SACRILEGE Interview

Genre: NWOBHM/Heavy Metal

Country: United Kingdom (England)

Questions by: Nick Parastatidis

Answers by: Bill Beadle (Guitars/Vocals)

Site: Facebook

1. Hello. How are you? How are the things in the SACRILEGE camp?

Bill: Hi Nick, All good thank you, the new albums doing well and we are touring so all pretty happy cheers.

2. Now that a reasonable time has passed since the release of your latest album, how do you feel about it? Is there something that you would like to change or do different in the “The Court Of The Insane”?

Bill: To be honest the only thing I wish is we had got it out there quicker. The album has been almost ready but after Tony Vanner left the band we have struggled to get the right Guitarist in so we had an album without the lead breaks needed, finally we are now a settled band and I believe the album is our best yet, having said that I always say that after we release one haha

3. How do you compose your songs? Do you write the music first and then you choose the lyrics or vice versa?

 

Bill: I write the Music first then see if I can put a decent vocal line to it then build it from there. A good riff always helps but the vocal line often makes the song in my opinion.

4. Why did you name your album “The Court Of The Insane”? Is there a message that you want to pass to your audience? Can you also tell us few things about the lyrics of the other songs that include to your new album?

Bill: It really was something that just came to me, quite often the first line I sing to any song is what the song becomes about and then I decide whether it’s a title track to an album or just one to play in a particular order on the album. When I sang ‘Is this real or am I caught in time’ it gave me plenty of options, was it someone in prison, innocent and not believing what’s happening and is it a dream/nightmare or what? To me it’s the kingdom of madness. A lot of my lyrics I like the audience to think or guess what the song might be about as often what I’m thinking the song is about someone else thinks completely different which makes it all the more interesting I think. The Celestial City was more of a Leaving our last album Six6six and the beginning to The Court of The Insane. You could almost make the song album a concept album with all these Lies, in The court of the insane the Depression the defendant is feeling, the period where plague killed and you had to Bring out your dead, so many people at that time thinking they are The Prophet and the guy hallucinating for No Bequeath and losing his Unhinged mind for sure, the last two tracks of I can hear the silence and Ride free maybe not so much although I can hear the silence is a on to think about when you read the Lyrics.

5. Let us take a travel back in time. First of all what motivated you to form the band in the early 80’s? What did you want to achieve back then?

Bill: I had no idea what to expect and didn’t really try to be a rock star, it was almost like fun with no expectations at all, I didn’t try for a record deal and never dreamt I would be any good at song writing. Sabbath were finishing with Ozzy gone and Punk taking over and I thought how am I going to hear those classic Iommi Riffs again, I know I’ll get a guitar and see what I can write and people liked it which was as much a surprise to me as them haha

Then after making our demo we were chosen out of thousands of tapes and records by David Jensen and his listeners to play on his new 6 part series as Band of 1982/83 of the Heavy rock Genre, David was the top American DJ at the time, all this before we had even played a gig! So I think we can be forgiven for thinking we might do well as we were onstage with The Stranglers and U2 in the coming weeks

6. By the way how it was back then when the NWOBHM movement was on its peak? Did the generation of your musicians feel that you were part of something that was changing the heavy rock sound?

Bill: It was completely different to now that’s for sure, it wasn’t until we were asked to play on a compilation album with Saxon, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Angel witch and few others that we felt that heavy rock/metal was back unfortunately the record company had Go West on their books who got a number one single and al monies were channeled into them and they dropped the album.

7. Which were the reasons that lead you to disband in the late 80’s and what made you come back in action after so many years of absence?

Bill: I stopped because I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. Booking gigs, rehearsals, running band members around, being let down by venues and promoters all took its toll so I thought I don’t need this and just stopped and sold everything. I never planned on coming back all that happened was in 2007 I wondered what the old songs would sound like these days so built a studio in my garden and played the songs again only doing it with what I hoped they would sound like whereas in the 80s I often settled for what was recorded. I was never the fastest guitarist in the world so found this guy in Finland who I thought suited my writing and asked him to put solos to the songs over my limited guitar playing his name is Pekka Loikkanen a really good guy and superb guitarist and I was so impressed I sent more and more and couldn’t stop writing new songs but it got too much for him as he had his own band so he suggested I got someone nearer to home this I did and the guy thought the songs were so good he persuaded me to do one show, eventually I agreed and played to a  full house and now 8 years later I’m still writing and playing live and enjoying it more than ever.

8. Can you tell us what did you miss the most from the 80’s and what do you enjoy in the current era as a metal musician?

Bill: Being young haha No really it was having fun which it was in the early years, buying all sorts of weird clothes to go onstage with. I enjoy the ease of making songs now with all the technology available and I appreciate it more being older and a little wiser.

9. There is a new generation of metal musicians that draw influence from the 80’s sound. Which are your thoughts about that?

Bill: Its great as the 80s for metal was fab, if I’m honest I’m not a fan of thrash or Def metal etc, I like doom, classic rock, some gothic stuff so anyone writing good music like that I appreciate it and enjoy their talent.

10. You did a beautiful video for the song “The Court Of The Insane”. Where did you shot it and who was the director? How do you describe the whole experience of making this video?

Bill: Thank you, we shot it at Sannazzaro castle in Giarole, Italy under Italian Director Marco Paracchini. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I have our manager Vale Campagnale to thank for making it possible, the friends we made on set and Marco’s Direction was fantastic and I’ve kept in touch with as many of them as possible and they will always be friends of mine and the band. Being away with Neil, Jeff and Paul was great fun as well, superb band mates.

11. What kind of reactions have you received for your latest album so far? Is there a particular one that you want to share with us?

Bill: Honestly there were so many positive reviews of it and I suppose the reviewer who complimented the song so much saying this is a band that I can’t believe isn’t playing the biggest festivals around the world, we have all missed out on something special, watch and listen to this video and you will see Sacrilege aren’t playing at being fine musicians they are fine musicians.

One guy even said Sacrilege would make Black Sabbath Proud, which was some compliment as they are my number one band.

12. Thanks for your time answering my questions. Hope to see you for a live show here in Greece. Please close this interview in any way you like…

Bill: We would love to come and play to our fans in Greece, we get so many nice emails and make so many friends on facebook etc asking for us to play there  it would certainly be nice to meet a few of them. Any promoter or venue that fancies having us over please get in touch, cheers Nick, Bill