We’ve had Gutlocker all over our site for some time now, but never really sat down and talked to them in detail. So… erm… about time we did, don’t you think?
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are Gutlocker from Woking in Surrey.
How did you meet?
Ben: I met Skip (Craig) working with him at the O’Neils in Woking, also how I got the job!
Pete: I’ve been friends with Craig for years and seen Gutlocker a bunch of times before they needed a new guitarist and asked me to audition, it’s been a proper laugh so far.
Craig: Dogging Sessions ;)
How long have you been playing as a band?
Craig: With this line up. 5 years. I started this band back in 2012.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
Craig: Tequila and bad decisions, probably best we don’t divulge anymore behind the band name. Google tells all!
What are your influences?
Ben: Muse, Royal Blood, Arcane Roots, Monuments, Karnivool, Foo Fighters, Mastodon, Leprous etc.
Dean: My influences are Iron Maiden, Machinehead, Skunk Anansie, Killswitch Engage, Coal Chamber, Slayer and Sepultura.
Pete: I just like big riffs, it was my love of Rammstein that made me pick up a guitar in the first place. When it comes to writing I tend to listen to loads of Mastodon, Gojira and Opeth.
Craig: How long have you got? Chimaira, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Sepultura, Tool, Mr Bungle, Soundgarden, Primus, Faith No More from the top of my head.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Craig: We don’t pigeonhole ourselves to one thing. If we like what we play, we play it.
Ben: Prog, standard heavy metal, 90s alternative and modern technical metal in a blender
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Craig: As someone who writes most of the lyrics. I draw it from real life experiences and what perspective I have on this world. Writing is one of my venting platforms. I write what I think and feel as it helps me to keep my mindset on track. I tend to avoid thinking where I would be without it.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
Ben: Pete knows the exact number, pretty mental on the whole, we try to make it as exciting as possible no matter how big or small the stage / gig is! Our focus is making us stand out from the other bands and having the tightest performance possible.
Craig: Yep Pete knows how many . I will simply say our shows are loud with plenty of crowd interaction. We want everyone to in on the fun.
Pete: Think we’ve done about 150 gigs now.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Ben: Definitely when we finished our set and went outside for some fresh air to find a young couple shagging against the side of the pub, the old blokes in the working mens club opposite couldn’t believe it either.
Craig: I’ve seen Greg from The Dillinger Escape Plan piss in a bottle and throw it in the crowd when they ed System of a Down during the Toxicity era. Wasn’t a challenging wank.
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What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
Ben: My bass is a Dingwall NG3, I use Boss, EHX, Digitech and Darkglass pedals with a few rarer lesser known bits of kit and the Darkglass Microtubes 900 amp.
Dean: I use Sabian cymbals, Mapex Drums, Trick Dominator pedals, Roland electronics and ProMark sticks.
Craig: I use Shure mics.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Craig: At the moment we are plugging our most recent release which is our single “S.F.S”. We have released a video for it which is on our “GUTLOCKER OFFICIAL” channel. Please subscribe and check it out. [New single out since this interview was done, “To Be Alive”, embedded below – Mosh]
Ben: Our album To Be Alive, out July 8th!
What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?
Ben: Plenty of gigs, album release and a tour maybe!?!?
Craig: Get some time to recharge, then plug the album release and hopefully get a UK tour started.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be ing and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
Ben: Would go for kamikaze test pilots opening and Us both ing Palm Reader, it’d be a night to that’s for sure!
Dean: Kamikaze Test Pilots to us and Employed to Serve to headline the show. It would go off!!!
Craig: I would love to God Forbid. 1. Because they are God Forbid. 2. Because I want them to bring their tour to the uk. I feel we could definitely warm up the crowd for them. As for the opener it would be our friends from Throne Of Icarus. They definitely have the ability to wake the crowd up to get the night started.
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