Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Huddersfield,
UK based Thrash Metal band RipTide. Huge thanks to frontman, Adam Smith for
taking part.
What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us
a little bit about the history of the band?
RipTide is: Adam Smith – Lead Vocals // Lead Guitar Sean Xavier – Bass // Vocals Will Maskell- Taylor – Guitar // Vocals Jason Booth – Drums
RipTide formed back in 2018 when Sean and I met in
college when we were 16 years old. We started jamming at Sasquatch Music in
Huddersfield and became good friends. We then contacted Jason, who went to the
same school as I did, but was a couple of years older and was looking for a
band. We played shows around the West Yorkshire area, with a number of
guitarists, until we found Will who I met at Leeds College of Music. We are now
looking to play more shows and festivals all around the UK and get our modern
thrash metal out to as many people as possible!!
How did you come up with your band name?
I wanted the band name to stick with me. I knew that I
wanted it to be one word and not really mean too much. I went through a large
number of band names, but nothing really stuck. I eventually came up with the
name ‘RipTide’ and it really stuck with me!
What Country/Region are you from and what is the
Metal/Rock scene like there?
RipTide are based in Huddersfield; West Yorkshire and
there are some great venues in the area. I would also like to mention
Manchester too as it is always fantastic when we play over there.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Our latest release was our Promo/Demo CD for our new T-shirt
launch! It was released on the day of the show we played with Annihilator in
October,
The track listing is: Cage of Regret [Demo] Masters of the apocalypse [Demo] Behind the Killer’s Eyes [Demo]
There are very limited copies left, so if you want one,
head over to our web store here 👇
My greatest Influences are frontmen! The likes of Dave
Mustaine, James Hetfield and Robb Flynn for their technical ability, Tyler
Bryant for the soul and Joel O’Keefe for the Rock n’ Roll attitude! These guys
impress me most! There’s not as many Guitarist / Frontmen as there used to be
in metal nowadays, and that needs to change!
What first got you into music?
I feel that Music has always been innate for me from when
I was really young. I think that what got me into Rock / Metal was when I was
younger watching mid 2000’s WWE on TV because of the entrance music… Triple H
and Edge’s themes especially!! And
playing Guitar Hero III, I remember being stuck on Slow Ride for years… Haha!
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician
who would it be?
Well, before RipTide formed and before I had a band, back
in 2016, I collaborated with my good friend Ben Carter of EVILE on the song
‘Behind The Killers Eyes’, which eventually Became a RipTide track!
If you could play any festival in the world, which would
you choose and why?
Bloodstock! We want to play Bloodstock! Our fans want us
to play Bloodstock!
#RipTide4Bloodstock
Oh, and Vagos Metal Fest in Portugal!
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Thank you for all of the support you have given us these
past couple of years! It means the world to us! 🙏
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who
would it be?
DIMEBAG.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And
what do you hate?
I love playing shows and meeting with all of our fans and
friends afterwards. It’s one of the best feelings I have. It’s very rewarding
to entertain people and enable them to get away from the usual daily stress
that we all have. I love it!
I really don’t like recording. It’s just so tedious!! but
I’m glad that Sean and Will love it!
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Arrgghh…there are so many! But I if I had to pick one, it
would have to “Killing is My Business… and Business is Good” – Megadeth. It’s
just so aggressive! I feel like I step in Dave’s mind at the time, every time I
listen to that album. Incredible!
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
I love streaming, Spotify is awesome! Don’t get me wrong
though, I also love physical copies of Music too, both CD’s and Vinyl. I think
they are awesome pieces of merch and I almost always grab a CD off a band merch
store! But when I’m traveling, Spotify is a lifesaver! All the music you could
ever want in your phone!! It’s Crazy! The same with Netflix, its just great!
But from an artist point of view, I love to have physical copies of RipTide’s
music and we will always sell it on the merch stand, but nowadays, a lot of
people don’t have CD Players, and if you want people to hear you music you have
to embrace the new technology, because if you don’t, you get left behind.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
We have loads!! The first time we played in Manchester,
we supported our friends in Lost Society at Manchester Academy, that was
insane! I remember that show was the first ‘Wall of Death’ we had done! It was
surreal!
All of our headline shows we have played have been
killer, when we have that extra time on stage, we can have way more fun and put
a little bit of a twist on our usual thrashing! E.g. extended sections, more
guitar solos and beer drinking / throwing!!
