by Alexandra Mrozowska
— Senior Columnist —
There are bands that part ways in disgrace, long after they fell into oblivion, and those which continue to inspire younger musicians all around the globe even half a century after their breakup. With their firmly established status as one of the most popular and influential – and the best-selling – music act of all time, the Beatles are certainly one of the latter. Each generation of their fans keeps their legacy alive, both as listeners and creators. One of those who dared to dive into the Beatles’ catalogue and come up with a new, interesting twist on both the classics and the deep cuts are the Beat-Hells, comprised of the Welsh singer Neil Starr (ex-Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, ex-Attack! Attack!), the German singer and guitarist Sebastian “Sibbi” Hafner (Itchy) and Will Davies on bass. Hardrock Haven caught up with Neil to chat about giving the Beatles a Punk Rock twist and his approach to the Fab Four’s legacy – as well as his tenure in Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons…
Hardrock Haven: In what circumstances did the idea for mixing Punk Rock with the Beatles start?
Neil Starr: I have always been a big fan of the Beatles. When the COVID pandemic started in March 2020, it stopped the band I was in at the time – Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons – from being able to tour anymore, just like it did for all bands. It was at this time that I had the idea to make a full album of Punk Rock Beatles songs. I messaged my friend Sibbi who lives in Germany and sings in the band Itchy if he would like to start the project with me and he said ‘yes’, so that’s how the idea was started. I’ve always thought that Beatles’ songs would sound great done in a Punk Rock style.
Hardrock Haven: Was it easy to actually mix the best of both worlds, so to speak – the Beatles’ songs and the modern Punk Rock sound?
Neil Starr: I wouldn’t say it was easy. I would say it came naturally to us to make the arrangements. The songs are already perfect, so all we had to do was imagine ways to make them sound a little more Punk Rock sounding. It was a really fun thing to do.
Hardrock Haven: As you’re both Beatles’ fans, was there anything you’ve found surprising about these particular songs throughout the arranging and recording process?
Neil Starr: The main thing for me was getting familiar with some of the more ‘not so popular’ songs. The Beatles wrote so many songs and I am not familiar with every single one, so it was a learning experience and still is a learning experience to listen to their entire back catalogue of songs and choosing which ones to cover.
Hardrock Haven: Exactly – you’ve also covered little less known Beatles’ songs, such as “Taxman” or “Until There Was You.” Do you feel there’s indeed more to the Beatles than their biggest hits and that people should discover, or perhaps rediscover that?
Neil Starr: I 100 per cent agree with this. Of course we all know the Number 1 hits but the Beatles were extraordinary songwriters and there is so much more depth to them than just these songs. I think people will hear songs from our album and not even recognize them as Beatles’ songs. They weren’t familiar with them in the first place because these songs weren’t the so-called “hits” of the Beatles.
Hardrock Haven: The Beat-Hells consists of fourteen tracks. Were there any other covers you planned to include, but dropped for whatever reason?
Neil Starr: We stopped recording at sixteen tracks, so there were two songs that we didn’t use on this album but will use on the next one. We could have recorded more, of course, but we felt we wanted to share what we had with the world before we continued to record more. Fourteen tracks felt like a good number of songs to start with on the first release, which is why we kept two songs back for a future one.
Hardrock Haven: The Beatles are often considered to be the biggest – or most important – band in history. Would you agree? What do you find so appealing about their music and why do you think it’s timeless as it is?
Neil Starr: I would agree with that statement. I think they wrote so many great songs and achieved so many things that hadn’t been done before. I love their music because of the variety it offers on each album and because each song is so amazingly well-written. That is the reason it’s timeless too, because the songs are so well-written and so well-performed.
Hardrock Haven: The album was recorded remotely due to lockdown restrictions throughout 2020. Were the circumstances of recording the album different, do you think it would be made in a traditional way – or perhaps not?
Neil Starr: We had no choice but to record remotely due to the lockdown but 100 per cent if we get into a position in the future where we can get into a studio and record the usual way – then we will definitely do that. Recording is meant to be done in a room together and that’s the natural way and the best way in my opinion.
