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Tag Archive for: Rockerverb 50 MKII

Orange Spotlight: Elephant Tree

Who are Elephant Tree?

[Sam] We are Elephant Tree, currently consisting of Jack Townley, Peter Holland, Sam Hart and John Slattery. The band initially was just Jack and Sam when working as runners at a London post-production studio in 2014. We met Pete out at the pub one night and invited him for a jam. Amazingly, he showed up! John came along later to the same studio and initially was more tasked with taking photos and video on tours and in the studio. In 2018, he joined and came on tour around the EU. We used to be all London-based but in the last few years Jack has moved to Kent and Sam has moved up north to Yorkshire. The name came from looking for random names online and just wanting something as a placeholder to label audio files. Sam Googled “messed up books” and found some random list that mentioned The Elephant Tree. We dropped the ‘The’ and then the name just stuck. The book is pretty good actually so that’s a bonus.

What Orange gear is important to Elephant Tree?

John has a Rockerverb 50 MK2

Pete has a Terror Bass, and also an Orange Crush Pro 120 which he uses sometimes in his other band Trippy Wicked and the Cosmic Children of the Knight.

Jack has a Rockerverb 50 MK3

Future Orange amps?

[Johnnie Two Thumbs] I like the attenuation features of the Rockerverb Mk3 which might be of use when home playing, but I am also really happy with my Mk2 50 watt

[Pete] I would like to get my hands on some of the Orange effects pedals to give them a go. The Acoustic Pre or the Phaser would probably be the ones I would be most interested in. Or the Bass Butler bass preamp pedal.

[Jack] It’s probably quite a boring answer but I’ve been meaning to get my hands on an Orange 412 to match the head I have – I’ve been borrowing Pete’s 412 for several years now so it’s probably long overdue. I have seen that you offer a version that is a bit lighter than the regular one which is always of interest!

What does Orange mean to you?

[Jack] When I was growing up I received a combo amp from my parents, and it was the best. It was really exciting to play loud and sounded good! I’m not sure what happened to that amp but I’ll always remember the excitement I had back then as I turned it on. We started Elephant Tree ten years ago after seeing a show at the Underworld in Camden that was full of Orange amps, they sounded (and looked) amazing! I was pretty blown away. We started playing shows and I didn’t have my own amp. I used venue amps or people lent me amps, some of which were Orange. Fast forward some years later and I was put in hospital by an unfortunately placed lamppost. After a while I returned to playing. I was then lucky enough to get an Orange amp of my own. When I switched it on I got that same excitement that I had all those years ago. Orange to me is very much freedom and sound.

What’s the most memorable Elephant Tree moment?

[Sam] There are almost too many moments to choose from, whether it’s memorable performances like opening up DesertFest in The Roundhouse or playing that one time to a lone dog in a cafe in northern France (the dog proceeded to fall asleep) just as we were starting out. Then there’s the people and hijinx you get up to on tours, seeing the world, drinking questionable concoctions, eating even more questionable ‘food’. The thing that sticks out the most though is the first practice back after Jack’s accident. All of us getting back into the room together and having that harsh reset, not knowing how things were going to go and then absolutely smashing it again as if we’d never paused. It really brings it back down to earth and made us realise why we are in the band in the first place and that’s to hang out and make loud cool music together as brothers.

What’s on the horizon for Elephant Tree?

We have a 10 year anniversary album of B-sides and rarities called “Handful of Ten” out in September celebrating the anniversary of the band through Magnetic Eye Records, as well as featuring on their Jethro Tull covers record. There’s also a split record “The Long Forever” with the excellent Lowrider which will be coming out through Post Wax. There’s a few shows we have booked at the end of 2024 with a little stint around the UK over a few weekends in September, before heading to do a double bill at The Black Heart in Camden as a little pre-Christmas treat. 2025 is slowly starting to be filled with some further afield dates but you’ll have to wait a little longer and keep your eyes and ears open for those.

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Orange Spotlight: Acid Throne

Who are Acid Throne ?

Band members:

We are Chris Farrar and Matt Stembrowicz

How did you meet?

We were originally in a Hardcore band together. That band ran its course and from it Acid Throne was born.

Why are you called Acid Throne? 

We basically wanted a band name that encapsulates the type of music we play but also something that wasn’t already taken by loads of others. So after approximately 10,000 whatsapp messages, we landed on Acid Throne

How/when did the band start?

We officially started late August of 2021 and started writing heavy riffs straight away!

Where are you based?

We’re from Norwich, UK

How would you describe the music you produce?

Heavy and miserable with groove!

What inspires Acid Throne?

What’s your favourite band?

There are so many from both of us. I suppose our top bands would be Monolord, Dark Throne, Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats and Thou.

Is there a reason music is important to you?

Music is a cathartic outlet for all of us. Something that keeps us sane, whether that’s spinning a record at home, getting together in our practice space or playing shows. Music has helped each of us in so many ways.

Do you take inspiration from things other than music?

Musically and lyrically, our Debut album ‘KINGDOM’S DEATH’ is inspired by the overwhelming feelings of anger and despair that result from living in the 21st century.

Is there something you’re trying to achieve or convey in your music?

We never set out to convey any sort of rhetoric or achieve anything but make heavy music that we relate to. It’s just definitely an added bonus if other people are into it!

What Orange gear is important to Acid Throne?

What Orange gear do you have?

I (Matt) use a Rockerverb 50w MKII, AD200 and a Fur Coat distortion pedal.

