(Photo courtesy of Kev Moore archives)
The roots of Rock ‘N’ Roll. That’s what has shaped and molded the Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal we all listen to today, including their respective sub-genres. Here at Metal Odyssey, I always try to acknowledge the bands and musicians who have been a part of Rock ‘N’ Roll’s evolution. Many bands and musicians that have carved out their own place in Rock ‘N’ Roll history may not be cracking the Billboard charts or walking the Hollywood red carpets. Still, these bands and musicians hold the same weight of importance for me, especially when their contributions to the history of Rock ‘N’ Roll are of quality, sincerity and time tested credibility. These are the bands and musicians who don’t create music because they feel they have to, they create based on their genuine love they have for Rock ‘N’ Roll. Step right up… Kev Moore.
From Punk Rock to Pub Rock with Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal in between, Kev Moore has played it and lived it. Kev Moore is currently recording his new album, Blue Odyssey and was very considerate to take the time to answer questions for Metal Odyssey. Kev talks about his upcoming album, where his Rock ‘N’ Roll career started, being a one time member of The Gonads, his biggest Rock influence and of course… being the current vocalist and bass guitarist for the legendary BC Sweet. There is also Kev’s membership with Christie and his past membership with Graham Olivers Saxon and so much more… I’ll just let Kev tell you all about it in his words!
* Definitely check out the links at the end of this interview… so you can learn more about the terrific bands that Kev Moore has been a part of throughout his Rock ‘N’ Roll life.
Stone: Kev, you are currently in the studio recording a new album called “Blue Odyssey”, can you elaborate and give fans a sneak peak at what to expect?
Kev: Well, at the beginning of the year, I took a 2 month tour around the major music cities of the American South, Nashville, Memphis, Helena, Clarksdale, New Orleans, Austin, etc, and the album is basically a ‘road diary’ – that is to say, each song charts my journey and experiences and changes musical style accordingly, so it’s a fairly eclectic mix! I’ve been lucky enough to have contributions from some American blues musicians, plus a legendary DJ, “Sunshine” Sonny Payne from King Biscuit Time. I don’t claim that it’s bona fide blues, but rather, the result of how my music has been influenced by being immersed in that environment. It’s nearing completion, and should be out in a couple of months. For now, you can hear a small taster by clicking here: Kevin Andrew Moore – myspace music
Stone: Is Tubeless Hearts where it all began for Kev Moore?
Kev: Tubeless Hearts is the band where I began seriously gigging around the UK (having spent two years in a touring band in Scandinavia) – but the two bands from my teens, Midnight Express ( a new wave pub band) and Crosstown Traffic (complicated rock band!) were where I first started developing my songwriting and stage craft. In fact, Stef Cybichowski, the drummer from Crosstown Traffic, has put down some drums for my new album, over 30 years after we last worked together! Tubeless Hearts however, became a mainstay for me, the nucleus stayed together many years and we recorded a single (in 1982) and an album (1994) that have become highly collectible. The album, “Three”, featured Graham Oliver from Saxon, and was retro-reviewed in the 100th issue of Powerplay magazine, as it’s begun to command silly money on the internet nowadays! Being in Tubeless Hearts proved to be a springboard to many other areas of my career.
Stone: As noted in your introduction, you have been a part of many bands during, your music career, as well, being a solo artist. What is Kev Moore’s most proud music achievement thus far?
Kev: It’s difficult to pick one. From a live perspective, I would probably have to say playing at Moscow Dynamo stadium with Christie on our tour of Russia. It was an amazing gig, and we were so well looked after, being granted admittance to Lenin’s tomb in Red Square – quite something!
Recording wise, I was always very proud of the Tubeless Hearts album, and whilst it didn’t pull up any trees on release, history seems to have been kind to it. Though I have to say, my first solo album, which I made available as a free download, was a big achievement for me, writing, playing and producing everything on it.
(Photo courtesy of Kev Moore archives)
Stone: Being the lead vocalist and bassist of BC Sweet, are there moments when you stop to reflect on the significant Rock roots of this band?
