt Peach: Wow that’s a hard one. Probably Taylor Swift’s cat so I could persuade her to cover my album. But just in case her cat isn’t fully fluent in English, probably Ted [the teddy bear] from Ted. He’s got all of Chucky’s magic superpowers, but he’s a considerably more likeable guy.
Roctavia: Hahaha! You’re an absolute gem Matt. Thank you so much for taking the time out to interview with us! We look forward to the album release & hopefully seeing you play it live!
You can check out Matt Peach’s new track “Cut Our Teeth,” an ode to imperilled grassroots music venues everywhere, which also just made BBC Radio Derby’sTrack of the Week here:
