T.Rextasy

It’s early Friday afternoon and the Quay Theatre in Sudbury looks deserted – with the exception of flamboyant T.Rextasy frontman Danielz getting ready for his ‘Unplugged’ show.
Before rehearsing, however, his time is dedicated to our all-exclusive Music-News interview and me – with percussionist John Skelton joining later on.
Hidden away in his dressing room, Danielz is all smiles, all charm and all talk during our one-hour session – unplugged and uninterrupted.

DANIELZ INTERVIEW

Music-News:
Danielz, compared to the usual ‘full-on’ T.Rextasy gigs, your ‘Unplugged’ shows are not a very regular experience to enjoy. Why is that?

Danielz:
Because it’s very difficult for venues to accept an acoustic show upon hearing the word T.Rex, because that conjures up glam rock – rightly or wrongly! People just think, “Oh, but so why are you playing acoustic?”
So that’s the first hurdle we got to get over. The second hurdle is that it’s very difficult to play good venues just with myself on guitar and John (Skelton) on congas. You know, we don’t go out for free, we got to have a certain amount of costs involved and to get that back is very difficult because venues find it hard to understand what we’re going to do. Which is playing our usual music in acoustic style, but with the same kind of gusto and enjoyment as full-blown electric.

MN:
I understand, but don’t people remember that acoustic and folky is how Marc Bolan actually started of?

Danielz:
Yes, but they’ve forgotten! Some people haven’t forgotten, I mean tonight will be great, the show sold out! That is the first theatre for us that actually sold out, which is nice. And I think the size of the theatre is always relative to the place you’re playing. Plus, it’s great to play in a little theatre in Suffolk where we have never played before, but the fans have seen us before in other venues around Suffolk when we played electric! So they know what they’re going to get. They know it’s T.Rextasy unplugged. As I said, it’s only John and me playing songs that are very stripped down and it’s very intimate. Really it’s a great shame that the acoustic versions of T.Rex songs aren’t always as appreciated. Because hearing them like that, it goes to prove how great these songs are when you can play them acoustic – and it still comes across strong! It also shows what a good songwriter Marc Bolan actually was.

MN:
On your ‘T.Rextasy Unplugged – A Dream That Lasts Forever’ album you wrote in the info booklet that apart from putting your own slant on the tracks you also chose some unlikely songs to play. So instead of more obvious acoustic Bolan numbers like ‘Sara Crazy Child’ or ‘Warlord Of The Royal Crocodiles’ we get to hear tracks like ‘Ride A White Swan’, ‘Jeepster’ and ‘Dandy In The Underworld’. Why did you decide on those tracks?

Danielz:
For exactly that reason, because these aren’t the obvious numbers fans expect to hear on an acoustic album. And because I very rarely touch Tyrannosaurus Rex! I mean, Tyrannosaurus Rex really was like a different band. It was like Paul McCartney & The Beatles, and then he formed Wings! You know, it’s a completely different thing. Marc’s voice was completely different, it was very much Larry the Lamb… very strong vibrato and also a different style to his guitar play. So if I had to chop and change, I would think that I wouldn’t be true to myself and I would come across a little bit ridiculous. One minute I’ll be singing in a much higher vibrato and the next minute I’ll be singing in Marc’s T.Rex voice which has a more subtle vibrato to it. And once again it’s a different guitar style. Basically, I’m a rock ‘n’ roller and when we do our acoustic shows, I try to settle down but it comes out a little bit that I can’t help myself sometimes. Especially when I’m doing ‘20th Century Boy’ or ‘Jeepster’, I still go into one. It’s like sitting on the edge of insanity, haha.

MN:
How do you and John decide to what extent you want to stay true to Marc’s original compositions and how much you want to bring your own kind of touch into it?

