Do we really have to introduce the already legendary PRAYING MANTIS? These guys started out way back in the late 70’s, early 80’s as one of the forerunners of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement and released a bunch of high quality albums ever since. Reasons enough for us to finally get in touch with one of their former members, bass player Chris Troy, for the following in-depth feature on the guys. Enjoy!

Who else was in the line-up with Tino and Pete Moore in Tino’s first band in 1974? Was that band already called JUNKTION back then? What have you done until you joined Tino in 1976?
"It really just started with those two and then I joined a few months later, though believe it or not, I wasn‘t really certain what bass was!!!! My first instrument was actually Spanish guitar which I started playing before Tino. I think he got jealous and then began learning lead and rhythm guitar!"
What made you change the name into PRAYING MANTIS in 1978? What inspired this name?
"Tino actually came up with the name. But when we think back on all those years we really do not know why we chose that name. Certainly nobody seemed to like JUNKTION." (me neither, haha! – Frank)
You recorded a three song demo in 1978, but didn’t release that until 1980. Was that your first studio recording ever? Why did you wait so long until you released it?
"The demo was done as an experiment. I don‘t really think that we thought that it would be good enough to gain interest but it gradually did. On the advice of a friend we took it to the soundhouse and gave it to Neal Kay to listen to. He liked it a lot and began to play it every Friday night so gradually we picked up a following. It obviously took a bit of time hence the lapse that you mention."
It finally got released as "Soundhouse Tapes Pt.2" by Neal Kay. Did that already help you in terms of bigger popularity? How wellknown was MAIDEN’s "Soundhouse Tapes" at the time?
"The main reason the soundhouse helped so much is that at the time there was a rock paper called "Sounds" which came out every week. At the front for some reason they published the most popular songs requested at the Soundhouse. In one week we had the three songs of the demo in the top 5, hence there began to be a lot of external interest in the band."
How did you hook up with Bob Angelo as a replacement for Pete in 1979? Did Bob play in any other bands already?
"Pete's heart was not really in it because he fell in love and that really brought his genuine interests to a halt. We began auditioning guitarists and Bob was the one that stood out - he was such a funny character and fitted in well at the time."
How did you get the opportunity to record "Captured City", "Lovers To The Grave" and "Johnny Cool" for your "Friday Rock Show" session in 1979? Did the BBC contact you or vice versa?
"From my recollection of events, yes it was the BBC that contacted us and we were willing to oblige as we felt very privileged. But as I stated earlier because of the publicity of the Soundhouse and the emerging NWOBHM scene it was a case of them coming to us which was very nice for a change."
Shortly after you once again recorded "Captured City" for the first "Metal For Muthas" compilation. How did you get the chance to do that, why didn’t you just use the "Soundhouse Tapes" version and why was Chris Hudson, your drummer at the time, not available for that recording?
"Believe it or not, it was the same situation with Pete Moore. Chris was soon to get married to a girl called Sue... from what I remember she was a bit of a bitch and really did not want him in the band. Basically she just wanted him to work harder as a carpenter in order that she could have her new kitchen. So, it was women trouble again. I think we had to record it again as part of the contract and the fact that they thought it would be a better recording, which in the end I don't think it was."
Who stepped in as a session drummer for that recording and how did you find Mick Ranson later on?
"Neither of us can remember his name at present but if it‘s important to you we will try to find out (well, no - not really... – Frank). Again Mick came into the band after we auditioned about 10 drummers. Without being critical the other drummers must have been awful as Mick was certainly not the best drummer in the world at the time. But he did look good and had a really nice personality which swayed us for a while."
In early February of 1980 you released the "Soundhouse Tapes" as a single on Ripper Records, which turned out to become quite of a success with 15.000 units sold in just two and a half weeks. So, what can you tell us about that company? Did they release anything else? How many copies were sold in total of that single?
"I will investigate..."
In 1980 you did a tour with IRON MAIDEN. Was that the first PRAYING MANTIS tour ever? How did you get the chance to do that, what kind of response did you get from the crowds and how many dates did you play in total?