Hardrock Haven: Speaking about the recording process, you’ve used as many as twelve different drummers for the album. Do you think it actually shows in a sense that each of them brings something different to the table?
Neil Starr: Yes, it was a bold idea to have that many drummers on the album, but it has meant that each guy was able to offer something unique to each song – which is awesome. Those drummers all have different influences and backgrounds but all have at least one thing in common… they love the Beatles! We are so grateful to each and every drummer that gave us their time to make this project happen.
Hardrock Haven: What was the feedback so far on The Beat-Hells and what do you think is the biggest challenge when covering songs considered to be a classic and being known by generations?
Neil Starr: The feedback has been nothing short of amazing so far which makes us really happy. One of the biggest challenges and fears was not to ruin any of their songs… that would have been unforgivable. People know most of these songs so well that they have to think we have done a good job to enjoy them because they are already much loved songs in the first place.
Hardrock Haven: Exactly. Do you have any previous experience in cover bands – and if you do, what’s your experience like?
Neil Starr: No, this is the first time doing something like this. If it wasn’t for the pandemic, it probably would have never happened too, because usually as musicians we are busy most of the time on tour. We took a terrible situation in the world and tried to make something a little better from it.
Hardrock Haven: That’s indeed one of few good side effects of what’s going on – musicians trying to find a positive in all this and trying to pursue the projects they had no time for before. So, do you plan to continue with The Beat-Hells or was it a one-off project?
Neil Starr: The plan is to keep recording when there is time and also to maybe play some live shows if and when the COVID restrictions allow us to…
Hardrock Haven: As we’ve already mentioned, the idea and recording process behind The Beat-Hells date back to 2020 – and so does We’re The Bastards by Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons you’ve sung on. Now that it’s officially announced you’re no longer a part of the band, do you think the time you’ve spent in it was a valuable addition to your musical resume?
Neil Starr: I loved every single minute of being in Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons. They are all great friends and we wrote some great songs together and got to tour all over the world. I would change a single part of it. These are memories I will cherish forever.
Hardrock Haven: While fronting Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, the Motörhead connection was obvious – and also, as Tyla [Campbell, PCATBS’ bass player] noticed while being interviewed for Hardrock Haven in October 2020, a lot of Motörhead fans were going to naturally progress into PCATBS fans once Motörhead was no more. As a frontman, have you ever found it problematic?
Neil Starr: The Motörhead fans were always very kind to me and complemented me as a singer and frontman. I tried to do my own thing and not imitate Lemmy in any way, which I think the Motörhead fans really appreciated. There will only ever be one Lemmy and no one should try to recreate or copy that in my opinion. I was nervous at the start to sing Motörhead songs in our set because Lemmy had such an amazing and unique voice but I realized that I just need to sing the songs in my own way and hope that the fans will appreciate that decision… which I think they did.
Hardrock Haven: Speaking about We’re The Bastards, you were in charge of the lyrical side of the album. What was the inspiration behind these songs we’ve all been blasting last November – and what in general inspires your songwriting?
Neil Starr: I take inspiration from everywhere, to be honest. I use lyric writing to get certain things off my chest, for example things that are going on around the world that piss me off (laughs). I also listen to the music that I am writing the words for and let that music inspire the lyrical direction. For example the last song “Waves” [off We’re The Bastards], I felt it was dark and sombre to listen to… so I felt like it was the perfect song to open up about some things that I had felt and gone through personally. That track is the most personal lyrics I have written during my time in Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons.
Hardrock Haven: And now that The Beat-Hells’ album is out, what are your next plans?
Neil Starr: To try to share it with the world as much as possible, to plan to record some more tracks and to hopefully play some shows too. When I listen to the album it makes me smile and that for me is what music is all about. It is there to make us feel something inside of us.
Hardrock Haven: Absolutely! So, wrapping it up on a such positive note, is there anything you’d like to add in the end?
Neil Starr: Thanks for your time and your support!
Visit The Beat-Hells: Official Site | Facebook | Instagram
Check out The Beat-Hells’ version of the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” featuring Dane Campbell of Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons on drums:
