NE Guitars - October Issue

VAIN GLORIOUS UK
The Historical Hartlepool Music Scene
+
FLATTLEY PEDAL REVIEW
Reviewing The DG Fuzz Pedal From Flattley
NEGUITARS
Paul Di’Anno
Former Iron Maiden
Frontman in focus with
NE Guitars Magazine
Also in this Issue:
Tygers of Pan Tang
Mickey Jupp
Odin’s Revenge
Michelle Taylor
& Much More...
October 2024 Issue No:5
£4.99
In Association With
& Sponsored By
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Once in
a while...
Unit 6 , Front Street , Industrial Estate
Shotton Colliery. DH6 2ND
07546 656143
E. sales@eastdurhamguitars.com
W. www.eastdurhamguitars.com
...Perfection
Happens
Hand crafted in the North East of England

NE GUITARS
Editorial
Paul George - Editor
Jane Shields - Assistant Editor &
Social Media Manager
Guest authors - Michelle Taylor
Conquest Music - Alan Bambrough
Review Specialist - Danny Mayes
East Durham Guitars
Martin Dixon - Director / Luthier
Dave Olsen - Director /
Luthier
Mark Taylor - Marketing Manager
Ricky Hutchinson - Luthier /
Technician
Unit 6 , Front Street
Industrial Estate
Shotton Colliery
DH6 2ND
07546 656143
E. sales@eastdurhamguitars.com
W. www.eastdurhamguitars.com
NE Guitars and East Durham
Guitars would like to thank
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belong to NE Guitars or entitled
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without prior written consent from
NE Guitars is not allowed.
WELCOME...
Hi Readers, wow, have we got a packed
issue for you this month. And it’s all
packaged up into a nice Rock theme with some
amazing artists featured.
Before I get into the nitty-gritty I have an
announcement to make. The NE Guitars team
have had a meeting during September and we all
felt that running a monthly issue, although high
quality, would benefit from being a Bi-monthly magazine, We want to get the very
best in guitar related articles for our readers so we have decided to take just a little
more time to produce the very best quality rather than going for quantity. Mind
you, we won’t be starting the Bi-monthly thing until after the Christmas edition so
no need to get too upset just yet.
So, that aside, let’s dive in. To start with, we have a great cover story with Iron
Maiden’s old frontman Paul Di’Anno. What’s even betterm is our newest member
of the team, Danny Mayes is taking the lead on this one and I have to say, he did an
outstanding job. He also has a great review on another of Paul Flattley’s pedals and
again, he does us proud.
If that wasn’t enough for you, get this!! We have Tygers of Pan Tang in this issue
alondgside Hartlepool’s own Rock God’s, Odin’s Revenge. This issue is getting so
heavy, we may have problems just opening the pages. Michelle Taylor is back with
us with her very popular column, yet another fantastic read from our star girl. We
have a few good reviews with NUX and Black Mountain picks and slides plus the
regular news and gig pages.
We are also very proud to welcome Conquest Music as one of our sponsors and,
as you will see in this issue, a major contributor to our articles as Alan Bambrough
from Conquest writes about two great artists, Willie Dowling and Mickey Jupp.
Talking of Conquest, you may notice that our good friends, Hillbilly Vegas are back
in November. We have advertised the gig this month but watch out for further
details and spreads on our boys from Oklahoma.
Finally, I would like to spend a moment talking about our competitions. We feel
that getting our readers to subscibe to enter was a little unfair so we have stopped
that bit now. We still have the Bernie Marsden albums to give away from Issue 4
and we have another recording package from White Wolf on offer this month. So
get in to them, it doesn’t cost anything and we promise NO SPAM! What have you
got to lose.
So there you have it, it’s time to stop reading my waffle and get into the next 60 odd
pages of pure Guitar Heaven from your favourite magazine.
Paul & The Team.
Issue No:5 October 2024
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 03

Contents
October 2024 Issue No:5
P10
NUX AUDIO:
Pedals and Plugs
More great gear from NUX incuding
their Wireless Guitar System, the C-5RC
. Read more inside.
P30
TYGERS OF PAN TANG:
Rock Giants in Focus
Stars of the NWOBHM up close and
personal in an exclusive interview with
NE Guitars.
P38
ODIN’s REVENGE:
Hartlepool Top Rock Band
One of the best Rock Bands currently in
the North East in conversation and in
Focus.
04 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

In Focus
On The Cover Paul Di’Anno
Guest starring former Iron Maiden frontman
interviewed by our own Danny Mayes.
30 Tygers of Pan Tang
Stars of the NWOBHM up close and personal in
an exclusive interview with NE Guitars.
38 Odin’s Revenge
One of the best Rock Bands currently in
the North East in conversation and in
Focus.
48 Willie Dowling
The first of two articles by Conquest Music
featuring the 21st Century Renaissance Man
52 Mickey Jupp
Our second helping from Conquest. This time
with the Greatest Songwriter you never heard.
Reviews
10 NUX Audio
More great gear from our top Pedal and supplies
friends
12 Black Mountain
Picks & Slides from the innovative company
42 Paul Flattley Pedals
Introducing the DG Fuzz Pedal reviewed by our
own Danny Mayes
Features
06 NE Guitars News
All the latest international, national and local
guitar news.
14 Michelle Taylor
Our star girl talks about her kit, her guitars in aher
regular column.
46 VainGloriousUK
A great interview about the history of NE Music
64 North East Gigs Board
The best of gigs around the North East
On The Cover
Former
Iron Maiden
Frontman
Paul Di’Anno
Cover Design
Ruby Blum
ADVERTISE WITH US
With our uniquely huge coverage around the
North East, it is very easy to see why advertising
your business in our pages is so worthwhile. It
also doesn’t have to cost the earth. Check out
our low rates at our website here:
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk/advertise
Or why not give us a call or email us and talk to
us about our deals and your specific needs.
Tel: 07546 656143 Email: editor@neguitarsmagazine.co.uk
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 05

NE GUITARS NEWS
STOP PRESS The Latest Guitar News From Around The World STOP PRESS
Brian May Suffer’s
‘Minor’ Stroke
Queen guitarist Brian May, 77, has spoken
out about his doubt to be able to play a
guitar again following a minor stoke in
August.
In a recent Instagram video uploaded
by Mr May, he said: “I’m here to bring
you first of all some good news, I think,
good news is that I can play guitar after
the events of the last few days. And I say
this because it was in some doubt because
that little health hiccup that I mentioned,
happened about a week ago, and what they
called it was a minor stroke and all of a
sudden, out of the blue, I didn’t have any
control over this arm.”
This is not the first time he has been
hospitalised for health issues, in May 2020,
he suffered heart issues and was fitted with
3 stents in his coronary arteries due to an
arterial condition.
He said that he had kept the news quiet as
he didn’t want a fuss to be made and didn’t
want any sympathy. “I didn’t wanna say
anything at the time because I didn’t want
anything surrounding it, I really don’t want
sympathy. Please don’t do that, because it’ll
clutter up my inbox, and I hate that. The
good news is I’m OK.”
May praised the “fantastic care” he
received from Frimley Park Hospital in
Surrey. “It was a little scary, I have to say. I
had the most fantastic care and attention
from the hospital where I went, blue lights
flashing, the lot, it was very exciting,”
Jon Bon Jovi praised for persuading woman
to come off bridge ledge in Nashville
Story by Charlotte McLaughlid
Jon Bon Jovi persuaded a woman to
come down off the ledge of a bridge in
Nashville, Tennessee, police have said.
The American singer-songwriter,
62, and his team were on the John
Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, by the
Cumberland River, when they spotted
the woman who officers said was in a
“distressed” state.
The Metro Nashville Police Department
(MNDP) wrote on X that the incident
happened on Tuesday night, while
sharing an YouTube video that has since
been taken down for “violating” the
website’s guidelines.
The original clip showed Bon Jovi, along
with a member of his team, walking
towards the woman in blue slowly and
then engaging her in conversation.
They then help the women to get over
the railings, and continue talking to her.
Bon Jovi then hugs her, and walks with
the woman towards his team.
In a statement, MNDP chief said John
Drake said: “It takes all of us to help
keep each other safe.”
David Gilmour gets first UK number one
album in nine years with Luck And Strange
Story by Casey Cooper-Fiske
David Gilmour has scored his first UK
number one album in nine years with
Luck And Strange.
The record is the former Pink Floyd
guitarist’s third number one album after
2015’s Rattle That Lock and 2006’s On
An Island.
Luck and Strange also tops this week’s
vinyl albums chart for most physical
records sold.
Speaking about the number one album,
Gilmour said: “I’d like to thank everyone
who’s bought my new album, Luck And
Strange, and helped to make it number
one in the official albums chart.”
As a member of Pink Floyd, Gilmour
boasts a further six number one albums
in Atom Heart Mother (1970), Wish You
Were Here (1975), The Final Cut (1983),
The Division Bell (1994), Pulse (1995)
and The Endless River (2014).
Gilmour’s album was trailed by Sabrina
Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet, which
enjoyed its third consecutive week in
the top five at number two, the Official
Charts Company has confirmed.
06 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

‘The Seeker’ Album by Rachel Fuller
& Pete Townshend Released
The Seeker by Rachel Fuller
and Pete Townshend.
A musical and graphic
reimagining of the iconic
novel SIDDHARTHA,
written by Hermann
Hesse. The duo’s magical
reinvention features a
double album including
narration by the late
Christopher Plummer and
performances from Pete
Townshend, Elton John,
Emeli Sandé, Nakhane,
Layton Williams, Sunidhi
Chauhan an and others.
Recorded with The Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra
and choir, the album
is accompanied by a
beautifully illustrated 128
page book containing
the complete lyrics and
narrative from the album.
Pre-order now to gain presale
access to a very special
live debut performance of
Siddhartha Album at the
Theatre Royal Drury Lane
in London on Wednesday
November 6th. Preorder
here: http://www.
theseekermusic.com/
No Purchase Necessary.
Terms and Conditions apply.
Hillbilly Vegas Back In Newcastle
NEWS
Francis Rossi
back in the North
East in 2025
Status Quo’s , Francis Rossi is set to
return to the North East on 11 May
2025 in his new show, ‘An Evening
of Francis Rossi’s Songs from the
Status Quo Songbook and More...’
The 75 year old rock star will be
at the Playhouse, Whitley Bay less
than a year after closing the Rock
supergroup, Status Quo.
In a conversation, earlier this year
with NE Guitar Magazine Francis
Rossi said “One of the joys of the
solo shows is it’s a bit more relaxed.
I sit and talk with the audience,
most of the night, I just sit there
chinwagging. But there’s
something, as I said, relaxed in it.
We take some of the keys down,
the arrangements of some are
slightly different, some are as they
were in the records and it’s just a
joy.
Fans are being advised to book
tickets early as the show is predicted
to be a sell out very soon. Tickets
are available from https://www.
aegpresents.co.uk/event/francisrossi.
US Southern Rock band
Hillbilly Vegas are making
their second visit to the
North East in November
when they return to
Trillians in Newcastle.
They played at the top
Newcastle venue back in
July this year to a packed
house rocking some of their
best hits like ‘Shake it like a
Hillbilly’, ‘Long Way Back’,
and ‘Right Time for a Good
Time’.
Hillbilly Vegas recently
released their latest album
‘The Great Southern Hustle’
under the Conquest Music
label who will be promoting
the gig on 27th November.
NE Guitars will also be
alongside to support and
promote the boys on the
night with a special edition
of the magazine.
See page 26 of this issue
for further details and
links to secure your
tickets. Book early to avoid
disappointment.
The tour will last from April to
June and shows will feature songs
that he has not ever played before
in this format and offer first hand
backstage tales about appearing
over 100 times on Top Of The Pops,
why they went on first at Live Aid,
life with Rick Parfitt, the hits, fellow
stars, and misadventures across the
world, all cut through with Francis’
wit and humour.
NE Guitars will be bringing more
details about the tour closer to the
dates and will be featuring the gig at
Whitley Bay. Keep looking on NE
Guitars social media for more details.
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 07

Tributes pour in as legendary country music star and actor
Kris Kristofferson dies ages aged 88 Story by Jess Battison
Tributes are pouring in following the
death of legendary country music star
and actor Kris Kristofferson.
His family spokesperson Ebie McFarland
said he died peacefully and surrounded
by his family at his home in Maui,
Hawaii, on Saturday (28 September) at
the age of 88. No cause of death for the
Hollywood A-lister was given.
“We’re all so blessed for our time with
him,” a family statement added. “Thank
you for loving him all these many years,
and when you see a rainbow, know he’s
smiling down at us all.”
Kristofferson starred in films like the
Blade trilogy, Planet of the Apes and
Lone Star. But the US icon was also
widely known for his legendary work
in country music, writing songs such as
‘Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down’, ‘Help Me
Make it Through the Night’ and ‘Me and
Bobby McGee’.
Stars from across the entertainment
industry have shared tributes for the
Grammy and Country Music Association
Awards winner.
Kristofferson also picked up a Golden
Globe for Best Actor in a Musical when
he starred in the Oscar-winning 1976
remake of A Star is Born.
His co-star Barbra Streisand wrote on
Instagram: “The first time I saw Kris
performing at the Troubadour club in
LA I knew he was something special.
Barefoot and strumming his guitar,
he seemed like the perfect choice for a
script I was developing, which eventually
became A Star Is Born.”
Eagles hitmaker JD Souther dies at home aged 78 just days
after performing on stage Story by Emma Wilson
Singer-songwriter JD Souther, who wrote
hits for the Eagles, has died at his home
in New Mexico.
The 78-year-old, who also had an
unexpected career as a Hollywood actor,
co-wrote some of the American band’s
biggest hits, including New Kid in Town
and Best of My Love. Reps for the Eagles
confirmed JD’s death to the Los Angeles
Times, as they revealed he had died
“peacefully” at his home on Tuesday. No
cause of death has yet been given, but
fans have paid tribute to the singer, who
had a lengthy solo career.
“One of the greats. Eagles wouldn’t
have made it without him,” one wrote
on Facebook, as another devastated fan
chimed in: “Sad news. A great songwriter.
May he rest in peace.” Describing his
death as “awful”, another fan commented:
“This one hurts. He was an intricate part
of The Eagles without being an Eagle,”
while one said he was one of the finest
musicians. “So sad...JD was one of the
best ever to pick up a pen and a guitar...
Prayers for the whole team, and for his
family, friends and fans,” they wrote.
JD also worked with American singer
Linda Ronstadt, who he dated in the
1970s, and penned tracks including
Prisoner in Disguise and Faithless Love.
He was best known for his work with
the Eagles, and co-wrote songs such as
Heartache Tonight, Victim of Love, James
Dean, Doolin-Dalton, The Sad Cafe, You
Never Cry Like a Lover, Teenage Jail and
Last Good Time in Town.
JD was due to go on tour with singersongwriter
Karla Bonoff, and had
performed a gig in Delaware just five
days ago, where he appeared in good
spirits. He previously spoke about his
work with the Eagles, and his friendship
with Don Henley, and said he preferred
writing songs and being away from the
spotlight.
Unit 6, Wheatley Hill Ind Est.
Front Street,Wheatley Hill,
Co. Durham DH6 3QZ
Tel: 07531 536080
Email: john@white-wolf.studio
08 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

