Access All Areas (The Tom Russell Tapes)

Next up on AAA, and the final episode of Season 1, is an archive interview with Bruce Dickinson, recorded in 1988 as Iron Maiden were touring Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. The album was recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich and produced by the late Martin Birch, whose work also included Rainbow Rising and large parts of the Queen catalogue. The interview captures Dickinson at his most articulate and focused, talking through the writing and recording of what remains one of Maiden's most discussed albums. Tom Russell and Bruce go through Seventh Son of a Seventh Son track by track, covering the concept behind the record, how the songs were developed, and the balance between structure, ambition, and performance. It is a detailed look at Maiden in full command of their ideas and their audience. The conversation also turns to the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington that year, where Iron Maiden headlined a bill that included Kiss, David Lee Roth, Megadeth, Guns N' Roses, and Helloween. After the interview, Tom, Scott McArthur, and Andy Muir discuss the interview, including the tragic crowd crush at Donnington in which two young men lost their lives, and how that day is remembered now. The episode also includes Tom's recollections of visiting Steve Harris's house, complete with his now-famous English pub in the shed, and a story about being invited to what was described at the time as Bruce Dickinson's "last" gig before leaving the band. An episode rooted in a specific album, combining detailed musical discussion with first-hand stories from one of heavy metal's most significant periods.

Tom Russell's next rummage turns up an interview with Scott "Flip" Phillips, drummer with Alter Bridge. The interview focuses first and foremost on drumming and life on the road. Phillips talks about the craft and the role of the drummer, with discussion ranging from Neil Peart and John Bonham to Ted McKenna of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a name that causes some surprise in the room. McKenna's influence and Scotland's place in rock history become part of the broader conversation. Phillips also recalls how Scotland was one of the first places to properly take to Alter Bridge, including an early show at The Garage in Glasgow with Scottish support band Logan. His Scottish pronunciation gets some scrutiny: Edinburgh handled well, Garage less so. The episode covers the band's then-new material and how Alter Bridge rotate songs in the live set, including Wouldn't You Rather, Walking on the Sky, and Godspeed. Phillips talks about how songs land with audiences, and how fan reactions are often different from what bands expect. There is also a practical discussion of how bands make money, including the realities of meet-and-greets. Tom, Andy and Scott reflect on how Phillips comes across as an open, generous interviewee, and Tom raises the question of how a band like Alter Bridge might have fared in the faster production cycles of the 1960s and 70s. Phillips responds by contrasting that era with today's process, where recording is technically easier but involves more layers and takes longer. He notes that the band's early work, including Blackbird (2007), was largely created with everyone in the room together. Artwork and presentation also come up. Phillips explains why Alter Bridge want album covers to stand on their own, sometimes ending up as tattoos or merchandise. Whisky makes another appearance, with Phillips admitting that while he is more of a vodka drinker, he does enjoy the occasional dram, name-checking Crown Royal and Bulleit, while conceding limited knowledge of Scottish whisky (ie the real stuff). The episode also touches on one of the band's landmark performances, Live at the Royal Albert Hall, recorded with a 52-piece orchestra and released as Live at the Royal Albert Hall featuring The Parallax Orchestra. A wide-ranging interview that moves from technique and songwriting to touring, audiences, and the practical realities of being in a modern rock band.

Episode 8 of AAA brings together two sides of rock life in 2010: Airbourne, the Australian hard-rock band firing up stages across the UK, and a memorable encounter at one of metal's biggest annual events. You will need to watch the pod on YouTube to understand why Scott and Andy are laughing at Tom's antics at the start of the show! This week, we feature two archival interviews with Airbourne. The first was recorded in Edinburgh, where the band were promoting their then-recent album, No Guts No Glory" and making a mark on the UK rock scene. The second interview was recorded at T in the Park 2010, capturing the energy and humour that have become hallmarks of their festival/gig performances. Tom sets each clip in context, then we play the tapes and let the band speak for themselves about touring, recording and keeping rock simple and direct. Later in the episode, Tom recalls an event in London where he met Sir Christopher Lee at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. At the 2010 ceremony, the veteran actor was presented with the Spirit of Hammer award for his connection to heavy music, including his own metal recordings and his wider cultural impact within the genre. Former AAA guest Tony Iommi was on hand to present Lee's award on stage. Tom's recollections of the evening add to the funny Airbourne material and give a sense of the broader rock and metal world around the band at that time. Andy's Australian impressions are also a standout! After the interviews, Tom is joined by Scott McArthur and Andy Muir for their conversation. Topics include: What made Airbourne stand out on the circuit? How the band's straightforward rock ethos translates into both interviews. The surprise of briefly meeting Sir Christopher when he was being honoured as a metal artist. The discussion mixes humour (the beer story is brilliant) and insight, leaning into the unexpected moments that make rock history worth revisiting. 

For Episode 9 of AAA, Tom Russell's latest rummage through the archive turns up a backstage interview with Shinedown, recorded at the Hydro in Glasgow, with drummer Barry Kerch front and centre. The conversation was recorded around two years into the life of Attention Attention, an album that marked a shift for the band, both musically and personally. By this point, Shinedown were established, road-hardened, and thinking carefully about what it means to keep a modern rock band alive in a changing industry. Tom introduces the interview and sets the scene before the tape rolls. Backstage, Kerch talks openly about the band's writing process, how songs are shaped collectively, and the realities of making a living as a contemporary rock act. There is also a frank discussion of mental health. As always, Tom is joined by Scott McArthur and Andy Muir for a wide-ranging conversation. They reflect on what the interview reveals about Shinedown as a working band, the economics of touring, and how openness around mental health has changed rock culture.  Warning - Scottish accents!! The discussion also takes a detour into Tom's long-standing support for emerging acts at this time through his fabulous "Secret Sessions", where bands were encouraged to play Glasgow pubs long before arenas were on the cards. From there, things wander as they should, touching on whisky, shared musical memories, and unexpected name-checks, including a nod to Leo Sayer. An episode that balances serious themes with relaxed, off-the-cuff chat, capturing both the discipline of a successful modern band and the informal culture that surrounds live music in Glasgow.

The interview was recorded as Iommi was preparing to tour with Heaven and Hell, the Sabbath lineup featuring Ronnie James Dio on vocals. It captures a specific moment in time, before the final Ozzy-era Black Sabbath show and before Dio's death, when multiple versions of the band's legacy were still active. Iommi comes across exactly as those who have met him describe him: quiet, thoughtful, and unfailingly polite. There is no grandstanding here. He talks calmly about the band, the music, and the practical realities of keeping Sabbath moving forward. For someone so central to the creation of heavy metal, his manner is remarkably understated. Tom Russell introduces the interview and places it in its historical context before the archive recording is played in full. Afterward, Tom is joined by Scott McArthur and Andy Muir to reflect on what the interview reveals, not just about Iommi, but about Black Sabbath at that stage of their long and complicated history. The discussion ranges across the Dio-era Sabbath material, Iommi's role as the band's constant presence, and the contrast between the heaviness of the music and the ordinariness of the man who wrote the riffs. As ever, the conversation is informal, opinionated, and shaped by personal listening histories and memories.  It also gets a bit daft! A valuable snapshot of one of rock's most influential figures, captured without hype and allowed to speak for himself.