Diamond Head
Interview with Brian Tatler
By Chris Skoyles
Cut from the same cloth as the likes of Saxon and Iron Maiden, the legend of Diamond Head is as synonymous with the 1980's New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement as the name 'Arctic Monkeys' is to today's indie scene. Widely regarded as one of the most important heavy metal bands of the period, the likes of Megadeth's Dave Mustaine and Metallica's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich revere Diamond Head as the influence par excellence, whilst their 'Lightning To The Nations' LP is noted as being a classic in its genre.
Whilst lesser folks would be to settle for such acclaim, rest on their laurels and forgo any further struggles, Diamond Head are adamant that their page in the history books has not yet been fully written. And despite a rocky career, the band are still going strong. With a new line up intact and a new album due out later this year, Diamond Head hit The Gravy Train in Newton-Le-Willows on Friday March 11th.
Yet before that, your reporter picked up the phone and called guitarist Brian Tatler, the band's only remaining original member to find out what's going on with the legendary Diamond Head.
You guys are out on the road a lot this year, how have the live dates been going so far?
They've been going great, yeah. In fact, they've probably been better than the ones we did last year; we're getting bigger crowds, we're playing better, we're tighter and we just learn a bit more each time.
The new album, 'What's In Your Head' is due out later this year, can you tell us a bit about that?
We started writing for it towards the end of 2005. 'All Will Be Revealed' [Diamond Head's previous album] came out in October of that year and we went to work on it not long after that.
Most of it was written by myself and Nick [Tart, vocals] and we Dave 'Shirt' Nicholls involved to record it. He's the live sound engineer for Slipknot and he was with Stone Sour for about a year, but we managed to get some time with him. We had to fit the whole thing in around Stone Sour having some time off, so we got everything done in around four or five weeks!
What should Diamond Head fans expect from the new material?
I've gotta be honest, I think it's fantastic, but then I'm probably a bit biased. It's riffy, it's heavy, it's got some great songs. I think Nick's done better with his lyrics and vocals than he did on the last one.
The 'All Will Be Revealed' album was a little bit like dipping your toe in the water, you know? We were feeling our way around as songwriters and seeing if we could pull this off.
This album comes back with a confidence, it says 'yes we can pull this off and we can take it ten steps further'. So I just think it's a lot stronger than the last album. Some people have heard bits of it already and the feedback is pretty good, nobody's said they don't like it.
I mean, the proof of the pudding will be in how many it sells and reviews, but so far so good! Hopefully it'll be a good album for us and we're very proud of it.
Any news on a release date?
Well we're just sorting that out now. It could be mid-July but we haven't got an actual release date as of yet. It'll be on the website as soon as we know.
The band have split up and reformed on more than occasion. Are you confident that you're back for good this time?
Yeah, you know, we'll do this for as long as the band can last really, it's impossible to say. I never expected the original line-up to fall apart. You don't really, somehow you just keep going and working everyday to keep things running.
Everyone gets on great, which is the main thing, there's not a lot of egomania going on in this band, we all just want to keep it going as long as possible and get the recognition the band deserves.
We all believe that the songs are great, the band's great, we just need certain doors to open now to work our way back up the ladder.
You can slip back down the ladder from your peak. Diamond Head's peak was in 1982/83 so we're just trying to pull it back up.
When Diamond Head reformed, how difficult was it to picking up the pieces and start again?
I wouldn't say difficult is the right word, but it does take a while to get back up speed.
When you're up and running everyone's with you and its all working. But if you start up again you haven't got a drummer, you haven't got a bass player, you haven't got any songs, you just gently have to ease back into it and it takes time.
The band first stopped in 1985. We were dropped by MCA in '84 and struggled on for twelve months but there was no money, everyone was kind of burned out and it fell apart.
Sean and I got back together in 1990, but it took virtually three years before we wrote, recorded and released 'Death in Progress' mainly because when you start again you've gotta put everything back together.
But then by the time that album did come out in 1993 we were on the verge of splitting up again which was great!
But this time around, so far so good. This band line up has been together for a few years now and that shows no signs of self-destructing.
A lot of people know about the Diamond Head album that never was, the one you and Sean Harris recorded in 2002 yet never released due to Sean leaving the band. Is that album ever likely to see a release?
I suppose it could be but it would have to come from Sean, I can't do it. We paid half each for the album recording, but that was one of the reasons we split up, because of the palaver surrounding that album.
I don't know, I mean, at the time, we wanted to get it out but nothing happened for about twelve months and I got a bit frustrated with it all.
Sean may one day get involved in putting that album out, but I don't think he'll get the money he was originally asking for to do it.
At first I thought about what might happen if it did come out at the same time as we released 'All Will Be Revealed'. People would be wondering which one is the real Diamond Head, the one with Sean on it or the one with Nick on it.
Of course, Sean didn't get it out and it looks like we'll have a second album out before that sees the light of day.
But if I know Sean, he probably won't ever get that album out. So it looks like that album is just gonna sit on the shelf unless I did all the legwork and I'm not in the mood for all that.
Have you spoken to Sean since the two of you split up?
Yeah briefly, but what can you say? He probably feels a little bit hurt by it, but it was inevitable the way things were going.