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www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 09

REVIEW
Amplifiers, Effect Pedals and Accesories
C-5RC Wireless Guitar System & Stageman Floor Acoustic Preamp + DI
NUX are back with another couple of bits of kit for us to test and review and I must admit
I’m quite excited to be taking on this month’s offrings. Firstly, we are going to take
a look at the C-5RC Wireless Guitar System. I love these things when the work well.
Secondly we will be playing with the NUX Stageman Floor Acoustic Preamp + DI Pedal.
Review by
Paul George
Images courtesy
of NUX
OK, folks, no messing about, let’s
get straight on with it. Since I
reviewed the Lekato Wireless
system, it hasn’t left my set-up and it is
still doing me proud, so the opportunity
to give it a little competition intrigued
me.
So taking it step by step, opening the
box is our first nice little surprise. The
C-5RC comes in a neat and tidy little case
perfect for popping into my kit bag and
transporting around. But wait, what’s
this? On one end is a USB port. Hmmm,
I’m intrigued. So I open the case to get
nice surprise no:2, the case is actually a
gucci little charger. with the transmitter
and receiver plugged in. The two units
are quite a bit smaller than my Lekato’s
which I do like, nobody wants anything
too cumbersome sticking out of their
guitar inputs, do they? So visually these
things get top marks so far.
Removing the units from the charger, I
find they are very light. Maybe a little
lighter than I feel safe for my ham-fisted
hands. I must emphasise they do not feel
cheap, just light. I can be a little clumsy
from time to time and I wonder if I’ll end
up damaging them? Anyway, onwards...
The charging unit really is a thing of
beauty. Once you’ve fully charged the
power pack, you can actually get three
full charges out of it for the transmitter
and receiver before plugging it back in
again, the unit’s take about 3-31/2 hours
to fully charge up from flat, about the
same as my other ones but coming with
it’s own charging unit really is a stroke
of genius. It basically means between
set’s and gigs you simply have to put
the transmitter and receiver back in the
case and they charge without having to
plug them into your PC or mains outlet,
brilliant!
So I turn them on, one simple button for
off and on and automatic syncing. Nice
and easy, plug them into my pedal and
guitar and get to playing. The sound
quality is what you would expect from
10 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Subscribe! NUX
the 5.8 Ghz frquency, nice and clear with
no noticeable latency. NUX promise 5.5
milliseconds. Basically, in laymans terms,
you can’t hear the time delay it’s so small.
You get the same signal quality as you do
from a lead. In short, they sound great
with no drop-outs. At least I haven’t had
any so far but then again, I don’t expect
any from the 5.8 Ghz.
Range is estimated at 30 metres (100ft)
which really is plenty for the best stage
wanderer. Personally I’m never more
than 5 metres away from my rig so again,
thumbs up on the range.
Here’s the winner.you get about 5 hours
out of a charge and with the power pack,
you will get around 15 hours of playing
time before you need to plug the unit in
again. How cool is that?
So I’m going to be unfair to everybody
and compare them to the set I use. They
both sound great, first and foremost.
If any of them had compromised the
sound, they would have been out of
the window. Your sound is the most
important consideration. They both have
great range and they both last a long time
although the C-5RC’s have the addition
of it’s own power pack which is a bit of
a game changer. They both run off the
superior 5.8Ghz frequency which is far
more superior than the cheaper 2,4Ghz
and both of them are really good looking.
So here are the differences, Lekato comes
with USB cables only and NUX has it’s
own carry case and charging system.
The final difference is the price. Lekato
comes in at around £45 while the NUX
C-5RC’s retail at around £130 which I
have to be honest, is actually really worth
the money. Basically, you’re paying for
the upgraded technology. Don’t worry
Lekato, I still love you...
So moving on to review no:2. Here we
have NUX’s Stageman Floor Acoustic
Preamp + DI pedal.
Again, I don’t want to waffle too much
and give away any juicy bit’s so let’s just
do it. Out of the box we’re greeted with
a very retro looking pedal, kind of an
antique cream colour, very attractive.
There is certainly a plethera of knobs
and switches but nothing that should be
confusing to any standard player. On the
top we have Chorus and Reverb effects,
Scoop/ pre-amp switches and a Notch
filter. Below that we have gain and a
three band EQ. Simple enough! So on to
the footswitches, the left switch turns the
chorus on and off and a freeze function if
you hold the switch down which allows
you to sustain a chord/ note. The right
switch provides an on/off for the pre-amp
and also a looper function for those that
are that way inclined. Saying that, it gives
you 60 second loop.
One the top you will find the input and
output plus the 9v socket. Also on the
top is a USB socket for software upgrades
and pickup switches for Piezo and
Magnetic pickups.
On the left is an XLR input for the unit’s
DI. If you’re like me an use a DI from the
PA for your acoustics, you can put that
into storage as this does the DI duties for
you.
So I plugged my acoustic in and very
quickly turned everything else off. All I
needed was the Stageman Floor Acoustic
Preamp + DI, nothing else. Seriously
folks this is a cracking all-in-one acoustic
gig box. The Chorus and Reverb are
excellent giving a whole range of tones,
depths and ranges. I literally spent hours
playing and loving the mass of sounds
available.
So my next question is what are the
con’s? I suppose I wasn’t too sure about
the looper, probably because I’m not a
big fan of them. But if I was going to use
one I would probably invest in one better
equipped for gigs but saying that, the
looper here is adequate.
Price wise, we are going to say goodbye to
around £110-£120 but you have to admit,
this is a lot of pedal for your bucks, so I
would say it’s well worth it.
There are plenty of video’s on Youtube
which could give a more in-depth and
more detailed insight but hopefully
what I have reported on should give
you a good guide as a buyer. If you’re
looking for effects, a DI, more range of
sound from your acoustic then this is a
great choice rather than spend out on
shed loads of different pedals. Find out
more here: https://www.nuxaudio.com/
stageman-floor.html
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 11

REVIEW
How many picks does a guitarist go through in his life time.
Personally speaking, I’m still looking for the pick mountain in my
house somewhere. Seriously though, we all need them but we lose
them, bust them, wear them out, the list goes on. So when I had
the chance to try out the new range of picks and slides from Black
Mountain, I had to jump at the chance
The Asteroid
Article By
Paul George
Images courtesy of
Black Mountain
If you can ever imagine a
Leonardo Di Vinci of guitar picks
then Black Mountain would be it.
Who’d of thought you could get three
pick sizes in one. Gone are the days
of having a million picks in that little
coin pocket in your jeans (at least,
that’s where I keep mine). This little
beauty is definitely a game changer.
Honestly, I’ve battled with picks all of
my life going from strumming a nice
ballad on my acoustic to the speedy
lead playing, constantly having to
change over picks to suit the varying
styles. On this particular pick, the
aptly named ‘Asteroid’, you can do all
of this without the panic of searching
for different sizes.
Black Mountain says:
“The Black Mountain Asteroid
pick gives instant access to three
different sounds while playing guitar,
with no need to switch pick. With
an Asteroid pick, you can quickly
switch in the middle of a song and
match the vibe of the music you’re
playing. Strum some chords with the
flexible blue-tip, then play a soulful
melody with the round red-tip, and
then switch to the pointy black-tip
for a velocity-driven guitar solo. The
Asteroid gives you the freedom to
play with the right pick at the right
moment.”
So I tried one out. Yes the three
little studs do help with grip but it
does feel a little weird to start with. I
must confess, I tended to favour the
blue and red tips. I found the Black
tip a little heavy and cumbersome
for me, not to say it wouldn’t suit
other guitarists, but it wasn’t for me.
Saying that, it is true that it was nice
to be able to switch between blue
and red.
So in summary on the ‘Asteroid’, is it
a bit gimmicky? Some may think so
but personally, I think it’s a great idea
although I would recommend giving
it a good bit of time to get used to
before casting judgement.
So for the first item, I will give this a
good thumbs up. Yes, I do like it, the
jury is still out whether I will make it
a permanent fixture of my guitar rig
but I am warming to it.
Black Mountain Thumb Pick
12 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

BLACK MOUNTAIN PICKS & SLIDES
So Black Mountain sent me four different
sizes of the Thumb Picks. From light
(pictured above) to heavy. Unlike the
Asteroid, these are normal shaped picks
but with an added spring clamp attached
which fits neatly around your thumb
enabling the use of the other four fingers
to pick the strings or to be held like a
regular pick. Yes, these things are genius.
Black Mountain says:
“The Black Mountain Thumb Pick
is nothing less than a game-changer
for guitarists who thought they had
to choose between flatpicking and
fingerstyle.
The product of hundreds of prototypes,
countless hours of 3d modelling, and tons
of advice and feedback from players, the
Black Mountain Thumb Pick seamlessly
combines the best aspects of a thumb
pick and a flat pick, allowing guitarists to
switch styles as naturally as they’d always
wished.
The Black Mountain Thumbpick is one of
those products that, once you’ve tried it,
you can’t believe didn’t exist before.
What’s more, this is the first in the world
to utilise a spring. Joining the thumb
ring and pick, the spring allows the pick
to be flexible so it feels like a regular flat
pick. Simultaneously, it clamps the thumb
ring around the player’s thumb, creating
a perfect balance between comfort and
stability.
The result is completely intuitive
performance. Whether you’re just
starting out on guitar, or yearning to take
your stage performances to the next level,
the Black Mountain Thumbpick will
immediately make you to play and sound
better.”
So how did it fair on a road test? I
suppose, as with any thumb pick that
I’ve used, these take some getting used
to. Black Mountain actually recommend
about 50hrs play before they feel natural.
I’m up to about 10 hours and it is slowly
getting there. I will push on!
If you hold it as a normal pick between
thumb and forefinger, they’re OK to use
from the start with the added security
that you can’t drop it. Big plus!
I’m using this to play slide stuff giving
me the ability to pick out those southern
blues notes with my other fingers. As far
as this style is concerned, these bad boys
are the way forward , although as I said
previously, I’m still getting used to it.
So again, thumbs up for a great invention.
Black Mountain Full Finger Slide:
Being a slide player, I really needed to try
out the two slides on offer. Looking at
the full slide first.
It has a cracking weight and fits perfectly
thanks to the spring clip inside so it
doesn’t matter whether you have shovel
hands or tiny, bony hands, one size fits
all.
Black Mountain says:
The Black Mountain Slide features an
in-built spring, allowing it to perfectly
fit a wide variety of finger sizes. Made in
Canada to the highest of standards, this
slide is nickel-plated for a super-smooth
finish. It has been perfectly weighted to
offer the best combination of tone and
agility.
So in road test, I was thrilled with the
performance of the slide, it felt good
to the fit and I found it a good slide in
use with a great tome. I do also like
the cutaway which helps the slide to fit
perfectly on the finger and gives a better
angle to get a true flat position on the
neck. However, there is a little problem
with this and that is the price. These
retail at around £38-£45. They are good
but I have to wonder if many people
would invest in one when they can
purchase a ceramic slide for around £20.
Glass and metal ones, even cheaper. But
as I said, it is a quality accessory.
Black Mountain Slide Ring
Now, from the off I have to say I couldn’t
get on with this. It is, however a high
quality tool and for those who are well
experienced, this would be a great slide to
use. Maybe if a beginner was to start off
with this, it would also be a good slide.
But sadly, not for me. But in this case,
don’t take my word for it, let’s see what
Black Mountain says:
Black Mountain Says:
“Traditional slides are tubes that cover
your pinky or ring finger. This forces you
to adapt to playing with 3 fingers which
can take a long time to master. The Black
Mountain Slide Ring lets you play slide
guitar whenever you want to without
sacrificing the use of your pinky or ring
finger!
Thanks to this innovative slide ring, you
can play four-finger chords, four-finger
scales, bar with your pinky and ring
finger, but still have the option to slide
whenever you want to!
The spring-fit design assures comfort
and stability. Tungsten Steel is very dense
which results in a fantastic tone for
slide guitar. Almost as hard as diamond,
Tungsten steel is highly resistant to
abrasion. It also has an ultra smooth
surface finish.
If you’re a beginner, the Black Mountain
Slide Ring is the perfect first slide. If
you’re a pro, the Black Mountain Slide
Ring is an essential addition to your tool
chest and will unlock a myriad of creative
possibilities.”
Despite my own experiences of the Ring
Slide, I can see where this is a really good
piece of kit, however, yet again, I feel the
price is a bit steep as the same prices as
the full slide. Saying that, being made
of Tungsten, you can see where the price
comes from. Why not go onto Black
Mountain’s website and check out their
full range for yourself.
https://blackmountainpicks.com/
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 13

