{"id":1130,"date":"2011-06-17T09:17:25","date_gmt":"2011-06-17T09:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kkdowning.net\/steelmill\/?post_type=interviews&p=1130"},"modified":"2024-09-06T09:45:07","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T09:45:07","slug":"interview-with-biff-byford-of-saxon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kkdowning.net\/steelmill\/interview-with-biff-byford-of-saxon\/","title":{"rendered":"Saxon"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"biff1\"
\n\u00a9 Kassu Kortelainen<\/span><\/h6>\n

BIFF BYFORD<\/h2>\n

Saxon vocalist in a Steel Mill interview<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Interview By Kassu Kortelainen & Ville Krannila \/ June 2011<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

When one thinks about the absolute classic bands of NWOBHM, Saxon is right there on top. Vocalist Biff Byford (along with guitarist Paul Quinn) has steered the ship since band\u2019s formation in late 1970\u2019s and they are still going strong. The frontman and his cohorts have just issued their 19th studio album \u201cCall To Arms,\u201d which reaches back to the classic days of heavy metal while still retaining the harder edge Saxon have attained in their latest decade together. At the Sauna Open Air heat, Biff sat down with Steel Mill to talk about the current record, days of the first Monster Of Rock festival in 1980, 70 000 tons of metal- cruise and steam trains.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

So tonight you will step on stage on Sauna Open Air, with the heat surrounding us it certainly lives up to its name. What can we expect from the gig?
\n<\/strong><\/span>
\nWell, it\u2019s not a long show. It\u2019s shorter than Sweden Rock yesterday, when we played a longer gig. But it\u2019s a good mixture of songs from the new album and old tracks.<\/p>\n

How about the new album \u201cCall To Arms\u201d \u2013 how has the reception been so far?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s getting great reviews around the world. And it got its first chart position yesterday, no. 19 in Sweden. So it\u2019s cool. And we like the album, I think it\u2019s bit of a radical change from the last one. It\u2019s more in the spirit of our old stuff, not quite the same but in that vein. There\u2019s intensity to it and it\u2019s in your face, you know. And there\u2019s less digital jiggery on it. Less keyboards on it too, and the keyboards we have used are towards older type of sounds.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a song called \u201cBack To \u201879\u201d on the album?
\n<\/span><\/strong>
\nYeah, it could have been called \u201cDeliver Me\u201d tough. But yes, it\u2019s about the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal coming through to now, the phenomenon, the fans being together. It\u2019s like \u201cDenim & Leather\u201d revisited really.<\/p>\n

One famous festival gig you played was the first ever Monsters Of Rock in Donington 1980, how do playing a concert like tonight differ from that time?
\n<\/span><\/strong>
\nWell, obviously we are giving away the remix of our Donington gig to listen to in relation to the new album. But you can\u2019t really compare the eighties with now. I think it\u2019s now closer to the eighties than in a long, long time. There are a lot of new bands getting into the music, and a lot of older fans coming back into it. And there are a lot of older bands that never went away so I think it\u2019s a great time now. Not just for us, but for Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Mot\u00f6rhead, Whitesnake\u2026they are all coming back to that British style of music. And this new album of ours does again sound more British.<\/p>\n

Why was the 1980 Donington gig not released until now?
\n<\/span><\/strong>
\nWe just found it last year. The one that\u2019s out there already is a bootleg so now it\u2019s an official release. That\u2019s why bootleg has one more song on it, because it is a cassette. On the real version, tape runs out so it doesn\u2019t have the extra song.<\/p>\n

\"biff2\"
\n\u00a9 Kassu Kortelainen<\/span><\/h6>\n

Saxon has enjoyed a kind of renaissance since \u201cDogs Of War\u201d (1995) and \u201cUnleash The Beast (1997) albums, where did the renewed energy come from?
\n<\/span><\/strong>
\nYes, it\u2019s been kind of a steady climb. I think it\u2019s the chemistry of the band, which is great, and we have a great catalogue of songs. And we like to play the new songs like the old songs, full on. We\u2019re a full on-band and that\u2019s what we like to be, whether we are playing a ballad or \u201cHeavy Metal Thunder.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band always had interesting lyrics and a lot of them deal with historical events. You being the sole writer of those words, where do you draw the inspiration and ideas?
\n<\/span><\/strong>
\nThey are nearly always great events and great figures. I don\u2019t really write about mundane things like farming or bridge building. They are always historical figures that interest me. Like \u201cAttila The Hun\u201d or \u201cCrusader.\u201d Even \u201cDallas 1 PM\u201d is really a historical song. And \u201cMists Of Avalon\u201d from the new album is one too. We went to Mexico recently and there might be a song about those experiences on the next album.<\/p>\n

