A conversation with Nick Barker (ex- Cradle of Filth)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 лип 2021
- Back in December of 2020, I had a conversation with former Cradle of Filth percussionist Nick Barker. Nick performed on every album and EP the group released in the 1990s and must be considered the group's archetypal drummer. He's since been a member of Lock Up and Dimmu Borgir, and he is still in Brujeria.
I reached out to Nick to gauge his interest in appearing on the show, and to my delight, he agreed. What followed was almost two hours of discussion that provided deep insight into his tenure as a member of Cradle of Filth. Expect a no-holds-barred chat as Nick shares his opinions working with the band members who appeared on the flawed masterpiece Cruelty and the Beast and the groundbreaking 1996 album Dusk and Her Embrace.
An important point to consider prior to listening: I do not conduct interviews; I have conversations.
For many more conversations conducted for the Scars and Guitars podcast with members and ex-members of Cradle of Filth, they are all available vi this link: scarsandguitars.com/cradle-of...
Check out well over 700 conversations with musicians who appear on the podcast: www.scarsandguitars.net/podcasts
♠️ Support independent podcasts! ♠️ You can help by hitting that Like/ Subscribe and Share icon, but even better, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ♠️ Tell everyone what you thought of the chat ☠︎
Such a modest drumming genius! No COF drummer will come close to the talent of Nick Barker. 1/3rd of the people who created COFs music that actually matters. 🤘
I love Nick Barker and his contribution to Cradle and Dimmu. But I have to admit that nowadays Marthus (Martin Skaroupka) from Cradle is pretty sick too. I think drummers are hard to compare, Nick's influence on the early albums is undeniable (and I like to believe that he is a big role model for Marthus ;))
@@MatthiasLetsch Marthus is definitely a capable drummer and I prefer him to Adrian. However...with closer examination...most of his drumfills just sound convoluted. Plus he doesn't really nail some of the iconic Barker fills in those old songs...which is a real bummer. He can make it his own I guess...but at least pay homage to the old records.
@@kv6256 Yeah he should definitely stay true to the original drum lines in the old songs.
But apart from that, as a Drummer myself I actually like all the filigrane twists and turns and the complex fills Marthus does all the time.
I remember back in 2008 when he had his fist contribution in Godspeed after Thornography was utterly disappointing for me because it missed almost everything I liekd about cradle. Also altough I have respect for Adrian his drumplay was far too "save" and unimpressing in his last few records (especially Nymphetamine and Thornograpy). So when Marthus took over in Godspeed it totally blew my mind, because finally the fast blasts and crazy fills, double basses etc. were back! It was "extreme" again and I totally celebrated that. And now he has 6 albums to deliver great work (OK the albums where not all that great entirely but he always did a good job on the drums).
I really liked Adrian and the midian album,
But nick is fucking mint.
As I understand things being in a band is different to just being good on drums.
I think dealing with Dani filth is a thing of its own
Even tho he’s a funny chap also.
Nicks drumming in lock up is sensational!
@@MatthiasLetsch ⁸88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 I kkkokkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk((kkkokkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk(((((((k((((k((((k(k((k(((k(((kkkok((k((kk((kk((kk(kk(k(kk(kk((kkkokkkkkk((k(k(kk(kkkk(kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkikkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk(kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk(kkkkk(kk(kkkkkkkkkkk(kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk(kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk(kkkkkkkkkkkkkk(kk(kkkkkkkkkk(kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk(kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk(kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk(kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk(kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk(k(kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkjkkkkkkkkkjkj k>iiiiiiiiiiiiii>iiiiiiiiiiii
I wish he would leak the rehearsal tapes of Cruelty and the Beast
Hope you're gonna be ok, Nick.
Get well soon. 👍👍
I love Nick, he's a fan boy living the dream
My all time favorite drummer. The man is a beast. Cradle, unfortunately, will never release another Masterpiece as the early releases.
I would love also if you could delve a little in the V Empire history. It is one of the overlooked masterpieces of COF...
The idea that Cruelty and the Beast could've been recorded at Abyss studio is just insane. Would've loved it.
What a bloody fantastic interview. The best barker interview I've ever heard!
Thx a bunch Robert!
