The band opened their two hour set with ‘Hammer Of The Gods” and like a stick of dynamite, front-man Biff Byford and the boys sent a jolt of heavy metal thunder throughout the venue that

had the crowd fist pumping and head banging. It was as if we stepped into a time machine and were sent back to the 80’s.  Memories of long hair and hanging out with friends getting high on music that took us to places only our imaginations could take us.  Saxon, on this evening, pulled no punches and unleashed a barrage of their hits from their back catalog to present.  Proving that they haven’t lost a step the boys ripped into “Heavy Metal Thunder” that literally had everybody in the venue head-banging like no tomorrow.  Biff Byford is sixty-years old, but you wouldn’t guess it from what we witnessed on stage this evening. His vocals were right on point and stronger and better than ever. How do you do it Biff?  Next set of songs featured an old and new Saxon in the form of “Never Surrender” and another new track “Chasing The Bullet”. It wasn’t until Biff introduced the next song, “Motorcycle Man”, that the crowd went completely nuts!  This was the epitome of what a rock and roll machine is all about.  Before the show the Rocker and I wondered if they would serve up a couple of our personal favorite tracks. They must have heard our prayers because the band served up “Rock And Roll Gypsies” and the rock anthem of all rock anthems, “Denim and Leather”.  Aside from being blown away by Byford’s vocals, the band didn’t sound too shabby, if we must say.

Guitarists Doug Scarrat and Paul Quinn sounded amazing. A twin guitar attack that is as powerful as thunder and lightning. The rhythm section of drummer Nigel Glockler, who’s drumming was totally mind-blowing! (Come on! These guys can’t be over fifty! Are you kidding?! ) and bassist Nibbs Carter, who is a complete wild man on stage! He takes banging your head to a whole new level. At one point we thought his head would fly off his body! Just goes to show how much passion these men have in their music. As music fans, we wouldn’t have it any other way.  The band finished off their set with “After Burner”, from the new album and “ Princess Of The Night” in a blaze of glory! After a very short break, the band reappeared on stage and proceeded to hit their fans like a battering ram  with “Crusader”  and a balls to the wall rocker, “747 Strangers In The Night”. The odd thing about it was, guitarist Doug Scaratt delivering his guitar solo. Why is this odd? Normally, a solo is done in the middle of the set and not at the end.  Odd right? Finishing off their two hour set, Saxon delivered the knockout punch with a balls to the wall rocker, “Power & The Glory”. All in all Saxon put on show that proves they are a force  to  be reckoned with, still. If you get a chance to catch them on tour this year, do so! We guarantee it will one of the best rock shows you see!

The Atomic Chaser & The Rocker

For more info on Saxon: www.saxon747.com

Interview by: The Atomic Chaser and The Rocker

All Access magazine (AAM): Hey Biff, how are you?

Biff Byford (BIFF): Sorry about being late, we had a live radio station that went a bit crazy.

AAM: Let’s talk about the new album Call To Arms, Was there a certain approach to the recording of this CD versus how you approached recording your previous ones?

BIFF: We wanted a bit of a change from our last three albums, which were obviously fantastic albums, but we just wanted to get back to our roots a bit more into the 80’s thing, like when we started. We sort of rethought a bit how we were writing and how I was writing lyrics. We just tried to bring the spirit of the 80’s really onto the album I think it worked really well and it’s quite retro sounding, but really in your face so we’re quite happy with that.

AAM: Well there are 10 songs on the album, how many songs did you record for this album?

BIFF: We recorded 11 so there’s a bonus track you can download on iTunes. We don’t particularly agree with that, but the record company likes it so, you know.

AAM: We see that you co-produced this album with Toby Jebsen, is that the Toby Jebsen from the Little Angels and new singer for Fastway?

BIFF: That’s right, yea he’s a good mate of mine? He’s a singer guitarist and he lives quite close to me on the coast. We’ve wanted him to work with the band for quite some time. So we sort of gave him a job. (laughing) Now he’s a friend and he’s really into the early Saxon stuff. He just likes the way it draws you in, that sort of sound of the 80’s. Basically his job was to try and capture the performance of the musicians on the album where my job was more on the arrangements and what people played, so it was a pretty good partnership really.

AAM: The chemistry working together with a co-producer, were you guys on the same page as far as what you wanted and it’s obvious from what the outcome was.

BIFF: Yea you know we were on the same page. I wanted to do what he was suggesting, but I didn’t want to suddenly lose all our new fans by changing totally. It’s a mixture really of new Saxon and the old Saxon which is pretty perfect, I think.

