Rob Wylde (Midnite City)

Rob Wylde is a musician, formerly with the band TigerTailz & Teenage Casket Company. His current band, Midnite City has a new album coming out soon titled “In At The Deep End.”  It is a continuation of the band’s melodic 80s hard rock sound reminiscent of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard & Warrant.  We discuss the new album, Rob’s other bands, opening for Ted Poley & John Corabi and more!

00:00 - Intro
00:40 - Rob Lane & Steel Panther
03:33 - New Midnite City Album
10:40 - New Song "Raise the Dead"
13:50 - They Only Come Out At Night
16:02 - Touring Japan & Other Live Shows
22:40 - Opening for Ted Poley & John Corabi
27:01 - Playing with TigerTailz
31:20 - Early Musical History
33:28 - Teenage Casket Company
41:01 - There Goes The Neighborhood
43:17 - Leaving TigerTailz
47:45 - Goals with New Album & Tour
53:50 - Dementia UK
56:10 - Outro

Midnite City website:
https://midnitecity.com/

Dementia UK website:
https://www.dementiauk.org/

Chuck Shute website:
https://chuckshute.com/

Transcript

Chuck Shute: 0:00

All right, Rob Wilde from the band midnight city is here today. And they have a new album coming out soon called in at the deep end. It's a throwback to fun good time party. 80s rock. So if you like that style of music, you're gonna love this band and you're gonna love the new album. And if you're already a fan, then you won't be disappointed. So we're gonna talk about the new album, past and future shows Rob time and Rob's time and other bands like teenage casket company and Tiger tales, and so much more. Stick around

Unknown: 0:40

Hey, buddy, how you doing? Good. How are you? I'm good man. Lucky t shirt. Yeah, I try to try to support my buddy. Rob. Let your friend to our mutual friend.

Rob Wylde: 0:51

Yeah, I've known Rob for like 2020 is long time. Yeah. So yeah, we go back a long way. He said he now with you in the era, the kind of the podcasting in the states a while ago.

Chuck Shute: 1:07

Yeah, rockin pod is like a podcast convention for mostly rock music podcasts. So yeah, was cool. He was there. And there's a lot of other musicians and it's funny. Somebody actually walked up to him and had the teenage casket company CDs and want to hit Rob's autograph. I think he was he felt pretty cool.

Rob Wylde: 1:28

He loved it. Yeah, I'm actually seeing him on that on Thursday. We're gonna go and see windows together they're over here with we had lined up the wood Steel Panther who I absolutely hate with adventures, but they're doing all the arenas over here. And when Guru aroma not the tour, so we're gonna go and see him in Birmingham, so I'll be wrong versus old time. I'll tell you to send a lot.

Unknown: 1:52

Yeah, you should be open and you should go. You guys should be on that tour, too. That'd be a good point. You don't like Steel Panther though?

Rob Wylde: 1:58

Ah, no, I never I never. I never. I never got the joke. You know? I always thought it was kind of like taking the Mako all the music that I love. Great, great musicians, but I never I just never find them. I never got the joke. Really? So I don't know. But I'm, maybe maybe I'll be converted when I see them on Thursday.

Chuck Shute: 2:23

Yeah, no, I think I cuz I used to see him in Vegas. And to me, it was like, it was cool. Because it was like, you know, kind of like a Vegas show. There was comedy and there was music. And I liked it. Because I love that music, too. I didn't I didn't think it was like mocking the music. I think it was like, glorifying it. I think it was the humor part was like, kind of like how, you know, rock stars are we're in the 80s you know, kind of chauvinistic, and sexist and all that, like that was the, into drugs and all that, you know, like partying. And so I thought that part was and that was kind of the lyrics of the music too. Which was i Yeah, it's it's humorous, but it made me it would make me laugh. I thought it was funny because it was just so raunchy. You know, it kinda reminded me of like Eazy E or like, you know, the kind of rap like Eminem and stuff back in the 80s.

Rob Wylde: 3:06

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'll let you know how we get. I'll see. I might, you know, I'll email you. And I'm like, All right, you know,

Unknown: 3:16

I think they put on it. I laugh. I think it's, I think it's hilarious. But see, because you've never seen him. Yeah, you'll Oh.

Rob Wylde: 3:23

So this is the first time so we'll see what we get on. You know, hopefully, hopefully, I'll dig it.

Chuck Shute: 3:30

Yeah. So yeah, just I listened to the new album, a couple of times, good stuff. I love this kind of music, obviously. So if you're a fan of this era, of 80s, hard rock, glam rock, hair, metal, whatever the hell you want to people want to call it. I mean, it's perfect. It's great. It's great, too, because I love that kind of music. But there's not a lot of new music that's coming out of the 80s. But you've basically done that you've created I mean, you didn't create anything original in terms of a style, but you've captured that style and feel and, and made it new. It's amazing. So it's really cool to hear new songs. And they're all great, of course. Oh,

Rob Wylde: 4:07

thanks, man. Yeah, yeah, we're so happy with it, you know, they set forth albums. So, you know, we got three three before this. But yeah, I mean, in terms of what we do, I mean, it is literally, you know, you hit the nail on the head, you know, we take all those great bands in the late 80s All the American bands and kind of like, you know, mix it all together and do our own version of it, really. And like you said, I think that there's not new bands doing kind of what we're doing really, with, especially with you know, we've got keyboard player, and there's a lot of keys on the album and stuff and yeah, it's kind of we kind of have a little bit of a niche market. And yeah, what we're doing at the minute,

Chuck Shute: 4:48

exactly as cool the other keyboard player too, because again, that that is something that's so iconic of the 80s. And so it is really in a way it is like really original because there's not like you said there's not a lot of other things. We'll doing that like I think there's some bands and sweet like crazy licks and stuff like that. And I think you've played with them right?