Sadly it won't fucking happen now...R.I.P Stuart
This is the first time I’ve heard this man speak. When I first heard Vempire back in 1996 I was absolutely blown away by the drumming. I spent the rest of the 90s in ridiculous arguments with black metal “elitists” who claimed that the drumming on Vempire had been sped up in post. I was quite happy to go in to bat for my boy Nick.
Many of those elitists probably realise how silly they were by now.
There’s a lot of talk here about Cruelty, which is a great album for sure. However, I always thought Dusk was their best. Funeral in Carpathia is cof 2nd best song (Vempires Queen of winter, Throned is their very best) a gothic romance, beauty slept in sodom, haunted shores and not to mention one of the greatest iron maiden covers in hallowed be thy name on the coffin box release.
Maybe I’m alone here regarding Dusk….and her Embrace as CoF finest release overall.
ps. I finally got to see Nick Barker live when he played for Gorgoroth at Wacken 2008. Two dreams , one stone.
I'm a black metal elitist and I don't think his drumming was sped up at all. I know what Nick can do and he doesn't disappoint.
Nick Barker is the best fucking thing to happen to music. Every technical metal drummer owes him a huge debt of gratitude. Such a humble dude, and an absolute monster musician.
Favorite drummer of all time. Great interview!
His performance at Wacken with Gorgoroth was absolutely amazing. The cymbal work really stands out.
Im from Puerto Rico and CoF in 90s was my favorite band! Till this day I still listen to those album’s.
The day I passed my driving test in 97 I got home pick up my car keys got in my car and the first band I listened to as I drove off by myself was Cradle.
Nick for me is one of the greatest drummers in black metal because of his really technical playing that leaves no voids behind and makes the listener to feel that the music is "full". The guy's a literal beast, elevating the music of the band he plays!
As for the interview, it was great as always, you never make me get bored dude!!
e.g: I'd like as hell to see an interview with Sarah Jezebel Deva. She's hell of an awesome vocalist, I love a lot her work with Cradle!
Thx Pete appreciate the kind words. I’d love to have SJD on the show but she’s all but ruled it out… hopefully she’ll change her mind!
And I would also love as hell to listen to that album that was supposed to be Midian.
Love Nick, seems like such an awesome dude. His work with Dimmu and OMC was unbelievable and some of the best extreme metal drumming of all time.
Great interview that confirmed a lot of my thoughts on the early days.
fantastic interview !
Barker is the best extreme drummer there is.
Especially his work with COF that was some serious next level stuff.
Totally with you on the Midian thing.
That was the end of COF
I love Adrian’s drumming but Cradle was over.
The early Cradle stuff was the sound track to my high school years.
First time listener.
Subbed
Awesome interview, with my all time favorite Drummer!
Amazing conversation. Great questions and it's always great listening to this man speak.
Great interview. Thanks very much for this it was a great conversation to listen to.
Nicks work with cradle and Dimmu is incredible 🔥
Great listen. Lots of questions that Iv wondered about the last 20+ years have been answered. The thought of an album containing that old material is very exciting. Fingers crossed 🤞
I was a massive fan of Cradle during the 90s and was lucky enough to see them in their hay day during the Dusk and Cruelty era. Keep up the good work.
One of my favorites drummer/musician ever and how humble and cool he seems to be!
What a legend! Thanks for the great timeless music, Mr Barker.
Thanks again for the great work,dude! Pure gold.
thank you
Great stuff
I really enjoyed this podcast. I'll look at the other clips. many thanks and big greetings from Dubrovnik
Awesome! Thanks so much mate. Most appreciated. My wife's father was from Đurđevac. When this COVID thing is done we will be visiting Croatia
@@ScarsandGuitarspodcast oh great! so you married a croatian girl, nice.
Anyhow, your podcast is definitely great for me to watch, especially on the topic of Cradle. I grew up with their music, so it's very interesting to listen to "inside" information about the band
I was amazed at how little influence Dani had on the albums. They are still good for me, I mean quality level of few later albums, I'm just listening to "Existence ..." So now I’m keenly interested in who is doing all these solid songs now
thanks a lot again 🔱💪❤️
@@ScarsandGuitarspodcast If your trip leads to Dalmatia or visit Dubrovnik when Covid passes I would be happy to host you guys.
