An Interview with
'Stevie Westwood'
Frontman of UK Rockers
'Bad Touch'
that took place on Thursday 19th October, 2017.
Interviewed by Glenn Milligan.
Stevie: Hello.
Glenn: Hello Stevie, how are you doing?
Stevie: Alright mate! You alright mate?
Glenn: I'm good!
Stevie: Great!
Glenn: Yeah! How was your tour with The Kentucky Headhunters?
Stevie: Oh great man! Lovely chaps. As you may know, we toured with them last year for a little bit. They are like family now. They are such lovely people. We are literally in awe of them whenever we see them – musicianship and friendship. They are all so good fun to be with.
Glenn: Yeah they are good guys. What would you say you have learned from them as a band?
Stevie: Well it's 50 years they've been together. They put up with each other and also cut each other down so effortlessly. There's no drama at any point. They take the micky out of each other but they all understand why they are taking the micky out of each other. We can't explain it until you've seen it. That's how bands operate when they've been together that long. You need to be able to tell each other off but without causing upset.
Glenn: You've learn a lot then?
Stevie: Oh definitely mate! They are amazing musicians and they are all best friends which is about all I can ever want from Bad Touch.
Glenn: Sweet! Because you have played shows with them in the UK, can you see Bad Touch doing some shows with them in the U.S.?
Stevie: I am happy to speak on behalf of all of us. Bad Touch would love to go over and do something with them over there. It's like anything in this world, it's all about the money and whether we could actually hump money together to go over there. We'd love to do it but it all depends on what we can afford to do. We're all penniless musicians if you know what I mean?
Glenn: Yeah, most are! It's a passion at the end of the day – a big passion.
Stevie: That's it!
Glenn: It comes across that way. It was the first time I had seen you. It was at Sheffield. There was so much there and you're all so happy on stage. You are all so tight and it's like effortless how you come across.
Stevie: Oh cheers man! That's really kind of you. Thank you very, very much for saying that. It's not effortless. We are trying very hard but the fact that it comes across is really, really cool. Thank You!
Glenn: No problem. You are back with us on 9th November in Sheffield. How did that come about having Mollie Marriott supporting you because that is going to be something special?
Stevie: Awe! We're super chuffed to have Mollie on board with us. She's a real talent. Obviously the daughter of Steve Marriott of Humble Pie and The Small Faces. He comes to me quite a lot in that way of performing. I don't know. I'm just the singer in the band. We turn up and do it. All of us think its really good to have Mollie on board. We can't wait to get out on tour and have some fun.
Glenn: Awesome. Any particular towns, cities or gigs overall that you are looking forward to most or just them all?
Stevie: There's no favourites in as many words. There are places where we've gone down really well that we hope will be a similar vibe when we get there. There's places we haven't been to be before and we can't wait to get there. Everything is a positive. We are just really happy to be able to be out there and doing what we love. We can't wait to give the UK what we've got.
Glenn: How did it come about recording the Tina Turner track, 'Baby Get It On' and why that song?
Stevie: (Laughs) We wanted to do something to promote the tour and get people interested. We thought about doing a cover to show it off. Seeks the Guitar player came up with the Tina Turner song. We all said, “Wow that's got a bit of meat to it”. We had a little play around with it and came in with a rougher end and pretty polished. Mollie was interested in getting involved and that was that. We went to the studio and Mollie drove up from the outside of London where she's based. She came down and we had her sing the song, had a bit of a laugh. And yeah, all in all is what you hear and we're really chuffed with it.
Glenn: Yeah! I was watching it all last night. I was watching quite a few things you've done over the years. I noticed there is an acoustic show you did that's on YouTube. Do you plan to do more acoustic stuff in the future either on tour or on specials?
Stevie: Yeah course! If people want to hear it we're happy to do it. It can be a bit restricted to do it. We're do it a bit and if they like our songs and want to hear those things more we'll hopefully do it more.
Glenn: That's awesome. You're a pretty refined band and great on stage. There's a lot of footage on YouTube such as on your Bad Touch channel but can you see yourselves in time releasing a full live album or DVD for the fans to buy as well? That would be pretty special.
Stevie: We'd absolutely love to do to that mate! It's not going to happen on this tour. We are lucky to be going on our own, let along recording a live album or live DVD. We're not anywhere near that level where we can actually do that yet but it's very kind of you (to suggest it). Obviously, it's something we'd live to do. Again, if people show enough interest we will do it. The thing about us, everything is step by step. We really hope that as a unit we get to the point that we can do those kinds of things. At the moment we want to get on out there and get our songs to the people as quickly as possible and get them interested.
Glenn: Yeah that makes sense. I know you also work in a bar as well. What's it like for you as you work as a barman when you're also, may I call it a Rockstar by night at certain points? Do you find when your in the bar, you want to be that Rockstar guy or is it funny when you are at a venue and you feel like you've got to go and serve some beers?
Stevie: Well I like to think I'm the same bloke when I'm pulling pints or singing songs. My only fuss with being in a band is breaking down that whole boundary of “He's a Rockstar so I can't talk to him kind of thing”. I've been a barman most of my life. I talk to people. You can't be a barman if you don't like talking to people. What is fortunate is that I'm having to be a barman less and less and less. It's not that I hate the job but the band is what I want to do. Every song I can sing is one less pint I have to pull.
Glenn: That's a good quote that. I like that. (We laugh). That's quality that. You must have said it a few times.
Stevie: Oh no, that's a one-off mate. You've got an exclusive.
