Encompassing folk, rock, glam, prog and much more besides – probably no-one better captures the diverse range of artists I try to cover at Darren’s Music Blog than Joshua Burnell.
I reviewed his last album, Flowers Where The Horses Sleep, noting that “for all the quirky left-field musical influences, these freshly-composed songs still manage to retain a strong folk sensibility.” This time, however, Burnell has thrown away the genre rule-book entirely. Glass Knight is a stunningly impressive album and I was privileged to witness him formally launch it at this year’s Cropredy where I described it as “Hunky Dory-era Bowie meets folk rock meets prog”.
Burnell effortlessly plays around with all of these musical strands to come up with something that’s unique, original and utterly compelling. And, importantly – whatever the genre – it’s jam-packed full of damned good, instantly hummable tunes. He’s a wonderfully inventive songwriter and a talented multi-instrumentalist and, once again, demonstrates an instinctive ear for a catchy melody and a poetic turn of phrase.
A concept-album of sorts, with a central character appearing across its ten tracks, Glass Knight encompasses everything from ecological destruction and sci-fi apocalypse to a reworking of an ancient folk tale. From the epic ‘Where Planets Collide’ which introduces the album’s central character, to the delicately poignant ‘Out Of These Worlds, to the retro glammy-sounding ‘Last Rain’ to the impossibly catchy ‘Don’t Lose Your Faith’ to the Ziggy-esque swagger of ‘Lucy’ this is an album I just cannot stop playing. In Glass Knight Joshua Burnell has turned out a bona fide twenty-first century masterpiece.
‘Bikini Vision’ is the debut single from New York-based neo-glam band, Dream Pony, who recently got in touch saying:
“We stumbled on your blog because you’ve covered a lot bands we dig.”
I get an awful lot of emails like this, of course, but as soon as I played the video I was immediately drawn to that heady blend of garage rock meets glammed-up New York punk meets timeless pop. They rightly surmised that they’d be the perfect fit for Darren’s Music Blog so we here we are. They are not wrong.
Dream Pony: “Dream Pony draw on cinematic themes and are rooted in the poetic condition of the everyday.”
“Bikini Vision is a fuzzed out beach pop anthem celebrating personal expression and body appreciation. This recording takes us on a ride through Brooklyn on hot Summers day. Songwriter D’Arsie paints a picture of a character in search of an escape from the heat and the ensuing delirium, blissfully in love with life and able to see beauty in everyone and everything. Bikini Vision has both crisp, blown out guitars, killer drum fills driving bass, swirling organs and cruisy backing vocals. Somewhat equal parts Iggy Pop sarcasm and Rowland S Howard irony.”
Dream Pony were formed in late 2022 by singer-songwriter and poet Jordan D’Arsie (from NYC proto-punk combo Women of the Night) and Aaron Mika (from the band Televisionaries). The pair were then joined by Supremo Massiv on bass, from another NYC outfit Revel in Dimes.
“Can you recommend any decent hotels in the area?” a friend from London texted. “We’re coming to see Graham Nash at Bexhill.”
“Ooh that sounds quite interesting,” I thought, and after duly making my hotel recommendation, I went online and booked my own ticket.
Billed as ‘Sixty Years of Songs & Stories’ the ten-date UK tour celebrates the 81-year old Graham Nash’s six decades of writing, recording and performing.
I’m aware of his hits with The Hollies in the early days, of course, and (courtesy of a couple of compilations) I’m also pretty familiar with some of the best-known songs by both Crosby, Still & Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. I can’t claim to have followed his solo career in any great depth but, nevertheless, I felt confident that this tour was going to be something rather special and something I didn’t want to miss.
You could be forgiven for thinking the ‘Songs & Stories’ moniker meant the evening was going to be based on that familiar format that’s become rather popular with performers of a certain vintage in recent years: a sofa, lots and lots of chat, anecdotes galore and a few songs thrown in for good measure. But no, this is a proper full-blown gig, with not a sofa in sight.
Nash is joined on stage by his two longstanding collaborators, Shane Fontayne (guitar and vocals) and Todd Caldwell (keyboards and vocals) – excellent musicians both of them. It’s truly magical hearing the trio perform classics likes of ‘Marrakesh Express’, ‘Find The Cost of Freedom’ (dedicated to the people of Ukraine), ‘Cathedral’ and ‘Our House’. Nash is in fine voice, aided by some beautiful harmonising from Fontayne and Caldwell.
There is even a new album to promote on this tour. Now was released earlier this year and we get to hear songs from that, too, including the poignant ‘A Better Life’ – described by Nash as a continuation of the themes expressed in ‘Teach Your Children’ and his hope for a better, more sustainable, more peaceful future for humanity.
As well as performing his own songs, Nash also expresses heartfelt appreciation for some of his closest collaborators, friends and musical heroes, paying tribute in the form of songs written by Allan Clark, David Crosby and Stephen Stills. There’s also ‘Buddy’s Back’ – Nash’s self-penned and wonderfully evocative tribute to Buddy Holly (“We were called The Hollies for God’s sake!”)
After an enthusiastic standing ovation the band are back on stage for an encore of Buddy Holly’s ‘Everyday’ and CSNY’s ‘Teach Your Children’. A joyous end to an incredible evening and a fitting way to celebrate the career of someone who has made such a positive mark on popular music these past sixty years.
Set-list:
Wasted on the Way
Bus Stop
I Used to Be a King
Find the Cost of Freedom
Military Madness
Right Between the Eyes
A Better Life
Buddy’s Back
Marrakesh Express
To the Last Whale (Critical Mass / Wind on the Water)
Hailing from Dartford in Kent, Tizane began writing songs as a young teenager when chronic anxiety issues forced her to miss much of her schooling and spend many hours in her bedroom. By 2019 she began venturing out on to the open mic scene around the west Kent/south-east London borders where her talents as both a writer and performer were spotted by independent label, Burning Girl, who released her well-received debut album Cherry back in 2021.
