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DT
What are your names and what do you play in the band?
Ash: My
name is Ash and I do lead vocals
Corky: I'm Corky and I play rhythm guitar
Wevs: I'm Wevs, I play lead guitar and backing vocals
Bim: I'm Bim, play bass
Lofty: I'm Lofty, Drums
DT When and how did you come together?
Wevs: Bout 4 years ago I was away, in fact we all were travelling different places, Australia, Thailand places like that, and we decided to come back and get a band together. We sorta knocked the idea around a bit and jammed before we went away. But a couple of years had passed, I'd made a few tunes, made a few calls, which resulted in working with a producer, sending him some songs and it just kinda progressed. Everyone came back, we had to force Corky back from Thailand, and that was it really. Then four years of hard work and here we are.
DT Is that what you did then whilst looking for a record label, record songs and send them off?
Wevs: Yeh,
the usual sorta thing, we kinda got pissed off about it actually.
Everyone was telling us that you're too this, too that, too punk,
you're not metal, you're too metal. And so we'd taken all this
advice but at the end of it we were like fuck this, we ain't gunna
bother no record contract. We gota manager, I met a guy in a pub,
Callum Rhys, he'd never managed a band he just sorta fell into
it.
Ash: He'd been involved in the industry before, he was
in a band a long time ago
Wevs: He came to see us play some place in South London
and saw something mainly in Ash. At that time we were getting
it together, and I guess kinda roped Ash in. In retrospect I spose
he feels he ain't bothered coming down at all, it's been a rocky
road for him and all. But yeh, he's done really well for us, it
was partly Callum who said don't listen to anyone else really.
We'd been taking all this advice, like some goon came down to
one of our shows and said you're too glam that ain't happening
at the moment, then two months later the Darkness are coming out.
We weren't as full on as that but you know
Ash: From then on we just thought fuck it and stuck to
our guns. If anything came of it, which it has, then great!
DT Do you guys have a say in the setting up of the tours?
Ash: Nah the tours have been done through the record company and our manager working together really.
DT Is this the biggest tour you've done? You're playing like 50 shows
Ash: Yeh
this just beats it, we did about 40 dates on the last one and
about 50 this time around.
Wevs: And that was earlier this year, so we'll have done
about 100 shows by the end of it, as well as recording an album,
shooting a video and all the rehearsals that go along with that,
and all the other sorta P.R. stuff
Lofty: It's been a busy year
Wevs: It has been a busy year, but by no means are we top
of the heap. We're still going for it really. I mean no one knows
who we are yet, and that's our job - to let everyone know who
we are.
Lofty: We enjoy it at the end of the day cus we wanna play
as many shows as we can
Wevs: Yeh, I'm really glad, like there's so many people
I look up to as musicians, guitar players and that, I'm glad they're
actually in a band, not behind a desk nine till five. I'm glad
they're making music and I hope that in time someone will say
I'm glad you're not on a building site anymore Wevs cus I'm happier
listening to this music than you know, not knowing who this band
are. That's what I'd like from this band, I wanna make other people
as happy as I am listening to the bands that I like. Seeing the
people at festivals, you know we get those guest passes, and all
my 'cool' just goes out the window
(Laughs)
Wevs: I see someone who I like and they've affected me
I go up and tell them. I'm not too proud to do that sorta thing,
I go up to them and shake their hand. I don't care if I look an
idiot. I tell them about our band in the meantime mind you, make
sure I get a plug in
(Laughs)
Wevs: But you know, like doing an interview, we've been
with other bands that are higher up the ladder and they didn't
wanna do an interview. So we were like well why not?
Ash: Never too big to do an interview
Wevs: Not at all, I mean it would've been good for that
kid to put on his CV, we won't mention the band but they wouldn't
even give him the steam off their piss. We were like fucking hell,
he was a fan of the band
Ash: I hope we never turn into a band like that
DT Who hav you met at festivals?
Ash: Ahh
loads, Bruce Dickinson
Wevs: Yeh loads, I've got bruises on my toes from name-dropping
so much. Like this year we went to Donnington, I didn't know who
a lot of them American bands were, but met guys from Shadows Fall,
had dinner with the guys in Papa Roach, Slayer, all these big
time Yankee bands. Me and Bim attacked Scott Ian from Anthrax
at the Metal Hammer awards show, that was a really good night.
