DID YOU GET MY INVITATION? Simon Saynor
For a town that has been musically awash with talent for decades, Doncaster’s major musical successes can be counted on one hand. Bang Bang Romeo are on the brink of ending that depressing trend. Less than four years since a lowly spot on the Doncaster Live stage BBR are playing sold-out, critically acclaimed gigs across the nation. Firmly established as part of the This Feeling roster - the premier live forum for upand-coming bands - and with new EP We Were Born getting national airplay, the future is bright for this Doncaster four-piece. The EP was produced by no less than Chris Kimsey of Rolling Stones fame. There have been the inevitable lineup changes over the years but the current line-up is as solid, tight and accomplished a live unit as you will see on any stage. Vocalist Anastasia Walker and guitarist Ross Cameron have been there from the outset. It’s their baby. Ross, quiet and calm on stage while making his guitar scream, is the perfect foil to the larger-thanlife Anastasia - a voice so perfect it has made me cry in the past, whether she’s serenading the crowd through Chemical or Adore Me or rocking out a la Robert Plant with Invitation or Carnival. Anastasia has mastered her stage craft. Not yet 22, she has crowds in any city eating out of the palm of her hand.
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The relatively new rhythm section of Joel Philips (bass) and Richard Gartland (drums) has fleshed out BBR into the rock monster they currently are. The energy the band emit on stage is frightening. What’s more frightening is the massive fur coat Joel insists on wearing as he pumps out infectious bass lines for Ross to dance to. He must lose 6 pounds every gig. Richard is the quiet one - so unlike most drummers I know, though he’s not averse to standing on his kit and conducting the crowd every now and then. I’ve seen him dive into a drum fill and wonder just how he’s gonna get out the other end. Before I know it he’s out and the band are still flying. It’s a joy to behold. I caught up with Anastasia for a quick chat: Are you and Ross the main songwriters for BBR? Ross and I will come up with the lyrics and initial structure, but as a band we write the music together. We all pick up on each other’s vibes quite quickly. The distance you’ve come in four years is phenomenal, both in your music and the buzz about the band. Has it all sunk in? It’s mad. The line-up and music has changed so much but definitely for the
better. This now feels like Bang Bang Romeo, if that makes sense? With recent mini successes we’ve never felt more ready to push on. You’ve been working with some big names. Care to fill us in? Yeah, we went into the studio to record our forthcoming EP We Were Born with Chris Kimsey (Rolling Stones/INXS). The whole experience was a bit of a dream for us and hopefully we’ll get to work with Chris again. We recently took to Parr Street Studios in Liverpool with AC/DC and Bob Marley producer Tony Platt to record our single ‘Revolver’, due for release later this summer (we think). Again, to work with such a renowned producer in a dream studio - we found Coldplay flight cases and The Coral’s amp - is massive for us. We’re still in awe of our own experience! Ha. So another Leadmill gig for This Feeling just round the corner. Excited? Yeah, we love the Leadmill. The sound is always bang on and the atmosphere is great. Looking forward to The Views DJ set too. What next for BBR? On 19th April, same night as our Leadmill show, we will be doing a live session on BBC Introducing in