An onslaught that was thoroughly satisfying was how MetalTalk found the debut show of the Lords of NWOBHM at the Cart & Horses. Following an exceptional evening, the band then travelled to Japan for a couple of shows that looked awesome. MetalTalk caught up with Cliff Evans for an East Asian update and to hear the plans for the future.
The Cart & Horses show featured 16 tracks backed with huge cheers and nodding heads. “We weren’t really sure what to expect,” Cliff told MetalTalk. “It was all kind of put together, I won’t say a last-minute thing, but all the guys live in different countries. John Gallagher lives in Florida. Carl Sentance lives in Vienna, Karl Wilcox lives in France. So we had never actually been in the same room together and played together.”
The 16-song setlist had been put together, and the Lords Of NWOBHM met in Saffron Walden for two days of rehearsal. “The weather was really bad,” Cliff says. “It was snowing, it was cold, miserable. We had some technical issues picking people up at airports. It was pretty tough going. But we got in the studio, as soon as we plugged in and started making some noise, it just sounded good. You’ve got these five guys from the different bands, but all from that era. So there’s an understanding.”
All five bands, Praying Mantis, Raven, Diamond Head, Tank and Persian Risk, had different styles or influences, but in the studio, it all gelled quickly. “It felt really good,” Cliff says. “A couple of days’ rehearsal, just banging through all these songs as best as we can. One show is worth 100 rehearsals. You can rehearse forever, you’re not gonna get it spot on. So the show at the Cart & Horses was going to be the test. Just get up there and do it, make some noise, and have a good time.”
The choice of songs was amazing, and watching the crowd at the Cart, you could sense that in people’s faces. “We all grew up in that era,” Cliff says. “People were coming up to us afterwards, saying it’s so great to hear these songs again because a lot of these bands have just disappeared.”
Lords Of NWOBHM played the songs respectfully and in the style they should be played. “It seemed to work really well,” a proud Cliff says. “We had a great time, and the crowd reaction was fantastic, so the concept does work.”
It was impressive to hear how Carl Sentance tackled the different singing styles across the set. “He spent the time on it,” Cliff says. “He wanted it to sound as close to the original vocalist style but add his own little bit. We’re not a covers band or a tribute band. It’s got to be our own sound, but playing those songs, as faithfully as possible. We grew up listening to this stuff.”
It was also great to see John Gallagher and Karl Wilcox ripping it up on stage, given their recent health issues. “Absolutely,” Cliff says. “We’re not kids anymore. Carl Sentance had some health issues as well in December. We’re all struggling around a little bit. But once you get up on stage, the adrenaline gets going. A couple of beers as well, and off we go. It was great fun. It’s kind of cool, all us old timers up there.”
The partnership between Cliff and Tino Troy worked very well. It was this pair who thought up the Lords Of NWOBHM idea over a couple of pints in the Jolly Fisherman. When working on the lineup, the original plan was to have the late Kev Riddles from Angel Witch on bass. “He was really up for it, very excited about it. He was in there, and then literally a few weeks later, he got the bad news that he was diagnosed with cancer. A few weeks after that, he was just gone. It was devastating. I’ve known Kev since the late ’70s.
“But I said, we’ve got to move on now. Who can we get in to replace Kev, and there was only one choice really. It had to be John Gallagher. The only other guy who’s well known from that era does his own thing, still has his band going, and can really put on a show.
“Obviously, Karl Wilcox on drums because he’s been playing with me in Tank. A fantastic drummer. He’s just gonna nail it. You need someone in there who can really hold it together. And then what singer do you bring in? Who do you bring in from that era that can handle all those songs and put on a show? It had to be Carl Sentance. He’s still there, top of his game. A fantastic voice. He was out on the road with Nazareth, so I thought, is he gonna be available? Fortunately, now he’s left Nazareth, so he was in. The whole thing just came together out of an idea down the pub after a few beers.”
The Japan shows were a success for Lords Of NWOBHM. Apart from Sentence, the other had played Janap before. “There is something special about going to Japan,” Cliff says. “All the best live albums were made over there in the ’70s and ’80s. So just going to Japan feels like it’s pretty special. The promoter had faith in us.”
Following the Cart & Horses show, the band went back to Saffron Walden for “a couple of hours sleep,” before hitting the airport for a couple of beers. After the 14-hour flight, there were two shows, and after the second, there was a 6 am start for the journey home and another 14-hour flight. No time for sightseeing, but the shows were a success.
“It was great,” Cliff says. “Those guys love their NWOBHM.” The shows were well attended, and the fans were into the music. “It was great, it was really successful too. To be able to take the band there after getting together a week before, one warm-up show, then on a plane to Japan. It worked, so it gave us the confidence to really move forward with this.”
Now it is about planning for the future. There have been festival offers, and the plan is to build on the Lords Of NWOBHM concept. “The idea wasn’t about a band playing a load of covers,” Cliff says. “It’s really about putting on more of a show. So we’re gonna bring in more guests. At the Cart & Horses, we had Dennis Stratton come up and do Phantom Of The Opera. There’s that sound, his backing vocal and his guitar in it. Amazing.”
With bigger stages, there is more opportunity for Lords Of NWOBHM to bring in special guests from the NWOBHM era, which is really exciting. It is very much a watch this space.
“It was to provide some entertainment and go out and celebrate the NWOBHM era,” Cliff says. “It was a great time. We had that feeling when you first start playing, you first join a band, and you’re playing these riffs and hanging out with a band, a couple of beers. It was exciting.
“So it’s nice to get the feeling again. I haven’t felt like that for a long time. The vibe is there, so it’s an exciting time. We will take it forward.”