AAM: Let’s talk about a couple of songs on the new album, one of them ‘Back In ’79’ for some reason it brought back a lot of good memories, as I was 16 at the time. I remember Donnington. With you guys The Scorpions, Judas Priest and, I believe, Trust (Biff adds April Wine and Rainbow) I was gonna ask, are there any fond memories that stick out about that show?

BIFF: Yea, we were the new band, everyone else was pretty established. It was great and walking out in front of 70,000 people, I mean. Basically, Wheels Of Steel sold 200,000 records in England by the time we walked out on stage and the reception we got was absolutely amazing.

AAM: Wheels of Steel was our introduction to Saxon and we were totally blown away by how you guys sounded live last night.

BIFF: Yea I know again, I mean, it wasn’t a huge production we just went there with our Marshalls and Gibsons and a couple of microphones and our road crew you know it’s all down to the passion and the power of the songs, it really is.

AAM: Now back to the album Call To Arms, we see in the liner notes that you worked with Don Airey on a couple of tracks.

BIFF: Yea, he’s a big mate of ours, we knew him from the 80’s he toured with Ozzy Osbourne and us for a while. He’s a great keyboard player from the 80’s he played with everybody, so. He brought the great church style to the album as well. “Mists of Avalon” especially. I ran into him at the American Embassy in London we were cueing for our Visas. It’s a funny story, all the musicians and actors go at 8 o’clock in the morning so they don’t have to stand in the cue with everyone else, it’s funny but you have to get there really early and he was in the cue. He was getting his Visa for the Deep Purple tour. So I said, we’re just writing the new album, we’re recording, do you fancy playing on a song? And he said. “Sure, some other day.” So that’s how we got to him really, just an accident.

AAM: The other song he played on is “When Doomsday Comes” and you mentioned on stage last night that this song is gonna be featured in a film?

BIFF: Yea, they start shooting next year I think, January or February. It’s a sort of Sci-Fi sort of shoot’em up film. About someone messing around with the DNA between aliens and humans, it goes wrong. Anyways we wrote two songs for the film. “When Doomsday Comes” is a bit Zeppelinish, really. It’s a dark, dark song you know, we like it ,really, we like doing that kind of stuff.

AAM: Well the title track, ‘Call To Arms’, first off, is an instant classic in a sense that it has that melodic power in the beginning then it breaks into the riffs, but it’s basically a soldier’s song for any generation.

BIFF: Yea it’s a soldier’s song, it’s a sad song, you know, about soldiers going off to war. I read a book of letters they found, they put all the letters together from the first World War, American, British and French soldiers they compiled the letters in a book. Some of them are funny, some of them are sad. It inspired me to write the lyric really, but I suppose it’s the same for Afghanistan or any of these wars soldiers go off to fight these days. It’s a powerful song.

AAM: Now there’s an alternative version on the album which features an orchestra. Are you still working with the Symphony?

BIFF: Yea we’re working with different things, we might do a Symphonic show next year maybe in Warsaw, I mean it’s been talked about. It’s like all these really big shows they have to get sponsorship and things that’s what they’re looking for, a beer company or something, Monster drink or something. Rockstar, Red Bull, somebody will do it.

AAM: Biff, what’s the recipe for Saxon’s success as far as longevity, as so many bands have come and gone and Saxon has made it through the ages. What’s the secret to your success?

BIFF: I think one of the secrets is the songs. We try really hard to always write great songs that rock fans can listen to and get off on. But I think the quality of songs is very important. Once the quality of the songs goes that’s when the bands stop, I think. You have to have a high standard. You have a legacy of songs from the past, I think you have to at least try and play something as good, if not better. Our fan base is very loyal.

AAM: The set list you guys put together for the show last night was great and thank you, by the way, for doing “Rock-n-Roll Gypsies”. Will this set list change from city to city?

BIFF: We may tweak it just a little bit. We’re thinking of putting in “Dogs Of War” maybe, which is a great live track. We’re pretty happy with the set actually. It’s about two hours, it’s a long set. There’s like four bands on before us.

AAM: With the Saxon catalog there are so many songs you could have played, we’re glad you did a song from Into The Labyrinth, but with the old songs you could tell the diehard fans knew word for word because they sang along with you.

BIFF: Yea, it definitely was a great crowd last night and it was a great atmosphere. You know we had just flown in from Europe so we were pretty jetlagged and the audience raised our game, it was a great gig.

AAM: How many gigs are you playing in California? You played last night, are you playing another one again tonight?

BIFF: No we’re not, we’re in Venice Beach tonight, we’re just hanging out. We’re in Santa Rosa tomorrow or Santa Clara then Santa Ana, so we’re doing a lot of Santas. Then we go off to Las Vegas. Yea, we’ve done about 4 or 5 shows on the west coast so far. Obviously the venues must be into Saxon out here.