Some of those historical lyrics are relatively easy to pinpoint to a certain era or event but how about a classic like \u201cPrincess Of The Night\u201d?
\n<\/span><\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s actually about a steam train. I used to sit and watch trains go by when I was young. So I went to a steam train stop and that\u2019s what the song\u2019s about. They used to call those trains by different names and one of them was called \u201cPrincess Elizabeth.\u201d And \u201cPrincess Of The Night\u201d just came to me, it had a million different connotations.<\/p>\n

\"biff4\"
\n\u00a9 Kassu Kortelainen<\/span><\/h6>\n

A while ago you played at \u201c70 000 of Metal\u201d cruise in the Caribbean Sea, what kind of experience was that?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was great actually, we enjoyed it. It was interesting. 24 hours of food and beer, can you imagine what it was like? 2 or 3 o\u2019clock in the morning..there were few Americans there but it was mostly an European audience. You couldn\u2019t get away from anyone obviously but I thought the concept was great. They were all really well behaved, nobody fell off the board.<\/p>\n

During those shows you played the albums \u201cWheels Of Steel\u201d and \u201cStrong Arm Of The Law\u201d back to back. How was it like and did it take a long time to learn all the songs?\"quota1\"
\n<\/span><\/strong>
\nWell, there aren\u2019t many fillers on those albums, you know. And yesterday we played the whole of \u201cDenim & Leather.\u201d There\u2019s only few tracks there we don\u2019t usually play so it wasn\u2019t that difficult.<\/p>\n

How does playing the whole albums live differ from an ordinary gig, is there a special vibe to it?
\n<\/span><\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s quite stressful for the band because they have to remember the bloody songs and deliver them like the other stuff. But yeah, it went pretty well. Everybody knew we were playing it obviously, so the anticipation was great.<\/p>\n

Do you usually change the songs around live or are they done just like the studio versions?
\n<\/span><\/strong>
\nNo generally we don\u2019t change them much. The thing is, when we have a big production with the eagle and everything, you cannot change the songs around too much. It messes up all the cues, lights and everything. We like to do that more on small clubs but not on these bigger festivals.<\/p>\n

A documentary film on the band called \u201cHeavy Metal Thunder\u201d has just been released? What can you tell us about that project?
\n<\/span><\/strong>
\nYeah, it just sold out actually so the new batch is going to be out soon. The idea for the film didn\u2019t come from us; we had nothing to do with it. It was done for BBC so it\u2019s not really our DVD. It\u2019s a documentary on Saxon done by a production company. I think it\u2019s great and really interesting. There\u2019s couple of older guys from the band that we kicked out or left. They are giving their input, ranted and raved a bit so they had to chop it up slightly. But it\u2019s pretty good; I think the story needs to be told. The Saxon history \u2013 nobody really knows the real history because we weren\u2019t filmed or interviewed back in those days.<\/p>\n

\"biff3\"
\n\u00a9 Kassu Kortelainen<\/span><\/h6>\n

So are there any official new DVD\u2019s coming up in the near future?
\n<\/span><\/strong>
\nWe got one coming up next year called \u201cHeavy Metal Thunder Live\u201d and \u201cEagles Over Wacken.\u201d That one will be five Wacken shows. So it will be a massive DVD set. And the man who recorded the Sweden Rock just yesterday also recorded five shows on this tour, so we\u2019ll see how that goes.<\/p>\n

