So what do you do when you are an unsigned, independent band and the economy is in the toilet, the music industry has more or less gone to the wall, you haven’t played a show outside the local bar for over 12 months and the rest of the band are pulling full time jobs just to make ends meet?

Well, that all depends on your drive and belief in what you do. Some bands fold or settle down into being hobby musicians, others like our friends in Army of Freshmen merely book an overseas tour, put themselves into debt to get here and set out to kick some serious arse including rocking a stage at Sonisphere festival.

After an 18 month absence from these shores, Ventura’s favourite 6 piece returned to the UK, unsure of what sort of reaction they would get. With 4 club shows on the agenda, plus a slot on one of the lower stages at Sonisphere, it was always going to be a flying visit but could it revitalise a band that had been more or less dormant for over a year?

Nova was represented at the first and the final show and could bore you to death with tales of rock and beer, but this isn’t trying to be a review (far too biased for that), so we have managed to grab hold of Lead Singer Chris Jay to fill in the gaps on what this tour meant to the band

The first show was played after a gruelling 24 hour journey from Californian sunshine to typical Yorkshire drizzle in Leeds, but the welcome could not have been warmer; well, you know what they say about up north!

© Lauren Chappelow

“It wasn’t hard to decide to come back to play in the UK, paying for it was the hard part! We’d be over every month if money wasn’t an issue.

We were bowled over by the reaction at the first show in Leeds. We truly didn’t know what to expect; to have so many people know the words almost made me a little teary eyed….hell, Aaron almost passed out onstage, supposedly from heat exhaustion but….we have our doubts.

It was great to see a lot of folks knew the new songs from the Close Encounter EP. We’re talking about a video for one of the tunes; we just don’t know what one, yet!

So all in all it was pretty damn punk rock. Those indie venues like the one in Leeds – it can get pretty insane!”

And after a raucous evening, topped off by karaoke enjoyed by all in the venue bar until the early hours, the guys set off on the drive south to Knebworth and the Sonisphere Festival.

Now the guys have played festivals before, Download here in the UK twice, Warped Tour in the US and just last year, 2 in China of all places; but Knebworth is the iconic venue of all things rock for the past 35 years: The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Oasis, Robbie Williams… over 100 major artists have played Knebworth festivals since their inception in 1974, in front of over two million fans.

So kind of a big deal really, but how does a relatively unknown non metal band from Cali get the gig?

“All props go to our agent and close friend, Ed Sellers. He really pushed to make it happen.

© 2010, Army of Freshmen,

Festivals are always fun. This was different in that it was a metal festival all the way but that made the reaction [..we received] so much better in a way”

What it meant was going back to the old days of the Warped tour and having to walk the crowd handing out flyers before show time, to try and prise an audience away from The Cult no less. A daunting step?

Oh I like that. Great way to meet people. Keeps you humble. It’s cool when they actually show up- it’s like… I know you from the sausage stand!

Well all that time at the sausage stand seems to have paid off and the band defied expectation and filled out their tent for a raucous 30 minute set, which by all accounts has drawn in a good few new fans as well as 3K’s from Kerrang. And yes, there was still time to chill out and savour the full festival experience and catch a few legends whilst going about it.

Well Rammstein is something everyone needs to see once. Maiden, of course, out of principle. Was cool to see Madina Lake do their thing- didn’t catch as many [bands] as we’d like- too much to do at those things but some of the guys got their pic with Brian Posehn which they were stoked about. (American Comedian)

Flying high after Soni, but no time to rest on their laurels, the band had dates to play in Southampton and then London before heading up to Birmingham for the final stop on this mini trip around the UK.

Wandering into Academy 3 just 45 minutes after doors opened, there was already over 150 people in the venue, most of who seemed to be hitting the merch table with vengeance and a rapid turnover of shirts and cds was taking place.

And then Aaron, Chris, Dan, Kai, Mike and Owen hit the stage for their last show on UK soil and a great review can be found here:  http://the-music-review.tumblr.com/ (Review credit to Catie Martin)

But Chris’ reaction to the show, which, by request pulled some real old school tunes from the back catalogue, sums it up nicely:

Fuck yeah.

Yeah it’s always interesting to see what songs mean alot to people. Some we figured but there were some surprises for sure. “It Never Rains In Los Angeles” and “Some Happy Ending” took us by surprise.

For a band that has always seemed to be having as much fun onstage as those in the crowd, this tour the ‘fun’ level seemed to have been ramped up another notch.

I think it was. I think we were just so happy to be over there again- the positive vibes were through the roof.

