Freetimes

According to their website, 5th Element are one of the best rock covers bands in the North West.

Rocking out since 1998, they have a set list that includes tracks by all the greats: AC/DC, The Cult, Iron Maiden and many more. They play festivals, biker rallies, pubs and clubs all across the North West, Wales, Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, Scotland, and beyond! They also write and perform some of their own original material.

And right there, front and centre on vocals, is our very own musical firebrand, Ann Richardson!

Ann on stage with 5th Element

Tell us how you first got involved with the band

I moved to Manchester in 2006 and wanted to get back into music after doing some travelling. I basically chose Manchester because my sister already lived here, so at least I would know someone!

We grew up in the Highlands of Scotland. The band opportunities there were a bit limited! I put some adverts out on various ‘find a musician’ style websites as a singer. I think I wrote something like: ‘I’ll sing anything from Joni Mitchell to Black Sabbath’, which is apparently what appealed to the guys in 5th Element when they saw it.

What’s your favourite song to play live?

It varies per gig, to be honest. I love singing some of the Ronnie James Dio stuff, in particular ‘Heaven and Hell’ by Black Sabbath. One of the reasons I really enjoy singing that one is that a lot of people do not expect a woman to sing it. And to sing it (reasonably) well! My voice is nowhere near as good as Ronnie’s – he was an absolute god! But of all the songs we do, it’s been the one that people have come up to me after gigs and been really complimentary about, which is lovely.

Ann Richardson on stage with 5th Element

Ann on stage with 5th Element

Rock music sometimes gets a bit of a bad rep, people do not think it’s ‘cool’. What would you say to its detractors?

It’s funny, because there are even sub-divisions within the rock community itself! For example, there’s a bit of a ‘marmite’ thing around AC/DC. A lot of people think they’re brilliant. But some hardcore musos will always say ‘but it’s just the same 4 chords over and over again!’ All I’d say is, they must be doing something right, as everyone knows who they are! And how many times have you been watching an action film and AC/DC are on the soundtrack? I wish I’d written some of their stuff!

I’m not really a music snob. I like a lot of different genres. But I’ll always have a soft spot for rock. For me, it’s about the memories I associate a lot of good rock songs with. It’s good time music. Some people do think it’s cheesy and uncool, and that’s fine. But when the band start playing Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin' on a prayer’, you can guarantee even the most hipster of folks will start singing along...

If you could open for any other band in history, who would that be?

Oh, there are too many to choose from! But I’d have to pick a band called Thunder. They never ‘made it’ as big as they should have, in my opinion. They’re fantastic musicians and I love them. Danny Bowes, the lead singer, has an absolutely amazing voice.

The whole band just has a great vibe. There’s no pretension, they all have a laugh, they’re great at what they do and they enjoy it. When you go to a Thunder gig they just generate this fantastic party atmosphere. And it’s clear that they really love their fans. They did some great stuff over lockdown with virtual gigs and videos and competitions on social media. They work really hard. I just think they're ace.

Do you get stage fright? And if so, how do you cope?

I'm not really prone to stage fright. Well, unless there’s someone I know well in the audience. It might sound odd, but I’d rather sing for 10,000 total strangers than 10 people who know me well (like work colleagues!). But, otherwise, it does not really bother me. I’m not the best singer in the world at all, but I really enjoy it. And if you’re doing something you really enjoy it’s not scary, it’s fun!

Which other female rock singer do you most admire?

I love Lita Ford. And Annie Lennox is incredible. And Suzi Quatro, obviously. It’s all about the attitude with Suzi!

Ann on stage in April 2019 at the Saddle Inn, Chester.

What’s been your best and worst gig?

Our ‘worst’ gig was in Blackpool, but it was also one of the funniest. The pub was huge and split into 2 large rooms, each with their own separate bar. One room was a ‘traditional’ pub with a DJ playing dance and trance music, and the other was the live performance area, with a stage for the band. The room with the DJ was rammed. Meanwhile, we played to 2 people! And they came up to us halfway through to say ‘we’re so sorry, we’re really enjoying it, but we have to go home now and look after our dog!’ So, we played the last half to nobody! We just ran around the room and had a laugh. It turned into a paid rehearsal.

I’d find it really hard to pick a best gig. We’ve played some absolute belters, including some brilliant biker rallies. Those are probably my favourite. We get some really good sized crowds at biker rallies, which is always fun. But we play some brilliant rock pubs too.

We’re really lucky in that we have a lot of regular followers who will travel to come and see us play at different venues. We work hard to try and make sure that everyone has a good time. At the end of the day, it’s the audience that make the show, and we’re really lucky to play for some absolutely fantastic people.

What was the last song you sang in the shower?

Joni Mitchell, ‘Twisted’, was actually the last song I sang in the shower. A bit random, but I love her (my dad's a big fan of hers). And I'm ashamed to admit, in a shower situation, I can also be a bit of a sucker for old school Disney songs, like Aladdin’s ‘A whole new world’. My boyfriend despairs!

How has lockdown affected the band?

I was champing at the bit to get back out there playing live again. We’ve done 3 gigs now, and it’s been great, it’s so nice to be back. Lockdown has been really difficult for everyone. But it’s been especially hard for anyone whose job is live entertainment. So, if you get the chance to go out and watch a band, a play, a comedy act, a poetry reading, anything, do it.

A lot of venues are doing great work to bring live performances back safely, and they need our support. And it’s so much better than sitting at home and watching telly!

Finally, you’re apparently known for your bad dad jokes on stage? Give us an example.

I’ve started drinking brake fluid. I’m not addicted, though. I can stop whenever I like… (I actually got an audible groan from the whole audience last time I used that one!).

If classic rock covers are your thing, you can check out the 5th Element website to find out about upcoming gigs and band news.