Neeson laughs at the memory, then more seriously goes on. “It was also kind of a reaction against the whole indie scene at that time. We just wanted to say, here’s rock and roll, in your face; if you don’t like it, that’s tough.”
The state of the modern music scene is obviously something the frontman feels passionate about as he talks about the band being part of the new rock renaissance, rebelling against the current trend of manufactured music.
“I think something the music world really lacks these days is substance, you know, bands the kids can really hold onto for longer than an album and a couple of hits. It’s important to us as a band that the music goes deeper than your Radio One pop charts.”
Currently on a headline tour of the U.K., The Answer is a band that works hard in all aspects of their music, but there’s no doubt they are predominantly a live band. Having honed their craft playing the Belfast club and pub circuit, they have gone on to play much bigger stages supporting some of their heroes such as The Who, Deep Purple, and Whitesnake. Most recently, they played with Paul Rodgers at a memorable gig at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Neeson’s eyes light up at the mere mention of that evening.
“The Albert Hall gig was a dream come true for me personally. We’ve supported some great blues and classic rock bands, but Paul Rodgers just meant that little bit extra to me. I still rate him as probably the best living rock and blues singer; he’s just got the soul.”
Free is obviously a band that have been a big inspiration in creating the group’s sound, as are other blues rock giants Led Zeppelin and Black Crowes, yet The Answer melds influences together in a way that leaves their music sounding fresh, as though they’ve just invented rock and roll for the first time. Neeson talks through how the band gets its sound.
“We’re all quite individuals in our musical taste, with our influences ranging from Metal bands such as Tool, to a lot of the old blues stuff, Howlin’ Wolf, John Mayall, Peter Green, and so on. But where we all meet in the middle is the music that we play, and it’s a music that we’re all very passionate about.”
Article comments
1 - Joan Hunt
Sounds like I need to look into this band! I always enjoy discovering something new on the blues rock front.
2 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! A link to this article now appears on our Myspace profile page.
3 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! This article was picked as an Editor's Pick.