And so, despite financial stress and hassles in getting over here, a tour that could have been seen by cynics as a retrograde step – no tour bus, sleeping on floors, loading their own van appears to have been a resounding success.

We’ve never forgotten what it’s all about: Music, friends, family.

Judging by the reaction at the shows that Nova witnessed, Army of Freshmen will be more than welcome to revisit Blighty anytime soon and if the grins of the band, after the last show are anything to go by, they will be considering selling their own Grandparents to get back.

© 2010 - Army of Freshmen

Chris Jay - Photo by Rachel Clare

So with the latest onslaught of snow, rain & wind battering the UK, Nova took advantage of a bit of California sunshine and chatted with Chris Jay, lead singer with our good friends Army of Freshmen……….

Nova: Hey Chris, so what’s the weather like in Cali today?

CJ: Gorgeous. I’m at a desk with massive windows staring at blue sky over the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes you forget why you live here and pay so much to do so but the weather is heaven.

Nova: Nice! I’m not in the least bit jealous, ha. Well, for the people in Nova-land that have been living under a rock for the past 10 years; give us a quick background to Army of Freshmen.

CJ: Hard to do a short version but… boy from NJ goes to CA, makes friends, starts band, works hard, tours, makes records, works harder, tours internationally, has great time, music industry eats shit, struggles, still works hard, happy story for the most part.

Nova: Good to hear it’s mostly happy, so after a hectic couple of years with 2 album releases, something like 10 tours in the US & UK and a visit to China, all has been quiet in freshman-land recently, apart from a few local shows, how have you guys been spending your downtime?
CJ: Well… we’re all working various jobs paying bills etc… but in the meantime we’ve done some producing of other artists, Kai and I acted in a small movie coming out this year, we’ve got songs in a few movies coming out, Aaron and I have developed a cartoon show and we’ve been writing some new AOF songs which the world will hear sooner than later.

Nova: Ooooh, any clues on when how soon we can expect to get our grubby little hands on the recordings you have been working on?

CJ: You’re not supposed to know about that. In fact I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m gonna need to see some identification… is that you Owen?!?

Nova: *Coughs & blushes*. Moving swiftly on; now that the majority of the band could be considered mature students rather than freshmen, do you still find it easy to connect with the majority of your fans, most of whom are not old enough to drink?

CJ: Sure. I mean some things are universal and have no age attached. Love, loss, dreams, hope, happiness, that always means something to any age but of course when you meet someone and their big problem is getting an F on a test and getting grounded and your big problem is not paying the rent and getting evicted well… there is a separation there but hey perception is reality.

Nova: On the subject of connecting with fans, is Myspace dead?

CJ: Certainly feels that way and I love it but it’s gotten confused and covered in spam. Not nearly as fun as it used to be checking the inbox.

Nova: Everyone has moved to the darkside with Facebook & Twitter, I suppose
Army of Freshmen can be found on both: Facebook & Twitter
Nova: Ever been tempted to call it a day & hit the 9-5 grind?

CJ: NEVER! It’s all I’ve known doing and working in some form of music from working at music management companies to promoting shows to writing about music. It’s kind of all I know. Couldn’t see me sitting in a cubicle selling widgets.

Nova: Great to hear, although I’m partial to a nice widget myself, so any room on your next tour for Novas’ favourite UK band – The Razorbax?

CJ: I’ll check um out. Love finding good new music.

Nova: And you all should too, dear readers!! Which leads on nicely to my next question: . As you know, Nova-Caine is trying to make it easier for unsigned and independent bands to reach out and achieve their dreams; do you guys have any advice for bands just starting out on their journey?

CJ: Just spoke about this with Aaron at a conference. Lots of advice but it depends on what you want out of it- the days of superstardom are long gone. Do it because you love it. Work harder than the next guy. Work with your friends. Have fun and things will happen. Write songs and play live – practice makes perfect. While you need to spend a lot of time online promoting there’s more to it than that.

Nova: Yes, unlike what NME & The X factor would have us believe, it’s not all about image, so your image….. Any embarrassing hairstyles over the years? (Nova has photos)

CJ: Yes. In one of our first press photos- I had a Prince Valiant cut. Didn’t really stand the test of time. Jeez- we’ve all had bad ones.

Nova: Indeed, a picture of that hairstyle could be made available to a lucky fan for the right price ;>) Ha ha.

Nova: talking of fans…. Most popular fan question – Will we see AOF on tour this year? Both in the US & UK?

