MetalTalk nominated festival Legends Of Rock is renowned for their incredible selection and support of upcoming bands, and this is how I first came to know about Lancaster-based Massive Wagons back in 2016.
Interview: Sara Harding
When the Wagons debuted, we all knew these were going to go places. Us fans were so impressed we really did see the band and buy the t-shirts. And now we get to see them again two albums later and headlining Shepherd’s Bush Empire with the mighty Ugly Kid Joe on their UK tour.
Baz, the enigmatic frontman, and I had an exclusive chat ahead of this highly anticipated tour. “It’s really exciting to be back on the road,” Baz said, “and to be playing songs from the new album. We are the same as Ugly Kid Joe and yet are different enough to make this a great collaboration. We met Whitfield Crane in Manchester, and he’s a bloody nice bloke. We want to make sure we stand out too.”
And that is definitely something Massive Wagons can do. With their hard rock pedigree and Mill’s vocals and lyrics, this is a rock band you can genuinely enjoy.
So to the album Triggered! which has just been released to great reviews. It was recorded at Backstage Studios with producers Chris Clancy (Machine Head, Megadeth, Amon Amarth) and Colin Richardson (Funeral For A Friend, Slipknot, Sepultura), the production force that was also behind their UK Top 10 album, House Of Noise. I’ve heard a sneaky peak, and it is exactly what we need right now – high-quality rock and roll, a killer backline, and fuck you lyrics.
Massive Wagons have just released the single Skateboard, taken from their new album Triggered! “This was the first track to come out of the studio complete,” Baz says. “It was the first one we heard. I remember sending it to our manager, and she fell in love with it. It’s still her favourite, I think. She said it reminded her of the stuff she listened to growing up in the 2000s, which I thought was cool.
“It’s a proper great love track, bouncy and catchy! The middle section is my favourite part, which was a late addition. To be honest, the song doesn’t make a lot of sense – it’s kinda about losing your marbles and going a bit mad dealing with what’s chucked at you – but it sounded good, so I left it alone.”
The band took their Forget The Haters anti-bullying campaign to Lancaster’s Dallas Road Community Primary School last week, where they chatted with Year 5 students, broke out the percussion and made a lot of noise with assistance from the students. “The session was brilliant,” Headmaster Adam Newton said. “Baz and Adam did a great job and totally engaged our children. They shared an important anti-bullying message which our children responded to really positively.”
“What an amazing bunch of young humans they are,” Baz said. “So sharp and so switched on. I think they may have taught me a thing or two.”
“I used to drive a wagon before the band,” Baz said, “and when the pandemic hit, I didn’t get any furlough. So a couple of years ago, the government asked all the wagon drivers to come back to work, and I thought, fuck you.” With his wagon driving days long behind him, the band’s next plan is to tour the new album throughout the UK and Europe around April time. And enjoy this run of shows with Ugly Kid Joe.
We return to chatting about Legends of Rock, and Baz agrees that it’s these festivals that help launch the incredible range of new rock bands out there. “If it wasn’t for events like this,” he says, “I don’t know what musicians would do. That gig was a right laugh, and I’m so grateful for all the promoters and festivals doing this.”
And now we all get to see the band again live, and I for one, can’t wait.
Get your tickets now before Massive Wagons literally get massive, and I’ll see you at the bar at Shepherd’s Bush.