"It was the first real tour and I think there was about 52 dates all around the country. We got on very well with MAIDEN and thus it really was enjoyable. I would say that some of my best recollection of life came from that tour. There were certainly a few occasions when we went down much better than MAIDEN and they even nicked our sound engineer by offering him more money than we could offer. But it was a classic tour."
Another line-up change took place when Dave Potts joined you... What were the reasons this time?
"Yet more auditions but this time Dave could really play. He was a small guy but had so much power that even at the auditions the songs sounded better than they ever had. From what I remember Dave replaced Mick Ransom and this really was down to a lack of playing ability as Mick really meant well and it was a shame that he did not have the natural ability."
Did he already play on the "Praying Mantis" single that came out in July 1980? Which songs appeared on it? Who released that and how many copies were pressed of it?
"It all seems so long ago, but I think he did. I don't think it sold that many and I must admit I did not like it at all, truth be it known! Bob Angelo was still in the band then as the b-side was ‚Hi-Roller‘."
With Steve Carroll another new member came into the picture. Would you like to comment on this?
"We were going through a metamorphosis stage at this time really trying to establish exactly where we were going. Looking back on it now it was probably a mistake as we were losing a lot of momentum in the running with many new bands emerging all the time, i.e. DEF LEPPARD. Although Bob was one of the funniest and loveable characters you could hope to meet, somehow his playing did not fit in with Tino's and eventually we tried Steve who seemed to compliment Tino's guitar work much better."
On August 23, 1980 you played on the legendary "Reading Festival" for the irst time. What kind of memories do you have on that? Was the festival already of the same importance then as later on? Who else was on the bill that year?
"Probably the best memory of my life! It was great to see all of those heads, and then Reading was a classic rock festival unlike now."
After that you did a UK tour with TRIUMPH and DEDRINGER. How did that go for you?
"Very non eventful. DEDRINGER were a really nice bunch of guys though TRIUMPH were so full of their own ego's there was no room for the equipment in their trucks!!!! Joking aside it was a very placid tour with no real highsm, certainly nothing that has stayed in my memory."
In 1981 you also wanted to release "I Surrender" as a single, the same track that RAINBOW got quite famous for. What happened there?
"There is the famous writer called Russ Ballard who wrote that bloody good song as well as many others. I remember our manger coming in one day clutching this tape saying, "Guys just listen to this song, it is out of this world and we will soon have a chart hit." We were recording the "Time Tells No Lies" album then, so we also began recording this song. When we were almost finished one day the manager came in with a very long face and told us that RAINBOW had also got the song. Not only that, they were releasing it in a few days. We were flabbergasted and very,very disappointed."
Later that year your debut album "Time Tells No Lies" finally saw the light of day. Tell us a bit about the record label interest in PRAYING MANTIS at thetime and what made you go with your company in the end? What had actually caused the release delay?
"The record label was Arista who seemed pretty good at first and then seemed to lose their way, but they were a good name and when the deal was offered it was good so we did not really question not going with them. I do not remember there being much of a delay between finishing the album and its actual release..."
"Cheated" was also released as a single and double single. Did you release any other singles that way?
"I think there was just the one single that was in that format..."
Why did you recruit Tom Jackson as a vocalist afterwards and why did this only last for a couple of months?
"We always felt that we needed a really good front man with a powerful voicethat could deliver the songs in the most effective way. When Tommy came to the auditions there were about 30 singers that we had already 
auditioned and quite simply he blew them away! Admittedly most of them were pretty bad to say the least it was actually suprising to see who thought they could actually sing ! Why it didn‘t work? I suppose it was really his musical direction that was opposing ours. That type of thing you can never see at auditions."
Whatever happened to the recordings of your second album "A Question Of Time"? Why did you record that in Nürnberg, Germany?
"That was never actually released due to contractual and managerial problems that occured soon after its recording. But it was fun recording that album as it was the type of place you could imagine Dracula living in! A quiet little hamlet with a population of around 100 people. I think the management got a cheap deal as we were to record at night !!! The trouble is being quite young and excited we could not sleep during the day and bit by bit we got more and more tired until in the end we were hallucinating. I think that also showed in therecording not suprisingly !!"