Rob Wylde: 5:07

Yeah, yeah played with a lot of those bands I mean there's a lot of that stuff going on out in Europe for sure you know crazy lakes crash diet all that kind of stuff. Reckless love all that kind of thing. But I still think we kind of sound different to those bands. I don't know. Maybe it's the keyboard thing I don't I don't know. But um, but the most of that stuff is coming out of Scandinavia and you know, the Sweden, Sweden, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, those sort of countries. So there's certainly nothing like midnight sitting in the UK. We're literally the only band doing this stuff. So we kind of stand out like a sore thumb on every festival we play or we're here in the UK because it's, you know, nobody really there is a scene over here but it's more of a kind of a, a classic rock sort of blues. You know, your typical sort of British blues rock on was that kind of like you know, early Whitesnake thunder type sound you know, everybody seems to sound like that, you know, they've all got the beards and so we say just completely completely different which which is cool because we do like stand out quite a lot from from the lot in the band is happening over here at the minute.

Chuck Shute: 6:20

Yeah, I mean, it's got a little more like you said the keyboards I think that is like a unique there's not a lot of the other ones that aren't doing that kind of stuff. Like Steel Panther even, I mean, they don't have a keyboard player. It's crazy looks I don't think does so that it's a little bit of a poppier, kind of like a Bon Jovi would you call it kind of sound? Almost?

Rob Wylde: 6:38

Definitely. Yeah. I mean, very, very poppy, very, I mean, that's the main thing. I mean, there's a lot of, you know, I mean, I love apart from all the 80s hair bands, I just love pop music. That's my thing. You know, there isn't literally there isn't like a metal bone in my party. So it's Bowlby. I just love pop music and I love you know, catchy hooky songs and, and those, you know, massive melodies and harmonies and stuff like that. So, definitely early. Bon Jovi is this, you know, some Def Leppard in the there's a lot of danger, danger, you know, maybe a little bit of 80s Kiss you know, Warren put a white line in the you know, just don't hold those bands really, but it is very, very popular, very commercial. And you know, that's the kind of intention behind it really. So

Chuck Shute: 7:28

yeah, it's definitely really catchy. I love the first song ready to go who whose idea was it to put like the alarm sound at the beginning it's kind of cool though because it like it does like rev you up a little bit and that's the first song which is perfect.

Rob Wylde: 7:41

Yeah, and that was that was our keyboard play Shawn you came up with the the intro thing on the album. So yeah, he that was his sort of department where he's kind of also thinking about what we're going to do live because we're about to go on tour over here in the UK and in a couple of weeks time so that's gonna be the intro for the live show as well into what how Wow ready to go is going to be the first song in the setlist as well so yeah,

Chuck Shute: 8:07

that should go over amazing live and then yeah, there's some some slower songs to some ballads and like the song all fall down though I could see that that's kind of like a sing along Chorus I could see that won't be one that hopefully if the crowd knows the songs though, there'll be singing that one back to you.

Rob Wylde: 8:23

Yeah, I think so. There's there's a lot of you know, a lot of songs but that you know, that are going to be great when we play them live with the crowd participation thing going on. So and then obviously we're doing we're doing stuff from my previous three albums as well. So yeah, it was actually quite a tricky tricky decision coming up with the setlist because you know there's, there's a lot of you're trying to come up with a 15 song setlist for albums is is actually quite tricky. So So we kind of had to do obviously what we're mainly going to be doing stuff off the new album. I think we're doing like three off each previous album as well. So

Unknown: 8:59

Okay, nice. Yeah, because I think Girls Gone Wild is that the next like single there's a music video coming out for that soon.

Rob Wylde: 9:06

Yeah, that's coming out. He's coming out this Friday, which will be made the 19th so that's going to be the second single but it's going to be the first video because the first thing that we put out Sunday was just more of a kind of like a teaser trying to get the label put out, which is the album cover on YouTube. So it was just a kind of a bit of a sampler as to what the album's about. But yeah, we got bills Gone Wild, the videos coming out on May the 19th and then doesn't know that we shot another video for a song called hardest hard to break, which is one of the balance track throughout the album that's coming out June 16. So there's basically another two videos coming out before the album comes out on June 23.

Chuck Shute: 9:53

Nice Yeah. And then yeah, that because the girls gone wild. That's that's kind of more in that like warrant vein because it's got the The gang background vocals which I love, personally and is very reminiscent of warrant I think

Rob Wylde: 10:07

very I mean, I'm a huge warrant plans good and good ears. Yeah, yeah probably you know the whole point that Barbie saw like tongue in cheek you know lyrics are kind of almost, you know, a little bit loving stereo on skinny bump a little bit you know, it's been, you know, sort of tongue in cheek, one foot rock song really, but yeah, there's a lot of Warren influence through that was a huge, huge word and Jamie Lane fans, so yeah,

Chuck Shute: 10:38

yeah, me too. What? And what about tell me about the song raise the dead because there's like growling songs sounds at the opening and like, how did you get those? Clearly that's got to be like a zombie type song. It's got a spooky vibe, but it's also like a fun party song. And I heard a lot of cowbell, which is always great, too. So that's,

Rob Wylde: 10:56

you gotta get a car, but you have a heavy metal. Oh, we got a COBOL. And so there had to be one in there at some point. But um, yeah, that was a weird song because I wrote the song on it. And it kind of added a different feel to how we how it actually turned out. It was a little bit heavier, a little bit, almost kind of the original demos almost a little bit, you know, early, early Skid Row. So I purposely actually didn't put any keyboards on the demo. But then Sean, again, keyboard player, he kind of came up with this, like, cool, kind of keyboard riff thing. So and then it's kind of almost like took on a completely different, different vibe altogether and took a bit of a different direction. And we actually had a song on our last album. Each can't scratch which came out in 2021. And there's a single and a video for a song called Liam only come out at night. I don't know whether you've seen that. But we did this brand new very, it's just a completely insane video. It's a nine minute video shot in this this old Victorian home here, not actually too far from where I live. Really, really. Just got to watch a video. It's really cool. It's kind of you know, we're all kind of made up like looking like vampires. And it's kind of a it's great. It's almost like a mini little mini little movie more than a video so you gotta check that out. But what it kind of had a similar vibe raise raise the dead kind of had this has a similar vibe to that song. On the last album, so yeah, I mean, yeah, it's definitely I would think that that song definitely stands out from from the rest of the stuff, which is kind of like more you straight ahead, like heavy metal stuff. And but he's cool. Yeah, I think he has a different little twist on it. And I get we're going to be playing that one live. So that's, that's gonna be a good one. That's

Unknown: 12:56

where there'll be a music video for that one later, maybe?

