SAXON Frontman Biff Byford - "I Think We Were One Of The First Bands To Write Songs About Our Audience"
September 20, 2011, 13 years ago
SAXON frontman Biff Byford is featured in a new interview with Classic Rock Revisited founder Jeb Wright, discussing the new album Call to Arms . An excerpt is available below
Jeb: Saxon came out in 1979 and you basically invented the New Wave of British Heavy Metal sound.
Biff: "It was us and IRON MAIDEN, really. I suppose we were the forerunners of that British Metal movement. We wrote about things that people didn’t usually write about. 'Denim And Leather' is a good example of that. I think we were one of the first bands to write songs about our audience. I think we brought a different style to the music; one that was more connected to our fans.
Jeb: Saxon fans are like Maiden fans or Priest fans. They love their band.
Biff: "Our fans cross over. Maiden fans are Saxon fans and Saxon fans are Priest fans. I think that is what is making it happen again."
Jeb: Saxon also still performing with great showmanship yet your fans relate to you. How do you cross that line between rock star and fan?
Biff: "We didn’t have any sort of preconception of how a rock star should be. We all sat in awe of ROBERT PLANT and JIMMY PAGE, who were the ultimate rock stars. We were more working class. Although, LED ZEPPELIN and BLACK SABBATH were working class as well but they were put on big pedestals and worshipped from afar. We like to be worshiped from a-near [laughter]. We were more hands on and we were connected. We wrote songs about our fans. We wrote songs like 'Never Surrender' and 'Backs Against the Wall' and our fans could really relate to that. We’ve gone to that kind of writing, lyrically, a little bit on this album."
Click here for the complete interview.
As previously reported, Saxon is starting their second 2011 European run earlier than previously announced by heading to Spain to headline the following dates:
November
11 - Santander - Proyecto Escenario12 - Pamplona - Sala Totem
13 - Madrid - Sala Heineken
Canadian trio ANVIL will be Saxon's special guests on the continental European dates along with CRIMES OF PASSION, who will be opening the shows.
All tour dates are as follows:
November
11 - Santander, Spain - Proyecto Escenario12 - Pamplona, Spain - Sala Totem
13 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Heineken
15 - Romagnano Sesia, Italy - Rock'n'Roll Arena
17 - Prattein, Switzerland - Z7
19 - Kundl, Austria - Gemeindesaal
20 - Salzburg, Austria - Rockhouse
21 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
23 - Halle, Germany - Schorre
24 - Bremen, Germany - Aladin
25 - Lichtenfels, Germany - Christmas Metal Festival
26 - Hengelo, Netherlands - Metropool
27 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
29 - Malmo, Sweden - Kulturbolaget
30 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Trädgårn
December
2 - Stockholm, Sweden - Munchenbryggeriet4 - Helsinki, Finland - Nosturi
7 - Krakow, Poland - Studio
8 - Warsaw, Poland - Stodola
10 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Knock Out Festival
11 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
Saxon UK dates with HAMMERFALL are as follows:
December
13 - Oxford, UK - O2 Academy14 - Leicester, UK - O2 Academy
16 - Edinburgh, UK - Picturehouse
17 - Belfast, UK - Mandela Hall
18 - Sheffield, UK - O2 Academy
20 - London, UK - Koko
An overview of the tour can be found here .
Saxon's new album, Call To Arms, (out now in Europe, Japan, Brazil and Argentina), will be released in North America on September 27th.