On which Dutch festival did you play at the end of 1980 with TYGERS OF PAN TANG and DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS?
"I think it was called 'Plu-Plop'. Yes, a very strange name which we thought at the time. It wasn‘t that large or famous but it was well organized and very enjoyable."
When you played "Reading" again, the "Turn The Tables" single got released. Why did you end up releasing three tracks instead of the planned four? Whatever happened to this fourth track "Give Me A Reason"?
"I’m not too sure, but I think we were holding it back as another possible single."
Then you had some serious problems with your old management company which first of all lead to Steve Caroll leaving and then to the temporarily PRAYINGMANTIS split-up. What exactly happened there?
"Things by this stage had got pretty sour and it was just a matter of time for something to break. I think we were also pretty sick of one another! An injection of something totally fresh was desperately needed."
In 1983 you and your brother joined forces with former IRON MAIDEN drummer Clive Burr and Bernie Shaw from GRAND PRIX on vocals to form ESCAPE. Was there absolutely no way to continue on as PRAYING MANTIS at the time? What can you tell us about Don Garbett, the keyboard player at the time? Why didn’t he stay with you and how did you find Alan Nelson as his replacement?
"When Clive left MAIDEN he still had a pretty good name and though it sounds shallow, when he asked us to join him there seemed no real alternative. Dave Potts conveniently slipped into a managerial position. Don was a total headcase! He lived and breathed keyboards. I remember once going to his flat to help him pick something up. I tell you it was like Frankensteins laboratory with cables and electrical equipment everywhere. It‘s amazing to think that nowadays all of that can be incorporated in a tiny little sound module? Neverteless he was a brilliant keyboard player. The trouble was he could never really be a part of a band. He was too much of an individual. Alan Nelso was his eventual replacement and funny enough he was another nut! I think he really wanted to be a brain surgeon."
Due to legal problems you had to change name from ESCAPE to TIGON and then to STRATUS. Did that hurt the band’s popularity in any way?
"It is possible, but there was quite alot of publicity about it and in some ways that was actually good."
When exactly did you record the 4 song session for the BBC and whatever happened to that?
"It is hard to recall the exact dates, but the fact is that they actually contacted us to record it, and it was broadcast on the Tommy Vance rock show about a week later."
How do you judge the STRATUS album "Throwing Shapes" nowadays? What were the reasons that it didn’t come out in the UK?
"By then the UK rock market was extremely stagnant and companies were not signing anything. I think the album had a few good songs on it but the cheap studio we used had so many problems, that in the end it showed in both the recordings and the performances (many parts had to be redone because of noises 
on tape, etc. It was terrible)."
What lead to the one off PRAYING MANTIS reunion in 1987? Have you continued to play with STRATUS all those years?
"When the music is in your blood it is very hard to let it go and I think that particular gig was a bit of nostalgia on our behalf. You know when you try to recreate a certain time and atmosphere which once existed by repeating the circumstances. Everybody has done it at some stage and like those occasions the gig didn‘t really live up to expectations."
Who came up with the idea to go to Japan in April 1990 with Paul Di’Anno and Dennis Stratton? Did you get the idea to reform PRAYING MANTIS because of the response you were getting overthere?
"I believe it came from Masa Itoh a very influential character in Japan. It was to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the NWOBHM which was always very popular in Japan. We did half the set of MANTIS numbers and then did quite a few MAIDEN songs (you can check it out on the "Live At Last" album – Frank). It was phenomenal each night playing to sell out crowds and getting 3 to 4 encores.That will always be one of my fondest memories."
Have you ever seriously considered to work with Paul Di’Anno as your new vocalist after those shows?
"To find a vocalist you can work with is as difficult as telling a fat dog not to fart! Our family tree shows just how many vocalists we have been through because simply each one had a major problem. Paul really had a good voice and we did like him but he was very difficult to work with on a long term basis."
