Diane caught up with West Midlands rockers WAKING THE ANGELS to learn a bit more about the band , what’s coming up and some insights to life on the road and off it .
Hi guys, thank you for taking time out to answer a few questions. There’s a lot happening in the WAKING THE ANGELS camp at the moment, so this is a good time to reveal all !
Q Waking The Angels , let’s start with, how did you come up with that title for your band ?
Greg D. – The name just popped into my head one day and it stuck. You can imagine that we came up with lots of names when naming the band and lots of them were pretty naff. I hope you think Waking The Angels isn’t !
Q How long have you been together and do you share any previous collaborations ?
Paul – I’ve known Greg for around 10 years. We first met at Iconic Eye’s first ever gig in Stafford.
A few months later he asked me if I would be interested in being the band’s tour manager, which I did as I enjoyed the logistic side of things. While carrying out Tour manager duties, I met our Drummer Rozzy. Greg D. managed New Device (Rozzy is their drummer too!) and I took over the tour managing side for them for a while.
A few years later Greg D. introduced me to Mike as they were interested in putting a band together. They knew I could play 6 string guitar, but wanted a Bass player so I was given the opportunity to take up the bass and form the band.
Mike – The band has been together for 4 years, just before Covid was when we had the idea to start doing something together.
Q Did you all start off in bands from an early age ? / When did you first pick up an instrument/mic and who influenced you to become a musician ?
Paul – I’ve never been in a band previously, but have played bit parts in bands making cameo appearances every now and again. My father bought me a guitar for my 16th birthday and immediately I found myself picking it up and trying to work out how to play it. I eventually worked it out and gradually improved by learning from ear. Huge advances were made when eventually on line videos were readily available on YouTube. U.F.O were a big influence as were bands from the USA, such as REO Speedwagon and Journey. I have quite an eclectic taste and listen to anything from Duran Duran to Keith Urban.
Mike – When I was 18 years old a mate was looking for a singer for his band who’s old singer had left. I jokingly said I could sing. As it happened, a shock to me as well I could ! Influences are Sean Harris (Diamond Head ), Jon Deverell (Tygers of Pan Tang), Coverdale / Hughes and Dio, they were all my early hero’s. Later I followed Layne Staley and Chester Bennington. Actually, I don’t play any instrument probably due to being a bit lazy !
Greg D. – I started playing guitar at around 16. My first band was called Obadiah Smith ! Interesting name ! I took up keys at 23. I fancied emulating Neil Carter in Gary Moore’s Band and played both on stage for a while. Early influences were Jimmy Page, Angus Young, Blackmore and Iommi, nowadays, Tremonti really gets my ears.
Q I love the way WTA get under your skin, with those demanding riffs and intense lyrics, who has the last say on how the tracks unfold ?
Paul – We all have an equal say and our individual styles and influences, I think come through in the songs.
Mike – Thank you, hopefully under your skin in a good way. ( Diane – Yes, in a good way !)
The songs tend to come quite naturally. Greg D. or Paul will come with a riff and an idea, I will then try to put some lyrics to them and always look to put a story or a meaning to the lyrics. I’ve always been interested in the storytelling of the great bands and love abstract lyrics. It takes a while for the final words to emerge as they age and you get more comfortable with the songs.
Greg D. – I really want this to be a band thing, so everyone is encouraged to be involved. Once the component parts exist, I take on production lead and Sheena at Madhat, plays in her views to finalise the structure of the songs.
Q You have been dropping singles to pave the way for the new album , ‘We Are’ on a regular basis, do you think this kind of promotion is the way forward, as most bands only let one or two go public in advance ?
Greg D – This was my strategy from the start. I manage a few bands now and I’m using it for these too. Take a look at The Hot One Two ! The point is, a new band has no fans. When you release a single you pick up a few fans and a very little amount of income from the single. So if you release an album after say two singles, then you have a few fans and little income. So really you’re releasing it to no-one. By releasing 5 or 6 singles you are getting many more fans who might be interested in buying your album. For new / developing bands I really think it’s the way forward.
Paul – I think it keeps our audience in touch and in the present and provides a deeper insight into our band and music. I’m convinced that if our audience like what they’ve heard so far they will definitely like what’s on the album we’ve kind of saved the best till last.
Mike – With social media it seems that there is a constant need for more regular interactions, so I suppose that’s the thinking behind the flow of singles. Who knows what the right process is. We can’t wait for people to hear the whole album as there are songs on the album that I think could have been a single and I think that’s the same for all of us. But we chose the singles based on the most democratic way possible, we all scored the songs and the best overall scores got put forward for singles.
‘Can You See Me Now ? Was the first single released from the forthcoming album ‘We Are !’ This video was filmed and produced by Jay Shredder.
Q ‘We Are’ is set to be released in December, are we going to see a tour to promote it in 2024 ?
