With a raft of good time sleaze rock and roll tunes under the belts and too many sold out shows to mention then this really should be their time.

If you haven’t checked them out yet then what on earth have you been doing? We caught up with one of our tips for the top for 2010. rushonrock: You’ve just come back from Finland’s Trash Fest 2010 and Scandinavia seems like it’s good to you?

AJ: It has been has been a great place for us so far and we intend to spend a lot of time there in the future. We went back over there before Christmas and there were a lot more people came out to see us than we expected. It went down so well and we were invited to go back and play Trashfest 2010. We’re hoping to do a full tour of Finland later this year.

rushonrock: Why have NGS been such a big hit in Finland?

David: We play music and drink beer. That’s our mantra and they love that over there.

AJ: Not necessarily in that order though!

David: Yeah. It’s just party, party, party. We heard all about the booze cruise they do over there and usually it’s mayhem. It just so happens we did it midweek when it was all truckers and old women. So it wasn’t quite rock and roll. But we still managed to be rock and roll and get wankered.

AJ: In the morning we woke up and thought ‘let’s get some breakfast’. Everyone was rushing about and we’d slept through the ship docking. Our car with all the kit on was blocking everyone in and nobody could get ashore.

rushonrock: Once you did escape the ferry what was the best bit about playing the rock clubs of Finland?

David: The after-show parties were pretty crazy. AJ the rock star and singer had to go to every one and managed three hours sleep the whole weekend. They like their drink and they like their parties in Finland – the shows were just one part of the whole package. It’s just amazing.

AJ: The people are fantastic and so welcoming. They just love the music.

David: The titty bars are rubbish though.

rushonrock: Back home and you’re racking up the high profile support slots with a whole load of blasts from the late 80s/early 90s past.

AJ: “We enjoyed the dates we played with Vain before Christmas. They’re nice guys. We’re very lucky – we’ve made a connection with Vain, LA Guns and Love/Hate and we get to use their audiences to promote what we’re doing.

rushonrock: And how’s the new material coming on?

Chris: We’re always writing when we’re on the road. We’ve got two albums under our belts but we’re always looking ahead. The latest album has been out for around six months now but we’re still finding a new audience. We’re hitting Germany and Spain soon and world domination beckons. You get a different vibe on the continent. I think foreign audiences really appreciate any British band heading over to their country. We do get spoiled over here with the number of bands who tour regularly from all over the world. It doesn’t happen elsewhere.

rushonrock: But the UK will always be your priority?

AJ: The fan base is building in the UK and we’re all about gigging so hopefully it will grow and grow. The thing which makes us work is that we all come at this from different backgrounds. But we all have a few bands in common like Motley Crue and Kiss and when we’re writing that’s why it flows. And that’s why we’re so comfortable on stage.

rushonrock: So what does the future hold?

Tony: We don’t have a lot of money so we have to keep playing. It’s as simple as that. We do what we can. We rock hard and party even harder.

AJ: The only problem with the UK – and there are a lot of good bands out there – is like we were saying before: people are spoilt for choice. You can go out and watch a good rock gig almost every night. So we go out of our way to be a bit better than that and make sure that the fans who do come out to see us are made to feel a part of what we’re doing. We spend time talking to our fans, we tour up and down the country and one day that might pay off. We’re just four guys playing rock and roll and the only way we survive is because of fans and friends helping us out.

Chris: You can’t get into this for the money. As soon as you start thinking that way you die.

AJ: We’re lucky and we’re very rarely out of pocket. We cover the bills but we’re realists – we get to play rock and roll and people come to see us. If we can get by on that then that’s all we can ask for. We’ve never lost focus of what we’re doing.

rushonrock: Is the live arena still your main focus?

Chris: The main tour we did of the UK last time almost all of the other bands have split up. You can lose focus if you stop thinking about the value of the live show.

Tony: That’s what we’re all about. We didn’t even set out with any ideas about an album. We put out at EP and then thought sod it we’ll do an album. We just sort of did it. It wasn’t a masterplan. It just happened. Of course we’d love it to go double platinum one day…

rushonrock will be checking out Joey and co. when they stop off in Newcastle towards the end of what promises to be another sensational show.

