Taking Flight With JOHN GALLAGHER From RAVEN

Not many bands in the metal scene - or any other for that matter -
can lay claims to being true flag bearers and essential ingredients
in shaping the history of music. Sure, many can try, and just as
many come off as ill-informed, but the ones that are, know, and
those same ones don't ever brag about it.
Unless they're asked, of course.
Rising from the infamously riotous city of Newcastle, England, in
1974, Raven predated even the massive New Wave Of British Heavy
Metal period that spawned some of the legends of heavy metal. The
trio went on to release three of the most influential metal albums
of the NWOBHM, inspiring every band of that era and beyond.
Basically, without RAVEN you just would not have thrash/speed
metal…. after all, the band did give Metallica and Anthrax their
first tours!
And, as all good things do, Raven are the gift that keeps on
giving, still powerful and influential half a century after their
birth. Still consistently releasing new albums, Raven are also
still a formidable force on the live circuit, attacking their craft
with the same energy and take-no-prisoners attitude that saw them
quickly touted as one of the best bands to grace a live
stage.
Period.
After a five-year absence, Raven return to Australia in early
November for a select number of shows, with frontman and bass
player John Gallagher forcing HEAVY to arise at the crack of dawn
just to have the pleasure of 20 odd minutes of his company.
Was it worth it? Fuck my oath it was… One of the topics of
discussion was the popular affirmation that Raven, to this day, are
still one of the best live bands in the world. A statement we
challenge will be hard to live up to.
"Not really," he responded confidently. "It's what we do. Go watch
some videos. We'll put bands who are teenagers, 20-year-olds, we'll
put them to shame because we go out to kill 100% every night. It
sounds like bluster or BS, but it's not. It really isn't. Come to
the show and that's what we do. We have a hell of a good time, and
we get everyone in on the act. We grew up in a time where the bands
we saw were performers. And entertainers. And they reached out, and
they grabbed. The first band we ever saw was Slade and the opening
band was The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Imagine being a
14-year-old kid seeing The Sensational Alex Harvey Band? That
changed our lives. Because there you've got a guy who literally
reached across everyone's face and freaked them out. Initially, it
was 'Who's this band? I don't care, I wanna see Slade. Who are
these guys?' And by the end everyone in the place was screaming for
them. They were amazing. That's the kind of thing that went in our
head. That's how you do it."
In the full interview, John discussed Raven's recent activities and
their upcoming tour in Australia. John mentioned that the band has
been touring since the release of their new album, All Hell's
Breaking Loose, and that they are celebrating their 50th
anniversary.
We talked about the challenges and fun aspects of playing in a
band. He also talked about the musical climate in the 1970s, which
inspired him and his brother Mark to form Raven, citing their
influences such as Slade, Sweet, Gary Glitter, Status Quo, T-Rex,
Deep Purple, and Montrose. John emphasized the importance of
learning from other bands and adapting to audience reactions.
We discussed their experiences with the early 1980s NWOBHM scene.
John shared his involvement in the Newcastle music scene,
describing the competitive yet supportive atmosphere among bands.
He recounted the band's rapid rise to fame, from playing pubs to
opening for Iron Maiden within three months. John also shared
instances of competition and sabotage among bands but emphasized
the overall camaraderie and respect among musicians.
HEAVY highlighted Raven's influence on thrash metal and their
contributions to the music industry. John shared that they were one
of the first bands to rev up the genre, and their energy and
cutting of "fat" riffs were groundbreaking. He also mentioned their
influence on German bands and how they inspired many musicians. He
emphasized the importance of creativity and the joy of creating new
music, even after 50 years as a band. He also mentioned the band's
resilience in the face of changing music trends and personal
challenges, plus more.


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