{"id":14999,"date":"2013-02-14T11:50:41","date_gmt":"2013-02-14T00:50:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=14999"},"modified":"2013-02-14T11:50:41","modified_gmt":"2013-02-14T00:50:41","slug":"gavin-butler-of-the-blackout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2013\/02\/gavin-butler-of-the-blackout\/","title":{"rendered":"Gavin Butler of The Blackout"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n<\/a>\u201cWe grew up and started as a live band and that\u2019s all we\u2019ve ever wanted to do with music, writing and recording is awesome, but playing live is what we love doing.\u00a0 Just expect six massive smiles on some stupid Welsh heads.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Bio: Originally formed in South Wales in 2003, THE BLACKOUT have gone on to shift over 60,000 copies of their first three full-length albums worldwide, sold-out UK tours, including not one – but two – stints on the prestigious UK\u00a0Kerrang! Tour, and have shared stage space with everyone from My Chemical Romance to Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, All Time Low and Lostprophets. Now with their new album \u2018Start The Party\u2019, it features 11 new tracks of non-stop, high-energy, full-monty, balls-to-wall rock anthems, with the explosion of energy and unbridled enjoyment we’ve all been seeking.<\/p>\n

We spoke to The Blackout\u2019s Gavin Butler about their new album, touring and heading back to Australia for Soundwave and why you should use toilets instead of peeing in bushes\u2026<\/p>\n

Your new album is out now, for those that haven’t heard it, can you give us a little insight as to what we can expect to hear on it?<\/strong>
\nBasically a bunch of big party rock songs, the album is just about enjoying yourself and having a good time.<\/p>\n

With a title like \u2018Start The Party\u2019, what, if anything inspired the new songs?<\/strong>
\nSeveral things really, we went in to write the new record as soon as we got back off tour, so we didn\u2019t really need to start writing then but came back off tour but instead of just sitting round getting fat in our pants playing \u2018Call of Duty\u2019 we thought we\u2019d write some songs.\u00a0 We were still in a tour mindset really, we were all still pumped from tour as this had been one of the best ones we\u2019d ever done so that kind of came across in the songs I suppose, we just went in to write with a pretty positive attitude and fresh from all this partying from tour. The title comes from the first single which is obviously \u2018Start The Party\u2019, we went through a few ideas, there was one that was \u2018Everything\u2019s Fucked, let\u2019s just have a laugh\u2019 and a couple along those lines, but we thought we\u2019d just keep it simple and printable *laughs* and we went with \u2018Start The Party\u2019.<\/p>\n

Being your fourth album, did you do anything differently this time around compared to your previous releases?<\/strong>
\nNot really, if anything we\u2019ve stuck ourselves in a rut and recorded with the same person, obviously different studio, but we didn\u2019t really sit down and think we needed to shake things up or anything, it\u2019s just a natural progression, this is our fourth studio album together and we\u2019re all comfortable with each other and know when someone\u2019s bring a different idea or when to change something, so nothing\u2019s really changed I suppose\u2026<\/p>\n

You guys run off two vocals, how do you decide who gets what and how it all balances?<\/strong>
\nMe and Sean know each other\u2019s strengths to the point where if a part would benefit Sean or myself, we\u2019re not too egotistical to say \u2018I wrote this song, I need to sing all of the words\u2019, we\u2019re grand enough to take a step back and say you can do this better than I can, and obviously that works.\u00a0 If there\u2019s any part we can both do, we just toss a coin.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re heading over to play the completely sold out Soundwave festival, what can people expect if they come to check you out?<\/strong>
\nJust real high energy on stage, don\u2019t take us too seriously, we\u2019ll probably offend you in some way. Take us with a fist full of salt is the best way.\u00a0 We grew up and started as a live band and that\u2019s all we\u2019ve ever wanted to do with music, writing and recording is awesome, but playing live is what we love doing.\u00a0 Just expect six massive smiles on some stupid Welsh heads.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong>As you\u2019d probably know, the bill is massive, is there anyone you\u2019re excited to catch?<\/strong>
\nMetallica, \u2018Snoz\u2019 our drummer is the biggest Metallica fan ever, last time we played Soundwave when you\u2019re backstage, everyone\u2019s backstage you always bump in to people so I\u2019m just going to stand next to him to make sure I\u2019m around when he meets James Hetfield because it\u2019s going to happen, that or he\u2019s just going to hunt him down.<\/p>\n