But for now you can feast your eyes on a feature written by editor Simon Rushworth for the North East’s Journal newspaper. And thanks to Tina Korhonen for the sparkling new band shot. To the masses they are remembered as Smash Hits magazine pin-ups, shameless fashion victims and the band behind anthemic 80s classic The Final Countdown. To a generation of rock fans, however, Europe remain one of the most influential bands on the planet. Simon Rushworth counts down to this month’s Newcastle show.

In an era of pin-up rock stars riding the crest of the MTV wave, two men dominated teen magazines, chart shows and arena stages more than most. Joey Tempest and Jon Bon Jovi embraced big hair, big choruses and big pay cheques long before the majority of their peers latched on to the value of mixing pop metal with shoulder pads and keyboards with killer riffs.

For several years during the late 80s Tempest’s Europe fought hard for top billing alongside the US big guns Bon Jovi but commercially there was only one winner. This summer will see the latter play a 12-date residency at London’s o2 Arena while the former will be content securing festival slots as and when they become available.

But Europe are, in their own credible and classy way, back. Three albums into an astonishingly vibrant rebirth, the Swedes are at the top of their game – and the top of the charts. Last year’s critically acclaimed Last Look At Eden went straight to number one in their home country and won a new generation of fans too young to remember The Final Countdown and its myriad spin-offs.

“When the new album went to number one back home it was a great feeling,” said Tempest. “We’d hit number one with The Final Countdown (1986) and Out Of This World (1988) albums but to get back to that position 21 years later was a thrill.

“I haven’t lived in Sweden since the band was last at number one but it’s still a special feeling when you top the charts in your home country. Both of the previous ‘comeback’ albums went top 10 back home and we came very close with (2006’s) Secret Society when it charted at number two. But I suppose we’d accepted our days as a chart-topping band were over.”

Despite the private jet, 24-7 bodyguards, gallons of hairspray and layers of spandex, Tempest insists neither he nor his band mates are embarrassed about their position at the heart of hair metal’s 80s excess. “We were always able to laugh at ourselves and we never did anything too outrageous,” he added. “We accepted the image was part of the whole package but these days we are known more for our music than our make-up. I hope.”

It’s true. All three of Europe’s post-reformation records ooze confidence and quality and all three are rooted in Tempest’s love for British blues rock. A natural Anglophile, he lives in London and is married to a Teesside lass.

“When I was growing up I always looked to the British rock scene for inspiration and as a teenager I travelled to London from Sweden with my best friend to watch Thin Lizzy in Hammersmith,” he explained.

“Europe is one of the bands which is still carrying the torch for hard rock and we’ve always worn our influences on our sleeves. The bands we admire come from the UK – the likes of UFO, Lizzy, Purple and Zeppelin – and we love the heritage of rock music here.

“Of course my wife comes from a part of the world responsible for giving rock music two of its greatest ever performers. Paul Rogers and David Coverdale define the genre – Paul is the best and people love a David Coverdale tune.

“A record I played a lot in my younger days was Whitesnake’s Slide It In. David was writing with Mel Galley and it was vintage stuff. Tracks like Love Ain’t No Stranger just blew me away and I think it stayed with me for many years.”

Those who still dismiss Europe as cheesy pop – and die-hard rock fans are among some of the band’s harshest critics – really do miss the point. Building on the success of 1988’s standout track Superstitious, often cited as Tempest’s crowning glory, the Scandinavians have honed an emotive blues rock sound all of their own with Last Look At Eden the triumphant culmination of three decades of hard graft and determination.

Where Bon Jovi’s 2009 effort, The Circle, confirmed a band stuck in a rut, the old enemy has emerged as an act which still has plenty to say 25 years after one of rock’s greatest rivalries took shape. They might not be saying it over three weeks in the biggest indoor arena the UK has to offer but they’re saying it with meaning and Newcastle fans can expect one of the live highlights of the year later this month.

“Some people still only know us for one song and that’s fine,” added Tempest. “But we were never really a poster band and The Final Countdown was never meant to be a pop song. It was the song we used to open our shows with and now it’s the song we play last. Before that I hope people will see many different sides to Europe and I hope they like what they see.”

Part melodic, part sleaze and part good time rock and roll the lads will tour the UK with fellow UK trailblazers Heaven’s Basement and Dear Superstar on what promises to be a raucous triple bill this month.

And to celebrate what’s set to be a breakthrough year for the Brighton band we caught up with frontman Ryan Burnett for an exclusive chat.

rushonrock: What’s the story behind the debut album?

Ryan Burnett: “We started recording the album at the very beginning of November and we’ve been in and out of the studio every couple of weeks since. We did the final two days’ mixing at the beginning of February. At the moment our manager is in the process of setting up a label to put it out and once that’s done we’ll take it to all of the majors and see what happens. We don’t have the money to do a full promotion ourselves but the record will be available from mid-April on out own site and iTunes. It’s called Breaking The Silence and that’s what it should do.

rushonrock: How ready are you to release a full length record?

RB: “The record is the result of a lot of hard work on the road and in the studio. We’ve been touring as The Crave for five years now and we spent the whole of 2009 playing gigs. We could have used songs we already knew and loved for the debut album but we’ve been playing some of them for a long, long time. We wanted the album to reflect where we are now so most of the stuff which made the final cut was written last year.

rushonrock: Is it fair to say you’ve earned your stripes on the road?

RB: “We did nine tours last year! We did two headline tours and the rest were as supports for some cracking bands. We opened up for the likes of Hot Leg, Shinedown, Buckcherry, Deep Purple, Hinder and Theory Of A Deadman. We’ve had an amazing reaction to our music from fans who didn’t turn up to see The Crave – even from people who went to see a heavy band like Shinedown. In fact I’d go as far as to say we didn’t have one bad gig all year. We didn’t have one bottle thrown at us and I can’t really remember a boo.

rushonrock: Is the live arena where its’ at for The Crave?

RB: “We make a real effort at the end of every gig to meet people at the merch stand and talk to them about music and whatever. It shows the fans that we’re human and makes us feel good after coming off stage.

rushonrock: For Crave newbies what kind of sound can they expect?

RB: “I would say our style is good melodic rock. It’s not metal and it’s not pop. But we like to keep our harmonies going as well as the guitars. We all grew up listening to different bands and liking different music. I was shaped by my dad’s record collection which featured the likes Free, Bad Company and the Rolling Stones. Carlos is a massive Aerosmith fan and CJ is more into the rap metal scene. But we’re a good mix and our music reflects that.

rushonrock: Where can we catch The Crave in the next few weeks?

RB: “We’re out with Heaven’s Basement and Dear Superstar in February which will be a riot. I think all three bands are at the forefront of a new British rock scene and it’s exciting to be part of that. For now the three of us are pretty much out there on our own but I can see more rock bands of a similar style following our lead and coming through.

rushonrock: But there’s more?

RB: “Yeah, being The Crave we’ve slipped in a couple of headline dates including Newcastle and Glasgow and I know we’re playing in Newcastle the same night as Europe. We were actually offered that support but turned it down. We went out with Gotthard a while ago and their audience is very similar to Europe’s – a bit old for us and not really energetic. It’s a bit too ‘Dad rock’ for us and right now we want to plug into a younger audience.

With a decade of songwriting and gigging under his belt, main man Kristoffer Dommin is no new kid on the block – he’s got the rockstar credentials and the experience to match.

Having blown away UK audiences as the opening act for Lacuna Coil, the LA band return to these shores in March with H.I.M.. Before they do we caught up with Kris. rushonrock: Love Is Gone is the culmination of a 10-year journey for you but is it the Dommin album you always dreamed of?

