Mike : Well basically we just want to play good ole 80's heavy thrash metal! There ain't much fancy about it, we just wanted to do it cause it is loads of fun and we want to have a good time! We want to put some fun back in music, everyone is getting a little 'emotional' these days, you know?
It all started a few years ago, I was in an old band with Dave at college but the other members weren't really committed so I got talking with Pete, who I had played with before, and Dave knew Jimmi and we just got it together.
Pete : Then we entered the Battle of the bands (BOTB) at Junktion 7!
Mike : I think we had two practices and made a really dodgy recording that we handed in to Junktion 7, about 6 weeks later Battle of the Bands started and we had probably had about 6 rehearsals and we ended up winning the whole thing!!!
(everyone laughs)
Pete : No messing about!
Mike : Shit hot it were!
Jimmi : We weren't very good really when we played Battle of the Bands but it helped us improve quick.
Pete : It were our first proper gig, we had just done like a small 10 minute show before that so we were pretty lucky!
Gaz : Well, the J7 Battle of the Bands is about to start again, as you said you won last year so what did that do for you as a band, were you surprised to win, how did you spend the prize money?
Pete : I bought a cymbal!
Mike : He spent it on bus fare I think, I didn't see non of it!
Jimmi : It was good cause it made us practice and gig and got us tighter and it gives you that tag 'Deadfall Junktion 7 Battle of the Bands Winners'. It looks good on posters and people know you must be half decent to win. We got to play Nottingham metal fest on the back of that and stuff so it helped get us a reputation.
Mike : It makes getting gigs easier as no-one would give us a gig before that but once you can say we won the BOTB, then people are more interested and it helped us perfect our music and act more cause we were playing gigs in front of people ever few weeks, because Battle of the Bands is always busy.
Pete : We entered a few other Battles of the Bands, like in Mansfield but they didn't go as well…..but we still got to play to people at least so it was worth it.
Mike : We lost to some emo band! It is such an easy and good way of getting gigs and experience though. No-one knows who you are before you gig but after that people had heard of us!
Gaz : Watching you last year, you seemed to improve with each heat and since last summer you have kept that momentum, what have you done since then and what have the highlights of the last year been?
Mike : Well we are gonna play Bloodstock so that is a massive gig for us. We got seen after playing Battle of the Bands and then playing with Illuminatus, who won the BOTB here 3 years ago and have played Bloodstock before and Vince has asked us this year so that is great.
I think we need to recorded again soon. We are a bit slow at recording, we do it all ourselves at home and sometimes we just get up and think…hmmm will I record a few riffs today…erm…narrr I think I will have a nice cup of tea!
(Gaz laughs in an 'I know that feeling' sorta way!)
Mike : There hasn't been much pressure on us since BOTB but I think we need to start putting more pressure on ourselves sometimes. It has taken Pete about 4 months to do his drum tracks!
Pete : I finished then about 3 o 'clock this afternoon! So drums are done!
Mike : I will be going round tomorrow to finish my guitars then!
Gaz : What will the new recording be? An E.P? A full album?
Jimmi : Well, we have the tracks from the old demo 'Ordeal Of Fire' so we will add the new stuff, which we have been playing live for ages, and make it bigger. I still class it as a demo really but this will be an album demo, where as the last one was an E.P demo.
Mike : We will give out the older tracks at gigs and then sell the full album over the internet, on myspace and the website. We will also send it off to managers and record labels and see what happens. The old demo is out of date and a bit crap. My vocals suck. I want to get to that 'James Hetfield' standard, I know I have more power now as before on the old demo I was just like 'ohhhhhhhhhh YEAH!!'…it wasn't great!
(everyone laughs at Mike's cheesy ohhh yeah!)
Mike : That was the only way I knew how to do it as I couldn't really sing and I had never sang enough to know my own voice well so it was all a bit forced and crap and I sounded like a bit of a nob head! Now I have learned to get my own voice and my own style but back then I just did bad rip offs of my idols like James Hetfield!
