Page 10 - Classic Rock - The Complete Story of Def Leppard 2019
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ess than a decade after it had been
forged in the white heat of the late 60s,
British rock was in trouble. Its original
pioneers had either split up, lost touch
L with reality or were spiralling into
drug-addled irrelevance, their thunder stolen by
both a wave of platinum-plated American bands
and the incendiary punk movement.
It may have been down, but British rock
wasn’t quite out. As the 1970s hurtled towards
its conclusion, a new wave of heavy bands from
all corners of the United Kingdom sparked off
a grass-roots revolution, rewriting the rule book
on how things could be done and giving their
more established counterparts a shot in the arm.
Leppard’s Joe Elliott and
Maiden’s Steve Harris. Its leading lights would go on to achieve the
unthinkable, but even the bands who didn’t and
got left behind – the foot soldiers, also-rans and
no-hopers – were heroes in their own way.
For a few glorious years in the late 70s and
early 80s, these small islands were the epicentre
The main players in the birth of the NWOBHM. of the most vibrant, exciting and groundbreaking
scene around. This is the story of how British rock
heavied up and changed the world once again…
Geoff Barton Ashley Goodall
Legendary Sounds (and current Classic Rock) Former EMI Records A&R man. Signed
journalist. The first person to use the phrase Iron Maiden and helped put together the
‘New Wave Of British Heavy Metal’ in print. groundbreaking Metal For Muthas compilation. The 1960s marked the dawn of the rock
era. Pop’s simple attractions had given way
Biff Byford Rob Halford to something harder, heavier and more
Barnsley-born Saxon singer. Judas Priest singer, and the man grown up, and the branches of the musical
Has fronted the band since who helped give metal its iconic tree began to spread wildly: blues rock,
they formed as Son Of A Bitch leather uniform. psychedelia, West Coast rock, East Coast rock,
in the mid-70s. country rock, heavy metal. A generation of
Steve Harris impressionable would-be musicians were
Fast Eddie Clarke Founder and driving force behind paying avid attention.
Former Motörhead guitarist Iron Maiden, the most successful
and sole surviving member NWOBHM band of them all. Fast Eddie Clarke (ex-Motörhead): Playing
of the classic line-up. Formed music was always the thing for me. I started when
Fastway after his departure Bruce [Bruce] Dickinson. Neal Kay I was twelve or thirteen, started to see Eric Clapton
in 1982. DJ, tastemaker, compere and just wanted to do it. Then Hendrix comes
and founder of legendary along and blew me fucking head off.
Jess Cox north London rock mecca the
Original singer with Whitley Heavy Metal Soundhouse. Biff Byford (Saxon): I grew up in the 1960s.
Bay NWOBHM pioneers I listened to all the pop groups – the Rolling Stones,
the Tygers Of Pan Tang. Rick Savage The Beatles, The Kinks. My mum was a pianist,
Resurrected groundbreaking Def Leppard bassist and my friend was in a blues band. We’d watch
label Neat Records in the and founder member. him play and I decided to learn the guitar a little bit.
early 90s. That’s when I wanted to get involved in music.
Jess Cox. Brian Tatler
Andy Dawson Guitarist and founder of Joe Elliott (Def Leppard): The first artist that
Guitarist with Mansfield band Diamond Head, whose self- I got into was Marc Bolan from T.Rex. Everything
Savage, whose track Let It Loose released Lightning To The he did, the whole catalogue. I wanted to be Marc
was covered by Metallica on an Nations album was one of the Bolan. David Bowie when he did Starman on Top Of
early demo. NWOBHM’s early successes. The Pops – that blew me and everybody away.
Bruce Dickinson Thunderstick Steve Harris (Iron Maiden): I used to listen to
Leather-lunged former Samson Also known as Barry Graham The Beatles and The Who and stuff like that. Then
singer (also known as Bruce Purkis, ski-masked former I started getting into more rock stuff, and that led
Bruce). Later replaced Paul Samson (and, briefly, Iron to Wishbone Ash and then on to prog. Those early
Di’Anno in Iron Maiden. Brian Tatler. Maiden) drummer. New L Genesis albums gave me goosebumps.
L
album Something Wicked
KK Downing This Way Comes is out soon.
Long-time Judas Priest guitarist. Left the band BRUCE DICKINSON: NEIL ZLOZOWER/ATLASICONS.COM; JESS COX: REX: TATLER ROSS HALFIN
in 2011 and has since opened a golf course. Tommy Vance For many of these aspirant musicians, music
Late Radio 1 DJ and presenter of Radio 1’s The offered an escape from the drudgery of real
Joe Elliott Friday Rock Show. AKA The Voice Of Rock. life, if not a direct route to fame and riches.
Singer and founder member of Def Leppard, T
T
the first of the NWOBHM bands to make it Tony Wilson Rob Halford (Judas Priest): We all came from
big in America. Creator and producer of The Friday Rock Show. tough working-class backgrounds. Walsall and
West Bromwich were pretty bleak. We could all
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