Scarab - Rolling like thunder

Do you want to really know how was to play inside an underground band during the NWOBHM explosion? So, don't miss the chance to read the following interview done with Paul Britton the deus ex machine behind Scarab, the underground heroes with an official release in the '80ies, now homaged with the publication of "Rolling thunder" an exhaustive compilation that contains every demo recorded by the band in the early days, so...
Interview by Beppe "HM" Diana


Hi Paul, and welcome to our blog, well I know that is hard, but you would try to introduce Scarab to our readers with a brief history?
Simple………..We came from the Back streets of Birmingham from working class backgrounds Played wherever we could and history has called us NWOBHM a tag that makes me very proud. It wasn’t the first Band I was in and it wasn’t the last, but it was the most fun by far.

I never saw us as A list metal, but live we were as good a live band as Iv seen since and if you like us great, if you don’t well that’s great too….it’s not going to change the way I look at Scarab whatever is said.

Coming from the Birmingham area, in many point of view can be an advantage, but how was hard for a band as your, to build a strong reputation in your area? 
Birmingham was a great place to put band together in the early 80’s….very vibrant area. We never felt part of the hair metal thing that was going on from 84. Band s like Shy/Trouble/Steel/Briar/Tubrook were all pretty much sounding and looking the same, we didn’t want to be part of that so we played most of our show’s in and around the outer area’s of Brum (Brum is slang for Birmingham). In smaller out of the way place’s we found a great Metal  following. Place’s like Tamworth and Litchfield we could pack out place’s and develop the show in front of some real hardcore Metal fans. We weren’t playing to Record labels or promoters every night, but we had real fans. In the early days playing the inner city venues we’d be to a playing 100 other musician from other bands all there to check you out. They we’re not really into being “fans” just “critics”. I pretty much though the hair metal bunch were all up there own arse’s……..I hated all the posers.

Reading the linear notes on the booklet, I understand that the existence for the band wasn’t easy at time, is it true? 
Trying to get a complete line up that wants to do the same as you is hard. I always had a like-minded partner in Dave Parrish but drummers were always our downfall. I didn’t really care for the “posing” thing, people were more into saying there were in a band than digging in and being in a band. I spent 3 years starving/broke/working day jobs to pay for gigs etc. We could have done what everyone else did, you know, turn up, no lights, some crap tiny PA play collect the cash and go home. We didn’t do that….we had a massive Pyrotechnic show, huge lights and a 5k Cerwig vega PA for even the smallest show, (at a stupid cost each night) we never mad any money, ever, and by 1985 each show was costing me and the debt was building up. When the band split, Dave and I owed a lot of money. £1000’s…..

Not only the police, but also the radio and some pub tried to hinder the band, how was hard to be against all?
Yeah we were always in trouble. I understand the game, and that’s what it is. Trying to get on the radio or in a magazine was always going to hard. You spend every last penny on your new demo and no-one wants to listen to it is painful. But with the way we looked, the “fuck you” attitude we had, didn’t help us really. But you have to understand how it is. We weren’t competing for a huge record deal, as far as we were concerned, we were competing for a few more fans and the petrol money to the next gig. We were 100% into the whole thing, day and night; when we weren’t recording we were gigging, when we weren’t writing we were rehearsing, it was pretty much full on. I didn’t know any others bands from the midlands that did what we did, and if people couldn’t be bothered to listen to your songs or play you on the radio, or at least come to a show, it’s hard to take when you don’t know where your next meal is coming from. Hell were doing the same thing in Nottingham, we knew about those guys and although we never played with them, we kept and eye on them and when they got signed in 85/86 thought “GREAT” it gave us hope and we celebrated there success. It was a shame the label went bust taking yet another great band with them. All the Hair Metal band s from Brum got signed at some point, none of which came to much. We got offered deals, but none were worth taking seriously. WEA did chase us for a while, but that came to nothing. We didn’t have a “commercial” sound, we didn’t look to pretty, and we didn’t buy into the whole “posing at the bar” thing, we just wanted to get on stage and cause as much madness as possible, and did…….to this day when ever I put a toothbrush in my mouth I feel the need to piss, that’s because for 3 years I did the two things together by the side of a Ford Transit van.

