From Nirvana to Bruce Springsteen: Dive into the record collection of Bullet For My Valentine frontman Matt Tuck
The stories behind the songs that helped transform Bullet For My Valentine vocalist and guitarist Matt Tuck from a boy into a man...
The first song that I remember hearing...
“There was always music playing in the house when I was a kid, but Status Quo were my dad’s favourite band, as they were for a lot of fathers in the ‘80s. Of all the Quo songs I heard when I was young, Whatever You Want really sticks in my memory. I remember my dad putting the vinyl on and rocking out to it really clearly.”
The song that reminds me of being a teenager...
“I started getting into music a lot more in my teenage years, and it was around the age of 13 when it became a big deal to me. I listened to loads of bands, but Nirvana’s Nevermind stands out as a massively important record for me and my friends. Smells Like Teen Spirit was a huge part of my upbringing – I loved to jam that and Come As You Are with my band.”
The first song that I learned to sing...
“James Hetfield was a huge influence on me, and Metallica were my biggest love when I was a teenager. Singing was never really part of the plan, because I was happy playing guitar, but I found myself in a situation where a group of us got together and started to jam songs, so I gave it a go. A lot of people struggle with playing guitar and singing at the same time, but I’ve always found it pretty easy.”
The song that reminds me of my first love...
“I was around 16 when I started to go on dates and have girlfriends. Hearing Limp Bizkit’s Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water album takes me back to having my first car and picking my girlfriend up to go on drives, and I see that period of my life as the time I changed from a boy into a man. The era where Limp Bizkit and Korn dominated rock reminds me of those innocent moments, and of being in love for the first time.”
The first Bullet For My Valentine song I heard on the radio...
“This song got a lot of radio love when it first came out, and it got to something like 21 in the UK charts, which blew our minds. We’d had videos on TV before, but to hear our music for the first time on British radio was amazing. It was a similar feeling heading out to the States a year later and hearing Tears Don’t Fall on specialist rock stations. I remember writing those songs in my friend’s bedroom, so to then have them on the radio was a massive head-trip.”
The song that picks me up when I'm down...
“That whole album [2001’s Bleed American] is quite sombre and sensitive, but I can always rely on it to put a smile on my face. Jimmy Eat World are a great, feel-good band with a great catalogue, and they’re also like a shoulder to cry on. There’s nothing complicated or contrived about it. They just write fantastic songs, and they’re a band who will always be there for you.”
The song I'd go back and change if I could...
“That whole album could’ve been better in many ways. Partly because I needed to go to speech therapy and get a tonsillectomy, but we also tried too hard to show everyone what we were about as far as metal credibility goes, whereas we should’ve just gone down the path we wanted to. Those songs would’ve been better if we’d have done what we did on The Poison and written from the heart.”
My favourite song to play live...
“It’s got an awesome, feel-good factor and it’s garnered a magical response from fans. It’s got a more anthemic vibe than anything we’ve done before, and hearing the chorus sung back is a beautiful thing. It’s a freight train of a track.”
The song that I'm proudest of writing...
“This is the obvious choice because it’s been a fan favourite since it came out, and it catapulted us from London’s Barfly to Wembley. I’ve written far better songs since, but in terms of what it’s done for the band, it’s the song I’m proudest of.”
The song I'd like played at my funeral...
“The story about growing up in a small town that’s got nothing to offer you really rings true for me. It inspired me to get out and fight to make something of myself. Thunder Road is about escaping home, not because you hate it, but because the odds are stacked against you – I had that drive and ambition, too.”