Danielz:
Well, I suppose what I do is I sort out the set list and then give it to John. So we learn the tracks together but we learn it separately as well. But I’ve always wanted to be my own person, as well as singing Bolan songs in the style and spirit of Marc. That’s important and I think we got a way with it since 1992 and I’m very proud of that. We are one of the very few tributes that have got not only Marc Bolan fans but T.Rextasy fans as well. We have our own fans and that’s a lovely thing to have. Also, I always like to be a little bit left-of-field, you know. I’ve never been exactly playing a song like T.Rex played it but I always try to put a bit of my own soul into it. For example, the song ‘Dreamy Lady’ on our Unplugged album, we slowed it down to half of the original speed just to give it our own feel if you like. It’s such a good song and has got such a lovely melody; it lent it to our take whereas Marc played it very poppy. You know, little things like that. ‘Organ Blues’ for example, which is also on our album, that is a Tyrannosaurus Rex song. Doing a few choice numbers is fine, but I wouldn’t go full pelt and pick all the Tyrannosaurus Rex songs. That’s like another band and another world.

MN:
Which songs from Bolan’s Tyrannosaurus Rex period are your favourites?

Danielz:
Well, I’m afraid that at the end of the day I’m a rocker really. Actually, I got ‘Electric Warrior’ first and then worked my way through Bolan’s catalogue backwards. Before ‘Electric Warrior’ there was nothing else. There was the ‘brown album’ of course and then you had the Tyrannosaurus Rex material. When I first got that, I listened to ‘My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair’ and I thought, “My god, this cannot be the same band!” Of course, it wasn’t. It was Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrin Took. And I couldn’t get to grips, it took me years of growing up, getting older and then appreciate what Marc had done is his early career. Even now, I will listen to the odd track but I still go back to T.Rex! Although I do love the ‘brown album’ for it was a transition period really. And the one before that, ‘A Beard Of Stars’, which was a transitional Tyrannosaurus Rex album and had some great songs on it like ‘Elemental Child’. Call it Marc Hendrix or Jimi Bolan, whatever you wanna call it. It was really then that he was on the way to picking up that Les Paul and playing it. At that stage I thought, “Wow! This guy is nothing like anybody!” Totally unique, his image, the way he spoke, the way he projected himself, the way he did interviews, his intelligence. He was a poet, he was a rock ‘n’ roller, you know, he was everything into one. Even David Bowie – dare I say it and I know it's sacrilegious to say it – had only 99.9 %, whereas Marc to me was the only rock-star that had the 100% package. I probably get slammed for saying that but I do love Bowie as well.

MN:
Would you say that the fans that come to see your ‘Unplugged’ shows are different from the ones that usually come to see the ‘normal’ T.Rextasy shows, or is it mixed?

Danielz:
It’s mixed really. There are some people who will not come to see us in a rock venue. They like the theatre setting because in that kind of setting we are able to play two sets and some acoustic songs, but some electric songs as well. So they come because they want to hear us play something that sounds a little bit different from our usual shows. Other people don’t wanna see us in a theatre, so we have to play the full-blown electric set. But we also have a hardcore fan-base who will come to see us wherever we play.

MN:
So when does ‘T.Rextasy Unplugged’ come to London?

Danielz:
We get our work through agencies. I don’t go out and get our own shows, you know, we have agencies that promote us and get all our work. The trouble with London – and I lived in London for fifteen years – is that it has changed so much! Unbelievably. There always used to be so many good venues to play but sadly one after another is closing down, like The Standard is closing its doors in December. The council should be ashamed to shut down such an iconic music-venue, it’s been going since the 60’s! Now there seem to be lots of pubs to play, but we don’t wanna play in pubs! It’s not because of the money, it’s the venue. We grew out of playing pubs years and years ago, so it’s silly, even for an ‘unplugged’ show, to go back to that! It’s gotta be a music one and of course, there still are some nice music venues around. But even when T.Rextasy played the 100 Club for instance, we invited Tony Visconti and we publicised that Tony Visconti would be our special guest. He just had his biography out and we said, “Come on down, Tony, and be our special guest.” He came onto stage and played two, three numbers with us on bass guitar, then he signed his book for the fans and so forth. On that day we thought the place would be crammed, I mean, here is Tony Visconti, the legendary producer going to attend. And yet, the venue was still not even half full! So we’re hitting our heads against the brick wall unless it’s a really publicised event to the extend of a major band. Because there is so much to do in London, there are so many choices; you’re competing with about 200 things that are going on just on that one day. So unless it’s going to be a really special gig in London I don’t have any qualms about not playing in London. Really I prefer playing in smaller cities outside London where we’re competing with only a fraction of other acts that perform that same night.