Kristoffer Dommin: During the past decade I’ve written a lot of music so when it came to figuring out what the first album was going to be I looked at it as the first chapter. I worked out a way to divide the songs and in my own mind I settled on chapter one, chapter two and so on. The next album is going to be the same kind of thing – it’s the music I’ve become known for – but it’s going to tell a different part of my life story.

rushonrock: You preach a message of love being some kind of pain – is there a positive side to Dommin?

KD: I think the pain of love is just one piece of a complex puzzle. People ask me if I walk around thinking real love is lost on me. I think my songs are just snapshots of a life which has been touched by love and not always in a good way. There are songs which I write that are very hopeful too. It’s just a case of figuring out what part of the story to tell first and right now it’s a pretty sad story where Dommin is concerned. There’s a background to everybody’s life story and this is mine. No-one starts with a clean slate where love is concerned. But I’m very hopeful I’ll find love again and I’m a very optimistic person. Yes I’ve had experiences with damaged love but I’m not desperate – yet.

rushonrock: So are you warning against going down the love route?

KD: When it comes to songs on the new record it’s more about identifying the pitfalls. I came from a place where I was trying to be Superman and it was never going to work. Some people just need a break. This record’s all about choosing the wrong people and investing time in people battling demons. You need selflessness to be successful in love and enjoy a good relationship.

rushonrock: Are you up to the job of touring constantly across Europe and the US for foreseeable future?

KD: It’s a tough schedule – I accept that. But depending on where you’re at as a musician and a person it’s a schedule you can manage. We’ve only been in the UK for a week so I can’t really judge how we’re shaping up right now. I haven’t been to mainland Europe before and the travelling is a big challenge which will take some adjusting to. But we’ve been touring solidly in the States for the last year so we’re pretty hardened on the road. We’re definitely ready for whatever this period of our lives throws at us.

rushonrock: What’s your biggest fear?

KD: My biggest issue is my voice. I give it everything every single night and I’ve never put myself under this much pressure before. A lot of professional singers who’ve been doing this a lot longer than me tend to hold back a bit but I haven’t been able to do that so far. I just forget about it when I’m out on stage and for that night I perform like it could be my last. But my voice is fragile and it always has been. For me that’s the biggest obstacle to success. I have to stay healthy and make sure my voice is in shape.

rushonrock: Have the Lacuna Coil and H.I.M. tours offered you the perfect opportunity to break the UK?

KD: We’re super grateful to both of those bands for taking us out on the road. We aim to enjoy the experience. This has been my first time in the UK with the band – I came over before Christmas to do a little PR but that’s it. It’s difficult to experience what a new city or country is really like with such a tight schedule but we did find time to watch Rammstein in Birmingham last week when we realised we had a night off between gigs. That’s the sort of chance we like to take if we can. Once we heard those guys were in town we knew we had to check them out in what was a new environment for us. It was well worth the trip. They never disappoint.

rushonrock: Are you a fan of H.I.M. and are Dommin natural touring buddies for VV and his mates?

KD: We do get compared to H.I.M. a lot and it’s more to do with the subject matter we cover than the music we play. That’s fine I guess. I knew of the band before but it’s only recently I’ve got into their music. I still don’t own any albums by them. My reference points and influences are Depeche Mode, Danzig and Type O Negative.

rushonrock: How do you view the rock landscape right now?

KD: The scene is so saturated right now and there are so many bands out there playing so many shows. There’s nothing wrong with that. Due to the explosion of the internet and social networking sites there’s so much more new music out there and accessible. People are adjusting to the way the music business is heading but live music is where it starts and finishes. People still enjoy a good show and listening to a CD or a download doesn’t do the job like a live gig does.

rushonrock caught up with Kev, Paul and Rich to look back on a fantastic 2009 after we were blown away by their short but incredibly sweet Hard Rock Hell set.

And we can’t wait to hear what promises to be one of the best new records of 2010.

rushonrock: Just how much progress have you made during the past 12 months?

Kev: 2009 was a fantastic year for us and we achieved a lot. We released our second EP and toured a fair bit. The live stuff went down really well and we managed to get a lot of exposure. Throw in some good support slots and it was the perfect 12 months. We’ve finished our debut album and now the challenge is to top 2009 in 2010.

rushonrock: Will you do that?