Guitar Talk
Michelle is back with NE Guitars Magazine but this time as a guest writer
talking about her guitars and her rig. But not only that, she is here to explain
how our sound is influenced by what kit we use. Join Michelle in her brand
new column and learn her music secrets
As mentioned in my previous article in NEG, I am often
asked about the gear I use, and in that particular article
I focused mainly on my two favourite gigging guitars of
the past 8 or 9 years, “The Owl” and “Olivia” by Gordon Smith.
Over the years, these two guitars have become very popular and
recognisable by people online, and so it was only natural that I
mentioned them first, however in this month’s article I
will continue with some of the other guitars that
I have and which I use a lot.
I must begin by saying that I’m not a
“collector”, so some of you may be
disappointed if you expected to see
a lot of cool guitar photos in the
article. I tend to keep my stable of
guitars limited, as I know that if I
have too many then they simply
won’t get played. I’d rather have
a handful of wonderful guitars
that feel and sound great, guitars
that really bring me pleasure to
play and which I can play often. In
the past Ive kinda operated a “guitar
in…guitar out” system so that I don’t
accumulate too many.
GS1
On a recent trip to the UK, I was lucky enough to
come across an old left handed GS1 from 1989.
This particular double cut guitar by Gordon Smith only has a
bridge pickup but it’s still more than enough for most things.
I find that simply rolling the tone down a little can give a bit of a
neck pickup feel, and so those tones are still an option.
This GS has a thinner body profile than my other GS guitars
making it quite a bit lighter too, and I’m really enjoying the
simplicity of it.
The guitar doesn’t look as flashy as my other two GS guitars, but I
actually find something strangely attractive in that too!
I recently experimented changing the pickup on it to
the “Dirty Torque” by IronGear. I really like that
pickup and have already had it fitted to 3 of
my other guitars.
The Dirty Torque is quite a bit hotter
than the original pickup ( it’s wound
to around 16.4k ohms ) and so it
kicks the amp in the pants quite
a bit more, So it’s just as good
for high gain things as it is for
blues, and it sounds great with
the guitar volume rolled back a
little for rhythm playing or cleaner
leads. I’ve even used this for
country things too.
I had a new nut fitted when I got the
guitar ( I always need to change nuts
when I get a lefty guitar due to the way I
string and play the instrument ).
I usually have black Graphtech or cream Tusq nuts fitted as
they really make a difference. The black Graphtech nuts are self
lubricating and help with tuning. I rarely break strings since using
these nuts and I feel that there is a slight difference in tone too.
I’ve even used the black Graphtech saddles on some of my guitars
too, I love the stuff and I’d definitely recommend you try black
Graphtech parts and locking tuners if ever you want to upgrade
your own guitars.
14 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Guitar Talk with Michelle Taylor
of course by cups of tea from his lovely
wife Debs). All of the guitars were
intended purely for Trevor’s own use. He
didn’t have a company or a brand name or
logo, and he was only selling a couple of
his guitars because he needed the space at
home so that he could make others.
All of the guitars that I played that
afternoon felt like I had a top of the range
premium brand guitar in my hands, and
I joked with him that their biggest “fault”
was that they were all right handed :)
Trevor and I drank tea and discussed
guitars for quite a while that afternoon,
and I left there with a right handed guitar
that I intended to use purely as a practice
guitar while in the UK.
like a dream.
You know that weird sensation you get
when you try a guitar for the first time and
everything just feels “right”.
The body of the guitar melts into yours
and the neck and fingerboard already
feels “played in”, the whole vibe and mojo
is there from the very start, and it kinda
feels like sliding your feet into a well worn
comfy old pair of shoes…Well this guitar
had all that!
The guitar had a great acoustic ring and
sustain, and Trevor had remembered how
much I liked the pickups that were on the
right handed guitar that I got from him
previously, and so he’d fitted some on this
guitar too.
At the moment this GS1 still has its
original tuners fitted but I will probably
change them for locking tuners at some
point as I have already changed to those
on my other guitars.
Locking tuners make string changes go so
much faster and I feel that they help hold
the tuning better too.
Trevor Spooner Custom
Approximately a year ago while in the UK
I’d gone to look at a right handed guitar
that I’d seen on FB marketplace.
I wasn’t expecting much as the
ad mentioned that the guitar was
“homemade”, however the photos were
stunning and I only wanted the guitar to
practice on so I decided to check it out
anyway.
When I arrived the gentleman apologised
for not realising who he was talking to
on the phone, as by pure coincidence he
( Trevor ) turned out to be a fan of mine
and had been following me for a while on
FB and would watch my videos etc. It was
very flattering and it made our meeting
even more enjoyable.
The guitar I was interested in was brought
out for my perusal, and it was amazing,
The feel, the tone, the standard of
craftsmanship…Everything! Not only that
but Trevor even had a few other guitars
that he’d made to show me too!
All of Trevor’s guitars had been crafted by
him on his own in his garage, (supported
Approximately 6 months later while I was
in the UK once again, I received a message
from Trevor saying that he would like to
see me about something.
We set up a meeting later that week and
when I got there he had a lovely surprise
for me.
Trevor had made a left handed guitar
for me. It had all of the features that I’d
mentioned I liked while discussing guitars
with him on my last visit.
I was so touched and honoured! The
guitar was stunning.
It definitely has its roots in a PRS style
guitar but it has different dimensions and
a much slimmer body profile. It played
Until that first right handed guitar that
I got from Trevor I’d never had the
opportunity to try IronGear pickups
before, but they are a well known UK
brand, it’s just that our paths had never
crossed before.
This guitar had IronGears “Dirty Torque”
sitting in the bridge position (which as I
mentioned earlier is quite a hot pickup),
and the very articulate “Blues Engine” in
the neck position.
For those of you that like geeky guitar
details ….
The guitar has a Rosewood fingerboard,
(12” Radius) with Abalone dot inlays.
A 24 & 3/4 inch scale. Stainless steel frets.
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 15

The neck is Khaya ( which from what I
understand it’s a type of mahogany).
The body is White Limba (a Korina
species). The guitar has a flamed Maple
top with a recess for both tone and volume
controls. The body has been stained and
oiled rather than painted or lacquered and
is fitted with CTS Pots and a Switchcraft
toggle.
Like on all my other guitars it has only a
master tone and master volume control
as I find it easier and quicker to change
the volume and tone live onstage with this
configuration rather than the usual 4 knob
option used on many dual humbucker
guitars, I just feel that those extra controls
are in the way and slow things down.
This guitar is used a lot by me now
alongside my Gordon Smith guitars.
I think it’s fun to have guitars that are
special and unique and not one of
thousands. I’ve always been the kind of
person that “walks to the beat of my own
drum” rather than go with the flow, and
I’m a bit of a black sheep in many respects.
I’m always willing to try, and to use many
different brands of equipment, I never
allow myself to get hung up on brand
names.
I don’t understand how some people
only buy brand X guitar, brand X amp,
and brand X pedals and spend a fortune
on it thinking it’s superior to everything
else without even trying different things (
maybe they believe that it’s “Best” because
their guitar hero’s used that gear? ).
Quite often you can tell that some of these
people just enjoy the posing value it offers
online etc and feel that it lifts their status.
I think that they enjoy the comfort of
being part of a group that likes the same
things. Unfortunately this leaves them
unreceptive to newer and better things,
and they will never know about it because
they are trapped in their bubble.
Actually, mentioning all that works great
as a segway into my next guitar and how I
ended up with it.
My Vintage Tele
I am very active online in many of the
various gear, guitar, amp and pedal
groups, and I follow quite a number of
brands and retailers etc.
While on the Facebook page of one
of these retailers ( Richard’s guitars in
Stratford upon Avon ) I noticed that there
was quite a discussion brewing aimed at a
photo that had been posted by Richard or
his staff.
The photo was of a really old and beat up
looking telecaster style guitar. The guitar
looked very “road worn” and well used.
It was actually a brand new guitar by the
‘Vintage’ brand of guitars, but this one had
gone through their Pro custom shop and
had an old relic appearance done to it.
Many were admiring the guitar but there
were quite a number that were whining
and complaining that it’s “cheating”
and that a guitar should only be in this
condition and used if it was “authentic
wear and tear” from many years gigging
and touring etc. They suggested that only
doctors and lawyers would want such a
guitar.
I watched the comments for a while
and admired Richard’s polite controlled
response to such comments.
Richard had been singing the praises of
these Vintage Pro Custom shop guitars
for quite a while and his enthusiasm is
infectious.
In the end I felt that I had to offer my own
view on the matter.
I wrote only a few short words…
something along the lines of “I think it
looks cool, and If it was a lefty I’d definitely
play it”.
My view is simply that if it’s a guitar that
appeals to you, then why shouldn’t you
be allowed to buy it? Why should you feel
bad that you didn’t personally inflict this
wear on the instrument?
Maybe you work in a hospital, an office
or a grocery store. Maybe you really are a
doctor or lawyer and that playing guitar is
just a hobby at home or at an occasional
pub gig.
Does this mean that you should be
disallowed from owning such a guitar
simply because you have never toured or
caused such distress to the instrument
naturally ?
Maybe you just love the look of old vintage
16 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Guitar Talk with Michelle Taylor
instruments but don’t have the funds to
buy an authentic one.
I’ve had a number of telecasters over the
years that did look that way after many
years of touring and gigging with them.
Those guitars looked and felt like a cosy
pair of slippers in the end and were
wonderful to play.
I don’t have any of those teles anymore
as I sold them over the years because I
found myself only ever wanting to play my
Gordon Smith guitars, but I always loved
that well used look about them.
Personally I love the look of old beat up
guitars. For me my guitars are the tools of
my trade, but I don’t treat them like they
are made of glass, I expect that they will
get bumped and scratched over the years
and for me that’s fine.
I do want my guitars in full working
condition, but I really don’t care if there
are dings and scratches on them, to me it
just adds character.
Having said that, I totally understand how
some people wish to keep them in mint
condition and stick them in a cabinet and
see it as an investment etc….. but that’s
not for me, I’m not a collector.
I think that nice instruments should be
played, and I usually sell any of mine that
don’t get played anymore.
In fact just last week I sold a Gibson
Goldtop Les Paul that Ive had for years as
it only collected dust.
As always, I digress…
So, after my short comment supporting
the look of that road worn guitar I was
contacted personally by Richard himself,
and apparently he was thrilled that I
had commented and had supported
his company, but not only that, he was
incredibly excited about the quality of the
Vintage guitars passing through the Pro
Custom Shop. So much so that he wanted
to get one into my hands to see what I
thought of them knowing that the guitars
I play are of premium quality and so I
would have a great reference.
Well, a few months later the guitar
arrived, and to be quite honest I wasn’t
expecting much, but the guys at Vintage
had done a great job with it and I began
to fully understand Richard’s enthusiasm.
When I opened the old looking tweed
case I was surprised to see an incredibly
authentic looking beat up telecaster. Not
the fake looking relic effects often seen on
some Fender models and on other brands.
This one looked VERY real. The guitar
really looked as though it had been gigged
for many years. Everything from the body
to the hardware was heavily relic’d, and it
looked amazing!
I picked up the guitar and after tuning it I
began to play. The first thing I noticed was
that the neck was thicker than I was used
to, yet it still felt very comfortable. The set
up on the guitar was outstanding and the
strings rang out for days when strumming
it acoustically, and it just got better when
I plugged it into a Blackstar TV-10 6L6
tube amp, it sounded fantastic! Not really
surprising really as Richard had fitted the
IronGear Dirty Torque and Blues Engine
humbucker pickups into the guitar.
Other than that, all I really know about
this guitar is that the body is made from
eastern poplar and that it’s fitted with CTS
pots and cloth wiring.
I really didn’t think that I would, but I
do love this guitar, the quality and feel is
fantastic ,and you would never know that
you are playing an “inexpensive guitar”. I
will be using this a lot.
Other Stuff
So far I have only mentioned the guitars
that I use regularly and which I prefer over
anything else, but I do also have an Ibanez
335 style guitar which I believe is called an
“Artcore Expressionist”. It’s a lovely vintage
burst guitar with a nice flamed top and it
feels great to play.
I like the pickups on it, Im not sure what
they are but they sound great to me. It’s
very different in tone to my other guitars
so it’s nice to have it in my stable, but it
hasn’t found a place in my heart as much
as the other guitars.
If Gordon Smith had made this kind of
model and shape then I would definitely
be playing that instead.
I also have 2 or 3 acoustic guitars around
the place ( I think one has a pickup in it
too ) but I never play any of them, I prefer
to play an electric guitar, but I keep the
acoustic’s “Just incase” :)
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 17

ON THE
COVER
Article by
Danny Mayes &
Paul Di’Anno
Images
Courtesy of
Conquest Music
22 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Paul Di’Anno
As we look forward to the release of Paul
Di’Anno’s new album ‘The Book of the Beast’,
we take a look at his career including his time
with rock giants Iron Maiden and we ask about
his music background and influences
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 23

ON THE
COVER
PAUL
DI’ANNO
Interview by Daniel Mayes
Images courtesy of
Paul Di’Anno,
Cliff Evans,
Conquest Music
At NE Guitars, we are fast
getting a reputation for
chatting with legends of the
music world. This month certainly is
no different.
Thanks to our friends at Conquest
Music, we get the chance to write
about, analyse and interview the
great Paul Di’Anno formerly of Iron
Maiden, Killers and Battlezone. Not
only do we get to chat to a Legend
but we are also really pleased to
introduce the newest journalist to the
NE Guitars Magazine team, Daniel
‘Danny’ Mayes, or as we affectionately
know him as ‘Bass Buffoon’ as he
is the Bass Guitarist in one of our
20 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

On The Cover: Paul Di’Anno
endorsed bands ‘Acoustic Buffoonery’.
Danny is taking the reins on this
article and has set the questions for
Paul to answer. But before we get
into the interview, let’s find out a little
more about Paul Dianno.
Paul Andrews is a British singer
better known by his stage name Paul
Di’Anno. His nearly half-centurylong
career began explosively with
Iron Maiden, when with the EP ‘The
Soundhouse Tapes’, and the albums
‘Iron Maiden’ and ‘Killers ‘ forever
cemented the foundations of heavy
metal. With timeless hits like ‘Iron
Maiden’, ‘Remember Tomorrow’,
‘Running Free’, ‘Phantom of the
Opera’, ‘Killers’, ‘Wratchild’, Murders
in the Rue Morgue’, ‘Purgatory’ etc.,
they influenced numerous musicians
and bands and were responsible for
the creation or development of many
subgenres in metal music.
Paul is known as one of the most
productive singers, who has a
huge number of albums and other
releases behind him, either as a solo
artist or a member of bands such as
Gogmagog, Di’Anno’s Battlezone,
Praying Mantis, Killers, Rockfellas,
Architects of Chaoz or Warhorse.
In all his incarnations, Paul always
knew how to find a way to the fans,
with numerous hits, uncompromising
singing, which is confirmed by his
successful career and furious live
shows around the world.
For the last eight years, Paul faced
serious health problems that almost
ended his career, but thanks to his
loyal fans and his strong will to
overcome the disease, Paul is on a big
world tour again, and he recorded a
new album with the Paul D’Anno’s
Warhorse band, released in mid-2024
for Brave Words Records.
This icon of heavy metal with the
heart of a punk rock rebel never
spared himself in his life, but he
always gave everything for music and
fans, which is why they have followed
him faithfully for almost fifty years.
So ahead of the release of Paul’s new
album ‘The Book of the Beast’, I
threw a few questions at Paul to
find out a little more about the
album and the man himself. Yes,
this is a little bit of a baptism of
fire for my first interview for NE
Guitars but it is one that I have
taken on with relish. So without
further ado...
NEG: What was your inspiration
for the new album?
PD: The Book of The Beast is a
collection of songs that I wanted to
put together that represented the
recordings that I made after my
days with Maiden. A lot of my other
albums never got much attention as
I was only known as the old singer
from Maiden but I was really proud
of the albums I made after leaving
Maiden. I recorded some great stuff
with Battlezone and Killers that
never received the promotion they
deserved but now Conquest Music
have helped me to put this album
together and I’m really excited to
get it out there for my fans.
BATTLEZONE
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 21