Rob Wylde: 12:59

I think so. Yeah, I mean, we've talked about about that. I think there's definitely going to be at least one more video and I would imagine that will be a good one to you know to do because it can almost like do they only come out at night? Part two, maybe? I don't know. But if you watch a video kind of kind of see what what I'm talking about, but I think that we've definitely discussed possibly doing a video for that for that song.

Unknown: 13:25

Awesome. Yeah. Or could you like shop some of these songs to movies and TV shows that take place in the 80s or like that when they do an 80s Flashback and they need a song. And they don't want to pay Motley Crue poisoned prices. Like I'm assuming you guys are doing a little cheaper. Like I could definitely see if there's any ever an 80s zombie movie, they gotta play raise the dead, like, that'd be perfect.

Rob Wylde: 13:48

I thought that on the last hour as well with it, they only come out at night because the whole idea behind that song was just kind of, you know, watching laughs boys, which, you know, anybody's seen a million times, but I was sat with my girlfriend watching it. And I hadn't probably not watched it in probably about 15 years because it's one of those movies. You might need your kid you watch maybe one too many times, you know? So I remember watching them and just thinking what a great sounds trite number one and then thinking how cool would it be? You know, if they did, you know, a big budget, almost like you know, they did the remake of The Top Gun movie couple years ago? How cool it'd be they did a remake of a really cool remake of Lost Boys and I would just totally inspired by it. And then next day actually wrote that song we taught totally so almost as a like, I'm writing this song to go on the Lost Boys soundtrack sort of thing. I did actually then the same really with arrays of data as well and I have actually looked into trying to, to you know, get those songs to the right people. Obviously, I've got a publisher who works with me and she she's trying to trying especially she'd been trying to get the only commitment night of my last album, push to two movies and stuff like that and, and raise a debt will be another one as well which should be, which will be great. So it's something that I'm working on as a band, we're gonna really try and push. You know, see if we can make it happen.

Unknown: 15:28

Yeah, cuz I think it's just sucks because when bands record these albums, and they make such great music, and it's so hard to sell music, so it'd be nice if you get it on a TV show or something, then you get some get paid for, you know, making that music. Obviously, you're gonna get paid with the shows too in the merchant lap. But yeah, it'd be a nice little chunk of change, for sure.

Rob Wylde: 15:47

You know, in, in Stranger Things or something like that, you know, be under the show that we can get some music on that. That'd be great.

Chuck Shute: 15:57

That would be perfect. That's a great example. Yeah. I mean, but So speaking of touring, I mean, so you have some shows lined up, but I thought it was crazy that I heard you talking about that. You did shows in Japan and Australia. Like, that's pretty amazing. So I mean, the band must be doing pretty well, if you're able to tour that far away.

Rob Wylde: 16:14

Yeah, yeah. I mean, we did. We did Japan in October 2019. So we did, we actually did two sold out shows in Japan, we played in Tokyo and Osaka, which was incredible. I mean, it's been a little kid, you know, it's one of those places. I mean, what rock band doesn't want to go to Japan, you know, because I remember growing up as well, watching all those classic, you know, like this kid roll or say, can you scream VHS, where they're there, they define it to Japan, they're hanging out with the fans and stuff. And the rap, beat VHS as well. As a little kid, I was like, one day, I'm gonna go to Japan. And it happened. And it was absolutely incredible. So we did that said October 2018. And then Lich. Truly, I think it was a week before the whole COVID thing kicked off. We went to Australia. And we played a couple of shows in, in Australia, which was March 2020. And, and literally arrived back home. And then a week later, like it literally that that those gigs that had happened a week later, we wouldn't have done them. But but we're actually going back to Japan in December. But we've gotten to Australia in January, as well. So we're going back to those countries. So looking forward to it.

Unknown: 17:38

Yeah, it's amazing that you said the Japanese fans can sing along and know the word see your songs, even though they probably a lot of them don't speak English, or don't speak English very well. It's not their first language, but they know they can sing along to your songs.

Rob Wylde: 17:52

Yeah, it was really weird because we went over them. And it was like, I mean, we play all over Europe, and, you know, even Australia was was amazing. But Australia was very, it reminded me in the States, you know, I used to live in the States for a few years. Back in God like 2007 2010, and it very much reminded me of is very similar. Australia is very similar to the state. So I thought, similar kind of vibe, but when you when you arrive into Japan, it really is like you've landed on Mars, it's so different. And it's just an amazing place. But the one thing that really did shock me more than anything was was the fact that literally, nobody speaks English, you know, at all. And it's kind of weird, because when you go to most countries even if people don't speak really fluent English, they speak a little bit of English to get by. We were just so lucky because we have a fan of ours from Japan who literally follows us all over the world. And she was with us in Japan and she was actually an English teacher in Japan. So she was kind of for the the week that we were over there she was. She was exhausted, because she was just translating literally everything, you know, we get to get to the one of the gigs and, you know, she'd have to translate between the sound guy and what we needed. Without her I honestly don't know how we would have got by because they, you know, nobody, really nobody speaks any English at all, which was quite, that was quite shocked with that, because it just made me just, you know, presumed that people would but but yeah, they didn't. But apart from that, I mean, it'd be it was just an incredible experience. It was really cool.

