@Blaze Bayley !
Black Abyss Babe
Slava Ukraini!
Yeah, happy birthday to Blaze (not that he's likely to read it here but I hope he had a good day - no-one deserves it more 
)
)In retrospect he probably should have called his band Blaze Bayley all along
Ascendingthethrone
Ancient Mariner
I suppose he was caught between a rock and a hard place. He obviously wanted to create a band identity, but needed a name that drew attention to his previous fame with Maiden. It must have been hard for his band members at the time. Being in a band but always feeling like being a backing musician.
TheTalisman
Ancient Mariner
I think they were just happy to finally be able to record with good equipment, a good producer and go on tour. The only member who had been a professional musician before being in BLAZE was drummer Jeff Singer (Kill II this) + some session work.
Ascendingthethrone
Ancient Mariner
I didn’t realise that is how Blaze started. I thought he just put an ad in the paper. How did the retainer come about?
Yeah I think he's doing fine now but the first five years or so post maiden his name probably had a big stigma attached to it
To be fair he did get some killer musicians for his first line up
TheTalisman
Ancient Mariner
Silicon Messiah got some good reviews from the major rock & metal magazines, and they got to play the main stage at Wacken in 2000, but that wasn't enough to break through and build up a band name.
There wasn't any label support available to buy onto a tour with a huge mainstream metal act. But in 2001 they did a short european tour with Helloween, but that was not enough either. Manager Neil Marklew later spoke about how the low sales of Silicon Messiah resulted in that the label didn't want to invest in much tour support and promotion for later releases, and he wasn't happy with what Sanctuary had done for Blaze in the beginning of the project.
blabbermouth.net
There wasn't any label support available to buy onto a tour with a huge mainstream metal act. But in 2001 they did a short european tour with Helloween, but that was not enough either. Manager Neil Marklew later spoke about how the low sales of Silicon Messiah resulted in that the label didn't want to invest in much tour support and promotion for later releases, and he wasn't happy with what Sanctuary had done for Blaze in the beginning of the project.
BLAZE Manager Speaks Out
BLAZE manager Neil Marklew recently spoke to BlazeFans.com about the group's recent lineup changes and the band's future, among other topics. Several excerpts from the interview follow: BlazeFans.com: How would you describe the support SPV have given the band over the years? Neil Marklew...
blabbermouth.net
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gazda
Ancient Mariner
I really dont understand how he never manage to get bigger. It is sad that he is a singer only for pubs and small clubs. He is talented and seems very nice guy but maybe too much wrong decisions in post maiden period.
Ripper Owens have way more better post Priest period.
Ripper Owens have way more better post Priest period.
07-SMS:A1L
Educated Fool
You’d think that after all the years with Maiden Bayley’s financial future would have been secure. The X Factor reached the top 5 in Finland, Sweden, Italy, and Norway and even earned an honorable #147 on the Billboard 200. Virtual XI also performed decently in Europe and charted at #124 on the Billboard. Add to that his role in the band during the release of their first greatest hits album, Best of the Beast, with all the financial perks that come with it, plus nearly 200 live shows with average attendances in the multiple thousands. I remember one of the Wolfsbane guys saying something like, 'Now he’s set for life,' when Blaze left them in 1994. It’s staggering to think that by 2006 or 2007, he was working as a clerk at a Halfords Autocentre just to make ends meet.
The Appleton family has done a tremendous job in bringing the Blaze name back into the spotlight. I can only imagine the amount of hard work it takes to manage a full-time band, especially with the financial challenges of touring the pub and club circuit. I always make sure to grab a T-shirt or two whenever I catch Blaze live. He’s a man who truly works his fingers to the bone for his fans!
CA Bryers
Ancient Mariner
Honestly, it's a win-win for the Appletons to have hooked up with him, especially in these challenging times for small bands. Absolva plays their gigs and makes some money, and then those guys go out and do Blaze shows and make some more money. Very savvy move, and hugely beneficial to Blaze as well. Who knows where he'd be had that relationship not evolved, as prior to them coming along, he was at easily his lowest point post-Maiden.