SYZ - MICK ATKIN

💿 Hi,it’s a pleasure for us to have on Hardrockheavymetal MICK ATKIN of SYZ, the well-known NWOBHM band from Nottingham!

Let’s start talking about the early days of the band..When is this all begun and what’s the matter of your name (SCREAMING YELLOW ZONKERS..)?

Hi, my friend..Screaming Yellow Zonkers was a name thought up by my then drummer.

That side of band did covers to earn money for SYZ to buy our own pa etc and release the single.

💿 In the first line up of SYZ, two members were Tony Speakman (HELL) and Mark Gibson (PARALEX)? Can you tell us somethin’about?

Tony Speakman was in SOVEREIGN with me then left to join PARALEX then he came back again then left to join HELL but yet again came back and joined SYZ.

You never know he might come back again (😁😁)!

GIBBO came in in place of PHIL ALLWOOD. This is when we recorded ROCK N ROLL CHILDREN /HEAVY RIDER, a double side single we folded a year later.

💿 What do you think about the renewed interest for classic hard’n’heavy music and NWOBHM! For me is amazing..festivals, reunion of bands, new albums..an “underground” movement with a lot of passion!

I must admit i had packed up for 27 years then reformed SOVEREIGN in 2014.

I then had a msg from Sweden from PATRIK from MARIO from Italy and BORIS from Isreal reguarding SYZ, so I changed the band back to SYZ .

ME ROY .EX SYZ .DON EX SYZ then the icing on the cake when GIBBO agreed to jam with us.

At this point I approached MISTER E from The JULLIAN COPE BAND and I had got what, I had planned for 2 years.

Then found out we were in the NWOBHM BOOK since then slowly building up a following abroad. It's so hard getting noticed but we wont give up.

💿 Why in eighties wasn’t the chance for you to publish a full-length?

Back in the day there wasn't alot of money around, although we did what we could so single was the only option.

We played with some amazing bands back in the day as BUDGIE, GROUNDHOGS, DUMPY'S RUSTY NUTS, THE SWEET , QUIREBOYS, TREDEGAR, MACC LADS, SABBAT and even now HAWKLORDS, JAX CHAMBERS (SYTERIA) then the amazing bands at GRIMM UP NORTH in Bury.

Next up DAWNTREADER.Then next year doing MEARFEST and feeling honoured.

💿 The real “news” in music industry is the return of vinyl; What’s your feeling about this classic format and the current music business?

The return of vinyl is excellent news, allthough costly for bands like us not on touring circuit but gud for us old uns lol.Very hard now to sort gigs n' things I spent hours doing it.

💿 You’re working on new songs..is it right? Can you tell us somethin’about?

The new stuff is very heavy n 'different . We have redone ROCK N ROLL CHILDREN (completely different you heard it at GRIMM UP NORTH FEST).

RICH TO ROCK (Is about all those making it in to music because they come from money THE X FACTOR TYPE - AH AH AH!).

Then comes an old track from PHIL ALLWOOD (MUSIC) and PETE MARSHALL (LYRICS).

This is a great song with GIBBO's infuence what a classic track (The song is called UNIVERSE OF TIME, which is title of new EP).

Then there's BACK WITH A VENGEANCE (a little better I wrote a few months back then the band made it ours).

Next comes DON'T WANNA BE YOUR LOVER (full on metal), STAR FIGHTER, EDDY MERCKX.

So great tunes!

💿 Thank you so much for your time! See you soon on Hardrockheavymetal!

Thank you for chatting to me! ROCK ON!

MICK ATKIN

#NWOBHM #SYZ #ATKIN