Unknown: 19:43

That is really cool. So you said, obviously you've been in the States, but you've never toured with this band in the state. So is that something that could possibly happen someday?

Rob Wylde: 19:54

We're hoping so. I mean, we did actually, like every year we And the the Monsters of Rock cruise happens. We're constantly bombarded with messages and emails from people saying you need to be doing this. You need to be doing the cruise and he did the kiss cruise with when I used to sing in Tiger tails which was amazing. So that was a while ago, but you know what it would be, it wouldn't be perfect for midnight city to do the monster roku. So I am actually speaking currently to I don't know who it is, but we've basically been talking to them today about possibly making that happen. Hopefully, next year fingers crossed, but but in terms of actually, you know, coming over and doing a tours, though, but I don't really know how that I'm not sure about that. But I definitely think you know, you get amongst the rock crews that would that would be really cool. And then maybe play some shows around it. Maybe you know, before before going on the on the cruise, maybe? I don't know. So, but we're working on that. So fingers crossed.

Chuck Shute: 21:09

That would be cool. Or just like a one of those big festivals like a Rocklahoma or an M three or something like that. I mean, that might make sense for you guys to fly out to do something like that.

Rob Wylde: 21:19

Oh, yeah, yeah, I mean, without a doubt I mean, the Rocklahoma thing is that's another thing that's doable. The the M three things is kind of a bit weird because I mean, I love love every year lineup and this every year there's some really obscure bands that I love that song this year Charles play played and I love all that stuff. But with the with the M three stuff. I never really see any new bands. I don't know what it tends to be, you know, you've got the big names headlining and then you've got the kind of the smaller Hair Metal bands and stuff. I never really see any kind of like new upcoming bands on that lineup. But I don't know. But I mean, EP three will be great. And you know, I remember going going to M three and going got maybe 2010 I think it was and it was great festival, you know, I mean every single bond now I was in I was in Canada, and it was great.

Unknown: 22:18

Yeah, that's I've never done them three. I've never done it. I've never done the monsters rock or any cruises in my life. So that's definitely on my bucket list. So it'd be cool if I could somehow find a way to get the money to go next year. And you guys were there. That'd be amazing. Oh,

Rob Wylde: 22:30

that'd be great. Yeah,

Unknown: 22:32

but you've done some cool.

Rob Wylde: 22:34

What's that? No, carry on. Carry on?

Unknown: 22:37

Yeah, no, I was just gonna say you've already Evert you have done some cool opening shows and some other you played festivals with like, Jack Russell and La guns and stuff. And but tell me about opening for Ted Poli. Because that's another one that's like, I've never seen Danger Danger or Ted poli solo. It's on my bucket list. How was a plane with him?

Rob Wylde: 22:55

I was great. Yeah, it was great. We had a really good time. Yeah, we I've met I've met many times over the years, but we've never actually played together. So he came over. It was March we did, I think it was seven or eight, eight acoustic shows over here. And I do that a lot as well. I do a lot of solo acoustic shows with various different people. Yeah, he came over and we just had an absolute blast. It was great. And it was for him, it was kind of a little bit weird, because it was the first time you don't need the kind of the acoustic thing. And he had a great guitar player with him from Ireland who was sort of playing guitar with him as well. And just doing all the all the classics, and, you know, the best Ted, so he's still killing it, you know, every single night. He's great. And actually, the, the, the, the, the attendances of all the shows a really good, actually better than, than a lot of the guys that come over here. But he was great. I mean, he was, he's a massive influence of minus, you know, a singer and frontman and stuff like that. And so it was just great to hang out with him as well, every night, you know, we became really good friends. And yeah, we've we've kept in touch, you know, spoke to him a couple of times. Since since he got back to the States. I think he's actually talking about it went so well. I think he's actually talking about coming back over to the UK and possibly doing it again next year. So yeah, but it was fantastic. It was it was a great, great experience and, and a lot of fun.

Chuck Shute: 24:38

Yeah. Is that something that you could do, just to get your feet wet in the US like tour solo acoustically? Because that's obviously that's a lot more affordable to just bring yourself rather than the whole band.

Rob Wylde: 24:49

Yeah, I mean, that would that would make sense. You know, I mean, I could literally just, I mean, that's the beauty of doing the solo acoustic stuff, is you just rock up with an acoustic guitar. And then, you know, go for it. So that's something I mean, I used to do that quite a lot when I lived in the States and get away with it. And always, always really, you know, because when I was doing a TED thing I, you know, I'm just doing all midnight city songs, you know, just acoustically. And it really, it definitely promotes the band. And, you know, and the I mean, I do that all the time in between the the midnight city stuff, I'm going out with my trump in August, he's coming over to do the white line songs. So I'm doing I think about four or five shows with him and, and get a few John corabi. And a few guys like that, but But yeah, definitely. I mean, that could be something from like you say, a little bit cheaper than bring the whole band over. You know, that might be something might be able to do at some point. Yeah.

Unknown: 25:49

Yeah. That's cool. I didn't know the mother, Mike trampy. I saw that you've already done at least I think one show with John corabi. Before right in the past.

Rob Wylde: 25:56

Yeah, I've done a few actually. Yeah, I've done. He came over last November last year. And he did a did a tour. And I think I did about four shows with him then. And then I and then a couple years prior, I did another show with him. And he's great as well. I mean, he's a lovely guy. And yeah, he comes over here quite a bit. Trump Mike does as well. You know, it's very spiritual. You know, now, I think like I said, I think Ted is going to be coming back again. And so I get I get kind of I seem to be like the go to hair metal guy to them for you know, he was going over doing the acoustic stuff. So, so yeah, so

Unknown: 26:43

cool. What about this tour? We got John karate, Mike tramp, Ted Poli. And Rob Wilde to the US acoustic solo tour. I think

Rob Wylde: 26:53

we need to get that book to me. That's, that'd be great. That'd be really happy while up for doing that.

