Here we go again… Last year we covered every band on the Hobgoblin New Blood and Jagermeister stages in the run-up to Bloodstock 2015. This year, we’re going one better and aim to have interviews from all the bands on those two stages as well as all of those on the SOPHIE stage prior to the event kicking off on August 11th. That’s almost 100 interviews to get online for you lucky people over the course of the next couple of weeks. I bloody love this job, but you lot owe me a beer at Catton Hall, right?
Thanks to all the bands who’ve taken the time to respond!
Regulus – Hobgoblin New Blood Stage, Saturday
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We’re from Sheffield.
How did you meet?
Joe, our drummer, put an advert out on Facebook in one of the local music groups looking for people to start a band. We’d all been kicking around the scene for a few years in various projects, but were each looking for something fresh and new at the time, so we responded. Four complete strangers got together for a jam and never looked back…!
How long have you been playing together as a band?
About four years now.
Where does the name of the band come from?
Regulus is the name of one of the brightest stars in the night sky. However the star we see from Earth is actually four individual stars orbiting each other which together shine brighter than any of the individual stars themselves.
What are your influences – individually or as a band?
Individually our influences are broad and varied, ranging from stoner and doom to classic metal, to hardcore, prog, blues, psychedelia and beyond. As a band we take influences from bands such as Clutch, Orange Goblin, Monster Truck, Mastodon, The Sword and smaller bands such as Ten Foot Wizard, Sergeant Thunderhoof and XII Boar.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We’re heavy, groovy, hooky, fuelled by riffs, blues and booze with a dash of psychedelia, influenced by all your favourite bands but sounding like none of them. Because of our wide range of influences we bring something new and fresh to the stoner rock genre, moving away from the classic tropes to try something different. Our harmonies are probably our stand-out feature, we love to layer up our sound and elaborate on big riffs by adding detail and intricacy.
What’s your live show like – why should the baying hordes troop over to the stage you’re playing on to watch you?
Simply put, we enjoy ourselves infectiously. If you come to see Regulus play you’ll be greeted with an energetic and engaging show that does the music we play justice. We promise you you’ll not be bored.
When/how did you find out you’d been selected to play at Bloodstock?
We competed in the Metal to the Masses competition for Lincolnshire, playing alongside some extremely talented bands. We made some good friends at those shows, particularly the guys from Battalions. When we got through the final and Simon announced our name, we were beyond surprised and hugely honoured!
What sort of setlist can we expect?
We’re bringing our “A” game, playing our most upbeat, foot-stomping, groove-heavy tracks. We want to get the crowd moving.
Which main stage band do you most hope you’re not clashing with so you can see them play?
Mastodon, for sure.
What are you working on at the moment?
We’re currently finishing up our 2nd album, aiming to surpass everything we’ve worked on so far. Without a doubt this is the best material we’ve written to date, expanding on everything we’ve learned and experienced in four intense years as a hard-working rock band.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done on tour?
We’re seriously not all that wild and generally take ourselves far too seriously! Joe, however, has done plenty that we definitely can’t talk about in public…
What advice would you give to a young band just starting out today?
Get out there and play. Keep playing. Then play some more. The best thing you can do as a young band is to hone your style, hone your sound, and practice the hell out of it until you can do it with your eyes closed.
If you could be part of any 3-band line-up who else would you have on the bill? One band above you and one below – a chance to plug a smaller, unsigned act!
Monster Truck to headline, and Battalions to support. Then we’d get wrecked together and go see Clutch!
What stage / time are you playing at Bloodstock (if you have your slot yet!)
We’re on the New Blood Stage on Saturday evening.
