Christopher Bowes, Elliot Vernon

Alestorm

During my stay at the this year's Sonisphere festival, I had the pleasure of sitting down and talking with ALESTORM's very own Christopher Bowes and Elliot Vernon about Pirate Metal, Alcohol, the new album, and even doing nude snow angels for fans, (haha). Enjoy this read ye scurvy dogs!!
By Mike Coyle
December 1, 2014
Interview - Christopher Bowes & Elliot Vernon (Alestorm) interview
So thank you very much for taking the time for this Interview.

So first off guys how are you doing today?

Christopher Bowes: Um well half an hour ago I was sober so I went back to my tent and got this bottle which is fifty percent tequila twenty five percent lemon juice and twenty five percent sugar and I have been working my way through that so yea.

Elliot Vernon: It's very good. Yeah we're definitely doing alright we're getting on.

So how did the show go today guys?

Christopher Bowes: It was rapid,

Elliot Vernon: It was to short but it was really fun.

Yea I heard it was a short set.

Elliot Vernon: It was our first UK show for almost two years and we've been playing a lot of headline stuff for the last two years in between since then, and now we're back in the UK and we're playing for thirty minutes so it's kind of not bitter sweet but it's great to be back but we need to play for longer.

Well the last time I saw you guys you were supporting Sabaton on the Coat of arms tour in Manchester (UK).

Christopher Bowes: Yeah, you were at that show weren't you?(to Elliot)

Elliot Vernon: I was at that show.

Christopher Bowes: He wasn't in the band at the time.

Elliot Vernon: I was at that show as a fan in Manchester yea.

Christopher Bowes: Fan Haha

Elliot Vernon: Well you put me on the guest list, Yeah that was a good show

So I wanted to ask about the new album, how was the writing process for the new record?

Christopher Bowes: Umm the songs were a bit different than usual because this time around everyone wrote stuff because usually I write the whole thing, and I got bored of doing that so I was like right you guys write some fucking songs and we all did and it was great, so it was a lot more collaborative than in the past and a lot more peg legs.

Elliot Vernon: Certainly an increase in peg legs over the previous albums.

Christopher Bowes: Tenfold, if not nine fold.

Well I got to say that through the festival there has been a lot of pirating about, I guess a majority of fans have come out just to see you guys.

So as well I've got to say that with the whole pirate theme would you say that you have inspired bands to work along with this type of music and theme?

Christopher Bowes: I think so.

Elliot Vernon: I'd like to think that there are bands that decided to become a pirate metal band.

Christopher Bowes: There's actually a band we are touring the UK with in October from Australia called Lager Stein.

Elliot Vernon: This UK tour that we are doing in October is well the opening act will be the drummer of Swashbuckle, he has like a chip tune like Nintendo sound effects, like a video game side project so he's going to be turning up with a few Gameboys and play an opening set, then we have a band from Nottingham who are a pirate metal band called Red Rum, so we are calling this tour Pirate Fest.

Christopher Bowes: So yeah I guess we've built our own scene.

Well I just wanna say that when I first saw you guys live I thought that you were one of the most unique bands I've ever seen live as well I think that Alestorm is one of the most important bands in the metal genre today.

Christopher Bowes: My goodness well thank you very much.

As well the whole pirate theme is just incredible.

Christopher Bowes: I think that metal needed more pirates I mean the whole Viking things been done.

So as well I wanted to ask, what has been the most random thing you have ever seen on tour?

Christopher Bowes: Most random thing?

Elliot Vernon: Well last year we played this European tour it was snowing when we played in Slovenia and Christopher Bowes here thought it would be a fantastic idea to remove all of his clothes.

Christopher Bowes: I ran through negative ten degrees and did a snow angel in the nude in front of like fifty people.

Elliot Vernon: I saw many a shriveled Willy that evening.

So on touring what is your main poison?

Christopher Bowes: Um I really like cocktails hence why I'm drinking this margarita here.

Elliot Vernon: Anything from your average cocktail menus like margarita's and mojito's and all that.

So finally would you like to say any final words to the fans?

Put on your eye patch and then take off your eye patch!! 

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