Former Runaways guitarist and current solo artist Lita Ford previews a pair of rare British gigs alongside US all-girl rockers Vixen. Under the banner Girls Night Out, the package also includes Bobbie Dazzle in London and Chez Kane in Wolverhampton. This one could get messy!
These are your first UK shows since 2017. For someone who was born in London, that seems an awfully long time.
I know. But since Covid so much has changed with the world. Air fares have increased, for instance, and there has been a lot to navigate. But finally it’s time to come home and wreak some havoc.
I grew up in the States but London will always be dear to me. I was born and raised there. I remember playing with The Runaways in London in the seventies and later as a solo artist, hanging out in the rock clubs. Coming back with Vixen it’s going to be a badass couple of shows.
Are the ladies from Vixen friends of yours?
Yeah. Their story is inspiring. They’ve been through so much since their first hit in 1988 with Edge Of A Broken Heart. Their original guitarist [Jan Kuehnemund] died [in 2013], but Roxy [Petrucci], the drummer, has been the glue that held the band together. Hopefully we can pack these places out and get condensation dripping down the walls.
Are you familiar with the special guests, Bobbie Dazzle and Chez Kane?
No, but I’ve heard good things about them.
Chez Kane play 80s-style melodic rock, and Bobbie Dazzle are more of a glitter-rock-type thing. Both are British and with great female singers.
That’s why it’s a girl’s night out. But boys are welcome too.
In the half-century since the formation of The Runaways, the world of hard rock now includes many, many more women than ever before. You must feel pride in having been a big part of that sea change?
Yeah, definitely. It’s good to be the queen. Back in 1976 people didn’t know what to make of The Runaways. They labelled us as teenage jailbait or punk rock. I didn’t care about labels. Just give me my guitar. I just wanted to play. I wasn’t trying to copy any other guitarists – not even my favourite, Ritchie Blackmore – I wanted to be Lita. And now it’s gone full circle. It’s okay to be a good-looking girl and to be able to sing your arse off. It’s acceptable.
And it’s about time for that acceptability.
Yes! But back then people just didn’t complete the dots. Well, believe your ears and eyes because this is what you are seeing and hearing.
You are also the special guest on Saturday night at the Steelhouse Festival. Know anything about that?
No. Only that W.A.S.P. are also on the bill.
Steelhouse takes place at the top of a Welsh mountain. The views are great.
Wow. With my luck it’ll probably rain, but we don’t care. We’ve played in all kinds of storms. Volcanos. Hurricanes. Nothing can stop us.
You’re working on your first album of all-original material since Living Like A Runaway back in 2012. When might we hear it?
The record is finished. We’re still trying to find the right label, but it’s coming. What does it sound like? There are lots of guitars – but you knew that, right? The songs are themed. It’s a dark fairytale of an album, but in sort of a Disneyland way. It’s very cool.
Lita Ford and Vixen play in Wolverhampton and London this week. Lita ends her visit to the UK at Steelhouse on Saturday before heading to Europe. US dates follow in August. Visit her website for dates and tickets.
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