I’ve made it no secret in previous blog posts that I love music. It really is a sense of therapy for us in many ways whether it’s listening to some of your favourite songs, writing/performing your own songs or playing an instrument.
For many of us it’s more than that. It’s actually our livelihoods. To do what you love for a living must be incredible and to be a musician is definitely something that falls into that category.
You can achieve and find so much with music. Whether it’s realising you have a talent for playing an instrument, singing or even coming across people who like the same music as you, so much can be gained from this truly wonderful thing.
The person I’ve spoken to for this blog post can definitely say he’s achieved a lot as well as forming strong bonds via music. Chris Davies, aka “Stixx” is a very accomplished drummer. He’s performed in many bands over the years since first playing the drums as a teenager including Flailing Wail and Navigator! Get Out!
He’s also runs a production company named South Wales Kings so to say he’s got the creative bug is most definitely an understatement.
He’s currently in Raiders which is fronted by former blog interviewee Sean Smith. Stixx is definitely a passionate musician who puts so much into his music. He’s also learned to be creative during the lockdown as he’s branched into video editing for the band as well as doing his own videos playing along to songs on his electronic drum kit.
Like many of us, Stixx has had his battles with mental health and he’s opened up about them as well as his new found passion for running. It was a detailed conversation that could have gone for much longer than the hour or so we had via zoom.
I’m very grateful for the time he gave me and I’m sure many people will find his story inspiring as well as relatable.
The pandemic has had a massive effect on the music industry. How has it effected you and how have you dealt with the setbacks?
It’s impacted me in a negative way for sure but at the same time it’s in a weird way, been positive. We were very fortunate with Raiders that at the tail end of January and beginning of February we were touring the UK. We came back from that, headed into a studio and recorded 4 new tracks.
We had the mixes back and then the pandemic struck and everything was shut down as we all know. So we were lucky to have those tracks to sit on that we recorded. Another opportunity we had was being able for the first couple of months of the first lockdown period to try and put some plans in place as to what we were going to do.
What those plans ended up being was releasing a single in 3 consecutive months from September to November. We worked out what we were going to do and how we would release them via a website called Bandcamp.
On particular Fridays of each month do ‘Bandcamp Fridays’ where the bands get 100% of the proceeds of any downloads that are purchased through the site which is a huge boost to us and other artists.
I guess that was the positive for us to still be productive with the music as well as some merch releases which will always benefit the band in terms of revenue as it’s a business as well as a passion at the end of the day.
The obvious downside to the lockdown was that no matter how much we wanted to, we couldn’t play music together and couldn’t practice as we literally weren’t allowed to. We also live in different towns and counties as Sean’s in Merthyr, Ryan is in Aberdare, Bob’s in Ystrad Mynach and I’m currently in Porth so it’s not like we were close by in terms of where we live anyways.
Even if we were allowed to be in the same place together, we couldn’t cross certain lines due to social distancing anyways like when people could sit far apart in gardens etc. So the biggest negative was that we couldn’t rehearse and play shows. We were able to do some productive things like release music and merch and we put a lot into the presentation and promotion of the songs.
As good as it was to get our music out there, we couldn’t follow up like “normal times” by playing more shows to audiences that would be enjoying the music live. It got frustrating in that aspect for sure. We did lyric videos as additional content and something supplemental to the songs. The first video for ‘Destructobot’ was outsourced in which the final cut looked fantastic.
We also wanted to get our political beliefs and disillusions with the government out there via the song and that was implemented within the lyric video. We tried to further portray the notion that Boris, Rees-Mogg and the majority of the Tories are the buffoons that they truly and I think that came across very well.
We got that out there and had a decent reaction but weren’t massively concerned as to how many views we had in comparison to things like streaming platforms such as Spotify.
It was good timing with everything that was going on in the world at the time. The song isn’t exactly about politics as Sean wrote the lyrical content but it fitted so perfectly to the angst that was being felt right now. I’ve heard people say that once your art leaves your hands and put into the public, it’s no longer yours.
That means that it can be perceived in different ways much like this song. People can use music for different means whether it’s therapy or comparison and will read into it in their own way.
We obviously couldn’t do a live action music video as the lyric video was pretty much the only thing we could do. Later on, as a way of curing some of my “lockdown boredom”, I started to mess about with some basic software like iMovie where I could focus on making a video. I did one which I’ve released and played around with some of the footage we had.