But I would have to say the show we played with
Annihilator, that was a dream come true man! There was constantly someone
stagediving! It was absolutely mad!
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I don’t know what the hell I would do if I wasn’t playing
guitar! I have always wished I could Skate, but I’m just too scared of breaking
my hands. 😅 I just stick to ‘Skate 3’ on my PS3! 😂
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Anyone but Sean!! He will eat all the nice waffles and
give the burnt ones to you… #truestory. I would definitely invite Jason as he
has a super sleek crockpot slow cooker! But as far as the other four go, I’m
not sure!
What’s next for the band?
We have something super special that we can’t wait to
show you all, and Its gonna be killer!!!
What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your
music out to people?
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you
would like to add?
Thank you man! Keep a look out on our socials for
something awesome coming soon!
Peace ✌
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever
Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you
have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be
treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
Disclaimer: This photo album is solely the property of Beth Jones. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of these images, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
Pentre Fest 2020 Day Two Mcleans, Pentre, North Wales 22/02/2020 Review by Rick Tilley, Alun Jones and Beth Jones Pictures by Beth Jones
Rick Here.
Saturday’s Pentre Fest, Day Two review is a
collaborative affair between myself, Alun and Beth. I’ve made it clear who
wrote what and I would like to thank them for their help, as well as looking
after a broken 52 year old (me!) who cannot get around as quickly as he used
to!
On the Saturday
morning, pleasantly surprised that we weren’t hurting as much as we thought we
might, we set off back to Mcleans, pausing only to pick up Powerzone’s Dani
Maguire on the way, ready for a full day of Metal and Acoustic performances. It
was noticeably quieter upon arriving, but a fair amount of alcohol had been consumed
on the Friday, so I imagine there were a few sore heads! However, the always
faithful had dragged themselves out of bed to watch the opening band of the day
on the main stage…
Cheerfully Undiagnosed
Pop/Punker
Cheerfully Undiagnosed (aka Adam Robinson) had also performed early on the
Saturday at Pentre Fest the previous year, waking everyone up and putting a
smile on our collective faces. Now expanded to a two piece, (with the addition
of a drummer) they did the same this year. Vocalist/Guitarist Adam will
probably be the first to admit that the material is simple, but he performs it
with a huge glint of fun in his eyes and is very comical to boot. Getting a selection
of hungover and tired metallers to sing along to tracks such as ‘I’ve Just Been
Sick’ and ‘Unsolicited Dick Pic’ was hilarious to watch and take part in and
it’s just the sort of thing you need to kick your day into gear!
One person we
certainly hadn’t expected to see was Edd Case. In the week running up to Pentre
Fest Edd had been taken ill, spending two days in hospital, so to see him turn
up on the Saturday with his guitar, looking like death warmed up was a bit of a
shock. After telling him off, he proceeded to blow us all away on the acoustic
stage with a short set of songs, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him play or
sound better. His original songs are beautifully written and any covers he
plays are turned completely on their head, always recognisable but played in a
way only he can. He was excellent but, like Brian, he was still ‘a very naughty
boy’ for turning up!
Next up on the main
stage we were due to get our first proper Metal fix of the day from a band I
hadn’t seen live before but was really looking forward to, Manchester based
NWOTHM four piece Stormrider and ‘by the power of Greyskull’ did they deliver. If,
like me, you love a good dose of Trad Metal, mixed up with some Power and
Thrash influences, played as tightly as a gnat’s chuff and delivered with the
force of a Challenger Tank then you’ll love Stormrider. Their not long enough
set was excellent and looking around at the growing crowd it was clear I wasn’t
the only one who thought so. Afterwards I immediately went and bought their EP
and hope it isn’t too long before we see them again!
I nipped outside for
a breather and immediately got caught up talking to people. For my sins I
missed most of the next artist on the acoustic stage but, luckily, Alun didn’t
so here are his thoughts on Rhiannon.
Rhiannon Petrou (Why’d You Wanna Know)
Sadly, Pentre Fest
suffered a few casualties this year. One such example was on the acoustic
stage, where Rachel Sian Roberts, one half of the newly formed duo, Why’d You
Wanna Know, was hospitalised and (obviously) unable to perform. But the show
must go on: and Rhiannon performed a short but enjoyable set on the acoustic
stage. Admittedly out of her comfort zone, playing guitar as well as singing
(having only started to learn guitar a month ago) she soldiered on and won
plaudits for her effort. Only a few minor mistakes were noticed – and easily
forgiven. Possessing a beautiful singing voice she even managed to add a
ghostly, ethereal sheen to a cover of Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’ – making it sound
good for the first time ever!
