Lostprophets

Mon 29th Mar, 2010 in Features

Lostprophets have long been the underground success story of Wales. Led by reserved and frequently labeled arrogant front man Ian Watkins, they have often been perceived as traitors of their original metal classification. However with the release of The Betrayed, this band have redefined their fierce edge, and discovered a new driving force.

Enjoying a chilly LA evening just before leaving for Australia, Mike Lewis, guitarist with the UK six-pack, is a clearly elated. Despite the technological malfunctions (that saw the phone temporarily cut out) Mike proved himself as a genuine and polite working class man, eager to learn the hot spots of Australia.

Having headlined the Download Festival in the U.K, Mike feels no pressure to win over a new country. “When you play in the clubs to a couple of hundred kids you have a different vibe, you know, up close and personal. Everyone’s getting in your face and the atmosphere’s a little different. So it’s nice we can do the bigger shows in the U.K, then go other places in the world and do something a little more intimate.’

This tour has been a long time coming for Lostprophet devotees. Last time they graced us with their presence was six years ago. “We came over and did Big Day Out in 2004, so we’re just really excited. We wanted to come back when we were touring our last album, for a couple of reasons it didn’t work out and we didn’t manage to get over there.”

Mike is keen to add more fond memories to his Australian tour recollections, “Before that time we had never met anyone from Metallica. They are one of my all time favourite bands and are one of the reasons I learnt to play guitar in the first place. I remember meeting James Hetfield for the first time and how intimidated I was just because I only have a handful of musical heroes and James Hetfield is one of them, so I got to meet them for the first time and that will always stand out to me.”

The Betrayed could be seen as a precarious move. The material veers from their signature thought provoking grand anthems of motivation, constructed by metal and riffs, glazed with pop elements. Now there is a rare glimpse of the man behind the straightened black hair. It reveals a raw anger based on the personal corruption and consequences of a hostile society. “Loads of people have asked me to describe the record and I always say it’s a cross between Liberation Transmission and Start Something, but some of the tunes have a bit of Fake Sound craziness all over the place going on as well.”

The opening track If it Wasn’t for Hate, We’d be Dead by Now even has Watkins confessing: “It won’t kill me/you can’t stop me…if it wasn’t for lies/I probably wouldn’t survive/if it wasn’t for damn hypocrisy/I wouldn’t have to sing this song…”

Mike admits the natural progression of Lostprophets over the years, and how the self built shields have been cracked. “The first song we wrote for this album Next Stop, Atro City, [it was] probably one of the heaviest songs we’ve ever written. We wrote a lot of heavy songs, but we struggled as a band to just write heavy songs, we love doing all the pop stuff as well.”

“On Start Something and Liberation Transmission [Watkins] was definitely being very positive and trying to rally everybody together and encourage people to do something positive, whereas on this record he’s being a lot more introspective and signing about himself and some of his darker side of his personality and experiences he’s been through.”

It appears Australia has a reputation to live up to when Lostprophets gets up close and personal with the fans that have waiting years for this tour. “Australians have a reputation for being a bit nuts. We’re mates with the guys in Gallows… all I heard was how insane the crowds were.” The Gallows Soundwave experience featured attempts at human pyramids, circle pits that engulfed the whole stage area and walls of death – so Lostprophets will have a lot to live up to emulate the feats of their mates..

With a seemingly endless career, and finally a solid line-up, Mike reveals the mission of Lostprophets, “As a band, all we’ve wanted to do is stick around and be relevant. Longevity has always been the goal. The fact that we are still here ten years since our first record came out; we are halfway to achieving it.”

With a new belligerent attitude and the long building energy reserved for this tour, be sure to check out Lostprophets as they tear up Australian stages this week with long time tour pals, The Blackout.

Lostprophets wrap up their Australian tour on Tuesday 30 March at the The Tivoli in Brisbane.

Check out the photos from the band’s Sydney show