Interview with Howard ‘H’ Smith from Acid Reign
13th December 2011I remember the first time I heard them, it was in 1990 ā I was in my first year at secondary school and this band had a split single on the front of Kerrang! entitled āPlastic Explosiveā.Ā The single was shared at the time with the other giants of the thrash scene ā Testament.
The band in question is one with their own unique genre, the legendary self proclaimedĀ United Kingdom Apple Core, the Square DanciestĀ Band in the World ā the one and only ACID REIGN!! And our interviewee is the front man himself Howard āHā Smith.
Acid Reign made it quite big in the late 80ās ā early 90ās touring with the likes of Nuclear Assault Flotsam and Jetsam, Death Angel and Exodus, they also released 2 studio albums ā The Fear and Obnoxious and also had a few E.Pās ā Moshkinstein, HumanoiaĀ and a very good cover of Blondies Hanginā on the telephone. They also released a Worst of Acid Reign album.
Acid Reign disbanded in 1991, each person went their own separate ways and I feel very lucky and honoured to not only have been a fan since I first heard Moshkinstein but also to have been able to make the Official Acid Reign website (www.acidreignofficial.co.uk) and to have have H agree to do this interview for us Ā – so I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank H for not only agreeing to do the interview, but for sharing some of his thoughts and memories with us.
So Acid Reign fans stop salivating, sit back relax and get your fill of this one off interview with the man himself!!
Interview with Howard ‘H’ Smith from Acid Reign
Interviewed By: Craig Hogan
How did Acid Reign get started?
Oh the usual, friends at school wanting to be in a band, AR came together the minute Gaz joined a group Iād been in for one rehearsal. I wanted him in as I loved his playing and we both listened to the same kind of music and had been in another band together (for one rehearsal) before. After that we swapped members around a bit and that was that.
Who were your main influences?
Well GazĀ was the main song writer in the early days and he was a massive Sabbath fan, as you can tell on our early stuff. Also we were all consumingĀ as much thrash as possible with the ābig fourā on constant rotation (Justice came out the day we entered the studio to record The Fear) and lots of other varied stuff too. Dead Kennedys, VoiĀ Vod there was so much good stuff around!
Do you remember the first gig AR did? What was it? (Playing with and where etc)
Oh yes our first and last hometown gig at The Lounge Hall in Harrogate which is now a massive Wetherspoons. It was mental as weād already signed a recording and management deal, recorded our first album and hadnāt played a gig yet! It was absolutely typical of what our shows were to be like for the rest of our career, loads of messing about, tons of stage diving and a guest appearance by a 20ft tall cardboard cut out of Michael Jackson.
What is your favorite Acid Reign song?
Creative Restraint/Thoughtful Sleep.
How did you feel when AR split up?
Relieved, it had been on the cards for a while and it was good to finally get the monkey off my back and move on with my life.
Most memorable on stage moment?
Apart from falling off it in Cambridge on the Nuclear Assault tour, probably my balcony dive at the old Marquee at our last ever gig. They arenāt really on stage moments but fuck it ,itās what I remember!
Who is the best band you have toured with and why?
Acid Reign, because I was in them š
What do you for a living now?
Iām a sales manager for an events catering company and I do stand up comedy as my character Keith Platt ā Professional Yorkshireman. Iāve been doing stand up for twice the length of time I did music.
Do you still speak to the other AR members?
Not much, mainly over Facebook. We all live in different cities ,pretty spread out.
What bands/artists do you like to listen to?
Fuck me have you got a spare week? Everything and anything. Iāve just got back from seeing RammsteinĀ in Germany; saw the Big Four over there as well. So yes Iām still as committed to metal and thrash as ever. Iāll be thrashing in the old peoples home if I live that fucking long!
What embarrassing song(s) might I find on your MP3 player?
None, Iām cool as fuck.
Who do you see as the next big thing in Rock/Metal that people may not know about?
No one, the days of big things are over.
What words of advice can you give to a new up and coming band who are wanting to make it in the music scene?
The music business has changed beyond all recognition since I was in a band so thatās a tough one. Something that hasnāt changed though is try and find yourself a job with some cool bosses who let you take time off for gigs, and just play the stuff you love. That way if success of any kind comes along itās a bonus because youāll be having fun any way.Ā Remember this, more fights take place in bands over women than anything else; donāt say I didnāt warn you.
A.A.T.R. would like to say a big THANK YOU to H for agreeing to answer our questions and for sharing his experiences and thoughts with us.