Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

 
 
Thursday, 20th November 2008

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the n/a site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

INTERVIEW: Danielz of T.Rextasy



Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date: 09 July 2008
THERE can't be many tribute acts who have an army of fans in their own right who will queue down the street to get into their gig.
That is just what happened when T.Rextasy performed a Marc Bolan Celebration in London last year, much to the surprise of singer Danielz.

It was the 30th anniversary of Bolan's untimely death in a car accident and T.Rextasy played a sold-out gig at the Shepherds Bush Empire.

"I was looking out of the dressing room window and saw a queue snaking round the block," said Danielz. "It's a big venue, holding 2,000, and 1,200 were turned away that night."

Special guests who attended were Marc Almond, Shakin' Stevens, Bolan's partner Gloria Jones, his producer Tony Visconti with a string quartet, Linda Lewis, Dr Robert from The Blowmonkeys, Ray Dorset from Mungo Jerry and Clem Burke, of Blondie, who travelled from LA for the two-hour show.

You will be able to see the show for yourself when a DVD of it comes out on September 29 and you can hear T.Rextasy live when they return to Worthing on July 20.

"We're in Worthing once a year now," said Danielz. "Our shows are rock concerts and we make sure we don't come back with the same show. Fans follow us around now. We try and mix it around.

"This year is the Greatest Hits Tour, and every song we do was a single. If you're a fan you'll know every single song. If you're more of a casual fan, you might not remember the title but when you hear it you'll know of it."

Ride a White Swan, Get It On, Hot Love, Twentieth Century Boy, Children of the Revolution, I Love to Boogie – all the hits will be there.

Danielz said T.Rextasy attract the 35 to 55 year olds who loved Bolan but also their children and even their children's children.

"I Love to Boogie is on the young children's curriculum and was in the film Billy Elliott and it's paved the way for a new generation of fans."

A Bolan fan since his early teens, Danielz formed T.Rextasy in 1992. "I'd been in original bands all my life and I wanted to play the music I loved."

They played pubs and within three months started gaining fans. A few months later, after a gig with Sweet and Mud, Gary Glitter's management contacted them about supporting him at Wembley.

"That was in 1993. Gary never invites a band back but in 1994 Village People were support and we were invited back to cover dates they couldn't do due to illness," said Danielz.

That proved the launchpad for their success. "I had ambitions with the band," said Danielz. "I wanted to play Japan and we've done that five times. We had two major tours there and one Tokyo gig was filmed and relayed on TV, which led to a record deal with Columbia, which was another ambition, a major record label deal.

"Another was to play Wembley Arena, where Marc played their biggest date (when it was Wembley Empire Pool). I've done that three times.

"Now I just enjoy what I'm doing and carry on playing. We still do some rock venues but theatre audiences are where it's at for us – it's 100 per cent loyalty. That's what we have in Worthing – people email us to thank us for coming back."

There are several secrets to their success. "I look a little bit like Marc and I'm lucky to have hair so I don't need to wear a wig. We don't have anything on backing discs. I think it's wrong to do that. We put a lot of work into the sound and performance and it's nice to have feedback from original fans saying it was just like Marc on the stage.

"Through the years, we have picked up our own following, which is really nice. People say I look like Marc Bolan and we sound just like them live and that's fantastic. We've had people faint when they've come to see us for the first time and had to get first aiders in.

"People are obsessed by him. When they talk about him a feeling of love comes across.

"And there are teenagers who weren't around when Bolan died in 1977 who come along to see what the fuss is about and become our fans and then new Marc Bolan fans. I feel honoured and proud to have been able to do that."

T.Rextasy are also bringing out a Christmas single, in the same format as T.Rex. On red vinyl, it will have the Bing Crosby song White Christmas in the style of Hot Love on the A side and two tracks on the B side.

They have been singing White Christmas as part of their support to Slade, an annual even for 13 years.

See T.Rextasy at Worthing's Pavilion Theatre on July 20 at 7.45pm. Tickets are £14 or £15.50 from the box office on 01903 206206 or click here

To hear some T.Rextasy, click here

-------------------------------------
Click here to go back to leisure.

Where are you? Add your pin to the Herald's international readers' map by clicking here.

Email the Herald: letters@worthingherald.co.uk


The full article contains 892 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 10 July 2008 9:12 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Worthing
 
 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
 
  

 
 


Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.