Kev: Very much so. In fact, the roots and history of this band are so strong, and feekings have run high over the years, mostly before my time with the band. Andy Scott runs his version of The Sweet, as does Steve Priest, who recently came out of retirement in L.A. As you know, this band was started by the late Brian Connolly who I had done some shows with as a part of Christie, and met him several times. After Brian died, the band decided to continue with various line up changes and evolved and continued with the blessing of former members into what you see today. For my part, I feel privileged to be able to play such a great canon of pop rock material, and I like to think we pay homage to the hard rock side of the Sweet. We feature some of the rockier stuff such as “Turn it Down” and one of the great ‘b’ sides “Burn on the Flame”. From my perspective as a bassist, I’m very lucky indeed to be part of a rhythm section with Pete Phipps (Glitterband, Eurthymics, Mike Rutherford, XTC) I like to think we stay true to the rock roots – even the bubblegum songs are played a little more forcefully, shall we say!
Stone: Do you regularly stay in touch with Graham Oliver and/or Steve Dawson?
Kev: Graham and I have always stayed in touch and often discuss working together again, but it’s always a case of trying to find time that suits us both, which is easier said than done, particularly with me living in Spain! I regard him as one of my closest friends, a great guitarist and a real gentleman. Steve’s also a great bloke, but I haven’t seen him in a while.
Metal Odyssey Note: Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson are founding/former members of Saxon, a pioneering band of the NWOBHM.
(Photo courtesy of Kev Moore archives)
(Pictured above: Graham Oliver/left, Kev Moore/right)
Stone: Which Saxon song was your favorite to perform live?
Kev: There are two that spring to mind. Firstly, “Dallas 1pm”. I’ve actually been to the spot where JFK was assassinated, and I think the song is so theatrical, you don’t need a video, it tells the story beautifully, as all the best songs do. The second is “Strong Arm of the Law” – another story in a song, but what I love about it is the sheer unstoppable boogie of it, it’s real fun to hammer that one out live!
Metal Odyssey Note: Currently known as Oliver/Dawson Saxon, Kev Moore was lead vocalist and played bass on the first tour with Son Of A Bitch… which later was renamed – Oliver/Dawson Saxon, after Steve Dawson joined up with Graham Oliver. Kev Moore was lead vocalist while on tour as a member of the first incarnation of Oliver/Dawson Saxon, while Steve Dawson played bass. Kev Moore never recorded for either Son Of A Bitch or Oliver/Dawson Saxon. However, Kev Moore did sing and play bass on Graham Oliver’s solo album – “End of an Era”.
Stone: What is your current and/or future status as a member of Christie?
Kev: I’m a fully paid up member of Christie – though we took something of a sabbatical from around 2004-2008. In 2009 we took things up a gear to coincide with Jeff releasing a double CD “Floored Masters” and did a Summer European tour, which was a blast, resurrecting a few Christie songs that had never been played live before. This year, we have a couple of shows in Germany, and I’ve invited Jeff to come over to work on some material in my studio.
Stone: How did you get introduced to The Gonads, resulting in your being a past member of their band?
Kev: The Gonads is a long story. I formed a duo back in the 90’s with a guitarist called Dave Sargent for a covers album project that someone had put the money up for. I approached “Gang of Four ” producer Bob Miller (he’d done some work with us on one of the Tubeless Hearts album tracks) and he suggested a guy called Clyde Ward who had a studio down in Southampton. Well, the sessions with Clyde were great, we became great friends, which we still are to this day. Clyde became very succesful working with European dance acts such as U96, and also as a co-writer and producer for Right Said Fred, but in his heart he’s a rocker, sharing a love of Philo and Thin Lizzy with me! He’s also a close friend of Garry Bushell, and they had developed a side project resurrecting The Gonads for a one off single. It created such a stir in the U.S. that Dave and I were recruited into a newly-reformed Gonads, and we toured the East and West coasts of America in 1998, eventually releasing three albums, the last of which I filmed a couple of videos for which ended up on Garry’s dvd. Once again commitments have prevented me from doing anything since then, though when I spoke to Garry a few months ago, he said how he’d love to do something with Clyde and I again some day. One of the highlights of my time with The Gonads was playing the legendary (and now sadly gone) CBGB’s in New York.
Stone: Your 2009 single “Derby Pride” is a fine Rockin’ salute to the Derby County Football Club! Will a series of songs for the Derby Football Club materialize to CD?
Kev: Following Derby Pride, I did in fact record an entire album in homage to my team! It’s done very well, mainly because Derby County have a huge and loyal fanbase. I sell it from my website mooremusic.biz and the club shop at Derby’s stadium, Pride park, also stock it.
