Page 14 - Black Velvet Issue 91

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should set the bar high and just see where it overly challenging to perform live. “We’re ing time looking after his baby. That’s dedi-
takes you rather than waking up every day playing 9 of the 11 tracks so a large portion cation to music - and of course his son. Al-
and telling yourself that you’re not good of the night is dedicated to the new album, though he doesn’t remember much of that
enough to do this, you’re not good enough ‘Solas’. You want to walk off stage at the end time, it was just a very dark and awful time
to do that.” of it all happy that you did those songs jus- for him and his wife. “That time in the hospi-
Cormac says that it’s all down to your at- tice, kind of more of a holistic way than one tal was like living in a horrible dark bubble. I
titude. He repeats, “You just need to set your specific song. There’s so much different can’t remember much other than driving
sights high and don’t short-change your- about this live show than our previous ten straight to the hospital, sitting by my son’s
self.” years of touring, so some people are arriving incubator, and then driving home again that
So with a renewed and invigorated atti- and they’re surprised by what they see and night for four months.” Dabhóg was born
tude, the band chose to upgrade their re- what they hear. We just want to give a good weighing a mere 1lb 12oz. He had multiple
hearsal room in Northern Ireland into a account of ourselves.” health issues and needed heart surgery.
recording studio and recorded the album They’ve gone down well with The Dead Thankfully, he was a fighter and with time got
with guitarist Paul Mahon acting as the engi- Daisies fans, although Cormac is surprised healthier and is now doing well. Cormac
neer and Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackin- that some fans haven’t listened to, or even says this his son being healthy and well and
tosh producing. Cormac explains, “It was the known of The Answer before. “We’ve had a at home in his own bed/cot has given him
right thing to do. We were making a Celtic- few people saying, ‘We were here to see The hope. “My wife and I managed to get our-
influenced record, there are songs on there Dead Daisies, never heard you guys before selves out of that deep, dark hole. You look
that very much hone in on our environment but really loved it,’ which surprises me. at life a bit differently after an experience like
back in Northern Ireland. Our rehearsal room You’d like to think that the UK, the size that that and you just appreciate a bit of normal-
was already a studio, it just wasn’t up to the it is, if you’re into rock ‘n’ roll music you ity. You appreciate being able to go out and
standards needed to record a full, profes- should be checking out the handful of bands reclaim your life again, get back into the re-
sional record. Instead of taking our record that are out there trying to keep the genre hearsal room and start writing songs again,
label advance and going to a studio some- alive. But that’s one of the good things about making a record. Being able to go on tour
where else in the world, we figured we’d take this tour, I suppose,” he says. and know that my family’s at home, well, in
the money and get our studio up to that de- Of The Dead Daisies themselves, Cor- Belfast, that’s a real cause for celebration in
sired standard. There’s a lot to be said for mac says, “They’re really fun guys to be my mind.”
not working on a clock when you’re making around. A lot of good stories. We’ve been
a record, not being talking to hen Cormac is at home himself in
told you’ve got three “I think you’ve gotta dream Marco. He’s WNorthern Ireland, he does many
weeks, whatever’s not got a few other things relating to music but outside of
done by then won’t get big. You have to actually believe gigs coming the band. For starters, he does vocal coach-
done, and we were up in the new ing. “I love watching young people learn that
able to take our time that you can achieve your year and so they have what it takes to sing in a band or
with this. We probably do we so to sing that song that they never had the
worked longer hours dreams,” - Cormac Neeson we’re won- confidence to sing. Young and old as well.
