In early 1971, radio DJ John Peel was aboard a ferry crossing the Irish Sea when he was accosted by a tall, striking, dandily attired fellow with an Afro, who urged him to listen out for his band Thin Lizzy. Radio 1’s captain of the late-night airwaves admired the young musician’s boldness, and by the autumn a BBC radio session was in the bag. Several of those songs, from both Peel’s Top Gear and Stuart Henry’s 70s show, augment this repackaged edition of Thin Lizzy’s self-titled debut album.
It was a welcome stroke of luck in an otherwise tough landing for the trio who were top draw in their native land but restarted their career at the bottom in London, where they recorded their first LP for Decca, steered by fellow Dubliner Ted Carroll, ex-manager of compatriots Skid Row and founder of Rock On record stall in London’s Portobello.
Comprising original songs written by Lynott plus one from guitarist Eric Bell (the Hendrixian Ray-Gun), Thin Lizzy garnered scant sales or attention at the time, apart from airplay by a few cool DJs. The album does, however, provide an early peek at the many jewels at the band’s disposal – Lynott’s distinctive voice and poetic, cinematic imagination, and the respective talents of Bell and drummer Brian Downey who melded together in a goldmine of potential.
While there were other Celtic rockers, such as the aforementioned Skid Row and Horslips, Lynott and co. had the swag. The spoken-word intro of The Friendly Ranger At Clontarf Castle switches effortlessly into the joy of strolling with his girl under starry skies, swept along by Bell’s glowing playing, and flows into Honesty Is No Excuse, one of Lynott’s finest songs.
Diddy Levine and Clifton Grange Hotel (owned by Lynott’s mum) both weave a musical tale from chequered familial history. It’s a pity that the powerfully atmospheric Eire is only two minutes long, when it cries out to be an epic. (Metallica thought so too.)
This three-CD/four-LP set includes new stereo mixes by Richard Whittaker and rarities, including the debut single The Farmer, the New Day EP, and the previously unreleased Beggar’s Song, along with BBC sessions and instrumental outtakes. The generously illustrated book of early-days memorabilia will delight the dedicated. From Crumlin to Sydney Opera House is some giant, long-legged leap, and much changed along the way, but here’s how Thin Lizzy’s fantastic voyage began.
Krautrock greats Faust have been around for over half a century in various permutations. Today, the group’s four surviving original members announced a fun initiative: They’re each releasing their own solo album. You know, like KISS! Bureau B will release all four LPs simultaneously in September.
As Bloodstock gets closer, we delve deep into the line up to find out more about some of the bands playing the New Blood and EMP stages at this years event.
Today we chat with Temples on Mars
Please introduce yourselves.
We are Temples on Mars from London, featuring James Donaldson (vocals/guitar), Gerald Gill (guitar), Daz Carikas (bass/synth), and Dean Gibb (drums).
How would you describe your sound?
A dynamic blend of crushing heaviness, warm electronics, and hook-laden songwriting — a style we describe in five words: “accessible, heavy, atmospheric, warm, hooks.”
How did you land your spot on the Bloodstock bill?
We have applied to Bloodstock for many years and this year I guess we just got lucky. The magnitude of the opportunity is not lost on us and we are very grateful.
What does playing at Bloodstock mean to you?
It is a huge honour for us to be a part of the Bloodstock Open Air 25th Anniversary edition! Bloodstock has been on the Temples on Mars bucket list for quite a while now and we are very excited to be making our first appearance. As musicians and fans of heavy music this means a lot to us. We look forward to seeing everyone there and having a blast!
For people who’ve never seen you live, what can they expect at Bloodstock?
Our heaviest set possible! Loud, honest, energetic, and layered.
What day are you performing?
Friday 7th of August.
What other bands are you looking forward to watching at Bloodstock this year?
There are so many amazing bands it’s very difficult to choose but if I had to select a few that I would personally like to watch I would say Party Cannon, Northlane, Bleed from Within (I did some BV’s on their last record and I really want to hear the songs live!), Sepultura, Lamb of God, Judas Priest, Leprous, Carpenter Brut…this list goes on!
Playing the New Blood Stage is just the first steppingstone in a bands journey. What’s next in your plans for world domination?
The plan is to just keep building on what we have done so far. Keep looking for opportunities to grow. Play a few more shows, release some new music, keep building our team and fanbase and see if the music Gods smile upon us.
Are you camping with the fans? Which campsite are you heading for?
We are camping in the artist area.
You’ve gotta keep hydrated at Bloodstock, what is your drink of choice for the weekend?
