Maila-Kaarina: You sang with Black Sabbath from 87 to 96, becoming part of the Heavy Metal history, being a member of one of the most important bands. How do you see yourself as a musician in this context?
Tony Martin: Well, I don´t know. It´s changed since I started with Black Sabbath. It´s been an evolving thing. Being part of one of the biggest bands in the world. It´s quite interesting. So, I don´t think of myself as a historical figure but I´m very aware I was in one of the most famous bands, so, little conflicts there.
Maila: When you joined Black Sabbath, this is a feeling all the fans had, the band changed a lot. Your singing style, some kind of hard rock influence, ballads came out, etc. Was it your influence, your face in the band or you think the band would have taken this way anyway without you?
So, I put the song together, then I would take them back to the rehearsals and I´d give them 3 copies, completely different, of every song. Each song would have a different melody, different story, a different thing and they would choose which one would be the best and then we would work that along. So it was basically done to me the way these Toni Martin songs turned out.
Maila: So, Toni Iomi was your “special friend” in Black Sabbath, was he your best friend? Are you still friends?
Toni: No, I mean, all of them are 10 years older than me so we were almost a different generation, so we were not really close friends because we didn´t do the same things, gathered our lives or things, but we were good friends as well.
Maila: And you started your solo project right after leaving the band or joined another band? What happened after Black Sabbath?
Toni: Well, this time or the first time?
Maila: The first time.
Toni: First time. Well, I started solo pretty much soon, straight away. I thought it was it, I really thought that I was going solo. But then the phone rang and they asked me to go back, which was a hard choice. I had to say no first because I was already writing my own thing. So, that was kind of hard but I eventually did go back. But I always wanted my own solo career.
Maila: And have you ever stopped working with music? Have you ever taken a break or anything?
Toni: Yes. After the final thing with Black Sabbath, I really didn´t want to continue and I stopped for nearly 10 years, raising a family, building a house…
Maila: No concerts, nothing on music, not even backstage working like producing…
Toni: No, I just, I just had enough.
Maila: And have you ever done any different work with any different style besides rock?
Toni: Yes, I have my full career because I´m 52 now. I´ve worked with sorts of musicians. I started working when I was 7 years old and I worked with soul artists, and pop artists, and Jazz artists, doing different things. But that is over 35 years, so…
Maila: I´ve heard you are very careful with your voice, you really take care of it not even talking during the days you have a concert and everything.
Toni: I have to do that because I´m not a natural singer. People who are natural singers like Glenn Hughes, he´s just a natural singer, he could sing whether he´s smoking and drinking, he can do it sitting down, laying down, but I can´t. I have to really work hard to keep doing it.
Maila: And you´ve always been so careful or this is something that just happened through your experience?
Toni: It gets worse when you get older so, as being older you have to take more care of your voice.
Maila: So, this is not your first time in Brazil. You´ve already played in São Paulo…
Toni: Yes, 15 years ago.
Maila: But not in Rio, never in Rio.
Toni: No.
Maila: And you´re going to play with a Brazilian band.
Toni: Brazilian musicians, but I have two of my guys with me. Danny Needhan, the drummer, he´s a fantastic player and I have Geoff Nichols who had played the keyboards for Black Sabbath. But the other guys will be Brazilians.
Maila: Have you already met each other?
Toni: Very quickly, it´s a bit scary for me cause it´s the first time. I´ve never played in a band with people I don´t know.
Maila: Yes and this is what I´d like to know. What are your expectations about this concert with musicians you´ve never heard about?
Toni: No idea, I have no idea.
Maila: Haven´t you ever heard anything these guys had done?
Toni: Yes, but that doesn’t mean they can play Black Sabbath stuff. Because you know the material we will do is quite complicated. It is not just rock n´roll like Paranoid´s Black Sabbath, it´s not. Headless Cross is full of stuff, sounds, computers, sounds, choirs, all sorts of stuff. It´s a bit more involved. So it will be interesting to see how the Brazilian guys will do it.
Maila: And what can we expect from you?
Toni: I´m not saying. I´m not saying nothing, It´s a secret, it´s a secret. It´s all Black Sabbath stuff.
Maila: All Black Sabbath, you´re not gonna play any of your songs?
Toni: One or two only.
Maila: One or two. So, I´m gonna do one thing to finish. I´m gonna give you one word, and you will give me the first word that comes out to your mind.
Geoff Nichols (who was watching the interview): Sex (laughs).
An idol – Eternal The 70´s – Flares The 80´s – I don´t think I was there. Hair! I had hair! Seattle – Never been Black Sabbath – Me! Rock – Complicated
Maila: complicated?
Toni: Well, there is just so much. You know when I started it was just called rock music. Then it was heavy rock music, then it was heavy metal, then was thrash metal, death metal, it´s the same back! How does that work? Singing – Hard Family – Love them Fans – Cool! A hobby- Music, ah…highs and lows. A friend – I don´t have any friends…
Maila – Oh, poor boy…
Toni: Do you wanna be my friend?
Maila: Yes, I can do it.
Love – Love it Hate – Love it, they are all good inspirations for the song. The most important thing – Family Stage – Fright Home – Well, England, it´s where my heart is. I like it back in England. Tour – Ah, not get any, well, what´s the production company´s name? ok. Headbanger (the Brazilian production company). Brazil – Cool!
Maila: Alright, thanks a lot. So, this is Toni Martin. Thank you!