Chuck Shute: 26:59

That would be amazing. I find it so you're telling mentioned Tiger tales earlier, I find it so fascinating that I've never seen this before. We're, I'm looking at your career in that band. And you started out playing bass. And then you played rhythm.

Unknown: 27:13

And then you're saying it's like you got promoted every day? I've never seen that where I'm like, first of all, it's amazing that you can play all those instruments. I think you play the drums too. So But talk about that, because curious how that happened. How the progression? It's, it's interesting to me, I don't You don't say?

Rob Wylde: 27:28

Yeah, it was not. And I haven't even played drums as well, which I'll tell you about in a minute. Because that really funny story. But yeah, it was very strange. I mean, I got into the band through the original drummer ace Fincham, who he was going back to like, 2012, because I was actually in the band. I left last year, but I was in the band for 10 years. So we do. I mean, there's been a lot of band members come on, come in that band, even Wikipedia. But if you look at the kind of the timeline, I was actually in the band for for, you know, one of the long hours like one of the longest running band members. But yeah, I joined in 2012. As a rhythm guitar player, he was going in touch and said, You know what, putting a new lineup together we need need a second guitar player, would you be up for it? And of course, I said, Yeah, because as a kid as a teenager, I was a big time details. Finally don't look them. I used up posters on my wall and stuff. So it's a big deal for me join. And so I joined as a guitar player, we went out and I think we shot the video. And then we went over the European tour. And then that lineup ace left the, the bass player was fired. I mean, they they brought back their old drummer who had been in the band prior to AES. And then I was asked to switch the bass. So I switched the bass and I was in that lineup was that you know, together for probably about two and a half years with me playing bass. Then the singer he left and then he was like, Okay, well, we want you to sing song and then I moved to singing in I think it was 2015 I started singing. So I did I sign for seven years, which is probably what I should have been doing all along really but but there is a funny story that early on. When I first joined the band, we were flying to Italy, and we were at the airport and Ace lost his passport. I don't know how he did it. We checked on for flight. We were sitting at a bar and there was a call we were the last call for passengers blah blah blah. So we were about to Miss Miss Fly. So we all went running to the gate. When he got to the gate, he realized he'd left Islam. He lost his passport. So we had no other option to all get on the plane and sit on the plane. And there was this soft panic went around the plane as in, you know, as he's going to be left behind, and we're going to arrive to Italy with no drama. Until I said, Well, actually I complete drama. I could probably now I'm sure we can get through a gig. So I very, very nearly we can also became the drama. But on the last minute, I mean this, this never happens, but swear to God, we were both takeoff, there was an announcement over the the PA and the pilot said we're going to be delayed because we have to actually have to change the tire on one of the wheels. So the plane is going to be delayed for half an hour at nap time as his passport, and they let him on the plane. Yeah. But otherwise I would have I would have done the full. I would have played every instrument in that in that band.

Unknown: 31:11

That's hilarious. Wow. Because that's what you originally started out as a drummer, like really young, right? Is that we got Yeah,

Rob Wylde: 31:19

yeah. Yeah, I started. Yeah, I was really young. I mean, I started playing drums first. And then I started taking guitar lessons when I was about nine. And then he started playing in bands really from from being about 13. And, and I've kind of done I started started out as a drummer. But I was always in the bands I was in I was a drummer, but I always wrote all the songs. And I kind of like, I always felt a little bit sort of, I'll use when I was a little kid, I was just really, really shy. So I like to be at the back of the drums and sort of hide behind the drums a little bit. And as I got a bit older, I kind of like, you know, became a little bit more outgoing. And I kind of eventually move my way forward to the front of the stage. But But yeah, I started really young. And you know, it's, it's been it's been it's been been fun. It's been interesting twice. Let's put it that way. Yeah. Well,

Chuck Shute: 32:17

so that was your first band was inside out. We play drums and then China Doll. Was that the first one you sang with? And then was that the the biggest show? First big show that you did was opening for danger. Danger?

Rob Wylde: 32:28

Yeah, yeah, we that was 2003 Yeah, we did a tour. We did the tour actually, they came over. And that was that was a big deal to me because I was a huge, huge Danger Danger fan. And they haven't been they've only been to the UK once before they came over in Nike to open up for kiss on the revenge tour. And they hadn't been to the UK since then. So so they came came back over in 2003. And China doll was one of the two support bands on that tour. So it was great. You know, it was that was a big deal to me back then. And we had a great time on that tour. But yeah, that was that was yeah, that 2003 I think it

Unknown: 33:13

was yeah, that would have been that would have been with Paul lane. Not Ted Polly then Right.

Rob Wylde: 33:17

Yeah, it was pull pull lane. Rob masala was playing guitar. And Bruno and Steve. Right.

Unknown: 33:26

So then you started the when you started the teenage casket company, it was you were influenced by Butch Walker, who was in that band called South gang. And then he started the marvelous three. And that kind of gave you the idea like, Hey, maybe I can start kind of a more modern sounding band that's influenced, kind of by that melodic rock kind of more catchy stuffs kind of like a cheap trick. Would you call like, Cheap Trick meets Bon Jovi kind of sound? Yeah.