I reached out to the boys and suggested the idea that we reach out to the fan base to see what footage they had from the shows. At first I reached out in the Sappenin Podcast Facebook group, then we posted in the band’s social pages asking for any stuff that was out there. I spent a couple of days wading through the photos and videos to find landscape footage as that was the best quality we could use.
Our bass player Ryan’s cousin came to the show in London were we supported Funeral For A Friend and got us a fair bit as he’s a photographer. In the end I got about 40 mins worth of footage which you think would be enough for a 3 or 4 minute video but that ended up being a tough slog but it’s completed and it’s out there for all to see.
Going forward, the main push is playing gigs when we can do so. As I’ve mentioned we’ve recorded 4 songs and released 3 of them so far. We originally intended to release it in December of last year but we held it back as we feel it’s the best song of the bunch.
We have ideas in place which hopefully we’ll get to sooner rather than later which is quite exciting but we like so many other industries want to come out of this on the other side and back doing what we love. We don’t talk about plans until they happen as I’m such a big wrestling fan and things can change so quickly like with WWE storylines.
We’re buzzing to get going again and when it happens it’s going to be awesome.
How important is music to you, especially when coping with difficult situations?
It’s massive to me. I’m 35 years old and I’ve been involved in the music scene since I was 13 or 14. It’s my entire adult life and a large part of my adolescence as well so you can say I’ve spent most of my life being involved with music than I have not being around it.
I’ve always been in bands since those young ages and whilst it’s been massively positive thing for me, it’s also in some cases been the number one source of negativity for me. This would relate to failed enterprises like bands, projects etc.
When you’re in a band and you feel some light is at the end of the tunnel if you’re struggling creatively but then circumstances change and it’s goes awry. I’ve fallen out with people and lost friendships as a result of it so it’s not all negative as I can honestly say it’s still to this day a massive part of my life.
During this whole situation that we’re in, music has been a massive positive for me. I purchased an electronic drum kit which helped to cure boredom at first and to keep actively playing the drums. The way I got into doing the YouTube videos wasn’t intended at first as I’m not really a public person.
It was never something in the forefront of my thinking as I wouldn’t ever think of doing a massive YouTube channel with millions of followers like some other musicians have. I thought “fuck it” in a way as I did have the free time and also it was being creative. I’ve got pretty much a home recording set up at home so I went for it and the response has been positive and I enjoy it which of course is the main thing.
Music is something that’s always been there to keep me going. Whether it’s being in a band or just as a fan listening to some of my favourite artists. Drumming wise my biggest inspirations are Riley Breckenridge from Thrice, Steve Clifford from Circa Survive, Derek Grant from Alkaline Trio and in my younger days Dave Grohl and Lars Ulrich.
Another massive influence in terms of my set up in the earlier days of playing drums is Abe Cunningham from Deftones. My kit and cymbals were set up pretty much exactly like his and I did research into what manufacturers he used. That was how much of an influence he had on me. I go through cymbals like paper so an expensive hobby turned into a very expensive job.
That’s how much music means to me, it led me to doing something I love for a living. I’ve followed my passion and yeah there’s been a few bumps in the road but I’m doing what I love and it’s just amazing.
You’re also a keen runner. How beneficial is it to achieve both a healthy physical and mental way of living?
The running has been phenomenal in regards to my mental health and I’d recommend the exercising side of things to anyone. It’s great as you’ll feel better both physically and mentally but going back to before I got into it, running was never my thing. In my early teen years when I played football was the only time I really run about.
Prior to starting my journey into running, I went into hiking. As you know yourself, here in the Valleys we’ve got beautiful scenery with mountains so I started walking 10k’s and felt massive benefits as a result of it. From where I live in Porth, I’d go over to Llanwanno where there’s a pub so I’d have a pint and something to eat and walk back over.
It was perfect for me but I also did some yoga, exercise bike and other things. I’m not a daily exercise fanatic but I would throw it into my routine to be active. My first run was around October of 2020 and I did for two reasons.
A pair of boys I know, Rhodri Morgan and Jimmy Watkins started the Running Punks community. I’ve known both lads for years as Rhodri was the drummer for Talk Show and he’s also the cousin of Dave who was the guitarist/vocalist in Flailing Wail with me. So I’ve known Rhodri since I was about 16 or 17. I met Jimmy a couple of years later through friends and got to know him as well.
They started this community which has an ethos like Punk Rock which is pretty much “run how you want”. You don’t need to have the gear, if you’ve just got a hoodie and a pair of shorts go for it. They’re all punk rockers and love music so they run to tunes they love. I saw that Jimmy and Rhod were involved so I thought “why not?” and decided to give it a go.