The 22-year old singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has now followed that up with a second album, released on the same label earlier this Summer. Coming out towards the end of June Forever Is Nothing has picked up a slew of positive reviews.
The album is engineered by Pat Collier, a founder member of London punk band, The Vibrators, who has gone on to produce for artists like The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream and X-Ray Spex.
Collier says of Tizane:“I think she’s (Tizane) one of the most talented and gifted artists I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with.”
Tizane shares writing credits on the album with fellow band members: guitarist, Charlie Harris; bass player, Nathan Gordon; and drummer, Greg Titmarsh.
Of particular interest to those who come to Darren’s music blog mainly for the glam content, however, is the track ‘Every Minute’ which is co-written with former Mud guitarist, Rob Davis. As well as writing songs like ‘L-Lucy’ for Mud, he went on to have an illustrious career as an in-demand songwriter long after the Mud hits dried up, most notably co-writing the Kylie Minogue smash-hit ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’.
Deliberately taking a slightly more muscular approach than its predecessor but still providing plenty of light and shade, Forever is Nothing is a pleasing blend of riff-driven alt-rock and jangly, brooding gothic pop. This, her second album, is an impressive showcase for Tizane’s haunting, ethereal vocals and intelligent, thought-provoking songwriting.
If this type of music is your bag and if you aren’t familiar with her work already, Tizane should certainly be right up there on your ‘one-to-watch’ list.
Following a series of fantastically well-received live dates, both in the UK and Europe, Thunderstick are back with new recordings. Led by the NWOBHM icon, Barry Graham Purkis (aka Thunderstick), and fronted by the mesmerizing lead vocalist, Raven Blackwing, the band have recorded a brand-new studio album which is set for release in October 2023. Available in both CD and digital formats, it will be the band’s first new studio album since 2017.
A single from the album, a thunderous new studio recording of the band’s long-time stage favourite ‘Go Sleep With The Enemy (I Dare Ya)’, is released on 25th August.
Lead singer Raven Blackwing:“I, along with the rest of the band, wanted to show that the material on the new album follows an altogether weightier vein. Releasing a single from the album in the form of a song that people already know and love played live seemed a perfect way of introducing everyone to our new direction. I hope you love it the way we do.”
Thunderstick’s alter ego and creator Barry Graham Purkis adds:“The single ‘Go Sleep With The Enemy (I Dare Ya)’ is a four-minute tale of infidelity and the wrath of a woman spurned. Although released before on the album ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ and as a track on the very limited-edition EP ‘The Singles’, I wanted to re-visit this particular track by way of demonstrating the heavier aspects of the new band that make up the forthcoming album. I felt this track was the ideal vehicle to do that.”
“With the new album now completed and ready for an October release I am of the opinion that the collection of songs on it are the strongest Thunderstick have ever recorded.”
You can read Barry’s full interview with Darrenhere
About Thunderstick:
Charismatic Raven Blackwing (vocals) is joined by her thunderous band-mates: Pete Pinto and Dave Butters (guitars), Rex Thunderbolt (bass) and the legendary Thunderstick/Barry Graham Purkis (drums).
Best known for his time with Samson and an early Iron Maiden Barry Graham Purkis (AKA Thunderstick) has been the legendary icon for the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) scene since the late 1970s. His eponymously-named band, renowned for its female-fronted power rock and theatricality, have a considerable heritage. The band played live and recorded for six years, both in UK and in the US, throughout the 1980s until playing their last gig October 1986.
Then in 2016 former lead vocalist, Jodee Valentine, tragically died following a five-year battle with early onset Alzheimer’s. In recognition of Jodee’s memory Barry decided to record some of the songs that Jodee had performed live. This became the Something Wicked This Way Comes album, the first Thunderstick product in over thirty years. It was released in July 2017 to enthusiastic reviews worldwide.
Barry:“Back in 2017 after the ‘Something Wicked’ album was released I had no intention of forming a live performing band or indeed a follow-up studio album but after such positive encouragement from both long- time supporters and new followers alike I realised that there were still an audience of many out there that wanted our particular brand of mayhem. The die was cast. After much deliberation a new Thunderstick was formed staying true to its theatrical roots but still relevant in today’s fast changing-musical environment. I am so lucky to have found the musicians that I now work with especially Raven of whom I consider to be one of the finest rock singers that I have the good fortune to watch and listen to every time we perform. She is the ‘real deal’ both in terms of voice and stagecraft. The next chapter in our story is now ready for the writing.”
Upcoming live dates:
‘A New Day’ festival – 18th August
‘British Steel’ Festival Fismes, France – 7th October
‘Legends of Rock’, Ilfracombe – 10th November
A live DVD of the band’s appearance in Lublin Poland is also scheduled for release towards the end of the year.
Following an enforced two-year break due to Covid, going to last year’s Cropredyfestival almost felt like a novelty. This year, though, it very much felt like being part of an annual fixture once more, the two-year gap now but a distant memory. With various combinations of friends and family over the years, I’ve been going to Fairport Convention’s annual bash in rural Oxfordshire since 2010 so it’s been part of my summer for a good chunk of my life now.
Day One – Thursday
As usual, Fairport Convention opened the festival with a short acoustic set, Dave Mattacks now returning to the band he’s been in and out of since 1969 in order to take the place of Gerry Conway (who departed last year). As is now traditional, the band opened with Chris Leslie’s ‘Festival Bell’ timed to coincide with the ringing of the church bells over in the village (although even after all these years I’ve never actually managed to hear the ringing from the festival arena).