ON THE
COVER
NEG: Who/what is your favorite/the
best musician/band to work with?
PD: I’ve worked with so many great
musicians over the years on many
different albums and projects. The
list is very long but I had really great
chemistry with the Battlezone guys
who helped me find my direction
after a period out in the wilderness.
When I formed Killers with guitarist
Cliff Evans and drummer Steve
Hopgood in 1991 I thought we were
going to really hit the big time. We
signed a major label deal and toured
the world but then Grunge happened
and the whole game changed. That
really kicked us in the nuts. For
my ‘Nomad’ solo album I hooked
up with a Brazilian guitarist called
Paolo Turin and we straight away hit
it off writing songs together for the
album. He was a good friend and
unfortunately succumbed to Covid a
few years ago. RIP Brother.
NEG: Is there a tour coming up
following your album release?
PD: I will be back out on the road
again in UK and Europe starting on
October 30th in Edinburgh with 7
UK shows then across Europe for
another 23 shows before taking a
break for Christmas. In 2025 I’ll be
heading back to South America and
we’re now just about to confirm a
tour of Canada so it’s going to be
a busy year for me. All tour dates
are on my website htpps://www.
pauldianno.co.uk
NEG: Where was/is the best venue/
KILLERS
crowd/played?
PD: Brazil has always had the best
audiences for me. I have a very
special connection with my Brazilian
fans and was resident in Curitiba
for a while so it’s always been like a
second home for me. I can’t wait to
get back there.
NEG: What inspired you to become
a singer?
PD: I never could keep my mouth
shut for five minutes so it just came
naturally. I’m a noisy f****r!
NEG: How did you find the
explosion of Iron Maiden?
PD: We really grafted on the live
gigging circuit to get ourselves in
a position where we could move
ourselves up a notch. We’d jump
in our van and play anywhere and
Image: Ramon Remenyi
give the punters the full show. The
turning point though was when Rod
Smallwood entered the picture to
manage us and we secured a major
label deal. The rest is history as they
say.
NEG: What do you do to look after
your voice?
PD: Patron Tequila, Benson &
Hedges and the occasional naughty
nose treat. It’s worked so far!
NEG: Looking back, how would you
describe nwobhm?
PD: It was an exciting time as the
punk movement was still thriving
but it seemed to be getting heavier
as those punk musicians got better
at playing their instruments. I liked
the punk attitude but wanted to bring
that into a more rock environment
which resulted in the Iron Maiden
sound. There were some great
bands emerging from those early
22 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

On The Cover: Paul Di’Anno
NWOBHM days. Angelwitch,
Samson, Praying Mantis, Urchin.
Maiden were at the top of the tree
though. No doubt about that!
NEG: Who is your pick for the
greatest voice ever?
PD: Too many to choose from. James
Brown and Johnny Rotten.
NEG: What was it like coming up
and gigging during the early days?
PD: It was very exciting as there was
no way of knowing what you were
up against back then. There was no
internet to source from so you were
reliant on your wits and just winging
it but you learnt fast. I think that’s
what gave us a real edge back then.
You learn from your mistakes and
you took the hard knocks. All that
comes out in the music you play.
Bands these days just don’t have to
deal with those sort of problems but
they do have a bunch of other shit
they’re up against. I prefer the old
school ways of learning your trade.
NEG: Which artist do you think is
under rated?
PD: That would be Me!
NEG: Paul, thank you for speaking
to us at NE Guitars Magazine.
The Book of the Beast
Not only do we get to chat with the
man but we have also been given the
opportunity to preview the brand
new albm.
Image: Ramon Remenyi
Paul Di’Anno releases a new album,
‘The Book of The Beast’, via Conquest
Music on September 27th 2024. The
vinyl double album (available in
Blood Red, Virgin White and Cold
Steel coloured vinyl) and 2-disc
CD/DVD include five previously
unreleased tracks, along with a
carefully curated collection of
songs that distills many of the best
moments from Di’Anno’s fascinating
and formidable career. The CD/DVD
also includes rare live, promotional
and acoustic video footage.
Deep cuts from albums going back
to Paul’s Battlezone, Killers and Solo
days have been painstakingly remastered
to give them a more up to
date and polished production plus
some of Paul’s rare acoustic, rehearsal
and demo recordings have been
KILLERS
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 23

On The Cover: Paul Di’Anno
ON THE
COVER
added as a special bonus.
Perhaps the most interesting addition
to this album is the unexpected
reworking of two Iron Maiden
classics, but with a dark twist.
Both Remember Tomorrow and
Wrathchild have been treated to a
facelift with Paul duetting alongside
Tony Martin (Black Sabbath), ZP
Theart (Dragonforce) and Lidya
Balaban (Crowley).
Finally, we need to just tell you that
Paul will be playing at the Riverside
in Newcastle on 31st October 2024
but if last year is anything to go by,
tickets will sell out quick, so get yours
while they are still there. Paul is also
playing other venues across the UK,
details of which can be found on his
website along with plenty of other
information on past releases plus
merch from his store. Check it all out
here.
https://pauldianno.co.uk/
https://www.conquestmusic.co.uk/
24 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

With over 60 years of music industry experience, and a passion to use that to provide
a platform for talent to bring their music to the world, Conquest Music was born.
Not restricted by specific genre, our releases range from Classical to Blues, Folk to
Psychedelic, Jazz to Hard Rock, and anything else that tickles our fancy.
Conquest Music has partnered with Sony/ATV and Albam Songs to provide a song
publishing vehicle with the power of a major and the personal touch of an indie.
Conquest Music are also partnered with Absolute Label Services and Proper Distribution.
Bernie Marsden Luke Morley Hillbilly Vegas Mickey Jupp
Paul Di’Anno Willie Dowling Book of Revalations The Ugly Guys
www.conquestmusic.co.uk
NE Guitars Are Proud To Welcome Conquest Music As Our New Sponsors
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 25

They’re back! For the
second time this year, the
North East is privilleged to
welcome back our friends from
Oklahoma, the one and only
‘Hillbilly Vegas’.
Join Conquest Music and NE
Guitars Magazine at Trillians,
Newcastle as we enjoy the
Southern Rock hits like ‘Shake it
like a Hillbilly’, ‘Long way back’
and ‘Hell to pay’.
Their brand of Southern Boogie
with shades of Outlaw Country
and Classic Rock are going to be
bringing a welcome heat to the
cold British winter. Conquest
Music released the album The
Great Southern Hustle’ to great
acclaim with four Billboard Rock
Top 10 singles from it so far.
Hillbilly Vegas visited the UK
earlier this year during July
supported by the Howling Tides
26 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Hillbilly Vegas
and with a guest appearance
from Lorraine Crosby,
the female vocalist for
Meatloaf’s ‘I’d do anything
for love’.
This November’s show will
be just as powerful and just
as exciting, if not, so much
more, as they rock the
famous Newcastle venue
which has become the
band’s second home over
here in the UK.
So from Conquest Music
and NE Guitars Magazine,
we advise you all to get in
WEDNESDAY
27 NOV 2024
early and book your tickets
before they sell out. This
will be a night to remember.
For further details and to
book tickets, go to:
https://www.gigantic.com/
hillbilly-vegas-tickets/
newcastle-upon-tyne
TRILLIANS
NEWCASTLE
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 27

LOCAL HEROES
Award winning Flattley Boutique
Effects Pedals are hand built in the UK .
For more information, demo videos & stockists visit
28 www.flattleyguitarpedals.com
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

I
absolutely love it when we get the
chance to talk to successful artists from
the North East. Martin Stephenson
and the Daintees certainly fit that
description with Martin’s career spanning
40 years.
As with past artists in NE Guitars, we
thrive on our opportunities to get in to
conversation with our stars and bring
our readers the pure facts right from the
horses mouth (No offence Martin, I’m not
calling you a horse!)
So let’s get on with it and see what Martin
has to say.
NEG: So Martin, when did it all begin for
you?
MS: When I was 11 my table tennis coach
gave me three albums for my perusal love
that weekend, they were Island by King
Crimson which I connected to the song
Formentera Lady, nothing else on that
album, just the melody of that song. The
2nd album was The Incredible String Band
(which, like King Crimson, I didn’t like at
all and never listened to them since) and
the 3rd was Frank Zappa’s ‘Hot Rats’ of
which lead me to Beefheart’s ‘Willie The
Pimp’. Beefheart was the light switch for
me.
NEG: Tell us who were your early music
influences?
MS: Beefheart, Velvets, Elvis, Sabbath,
Iggy Pop ha ha! Then along came the punk
and 2nd gen Psychedelia circus, loved the
whole punk into New Wave shift of 77-79,
my time.
NEG: Tell me about how the Daintees
came together?
MS: The Dainties were born of the New
Wave era and blossomed into a busking
ensemble early 1980
Inspired by Jonathan Richman & his
Modern Lovers, also Alan Horn’s early
Postcard was something to behold.
NEG: Being a guitar magazine, we are
always interested in an artist’s equipment..
Tell us about your rig?
MS: All my vintage guitars I have either
sold or gifted, but I still have some
interesting characters to tinker with, I
wouldn’t call it a rig, my main weapon of
choice for many years was a small bodied
K Yairi Rag with a Mike Vanden Mimesis
pickup straight into a direct box and
into the biggest amp in the venue (the
PA system) I can’t use amps, I like the
overall sound of a PA. I passed the Yairi
on and now use 2 Art & Lutherie guitars
handmade in La Patrice, Canada, £600
each. They are better than any Martin or
Gibson I ever owned
I have a Louis Panorama 1827 parlour
guitar, it’s off the map, and my pals Alex
Kirtley & James Cole have done a lot of
good work for me over the years, earlier
than that my old mate Nigel Foster who
is now in Australia. I also use a travel
guitar made by Furch called a ‘Little Jane’
amazing instrument (see the picture left),
shuts down to the size of a backpack,
locking tuners, great pickup, my daughter
painted it for me, she was obviously
hanging out with Donovan
NEG: I recently listened to ‘You Belong
To Blue’ where I heard various genre’s
coming through, how would you define
you’re music style?
MS: Genre Hopper, anti Formulated,
curious, Jack of all, master of none. ;-)
NEG: You’ve worked with Billy Connolly
I understand, how did this come about?
MS: He’s a lovely lad, love him, I suppose
it came about through sitting on my
mum’s bed in 1980 as I liked the acoustics
of her room and I wrote a song entitled
‘Rain’ in about 5 minutes, if I hadn’t’ wrote
that song there and then I wouldn’t have
met Billy.
NEG: What has been your most
memorable gig?
MS: So many but not the large affairs.
I always remember my time with Roy
Buchanan, John Martyn, Janis Ian,
Hothouse Flowers, Microdisney very
fondly but to me it will be a small obscure
place with a handful of people.
NEG: Looking to the future, do you have
any new releases on the horizon?
MS: Yes I have a bunch of songs I’d like
to share and have The Dainties play on.
Gary Dunn, our Dainties guitarist, is an
absolutely incredible musician. I always
have Gary nearby as I love his playing.
NEG: You have a busy year of gigs, where
will you be playing in the North East?
Martin Stephenson
MS: I next play the North East on
Saturday 31st August at The Church on
the Hill, Washington Tyne & Wear, my
home town. In the church, my parents
Frances and Alf were married. Very
excited about that. The link is: https://
clients.wegottickets.com/login.php
NEG: Finally, how can our readers learn
more about you and the Daintees?
MS: Our website is www.daintees.co.uk
or you can find us on our bandcamp page
daintees.bandcamp.com Our social media
links are X: @MGStephenson and https://
www.facebook.com/DainteesBiz/
NEG: Martin, thank you for talking to us,
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 29

