We sat down with Gorilla Riot from Manchester to discuss their recent live tours, their songwriting process for new records, and the very unlikely, though amusing, possibility of their drummer spontaneously combusting like in Spinal Tap.
We were chatting just before we got going that you guys have played at the Gravesend Red Lion recently to celebrate the opening of their new outdoor amphitheatre. So how was the show?
Deggy: Yeah, it was great, man. We already have a good history with the venue. It’s become a home away from home – Kent’s always treated us well. We played “Ramblin’ Man” in 2018 and then Leo’s in the next town over. We’ve played there about five or six times over the years, so to be able to play both, to be back at Mote Park and be back at Leo’s two nights on the bounce, that’s really nice. The Amphitheatre was awesome. They’ve done a grand job out there, and to play some tunes in a bit of a stripped-back setting, it was just nice to spice it up a little bit.
Wonderful! What was the thought behind doing a stripped-back on this occasion?
Deggy: We’ve done it quite a few times, really, and it’s something we can do if we get the chance. I guess it’s good to know if you have one or two, some a year at least, because we really enjoy it. I think it shows a different side to the band, one where we can do quite well and just enjoy doing it. It was just perfect for that setting in the Amphitheatre.
Charly: I really wanted to play there anyway. That was kind of the deal… And I don’t think it would have been appropriate to play a full show as well because of all the festivals. And you know, be inside and do a rock show…
Aside from the crowd size, how do you find playing a show like that differs from playing something like this or in other larger venues?
Charly: I mean, I find these a lot easier. The more people there are, the easier I find it to play. Yeah, not that it’s not personal, but you know your best mate isn’t to the front of you and knows every note you’re supposed to play!
Deggy: No, it’s nice to be able to do something like this. It’s been a while since we’ve done something on the scale, and the fact that they’ve asked us to headline the second stage is really nice of them. It’s something we’re gonna enjoy for sure.
What was your reaction when you were offered?
Deggy: We were just finishing an album tour last year, and we were driving back from Southampton, the final, final gig. And we got a call, everyone was dead-rough. A big night the night before…And then we got it. We heard rumours that someone we knew was gunning for it, and then it came through, and it was like, “Well, that’s a nice sweetener on the top!”
Gene: Rounded off the tour. On the way back from Southampton is a long drive. So, it was nice to just end the tour and then have that to look forward to. Have a bit of positivity towards the end, especially if you were feeling a little rough.
Gene: Felt like the tour worked!
Yeah, it did its job. You’ve mentioned the tour that was back in March, as I understand it?
Deggy: So that was the October tour, and we did the second leg in March, and they were both fantastic, to be fair. I would say there were probably, like, 18/20 shows in total between both legs. It was just great to get out, play the new album, play some older tunes that everyone likes and just have fun with it.
So, how did you find the March dates that you’ve recently come off of? Gene: Yeah, it was good. It was all good!
Charly: It was a lot better than – I say ‘better’ – we weren’t pessimistic about it at all. But, you know, we played places that we have not played before. A couple of places we played that we’ve not played before, and, actually, a lot more people showed up than we thought would. And it’s really nice to know that they actually like the new album, which is, you know, you never know… When you make it, so you like it, and then you compromise with each other, and then you just…
Gene: Bringing an album out is an opportunity, but it is also a risk at the same time!
Charly: You do! People are like, “Oh, it’s too soft, there are too many ballads. We want heavy, it’s too heavy…”
Deggy: You can never win.
Charly: So, you do both!
When you come up to doing a new record, do you ever then have those anxieties, “are we leaning too much one way? Are we leaning too much toward the other?” Or are you more inclined, like, “we’ll put what we want out”?
Deggy: Yeah, I think we’ll just go and do us. It creates our manager a bit of a nightmare, but that’s his job to deal with it. But it’s one of them, I guess… There’s a bit of that, but we genuinely mould towards we wanna do what we wanna do, and people either like it or they don’t. And go with it that way.
Charly: I have anxiety – not anxiety – but it’s like when you hear the songs the first time or when you write stuff or you present ideas. That’s what makes me nervous. Do we have the same vision for how it’s gonna sound? Well, once it’s done, it’s like you all know that this is awesome for us. And then there’s nothing else you could do, you know? Just hope that somebody likes it.
Deggy: I guess with the last one, it was just a relief to get it out. It took ages to get done, and it was at a level where we’re really, really chuffed with it. And then when it came out, it was just like, “thank God, that’s out there now”, and now people can just access it and do whatever. And we’re not gonna sit on it. There are no more tweaks or anything, or whatnot.
What was the reason behind it taking a little while longer than you would have liked?
Deggy: Just a couple of lineup changes in the band and stuff, so some things have to get rewritten around that and then a lot of it… It’s not cheap to record an album, and so you’ve got to run the ship as well, whilst also doing it. You’ve got to make it happen when you can sometimes.
Charly: We had a break in between, so we didn’t do anything for half a year. The actual tracking time wasn’t that long. Overdubs weren’t that long. The mixing took ages, and then obviously went forth, and then we had to get some money first to get it out because we paid for the production.
Deggy: Once it was all recorded and everything, we did a crowdfunding. Our fans helped us get the album out. We paid for it all. It was like, “Shit, we’ve got no money to release it now, so do us a solid, guys!” So, the people helped out, and yeah, it’s amazing. It’s lovely.