Chris Leslie up on the big screen for Fairport’s acoustic set (Photo: Simon Putman)
It was then straight into a blistering set from Merry Hell. The Wigan-based folk rockers have been frequent performers at the ‘Festival Fringe’ in the village of Cropredy but until now had never actually performed on the main stage. Formed back in 2010 out of the ashes of ‘folk-punk’ band, the Tansads, they’ve now put out six studio albums and released a double-disc best-of compilation earlier this year, a number of the songs from which they performed as part of their Cropredy set here. The band certainly know how to turn out a rousing anthem and many of the songs have a theme of communal togetherness (‘We Are Different We Are One’, ‘Lean On Me Love’, ‘Come On England’, ‘We Need Each Other Now’). More recently there’s been an additional (and very welcome) focus on environmental themes, represented today by ‘Leave It In The Ground’ and Greta Thunberg tribute, ‘Sister Atlas’. I suspect many Cropredy-goers will already have been very familiar with the band but they are sure to have won over many new fans this weekend.
Merry Hell’s John Kettle (Photo: Simon Putman)
Damian Wilson & Adam Wakeman were an entertaining duo, largely performing the latter’s songs rather than material from the more proggy or heavy metal-oriented parts of Wakeman’s past CV. However, by far the standout moment for me was their rendition of Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars’ which Wakeman’s father so memorably played piano on. Maybe it was just that I’d reached that time of the evening where I just wanted a succession of sing-along-to-every-word rock covers. Which was very fortunate indeed as soon it would be time for Toyah and Robert…
Fresh from the success of their Sunday lunchtime YouTube performances which became an unexpected lockdown hit, Toyah Wilcox and Robert Fripp made a surprise guest appearance last year as part of Trevor Horn’s set. This year they are back in their own right. Who could have guessed that an ’80s pop icon and her prog-rock-royalty husband would make such a fantastically entertaining duo. Blasting out one rock classic after another (‘Paranoid’, ‘Kashmir’, ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’, Sharped Dressed Man’…) as well as Toyah’s own ‘I Wanna Be Free’ and ‘It’s A Mystery’ it was utterly, utterly joyful.
Welcome to Cropredy festival (Photo: Simon Putman)
From being a young teenage heavy metal fan my musical tastes have certainly broadened over the years to incorporate so many additional genres: from folk to blues to country to prog to reggae to punk and much. much more besides. Would Nile Rodgers & Chic be a step too far, however? When the disco craze was in full swing at the end of the ’70s I absolutely loathed the music with a passion but I tried my hardest to approach the Thursday night headline slot with an open mind. What can I say? Engaging showmanship, consummate musicianship and hugely talented vocalists but to my ears it turned out to be little more than a compendium of some of the most irritating hit songs of my entire lifetime. I didn’t get it back then and it looks like I’m never going get it now. It was nice to see others clearly enjoying it, however.
Day Two – Friday
The Joshua Burnell Band kicked off Friday’s music on the main stage. While I’d never seen Joshua or his band live before, I’d previously reviewed his extremely impressive Flowers Where The Horses Sleepalbum back in 2020. He’s since recorded another album, Glass Knight, which he was actually releasing this very weekend at Cropredy. It’s a stunningly good set, best described as Hunky Dory-era Bowie meets folk rock meets prog, and the band are extremely well-received by the Cropredy crowd. The decision to time the release of the new album to coincide with their Cropredy slot was a smart one as they are bound to have shifted a sizeable number of copies based on that performance.
Joshua Burnell and bandmates (Photo: Simon Putman)
Next up was Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri. I’d already made arrangements to spend Friday afternoon at Cream Of The Crop, the boutique festival that takes place on an adjacent field (but where ticket-holders for the main festival are very much welcomed). It meant I wouldn’t have time to see much of Kiki Dee but I was rather hoping she’d do ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ very early on before I headed over to the other festival – and I’m pleased to say she did! Her musical partner explained that since he began working with Kiki Dee he was never going to attempt to pass himself off as Elton John, so that most famous pop-rock duet has been reinvented as a tender, laid-back solo ballad with some neat guitar work from Carmelo Luggeri.
Over at Cream of the Crop I was looking forward to seeing Parkbridge, but as a small festival with a couple of a hundred attendees maximum at any one time it has also proved to be the perfect location for catching up with old friends, a succession of whom I bump into before Parkbridge come on stage. Hailing (unsurprisingly) from Park Bridge in Greater Manchester, the band combine a love of folk rock, 70s-era classic rock and blues to come up with their own unique formula. Seasoned musicians all, the band have their debut album coming out in October, which would provide the bulk of their set today, albeit with a couple of well-chosen covers thrown in, too, courtesy of the Stray Cats and Free.
Parkbridge on stage at Cream of the Crop (Photo: Simon Putman)
We made it back to the main stage well in time for Strawbs, for what would be the last ever public performance by Dave Cousins, following medical advice. I must confess that the only Strawbs album I ever listen to with any regularity is the one they recorded with Sandy Denny before she joined Fairport but it was an emotional experience witnessing Cousins making his swansong performance. He was visibly moved by the warm response he got from the crowd. Just as I was secretly hoping all the way through, they even threw in ‘Part Of The Union’, too. It’s not one of Cousins’ own songs but it was definitely a defining Cropredy moment this year as we all bellowed out the words to that famous pop-folk novelty workers’ anthem of the early ’70s.
Dave Cousins gives an emotional final performance (Photo: Simon Putman)
The crowd-singalongs did not stop with ‘Part Of The Union’ because before too long we were on to a rip-roaring set from Fisherman’s Friends. I’ve seen the film, bought their top-selling ‘major label’ album and even saw them live when they came to Hastings a few years ago. I always knew they’d be a stonking festival band though and they did not disappoint. With raucous sing-alongs, tongue-in-cheek banter and shanties galore, for sheer unadulterated fun it actually turned out to be one of my highlights of the entire weekend.
