INTERVIEW WITH NO WORTH OF MAN

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

Peter: I have always listened to music from a young age as my parents were into artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, ZZ Top etc.. but I discovered my own tastes in music when I started playing the guitar at the age of 12.

Gareth: Ever since I can remember, I have been listening to rock, likely down to my father's influence. It naturally progressed into Metal. I started drums in High school, when a band didn't have a drummer, so I just said I would do it. I couldn't play, so just started learning – the rest is history. If not for music, I don’t know what I would be doing? Hopefully something with Motorcycles.

Alex: My dad got me into all the staple classics like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Black Sabbath when I was a kid. Inevitably this leads down the rabbit hole into heavier and heavier stuff.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

Peter: I'm a big music nerd so I don't really have any other hobbies. I seem to spend most of my downtime either practicing guitar, learning how to sing or recording and mixing music.

Gareth: My other interests don’t have any impact on my creativity, I don’t think. Music is just a part of who I am and has always been in my life since I can remember.

How long has your band been around?

A: Since 2016.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

Peter: We are predominantly based in the South-East of England (our drummer Gareth lives in Manchester). Growing up, our local area berthed quite a lot of bands in the early 2000's such as Ruben, Hundred Reasons and Vex Red. Stylistically these bands were very different to what we were doing however it was cool to read about them in publications such as Kerrang!

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

Peter: Gareth came up with "Worth of Man" and I suggested to add "No" to the beginning of it to make it sound a bit darker. To me, it doesn't hold any special meaning.

Gareth: It doesn't mean anything, it just sounded different. Coincidentally it now fits with our image. 3 vampire hunters, set in the backdrop of 80’s Miami. We thought that sounded cool as an image so ran with it.  

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

A:  We recently played a gig supporting Cultura Tres at the Dev in Camden which was memorable because the venue was already at capacity when we were loading in our gear to sound check.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

Peter: My favourite venue is probably either the Dev or the Black Heart which are both in Camden as I love the energy you get in London. I would also love to play the Underworld in Camden.

Gareth: For me, we played a show in a local venue in Salsbury, called the Winchester Gate. The venue owner is such a nice guy, and the crowd were amazing. It's not a big venue, but the energy was electric. It was brutal in the pit. Again, the Underworld is on the bucket list for sure   

Alex: We’ve played some cracking gigs but, Like G said, anything at the Winnie Gate (Winchester Gate, Salisbury) is killer and has an awesome energy 

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Peter: Devin Townsend and Dream Theater (with Mike Portnoy),

Gareth: For me, it would have to be Lamb of God

Alex: Killswitch Engage would be on top of my list for sure

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Peter: My advice for getting into a band would be as follows:  1. Pay more attention to what your other band members are playing rather than worrying about you own part. 2. Gig as much as you can as there is no substitute for it. 3. Don't work with people who look for or create drama as they will only bring the productivity of your band down (i.e., a band is only as strong as its weakest member).

Gareth: I think, work hard on the music as ultimately that is key. You need to have a strong work ethic, its not as easy as everyone thinks, it takes a lot of time and commitment.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Peter: Just keep doing what you're doing. You may fuck up but hey that's part of the journey.

Gareth: mine would be, you don’t need a bassist!!! we spent years trying to find one. One that could not only play, but also fit in the band. We are a tight group and that would always be difficult. We were not content with ruining the set up just to be a standard 4 piece. Luckily for us, technology filled in that department.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Peter: We have a song called "I Defy" which to me personally was a milestone for us, in that it seemed to come together really quickly and it just seems to hit hard every time we play it. That's probably why we always open a live set with it.

Gareth: Yeah, I agree with that.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

Peter: My favourite tracks to play are I Defy, An Unpaintable Soul and The Hands Resist Him.

Gareth: Mine is I Defy and Mondo Decay. I don’t think we have had anyone request a track yet?

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

Peter: Our process is fairly typical of most bands in that we jam on ideas and mould those ideas into finished songs. Inspiration can come from anywhere really.

Gareth: Yeah, we quickly know what we don’t like, that’s for sure

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Peter: I've never been one to preach any sort of message in my lyrics as I think subjective interpretation is far more interesting than telling people what they should or shouldn't do. I've also never seen the attraction of writing lyrics from an autobiographical point of view either because to be honest, who really cares other than the person writing it.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Peter: We don't really have any disagreements and if we do, they tend to get resolved pretty quickly. We are quite fortunate in that we have 3 people with 3 different personalities that fit together very well. We also know that difference of opinions are never personal, we are all striving for the same end goal.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

Gareth: Plans are to keep doing what we are doing. Hopefully have the opportunity to play to more and more people and carry on releasing our Music. Our latest EP will be released in March 2024, so we are looking forward to that for sure. Keep in touch - www.facebook.com/NOWORTHOFMAN