TANK interview transcript.

Transcript of an interview I recorded with Cliff Evans of TANK - 21/06/19
Full article here.

MAL-
​On the line, Cliff Evans from TANK. Cliff, thanks for joining me. 
CLIFF-
It's a real pleasure, real privilege to be coming down to Australia. So it's a pretty exciting time for us.
MAL-
Let's talk a bit of ancient history if you like, back when we were much younger men. Before you joined TANK, what was your awareness of the band?
CLIFF-
Well, I was always a fan of TANK. I knew the guys when they first started, I used to work in a guitar store when I was young, so Algy and the Bradshaws used to come in and I sold Algy one of his Thunderbird basses. I'd always get on the guest list to go see you at the Marquee and places like that, and Hammersmith Odeon. So I was aware of the band and we were good friends. So I was a fan before I joined and loved their music. So it kind of started there really?
MAL-
Excellent. Now I've spoken to some of the guys from RAVEN and VENOM INC over the time. And because they started off up north, and they we're talking about the scene up there. What was it like in London at the time in the early 80s? Must have been a fascinating time.
CLIFF-
Yeah, it was I mean, from the late 70s, early 80s. I mean, I used to go and see absolutely everything. Then I lived in central London, and there were just so many pubs and clubs and a few of the bigger venues there were just bands everywhere. There was a pub, just around the corner from where I lived, it was called the Brecknock. And now it's like seven nights a week, you could go there and see, you know, good metal/rock bands or blues bands. Regularly at least every couple of weeks, you get IRON MAIDEN will be playing there, when they were a 4 piece with Dianno, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, whoever the drummer would have been at that particular time, but they'll be playing a couple of times, maybe every couple of weeks, and you get ANGELWITCH will be on there. You get SAMSON, just all those bands will be playing there. It's only a small pub. You can like 20-30 people. And the other band, a band called URCHIN used to play there as well. And that was Adrian Smith, that was his band before he joined IRON MAIDEN. So they've you know, they, they took him from there. But then you'd have a lot of these little clubs and pubs everywhere. 
Okay, yeah, I mean, Hammersmith Odeon was a big venue. And you go there sort of two or three times a week, and you could see like RUSH and the SCORPIONS and bands like that in one week. URIAH HEEP and stuff, which is really cool. So so it was it was very exciting time around that sort of early 80s. There is still a punk scene going on as well. And a lot of different musical styles. were sort of coming out then, good times.
MAL-
Now you joined the band. How was that early on?
CLIFF-
I remember when the Brad's brothers left the band and I remember that happening. And I was in a different band at that time I was playing with an old blues band called STAN WEBB's CHICKEN SHACK, which is quite a legendary blues band from the 60s 70s. Still going now 
MAL-
Bob Daisley was in them wasn't he?
CLIFF-
That's correct. Yes, Bob Daisley was on bass at one point, Christine McVie from FLEETWOOD MAC was in the band and Paul Raymond from UFO he was in it as well. So I was in that for about a year. And one day we're playing a show in London and Algy, Mick Tucker came, they were in the audience, they were with Janick Gers who at the time I think was with Gillan. We were playing the I did the show off the show, after the show we had a few beers....CONNECTION LOST
MAL-
Now you've joined the band after Algy and Mick have rocked up at a show
CLIFF-
That's right. Yes that CHICKEN SHACK show that I was doing it after that after I finished that show when I'd had a few beers with them. And and they said because because Pete Brad's going they said, you wanna join TANK. So I mean, there was no audition I think was just like quite a few beers and the deal was done. Literally next day, we were in the studio recording 'Honour And Blood'. And that's it and I'm still here now.
MAL-
What's the main memories of those days?
CLIFF-
I think you know, when we go into record 'Honour And Blood' soon after that we got offered the METALLICA 'Ride The Lightning' tour, which was a pretty big thing I've never really done a proper full on tour before so it was like six weeks all over Europe supporting METALLICA who were just getting really big right then. So that was really cool to get out on tour on that sort of level, on a high level there and played some pretty big shows to a lot of people and METALLICA, they asked for us to be on the tour because they were they TANK fans. So that was a really cool thing that that's a real highlight of our whole careers, I guess. But good times, I mean, just to be able, you know, when you sort of young to get out and hit the road in a tour bus and play guitar every night, and then have a few beers. That was a that's a real highlight.
