Page 14 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine - Issue 100

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things have changed since we were all grow- and me and the boys, we were all scratching I’ve noticed is when a band has a hit it’s not
ing up as kids. Shops and venues are shut- our heads because we were brought up that until they are three or four albums down the
ting and are all boarded up so it’s all you’ve got to give the punters their money’s road that people go through the back cata-
experiences and stuff. worth. But the label had their way and in logue and discover that hit, so who knows,
“‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Ain’t Dead’: You don’t hindsight they were right. maybe in three or five years people will pick
hear as much rock music or metal on the “There were a lot of people who had al- up ‘Murder And The Motive’ and find our mu-
radio anymore unless you go and look for it ready bought the first album so it had to be sical mark!
or listen to specific radio stations. It’s not on different second time around just so people “But once you write a song, it’s there.
the mainstream ones. So there were a load who had bought the original might buy it Whether it is good enough to stand the test
of different reasons for why we wrote these again and the feedback has been really pos- of time, that is up to other people to decide.
songs and the manner in which we did, be- itive. We’ve been gigging now for a long time But I think the songs on the first album are
cause we wanted to talk about these things with those songs so those two new ones strong, and fingers crossed, we can make
and say how we felt.” were fresh for the people who have been even stronger songs.”
with us since day one and when we started
urder And The Motive’ was initially introducing them to the setlist it was good f you’re new to the band, you may want
‘Mself-released in 2016 and then re- for us and the people coming to see us Ia brief history lesson. Well, the mem-
released last year when the band signed with who’d already seen us a few times.” bers originally formed a band at school. Re-
Earache Records. Shane says, “It was a Despite adding two new songs to the calling his schoolboy days and the original
strange thing really. We released the album repertoire there is much more in the pipeline formation of what would become Those
independently and it didn’t hit the target au- and, while work has started on the all-impor- Damn Crows, Shane recalls, “We were just
dience we wanted it to and we weren’t going tant second album, the band has had to keep kids knocking round really. Me and Ronnie
to really, we didn’t have the basics and foun- much of their new material under wraps for had the same music teacher and Shiner was
dations of a label behind us and the money perhaps longer than they would have liked, a year older than us but we would jam to-
you need to spend on these things, even but Shane confirms this has not caused any gether in the music room at break times and
though we did spend a for- kind of frustration stuff. Little did we know what we had was so
tune on the album, so it and, despite con- special. I think sometimes, in order to realise
never went were we felt it tinuing to play the how special something is, you do have to go
could have. And then the CELEBRATING ________________________ same songs each away from it. When we broke up we didn’t re-
option came round when time they perform, alise how good we were at writing songs to-
the owner of Earache came he explains that gether and how much we got on with us
and heard us and offered us Black Velvet #100 the help of their because we just knew each other from
a deal. He wanted to buy audience has con- school. I’ve known Ronnie since we were six.
‘Murder And The Motive’ _________________________________ 25 YEARS tinued to make “It wasn’t until we were apart we realised
and said he wanted to re-re- things new and in- what it really takes to be a band and you
lease it because there are “Massive congratula- teresting. have to get on first, before anything. Be-
people out there who tions. Here’s to the next “Playing the cause you will be tested, you will be pulled
haven’t heard these songs. same stuff for a left, right and centre, you’ll be made to ques-
“So it was strange. To 100. Publications like number of years, tion everything, so first, forget about music,
be fair, as we’d been playing Black Velvet are hugely you do want to you just have to be able to get on with peo-
the album for two years, we important. I mean, they mix it up a bit to ple. Seeing them every day, going on tour
were done with the album help keep it fresh with them, if you don’t like those people you
and thought it was time for are opening doors for us and new, but the are not going to be successful. I think after
new material. We had a new to people who may not great thing is that we split up and I did my own thing and the
record label and were ex- it may be three or boys did their own thing it kind of became
cited for new songs but they have heard of us. Any four years for us, apparent what we’d had. I’ve said for years
wanted to re-release the kind of write-up about but we are still at that if only we had stuck together we would
album, so instead we’ve us is incredible. It’s a the level where have been something a lot sooner but it is
been holding off with the people are hear- what it is. When we got back together this
new material, but I’m glad massive tool for us. It ing us and our time we knew straight away and knew how
we did because we’ve means everything. Un- songs for the first special what we had was because the songs
reached new audiences with less the people who time. When we were just there straight away, we didn’t even
Earache and we’ve been play, the reaction have to work very hard. We do now, but that
able to gig as much as we come to see us live al- we are getting is because we want to progress as far as we
have and a lot of people ready know about the from the crowds can, but dare I say it, it was easy, whereas in
have now heard this stuff band or have heard puts all that to bed other bands it was difficult. Sometimes you
for the first time, even because you feed don’t know a good thing until it’s gone.”
though we’ve been playing about us through the off that energy, the Over time people change and habits
it for three or four years! But grapevine without mag- crowd singing change. Now, the band respect each other as
it was a necessity, it needed back to you on people and musicians. “We talk about it a lot
to happen.” azines like this we’re not certain songs like because there will be disagreements of how
But this isn’t to say it going to get to as many ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Ain’t a song is going but if you are in the room
was the same album that people as possible. It’s Dead’ and ‘Blink’, and someone says they don’t particularly
had been born two years be- so it sounds fresh like that then it is their job to come up with
fore as change was re- impossible without that and new again be- something better. Whereas before, one of us
quired. Shane explains, help.” - Shane Greenhall. cause the audi- would say something and the rest of the
“When we re-released it, we ence make it that boys would follow, now it is a real across the
added two new songs and way. We are ready board effort. We’re checking to make sure
also shortened the album for some new ma- everyone is alright, that it’s not something
down to ten songs as the original had 13 terial but there are always going to be these they don’t want to play but that comes with
songs.” He continues to tell us the two new big songs off our first record which hope- age, just being on planet Earth a bit longer
additions are ‘Say It’ and ‘Behind These fully we will be playing for many years.” because we were just kids back in the day.
Walls’, both excellent additions to an already “We are very mindful of one another,
stellar line-up of tracks. “When we originally his last comment brings us full circle there are so many backgrounds in our band,
did the album we all said it needed to be at Tto the band’s ambition to leave a mu- Shiner is punk, he loves his metal. I love it
least 40 minutes. I think it was around 45 and sical mark on the world, so we ask Shane if all, to be honest, every genre there is. Rock
now it’s 39 because the label was saying that he believes with the album that they have al- is my favourite but my dad was into country,
it was too long. There were actually a few la- ready made their musical mark or if instead so there are lots of elements where I would
bels interested and when we thought about their lasting legacy is still to come. go, but Shiner wouldn’t, so when we stick it
repackaging the album they all said you “The bar is always rising” he says, “We in the Crow Cauldron, as we call it, to make
need to do ten songs and make it shorter, are happy with where it is right now, but what songs and stuff, we’re just a little bit wiser.
THOSE DAMN CROWS