He's totally entitled to go off and do his own band and get on with it if that's what he wants to do. That's what I wanted to do but it was almost like I was being prevented from it.
I think it's better that we work apart now. I've spent twenty five years on and off with Sean and I think it's time somebody else had a go. I've done my bit so if another guitarist wants to get stuck in with Sean, be my guest!
Much of what's been written about the band seems to focus on the past and Diamond Head's place in history as much as, if not more than, what you're doing now. As a band that are actively touring and recording, does this bother you at all?
[sighs] All publicity is good publicity. There was a piece in Classic Rock last month that just talked about 'Am I Evil?' and I'd rather have that than nothing, but I do like people to remember that this is a fully functioning band now. We're still touring, we're still making albums, it's not just a nostalgia act.
I'm sure a lot of people probably think that Diamond Head split up twenty years ago and don't even exist. I mean, we don't tour America or anything so they've no reason to believe that we're still going.
Unless you pretty much shove a band under people's noses they forget about you, but it doesn't annoy me. I do still like the old songs, we still play 'Helpless' and 'The Prince' and it's great.
So I don't mind people talking about the past as long as you tag-on that we're still making music today and still playing live.
What about when it comes to the connection between Diamond Head and Metallica? Is that something you ever get sick of talking about?
Nah [laughs]. I mean, god bless 'em. If it hadn't been for Metallica, and Lars [Ulrich, Metallica drummer], and the songwriter's royalties that me and Sean [Harris, former vocalist] get, I don't know what we would've done. We'd have probably slipped into obscurity along with, I don't know, Angel Witch or something.
But they've managed to keep the money coming in for us and raise our profile by covering four Diamond Head songs on an album that's sold over five million copies, that's just…you can't buy that sort of thing you know? I must've seen hundreds of articles where Lars is raving about Diamond Head, and it's just brilliant, more power to 'em.
How did you guys react when fans who were perhaps too young to remember Diamond Head in the early 80s started coming to your gigs or buying your albums after hearing about you through Metallica?
It was definitely a good feeling. You're always trying to get out there and reach new people. You know your die-hard fans will buy your albums but you always want more. If somebody hears [Metallica's version of] 'Am I Evil?' and then underneath they see it was written by Diamond Head and go out and buy a Diamond Head album then yeah, you know, that's fantastic.The newer fans go mad down the front too, they're young enough to have the energy to go berserk at gigs rather than standing at the back clapping!
What do you think of the current state of music?
It's good yeah. I mean, I think it's saturated with bands. There's a new band every five minutes and it can be incredibly hard for good bands to break through.
If you back a couple of years through old magazines, even just from three or five years ago, they're full of bands you can't even remember. They've got their new album out and they're getting a big push and then a few years later you've never heard of them.
You need to have it all in place, the staying power and the tenacity to make it to the top, talent is not enough.
Any bands around at the moment that you're really into?
I like Muse, I like Porcupine Tree… I still listen to a lot of old stuff but I do like a lot of new bands too. I bought the Wolfmother album, Ramstien…I can't think of anything else off the top of my head.
Some of the bands like Dream Theatre and DragonForce go over my head a bit. It's slightly too complicated, too intense, too…musician-orientated.
I'm still a big fan of songs and I try my best to write a great song rather than something that's very difficult to play.
I'd rather have a great rock song than impressive musicianship.
We recently came across an old newspaper article from a period where the band had split up in which you were quoted as saying 'I don't miss heavy metal'…
[Laughs loudly] Ha-ha! F*** Off!!
What was it that made you miss metal again?
I don't know actually. I think it was maybe more that I'd just had enough of it at the time. When you're in the thick of it and you're playing live every day, it can grind you down a bit.Maybe I just needed a break from it at the time but no, I'm not sick of heavy metal! I still enjoy playing live, going to see bands, but I think everybody's got a lighter side. I'm not a proper metal head who goes around listening to Ramstien 24 hours a day!
You played a few gigs at Wigan Pier in the early eighties, what do you remember about those gigs?
The first Wigan Pier gig we did, did you know that was videoed? It's not a brilliant video but it's just about the only live video of Diamond Head with the original line up of Sean, Collin [Kimberley, ex-bassist] Duncan [Scott, ex-drummer] and myself so it's quite a rarity.
I remember it being pretty full and it being a really good gig, it was part of the tour we did to support the 'Four Cuts EP' that we recorded when we first signed with MCA and everything kind of took off from there.
Let's talk about The GravyTrain gig, what should people expect?
Well, I think we're firing on all cylinders at the moment and it'll be a really good show.
The band's very fired up at the last shows and by the time we get to Newton-Le-Willows on the 11th it should be even better. We're killer at the moment, I really think the band's on fire.
For all the people who are looking forward to coming down on the 11th, and all the long-time Diamond Head fans reading this, what would you like to say to them?
Thanks very much for the support, please come down and see us live. . We've played in Warrington and around those places along time ago, but we've not been here before so we're looking forward to coming back to this area.
We'll definitely put on a show you won't forget, so come down and see us and say hello.
Diamond Head play at The GravyTrain, Newton-Le-Willows on Friday May 11th.