MAL-
How different is it to going out on the road these days. I mean, we're older, supposedly we're wiser. Does it feel different?
CLIFF-
I mean, I still enjoy and it's it's difficult when you've got guys, you've got to sort of try and make a bit of a living out of it. Your budgets have sort of come down a bit, you got to try and cut costs here and there. So it is difficult, but we still once we're out there all the problems, whatever what soon as we get on stage, we do really enjoy it. We have a good time, then a few days afterwards. So it's still great hanging out with your mates and playing guitar. So it kind of kind of takes you back a bit, which is still very enjoyable and stuff the way we still do it really we'll continue doing it.
MAL-
Between the years we're still 18, mate.
CLIFF-
Exactly. That's the way you feel that when you're out there. Still feel like a kid. That's it.
MAL-
What's the funniest thing that's happened on tour?
CLIFF-
Too many things, every every day when you got these guys to get together. It's all just a laugh all the time. You know, even just traveling, I'm sure flying to Australia and there's a few things going to happen. And we just have a good time. We always have a few beers. And it's just a laugh. It's like kids on a school trip, really. That's the way we look at it.
MAL-
So we've got a unique situation here. We've got a NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL tour booked here for Australia. We've got GIRLSCHOOL, we've got VENOM INC, and we've got RAVEN in the lineup. It's getting closer and closer. All looking good. Then we hear there's a problem, VENOM INC are off and in off the interchange bench is TANK. How did this come about? 
CLIFF-
Um, well, I was in touch with Doug at Hardline Media, who's putting on this whole tour. And we spoke a while ago about the possibility of bringing TANK down there, thought maybe in future maybe maybe there's something that can be done. So we kind of left it at that. But then I got a message from Doug, he said there's a problem with VENOM INC, I think one of the guys had was ill or something and they've had to pull out. So Doug said can you guys do it? So I had to get in touch with the other guys from the band because there's some of those were pretty busy. So we shifted schedules around a bit. And then we said yeah okay, we're in, we got to do it. So. So it kind of went from there, really. So then we were confirmed. And that's it. So it was a nice surprise.
MAL-
It is a nice surprise. How busy is the band these days?
CLIFF-
You can never be busy enough, really, I mean, we've got I mean, now we just we just did this album there and we, there's some other dates have been in for a while. But now this is coming just before we go to July. So we go to Japan in July for three shows. So it's the first one we go back there for like 20 years. So that's going to be cool, and then after that we do South America, Latin America tour. And then we're looking at Europe at some point in late autumn. So we're really just trying to keep as busy as possible, because it's very difficult trying to keep a band on the road these days with costs and everything and we all have to got to make some money there just to keep things going and pay the bills. But it's kind of looking good at the moment. I mean, these are good shows. I mean having Australia coming now is fantastic. So it's a really good territory, Australia, Japan and South America. So you know, we just expanding the fan base and coming to Australia is great, obviously so because we've never been before so it's play our music for the fan base we have there is going to be great for us and hopefully them as well.
MAL-
It'll be great to have you down here. You're not coming to Adelaide, unfortunately, but..
CLIFF-
That's a shame isn't it? Next time,
MAL-
Maybe next time indeed. Right. All right, Cliff Evans from TANK absolutely great talking to you. Thanks so much for taking my call. and wish you all the best for the upcoming NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL tour of Australia with GIRLSCHOOL and RAVEN. Thanks for taking the time and have a great day.
CLIFF-
Great, thanks very much for for inviting us onto your radio show there, it's a real privilege for us to be coming all the way to the other side of the world. We know we've got a good fan base building down there. So to be able to come down and play our style of metal for the fans is something very special for us. And we can't wait to get down there and have a few beers with you.