Due to the stunning weather, Jersey's own Black Sabbath cover band, Rat Salad, started their set early last Friday evening at the Moment of Madness Festival, held at The Water Splash. They weren't the only band on the bill, and that's what lead singer Tim Evans was looking forward to the most;
"I always look forward to gigging .. its such a blast, but a decent stage, sound, light and other great acts to play beside - that’ll make it a bit special."
You’ve played a lot of venues and events in Jersey; which one has been your most favourite to play?
"Tricky one, possibly The Horse and Hound or The Troubadour - pub gigs always get messy, messy = fun!"
Have you always been a Sabbath fan?
"Yep, since a mate introduced me to them when I was about 17. Loved them ever since and I never get tired of them, such genius song writing and so many albums to choose from with not one bum song on any of them, at least in the Ozzy years of course."
When getting the band together, how difficult was it to find four like minded people on such a small island?
"It was Marty’s idea, I got to know him through loving Electric Brick. He said he always wanted to form a Sabbath cover band but wouldn’t know who could sing, I said I’d give it a go
and that was that. Finding other fans and talent wasn’t difficult, the island has many musicians and Sabbath many fans."
If you could be a tribute band to any other artist, who would it be and why?
"Maybe Fleetwood Mac, but when they were a white boy blues band - Blues can get very boring, but the way these guys did it knocks my socks off every time I listen. I’d love to sing the hell out of ‘Need Your Love So Bad’ or ‘Watch Out’ or … the list is long."
Which is your most favourite and worst Sabbath song to play?
"Favourite is probably ‘Killing Yourself to Live’ … its just so full of energy. There’s an awesome bit of footage from the ’70’s where they play California Jam to about a billion people. They play this number and the entire crowd go completely nuts, its an amazing performance when one considers its just four blokes from a small town in England, some instruments and pretty much zero effects or lights or anything - its the middle of the afternoon for fucks sake. If we can capture just a tiny percent of that sort of energy, that’s what it’s all about.
Worst... Ozzy has a ridiculous vocal, which I try to emulate, but some songs are just impossible. We do ‘National Acrobat’ which is hard in the middle to make it sound good live, I suppose I kinda dread that one and the fact that both my brain cells struggle to remember some of the lyrics… a bit like Ozzy in that respect."
Why did you choose to use the song title Rat Salad over any other Sabbath song for your band name?
"I don't know, it seemed obvious at the time, then, not that long ago, I realised that about 20 other Sabbath cover bands around the globe also found it an obvious choice, so we regularly get messages through our Facebook page telling us what a great gig we played last night in Dallas or Norway or somewhere else we’ve never been... Doh! Ahh well. Often thought all Rat Salad bands should get together for a weekend of nothing but Black Sabbath covers."
You’ve recently appointed Lucas Saunter to the drums, what happened to the previous drummer/s?
"Well we’ve had a few changes over the years which is just natural I guess - they either go travelling or have other commitments and can’t spare the time or just perhaps aren’t that into playing Black Sabbath for the rest of their lives - I can understand that... kinda. Lucas though is definitely the best we’ve had - he totally gets Bill Ward’s feel without which classic Sabbath just isn’t quite Sabbath. You can’t just pick up your sticks and lay out a beat to the music of this amazingly underrated band, you have to really know the songs, the little fills and nuances you really can’t do without. Unlike almost any other band, the specific style and feel of the drums are a huge part of the music with Sabbath and the fan knows it. Lucas does it really, really well … and he’s so young ! Such talent in these parts."
Tribute bands in Jersey are a rare thing; have you ever thought about taking Rat Salad to the UK at any point?
"Are they? Yes, thought about it and we would love to … maybe one day who knows? The great band themselves have called it a day so perhaps there will be room for a decent cover band in the occasional pub or student union at some point, but then we’d probably have Sharon on our backs for copyright infringement."
What do you think Ozzy, Tony, Bill and Geezer would think of Rat Salad?
"Good question!! Of course I’d like to think that they’d love us and that we’d get invited to play at one of their 80th birthdays or something. We’d get picked up by helicopter and driven by stretch Limo to some huge rambling mansion in the back end of Kent or somewhere equally bucolic. Scantily clad dancing girls would join us on stage for a rendition of ‘Dirty Women’ while swans drift by on lake in the distance. Ozzy would be letting off fireworks and scaring the children with his zimmer frame whilst Tony, stroking his goatee watched Martys fingers with nodding approval … hahaha … I haven’t dreamt about this, much!
They’d probably be completely bored and I wouldn’t blame them if they had no time at all for people covering their music, but I like to think we do play with authenticity, true to the nature in which the music was intended to be heard. I reckon they’d appreciate that."
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