PANIC CELL INTERVIEW

Submitted by PrimalNoise on Tue, 13/07/2010 - 18:14

Panic Cell are proving to be taking the UK by storm with their enthusiastic metal being thrust into our faces. During their April UK tour, Primal Noise caught up with vocalist LUKE BELL to pluck his brains a bit and find out the goss from his perspective!

PrimalNoise: How's your tour going so far?
Luke Bell: Yeah, yeah it's been really good. We actually did three dates at the very start of April with 'Life of Agony', in Europe - they were awesome. We went out to Holland, Belgium and Germany, which were fantastic. Then we came back over to the UK to start the UK tour, and that's been great so far. We've really been enjoying it.

PrimalNoise: How was Hammerfest? We were there, but didn't manage to catch you guys.
Luke Bell: Ahh, yeah that was great. Really, really good. We did HRH in 2008, so we knew the kind of thing that was expected. It really was good. We had a really full room and everyone had a great time.
PrimalNoise: What stage did you play? Because we actually went on the friday, to Hammerfest, but had to leave by the Saturday...
Luke Bell: We played the second stage, which is past the arcade. It's still a really big room, and i think it can hold like 1500 hundred people, and it was REALLY full when we played. So we were really happy with that, coz I've seen a lot of other bands that were playing during the day, that weren't so full. But ours was full, so we had a really great gig.
PrimalNoise: Were there any bands there that you were particularly really looking forward to yourselves?
Luke Bell: Yeah, actually. For me, personally, I haven't seen Suicidal Tendencies play for years, so that was brilliant.
PrimalNoise: Sounds like you had a great time then.
Luke Bell: Yeah. Hammerfest was great. Everyone had a lot of fun. I'm trying to think of some of the bands we saw... Because we had a lot of press that day, since the album was coming out. So we were traipsing round the press area for about three hours. Which was FUN!
PrimalNoise: We had a fun experience too, actually. We left at about 3am, ready for our train, so we walked around for a little bit as we had spare time. We went round the back of Pontins to the beach, stood there for about five minutes like "So. That's the beach then..." then headed round the back of the apartments where we heard everyone having parties.
Luke Bell: Ahh you should have just come had some drinks with us! Us, we got out about 2am. I just went to bed, because I'd been driving and it was a 7 hour drive. The others just went out and started drinking, and carried on.
PrimalNoise: That's what Simon Hall from Beholder said, actually. Went out partying all night and didn't stop until about 6am.
Luke Bell: Well... that's about right for Simon.

PrimalNoise: Tell us about 'Fire It Up', what was the inspiration behind it?
Luke Bell: We knew we were gonna do a third album, obviously. We toured the second album a reasonable amount, though not as much as we'd have liked. Then we took some time off, for reason like... family-wise and other interesting commitments. So after we finished touring last time, we took some time, just chilld and relaxed. And we wrote the third album at a much slower pace than the previous two. Because sometimes it felt the the others were rushed, like "Gotta get it out, gotta get it out", whereas this album was done a lot more organically. Which is nice, and we did the recording process in a different way, as well, whereas before we did them traditionally, like weeks in the studio, weeks in the studio, running through and getting everything out there in a short period of time. This time, we looked at it and decided to do it a different way. We booked some studio time anyway for the drums. We did the vocals in my flat, and I spent two weeks doing the singing. The producer came to my flat and we all basically just hung out for two weeks and had a laugh. It was really a much more relaxed atmosphere than a traditional kind of recording set up. But a lot of bands do it these days. You don't necessarily need to be in a super, £1000 a day recording studio, just to get a decent recording. THIS way, you aren't restricted to being in one place, all the time, and that's a great thing, we could really do it, whever we needed to do it! It was more cost-effective and more comfortable. The next album we want to record that way as well. Unless someone WANTS to give us like... £100,000 to do it. But the thing is, even if they DID, we wouldn't want to spend it on recording studios. This is really the way forward.

PrimalNoise: Who are your musical influences?
Luke Bell: I would say... The first proper metal band that I bought an album of is Metallica, in the 1980's - Master of Puppets. That was GREAT. I listened to some other bands before that, things like Queen. But I'd never really heard anything as heavy as Metallica. So they were my first, really PROPER metal influence.
PrimalNoise: That was a pretty epic album. Sanitarium is my favourite, still!
Luke Bell: Yeah, yeah!! Every song on that album is amazing.