Jon Cleave of Fisherman’s Friends (Photo: Simon Putman)
A combination of age, beer, cider and waking up at the crack of dawn this year due to our tent being right next to the busy railway line meant we decided to call it an early night and give 10cc a miss. Plus I didn’t want to miss out on a certain midnight rendezvous with Fairport the following evening. If I was going to be a party pooper better it be for ‘I’m Not In Love’ than ‘Meet On The Ledge’.
Day Three – Saturday
If Friday afternoon was all about bunking off from the main festival to spend time at Cream of the Crop, Saturday afternoon was all about spending time in Cropredy village. It’s an adorably picturesque Oxfordshire village, steeped in history – both of the English Civil War variety and of the folk rock variety, with a number of Fairport members having lived there (or in neighbouring villages) over the decades; an iconic shot for the band’s Nine album being taken outside one of the village pubs and, of course, the annual festival taking place following the band’s self-proclaimed ‘farewell concert’ here in 1979.
Welcome to Cropredy village (Photo: Simon Putman)
This year there was an extra special reason to be visiting the village, however, and that same pub The Brasenose. The late Sandy Denny’s daughter, Georgia, was hosting an exhibition at the pub, celebrating Sandy’s life. Featuring dresses and jewellery worn by Sandy, together with other personal effects and notebooks of song lyrics, it’s a lovingly put-together tribute to one of England’s greatest ever singer-songwriters. I also had the opportunity of to meet and chat with Georgia who kindly signed my exhibition programme.
Souvenir book from the Sandy Denny Exhibition (Photo: Darren Johnson)
The village of Cropredy really throws itself into the festival weekend and local residents make the most of thousands of people descending on them for a few days each year. The village hall, village school and sundry other buildings are repurposed as temporary dining establishments and every spare bit of space seems to have a pop-up stall of one sort or another. I got waylaid at the CD stall where the stallholder cheerfully told me that he was now selling everything off for a pound. It was good stuff, too. I ended up coming away with 40 CDs. Passing by half an hour or so later I could hear I’d even been enlisted as part of his sales pitch: “It’s all quality stuff. See that bloke over there in the orange shirt. He’s just spent forty quid here. ”
Forty more CDs for the collection (Photo: Simon Putman)
After depositing my second-hand CDs back at the campsite I was back at the main festival in time for Solstice. They were one of the bands that materialised as part of the prog renaissance in the early 80s, along with Marillion, Pallas, Twelfth Night and Pendragon who were all on the bill for the 1983 Reading Festival which I attended as a 17year-old. I can’t remember whether I saw Solstice then or not but I certainly remember walking around with the band’s name on the back of my festival t-shirt for a couple of years afterwards. At least I will know for sure that I saw them this time. Probably the most out-there and proggiest band of the weekend, at first I thought it was all a tad self-indulgent but after starting on another four-pint jug of cider I began to think it was all rather glorious. I would definitely go and see them again.
Stocking up on cider (photo: Kevin Smith)
The Young ‘uns I’d seen many times before and was confident the Cropredy crowd would immediately warm to them – which they did. When the trio first started out it was very much with a focus on traditional songs but as the songwriting of Sean Cooney developed, the Young ‘Uns carved out a niche for themselves singing songs about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Whether the stories are historical or contemporary (from the Spanish Civil War to the London Bridge terror attacks to one young woman’s uniquely heartfelt approach to suicide prevention) they sing with gusto, passion and strong regional accents. It’s always a delight to see them and they end their triumphant set with a suitably folked-up cover of ‘Sit Down’ by James. Fantastic stuff.
Gilbert O’Sullivan I remember from my childhood as my step-mum played his albums a lot when I was a young kid. In other circumstances I would have happily stayed, being both familiar with many of his big hits and mildly curious about what he’s been up to in the intervening decades. But it was time for a break from the cider, some chill-time at the tent and a strong cup of tea – ready to be rested and reinvigorated for the festival’s perennial headliners themselves.
Dusk over Cropredy festival (Photo: Simon Putman)
As Fairport Convention were not celebrating any major milestones at Cropredy this year (albeit that 2023 marks the fiftieth anniversary of both the Rosie and the Nine albums) we didn’t get any reunited line-ups of surviving former members or albums played in full – although Fairport founder member Ashley Hutchings was one of the guests invited on stage this year and, of course, long-time member Dave Mattacks is now back playing with the band following the departure of Gerry Conway. As such, Fairport’s set perhaps lacked some of the dramatic “pinch me” moments of previous Cropredy appearances. But it was still a very fine two-and-a-half-hour set with a plethora of classic Fairport songs from the band’s early days and a heavy sprinkling of songs from their most recent studio album, Shuffle & Go. Indeed, there were perhaps rather too many of the latter since it is now three years old and the band have made far better albums in the past decade or so in my view, such as the truly excellent Festival Bell.
Fairport Convention’s Dave Pegg up on the big screen (Photo: Simon Putman)
No matter, it was an enjoyable set with guest appearances from the aforementioned Ashley Hutchings along with Vikki Clayton, Becky Mills (who is one of the very best interpreters of Sandy Denny material around today in my view) and Hannah Saunders & Ben Savage. At least having a fairly minimal number of guests this year and no logistics to juggle with that come through performing an entire album in full, it meant they could avoid cutting the set short this year – unlike last year where ‘Matty Groves’ had to be unceremoniously dumped to make sure they still had time for ‘Meet On The Ledge’. Once again, an emotional and triumphant end to a highly enjoyable weekend. It all came round again.