AAM: When was the last time you played Los Angeles, you mentioned The Whisky last night.

BIFF: Yea, I think we played The Whisky when we did the tour with UDO. I can’t remember when it was it must have been 2001-2 or 3 or something. I think this tour is a bit stronger I think it’s definitely coming back, we’re really in a good place at the moment.

AAM: How has the Internet and Social Media which wasn’t available to you guys 20 years ago, how has that changed you guys?

BIFF: Tremendously, it really works in your favor now. People in China can watch you, India, we get a lot of fan mail from different places. It’s great, some of the songs have took on a new meaning, “Crusaders” has a million hits on YouTube, “747” is the same. Some of the songs have gone a bit ballistic now. It’s a great thing for bands, a great thing for young bands, as well. It’s a good outlet. You can make a cheap video and stick it on YouTube.

AAM: Are there any bands out there right now that you guys would like to tour with?

Biff: Well Anvil are coming out in Europe with us as a special guest. We love them guys, they’ve been out with us before. A couple of bands, a band called Crimes Of Passion are pretty happening, Vanderbuyst another band and in England we got Hammerfall supporting us. There’s a lot of good bands around, they just need to try and get their profile higher.

AAM: What’s next for you guys?

Biff: Well, we finish the tour on December 20 and then we’re having a break for Christmas and the New Year. I think we’re gonna go out and do some big festivals. We may try and get back to the States and South America again. See how the album goes, and see how the profile rises. There’s a lot of hardcore fans here that really love us and there are a lot of fans out there who WERE our fans that just need to be re-activated, and let them know we are still around making great music. You know there’s a lot of work to do, I think, and like you said a lot of new fans getting into us so I think we need to spend some time on America definitely.

AAM: Biff, we can’t express enough how appreciative we are that you’d talk to us, being longtime fans and all. The show was amazing and we wish you all the luck this year, we have no doubt that this record will do well for you guys.

BIFF: Why, thank you very much and it won’t be from the lack of trying put it that way. We’re touring heavy on this album this year. Good to talk to you guys and thank you very much.

Since 1979 Saxon has brought us some great memories with their music, live shows and videos. Call To Arms is a reflection of this, with their songs, stage presence and still more videos. After so many years Saxon is still around doing what they do best and that’s giving the fans what they want.

For more info go to www.saxon747.com

Ever wonder why some bands are overlooked? Maybe it’s because radio and MTV don’t think some bands have that look or sound. Twenty years ago bands relied on radio play and their videos to get noticed. In today’s music world, the opportunities are endless. There is YouTube, Myspace, Facebook and Twitter. Then you have the old reliable way, word of mouth.  The Rocker and I would like to introduce you to Stealing Heather. A band that combines the best elements of music from the 80s and 90s to create their infectious rock sound, Stealing Heather serve up music that is good, it’s that simple.

The Rocker and I spoke with Stealing Heather frontman, Joshua Aaron as he gave us the lowdown on the band’s smashing debut release, ‘Your Mistake’. The album’s first single, “Breathe Out,” a shot of adrenaline shot  about a couple that reassess their lives in the hopes that things will someday get better. Stealing Heather is a band that represents a solid force talking about regret and hope. The Rocker and I had the pleasure of talking with Stealing Heather frontman, Joshua Aaron. Being fans of Aaron’s work with the band The Rosenbergs, it was a bonus for us to chat with him. We wanted to get the lowdown on his new band and here is what he shared with us…

AAM: So, what’s the story behind the name of the band, Stealing Heather? Sounds ominous.

Joshua Aaron: You know, this is usually the first question we get asked in any interview and the smart-ass answer is that we love to steal girls no matter what their name might be. But the real story is that over the years we’ve watched as our society has taken a turn for the worse. When we were growing up we’d watch cartoons on Saturday mornings and that would be all we’d watched. Now kids turn on the TV and bam! It’s not about fury cute little animals anymore, I can tell you that.

AAM: How so?

JA: Today, everything presented to our children deals with violence and negativity. We are only creatures of our environment and the more we keep presenting our children with these images and sounds the more we will be forced to watch the outcome unfold. We are essentially stealing the innocence of our children. The name Heather just seemed to be the essence of a pure, young girl.

AAM: For those not familiar with your work can you give some 411?

JA: Throughout my tenure with The Rosenbergs (my previous band) I had been writing a bunch of songs and had this sound in my head that I needed to get onto a recording. The first album “6 Minutes to Somewhere” was my initial attempt back in 2006 when I was living in Cleveland, OH. I formed a small band and we played a few shows. The songs appeared on a few TV shows and such but I didn’t push it that hard since I had just come off of 8 amazing years of record-making and touring with The Rosenbergs. Following that I started writing in a more congealed fashion and ended up with the songs on our new album “Your Mistake.”

