Alestorm
Date: 29 September 2012
MM: Great to meet you, did you enjoy yourselves tonight? First time in Newcastle! You are only from Scotland up the road, why has it taken you so long to play Newcastle?
Alestorm: It is the only City we haven't played before and would love to return.
MM: How's the tour with Dragonforce been going?
Alestorm: Glasgow last night was our best ever home advantage and all that. We would like to come back to Newcastle in the future
MM: Plans for the rest of the year?
Alestorm: We are off to America which we are looking forward to.
MM: How did you originally come up with the pirate theme?
Alestorm: It was a joke, but it's working and the crowd tonight were brilliant, it's great to see all the pirate hats and eye patches!
MM: So have you got any smuggler's caves?
Alestorm: Yeah we take our smugglers cave with us on tour ... the whole stage is our cave!
MM: Beginning of next year you travel to Australia and New Zealand, you seem to really like it over there. I understand that’s where you are filming your DVD?
Alestorm: They really like us there and how many bands do a DVD in Australia we can’t wait to be back there!
MM: So is there an album being talked about as well?
Alestorm: No, we want to concentrate on this DVD and see where it goes from there, we do have some new songs though.
MM: Do you find it hard to maintain the pirate theme, I mean you must do a lot of research?
Alestorm: Erm ... not really, sorry if we are going to disappoint anyone!
MM: Ok, ”Buckfast Powersmash” explain the meaning and why the fascination with the Scots!
Alestorm: I think it’s because it used to be very cheap and it turns you into a maniac, drink a bottle of it and it just drives you mad, and we just wanted a song about Scotland’s favorite tipple! Plus I told someone our last tour date is at Buckfast Abbey where they make the stuff!
MM: Do you ever yearn to do anything different with your musical style?
Alestorm: We all have side projects ranging from Power Metal to Melodic Death Metal Bands, so yeah we all have different things away from Alestorm.
MM: Overall what would you say has been a highlight so far for the band?
Alestorm: All sorts, really it’s hard to categorize… One has to be watching the sunset over the Mediterranean Sea when we were in Croatia, a thing I would never have witnessed had I not been in Alestorm.
MM: Favourite song to play live?
Alestorm: “Keelhauled” and “Captains Morgan’s Revenge” that one because it has so many different things going on. Also “Buckfast Powersmash” as it’s only the fourth time we have played it live as we hardly ever rehearse. Also really like “Death Throes of the terror squid” but that’s not a support act song, really needs to be for our fan base, when we play that one as its epic! And over seven minutes long.
MM: Was it a difficult process getting signed to Napalm Records?
Alestorm: Well we weren’t much of band, just having a sing-song at first. We sent an email to Napalm Records saying ... “This is our band, do you like us? and a clip from My Space”. They literally replied within an hour and said YES! Here’s the contract! They had dollar signs in their eyes when they saw the word pirates!
MM: Plans regarding festivals next year?
Alestorm: Oh all of them, we would love the opportunity to play Bloodstock, Download etc. We played Sonisphere in 2011, and we were booked for 2012, but it got cancelled, so yeah we would love to play something like Bloodstock to make up for missing out this year. Would love to play early evening on the main stage at Bloodstock, when everyone’s starting to get drunk, so we can have a great party!
MM: Any final messages you would like to give to your fans and our readers?
Alestorm: I would like them to all eat more Scottish beef and drink more Buckfast wine!
MM: Thanks for your time and hope to catch you guys soon!!!
Interview by: Seb Di Gatto