Saxon – Biff Byford

Saxon – Biff Byford

By: Lori Smerilson Carson | Photos by Ned Wakeman

Visions of driving down the road, rocking out with “Princess of the Night” came flooding back to my mind when I heard heavy metal band Saxon’s latest album Hell, Fire And Damnation.This 24th studio LP truly captures their melodic, creative metal sound with amazing, catchy guitar riffs, drums, and superior vocals of the same vibrato range and strength as they had on their self-titled debut album released in 1979. As one of the original leaders of the NWOBHM movement (new wave of British heavy metal), they have sold over twenty-three million records and have topped the U.K. charts, as well as reaching success in the U.S. Now, these outstanding musicians are showcasing their new music (as well as prior fan favorites) with Uriah Heep, and Florida fans can experience this Hell, Fire & Chaos Tour in Fort Lauderdale on April 23rd at The Parker, in Tampa on April 24th at the Hard Rock Event Center and in Orlando on April 25th at The Plaza Live.

Catching up with Lead Vocalist Biff Byford just prior to the tour, he divulged some details about the tour that he and fellow bandmates Guitarists Brian Tatler and Doug Scarratt, Bassist Nibbs Carter, and Drummer Nigel Glockler are embarking on, about the new album, a bit about his past and what fans can look forward to.

SFL Music: How did the tour with Uriah Heep come about with both bands alternating as headliners?

Biff Byford: Well, we’d just finished touring with Judas Priest in Europe and U.K. We did a big arena tour together with Judas Priest, Saxon, Uriah Heep, and we were interested in coming to America with Judas Priest, but they were going out with another band in America. So, we thought well, we’ll put together this tour, no problem. So, that’s how it came together, really. We were playing together in Europe, we thought, we may as well do it again in America really, but without Judas Priest.

SFL Music: What can fans look forward to with this new Saxon show?

Byford: What can you look forward to? Well, it’s the new album obviously, that we’re touring on Hell, Fire And Damnation which is a big hit over in Europe and the U.K., and selling very well in America. So, we’re really supporting that album. We’re playing some of the big hits from the eighties in the setlist, but we haven’t been to Florida in quite some time. So, we’re really excited to play in Florida again. Should be great!

SFL Music: What is it exactly that you’re looking forward to with coming back to Florida?

Byford: Well, we like Florida, and I usually holiday in Florida. I’m flying into Orlando a few days earlier, so I’m going to chill out a bit there and then go down to Fort Lauderdale from there. I love the climate really, it’s nice. It’s a nice change from all the fricken rain. Yeah, we’re looking forward to it. Relax a few days before the first show and then get stuck in, really.

SFL Music: That’s a great plan. I heard some of the songs off of the new album Hell, Fire And Damnation. What would you say inspired the album?

Byford: Not one thing really. We just wanted to write a bunch of great songs. We’re always trying to make the album better than the album before. So, that’s our goal. Sometimes we achieve it and sometimes we don’t.  A lot of people heard the new album, seen videos and you know, they bought the album. So yeah, I just think it’s a great collection of songs really, and there’s already some big favorites live like “Madame Guillotine”. That’s a big song live already, so we’re looking forward to playing the new songs.

SFL Music: I noticed songs like “The Prophecy”,”Kubla Khan And The Merchant Of Venice”, “Witches Of Salem”, “1066” are like story telling? Was that the goal?

Byford: Yeah, I’m a bit of a storyteller. I like telling stories. It’s great to sit down and just tell stories about history and the future and the Salem witch trials. It’s very true. And then this time, there’s a couple of songs about American history, “Witches Of Samen” and “Pirates Of The Airwaves”. So, very good really.

SFL Music: They are great and definitely that wonderful Saxon sound. What would you say inspires your music when you write?

Byford: Everything inspires us. If I’m like in America, I’m looking everywhere for inspiration. Then the guitar riffs and the music. The boys send me ideas, and I think whatever idea sort of turns me on, I suppose. It’s very, sort of the unique way we write music. Every band has a different method, and our method is to you know, we basically start with a title, and then the music, and then I do the lyrics usually after we’ve got music. So, its a pretty good process that we use.

SFL Music: What prompted you to become a musician?

Byford: Well, my friend’s brother played guitar, so he turned me on to the guitar. When I was like twelve, thirteen years old, our music teacher used to bring in some rock and roll records and things. American, like Elvis Presley and all that rockabilly stuff, blues records. So, I was sort of brought up in music. My mother, she played keyboards. She played the piano and the organ in church. Yeah, I was brought up around music really, so I always wanted to so something in music.

SFL Music: What would you attribute to Saxon’s success? You all have sold millions of albums and been at the top of the charts.

Byford: Well, we’ve had ups and downs like all bands have. We keep going in and out of flavor. So, just sticking around until you’re back into flavor again. It used to go around in cycles, but I think we feel that we’ve written some great albums. I think our motto is never surrender, and I think that’s our sort of battle cry really, never surrender. I think that’s the secret.

SFL Music: What would you recommend to a new band?

Byford: Same thing. Never surrender, really. Try and get something going that’s special. You can tell if you’ve got something special because people will come and see you. So, you have to try and capture that sort of X factor, something special about the band. Could be one person is very charismatic. It could be they can write the songs a certain way. Just something that makes you stand out from the crowd really. That’s the secret I think, and never surrender. Just keep going and going and finally some things could happen. Just have a lot of fun on the way. That’s the thing. Try to have as much fun as possible on the way.

SFL Music: That is definitely great advice! Are there going to be any new videos coming out for fans to look forward to?

Byford: Yeah, we’re thinking of doing a new video. I don’t know which song yet though. We’ll have a new video for the beginning of the American tour, I think, and probably another one while we’re touring, but we’ll see. People like videos now. They love YouTube who they can watch and listen to the song, but it just encourages people to get into the band, I think.

SFL Music: Was there anything else you want people to know? Anything else for fans to look forward to?

Byford: We’re obviously touring America. We haven’t been since before COVID, so it’s a couple of years since we were there. I think 2018,’19 we were in America. So, it’s been a while. We just want people to come check us out. We need people who want to come that are interested in getting into the band and checking out us and Uriah Heep. Like I said, the new album is still making miles. We’ll still sign CD’s. We’re gonna bring our good fun and mix it up. I’ll call out to some people, some audiences, what they want to hear. People need to get ready with shouting their favorite songs out. We don’t have any hidden sounds running. No backing vocals or anything. So, it’s a pretty live show. We’re gonna do what we want live. We’re not tied down to a click track, if you know what I mean. We’re there to promote the album, so come on down!