AAM: Being familiar with your work in the Rosenbergs, how different would you say the music direction is with Stealing Heather?

JA: No matter what I say here there’s going to be some sort of label attached to it as it’s just human nature to place labels on anything and everything in which we come into contact. I call our music alternative pop/rock. Some call it 80’s influenced modern rock. I think that I just try and write the music that I love and to which I would be listening. I love big drums, cool synths, catchy hooks/melodies, and… for lack of a better term… massive “wall of sound” production.

AAM: Your debut release, ‘Your Mistake’, sounds amazing. Covering all the musical genres. Is there one song on the album that is personal favorite?

JA: I can’t really say that one song sums up our sound more than any other. I do think that one of the reasons “Breathe Out” was chosen as the initial single is because it is easy to connect with while showing off all the elements that make up the “Stealing Heather” sound.

AAM: One of the songs on the album, “Motive” sounds amazingly like a song Asia wish they had recorded.

JA: Wow, Asia, thank you for that comment.

AAM: what kind of freedom did that give you producing everything on your own?

JA: Well, I don’t know if I would describe the process as being “free” but it did allow me to take as much time as was necessary in order to figure out the best ways to convey my vision and sound. Producing yourself is one of the hardest things you can do as an artist, especially when you are as anal retentive as I am. Nothing was ever finished until I was completely happy with every detail. The best thing I can say about the process was that when it was completed, the sound that was in my head was on the album, and therefore I wouldn’t trade one moment of the process.

AAM: You made you some waves with The Rosenbergs, now you have to start from scratch again with Stealing Heather, Is that going to be a challenge for you?

JA: Stealing Heather is like starting over from scratch. Luckily we have a wonderful record label and a great team of PR, Radio, etc. backing us up. I can’t imagine being in a band these days without anyone behind you. Plus, we have some of the most supportive and amazing fans I have ever known.

AAM: What would you hope that someone would take away from listening to the album for the first time?

JA: That they liked the album. That is all I can really ask for. As long as the listener enjoys it, I am happy.

AAM: Last month you had your listening party at the Key Club? If we are not mistaken, the same night as game 7 of the NBA finals? How did it go?

JA: Yeah, we didn’t schedule that way, I was quite surprised with the turn out.It was an amazing experience that allowed us to connect with our fans from the stage as well as in person. I love doing smaller shows like that where we can really get personal with our audience.

AAM: What do you like better, playing in arenas in front of thousands of people or playing pubs with smaller crowds?

JA: I love playing in front of big crowds, but I still love the connection that is made playing in smaller venues. The more people we play in front of the better.

AAM: Josh, it has been truly a blast talking with you. We wish you and your new band Stealing Heather all the best! Do you have any parting comments?

JA: Thank you guys for helping spread the word. It was a pleasure for me likewise. I would to say also thanks to our fans for their support and we look forward to making new fans along the way.

The Rocker and I along with All Access Magazine would like to thank Joshua Aaron for sharing his time with us.’Your Mistake’ is now available.

FOR MORE INFO on Stealing Heather, please visit: www.stealingheather.com

Irish band Glyder began its musical journey in 2004 at the annual Phil Lynott tribute gig “Vibe for Philo” in Dublin. Three albums and two EP’s later Glyder have developed a very distinguishable and unique sound, blending their classic rock influences with a fresh and modern sound.

Over the past five years Glyder have toured the UK and Europe with some of the finest names in rock, Thin Lizzy, Wishbone Ash, Dio, WASP, Thunder, Fish (Ex Marillion), Y&T, Michael Schenker, Hawkwind, Gotthard, Blue Oyster Cult and The Answer. In 2007 they played at Gods of Metal in Italy with Motley Crue and Velvet Revolver, Sweden Rock festival in 2008 with Def Leppard and Whitesnake, Raismes festival in France 2008 with Saxon and Uli John Roth and Hard Rock Hell 2 in Wales 2008 with Thin Lizzy. Glyder played their first headline tour in Spain in 2008 and headlined to 10,000 rock fans in India in October 2008 proving that they can win over any audience in any live situation.

In August 2009 Glyder opened for Metallica in Marlay Park Dublin.

The four piece band still have three members in their mid-twenties have the musicianship and songwriting chops to match to bring their classic rock sound to audiences all over the world.

The third album now ready to be released has stunning Mark Wilkinson artwork and a guest solo on the title track by one of rocks finest guitarists Dave Menketti from Y&T. Glyder guitarist Peter Fisher and drummer, Davy Ryan shared their thought about the band’s latest release, ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’ and what they planned for the future. Here is what they shared with us…

AAM: How long were you in the studio recording the new album? How many songs did you actually write for the new record?