After getting out and trying it, it gave me a buzz straight away. I hadn’t been running for years so I knew I had to set goals like run a 1k, then 2k and so on. The goals built up over a month and to the point where eventually I got to a 5k target. As I’ve mentioned I’m 35 years of age so my ankles and knees aren’t what they used to be! They’ve had better days after years of drumming and martial arts in my younger years.
I would describe myself as a “bitty” runner if anything as I do come across these niggling little injuries. So, a full circle answer is that it’s brilliant when I’m 100% but when I have an injury and have to sit out, it’s a kick in the teeth. It’s really frustrating where I’m saying “this fucking knee!” and wonder what I’m going to do next.
I don’t feel anything when I’m drumming or on the exercise bike so I think the injuries are caused more by impact as running is more wearing on the legs. Once they go once and you don’t have them properly seen to, they will always be niggling aches and pains. I’ve been reading about ways of coping with these injuries with foam rollers and even looking into physiotherapy.
The buzz however is incredible after doing a 5k but the pains from my previous injuries is a setback. The benefits of your mental health is massive and with something like Strava helps as you have the badges and medals to achieve when you better your times and distances so it does become addictive in a way as well.
I’ve got a 5 a year old stepson and between keeping up with him and the running, never mind being 35 I turn into a 90 year old man within minutes! In all seriousness, it is totally worth trying as the old saying goes, “it’s as good for the head as it is for the legs”. Once you’re in your stride the benefits are massive.
What else do you find helpful in overcoming difficult situations?
Gaming is the biggest one for me aside from friends, family and music. For when I need a bit of personal time it’s my sanctuary to be honest. During the first few months of lockdown I played a lot of ‘Call of Duty’ and I went from being someone who didn’t play a lot of first person shooting games to a point where I was pretty good.
That was massive for me. Since I was really young, I had an Acorn computer as my parents both worked in education. Those two bit graphic type of games were a joy to play back then and really was my introduction to gaming at that point.
When I was about 5 I had my first Nintendo system, the NES. I remember having ‘Super Mario’ and ‘Duck Hunt’ on the same cartridge with a little blaster gun and I was hooked. I played for hours upon hours to the point where you wouldn’t see me for a few days. That I guess is a bit of a negative side as you do go down a rabbit hole playing these games way longer than you should.
I remember back in the 90’s, David James the England international goalkeeper was absolutely hooked on gaming. His game of choice was Final Fantasy 7 and he played it so much it effected his concentration in games and was making blunder after blunder. In the end he had to come out and admit it was due to the amount of gaming and that he was hooked on that game.
I’ve been down that road a few times but when it’s controlled it’s massive for mental health. You can escape into a different world whether it’s a PlayStation, Xbox or Switch and it’s to be able to go into a different realm, or show your competitive side in Sports or shooting games is just massive.
I love tactical games where I have to be alert. Whatever the mood is I have games for it. ‘Texas Hold Em’ poker on Xbox or ‘Monopoly’ is great for me as well. I don’t play for money but it’s a sense of escape just in a solo aspect but in a time like now it’s great for connecting with your mates.
As it’s been a challenging time for all of us without seeing our friends, having the gaming sessions with the boys has been therapeutic. Jumping on ‘Forza’ and doing a few maps or a few rounds of shooting games is great for connection. During this lockdown I don’t know what I’d have done without it at times.
Before the pandemic, there’s two close mates of mine who do ‘Thursday Club’ with me. It’s exactly what it says on the tin as we would get together and play video games together as well as have a chat and hang out. We’ve carried out that during the pandemic and more due to being out of work and having the internet to connect us for gaming sessions.
I’ve bought FIFA every year since 1997 and still got every year from Xbox 360 onwards. I still buy physical copies as that old school mentality of getting them on launch day was class. I was adamant for 2021 I wouldn’t get it as I was fed up of FIFA of not doing much in terms of adapting the mechanics of the game.
It was always just talk to me but they put the EA play demo version out. I chucked it on and played Ultimate Team for 9 hours and then ended up buying it as I built up a good team. I got a download version for £40 and played it for the best part of 10 weeks solid aside from family occasions and stuff.
That’s how much I love gaming, I escape into it. It’s therapeutic, nostalgic and just fun to be honest. So many people love it and I understand why as it’s just so beneficial when done in the right way.
I love Pro Wrestling as well. That’s one thing I’ve bonded with Sean over along with a few other mates. We used to hang out with two other boys, Scott and Jack on a Friday Night and we’re all massive wrestling fans. We’re such big fans that our WhatsApp group is called The Four Horsemen after the legendary group. We rekindled that love for wrestling together but we’d watch shows together.