CJ: Yes. Maybe not as much as we have in the past- nobody really is out as much as they were when the economy was better but we’ll be doing some shows for sure. Keep checking the sites!

Nova: So that will be Facebook, MySpace, Twitter,  Army of Freshmen & of course Nova-Caine for all your AOF needs & news

Nova: Now a question that will be familiar to UK fans of Soccer AM: Who is the longest in the shower?

CJ: Well Kai takes a LONG shower but Mike’s been known to spend some time in there as well primping. : > )

Nova: . Talking of showers, who abandoned their black socks in a hotel bathroom in Leeds on your last tour?

CJ: Not me cause I don’t wear black socks but I always ditch old socks on the road- keeping them around can only lead to bad things.

Nova: Hmmm, so detective Nova will have to keep digging on that question….Kai & Owen are prime suspects now. Right, quick fire round: 10 questions…..go!

Cat or Dog? Dog. Wasn’t till recently but once I got hooked there was no turning back. The best.

Boxers or briefs? Boxers. Holding out. I think boxer briefs make you look like an out of shape cage fighter but I’m the last AOF member standing on that.

Plain or plaid? Plaid. I like plaid. Bring it back. Bosstones style!

Coffee or tea? Tea. I have never had a cup of coffee in my life. That always freaks people out. I’m addicted to ice tea though.

Milk or dark (chocolate)? Milk. Dark’s a little too much.

Cd or vinyl? Vinyl. Big ass covers- keeping um in plastic bags. The best to collect but CDs are easier- they’re both dead now though.

Pepsi or coke? Pepsi but Coke in a bottle is great.

Sun or snow? Snow but not too much of it. The east coast is still digging out.

Clubs or festivals? To play- festivals! To go to see a show- clubs.

Movie or book? Both. : > )

Nova: So the one word answer concept is yet to hit California, I see.
Well, after all that excitement, all I can say is thanks very much for taking time out to do this for us, Chris and we look forward to seeing and hearing what comes out of the Freshmen locker very soon, we hope.

I need a coffee now, where are the Nova minions??

Official Band Web Site : http://www.armyoffreshmen.com/

23rd March 2010 – If you were there then mark it in your diary, if you weren’t then what the hell was more important than watching four lads from Wolverhampton storm the stage at the O2 Academy 2 Islington…

From the sound-check to the final chords of Couldn’t Wait,  The Razorbax laid seige to the intimate surroundings  of this iconic venue.    Watching the lads take the stage for sound check with a quiet assurance that comes from just knowing your so damn good at what you do, the sound engineer politely asked if the boys wouldn’t mind checking the levels for their loudest song, 2 bars in and the engineer had whipped off his ear phones and was waving furiously for the boys to stop while he regained what was left of his hearing, again politely enquiring if  Louis the drummer could possibly hit the drums a little lighter, the immediate response was, “well can’t you just turn everybody else up”, and so there it was the scene had been set, The Razorbax were coming for your ears and they weren’t going to be ignored…..

And so with sound check complete the boys were ready to do business with the London public, bringing along a following in excess of all the other bands playing that night they were ready…

Welcoming the London crowd and then bursting into Wake Up, they seized the crowds attention and those that had never heard them play before were about to never forget their first time in the company of The Razorbax, delivered with precision, passion and great ease the crowd stood captivated, and dare I say those unfamiliar with the boys work were soon tapping their feet along and nodding their heads in appreciation as the boys slipped effortlessly from one track to the next, the set linked up neatly with some witty banter, between the band and the crowd, lead singer Leigh Bucknall even pausing as the band were about to strike up into Stupid Boy to ask if anybody knew the score in the West Ham v Wolves game, that level of interaction and ease with the crowd is often only ever seen with bands that have filled stadiums and arena’s who have honed their act over years of touring.  The Razorbax are so at home on stage that you start to wonder how much better they’re going to get and how long it will be before they’re filling those stadiums and arena’s.

With a set list comprising of  Wake Up, Something to Believe in, Maggie, To have and to have not, Stupid Boy, Don’t, Picture on my Wall, Shot Down, and Couldn’t Wait, to say they were supposed to be onstage for 20mins it was closer to the 40 and from the reaction of the crowd you could have wagered that they’d liked to have seen another 40.  With the set complete you could see the crowd, turn and search out the merchandise stall, with the crowd taken I think  The Razorbax will once more get a calling from London…..

