It's funny how things come in full circles. Firehouse were the first band that Firefest promoter Kieran Dargan brought to the UK back in 2004 and they also appeared at the very first edition of Firefest a year later. Now in 2008 it looks as though they could also be the last band ever to play on a Firefest stage if the 5th incarnation of the show is indeed to be the last. Paul Williams caught up with guitarist Bill Leverty to chat about the show and all things Firehouse related

Firehouse

Bill, firstly thanks for taking the time to talk to us. I understand you’ve got some dates in Spain, Italy and Greece lined up prior to headlining Firefest. Do you notice any differences between gigs in the UK and on mainland Europe and if so, what are they ?

BL: First, thank you for the opportunity to do this interview, and thanks to you readers for taking the time to read this. Regarding European gigs, and to be perfectly honest, I don't have enough experience playing in Europe to be able to give you a definitive answer. We've been very lucky to have had the gigs in Europe that we have had, but there was a long time in our career, over a decade, where we didn't get gigs in Europe at all. Our good friend, Kieran Dargan, took a chance with us after that hiatus, and invited us over for a tour of the UK and Spain. Those shows were all great. Since then, we've come back a couple of times and had excellent gigs. This is our first time playing Italy and Greece, so we're very excited to be able to play in a couple of new countries.


In a similar vein, you played at Rocklahoma again this year, what are the main differences between UK and US festival type gigs?

BL: Well, not to sound like a broken record, but we haven't played any festivals outside the USA yet, but I can tell you that Rocklahoma has been an AWESOME event for the rock audience in America. There are a few other big rock festivals in America that do consistently well, but not in the geographic location that Rocklahoma is in. I hope that we can play more festivals in the future all over the world. It is a great way to play in front of a lot of people who love this music and might not be fully aware of FireHouse music.

We heard about the terrible storm winds at Rocklahoma, were you affected by it ?

BL: Thankfully, no. We played the night before. I'm so glad that nobody was injured or worse.

Do you envisage more of these “Package” shows with multiple bands on the bill, especially given the current world economic climate ?

BL: Yes. There is strength in numbers, and it helps to have an added value for the people buying the tickets. By putting more bands on a show, the audience gets more for their money. The only down side as far as I can see is that each band's set time is usually shorter than when they would play on their own. To me, that's a small price to pay for playing in front of many more people as a band would normally be able to play in front of.

Which acts you would love to be on a festival line up with ?

BL: I love playing with the biggest names in the business so that we can play to as many fans as possible. Having said that, we've never played a show with Scorpions. They would be one band that I would love to share the stage with. I'd also love to do a gig with Bon Jovi. As long as I'm dreaming here, I'll throw in The Rolling Stones!

I haven’t heard anything for ages concerning the possibility of a new studio album. Is anything in the pipeline ?

BL: We plan on starting work on a new album this winter. We'll let people know when it's ready first through my mailing list that I've been compiling since 1996. You can join through my website: www.leverty.com

Moving onto Firefest. Given that the organisers have said this is the last one to be run, how does it feel to have been asked to headline the last day of the last show ?

BL: It is a bittersweet feeling because I really love playing Firefest, and would hope that they would reconsider. We've been very lucky to have been able to play this Festival once before, and everything was done first rate. On top of that, it is truly an honor to be able to play a gig in the UK, but to be able to headline this event is such a tremendous privilege. There are so many people in the music industry, including the fans, who come from all over the world to this event, and the fact that the entire event culminates with our set is very special to us.

You put on a hugely well received show at the very first Firefest and largely stuck to a greatest hits package. Will it be more of the same this time round or have you mixed things up a little ?

BL: We're always mixing things up a bit, but when people come to see us, they want to hear the hits. We have a few songs that we consider to be "alternates" and we'll move them in and out of the set every night. We want everyone who comes to see us to have a great time, and I think that playing songs that they are familiar with is important.

Several bands in past shows have recorded their performance and issued a live DVD and I understand that several are doing so again this year. How would you feel about a live Firehouse DVD ?

BL: I'd feel a lot better about doing it if we had a day before to go into the venue, set up, and go through the show. We'll be flying in from Greece the night before, after playing in Europe for almost 2 weeks. I would like to shoot our next DVD when we are fresh, and have had a good sound check, and maybe some sleep! :)

Your last three visits to these shores have all been organised by Kieran Dargan, what do you think he and the rest of the Firefest team bring to the promotion of such events ?

BL: They know how to do it RIGHT. There are so many promoters out there who cut every corner. Kieran and his team have always taken great care of all of the bands that they bring to their gigs. I can tell you that when a promoter treats the band right, the show will, more than likely, be good. Kieran knows this, and his love for music is a big part of what makes his shows so successful. I wish all of the promoters had half of the heart of Kieran Dargan.

In our usual style, are there any final words you have for the HRH readers ?

BL: I just want to thank the readers for their many years of support, and making it possible for us to have been able to keep our jobs in this very challenging business for over 18 years. We hope to see you at the show!!

Well it just remains for me to say thanks once again for your time. We’re all really looking forward to seeing you rock Firefest in a few short weeks !!

BL: I've been looking forward to this ever since we left the last Firefest gig!!

Paul Williams