In 1991 you finally returned to the scene with a new album called "Predator In Disguise". How was the response on PRAYING MANTIS at the time? Did people still remember you and what kind of reactions did you get on the new album?
"It was a strange album really, because remember we were brought together as an experimental project, a sort of MANTIS / MAIDEN hybrid. Paul was no longer a part of the situation but we started writing for that album but it was a bit of two camps, i.e. there was Dennis and the Troys. If you listen to the album it does sound a bit disjointed with the various differences in styles. So, the reaction was a bit mixed."
I noticed, that Gary Barden originally had recorded "Can’t Wait Forever" with you, but didn’t make it on the album in the end. Why?
"To this day I really do not know the exact answer to this one as I was not told! Basically we recorded the song with his voice and it did sound great. However when we told the Japs, they were none to happy and told 
us not to use him, so we had to duly completely."
On the tour Dougie White (RAINBOW) helped you out in the vocal department. Was he ever asked to join permanently?
"Of all vocalists we have worked with Dougie is certainly up there with the best! You can not take that away from him even though we had our differences. He was an opportunist at the time and wanted more than we could give. I don't blame him for that but in truth I don't think he is doing that much now."
In 1993 you recruited Colin Peel as your new lead vocalist and released your next album "A Cry For The New World". So, I was wondering if you weren’t 100% satisfied with the outcome of "Predator In Disguise"?
"Far from it, the vocals were not strong enough on "Predator" and Colin did really fit the bill for this album which I still rate as one of our best. He had a really good voice and, believe it or not, also a really nice personality. That is why we were totally gutted when he told us that he was going to join "Hair" about 
6 weeks before the Japan tour. It did become one of the classic albums for the Japanese and they normally compare anything we do to it."
For the following four song "Only The Children Cry" single you then went with Mark Thompson-Smith, who also toured with you in Japan. But he also didn’t stay with you. Why?
"As described earlier, Colin then joined the musical "Hair" and it was a really good part. You could not blame him for wanting to do it as essentially he was an actor. Mark Thomson, like many of the others, did not quite fit the bill and we only ever did that tour with him where Colin could not go. One thing we really found out at the time was how loyal the fans are to an arrangement. When they found out that it would not be the band that was on the album coming on tour they really wanted to cancel it."
On the next album "To The Power Of Ten" you finally decided to work with Gary Barden. Why didn’t you do that at an earlier stage already?
"By this point the Japanese musical hierarchy accepted that Gary might be alright for the band and thus we did the "Power Of Ten" album. To this day we still do not really know what Gary had previously done In Japan. But it would have obviously originated from his days in the MSG outfit where he must have really upset someone in Japan."
With him you also recorded the fantastic "Captured Alive In Tokyo City" live double album. Tell us a bit about its origin...
"Bruce had broke his arm just before this tour and consequently we took with us Clive Burr as we thought he would be the most obvious substitute. As it was, it made us appreciate how good Bruce really was as we did struggle a lot with Clive. Gary also gave us lots of frights with his habits which began to affect his performances."
Most of the albums after you had reformed were only available as Is the highly expensive Japanese imports. What do you think is the reason for that? rest of the world simply too deaf to recognize your big musical potential? Any chance that PRAYING MANTIS stuff will also be released in Europe or the US in the near future?
"I think that will now be a thing of the past, because the new album should be available on the website around the end of May. But we will be working on that. As for the other territories in the past, it is difficult to know
 because we have not really had any management pushing things in other territories, so it probably was just a case of many of them not knowing."
Tell us a bit about this "Demorabilia" double CD set... I know, that there’s some old recordings from ESCAPE, STRATUS and PRAYING MANTIS on there, but where is the stuff exactly from?
"It is very nostalgic for us and is a collection of various demos and unreleased material throughout our history of some 23 years. Jesus that makes me feel old! Tino took weeks and weeks to compile the band family tree and it is quite incredible, it is interesting to see all the various singers that I have previously mentioned in this interview. Actually full marks to Pony Canyon on this one as it is a great little package-particularly as a collectors item." (yeah, it certainly is! – Frank)
You also did a bunch of videos during your career... For which songs exactly and do you think they helped you in any way? I mean, as far as I know, they didn’t really get airplay overhere, so...