Ok man, a lot of time the name of your band is correlated with “Poltergeist” 7”, can you give us some details on the recording, the time spent on this? 
Poltergeist was recorded in the worst studios in Brum, on the smallest budget. I was always proud of the song and loved the whole idea of it being a story based around the Poltergeist theme. The added voices at the start and end were great at the time. I hated my voice, people thought I was trying to sound like Dave Halliday but I wasn’t, that’s how I sounded. I wrote and released “Soul for a Soul” using the same Poltergeist theme and did intend to call it Poltergeist 2 but didn’t want anyone to think I was trying to cash in on the Poltergeist 1. I have Poltergeist three written and ready to record in the New Year before “Brofest” that were playing in Newcastle. They’ll be a three-track Cassette release for that with a CD.

How and when is born the idea to publish the cd that including the old material of the band? Could you tell us from where are come the complete set list of the song? Your official biography speaks about just the single, and a demo....
We did a lot of recording back in the day. There is more that’s come to light since the HRR release, including a great radio quality live recording with new unheard tracks on from 85, plus 7 more demo tracks. But I am reluctant at this point to release them. Maybe after my new project is finished (ANCIENT BRITTON).
I have to credit Rich Walker from Solstice for the idea to put out the Scarab Album. He was a massive Scarab fan, and I was proud to call him a friend at one point. He’s a very hard chap to work with though, but I can’t deny his passion for this Genre of Metal and will always be grateful to him for his support in 2009/2010. We did the Soul for A soul that went out on his Miskatonic label in 2009 and I did plan a full album, with all new material, but I joined Solstice which of course was never going to work out, and that sort of ended the whole Scarab thing really. Dave went off and did his “Nightblade” thing, and why not? Dave just wants to play live; he doesn’t want to wait for me while I fart around in the studio 24/7, which is pretty much what I do now. There is however about 8 songs written and waiting to be recorded as SCARAB but I will only do it if Dave’s with me. The I could call the project Im working on now “SCARAB” but I am not into this whole “built a new band around just one member” thing; it doesn’t sit well for me. I can understand anyone wanting to keep recording and playing, but a lot of great band name’s get sullied because of “cash in” type reformations. What’s wrong with calling your new band a different and new name? You should have enough confidence in what you do to do it without cashing in on an old band name.

What you can say about the song writing of the Scarab especially about son ad “Poltergeist”, “Acid Trap” and “Rolling the thunder”
Poltergeist of course was loosely based of the film of the same name, loved the film so went away and wrote the song. It’s fair to say that I pretty much wrote all the material, always did, but Dave Parrish had a massive input in bringing them to life. Poltergeist was one such song. The recording never did it justice. But watching Dave’s throwing his guitar in the crowd, of smashing his fist into the air on top of the drum riser did…..
“Rolling like Thunder” was to be the follow up to Poltergeist as a new single. We agued with WEA about it for a couple of meetings and walked away without a deal because they wanted to put “Hell on Wheels” out as an A side and we wouldn’t do that. The studio was booked and everything looked good until they came up with that dumb idea. RLT is a great track though, about some crazed man stuck in a padded cell after being set up for killing someone. He dreams he’s innocent and dreams he’s digging a hole, escaping and getting his revenge., he is in fact dreaming it all…
Acid trap is an odd track and pretty much shows my naïve lyric writing at the time. It’s all about someone’s drug habit, something I wouldn’t learn about personally really for amount 10 years of so.
Into the Labyrinth was always a great live anthem and Prisoners was a favourite on stage. We plan to re-record “Prisoners” for the Brofest festival tape. Scarab had some great songs, and live they were A league Metal, in the studio however we never got even close to getting them right……which is a real shame.

What have been your emotions, after listening again the old tracks of your band's history?
Scarab was and always will be a great part of my life. No matter what others think about the band, it was a great time and I’m very proud to have been it’s creator. The whole NWOBHM thing wasn’t about the huge bands like Maiden and Saxon that went on to make it big, to me it was about the small bands struggling to pay there way, living out of a van, sleeping rough in-between shows, eating in transport café’s and basically doing what ever it took to get to the next show. It wasn’t about Hair and shiny cloths, it was about Attitude, friendship, it was war in fact and I loved it. Listening back to some of the recording during the re-mastering, was quite hard, very emotional really, and I have to admit to shedding a tear or two when writing the sleeve note’s……some very good friends and fans who were into the band, haven’t made it this far and that’s hard. A lot of memories to do with SCARAB were based around “pulling together”. Scarab was a gang, the Roadie who loaded the bombs each night was as important to the band as me or Dave ever was. That was Scarab….and to this day I still count many people who were involved in Scarab one way or another as very good friends. Dave and I will always be friends of course and Carl the Roadie was best man at my wedding 6 years ago. But I keep in touch with many ex members and Road crew.