@@Moonchilddbk very kind brother, hopefully we hit Dubrovnik so I’ll let you know if we do
Fantastic interview man, thanks for the passion. I do find Midian to be a masterpiece though. Their last. Nothing of value since then.
Also, damn, I had no idea a follow-up to Cruelty had been written by Stuart, Les and Nick. I would kill to listen to it!
Thx mate, appreciated!
i agree, midian is amazing. check my channel if you wan to see a her ghost cover i put together this last year. did all the guitars, key programming, mix,master etc and had some bad ass friends jump on.
Old Man's Child - In Defiance of Existence: Incredible drum performance from Nick IMO (or from anyone in fact)
What he stated about kidney stones and child birth is so true. The 1st time I experienced them I couldn't believe the level of pain that I felt.
Your story about the boarding school hit me hard. Had the same thing happen to me at a school here in America.
Although separated by thousands of miles we share a similar experience. It makes me feel good that this connected with you brother!
@@ScarsandGuitarspodcast The description of the abuse by the other kids is what got me. I experienced the same. The adults would watch and would make us fight and place bets. Also sexual “hazing” happened a lot. Thank God it was closed a few years ago. Even went to the Supreme Court. Look up Narvin Litchfield WWASP programs if you are ever interested. Take care brother. Also, great interview! NB is one of my favorite drummers of all time!
@@cccCCCccc123ccc All good and thx mate, sorry for the delay in responding. Boarding schools are the domain of psychopaths; both students and teachers. Sexual hazing is exactly what happened at the school I went to, all by students on students. Absolutely disgusting. I hope my alma mater is held to account by those who suffered.
Hare Krishna bhakta Andrew! So nice listening to you and Nick AND Stuart😄🤘🏻 great work 🎉
Haribol brother! Thx very much!
I was online buddies with SJD for a few years back in the early 2000s, via the CoF message board and Yahoo Messenger. She's great. Great memories.
its sad to hear him talking about doing that project with stuart and now its too late.
Indeed...
Man Nick Is like The Coolest Ever Fuckin Legend.
Another great interview. Purchased cruelty in Brisbane CBD when I was 14 with change I scrounged up back when the goth/emos hung around hungry Jacks in king george square. The album kicked my ass and was bummed when I realized the best members had left. This was around when nymphetamine came out and just couldn't get into their newer sound and boy did I try.
A fellow Brisbanite! The Hungry Jacks Queen st mall meeting place, still a hangout for heaps of teens. Did you get Cruelty from Skinnys, Rocking Horse or The Record Exchange?
@@ScarsandGuitarspodcast neither, although I discovered all those places soon after. I met devildriver at skinnys and used to buy shirts from rocking horse all the time lol. Good times. I'm in Melbourne now, less good times atm lol
an amazing drumer , I saw his performance with Dimmu, and cradle.
wow what a great interview seriously sometimes I cannot stand the interviewer but you really nailed the art of conversation! I used to be in a band with Robin back in 2007 called Sectioned and searched for his contact to get you in touch but unfortunately all of it was long gone. If you can get in touch with the guitarist of Sectioned Zoltan Valter I'm sure he can put you in touch, they are pretty good mates still I think.
Thx mate, big praise and much appreciated! Especially as you were in a band with Robin! I searched for Zoltán Valter on FB and the usual places, and it looks like Zoltán has closed all his pages; if you had his contact and could send it to andrew@scarsandguitars.com and I'd be very grateful!
I really d want this album man
Oh wow, he was faster than anyone else for a long long time !
George Kolias is crazy fast but to watch Nick is just mind blowing he just rips and it looks so effortless just crazy
Kollias doesn't have the half of creavity Barker have, in terms of fills, cymbal work etc...and it was 10 years before him.
His fills are the same, again and again, he's just very fast but he's boring
Another banger of an interview, didn't expect to inhale this and the two Stu parts in one day. Amazing insights! Is the book still on the cards? Did you manage to get a hold of Les Smith?
Cheers from (the old) South Wales!
