Exclusive Interview With The Blazin’ Aces

It is always interesting to meet new bands and chatting to The Blazin’ Aces wasn’t any different. In a secluded hut off the back roads of Rayleigh, Essex, I turned up to meet some of the most genuine and polite people I have ever met. They were a little bit talented too! I was offered a cup of tea and a jam doughnut by manager Victoria Pallen and I took my seat on a three piece sofa with the band just meters away from me. I did not know what to expect in the slightest as I have never seen any footage or heard any tracks by the band but I must say I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of material from this new rocking outfit on the scene.

The Blazin’ Aces are recently formed and they are a five piece rock and roll band that play their fair share of rockabilly and country rock to please all types of audience. The band members are Guy De Cruz on guitar and vocals, Dave Hawkins who is from the 501’s on double bass and vocals, Nicola Cook who is a vocalist, Dave Wallings on guitar and Ken Peters on drums. Ken also plays alongside Guy in a 1960’s band called Billy Liar.

After watching the first part of their rehearsal with a close eye, I then sat down with the band during their break, and recorded a vocal interview with them. Parts of this interview will be edited and uploaded with video clips and photographs playing whilst the audio is heard. So over a cup of tea in a freezing cold hut in Essex, this is what this talented band had to say.

“I started the band because I wanted to start a rocking band and I wanted a double bass sound. The whole idea of this band was to start fresh and play with musicians that I don’t normally play with” said Guy. “It’s been a very off and on project and it probably took off just under a year ago, when Dave approached me. We had a female vocalist originally who was good but didn’t really fit in with the rockabilly side of things”.

“We had quite a few early rehearsals with that band but it didn’t quite work out so it kind of stopped for a while” added Dave Wallings.

The bass player Dave Hawkins was part of the band The 501’s that had recently split up and his path crossed with Guy’s at local gigs hosted by Essex rock and roll personality Spike Richardson. Spike, along with his wife Linette, put on regular gigs at very good cost around the Essex area. Guy told me it was actually at one of Spike’s gigs that the two did meet and the idea was there to start a new band.

“I went to see The Jets with Spike and I met Dave there at that gig. Dave did actually meet me before at The SSOne club in Southend and he gave me one of his cards with his number on, which I thought was a bit worrying!” joked the guitarist. “Anyway I took his number and gave him a call and Dave came down to a rehearsal and we just fell in love, we just clicked instantly” added De Cruz.

“We then got our drummer Ken in because the original drummer couldn’t really rehearse with the band. He was getting a lot of pressure from his work which did then start affecting the band because he just simply couldn’t find the time to rehearse with us. He currently plays in the same band as me in Billy Liar, so it is good that we know how each other play”.

The other singer in the band is female vocalist Nicola Cook. Guy now tells of how fellow guitarist in the band, Dave, spotted her singing in a local pub to a karaoke machine. This is a story that goes to show if you have talent, you will always be spotted and picked up.

“I got a call from Dave one night and he told me that he had heard this girl singing on a karaoke machine. So I said to Dave to bring her along to a rehearsal and see how things go, they went well, and she is now part of the band”.

The bass player Dave Hawkins still wasn’t a confirmed member of the band and he was the last piece of the puzzle that needed to be filled. As mentioned earlier he was part of the band The 501’s which were a five piece band but split up after a disagreement, Dave now tells us how it all came together.

“The original 501’s split up because there was five of us originally and Dave (Romaine) was thinking of giving up so I was at a bit of a loose end when Guy asked me if I wanted to be part of this band. It just so happened when all that happened with The 501’s Guy asked me to come into this band, which I agreed to because I wasn’t with a band but David has since asked me to reform the 501’s with him as a three piece outfit” said Hawkins.

Since the line-up was confirmed about six months ago, it is only recently, that the band has started to gather a backing and get some dates for live performances. They have since set up a Facebook account and a Facebook band page along with a few dates for your diary, lead singer Guy, says most of that is down to his girlfriend Victoria as she has taken over all the admin side of things.

“I met Victoria at one of Spike’s gigs and she has been a big help to the band. I am good at organising rehearsals and sorting out band line-ups, but I’ve never been any good at the admin side of things, thankfully Victoria is. Spike has always said he wanted our first gig to be at one of his venues but we ended up doing a 45 minute set at The Bewicks Jam Suite in Maldon. We are penciled in for February with Spike but I know a guy from The Ambleside Club who asked us if we wanted to do their Christmas party and we are also playing Club Riga on the 12th December”. confirmed De Cruz.

One of the biggest debates on the rocking scene is the rock and roll/rockabilly clash where people say you can’t like both types of music. You are either a Rockabilly or a Teddy Boy is the common view among many on the scene, a claim that is denied by Guy and Dave.

“I know you get your purists that want 100% rockabilly, but rock and roll is good music” said Guy.

