Interview Archive (audio): Mark Rankin of Gun

Gun
Gun minus Rankin (Photo credit: Iain Purdie)

Just for a slight change, here’s an interview I didn’t do myself but which I probably organised. As you’ve probably noticed, a lot of the interviews I’m posting are from the early/mid-90’s when rock and metal was pretty much being buried by the popular media.

Iron Maiden were playing 1500-capacity venues and not selling them out. New bands didn’t have a hope in hell of being signed, and if they did they routinely lasted for an album before being ditched. Donington‘s “Monsters of Rock” festivals, which had run for a decade or so, simply stopped.

Yet despite this, there were a huge number of bands continuing to ply their trade. As such, they would take any and all the publicity they could get – this included student radio and fanzines. As a result I was often off doing one interview in one venue when another came up. Time to draft in the deputies!

This one was done at Bradford Rios by Mark Varley and Eddie Winthorpe, both of whom worked alongside me at Bradford University‘s Radio RamAir. If I remember correctly (and apologies if I don’t), but I think Eddie was one of the techie/engineer guys as well as being a DJ. Mark, I’m glad to say, I recently got back in touch with on facebook. He’s a nice enough guy for a Man City supporter, though I doubt I’ll feel the same on Monday ;)

So here you go – Mark Rankin from Gun (interview from 30th August 1994), a band still going strong. The last time I saw them was only a few months ago opening for The Darkness in Glasgow. Admittedly, they did take a break between 1997 and 2008, and Mark’s no longer with them, though. I gather he’s now helping to promote other bands for Mercury Records. Good lad!

(download link)

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