For those in Australia that may not have heard of you, how would you describe The Blackout in say 5 words?<\/strong>
\nRock and Roll Welsh idiots\u2026 There you go.<\/p>\n

So, for a laugh, your new single \u2018Running Scared\u2019 is out, what\u2019s the one thing you are most scared of that you\u2019d run away from?<\/strong>
\nSeems rather apt considering the continent you\u2019re in. I absolutely hate spiders\u2026 actually I\u2019m not as bad these days , I used to be really bad. *laughs* last time I was there, I was taking a pee in a bush and a huntsman ran up my dick, I have never been more scared in my life, he was definitely in love with my penis, he must have been, but I was like \u201cOH MY GOD!\u201d that was the only time I ever saw a spider out there in the entire two weeks so it wasn\u2019t too bad, but yeah, spiders I\u2019m not a big fan of.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve toured with more bands than I can count, in working with and seeing a lot of these bands over the years have you felt you\u2019ve been able to use some of what you\u2019ve seen to mould The Blackout in to what you are now?<\/strong>
\nIt would be a lie to say we haven\u2019t stolen stage moves before *laughs* just with touring ethics and all, like Lostprophets took us on our first big tour back in 2006 and we were chucked in the deep in, we\u2019d never had the big production\u2026 we had stage managers and all that craziness going on, so we learned a lot.\u00a0 Their crew were very generous in teaching us.\u00a0 Then it goes from that from bands like Linkin Park who are just unbelievable and a great tour we played with them as well, you kind of watch these big massive arena bands who do it on a day to day basis and you take hints here and there but you just try and learn as much as you can.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve been here before?\u00a0 What are some memories you have of our fine country?<\/strong>
\nOh there are no memories, I think I was drunk for the full four weeks *laughs* but its easily my favourite place I\u2019ve ever toured, especially with the Soundwave tour as there are just so many bands\u2026 If you\u2019re in a band you\u2019re pretty much like minded like all the other bands so it\u2019s just a big melting pot of musicians and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve met a nasty Australian yet, that\u2019s amazing as well.\u00a0 Everyone\u2019s so happy for you to come and play and it is a long way for us, twenty hours of travelling but totally worth it when we get there.<\/p>\n

The band turns 10 next year, so Happy Birthday, are there any plans for the double digits?<\/strong>
\nThank you very much. Probably not, just a quiet affair, there\u2019s no plans, the thing is you can\u2019t even remember the day the band was inaugurated or when we decided to call ourselves The Blackout, so maybe it will just be a yearly thing.<\/p>\n

Essential Information<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

From:<\/strong> Merthyr Tydfil, Wales<\/p>\n

Band members: \u00a0<\/strong>Sean Smith, Gavin Butler, Matthew Davies, James Davies, Rhys Lewis, Gareth Lawrence<\/p>\n

Website: <\/strong>http:\/\/www.theblackout.net\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Latest release:<\/strong> Start The Party (Out Now – Shock Records)<\/p>\n

SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL \u2013 FEBRUARY\/MARCH 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL VENUES AND DATES
\n<\/strong>SATURDAY 23 FEB \u2013 BRISBANE, RNA SHOWGROUNDS \u2013 SOLD OUT!
\nSUNDAY 24 FEB \u2013 SYDNEY, OLYMPIC PARK \u2013 SOLD OUT!
\nFRIDAY 1 MARCH \u2013 MELBOURNE, FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE \u2013 SOLD OUT!
\nSATURDAY 2 MARCH\u2013 ADELAIDE, BONYTHON PARK \u2013 SOLD OUT!
\nMONDAY 4 MARCH \u2013 PERTH, CLAREMONT SHOWGROUNDS \u2013 SOLD OUT!<\/p>\n

SIDEWAVE DATES:
\n<\/strong>Playing along with Mindless Self Indulgence and Cerebral Ballzy
\nTUESDAY 26 FEB \u2013 MELBOURNE, BILLBOARD
\nTHURSDAY 28 FEB \u2013 SYDNEY, THE HI-FI<\/p>\n

For more information head to www.soundwavefestival.com<\/p>\n

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