Perfect – well, it’s out and you’re touring for it, obviously. And one of the reasons why you’re here. You’ve got a couple more tour dates coming up in August: off to Newcastle and Aviemore.
Deggy: Yeah, I think that’s what it is! That’s a festival up in Scotland. It’s annoying because we love Scotland, but we don’t get a chance to go up that much. It’s something like we definitely want to do more to get up there because the crowds are always up for it. It’s a beautiful country, and it’s just a good craic, so hyped for that. Newcastle as well, it’s always good. Yeah, like, come on, Newcastle’s one of the best nights out in the country. So, the crowd are up for it, that gets you pumped and you’re going on the piss after. So yeah, you know, it’s good fun.
Great. We’ve talked about your album ‘Salvation’ a little bit, and it’s charted very well: #4 on the Blues Chart, etc. What do you think it was about that album that resonated so much with fans and music lovers to get it to that point?
Charly: I don’t know! I mean, we had a lovely time using all those different instruments, and really making songs, and specially making an actual album and not making specific songs for specific things. So, the idea was always that those songs would always be there, and they would sound very wooden and a bit honest. You know, sometimes not too polished. But to get that… Just a nice little blanket. I think that worked, but you gotta listen to it. There isn’t anything that just jumps straight out to you. So that’s my favourite bit. And we were like, “Well, let’s get some female vocals. Let’s do some stuff here…” We had a really nice producer as well. He likes to take his time, but you know, it’s worth it. I felt really personally, I felt really incredibly comfortable, and I love spending time there. And just like listening to all these little things, and then you do it as he wants to, then you do it how you want it. And then you do it in the moment.
That nicely leads on to my next point: you’ve been a band for ten years – how do you find things are different now compared to when you first started out? Like you were saying just now that you felt quite comfortable, you had a really good producer for ‘Salvation’. What, in your opinion, is different about when you first started out to now?
Charly: In what regard?
So, how do you find your process for writing and getting things recorded versus when you started?
Charly: I don’t know, it’s always a pain in the arse! Because mainly it just takes ages to even just show each other stuff. And then to work on it as well, because then we do it separately, always. And then the band does it separately, then we get together, and then we send it around. We were in that state now. There are plenty of songs and ideas around. So that hasn’t really changed. But we’ve had, we’ve had another person. So, we had an extra guitar, so it made it a little bit easier. Just from that point of view, there’s also something that’s missing sometimes. So that made it a little bit easier; just more clarity on who does what. You know, I don’t know, maybe we’re a bit better, right? I would hope so! You know, we got a good drummer as well! We’ve always had different drummers, you know.
Oh, the Spinal Tap thing!
Deggy: Pretty much! Blow up and die!
Gene: I think tonight might be the moment. I’ve been in the band for two years now, and I think that tonight might be the moment that I do, in fact, spontaneously combust on stage.
Well, go out with a bang, but let’s hope that’s not going to come to it. So, what’s next for Gorilla Riot? What ambitions have you got going forward?
Deggy: Well, there will be a new record. When that is, I can’t exactly say because we don’t know, but there is something, as Charly just said. Then there are ideas floating about, and whatever. I think we get festival season out of the way, and then we’ll come together and start putting those ideas and songs and stuff. But it’s one of them, looking at your last question, what you just said: when you are younger, and you do this, you want everything instantly. And it’s like, “Why can’t it happen now?” There is still an element to that, but you just learn that good things take time sometimes. As I said, we played here when it was Ramblin’ Man in 2017, it took us seven years – 2018, sorry – it took us seven years to get back here. That is proven with that, but I don’t know, like, there’s still plenty to do.
For example, look, I’d love to play in an arena. I mean, that was one little thing…
Gene: We are thinking of going to Spain next year, aren’t we?
Deggy: Yeah, that’d be cool to go back again. We need to see what the score is with that, but there has been talk of it. So, I don’t know just get out, have fun shows, have a laugh and just annoy each other while we do it. I’m all keen for that. Good takeaways as well!
Charly: It did get a bit more structured, didn’t it? Because for like seven years, we would just literally live in it, which was great, but then you can’t just drink Jack Daniels for 24 hours and do all the other stuff. I mean, you can, but then you’re gonna sound s*** at some point and then people are gonna say the wrong things. Whereas now, and because you still kind of need to work, it is not possible to… So, it’s more structured. Personally, I welcome going home every now and then to see people.
Yes, take a brief pause from the bands and collect your thoughts.
Charly: No, just to see parents, family. You know, how people are getting on.
Aside from the shows to round out the year, what do you have in store for 2026, if anything?
Deggy: You know what, we’ve not really talked about it too much! As was just said, Spain. There have been some talks about going to Spain, doing some shows over there. If we can do something in Switzerland again, that would be cool.
Charly: We are, by the end of the year
Deggy: Oh yeah, that’s this year, isn’t it? Just take it as it comes; try not to let it get in your head a bit, and just go with it, see what happens. Hopefully, our manager works a blinder and sorts that for us. Otherwise, I’ll just have to stay at home and do things I don’t wanna do. I don’t wanna back up and clean the bog, do I? It’s one of them. It’s just as long as we can go and play some good shows, have a nice time and as long as people keep coming, we’re gonna keep playing.
Lastly, is there anything you’d like to say to the Devolution readers or to your fans?
Deggy: Just keep it real.
Charly: Thank you!
https://www.facebook.com/GorillaRiot
Interview By Lee Carter
Photos By Rebecca Bush – https://www.instagram.com/beckybphoto/