Witchfynde | Interview | ‘Give ‘Em Hell,’ a NWOBHM classic

Witchfynde are considered as one of the pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. The band formed in Derbyshire, England in 1974 and released their most known album, ‘Give ‘Em Hell’ in 1980.

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Witchfynde was formed by bassist Richard Blower and vocalist Neil Harvey, later joined by guitarist Trevor Taylor also known as Montalo. Taylor previously played in Atiofel. In 1975 Richard Blower left the band and the rest of the crew reformed with Trevor Taylor on lead guitar, Andro Coulton on bass and Gra Scoresby on bass. Steve Bridges took care of the vocals.

Their very first single, ‘Give ‘Em Hell’ was released in 1979 by Rondelet Music & Records. The same label released their classic LP. The band toured England with Def Leppard in 1980. This was followed by the release of several albums in the same style of metal. Their last being ‘Lords of Sin’ which was a closing chapter for them. The band later reformed in 1999 with a different lineup.

“At the Mayfair Newcastle as the crowd would not let us go off after the last song and almost pulled Steve into the crowd!”

It’s great to have you. How have you been during the last two years of pandemic?

Andro Coulton: I am answering your questions because I am the last remaining member of Witchfynde still performing and recording, with my band, Andro Coulton’s Witchfynde. We managed the lockdown OK and managed to record a 40th anniversary re-recording of the ‘Give ‘Em Hell’ single b/w ‘Getting Heavy’. We caught Covid very early and all survived! But it takes more than an epidemic to stop us!

Tracey Abbott: The pandemic has certainly taken its toll with the festival circuit and live gigs but not stopped the creative ideas with regards to new material.

Would you like to talk about the current lineups and what are you up to lately?

Andro Coulton: As I said above there is only one Witchfynde now still performing, as Luther Beltz has retired and Montalo has been very ill. So it is now down to me to carry the torch so to speak. I now have Tracey Abbott from the other line up of Witchfynde on lead guitar and he is also from the NWOBHM band Overdrive. I have managed to find a brilliant front man Dave Murray who has a vocal range the same as Steve Bridges. I have my wife Shaz on rhythm guitar and a fantastic young drummer by the name of Lucas Gurney, believe me this guy is going to be massive!

Tracey Abbott: I recently decided to jump ship from Gra and Montalo due to Luther retiring and I’ve teamed up with Andro. This fella as you know is a founder member and has such a focus on keeping Witchfynde alive and kicking and as the others were not interested in performing or recording so I decided on the move. We have a great line up with Dave Murray on vocals and a fantastic new young drummer Lucas Gurney and of course Shaz on guitar number two. We are planning to start recording a new album in the early part of 2023. I’m also still pretty much still active with Overdrive and our new album is currently in its final stages of completion. Watch this space for both.

Can we expect any new album? It would be fantastic to hear something new from the band.

Andro Coulton:We are actually in pre-production for a new album at this very moment and we started recording in January.
Tracey Abbott: As I said this will commence early 2023. There will be a 2 track EP and then the full album to follow. Andro has the heads-up on this.

How much unreleased material is there at the moment?

Andro Coulton: The new album will consist of Witchfynde songs from the pre- ‘Give ‘Em Hell’ era, six of which have never been recorded in a studio and some more that were only demos. But between us we have enough material for further three albums of new songs.

Tracey Abbott: Andro has a stack of material we are currently reworking and we probably between us have enough material for another 6 albums [laughs].

The band originates from Derbyshire, what was it like for you growing up there in the late 60s, early 70s?

Andro Coulton: Actually my growing up was late 50s and 60s! It was OK. I actually lived in the city of Derby during my childhood, home of Rolls Royce aero engines, where my Dad worked. The only problem was the pollution, far worse than anything today, there was so much heavy industry that we had severe smogs that were so dense that you could only see around 2 feet in front of you. I also suffered with bronchitis and severe sinusitis as a child.

Did you have a favourite record shop where you got your first singles and LP’s? What were some of the early records you brought home?

