Interview: Ric Roberts of Avalon Way

1:52pm Friday 11th April 2008

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Formed in 2001 as If All Else Fails, Darwen band Avalon Way have quickly gained a reputation playing hundreds of high profile gigs to date. Now with a new single and there seems to be no stopping them.

We spoke to guitarist Ric Roberts ahead of the last night of their tour which finishes in Blackburn next week.

What inspired you to go into music?

We've all been really inspired, and most importantly encouraged, by our parents. They've been one hundred percent supportive of us in every way possible, we owe a great deal to them. There's also the aspect of doing something.

We've been surrounded by lots of inspiring music whilst growing up and our parents have always been a good influence and inspiration. I think being in Darwen and Blackburn helped a lot. For a small town there's always been a thriving live music scene that's thrown us lots of opportunities. I think our main aspiration is to write music that ultimately we are proud of.

What is the highlight of your career so far?

There are some gigs that you always remember, mostly the local festivals. It's great to watch hundreds of people enjoying the gig as much as you are. Those are the best highlights. Obviously there are other things like recording with The Buzzcocks producer, signing our recent single deal and publishing contract, supporting China Crisis. Though there is no substitute for a good, fun-loving, home town crowd.

What is your all-time favourite song?

I really love Paranoid Android by Radiohead and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen because of their structure and dynamics. I'm fascinated by bands that can write songs outside of the boundaries of the 3/4 minute pop piece but still write a classic.

What's the most rock'n'roll thing that's happened to you?

There's a lot of random stuff that happens on tour that you probably couldn't print. A lot of stuff happens because we're really childish and not serious in anyway. I once nearly got beaten up by a girl's boyfriend for telling her I was the UK rock paper scissors champion. I'm not sure what I was thinking there.

Who is your all-time hero?

Matt loves Animal, the drummer from the muppets. Rik's hero is probably Mike Oldfield, which is a good choice in my view.

What's the worst trouble you've been in?

We played a gig in Morecambe somewhere and decided to go for a drink in town afterwards. We'd just got our new van and Matt was driving. Unsure about the actual size of the van he scratched a brand new Merc 4x4 which turned out to be owned by the head bouncer of the club across the road. Needless to say he wasn't happy.

What's your greatest talent?

I make the most awesome cheese on toast you could possibly imagine, I really care about my food, it's a little weird actually. Along with music we all have our little talents.

What's your most treasured possession?

We all treasure our instruments in that weird way that musicians do. Rik loves his Apple Mac and his car. I have a rather epic collection of VHS videos, I'd be sad if they burned in a house fire.

Tell us about your success so far

We've got a couple of releases out on indie labels, very small indie labels. We also have a few tracks published. We've been on our first full UK tour which we organised ourselves, we're quite proud of that. We were once offered a residency at the Cavern Club, Liverpool but we turned it down. I can't remember why!

What are your future aims for the band?

We're planning a couple more tours for this year and hopefully a single release later on too. It all depends on what the label wants to do and how well this single does. We're also putting on our own shows in Blackburn at various times and venues so we'll be around playing the local area.

Which artist/s would you most like to record/perform with and why?

Dave Grohl would be an obvious answer. He seems so friendly in interviews and has a wicked history, I bet he's never short of a rock'n'roll story. Plus he's dam talented too, a God like genius.

• Avalon Way, Live at The North Bar, Blackburn, Wednesday April 16, 7:30pm. Admission is £4 on the door. All proceeds in aid of Guide Dogs For The Blind. Special guest Roy Turnham, a professional musician who is almost completely blind will also play. To hear the band's new single visit the website below.