| 1. What are you currently up
to? |
I'm recording a new CD with the trio. Also, we're launching The
Hellfire Club. This is a travelling club which will play in venues
that are not necessarily associated with music. We will establish
about 20 venues in the South of England to begin with, where we can
play, say, once every two months. It will be for those who are at
present disenfranchised. Those who don't want to go to a rock venue,
with all its dirt and noise, or to a pub with the possibility of
harassment by drunkos. It will be relaxing and stimulating, and you
will be able to eat a little, and then listen to stories, songs, and
a variety of entertainment. So, if you see The Hellfire Club
advertised, come and join us.
|
| 2. How did the Astoria event go? Did it turn out as you had wanted?
How did you get such an impressive line-up for the evening? |
It was entirely successful. It was a group of people who are friends.
So it was all done out of love. The road crew, sound crew, the
caterers, the stage managers, and the musicians all left with a smile
on their face - and that's how it should be.
My thanks go out to all of them, and to MC Howard Marks and DJ Bruce Dickinson. The gig was
originally thought up between me, a young guy called Paul Vitty and
Will Twork, who is a lighting designer. Then, Billy Jones and Phil
Rose drove the event along. Sanctuary records gave us assistance with
the equipment. And we had a fantastic publicist in Dave Clarke from
Planet Earth Publicity.
|
| 3. What was it like playing with Kingdom Come again?
|
A lot of fun!
|
| 4. Have you seen an upswing in interest in your music in general over
the past couple of years?
|
Well with the release of the Vampire Suite (Track Records), and then
the reissue of my old stuff on Sanctuary, there's been a lot of media
attention, including the national dailies. Myself, I've continued
gigging, as I love performing. It's been noticeable that a lot of
young people are turning up at my gigs. One group of them said they'd
read of how I inspired many performers into their current direction,
and felt they had to come and check me out. I think that goes for
quite a few of them.
|
| 5. Your last album, `Vampire Suite' continued your fascination with
vampires. How did you get interested in this subject and were you pleased with the reaction to the album?
|
I was born in Whitby, where Dracula was conceived. Maybe that has
something to do with my interest in vampires. Also, I enjoy Anne
Rice's novels. I wanted to do something to show that even the darkest
and destructive of creatures has the possibility of enlightenment. So
a vampire seemed to fit the bill! Reaction to the album has been
good, so yeah I was pleased.
|
| 6. How did you first come-up with the flaming headpiece for `Fire'?
Do you ever tire of performing this song?
|
You can find this elsewhere - for instance in my soon to be published biography, by Polly Marshall (SAF Publishing)!!!
|
| 7. What made you first want to perform music and how has your music
developed down the years?
|
I don't know what first made me do it. I was in some theatre pieces in
Junior school and enjoyed them. My music grows as I do, so it's still
changing. I suppose my tastes have got wider, and my expression
simpler. I think I have become less obscure.
|
| 8. What have been the highlights and lowlights for you?
|
Again, you'll have to read the forthcoming biography to find out!
|
| 9. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
|
What spare time?
|
| 10. Message to your fans?
|
Hi! Let's get together when we can!
|
