Much like we endeavour every year before Bloodstock, this year, for Scotland’s Wildfire Festival which kicks off on 22nd June, we’re interviewing every band set to play the stages of Wiston. You get to hear (or read) right from the horse’s mouth who you should be watching over the course of the weekend.
Previous years have seen some excellent acts grace the stages as our reviews can attest to and trust us when we say this year is no different! So get reading and listening so you can plan your coffee/beer/food breaks accordingly…
Our thanks to all the bands for taking the time out to answer our questions!
Black King Cobra
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We’re based out of Glasgow, Scotland but our individual members are from all over. Dundee, Orkney, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
The current line-up has been together since March this year. We played our first ever gig on the 1st April 2017.
Where does the name of the band come from?
We’re fairly convinced that it started off as a bit of a joke about how generic we could get the band name to be and after the chuckles wore off our silence was taken as tacit agreement. Now that I think about it; if “Power Tiger” isn’t taken you can expect an announcement on our band page in coming months.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We pride ourselves on our “groove” vibes that we’ve subtly weaved into the music. That’s the party line anyway, truth is we just love to boogie and we pack as much groove into our songs as we can get away with.
What’s your live show like? Why should people watch you?
Truthfully, I have no idea! From the videos I’ve watched back, I have absolutely no clue why people would want to watch us! We just play the music we’ve written, act like a bunch of pillocks and enjoy ourselves. If other people enjoy it as much as we do, then that’s brilliant news.
How does it feel to be back at Wildfire?
Lovely! We’ve got a very strong connection to Wildfire. Our first ever show was a Wildfire showcase, our first ever festival was Wildfire and our first ever headliner was a Wildfire showcase. I’m looking forward to another weekend of live music, seeing some familiar faces and enjoying some of Kevin Murphy’s exquisite Scozzese’s pizzas.
What sort of setlist can we expect?
People who have been kind enough to listen to our material seem to like “Wrack N’ Ruin”. I suppose that, and “Blood Rush” are our two go-to songs. They’ll be in the set alongside as much groovy, toe tapping, head bobbing material as we can chuck at you.
Which band are you most looking forward to seeing?
Our chums in Mason Hill are playing this year, we’re playing with them later this month at their headline show in King Tut’s, Glasgow so that will be fun to see them rock the place. Sauza Kings, Darkness Divine, Landslides, SKAM, Stoneface to name a few. I can’t speak for the rest of the fellas but I will honestly be catching as many of the acts as I can. What a luxury it is to be able to get into these things for free because we’re playing. I see it as a great opportunity to find myself new ear worms.
This year has already been an interesting one for the band, I believe.
We’ve been lucky enough to play with some fantastic musicians: RavenEye, Voodoo Blood, Saints of Arcadia, SKAM, our friends in Anchor Lane and we’ve got more to check off after Wildfire I suppose.
What have you got planned for the second half of 2018?
I really wish I knew, we’ve always had that “fly by the seat of our pants” attitude to planning. Gigs! Both playing and watching but our focus has been releasing new material which we’ve been prompted to do by lots of very kind, very enthusiastic and very impatient people! We’ve not rushed that though; the material was ready to record so we’ve got it tracked and new stuff will be on its way. We’ve only been at this for just over a year so we’re understanding now that its alright to stop for a spell and smell the roses so to speak.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
We’re not much for wild but when we opened Wildfire Festival last year I asked if it was alright to nip to the loo before we went on, I was told “Yeah, sure you’ve got about five minutes.” So I went to use the facilities and from the cubicle I heard Dave Ritchie announcing us and then some applause. I had to run through the audience and onto the stage. I then apologised for being late by announcing to the kind people “Sorry, I had to tinkle”. The epitome of rock ‘n’ roll wouldn’t you say? [It was rather amusing – Ross.]
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
Oh! That’s a toughie, we’ve seen and played with such great talent. I’d like to play a gig with Glasgow based fellas The Sunny Devils and I’d like to have The Naked Feedback being the headliners I think. Two fantastic Glasgow based bands with some brilliant songs that I think we’d compliment fairly well and I think it would make for a sweaty night of dancing, drinking and general tomfoolery.
What day/time are you playing at Wildfire? (If you have your slot yet!)
You can catch us around tea time on Sunday if you’re interested!
Pistonhead Lager, Cloven Hoof rum or Thistly Cross cider? And yes, we’ll be counting the votes!
I tried Pistonhead last year at Wildfire but Cloven Hoof has stolen my heart. A tasty libation for all occasions.
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