MN:
Would you consider doing another ‘T.Rextasy Unplugged’ album at some point?

Danielz:
Yes I would, but it’s time. Thing is, if it was the old days were you had a pen, paper, a stamp and a telephone… fine! But now in the age of Twitter, Facebook, and various other websites… if we’re not gigging then we’re at home working on all the other stuff and update information. I also do a journal on the T.Rextasy website. Not as much as I’d like to, but that’s because of time as well. Sometimes we’re gigging and doing shows for the whole week, at other times we’re ‘only’ doing two gigs per week for instance. But people don’t realise that when I’m not gigging but I am at home instead, I’m working for the band as well. Also, I do a lot of radio interviews – I must have done fifty or sixty interviews last year. I also did special guest appearances although I stopped doing them now because of all the other work. So there is always something else to do. Yes, I would like to do another T.Rextasy album, not an ‘Unplugged’ one but a full electric one, but once again it’s finding the time. We did the ‘White Christmas EP’ the year before last and we did ‘White Christmas’, ‘I Love To Boogie’ and ‘Hot Love’ and that was a struggle! Because we had to do that in between gigs and of course, you lose your momentum when you’re recording. You just wanna stay in the studio and do it, but we had to do it in between, and I had to do the vocals in another studio. But in the end it came out great and we got a nice deal with Madman Records. As for a full album, of course I would love to do a new one, we all would. Especially John, who is always into recording.

JOHN SKELTON INTERVIEW:

Having just recovered from a near heart attack – courtesy of a sudden digi-recorder malfunction – I was more then relieved to get the thing working again in time for my interview with T.Rextasy drummer John Skelton. So was he! Not only would it have been utterly embarrassing had the micro-sized recorder snuffed it, but I sure would have missed out on some great stories from a great guy who’s been here and done that.

Music-News:
John, you played with and for so many acts, including Eddie & The Hotrods, Dr. Feelgood, The Only Ones and even with Roy Orbison!

John Skelton:
With Roy Orbison, I didn’t back him with my band but was the house drummer at ‘The Talk Of The South’ which was a top night club that had all the famous stars of the time. We’re talking probably 1972/73ish.
When I played in Eddie & The Hotrods we did a lot of gigs with Dr. Feelgood, as we shared the same bill.

MN:
So what was it like when you entered the world of T.Rextasy?

JS:
Different, haha! I nearly didn’t do it, you see. I had a call from Len Tuckey (ex Suzi Quatro guitarist), who is an old mate of mine. He always said to me “Oh, you want to gig with a rock ‘n’ roll band” and I would always say “You find me a rock ‘n’ roll band and I’ll join!” Anyway, Len phoned me up and informed me that T.Rextasy were lucking for a drummer. But I didn’t really know T.Rextasy, because till then I was playing different styles and always playing with very different kind of bands. Although T.Rextasy and one of the bands I played with, The Chicago Blues Brothers, might have been on the same bill years ago, I can’t remember really. I said to Len, ”Oh… I don’t know… I don’t think I want to play in a tribute band…” But then another guy, one of the PA guys, phoned up and he knew Danielz. And he, too, said, “Oh, T.Rextasy are looking for a drummer. It’s right up your street, why don’t you have a go?” and there was me thinking again “Oh… tribute band, tribute band…” All the while bearing in mind that I was doing that Blues Brothers band, which is of course a tribute band! I was indecisive. Then Danielz phoned me up! Obviously, they told him about me and mentioned that I would be good for the job or something. T.Rextasy had two imminent gigs coming up, the one in Hyde Park which was a Proms gig, and the Shepherds Bush 30th Anniversary show. All within the next couple of weeks you see. So I said that I would give it a go and do those two gigs, and see how it goes. And you know, it went really well! I was kinda blown away by the passion of the band I suppose, and the interest of the fans. And I was blown away by the fact that T.Rextasy isn’t really a typical tribute band although they are a tribute band, but really it’s a band in it’s own right. Well, and so I joined!