IN Focus
Article by
Paul George & Robb Weir
Images Courtesy of
Steven Christie &
Tygers of Pan Tang
It’s been a worthwhile struggle to get
Tygers of Pan Tang front man, Robb
Wier into our pages, he has such a
fascinating story to tell. But finally, we
caught up with Robb over August and
finally can bring you the full interview.
Before we start, we feel very privilledged
to feature Robb and the Tygers in to our
Rock edition, in all rights they are up
there alongside the Rock gods such as
Iron Maiden, Saxon, Raven, in fact, as
far as the NWOBHM goes, they have
certainly gained legendary status and
are still going so many years after those
golden times.
We featured the Tygers in issue as a
review for their latest live album release
but I have been so looking forward to
getting them in a full article.
So let’s get stuck into the interview.
Ladies & Gentlemen, we giv you The
Tygers of Pan Tang.
NEG: How did the Tygers of Pan Tang
come about?
RW: Okay, it came about from an
advert that I placed in a local newspaper
called the Evening Chronicle back in
1977, late 77, I guess. The advert said,
guitarist looking for a bass player to jam
new material and play covers. The style
of music is heavy metal, hard rock and I
left my telephone number and when the
paper was published, within probably an
hour, the telephone rang. My mum was
shouting, it’s for you, it’s somebody called
Richard. So I answered the telephone
and indeed it was Richard, aka Rocky,
who became great friends with myself.
We shared the same musical interests. It
turned out he lived about three streets
away from me and we went to every band
that toured in the North East, crikey, we
went to Rush, Thin Lizzy, Uriah Heap,
Status Quo, oh so many, so many bands
and all the time we were going there,
we were watching, we were learning,
we were seeing what stage clothes they
were wearing, what guitars they were
playing, what backline they had, looking
at their stagecraft, what the start of
the show entailed, what the end of the
show entailed, how they were with the
audience, all these things which we were
just soaking in, you know, and trying to
establish ourselves in our own minds,
what we wanted to do and how we were
going to do it. And on Rocky’s course, he
30 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Tygers of Pan Tang
was at university, was a young lad called
Brian Dick and Rocky said “listen there’s
a lad on my course who plays drums,
shall I invite him along as well?” I said
absolutely and I organised a rehearsal
room in Whitney Bay, it was a church
hall and the three of us got together and
started to play songs which I’d written,
which I played them and we developed
them further and they became Tyger
songs and we played covers of the day,
stuff like Motorhead by Motorhead,
Whole Lotta Rosie, Bastille Day by Rush,
Catscratch Fever, you know, all the kind
of big hitting popular songs that were
played at the Mayfair Ballroom Disco
before and in between bands, so that’s
how it all started.
NEG: I understand the Tygers were with
Neat Records back in the day of New
Wave for British Heavy Metal, how did
that all start?
RW: That all started, we were playing
Whitley Bay High School, I think it was
a Friday night show, might have been
end of term when, obviously after school,
I think we probably played about six
o’clock in the evening and two lads were
there who were obviously pupils of the
school and they had told their dad that
they were, obviously they were staying
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 31

ehind after school to watch this band
called Tygers of Pan Tang and he became
interested and said, I’ll come down early
to pick you up and I’ll have a look myself.
This gentleman was called Dave Woods
and he owned Impulse Recording Studios
in Walls End and at the end of the show,
he was so impressed apparently, he talked
to Tom, our manager. Tom called us
over and he said, “Boys, what I heard, I
really liked. I liked your original music.
Would you be interested in coming to
the studio free of charge and laying down
some tracks and see where we go from
there?” Of course, you know, young
impressionable musicians, we thought
all our birthdays had come at once, we’re
absolutely delighted that we’ve been given
this opportunity to go and record in a
real recording studio which we’d never
been in before. The date was set and off
we went and we recorded, oh, a good six,
probably six or eight original songs, one
of which was decided it would make a
good single in the current market and
that was ‘Don’t Touch Me There’, so I
recorded the guitar solo with a completely
different sound to the sound that I’d been
using for the rhythm tracks and it really,
really stood out, I have to say, so much
so, that the guitar solo actually got quite
a lot of critical acclaim from the press,
particularly Sounds newspaper at the time
and that was, it was decided it would be
released on Neat Records, it was Neat 03,
Neat Records was the label of Impulse
Recording Studios, of course, and at that
time it had, Neat 01, I think, was a local
band, pop band called Motoway and
Neat 02, I think, was a female singer, girl
singer, I couldn’t be sure, however, the
record label, Impulse, didn’t really have a
direction, Dave didn’t really know what,
which way the record company should, he
should launch it, which way it should go.
Along comes the Tygers, we record this
single, ‘Don’t Touch Me There’, it became
part of the New Wave of British Heavy
Metal movement which Geoff Barton just
happened to be writing about and, in fact,
Geoff wrote about Iron Maiden, he wrote
about Def Leppard, he wrote about Saxon
and he wrote about the Tygers just as our
single was coming out and, of course, our
single sold extremely well. I think we
only had an initially a thousand pressed
and they sold within three days and then
we had another three thousand pressed
and then they sold within a matter of days
and it was only a matter of a week, maybe
two weeks, as far as I remember, went
by before MCA, one of the major record
labels, came along and talked to Dave
Woods and talked to our management
and it wasn’t long before we signed to
MCA records. ‘Don’t Touch Me There’
was repressed again, MCA pressed 50,000
and they all sold, which really put us on
the ladder going in the right direction.
NEG: Where does the name Tygers of
Pan Tang come from?
RW: So, Rocky was a reader of fantasy
science fiction books back in the 70s
and one of his favourite authors was a
gentleman called Michael Moorcock
and he had written a book called
Stormbringer and within the storyline of
Stormbringer, the Emperor had, in order
to gain entrance to the Emperor’s lands,
you had to manoeuvre through the cliffs
of Pan Tang and they were guarded by
attack tigers rather than dogs. So, Rocky
put the elements together. We were, I
remember it well, we were sat in his
mum’s lounge one afternoon thinking
of a name for this wonderful little band
that we’d got together and I came up with
Achilles Heel, which I thought was quite
good and Rocky trumped cards, I have
to say, you’ve got to tip your hat, he said
what about Tygers of Pan Tang and I just
looked at him, blinked and said that’s
absolutely fantastic, that’s it, that’s the one,
you’ve got it and it’s served us well, I have
to say, the name has served us well. We
are for all intents and purposes. Tygers
started in 78, so we’re 46 years into our
career. I certainly hope we make it to 50,
I’m looking forward to that but the name,
I don’t think as many people don’t know
the name Tygers of Pan Tang if you’re
tuned into, you know, our kind of music.
So, there you are, that’s how it came about.
NEG: What were your early influences?
32 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Tygers of Pan Tang
RW: My early influences, I lived in
a house with two older sisters who
constantly played rock and roll because
it was the early 60s. So, you know the
King, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Fats
Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, all that great,
great rock and roll music, even Cliff
Richard and, you know, various English
artists. I just got drenched in it because
there was constantly a 45 single dropping
onto the play mat and the needle going
in the groove, coming from upstairs from
my sister’s bedrooms and I could hear
them twisting and jiving about to it and
I remember going upstairs as a young
lad, watching these two girls twisting the
night away and or the afternoon away or
whatever and copying what got into their
bedroom and jiving with them and it
was just tremendous and that music, you
know, events like that really do soak into
your blood and your skin. So, rock and
roll was a great love of mine. Coming into
playing guitar and being influenced, I
guess, and I’m going to probably modern
day guitar players, if you like, rather than,
you know, Eddie Cochran or sort of the
50s guitar players, for me, probably Mick
Box out of Uriah Heap. I used to love
his wah-wah guitar solos when I went to
see Heap. Glenn Tipton, he was a very
nice, tasty guitar player, played some
great guitar solos in Judas Priest. Always
liked Bernie Marsden, he was a great
blues guitar player, very underrated, very
talented, great singer and modern guitar
players, I guess, you know, you’ve got
to include Eddie Van Halen for tapping
and just his all-round incredible playing
ability. So, that’s, I guess, those were some
of the influences and some of the people
that I kind of admire.
NEG: Being a guitar and guitarist
magazine, we’re always interested in the
rigs that guitar players use for their live
set and for their studio recording set.
Please tell us about yours.
RW: So, over 46 years, you can imagine,
I’ve tried pretty much everything. There’s
not many guitars that I haven’t played.
Owned some incredible guitars and sold
them as well. My guitar collection was
never huge. I think it only ever reached
about 15 guitars, something like that,
which is about what I have now. I always
had Gibsons and Fenders, they’re always
American because that’s what I used back
in the day. I had a sponsorship deal with
Mighty Might. They made me an
Explorer with a Strat neck and a brass
trem, which I used to play live and record
the Wildcat album in 1980. And around
that time, they also made me a three
pickup Les Paul, which was extremely
playable, really, really nice, a great
looking guitar. They also made me a, it
was a BC Rich Body, again with a Strat, a
maple Strat neck, which I used live,
which was a great guitar as well. And
they made me, probably the forerunner
of the Super Strats, I have to say. So we
are going back to 1980. This was a, it
looked like a walnut body. It had a maple
Strat neck on it, and it had an 18-magnet
triple booker. It was probably the one of
the first of its kind. So if you can imagine
a humbucker, but with another set of six
bobbins, but it was all on one plate. And
it was just, it was a monster. It really was.
You had to be so careful with the gain on
your amp, because this thing was just
ridiculously powerful. You couldn’t have
it too close to the strings, because the
strings would just suck down onto the
magnets. It was incredible. I often
wondered what happened to that. But I
rang the guy from Mighty Might, and I
said, I’d like to I’d like to change brands of
guitars, through no other reason than I
just wanted to change. Anyway, I traded
the Mighty Mites, they went back to the
company, and they sourced me a really
nice Gibson Explorer, and a very nice
Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Custom. And
the band was doing better and better and
better. And because of that, I was able to
buy some really, really nice Gibson
guitars, Melody Maker, a couple of Flying
Vs, an active Les Paul, a lovely plume Les
Paul with mini humbuckers. Oh my
goodness, I’m trying to rack my brains,
I’m trying to think how to think,a nice 73
Strat. One of the guitars, because
obviously, you know, I write, and one of
the guitars which I did own, which really
is, you’re going to find this that I wish I’d
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 33

never sold, was a Dan Electro Longhorn
bass, which I got, it had a slight rattle
when you played it, and it had a brass nut
put on. Oh my God, and it played
absolutely fantastic. It came from, I don’t
know whether anybody remembers the
original Golden Earring, when I saw them,
would that be 73, when they had ‘Radar
Love’, and the bass player played a Dan
Electro Longhorn bass, and I just thought
it was the craziest shape ever. That was
such a fantastic bass to play, oh my word,
and it was an original one, so probably
would have been worth a few quid today,
but yeah, that’s long gone. Guitars that I
wish I’d never sold, I had a Black Beauty
Les Paul Custom, but it was active, and
I’ve never seen another one. When I say
active, it had passive pickups as far as I can
remember, but it had a switch, which
switched some kind of circuitry, which
boosted everything. Again, technology
and me are not really friends, that’s about
all I can tell you. It was an absolutely
fantastic guitar though, really, really, really
nice. At the moment, I have an
endorsement deal with Harley Benton,
now you’re going to think, Harley Benton,
aren’t they cheap guitars? Well, I’m lucky
enough to play the top end of their range,
which is still not expensive, you’re only
talking maximum 500 quid. I have a great
relationship with Ben, the endorsement
manager, he’s really, really kind, listens to
what I request, always comes up trumps.
I’ve actually bought a few Harley Bentons
in the UK, apart from the ones that he sent
me. The last one that Ben sent me was
their Twin Neck, the quality of these
guitars is just incredible, the build,
honestly, the build of them is just amazing.
You could use them as a donor guitar, I
guess, and swap the pickups out, and redo
the electrics, which I’ve done on a couple.
I’m lucky enough to be endorsed by
Warman Guitars pickups, Simon Warman,
who makes pickups for my guitars. I use
his Destroyer and Stealth pickups, which
you can hear on the past 10, 12 longer
years recordings, they’re all fitted to my
guitars. Actually, at the moment, as we
speak, I’ve got a Harley Benton Les Paul
Junior, which I’m having a Black Stealth
humbucker fitted to, and a fret dress, and
that will be out with me playing live very
shortly. Yeah, Harley Benton have been
very, very kind to me, and I hope the
relationship is going to carry on. I fly the
flag for them, I’m very proud to do that,
they are great guitars. And, you know, like
with every guitar, which you get sent,
sometimes, you know, I’m sure you’ve had
this, not just guitars, with anything, maybe
with a car, sometimes, you know, a guitar’s
made on a Friday afternoon when
somebody wants to go home, or a Monday
morning when somebody’s just come in,
and maybe there’s a slight problem with it,
or whatever. Everybody gets that, but, you
know, it’s absolutely tremendous, the
quality and the build. So, if you get a
chance, have a look at them, try them, you
might just like them. I do. I use Skull
Strings, I’m endorsed by them, they are a
French company, they specialize in strings
for drop tuning guitars, although we play
in concert pitch, they do concert pitch
ones as well, of course. But they’ve got
quite a roster of people that, you know,
that buy their strings. Again, if you haven’t
heard of them, Skull, Skull Strings, they’re
fantastic. I’m also endorsed by Pick Plus,
which is an American company of
plectrums, they’re really good, they’re
designed so if you get sweaty during your
performance, you don’t drop them. So,
that’s not to say that they’re covered in
glue, but they’re very cleverly designed,
and they’re really, really good, plectrums,
really good. So, I’m really kind of lucky.
Heads wise, I use Laney Ironhearts, and I
use, do you know, I can’t think, It’s
Bagheera. They essentially make clone
guitar heads, they’re Chinese, you’re going
to sneer and say, oh, Chinese, whatever, do
you know what it is? Again, I have to say, I
absolutely love the sound, the 221 heads
I’ve got are 5150 copies, and they play
great, and do you know, if you go around
the back of the amps and you have a look,
34 32 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Northern Tygers Guitar of Pan Shows Tang
they’ve got a fault valve finding system, so
if one of your valves is on the way out, it
tells you, and it tells you which valve it is.
I mean, and you don’t have to have biased
valves. How good is all that? It’s just, oh,
it’s great, I love it. So, yeah, and I have
Laney 4x12s, live, I have a very simple
pedal board, I’ve had all, oh God, over
the years, I’ve had so many effects and
stuff like that. I remember going to see
Robin Trower at Newcastle City Hall, and
he had this amazing pedal board, you
needed a moped to get from one end to
the other, it was that big. Honestly, it was
just outrageous, and I think he used
everything, I was right down the front of
the City Hall, you know, I bought a seat
right at the front, just so I could watch
what was going on and learn, and it was
tremendous, and from that, I said to my
dad, I said, dad, can you give me a hand
to build a pedal board? He said, yeah,
sure, so we went to the wood shop, and
he said, you’ve got, that’s an awful long
piece of wood, and I said, well, it’s only
five foot long, or maybe six foot long, I
don’t know, and I built, it wasn’t as big as
Robin Trower’s, but oh my goodness, it
took two people to carry it, but I
managed to fill it with pedals, half of
which I’ve probably never used, do you
know, because I’ve never been a big
distortion or fuzz pedal person, because I
truly believe you should get your tone
from your amp, rather than from a pedal.
I’ve seen so many kids that have been
playing in bands that have opened up for
the Tygers, and they’ve got three
thousand pounds dual rectifier heads,
and imported American guitars, BCH
guitars, which have four grand, and you
know, all this incredible equipment, and
at the front of the stage, a 50 quid
distortion box, and they invariably have
come up to me and said, you’ve got a
great sound, what are you using? And I’ll
say, well, do you want me to tell you the
secret? And they’ll say, yeah, yeah, yeah,
and I’ll say, you see the, you see your
distortion pedal you’ve got at the front of
the stage, and with a great enthusiasm,
they’ll say, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll say,
unplug it and throw it away, get your tone
from your amp, that’s where your
investment is, there, get your tone from
your amp, and then you can decide if you
want to change it, but you have to, you
know, first things first, really, so yeah,
that’s currently what, gear-wise, I’ve got a
thing for three pick-up Les Pauls, thank
you Peter Frampton, you were a great,
great guitar player, I’ve always kind of
loved his work, a lot of people, don’t
realise just how talented Peter Frampton
was as a guitar player, and a blues guitar
player, if you delve into some of his stuff
on YouTube, I think you’ll be quite blown
away, he’s really, really quite good, but
I’ve always loved his black three pick-up
Les Paul, this Black Beauty custom, so
one of the first things I do when I get a
custom SC Les Paul from Harley Benton,
is I put an extra pick-up on it, and it’s not
because I use it, it’s not because I delve
into jazz, or anything like that, God
forbid, I’d love to, but I just don’t have the
chops to play, you know, crazy jazz, but I
just love the look, I just love the look of a
three pick-up Les Paul, so that’s where we
are with equipment at the moment, there
we go.
NEG: We recently reviewed your album
Bloodlines, can you tell us a little bit
about that and how it’s doing?
RW: Bloodlines was essentially written
in lockdown in between guitar players,
one guitar player left and we advertised
and Francesco Maras from Sardinia put
forward a tape for us to watch and listen
to and he got the job. So the songs which
I’d written for the next album, which
I didn’t know was going to be called
Bloodlines until it was, I sent across
to him to listen to and to add to and
embellish and you know put his thoughts
to them, which he did and sent them
back and that essentially became the
Bloodlines album with a couple of tracks
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 35 33