Also had a crack with Ian Watkins from lostprophets, he was sound.
All of us are really big music fans and being surrounded by a
fucking bunch of real nice blonde birds
(Laughs)
Wevs: I think they were there for them though
Ash: Our time will come
(Laughs)
DT Are these from bands that have influenced you and your sound?
Wevs: Well
I wouldn't say have influenced us. Something that always rings
in my head is them bands are there for the main reason that they're
fucking good at what they do whether we're right into them or
not. I mean I think lost prophets are fucking good, and they must
be cus look where they are
Ash: But they've not influenced us and the sound
Wevs: Right, but just going up to them and saying fucking
fair play you know, you've got to where you are cus you're fucking
good. If they weren't good they wouldn't be there. I mean anyone
can run a load of bands down, but people like that, winning them
kinda awards and selling those many records! I mean we just had
our first single, 'Kick A Hole', out last Monday (12/09/05), available
in HMV records
(Laughs)
Wevs: Had to add that in you seeand we know how hard it
is to see records. It's our first single
Ash: It's hard to get air play though that's the hardest
thing
DT It's been on Scuzz TV and places though right?
Wevs: Yeh
it's been on XFM, oh and Collin Murray from radio one
Ash: We got on really well with him on the last tour, we
did some dates with him dj-ing and they went down real well, just
got on really good with him. But as he's daytime he doesn't really
get much say in what he plays so can't help us massively, but
he's sound
Wevs: Yeh and he comes to watch us play when he can
Ash: Bruce Dickinson played us, he does a show on 6 music
Bim: Total Rock, Planet Rock, we've had a lot of daytime
play on the smaller stations
Wevs: But it's really hard to get played on the like main
national stations
Ash: But it's only our first single, they'll be on board
for the second one hopefully
DT Do you get told by the record label how sales are going?
Ash: Sorta, it's a bit vague though ain't it. I think they're going alright but we'll have to wait till Sunday and see.
DT Is it weird seeing yourselves on TV and listening to yourselves on the radio after the single came out?
Ash: Yeh
it is, we heard ourselves on the radio for the first time last
week, like we've been getting played but haven't come across it
personally. We were on the way back from rehearsals, I was in
the car with Corky, Lofty was driving alongside us on the motorway
and was gesturing wildly
Lofty: I couldn't think of the words
Ash: We thought something was falling off the car
(Laughs)
Ash: And then my phone went "XFM! XFM! We're on it!"
and then I put it on and like we were blasting it out the radio
it was fucking wicked. Nearly crashed the motor though didn't
we! Yeah, was a good feeling
DT Is the album fully recorded now then?
Ash: Yeh we've got that in the can, should be out next February
DT On the same record label?
Ash: Yeah Eminence
DT How many songs will there be?
Ash: There's
12 that are on the album
Wevs: We recorded another one as well
Ash: That'll be a B-Side. But yeh, it's sounding good,
can't wait for people to hear the album. Like a single introduces
us I suppose, but yeh it's all about how the album sounds really.
Wevs: The reason that single, 'Kick A Hole' was out first
was basically because we went in and laid two tracks down first,
and that was the first of the two finished so we punted it out
DT Will there be another single before the album?
Ash: Yeh
I think so, hopefully in November
Wevs: Pencilled in
Ash: Yeh we don't know for sure what track it's gunna be
yet, but I spose it don't make a massive difference.
DT Where do you see yourselves in a couple of years time?
Wevs: Umm
hopefully you interviewing us, in a suit, for umm
Ash: Rolling Stone magazine
(Laughs)
Ash: Nah just like, we want for the album to be successful
really. Just to be carrying on, you can never tell where you're
gunna be, but in an ideal world we'd have a second album coming
out, bringing in millions, but this is just anyone's dream really
DT That's about it thanks guys, is there anything else you would like to add?
Wevs: Yeh
the singles out, we got a website www.imperialvipers.com, and
bring down the price of diesel
(Laughs)
Wevs: We're travelling around the country in a van at the
minute!
DT Ok thanks guys have a great show