I am a vocalist so I am going to be boring and say room temperature water! I might go crazy with a sparkling mineral water at some stage.
South Korean musical artist Kim Jimin records indie pop under the name Meaningful Stone. Earlier this year, she traveled to Los Angeles to collaborate with Melina Duterte, the beloved artist and producer better known as Jay Som. The result is “1+1=0,” a new single that shimmers and jangles with the best of them.
As Bloodstock gets closer, we delve deep into the line up to find out more about some of the bands playing the New Blood and EMP stages at this years event.
Today we chat with Vampyra
Please introduce yourselves.
Danny: Hi I’m Danny aka Count Venom, I get my name from venomous licks and fang-tastic solos I have been in the band for just over a year. Benji: Hi I’m Benji aka Boingo the clown and I am the bassist for Vampyra. Dill: I’m Dill. I play drums under the persona of Ingrid Orlok. She is half vampire on her mother’s side and half zombie on her father’s. Gemma: My name is Gemma and I perform as the vocalist under the persona Madame Hex. Madame Hex used to work in the underworld and was sent to the world of the living to investigate all the strange disappearances related to the band.
How would you describe your sound?
Danny: Taking punk and blending it with metal with spooky themes, I would say we don’t fit any specific genre but bleed through different styles however we’re described as horror punk. Benji: I would say it’s quite hard to pinpoint what style of metal we really are as we kind of mix and experiment with different types like one song would be slow and heavy pounding and then the next song will be fully fast-paced and chaotic. Dill: I write most of the music and tend to incorporate elements from all the genres I love. While I try to focus on riffs, breakdowns and shredding solos, I can’t help but inject the occasional hint of ska, jazz or disco rhythms, chords and melodies to compensate for my inability to perform blast beats. Gemma: We’re a band that likes to keep things super campy and fun! With heavy breakdowns, face melting solos and gritty vocals. Whilst also incorporating different elements from other genres, you’ll find some songs may be angry, spooky, or just down right ridiculous. We’re out here to try and put some fun into the world.
How did you land your spot on the Bloodstock bill?
Danny: We were given the opportunity to take part in M2TM due to a spot becoming available and threw caution to the wind and convinced Benji and Gemma it would be a great platform to reveal the new line up, we never expected to pass the first round and when we did it hit us all that we had something special as a unit, this made us take this new line up seriously and we worked extremely hard together playing gigs and recognising our weaknesses and working them out. After qualifying for the final we knew we had to up our game and also work on our stage presence as the final was going to be our toughest test up against so many talented bands and to win through was the best feeling of my life.
How tough was the competition this year?
Danny: This was my first time competing in M2TM and had no expectations of getting through let alone winning, especially with the quality and experience of all the other bands competing. I guess not having any expectations enabled the whole band to relax and just enjoy the experience up until the final and seeing the competing line up was humbling being among the top bands in Kent. We were drawn in position number one and went out on stage and did our thing, if drawn further down maybe we would have put too much pressure on ourselves. Benji: It was very tough I mean literally the very first heat of metal to the masses was actually our debut gig and that was three months ago so the fact that we persevered and actually went through to win it really it was quite shocking for us! Dill: Yikes! Our heat was actually Benji and Gemma’s first gig, so we didn’t feel like we’d had a chance to settle. Our local scene is full of super tight bands with stable line-ups and established followings, so we didn’t think we stood a chance. Vampyra has always had trouble establishing itself due to constant line-up changes with myself being the only constant member. Some people were even convinced we had broken up, so it’s especially satisfying for me to suddenly have the band get this far after struggling so much for five years. Gemma: The competition this year was absolutely mind blowing! There were quite a few times throughout the competition where I didn’t think we’d go through. It really does show that Kent has an ever growing scene of diversity and phenomenal talent. Even if we hadn’t had got through I would have been equally proud to make it to the finals and play with such an incredible line of musicians.
What does playing at Bloodstock mean to you?
Danny: Since starting to learn guitar 12 years ago and performing in college bands gave me a taste of what I wanted to achieve and so set about finding the right committed people with the same ambition to play at bloodstock in front of the biggest audience and I found friendship, commitment, passion and the same hunger with everyone associated with Vamprya. Benji: It’s very exciting for us I’m not entirely sure about the others but I personally have never been there before so to go to a festival as huge as this for the first time and play there is honestly amazing. Dill: I can’t afford to go to festivals, so getting the opportunity to play one is always a privilege. Last year I got to play Rebellion Punk Festival in Blackpool and I tried to enjoy as much of it as possible on the one day I was there. I didn’t think I would be lucky enough to play another one of my dream festivals so soon, but here we are. It’s something I dreamed of for years. I feel truly blessed. Gemma: If you had told me this time last year that I would be playing one of the biggest metal festivals in the UK I definitely wouldn’t believe you! It’s such an incredible achievement and to do it in a place where I will feel welcomed and around a community I feel at home means the absolute world.