Andro Coulton: I think my first single purchase was ‘She Loves You’ by the Beatles, which I bought from Dixon’s Records in Derby in 1963. Later on I bought albums from a record shop in the Market Place Derby and then from Re-cords in Derby. I had all the Beatles albums, Kinks singles et cetera. Then when I was 15, I found my cousin Dave’s record collection which then sent me down a totally different route. He had the Grateful Dead, the Mothers Of Invention and Captain Beefheart albums to name but three. My 15 year old mind is well and truly blown!

Tracey Abbott: That’s a great question that I recently discussed on Darren Joyce’s The Denim & Leather show. I purchased vinyl from what was called the Record Shop in Grantham. It was owned by two sisters, Jill and Madge now both sadly passed. My first records were by the Beatles, Deep Purple, UFO, AC/DC, … the list is endless.

Was there a certain moment when you knew you wanted to become a musician? Maybe a certain gig you saw at the time inspired to start the band?

Andro Coulton: I didn’t start the band. I joined as a roadie in 1974. I picked up a guitar in around 1968 and then picked up a bass for a friend and thought “I like this!” I was influenced by bass players such as Jack Bruce, Andy FraSer, Lemmy in Hawkwind and after buying the Grand Funk Railroad ‘Live’ album Mel Schacher just blew me away! That was the moment!

Tracey Abbott: I always had music in me from a very early age as my father was a bandsman on G trombone and a very good pianist. I started on the cornet then took up the piano. Then from 7 I took up guitar to start a band. It just started with a few school mates jamming around, then gigs started coming in. We worked the Working Men’s club scene in the 70’s, then made the transition to hard rock and heavy metal.

The formation of the band was formed when two local bands joined forces. Can you elaborate on that? What was the name of those bands and how did the early lineup consist of?

Andro Coulton: Yes, Witchfynde was the band Mangalia from Derby who then poached Montalo from the Derbyshire band Atiofel. The first line up was Montalo on guitar, Gra Scoresby on drums, Richard Blower on bass and Neil Harvey on vocals and were a cover band playing songs by Black Sabbath, UFO, Budgie, Montrose et cetera.

You played for a couple of years, gigging locally until you got your first record out. Are there any unreleased material from that early period? How did your sound change following-up to your debut album?

Andro Coulton: Actually, we played together as the ‘Give ‘Em Hell’ line up from 1975 to 1980 and we played all over England and Wales from 1976 onwards. We had quite a large following and our own fan club called the Coven, which we sent out monthly newsletters and sold exclusive cassette tapes to the members. Up to 1978 we had a lot of long 10 minute songs with different sections, far more prog in the style of Rush, then in 1979 we wrote shorter songs most of which ended up on the ‘Give ‘Em Hell’ album.

“Our influences were many, but always Black Sabbath and Rush”

‘The Lost Tapes Of 1975’ is a fantastic overview of how you sounded. What do you think influenced your sound from ’77 onwards?

Andro Coulton: Actually ‘The Lost Tapes Of 1975’ gives an overview of how we sounded in that year only as we took them round all the record companies in London in early 1976 and we were rejected by every label! So those songs were never played again! From 1976 we wrote more songs including ‘Unto The Ages Of The Ages’ and ‘Tetelestai’ from our debut album. So that first album was an amalgam of songs written in a three year period 1976 to 1979. The album was recorded in summer 1979. Our influences were many, but always Black Sabbath and Rush.

Tracey Abbott: I’m butting in we’ve reworked this material and it’s fucking awesome.

The band released ‘Give ‘Em Hell’ ‎7″ via Round Records. What were the circumstances around Rondelet Music & Records and your debut album?

Andro Coulton: Actually Round Records was Rondelet’s first name which they changed as they found there was already a Round Records label in existence. They released the single in December 1979. In the summer of 1979 we went to Fairview Studios near Hull to record some demos. That was the same studios that Def Leppard recorded their first EP. Montalo and Gra took the demos to Rondelet in Mansfield and from that we were offered a deal. Not a good one at all and I didn’t think we should sign but I was overruled, it came back to bite Witchfynde immensely.

Would love it if you can talk about the material that’s featured on the debut album. Where was it recorded?

Andro Coulton: As I said above the material was taken from our many songs dating from 1976 to 1979. ‘Unto The Ages Of The Ages’ and ‘Tetelestai’ were from 1976, ‘Leaving Nadir’ and ‘Wake Up Screaming’ were from 1977 and 1978 and the rest were all written during the early part of 1979. It was recorded at Fairview Studios near Hull.

