Call To Arms – M2TM Ireland Finalist 2016 – Interview

Fresh after pulverising their two Metal 2 The Masses Ireland rounds, PlanetMosh caught up with the lads  from Call To Arms and here’s what they had to say ahead of the final this weekend.

Congrats on getting to the final guys. Can you explain the feeling when you heard your name announced at the semi final?

Absolute elation. We tried to get as many people down to vote for us as possible and put on the best show we could. We were really hopeful that we’d get through, but as the night went on the performances from the other 5 bands were top notch and the crowd just kept getting bigger. With such a strong Semi-Final we just couldn’t call it. Lefty announced that zhOra got the judges vote and then we waited for what seemed like forever until Kev announced we won crowd vote. The 5 of us shouted the place down, hugging everyone in sight. It was honestly very emotional. A couple of us were very close to tears.

Dean Donnelly – Call To Arms

Speaking of the final. How have preparations been going?

We tried to reflect on our previous performances to see what we can do to improve. We took a day to celebrate the fact that we’re in the final, but now our full focus is on delivering our best ever performance on May 7th. We’ve been trying to look at the way we rehearse, making things more efficient and making sure we keep focused.

This year, how has the whole Metal 2 The Masses experience been?

Honestly it’s been truly amazing. At least one of us has been at every show so far and the variety of talent on offer is simply fantastic. Aside from having a very special prize, this competition is all about bringing the best local Irish bands together and exposing them to people who haven’t seen them before. There are multiple bands that we’ve generated a new found respect and admiration for, who we may not have seen if not for the M2TM.

What would you say to bands thinking about applying for next year’s competition?

If you’re thinking of taking part in the competition then 100% go for it. This competition showcases the best talent in Ireland and by competing it allows you to get your name out there and meet fellow musicians and fans with a lot of passion.

Has there been a memorable moment that stands out in your mind at the shows to date?

For us personally I think it was seeing the reaction to our performance at our first heat. It may not have been the best set we’ve ever played but by god the energy was fucking amazing to see. To see members of some of our favourite bands moshing along and enjoying themselves to our music just filled us with pride.

Personally, I feel that everyone in the final is a winner but if you were to be chosen to represent Ireland at Bloodstock, what would it mean to your band.

It would give us a great sense of satisfaction getting to play Bloodstock. This competition has been our main focus for the last 6 months, ever since we decided to apply. It hasn’t been easy for us. We wrote new songs from scratch and debuted them at the competition after not playing a gig for over 3 months. We’ve had to make a lot of personal sacrifices to get to practise or writing sessions. There’s been a few people who were negative about our chances, or dismissed us as unimportant and we would love nothing more than to prove them wrong by winning.

If you could pick one song from your arsenal to let the uninitiated hear what your band is all about, what would it be?

It’d probably have to be the song Mirrors. It’s got a little bit of everything you’d expect from Call To Arms. Melodies. Guitar hooks. Catchy chorus and heaviness that keeps people moving.

In 5 words, describe what we can expect from you at the final.

Passion. Hatred. Beauty. Emotion. Mayhem.

The Metal 2 The Masses Ireland final takes place on Saturday, May 7th. For information visit the Event Page

Call To Arms Facebook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44-prXwYL_k

About Steve D

Dublin based editor, photographer and reviewer for PlanetMosh