on a daily basis on this dering can Just watching that development does my
album than we have we get a few heart good, y’know. Similarly, I’ve a band
on any record in the past. That’s just be- together? John Corabi’s an amazing front- called The Unholy Gospel Band, who meet
cause we could. Even when our producers man, great voice, very soulful voice. We up every Sunday afternoon and play Unholy
went back to London, Paul and myself would know Doug and the rest of the guys from the Gospel Brunch at my friend’s venue in
stay in the studio and work 12-hour days to various bands that they’ve played in in the Belfast. That does me good as well because
layer up guitars and vocals, adding little past, so it’s a really positive tour, I think. It’s when I’m not on the road I’m singing regu-
extra touches along the way. It was the right a good tour in that the two bands are very larly and performing in front of people. It’s
thing to do. And now we have that studio different right now, it’s a really good cross very different music to what we do in The An-
there ready to go whenever we need to get section of what the rock ‘n’ roll genre has to swer but that light and shade helps me ap-
back in there again and start making more offer at this point in time. You’ve got the preciate what I do in The Answer. So I’ve got
new music.” guys doing their old school thing and then different kinds of sidelines that help keep me
we’re getting up and playing what I would sharp.”
he Answer formed at the turn of the like to think is quite a forward-thinking pro- Do The Answer’s own fans ever go to see
Tcentury and have, for most of their gressive record. There’s a really good di- The Unholy Gospel Band, we ask. Cormac
career, in general, been thought of as a clas- chotomy going on there.” says they do. “I’ve had people fly in from
sic blues rock and hard rock band. But England and further afield in Europe specif-
‘Solas’ sees the band spreading their wings. ormac mentions that the album is ically for these few hours on a Sunday.
Cormac says, “I think with every record we Cforward-thinking and progressive. In They’ll maybe catch a rock ‘n’ roll show on a
always try and do things differently to the the title track, ‘Solas’, the frontman sings, Saturday night and then come in for a few
previous one but this album was a more pro- ‘Do you ever stop to wonder why we are all beers on the Sunday afternoon and listen to
found step to the left than anything we’ve here?’ That’s quite profound. So why are we The Unholy Gospel Band. It’s always good to
done before. It’s weird now because people here? “I haven’t really worked that one out see.”
are going to listen to our previous five al- yet,” replies Cormac, smiling. “I think you’ve
bums and actually pay more attention to the got to kind of live in the present to even n ‘Left Me Standing’, Cormac sings
left of centre tunes, the tunes that aren’t just come close to answering that question. I I‘can’t wait for the ground to swallow
down-the-line, four-to-the-floor rock ‘n’ roll. could sit in a dark room and reminisce about me up’. We’re curious as to whether he’ll tell
People are starting to realize there’s more to the four months that my son was in hospital us about some moments where he’s wanted
The Answer than what we stood for for the but it wouldn’t do me any good. There’s no the ground to swallow him up. He says it’s
last ten years and what we might come point in that. Or I could spend that time and happened to him a lot of times. “Is there a
across as if people are generalizing. So this that energy trying to create a brilliant life for man or woman on this earth who hasn’t
record, there’s a certain degree of reinven- him, moving forward, and I’m lucky enough wanted the ground to swallow them up at
tion going on rather than a natural, slow evo- to have that sense of focus. I think if you go one point?” He laughs. “That song specifi-
lution. It’s exciting.” through life and have a couple of little focus cally is a break-up song, but I like to throw a
The album incorporates Gaelic influ- points to put your positive energy and your few lines in there that have a slightly more
ences, sees the band using instruments positive vibes into then you’re doing alright.” far-reaching, general meaning. But yeah,
such as the bouzouki and mandolin, and Positivity was definitely needed when you’ll have to wait until I write my book!”
challenging themselves in a number of ways. Cormac’s newborn son Dabhóg was born Gah! Well, while we’re waiting for the
They then surprised fans by then performing prematurely around the time of the release book, make sure you get ‘Solas’ if you
a ‘Solas’-heavy live set on tour, neglecting of previous album, ‘Raise A Little Hell’. We haven’t already, and go see The Answer on
(for the time being) most of their previous actually interviewed Cormac on the tele- tour. Visit www.theanswer.ie for more info.
musical catalogue. This hasn’t been too test- phone when he was in the hospital sat by his
ing for Cormac, Paul, Micky and James child – not knowing how serious it was. He Words & Live Photo By Shari Black Velvet
though. No particular songs have been was doing promo for the album while spend-
THE ANSWER