BEN WARD Ahead of ORANGE GOBLIN’s Australian Tour

Marco sat down with Ben Ward of ORANGE GOBLIN, discussing their upcoming Australian tour, new album, sobriety and DIY management and self-sufficiency.

Photo credit : Tina Korhonen

DS: Hey, Ben, thanks for taking the time to meet with me. How are you doing today?

B: Yeah, not too bad. Another grey day here in London. This is the last of my interviews for the day, so all good.

DS: Perfect. Alright, in April, you'll be making your way back to Australia for your first tour here in over 10 years. Are you excited to be coming back to Australian soil? 

B: Absolutely, yeah, I mean, as you say, it's been 10 years, which is far too long, considering we had such a great time last time on the Soundwave Festival. Obviously, there's been a lot of factors that have got in the way of us returning prior to this, but yeah, we're really excited, especially with this time being an Orange Goblin headline tour, where we can get up close and personal with the audience. And as good as Soundwave was, they were huge shows with huge crowds and massive lineups. But I feel that those kind of festivals, you don't really get that intimacy that you get with club shows. And that's where Orange Goblin kind of excels, where we cut our teeth, touring small venues. And I think this is where we're better, where it's loud, it's hot, and there's beer dripping off the ceiling and sweat on the walls and stuff like that. So yeah, looking forward to it.

DS: Definitely, it's going to be a great tour. That actually leads me to my next question about Soundwave Festival in 2013. Do you have any exciting memories from that last run?

B: I mean, it was kind of like a bewildering experience. It was such a whirlwind where it's kind of flown into one city. Then you know, you're driven straight to the festival, you perform, you go to the hotel, you sleep as much as you can, and then you go to the airport and next morning fly to the next one. But it was, the logistics involved in that were incredible. And we were walking onto an aircraft and we've got members of Slayer, one side, Anthrax, the other. How did I end up here? It's great. There were a couple of days where we got to do a bit of sightseeing. We had some side shows in Sydney and Melbourne, I think it was, where we played with Kyuss Lives! and Red Fang, and they were great as well. But the whole experience, it was really well looked after. It was really well received. And we kind of, we formed a bond with the Australian audience. And I think that's because we have a lot of similarities, we’re down to earth guys, that we like our football, we like a drink, and we like heavy music. So we had a lot of similarities with our Australian audience. 

DS: That's awesome. Well, since then, you've released two albums ‘Back from the Abyss’ and ‘The Wolf Bites Back’. How has the response been to those two albums in that time period? 

B: It was really good. Obviously, ‘Back from the Abyss’ was written kind of when we was doing the band full time. So it was the only album in our career that I think was done as part of a strategy from the management and the label. We'd given up our day jobs in 2012 off the back of ‘A Eulogy for the Damned’, and we put a conscious effort into doing the band full time and touring the world. We did 161 shows in 2013 and then had to go home and deliver an album. So that was the only one where we kind of like felt there was a pressure to write it, which kind of explains why it came so soon after ‘A Eulogy for the Damned’. If I'm honest, it's a strong album, but I don't feel comfortable writing under that kind of pressure. I think all good art should be left to develop in its own time and whether that takes two years or ten, you don't want to put out something that you fear is sub par. And then there was obviously a four year gap to ‘The Wolf Bites Back’, which is a stronger album in my opinion. And that record is a great record. Unfortunately, it didn't get the support and the promotion from the label that we was hoping for. I think at the time it got kind of swept under the carpet and there was no sort of lead singles, no promo videos or anything like that. And with that being the last album we did for Candlelight, we felt it was time for a change. And we met with the people from Peaceville Records who were very keen to work with us. And, you know, being big fans of what they do, it was a kind of no brainer really. And yeah, it's been another six years since that release.