What are some of the strongest memories from writing, recording and producing ‘Stagefright’?

Andro Coulton: Unfortunately my memories of writing, recording and producing ‘Stagefright’ were not at all good. Witchfynde were rapidly approaching the end of a one year contract with Rondelet and had signed a two album and two single contract.

Also during our support tour with Def Leppard in January and February 1980 we found out that every major label in the UK had wanted to sign us but Rondelet wanted so much money to buy us out of the contract they all walked away. At that moment I knew we were finished. We would not be able to emulate Def Leppard or Iron Maiden and achieve stardom, that ship had sailed. Things were getting tense in the band and we did start to write new material but I found that more and more I was starting to be told what to play and although I recorded ‘In The Stars,’ a new version of ‘Wake Up Screaming’ and the dreadful ‘Wouldn’t Be Seen Dead In Heaven’ in June. I parted company with the band in July 1980. I wrote the bass line to ‘Stagefright’ and was involved in other songs before I left.

The sound changed quite a bit on ‘Cloak & Dagger’ and ‘Lords of Sin’.

Andro Coulton: Yes it did, there was not only a new line up with Luther Beltz taking over the vocals and Pete Surgey on bass but a 2 year hiatus between ‘Stagefright’ and ‘Cloak & Dagger’. Steve Bridges left in October 1980 after the contract with Rondelet ended as he was broke! The two versions of Witchfynde, the one until 1980 with Steve and me and the Luther Beltz / Pete Surgey one are so different just like the Ozzy years Black Sabbath are to the Dio years.

Would you like to talk about the guitars, effects, and all the rest of the gear you had back then and what do you own these days?

Andro Coulton: Montalo always played a Les Paul back in the day, with a full Marshall stack consisting of a JCM 800 100W head, and 2 4 x 12 cabs, he later had a Pignose amp he used as a preamp into the Marshall and an MXR phase pedal. I for many years had a flipped white Fender Musicmaster bass Hendrix style, into a Carlsbro Stingray 100W bass Head and a 1 x 18 reflex bass bin, with no effects. In 1979 I bought a Shergold Marathon bass in white which was the only left handed bass the shop had and traded in my Fender, I also bought a Peavey B bass 200 watt amp and traded in the Carlsbro and the bass bin for a 1 x 15 cab as well. Gra had a Premier drum kit at first then just before the Def Leppard tour, got a massive Slingerland double bass drum kit with all the bells and whistles. We had our own PA, lights, effects monitors et cetera.

Tracey Abbott: I use pretty much the same. 1971 Strat Marshall amplification, a chorus pedal, a delay pedal and 2 x Bluesbreakers.

Looking back, what was the highlight of your time in the band? Which songs are you most proud of? Where and when was your most memorable gig? Thank you for taking your time.

Andro Coulton: I loved the tour with Def Leppard! It was an absolute blast and especially memorable was the gig at the Mayfair Newcastle as the crowd would not let us go off after the last song and almost pulled Steve into the crowd! They just kept shouting for more, we looked across to the tour manager who just shrugged his shoulders. So we got to do an encore as a support band which was just not done! The songs, well I’m proud of all of them up to ‘Stagefright’ and include some of that album too, but I have always had a soft spot for ‘Leaving Nadir’.
Tracey Abbott: For me, it was Sweden Rock Festival 2019.

Last word is yours.

Andro Coulton: Firstly thank you for the interview, I love chatting about music and the band.

I would like to thank all the Witchfynde fans around the world, those who have been there from the start, the ones we have picked up along the way and to any recent new fans you make it worthwhile. To all the musicians that have said we have been an influence on, I say that we are extremely proud of that honour and that you are carrying the musical torch forward to influence the next generation of musicians.

We intend not only to keep on producing Witchfynde music with Andro Coulton’s Witchfynde but intend to get to play for as many of you around the world as possible.
Tracey Abbott: Many thanks for approaching us and many thanks to the many followers the band has accumulated over the years and supported us. Let’s hope we keep this going as long as we physically can.

Klemen Breznikar

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Headline photo: Witchfynde promotional photo

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