PETER: FISHER: This album took a little over a month to record, we recorded it in a great studio called Bluebird Studios not too far from where we’re from in Irelandas to how many songs were written for this album, there was some material left over and some ideas that were never fully developed.

AAM: How different was your approach, musically, with the new album than your previous releases?

DAVY RYAN: It wasnt much different than before, for me on drums I simplified some of the beats i was using to create a better groove on the songs rather than trying to play the samerhythm as the guitars I just played a straight forward 4/4 or whatever without adding in offbeats on the bass drum to keep it pumping.

PF: We didn’t intentionally appoarch this album differently but I think on this album we put more thought in to the song writing and we had the experience of the previous two     albums and the EP behind us.

AAM: How did you guys get Dave Meniketti of Y&T to play on the new record? Does that mean you guys might be touring with Y&T when tour the States? (That would be awesome).

PF:  We got to tour with Y&T in the U.K. before we made this album, it was a great tour and the Y&T guys are the nicest guys you could meet.

When we got home from that tour we were putting material together for the album and Bat had written the song “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” he emailed Dave and asked if he would like to do a guest solo on the song and luckily for us he did and as for touring there has been nothing discussed about us touring with Y&T again but we’d love to.

DR: Y&T were all very nice people so we got to know them a little. There has been no talk of us touring with them in the states yet but when our album comes out over there hopefully something like that will happen.

AAM: Any memorable moments, good and bad, while recording the new record?

PF: Recording can be frustrating, there are times when you are not getting the results you want, so there are always those memories, but there was nothing too bad to recall, a good moment was hearing that the album would be released on SPV/Steamhammer record label, this was great because it meant that we were doing something right.

AAM: For someone new to Glyder, how would you describe the band?

PF: We are a band hugely influenced by classic rock but we also have a modern edge to our music, between us all we listen to a huge range of styles of music so that   is part of our sound also, and we have a lot of respect for song writing and melody as part of our music.

DR: I’d say we’re melodic rock band with influences from blues, reggea, prog and metal along with others.

AAM: It’s obvious that your sound is influenced by Thin Lizzy. Would that be a fair statement?

PF: Every one of us in the band is influenced by Thin Lizzy so that is a fair statement; we never intentionally tried to copy Thin Lizzy’s sound at all it’s just a natural influence that comes across.

DR: Well were all big Thin Lizzy fans and it does rub off on our sound but I’m not sure if it is to the extent that some people say, not since the debut album anyway.

AAM: As far as playing shows here in the States, who would you love to tour with?

PF: That’s a though question because there are so many bands i would love to tour with personally, we haven’t gotten the opportunity to play in the States at all yet so any tour would be a really great.

DR: There are so many, I see iron Maiden and Dream theater are doing a north American tour this summer, i don’t know any musician that wouldn’t give anything to get on that tour!!… Also Foo Fighters, Metallica, Y&T, Queens of the Stone Age, Alice In Chains, Rush, Stone Sour, Pearl Jam…. and the list goes on and on.

AAM: How did the Iceland volcano affect you touring shows in Europe?

PF: We had to play a couple of gigs in Sweden recently and it was very “touch and go” as to whether we would get to go, and then while we were out there we weren’t sure if we would be able get home but thankfully it all worked out fine, it’s still going on so it could still affect us.

DR: Lucky enough we were not touring much at the time and the shows we did have abroad were just at the right time as airports opened up within a few hours of us having to leave.

AAM: How soon can we expect you to come play shows here in Los Angeles?   As I asid before we haven’t had the oppertunity to play in the States yet, our last two albums weren’t offically released there, this one though will be released there in the coming months and hopefully that will lead on to the chance to play some shows over there soon.

DR: Thats a good question we’re not really sure until the album is released over there and we see how well it does and after that hopefully it should’nt be too long. We’re looking forward to going to the U.S.

AAM: Any comments for your fans?

PF: Watch out, we’re comin!

DR: Thank you all very much for your support and keep spreading the Glyder word and we hope to see you all very soon!!