Huge effort mate! The book is definitely on the cards, but fate will play a significant hand. I can’t find Robin, and Les is hard to get hold of. Fay Woolven hasn’t read my messages and I’m not sure I’ll chat to John (Gian), although I’d like to 👍
@@ScarsandGuitarspodcast what's Les doing nowadays? He just fell off the planet after leaving Anathema and haven't heard any news since.
the Only One Nick Barker 🤘🏼🖤☄️
Did you manage to get in touch with Les or Robin, Andy?
Really enjoyed this interview with Nick and what a sound guy full of great stories of Cradle and other bands. 👍👍
Thx mate! Alas, still no word from Les or Sara. I'll keep at it for sure, though.
The best metal drummer and a great cool guy.
Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia is still my fave drum work ever. And stuff from V Empire, Dusk and Cruelty, exceptional work there as well. While Cradle had some great songs after Nick leaving, Dimmu has never recovered from kicking him and Mustis out.
Uncool - Barker doesn't regard Dani as one of the songwriters. He calls him the lyricist as though lyrics don't matter. Dani's lyrics, vocal melodies and singing are a huge part of Cruelty and the Beast.
Lyrics do matter but we're talking about a metal band. Music is the most important thing. Lyrics are the cherry on top of the cake. Dani was probably the best lyricist of any metal band, but the real magic was in the music. And the proof is: after these guys left (especially Barker and Anstis), CoF was never the same, ever again. The music is good, but the magic is long gone.
@@JaimeNoro Lyrics shape the vocal melody. The music also does that of course, but not as much as you think. imo
If you see Cradle live at the time its obvious than Dani doesn't have the sense of rhythm...he improved a bit these last years because I guess I took a coach, but it still catastrophic.
Should be horrible to be his drummer
I hope one day he will make that album with Stuart and Lester
:(
Stuart died almost 2 months ago. Sadly, it won't be happening....
@@Amp661 :(
👏
Hey man, thank you for the awesome work.
This COF era is easily some of my most cherished music ever.
It would be awesome if you could get in touch with Robin. Despite what is said in this interview, I do feel he was an essential part of the sound. The bass never had the same space after his departure. His vanishing out of sight is very mysterious. You might have luck reaching him through the December Moon FB page. It is run by Was, but he might still be in touch with Robin.
Hey mate thx and sorry for the delay in responding. I'm def trying to chat with Robin, there are a few solid leads but... who knows. Appreciate the support!
I don't know Robin personally, but I had some contact with him in the mid 2000s. I loved the December Moon record (a band he created and fronted) and reached out to him to see if he would send me the December Moon demos. Well, he did! Also sent me some COF picks too. In my opinion Robin was a HUGE part of COFs sound in those early days. I would love to hear an interview with him talking about December Moon and COF.
@@phill1830 Nobody seems to know about December Moon, and it is an album I love too! The atmosphere is very special, and the two opening tracks are fantastic. You got the demos?! Awesome! Are there different tracks from the album? How did you contact him, he seems to have totally vanished ?
And I agree, I believe he was a huge part of COF's sound, they never sounded the same after his departure.
@@laporte1625 I am quite certain I got his email contact somewhere off the internet back then. It could've even been through MySpace. I took a shot in the dark asking for the demos, but it wasn't an unusual thing to do at the time. I used to attempt to reach out to my favorite bands/musicians a lot then. There was still a sense of underground at the time and demo trading between bands was still common. Back to the DM demos, Robin agreed to send them and I gave him my address. Some weeks later they arrived on a CD-r with some COF picks. I havent heard them in a while, but my recollections were they were the same songs as featured on the album. They were instrumental versions, no vocals. If I remember correctly there was rehearsal tracks in there. In our correspondence he told me he was working on a new project called Imperial Black, which later on had a MySpace page that featured a few tracks. That was the extent of our correspondence really. I was always sure not to over reach and respect privacy of people I reached out to, especially if I had a request like that. I did keep tabs on what he was up to musically for a while. These days it appears he has dropped out of music releases. Too bad, he had talent. I really liked the vocals on the DM album.
@@phill1830 Very cool. I do correspond and reach out to bands every now and then, even these days. I do share your approach of not overreaching and repesecting their privacy. I usually just like to share with them my enthusiasm and thoughts about their work. Exchanges are most of the time great, and I got a few cool stories and exclusive content too (nothing from a band on the scale of COF, but still bands I really love). I even got to integrate a band this way at some point hehe. Wasn't the initial motivation for contacting, but it just happened over time.