Having seen the end of Rhiannon’s set and thinking what a beautiful voice she had, I headed back to the main stage to get another blast of METAL, this time from Huddersfield Thrashers RipTide, another band I hadn’t seen live before. Now Thrash is one of my favourite genres. I’m old enough to have been around when it all began and saw bands such as Exciter, Exodus, Testament and Destruction etc play when they were starting out. I was also lucky enough to see Sy Keeler’s first gig singing with Onslaught, which still stands as one of the best live performances I’ve ever witnessed. Why am I on a trip down memory lane you may ask? Well, RipTide filled me with that same sense of open-mouthed awe I got as a teenager witnessing my idols for the first time. They possess everything a Thrash band needs and they do it with style. There’s definitely an old-school ‘Bay Area’ element to their sound, but it’s mixed with a modern-day twist and slightly harsher vocals, which brings everything into the 21st Century. They were incredibly tight, playing at break neck speed when they needed to, but slowing down and leaving space for the groove as well. A highlight of the weekend, you must not miss them if they gig near you!
Mine and Beth’s
recent return to Ever Metal, for some reason, seemed to be going down well for
many people attending and I got chatting again outside after Riptide. This
meant I missed the beginning of Mike West’s set on the acoustic stage. Having
seen him before I knew he was good, but Alun hadn’t, so here’s what he thought!
Mike West
If the connection
between metal and outlaw country isn’t obvious to any readers, I can only pity
you. I’ve never witnessed Mike West before, but his amalgamation of southern
rock, dusty country and swampy blues was a delight to my old whiskey-soaked
soul. Mike delivers his songs with a hard rockin’ swagger, as if he’s just
busted out of Tombstone jail and is riding across the plains, lamenting women
and fortunes lost. A great voice and an outstanding presence, Mike is one to
catch when you can. Has anyone done a “Wild West” gag yet? If not, there’s a
headline for us there!
After Mike’s great
set, it wasn’t long before our Master of Ceremonies ‘Beany’ was rounding
everyone up to head back to the main stage. He didn’t have to coerce me because
I had been looking forward to seeing Forlorn Hope for about a year. Historical
Heavy Metal may sound odd to some (although, it’s never done Sabaton any harm)
but Forlorn Hope manage it with aplomb. They have been described as “a musical
version of Bernard Cornwall’s ‘Sharpe’ novels” and I couldn’t put it any better
myself. They haven’t been together that long, but arrived on stage like a much
more seasoned outfit. Their Classic Heavy Metal sound mixed with Military
History of the Peninsular War of 1807-1814 lyrics and a little in-between song
humour from vocalist/rhythm guitarist Chris Simpson works perfectly and you
should really seek them out. If there is one negative it is that keyboard
player Jade McKenna doesn’t get more involved or smile. Her playing is more
than acceptable, and the keyboards definitely add something to the music, but
she looks very ‘stiff’ on stage compared to the rest of the band!
By this point my
spine was starting to groan and I needed a break, so I’ll leave you in the more
than capable hands of Beth who went to check out Ben MIlford on the Acoustic
Stage.
Ben Milford
Normally we’re used to seeing Ben shredding in the shadows,
as he’s the super skilled, but incredibly humble, guitarist in OMV. His
acoustic performance wasn’t just a new experience for us – it was also the
first time he’d done an acoustic set on his own. Talking to him beforehand, we
discovered that he was pretty nervous about it, because it meant stepping out
of his comfort zone by singing as well as playing. He needn’t have been nervous
though, because his performance was brilliant, and he has a lovely voice. On a
couple of songs, he had extra vocal support from his band mate Richie, front
man of OMV, and the unstoppable Edd Case! To be honest though, he didn’t need
it. He did a fabulous job on his own, and we got to see another side of him,
which we really liked.
Scars Of Remembrance
Sore back or not, I
wasn’t going to miss our friends in Scars Of Remembrance, and it turned out to
be one of the best decisions I’ve made for a long time, so I hope you don’t
mind me waxing lyrical! Since vocalist Mike Edwards’ departure from the band
late last year, SOR have been without a steady frontman. They’d decided that,
for this gig, guitarist Mark Harris was going to sing (he already does backing
vocals and has a good voice), but it was clear beforehand that he was in pain.