(laughing continues)
Mike : Hey we are honest it this band! We will tell ya the truth…..I know I wasn't great on the old demo, the new one will be a lot better! We want to keep the music fun and enjoy it but we really don't want to become anal about it all and get uptight. We want to keep down to earth.
Gaz : Pete, you won best drummer at BOTB last year and had the crowd chanting for you in the final how did that feel?
Pete : Well, I knew I was gonna win of course, I rocked! No, it was weird as I was playing with a cymbal with a big chunk missing as I am poor and couldn't buy a new one so it was nice to get some new stuff and I bought a new cymbal with my share of the prize money. The new cymbal is nice but I have broken another since so I need more new ones…..maybe we should enter BOTB again?!?
Gaz : Well you will be playing the final right? What else is coming up for you guys? When is Bloodstock and what other gigs do you have coming up?
Jimmi : Bloodstock is September 29th and 30th, we are playing on the 30th, we're on the second stage, I think we will be quite high up the bill but we haven't been given details yet. You can get tickets at the Bloodstock website but it is a big venue so it shouldn't sell out to quick! Vince who puts it on is cool, he puts a lot of great european metal bands on but ever since it started he has made sure he puts on good unsigned British acts too, so it is a really great metal festival! Illuminatus have played before and they said if you play well and go down well on the second stage then next year Vince will probably move you onto the main stage so it is a great opportunity for us!
Mike : Being on Bloodstock has really helped our name get out, since we got put on the line up our myspace plays have gone up by like one hundred odd plays a day!
Gaz : What do you guys think of myspace? Are you big fans…..different bands seem to have different opinions on it!
Jimmi : It is great, so easy to use and a great way to get your band out there. We get a lot of gigs through myspace and then when we play places like the Boardwalk in Sheffield we meet other bands and network and gig swap and things so it is really good.
Mike : It is awesome, you have TV and Radio and papers and magazines but it is harder to get press and exposure on them but myspace is like a back door really, anyone can find you and you have control of your site and it is easy to find other people who will like your band and other bands, promoters and to network with people who matter. It is a God-send! That is why we are here now cause you lot messaged us on myspace asking for this interview!!!
Gaz : Indeed we use it a lot! So what are your dreams and hopes and plans for the rest of 2006 and into 2007?
Mike : If we can play Donnington one day that'll be mint!
Jimmi : We need to get out of Nottingham more and into other cities. We have been a hour away or so, done the midlands a bit, Wakefield, Stockport, Mansfield and stuff but nothing big yet.
Mike : We need to go down to London and get known down there. We can't play Nottingham all our lives. I think there are two parts to being in a band, you need to know your sound and how to play music but you need to know the business too and network with managers, venues and other bands and get good gigs and promote yourself well. You have to seek out the right people though, you can't just get Bob from down the road to be your manager…..you need to find the people who will play you at the right places and meet the people on your level and then work your way up. You can't go straight to the top either and just try and get a bill with Iron Maiden like straight away!!
Jimmi : You need to build up slowly or you burn out and are just a flash in the pan!
Gaz : So guys, anything else you would like to big up…….anyone you'd like to thank?
Mike : Cheers to Dave our guitarist, don't know where he is right now…he had better be back before we play our gig tonight!
Pete : I would like to thank Mike and all the rest of Deadfall too.
Mike : When is our next gig?? July 1st at the Old Angel…..but if you miss that then Bloodstock I guess or the final of the J7 BOTB maybe…we are playing in Sheffield a lot in the next few months.
Jimmi : Vince from Bloodstock for putting us on that!
Mike : Illuminatus and Julio from Illuminatus, who helps run Junktion 7. In the early days after BOTB he helped get us some good gigs and really supported us and he introduced us to Vince and other people like that so he needs a good thanking! Everyone who voted for us in last year's final and Junktion 7…
Gaz : Will you be playing the final as last year's winners, this year?
Mike: I don't know maybe we can enter again…change our name to Falldead?
Jimmi : That could be our tribute act? Falldead….
Pete : Falldead?!?
Mike : Rarrrr FALLDEAD!!!!