What’s the difficult you have faced until the release the cd? And what the satisfactions are instead?
The main problem for me was the sound quality of the tapes. Some had only survived on Cassette so re-mastering them was never going to easy. I think with what we had to play with it came out ok. I don’t like the CD version. It’s incomplete without the story. But I love the vinyl double gatefold format…it was wonderful. High Roller records did a great job with that, though it was a little tense working with them at times, as they’re so busy. I just wanted it done and dusted so I could move on to the next project, which was getting the TRAPPAZAT album released. But a real buzz. It looked good and the art was exactly how I wanted it. I would use High Roller again for viyl only on the Ancient Britton album if we can agree time scales and stick to them. The quality they have is to a very high standard.

Well the album is been going out for a little time on the metal market, which has the reception reserved been from the specialized magazines and of your fans, in particular way in your countries... 
 I don’t know really?……If I’m honest I’m not the kind of person to worry to much either way. As part of the deal I had enough copies of the vinyl to give to ex band and roadies and some friends and I sold over 150 CD’s via a few Facebook status’s…that’s pretty much cleared me out and the money I got from High Roller as an advance paid for a Roland TD20 drum kit for the studio I own and run here in Wales. I still see them for sale on the net, so I guess there are copies still available, but all mine went within a month, I’d like to think, to the real SCARAB fans around the world. I sold few to USA, Japan, 5 went to India as well…but all the reviews I have read have been good. I will always get panned for my vocal style, but hey, I really couldn’t give a rats arse, I am me, honest and what you hear is what’s coming from my soul….

What there’s behind this double anthology, a reunion? If i’m not wrong, you have realized an ep in 2009, it is right?
Yeah like I say, the SOUL FOR A SOUL EP went out in 2009. It created quite a buzz, getting amazing reviews all over the world, which was great. I was very proud of that EP…..we had invite’s to play some Festivals in Europe but we just couldn’t get our shit together really. Every one has jobs and mortgages and I’m the only one involved full time in music really. So it was hard to get it off the ground. Then the offer to sing for Solstice came along and I was like, ok then. Then later that year I the offer to help Jameson Raid out came along and I knew the Solstice thing wasn’t sounding right I I joined the Raid. It was a shame that it didn’t work out, but I’m a pain in the arse to work with at the best of times and you have be 100% with me, or I get bored. A couple of the Raid guys were more interested in selling tee shirts for my liking so I left that project after playing Download. I had kept the studio clear for three months for them as well, which was a pain, but hey ho as they say. I wish Terry the singer all the best and Jameson Raid remain one of those Iconic bands of all time for me. Ian Smith the guitar player, although we no longer have contact as he now lives in Thailand, will always remain a good friend in my heart.

What you can say about the Shadowlands project that have realised a single on Pharaoh label?
 lol…….how do you guys here about all this…lol…..Shadow lands were called China White when they used to open up for Scarab in 85….I liked them, saw they had a chance and put the cash up for them to release a single. It was ok and I managed them for a while. Dave Martin (Who went on to be in Marshall law) was a right pain in the arse and mouthed off at me once to often and I left them to it. I still have a box of the singles somewhere I’m sure. The singer, Kevin, was a great bloke and a good singer live, I’m still in contact with him, and also the drummer Steve. Both Nice guys…both away from the biz now.

Remembering the old days, after the split of the band your return with another band, called Trappazat that record the lp “From Dusk Till Dawn”, what you can say about this other side of your music career?
I only had 4 years out of the Music business between 1979 and 1998. I did 2 years owning and running Jewellery wholesale from 87-89 then I took a year out from 1990-1992 after then Trappazat album. Then in 1998 my ex wife found here cloths on the street one day and I became a single parent to my teenage daughter for 6 years, giving up the Studio I owned and ran and then working in an office. Office work almost killed me, but you do what you have to do and to keep my daughter with me I had to have a sensible job according to the child courts. I did that till she was 16, then I left the job, sold the house in suburbia and bought a cottage on a mountain in Wales and went to University. I got a job in the biggest Welsh rock covers band and did that for 12 months. Then I met Ness and we bought a small holding (small farm) in West Wales UK and I built my studio into a stone barn and here I am now, busy recording my “solo” project Ancient Britton, the album will be called “A requiem of War” and is a concept album based on stories told to me by my Father from WW2. It’s not a “blood and guts” lyric, but full of stories from both sides…..Im really pleased with how it’s turning out. Very NWOBHM/doomy stuff. I am more interested in keeping the sounds warm and true to my roots than trying to invent the wheel again, which I could di in an instant with the technology out there now and have 24/7 to work in my own studio. It’s already got a vinyl offer on the strength of the demo’s I sent out. But when it’s done I’ll pitch it to a few people I know, put a band together round it, and shoot a video and see what happens…The most important thing for me is keeping that Underground feel about anything I do.
Scarab will record three tracks for Brofest in the new year, if all pans out well, and we’ll limit the sale of those on Cassette to 100, we’ll also include a free CD with it as well. We’re looking at other shows, but we’ll wait and see how we feel after Brofest. We’re very exited to be playing with such an great underground line up……hero’s one and all to me…..Iconic bands, it’s a real buzz to on this bill. It’s almost sold out now and I totally admire these young promoters who took the gamble. Balls of Steel they have, now that’s the NWOBHM sprit…

