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You could claim that since he is the keyboard player and vocals for ‘Scottish Pirate Metal Band’ Alestorm, Chris Bowes might be a bit strange, but you won’t find anything in this interview to support that theory!;)

Metal Mayhem: How did Alestorm come about?
Chris Bowes: Twas one summer evening in 2004, when myself, Gavin, and a couple of other acquaintances were talking over MSN, and decided to form a power metal band, as one does. We had a couple of rehearsals, but nothing much came of it. I kept on writing songs and stuff though, and in 2006 me and Gavin got the thing going again, and released a couple of demos. People liked them. Which is nice.

Alestorm MM: You used to be called Battleheart, why did you change that?
CB: When we signed with Napalm, they wanted us to change the name. Which was fair enough, cos the name Battleheart is shite. We came up with Alestorm, and managed to convince the record label it was a cool name. So it stuck.

MM: I think we can safely say that Alestorm, and the whole concept of Pirate Metal is fairly unique, what gave you the inspiration for the idea!?
CB: Well, Running Wild were ostensibly the first pirate metal band, but they only have a couple of songs about pirates. Dunno why everyone is always metaphorically fellating them as an amazing band... but I digress. I just started writing lyrics one day, and they happened to be about pirates. It’s an easy thing to write about, cos unlike the whole “medieval knights questing for glory” thing that’s totally overdone in power metal, pirates are relatively untouched. So lots of unique song subjects.

MM: How did you come to sign with such a big record label as napalm so early in your career?
CB: Was a piece of piss, really. We just sent them a link to our myspace with the tracks from our demo, and they wanted to sign us within a couple of days. Simple as that, like!

Alestorm MM: Has you fist album done as well as you hoped?
CB: To be honest, It’s done far better than any of us could have imagined. The number of sales we’ve had doesn’t really happen for debut albums from metal bands. Even the record label is surprised. Now they’re begging us to get the 2nd album done, the money grabbing bastards! Haha.

MM: What artists do you most admire?
CB: I’m a massive fan of Bal-Sagoth, they’re the band I probably get most of my inspiration from. Huge keyboard orchestrations and all that. My other favourite band is Irish folk/black metal legends Primordial. Ironically, I’ve heard from a reliable source that their bass player absolutely hates us, and thinks we’re the worst band in the history of metal. Can’t please ‘em all, I guess.

MM: When did you start making music?
CB: I’ve been in bands since I was 13 or 14, my first band was called The Foetals. We were a shitty punk band, but it was fun. At that time though, I was a drummer, so I didn’t really have much influence in song writing. It was a few years after that before I started playing the keyboards in bands.

MM: Name 3 things you would take to a desert island.
CB: Hmm... The wench, a badass keyboard that fires lasers, and a fully stocked bar. A desert island without cocktails wouldn’t be fun.

Alestorm MM: What do you do in your spare time?
CB: I’m ashamed to say that I play World of Warcraft, far too much. I’m also apparently supposed to be at the University of Bristol, studying for a master’s degree in Maths. Theoretically, I graduate this summer... though my musical and gaming “commitments” are gonna get in the way of that, haha.

MM: From where do you acquire you talent in the dance moves department?( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4Yz4xGS7mI )
CB: Haha, oh god. That video is gonna haunt me for the rest of my life. No company is ever going to employ me now. I guess I’ll have to be a starving musician forever.

MM: Give me an aaaarrrggghhh!!!!!
CB: YARRGGHHGHGHHHHHHHHHHHH! *cough* *splutter* (I really suggest that all readers check out that video;)

Lewis Klein