Page 26 - Black Velvet Issue 97

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Drummer Robyn tells us, “For me, when “I tried at the start to jump and thought, ore and more music fans are discov-
I used to work, we played a show in Evesham “No, I’d better not do that! I can’t do that”,” Mering Stone Broken all the time –
and it wasn’t meant to be that late, and I says Chris. with the band’s recent hometown show
think, it ended up, I had half an hour when I “He actually ended up in hospital… being sold out. The band have their own Bro-
got back home for me to be in work, so I had didn’t you?” ken Army Facebook group, where they chat
a quick shower and then had a 12-hour shift “Yeah. I couldn’t keep any fluids down. I with fans, and fans chat with each other. We
that day. I was just like “Oh my God”,” she had to go to hospital as a precaution and ask if they have many fans who are addicted
laughs. they put me on a drip so I could get some flu- to the band.
“That’s the hardest part, really,” adds ids – and after that, I felt great.” “I’d say so,” replies Rich. “It seems that
Rich. “When you’re juggling the band, which way, which is great. They almost feel in-
is kind of full time, and a full-time job, it gets here have been many musicians over vested in the whole thing. We want that to
tough. That’s when you start getting into that Tthe years that have had addictions – happen. We want people to feel as though
area of not getting enough sleep at all. whether it’s an alcohol addiction, drug addic- they’re having a direct impact on the band,
Sometimes I’d be there sitting at my desk tion or even a sex addiction. Bassist Kieron because it’s true. All of our fans do. If they
looking into space because I’m not switched says that Glenn Hughes, who they supported go out and buy a record, CD, gig ticket, any-
on. The one time we spent a night in the van; on tour, is someone they admire for being thing, that is helping us stay on the road and
that was my fault. I didn’t forget to book the able to quit his addiction. “We spent six helping us create the next album. There are
hotel, I’d booked it for the wrong weekend weeks with him and all he talked about was probably three levels of fan. There’s a fan
and we ended up driving around for hours drugs – saying how he doesn’t remember who is invested in the band and that comes
and hours and hours asking if there were the 80s or anything like that.” to see the show, then there’s the kind of fan
rooms available in all these hotels and there “He kept saying “Stay off drugs, stay off that finds out everything about you. We’ve
wasn’t. We ended up getting about four drugs. Never do them,” says Chris. got a few of those, haven’t we? It’s quite nice
hours sleep in the van, getting up, having Glenn published his own autobiography to think someone’s actually taken the time
some breakfast, driving to Birmingham for in 2011, revealing all about his addictions out to find out stuff about us. We’re just a
our home-town show. If I’m honest, I was and the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle that he lived. band from Walsall.”
knackered. I was doing the driving. It was ac- “He got into some strange situations!” “There are a couple of fans who own a
tually an incredible show in the end. The says Chris. “It’s all in his book. He found pie shop and literally 45 minutes ago they
adrenaline takes over and you forget about himself in some tricky situations and just to came and dropped off some pies for us and
how tired you are. When it comes to music, I overcome that, to bounce back, is amazing.” chocolate cakes,” Robyn tells us. The band
don’t think there is such a thing as being too “I think Zakk Wylde as well,” adds Rich. love being fed on tour!
tired. It’s when you’re not on the stage that “He drank a lot and then he ended up with a “We’ve got one fan who’s got seven or
it hits you.” blood clot and that could have been the end eight Stone Broken tattoos all over his
“The worst thing that I ever did was go of his life, until he went into hospital and got body,” adds Kieron.
up on stage with a stomach bug,” says it sorted, and now he drinks coffee and that’s “He came to see us once and then got a
Chris. “I thought I was going to die on stage! basically it.” tattoo,” says Rich.
I was sick all before and then I thought, “If “Even past musicians, one of my “No pressure!” laughs Robyn.
I’m sick on stage it’s not going to look favourite actors, Robert Downey Jr.,” says “We’ve got to stay together and not
good”. I managed to hold it off, because we Chris. “His past, he was in prison and every- change our name!” laughs Rich.
only had a 40-minute set, and as soon as we thing and now he’s bounced back, worked Gaining more and more fans, the fan ap-
finished, puked up again. I love playing on hard and he’s one of the highest paid actors proval of songs gives the band more valida-
stage and enjoy it, but that was the only time in Hollywood. It can be done. It just shows tion and more belief in themselves.
I thought, I want it to be over now!” you can reach rock bottom but it’s never “With every record that we bring out,
“Chris is quite an animated character on over. You can pull yourself back up – and use you’ve always got that doubt in your mind,
stage and he stood there the whole night like these people as an example, I guess.” thinking, is this going to be the one that they
a statue,” adds Rich. don’t like? Or, is it going to go well? Is it not

STONE BROKEN