We missed Regulus at Bloodstock so we caught up with them for a chinwag afterwards. Here’s what they had to say about our silly questions!
The obvious question to ask… how was it to play the New Blood Stage?
It was a whole new experience for us and really raised the bar. Not only was it without a doubt the biggest gig we’ve ever played, but the response from the crowd absolutely blew us away! To see all our hard work from the last four years, gigging up and down the UK, pay off with that massive crowd clapping and singing along to all our songs, chanting our name and headbanging to every beat was the most rewarding experience we’ve ever enjoyed. That adrenaline rush lasted for days afterwards!
Have you been to Bloodstock before, either playing or as a fan?
No, none of us had ever been before; we’ve been spending all our money on getting our music out there and haven’t been able to afford festivals for some time, so it was great to have a chance to enjoy one.
What is it about Bloodstock that sets it apart from the other festivals?
For us it was the welcoming and chilled out atmosphere. Everyone was having a good time and enjoying the music first and foremost, and not trashing the place like some other festivals. That, and the focus on giving up-and-coming bands the opportunity to play to a huge crowd like that really made it feel special, like an extended gathering of the whole music scene coming together for a true common purpose.
When you crawl out of your tent in the morning after celebrating, what’s your patented festival hangover cure?
More booze and a lot of cigarettes…
The “Desert Island” question – the ship’s going down and you can see an island you could make it to. Water is of no concern, but what do you grab to keep yourself sane for a couple of weeks? You have time for one food, one drink, one album and one book.
There’s very few things we would agree on as a band! Food would probably be massive, greasy burgers (we survive on them on the road!), to drink it would have to be Jaipur ale from Thornbridge Brewery, without a doubt. The album would be Blast Tyrant by Clutch; “The Mob Goes Wild” is our psych-up tune before shows and it’s probably the only album we could all agree on, otherwise Luke would most likely bring a Between the Buried and Me album and we’d end up killing him… Book-wise, “The Dark Tower” series by Stephen King has had a big influence on our lyrics over the years; The Man in Black character turns up every now and again as an antagonist, so it would have to be one from that series.
Which venue do you wish you could play – or wish you could have played? Something with a sentimental link or somewhere special?
Probably C.B.G.B. just for the heritage of the place, but maybe The Boardwalk in Sheffield before it closed down. Every great Sheffield band from the last 30 years cut their teeth there, but we never had the chance! I don’t think there’s anywhere in particular that we’re aiming for now (although the Sophie stage next year has becoming an obvious and pressing goal after this experience!), we just want to keep playing in as many venues and as many different countries as possible; we love to play live above all else, so anywhere that’ll take us is on our hit-list!
What’s next for the band?
We’re currently recording our second full-length album, which will be due for release early next year, and planning a tour and videos in support of that. We’ve got some great gigs booked in for the rest of the year, including HRH Doom vs. Stoner, Noiz-Fest, Hail The Riff, Somatic Fest and a few others. We have a lot of big news coming up soon (and we mean massive news…!), but we can’t say what it is until the start of September, so keep an ear out.