Stone: Another single from 2009, “The Co-Op Cow” is a Pub Rocker that tells of a love that seemed to go astray. Is this song based on a real experience?
Kev: The Co-op Cow is also featured on the Derby album, this is because it refers to many landmarks around the Derby area, the Co-op cow of the title being the chief among them. It is a huge red neon cow, which advertises Co-op milk, and has many times been threatened with destruction, but I believe is now the subject of a preservation order. As a child, my abiding memory is of coming back into Derby on a cold night either by train or bus, and seeing the red neon glow in the night sky, and knowing you were nearly home. The story of lost love….not based on actual events, but it’s so generic, it could be any of us, couldn’t it? I was never stood up beneath the cow, but I’ve certainly been stood up!
(Photo courtesy of Kev Moore archives)
(Pictured above: Kev Moore live with Christie, Jeff Christie in center)
Stone: “The Turre Stomp” is a song that fuses together a mix of sounds, from Rock and Funk vibes with Middle Eastern strings, making for quite the fun listen. What influences tapped you on the shoulder for this song?
Kev: The Turre stomp is a song I’ve had kicking around for a while, and infact will be the last track on my Blue Odyssey album, completing the circle of the journey, if you will. Turre is the village in Southern Spain where I live. For those who don’t know, this area is the only classified ‘desert’ in Europe, and although irrigation and climate change over the last 25 years have changed it a lot, when I go up on the roof in midsummer, it really has that feel to it. It’s the area where Clint Eastwood made his famous western trilogy, and at the other end of our village, Indiana Jones was dragged down the ravine underneath the Nazi truck. I wanted to create a song that captured the heat, the dryness, and to some extent, the mystery. I tried a lot of sounds before I settled on the sitar, but once I had, it came together nicely.
Stone: What is the one thing you wish you could change about the Rock Music industry?
Kev: I think a lot of things need changing! But if I were to pick one……There’s been such a seismic shift in the way the industry works now, but I mourn the passing of the days when bands were signed with the understanding that they could be developed over a period of time. Let me take as an example Budgie, a great welsh power trio who were a big influence on me becoming a pro musician, and who I had the pleasure to meet a few years back. They were signed to A&M. They released a string of albums, probably 7 in as many years, touring regularly, never had a hit single! Can you imagine a label sticking behind a band like that nowadays? It’s no surprise acts like Yes, Jethro Tull, Genesis, Fleetwood Mac etc, continue to sell, they were designed, and encouraged, for longevity. Now, you’re lucky to even get your album out if a lead-in single flops. I know of artists who have to sit and watch their tapes gather dust on shelves, never to see a release. I’d like to see a return to The Music business instead of The music Business, if you know what I mean!
Stone: Who or what band has been the greatest influence on Kev Moore’s music career?
Kev: I think I’d have to say Trapeze. I’m not sure it necessarily comes out in my music, but from the moment I heard that band I thought “this is absolute perfection – funk and rock beautifully combined, wonderful understated incisive guitar, and that voice!” I’ve met Glenn Hughes on several occasions and told him he was the single biggest influence on my becoming a professional musician. I kind of “back-dated” to Trapeze via Deep Purple. I was around 15, I’d been playing the drums for about 7 years, and then I bought “Burn”. I just homed in on Glenn’s vocals and bass playing. I just remember thinking “that is what I want to do”.
Stone: Does Kev Moore make music or does music make Kev Moore?
Kev: It’s a vicious circle, Stone! I think it’s something like an energy exchange. Perhaps, at one time, I’d have been tempted to say the former, but having had a longer than usual period away from the stage, I’d have to say that on balance, it is music that defines me. Simply, I’ve never really known, nor wanted to do, anything else.
(Photo courtesy of Kev Moore archives)
(Pictured above: Graham Oliver/left, Kev Moore/right)
* For more info on Kev Moore, just click here: mooremusic.biz
* Listen to Kev Moor’s music, browse around and purchase the digital downloads of “Derby Pride”, “The Co-op Cow” and “The Turre Stomp” by clicking here: KEV MOORE: THE MUSIC BOX
* For more info on Oliver/Dawson Saxon, just click the link below:
OLIVER/DAWSON SAXON – myspace music
* For more info on The Gonads… click here: THE GONADS
* For more info on Jeff Christie and his band Christie, click on the link below:
JEFF CHRISTIE – Official Website
LONG LIVE KEV MOORE & HIS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL!
Stone.
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