standing the sometimes less than tender care of budget airlines (laughs) - the Vintage AV6 model does this with great aplomb. For ODS and Los Dragons, I need to pull out all my metal tricks, so that’s why I chose the Metal Axxe VR2001MD Raider guitar, as it comes with the locking vibrato system which is ideal for all the harmonic divebombs and it still stays in tune.” What attracted you to the Vintage guitar range? “Mainly, it was the number of respected live and session musicians who were already working with the brand - people like John Verity, Ten Years After’s Joe Gooch who I’ve actually jammed with, and of course Geoff Whitehorn. These are serious musicians who need an instrument that will do its job properly, and they wouldn’t use anything that couldn’t do the job really well. So I knew there had to be something special about the brand, something that was verified when I tried them out for myself.” As well as Oliver/Dawson Saxon, you’re involved in T-Rex, and the Los Dragons project. “Los Dragons is a band featuring Kee Marcello from the band Europe, Don Rox (Eric Martin) and I on guitars, Mike Terrana (Malmsteen) on drums, and Jack Neille (Tygers Of Pan Tang). We do lots of gigs in Europe, sometimes under the name Twin Dragons or Guitar Legends, basically playing classic tracks, sometimes covers from our own bands and some original stuff. It’s a lot of fun because I never went through that cover band stage, I’ve really only ever played my own stuff, even in the early days. It’s a challenge to start learning other peoples songs. I think it’s made me a better player and because I haven’t done it before, it’s not boring to start ripping through classics like ‘Smoke On the Water’ or ‘Little Wing’”. As many people know, the excellent spoof rock movie, ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ took its inspiration from various rock and metal bands of those days to hilarious effect - it’s almost a bible for bands to watch these days. The rampaging metal machine that was Saxon in its heyday surely offered more material for them to use than most other bands? “It’s funny you should mention Spinal Tap. I find it uncomfortable to watch in places. Back in the day, we were shooting the ‘Power And The Glory’ video, which was directed by - get this - ‘I find Spinal Tap uncomfortable to watch in places...’ Ridley Scott (yes, that (now Sir) Ridley Scott, director of Aliens, Blade Runner, Gladiator etc. fame), and a movie studio called us up and asked if they could send an actor out on the road with us... It turned out to be a chap called Harry Shearer (who WWith the comments that he reckons his new Metal Axxe Raider is the business, stalwart axeman Graham Oliver seems delighted with his choice of guitar. One thing’s for sure, Graham’s Metal Axxe guitar will be continuously subject to the most arduous of conditions for such an instrument - air travel. Inconsiderate check-in and baggage handlers (bang, oops sorry, bang...), drastic fluctuations in surrounding temperatures, humidity and pressure...and all before he and his guitars even get to the flippin’ gig, where Graham’s guitar has to then produce the driving powerful performance that the guitarist is depending on. Graham’s confidence in his Metal Axxe Raider speaks volumes about the construction, abilities and performance of the 2009 METAL AXXE Range. Originally launched over five years ago, the Metal Axxe guitars and basses have definitely been a hit with guitarists in many countries. And for 2009, all the 54 II became ‘Derek Smalls’, bass player in the ‘Spinal Tap’ film. These days, he’s the voice of no less than 21 ‘Simpsons’ characters, including Mr Burns, Principal Skinner and Chief Wiggum!). We had no idea he was researching for a spoof ‘rockumentary’, it was never mentioned. So we of course got drunk with him, and regaled him with a few tales of life on the road with Saxon. For instance, I told him about the time we did a gig with Motorhead who had been testing out copious amounts of dry ice before the show, which had left the stage wet in places. Come showtime, I started the intro to our first song, ‘Motorcycle Man’ off-stage, then I ran onto the middle to put my foot up on the monitor. At least, that was the plan. What actually happened was, I slipped on a wet patch, and slid across the stage on my back! My guitar tech ran onto the stage and lifted me upright while I played on, and I didn’t miss a note! Of course, this was parodied in the film’s famous scene where Spinal Tap guitarist Nigel Tufnell bends over backwards too far during their ‘set’ and falls over but keeps playing till a roadie runs out and picks him up! In fact, it has been said that Harry eventually based his entire ‘Derek Smalls’ character on our Steve...” http://www.myspace.com/ httpwwwmyspacecomods www.myspace.com/losdragons http://www.t-rex.co.uk/ for 2009 guitars have received major upgrades to cosmetics and hardware - more firepower from the fitted Wilkinson pickups; new re-profiled neck shapes for faster, more responsive playing; new colour finishes and headstock shapes, plus a bolder Metal Axxe ‘XX’ headstock and 12th fret logo! Here’s what’s available in the new and exciting 2009 Metal Axxe range. After all, if you want to make a statement about the music you play, these are definitely the guitars to have! RAIDER VR2001BMS Black Metal Sparkle £329.00rrp
• Wilkinson hi-output pickups! • Wilkinson tuners! • Floyd Rose vibratos! • Re-profiled speed necks! • New colour finishes! • New ‘XX’ cosmetics! • New ‘XX’ headstock & 12th fret inlay! WRAITH VWR1001BRQ: Blood Red Quilt £339.00 VWR1001HBF: Helms Black Flame £339.00 VWR999HBF: Helms Black Flame £329.00 REAPER VR3001BKZ: Gloss Black £329.00rrp VR3001SWB: Gloss Black/Vintage White £299.00rrp RAZER VR4001CMO: Camouflage £269.00rrp VR4001BK: Gloss Black £269.00rrp WARP VW5001BK: Midnight Black £279.00rrp VWB9001BK: Midnight Black £309.00rrp 55
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