Rob Wylde: 33:51

Yeah. It was a really weird time. Because I did. I did the china doll thing in the early early 2000s. And, and it was playing sort of melodic rock stroke, her metal around that time was just, it was just that. I mean, there's never been a massive scene for that stuff over here. But back then, I mean, it was literally almost like dinosaur music. And, you know, I was really young back then I was, you know, like, 2425. And apart from the Danger Danger tool, which was gray, when we were going out and playing we were just playing in front of like, you know, all men in like, you know, like socks and T shirts and stuff. And I'm just kind of like, this is not really what you know, I thought it was gonna be in the UK at the time. In terms of rock music, it was the only things that were really happening were you know, there was the new metal stuff which was, you know, slipknot and corn and disturbed and all that heavy stuff, which I, you know, absolutely hated. And then the only other thing that was really happening was all the pop punk stuff, which wasn't I'm overly into either, but I kind of like well, and then, but then I discovered two bands and I had no idea. Originally who was in the bands, I remember hearing the marvelous three and thinking, this is really cool. And then there's another band called 40 foot Ringo. Which I thought this is really cool. And then it wasn't until maybe a couple of months later that I saw a picture of both bands that I might hold on a minute. That's, that's good. I'm sure that's both walk with him besides going. And I was like, ah, it is. And then oh, I'm sure that's PJ Farley and Steve Brown from trickster. And then it was like, There's a reason I like this stuff. As opposed to, you know, like Psalm 41, and all that kind of stuff. Because it was, even though it was definitely one, there's a lot of elements that pop punk stuff in it, there was still a big chunk of sub 80s rocking, kind of buried in this sort of the mix. And like you say, it's kind of like more sort of the cheap trick thing. And, you know, so I listened to that stuff and thought, you know, what I can definitely do, right, this type of music, you know, and, and it was also for me, it was out of necessity to I knew that I either had to update the look and the sound. Otherwise, I you know, I'd either have to stop playing music for a while or, or, you know, I just had it, because that whole melodic rock thing, which just was not happening. I mean, now it's cool. Again, now it's cool. Everybody likes it, again, the image and everything, but back then it was, it was almost like a day, or kind of stopped playing it really. So I kind of like got the just kind of updated everything really the sound, you know, got my head caught and kind of genres. Nick's been going on for a while and but it was kind of cool that, you know, I still kept that that those 80s rock elements in what we were doing, but also we're updating it, which is what marvelous three and five foot ring goetic, basically. So we definitely kind of modeled the band on those two, two bands. Really?

Unknown: 37:19

Yeah, no, I love it. It's good stuff. Do you think that you think though maybe that maybe that's why you guys didn't break through to the next levels, because maybe you did have a little bit too much of the 80s. Like, the 80s people were like, well, this is too punky. And then the pop punk people were like, well, this is sounds a little too 80s It's kind of like you're stuck in between?

Rob Wylde: 37:37

I think so. Yeah. I think that's exactly what it was. Because we I mean, that band was together a long time. It was like 13 years. And and we played everywhere. I mean, we did and we did two American tours as well. We did a tour in 2005. And then we did in 2006. We did a tour with reigns of Jana and the erotics and also Stevie Rochelle. So Steve, Michelle was with us. And it was in the metals. Okay. I think it's called a mountain bulls lunch somewhere extravaganza or something like that. If you look online, you'll find you find the tour. And that was, that was a summer of 2006. So we toured all the time. I mean, we were doing looking back, and I know it was ridiculous. And we would do like 150 shows a year, playing everywhere. And we had this kind of like wheel cult following, but we were never able to kind of get from here to here. And I think it was what you just said that I think new people maybe it was people were just confused. It was too. It was kind of a few, a little bit of a few different things. But nothing that, you know, I do think people like to almost hear something and kind of label it and say, Okay, this is this type of band. This is that type of plan. And we were kind of like a mix of a lot of different things. And I think that's probably why we maybe got overlooked a little bit.

Unknown: 39:14

Well, yeah, and then I mean, because I've talked to a lot of musicians that kind of say a similar thing, where, in a way, like they're just, you know, you weren't really being true to yourself, like you really wanted to go all in, like with the midnight city. That's really what your vision for a band was deep down, like you were just trying to kind of change it to fit and it ultimately like this is more who you really are is what you're doing right now.

Rob Wylde: 39:37

Yeah. 100% I mean, it was it always was I mean, it was always you know, I mean, I never wanted to do anything but this music but in that period, there was just no, you just couldn't do it you just unless you were wanting to go out and play in front of three people and and sell 10 albums. It was either you know, you have to update what you're doing or just Have you stopped doing it, you know, for a while and hope that things come back around which ultimately, we always do. But at the time it was it was, you know, Rob was saying, you know, Rob Langley, we're talking about, you know, he come from the same thing as, you know, similar age pretty much the same age. And he'd been the same as me, you know, he'd grown up on poisoned water and Danger, danger. And, and he, you know, was exactly like me, he kind of realized that, you know, almost like, he saw the iceberg when I did is like, Okay, well, we needed the exact same thing. He kind of updated his image and his style, and, and it was just something that we just had to do at the time. And, you know, I look back on that on that band. And it was, it was a great, great period of my life as well, you know, I don't have any regrets over it. It was a lot of fun. But, but yeah, I mean, what I'm doing now is what I've always always wanted to do. You know, there's no doubt about that.

Unknown: 41:00

Yeah, I mean, the first album that you guys midnight city had, there goes the neighborhood, it seemed like it got really good reviews and really good reception. I mean, I read that it was like fifth best album and classic rock magazine, one of the best albums of the year for burn magazine in Japan. But my question is that first album, whose ass is that on the cover?

