Interview with John Gallagher of Raven

by Mick Michaels





Cosmick View: Hello, John! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thanks for taking some time out of your day to speak with us. It's greatly appreciated.
John Gallagher: No problem!!!

CV: Raven is celebrating over 40 years of their musical career. What level of emotion does such a milestone bring up for you? Is there a sense of amazement or a feeling of "Where did the time go?"
JG: It’s actually our 49th year! But either way it’s quite humbling and hard to get your head around...seems like yesterday when we were annoying our parents to get us cheap electrics...quite amazing. The thing that hit me was seeing a list of the rock bands that have been together longest... and up top we’re The Rolling Stones...and Aerosmith...and we were like #5!

CV: "All for One" is being performed in its entirety as part of the 40-year celebration.  Were there any tracks that posed an issue for the band while preparing for the tour?
JG: Oh no...we’d previously played all but 2 back in the day... “Sledgehammer Rock” and “Athletic Rock” and Mike only needed to learn four, so we all did our individual recaps and boom! Maybe had one slight train wreck the 1st night.... LOL but that was it! And obviously the more we play this set, the better it gets!

CV: In January, Raven was inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame. For you, does such an honor tend to validate the band’s efforts after all these years, or does it serve moreso as a sentiment of "It's about time" reaction?
JG: I wouldn’t say we were holding our breath to receive an award so it was a nice surprise and a great compliment...it’s always cool to be recognized for your accomplishments!

CV: Who do you credit as being your greatest musical influence?
JG: That’s a tough one...but I guess since they were our earliest influence and still a huge favorite of ours...it would have to be Slade! They had it all...great songs...musicianship...personality...and a killer live band. 

CV: Raven has been considered the forerunner of what was to become Thrash Metal, influencing many notable bands including Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Overkill and many others. Was being such an inspiration to the formation of a new genre something the band was aware of at the time, or was it more of a residual effect of business as usual; just doing what you do?
JG: Actually a bit of both...all those guys have told us that we were an influence...which is obviously cool and I love the way they were
“ influenced” as opposed to “ripping off” bands like us...they took the broad idea and created their own thing...much as we did! So, we just do what we do and in many cases, we’ve done it long before others have.

CV: Looking back, what do you feel is your greatest musical accomplishment? Is it something that you would have never considered or even expected it to be?
JG: LOL…probably survival! Probably our biggest accomplishment is building back after the Atlantic thing and going through the glam...thrash...grunge....nu metal eras and coming out on the other side better than ever.

CV: There has been so much talk over the last handful of years that Rock is dead. From your point of view, with Raven now celebrating 40 years, is there any truth to such a sentiment?
JG: Rock is not dead...it just smells a little gamey!!! There’s been talk of this literally forever...they were full of crap then...and they are now!

CV: What's next for Raven? What can fans expect to see coming?
JG: Well we just finished a “All for One” 40th anniversary UK tour...we have a new album in the can & it’s set to be released on Silver Lining at the end of June...and we are frantically working on videos for that! Upcoming dates in Europe...the Milwaukee Metal Fest in May...and Japan later in the year along with a US run...so it’s gonna be busy…just the way we like it!

CV: Thanks again, John, for taking the time to share with our readers. We wish you all the best and continued success.

Check out Raven at:
Official: www.Ravenlunatics.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ravenbandofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/official_raven

 

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word.  Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.

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