Blaze, Maiden and New Blood
In a recent interview with Tinfoil.net, BLAZE frontman Blaze Bayley talks about the band's upcoming album, Blood And Belief (due out April 19th through SPV) and reminisces about his years as singer in IRON MAIDEN and the highly underrated WOLFSBANE. Here are some excerpts from the chat.Bayley's single-most favorite Maiden memory - "I have so many great memories from my time with Iron Maiden. The fans made every gig I did memorable. One gig stands out in my mind from the Virtual XI tour. It was one of the smallest gigs I did and it was in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a small theatre and the stage was round, so we couldn't fit all the stage set into the venue. There were just a few hundred fans, no barrier, so I could get close up to everyone. There was something magical about that night. I felt it was probably one of the best gigs I did with Maiden. I later wrote a song about that gig, it's called Motherfuckers R Us and it is a bonus track on my first BLAZE album, Silicon Messiah."
The Wolfsbane years - "The early years of Wolfsbane, before signing to Def American, are the times i look on most fondly. We had a van full of equipment and played 4 or 5 times a week, all year round, all over the UK. We were wild and broke but scraped by by selling demos and T-shirts at our gigs and without the politics of mainstream music business. It was the most honest and satisfying time I can remember. I am going back to my roots on the Blood & Belief tour, playing as many gigs as I can no matter how big or small, in as many places as I can. Keeping it real. The band, the music, the fans! Recording the first Wolfsbane album was an ordeal. Rick Rubin's style of producing just didn't suit the band, or me personally. I felt he failed to capture the spirit of the band with this first album. The album which captures Wolfsbane best is All Hell’s Breaking Loose At Little Kathy Wilson’s Place (1990). It was rehearsed, recorded and mixed in eight days in a studio in London with producer Brendan O'Brien."
The subject matter of Blood And Belief - "The concept behind Blood & Belief is deeply personal. Most of the songs are about me and the difficulties, challenges I've faced and regrets I have. It has been an uphill struggle since leaving Maiden. All I wanted to do was put a band together and get on a tour bus and play everywhere I could. That concept was beyond the manager I had back then. He did not want me to tour extensively and he didn't even understand why I liked small gigs as much as the bigger ones. He's gone. I've got a new manager now who is planning 150+ gigs this year to support Blood & Belief. I have always been interested in alternate realities and the role of technology in human life but on this album the lyrics are 'here and now' and are personal to me.
Head to this location to read the entire interview.
Thanks to Bravewords.com
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Winston Churchill gave a speech to his old Private School, called Harrow, in 1941. In the speech he advised the boys thus:
"Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.''
I love Churchill. He is a shinning star in Brit history. Pugnacious and unrelenting, he didn’t back down. And neither does another favorite Brit of mine: Blaze Bayley.
The buzz is building for Blaze’s new studio effort, titled “Blood and Belief,” due out in late March. Blaze Bayley, the man, began his career with Wolfsbane, voiced Iron Maiden, and now has a solid solo career with Blaze, the band.
Blaze debuted with 2000’s “Silicon Messiah,” followed by 2002’s “Tenth Dimension,” and a live album in 2003 called “As Live As It Gets.”
1.This interview will not be a about the Iron Maiden years. "The Blaze years" still ripple happily down the corridor of time. Just visit the Iron Maiden bulletin board and you will find the obligatory "Blaze vs. ______" or “Reasons Blaze is the Messiah” threads. There will be only one Maiden-related question:
What was your single-most favorite Maiden memory and why?
I have so many great memories from my time with Iron Maiden. The fans made every gig I did memorable. One gig stands out in my mind from the Virtual XI tour. It was one of the smallest gigs I did and it was in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a small theatre and the stage was round, so we couldn't fit all the stage set into the venue. There were just a few hundred fans, no barrier, so I could get close up to everyone. There was something magical about that night. I felt it was probably one of the best gigs I did with Maiden. I later wrote a song about that gig, it's called Motherfuckers R Us and it is a bonus track on my first BLAZE album, Silicon Messiah.
