| 1. What are you currently up
to? |
I have recorded
Currently we are rehearsing for up and coming tours and Ian and
myself are busy writing new material for the next album. This new
material that we are writing at the moment will go with a collection
of 20 other songs that we wrote along with the songs for Abyss. And
of course at the moment, we are very busy with interviews, etc.
|
| 2. What has been the highlight(s) and low point(s) of your career to
date?
|
The highlights of my career are many, but the ones that spring to
mind are of course touring the states, and playing the Texas Jam with
Deep Purple, Scorpions, Ted Nugent, Bon Jovi to 83,000 people. Also
touring Japan was another major highlight of my career. The low
points - there are so many low points I get depressed to think of
them. The ones that really hurt me the most is what led up to me
finally quitting the business. I hated every minute of working with
the people I worked with and for. I think that says it all.
|
| 3. `Abyss' - could you take us through some personal highlights
please and the ideas behind the music...
|
Abyss nearly became a war of attrition. The album was recorded
twice before finally settling up the idea to record it at Warehouse
Studios in Oxford. With everybody again, trying to take their chunk
along the way. The album is full of ups and downs and is in a way an
exorcism, but I really don't want to go into that.
|
| 4. Your are now signed to Frontiers - how did you hook-up with them?
Any chance of live dates to back up the album?
|
My wife knows a guy from the States called Scot Heinz. Basically,
he gave us the idea to send them the album, which we did. And as
they say, the rest is history. As for live dates, that is all to be
announced, but I promise you, we will be out there.
|
| 5. Why such a long gap since the last Lionsheart album?
|
Basically, as I mentioned before I hated working with the people
I was working with and for, and I quit the industry because of it. I
listened to nothing but talk radio for a few years, until Ian, after
nagging me for six months finally made me give in and record a song.
Thinking I was gonna hate the whole thing, I ended up really loving
it; especially working with Ian.
|
| 6.
What are your fondest memories of your days in Grim Reaper? Is
there any unreleased material around from the band?
|
The fondest memories I've got of Grim Reaper are travelling along
the M5 and any fucking motorway in England at 4:00 in the morning
stopping at a service station and spending the money we just earned
on a cup of tea and a greasy fry-up, getting back home at 6:30 in the
morning having a shit, shave, and shampoo and then straight out to
work - before it all got too serious. Yes, there is unreleased
material and videos, which I will gladly talk to the highest bidder
about.
|
| 7. How do you view the current rock music scene? Is it better/worse
than five years ago?
|
If anything, it's slightly better than 5 years ago. But as
always, it seems to be the musician that pays the price to start
with. It doesn't seem to be the money around that there used to be.
This has made it initially difficult to produce and get the album
released. But with Frontiers, this ball has been easier to set
rolling.
|
| 8. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? |
In the years that I spent not being in the music industry, I
studied the martial art Aikido along with Ian Nash. I am now a first
Dan blackbelt, and Ian is a second Dan blackbelt. That has taken up
a fair amount of my time. My main passion is, however, the building
and flying of radio controlled model airplanes. On any given Sunday,
you will find me flying at the local field right next door to my
favourite pub.
|
| 9. Message for your
fans... |
To my fans: I'm sorry there has been a long wait, but I really,
really needed the break. I thing you will find that this is evident
in the new album. Thank you for your support. This is only the
start of things to come. God bless you all
|