which Francesco offered as well, one
being Fire In The Sky and the other one
being A New Heartbeat, which became
the lead single. But it was produced
by Tew Madsen, who’s a Danish, he’s
more noted for extreme metal and that
kind of stuff, recommended to us by
the record company and Tew really got
us without having to explain kind of
our heritage and where we’re going and
how we wanted to sound. And I say that
because when all the stems, when we
finished recording and all the stems were
sent across to Tew, he obviously wasn’t
present at any of the sessions. We all
recorded separately because of the Covid
thing and we couldn’t get together and
I really liked that. I liked the fact that I
was recording in a studio with a friend of
mine on the dials, Dave Hills, I’ve known
Dave for years and it was just it was just
him and me and we did some recording
and then we had a laugh and then we did
some recording and then we had a laugh
and he really got the best performance
out of me. And then you know that
recording was sent to Francesco and he
has a studio where he lives in his house,
so he recorded his parts. It then went
to Hugh, he recorded his parts in his
studio in his house. Craig had put down
a rough drum track but then it went to
Craig and Craig did the drums. It then
went back out to Italy for Jack to sing the
vocals and then all the stems were sent
to Tew in Denmark and he worked his
magic. I was put in charge of collating
everybody’s comments when Tew sent a
mix out. So I sent it, you know, I know
Tew like a brother now. He’s just been to
one of our open-air shows, a festival that
we headlined last week in Denmark near
Copenhagen. He travels, he lives about
two hours north and he travelled down
to see us and oh my goodness, he’s just,
he’s got his finger on the dial, that’s all
I can tell you. And indeed he’s going to
produce the new album which we’re busy
writing for at the moment as we speak.
NEG: We see you’re back out on the road,
RW: We’re always on the road, but we
have four UK shows coming up in a
few weeks time. One of the shows is at
Whitley Bay Playhouse. Now I personally
haven’t played in Whitley Bay for 45 years
so although I’m really, really looking
forward to it, I’m also really bricking
it. I’m not quite sure why, I don’t know.
The last time we played Whitley Bay,
we played Mingles on the seafront in
Whitley Bay. We had a residency there in
78 and we played every Wednesday night
for almost a year. It was tremendous
absolutely and great ground establishing,
you know, where you try out new songs
and you get your shit together basically
as a band. So the Playhouse, 650 seats,
all seated, proper theatre, it’s going to
be absolutely awesome. I’m so looking
forward to it but as I say at the same time,
you know, slightly terrified. So when the,
you know, when the curtain opens and,
you know, we run on stage and start,
that will be as cool as when we run off
the stage after we’ve played the last note
and maybe if we do another interview
next year, maybe I’ll tell you exactly how
it went and how I felt. I’m sure it’s going
to be tremendous though, I really, really
am. The other shows, we start on the
Thursday November the 7th, we play the
Birdwell Club in Barnsley, then we go up
to Glasgow on Friday the 8th and we play
the Classic Ground, down to Whitley
Bay to play the Whitley Bay Playhouse
on Saturday the 9th and then Sunday
the 10th we finish up at Yardbirds in
Grimsby and then a few days later we fly
out to Marseille and we play an indoor
festival out there and that’s the last show
of the year and then it’s, we really have
to knuckle down and get these demos
finished and then start recording. I think
recording starts December / January
for us all to do our parts to get the new
album together and get it sent across to
Tew for a release later on next year, so
that’s all very exciting as well, plus of
course the shows are flooding in for next
year as well, so it’s all good, it’s all good.
NEG: What have you got coming up for
us in the future?
RW: A new album which we’re writing
and more shows, so there are shows in
the UK, there’s festivals in the UK I can
tell you and worldwide shows as well, so
check the websites, check for the shows
and hopefully we’ll see you down the
front.
NEG: Where can our readers find out
more about the Tygers of Pan Tang?
RW: Okay, we are very socially aware
and accessible, so our website www.
tygersofpantang.co.uk. We are on
Instagram, we are on TikTok I think,
I’m pretty sure we’ve just got on TikTok.
Yeah, we’re everywhere, so please come
and say hi, follow us on Instagram, we’re
on Facebook of course, I think there’s still
a little bit of room if you want to befriend
us on Facebook, that would be pretty cool
and you know, come along to the shows
and enjoy yourself and meet us after the
show. I think we’re one of the few bands
that don’t charge for this stupid meet and
greet business, which I absolutely hate
and I’m against. Why bands should ask
people to pay to see them either before
or after the show, I just don’t get. It’s
because of fantastic people and readers
like yourselves that have put the bands in
that position by buying their products.
If anything, if you want to do a meet and
greet or something special, then do it
for free, invite the fans in. but you don’t
charge people a concert ticket and then a
meet and greet ticket and it’s just not on,
it really isn’t. Anyway, rant over, ours is
free, we don’t bite and we just love talking
and meeting people, so there you go, it’s
an open invite.
https://www.tygersofpantang.co.uk
32 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Axe in Focus - Willie Nelson’s Trigger
OCTOBER COMPETITION
WIN! A 6 Hour Recording Package
(4 Hours Recording, 2 Hours Mixing)
Courtesy of White Wolf Professional Recording Studio
Open to all bands, trio’s, duo’s or solo artists
To Enter:
Simply, in no more than 50 words, tell us why you would like to
record with White Wolf.
Email your answers to editor@neguitarsmagazine.co.uk
Competition closes on 31st October 2024
Recording dates available from 1st November 2024
Unit 6, Wheatley Hill Ind Est.
Front Street,Wheatley Hill,
Co. Durham DH6 3QZ
Tel: 07531 536080
Email: john@white-wolf.studio
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 33 09

LOCAL HEROES
Hartlepool is a thriving hub for the rock music scene and at the top of the list are this month’s
Local Heroes. I have had the pleasure of knowing Odin’s Revenge for a few years so I can
speak from experience when I tell you just how good these guys are. It is a pleasure and an
honour to welcome Odin’s Revenge to NE Guitars Magazine
Endorsed By
Article by
Paul George
& Steve Armstrong
Images courtesy of
Odin’s Revenge &
headbangersball.co.uk
With 7 years of experience under
their belt Odin’s Revenge bring
the discipline of experienced
musicianship to the table. Having played
venues such as the 02 Academy in
Newcastle, they are used to delivering a high
energy experience that can be enjoyed by all
music lovers alike.
In competition they thrive under pressure,
enjoying success in a number of ‘Battle of
the Bands’ style competitions, winning over
crowds of rock and mainstream music fans
and bringing their unique fusion of melodic
rock and metal influence.
With a taste of comfortable classic rock
infused Into their original style. they bring
an old school style into a very current
sound.
So in this article, there is much to discus
about my favourite Rock band. Firstly, thier
new line up. Since the days when I first met
them, they have had a shake up with their
lead vocalist, Bass player and drummer. All
replaced for varying reasons, none of which
I can comment on, only the new line up is
now better than ever, all of which we will
meet.
Later in the article I will also be looking at
their new release and forthcoming album
but first I would like to start with a recent
Q and A session I had with Steve, the lead
guitarist and founder member of Odin’s
Revenge. I must admit the questions I had
for Steve, I already knew the answers to as
I run their website and develop their EPK
but I wanted him to tell you guys all about
themselves. So without further ado, let’s get
into it.
38 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Odins Revenge
NEG: How did Odin’s Revenge begin?
Where did the name come from?
OR: Odin’s Revenge was formed in
2016 by leader guitarist Steve, who after
leaving another band started his own.
Martin, the rhythm guitarist, said to
Steve years prior, Odin would be a good
name for a band and it evolved from
there. The Revenge was added later.
NEG: We notice that the songs you do
are your own. What are the influences
behind the music?
OR: The influences for our music come
from a range of personal experiences.
We heavily draw on our individual life
encounters and usually we start with
lyrics or guitar and build the the other
instruments in around the initial idea.
NEG: Who writes the material in the
band?
OR: In the beginning, Steve had already
written five songs that were evolved into
the songs we perform today using the
skills of the rest of the band. With our
more recent songs, Steve and Martin,
the two guitarists, write the guitar parts
and Heather writes the lyrics and vocal
melody.
NEG: Who are the members in the
band?
OR: Heather Price - Lead Vocalist:
Starting life as soprano in a choir aged
10, Heather always loved to sing and
enjoyed writing her own lyrics to existing
melodies from a young age. She was
inspired by her parents’ eclectic mix of
music in her youth; everything from Thin
Lizzy to Dusty Springfield. After falling in
love with the girl rockers of her formative
years like Shirley Manson, Courtney
Love and Brody Dalle, she began to work
on live music, singing with bands. After
a brief stint in musical theatre, Heather
spent time in various pop and rock cover
bands and an originals band that brought
a funk rock combined together with a
big vocal. Heather’s vast range of musical
influences mean she brings a wide vocal
range and a confident sound that works
alongside the killer riffs that Odin’s
Revenge are famous for.
Memorable moment: Hearing
“Absolution” for the first time. I just love
the changes of mood throughout the
song.
Steve Armstrong - Lead Guitarist:
Hailing from a household of Rock and
Roll lovers, Steve’s passion for music
began Early, at the age of 11 he was
presented with his first guitar. The pivotal
moment for His choice in music came
after hearing his first Steve Vai record and
falling in love With the art of lead guitar
playing. After a year of guitar lessons
Steve made the Decision to branch out
into the creation of original music and
began to develop the Unique style of
composition that 30 years later features
so strongly in Odin’s Revenge’s sound.
Martin Fowler - Guitarist:
Martin’s musical journey began when he
discovered Blink-182 and found a great
love For the pop-punk genre. His first
experience of playing guitar occurred
when he Picked up his father’s guitar and
began to experiment, after realising his
obvious Affinity for the instrument his
father presented him with his first guitar,
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 39

LOCAL HEROES
a Sunburst Fender Squire Bullet, at the
age of 14 after which he began teaching
himself at every opportunity.
His biggest inspirations are John
Frusciante, James Hetfield, Tom
DeLonge, Billie Joe Armstrong and
Noodle (The Offspring) and with 15 years
of guitar experience under His belt he
produces a unique fusion of all of these
influences with a healthy Injection of
originality
Musical influences include Slash, Steve
Vai, Gary Moore and Joe Satriani; the
wide Variety of styles these influences
bring to the table have created a very
versatile Musician in Steve, a skill which
allows the unique and distinctive lead
guitar riffs and Melodies to shine in the
music created by the band.
Graham Smith - Bass:
Graham joined Odin’s Revenge in
Autumn 2023 bringing with him a
lifetime of experience. Unfortunately,
most of it’s in accountancy so its not been
a great deal of use to the band!
As a teenager Graham grew up listening
what became known as the New Wave
of British Heavy Metal in the late 70’s
and early 80’s. Following Bands such
as Saxon, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden
and most significantly Motorhead who
became a massive influence on his
musical tastes. Prompted by love of
the music he decided to take up bass
and joined a couple of bands which
unfortunately never really went anywhere
and he more or less gave up playing as he
went away to University but remained in
touch with the music.
Adam Lee - Drums:
Adam has just recently joined the
band and we are still waiting his full
bio however Adam had a wealth of
experience in various local and national
bands such as Hellion Rising and Dead
Romance Club.
He now brings his unique, heavy style to
Odin’s Revenge and let me tell you... he
plays loud!
NEG: Being a Guitar magazine, we are
always interested in the bands rigs. Tell
us about yours?
OR: Steve runs a Helix Floor through
a Head rush 2000 watt monitor and the
guitar is a PRS custom 24 with super
slinkies (9s).
NEG: We see that you’re about to release
a single and Album, tell us about them?
OR: Our latest single, to be released on
4th October is called Euphoria. It’s an
ode to the misbehaviour of our youth and
it’s recounted in a fun way. The Album is
due to be released on 22nd November. It’s
called The Buried and The Broken and
features 10 songs that show a range of
Odin’s styles and influences.
NEG: What gigs have you got coming
up?
OR: There’s a local one next in NE
Volume, Stockton on October 16th. Then
we have our album launch at The Studio,
Hartlepool on 22nd November. Early
next year we have Trillian’s in Newcastle,
Night Train in Bradford, Bannerman’s in
Edinburgh and Hard Rock Hell in Great
Yarmouth to look forward to, plus further
dates to be announced.
NEG: Tell us about any future plans the
band may have?
OR: Our immediate plans are finishing
and releasing our album. We plan to tour
the UK next year and concentrate on
writing our second album with various
single releases throughout the year. We
live for the energy of live shows and can’t
wait to get out there and play to even
more people.
NEG: We understand you are now a
‘signed’ band. Tell us about that?
OR: We recently signed with a
management company, TowerRok
Management services, and they’ve been
there through thick and thin so we can’t
credit them enough. They’ve helped us
organise releasing our singles and got us
more radio play and are pivotal in getting
us gigs further afield, including festivals.
NEG: Where can our readers find out
more about Odin’s Revenge?
OR: You can find us on the following
platforms:
https://www.facebook.com/
odinsrevengeofficial
Youtube - @odinsrevenge5521
Instagram - @odins.revenge.official
https://odins-revenge.co.uk/
NEG: Thank you for speaking to NE
Guitars Magazine and good luck with the
new release and album.
Since Odin’s recent restructure, they seem
to have a new vibrancy. Not that they
40 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Odin’s Revenge
weren’t good before, but they do seem to
have suddenly grown massively and are
now up there with the best of them. And
I say this out of honesty, not because I
know them. I think their latest release
‘Euphoria’ has confirmed that and I’ve
only heard a short clip of it. The actual
release is 4th October which, as one of
our endorsed bands, we will be plastering
all over the place. All I can say is look out
for it. But in the mean time, listen to the
teaser on their facebook page.
However the single release is just a taste
of what’s to come on their new album
‘The Buried and the Broken’ which we
are awaiting the release date, hopefully
towards the end of this year so I have
heard through the local jungle drums.
All I can say is, check out their links to
find out where they are playing and get
along and see them. You won’t regret it.
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 41