Lead single: ‘Why Do You’ released 18th August 2023
Coming together through a shared love of classic rock, folk rock and blues, bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Fairport Convention and Free, Parkbridge is a four-piece from Greater Manchester. Formed in 2022, all four members had cut their teeth playing in local bands for many years. But after some informal jam sessions working on songs that had been written by vocalist and guitarist, Robert Carter, Parkbridge rapidly evolved into the fully-fledged band it is today. After a series of well-received live gigs, work soon began on putting together the band’s debut album.
Parkbridge is: Robert Carter (guitar, vocals), Sean Dyer (lead guitar), Ian Turford (bass) and Dave Johnson (drums). The name comes from the area of Park Bridge on the outskirts of Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, where the band was originally formed. The area of Park Bridge was founded during the industrial revolution and for nearly two hundred years the village was home to the famous Park Bridge Ironworks. This local foundry provided essential components for a number of the world’s great engineering projects, giving the band not only its name but the inspiration for the title of its debut album, too.
“If you ever go to Paris, in the museum at the Eiffel Tower there is an inscription that says “Rivets made by the Park Bridge Iron Foundry, Ashton-under-Lyne” and so Rivets For The Eiffel Tower became the obvious name for our first album,” says frontman and vocalist/guitarist, Robert Carter.
A single from the album, ‘Why Do You’ is released on 18th August.
Commenting on the single, Robert Carter says:“It’s about obsession, angst and in a way about dishonest love. Things aren’t always as wonderful as they first seem and control becomes more important than the relationship. It isn’t about anybody in particular, more about witnessed experiences and observations and it nicely showcases the musicianship in the band.”
The album itself is a collection of eight original tracks – a mix of acoustic, rock, folk-rock and blues.
Commenting on the album, Robert Carter adds:“I have long had an ambition to release an album of music containing songs that I’ve written. Thanks to the guys in Parkbridge, that dream is about to become a reality. All three are great musicians and it’s a privilege for me to work with them. There’s a couple of songs of what you would call folk rock. There’s a couple that are classic rock in style. There’s a couple that could be classed as indie rock and there’s a couple of blues songs. We’re probably a little different to most of the newish rock bands you hear these days. We try and be melodic. We try and tell a story in the lyrics. We try and offer something different. So if you’re into that classic rock sound with style, have a listen and tell us what you think!”
Rivets For The Eiffel Tower is produced by Buzz Hawkins at Hawkins Studios 215 in Mossley.
Rivets For The Eiffel Tower will go on general release on 6th October 2023 with a limited-edition CD available from 18th August. The album is available via: www.parkbridgemusic.com
Upcoming live dates:
Cream of the Crop Festival, Cropredy Oxfordshire – Friday 11th August, 2.30pm
Colne Blues Festival at The Venue, Friday 25th August, 7.00pm
Tameside Beer Festival, Hyde Town Hall, Friday 22nd September, 6.00pm
Launch event: Tapsters Bar, Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, Friday 18th August, 7pm
NWOBHM legend, Barry Graham Purkis, resurrected his Thunderstick persona back in 2017 and released a critically-acclaimed album, Something Wicked This Way Comes – the first all-new Thunderstick product in thirty years. The revitalised band has since proved a popular live draw at festivals. Now they’re back with a new single and a new studio album set for release in October 2023. Here, Barry updates me on what’s been happening.
You were one of the pioneers of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) back in the late 70s. Apart from one or two obvious examples it’s an era that tended to get overlooked. Do you think the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal is finally starting to get the recognition it deserves?
Yes and no… I often get asked, “Did you think it was something special at the time?” Well, the answer is no to that because it was very much a kind of work-in-progress. It was after we’d had total domination by punk. The record companies were only signing punk bands. And a lot of them got their fingers burnt through doing so because there were only a handful of bands that were really iconic and of their time. We all know the Sex Pistols – absolutely amazing album, Clash, Siouxsie & the Banshees, there are a number of them. Whereas a lot of other bands, there was a lot of dross as well. But because of that domination, nothing was happening with any other musical genre. And there was this underground movement of all these bands that were learning to play as a throwback against punk, because of the simplicity. Punk was all about a feeling, wasn’t it. It wasn’t so much about musical proficiency. It was more about an attitude and everything else that it signified. And so be it. Because before that we had the self-indulgence of the prog rock bands that would go for ten-minute drum solos. And then you’d have a five-minute bass solo and then a keyboard solo and it was just ridiculous. So there was a backlash against that. But there was also a backlash against punk – the simplicity of it and that a lot of these bands hadn’t even learnt how to play their instruments. And so there were a lot of metal bands or hard rock bands at the time that actually had.
So there were quite a few bands around but they didn’t have any exposure. And then, bit by bit, they started emerging. Samson, the band I was playing with at the time obviously had a great stake in that because we were one of the first bands to release an album that was considered to be New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. And that was the Survivors album. We also had a management company that were prepared to put money into that band and so they financed what was known as the Heavy Metal Crusade. Paul Samson knew a band from south London that he was good friends with because we were looking for support acts to come out with us. He recommended a band called Angelwitch and so they were put on the bill and we were still thinking about a third band and I said, “Well the band I played with prior to joining Samson was a band called Iron Maiden. Would you be interested in them?” And he said, “Yeah, sure.” So that’s how that came about.
One of the venues that we played at regularly was a place called the Music Machine in Camden in London. Quite a sizeable venue and when we played that – around 1979-1980 – there was no social media, there was hardly any VHS let alone DVDs and there were no real rock magazines. They were all black and white weekly music rags – Sounds, Melody Maker, New Musical Express etc. One of the main contributors to Sounds, a guy called Geoff Barton, came down to have a look at this gig with Samson, Iron Maiden and Angelwitch. And he went away and wrote up his piece and that was the very first time when he coined the phrase ‘This is the new wave of British heavy metal’. I mean up until then it wasn’t even called heavy metal, it was called rock – hard rock. And because I was doing the Thunderstick thing with the mask, I got on the front cover of Sounds and they said, ‘Is this the new face of heavy metal?’