Rob Wylde: 41:21

Well, a lot of people thought it was mine originally. But it definitely isn't. Yeah, I you know, I don't know, it was it was the record label. Some of our department came up with that, that the album cover which, at the time, everybody in the band, I always thought I thought it was quite cool. But everybody in the band hated the album. Basically, what happened? And what happened was they sent about, they just kept sending. There was a little bit of a miscommunication thing, because we were on for the first two albums, we were on a German label. And then I think the issue was, they didn't really understand what their goals are neighborhood. Something means, you know, the phrase, you know, like, we all know what those a neighborhood means, you know, but I don't think they got that. So we were trying to say, well, this is sort of what it means. And, you know, so they was they just keep sending these album covers that were just awful. It was just No, no, no. And then in the end, the label kind of started getting pissed off and said, Look, you either you either have to pick one of these album covers, or the album is gonna get delayed by six months. So So then it was kind of like, well, this one's probably the best of a bad bunch, which is the one that we chose. So, but to me, I mean, I liked the album cover, I think, I mean, it just screams you know, when you pick up that album, there is no, there is no doubt as to what kind of music you know, you're going to be listening to, you know, so, and it kind of has that, you know, it was like that screw it sort of, you know, cherry pie, you know, when you when you look at the outcome of what you know, it's going to be what kind of music you're going to be listening to so. So yeah, but it but I don't know who the girl was, I think he was just I don't think it was photoshopped or I don't I have no idea.

Unknown: 43:16

That's funny. So for a while you were doing the midnight city and the tiger tails. Then you finally left the tiger tails and 2022. Tail. I never understood this. It said you left Tiger tails due to irreconcilable differences. What what does that mean? I always hear that I'm always like, what, but okay, but really what happened?

Rob Wylde: 43:36

Um, good question. It was a tricky one. I mean, I enjoy doing I love singing tiny details. You know, I had a great time and I never say anything otherwise. And we played some amazing shows. Like said the kiss Cruise was, you know, as a massive kiss fan, that was a real dream come true for me, you know, getting to meet kids and, and we played some amazing festivals out in Europe. And, and it was great time. You know, I, I don't have any regrets. But we're tired. It's always it's always been a lot, a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. And, you know, I mean, if you look at how many band members have come and gone in, I mean, yeah, I mean, they've been together forever. But I mean, it you know, I mean, I think that in the time that I was in the band, I think there was six five or six lineup changes, you know, so it was it was more what was going on. So behind the scenes, that it was it just made it kind of an impossible situation for me to still be involved and I you know, I'm not gonna throw my name anybody under the bus or anything like that, but it just, I thought about leaving for quite a while, probably a year before I did. And it was a shame because I could have easily done carried on doing both. Because titles, never really, when I first joined, we were really busy. And then the last few years, we do maybe, you know, two or three shows a year or, but I could have definitely carried on doing it, you know, but it was there was just too many things going on behind the scenes. And it was just, yeah, he just, it was just one of those situations that I just sort of figured, you know, it's best for me to kind of step away from it. And, and that's what I did so. So yeah, so that's it really, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna dish any dirt. So it makes sense. Quite cool. You know, they've, you know, I mean, there's two sides to every story. You know, I could obviously say a lot of things. But, you know, I'm not going to you know, it was all I was saying the, you know, it was good while it lasted. I don't have any regrets at all. And, but it was, it was time to move on.

Unknown: 46:02

Sure. Because I think if you notice that too, like the older you get, the kind of less like bullshit you want to put up with, like, you want to just do what makes you happy. And it sounds like midnight city is what makes you happy. And you want to just focus on that. And you don't want to be like, Okay, well, I should do this to make people happy. Or I should stay here because this might be a bigger band, or what are the sub, you know, I get to do the kiss cruise with this, like, Who gives a shit like you want to do? What makes you happy? And then I feel like the good stuff will come eventually.

Rob Wylde: 46:31

Yeah, I mean, exactly, you hit the nail on the head. I mean, and it was also, you know, when you when you when stuff gets to a point where it's kind of you're, you're getting anxious about doing stuff. I mean, that shouldn't be

Unknown: 46:46

you know, dreading it or whatever, you write

Rob Wylde: 46:48

it down a little bit. And, and, you know, it should be, you know, obviously, it's work, you know, it's what we do for a living, and you got to take it really serious, but at the same time, you do have to, it is supposed to be fun. And it's no fun, then, you know, you shouldn't be doing it. And that was kind of what, in the end was sort of what was happening with titles. It just wasn't fun. It was it was it was just a lot of stress. And I'm just like, I don't really need this in my life. You know, it's supposed to be, you know, supposed to be fun with me, and I suppose we have a good time, you know? And, yeah, so that's, that's it really, and probably for that as well, you know, I'm not saying, you know, I'm not throwing anybody under the bus, but it was just a which is it just wasn't working. And it was just time to time to move on. We go away from it. Really?

Unknown: 47:43

Yeah. So with this new album with midnight city, what are your expectations or goals? For it to when it comes out? What do you want to happen?

Rob Wylde: 47:53

What Wait, you know what I mean, we've we're kicking off at towards pretty much like the setting in two weeks time on second June, we're doing a UK tour, which takes us all the way through to the whole way through June. And then we got some festivals festival in Europe, in September, and like I said, Japan, in December, Australia in January. And for us, it is just all about kind of building a band back up because we were it was quite frustrating, really, because we had you know, we made so much momentum on the first two albums, and we were kind of really, you know, we felt like we were kind of doing this and then then the whole COVID thing happened. And it really felt like the kind of like the rug been pulled from beneath us really. And third album. You know, we was recorded during COVID. And it was it was it, we couldn't really go out and tour and it was a weird time. So it was so it's great now that we're you know, with this new album, that everything's everything's back to normal, we can properly get properly tore this album. And that's what we're planning on doing, we will at least spend a year and a half, at least trying to, you know, turn on the back of this album. And in you know, we we do a lot of like I said a lot of festivals and stuff like that. So we've actually got a new booking agent in Europe, who's at the minute template called festivals was to play out there and, and also a tour with them. I think one thing we need more than anything is just to get on a on a good, a good, good tour, you know, which is something that we've been trying to do for a few years now, which is it's not that easy to do. But that's I think that's one thing that we need, I mean, ideally like we were talking earlier about the you know, the the you know, the stuff that It goes, that goes on, you know, the arena tours and stuff. You know, ideally, the stadium tour, you know, the poison Def Leppard, something like that. What would have been amazing for us? You know? But I think, yeah, just trying to get on a good tour, I think is a part of magic, just keeping the momentum going. Because it's, you know, so far, so good, you know, so we're just trying to keep it, keep it rolling.