Introducing
REVIEW
‘DG’ FUZZ PEDAL
NE Guitars are very excited and
proud to be reviewing another
amazing pedal from Flattley
Pedals. They have become our goto
experts for first class guitar effect
pedals for serious players.
This month we take a look at their
latest addition to their Platinum
Collection, the DG Fuzz Pedal.
Review by Daniel Mayes
Images courtesy of
Flattley Boutique Effect Pedals.
Ever wanted a Fuzz but don’t
know where to start? Ever
wanted to replicate tones for
your favourite songs but don’t want
masses of pedals specific for each
one?
The Flattley DG Fuzz is for you!
I’ve been given the great opportunity
to have a play with this pedal by the
guys over at Flattley, and let me tell
you, what an eye opener it’s been!
On my setup, I’ve normally got the
standards for a pedal board. Tuner,
Wah, some distortion or overdrive
and then my modulation. Always
wanting a Fuzz to fit into the mix but
never found the right one. When I
tell you this is now one of my main
stays for the setup… that means
something!
Being part of Flattley’s ‘’Platinum’’
Range, there’s a certain standard to
be expected in not only the tonal
qualities, but the build and packaging
quality too! In my opinion, they do
not disappoint! Straight out the box
you are greeted with this sparkling,
intricate design of sugar skulls
seemingly inspired by The Grateful
Dead. Hidden under the pedal you’ve
got the instructions, and a goodie
bag filled with Flattley stickers and a
plectrum engraved with the Flattleys
skull design.
Utilising their superior process to get
a hard wearing, solid finish, I’ve been
stamping on this stomp box for weeks
every day and not a blemish in sight.
Their triple lacquered finish keeps
their signature ‘’Flattley Sparkle’’
alive, allowing for this to always
be a thing of beauty on the board.
And their chosen method of power
lighting being around the button
is sublime! Even though it’s truly a
workhorse on the board, it doesn’t
hurt for it to look the part as well!
But enough about the aesthetics, on
to the good stuff!
42 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Flattley Pedals - ‘DG’ Fuzz Pedal
As guitarists we all chop and change
gear, sub things in and out for the
new thing or the gear you’ve played
at your mates house, that’s’ the beauty
of pedalboards, right? And just like
your pedal board, this fuzz does
everything! Need a thin tone, just dial
the Grunt knob down and the Fuzz
knob up. Want a big creamy tone, roll
it back up and knock the Fuzz down.
I’ve even used it as a signal boost! The
applications of this pedal are endless
as far as fuzz goes, it’s definitely an
extremley versatile piece of kit!
I went to Pauls to collect this and
we couldn’t resist plugging it in! We
were running it through a clean amp,
extremely rare in my house being a
Rock and Metal guitarist but not for
Paul.
Everything was set to 12 O’clock,
and it sounded GREAT! As I began
to play I would tweak the settings,
shocked at how much just a slight
turn would totally alter the tonal
qualities of this pedal. Eventually I
did what I had to and ran it flat out.
Everything to 11 and just wailed on
it, riffing Black Sabbath, Hendrix,
Cream and noodling in between.
Slightly changing the tone knob to
allow for more attack and more of a
mellow laid back fuzz. What really
impressed me was the dynamics this
pedal allows you to play with, dig
in and you can really drive it, but
play softly and it almost mimics a
tube amp, cleaning up and sounding
bright with just a touch of crunch
to allow for some real nice rhythm
playing.
After getting this home I did my
usual thing, set up my guitar
and board ready to go, and then
proceeded to see what made this
pedal tick. Opening it up is easy,
having 4 countersunk screws on
the back and then removing the
backplate is all there is to it! Inside
you find a very neat and perfectly
mounted PCB with the Flattley
logo etched on (nice touch guys).
You can then access all the different
components if so desired however I
didn’t get that far as I did still want
to keep this a mystery as to how they
get this to sound this good! This does
bring me to the singular fault I found
in this great piece of kit, there isn’t
an option to run this on a battery!
However I do understand that having
this quality of gear, you’d be expected
to have a pretty decent power supply
to run it on!
I then continued my testing,
reassembled the pedal and kranked
the amp and jammed out, pushing
the fuzz through an already dirty
amp really opened up its possibilities,
driving the valves and pushing them
past the point of an already pretty
gainey breakup, this fuzz helped
tighten up the mids and allow for
some really nice lead tones, stacked
with my usual wah, delay, and
modulation, the DG coped with
everything I threw at it!
Overall, the Flattley DG Fuzz has
to be the best fuzz I’ve ever played
through my guitar rig, handling
different effects with ease and
allowing me to play whatever I need
without too much adjustment. She
now sits firmly on my pedalboard
ready for the next show!
Look out for more reviews on Flattley
pedals in our future issues. We may
be looking at the Delay pedal next
whick is exciting Paul being the
crusty old ‘Surf ’ guitarist he is. In the
meantime, check out their range on
their website:
https://flattleyguitarpedals.com
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 43

40 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

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www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 43

documentary about Brian.
So why did you also create a website?
Recently, I was sent this cracking interview from VainGlorious’s
Jimmy McKenna. So I gave it a read and thought that this was
just the kind of thing that would go down well here at NE Guitars
Magazine. So, like me, take a read and see what you think.
https://vaingloriousuk.com/
How did VainGloriousUK come about?
In the early 70’s Hartlepool friends Dave
Emerson and Peter ‘Dock’ Oliver bought
a VW Caravette and had several
European adventures. Also each weekend
theywould fill the caravette with their
friends and go all round the North East
to seetouring groups and many local
groups. They became aware that no
matter how good the local groups were
they never seemed to achieve the success
that their music deserved. By the 80’s one
of the gang, Dave Emo had purchased
a video camera and started making
recordings of local gigs.
Years later came YouTube and Dave
realised that some of the bits of videos he
had might be worth sharing. So the
VainGloriousUK Youtube Channel was
created, and we began seeking out,
tidying up and uploading historic (and
sometimes hysterical) video footage of
music associated with the North East.
Meanwhile since the early 70’s there had
been local TV shows such as ‘The
Geordie Scene’, ‘Alright Now’ and ‘Come
In If You Can Get in’, which presented
local groups. Many of these shows still
exist in TV archives and bit by bit some
interesting videos fell into our lap. The
VainGloriousUK channel currently has
170 videos uploaded and its playlists also
link to other interesting videos from
other sources.
One of our sources for some of the early
70’s TV was the late Ian Penman. Ian
had undertaken lots of work for Tyne
Tees Television and, lucky for us, he
kept a personal copy of many of the
things he was involved in. It took a bit
of arm twisting but eventually Ian let us
use some of them. One of these was the
appearance by Brian Johnson’s first group
Geordie on The Geordie Scene. Recently
we learned that our copy appears to the
only one still in existence, when were
contacted reusing it for a forthcoming
In researching all these groups we
realised that there was a hidden treasure
trove of recorded music of all different
kinds that was no longer available for
anyone to hear. So we created the website
as a companion to the youtube channel to
enable us tell the stories of the different
groups and artists themselves, provide
direct links to their specific videos, and,
most importantly, provide examples of
their music to listen to with even the
opportunity for this to be purchased.
This meant much more research, tracking
down and badgering of the musicians
concerned. And this is where our English
language becomes suspect. We chose the
name VainGloriousUK because all these
groups and musicians went for glory but
ultimately it was in vain. However we
discovered later that the dictionary
definition of vainglorious means
someone who is boastful, which is not
want we mean at all! (we should have
paid more attention in our English
lessons). Of course being mostly
Hartlepool based we were well aware of
people such as The White Negroes (who
were immense in Hartlepool in the early
90’s), Jimmy McKenna, and Wendells
Parlour. Chas Groovy saw many groups
play The Lion Social club in Hartlepool
in the early 70’s (before it was raided
and subsequently burned down!). The
Mynd made a big impression in that they
were the first local group he had seen
who performed their own songs, three
of which always stuck in his memory.
The Mynd became top of the hit list to
trace and eventually we made contact
with their former keyboard player Billy
Surgeoner and persuaded him to put The
Mynd music on to VainGloriousUK.
Bit by bit that is how it has worked, we
learn about an interesting artist, do a bit
of homework and sometimes it works
out nicely. An example being when we
noticed a song by the early 70’s Newcastle
glam/folk group Sandgate posted on a
North East Facebook group. This pricked
up our ears and eventually we were
able to add them to VainGloriousUK,
including their appearance on the
Geordie Scene. With Sandgate however
there is a great omission. Sandgate
comprised of two main line-ups, the
first was formed and led by songwriter
Fred Wheatley and they made some
recordings. Then when Fred left the
46 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

group the remaining chaps made
further recordings which are the ones we
have. We would love to locate Fred
Wheatley and get our hands on the early
Sandgate recordings.
So are you only interested in old
recordings?
Due to our team being of errrrr mature
years it is obvious that we are more
knowledgeable and have an affinity to
older music. To our ears the older
recordings seem to evoke the time in
which they were made, in that you can
hear that the musicians are all in the
same room performing together. With
modern recordings you are very aware
that a lot of it is done with machines and
it’s hard to be sure exactly what it is you
are hearing. Current young musicians
are also likely to have other outlets for
their creativity. Having said that, if we
do encounter young musicians who are
making interesting music and who are
amassing a body work, then we would be
happy for them to join us. And of course,
a good song is a good song is a good
song.
So why is VainGloriousUK doing this?
For the glory of course! Our view is that
there has been some amazing music
created in the North East which has never
received the acclaim and recognition
that it has deserved. Despite the digital
revolution the majority of ‘successful’
music is still routed via the mainstream
record companies and there is always an
emphasis on musicians from the
southern end of the country.
What makes VainGloriousUK.com
different from the likes of CD Baby and
Soundcloud?
These are businesses and anyone who has
made any sort of recording, on their
phone, whilst in the bath, can set
themselves up as an artist with them e.g.
CD Baby currently has 2 million user
artists and Soundcloud claims to have
140 million user artists and Spotify
currently has 11 million artists. All
of these charge a percentage for their
services whereas with VainGloriousUK
100% of any income goes directly to our
artists. What we are doing is focusing on
a particular geographical area which we
passionately believe has been a hot bed of
great music. AND we are doing it for
the fun (and the odd pat on the back).
How do musicians react when you
approach them?
This varies, most are flattered that we care
so much about their music, some are a
bit wary about how their historical
musical legacy may now be viewed i.e.
what you thought was important when
you are 16 is not the same when you are
56!
Are there any musicians that you have
not be able to track down?
We keep thinking of new ones all of the
time (and we are open to ideas). We
would love to find the performance on
TTTV’s Northern Life programme
from early 1977 by Newcastle group Last
Exit singing ‘Don’t Give Up Your
Day Time Job’ (whose lead singer went
on to have a successful career). Also
there are some groups whose music is
unavailable due to interpersonal
difficulties or because of post group
domestic priorities! It is also surprising
that some musicians do not manage
to hang on to decent copies of their
recordings. In some cases we have had
do some reconstruction and remastering
from cassettes. Fortunately we have the
software that that can do a good job
of this. Even the group Sandgate who
had two albums worth of really good
recordings noticed that our efforts
had improved them sonically. Verba
Verba/Boxing the Compass (really good
energetic early 80’s synth pop with edge)
one of the key members wishes to put his
youthful nonsense behind him and does
not want it to be aired (music and video)
The Prescriptions LP Psychedelicattessen
album has been in the ‘must remaster
it for a digital release’ several years and
we are still waiting, though we remain
hopeful. SPYDA who have a full album
of 1971 really good, well recorded and
performed music (sounding like The
Beatles meet YES) but none of their
members seem keen. One of our team
is Ian Gustard from Peterlee and he
has a copy of the 1971 L.P. (of 99 only
copies pressed) by the Teesside group
CYCLE (melodic Black Sabbathish).
We cleaned up his copy and became
really excited, only to discover that a real
Record Company had beaten us to it.
Their album can be found on Rise Above
Records as vinyl and CD (though we are
hopeful to do something jointly
Vain Glorious
Locally...
with them soon). Partly as a result of
our pestering regarding making the
music of mid 70’s group FOGG available
again their original record company has
re-released their original album plus a
second album of their singles. Similarly
songwriter Steve Thompson had put a
load of his stuff on VainGloriosuUK, then
Cherry Red Records decided they want
to start releasing it, so now we have links
to where it can be obtained.
VainGloriousUK
Vital Statistics: 60 Artist albums (729
songs)
AND………..Spend One English Penny
This section contains compilation albums
of North East music (including three
which we have put together) and there is
some marvellous music in them. AND
they can be obtained for a penny at time!
(we are saving up to buy a pint of
Guinness). At present we have 21
compilations (312 songs), and our latest
one even includes a song performed by a
successful pop star from the late 70’s.
AND…AND……..Read a Bloody Book
This new section contains information on
books (including kindle) which are
related to North East music, with links to
where they can be obtained. This section
allows the rather famous authors to rub
shoulders with lesser mortals. As this is a
new section there are bound to be a
lot of omissions so we welcome ideas.
VainGloriousUK Facebook. To help
promote the music and videos we have a
Facebook Page.
So What is Next?
We are always on the lookout for
interesting artists with a body of
recordings. Meanwhile we are open
to ideas for future video uploads so if
anyone has an interesting video then we
would love to hear from them via
info@vaingloriousuk.com
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 47