PrimalNoise: Are there any current bands that you would recommend to your fans?
Luke Bell: Actually does Metallica still count? I mean, they're still 'current' - they're still going, yeah...? I actually really like their last album as well. Um... I'm totally retro. I don't listen to as much music as I should. There is actually one band that I've been working with lately that I've really, really enjoyed called Karnivool, who are an Australian prog-metal band, Ian, the singer, has got a really beautiful voice, he really has an amazing voice. I'd highly recommend them. For people that are into the likes of Tool... then they should DEFINITELY check those guys out. They would love them, and they're really really good.

PrimalNoise: What are your plans after this tour finishes?
Luke Bell: After this tour finishes, we've got... we're releasing a single, we've got the video for it as well; I'll show you it backstage actually. That should be out at the end of May, then it's coming up to the Festival season. We should be going out and doing some festivals.
PrimalNoise: What kind of festivals will you be doing?
Luke Bell: Big festivals... =D
PrimalNoise: Can you share them?
Luke Bell: Uhhh... I can't, actually... *laughs*
PrimalNoise: Sonisphere would be great, we'll definitely be going to that one. Some of our favourite bands are playing there; Dir en grey. Iron Maiden!
Luke Bell: Dir en grey, we were supposed to be supporting them at the Academy a while ago... Something happened about that...
PrimalNoise: Really? Was that when they had Fair To Midland support them?
Luke Bell: Yeeeeahh. We got bumped off *laughs jokingly*
PrimalNoise: Awww... That's how we met Fair To Midland, actually. But then if it was you, we'd have been friends with you.
Luke Bell: Yeah... oh well... *sigh* But, yeah some good festivals. We're doing a lot of good festivals in Europe.

PrimalNoise: If you could tour with anyone, who would it be?
Luke Bell: I've worked with Skindred, for the last year and a half, there was a really good vibe, no problems. They're FANTASTIC people, so I'd love to do a tour with them, that'd be good. We got asked actually if we wanted to go on their last tour which started in February and has just finished at the end of March, but it was a six week tour and we just couldn't commit to that one, unfortunately because we were working on the new album. So that was a shame. It would have been really fun, although, that would have been hard singing AND acting as a Tour Manager. Oh Metallica too. Obviously, we'd love to support Metallica.

PrimalNoise: Who came up with the name 'Panic Cell', is there any story behind it?
Luke Bell: Ohhhh... I think, it was actually Harj who came up with the name... *frustration sigh* And I CANNOT remember why... There IS a story behind it, and it's terrible, I just cannot remember it. I KNOW there's a story behind it. It's my terrible memory, but there is a story behind it. But it was Harj who ended up coming up with it. It was part of a phrase they used to say, when they worked in a shop... but I can't remember the story. *laughs*

PrimalNoise: Is there anthing weird, or unusual that's happened while on tour?
Luke Bell: Weird or unusual... Hm, Well, we toured with American Head Charge five times and Cameron Heacock's really... mad. *laughs* Yeah, wonderful guys... but absolutely... unusual. *laughs* umm....
PrimalNoise: Anything exciting or interesting then, that's happened on tour?
Luke Bell: .... nothing I want you to print... *laughs* Nah, honestly the whole thing - touring is. It's work, but it's not ALL excitement, y'know? It's just a good time. It's just like being with your friends, going drinking and having a good laugh. Nothing REALLY outrageous.

PrimalNoise: And finally, our Trademark question: If you were sent to prison, who would you want to share your cell with and why?
Luke Bell: Uhh... ooh... *thinks* My little bro.
PrimalNoise: Aww....
Luke Bell: Yeah, definitely him because we talk alot. And I know he wouldn't try and touch me or anything. *laughs* So I'm safe.
PrimalNoise: You're the first person to actually say something like that. Everyone else is all like "Can it be girls??" and we're like "Yeeeahhh!" and they just go silent.
Luke Bell: I just realised, I just put my little bro in prison, that's horrible! *laughs*
PrimalNoise: *laughs* Aww, you did! You know, he'll come and kick your ass now...
Luke Bell: Yeah, he will! I can't believe it, you can have girls... And I said my little brother.... *holds head in shame*
PrimalNoise: *laughs*! You did... Hahaha. Did you want to change it?
Luke Bell: Yeah... Yeah, now you've explained I can have girls, I'd have... Ahh, what's that actress....? In Demolition Man...
PrimalNoise: Sandra Bullock?
Luke Bell: Yeah! There we go!
PrimalNoise: Ahh yeah! Good choice.