Thanks a lot, Biff!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\"steelguide_saxon\"<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Where from:<\/strong> UK<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Active:<\/strong> Late
\n1979 -><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Style:<\/strong> heavy metal<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Discography: <\/strong>Saxon (1979), Wheels Of Steel (1980), Strong Arm Of The Law (1980), Denim & Leather (1981), The Eagle Has Landed (1982), Power & The Glory (1983), Crusader (1984), Innocence Is No Excuse (1985), Rock The Nations (1986), Destiny (1988), Greatest Hits Live (1990), Solid Ball Of Rock (1990), Forever Free (1992), Dogs Of War (1995), The Eagle Has Landed 2 (1996), Unleash The Beast (1997), Metalhead (1999), Killing Ground (2001), Heavy Metal Thunder (2002), Lionheart (2004), The Eagle Has Landed 3 (2006), The Inner Sanctum (2007), Into The Labyrinth (2009), Call To Arms (2011)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Trivia: <\/strong>In 1970\u2019s before they were called Saxon, the band used the name Son Of A Bitch.<\/span>..
\nIn 2007, Saxon were the subject of an episode of Harvey Goldsmith’s \u201cGet Your Act Together.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essential releases (top5):<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\"saxon_lionheart\"<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Lionheart (2004)<\/span><\/strong>The second coming of Saxon culminated in this masterpiece, which combined the catchy melodies of yesterday to a new found heaviness and punch. Opener \u201cWitchfinder General\u201d slays like Saxon had never done previously and the title track remains a diamond in their classic heavy metal crown. Drums by hard hitting journeyman J\u00f6rg Michael pushed Saxon into new direction which enhanced their new found peak.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\"saxon_utb\"<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Unleash The Beast (1997)<\/span><\/strong>New guitarist Doug Scarrat entered solidifying band\u2019s core line-up and tightening them to a fully motivated, powerful outfit. Production was top-notch and in the midst of alternative era, Saxon delivered excellent songs like \u201cCircle Of Light\u201d and \u201cCut Out The Disease.\u201d This kick started their creative renaissance which continued well into next millennium. <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\"saxon_sbor\"<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Solid Ball Of Rock (1990)<\/span><\/strong>After couple of disappointing records and failure to crack the US market Saxon quietly unleashed this gem. The band gave up trying to please the record companies and reverted back to what they do best: rock. The title track remains a highlight of their live sets.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\"saxon_iine\"<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Innocence Is No Excuse (1985)<\/span><\/strong>When \u201cInnocence Is No Excuse\u201d was originally released, it was met with critical response from fans due to its radio friendly sound. Instead of repeating previous album \u201cCrusader\u2019s\u201d more traditional approach, Biff and the boys concentrated on infectious melodies already hinted at \u201cCrusader.\u201d Past 25 years have given the album the credit it always deserved and is mostly remembered by its singles \u201cBack On The Streets,\u201d \u201cRock\u2019n\u2019Roll Gypsy\u201d and one of band\u2019s best rockers, aptly titled \u201cRockin\u2019 Again.\u201d<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nStrong Arm Of The Law (1980)<\/span><\/strong>Cherry picking from their early 1980\u2019s catalogue is not an easy task. Honestly you could pick any album, but their third effort \u201cStrong Arm Of The Law\u201d has just the right balance between heavy chestnuts such as \u201c20 000 Feet\u201d &\u201cHeavy Metal Thunder\u201d and more epic material in the vein of \u201cDallas I PM.\u201d <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essential Guest appereance:<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\"destruction\"<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Destruction:<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>Inventor Of Evil (2005)<\/p>\n

Biff Byford guested on this German thrash legends 2005 album and its heavier than hell track \u201cThe Alliance Of Hellhoundz.\u201d The song also has vocal contributions from Peavy Wagner, Doro Pesch and Paul D\u2019Anno among others. Biff sings the line <\/span>\u201cDenim & Leather became our second skin.\u201d Appropriate.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When one thinks about the absolute classic bands of NWOBHM, Saxon is right there on top. Vocalist Biff Byford (along with guitarist Paul Quinn) has steered the ship since band\u2019s formation in late 1970\u2019s and they are still going strong. The frontman and his cohorts have just issued their 19th studio album \u201cCall To Arms,\u201d which reaches back to the classic days of heavy metal while still retaining the harder edge Saxon have attained in their latest decade together. At the Sauna Open Air heat, Biff sat down with Steel Mill to talk about the current record, days of the first Monster Of Rock festival in 1980, 70 000 tons of metal- cruise and steam trains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1131,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[587,151],"tags":[279,261,10,280,278],"class_list":["post-1130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews-steel-mill","category-special-guests-interviews","tag-biff-byford","tag-interview","tag-interviews","tag-sauna-open-air","tag-saxon"],"yoast_head":"\nSaxon - K.K. 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