PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
@LouellaDeville_ @PlanetMosh interview with Iggie Pistolero of Gypsy Pistoleros.
Ahead of a support slot on a couple of Jizzy Pearl’s Love Hate tour dates in Edinburgh and London, a few festivals including NLC/RAPCA, and with an album to be released later this year Iggie Pistolero guitar player and founder member of Gypsy Pistoleros answered a few questions for PlanetMosh.
Can you give us a history of the Gypsy Pistoleros? Past members and how you arrived at the current line-up
Hi Louise, and Hi PlanetMosh!!! Without going into to much long ‘n’ drawn …and very boring detail, the Pistoleros started at the latter end of 2005, we started off as a Los Chungitos / Ricky Amagos spin off covers band, a lot of people didn’t realise… the Spanish songs were just vamped up covers, if I hadn’t changed the guitars and gone with what the former singer wanted, we would have been sued for sure lol… Thru the short span of the band, the line up has changed many times… and I wont go into why, but I’m sure the ex members would answer that better…. all I can say is that at no point have I sacked anyone out of this band, yet all past members have been sacked… so if you get the picture… you can understand who did the firing.. Ex members include Nasty Pistolero…2008-2009, a good friend and bassist now in Dirty Passion… Harri, our former drummer from Finland… 2008-2009… Denny C… drummer from 2009 – 2010… Josh… bassist from 2009 – 2010… the list goes on… I believe we had 7/8 drummers…7 bassists… in a very short time… (I call this era of the band the ‘Spinal Tap’ years) and then to my amazement… and relief the root of many problems quit the band…prior to our first album release thru heavy metal records.. in 2011… it was at that point I said… the next album is gonna be good time rock n roll… no Spanish bollox… never understood why an English band wanted to sing in Spanish…and badly, if you try translating the early lyrics of the music… anyway to cut this short…it was my chance to start doing what I always wanted and planned to do with this band… PLAY FUN …NOT TOO SERIOUS, BUT WITH A LITTLE HUMOUR GOOD TIME ROCK N ROLL… … at the time of Lee quitting we had to draft in a young guy to get us thru prior commitments…live, but me Jeff and Kenny knew he was just a bridge to what the bigger picture was gonna be, .. after all commitments were fulfilled it was time to bring in the guy we knew was gonna be the person, who could fit the band visually wise, attitude wise…and vocally wise… along came Gaz Harris… we rehearsed a number of times behind closed doors before Gaz finally commited to us by departing 80″s lipstick rockers WRATHCHILD… a decision and I’m quoting this only as one he’s never looked back on… (I’m sure Gaz would verify this )… then straight away the picture started to form, and the first video/single then hit the internet….over Xmas 2013… join up too http://www.gypsypistoleros.co.uk/ for all up ‘n’ coming info…on the album, tour dates…. ..etc..
The latest addition to the Gypsy Pistoleros family is Gaz Harris. How is Gaz fitting in? (Is there any part of him which isn’t tattooed?)
Yeh I think I answered this question in the opening question…. .all I can add now is this band now has 4 great friends in it…and not 3 like all other line ups if ya get the term… Gaz is a pretty inked up guy…. I feel bare now of tattoos the first time in this band I have lol…. I really can’t answer if he has a part of him un-inked…. I’m guessing not lol…
What bands have you all played in before?
As far as bands we’ve played in before, Gaz, as you know, fronted Wrathchild for, I believe, 8 years…. me, I was in a good few small bands… and was also signed to heavy metal records in 1989 with a band I created called Bitchs Brue…. Jeff has, like me, been in many bands….but the next biggest to the Pistoleros has to be Runaway…. a cool melodic rock band from Birmingham in their day… sitting along side the likes of Shy, etc…. Kenny played in a Rock ‘n’ Roll band The Sweethearts… from Wolverhampton…. which was short lived and disbanded prior to him crossing over to the Gypsy camp….
Who are your biggest influences?
I really cant answer the other guys influences… but for me its ranges from Motley Crue, Ratt, Rush, Ozzy, The Sweet, L.A. Guns, G ‘n’ R, T.Rex…. pretty much any fun good music…. one thing we all like is good catchy rock ‘n’ roll songs….