“Years ago both sets of music were separate but these days the line-ups at weekenders are consisting of both types of rocking music. I go to Teddy Boy weekenders and there are rockabillies there, and the same the other way round. It’s all changed now, it is the same music at the end of the day, Elvis was raw rockabilly when he first started” said bass player Dave.

Along with the launch of their first shows in the not so distant future, The Aces have also recorded their debut album, which they hope will launch themselves onto the rocking scene. Most bands these days aren’t booked without a record or substantial internet footage so hopefully the success of their CD and some videos from our good selves the band will go from strength to strength.

“I think we have something different, I hope others agree” – Ricky Lee Brawn.

The latest band to gain coverage on Mayhem Rockabilly is The Shooting Stars, a band full of different styles, that went down a storm at the 18th Annual Rockabilly Rave in June this year. I was luckily enough to have a catch up with the man that started the band and currently keeps the beat in one of the hottest vintage rocking bands on the circuit, drummer Ricky Lee Brawn.

Ricky was previously in The Space Cadets and when they weren’t continuing the drummer formed The Shooting Stars. As I touched on earlier, they are full of different styles, but played the main stage at The Rockabilly Rave this year. It was actually one of their first gigs but you would never have been able to tell as they were simply incredible as thousands of people enjoyed their show with many of them ending up buying their EP at the weekender.

“The reason The Shooting Stars were formed was due to the fact that The Space Cadets finished but I wasn’t. That gave me the opportunity to form a new band that really rocks in a way that moves me” confirmed Brawn.

“I asked Darren Lince (guitar) and Darren Richards (bass) that were in The Space Cadets after the Harman brothers both left, they are both great musicians. Helen Ingham, who is my wife, had been playing a lot of mandolin in the style of Jethro Burns and Tiny Moore so it was a natural choice to add her to compliment the sound of the band. It was her that suggested seven foot tall ‘Big’ Steve Arlene on vocals who is fantabulosa! At first we had Phil Morgan on steel but that didn’t work out also Darren Richards was too busy with Jack Rabbit Slim so he was replaced by Wayne Harrison on bass, I just love this new line up as it is real tight and now very powerful” said the drummer.

As it’s already been mentioned there are many different styles within the band from rockabilly, country and a little touch of folk, I asked the man behind the beat whether that was always his intention, or whether in fact it was with a stroke of luck.

“When I form a band, my job is to bring together capable people, then sit back and see what happens. Everyone has an equal say with the material, the only rule I made was that we only do our own material, we are lucky in this band to have some great song writers. Naturally each of our individual influences comes out through our material. Haley, country, folk, bluegrass, rockabilly, Latin etc. I think that we have something different, basically we are a rock and roll band in its truest sense, I hope others will agree” states Ricky.

“I believe if you write your own material you gain more respect as a band. I am sick of hearing the same old songs and cover versions and to me it shows a lack of imagination. Surely they (other bands) have the capability of writing some of their own material, to me if you have to do a cover, you have to make it your own. You can never beat the original in its first form”.

Like most of the bands that have been quizzed by Mayhem Rockabilly performed at The Rave during the summer this year and Ricky informs us how he got the band on the main stage and what he believes makes his band unique.

“I went to visit Jerry at his place and I said to him I have a great idea for a band that I would like to launch at The Rave. I also told him that I didn’t have the band at that time, just an idea, and I wanted to see if he would trust me which he did. He gave us a great spot at The Rave, we loved it as did the audience and Del Villarreal said after the show that “You guys took The Rave” who am I to argue? What makes the band unique in my opinion is our sound and energy and dance-ability!”

So after the success of the summer performance things have gone from strength to strength and the interview was summed up by Ricky, who enjoyed chatting to us, as he looks forward to what the future has in store for himself and the band.

“Apart from The Rave we went to The Summer Jamboree in Senigallia, Italy, a crowd of 5,000 people and it was wild! We have also been very busy with our other projects, we have a whole lot of gig action booked for next year as well as recording a new album in my new studio to be built over the next few months. Very exciting times ahead!”.

Mayhem Rockabilly Radio Launches First Show!

We are pleased to announce the first of our monthly internet radio shows has now launched online. This is the first show to be hosted by Mayhem Rockabilly owner Scott Barber, and it is completely non-profitable, meaning there isn’t any intention to break any copyright laws.

Mayhem Rockabilly is gathering pace with their new blog website launching, their first documentary film underway, and now this radio show, the future is certainly looking bright. The intention of this radio broadcast is to play recordings and artists that we don’t usually hear at rocking clubs, weekenders or other radio shows.

We hope you all support this show and don’t forget you can reach us on Facebook by searching for Mayhem Rockabilly Productions or by simply emailing us at mayhemrockabilly@hotmail.com