Nowadays Bandcamp is a great platform to contact artists directly, most of them are very nice.
Really nice about the December Moon unreleased material, I'd love to hear it one day. Anything more from this project, really. I managed to contact Was at some point, and he told me it would never happen, sadly. He seemed quite affected by the whole situation, and shit that must have happened behind the scenes.
Yes, Robin had great talent, great presence, and a way of playing that stood out. He seems to have given up professional music completely, sadly. I also did follow his projects a bit, but my favorite music from him was COF and December Moon, which I still listen to every now and then to this day.
Cheers, and thank you for sharing your experience and story.
Even if Dusk, Cruelty and V Empire remain their best work to date, i still enjoy hell out of Midian, Damnation, Nymphetamine and even Thornography (which is on par with early records imo despite all the hate it gets). Really shows how unimportant people's opinions are overall. CoF had lots of great musicians, up until now i guess.
All good I appreciate that you’ve listened to the episode with Nick but can you expand on your last two sentences? No dramas. Just curious. For the record Richard Shaw is an outstanding guitarist but, he’s no Stuart.
@@ScarsandGuitarspodcast
What i meant is that despite Thornography being their lowest rated album, it's their best release after Cruelty and the Beast, at least IMO. And Paul Allender is just as responsible for Cradle's success as Stuart is.
But after Paul has left, there's nothing left of Cradle really. It's just another band with the same lyricist and the band name. I get why this new CoF would be appealing to some, but it lacks creativity from my perspective.
@@veneficus582 about Paul, I tend to agree. And what a great bloke he is too. Richard and the current band are all excellent musicians but the soul of the band left with Paul. I’m on record already about Stuart, without him, the band doesn’t deliver CatB, which is the groups game changer
Paul Ryan works for the agency group and/or live nation in London try finding him at tge agency group
Yeah tried to contact him there, sent him an email but no response
@@ScarsandGuitarspodcast my old band Chaosanct which had James Mclroy in it ( ex cradle, one of many lol ) got pulled into their offices when we still had a shot at doing something.. it may have something to do with the fact that it feels like he wants it to be erased from his history, I believe we got pulled in mainly because Paul wanted to stick the finger to Dan, who knows.. good interview btw , Nick is a good guy and we known each other for years
@@davidroykuchta9979 cool thx mate. Yes I’m especially keen to hear what Paul has to say. I get the impression he couldn’t care less about CoF though. Say Gday to Nick from me 🍺
The Great Nick Barker Legendary Drummer Cradle and Dimmu the best bands
Re. Drum sound- listening to some videos on UA-cam (London Astoria 98') in particular- and this might also hold for Purtitanical Euphoric Misanthropia, how much influence did Nick have on the RECORDED sound (i.e. non-triggered sounds?) Did the request to mix using the trigger samples end up being too hard for the mix engineers to control in the end?
To me the drum sound itself on Cruelty is very similar to Vempire and Dusk (which sound great to me at least even with the triggered bass drums) but it's just mixed so fucking low on the album that it sounds like absolute shit and the production on Cruelty is way too thin sounding as a whole.
Great opportunity to talk a out the Dusk and Cruelty days, but didn't go deep enough. Interviewer is obviously well versed but at times is too interested in telling Nick Barker everything he knows as opposed to drawing the stories out of the subject.
Which topics do you feel I could have gone deeper?
@@ScarsandGuitarspodcast Hey man thanks for responding. Few, examples that spring to mind are why did he hang Dani Filth out of the window? Precisely why he left (he alluded to being financially scammed it but never outright pointed the finger at anyone- you could have got him too).
I'm not being overly critical because I'm glad you have done what you did with COFs early members and really enjoyed it overall, but there were times you wanted to take him in your direction, rather than letting him follow his narrative, there were times that you spoke over him, your questions were long and introspective and said more about you thinking and theories than drawing his stories from him. A lot of your questions were prefaced with respect to what Start A has said in his interview (which Nick and other listeners hadn't heard), which made it feel like a "subsidiary" interview at times.
Very interested in this phased of COF history. Good work overall mate.