And that’s how it came about. And now, let’s move forward up to these days and there are so many bands who like tag themselves in on NWOBHM and say, “Oh yeah, we’re a NWOBHM band.” A lot of which you can totally disregard because it was only a handful of bands at the time that were there and doing it. A lot of publications at the time thought that bands such as Def Leppard were part of that movement. I think they’ve distanced themselves suitably enough now but there are the bands that are still trading on that such as Tygers of Pan Tang and Diamond Head. And I guess it’s the same for me. Whenever we play, I always seem to get the phrase New Wave Of British Heavy Metal coming up. Which makes me laugh because I’m not heavy metal at all. My band, Thunderstick, are purely hard rock, pushy, punchy rock. We’re not metal by any stretch.
The Thunderstick persona that you developed, that was captured on that cover of Sounds, it brought an element of that very theatrical style of rock from the mid-70s to a new generation in the early 80s. Was that a conscious decision?
Very, very much so. The way the mask came about was the simple fact that there weren’t very many glossy colour magazines that catered to a certain genre or anything like that. And when they did start bringing out posters of bands, you would always get the singer at the front strutting his stuff, you would get the guitarist pulling all the stereotypical poses and then you would get the top of somebody’s head and a row of cymbals. And that was the drummer! Now there were certain drummers that were obviously iconic. There was Keith Moon and Ian Paice and John Bonham and drummers of repute such as that. But I’m talking about grassroots bands. Nobody would really be able to tell you who the hell the drummer was. So I went ahead and I created a faceless drummer. And in doing that I then came up with the name Thunderstick. Now the theatricality came in with that image. Well it kind of wrote itself. Because the moment I put the mask on, that’s it – I kind of became that person.
You stopped being Barry and you became Thunderstick while the mask was on.
Exactly! And also the fact of my love of theatricality in bands. To this day I still worship at the altar of Alice Cooper because I just love that. The Tubes was another band that I really, really used to love going and seeing when they toured over here. So it’s always been paramount in my thinking. Always.
Who are your favourite artists and who have been the big influences on you? You’ve mentioned a couple. Are there more?
Well there are but the main thing about my musical taste is that I like to regard it as very eclectic. There’s bands like The Residents. I used to love them. Very, very strange band. But then, as I’ve just mentioned, I would love Alice Cooper. I would love hard rock. I also loved experimental music like Brian Eno, for example. As well as that, I’ve always loved female vocals. So, yeah, I have got a very eclectic taste. As regards drumming, very strange influences. Obviously, I’ve mentioned Keith Moon. John Bonham I loved and it’s only at an older age as I am now that I can appreciate exactly what he did.
So my influences at the time, there was a guy called Guy Evans, who played for a band called Van Der Graf Generator. Another one was a guy called Pierre Merlin who played for a band called Gong which I love. I used to go and see them quite regularly – and that harks back to the theatricality in music. And what a fantastic drummer. The hi-hat stuff that he used to do was just quite incredible. Prairie Prince from the aforementioned Tubes – absolutely amazing drummer as well.
And I just thought they were able to treat the drums as a musical instrument rather than just a rhythm-making machine. And I’ve always maintained that. I can’t abide drum solos. I hate them. I have had to do them in the past, many years ago. With my particular style of playing, I have always tried to put everything I can into the musical arrangement. And so for drum solos I haven’t really got a great deal more to say. All I’m doing is a repetition of what I’ve done within the song anyway. And also the fact, technically, I’ve never had a drum lesson in my life. I literally learnt to play from the heart and that’s my style. I really wish that I could be more technical and I see these young kids of 8 or 9 and they sit down behind a drum-kit and they’re just wizards and they hardly break a sweat and I think how the hell do they do that? Because it’s something that I’ve never been able to do. In some ways I’ve found it frustrating and I suppose to a certain extent it’s held me back. But the other side of the coin is that I bring something to my style of playing that is unique. And I hope I am one of those drummers that when you hear them for the first time you know exactly who it is. And you can go, “That’s Thunderstick!”
So when you left Samson did you have a very clear idea about the kind of band you wanted and the kind of music and image you wanted?
Yeah.. there was a stop-gap between Samson and Thunderstick. That stop-gap was Bernie Torme’s Electric Gypsies. I was the drummer with them for a little while and we did selected dates. I also did a Capital Radio session… But then some of the press jumped on the fact that I was ‘Thunderstick unmasked’ and that became a bit untenable so it was time to move on. Bernie didn’t want any of that. It was Bernie’s band obviously.
So I then started putting together Thunderstick and, yes, I was totally focused on what I wanted from it. I used to even design the lighting – nine times out of ten it was design of lighting that I could ill-afford – but I used to design the lighting, the choreography, and just anything and everything regarding Thunderstick, as well as being the songwriter. I had a clear-cut idea of what I wanted it to be. I also immediately thought that I wanted a female vocalist. There were two reasons for that. One being the fact that I always liked writing for a higher register voice. But more so because the Thunderstick image within Samson was very stark. And it was during the time of female emancipation and the women’s lib group were really quite active in what they had to say, and rightly so, but felt that my image was very detrimental to women and belittled women. It didn’t help that we all know the story that there was a guy called the Cambridge Rapist who wore a mask very, very similar and was breaking into women’s homes and raping them which was just horrific. I’ve never viewed the Thunderstick character to be anything but the knock-about character that it was.
