Saxon frontman Biff Byford has been belting his coronary heart out over heavy steel thunder since Jim Callaghan was prime minister within the Seventies, and has overseen the Barnsley steel legends’ ascent from smoky taprooms to the world’s greatest levels.
He’s been there, carried out that, and used the t-shirt to staunch a tour van’s oil leak, so there was loads of floor to cowl after we sat him down with a hatful of your probing questions. Regardless of turning 74 in January, Biff was bristling with enthusiasm for the duty – particularly after we requested about tea…
Denim OR leather-based?
Matthew Haley, Fb
“Ooh, I don’t know, I like ’em each! However I feel most likely denim. I ought to say leather-based, being a biker, however I like a pleasant pair of denim denims, undoubtedly. Additionally, when you put on leather-based onstage it doesn’t final two minutes, it turns into unwearable with the sweat. So denim’s a lot better, really!”
Again within the lean years of the 90s, did the band ever come near calling it quits?
Nigel Taylor, Fb
“No, we didn’t. We had been very fortunate – round 1990 we signed with Virgin in Germany. We had been in that no-man’s land between report offers after EMI, and Virgin got here to my home to supply us a deal. Stable Ball Of Rock was our first album for Virgin, and that was a giant album for us. We went by the 90s on the energy of that, actually. Our organisation was primarily based out of Germany again then, so we didn’t do loads of touring within the UK. We had been a bit out of favour at the moment, so we went to the place we had been in a position to maintain going.”
What’s the best riff in steel?
Ben Saunders, Fb
“I don’t assume there’s a single one – there have been so many nice riffs simply within the 60s and 70s – however for steel I’d most likely say Iron Man. Iron Man has a lingering affect, and sounds simply nearly as good at the moment because it did initially. Clearly Led Zeppelin’s Complete Lotta Love is a superb one too… Ask me in an hour, I’ll most likely say one thing else!”
What’s the worst gig you could have ever performed? Adam_Boon, Instagram
“It was in Temple, Texas. It wasn’t that dangerous a gig, however nobody was there! We had been touring the US with [former Accept and current U.D.O. lead singer] Udo Dirkschneider, and we obtained this gig supply in Temple – it was in a giant barn made out of cardboard, not removed from Waco. We requested if there’d been any promoting, and the man stated, ‘We had a line-dancing live performance a few weeks in the past, and we flyered all people there.’ We had been like, ‘You do know we’re not a rustic and western band, don’t you?’ So no person got here, as a result of no person knew we had been enjoying. Nevertheless it was humorous, us and Udo simply had a giant jam onstage collectively, which was nice enjoyable!’”
Former TV/radio presenter Justin Lee Collins as soon as stated he would run right into a burning constructing to avoid wasting Saxon. Who would you courageous the flames to avoid wasting? Alice Wilkes, electronic mail
“There isn’t a band I wouldn’t save. I wouldn’t stand outdoors and say, ‘I’m not saving them!’ Clearly if Priest or Maiden had been on fireplace I’d save them, however a greater query is, if 12 bands are in a burning constructing, which of them do you save first? Hmm!’”
Is there a Saxon tune you remorse?
Dunipace83, Instagram
“A few of our songs have had some dangerous press, however I don’t remorse any – I most likely remorse who produced them. With Crusing To America [in 1984] we obtained hammered by the British press about promoting out. It was misconstrued as us attempting to interrupt America, nevertheless it was concerning the Pilgrim Fathers setting out on the Mayflower. It was a historic tune, nevertheless it obtained a bit misrepresented. It was produced fairly light-weight, so it doesn’t have the ability that it might if we recorded it at the moment. Swings and roundabouts!”
Which artists, lifeless or dwelling, would you like to collaborate with?
Vlad Magnifico, Fb
“So I may select Beethoven?! Truly, I’d have preferred to have collaborated with Gary Moore. I knew Gary fairly properly in his heavy rock and steel days, and we by no means actually labored collectively, so it might have been good to write down some riffs with him.”