It turns out he had cracked two ribs in a fall and wasn’t able to play guitar,
and I think there were nerves within the band as to how this was going to go
down.
They needn’t have
worried, because within half a song, the now much more healthy crowd was
looking at the stage and at each other in astonishment. Regardless of the pain
he was in, which must have been very uncomfortable and deserves a medal on its
own, no-one could quite believe the voice (both clean and screamed) that was
coming from Mark’s lungs. He is a very quiet individual off stage, but this was
an absolutely mesmerising performance, and easily the best I had ever seen
Scars Of Remembrance play. Having just four of them on stage gives them more
space. Bassist Karl Ditcher certainly came out of his shell (he also joined in
on backing vocals presenting an excellent bear-like roar), guitarist Daniel
Dawson admirably covered the missing guitar with his riffing, and drummer Ben
Burke played like a man possessed, thumping the living daylights out of the
kit. However, Mark was the star of the show and it’s quite obvious that they
don’t need to find a new singer!
Afterwards, many
people spent an awful lot of time telling them this, and I really hope they
listen. I already thought they were a great band, but this performance elevated
them to the next level! My band of the weekend bar none!
Back at the acoustic
stage it was time for Adam Robinson to play a set and I shall leave Beth to
tell you about that.
Adam Robinson (Cheerfully Undiagnosed)
Still stoked from what I’d just seen on the main stage, I
headed back to the acoustic room to watch Adam Robinson deliver his second set
of the day, this time acoustically and on his own. It was no less cheerful than
his earlier offering, and his witty banter and repartee kept the crowd
enthralled. Again, his chosen songs weren’t overly fussy or complex, just good
fun. He is a great act if the audience need a bit of a giggle and a livener,
and his endearing stage persona could warm the hearts of even the coldest of
souls!
At this point, along
with Dani from Powerzone, we had arranged to interview the bonafide superstar,
and absolute gentleman, that is Luke Appleton (Iced Earth & Absolva),
alongside Rishi Mehta (Babylon Fire) who would be performing an acoustic set
together later that day. While we did that Alun was watching OMV and here are
his thoughts!
OMV
On the main stage, OMV entered dressed like a bunch of West
Coast gangsters in masks and bandanas. Introduced as “hardcore street metal”,
these guys definitely showed some great musical skills and energy. Somewhere
between Bodycount, Suicidal Tendencies and Biohazard is where I’d stack them.
Either way, OMV delivered some brutal songs and bounced around with massive
crossover riffs. They were very entertaining, although hugely confrontational
onstage – I wasn’t sure if they were actually going to pistol whip the audience
into submission. The music has enough intensity and power to speak for itself.
While I took a plethora of pain killers, washed down with a
pint (don’t have a go at me) Beth headed to the acoustic stage to watch the
second performance of the weekend from the excellent Cry For Mercy.
Cry For Mercy Acoustic
We’re quickly running out of adjectives to describe these
guys, but I’ll have a bash at a few more here, to describe their set on the
acoustic stage! We’re big fans of these guys at Ever Metal, and have seen them
many times now, but not stripped back like this. As usual though, their
performance was a masterclass in how to deliver a great acoustic rock and blues
set. Drummer Steven Taylor kept the rhythms going on Cajon, which gave the set
that extra acoustic feel, and the grooves were upheld by guitarist Andy Cutty
and bassist/vocalist Kev Plant. This set upheld their super-tight musicianship,
with all of them on point all of the time. One of the things I like most about
them is how comfortable they look when they play. The feel they give to the
music is both smooth and charismatic, and you can’t help being drawn into it,
making toe-tapping and head nodding obligatory! This set was so chilled that it
would not have been out of place on a ‘hideout’ stage at a midsummer festival
somewhere in the Texas Deep South. It oozed groove and proved just how
versatile these guys are.
By now I was going numb so I knew I could manage some more
music and I went back to the main stage to watch Son Of Boar, however Alun
rather enjoyed their set (I did too), so he’s written this short, but very
complimentary review.
Son Of Boar
They have a cool name, and they looked pretty cool on stage
in matching denim battle-vests. From the very first notes of the bass rumbling
on the very first song, I had a feeling that Son of Boar would be something
special. I wasn’t wrong. These Bradford bruisers have everything in spades:
they’re unfeasibly heavy; they have slow, doomy riffs with a Sabbath-like
infectiousness and they have a sludgy, swampy groove that can pack an
aggressive punk punch. The best band of Pentre Fest 2020 as far as I was concerned,
Son of Boar were superb. I even bought a t-shirt!