Paul: We set out a plan of what we wanted to achieve and when and we’re sticking to the plan. That was nearly two years ago now – pretty much since we got together as the band you see now. We agreed when we would release the EPs, what we wanted to achieve from touring and when we wanted to record and release our first album. That album is due anytime and it’s going to be called The 10,000 Horses. It was a working title that just stuck and it sums our sound up.

rushonrock: How and when will it be released?

Kev: We’re looking to release the record in the spring, maybe May time. We’re still talking to a few labels who are interested but we’ve released all our stuff ourselves so far and that’s something we could do again. Being on a label would be ice but it’s not the be-all and end-all. We signed with a new manager and touring agent before Christmas and it’s all about stepping up a gear.

rushonrock: For a rock band you’re a very focused group of guys…

Rich: As a band we’ve been really focused since 2007. Things have just started to come together since then and we thought we’d put out the second EP and from there judge when the time was right to release the debut album.

rushonrock: You made a huge impression on the fans who saw your Hard Rock Hell set and how important was that festival appearance?

Kev: Playing Hard Rock Hell was another big thing for us. We were on early on the Friday in the pub but a load of people turned out and the reaction was fantastic. It turned out to be one of the best gigs we’ve down. There were lots of new faces out there and that’s what’s important to us at this stage. It’s all about putting the Voodoo Johnson name out there and the whole HRH experience was really rewarding.

Paul: It was a nice, cosy atmosphere and everyone was in there for a good time. Everyone goes to HRh for the music and they appreciate good bands with good songs.

rushonrock: Why would you advise other new bands to get on the 2010 HRH bill?

Kev: For us a new band just meeting the people who go to these festivals – whether it’s fans, media or other bands – is so important. In a way HRH proved the perfect springboard for 2010.

Why? Next month’s new album Nifelvind marries black metal with traditional Scandinavian sounds and the unmistakable growl of frontman Vreth. It’s a winner on all fronts.

We caught up with the man who’s fronted Finntroll on their last two records and it’s a case of don’t judge a book by its cover. If you know what we mean… rushonrock: What’s the story behind Nifelvind?

Vreth: It’s not actually a concept album but the songs are linked together by similar themes. We focus on old legends and sagas which repeat themselves through time. They appear in different eras and all over the world. Many are urban legends and some could be more than 1,000 years old.

rushonrock: What attracted you to the urban legends?

Vreth: One day we sat down and talked about how these legends have a habit of repeating themselves. And in Scandinavia we have all these creatures which live under rocks and in the forests – people are afraid of these creatures and always have been. This particular urban legend reared its head in New York in the 80s with stories of giant crocodiles in the sewers. We’re all interested in how these legends prey on the minds of everyday people and they’re a rich source of material for Finntroll.

rushonrock: Have you always taken a personal interest in Scandinavian folklore?

Vreth: I remember seeing these Swedish children’s stories when I was a kid but I can’t really take the credit for the themes surrounding Nifelvind as I don’t write the lyrics. Having said that I love the history of legends and the old religions which still impact upon Scandinavian life.

rushonrock: Has Finntroll’s image changed since you came on board?

Vreth: Yes you could say it’s changed a bit. I think the band has grown up in a way. The older albums were – lyrically at least – based more on religion and were more politically motivated than they are now. Now we’re more committed to story telling without any overly political message. We’ve moved away from the past – it was kind of a trend in the 90s to attack the church and our lyrics reflected that. We’re a lot less radical now but I’m not sure what motivated some of the band before I came on board. Right now we all share the same outlook.

rushonrock: Are Finntroll more of a mainstream metal act in 2010?

Vreth: I think you could say that. We’re not exactly commercial but more and more people all over the world want to watch us play. So I guess that makes us more mainstream. It’s reflected in album sales too and hopefully that will be the case with Nifelvind. There’s been a lot more media interest around the new album too but let’s face it – Finntroll will never be mainstream metal as such.

rushonrock: Why do you think you’re suddenly generating all of this extra interest?

