In 11th episode of “What guitar rig do they use?” my guest is Liam from English street punk band Booze & Glory. The band is relatively new — they debuted in 2010, but quickly get a strong position in an Oi music world. In their case, a large work did the video for "London Skinhead Crew", which achieve more than seven million views on YouTube and showed that classic sound street punk band to the broad masses of the oi music fans. As a result, Booze & Glory played some gigs even in Indonesia. This month, after three years of publishing break, they released their fourth album, "Chapter IV". On this occasion I asked Liam a couple of not only guitar stuff questions.
What can we expect from your new album "Chapter IV"?
Liam: Chapter IV is definitely an expansion on the core sound of Booze & Glory. We’ve used a fair bit of additional instrumentation such as Banjo, Mandolin, Accordion, Piano and even a string section! We spent a lot more time writing, recording and producing than we have in the past and we think it shows in the end result.
You recorded and mixed your new music in UK, but decided to mastered it in Portland, USA. What was the reason for such a decision?
We decided to have it mastered at Audiosiege in Portland based on some of the other work they’ve done. This album has a slightly different sound to it, so we thought we’d try something different.
What guitar rig are you guys actually using?
I use Fender Telecasters, with a Humbucker. in the past i’ve also used hollow-bodied and semi-hollow-bodied guitars, one of my favorites being the Ibanez Art Core, which I no longer play live, due to feedback issues. My amplifiers are Blackstar HT20 head with a Blackstar 4x12 cabinet. I have a very straightforward set up and use an Electro-Harmonix Cock fight, which is to mimic the sound of a set Wah-wah, which I use in the studio.
Mark has always used Gibson SG’s and a Mesa-Boogie Mini-Rectifier, but has recently switched over to a Blackstar Series One head with a matching Blackstar 4x12 Cabinet. He’s also a big fan of Sure wireless systems. The only pedal he uses is a Boss Chromatic tuner.
Do you remember your first guitar? What it was?
My first proper guitar was an Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty, which my Mum bought for me. I had it until very recently when i sold it because the neck had warped and I would’ve had to invest too much to get it repaired. Mark’s first guitar was an SG-style Ibanez, but his first proper guitar was a Fender American Deluxe Telecaster, which he still really regret selling.
What is the best and the worst guitar rig which you ever played?
The best rig I’ve played through is the one I currently have. I went through so many different set-ups but think I'm finally happy with what I’m using. Mark doesn’t use any pedals, but the drive on his Blackstar head is perfect for the sound we need. On one occasion he was provided with a Fender Twin, which had nowhere near enough drive. I thought he was going to cry!
Do you have any guitar idols which inspires your style?
I suppose I’d say Mike Ness from Social Distortion, as he has fantastic tone — although I’m not sure whether his playing technique has influenced me too much. Mark loves the way that Olga from Toy Dolls plays, but at the moment, he probably couldn't even untangle his cables!
Booze & Glory is became a street punk phenomenon. Did you expect such popularity playing in such a classic way?
I always dreamed of playing guitar in a punk band, rather than having to have a “real job”. Now that this is the case, I just want it to last for as long as it possibly can.
What do you think, what is the most important in punk rock — lyrics or music?
Both. I’ve always written both words and music, so I can’t really imagine doing one without the other.
You are a kind of international band living in UK. What do you think about Brexit?
Actually, only two of us live in the UK now — Mark is back in Poland, Frank in Italy.
I think Brexit is a terrible idea. With things the way they are in the world at the moment, we need to be building bridges, not burning them.
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