Greg D. – Yes, absolutely. We will announce some more shows soon. We have a number of dates in the calendar for 2024 and are looking to add more and to a wider geographical base.
Q You have played some major festivals and gigs already but where is the ultimate venue or stage you want to be on ?
Paul – For me it would be one of the big major festivals like Download. We would really like to play in Europe next year and would love to play festivals like Sweden Rocks or Graspop.
Mike – For me it has to be Castle Donington as it was my first big festival in 1984 as a 16 year old, wet behind the ears rocker. Few whiskers on my top lip, smelling of patchouli oil, leather jacket, blue jeans, standard stuff. I still go to this day the place has a magic aura for me, so yes Download Festival main stage of course.
Greg D. – I’m lucky enough to have played Download in 2015, so for me it’s about playing new stages to new audiences and getting that magical moment when you see people in the crowd singing your words back to you !
Greg ‘Rozzy’ Ison – Mine’s to play abroad. I’m in Qatar at the moment playing, hence not been able to play into this interview, but I’ll be on the next !
Q It’s cool to see Jordan Evans ( Florence Black) designing your artwork, how did you get him on board ?
Mike – Ah Jordan we begged him. Greg D. had heard that he did artwork so I was tasked with contacting Jordan and running through some ideas we had. He then weaved his magic to give us what I believe will be the best looking CD Album of 2023. Have to say such an easy guy to work with, a very talented man and we all love Florence Black, so it’s cool to have him do our artwork. We are honoured.
Q You use M2 ( Madhat) studios to record and produce your work, what do you particularly like about them ?
Mike – There’s an old school feel to the studio and both Mark and Sheena are just great to work with. As a fledgling singer I felt comfortable with them. Their advice was great. “Try this”, was a regular call into the booth. Except for the re-recorded version of Chris Cornell’s ‘You know my name’, sang it once, Sheena was – “yep ok.” I came out worried it was a non starter, but Sheena said ‘oh no you nailed it first time’. I think they gave me the boost I needed.
Q Greg in particular, how do you find time to play in two bands, manage about five, promote events with Angels & Demons and hold down a day job ? You must have a strong team behind you?
Greg D. – 😊 Mike thinks I’m a workaholic but I just enjoy what I do. I work part-time in the day job now through choice to give me the capacity to do this. There is more to come though ! From 2024, I’ll be launching TowerRok Festivals. To help me do this, my wife, Adele will be helping me manage the festivals and I have a loving cat , ‘Mylo’, who is in charge of my stress relief !
Q What do you Guys do to relax, any interesting hobbies ?
Greg D. – This is what I do to relax 😊
Paul – Myself and my partner really like Camper Van life and we own a V.W Motorhome. We both love attending Festivals and getting away from the hustle in the motorhome.
Mike – My family are number 1 the reason I stepped away from bands for 30 years. Music has always been a huge release in my life, so bands, bands and more bands. I have 2 bikes as well so getting out there and getting that freedom is huge release. Boxing and trying to keep fit enough to jump around at gigs. I reckon in my 20/30’s I was Olympic standard at bouncing around down the front in mosh pits, sadly the knees are not what they once was.
Q Are there any rituals or good luck charms before you go on stage ?
Mike – No good luck charms, but I take myself away and be quiet for about 20 mins before a show ,if I have time I go to the toilet!!!
Q Who’s the joker in the band , what’s the maddest thing you’ve done on the road ? Or what’s the worst/most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you when playing or travelling to a gig ?
Mike – The Joker, it’s probably me as I was always the school joker probably a defence mechanism at first, but I like to make people laugh and be happy, a smile costs nothing. I would love to have an Ozzy type story from the road but hold the front page, maybe there’s one to come in the future.
I would also like to thank Greg for asking me to collaborate on what we have made with ‘We Are’ something to be proud of and thank you Diane for taking the time to ask us these questions and shining a light to our band and music.
Greg – Maddest thing? Nothing yet with this band. But, Paul led on Tour Management for Iconic Eye on a Scandinavian Tour with Magnum. Oh my god ! We called the coach the death bus! Only one driver so not very safe, he fell asleep ! Minus 18 and he drove the coach into a building. The beds were just planks of MDF cable tied to a pole. The loo was a bucket with pipe lagging added around the top for the ladies. The driver’s tools were loose and flying around as we drove. Paul’s still mortified!
Diane – Oh my, I’m glad I wasn’t on that tour bus, but I did go on one with a band for a trip to Bradford, it was for a Battle of the Bands. The driver had a wooden leg, he lost the guitarist for a while when he got off to take a pee and we left the bass player at the Motorway services on the way home. But they won the contest that night !
WAKING THE ANGELS ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY IS ON SATURDAY JANUARY 27TH 2024 – AT THE STATION CANNOCK – TICKET LINK – HERE
Get involved with the Kickstarter Campaign for the new album ‘WE ARE’ HERE
PHOTO CREDIT – BILLIBEE CREATIVE STUDIO