The Rocker and I along with All Access Magazine would like to thank Peter Fisher and Davy Ryan for sharing their time with us. Brothers it’s been a blast, hope to see you soon. Cheers! – The Atomic Chaser & The Rocker

Glyder release, “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” is available now on SPV. FOR MORE INFO ON GLYDER PLEASE VISIT:

www.glydermusic.com www.myspace.com/glyder

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Ask any Judas Priest fan what their favorite Judas Priest record is and you will probably get hit with anyone of the band’s metallic masterpieces. It would be safe to say without any doubt that the band’s sixth release, ‘British Steel’ would be at the top of the list. Released on April 14, 1980, ‘British Steel’ was recorded at Tittenhurst Park, home of former Beatles John Lennon and Ringo Starr, after a false start at Startling Studios, a recording studio located on Tittenhurst’s grounds. Sampling did not yet exist at the time of recording, so the band recorded the sounds of smashing milk bottles to be included on the track “Breaking the Law”, as well as various sounds on “Metal Gods” produced by “trays of cutlery” and “billiard cues”. ‘British Steel’ was built around the classic singles “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight,” both big hits on rock radio in the U.K.. The record also featured uptempo slices of metallic mayhem bookending the album with the metal assault of “Rapid Fire” and “Steeler”. Then you have the sinister number like “Metal Gods”, talking about gods literally made of metal and steel. Then you have the juggernaut attack of “The Rage,” which features arguably the best Rob Halford vocal on the album.  Not everything on the disc quite holds up today, ‘United’ was a hit in the U.K. the song was was used as a football-chant anthem in the unfortunate tradition of “Take on the World,” while “You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise” wallows in the angst of teenage rebellion.

Still, on the whole,’British Steel’ shouldn’t be tainted by minor inconsistencies. Rather, the record sealed The Priest’s status as heavy metal genre’s “METAL GODS”, and started the glory days of heavy metal that ran riot in the 1980s. The record went Top Five in the U.K. and became their first Top 40 album in the U.S., going platinum in the process and paving the way for countless imitators and innovators alike. ‘British Steel’ was remastered in 2001, with two bonus tracks added. Bonus track “Red, White, and Blue” was written in the earlier years of Priest’s career. In 2010 ‘British Steel’ once again gets to flex its metal muscle by releasing the remastered 2001 version of the record along with a bonus DVD. Reuniting Judas Priest wtih Tom Allom (having worked together not so long ago on the audio for the DVD ‘Rising In The East’) for the live recordings that comprised 2009’s ‘A Touch of Evil’. Allom is responsible for the stereo and 5.1 SurroundSound mixes of the live recording from the Seminole Hard Rock Arena concert that appears on the ‘British Steel’ Legacy Edition. The DVD will include bonus content as well, “The Making Of British Steel,” a 30-minute interview featuring the four original band members.

The Rocker and I drove down to Hollywood to met up with Judas Priest frontman and “Metal God”, Rob Halford. He gave us the lowdown and thoughts of ‘British Steel’. As apostles of rock, The Rocker and I would like to share that conversation with you. Here is how it went down…

As we walk into the Hotel room to conduct our interview with the screaming vocalist of Judas Priest, the Metal God is standing gazing out the window. We re-introduce ourselves and BAM! like a battering ram he flips the tables and starts to interview us. He asks, “How old were you when you first heard it (British Steel)?” And we both reply,”17 OR 18″.

He then says, “I think this would be fascinating to speak to some of the fans like yourselves. Because you see, all great records have this amazing connection with fans that have supported you throughout the years and I think it would be intriguing to find, like you guys mentioned, in high school, in the Service and how you first connected with that record and how it made you feel, 30 years later. We obviously saw what it was doing when we played the whole set live last year. People are just there, they’re jsut transformed back in time to 30 years ago. Some people are thinking about being back in school, some people were on a road trip, some people are just home. That’s the power that music has, it’s like a time machine isn’t it really? That’s just another aspect that ties into this big 30th Anniversary event.”

Now how’s that for an opening? Now after that, we proceeded with OUR interview…

All Access (AAM): Magazine: Besides British Steel coming out in April of 1980, what was Judas Priest doing at that time?

Rob Halford: Just roaring along because the grand swell was picking up. We were getting more and more popular. We didn’t feel nervous because we had a feeling that the punk thing was gonna kind of, you know, crash and burn. Which for the most part did. There were a number of great bands that came out and still maintained some kind of profile for a while.

AAM: British Steel stuck out because of that certain “sound”, it was an innovative sound on the music scene.

RH: And I think it still does today. The production that Tom Allom created, it was like nothing else. The way the drums and guitars, bass and everything… it’s like the band is in the room with you. When you listen to it, it has this incredible live texture.

AAM: We were just talking about all the “sounds” in the background, the sampling if you will or whatever you call it.

RH: Yea, those just came out from having fun with the music and you take an expression in “Metal Gods” like, “reaped by robots scythes”, well, maybe we can put a scythe sound on it. Can anyone imagine what it would sound like? You’re thinking, you go, how can we recreate that? So you go look around the studio and flight cases and pick up some guitar leads and whizzem around, yea that sounds like a scythe. You get a pool cue and swish it around in front of the microphone and those are little added embellishments. Even now I think we all look forward to once the basic track is down, where else can we go, what else can we do to kind of put the sparkle, the extra magic on to the particular song that we’re doing.

