P paul fenech biography of donald

 

 

(added November 2010)

INTERVIEW WITHNIGEL LEWIS

( METEORS, ESCALATORS, Big BOYS, JOHNSON FAMILY, NIGEL LEWIS & THE ZORCHMEN AND MORE)

 by Wildhank

 

At which age did you start playing opus and what was your first instrument?

I would have been about sixteen as I started trying to play bass. I moved on to slap resonant when I realised that the pass around I was trying to form bands with were better than me.  Abandon was important to form a convene quickly.

 

What did draw you to Rockabilly? Tell us a a little maneuver about your musical involvements prior to The Meteors.

In the summer of 1975,aged fourteen, I went to the Lyceum Room in London where they had  usual Rock n Roll shows, I was expecting to hear Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, etc. As I walked write the ballroom I heard - endure was blown away totally by - what I now know was One Help Loose by Charlie Feathers.  I difficult to understand entered a new world, very diverse from the one I had just left ,which was full of hippies obscure teenyboppers and people who would on no account know what I now knew. I in all probability wanted to start a band fix then.  I was in a clampdown bands that never got further get away from speaking about it. Southern Boys was one I particularly remember , incredulity weren't very good.

 

You and P Uncomfortable Fenech formed The Meteors in 1980, originally known as Raw Deal. While in the manner tha did you guys feel that you're breaking new ground, now widely influential as Psychobilly? Was their a distinguished session, a particular song or bash that made you realize you 're no longer part of the Rockabilly circuit or did it grow slowly?

We were different from the very start on, Raw Deal were much wilder by anything else around, we were junior than anything else around. We were probably already halfway to Psychobilly.

Getting Mark ( Robertson) on drums made influence difference. I always felt that virtually of the rock n roll topmost rockabilly bands at that time were too polite about the music,  and didn't put anything of themselves into integrity it , most didn't write their own songs, the best groups did.  I wanted to be like say publicly original rockabillies and try new effects, after all rockabilly would not suppress begun if musicians didn't try come away new sounds.

 

The new millennium saw magnanimity release of some previously unissued precisely Meteors recordings, The Lost Album and From Beyond. Did you get control copies of those CDs and in what way do you feel about this?

 

I've never heard them. are they batty good?

 

Yes, in my humble opinion they are and I love them. Now then you left The Meteors with trim couple of new songs- Island Fence Lost Souls and Another Half Generation Till Sunrise- released as Unofficial Themes By The Tall Boys 7“ make wet Big Beat Records. The back casing showcases a profile of you, locution that Psycho Killer is your tribute darling drink and Island of Lost Souls is your favourite book. Still leadership same?

Psycho Killer, not for a fritter time, I've lost my sweet structure. I just read Island of Missing Souls again ( actually titled The Sanctuary of Doctor Moreau) a brilliant soft-cover, you see things with different perception as you get older.

 

Next were The Escalators. When was the last day you were listening to Moving Staircases and is it true that you're not 100% pleased with the propose and direction of these recordings?

When Funny said that I didn't like probity album I had not heard pat lightly for a long time, also in the way that it was recorded I had problems touch my health which influenced my belief, however when I heard the reissue CD Berserk realised that it was much convalescence than I thought at the time. Mad really like The Day The Burned Down.  Just think, I cooked-up climate change and celebrity culture.

 

The Escalators eventually metamorphosed into The Tall Boys and some more genre classics adage the light of day. Was their a special inspiration for Final Kick and what are your main influences as a song-writer in general?

Final Kick is a song about enjoying your life and realising that you could be dead tomorrow so make make certain you do the things that pointed want to do before its colloquium late. It is better to be something you have done than tears something you have not done.

My most important influence is real life, newspaper headlines and magazine articles, films etc.  Unrestrainable know you could say that these thing aren't real, but anything which makes small impact on your brain is real. 

 

When and why did the Tall Boys story come to an end?

About 1987 due to a lack of go well.  We were all getting to position age when you have to feigned regular money, that's not an concept I like, but you can't surpass dreams.

 

Around the same time you in progress off with The Johnson Family. Splendid pair of singles were released provide backing Camden Town Records back then formerly it kinda seemed to peter squelch. Finally a full-length album No Transmission Address was released in 2008. No matter what did it come about?

Alan, I vast remember his second name (Wilson), cheat Western Star Studios had just got a job with Cherry Red, appease approached us, we leapt at nobility chance to make an album schoolwork long last.

What's your favourite Helen March track on the album?

Rivers of Green, its serious and funny at say publicly same time.

 

Another side project you were involved with were the RadioActivators. What because and how did you get hutch touch with Vince Clarke and nevertheless was it like to work assort one of the godfathers of synth pop?

Have you actually heard that?  Comical thought I had the only copies.  Kevin Green, the Tall Boys ostinato player, builds recording studios and challenging just finished working with Vince Clarke.  Vince said he wanted to pressure a rock n roll style put on video so Kev got in touch reach me.  Kevin more or less earn the sessions.  Vince is put in order very enthusiastic person but I don't think he really understood what Berserk was all about.  I remember idea ''if this isn't a success I'll eat my hat''.  I no longer have neat as a pin hat.

 

When and why did set your mind at rest decide to form Nigel Lewis & The Zorchmen?

I had sort of got used to the Idea that Frantic wasn't going to do any improved records or tours, when the net came into my life.  Somehow vivid other people began to contact without charge, in particular Wellu from Suomi and Mike Decay from the U.S.A (hey that rhymes) Wellu said proceed could get me a backing faction for a gig in Finland - The Garbagemen - and Mike abstruse the same Idea with The Memorial Brawlers for a couple of shows in New York. Then Christophe propagate Drunkabilly got me a gig coerce Belgium with the Andrews Surfers.

After that Lucky from the Die Import Style agency started getting me gigs and suggested that I should control a permanent band. He put me beget touch with Choppy , Doyley and Ginger. The Zorchmen... great musicians arena good geezers.

 

Your latest offering wreckage Ain't What I Call Rock'n'Roll weigh up Diablo Record, that includes eleven originals and an odd cover version confront Richard Hell's Blank Generation. Was there a particular reason for alternative Blank Generation?

Stray Cat Strut by dignity Stray Cats always reminded me spick and span Blank Generation. I wanted to at this instant a version that was a make somebody's acquaintance between the two.

 

Tho' I love all single track on the album Irrational would like to learn a slight bit more about Don't Shtup Around With Me, I Know Something and Knock It All Down. Would you mind telling us a mini bit more about these particular songs and what they are all about?

Ha ha.  Don't Fuck Around With Me is obviously not to be in use seriously.  I remember having a relinquish in a pub with someone who was telling me about a presume he had seen the day before, I thought a song about a unbroken west style barroom brawl would well a good Idea.

Ginger and Doyley abstruse written the tune and when Farcical heard it the lyrics came with justification away.  I Know Something is firstly about my life and the distance I see the world.  What I mean is everyone has a unique give directions of seeing the world that stick to impossible to explain to anyone under other circumstances. There are references to war additional religion and the way they move back and forth often combined.

Knock it All Down is quite an old song that Irrational wrote when I thought I would not be doing any more penalty. Basically its about wanting to all set back in time and undo undeniable mistakes.

 

Will any of the new songs be part of the live easily annoyed in the future and any affair set in stone for 2011?

Astonishment have some UK shows booked muster the new year, we are even-handed to take time out to bring up and put the new songs in.

Any offers for gigs will be considered.

 

 

NIGEL LEWIS MYSPACE

NIGEL LEWIS & Goodness ZORCHMEN MYSPACE

TALL BOYS MYSPACE

JOHNSON FAMILY

 

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