Live preview: Buck & Evans

Buck and Evans

With acclaim from Radio 2 and the band’s first slot at Download confirmed, it all seems to be happening for Buck & Evans. We’re on the Second Stage at Download. And when you look at how long the other bands around us have existed it feels like we have no right to be there. I still can’t believe how well everything’s going.

Classic Rock even suggested you could be “the next Tedeschi Trucks Band”.

That was very, very sweet. When such comparisons are thrown our way, all I can do is be immensely grateful and flattered. Derek Trucks is the kind of player that makes you want to pick up a guitar, and then realise he’s so good you put it down again.

And yet you only teamed up with vocalist Sally Ann Evans as a one-off, apparently through necessity.

That’s quite right. Thanks to having a solo track on a Classic Rock cover disc I was offered a live show. But I had no singer. It was a panic stations. I never felt Sal would want to work with me for any great length of time, and yet here we are.

Your drummer, Bob Richards, stood in for Phil Rudd for an AC/DC video shoot?

Yeah. And we were all rooting for Bob to get the job permanently.

Together you all make a great team.

People have pointed out a million reasons why it shouldn’t work – we’re certainly not the prettiest bunch you’ll ever see. But it all happened organically and seems to be progressing along very naturally.

There’s still no album available. Don’t you believe it in as a format any more?

We really don’t care that sales are on the decline. We’ll definitely be making one. We could go into the studio tomorrow, but we know that our debut must be as good as we can possibly make it. DL

Buck & Evans play Download on June 12.

Dave Ling

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.