Blowin’ Wind with Billy and Johnny of The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell: “The great fucking thing about rock n’roll is that there aren’t any rules.”

1492738_10152526948814688_483844864_oThe Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell is a band that is every bit as epic and over the top as their name. These blokes play a no frills type of hard rock n’ roll that defies rules and genre descriptions. It’s gritty, it’s raw, and it’s everything I love about this kind of music. When I heard the band’s latest album Check ‘em Before You Wreck ‘em I was instantly hooked and I couldn’t wait for the chance to talk to these guys.

I was told that these guys were really fun to talk to but let me tell you right now that this is a total understatement. My interview with drummer Billy Darlington and guitarist/singer Johnny Gorilla at times felt like cutting room outtakes from “This Is Spinal Tap” as we talked about their career choices if they weren’t musicians, what albums they like to get piss drunk to, what we’d do if we had a slumber party, and their fondness for their latest album and why they feel it represents them better than their debut. This interview was really fun and I hope you’ll enjoy this one!

WARNING: Be careful drinking beverages while reading this interview. You will snarf and I will not be responsible for ruined keyboards, iPads, iPhones, or any other iThingy.

Hello?

Johnny: Hello! Is this Don?

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Yes, it’s Don. Who is this?

Johnny: Don! This is Johnny from the Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell and I’m here with Billy.

Billy: Yes. Hi Don this is Billy and we’re just here to give you a shout for that interview type thing of deal.

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Johnny and Billy, it’s so great to talk to you today. I am saluting you from Atlanta, GA.

Billy: We are saluting you back, Don.

Johnny: We are saluting you back from Hastings East Sussex.

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I have to say. Your PR guy Jon Freeman will usually be like, “Don, you’re going to love this band.” Well, he’s not always right but with you guys he fucking nailed it. I love you blokes.

Billy: [laughs] Well thank you very much Don.

Johnny: Thank you.

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So how important is it to remember the “The” when addressing The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell?

Johnny: Whatever tickles your pickle mate [laughs]. I mean, it would be kind of like adding the on the front of Cream to have The Cream or even The Black Sabbath. We like that. It’s old school.

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Maybe you guys should make it so that it’s two e’s like Thee Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell. It’s so much more regal I think.1533781_686199461419665_1740443744_n

Billy: Why not just add three e’s to it.

Johnny: Yeah, make it three e’s. The more e’s the better. Just one more better. It’s prestigious.

Billy: Let’s just leave it at one e. This is getting too much man [laughs].

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Speaking of prestige, how does it feel to be interviewed by a website called The Great Southern Brainfart.

Johnny: Yeah, we were just toying about that a minute ago and we were farting at the same time.

Billy: Yeah, thank you. It’s very much of an honor thank you [laughs].

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Well, I feel like I should send you a medal or something.

Johnny: Hopefully it’ll be an iron cross.

Billy: Actually, I’ve already got one so don’t worry about it, John. Wait, what’s your name?

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Don. See, it’s confusing. We have Johnny, Jon, Don, Billy. I should just join the band that way we can keep it all together.

Johnny: Yeah, you should.

Billy: Yeah, it would make things a lot easier.

Johnny: Join. Why don’t ya?

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What would I do in the band then?

Johnny: We could just rehearse over the phone. Maybe you could play the kazoo. You can play the tape recorder and the Imodium.

Billy: Yeah. Play the Imodium. That would be great.

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How Spinal Tap would this be? You could just put a lap top up on stage and say, “Joining us via Skype: Don on the Imodium!”

Billy & Johnny: [laughs]

Billy: Don! Live via Skype! Oh. We’ve lost the connection. [laughs]

Johnny: Actually, it all depends on what you look like Don. This band is all about looks. It’s been said we are the poster boys for the rock generation.

Billy: We are actually pinups to be honest.

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If you had to describe your band to someone who’s never heard you before, how would you do so?

Billy: Good. Really good [laughs].

Johnny: I’d say rock n’ roll, loud, energy. It’s got a heavy element to it so if you like heavy rock, hard rock you’re going to dig it.

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I’ll be honest. I listen to a lot of music every day and a lot of it sucks. Your album doesn’t suck. How does it feel to make an album that doesn’t suck?

Billy: Hm. Have we done one of those yet?

Johnny: When we make one we’ll tell you [laughs]. Seriously, I love our first album but the 2nd album that just came out is superior in songwriting quality and sound quality as well. I feel like it’s got a really timeless sound that doesn’t seem to fit into any particular scene. I think it’s just a good fucking rock album and I’m so glad you like it.

Billy: Yeah, it feels pretty good man. I love it to bits.

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I too loved the first album Don’t Hear It, Fear It but the new one Check ‘Em Before You Wreck ‘Em really seems to capture and encompass everything that I wish the first album would have.

Billy: Exactly. We wish we would have put this album out first.

Johnny: Don, that’s very kind of you to say that Don because that’s exactly how we feel about it. It’s always going to be the same music coming out of us but this 2nd one, to use a comparison, is a bit like say AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock compared to High Voltage. It’s the same stuff but just a little bit better.

