Bang On We talk to Bang Bang Romeo’s Anastasia Walker The sig n of ou tstandi ng ta le nt for me comes whe n yo u f irs t e nco unter an ar tis t. It wa s 201 0 a t the Vi ntage Rock Ba r ’s o pe n m i c ni ght when I f irs t h e a rd Anastasi a Walker pe r fo r m . It wa s he r own rendi ti on o f a n Ade le son g. Even Adele m igh t a d m it that Starsi e, as sh e ’s kn ow n in the lo cal li ngo, has a be tte r s e t of p i p es and that h e r a co us tic cover was much b e tte r th a n th e origi nal. Anastasi a was so fre s h o n th e Donny scene, wowin g m us o s a nd D onny p ub reve l le rs w ith he r p ower notes ba ck in 201 0 . I dis ti nc tly remembe r wa itin g to put so me mo ney in th e j uke box a t the Leo p ard, whe n s o m e blo ke s in front o f me sta r t d is cus s in g thi s gi rl they’d he a rd pe r fo r m a t Vi ntage, how th ey co uld n ’t b e l i eve how talen te d s h e wa s a n d that they we’re go in g ba ck n ex t Thursday to hear h e r pe r fo r m a gai n. 2 016 has been a b ig ye a r fo r Anastasi a, p layi ng th e m a in stage at Tramli nes a n d th e ico n ic Isle o f Whi te Festiva l a s fro n t wo man of Bang Ba n g Ro m e o. S ome say she has th e be s t vo ice in the musi c i ndu s tr y r igh t now, teamed wi th ‘h e r boys ’ Ross Camero n, Joe l P h il ips a n d Richard Gar tland. We m igh t j us t se e thi s front wom a n a n d h e r b a nd become a hous e h o ld n a m e . F in gers cro ssed. Let ’s get down to bu si n e ss. W h ere did you grow u p a n d w he n d id you f irst discove r be i n g a m usician was your t h i ng ? I’ m or iginal l y from C h el m s fo rd , Essex (nor m al l y keep th at o n e qu iet til l I ’ve hit th e r um ), but I moved up here to D o n cas ter
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Photography: Ellen Offredy ©2016
w h en I w a s s eve n , s o re a l l y I ’ m Yo r ks h i re t h rou gh a n d t h rou gh , an d my f a m il y a re f rom h e re . I t’s my d a d w h o in t rod u ce d m e to m us ic a t a ve r y you n g a ge . H e’d tel l m e of t i m e s I ’d b e i n my car se a t s i n gin g a lon g to O cean Colou r S ce n e a s a todd le r. Wh i l s t eve r yon e e l s e a t s c h ool were jum p i n g on t h e S p i ce G irl s vi be, you ’d c a tc h m e l is te n i n g to Rad i o h e a d on my Wa l k m a n . I ’ve bee n s in gi n g s in ce I c a n rem em b e r. M y d a d s a i d I c a m e o ut o f t h e wom b s i n gin g, w h ic h i s a beaut i f u l i m a ge . Th a n k s f a t h e r. Have yo u a l way s k n own th a t you we re de s tin e d to b e a s i n ge r a n d m u si c i a n ? I h ave m e m ori e s of w a n t i n g to be a vet a t a rou n d s ix ye a rs old , th en s e e i n g a t a ra n t u l a on Pe t Res cue a n d t h i n k in g, ‘ N a h , you ’ re al r i g h t’. Pu rs u in g t h e m u s i c rou te h as n ’t re a l l y fe l t l ike a w a n t b u t a n eed , if you k n ow w h a t I m e a n . T h e h ap p ie s t I c a n b e is w h e n I ’ m o n s tage , or i n t h e s t u d i o w i t h my boys , o r w rit i n g a s on g, or j u s t bei n g at a gig. B e in g a m u s ic i a n fo r m e fe e d s t h e s ou l . I c a n ’ t l ive w i th o ut i t , a s d ra m a t ic a s t h a t s o un d s . Wha t ’ s b e e n your c a re e r h i g h li g h t s o f a r a s p a r t of B a n g Bang Ro m e o? I th i n k I a l s o s p e a k for Ros s , Ri ch , an d J oe l w h e n I s ay p l ay in g th e Bi g Top s t a ge a t t h is ye a r’ s I s le O f W i gh t Fe s t i v a l is t h e ban d ’s c a re e r h i gh l igh t s o f a r. T h e w h ole ex p e rie n ce w a s ou t o f th i s world . We love d eve r y s eco n d of it a n d I don ’ t t h in k a ny o f us w i l l eve r b e t h e s a m e a ga in . We were t a ke n a b a c k by t h e
s h e e r m a gn it u de of it - t h e c rowd s , t h e te a m , t h e s t a f f a nd c re w, t h e w h ole t h i n g. Pl ay i n g t h e h a rd roc k s t a ge on t h e S u n d ay a l s o b le w u s aw ay. To s e e you r n a m e u n de r t h e l i ke s of Th e W h o, Q u e e n , S te re op h o ni c s, Fa it h le s s , I ggy Pop a n d R ic h a rd A s h c rof t i s re a l l y qu i te s u rre a l. Soun d s l ike i t wa s m a g ic a l . H ow d i d you a n d th e b oy s get toge th e r a n d wh a t’s i t l ike b ei n g a f ron t wom a n in a ve r y m ale m us i c i n d us tr y ? Me a n d Ros s we re in t rod u ced to e a c h ot h e r a fe w ye a rs a go a nd it worke d s t ra igh t aw ay. H e ’ s th e b e s t s on gw rite r I ’ve eve r me t, a n d I m e a n t h a t . We s p e n t a fe w ye a rs w rit i n g, t r y i n g to f in d ou r s ou n d a n d w h a t m a de u s t ic k. We h a d t h e p le a s u re of work in g wi th s on gw ri te r I a n D e n c h ( B eyo ncé , F lore n ce a n d Th e M a c h i n e ) a nd p rod u ce r Cl i ve M a r t in ( Q u e e n , S te re op h on ic s ) q u ite e a rl y on , w h ic h w a s a gre a t le a rn in g c u r ve for u s . J oe l wou ld of te n go i n to Ro ss’ s h op, Revol ve r Me n swe a r, for h ou rs a t a t i m e , t a l k i n g to Ross a b ou t m u s ic w h il s t ge t t i n g hi s h a n d s on s om e de ce n t c lobb e r. N ex t t h i n g we k n e w, we we re j a m m in g a n d it a l l fe l l i n to p la ce . We fou n d R ic h a rd on l in e a nd t h e j igs aw w a s com p le te . The B B R s ou n d t h a t you h e a r n ow i s ve r y m u c h a l l fou r of u s comi n g toge t h e r a s on e . I t ’ s a d re a m for m e . I t ’ s ve r y e m p owe rin g, if I’ m h on e s t . I fe e l t h e re ’ s a m a ssi ve l a c k of fe m a le - f ron te d roc k ‘ n ’ rol l b a n d s . I don ’ t k n ow w h e the r t h a t ’ s b e c a u s e i t ’ s h a rde r to b e t a ke n s e ri ou s l y or b e c a use a l l t h e l a d i e s a re of f doi n g th e Ade le t h in g. G u i t a r m u s i c i s ve r y