Blaze Bayley's perfect weekend
Rock star Blaze Bayley is perhaps best known as lead singer with Iron Maiden from 1994 until 1999. Born in Birmingham, he is also the lead singer of Wolfsbane and has enjoyed solo sucess as both Blaze and Blaze Bayley. He tells us about his perfect weekend.
Rock star Blaze Bayley is perhaps best known as lead singer with Iron Maiden from 1994 until 1999. Born in Birmingham, he is also the lead singer of Wolfsbane and has enjoyed solo sucess as both Blaze and Blaze Bayley. He tells us about his perfect weekend.
It's Friday afternoon. What's on your mind?
Learning the words for the gig that night. I suffer terribly with nerves so I have to keep very calm and people think I'm very boring or very fed up. I just keep myself to myself, do not talk to anybody and do not drink any alcohol whatsoever.
Who normally has the pleasure of your company at the weekend?
Hundreds of fans across Europe. I could be playing in Belgium, Poland or a gig in the UK. Most weekends, Friday and Saturday, during the summer I'm out doing a concert.
How would you prepare for a big night out?
For a big night out I'd probably have a shower and put some deodorant on and I might even go so far as to have a shave. If it's my partner Eline I'm going out with I've definitely got to have a shave. If it's just the lads then I don't bother.
What's your favourite party outfit?
It's got to be the Fistful Of Dollars, Clint Eastwood style. I've got the hats. Years ago I was on tour in the USA and in Colorado City there was this fantastic cowboy clothes shop and I managed to find a hat that fits because I have a very large cranium . . . that's a big head in Birmingham! I'll stick the hat on just to walk around or walk the dog.
You've just arrived at the bar. What's your first drink?
I'm filled with indecision on that first drink, because I know if I start on Guinness I'll be going all night, I won't be the worst for wear. But if I've had something to eat, Guinness might be a bit heavy so I might go for cider but that could affect me very, very quickly, so I may lack my sparkle towards late evening.
What is your favourite nightspot and why?
Normally I end up, if I'm home, at The Foundry in Dudley. It's not really a nightspot but it is open at night at weekends after midnight. I go there because it's a heavy metal, rock pub and it's one of the last pubs of that kind. There's always somebody there that looks a kind of freak, and generally that's me!
What tune always gets you on to the dance floor?
Highway To Hell by AC/DC normally gets my hips going and I'm a demon on the karaoke. I call myself a karaoke king, others call me a karaoke curse.
It's a sunny Saturday, what are you up to?
If I'm at home then I am trying to persuade my partner to let me go out on my motorcycle and if I'm not doing that then I'm repairing my motorcycle and hoping that I'll be allowed out the next day.
What's your most memorable weekend ever and why?
I've got so many memorable weekends but one I had recently was when I was a special guest of a band in the Czech Republic called Seven, who asked me to come over and sing some of my songs with them at a huge festival and I was just treated like gold the whole time. I had a lovely hotel room and they took me out for a lovely dinner and around the festival I never bought a drink all weekend.
What's the recipe for a perfect night in?
Law And Order UK on the telly and I've prepared my new speciality, blazing hot ribs and some red wine.
Favourite DVD? And what would you eat while watching it?
One is Groundhog Day with Bill Murray and the other one is Sexy Beast with Ray Winstone. It's a fantastic British gangster film. I would probably eat some popcorn – I make my own popcorn.
Sunday breakfast – cooked or continental?
On Sunday morning, if I'm not on tour then generally I try to get up early and go over with a couple of mates to Bridgnorth, to the Food Stop Cafe, and I'll either have egg and chips or a bacon and egg sandwich. And then you've either got to get back to do the gardening or we go off and ride round Wales or The Malverns or anywhere else we can find.
Sunday lunch – home cooked or down the pub?
We don't really have Sunday lunch at our house at all. Generally we'll have an Indian takeaway on the night.
Where and how do you like to relax?
I like to relax in bed snuggling up with my gorgeous partner and the dog.
You've got a whole weekend off and a wad of money in your back pocket – which country or city would you head to?
I think we might go to Newquay because we had a good weekend there a couple of years ago but we didn't have a lot of money, so I'd like to go and flash the cash there and maybe, maybe have the starter as well as the main course there at the Thai restaurant! I just like the general vibe of being at the English seaside.
* Blaze Bayley and Jase Edwards: The Incredible Acoustic Tour takes place at The Public, West Bromwich, tonight (Friday, September 2). For tickets call 0121 533 7161 or visit www.thepublic.com