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I feel like some bands put out their first album and it’s raw and with a lot of feel but then they get to their 2nd and 3rd album they start to sound really polished. With you guys, I felt like the debut didn’t have that rawness and that warmth that the 2nd one has. What made you guys decide to take a step in that direction this time around?

Johnny: The first album was pretty much our stage songs and we had been playing those songs for a couple of years at least before the album came out. We recorded it at a studio that had quite a modern sound and we just knew it was not really going to come out exactly how we wanted it to sound. With this 2nd one we found someplace to record so it would come out exactly how we wanted it to sound.

Billy: It’s actually just around corner as well.

Johnny: Yeah, it’s local so that was cool as well. It just had more of the right feel to us. One of the first songs we recorded we did it one take and that was it. We didn’t go back and polish anything up. We record the album alive so we got a very live sound out of it. It does sound much more raw but that was both conscious and sub conscious as well. We know we want to sound. There were things done to the first album that we didn’t particularly want done to it but with this 2nd one it was exactly what we wanted to do.

Billy: I think we just seemed to jell a lot more as well. It sounds more like how we sound as a live band.

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You guys are playing the kind of music that I’m so fucking glad is making its way to the surface. You guys, Graveyard, Blues Pills, The Oath, etc are all bands pretty much playing old dude music. What is it about this music that seems to be coming to the forefront?

Billy: The drugs.

Johnny: Yes, the drugs [laughs]. I think the music itself just more honest, more direct, and more sincere. There’s nothing synthetic or bullshit about it. You’re not writing for a formula or anything. You’re just writing from the heart and what we play is music without any rules. The great fucking thing about rock n’roll is that there aren’t any rules. You can write a song any way you want it. There’s a lot of freedom and a lot of honesty and a lot of energy. That’s what makes people go back to that sort of music.

Billy: We really didn’t plan on any of this to happen at all. We just wanted to play in a band with our mates. That’s why we picked such a stupid fucking name.

Johnny: That’s why you picked such a stupid fucking name [laughs].

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Have you guys ever toured the US?

Billy: No we haven’t.

Johnny: There’s talk of us coming over later in the year so that would be like a dream come true. We’ve never played the states and we would dearly love to go there and do some shows.

Billy: We’ve played in Wales.

Johnny: We’ve played with whales?

Billy: No, we played in Wales. We didn’t play with whales.

Johnny: Oh, I’m sorry man. I got confused.

Billy: We’re not Jacques’ Cousteau. We don’t play with fucking whales.

I thought maybe you were talking about very large women.

Johnny: No, we’ve done that.

Billy: Don’t put that in there. We don’t want to tell anyone about that.

Johnny: Don, please keep that quiet.

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Hey man, big girls need love to.

Billy: Yeah a lot of love.

Johnny: Just more love than normal, and chips and pie. But that’s ok.

Billy: Don, don’t print that.

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What are you looking forward to the most about touring the US for the first time?

Johnny: Chicks [laughs]

Billy: Checks!

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1390625_671267912912820_638084324_nHow about chicks with checks?

Billy: [laughs] Oh well that would be fine, yeah.

Johnny: Actually we’re looking forward to playing there. It’s just exciting to think about it.

Billy: We’re just looking forward to playing somewhere new and different really. Most totally [laughs].

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Look, if you’re going to use slang you have to do it right. I’ll send you guys a list of slang terms to get you across the US.

Johnny: Please do that Don [laughs]

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I’m so excited at the thought of finally getting to see you guys live. I’ve never seen the Sir Admiral live. What can I expect from a live show?

Billy: What could Don expect Johnny?

Johnny: Loud rock n’ roll, good time, forget all your troubles, your fucking bills, and all your crap. Nod your head and get into it. Have a lot of fun and drink beer [laughs]. It’s a good fucking rock n’ roll show! Its groove with a little bit of noise to it.

Billy: Its noise with just a little bit of groove to it [laughs]. Just leave your troubles behind somewhere else. Leave them at someone’s house you hate [laughs].

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What do you guys love the most about playing live?

Johnny: I love it that when I make a mistake, one second later everyone’s forgotten about it [laughs]. Aside from that, it’s just pure fun and pure adrenaline. You’re making music right there on the spot. You’re under pressure but if you pull it off it’s fucking awesome. Getting that crowd reaction and getting the crowd into it is what it’s all about.

Billy: There’s nothing like seeing people getting into what you’re doing on stage. It’s a reason to exist [laughs].

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What is your favorite album to get absolutely face ripped drunk and listen to?

Billy: That’s a tough question isn’t it? There are so many.

Johnny: Yeah, that’s a tough one. I’ll tell you the last one I got drunk to was The Who’s Quadraphenia. My girlfriend and I were singing along to it so loud that her mother who lives in the flat below us thought we were having a massive fight [laughs]. The Who, Black Sabbath, AC/DC. Those are all good time music.

