"I Don’t Get Much Time For Hobbies, Apart From Training With Weights And Fighting" - Metality.net Interviews Tony Dolan

Tony "Demolition" Dolan is an English heavy metal veteran and actor. Who's most notable musical endeavors include being the bassist/frontman of legendary extreme metal band VENOM; as well as fronting Atomkraft.

In acting, Tony Dolan was in a number of films; such as being Mr Lamb in 2003's Master and Commander: The Far Side of The World.

Earlier this year, Tony, along with former VENOM bandmates Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar), and Antony "Antton" Lant (drums; also the brother of VENOM frontman Conrad "Cronos" Lant) formed the new band Primevil, and are currently working on their debut album "Hell To The Holly;" scheduled for a March 2011 release.

Spiritcrusher got a chance to ask Mr. Dolan a number of questions about his latest project Primevil, and their future plans. Tony also shares a couple of funny tour stories, and gives his 2 cents on some of our favorite bands from the Middle East, among many other topics.

Here's how it went:


Spiritcrusher: Hi Tony, how are you doing? Thanks for taking the time to do this.

Tony: That is my pleasure. I am doing well..been a tough year but all is on track now. Priming for 2011 and beyond now.



Spiritcrusher: First of all, what inspired the formation of Primevil? Venom fans will know that Prime Evil is the first album with your involvement. How would you describe the sound of Primeevil as opposed to the sound of Venom?

Tony: Well I think it came about as Mantas and Antton who were both doing separate music projects (Dryll and Def Con One) came together in Dryll. Mantas needed a drummer and Antton offered his services, people kept wondering what it would be like if Mantas and Antton played with me and it was kind of "oh yeah that would be fun, perhaps" but then Dryll played a show and performed the Venom track Black Metal and that was kind of it. People started saying I had to come in and play too. See what happened, so I got a phone call and had a few chats with Mantas and that was that; we decided we’d see if it worked. It does, very well but then again myself and Mantas have always been friends and played well together. The addition of a drummer as good as Antton was something too cool to pass up! The name we decided should be chosen by the fans who wanted this to happen. The first Venom album I did was Prime Evil in 1989 and that was the name the fans chose for this band. PrimEvil is old school I guess, melodic, heavy, powerful, different from Venom? Not sure. We will inevitably be compared as we are all ex-Venom and of course Mantas was the main songwriter for Venom so... But I feel we are more like classic Metal. Motorhead, Black Sabbath....Priest and Venom.



Spiritcrusher: You guys have a few tracks up on your Myspace account, and they sound excellent! Can we expect an EP or an album coming up in 2011?

Tony: Thanx, yeah (we have) a few trax around. 8th Gate, the follow up to Venom’s 7th gate, Hellspawn, a song dedicated to our fans, Hell To The Holy, the title track for the new/debut album and Wake Up Dead. The idea is to release a vinyl through Iron Pegasus around Feb 2011, featuring 6trax..4 covers of songs that influenced us to do what we do and 2 new PrimEvil trax. In march we will release the full album, Hell To The Holy, through an as yet undisclosed label.

Spiritcrusher: What have you been doing in your free time that is not music related? Do you pursue any other hobbies?

Tony: I don’t get much time for hobbies apart from training with weights and fighting. As I also run the stage at the Dominion Theatre in London on the Queen Musical, We Will Rock You and that takes up lots of my time. I also do some acting still on the side when I can. I watch TV when I can and listen to music as much as possible.







Spiritcrusher: On a less serious note, do you miss your long hair?

Tony: Erm.....lol....No....!!YESSSSSSSSSS...No!..hahaha. Actually I can’t freaking remember it..been about..22yrs or something now!



Spiritcrusher: Do you have any pre-gig traditions/rituals that help you get psyched?

Tony: Not really. I do like some peace and quiet, to just think and get psyched. I like some weights and to get aggressive, as I wanna deliver the songs with the correct vile and spit!!



Spiritcrusher: Who was/were your favorite band/bands to tour with throughout your brilliant career thus far?

Tony: To play alongside, ah.. Exodus. Slayer were great to open for in ’85 here in London. We played the bill in ’88 with Destruction and Testament, that was great! Nuclear Assault were great fun. Atrophy were a great bunch of guys and real cool sound. Onslaught...UFO, Girlschool...can’t think, lots more....King Diamond, Savatage, Candlemass..Nasty Savage, Exumer...Agent Steel..all cool bands....I was very lucky to be sharing audiences with these bands I think.




Spiritcrusher: Is there a place you would like perform in one day that you haven't played in before?

Tony: The Middle East. Australia...New Zealand..Japan...China, all of Asia...South America...all over Europe...India...Africa. Turkey....everywhere I guess....lol!




Spiritcrusher: Speaking of tours, can we expect any national or regional tours by Primevil?

Tony: Yes from March 2011 the plan is to begin touring and not stop until we have been everywhere we want to play.



Spiritcrusher: Can you tell us a few embarrassing moments of your touring experiences?

Tony: Erm, maybe not..hahahaha...well..once in Germany I had to run across a road very drunk to escape the Police with my trousers around my ankles...lol...dunno why, drunk!!!

I did a show once after eating 3 meals and played the whole show resting against my cabs with my pants undone. I got thirsty and reached over to drink from a can of coke on top of my cabs, only to find out that someone had been putting their cigarettes out in the can all day..."Mmmm..nice!" Other than that I was a very good boy (NOT!) hahahahaha, can’t say any more than that.



Spiritcrusher: Here on Metality.net, our goal is to bridge the gap between the Middle Eastern metal scene and the the rest of the world (especially Europe and North America). We thought it would be neat to show you three bands from the Middle East and have you say a word or two about them.

Tony: Having bands from Egypt is amazing and the Emirates, Kuwait, equally so. The fact that metal is everywhere is something people don’t sometimes get. I so wish we could come play, these bands have great potential. In India there is a real difficult struggle for the metal fans and to be accepted by everyone in India. I hope the barriers of religion can allow and not restrict the freedom of music. It makes us breath and free’s us and is vital to young people, especially Rock/Metal/Punk. As it is the scream we all share whilst growing, long may these bands live and may they enjoy the success they deserve!


1. Nervecell - United Arab Emirates - Lifeforce Records
http://tinyurl.com/nervecellmetalityinterview

Tony: The very fact these guys are from The Emirates is amazing...


2 .Scarab - Egypt - Osmose Productions
http://tinyurl.com/scarabmetalityinterview

Tony: This is very cool....Scarab from Egypt..I LOVE IT!!


3. Voice of the Soul - Kuwait - Unsigned
http://tinyurl.com/votsmetalityinterview

Tony: Someone needs to sign these guys!!



Spiritcrusher: Tony Dolan, the floor is yours! Any final words for Metality, Metality readers, and the Middle Eastern metal scene?

Tony: Hand in hand we rule the world. There is no difference between ourselves and our talent and our music.

Cultural views and religious heritage may differ but we all scream the same. I
hope we keep growing and the gap closing. Between the Middle east and Europe and the World. After all; makind walked out of Africa and in the Middle East founded civilization, and from there we moved to inhabit the rest of the world. Empire after Empire, country after country ruled the know world and religious thought and faith changed as we grew and changed our views etc. But what stays fundamental is mankind's basic nature. Our PrimEvil side. If in no other way we can connect and be a brotherhood through our music then so let it be! Let’s stand as One and FUCK the dissenters!! All the best for 2011 and our glorious future!



Make sure to visit Primevil on Myspace to listen to 4 new tracks taken from the band's upcoming debut album "Hell To The Holly" out March 2011.

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