GOLDBLADE...
An Interview with legendary frontman JOHN ROBB!
1. Hi John, how are things with you and your band Goldblade?
Things are going great, we�ve been touring hard and building up a great live following, we play hard and mean live and its gaining respect, we don't believe in being cool and looking bored - we have decided to take the opposite path from the one you're meant to and it's paying off big style, also since playing the punk festivals in Morecambe we have got a whole new audience of punk rockers which suits us fine since we always claimed that we were a punk rock band. Two weeks ago we were in Russia which was incredable, played a 15 000 crowd at a festival and the place went berserk, thousands in the mosh pit, hours of autograph hunters afterwards and three days spent walking round St. Petersburg with people running up to us asking for pictures and autographs, the Russian national press reviewed our show and loved it...its weird - we walked in there unknown and walked out famous! Our album is out there soon . We are planning a world tour this year with Brazil, America and China in the can, our album is coming out all over the place: we are establishing Gold Blade as a worldwide band but we still want to tour the UK hard. We love all the Hartlepools and Birkenheads as much as the so called glamour gigs.
2. For the un-initiated, what are Goldblade all about and why should we listen?
Gold Blade is simply a punk rock band, it's our version of punk rock. We all grew up in the punk era and it has affected us all in one way or another. The band is about adrenalised songs, high energy live sets and ruthless songs with great tunes in them, we demand audience participation, we have no time for cool, we want people to stage dive and go crazy, rock n roll is the last great primal form of entertainment left in wine bar UK, and with all entertainment becoming more and more bland and corporate we want to be able to represent the chance for some feral wild behaviour! Not everyone wants to wear designer clothes and pose around in a steel and chrome wine bar, we are the opposite of that kind of lifestyle! We want people to get energised and create!
3. You say your music is more appreciated away from the UK, in countries like Russia where you played recently to a mad crowd, and China where you are going soon. Why do you think certain types of music and certain bands can be more popular than others in different parts of the world?
Our music is well appreciated in the UK, away from the glare of the media there are several huge underground scenes, some of these scenes are a lot bigger than the mainstream these days, the Top 30 us just a reflection of how well records have been hyped that week, it means nothing in terms of cultural impact. The punk scene is enormous and worldwide, in fashion concious UK people think they are being so damn hip and ironic and they are missing the really powerful rush that music gives you, hanging around with David Beckham haircuts and trying to be all bitchy and ironic is a total loser of a lifestyle, thank fuck the underground is ignored! It means it can fester away with its own uncorrupted energy...internationally there no parameters and most countries take music at face value, if you like it you like it - if it kicks ass it kicks ass...it's a simple equation and one that is pretty damn useful to a band like ours
4. But you are still getting some understandably fantastic press over here in the UK, aren't you?
There are some people who rally to the cause and there are some that understand what we do and that's cool; at the end of the day though it's what happens on the stage between the band and its audience that really counts, that kind of inter-reaction is unbeatable, we appreciate all the good press and we also appreciate the bad press, people are entitled to say that we are a bunch of wankers aswell. Thats part of getting up on a stage in the first place
5. You are now on with your third album. Have you changed the way you approach the writing and recording of your records as a band over the years?
I guess our records have become more linear with faster songs on them. We have also become more and more hooked into the energy thing and keep writing songs to crank up the live adrenaline, we are currently writing the fourth album and there some great songs for cutting loose and going wild on there!
6. What do you think of the current pop-punk and old-skool punk scenes abounding in Britain, and where is your favourite place to play in this country?
Both scenes have thrown up some great bands, I like the whole family of punk rock, I think the Offspring are a great band and even Good Charlotte have some great pop songs. I have no time for being a snob - what's the point? The only drawback is that everyone has become obsessed with Americiana. There some great British band out there as well...the old skool punk bands that are still playing are great, a lot of them are better than in their heydey! At 'Holidays in the Sun' there is an endless supply of great old punk bands who still play like their lives depend on it...
7. Could your 'Strictly Hardcore' anthem be anymore catchy and instantly lovable? (Jesus it's good!)
I guess we are always trying to improve on it! It was even a hit single that one when it came out!
8. Do you prefer being in the studio or on tour?
On tour wins every time... travel, meeting people and getting paid to show off - what more can a gentleman want!
9. How do you think the US and Brazil will warm to your hugely poppy punk when you visit there later this year?
I think they will love it, the kind of music we make slots in perfectly in those countries and all the initial feedback we have been getting from both places has been very exciting - we cant wait to get out there and tour and show them that British bands still rock hard and crazy!
10. And, finally, will Goldblade ever settle for Silver... or are you obsessed with being the best band in the biz?
Every band wants be the best at what they do, we are not in any competition with any bands. We are fans of heaps of bands, but we always want to improve what we do, see if we can push it that little bit further! And we would never call ourselves Silver Blade!
Oh yeh!!!
Thanks very much for your time and your punk-rock...
CHECK OUT zee following...
www.goldblade.com
www.johnrobb.com