The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal was the last big movement of the last thirty years, after that nothing new, why?
Well I sort of have to agree. It was a one off. I’m a little sad that no one from Birmingham, from that era went on to become huge. I really think Jameson Raid (the Ian Smith line up) would do it in 1980, but it was never to be. Diamond Head did have a shot, but even with Metalica’s back up there well ran dry after pointless ego induced line up change’s and the magic went, and believe me they were magical to watch in a small club in 1980/81.
I hear lots of so called NU metal. Owning a studio does give me chance to listen to all sorts of Metal, new and old, but I hear very little that’s isn’t influenced by the NWOBHM. I was just a magic time for metal and for the first time in the history of Rock and heavy metal the Media got behind it. Between 79-84 hundreds of bands came and went, leaving perhaps just one single for us all to cherish………young, fresh, vibrant bands went out and lived the dream for a few months then split. That dream, and all any of us can expect, is to be able to come up with a riff that people want to bang there heads too……I’d rather had 100 people head banging to your songs than 1,000,000 humming them in a lift somewhere in Kansas city or where ever….that’s what NWOBHM is about….

Where do you see Metal heading in the next millennium and are you happy that people are rediscovering cult/underground acts worldwide that didn't gain attention back in their activity?
It’s great that we look to the past to develop the future. You listen to Maidens first album, or Priest “Sad wings of Destiny” these albums still sound like the future 35 years on. I don’t hear the rawness in new metal anymore though and that’s worrying. It’s all recorded far perfectly now. No one plays together now to get the “feel” when recording. I get bands coming into the studio and saying “what sounds have you got” I say to them, “I have only what you bring” ….Pro-tools has in my opinion hasn’t found it’s use yet, all it’s doing at the moment is allowing many future talented artists to “cheat” and run before they walk. There are too many one-member bands that have one talented bloke writing on his laptop, then giving it the rest to learn. No one wants to jam out riffs and idea’s anymore. It’s all a bit fucked up to me really. I will only work with “real” bands now. I am at a point were I can pick and choose who comes in to the studio. I get bored if there’s no talent, and then I just rush them out to get rid of them. So I have a “Play like a band or talk to the hand” policy now…As for the future, well?……lets hope the past doesn’t continue to outshine it, or there will be zero talent within 20 years…..

Before the end what does Heavy Metal mean to you?
Music is my life, it always has been. I am very lucky that I have a wife (2nd time round) that’s is part of the whole “life style” as well. I am also very lucky that I am solvent which allows me to do what I like now. Heavy Metal isn’t about just the music, it’s more than that, it’s about integrity and to my mind there are only 2 types of music, music with Integrity, and music without. Being a passionate devotee, I can spot the difference straight away. Honesty is perhaps the most important thing for me and whet ever the project is, if I don’t see it, I walk, simple as that. I worry that some ex names from that era tend to drag The New Wave Of British Heavy Metals legacy through the mud by releasing any old rubbish in the name of NWOBHM, it warrants more that.
To every Italian Metal Head………..
What do you do when you hit 50?,  buy a sports car? Play golf? Take up Gardening? Your passions don’t leave you do they? I’m a Metal head, when I’m driving my car I’m a Metal head, when I’m riding my motorcycles I’m a Metal head, when I’m being a Dad to my wonderful Daughter, I am still a Metal Head, when I’m throwing my grandson in the pool I’m still that Metal Head and when I’m holding my beautiful wife Ness in my arm’s I’m the Metal Head she married……but more importantly they all know it too…….Live the dream I say……keep your Friends close and your Passion closer…………but live the dream with your passions always……..
Thanks……