2. Talk about your early influences- not just musically, but philosophically.... what/who got you on stage?
Black Sabbath, Sex Pistols and Motorhead were early influences. Punk rock seemed to me to make it possible for anyone with an attitude to be in a band. I loved the energy and irreverence of Punk. The more I got into music the more I went towards heavy music, and by the time I had my first motorcycle I was a full blown Metalhead! Ronnie James Dio became my God. It was after seeing him live for the first time that I started to be serious about being a Metal singer.
3. What were the early years like in Wolfsbane- paying your dues- playing, touring, and recording?
The early years of Wolfsbane, before signing to Def Amercican, are the times i look on most fondly. We had a van full of equipment and played 4 or 5 times a week, all year round, all over the UK. We were wild and broke but scraped by by selling demos and Tshirts at our gigs and without the politics of mainstream music business. It was the most honest and satisfying time I can remember. I am going back to my roots on the Blood & Belief tour, playing as many gigs as I can no matter how big or small, in as many places as I can. Keeping it real. The band, the music, the fans!
Recording the first Wolfsbane album was an ordeal. Rick Rubins style of producing just didn't suit the band, or me personally. I felt he failed to capture the spirit of the band with this first album. The album which captures Wolfsbane best is 'All Hells Breaking Loose At Little Kathy Wilsons Place'. It was rehearsed, recorded and mixed in 8 days in a studio in London with producer Brendan O'Brien.
4. How about a sneak preview of what the subject matter will be on the new album (to be released in April 04)?
The concept behind Blood & Belief is deeply personal. Most of the songs are about me and the difficulties, challenges I've faced and regrets I have. It has been an uphill struggle since leaving Maiden. All I wanted to do was put a band together and get on a tour bus and play everywhere I could. That concept was beyond the manager I had back then. He did not want me to tour extensively and he didn't even understand why I liked small gigs as much as the bigger ones. He's gone. I've got a new manager now who is planning 150+ gigs this year to support Blood & Belief.
I have always been interested in alternate realities and the role of technology in human life but on this album the lyrics are 'here and now' and are personal to me.
5. Tell us about the current band line-up.
Steve Wray, John Slater, Wayne Banks (bass) and Jason Bowld (drums) are the musicians I made the Blood & Belief album with and am hoping that they are the guys that I take out on tour with me.
6. And with that prior question in mind, what drives Blaze the man, and Blaze the band? What keeps both you and the band on course through the humbling and often gut-grinding rock n' roll crucible?
What keeps me/us going? The fans, the music and the belief that if enough people who love Metal come and see us, and hear our music, we will sell enough Cds and Tshirts to play more places!
7. What would you say to the struggling wanna-be rocker?
If you want a career as a rock musician then practice, write and play. Play what you write live, oh, and get a trade that has nothing to do with music to fall back on if it doesn't work out at any time.
Success in the music business is a mixture of blind luck, hard work, talent, stupidity and stubborness! You have to recognise a 'lucky co-incidence' and you have to work hard developing the talent you have. The less talent you have, the harder you have to work. You have to be stubborn and stick to your beliefs, and try to avoid things that compromise your music and identity. Most importanly though is that you have to realise that the music business is not fair. Most people don't get what they deserve, they just get what they get. What matters is what you do with what you get.
8 . Final and ultimate question: when are you coming to take over America....?
I just can't wait to get over to the USA this year and checkout what's happening in the Metal scene. My favourite album this year so far has to be Iced Earth and The Glorius Burden. I would love to tour the USA with those guys! Any confirmed dates we have will be on our website at www.planetblaze.com so check regularly.
Thank you Blaze (the man), and BLAZE (the band)!
Many thanks to Mr. Neil Marklew of Black Machine Management Limited for making this interview possible. My pals at the Iron Maiden Bulletin Board will never believe that ol’ “Tom the Red” landed this interview… heh-heh!
Blaze, I have three words for you:
Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Thank you,
LooseCannon.
Seriously, I hope he comes over here for this tour, Blaze kicks ass.
i would like to see blaze again but i ent a big fan of him