“It was raining,” replies Saxon lead singer Biff Byford when asked about the last time the band played Ebbw Vale’s Steelhouse Festival in 2013, which they’ll be doing again this year. Although he insists that’s not a bad thing and its location sets it apart: “The festival site is high up the mountain so on a good day it’s an idyllic setting, and on a bad day it’s quite sinister up there, which is great. I like it. Metal festivals like this are a good way to see bands, meet friends, and have a party. I used to go back in the 60s 70s… I saw Led Zeppelin. Festivals are also a great way to connect with a new audience.”
English heavy metal outfit Saxon rode the wave to fame after they formed in the late 70s as one of the leaders in the new wave of British heavy metal along with the likes of Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Motörhead. Biff in fact teamed up with the surviving members of Motörhead as part of a tribute to Lemmy, although when asked about if we could expect to see more collaborations he said: “I haven’t heard anything about future projects with them”.
Biff then talks about the new bands playing at the festival. “There’s a similar spirit to Saxon. The sole aim for any new band is to play shows and write songs, like us. Making new music is the life blood of Saxon, so I work hard on keeping the band together and relevant.” A fact proven by the grouping having released a new album pretty much every other year since the late 70s. With such a large repertoire, how do they decide on a setlist? “With festivals, it’s difficult to have too varied a song list but we try to please as many people as possible. Our album tours are usually the place we can play more of the newer stuff. It’s always a surprise to hear about everyone’s different favourite era of the band. Every person has a different opinion on which albums and songs they prefer, so we just leave it up to the fans.” I mention how I got into Saxon myself around 2009 with Labyrinth and the Battalions of Steel track. “We’re playing Battalions at the moment!”
Steelhouse Festival, Ebbw Vale, Sat 29 + Sun 30 July. Tickets: £50-£85. Info: www.steelhousefestival.com
words ALEC EVANS