Glenn: Brilliant! (We laugh) You've got such a cracking image. Who do you look at with regard to artists out there over the years where you've thought, 'I'll have a bit of this, a bit of that, the debonaire look, the big hair etc'
Stevie: I look at everyone. I watch bands all the time. I go to gigs. Obviously, Robert Plant is a huge influence – long hair, frilly shirts – that kind of thing. But I take everything as an influence. You see people on stage and you think, 'Crikey he looks cool!' or 'Oh God, I wouldn't go out in that! No matter which way it goes everything's an influence. The answer is yes, I do look at everyone and also no, I kind of dress how I want to dress anyway. I'm never worried. I've always thought, 'People will either like me or they won't'. That's the way I look at it.
Glenn: Exactly. There's the door if they don't. What the hell? (We laugh)
Stevie: Yeah!
Glenn: Best way. I'm the same. What songs over the years that you've written mean the most to you and why or are they all your babies?
Stevie: The thing is, we all write equal shares. I've written the majority of a couple of songs and each member has written theirs. It's hard because they are all our songs if you know what I mean? But when it comes to what means the most to me it's hard. 'Take Your Time' is a big one for me off of 'Truth Be Told'. That means a lot to me. But I say that it's a lovely place to be when everyone is such a creative influence in writing because it means that nothing ever gets stale and everything's always positive. Literally yesterday Rob sent me a guitar thing which is really pretty. I can't wait to get to work on that. It's a lovely place to be when everyone is so involved.
Glenn: Awesome! Here's a cheesey question, there's 99% sure that you love her but what about the other 1%? (We laugh)
Stevie: Well that's what the whole song's about isn't it. The grass isn't always greener. That's the sort of stuff that I've always found in my life. You think the grass is always greener but it never necessarily is. You can be 99% sure of something and then that 1% can bugger you up. That's what it's about. That's the way we live. We live on a knife edge.
Glenn: You live in Wangford, Norwich, what's that area like for a scene? Does it have a scene or are you personally the scene?
Stevie: In Wangford there's nothing at all. That's my Mum and Dad's house. In Norwich though, there's lots of really talented people around there. On most bands rosters there's a Norwich date. People go there. It's a lovely scene. I love going out there. The Waterfront's a good venue. I love it. It's great.
Glenn: Yep it's on everyone's gig list just about! Awesome! What I noticed about the up and coming tour with Mollie is that it's like two truths and 1 tour because you've got the 'Truth Be Told' album and Mollie's got the 'Truth Is A Wolf' album. Is that a total coincidence or what because you couldn't make it up?
Stevie: Absolutely a complete coincidence. I'm not quite sure what happened there. Truth be told - it might as well have been. We were in the studio working out what to call the album and we came up with 'Truth Be Told'. I don't know where Mollie got 'Truth Is A Wolf' from but it's pure coincidence.
Glenn: I think it's great. I just thought about it the last couple of nights. Crazy stuff but there you go! Are you guys endorsed by anyone?
Stevie: Everything's us. The last endorsement as purely as much as we represent their kit and they gave us a little bit of a discount but we still have to buy everything. We're all still five dudes paying out of our own pockets. We own our own record label, 'Bad Touch Records' that we have our two albums on. I'm not being big-headed, we do have a PR company and a Management Company signed up to us but we are funding it. It's all personally off our own back and we're well proud!
Glenn: 'Here's one for ya!', as David Coverdale says, if you had chance to go back in time and play alongside any particular band/frontman or whoever, either as a support or be on stage, who would that be, why and where at?
Stevie: Where at, I don't care because as I've said earlier, I'll play anywhere where they'll take us – be it Wembley Arena or a small bar somewhere. But Led Zeppelin – a band that I hold dear to my heart and I know the rest of Bad Touch do as well. The Black Crowes – another band I never got to see who also influenced Bad Touch. There's too many to name – Free, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd – so many! Again, everything's an influence. If we had the chance to play with anyone, we'd take it.
Glenn: Awesome. That's cool. What would you say your proud of so far apart from everything?
Stevie: Oh everything mate. (We laugh) Not being pretentious but what's not to be proud of. Like I touched on earlier, I'm a barman, I live with my Mum and Dad. This is literally the best part. I love my family and this is the best part of my life. It's a stand that people want to come out and see us. We're doing our first ever headline tour. Literally, I am in awe of everything. Again, it's not about me, it's about us as a band. We've all worked so hard towards this. It's just completely bonkers in my head.
Glenn: What are your plans for 2018?
Stevie: We're definitely going to have a new album out. Our last album was out last year so it's not a huge amount of time away but because we've toured so much we want to bring another out. No promises but it'll be the first half of next year. Other than that we are trying to book as many dates as possible within the context of thinking about that we need to write an album as well. Again, nothing is nailed down but as I say, we likely to be touring as much as we can, then getting another album out and seeing where that leads us.
Glenn: That's great. Any last words before I come and see you in Sheffield?
Stevie: (Laughs) Other than bring your mates because were all bringing it because this our first ever headline tour. Come on out! Our first night is November 9th (at Corporation) in Sheffield with the beautiful and professionally talented, Mollie Marriott. Just get your tickets and we'll show you a good time. We'll see you there!
Glenn: That's awesome. Thanks for your time Brother. You take care and I'll see you on the 9th!
Stevie: All the best! Cheers! Bye, Bye!
Glenn: You too man. Thanks Bro. See you later.
Special thanks to Peter Noble of Noble PR for the Photographs used in the Interview.
