Raging Speedhorn ready for fundraising Russ Stock Kettering gigs

Raging Speedhorn will headline two sold-out gigs in Kettering next week as part of Russ Stock.

The shows have been organised by the Corby metallers to help raise money for Russ Russell who works at The Parlour Studios in Kettering and was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer last year.

Raging Speedhorn drummer Gordon Morison, who has been friends with Russell for more than 25 years, said: “We’ve been working with Russ for about 10 years now, we haven’t recorded with anyone else since we got back together and he’s an awesome guy.

“When we were recording our new record, we knew he was ill. We had a bit of an inkling that he wasn’t doing very well. It’s sad, but he’s on the mend and things seem to be going well which is the main thing.

“Russ is like metal royalty and brings bands into the county from far afield.

“He’s a really good guy, really down to earth, a lovely person and I know if anyone of us guys in Speedhorn weren’t well, he’d be the first to come and help us so we’ve got to be there to help him.

“He’s one of our best friends and he’s basically the seventh member of Speedhorn.”

Both gigs are taking place at The Cordwainer in Kettering on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20.

The first gig next week will see Speedhorn joined by Kettering’s Defenestration - who haven’t played together for more than a decade but are reforming for the show – and Stormbringer.

On the second night, Stormbringer will again join Speedhorn with Orange Clocks.

Morison added: “It wasn’t hard picking the line-up really as they’re all our friends. I think we could have quite easily brought in other bands, but we wanted to keep it all local.”

Producer, engineer and mixer Russell has worked with acts including Napam Death, At The Gates and Dimmu Borgir.

He produced Raging Speedhorn’s 2016 album Lost Ritual and 2020’s Hard To Kill and has also been working with the band on their new album which is expected to be release this year.

It will be the first gig by Speedhorn – who have recently been on tour with Skindred - in the north of the county since 2018.

Morison said: “I’m really looking forward to these gigs, we all are. We’ve got some old friends playing with us as well, it’s going to be great to hang out and see people we haven’t seen for a long time.”

Drummer Morison is joined in Raging Speedhorn by singers Frank Regan and Daniel Cook, guitarists Jim Palmer and Daf Williams and bassist Andy Gilmour.

He said: “We were only supposed to do one date at first but it sold so quickly we had to do another.

“We haven’t played around that area for a long time so we hoped they were going to sell out quickly.”

Since Russ was diagnosed, he has undertaken eight rounds of chemotherapy.

Talking about the forthcoming shows, he said: “Gordon messaged me and told me all about it, all the bands involved, the venue and the PA which have all kindly been donated to help me through my hell ride.

“My friend Luke Pajak set up a GoFundMe and I’ve had an enormous amount of support and people have been incredibly generous with donations.

“It’s utterly mind-blowing to have such wonderful friends, I am truly blessed.”

Proceeds from the ticket and t-shirt sales will be going to help with his recovery.

Donations can also be made through a GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/002e6b72

For more information, visit https://ragingspeedhorn.bandcamp.com and http://www.parlourstudios.co.uk