Billy: I think the Who was the last album I got completely pissed to as well.

Johnny: By the way, the dog you hear barking right now is my dog Tank. He’s the one that sang at the beginning of the song “Shake your Head” and that’s him on the cover. He’s just saying “Hi from Hastings. Tell Don to ask me a question. What’s my favorite dog food?” He loves you, Don. I haven’t actually him he’s not in the band so don’t let on if you actually do ask him a question.

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You guys are just too much fucking fun. Get over here to Atlanta and hang with me. Tell Jon Freeman to put it all on his credit card!993487_671266702912941_1601609529_n

Billy: That would be great. That’s really very kind of Jon.

Johnny: Yeah, he’s a great guy. He won’t mind at all [laughs].

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If you could tour with any band who would it be and why?

Johnny: Status Quo

Billy: Pussycat Dolls [laughs]. Nah, Black Sabbath, Status Quo, AC/DC, too many to mention. We’ve toured with Orange Goblin and they’re a lovely bunch of guys. If I had to choose a fantasy band I’d say Humble Pie just so I could watch them every night and just groove on that. That would be fucking awesome.

Johnny: So many bands we’d love to play with. Check out this band called Hydromedusa. Great band you should check out.

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Ok, a question for each of you. If you could play for any band for just one night who would it be?

Billy: That’s a hard question mate. Erasure? Soft Cell maybe? That’s a really hard question, Don. I don’t know that I can answer that really.

Johnny: Not in your current state could you answer that. Wouldn’t you drum for The Who or something?

Billy: Yeah, I think I would for one gig. It would be kind of weird like when Kenny Jones joined the Who. He’s not like Keith Moon is he? It’s just not the same.

Johnny: I’d probably want to play bass for AC/DC.

Billy: Ah, that’s quite easy really.

Johnny: Yeah, I’d just stand there and play “dun dun dun dun dun dun” the whole night. No pressure. I’d just get to stand there and watch Angus run about. Just make a bunch of money playing root notes all night on the bass. That sounds awesome to me [laughs]. I’d maybe play guitar in Motorhead. Just standing next to Lemmy playing those classics would be a fucking treat.

Billy: Maybe I could play spoons in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band [laughs].

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If I was to come over to you guys’ house for a slumber party on Friday night, what would we do?

Billy: What would we do John with our friend Don?

Johnny: We’d probably drink a lot of beer and booze. We’d listen to The Who, watch Who films, and just have a great time and get very sick. You’d wake up in the morning with a horrific hangover and wish you hadn’t left your credit card on my table [laughs].

Billy: Come round tomorrow and we’ll do this. Bring Jon Freeman’s credit card matter of fact [laughs]. Just bring his credit card, not him. We’ll have business lunch, dinner, or a banquet I suppose.

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I want you each to finish this sentence: If I wasn’t a musician I would be what:

Johnny: Helicopter ejector seat repairman.

Billy: If I wasn’t a musician I would be a rust repairer and a full time survivor.

Johnny. I’ve always wanted to be a milkman. That’s right. Absolutely.

Billy: I’d be a quality control tester for Tyskie Lager. Do you have Tyskie Lager over there?

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I don’t know. It sounds pretty tasty.

Billy: It’s a polish lager. It’s very good. What would you Don?

Johnny: Yeah, what would you do if you weren’t a journalist.

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Wow, now you’ve turned the fucking tables on me now.

Billy: Yeah, who would you drum for [laughs]?

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Ok, if I wasn’t doing what I do now I’d be a janitor at a strip club.

Billy: Ah, that’s pretty good there Don. I’d do that. I’d give it a go.

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Either that or I’d be a mirror in a lingerie store.

Billy & Johnny: [laughs]

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Or I’d play drums in AC/DC because that would be pretty fucking easy.

Billy & Johnny: [laughs]

Johnny: You could do that and be a mirror at the same time.

Billy: I think that would look pretty good on anyone’s TV wouldn’t’ it?

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Billy, Johnny, this was without a doubt the most fun interview I’ve done to date.

Johnny: Actually we’re not really even The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell. We just found your number and called you [laughs]

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I’m going to hang up with you guys and I’ll get a phone call from someone saying, “Hi, we’re The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell” and I’m going to be like, “Who the fuck did I just talk to for the last 30 minutes?”

Johnny & Billy: [laughs]

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So last but not least, how can people learn more about you guys?

Billy: They can go to our Facebook page or the Rise Above Website.

Johnny: Facebook would be the easiest right?

Billy: Yeah, on Facebook we actually talk to people and answer emails. We’re very nice chaps really.

Johnny: We are very nice really. We’re not horrible. We’re quite caring really.

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Thanks so much for talking today guys, this was a really great one and I hope you all have a successful run of shows and hurry and come to Atlanta.

Billy: Thank you so much and keep in touch. Give us a shout anytime.

Johnny: Thank you. It really was good to talk to you, Don. This was a really nice one, Don. I hope you get that job as the lingerie store mirror playing drums for AC/DC.

 

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