Interesting interview, do they have a valid point? Sure as far as the registration of the name. But, they left the band and Biff continued on. He kept METAL alive while they were doing whatever.
The SAXON that I love is the one connected to this website. They have kept the spirit of METAL alive during it's depression. They have come out with some great tunes.
Oliver and Dawson really are being @#%$s to try and come in and take what they discarded. If the name was such a big deal to them, they should have tried to take control of it back when they first exited the group. To come back now after all these years and try and be SAXON is a really not fair to the fans who have stuck by the current band.
But, I am sure their are those of us who know better and will continue to support SAXON, not Oliver/Dawson's SAXON.
If they have some great tunes written for an album, great. Find a new name and use it! Wanna play a few classic SAXON songs in your live set? Go right ahead, you wrote them! But to come back and try to be SAXON is really BULL@#%$! Biff kept SAXON alive and well all these years and he is the voice of this GREAT metal band. I am siding with Biff Byford. As a long time fan I can not see it any other way.
Dawson and Oliver need to grew up. They left SAXON a long time ago and the band continued to make great music without them. If the name meant so much to them, then they should have thought of that when they took a hike.
Whatever the outcome, I know which band really deserves to use the SAXON name. And that band just put out a great CD called METALHEAD and is coming to America in late October.
Hopefully to the Birch Hill in Old bridge, NJ. Where from what I see on this message board, there are a few of us METALHEADS waiting for them.
DENIM AND LEATHER, BROUGHT US ALL TOGETHER!!
macc189
Member
Read both sides of the story at www.ukrocknet.com and look under reviews, then interviews.
Biff reveals all as does Oly+Dobby.
You're right about Oliver/Dawson's Saxon, they left the band many years ago at free will and it's unfair if they want the name back.
Besides if one's a real fan you would know that Oliver and Dawson are old members and therfore you would (probaly) buy their album anyway. In fact it will probaly only be hardcore Saxon fans who are going to buy an album and it wont make much difference what they call their band.
I first hear saxon when rock the nations came out, so i wasnt familiar with previous members. But Bford Oliver and Quinn's name was on every album, so I always thought of it as their band. When I got unleash the beast, and saw Oliver wasnt with them I had a hard time exepting that, but everything Ive heard since then has sounded like the saxon I love I got over it.
I wish they would stop fighting over it and just contine to make great rock music as they always have.
If the Olver Dawson band would put out a good album, Im sure i would buy it and like them to. But so far all Ive heard is bickering over the name, and that makes them sound like kids fighting over a new toy.
All I can say is, get over it and prove whos right by putting out great songs, that will prove whos the better of the two bands.
I've got the SOB album, and it is quite good. It isn't Saxon, which I am glad it wasn't. I bought it because of Graham Oliver being in the group. I still like his playing whether it was in Saxon or his other group. I don't think they (he) should be trying to use the Saxon name. They (he) left the band and "the band played on". I like the former music with the ex-members, and I also love the "new" Saxon. I truely miss Nigel on the skins, I always play the Greatest Hits Live video and I am just amazed at his playing, as with Graham Oliver. But the times have changed, the new guys (If you want to say new, they been here for a while now) have brought a new sound to the band that is alot more heavy. I will always play both the old and the new. But to leave the band and then try to capitalize on the Saxon name is wrong. They are good enough to go by a different name, but they are trying to use the name to get established, which is again WRONG!! I have to agree with Biff on this one.
TRtwisted: Was it you or me who set the spirit free? Just had to throw that in relation to the end of your post. That was interesting. Probably the most I've heard about this issue with former band members trying to use the name "Saxon" for their own. Aren't there copyright laws that are international? I have a funny feeling there might be a snag. If that's the case, the fans of our buddy Biff will have to just boycott any imposters! I haven't read the article you mention yet but will after I'm done typing! Cheers!
In three words go and jump why try and take the saxon
name from biff and co ill never no its not only the band that you will hurt if you get the name which i hope you do not but also the fans just go and pick your own name and make everybody happy cant wait for the killing ground album saxon keep on rockin