AMM:  Back to playing British Steel live and the live DVD. You must get energized, looking into a sea of people going crazy from “Rapid Fire’ to the last track and you mentioned the different generations.

RH: Yes, different generations, cuz that’s what you see when you look at footage from the performance in Florida. It’s pretty tight actually. For the most part, it’s focused on the band; obviously the event for us is Priest and our fans. That’s what makes the night for us, wherever we play. We didn’t focus that much on the fans reactions, just simply because we wanted to really keep everything looking at the stage and to keep it as intimate as we could. That’s why we chose that venue. We could’ve done it in a bigger venue, but we thought, there’s something very intimate and tight about the sound and feel of there.

AAM: What about everyone singing along?

RH: That only comes with that wonderful connection that you get from a record that’s become kind of iconic in some way. It’s out of our control really.

AAM: What was the vibe like at Ringo’s studio?

RH: It was great. The reason we went into that type of environment, is because we got a lot of work to do in a short space of time. And Tom Allom our producer insists that the whole process take 28 days. Which by today’s standard, it takes 28 days to get to the studio. The connection was the best thing that could happen, because the location’s become the back story,. There’s so many places around the U.K. we could go to, but for whatever reason, chose that location. You know the “Imagine” video where Lennon’s playing a white piano, then you see him on the little lake, we used to walk around that all the time, to stretch our legs or clear our heads from the studio.

AAM: Do you have a memorable moment from recording?

RH: Well, the famous story that we tell is about the way “Living After Midnight” came about. Glenn was chunking away at 4:00 in the am, you know, keeping me awake. I come in, “Glenn, what are you, living after midnight?” He said, “That’s a great title for a song” and that’s how it was born, but it was interesting because, I think it was the first time that we’d actually got into this experience through Tom’s suggestions and idea; why don’t we take everything out of the studio and put it all around the house? We set up the drums in the main hallway, cuz it had marble tile flooring and had an incredible sound. I ended up doing all of my vocals in like a cupboard, a little tiny room because Tom wanted this dead, dead sound. It was just me and a light bulb and headphones.

AAM: Did that change the way you recorded other albums?

RH: Probably did yea. We realized you throw the rule book out in the studio.

AAM: Were there any songs left over from the British Steel recordings?

RH: We’re pretty confident there was nothing left over, just because we didn’t have time to noodle around. Anything that we came up with, we either said right away, yea that’s good let’s make a song from this or discard that. I’m also thinking that British Steel was the first session where Glenn, KK and myself combined on writing. From then on we started working as a trio. I’m sure that’s another important ingredient of British Steel.

Indeed, Judas Priest is celebrated as progenitors of metal’s defining sound. The upgraded version of Behind The Music – Judas Priest (Re-Mastered) continues in circulation on VH1, and the band’s influence spreads far beyond the 30 million albums, singles and videos they have sold worldwide in their career. If this is not legendary we don’t know what is. The Rocker and I along with All Access Magazine would like to thank Rob for sharing his time with us. Rob it was a blast!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:

legacyrecordings.com
judaspriest.com

Michel Emms and Jake Graham talk to AAM

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! The new year is upon us and what an exciting time for up and coming rock bands. In the last two years there has been an amazing pool of rock bands to come out. Bands like The Answer from Ireland, Blackstone Cherry and Endeverafter from our own backyard. The UK has given us rock and rollers around the world a reason to stand up and shout as well. One in particular caught our attention. The band is called, Toxic Federation.

Now don’t be fooled by the band’s name, while it may sound like your typical speed death metal band, we assure you this band is a pure bred rock and roll band. Hailing from Nottingham, Toxic Federation have their sights on making their mark in 2010. Influenced by the likes of Deep Purple, Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy, make no mistake, Toxic Federation is ready to write their own chapter in the book of rock.

The band is fueld and powered by vocalist Michel Emms, guitarists Jake Graham and George Coleman, bassist Alex Stroud and JR Windsor. They won the Best Unsigned Band 2006 (Under 18s) in the Nottingham area, and have opened for both Saxon and Hot Leg. They’ve a self-released album, Behind The Mask, available now. The Rocker and I had the pleasure to chat with Mitchell Emms and Jake Graham of Toxic Federation. They gave us the lowdown about their band and what they have on tap for 2010. Here is what they shared with us.

AAM: First of all, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. So, how long have you guys been together as a band?

MITCHEL EMMS: The band has been through various shapes and forms, but in our current lineup, we’ve been together for nearly 12 months, since february 2009.

JAKE GRHAM: After several members, Toxic Federation was a 4 peace band with Alex Stroud (current bass player) as lead singer for 2 years. The current line up with front man Mitchell Emms has been since early February this year.

