On the Saturday night after the Main Arena finishes everyone is invited to a late party at Indigo at The O2. From 10:30 PM Ben Christo from Sisters Of Mercy is bringing his rip roaring shameless hair metal rocky party SHOT THROUGH THE HEART to Stone Free Festival.
We caught up with him and asked him a few questions.

Q: First off what can we expect at the Stone Free after party?

A: A high-energy ‘80s rock, AOR & hair metal covers night brought to you with panache by skilled musicians who love the genre. We’ll be busting out the hot hits & arena anthems, but there’ll also be a few deeper cuts for those of you who’re true devotees to that decadent decade. We pride ourselves of replicating the originals, right own to the solos and the 3-part vocal harmonies, and we love putting the time in to do so!

Q: What are essential ingredients to bring to an after party?

A:  An afterparty is meant to be high-octane from the word go, as everyone’s already psyched-up from the event itself, so we’ll hand-pick the best tunes for elevate the vibe to the next level – and beyond! We also love dressing for the show, but this isn’t about comedy wigs or inflatable instruments. Sure, that has its place and that level of cartoon hilarity is great, it’s just that our style is really just an exaggeration of our actual musical personalities as we have adored 80s rock all our lives.

Q: What are your top three songs currently to play as a DJ?

A: I love the big hits that fill the floor, and I love it even more when the crowd is so in-tune with the genre that the “B” an “C” list bands ignite a great reaction too, but what I’ve really enjoyed is when a massive power ballad gets the floor united as the evening closes. It’s quite and old-school move (i.e., a high school prom tactic), which is why I like to do it, as it’s a cooler way to ramp down the event rather than just going from 10 (or 11) to zero! Skid Row’s 18 & Life, Bon Jovi’s Blaze of Glory and Def Leppard’s Hysteria are 3 great ways to get the floor united, with emotional air guitar-playing and histrionic lead-singer gestures all around.

Q: Who’s the biggest rock fan in Shot Through The Heart?

A: Srdj, lead guitar, is an inveterate addict to all things AOR and NWOBHM – and you’ll see that he definitely walks the walk when you witness his playing – and his 1984 barnet! Mel, one of our lead singers, is also highly in-tune with the genre, and she and I quickly bonded on our shared passion for the lesser-known but often more accomplished artists from the ‘80s, like Lynch Mob, Winger and Saraya.

Q: …and the biggest rock primadonna?

A: We’re all very easy-going, which doesn’t make for much of a story, but DOES make for a really tight-knit rock family. Members put forward thier dream songs and we bring them to life together. As band-leader, it’s a joy for me to hear members’ say “I can’t believe we’re playing this, it makes me so happy!”

Q: What’s the weirdest gig you’ve ever played?

A: So many! From small-town UK gigs where we’ve unexpectedly arrived to a room with no P.A. or sound guy and had to actually set up the entire show ourselves from a box of broken cables (this included not having enough mic-stands so trying to hang one from the ceiling) to 2,000 cap shows in Moscow where they’re still building the venue when we show up!

Q: Tell us about the time you got stuck in the toilet on tour?

A: Unrelated to STTH, this once happened to me in Sao Paulo, just as I was about to walk out to 6,000 screaming fans! As I went to exit the bathroom, the handle broke off and I heard the rest of the mechanism hit the floor on the other side. I just stood there, with the sound of 6,000 fans chanting the band’s name seeming to taunt me from through the door. Fully Spïnal Täp. Fortunately, the guitar tech was familiar with my habit of getting into scrapes like that came looking for me…

Q: If you could resurrect one rock legend to have a jam with, who would it be?

A: Def Leppard’s Steve Clark is one of my guitar idols, so a chance to jam with him would be incredible. I love his command of melody and his effortless cool when he played live, with his impossibly low-slung Les Paul and his understated command of the stage.