Back when ‘WrestleMania 30’ happened in 2014, Sean told me he was going over Scott’s house to watch it and at that point I hadn’t watched it in a while but thought I’d check it out if I could get a good stream. I did and after watching it I was hooked again. From that point on, me, Sean and Scott started going to shows together.
We decided to go to some Indie shows and find out what was happening in the British Wrestling Scene. Back then it, it wasn’t as big as it is now and we were wondering where to go and watch shows. It turned out that I knew a guy, Matt from Midasuno who was friendly with Eddie Dennis who is now signed to WWE.
I played a gig in Clwb Ifor Bach in 2009 and Matt’s girlfriend went to school Swansea way and told us she knew a wrestler. I spent the entire night in the smoking area at Clwb, drinking and talking wrestling with Eddie as he came along.
Fast forward to 2014 and I reached out to Eddie to recommend some good indie shows. He highly recommended Progress Wrestling which is really a punk rock approach to wrestling. That and Attack Pro Wrestling were recommended and we went to shows and loved it.
I watched stuff like Ring Of Honor online along with WWE stuff and I’d spend most of my time watching wrestling as I was just addicted. We went to an Attack Pro Wrestling show where the likes of Flash Morgan Webster and Pete Dunne were on the card and it was so good man.
Flash was a highlight for me as he’s a high flying wrestler. He did a Shooting Star Press to the outside and I still have a boomerang on Instagram of it. We would love going to Attack shows after Eddie’s recommendation but Sean was also mates with Mark Andrews who also competed for Attack along with running it.
Mark started sorting us out and we travelled further afield to Fight Club Pro, Rev Pro and Progress in England. Me and Scott went to Swindon to a smaller promotion because Kenny Omega was there as he hardly did UK shows.
Going to a Wrestling show normally feels like a gig as it’s a bar there but this was more like an indoor market or fete. It was a throwback to the 80’s where the fans was massively passionate. It’s just brilliant to be part of a crowd and I’ve been there when it was the infamous angle between Will Ospreay and Vader. The crowd was electric and it was so cool to be part of it.
Being on stage in a band is one thing and that is an unreal feeling. I also love being on the other side being a passionate fan and pro wrestling does that for me too. It’s beneficial in terms of mental health to have that escapism and enjoy these things with your mates.
It’s just massive to me and helps me through difficult times. Of course a bit of family time helps too but having those interests and hobbies are things that you like and can escape to in difficult times. Honestly I can’t recommend it enough.
Do you find it easy or difficult to open up to someone?
These days it’s a lot easier for me. In my mid 20’s I went through a real rough patch with my mental health and went through a proper breakdown. I couldn’t do anything or function at all. I had weeks upon weeks off work where I just sat there pretty much as I had no drive to do something.
After a lot of pushing from family, I got out of slump and managed to get some help. I signed myself up for some CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and it was amazing for me. My preconceptions of therapy was that I was going to be told what to do and I was going to get judged. It’s not like that at all and it helped me massively.
Probably at that time there was a bit of a pride issue on my part. A lot of people feel the same where they have that perception that they feel ashamed for seeking help when in fact it’s the best thing for you. There’s no shame whatsoever and it’s the best thing I ever did. It gave me the tools to overcome dark days when I felt really down.
When I went to CBT, the guy was fantastic. It gave me the tools to help myself. He wasn’t judging me or telling me what to do. It was a guide onto the right path and it helped me change my trail of thought and I’ve never been that low since. I still have those days where I feel low and want to hide away but because of CBT it’s days instead of weeks and months. I know better days will come and it’s all about focusing on what’s good and looking after myself.
Going forward, I have that toolkit to pull myself out of slumps as well as talking about. I’ve always been a fairly open book but mental health wise I’d hide away. I do now have a tight inner circle that I can confide in and I needed them as much as I was there for them at times especially during the pandemic.
Like I’ve mentioned before, I’m a keen walker so I walked to the top of Tylorstown mountain on a dark day for me as I’d never done it and the view was breathtaking. It helped me realise that people have their struggles and to talk about it will only be beneficial.
I also advocate for regular social media breaks as well. We’re in an age where everybody knows everything about everyone and sometimes it gets a bit too much. The pandemic has shown a lot of people’s true colours and it does get you down a lot at times so a period away from it all is really helpful. Taking yourself out of a toxic/negative situation will always be a good thing.
