Due to the huge number of bands playing at Bloodstock this year, and the fact that our two roving reporters will actually want to watch some of them, we’re doing a little round of pre-festival interviews this year. We’re focussing on the bands playing the Jagermeister and Hobgoblin New Blood Stages so they get a chance to convince you to go and watch them. Remember, these guys and gals are the future of our musical world!
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Tombstone Crow were born in the heart of Newcastle Upon Tyne… Original Geordie metal!
How did you meet?
Tombstone Crow formed August 2013 from a few different local bands that were sick of not hearing our kind of music, so we set out to do it ourselves and drag people into our gloomy/thrashy/groovy metal world.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
The band began as Andy (guitars) and Debi (vocals) and we got the original bassist and drummer not long after in 2013. As of the past year we have a new, solid line up of Kev Nolan (drums) and Robb Nukem (bass) that has taken the music and feel up a notch.
Where does the name of the band come from?
We were searching for something that would stand out as being atmospheric/dark and represented the music we had written…lyrically the songs deal with death and gloom and Tombstone Crow stood out from other ideas as pretty fuckin’ cool.
What are your influences – individually or as a band?
Collectively our influences are Pantera, Black Label Society, Down, Arch Enemy, Metallica, Iron Maiden, anything with riffs and strong melodies…..but we all listen to all kinds of gear…good music is good music, anything ranging from Bob Marley to Megadeth and a shit load in between…we love it all man!
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Tombstone Crow is grim and moody but exudes energy and power. The aggressive female vocal mixed with the riffs and melodies, spliced with the groove aspect and strong dynamics are a pretty cool combination and something that comes naturally when writing.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
The live show is basic, energetic and powerful…all that a metal show should be….let the fuckin’ music do the talking! We have played a shit load of shows and it makes no difference if we play to 100 people or 1000, the energy and groove is always there.
When/how did you find out you’d been selected to play at Bloodstock?
We were informed via email a week or so before the competition finished and we all thought it was bullshit until all the info and details started coming through….it was unreal to be honest. Tombstone have been buzzing ever since…it’s good to know that real bands that slave away paying their dues can actually have a chance like this!
Did you enter the video competition expecting to have a chance of winning?
We all believe that the music of Tombstone Crow is fuckin’ killer and we are very proud of the video we entered into the competition, but you just never know with so many great unsigned bands out there. You hope to win but when you’re actually told you received thousands and thousand of votes and came out above all the other great bands… it’s a hell of a buzz!
What sort of setlist can we expect?
Expect energy, power, aggression and a tasty mellow moment here and there! Expect shred and riffs mixed with dirty guttural vocals and a killer rhythm section, expect to be kicked in the arse by a four pack of Geordie groove merchants. Get down to the New Blood stage on Sunday 9th and see for yourselves!
Which main stage band are you glad you’re not clashing with so you can see them play?
Got to say Black Label society, Armoured Saint, Sepultura or Opeth. They are all on our watch list for sure! We’ll be down the front going fuckin’ nuts!
What are you working on at the moment?
Two days after we get back from Bloodstock we are in the studio recording drum tracks for the follow up to our debut opus Shadows From The Grave and put out our next release in late September. Beyond that we will carry on doing shows up and down the UK until the end of the year. We have a shit load line up before Christmas so keep ’em peeled!
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done on tour?
Just being on tour is pretty fuckin’ wild in itself but playing the Shetland music festival is always pretty crazy! Those guys love their metal and its just a four day binge on tunes,booze and grooves. The support and craziness up there is one of the best feelings we’ve had so far!
What advice would you give to a young band just starting out today?
Tombstone Crow is only in its infancy but the advice we would give is… do it yourself and make every show something to remember. Keep it all in-house and keep your band tight. You only have a limited time live to make and impression on an audience, do it right!
If you could be part of any 3-band line-up (as support or headlining) who else would you have on the bill?
Shit, as a touring package Tombstone Crow would open well for Down or Children of Bodom with a headliner of say Iron Maiden or Metallica. Can you make that happen? Haha!
Tombstone Crow are playing the Hobgoblin New Blood Stage on the Sunday.
Tombstone Crow: official | facebook | twitter | youtube
[…] Tombstone Crow […]
[…] up, a band I’ve not seen or heard before – Tombstone Crow from Newcastle [we chatted to them in the runup to Bloodstock 2015 – Mosh] – who really rocked the place with their brand of heavy metal. A much heavier […]