SLADE INTERVIEWS
December 2009 Still wishing everybody a glam rocking Christmas
18.12.2009 The Sentinel
"LOVE it or hate it, you're sure to have heard Slade's ubiquitous hit Merry Xmas Everybody several times already this December.
Written by guitarist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea in 1973, it went on to secure a fourth UK number one for the glam rock band.
Noddy has since departed the group but the remaining founder members, Dave Hill and Don Powell, are determined to keep the Slade legacy alive.
Along with ex-Mud bass guitarist John Berry and new lead vocalist Mal McNulty, they will play at the Victoria Hall in a December 29 concert dedicated to all things festive.
The show's line-up also includes Mud II and a tribute to T Rex, T-Rextasy. And although Noddy is no longer with the group (he left in the early '90s) he's supportive of his former bandmates.
"We still meet up to socialise," says Don, who now lives in Denmark. "A big gang of us have lunch together every couple of months or so to reminisce.
"We've been doing this same Christmas concert for the past 16 years or so. We play all the old favourites that everyone wants to hear, not only 'That record' as we jokingly call it."
"I love playing at the Victoria Hall," adds guitarist Dave. "In fact my dad originally comes from Barlaston and my mum is from Newcastle, but we moved to Wolverhampton when I was a boy. I have really fond memories of playing at The Place in Hanley too."
As Don and Dave say, the foursome from the Black Country, who first started performing in 1966, were hardly one-hit wonders.
With songs such as Mama We'er All Crazee Now and Cum On Feel The Noize, Slade established themselves as one of the country's foremost rock groups.
But it was only in later years that they were to discover their music was popular even further afield.
During the Communist era, when Western music was difficult to get hold of in what was once the Eastern bloc, Slade fans would somehow procure a radio to listen to their favourite songs. In fact Dave and Don have just returned from playing in Russia.
"We could never go there while the Communists were in power," says Don. "But last time we went to Moscow, we played in front of 18,000 at the Olympic Stadium."
At the height of their success, Slade's reputation was undoubtedly helped along by Dave's unique sense of style. His vertiginous platform shoes and outrageous flares became the stuff of legend.
"The music thing always drew me in," says Dave. "Even when I had a job at the age of 18, I used to get in trouble with the managers because I grew my hair long.
"I used to hide my stage clothes in my desk and when the group's van used to collect me from work, I changed into my costumes. I was like Superman. One day someone saw me performing and reported me, because it wasn't really the thing to do.
"When we turned professional, it gave me a license to wear what I wanted. I used to wear women's boots because they were the only ones that had heels on, but I always broke them because I was too boisterous.
"I can't walk in the platforms anymore, because I broke my ankle in the '70s. We got rushed on the stage by a group of girls and I tried to run away but I couldn't because my shoes were about a foot and a half high. I still wear some interesting things though."
"I'm so fond of our Christmas song," adds Don. "For me it always brings back memories of the day we recorded it on a hot summer's day in New York, which was really strange."
Merry Xmas Everybody is at the Victoria Hall on Tuesday, December 29, at 7.30pm. Call 0844 871 7627 for tickets.
Noddy in Publand
Slade's Noddy Holder is the perfect spokesman for a pub snack. But would a girl about town fall for his nuts?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/may/15/foodanddrink.shopping
Slade II in Denmark 2005:
http://www.fyens.dk/article/477380?highlight=Slade
http://lokalavisenhoejfyn.dk/article/482502:LokalAvisen-Hoejfyn-Assens--Roeverfest-med-Slade
Noddy interview in Metro 17.5.2005
Noddy Holder was the lead singer of Slade until 1991, when he left to pursue an acting career. He co-wrote all of the band's material, clocking up a massive 17 UK top 20 hits from 1971 to 1976 - six of them No.1s, including Cum On Feel The Noize and Merry Xmas Everybody. He can now be seen in the 'hilarious' Nobby's Nuts TV adverts.
Read more under: http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=386&in_page_id=11
Noddy Holder talks about the early days
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/everyday.shtml
Dave Hill Interview, Tampere Cumulus Hotel 26.02.2005
Slade played an excellant gig on Saturday evening 26th February 2005 at Tampere, Tullikamaris Pakkahuone. Earlier in the afternoon Dave Hill kindly answered in few questions at their Cumulus hotels lounge bar.
1. How did Slade II get its line-up in 1992?
"The guitarist Steve Makin and Craig Fenney work in music shops so I knew them. And Steve Whalley came to audition for the job and was recommended by Neville Martin from Guitarist Magazine."
2. And where did you find John Berry on the bass and what kind of background has he got before Slade?
"John Berry was bass guitarist for Les Grays Mud and we knew him well. He has played for many groups; Bay City Rollers, Tremeloes and has a small group of his own."
3. You make lots of gigs each year. Do you need any rehearsals or is playing together at the gigs enough?
"We sometimes rehearse if a new song is needed, but otherwise the gigs are enough for us."
4. You have written some great songs with Bill Hunt and "Take Me Home" with Steve Whalley and a couple of great Blessings In The Disguise songs. Do you have any new songs written lately and any plans for new records?
"Yes I do and maybe we will record in 2005 this ear."
5. Where did you get the idea for "Take Me Home", it has got very fine atmosphere and a good melody? Bluesy kind of feeling from Steves affection in blues music?
"I felt I wrote a song which I somehow thought I wrote years ago and Steve put new lyrics and sang it his way, which was good too. It has a nice feeling too."
6. Have you got any new infromation about the state of the Slade musical by Mike Read?
"We are talking to Mike Read about it at the moment. We have not made our minds up about it yet."
7. Have you rehearsed or planning to put any new songs into your set list?
"Not at the moment, but we should think about it."
8. In 2006 Slade has been 40 years "on the road". Do you have any plans already of celebrating it in some way?
"No plan at the moment. Its too early yet."
9. There are not many German dates yet in the Amazing Slade websites gig calendar for 2005. Do you yourself know, if there are more German gigs coming yet?
"There will be more German dates, which we will confirm later in the year."
10. One Finnish rock musician was remembering recently Slades Kuusrock Festival show in Oulu 1982 and said on the radio that "it was so sicking fantastic that one could not but laugh. When you see something absolutely great, you can not but laugh." What kind of memories have you got from Finland?
"Finland has many Slade fans and likes rock music. It keeps you warm in the winter. So we like to come here a lot."
Greetings to Slade fans from Dave Hill:
"I would like to say it is a great pelasure to play to all fans of Slade, and I look forward to seeing you all at our shows in Finland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Norway and all other countries, too. Keep on rockin - Dave Hill"
After the interview I soon went to the concert place, where the band had started the soundcheck and played mostly "The Bangin Man" with very tight guitars sounds and Steve Whalley picked some blues notes. After the soundcheck I got Slade members greetings to the RMNradio on the digi cameras movie clips.
The show time was at 22:30 and Slade certainly did warm up the cold winter night at Tampere. The audiences reception was very good from the very beginning and both the band and the audience looked very happy and satisfied for the one hour great rock n roll show and sounds. Slade played their usual set ending with two encores; "My Oh My" and "Born To Be Wild", and then it was over, though the audience was strongly demanding for more.
Ilpo Bister, Helsinki