But, you know, the world is a very different place since then. We lost a bass player along the way. We gained Harry. And, you know, obviously everything shut down for a couple of years there with COVID. That kind of squandered our plans for a 25 year anniversary tour and things. So we had to find new ways to keep revenue coming in for the band. We released the digital live album, ‘Rough & Ready, Live & Loud’ because regardless of there being no shows, you know, we still had accountants to pay, we still had lockups to pay for our equipment storage and stuff like that, rehearsal rooms. And yeah we're now, I think, we're in a really good place with the band. Harry settled in really well because one of the benefits of COVID was that when Martyn decided to leave, and that was all amicable, you know, we understood Martyn reason for wanting to leave and Harry joining was a no brainer because he's been in and around the band for such a long time anyway. But COVID gave us the opportunity for Harry to just sort of learn all the material. And when things did reopen, we hit the ground running. And the band is in a really strong place now. You know, we've just finished the writing, recording and mixing and mastering and everything of the new record. So that's in the label’s hands now. And we kind of, we've learned a lot over the course of that 30 year history about how to look after our own interests. And that's why we manage the band. We booked the band. We own all our own merchandise. We own all our own publishing. We do everything ourselves. And it's a nice position to be in going into this new album campaign. 

DS: That's really insightful, especially for all those other younger bands out there as well, like knowing that you guys do everything independently, in that sense, but then you’ve got the label support to really help push the album in the end. 

B: Yeah, I mean, it helps. So, you know, we've been doing it so long and I spent 10 years working at a music management company looking after the likes of David Gilmore and Pink Floyd. So I saw how the industry works on quite a grand scale. And then following the sort of couple of years we did the band full time, I joined a large talent agency and worked there for five years before setting up my own booking agency. So, you know, having that kind of experience and knowledge has been very useful for us. And, you know, Chris, our drummer, he works a back line and van hire place and Harry works, well, Harry plays in various different bands and is a very accomplished musician and as is Joe, so, you know, between the four of us, we've got everything covered really. 

DS: Yeah, perfect. That's a really good setup. You guys recently, as you mentioned, announced a new album is coming soon. What can we expect musically from the new album? 

B: I think it's a definite progression in our career. We're a lot more mature and a lot more accomplished as songwriters, as musicians, and I think that comes across on this record. The production is really, really strong. We worked with a guy called Mike Exeter that worked with Rick Rubin on the last Black Sabbath album. He's a long time collaborator with Tony Iommi and he did the Heaven and Hell album. He's worked with Judas Priest. He's worked with Ozzy. He's worked with Dio. He understood what we were about and he delivered a really good job on the production side. Musically, obviously, there's those core influences that have always been there, the likes of Sabbath and Motorhead. But we always flesh it out with stuff that interests us, whether it's blues or solid rock or maybe even punk and thrash and that sort of thing. So there's elements of everything that goes into an Orange Goblin album. And they're all there and clear on this new record. But I just think it's, as I say, it's mature, is the word I'd use. It's kind of our grown-up record. And there's even elements of prog in there. You can tell we've been listening to Rush and King Crimson and Yes and stuff like that as well. So something for everybody, I think. 

DS: Definitely sounds like it's something to look forward to this year. 

B: Yeah, it's a bit of a cliche when people say it's definitely the best album of our career. It is as strong as material we've written. But it's safe to say that it is. 

DS: Awesome. No, it's very fair, especially coming from the artists that wrote it themselves. So we'll back your word with that one there. Looking back on your career, what do you consider to be Orange Goblin's proudest achievement so far? 

B: Hard to pinpoint just one because there's been so many highlights and I'm not going to lie that when we first started this band, we had no preconceived ideas of what we wanted to achieve. We were just some mates that got together and started jamming. And we was going to be satisfied with recording the demo, possibly doing a couple of shows at the local pub. But it far exceeded our expectations and it snowballed. And touring the US, touring Australia, touring Japan, going all over Europe, playing in Russia and places like that, supporting the likes of Alice Cooper and Dio and Queens of the Stone Age and playing huge festivals across Europe, opening for Heaven and Hell in Poland was incredible. There's just so many highlights throughout those 30 years. But the best thing for me is that we're all still friends, that we're all still on the same page and that we all still enjoy and love what we're doing. 

