| The Exclusive Interview With Bev Bevan! |
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| Q: Bev, thank you so much for taking the time to join me here for this interview! I wanted to start off here by asking you about your current job, which I know you love very much as a regular presenter on SAGA 105.7 fm in the United Kingdom. Tell us about your program and how you enjoy taking part in the 105.7 crew! A: I have a two hour radio show on SAGA 105.7 fm here in the U.K. called Bev Bevans Jukebox. I have complete artist control and get to play my favourite records from the late fifties and the sixties. I love doing the shows and the SAGA crew have been great and made me feel at home in the world of radio. Q: I know that it must be somewhat surreal for you to present songs from the 50’s & 60’s on the radio, the very things you grew up listening to as a young boy in the U.K. You have said that radio is still your favourite medium of which to listen to music. From your point of view, do you feel that radio can still survive what with such other devices as internet and satellite radio, file sharing, Mp3’s, CDs, etc…? A: I think radio will always be a hugely popular medium especially shows where the listeners develop an empathy with their favourite presenters. Q: After millions of albums sold and sold out tours worldwide with ELO, you took a very bold step out of ELO and into Black Sabbath in 1983 simply because you wanted to continue doing some major touring. People were initially shocked by your addition to Black Sabbath, but you blew a lot of people away with some powerful performances with the band. Was it a scary situation at all for you to step into completely different musical terrain? A: I was considered one of the heaviest and loudest drummers in my days with the Move so playing with Black Sabbath was no great problem on that score. Maybe it's the Birmingham air, but there have been some heavy hitting drummers to come from that area besides myself - John Bonham, Cozy Powell, Bill Ward..... Q: Did your time with Sabbath give you a new perspective or confidence in your drumming, such as the sky was the limit? A: Hilariously enough, the first gig I was offered after Black Sabbath was with Englebert Humperdinck - which I politely refused. Q: Do you still enjoy drumming as much today as you did in the early days? A: Unfortunately, I rarely play drums these days, though I would come along. There are strong rumours of some kind of Move re-formation taking place this year. I'd be interested to know what people stateside make of that idea! Q: What kind of drum gear are you using in the studio or on the road right now? A: My present drum set-up is a beautiful white pearl, custom built kit of Slingerland drums and a huge selection of Zildjian cymbals. My preferred drumstick are Black Hickory 'Zildjian' 'sessionmasters' Q: You have a very esteemed reputation as not only a great drummer and musician, but as an organizer of musical events for charities, such as your past efforts for Heartbeat. Is there a possibility that you may be organizing another event in the near future? A: There are no specific plans for me to organise any charity musical events at the moment. My main participation in that area is playing on the Charity Golf circuit. Q: What does 2003 hold for the future of Bev Bevan? A: I am old and wise enough now to realise that food health and happiness are the most important things to wish for in 2003. On top of that, I'd like to do moreradio work and job playing drums again with people I respect and like. |
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| Few deserve the title of Rock Legend as much as our featured guest here, the one and only Bev Bevan, drummer with such luminaries as The Electric Light Orchestra, The Move, and Black Sabbath. Bev is very happy now giving other music a spin, music he grew up with, on the U.K.'s 105.7 Saga FM Radio station. Bev still has a great passion for the drums and great music, as you are about to find out in this great interview (Ed. note: Due to Mr. Bevan's preference, there is not much discussion of ELO here)! |