We all have dark days and everyone goes through it. I put that on my social media a while back and I didn’t do it for a pity party, I just wanted people to know that there’s a way back from the darkness and you’ll do yourself a massive favour by doing it.
Why do you think there is such a stigma associated with men’s mental health?
I think depending on your age, my generation came through a “man up” culture in the valleys. It was a certain way of conducting yourself with a “chin up, chest out” or stiff upper lip sort of mentality. It comes through that and a lot of men felt the “shame factor” that showing weakness and your emotions was a bad thing.
It’s changing now but we were in a time where the men were the providers and had to show strength no matter what. My Dad’s generation had that it’s a sort of trickle down effect from them to us and I think we can see it now with younger generations, you can see it’s changing.
That helps massively as more and more men are opening up and that stigma will just continue to diminish as a result. The mentality changing will help us all but it will take longer for others but there’s nothing to ashamed of. You don’t have to go public on social media about it, reach out to someone in your inner circle and confide in them.
Talk to them, and if you feel comfortable in most things around them why can’t mental health be one of them? I genuinely thing the generational aspect that has contributed to the stigma especially in this part of the world where we’re from. It’s never going to fully go away but the percentage has shifted for sure.
We’re more open and kinder to each other. Being considerate to other men and knowing it’s ok to open up is a massive thing. We’ve all been a bit of a twat in the past at some point and constant thinking back into how we used to behave is down to a negative mental health experience.
Reflection is good and some bridges can’t be mended. Some people can change and I believe that but some relationships are best left in the past. It doesn’t mean you have to reconnect with everyone. I’m at peace with certain people but I just focus on the road ahead and being that better person I know I can be.
What would you say to someone who is struggling and doesn’t know if talking about is the right thing to do?
It is the right thing to do. Reach out and speak to someone whether it’s a friend, family member or a professional. There’s no reason to suffer in silence as you’re only doing worse to yourself. You don’t have to let the world know but just by confiding in anyone will benefit you.
We’ve lost people due to something going on where they feel so alone and the only option is to take their own lives and I don’t want anyone to do that. I want them to feel that talking about it is the way forward.
Reaching out will only be a good thing and will be the first step towards a better time for you. Honestly you won’t regret it.
I couldn’t thank Stixx enough for the chat we had. We talked for nearly the best part of an hour for the blog and nearly another hour after I finished recording the conversation. He is proof that putting faith in what you love and going for it will only be a good thing.
There will be bad days challenges ahead but being honest with yourself and confiding in the right people will help you along that path. There’s no shame in opening up about your struggles either and Stixx is further proof to that. It’s so beneficial and you don’t have to go public about it. Just trusting a few individuals whether as it’s someone you know or if it’s a professional will do wonders.
I wish him nothing but the very best going forward with Raiders. He’s a fanatically talented drummer who’s doing what he loves and when we can go to gigs again, I can’t wait to see him and the other boys in Raiders do what they do best on stage.
He’s also showing that making lifestyle changes by trying something like walking or running is beneficial. It gives you that boost and if you’re involved with a community like he has been, it just adds to the positivity in your life.
He honestly is a top bloke and I wish him nothing but the very best with everything. He’s recently moved into a new home with his partner and stepson and I’m chuffed to bits for him. Hopefully down the line whether it’s at a gig or wrestling show, I can have a beer and a chat with him in person.
Thank you as always to everyone who’s taken the time to read this. As more and more restrictions are lifted, I hope you’re doing well and getting a chance to see your friends and family in person as it’s such a massive positive change to see them in the flesh than via a zoom call or face time.
I’ve posted some links to Stixx’s social media for himself and Raiders as well as his YouTube channel if anyone fancies a look.
Remember my DM’s are always open if you need a chat and there’s plenty of people who care about you and offer support if you need it.
We’re quickly approaching the 1 year anniversary of my first blog post on the 28th April so stay tuned for some big things coming up in the next few weeks. Massive thanks to you all once again. The feedback I get still doesn’t feel real at times but it means the world that you’re taking the time to read the posts.
Stay safe, take care and until next time don’t think of this as a goodbye but more of a see you later!
Stixx’s Social Media – @StixxRaiders (Instagram and Twitter)
Raiders Social Media – @RaidersBandUK (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter)
Raiders Music – Search for “Raiders UK” on Spotify, Apple Music and all other streaming platforms.
Bandcamp – raidersbanduk.bandcamp.com
Stixx’s YouTube Channel – youtube.com/user/MrStixGuns
MIND OVER NOISE 