They've got a new album in the racks, and The Quireboys have discovered their passion for quintessential British rock and roll on Twisted Love.
They say the release 'lays bare a collective desire to win the hearts and minds of long-time fans and secret admirers alike.'
It's the sound of six musicians bound by the past and excited by the future...unashamedly loud and justifiably proud.'
It's also a ballad free zone!
Ahead of their gig at The Craufurd Arms next Thursday (September 15), guitarist Guy Griffin went On Track with Total MK and shared how seeing a spruced up Deep Purple in his hometown set him on the path marked 'rock & roll'....
The song that first awakened your musical senses
A combination of hearing my parents 45's ...Motown (Drifters,Temptations), The Who, The Stones, Amen Corner.. but then I heard AC/DC's Highway to Hell...that really changed everything for me.
Physical or digital - how do you take your music?
Both, I'm not an analogue snob,even though vinyl sounds so much better...I'll listen to downloaded stuff in my car where I listen to most of my music. It's just a matter of convenience, especially when we're out on the road..
The first time you thought 'Music - this is the job for me'
When I was maybe 14? Deep Purple rehearsed for their reformation gig at Knebworth at a nightclub in Bedford, my hometown.
Myself and the couple of mates hung round outside and were lucky enough to meet the band. I vividly remember I think it was Jon Lord arriving all dressed in white and sunglasses ..with a beautiful woman also in white, looking like they were from another world. I thought 'that looks like a good job.'
Your best on stage memory...
Either supporting the Stones at St James Park, Tokyo Dome with Bon Jovi or Castle Donington at the Monsters of Rock 1990
And the worst gig you've ever done?
Nothing awful, just bizarre things happening over the years...I've been knocked out onstage, had stuff thrown, I had to hit an audience member over the head with my guitar in Norway a couple of years back. We've been through any scenario you can imagine.
What made you take up the guitar?
Once in a while on Top of the Pops you would see rock and punk rock bands from AC/DC, Motörhead to Thin Lizzy and Blondie...a combination of many bands inspired me. Plus once I started playing guitar in bands girls actually started talking to me!
Which one song by another artist do you wish you'd have written
It's hard to pick just one ... Brown Sugar (Stones), Life on Mars (Bowie), one (U2), All the Young Dudes ( Mott the Hoople/ Bowie), Surrender (Cheap Trick), Here Comes My Girl (Tom Petty), Pretty Vacant (Sex Pistols), The Boys Are Back in Town (Thin Lizzy) etc etc
And one - by yourself - which holds special significance
Either 'Mona Lisa Smiled' or 'Hello' both from 'Homewreckers and Heartbreakers'..the lyrics in Hello are quite personal to me..I'm also very happy with our new single ' Twisted Love'
If you could step into the shoes of another musician, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?
I guess Elvis, Bowie, Lennon or Prince..just to see how they managed to become the icons they are
Are there any current musical influences that you might look to
I really like the Americana artist Ryan Adams,The Killers, Garbage. I guess they're not really new though. New rock music doesn't excite me much, although I do like Rival Sons and Vintage Trouble
And any genre of music that you simply can't stand?
Grime?.. I think that's what it's called although I'd have another word for it.
Finally, plug your show at The Craufurd Arms in Milton Keynes - what can we expect?
We're really looking forward to it,I'll have a lot of friends there as I live in Bedford.
We haven't played electric in the UK since March. Also it'll be the very first time we'll be playing songs from our new album 'Twisted Love'
To book tickets visit www.thecraufurdarms.com