Like Alice Cooper and his guillotine…
That’s it. Exactly right. You can read into things that happen on stage so easily and with certain people in their hands it becomes quite an incendiary type of thing. So I thought, you know what, I’m going to put a female vocalist at the front of the stage and then that way if I do get any comebacks from other women I can just say, “Look, go and talk to her.”
And there’s an obvious counterpoint then on stage.
Yeah the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ thing.
In 2017 Something Wicked This Way Comes was the first new Thunderstick album for thirty years, picking up many positive reviews. Were you surprised by the response to that album?
Yes, totally. I didn’t know because I hadn’t put any product out for, as you’ve said, thirty years. Thunderstick had died a death within the ‘80s. The reason behind putting that album out, as you also know, is it was due to Jodee Valentine’s death after her fight with dementia. For those that don’t know, Jodee was an American singer who loved everything English regarding rock bands. Her all-time favourite band was The Who and she came from the States, on the east coast, and had a degree in classical piano and decided that she wanted to just jump on a plane and come to England, home of The Who. So she did just that and in the meantime I’d gone through a few singers because they weren’t right. The first singer was a lovely lady called Vinnie Monroe and then I had another lady called Anna Borg and through one thing or another they and the band parted company. It was nothing acrimonious. With Anna she kept losing her voice and I had to blow out a tour because of that.
So in goes the advert for another vocalist and Jodee came along. My main rule regarding the band was no fraternisation amongst the band because it really doesn’t work. And what do I do? I commit the cardinal sin and I move in with Jodee. So Jodee and I became an item but it was great on stage because we were, as you just said, that counterpoint. We were able to really work off each other. But the music industry being the volatile environment that it is, has had many a relationship that has fallen foul of it and we were just another one. So she jumped on a plane, went back to the States and that was that.
And many, many years later, I read that there was a guy that had been visiting her in a care-assisted home. I had recently remixed all of the early material and put it out on an American label and it was called Echoes From The Analogue Asylum. The reason I called it that was because purely and simply it was of its time and all of the songs were recorded analogue. Digital didn’t exist. So it was the first time that I was able to put it out in a digital format. He got a copy of it unbeknownst to me and he then went and saw Jodee because he was a musician and he would go to these care-assisted homes as a visitor. And he took a copy of the album and played it to her and she didn’t even recognise her own voice. She was just staring out of the window. Which is absolutely terrible. And he told me that she’d been in there for five years before she passed. It was, for me, a very emotional time. Although at that time I’d moved on and I have my wife and I have a daughter and what have you. But there was just so much material there that I thought, you know what, she would have loved it to actually come out on an album. So that’s what I did. That’s when I went into the studio and the studio found me a session vocalist at the time and she was good enough to be able to put on the album and the rest regarding that album is history.
It came out and it received really, really positive reviews all the way around the globe. And I was just amazed by that. I really was. It was simplistic in its approach because I didn’t have a great deal of money. In fact, I mixed the album in two days, with the engineer. And it was funny because a lot of the reviewers picked up on it and said, “You’ve managed to encapsulate that simplistic late ‘70s, early ‘80s type of NWOBHM sound and projected it into the now. Is that something you actually worked at?” Yes, it was something I worked at but also it was the fact that I had no money and I had to mix it in two days! Which was great, because they picked up on that. That was wonderful and yeah, it received some very good reviews.
And you now have a new studio album coming out in October. Tell us about that.
Well, after the reviews of Something Wicked people were asking why I didn’t have a performing band going out and promoting the music. And it was purely because I hadn’t even contemplated putting a playing band together to be able to do it live. Getting those reviews, I started having to have a rethink. And I started thinking along the lines of, maybe I should put a live band together. And I did. I put a live band together and used a young lady who I’d seen something of in a band that she was singing in and so I approached her. She came with her partner who’s a guitarist and I started putting together a live show to be able to play the material that was on the Something Wicked album. It didn’t work out with them because they were a partnership and without going into too much detail they were promoting their band rather than promoting Thunderstick.
So then we started looking for another vocalist and one of my friends, who also played in a NWOBHM band – the guitarist from More, a guy called Dave John Ross – he came to me and said, “Have you seen this vocalist? She plays for a covers band and she also does solo material with backing tapes.” I was completely taken aback when I listened to her. I thought, oh my god. She had this unique vibrato in her voice and she had never sung in front of a real loud, hard rock band before but she came along for the audition and she blew me away. Completely! And I also hope that we did her. And we got together and she’s been with me a good three years or so. She has great stagecraft and she has an amazing voice. So there was all this material left laying around that I had written in the ‘80s that had only got as far as the demo stage. And I thought, yep, it’s time to do this thing that musicians do of getting in the studio and bringing out another album. With her on it. It was so important for me to get something out with her on it.
Thunderstick live in 2019
So yes, it’s been a long time in the making. I can tell you a little bit about it. There was a lot of material taken from the early days. I also started writing with one of the ex-Thunderstick guitarists, a guy called Dave Killford, who had appeared on Something Wicked as well. And I also started writing with Rex (bass-player with Thunderstick). Thunderstick was, for me, always my baby. Completely. And I used to write the material, I would produce it etcetera, all the way down the line. So, for me to start writing with other people, I found it was quite cathartic for me to actually do that. Because instead of having all the responsibility, all the time, I was able to work off other people and that was really, really good.
So we started writing and I put the drums down in 2019 with the thought that we would release it sometime in 2020. But we all know what happened. We’d just started putting the bass tracks down when it came about that we had to self-isolate and nobody was allowed to get together in a room and it just absolutely decimated my timetable. I then had guitarists, a lot of guitarist that are friends saying, “If you need me to do anything you know where I am.” So a lot of the guitar work is my friends that have recorded remotely and sent all the files in but therein lies a problem because my drums when I put them down, they weren’t done in a recording studio. They were done in a rehearsal studio and I just found that there was so much wrong with the drums. There was spillage onto different mics and there were problems with mics that weren’t connected properly, just one thing after another. Technical problems. And then most of the guitarists that had contributed to the album always wanted to put their effects on it. At the time I should have insisted and said I want a dry signal which enables me to then at a further date when we mix be able to do what I wanted. I thought it was saving time but in the long run it didn’t save time at all.