Vreth: I don’t have a clue! I don’t know why people suddenly find us interesting. I never pictured the band doing headlining shows across America and singing in Swedish. I never thought Finntroll would get this big.

rushonrock: Have you considered writing an album in English?

Vreth: Of course it’s something we’ve talked about but I can’t see it happening. I think singing in Swedish is part of our charm – that’s what makes us unique. We’re a Finnish band but singing in our native tongue has never been an option either. When people in our own country don’t know what we’re singing about it doesn’t seem so strange taking the band abroad. We look at bands like Rammstein – and the success they’ve had in spite of singing in German – and see no reason to start singing in another language.

rushonrock: Where do you hope to make an impact in 2010?

Vreth: Well the last record started to make an impression in Norway and we got a few gigs there. Hopefully Nifelvind will continue that trend. It seems we have a fresh appeal to Norwegians which is very nice! Of course we’re still hoping for more Swedish gigs and we’d like to get to the UK and I think there’s a London date on the Pegasus tour later in 2010.

Long regarded as titans of the hair metal scene, the US band is back for good and looking to tour extensively in 2010.

We caught up with king of the pipes and D2 frontman Ted Poley for a slice of early 90s nostalgia.

rushonrock: Revolve is a real throwback to the band’s debut – was that the intention?

Ted Poley: I think it’s a combination of the maturity we’ve developed and the immaturity we’ve retained. You can’t help but grow up a little bit. But I didn’t say I was mature. What I do is still great fun and I feel like a kid. As opposed to pumping gas for a living I’m very privileged doing what I do.

rushonrock: Does it feel good to be back with Danger Danger for the foreseeable future?

TP: Danger Danger has always been my great love. I really missed being out of the band at the time but I filled in the time with a whole load of projects. I like keeping busy. I never really took a break with things like Bone Machine going on but it was always the same music – I just kept calling it something else. Music is pretty much who and what I am. I’m very fortunate that the solo career really took off around the release of Smile and now I have the best of both worlds. My favourite band’s back together and I can always get a few gigs on my own!

rushonrock: Can you point to a time when hair metal suddenly became popular again?

TP: I think I saw signs of it around six years ago. That’s when I rejoined the band – around Sweden Rock in 2004. Then there was Rocklahoma and various festivals around the world which started booking the bands from the late 80s/early 90s. Also VH1 became the new home for classic rock and became the new MTV for bands of our generation. VH1 still actually plays music which is a help. Danger Danger have been rated by them as one of the best hair metal bands of all time and that’s fine by me – they can call us whatever they want to call us as long as they play our music! Our stock has risen quite a bit because of that and there’s a real nostalgia thing kicking in. The kids like to hear music from that era and I’m glad the revival’s come around.

rushonrock: Why has it happened?

TP: I just don’t know. I thought the music I love was dead forever but now it looks like it’s here to stay for the foreseeable future which is so nice to see. The thing about good rock music is that you can have so much fun listening to it. We all live in hard times right now and it’s important to let your hair down and have some fun from time to time. That’s what Danger Danger’s music is all about.

rushonrock: Do you feel grunge robbed you of some of your best years?

TP: I would have appreciated more of those best years when I was a little bit younger. But maybe there are a few more good years ahead. Before Revolve was released I’d never have expected to see Danger Danger chart again but we hit 83 on the Swedish charts. It’s not going to worry anyone but I thought it was nice all the same. Of course after what’s gone before I don’t expect anything to last but I’m having a more fun time that usual right now! I try not to think about the mid 90s. The changing face of music more or less turned off my career in the flick of a switch. Danger Danger saw what was happening and tried to take a new direction but I stayed true to my trademark sound which was tough but, in my view, necessary. I always maintained a hardcore fan base and they always kept me going.

rushonrock: As an artist do you ever underestimate the importance of those fans?