If you weren’t there then we’ve only one thing to say STUPID BOY! (or Girl)

If there was any doubt of The Razorbax global reaching and growing international fan base then we have included this email received at the Nova-Caine Offices following the gig in London….. Sent in by J’Net Newton a fan from Oklahoma en-route to see the American Idiot Musical in New York….

“I was talking to some random young college guy on one of my planes yesterday, and he asked me why I was going to NY. I told him a bit about the show and some of my Green Day activities. Then we started talking about other music, and I mentioned the Razorbax. He said, “Oh yeah, I just heard of them just the other day – my friend in India knows some people in Europe and he told me about them. Aren’t they from England?”

Just wish you could have seen the look on my face :LOL:! Gobsmacked doesn’t even start to describe it!!!

Just thought y’all might like to hear about this… ? .”

A 4 piece pop punk band who released their album at midnight last night are out selling the King of Pop on Amazons download charts today. The band promoted and supported by nova-caine music have seen their debut release rocket up the charts today.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PR Log (Press Release) – Mar 15, 2010 – The Razorbax are a 4 piece punk band from Wolverhampton they released their debut album last night at midnight and supported by a huge fan base this has seen their album rocket up the charts during the day, even out stripping the King of Pop Michael Jackson.

The debut album is a 12 track bombshell of pure honesty and rock ‘n’ roll!

It deals with the struggles of the unemployed, drug/alcohol addiction, love, lust, heartbreak, life, death. The songs range from melodic epics (Don’t, Couldn’t Wait) to 2 minute rage filled snarls (Wake Up! Wake Up!, Stupid Boy!) and an incredibly radio friendly acoustic ballad (Better Place).

There’s even a bit of reggae (Shot Down) thrown in for good measure. This is not an album written around 2 or 3 singles… and despite the difference in styles, somehow it all fits together as a piece of music, a real album, and all the songs are strong lyrically and musically.

Sneak preview go to http://www.nova-caine.com/razorbax-something-to-believe- … and decide for yourself.

Written by Andrew Bond

A ‘Master Class’ was delivered at the Red Rose Theatre by a group from Wolverhampton an unassuming bunch of lads that seem, not to know how good they actually are, their sound check was a sort of shrug of the shoulders ‘that’ll do affair’ with a bit of larking about and a ‘can you just give me a bit more vocal in here’ sort of thing…. But then after the singer said over the mike ‘I’m just gonna take a piss… get a drink…. and then we’ll play’ …..Rock and Roll !

The Razorbax are Leigh Bucknall, Jack Perry, Louis Bowen, and James Kitchen and could just turn out to be the most revolutionary and important band in the last 30 years….. ‘Well you never know’ every song they sing possesses the signature sound associated with the powerful Icons of the late 70s early 80s and the modern day.

A blend of old and new that mix, lyrics that are as deep and complex as Joe Strummer’s, with vocals that are spat… (sorry Leigh.. but I mean spat in a good way) at you in the same way that such bands as the Stiff little Fingers and The Clash did ‘back in their heyday, but taking their genre, and reinventing punk for a younger generation in a Green Day/Offspring sort of way but better. The drums fiercely kept beat… (Travis Barker would consider retiring if he saw this show.)

The guitars roared with overbearing power, over all of it, the extremely catchy lyrics of Leigh Bucknall, It all makes the sound of a band with so much passion and resentment, that they are no doubt destined to be some of the most recognizable Faces/sounds in punk music. The songs are all hard-driving and catchy, “Wake Up Wake Up”. It begins fast and ends fast, with the whole band roaring. ‘I’ve got a hand full of bad Ideas and a pocket of hope, and a mouthful of burning words that come… straight from the f***in heart’…..poetry….. Other tracks of their forthcoming album were sung loud, proud and with perfect timing….. Something to Believe In…Stupid Boy….Waste Of Time….Liked You Better….amongst others…..and Picture On My Wall , which Leigh had written for his mum ( yep punks love their mums too) Leigh also sung without the band as the drummer left the stage mid gig to get a drink…’Punk man’… you gotta love it…. and there even as a tip of the hat to the Clash with a rendition of a verse of ‘bankrobber ‘ that would have made Joe Strummer smile as it came from nowhere in the middle of one of their tracks almost in a ‘sound check’ sort of way the CD we we’re informed is out on February Leigh commented ‘You should buy it we don’t want your money…We want you EARS’ and it was believable, Get to see this band before they become famous, so you can say the words ‘I saw them before they made it’ they’re going places undoubtedly talented, at ease as any top stadium band when they are on stage and even when playing to a smaller crowd they rocked it like it was Wembley in front of 90,000 and one day I think it could well b