DS: Can’t get any better than that. That's a big positive to take from all that. 

B: Absolutely, and we're all alive to tell the story, which is incredible because I look back and I think what we put ourselves through, I mean, especially myself with regards to the drinking, drugs and things like that, there's a good chance that I shouldn't be here. But I cleaned up my act a couple of years ago. I've been sober for a couple of years, which has helped me appreciate what it is that we've got with Orange Goblin. And I used to think that I wouldn't be able to go on stage without having a couple of drinks because you needed that Dutch courage to get up there in front of a crowd. But having done this sober now for a couple of years, you realise that there's a natural adrenaline that is far better than anything alcohol I can give you. So yeah, I'm really enjoying it. 

DS: Wicked. Well, I'm glad you're here to tell the tale and I'm glad that you've remained sober and been able to conquer that. 

B: Yeah, I think it’s beneficial as well. I think people will hear that in my performance on the new album. I think I noticed it in my performance live as well. You know, I feel I've got more energy and I'm fitter and stronger than I've ever been. So yeah, there's some good to come of it. 

DS: Definitely. You've been a band for nearing on 30 years, as you mentioned. How do you maintain the creativity and inspiration as a band after being together for so many years? 

B: There’s a neverending well of bands for us to rip off *laughs*. No, I'd like to say I think the key element is that we enjoy it. You know, we've tried being a full-time band. We've toured all over the world. But essentially, you know, we're all around 50 years old now, some older, some younger. We've got kids and we've got families. And with that, you have the pressures of the day jobs that we all do, whether it's me working as a booking agent, Chris working at the backline company, whatever it is Harry and Joe do I’m not entirely sure *laughs*. But you know, the band is still our form of release. It's our artistic and creative valve, I suppose, that, you know, we still enjoy getting together on a weekend, going into a room, being loud and being able to express ourselves and create music. So that's the secret to it, really. Keep enjoying what you do and stick to your guns. 

DS: That's really good advice and really great insight from yourselves. Finally, is there anything you'd like to say to your Australian fans before your upcoming tour? 

B: Well, firstly, I should apologise that it's taken us so long to get back. *laughs* But really, just, you know, thank you for your patience. Thank you for your support. We do notice a lot of our merchandise sales heading down to Australia. Without the fans, a band is nothing. We're looking forward to getting back and doing these shows. We want to be able to come out and mingle and meet people, put names to faces and things like that. And, you know, we're still those down to earth guys. There's no airs and graces about us. We don't consider ourselves big rock stars and unapproachable. We want to be able to sort of have a drink with the people at the end of the night, have a chat with them, find out who they are. And, you know, we just hope people come out and enjoy the show. Luckily, you know, we have got 30 years worth of material, 10 studio albums worth of material. And we know that there's people that have been there from the start of our career, supporting us. We know there's people that may have only gotten into us sort of halfway through, or even just recently, but I like to think that there's something in the set for everybody. And, you know, we don't really sort of put too much into the production side of our show, you know. It's four guys that walk on stage, plug in our instruments, turn them up loud, and go full throttle for the 75, 90 minutes, whatever it is that we're on that stage. Because we appreciate that people are buying with their heart and money to come and see us. So we want to reward them with the best show that we possibly can. 

DS: Definitely. Well, thanks so much, Ben. I really appreciate you taking the time to meet with us today, and all the very best for the upcoming tour. 

B: Thank you very much, Marco. It's been my pleasure. 

ORANGE GOBLIN 
with DR COLOSSUS and ASTRODEATH performing at:
Tuesday April 9: Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
Wednesday April 10: The Basement, Canberra
Thursday, April 11: The Zoo, Brisbane
Friday, April 12: Crowbar, Sydney
Saturday, April 13: The Croxton, Melbourne

TICKETS ON SALE Now
ADELAIDE - www.moshtix.com.au
CANBERRA, BRISBANE, SYDNEY, MELBOURNE - www.oztix.com.au