Transcript of an interview I recorded with Rob Boundy of VIRGIN SOLDIERS - 20200122. Full article here. MAL-
On the line Rob Boundy from VIRGIN SOLDIERS. Rob, thanks for joining me. ROB- No worries. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it. MAL- It's good to have you on. Now. We remember the VIRGIN SOLDIERS from back in the day. What happened back then? Did you actually split up? Or did you just sort of drift away or what happened? Did you move away? ROB- Cut a long story short, we got to the point where we had the big deal and went up to Sydney, did the showcase in the Cross with Polygram. And the next morning, we got light beers and a handshake and said, No, that's not for us. So we kind of went back to Melbourne and by that time, it had been about five years of hard work, so I kind of went 'okay, I need a break from it'. I left the band. The band continued on for about 12-18 months into the SUMP with Paul and Ronnie, Ronnie's playing with us in this lineup at the moment, Ronnie Marsden our guitar, and yeah, I kind of finished after that because drifted off into own sort of bands after the SUMP thing. And then that was about it back then, I kind of left, I suppose, is the short answer. MAL- And so this would have been late 80s, early 90s. ROB- It was 91 MAL- Right, so what brought us to where we are now? We'll get to this gig coming up in a moment but what brought the Soldiers back together? ROB- I've been keeping it alive on social media for the past 5-10 years really, just on whatever was out there and Steve Williamson, our singer, had a meeting at a gig with Vince Donato from Mushroom. Now Vince remembered us from back when we're having negotiations with Mushroom and we were recorded both the EP and the album thrugh Festival anyway, so they knew of us back then. Vince asked what we were doing. Cut a long story short, we put together the EP and the album. I remixed it over here at Guessongs for the digital media and we wave hammered it went through all that sort of procedure in the studio here. Vince released at through Laneway. We signed a deal with Laneway Music about 18 months ago. And yeah, sort of, we were trying to get some traction and get the band back together, do some gigs, so we can promote the album and the EP. And yeah, that's kind of where we're at with that at that stage. MAL- Where were you living in all of this? ROB- In Adelaide. Yeah, I'm in Adelaide. The boys are all still in Melbourne, but I'm on the back to Adelaide in '90, late '92, well, '93 sorry. Yeah. MAL- So how are you making this work with rehearsals? Are you doing it online? Or are they having a like a stand-in drummer over there, and you swoop in and take the glory later? ROB- No, not really. I mean, I'm rehearsing every day over here. I mean, I practice every day. Anyway. So I've been rehearsing through the songs. The guys have been doing probably not as much practice because I'm gonna stay matched, cos I know Gib the singer practices, you know, very hard. And they're all playing in bands over there so everyone's kind of got their gig chops up anyway, we write the song so we know them inside out. And I just fly back to Melbourne for gigs. We rehearse the day before, and do the gig. And that's kind of the procedure. I just fly back or drive over. MAL- Most of these gigs in recent times have been situated in the Melbourne area? ROB- Yeah, they've all been in Melbourne at the moment yeah, and there's one coming up at Enigma in a couple of weeks. MAL- So we've got this gig happening at Enigma Bar. On Friday, February 7. We've got VIRGIN SOLDIERS, KARLY JEWELL, THE IRRESPONSIBLE and IMOGEN BRAVE. Gee, when was the last time you played Adelaide? Was that Norwood Town Hall ROB- I think it was at the Bridgeway with ALMOST HUMAN and someone else, can't remember who it was now. It was a big gig at the Bridgeway we did a metal festival but that was like back in 84 so that was the last time we played n Adelaide. MAL- You came over for the Norwood Town Hall in '88 Big Bash ROB- Was that '88 was it? Okay. MAL- So it's a long time. ROB- It is Yeah, sorry. You know, trying to remember dates and timelines and things like that. So it was with a Bengal tigers actually BENGAL TIGERS, ALMOST HUMAN and the SOLDIERS were at the Bridgeway. Don't know if it was before or after that Big Bash. MAL- I reckon that was before I remember that. Yes. Alright, so we've got this gig coming up at Enigma. Are you are you taking this around anywhere else? ROB- Not at the moment. Now. KARLY JEWELL actually. was the one, our management and college your word sort of good buds. Kelly was at our last gig in Melbourne and the headline being pulled out in Adelaide. So our management said, You guys want to come over and do it. And everyone's been asking me since we reformed the SOLDIERS, like, you know when you're playing in Adelaide? I said I don't know. So it was a good opportunity. It's been a lot of interest over here in Adelaide. So yeah, KARLY's coming over, the boys come over. And that's kind of why we're doing it. But we haven't got anything else lined up other than there's a metal festival at the end of the year. And there's something else in Sydney as well later on in the year, which is a metal festival as well. MAL- How much are you reliving your youth with this? ROB- And interesting question. I wish my body was as young as it was, but yeah, no, I still love the songs. I mean, you know, we worked really, really hard back in the day and put everything we did, that we had into the songs and it's great to be playing again. I think we're playing better, I know we're all better players now than we were back then. So and the energy's still there which is good. Gibbs singing great. Chris is playing great. Ronnie is just amazing and Mick, you know, still playing great as well. So the rhythm sections really strong. They're really happy with it. It's great to be doing. MAL- Getting back to this live recording, what's the deal with that? ROB- Well, um, when I got to Melbourne in the morning of the rehearsal before the Bell Street Rock reunion gig, which is in March, Vince from Laneway said, 'We're going to record it, we're going to film it, Laneway went 'you know it's on us, we'll do it'. So we got a 32 track recording of it, which I remixed back here at Guessong Studio, and a full digital HD, five camera shoot. And Vince from Laneway decided to release it. So we released it as a live album and the video is up on YouTube, the full length gig, warts and all which is great, you know? Because the sound is the 32 track recording which you did a Musicland. Musicland's a great venue in Melbourne, you know, it's like, got bands nearly every night of the week it's got two rooms, full video facilities recording facility. So yeah, it's great to have one of those old school venues still going. MAL- February 7, Enigma, VIRGIN SOLDIERS, KARLY JEWELL, THE IRRESPONSIBLE and IMOGEN BRAVE, Enigma in Hindley Street. You know where it is. Rob, thanks for joining me. ROB- No worries. Thanks for having me. Comments are closed.
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AuthorMetalhead who hates bad parking. |