Willie
Dowling
The 21st
Century
Renaissance
Man
Article By
Alan Bambrough
Conquest Music
Images Courtesy of
Conquest Music
Willie Dowling likes to describe his life
as a series of failures, each slightly less
spectacular than the last.
Willie is a multi-instrumentalist, singer,
composer and producer for his own
bands, as well as for other artists and has
also spent years composing music and
songs for film and television.
A musical director and session musician
of high regard, Willie has toured
extensively and recorded with artists as
diverse as Midge Ure, Shane MacGowan,
Sinead O’Connor, Dr Hook, The
Wildhearts, Hot Chocolate, Andy Taylor
and the Quireboysamongst others.
Willie has fronted, written and produced
albums for his previous bands, had Top
40 hit singles, appeared on Top of The
Pops and TFI Friday and performed on
the major festival stages in the UK and
Worldwide. He was the founder member
of influential rockers The Grip, mid
1990’s ‘quick-flash and gone’ Honeycrack,
followed by SugarPlumFairies, Jackdaw4
and The Dowling Poole.
In addition to band/artist production
and touring work, Willie Dowling is
a renowned composer for film and
television in a wide variety of styles and
genres.
He wrote songs and underscore for the
return of the legendary satirical puppet
show ‘Spitting Image’, and over the years
has worked on many other TV shows
and films for such luminaries as Steve
Coogan, Rob Brydon, Stephen Fry,
Rik Mayall, Lenny Henry, Alexander
Armstrong, Ben Miller, Vic Reeves, Bob
Mortimer, and many more.
Willie Dowling has written a musical that
performed in London’s West End.
As a key participant in the Tony Hawks
best seller ‘One Hit Wonderland’,
Willie produced and recorded with
such nobility as Sir Tim Rice & the
late Sir Norman Wisdom. The result of
this strange cocktail was a chart hit in
Albania!
Recently he composed a critically
acclaimed album of classical music
inspired by memories of his upbringing
in the North East of England –
“Reflections On Northumbria”.
Living in rural France now, Willie and his
wife live a life of near agricultural selfsufficiency.
Willie is as happy harvesting a
crop of Aztec Broccoli with his pets at his
ankles, as ever he could be hogging the
stage at Wembley Stadium.
48 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Willie Dowling
Raised in Northumberland, despite
not being old enough to order a pint,
Willie honed his piano playing and other
performance skills in the restaurants and
plush hotels of Newcastle, before taking
a National Express Coach on the day of
his last A-level examto pursue his career
in London.
His first band venture in London was
to join the seminal punk rock outfit
Chelseaon lead guitar, a band which
launched the careers of Billy Idol
(Generation X) and Tony James (Sigue
Sigue Sputnik and Sisters of Mercy).
Before long, Willie formed his own
band The Grip and very soon they were
headlining legendary venues such as The
Marquee. Their powerful performances,
catchy songs with intelligent lyrics had
the music press championing them as
the next big thing.
Despite the inevitable dreams of
stardom, Willie was smart enough
to have a side hustle of writing and
recording music for adverts to bring
home the dough. More often than not it
would be with Andre Jacquemin, long
time collaborator with the Monty Python
team, and also the man who taught
Willie his way around a recording studio.
Perhaps the reason why he is not a
household name, Willie Dowling’s
music has always been a difficult one
to pigeonhole. Largely because of the
diversity of ideas, styles and influences
he brings to bear on his work. Combined
with challenging and thought-provoking
lyrical themes that could paint Willie as
a protest singer, he has often operated on
the fringes of the genre specific radio and
press juggernauts.
In what seems like a musical journey that
has taken him almost full circle, Willie’s
new album The Simpleton is released
autumn 2024, and is an album of piano
driven songs.
“It’s something of a departure from the
intricate, multi-layered productions of
the albums that I’ve made for the past
couple of decades”, says Willie.
“When I was just a kid - in fact from the
age of 15 to 21 - I used to play piano and
sing in hotels and restaurants, initially in
Newcastle where I grew up, and then in
London when I moved there, aged 18. I’d
play everything from cheesy standards
to Tom Waits and Billy Joel, largely as
background noise to wealthy people
sucking up soup. I came to hate it, and for
the sake of my sanity I quit aged 21 and
started The Grip, and there began a long
history of bands I lead,all doomed to end
up in the folder marked ‘Noble efforts
who also ran’”
”During lockdown I found myself
wondering whether I could still write a
stripped down, piano-driven song as I’d
used to do all those years ago, and I wrote
the song The Simpleton.To my surprise,
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 49

I found I enjoyed the experience so much, I ended up writing
an album of piano songs, with enough left over for a huge
puddingshould I fancy a wee bit more.”
So why the gloomy outlook you might ask? The Simpleton
seems to be going down well, and just in this last year
you’ve toured supporting Hillbilly Vegas, Quireboys and the
remarkable Cats in Space,surely things are looking up?
“Well, there’s that old trope about life, regarding whether one
views their cup as half full or half empty.
I tend to take the view that it’s likely someone else’s cup and
I’m probably not even allowed to drink from it. I accept that
this may be evidence of the misanthrope and that it may not be
entirely healthy.
But then expecting the worst means one is rarely disappointed,
and anyway, it likely makes for a more memorable quote...”
Witnessing Willie Dowling perform live is far more than just
watching a sequence of great songs played well. His selfdeprecating
and acerbic wit that precedes each song is as funny
as many of the comedy greats that he has worked with. You can
see Willie Dowling perform The Simpleton on tour as special
guest to Cats In Space:
October
2nd Southampton, The Brook
4th Paignton, Palace Theatre
10th Stockport, The Forum Theatre
50 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Willie Dowling
15th Southend-on-Sea, Palace Thtr
16th Bracknell, South Hill Park Arts Centre & Wilde
Theatre
17th Stroud, Subscription Rooms
23rd Cambridge, Cambridge Junction
24th Hexham, Queens Hall Arts Centre
25th Bathgate, Reconnect Regal Theatre
26th Wakefield, Venue23
December
11th Milton Keynes, The Stables
12th Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill
13th Newport, Newbridge Memo
15th London, Islington Assembly Hall
Spring 2025 will see the retail release of The Simpleton, backed
by headline shows around the UK. If there is such a thing as a
21st Century Renaissance Man, then it must be Willie Dowling.
Independent of thought and actions, he is a thinker, composer,
poet, musician, comedian, gardener… A Man For All Seasons.
You can hear tracks from The Simpleton on Willie’s YouTube
page www.youtube.com/@WillieDowlingMusic and keep up
with live shows and other information at www.williedowling.
com Pre-orders for his Bandcamp release of The Simpleton
openon the 1st of October. The album will be available on CD
and as digital download from the 1st November. You can hear
tracks from The Simpleton on Willie’s YouTube page www.
youtube.com/@WillieDowlingMusic and keep up with live
shows and other information at www.williedowling.com
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 51

52 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Mickey Jupp
Mickey Jupp
The Greatest Songwriter
You’ve Never Heard
Article by
Alan Bambrough
Conquest Music
If you have beenbrave enough to take
on the challenge of driving westbound
on England’s steepest road, Hardknott
Pass, then as the elevation and blood
pressure gradually drops to safer levels,
you will find yourself in the tiny village
of Boot.
It’s advisable to pop into The Boot Inn
for a wee something to settle the nerves
and with luck,you might just catch the
sight of an old man, quietly sipping on
his pint of Dizzy Blonde.
This could be Mickey Jupp, the greatest
British songwriter that you’ve never
heard.
Born in Sussex during the last months
of World War Two, Mickey Jupp started
his musical journey in the early 60’s
around Southend-On-Sea and was a
hugely influential figure in the UK R&B
and Pub Rock scene in the 70’s. His UK
R&B outfit, Legend, recorded albums
for Bell Records & Vertigo, including
the famous Red Boot album, which
inspired future legends such as Paul
Weller, Dr Feelgood, Nick Lowe, the
Kursaal Flyers and arguably the whole
pub rock movement.
Legend split up in 1972, just a handful
of months before the pub rock scene
really gained momentum in the
London venues and music media.
This same pub rock scene that was
the incubator for the punk movement
that was to explode into being in
1976, nurturing musicians such as Joe
Strummer and Ian Dury.
As Jupp is occasionally heard to mutter,
“That’s the story of my life”.
Ever the reluctant pop star, Mickey
Jupp then spent a few happy years
well away from the world of music,
contentedly working in a builders’
merchant, before being persuaded to
form a band again by Lee Brilleaux, of
the then hugely successful Dr Feelgood.
A solo career followed for Mickey,
with albums released on big record
companies such as A&M, Chrysalis
and Stiff, as label after label tried to
introduce Mickey Jupp’s incredible
ability as a songwriter and singer to
the masses. Sales success never really
materialised, despite working with
premier league producers such as
Nick Lowe, Mike Vernon (Fleetwood
Mac), Godley & Crème (10CC), Tony
Visconti (David Bowie) and Francis
Rossi (Status Quo). Critically acclaimed
albums were released, but with little
chart impact.
“A star who, for some reason known
only to God and the fates, has been
passed over while lesser men achieve
fame”NME
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 53

Despite being described by the iconic
guitarist and some time executioner in
Game of Thrones, the late, greatWilko
Johnson as “… the best white singer I’ve
ever heard”, it is as a songwriter that
Mickey has found greater success.
Over the years, Mickey Jupp songs
have been hits when recorded by
artists ranging from Dr Feelgood, Elkie
Brooks, Ricky Nelson, The Judds, Gary
Brooker, Chris Farlowe, Dave Edmunds
and Nick Lowe.
In 1983, his brother offered Mickey
the chance to live in a little cottage
in Eskdale. In their youth, the Jupp
brothers had spent many a happy
holiday staying with their grandmother
in the lake District, so he moved to
Boot, and never looked back. At that
time, in the music industry, you were
supposed to ‘stay close to London’
to maintain a career, but once more,
Mickey Juppturned his back on showbusiness.
Nestled in the beautiful valley of
Eskdale, Boot has less than 20
permanent residents and is the perfect
place for a man who has never actually
wanted to be famous.
“All I’ve ever really wanted to do is
write songs” says MickeyJupp.
So for a few years he ran his little
art gallery in Boot, selling his own
sketches and paintings, along with
the customary tourist bric-a-brac,
but all the while was still writing and
recording his songs using primitive
equipment at home.
Over the decades, this has resulted in
Mickey amassing well over 500 new
songs at his cottage in the Lake District.
The vintage equipment did not stop
him in crafting exquisite recordings
that showcase his stunningly soulful
vocals, subtle guitar work and tasteful
piano playing. His razor sharp wit and
cunning wordplay is evident in each,
perfectly pitched line.
To raise much needed funds, from time
to time, Jupp would compile some of
these recordings and burn them onto
CDRs for sale to his facebook fans. He
called them his Favourites series.
It was these humble,home madereleases
that came to the attention of a little
independent record label who felt these
recordings and songs were far too good
to be restricted to a small corner of the
Lake District.
Long time admirers of MickeyJupp,
Conquest Music had been trying to
persuade him for years to let them
make this treasure trove of amazing
songs available to the wider world.
Mickey finally relented and assigned
54 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Mickey Jupp
this treasure trove of recordings to
Conquest Music for a ‘proper’ release,
but only on condition that there will
be little promotion, no touring and no
appearances on TV. Not even ‘Later…
With Jools Holland’(who might well
cast an appreciative eye at Mickey’s deft
Boogie Woogie piano licks).
Jupp admits, “The money was useful,
but the most important thing was to
find a good home for the songs.”
Up Snakes, Down Ladders, released
August 2022,wasthefirst new studio
album from Mickey Juppin nearly
four decades, and kicked off of a series
of lovingly remastered and curated
collections of his home recordings
called The Boot Legacy.
Hallelujah To Amen came out in
September 2023 as the second album
in The Boot Legacy series and delivered
the Heritage Chart Number 1, Stuck
Behind a Maserati. The title track,
Hallelujah to Amen is destined to be
the ultimate song of commitment at
weddings of the future.
Scheduled for release in December
2024, Times Like These is the third
incredible collection from the Mickey
Jupp archive of unreleased gems.
From the opening track, God and
Johnny Walker through to the closer of
this 16 song set, Wrong Food, Mickey’s
razor sharp pen and soulful tones tell of
heartbreak and loss, life’s journey, the
trials of a musician, right through to
the rock and roll panacea ‘a little shot
of what the doctor’s got’.
Rock and roll, blues, country ballads,
rhythm and blues and sweet, sweet
soul…
Times Like These is another collection
of great songs from Mickey Jupp.
“Not a wasted word nor a pointless
chord. Mickey Jupp is a total original.”
– 9/10 Classic Rock.
His soulful voice, even at 80 years old,
is sweeter than it ever was, and his
song-writing skill, like that of only the
finest of wines, just gets better over the
years.
So back in that quiet corner of The
Boot Inn sits the cult songwriter,
Guv’nor of the Southend Scene and
Godfather of Pub Rock, Mickey Jupp.
Maybe he is overhearing a word or
phrase that he might craft into another
lyrical gem. Perhaps working on
that elusive third verse, or is he just
thinking about his beloved Shrimpers,
Southend United? The man who never
wanted to be famous, here in the Lake
District, has found something close to
contentment.
Looking out of the window he muses,
“look at the beautiful hills. After 40
years I still think - wow, I live here.”
Up Snakes, Down Ladders and
Hallelujah to Amen are available now
on CD, LP and Digital services via
Conquest Music.
Volume 3 ofThe Boot Legacy series,
“Times Like These” is released
December 2024.
www.conquestmusic.co.uk
Alan Bambrough
www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 55

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