Tony ‘The Demolition Man’ Dolan of Venom. Inc chats with The Pixie
13th March 2025
Venom. Inc
Venom Inc. is a heavy metal band formed by former members of the legendary British extreme metal pioneers, Venom. Featuring Curran “Beleth” Murphy (guitar), Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan (bass/vocals), and Marc “JXN” Jackson (drums), Venom Inc. carries on the raw, aggressive spirit of the early black metal and thrash scenes. The band delivers blistering riffs, snarling vocals, and a relentless stage presence, staying true to Venom’s primal sound while evolving with a modern edge. Since their formation in 2015, they have toured worldwide and released albums like Avé (2017) and There’s Only Black (2022), proving that their brand of chaotic, high-energy metal remains as ferocious as ever.
We caught up with Tony for a quick chat.
Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with us today at All About The Rock.
Thank you so much, it’s a humble pleasure
We see that you are about to head off on a massive tour ‘Beyond The Black Tour’ in April, how are you guys feeling about this?
YES indeed!
We are all feeling very excited. It’s part of our 2025 campaign. We just completed 2 months in the USA as Part 1 of North America and will be back there to complete more dates and Canada later in the year, but Europe is the first full tour since releasing ‘There’s Only Black’ in 2022.. So it’s about time lol.
When preparing to go on tour, how efficiently do you have to pack all your gear up, ensuring you have everything you need from equipment to merch?
Well, it varies depending on where you are touring. If North America, South America, etc, the gear is sourced locally.. If we’re in Europe, we take our own, but in both cases. Gear is itemised and enough merchandise is pre-organised to fulfil the tour dates..
So logistics and organisation os paramount and take me several months before any tours.
Also advancing shows with promoters and venues is important, well in advance also. This consists of details like stage plot, lighting, sound requirements, backstage riders, local crew, etc.
Has there ever been any arguments when it comes to packing the van up for a tour?
Well no lol. We take a tour bus with the equipment in a trailer and usually don’t pack ourselves, but when we do, no arguments as we are focused on efficient packing of the gear so nothing is damaged.
When going to new cities, how do you navigate these, when trying to find places to stay & eat at?
Usually this is done when advancing shows. I get details of parking, local music stores, places to eat near the location.
Logistics aside, how do you cope with being cooped up with your band mates for weeks/months at a time?
Hahaha, NOW? Amazingly well, in the past it was difficult but now everyone is on the same page and we are out to enjoy, support each other and all aim for the same goal. Touring now is better than ever with the best people!
How do you maintain your sanity, and do any of the band members have really bad habits that grind your gears?
We all get along easily. Enjoy new places, people, food, etc. Before it was always an issue as some members didn’t want to participate beyond shows or embrace the places we were I,n but now there is a much better and happier balance and we all enjoy each other’s company and know when each other wants their own space and time alone, so it’s perfect.
Do you ever find that being on the road for prolonged periods can affect your performances on stage, especially nearing the end of tours?
Not at all.. Each location is different and each audience new, so it’s like the first show every night right up until the final date of any tour for me..
How about ensuring that you don’t fall victim to the likes of touring exhaustion?
Well, I work out on tour.. keep my food diet clean… and make sure to sleep. Changing songs each day in the set also keeps it exciting and interesting
Do you ever find that exhaustion ever plagues the most seasoned touring musicians such as yourselves?
I think it can do if all you do is party/
I like my bottle of Jack Daniels each night, but am aware of when enough is enough these days and time to get good rest. Do that and you stave off tour exhaustion!
When on tour have you ever been inspired by a place/venue or moment which has triggered you to write and craft new music?
Perhaps not directly because I’m always writing in reference to humanity.. The worst of us.. So perhaps I’m always absorbing people’s stories and the surroundings we are in…and applying them to compositions later… Fans remind me of myself when I met my own musical heroes or mentors, and that alone inspires me further, knowing you are communicating all over the planet through your music.
You guys have been announced to play Bloodstock’s new event in December, ‘Bloodstock Winter Gathering’
Yes, that is fantastic and with our friends Candlemass.. big thanks to Simon Hall and the Bloodstock team for the invite!
Have you anything special lined up for this?
We will play (by request) The album AVE for the first time in its entirety.. VERY cool!! Time permitting we may throw some encore surprises in!!
If you could describe Bloodstock in 3 words what would those be?
BEST – BRITISH – FESTIVAL
We have our tickets already purchased for this event, we can’t wait to see you guys there!
Ah awesome!! It WILL be incredible. I promise!!!
Finally – after your 24 day Beyond The Black tour, which ends in Greece, what’s on the horizon?
Well, we return home and prepare for some festival shows, then back to USA & Canada to finish off that tour.. Asia is to follow that, then Latin America, after that, with only a couple of weeks in between those.
We will also fit in the new album recordings and release 2 Live albums, a new VENOM box set.. An English translation of my book ‘VENOM-The Demolition Years’ and a VENOM INC colouring book.. So quite busy
Thanks again for taking time out of your day to speak with us it’s muchly appreciated.
Thanks go to you for this opportunity. Look forward to seeing you and everyone soon..