So, I have a plethora of guitarists on it – but they’re all good friends and they’re all people that I regard highly as musicians and their contributions have been amazing. I have now, obviously, my own live band that continues. Raven has done some amazing vocal tracks on the album. She really has. And where are we now? 2023! And it was only about two to three weeks ago that I actually finished the mastering of the album. It’s a long album. It lasts for about an hour and twenty-five which is really good. I think material-wise, it’s some of the strongest stuff I’ve ever written and my co-conspirators I hope are also pleased with what they’ve put on it so, yeah, I’m looking forward to it coming out.
And you’ve got a new single coming out later in August?
I said earlier that I needed to get something out with Raven on it. We put out a single called ‘Go Sleep With The Enemy (I Dare You)’ and it was a limited-run which we sold at gigs. So I’ve revisited that because I thought it would be good to have something that represents the album and the way that we’ve moved forward as a band on that album. It is a heavier version of the original track but I think it’s more representative of the way that the album will sound so, yeah, I’m looking forward to putting that out again. I’m looking forward to people’s response on it.
Thanks Barry. Before we wrap up, is there anything else you want to tell us?
I’d just like to say, check us out. We’re doing a couple of festivals. We’re also doing one in France in October called British Steel. Obviously, we’ve just done the Iron Maiden after-party (at the Cart & Horses in east London) when Iron Maiden did the two nights at the O2 and we did the first night as an after-party. It was really well-attended. It sold out. I’m also very happy that we put one track up that had been recorded by somebody. The sound quality was really quite good and we’ve had two-and-a-half-thousand views on that, which is amazing and, as you said, the album will be out in October. And I’m just hoping and praying that everyone receives it as well as they did with Something Wicked because I think the material on it is even stronger. And thanks for supporting Thunderstick if you are, indeed, a supporter. And if not, check us out and welcome you on board!
Former Judas Priest guitarist, K.K. Downing, made a dramatic return to the frontline of heavy metal with the launch of KK’s Priest and the release of the Sermons of the Sinner album back in 2021. Reviewing the band’s debut album I concluded, “Every riff, every yell, every beat, every second of the album encapsulates the spirit of Priest and is executed with power, panache and pure class.”
And the very welcome news is that a second album, The Sinner Rides Again, is scheduled for release on 29th September, accompanied by a short UK in October. Fans already had a taste of what’s in store from this album with the release of the ‘One More Shot At Glory’ single earlier this summer and that’s now followed up by a second single from the album, ‘Reap The Whirlwind’.
K.K. Downing says of ‘Reap The Whirlwind’:“’If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind’ – this is a common phrase that has been familiar with me from a very young age. Obviously it’s very meaningful – it’s a warning that if you mistreat people, or really whatever you do in life, you need to be very careful, because whatever sufferance you inflict on anyone, it could come back to haunt you, and your suffering could be even more severe. Everyone knowingly or unknowingly has made the mistake of thinking they can get away with small misdemeanors to suit their selfish pursuits, but if justice is to be served, you will reap exactly what you sow. That is the message of this song.”
KK’S PRIEST is K.K. Downing (guitar); former Judas Priest vocalist, Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens (vocals); A.J. Mills (guitar); Tony Newton (bass); and Sean Elg (drums).
Discussing the forthcoming album, Downing recently said,“We’ve lost a lot of great people – Dio, Lemmy, for example – but this amazing and unique style of music must be preserved for as long as possible and I feel it within me to continue to play my role, as I always have, and to defend this metal genre, which we all know and love.”The Sinner Rides Again is a testament to this call for the classics while speeding full force into the future, delivered by some of heavy metal’s most essential performers.
KK’S PRIEST UK tour dates:
October 7, 2023 – Birmingham @ O2 Institute
October 8, 2023 – Glasgow @ SWG3
October 10, 2023 – Nottingham @ Rock City
October 11, 2023 – Manchester @ O2 Ritz
October 12, 2023 – London @ O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
KK’s PRIEST – Jul 16, 2021. Photo credit: George Chin
Combining elements of glam, punk, power-pop and rock and roll, The Artist Formally Known as Vince Band (or TAFKAVince Band for short) formed in 1996, releasing their debut album in 2002 and building a reputation as a fearsome live act in their home-town of Chicago as well as out on tour around the US. TAFKAVince is Vince SanFilippo (vocals and guitar), Lauren Kurtz (vocals), Brian Chinino (drums, percussion and backing vocals) Chris Geisler (bass, percussion and backing vocals) and Vee Sonnets (guitar, backing vocals and keyboards).
The band’s latest album, A Problematic Opera, is a six-track album released in May this year and features guest performances from Brian Smith, Joe Vitti, Yoko Schmadeke, and Maureen Grady. I instantly warmed to the band’s brand of trashy glam-punk and, hopefully, this latest album should bring them to the attention of a wider audience and win them plenty of new fans.
Vince tells Darren’s music blog:
“The tracks from A Problematic Opera came quickly in a songwriting binge. I chose these six songs as they seem to all mesh together and cover all aspects of what the band does. There is variety yet consistency; late-night thoughts and late-night experiences; theatrical imagery that always slips in. I envisioned these songs together on a 10-inch record so we headed into the studio to make this album. A couple long weekends in the studio gave us time to add a little extra to the solid base we worked out in our rehearsal room. Every band member individually suggesting “A Problematic Opera” as the title really brought it to completion.”
Darren's music blog 