Unknown: 50:27

Ya know, I'd love to see like a melodic Rock Tour. Like, I feel like that. I mean, I'm sure there's been stuff in the past, but it seems like lately, there hasn't been one but it'd be cool to see something like warrant and Winger. And you guys and like a TED poli like all just like it like five or six bands, like something a little like little Meteor than just like one or two or three, you know, like, let's have like four or five, or six, like, really good bands. I think that'd be really fun. And then then you guys, you know, the more bands, I feel like the bigger venues you can play. So it makes me

Rob Wylde: 50:56

Yeah, that's it. I mean, we'd love to do that. I mean, that'd be the icing on the cake for us, really. I mean, there is talk of, actually there is talk about a festival happening over here in the UK with some, you know, a few in the early stages have kind of been organized at the minute, but there's apparently about three or four big American bands, and we've been thrown into the hat as well. We'll just be a one off because there was actually a festival over here, which used to happen every year, in October, it was called Fire fest. And it would happen over three days at a venue here in Notting Hill called Rock City, which is kind of like almost like the, you know, the kind of almost like the Whiskey a Go Go over the UK sort of thing. And it would happen every year. And you know, and you know, it would be a three day thing and to be about eight bands on each day. And it was all just melodic rock paper, metal AOR. So you'd have you know, Danger Danger and Warren Wingo firehouse you know, neighbor band from that era and they all cable but there's, there's rumors of that that's going to be starting up again. Next year. So So hopefully, you know, that's the case we we will be with like said we have been thrown into the hat to do to do one of the other shows.

Unknown: 52:23

That'd be cool. If you can't do a show here and maybe off the fly. I've never been to Europe, I've always wanted to go. It's just like, obviously, I was looking at the prices yesterday is Oh, damn, we got to make more money. So

Rob Wylde: 52:34

it's not cheap, not cheap.

Unknown: 52:36

But people can preorder this. Can they preorder this album now? Yeah, okay. So they can preorder it can you get? Are you doing like the vinyl and all that stuff, too.

Rob Wylde: 52:45

We were we're hoping to do the vinyl next year we won't be it won't be on release. We our last album we did vinyl for. It's something that we had hoped to have coming out simultaneously with the album. But that hasn't quite worked out. But we are looking at doing vinyl next year. So I'll probably do blue vinyl or something to go with the album cover. So yeah.

Unknown: 53:12

Cool. And then merch to you guys. People can buy T shirts and stuff like that on the website as well.

Rob Wylde: 53:18

Yeah, yeah, we were actually our website, which just midnight state u.com is actually being updated. As we speak. And we were run, we'll have all the new merch up there. And then we're also we get a lot of requests for kind of, you know, previous T shirts and stuff like that. So we've got a whole new shop section on the website, so there'll be absolutely tons of merch going up. And that hopefully should be live this week. So that's just yeah, just midnight. ct.com

Unknown: 53:48

Cool. All right. Well, I always end also promoting a charity or cause is there something that's near and dear to your heart? You want to give a shout out to hear the end? Yeah, yeah, I'm

Rob Wylde: 53:57

gonna shout out for the website dementia uk.org. And that's sort of, to me that's the call is very dear to my heart as my mom Mom, fortunately, my mom suffers from dementia, and it's a whole absolutely horrible, horrible disease and yeah, it's awful. So that's, that's something I try and do. You know, I try and, you know, carry the cause for that for that website. Really. And just in general, anything, anything dementia related, I try and kind of, you know, try and fly the flag a little bit for that. But if Yeah, if you just got into dementia uk.org There is actually a donate button on the website, which you can donate money to. So

Unknown: 54:50

yeah, I'll put that link in the in the show notes along with the band's website. Yeah. My grandfather had the dementia to the last it sucks because it's like it robs Person of who they are like, you know, you know them as this person then when the dementia hits, it's like, they're not the same person. So it's like, it's sad. It was sad when my grandfather passed, but I was like, at the same time, I was like, he was kind of already passed to me like he wasn't the same, you know, like storyteller and outgoing and gregarious guy that I remember as a kid. And so, to see that, but yeah, hopefully, with donations, maybe we can make a dent in that and find a cause or cure whatever

Rob Wylde: 55:28

they need. I mean, it's actually one of the one of the biggest one of the biggest killers now. Which is it's just horrible. And there is actually the over here, there is a festival, but there's, it's called Dementia aware festival that that happens a few times over here. And I've been involved with a couple of those shows, you know, so anything, any thing that I can do to help in, you know, trying to raise some awareness of this and, you know, get some money behind it. I'm right behind, so.

Unknown: 55:56

Okay. Well, thank you so much for doing this. And, yeah, hope to see you play some music live someday soon, so that'd be cool.

Rob Wylde: 56:04

Yeah. Thanks, man. I really enjoyed it. Thanks for having me on the show. It's been great.

Chuck Shute: 56:08

All right. See Rob. See him. Hey, bye. Well, that was fun. My thanks again to rah than midnight city. He's making great music and I hope people will check it out. Links to the website is in the show notes. A special thanks to rob lane for helping connect us and make sure you follow all of us on social media. Follow Rob Lane straight to video podcast, this podcast and myself on social media. Check out some of the other episodes of my podcast. Like my interviews with Mike tramp Ted poli, junk Robbie, all people that we mentioned in this episode, so I appreciate all your support. Have a great rest of your day and shoot for the moon.