TP: Never. Through my website, tedpoley.com, I keep in constant contact with them and I really thank them from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me for so long. I released a Ted Poley Greatest Hits CD exclusively through the website and it’s done really well – the fans know they’re getting it directly from me and there’s no money going elsewhere. They really do support me every time they buy a CD and I recognise that.

rushonrock: Danger Danger have always been a party band famed for having fun but will you ever get serious?

TP: No. Not at all. We have always enjoyed ourselves on stage and we’ve proved we still can. We play with a smile on our faces but the fans know we can back it up with musical chops. I’ve been able to play music since the age of four and Bruno is classically trained – and we’ve played on everything that we’ve ever released. We’ve played on some tough tours like Alice Cooper and Kiss and those bands and their fans would have eaten us alive if we couldn’t have played. We haven’t sold as many CDs as Motley Crue but we’ve played a lot of shows and there are never any complaints. We really do kick ass even after all these years! Many of our best moments have been on stage and we’re looking to tour throughout 2010.

rushonrock: As a vocalist has there ever been a time when you’ve been worried your voice is shot?

TP: Every other minute. And every other minute I’m worried that my hair won’t last. There’s a lot to worry about in this business you know! But I train all day to make sure I stay as fit and healthy as possible. You have to stay in shape in this game. In order to hit the high notes and out on a great show I have to look after myself. I don’t even get to eat what I want to eat most of the time!

rushonrock: Are Danger Danger here to stay?

TP: I don’t try and look too far into the future after what’s happened in the past. But I know we can’t just sit back if we want to move forward.

And with debut album Metalwar making waves across the UK and Europe we’re predicting a big year ahead for the foxy five-piece.

Hysterica hope to return to British shores in 2010 for a full tour of the country which spawned Judas Priest – the band which inspired Bitchie and her band to make metal music in the first place. We talked exclusively to the ultimate rock chicks.

rushonrock: Could your Hard Rock Hell set be the big break you need in Britain?

Anni De Vil: Playing Hard Rock Hell was a great opportunity to bring the band over the UK and play to some new faces. The whole festival was a lot of fun and we loved watching the other bands and being around so many rockers and metal fans. We’d played a similar festival in Holland the month before – the same mix of bands but on a smaller scale. Seeing so many people at HRH was fantastic for us.

rushonrock: So when will you return?

Bitchie: We’d love to come back to the UK as soon as possible but we need to make some key contacts to put a tour together. We need to find someone who’s professional and believes in us and in return we’ll put on the shows to match! I’d say Holland, Germany and Sweden are where we’re most popular right now but we’d love to add Britain to that list. There are so many towns and cities to play where people love their rock and it’s our kind of country.

rushonrock: Why your kind of country?

Jessica: The music we play isn’t so big in countries like Sweden but I think UK audiences who have grown up listening to the NWOBHM bands will like our style.

rushonrock: How did Hysterica come about?

B: The first thing I wanted to do was set up a proper girl band that could rock because there aren’t enough in the world right now. I wanted to do something meaningful with my music and have a mission. That mission became Hysterica. Then we decided on the music we would play. My dream was to play music like Judas Priest and so I had to find the female musicians who could deliver that. I’ve always listened to what’s new on the rock and metal scene too so I wanted to fuse that classic Priest sound with a modern approach. The album is an old school metal record with a modern twist. Creating the songs I wanted hasn’t been too difficult to date.

rushonrock: Does being a metal maiden have its benefits?

ADV: We do get a lot of attention because we’re five girls but that’s great as far as I’m concerned. It would be nice if people listened to the music more though – we don’t want to be known as five metal chicks as much as we want to be known for our metal and our shows. Our aim is to recreate the really big metal shows of 20 or 30 years ago – we’ve got the songs to pull it off.

rushonrock: So is your image or your music the priority?

J: We think it’s important to have all the elements to make people sit up and take notice. With Hysterica the sound and the vision are equally critical.

ADV: That’s what I want when I watch a band live. I want them to sound good, play great songs and deliver a memorable performance. You want to see something that’s special on the night you’re there. There are so many bands that it’s tough to come up with something new in your show but that’s what we’re trying to do.

rushonrock: Any ideas?

