Last Stop Sounds: DLW, Hellfire Devilles: Wayne
DLW: So after catching Hellfire Devilles at a local gig (previously reviewed) I felt compelled to get in touch with them to find out more, their influences, style etc. I messaged Wayne, their frontman and stand up bassist to find out more. Firstly thank you Wayne for taking the time out to speak to us. First question, who are the Hellfire Devilles?
Wayne: HELLFIRE DEVILLES, are a Wrexham based 3 piece rockabilly/psychobilly style band although after playing together for a bit, we've found we don't really sound like either label, so we call what we do Killerbilly instead !!! So remember, it ain't rockabilly, it ain't psychobilly, its KILLERBILLY !!!! I guess you'd like to know who we are !! I'm Wayne Firefly, vocals and bass. Then there's Cow Mysterious, guitar and vocals and lastly but not leastly, but infinitely beastly, Nicklass Feratu on drums and vocals.
DLW: What other bands, if any do you also play in?
Wayne: I, as in myself fronted and bassed in Wrexham based punkers, STUNTFACE for 11 years (folded 2010) and I have been in VICE SQUAD since 2008. I've known Nick for about 30 odd years and we've been in loads of bands together. He was the original STUNTFACE drummer too for the first 7 years. I've known Cow about 35 years. He had been in a couple of bands with Nick in the late 80's and he was in a Wrexham based covers band The Swillers for 7 years. So, we have been mates for decades and been through our local incestuous band scenes together in some shape or form.
DLW: Who got the band together and what was the inspiration to start?
Wayne: I've loved Stray Cats for years and always harboured a fantasy about owning, learning to play then starting a band with a double bass. I've wanted to have a crack at rockabilly for years. My cousin's husband Thompo gave me a Meteors cassette about 1992-ish which crossed what I knew as punk (Misfits/SNFU/Spermbirds) and Stray Cats/rockabilly. That was the moment I actually knew I'd love a go at making a band that might be like that!! Took decades but here we are!!! I woke one morning with the name Hellfire Devils in my head and thought if a rockabilly band ever happens, that's what it'll be called. Cow brought up the Devilles thing which is more hot rod/dragster/50's rock n roll, so we decided was better than just plain old Devils!! I got chatting with Cow about it so we decided to knock some ideas about. Nick turned up a while later, looking for a band.... Pow, right in the kisser, there we were!!!
DLW: My next question was going to be how you arrived at your sound but you read my mind and already answered it so moving on... I remember visiting you way back in Wrexham when you took the pick up cover off my Ric 4003 and then you had the stand up bass in the store, how long did it take to be proficient in it and how different is it to playing a normal bass?
Wayne: I was told, by a guitarist in a band me and Nick were in between 1996-2000, that I'd never be able to play a double bass. It's too different an instrument etc etc, you need formal training/education etc etc. I got a Yamaha fretless BB300 about 1993, played the hell out of that (still got it) I got a Dean Pace EUB about 2006-ish, played it for maybe 4 months, sold it and bought a cheapo black rockabilly bass from Thomann with the funds. Took about 2 weeks to get to grips with it. Tuned the same, I could already play fretless, just bigger gaps between the notes. Hand stamina took some time but considering I was told I'd fail....
DLW: When did you feel comfortable and confident enough to go out gigging?
Wayne: As soon as I had the stamina to play a set, I didn't ever worry about confidence !!
DLW: Where and when was the first gig and how did the punters react?
Wayne: 6. Our 1st (unofficial) gig was a short cover set in a barn at a party at some event called Astonbury. Cant remember the date. Our 1st official full length gig was at a local bar, Rewind to play a 2 hour covers set. Again, can't remember the date offhand other than it was a Halloween do!! We were perfectly placed really!!! We hadn't started writing our own material yet. The Astonbury thing went well considering, the Rewind gig was pretty packed out as we'd flyered the buggery out if it locally!!
DLW: With reference to song writing, do you all chip in and construct them together?
Wayne: Yes, we all get stuck in. Cow may come up with a hook riff off the cuff so I'll record it on my phone, I might come up with a riff on the bass or guitar or get a drum pattern idea which I can try and interpret it to Nick. I write the lyrics and vocal melodies. If we jam on an idea, we tend to let instinct take us where we think an idea should go. We all chuck in when it comes to arrangements. I hear or read stuff which inspires lyric ideas. I spend an age writing lyrics which entertain me personally. If I think it's funny or cool or whatever, it usually goes in. There are a ton of hidden references/in jokes in Devilles lyrics which I find hilarious for the most part.
DLW: I know you've done studio worked as we spoke about it, have you had anyone show any interest in releasing a CD for you?
Wayne: Yeah, had tons of studio experience with old bands, Stuntface (3 albums) and Vice Squad (4 albums). Learned more about recording with Vice Squad than I ever have with any other situation I've ever been in. Lumpy, Vice Squad guitarist, drives the studio with Vice Squad. He missed his calling in life!! He should have been a producer!! I learnt more with Lumpy about the studio and recording than I'd ever thought possible!! No one has ever shown interest in us as far as putting out any releases so we do it like we always have. Ourselves. We have a 12 track album on the way asap. It's going to be called SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN and will be out on our own INFRABLACK RECORDS. We recorded it in Wrexham with the lad who did the original Stuntface demos in 2000 and also the 3rd SF album in 2007. Vince ray has done the artwork and all that so we're pretty pleased how it's going, it just needs to be quicker!!!
DLW: Just a quick interjection here, I assume you're still with Vice Squad?
Wayne: I am yes, although I haven't been able to see them for ages. Lockdown had ruined any ideas of travelling!!
DLW: This pandemic has fucked every one over for the last 18 months or so but prior to that, were you guys quite active getting out there and playing?
Wayne: Yes, Covid has fucked us as far as booking gigs is concerned. I was hoping to try and get it to fly then BANG!! Stopped like a bastard!! I hope to get it out there again sometime haha!! We have our usual originals set and a set of covers we use to play local bars, pubs and clubs for money to pay for recording, etc. When we have money in the kitty again, we will put out CDs, vinyl, merch etc etc. Got a ton of great ideas for our next releases and t-shirts etc.
DLW: A fun question I like to throw in, if you were a professional wrestler, what would your nickname be and why?
Wayne: The Taffy Tussler!! Because I'm a Taff and wrestling is tussling!!
DLW: Covid permitting, do you have plans to travel and gig in Europe with Hellfire?
Wayne: I'd love to travel abroad with the Devilles, brexshit and covid notwithstanding, let's see what happens when the album is released. If we get the opportunity to travel, I think we'll jump at it.
DLW: Lastly... promote your band, how would you 'sell' Hellfire Devilles to any future promoters?
Wayne: I guess the best way to sell it is to see it!! We don't ever fit in with the cliques or cool kids or have the best promotional stuff or a manager pushing us or hyping it up. It's usually us letting the band do the talking. If what we do pleases us, that's all that matters. If others like it too, brilliant!!!!
DLW: Excellent! Cheers Wayne, I really appreciate you taking the time to do this. I look forward to hearing the CDs. Stay safe buddy and hopefully catch you soon at another gig. So there you have it, Wales answer to rockabilly! A must see if you like Stray Cats, Beach Bastards, Rock n Roll et al! A great live band and damn fine eggs! Look out for reviews of their music once I get my mitts on them.
Words: DLW, Photos: Adrian Wharton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HELLFIREDEVILLES
Bandcamp: https://hellfiredevilles.bandcamp.com/
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