Mythra vocalist Vince High got in touch after seeing the previous post about their reformation and Brofest #3 appearance.
I asked Vince of he wouldn’t ind answering a few questions for an “e-interview” and top man that he is…..he has.
Read below what Vince has to say about the old days, the reformation and what happened in between.
NWOBHM: Great news that Mythra are back together. What brought about the reunion.
VH: We were asked to play last year by the promoters but some of the lads couldn’t make it due to work commitments. When asked again this year we decided it would be great to get involved but with a new rhythm section as Barry (Hopper, Drums) and Pete (Melsom, Bass) couldn’t
make it. We are really delighted that Colin Hird and Phil Davies have joined us on Bass and Drums respectively. They are both top musicians and have fitted straight into the band. Rehearsals have been a mixture of music and laughs. We’re all getting on great together.
NWOBHM: I suppose another “blindingly obvious” question is what have you all been up to for the past 35 years or so…..care to fill us in
VH: Most of the lads have continued to play music alongside developing careers outside of the industry. After MYTHRA called it a day in 1983 I walked away however as I’d had enough of being away from home and wanted to develop a career in Youth Work. Apart from the time spent performing on stage the rest of the day can be really boring…I wanted to do something else and eventually ended up having senior managerial responsibility for the development of Youth Services in my native South Tyneside which was great. I actually retired at the age of 50 in 2010 so guess you could say I’m a young pensioner (laughs…)
NWOBHM: What was life like back in the early NWOBHM days for a young band trying to make it – competitive I’d imagine
VH: It was great fun gigging and writing original material as a young band. There were so many bands around and so many places to play. Credit has to go to Def Leppard for being the first NWOBHM band to self finance their single ‘Getcha Rocks Off’ in the summer of 1979. We followed quickly behind them in getting into the studio to record ‘Death and Destiny’. At the same time in London Iron Maiden were doing their ‘Soundhouse Tapes’. Making it is the big question however and, for young bands, securing good management that is willing to nurture your talent is crucial as we and no doubt thousands of other bands have unfortunately found to our cost. Great to see Leppard and Maiden still flying the flag they’ve rightly had stellar careers!
NWOBHM: The Death and Destiny EP is somewhat legendary. I lost my copy years ago. How did it feel to be tipped up by the likes of Geoff Barton and then for it now to work out. Any regrets there.
VH: As I mentioned above securing the right management is crucial and we unfortunately didn’t have that. We were young, ambitious but naive. We put our trust in people who we thought knew the business and subsequently we felt very let down at the time. We were locked into a recording deal with a company that wouldn’t release our music which, in turn, affected our live work opportunities. We had a great London based agent but understandably he needed his acts to be releasing new material and having success and with the way we were being handled at the time that just wasn’t possible. He was great to us and we thank him for his support and belief in us all those years ago. We eventually called it a day in 1983 but no regrets whatsoever…we’re still amazed that so many people still remember and talk about MYTHRA after all this time, and still listen to and enjoy our music. That’s why we’re doing Brofest…
NWOBHM: What would you say is the biggest change in the music business since those early days and the modern world – is it recording
techniques, touring, something else. Is life easier or harder as a result would you say
VH: Seems to me that the Internet has made a massive difference in enabling bands to get their music ‘out there’ without having to rely on companies. The freedom and independence this has afforded bands has to be a great thing in giving musicians control over their own creativity.
NWOBHM: The NWOBHM revival is seemingly never-ending with familiar names from the past reappearing. Brofest does a lot to keep the flame alive too. How did it come about that Mythra is on the bill this year.
VH: I’ve probably covered this question above…
NWOBHM: How does it feel to be playing again with the original line-up after so long. Just like riding a bike or a little awkward until you’re all back in to the swing
VH: When we first got back into the rehearsal studio it was amazing…we just clicked immediately and was like we had never stopped playing together. We’ve been rehearsing at Downcast Studios in Gateshead which is owned by Phil our drummer. It’s been great being back with the guys and playing with Colin and Phil for the first time…they are such great musicians!
NWOBHM: What happens to Mythra after Brofest – any plans to gig and/or record. I hope it’s not a one-off.
VH: Too early to say other than we will be sitting down together after Brofest to see where we want to take things next. One thing’s for sure though, it’s not about career ambitions anymore for MYTHRA but rather about enjoying the music and celebrating the fact that people still want to see and hear us 30+ years on. We have just set up a MYTHRA Facebook page this week so people can connect with us and they are already doing so in their hundreds which is fantastic in such a short space of time.
Very best wishes…
Vince High
MYTHRA
6th February 2015
My thanks to Vince for taking the time to answer the questions. And my best to Mythra for Brofest and beyond.
And don’ forget to check out Mythra’s Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/mythranwobhm