Interview by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
This week saw another huge nail in the coffin of all those who claim that ‘’rock is dead’’. The people wielding the mighty hammer are none other than Lancaster bruisers Massive Wagons, their brand–new album ‘House of Noise’ going straight into the UK’s top ten album chart to sit alongside of Bob Dylan, Ellie Goulding, Harry Styles and Lewis Capaldi.
A combination of constant touring and their love of ‘proper’ old school hard rock as purveyed by the likes of Status Quo and Slade has seen the quintet assure their places in the hearts of an ever growing legion of rock fans on these shores and further afield.
Spearheading the vanguard of the NWOCR movement, the band has gone from playing local pubs to festivals and onto arenas sharing stages with heroes Quo and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
It seems right now that they’re unstoppable and that this new chapter of top ten albums will set the pattern for the foreseeable future. It’s seemingly impossible not to fall in love with Massive Wagons and their shows have been a celebration of all that is great about live music, the volume, energy and sweat from both band and audience accompanied by an aural soundtrack of goodtime rock ‘n’ roll. One half of the engine room that keeps this Wagon rolling, bass player Adam Bouskill, tells us what he and the band have been up to recently.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00Sy9IYKtBg&w=560&h=315]First off, and most importantly: How are you doing?
Very good mate, thank you! Busy, busy, busy though!
How have you been keeping yourself busy?
Well right as lockdown kicked off, me and my partner had a baby girl so, yeah, that’s kept us busy! I’ve also been working nonstop. I deliver waste toilet roll and paper to Mills that make more rolls…. So, it was absolutely mad busy for a few months while everyone numpty and their dog bought every bog roll in sight!
Have you been doing any online live shows or seen any good ones?
Yeah Wagons have done a few. We also launched our Wagons World Patreon page and it’s been well received so that’s kept the lads busy.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a33qdeM3XjU&w=560&h=315]Have you had to change your way of writing material?
Nope, luckily all of our latest release, ‘House of Noise’ was written and recorded before this Covid stuff kicked off
Do you keep in touch with your fellow bandmates / other musicians much?
Yeah, just don’t see everyone as much!
What plans have you had to change this year?
Everything we had planned for our album release campaign was scuppered. Started with our headline EU Tour being cancelled and it snowballed from there.
What do you think of the social distancing gigs (like the one that happened in Kansas recently – 229 people in a 1,100-seat venue) or the thought of drive-in gigs as has just been announced by Live Nation?
It’s hard to judge something I’ve never experienced. My initial reaction I definitely wasn’t keen.
How do you think the music industry will have changed after this period of lockdown?
Honestly, it’s not gonna come back immediately where we left off. It will be a steady return to form. I don’t think anything will change permanently.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLdfq6T_y7c&w=560&h=315]What plans have you got for when the isolation finishes and gigs start back up again?
It’s all so up in the air still. Our sad excuse of government needs to pull their fingers out and grow a spine…. Then we can truly start to plan the future. We have a tour in March… so let’s just wait and see what happens.
How can people support you during this time?
We, as a band are lucky, we can still function during the corona-coaster. It’s the venues and guys and girls behind the scenes that need everyone’s support.