@@CameronBinaal No prob mate, you sound like a reasonable bloke, so your points give me a chance to explain a few things for everyone.
When talking to the Cradle of Filth members (from Nick’s era), I’m very much in the moment and throw journalistic tendencies out the window. ‘Dusk’ and ‘Cruelty’ had a tremendous impact on my life when they were released, so I *almost* think of the bands members as long lost friends, and we’re becoming reacquainted. So the Cradle of Filth episodes aren’t interviews, they’re conversations, and the listener is just privy to whatever comes up. I think that’s how I can address so many fascinating topics not covered by other people’s interviews/ conversations.
Building rapport, and genuinely, is such an essential aspect of these conversations. When I’m prefacing the chat with Stuart in an opening statement, it’s so Nick is aware the subject has been addressed, and I’ve got context. It’s my tactic for drawing new insight on the topic in question and opening up possibilities to branch into other related subjects. To some in the audience, listening to my two cents worth is beside the point, but that’s just my style. I’m ‘in the moment’ and genuinely enjoying the chat too.
The financial aspect of the band sounds horrendous. Look at how many competent musicians have come and gone over the years. I’m not afraid of asking any question, but I’ve heard a band member's voice quiver and shake on the topic. I’ve been ripped off a decent sum of money, which made me feel sick. Although I can’t imagine what it’s like to dedicate years of your life to something and leave with only memories and a huge credit card debt (Not saying that happened, but it probably did). That aspect of the group is something I’m keen to cover, but it is the most sensitive topic on the table. If the book gets written, it’ll be covered within its pages.
One topic I’d love to address but only recently started thinking about is the impact of Fay Woolven’s management on the group dynamic. That must have been huge because that’s when they went from the black metal Iron Maiden with what Mike Exeter referred to as the ‘classic’ lineup to what came next with Midian and beyond. Another one for the book I suppose. I confess I wasn’t aware of the ‘Dani out the window’ saga. If I connect with Nick, Stuart, and Greg again, which is highly likely, I’ll ask my socials for input when drawing up a list of topics to cover.
Hopefully, I’ve given you some deeper insight into my philosophy surrounding the Cradle of Filth chats. To bring things full circle, I’m very much in the moment and talking to these blokes is like talking to an old friend. Thanks for listening 👍🙏
@@ScarsandGuitarspodcast Great reply. Yeah, your love and detailed knowledge of the subject matter is obvious. I love when you recalled the Les Smith interview where he refered to the future of COF as "Dani and the Filths". I remember the interview also, and have always felt that is when the "real" COF left us. Funnily, "Dani and the Filths" is exactly what the band became.
In particular I'd like to know more about the precise reasons for the dissolution as far as they can be recalled. Nick mentioned his last tour in Nov Dec 1998 a number of times in your discussion, and the tensions there could be teased out more. You might recall the Terrorizer article on that tour refered to Nick punching Dani and tensions being high. Would be great to hear more about the demise, and a little more about the financial aspect. Your interviews have led me to the view that there was clearly a power struggle between Dani and Les/Stuart/Nick for creative control at the time.
Your discussions with Stuart was excellent in terms of the insight it provided into who wrote what on Dusk and Cruelty, that was excellent work.
Good theory re: Woolven's involvement. I think you would need to speak with her about this too and ask her about how she saw the band at the beginning, where she wanted to take them and how she tried to do it.
Do you plan on interviewing Gian?
@@CameronBinaal Yes, I recall the Terrorizer article, and it was reported in Metal Maniacs as well, 1998, if I am not mistaken? Gosh, I wish I still had my huge collection of those classic magazines!
Re Fay; I've sent her a message on Linkedin, but she hasn't 'seen' it. I view having a chat with her as the next most crucial conversation I need to have, so I truly hope that happens.
So it’s out there, and someone can put me in touch; I’d love to chat with the following: Kit Woolven, Mike Exeter, the Ryan brothers, Was Sarginson, Danielle Cottington and the big ones, Robin Eaglestone and Les Smith. There is some hope with Les; he recently accepted my long ago made Facebook ‘friend’ request. I’ve hit him up again, although I messaged him a few years back. I’ve interacted with Sara, and she doesn’t want to talk about the band, but she did share some insight I’ll leave for the book.
