Wolfsbane
Singer Blaze Bayley on new music, Iron Maiden and… er, a classical acoustic album.
Formed in Tamworth in 1984, Wolfsbane were signed by Rick Rubin for his Def American label. The band broke up a decade later when frontman Blaze Bayley replaced Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden. He recording two albums with Maiden. Wolfsbane reunited in 2007.
How did the band come to regroup after thirteen years away?
My late wife Debbie engineered that we should continue our unfinished business, and right from the first rehearsal the magic was there again. The vibe was exactly the same as when we made our first demos. Since then we’ve aimed for a reunion every year while the four of us are alive.
The others felt let down when you quit for Maiden. Was that an elephant in the room?
I was very badly advised [with how to deal with the situation] when I joined Maiden, and I did some things I wasn’t comfortable with, so the situation did become awkward. There were some issues, but those were soon put to bed.
Please paint pen pictures of your bandmates, starting with Steve ‘Danger’ Ellett?
Danger is one of the most awful, brilliant people you could possibly meet. He has very little regard for any kind of social graces. Meet Danger in any situation and he will offend you by everything that he does.
What about guitarist Jase ‘The Ace’ Edwards? He was always the band’s best musician, so it’s no surprise that he became a fantastically talented record producer. Jase is the guy that keeps Wolfsbane together.
And bassist Jeff Hateley?
Jeff brings the rawness of the New York Dolls, the MC5 and Motörhead to Wolfsbane. He stops us from being conventional.
Readers will remember you as an explosive loudmouth. How is middle age treating you? Well, I’m not middle-aged. There is no middle age in Wolfsbane, just rock’n’roll age – that’s why people attend our gigs. Come and see us and you will revert to your favourite age in life.
Is that a promise?
We absolutely guarantee that. And we’ll also make you more attractive.
A reunion album, Wolfsbane Save The World, was followed by the EP Rock! Will there be a fulllength successor?
Yeah. Jase is mixing a live album that will be available for the tour, and we have some good ideas lined up for what’s turning out to be a real band effort. It will be released in December 2019.
Iron Maiden played Sign Of The Cross and The Clansman on their most recent tour. Do you feel that their era with you is undervalued?
I’ve no resentment. And I have so much respect for Bruce Dickinson, who was incredibly helpful to me before, during and after my time with that band. I love that they would celebrate my legacy with them in that way. Some people still hate me for being in Iron Maiden, and I think that’s a good thing.
Why is that?
Well, without generating that vitriol the work that I did with the band really wouldn’t say anything, would it?
Next summer your solo group will be performing a set of only Maiden songs.
It will be twenty-five years since I joined Maiden, and I want to celebrate that anniversary in a positive way. For next summer’s festivals that’s what I will be doing.
Astonishingly, there’s a classical acoustic album called December Wind for which you’re about to play some live dates.
I enjoyed the feeling of making music that was so much more exposed than usual. We do those shows in very different venues than the heavy metal concerts but the reactions from my fans are fantastic.
You’re also doing a very metal solo tour in 2019. My solo career has really picked up these last few years. People are really enjoying the Infinite Entanglement album trilogy. They love the concept of a man who doesn’t know whether or not he’s human. Next year we conclude that saga. DL
Wolfsbane’s tour begins in Sheffield on December 13.