MN:
You’ve been playing drums since the age of fourteen. So when did you learn how to play all the other instruments like congas, bongos, tambourines and whatever else there is?

JS:
When I joined T.Rextasy, haha! Actually, I did have a set of congas many years ago but I never played them.

MN:
For the ‘Unplugged’ sessions, do you orientate yourself on Peregrine Took and Finn, or do you do your own thing?

JS:
No, I just do ME! It’s the same with the band really. I mean Paul (bassist Paul Marks) isn’t Steve Currie on stage. We play what they play, but we kind of do it as us. We’re not acting out another person, do you know what I mean? And Mickey Finn on congas was a little bit away with the fairies most of the time.

MN:
Which drummers from the world of rock are your heroes?

JS:
Simon Phillips, who’s one of my long-time guys that I follow. I mean there’s loads of good drummers. I mean Bonham was a great drummer in his own way and also Keith Moon. I mean he was a lot better in the very early days of The Who, before he started being a showman. If you see some of the early footage of The Who for instance, Keith Moon was playing like Mitch Mitchell… very busy anyway because he was a busy player. It was only later when he got more drums – and more cocaine I suppose – that the focus shifted. Ian Paice is another one of my favourite players. As a rock drummer, he’s got the feel and the technique and everything that you’d want for that kinda playing.

MN:
Speaking of drumming: during your Unplugged shows, do you find it difficult to play in a restraint manner because surely there must be a point when you just want to go wild…

JS:
Yes, you have to check yourself I suppose. With me on the acoustic, I’m mainly following Danielz you see. It’s kind of the other way around because although as a ‘normal’ drummer I’m not centre stage of course, everyone follows my beat. But on the acoustic thing, if Danielz changes the feel of a song or wants to do it a little bit different, then I follow him to what he does. On congas and percussions it’s not the sort of thing you wanna go mad on anyway because it just sounds like a mess. It sounds like someone is throwing a lot of drums down the stairs if you’re not careful.

MN:
How much creative input do you have when Danielz arranges the acoustic versions?

JK:
I think something like that grows. When we did the ‘T.Rextasy Unplugged’ CD for instance, we did it in a friend of mine’s studio. I had originally phoned him up to ask whether we can have a couple of days in the studio, because we gonna do acoustic. I said we just gonna put congas in there and acoustic guitar and that’s it. It ended up us being there for about three months, because it grew, you know! We thought, “Oh, this needs this and that needs that”. Danielz was double-tracking guitar and then I played keyboards and we put this orchestration on. I mean, Danielz obviously knows these songs inside out and when we got on to the fact that we were gonna double-track everything he knew in his mind what he wanted. So we were following that path really, but I didn’t have anything to go by because there weren’t any acoustic versions of them. So I was just experimenting with what to do. The first time we played an acoustic set was in a theatre in Bristol, and that’s when I bought my congas and played them. I just played with what I felt came natural for the songs, really. So I didn’t sit down beforehand and did any special arrangements. And that’s how it is now as well, but it will also grow again.

(Please read my ‘T.Rextasy – Unplugged’ review in our Music-News ‘Live reviews’ section).