For people who’ve never seen you live, what can they expect at Bloodstock?
Danny: Something different, tempo changes blood curdling riffs and flesh eating solos with a mixture of entertainment and audience participation. Benji: For those who have never seen us they can expect hard heavy hitting riffs gut busting bass and drums and an all round crazy theatrical experience that we feel makes us truly unique and cannot get with any other band. Dill: Something fun. Nostalgia, maybe? If people enjoy the old horror clichés, then they should enjoy our unapologetically campy stage show. Gemma: They can expect a lot of spookiness, silliness, monster moshing and maybe even a clown horn!
What day are you performing?
Saturday
What other bands are you looking forward to watching at Bloodstock this year?
Danny: Municipal Waste is top of my list. Benji: I personally am most looking forward to seeing Judas Priest as I originally had a ticket to see them supporting Ozzy Osborne a good few years ago but unfortunately that gig never happened due to Ozzy becoming too ill so to finally see them now will be an absolute treat. Dill: Where do I start? Evil Scarecrow and Wednesday 13 have been a huge influence on Vampyra. This year is also full of bucket list bands for me such as Saxon, Lamb of God, Sepultura, Judas Priest and Mushroomhead. Noisepicker were guests at our M2TM final and they blew me away, so I definitely want to see them again. I used to be in a band with the bassist of Concrete Age so I want to go support them too. Tempest Saint played my best friend’s birthday party last year and they were excellent. There’s a bunch more I want to check out. Gemma: Bands I’m looking forward to the most are Lamb of God, Judas Priest, Body Count, Party Cannon, Castle Rat, Heavysaurus, Battlesnake, Excremenatory Grindfuckers and Black Label Society. I’m also looking forward to the other M2TM winners on the New Blood stage.
Playing the New Blood Stage is just the first steppingstone in a bands journey. What’s next in your plans for world domination?
Danny: Playing as many festivals that will have us growing our fan base and playing venues across the country but most importantly putting on a show for all the people who come to see us , after all we want them leaving with the same buzz I have when I leave a concert. Benji: We would love for opportunities to play other big time festivals like this one maybe Download next year? Who knows? Only time will tell! Dill: We play more shows, festivals, record more music, make more videos, sell merch, reach as many more people as possible and tour. Hopefully supporting some of our favourite bands. Gemma: I think recording and releasing an EP will be the next big step for us. I also want to book more shows and get out of the south. A personal goal I have is to support a band like Raised by owls. But we shall see about that one.
Are you camping with the fans? Which campsite are you heading for?
Danny: I think we’re in the artists camp site, I’ve never camped before so I’m imagining a lot of outtake videos, ha ha. Benji: From what I’ve been told we’re heading for the artist camp. I don’t know, I’m just the bass player so I’m just following along. Dill: We will be using the artist campsite. I haven’t been camping since I was a child, so that’s actually the most intimidating part of the whole experience for me. Gemma: We will be in the artist camp mingling and networking with the other bands. But we have a lot of friends and fans that are regulars at Bloodstock so we will definitely be mingling with the other camps.
You’ve gotta keep hydrated at Bloodstock, what is your drink of choice for the weekend?
Danny: Mainly water but afterwards a cool beer or two. Benji: Depending on how drunk I really wanna get if I want to keep it nice cool and casual just some good beers will do but if I want to get absolutely smashed And potentially question my life choices on how I ended up here give me all the desperados and all shots you have. Dill: Lots of water to stay hydrated but lots of cola to keep my taste buds happy Gemma: 5 MILLION BEERS! No, no I kid. Although it would be a crime for me to not drink all weekend at a festival. So there will definitely be beers, cider, a few monsters and water. Hydrate or die-drate.
See you at Bloodstock in a few weeks!
Danny: Can’t wait. Benji: See you there! Dill: Hell yeah! Gemma: See you in the monster pit!
Earlier this week, Ben Folds Five announced they were releasing the shelved first attempt at their debut album for its 30th anniversary. Now, Ben Folds has been revealed as the producer and music director for an upcoming Off-Broadway one-woman musical called We’ve Been Here Before, and he’ll be performing in it as well.
Black Sabbath’s Bill Ward has revealed a personal health update that’s left fans talking, but the legendary drummer wants to make one thing perfectly clear about what comes next.