At this point Edd Case played a second set on the acoustic stage and it was the one time, all weekend, we missed a performance. However, as we’d seen him earlier in the day and he was still a very naughty boy for even turning up, he’s going to forgive us…aren’t you Edd?
Severenth
Back at the main
stage it was time for the awesome Severenth to play and, once again, they
showed why it is so good to have them back on the scene. When these guys were
around the first time they toured the US and played the hallowed Wacken Open
Air, among others and their pedigree shone through from start to finish.
Vocalist Peet Bailey is a wonderful frontman, possessing a huge voice and bags
of energy, Ben Jones thunders on the bass, guitarists Jack Somers and Adam
Sidor are the perfect foils for each other, and drummer Dave Roberts is a mass
of arms and rhythm. Together they a make a brutal, but very catchy team, and
the sooner they release a new album the better!
We were now heading
towards the climax of the Festival, but there were still two performances to
go. First up were the headliners on the acoustic stage, namely Luke Appleton
(Iced Earth, Absolva) and Rishi Mehta (Babylon Fire) who put on a wonderful
performance. As Alun hadn’t seen Luke acoustically before he kindly supplied
the write-up of the set!
Luke Appleton and Rishi Mehta
A really fantastic
set was delivered by Mr Luke Appleton on the acoustic stage. In truth, this was
a duo performance with Rishi Mehta (of Babylon Fire) playing too, and it was a
genuine highlight of Pentre Fest 2020. Dubbed “acoustic metal”, the songs were
both suitably laidback, yet delivered with a metal edge. Expertly performed, we
had tunes from Luke’s solo “Snake Eyes” project, plus of course some Iced Earth
and Absolva numbers. Not to mention a bit of Dio and Tenacious D for good
measure! A real class act in every sense of the word, and both very talented
and down-to-earth gentlemen.
After a short break, where some of us braved the horrendous
wind that was pummelling Mcleans outside (actually, now I think about it,
bearing in mind who was due to appear onstage, it could well have been the
‘True Metal wind of Joey DeMaio’s 24 string bass guitar), we headed back to the
main stage to witness the climax of Pentre Fest 2020 – WomenOwar!! Now, there
had been rumblings (no, not from my stomach) that WomenOwar were threatening to
pull out of their performance as there’d been a massive argument between Floss
The Boss and Davina Shenkles over who was going to wear the deep blue eyeliner
and baby oil, but luckily tragedy was averted! Of course, had this been the real
Manowar we would all have been sat twiddling our thumbs calling Joey a complete
and utter wan…!
Yes I’m joking, sort of! WomenOwar are an ‘all women, not
all women’ Manowar Tribute band and they were absolutely brilliant! Formed for
a one-off performance in 2018 they now find themselves in demand, possibly
because Manowar really do argue over who is going to wield the He-Man sword and
get the best painted on six-pack, but more likely because they are very funny
and play the songs superbly!
Made up from members of the awesome Dakesis, Fury and
Christgrinder you just knew the musical prowess was going to be top notch, and
so it proved to be. Armed with a wig and mascara collection that Steel Panther
would be proud of (in fact Manowar would be proud of it as well), they
proceeded to blow us all away with a majestic set of Manowar classics that the
crowd lapped up! It was the perfect climax to a wonderful weekend. As it says
on their website “the band have weathered even the most unconquerable
challenges to consistently bring you 100% of the Manowar for 1% of the price of
actual Manowar”, and that says everything really. Go see them! You won’t be
disappointed, because WomenOwar will actually turn up and play!!
So, that’s Pentre Fest wrapped up for another year. In all
seriousness, it was incredible and everyone I spoke to enjoyed themselves
immensely. Sound was perfect all weekend on both stages and the only thing that
let us down was the weather but having the sometimes ‘not acoustic’ stage
inside really worked well!
Massive thanks must go to the team at North East Wales Metal
Productions for assembling another cracking line-up of bands and acoustic
artists, and especially to Fozzy for getting through what must have been an
awful weekend for him.
We were all well looked after by Pat and the staff at
Mcleans, they do a sterling job, the bands were friendly and approachable all
weekend and, of course, it wouldn’t be the same without all of you who turned
up to watch.
Pentre Fest is a wonderful grass roots event and it should
be thoroughly applauded. I’m already primed for 2021!
Disclaimer: This review and photographs are solely the property of Beth Jones and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
