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!
Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band – SOPHIE Stage, Thursday
We’re genuinely honoured to have had Phil Campbell himself respond to our pre-festival interview questions:
What led to you forming a band with all three of your sons?
We had a big party for Todd’s (guitar) birthday a few years ago and we played a few cover songs and had a jam. It sounded so good we decided to start a band!
How did you go about choosing a frontman – why not remain as a four-piece?
Neil Starr has been friends with my sons for years and has an amazing voice. It just seemed like the right thing to do!
I read earlier this year that there were plans for you to go into the studio and work on some original material – any progress on this?
Yes, we’re putting the finishing touches to a new EP of original music which will be out before the end of the year. Watch this space!
Is Panda Party still a “thing” – the website seems to have vanished, which is a shame! What was the thought behind its creation?
Panda Party still exists but is on hold whilst we look at other projects. It was just a bit of fun for kids to enjoy.
When did you find out you would be playing at Bloodstock this year?
We were booked to play last year but we had to cancel last minute due to a Motorhead booking. I’m good friends with the guys who run Bloodstock so told them we would play this year!
What sort of set list can we expect?
We’re definitely playing 1 new original song! The rest of the set will be a mixture of some classic Motorhead songs, some Motorhead songs that were rarely played live and some of my favourite covers!
You’re doing a decent number of live dates later this year as well. Do you still enjoy being out on the road?
Yeah it’s still great fun, especially when you’re out on the road with my sons! We even try to fit in a game of bowling on days off!
I often ask bands about the wildest thing they’ve seen or done on tour… but let’s face it, you could write volumes! Thinking more of the audiences and fans – what’s the most unusual or memorable moment that springs to mind from a gig, recent or further into the past?
It was the last day of tour in the US and it’s tradition to try and out prank the other band on the last show. So midway during Testaments set I decided to ride a horse onstage in front of 22,000 people. That one definitely springs to mind!
Which bands around these days do you listen to or look forward to getting the chance to see live? New acts or more well-known ones?
I always love seeing Rammstein live as they’re an incredible live act. And in terms of new bands go and check out Straight Lines and The People The Poet
What advice would you give to a young band entering the music business for the first time today?
Don’t expect success, just play the music you love and hopefully something will come of it.
Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band headline the SOPHIE stage on the Thursday.