AAM: Talk to us about your CD, ‘Behind The Mask’. How long did you spend in the studio recording it? How many songs did you actually write for the album?

JG: We always released our songs as singles for the first few years. Once we had gathered 11 tracks we decided to start to record and produce our own album in October 2008 ,releasing our album in December 2008 (With Alex Stroud singing on the album). Because we had a new addition to the band in early 2009, we decided to go back to the album for a few months and re-record it with Mitch on it, re-releasing the album in March.

ME: 11 songs went onto the album, 2 of them bonus tracks by George and Jake. The majority of the tracks were already finished from playing them live and tweaking them in performances, so it was just a case of recording them and fine tuning the songs and lyrics.

AAM: What is the song writing process like for you? Is it a group effort or do certain members of band write the songs?

ME: It’s a group effort, but it generally starts with one of the guitarists coming up with a riff or melody, and we all start working on structure, and me and Alex will work on lyrics.

JG: I usually start the tracks with a catchy guitar riff and make a rough recording. The first person I show, is the other guitarist, George Coleman, who then helps me structure the song and adds his ideas. We will then present the song to the rest of the band in band practice and continue working on it sorting out all of the kinks. We will usually gig the song a few times before we decided to record it.

AAM: Do you remember the first show you did as a band. How was that experience? Now, you guys have opened for UFO and other big named acts, right? What was that like, playing in front of huge crowds? Were you guys nervous at all?

ME: Well it’s a big adrenaline rush, where we just get up there and giving it our all. We’ve all had previous experience playing live and its great. We all come together and enjoy going crazy up there enjoying each other’s company. For me, I turn into a completely different character onstage and just go mental. I remember the first time I sang with TF in Derby, and I just felt a great feeling from being up there with brilliant musicians and brilliant guys.

AAM: Can you talk to us about your next record? Did you approach it any differently than, ‘Behind The Mask’? Who is producing the new record?

JG: I remember writing the intro to our new song "As One" in my bedroom on a little recording device… I didn’t really think much of it and backed it up on a computer. A few months later I showed George the riff and he loved it and said we had to do something about it, so we did. Most of the producing for the later tracks is mainly done by George, me and Alex.

ME: We’re generally self-produced and this year has further widened our musical influences and ideas, including the addition of sampler pads and synths, which we’re looking forward to using even more to enhance our sound. We’ve already started recording new material with our latest tracks "As One" and "On Air", of which are more vocally based than our previous songs. I think we aim to reach out to more people with our next record.

AAM: With 2010 upon us, what goals have you set for yourselves as band?

ME: We’ve began planning tour dates across the UK for next year, of which we’ve had a taste of this year with "The Answer", and we’re also visiting Turkey again in 2010 for festival dates in Fethiye and Istanbul, Turkey. We also aim to get our next album done and improve our live show to the max. This first year has been awesome and a great learning curve, but this next year we’re moving onto the next step with bigger gigs and tour dates.

AAM: What does Toxic Federation bring to the table that seperates you guys from the other rock bands that are on the scene right now?

JG: I believe our music is very exciting. Also with bands these days, there sometimes overly produced meaning all of their tracks sound very similar. I think all of our tracks sound very different to one and other. I think you can still tell when you hear it that it is a Toxic track but all of the tracks vary. I believe this is due to us being able to produce our own music rather than someone telling us what to do, we do it our way….

AAM: Musical influences and other hobbies?

ME: I’ve always been influenced by bands who’ve had the brass kahoneys to bring something different to the scene. I’ve been doing music and playing since i was 9. When I first heard Nirvana, and few months after, I began playing live every weekend and I decided at an early age that this was what I wanted to do, so music is generally my main thing.

JG: Iron Maiden, Steel Panther, Kiko Loureiro, Breaking Benjamin, Queen… Also listen to a lot of chart music these days.Hobbies: Socializing, Web management, Music, Recording, Exercise, Sporty, Guitar’s, Gigs, Driving

AAM: If you were not in Toxic Federation right now, what would you be doing?

ME: I’d still be out performing one way or another, doing what I can to make it in the music industry.

JG: I would be doing the same thing, playing guitar.

AAM: Any parting comments you would like to add?

ME: Just to say a big thanks to Tony Sison and Bill Rowan as well as All Access Magazine! We hope to play in LA in the future!

JG: "We are coming after you"!!!!

The Rocker and I could not have said it any better. Well folks the warning has been given! Toxic Federation are a band set for greatness! The band is so good that The Answer had them open up for them just recently. Now that is saying something. The Rocker and I along with All Access would like to thank Mitchell and Jake for their time! Cheers guys! We look forward to you guys coming to L.A.!