"No they were only ever really shown on the Japanese TV shows during the promotion of the albums etc." (so why not releasing a compilation tape of all the PRAYING MANTIS videos for the European and American market then? – Frank)
The artist Rodney Matthews had supplied your releases quite a few times with his brilliant artwork. How did you hook up with him and was the stuff done for PRAYING MANTIS exclusively?
"This goes back to the "Time Tells No Lies" album all those years ago. I don't really know whose idea it was, but the record company thought that his style went hand in hand with the bands music."
Why did you already split up with Gary Barden again and how did you find Tony O’Hara?
"Gary's habit problems got worse and worse despite many warnings given to him. It affected his performance both on and off stage and thus constantly jeopardised situations. Again such a wasted talent we could not handle the liability. Tony, believe it or not, was recommended by a friend. So we went to see him apparently play in this pub in North London. Tino and myself were disappointed when we turned up and found out he was 
not actually on stage. Later though he was asked to do one song and boy, Tino and me looked at one another and said "yes". He has a great style and amazing range which we now really need in the songs. In fact you find that it gives you a much greater sphere for writing when such a range is available."
The "Forever In Time" album came out in late 1998 in Japan and presented an even more melodic side of the band. Is this where you’re musically heading to in the near future?
"Definitely! The band is about melody and I believe the new one has even a greater depth of melody with more maturity now that this is the second album with this line-up. NOTE: That is the first time in MANTIS history!!!!!!!"
In 1999 you did shows in London and Japan with the original MANTIS line-up from 1980. Who came up with this idea and how was it like, to play with your old mates again after all those years?
"Again our friend in Japan Masa Itoh, who has reallly been a major beraer in what we have now achieved. It was his idea to get a few bands over from UK to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the NWOBHM. There was SAMSON, TRESPASS, TANK and ourselves on the bill. The MANTIS line-up for this consisted of Tino and myself, Dave Potts and Steve Carroll. Dave played remarkably well considering his absence from playing 
in all those years. Steve however froze a bit and couldn‘t quite handle the occasion."
You recently finished the recordings of your brand-new album. Please tell us all necessary details about it and who‘s in the line-up nowadays.
"The new album is called "Nowhere To Hide" and is scheduled for release in Japan on May 17th. It took approx. 6 months to record in our own studio and Steve Mann has mixed it (he formerly played with Dennis in Lionheart). As stated earlier it is the first time that we have recorded two consequtive albums with the same line up. And that really helped so much as now everyone knows how each other works and their capabilities, etc. It is also very strange for us to be happy with the recording and the mix, but this time we are! Most 
important is the fact that we are recieving very positive signals from the press etc. over there, saying that this is by far the best thing that MANTIS have ever done!!!! It will be nice to start off the Millennium on a high!"

Frank Stöver 

DISCOGRAPHY:

- Metal For Muthas (Compilation LP)
- Soundhouse Tapes (EP)
- Praying Mantis (Single)
- Metal Explosion (Compilation LP)
- All Day And All Of The Night (Single)
- Time Tells No Lies (Album)
- Cheated (Double Single)
- Turn The Tables (Single)
- Throwing Shapes (STRATUS Album)
- The Best Of British Rock (Compilation LP)
- Live At Last (Album)
- This Time Girl (Promo Single)
- Predator In Disguise (Album)
- A Cry For The New World (Album)
- Only The Children Cry (Single)
- To The Power Of Ten (Album)
- Captured Alive In Tokyo City (Album)
- Captured Alive In Tokyo City (2 CD Limit Edition)
- Captured Alive In Tokyo City (Video)
- Forever In Time (Album)
- Demorabilia (Double Album)
- Nowhere To Hide (Album)
- NWOBHM 20th Anniversary Festival - Metal Crusade '99 (Double Album - 4 Bands)
- TV / Video Appearances
- other Compilations appearances
- Bootlegs

Back