How did the Amon Amarth collab come to be? Freek742617000027, Instagram
“We met them just a few instances once they first got here onto the scene. The factor is, they’re from Sweden, and within the 80s we had been completely humongous in Sweden. So loads of these younger Swedish musicians, who had been studying in that interval, had been actually into Saxon – we had been one in all their favorite bands at the moment. And we obtained on very well with them. Clearly they drink, and Nibbs [Carter, Saxon bassist] is their large ingesting buddy, so we had a drink and a chat, and I requested Johan [Hegg, Amon Amarth vocalist] if he’d sing on the tune Predator. They’re a great band, their riffs are nice, and Johan’s voice is just not so brutal that you may’t hear what he’s singing, which is at all times good for us older guys!”
HAMMER: Who would win – Saxons or Vikings?
“Truly, the Saxons did win at Stamford Bridge! Clearly [a few weeks later] they misplaced to the Normans, however yeah, we beat the Vikings. I inform that to Amon Amarth on a regular basis! The video we did with them for Saxons And Vikings was a bit Stamford Bridgey, and I used to be like, ‘You do realise we received this battle?’ ‘Ja, we realise, ja.’ ‘Effectively don’t overlook mate, and I received’t maintain mentioning the conflict!’ So yeah, we’d win!”
How are you continue to making a killer album each two years?
Numpty’s Dusty Ruts, electronic mail
“I feel it’s only a matter of focus. There’s loads of time selecting riffs and dealing on stuff. After a few hours a day for a month, we’ll have 10 or 12 songs that shall be good. So by the point we’re within the studio, we’ve carried out the onerous work, we simply must play nice. I imply, the following album may be the final album, we don’t know, we haven’t determined but. We all know we’ve obtained to attempt to make it nearly as good as Hell, Fireplace And Damnation, which goes to be onerous really. That was an important album!”
What’s your private favorite Saxon album? Daniel Armstrong, Fb
“I feel Denim And Leather-based is my favorite from the 80s. It actually summed up that period. With the title tune, different bands would possibly assume it’s tacky, nevertheless it’s a tune from the guts to our followers, that’s why individuals prefer it a lot. It will get 1000’s and 1000’s of streams in America – I don’t assume half of them even know whose tune it’s, they only love the tune! There have been three durations of Saxon. From a later one, I feel [1991’s] Stable Ball Of Rock was an important album, I actually loved doing that, after which Doug [Scarratt, guitars]’s first album, [1997’s] Unleash The Beast, is a superb album, it truly is.”
How do you make the right cup of tea?
Dale Watts, Fb
“Ah, that is it, see. Clearly it needs to be Yorkshire Tea, the one model we use! The key was once… after I was a lad it was all unfastened tea, so it was a teaspoon for every particular person and one for the pot, however these days it’s a bag per particular person. So that you want a heat teapot, pour the boiling water straight onto the teabag, and let it brew. We at all times drink out of mugs, not cups – and we don’t do the little finger within the air factor! The color of the tea is vital; you may make it stronger or weaker when you put milk in final.”
How did you are feeling about thrash – and the bands you impressed – within the 80s?
TrueNorthBeardCo, Instagram
“I feel ourselves and Motörhead helped begin it, didn’t we? That type of quick and livid enjoying, with aggressive lyrics and a ‘Fuck ’em all’ perspective. We preferred thrash, it excited us. We had been a bit fed up with the gradual, melodic plods that a number of the bands had been doing at the moment. I feel that’s one of many the explanation why Lemmy preferred us and took us on tour in ’79 – we weren’t like the same old bands, we had been pushing the envelope a bit.”
What’s your all-time favorite Lemmy reminiscence? Jaritheone, Instagram
“There’s just a few! We met them tons of instances, and me and Lem spent loads of time collectively speaking about issues – non-public issues actually, that you simply wouldn’t point out to anybody else. He had a fast wit. We had been enjoying Newcastle’s Metropolis Corridor, there should have been 800 individuals outdoors the venue after we arrived. He was getting off the bus and somebody shouted, ‘Lemmy, you’re God!’ And Lemmy stated, ‘Nah, I’m not. God’s taller.’ To me, that actually sums up Lemmy!”
Hell, Fireplace And Damnation is out now through Silver Lining Music. Saxon tour the UK in November.