Regarding Gian (John) Piras, I’m not so sure. Nick and Stuart cover his contribution so thoroughly, although if John ever felt inclined to address any of the points they raised, I’d welcome him on the show for sure.
With some of the others, all of these chats are available on the podcast: Dani, Richard Shaw, and Lindsay Schoolcraft. Adrian Erlandsson agreed and then missed three scheduled Zoomers, and Anabelle (new keys/ vox) was scheduled three times and cancelled each time. Such is life!
I have to whole heartedly agree with Barker on the production of the original album. The first time I heard it a long long time ago and was so put off by it. With the re-released version I just heard that a few days ago and was blown away!! Not to say the album originally wasnt amazing but the production to me was so bad I just couldn’t listen to it. Amazing album though!! Great interview too as well
Thx Shred, I’ve got a different perspective which I believe is from the anticipation of waiting for the album. It felt like an eternity to come out after I heard the tracks live in Sydney Dec ‘97. When the album dropped it sounded like it ripped out of the speakers, so at the time it didn’t sound ‘off’ because there was nothing to compare it to and no narrative from the band. Nick’s not happy with the ‘Remistressed’ edition.
@@ScarsandGuitarspodcast yes that makes total sense. Definitely a different perspective! I think when I heard cruelty (original) Midian (cant remember the spelling lol) was already out. That was actually my first real liking of the band, then I moved backwards from there. Its too bad he wasnt happy withe re-misstressed album. I liked it. Oh well either way it is a fantastic album.
how did you contact him?
Man, it would have been great Nick playing with Carcass 😔
I always found Cruelty was one of their weakest albums just because the sound (especially the drums) was so goddamn awful. After "Dusk," which, I think, is one of their strongest, I was so stoked for its successor. And when I finally laid my hands on it and listened to it, I was like, what the f**k were they thinking?! What a colossal disappointment that was. The drum sound on "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids" seems decent, but the rest sounds like it was recorded in a shoebox.
It is only now that I'm somehow able to condone the album's apparent flaws and appreciate it for its musical qualities. But still, I think it's a shame we'll never get to hear the album as it was originally intended!
Get Nick back in Dimmu, Shagrath ffs
just play songs and let us sees you ndrumming , release the dimmu videos you said you have
I always liked in the past how theatrical COF was , lyrically I know Dani writes about very dark things but I honestly don’t ever remember any song with word Satan in it , I’m saved by JESUCRISTOs grace now THANK YOU 🙏 JESUS ✝️but unlike all the other black metal bands when ever other word is devil or Satan and the murders and church burnings , JESUCRISTO have mercy ✝️, cradle was just about music , questionable spiritually for sure but there music is or was more like reading Poe or watching a horror movie 🍿 anyway ✝️🌟
Check their lyrics. More are satanic and anti Christianity. If you want specific "satan" word I'll list you some:
"Fraternally Yours, 666", Darkness our bride (the lyrics are "Agios o Satanas."), Queen Of Winter, Throned, Funeral In Carpathia, Satanic Mantra.
You can check also lyrics related to Christ: The Forest Whispers My Name , The Black Goddess Rises, A Dream Of Wolves In The Snow, Noctumal Supremacy, Malice Through The Looking Glass, Haunted Shores, The Twisted Nails Of Faith, Bathory Aria, Lustmord And Wargasm, Saffron's Curse.
These are just from the first 4 albums...
@@stefanslopa7736 no I get your point , and wow you know more than I , I’m just saying when I was into Satanic media heavy Decides first album I listened to it religiously and every other word was Satan or devil ,
@@stefanslopa7736 Midian was always my favorite album from COF there awesome 😎 musicians
@@stefanslopa7736 I could hardly ever understand what he was saying lol so I didn’t bother with reading the lyrics much , cheers 🍻 thanks for the comments
Again: Cruelty and the Beast is a great epic album, but it is NO black metal. It's gothic, grand, extreme.... but not black.
Who decides?
@@Rimfrostofficial This armchair historian of metal, apparently.
Nahh I disagree with you, Cruelty and the Beast is Black Metal.
Just wish the whole band disintegrated when Dani’s voice did.