Where do you get your inspiration from?
My main inspiration probably comes from anyone who says…. you can’t do that…. you”ll never make it in the music biz…. you should walk away from the whole music scene… I love hearing people say this to me because it just pours petrol on the flame inside me…. ;) ….
I’ve listened to your album Wild, Beautiful and Damned. It has a Flamenco/Spanish Rock feel yet your new single (Living on the) Dirty Side of Midnight is more Glam. Are you moving in a different direction?
Like I said in the opening of this interview…. my plan was to get the band from a spin off covers band to a British fun rock ‘n’ roll band…. I think with the release of DIRTY SIDE OF MIDNIGHT…. ME, JEFF GAZ AND KENNY HAVE DONE IT…. the band is now at the point where it should have been since day one…. (in my books anyways)…
You covered Ricky Martin’s Livin La Vida Loca on Wild, Beautiful and Damned. Will there be any covers on the new alum – perhaps Julio Iglesias?
Yeh Livin La Vida Loca was a fun song…and I can see us probably keeping this song in live sets for the foreseeable future. It goes down great….and I do like playing it… I remember shooting the video for it…what a train wreck that day was…it was shot just after we had Ace Finchum of Tigertailz join us on drums…ask Ace for his views on that day… I remember him posting it on Facebook last year saying he’d never seen so much alcohol disappear so fast lol … as for covers on this next album… we are intending to stay clear of covers, and just throw a few in live…depending where we are and what show, to what cover…
A few questions about your new single Dirty Side of Midnight. Who wrote the lyrics? Who wrote the music? What’s the meaning behind the lyrics? Have the Gypsy Pistoleros ever lived on the clean side of anything?
Dirty side of midnight, started off on my home porta studio…I wrote the song musically from start to finish and emailed it to the guys … we got in the rehearsal studio we own and banged it out , Jeff then helped arrange the after solo section… as for lyrics that was down to Jeff. Gaz and I threw a few lines in…. the whole meaning to the song..is really what the whole band is about, having fun….come night time….doing what makes ya feel good…. and doing it around the world…. lol … The Gypsy Pistoleros don’t know the meaning of the clean side..in all aspects of our life…. just saying hahaha….
You’re all quite hot for middle aged men (not including Kenny in that category) Do you consider yourselves some kind of ‘Reckless Love’ for the maturer Rock Chick?
Thanks for that. I didnt see us as hot….but I like the way you said that… and yeh if someone wants to say we are the mature version of Reckless Love…. I’m fine with that lol…I’m sure Jeff and Gaz will be too…. I know we all can scrub up just fine when we have too..lol … ..
About your forthcoming album. When will your new album be out? Can you tell us the name of the album yet? Which record label are you signed to?
The next album, which we were hoping to be out by May…but with everything going on and the whole picture…of the band….it looks at this moment like it will be available towards the end of August… this year… we want to make sure the album is full of great tunes…crazy hook lines…and that every song out rides the Dirty Side of Midnight … again I’m sure anyone reading this can find all they need at www.gypsypistoleros.co.uk as it stands FM Revolver (Heavy Metal Records will be releasing this album.. )… the album is yet untitled but I’m sure as soon as it’s been given a name I can let everyone know on here… we are doing everything by the book this end, and until the time is right…. its all under wraps…
What have the Gypsy Pistoleros got in store for fans in 2014?
2014 will see the Gypsy Pistoleros tour a lot more. Dates are already coming in and festivals being arranged…I know we will return to the USA this year….and I hope Hard Rock Hell too.. Download would be cool….if we, at all, could get on that bill…. we are kickin of shows in 3 weeks time guesting for our friends Jizzy (Pearl) and Love Hate in Scotland and London..
Any final message?
Our final message…. and my final message is…. forget Facebook …come chat with us at shows….get out….catch us live….its a fun adventure while we are on the stage…. and you’ve never partied till ya partied with a Pistolero….
Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions.
Xiggz ( Iggie Pistolero) on behalf of the Gypsy Pistoleros………….. thank you.
The Dirty Side of Midnight on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfczHl-QP4s
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/GypsyPistoleros/378204642215891
Website: http://www.gypsypistoleros.co.uk/
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