SatAnica: We do quite like the idea of a Spinal Tap moment.

ADV: Yeah we love the part in the film where they emerge from the pods – we’re thinking of being born from giant vaginas with a lot of glitter! Seriously we want to create something that’s totally new with a female touch but finding an original idea is going to be difficult. You see so many girl bands and so many bands with girl singers that we’re not hiding from the fact that we have to play on one of our strengths which is our image. We’re not trying to shy away from the way we look because we think we look good but there’s more to us than that.

J: We are musicians first and entertainers second. We want to be heard as much as we want to be seen!

With a Kevin Shirley-produced album under her belt and a belting band to boot it seems nothing will stop the LA-based rock diva in her quest for world domination.

But before the pint-sized singer makes too much noise we caught up with Ms Roxx for yet another rushonrock exclusive! Enjoy…

rushonrock: You’re still pretty new to the UK but how have you been received by British audiences?

Marya Roxx: It seems that everyone in the UK is into my music right now which is a good sign. I’ve played to audiences who like what I do and the club dates last year were a big success. It was the right place at the right time most nights. There were a lot of metal heads getting into what I do and that’s what gives me the biggest buzz. People were actually stage diving to my music and it’s an amazing feeling to see that. It gives me so much more energy on stage and I love it.

rushonrock: Is breaking the British market a big deal?

MR: Of course the UK is key to me in 2010. It’s such an important and huge music scene. It’s regarded as one of the countries to break wherever you come from. If you’re a rock artist then everyone is looking to the UK as the place to make it big. And the record industry still looks at what’s successful in the UK before making any big decisions. But because of all of that interest it’s a very competitive scene. I’ll just see how it goes but for now I’m optimistic.

rushonrock: Fill us in on your career so far.

MR: I’ve been working with my current band for four years now. Before that I was always into music. As a kid I can remember singing from an early age. I’m based in LA now after moving from my home country of Estonia. It was a move I felt I had to make.
At the time I made the move I had no idea what to expect from America or LA apart from what I’d seen or heard. It was a bit intimidating at first but I thought ‘what the hell – I might as well take my chance’.

rushonrock: Was it the Iron Maiden producer Kevin Shirley who persuaded you to quit Estonia for a foreign country?

MR: I have known Kevin for some time and we came to an agreement that if I did move to LA he would do his best to help me work on putting together an album. We got together and talked about what I wanted to achieve and he introduced me to all of my band mates. He’s a key figure in my music career and has been for a while.

rushonrock: Moving to the other side of the world must have been a huge gamble though.

MR: Leaving Estonia was tough. I don’t see my family or my friends but I say thank God for Skype! I can see them and talk to them every day – if I wanted to! And I now have a lot of good friends in LA and all over the world.

rushonrock: So why take a break from Tallinn?

MR: Estonia has a pretty good music scene and there are a lot of gigging rock and metal bands. Metal is one of the biggest music genres back home – people love it. But in the end I felt the country was just too small for me to make serious progress in the music business. You can do the full circuit of gigs in every major town and city easily within a year and in the end you become a bit stir crazy.

rushonrock: Is it tough being a woman making her mark in the metal scene?

MR: Coping as a woman in the metal world depends on your attitude. I try not to play on the female side of things too much and don’t overly expose myself to the criticism that I’m using my image to sell records. I try hard not to make more of that side of things than is already there. I’m part of a band and I’m just one of the guys. But of course I’m a woman and that gets noticed!

rushonrock: Is there some kind of secret to ensuring it’s your music and not your image that grabs the attention?

MR: I just try to remain as professional as possible – if you do that then it doesn’t matter if you’re a woman or a man. If you’re good at what you do gender really isn’t an issue. If you do what you do like and do it with your whole heart people will respond to that positively. I’ve been lucky that my attitude has cut me some slack. I haven’t met anyone who has concentrated solely on my sex. People usually comment on how small I am before anything else! But when they see me performing they see that size doesn’t matter and being a woman doesn’t matter – that’s when they start to take me seriously.