Why do you like it?

Because it’s generally awesome, there’s no other tone like it!

How do you use it?

I run the Rockerverb on the clean channel as the clean headroom of the amp is perfect for using pedals with, mainly the Orange Fur Coat. I went for the MKII as it has the mid controls on it. I Bi-Amp this rig with an AD200 to retain that monstrous low end.

Future Orange amps?

Is there Orange gear that you know you want in the future?

Are we allowed to say full backline?? four 4×12’s and an 8×10 please!

Is there existing Orange gear that you want to try?

Definitely an 8×10 for the low end of things!

Are you saving up for a specific Orange product

Next on the list is definitely a PPC-412

What does Orange mean to you?

When did you first see or hear Orange amps?

First time actually realising a band was using an Orange amp might have been TSOL back in the late 90s/early 00’s! But looking back now on the bands we all heard growing up, SO many used Orange (we’re big fans of ‘The Mac’)!

When you see Orange on a stage how do you feel?

I love seeing other bands using similar gear! It makes you curious as to how the get THEIR sound from the gear we all share.

Do you associate the brand with anything?

Loud, heavy music. And heritage!

Is there a reason that made you want to play Orange in particular?

Sleep & Boris. Is that a good enough reason?

Are there other bands you saw playing Orange that inspired you to try Orange gear?

Along with the above, there are so many bands that use Orange and bands that inspire us. Be that Monolord or our friends in Old Horn Tooth & Red Eyed Cult!

Is there something positive you associate Orange with?

Actual talent. The Orange roster is stacked with killer killer artists.

What do you like most about Orange as a brand?

It’s aesthetically pleasing, it sounds great and it should never change.

What’s the most memorable Acid Throne moment?

So far, our band highlight is probably that time (August 2022) we played the Jaeger Stage at Bloodstock Festival. Which was our ninth show, ever! We owe Simon Hall and the Bloodstock crew a lot for giving us that opportunity and platform.

What’s on the horizon for Acid Throne?

Are you touring now?

We have just had a 9 day run with the Cancer Bats alter ego BAT SABBATH, a handful of shows coming up and we’re planning a small run in May too!

When’s your next gig?

That’d be February 3rd at Helgi’s Bar in Hackney, then we have March 18th in Norwich with Conan then DESERTFEST!

Where do you want to be in the future?

We just wanna play shows, record album 2 and have fun… all with the help of Orange amps!

Are there projects the band is working on now or want to do in the future?

At the moment, we’re just focusing on spreading the word of Acid Throne, and trying to play as many shows as we can and get ‘KINGDOM’S DEATH’ into as many ears as possible! Oh and writing album number 2!

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Of all the genres of music, country is exceptional.

Formed by a continent of migrants, country music is a concoction of hardships and woes interlaced with the music and culture from across the globe. Its predecessor, Roots, spawned a vast array of musical styles that have since split and reconnected many times over.

Claudia Hoyser
Claudia Hoyser plays Orange Rocker 15

It’s music built on experimentation and where one in a million chance happenings seem to occur on a frequent basis. Swerving the direction into new unexplored areas, just as the pioneers had done way back when.

From Cash to Stretches

Although there were many country greats before Johnny Cash, the Rockabilly sound of the 50s, driven by amplified guitars, was a defining moment in the evolution of country music. Luther Perkins, ‘the original man behind the man in black’ paid a huge part in that with his signature ‘boom-chicka-boom’ sound which defined the genre.

It is said that Perkins’ style of playing came by chance when defective equipment left him little choice but to dampen his strings with his palm. Consider the classic locomotive stomp from the hit song ‘Fulsom Prison Blues’. To pull that off requires skill and equipment capable of bringing out those tonal nuances.

A Modern Twist on an Old Faithful

The Orange TremLord 30 was designed with careful consideration to players needs, offering a compact 30-watt all-valve combo that replicates the golden age of Country tone. It’s a sweet sounding amp with an Orange twist, featuring those classic EL84 tubes that add a little British character to the mids.

Orange TremLord 30 Amplifer

What makes this amp unique is the custom made Lavoce 1×12” speaker providing a smoother top end along with more headroom before the amp starts breaking up. It’s the perfect match for players looking for responsiveness; faithfully replicating the subtlety and spacious voicing of that golden age.

Eloquent clean tones can be ceremoniously battered by a crashy, splashy beast of a tube driven two-spring reverb tank that oozes with vintage class. If you want to add in delays or compression for a truly authentic sound, the low impedance 12AT7 tube driven FX loop gives you flexibility without sacrificing on tone. Even at lower volumes, Tremlord 30 is designed to be switched all the way to 1-Watt, ideal for even the most intimate spaces.

The Bakersfield Sound

Speaking of intimate spaces, it was Mearle Haggard experience of watching Jonny Cash perform at San Quentin State Prison in 1959 that lead him to pursue his calling in country music. As far as country players go, Haggard is what Joe Strummer was to Punk Rock; he provided a stark contrast to heavily producer controlled music that choked the mainstream airwaves.

The music was called the Bakersfield sound and its reverberations have cut deep into the music of America, influencing the artists like the Grateful Dead, Credence Clearwater Revival and The Flying Burrito Brothers. These artists, in turn, influenced the Southern Rock movement, and at its peak in the 70s, guitarists began to turn to the grunt of an all-tube British amplifier.

Orange AD30 All-Valve Amplifier

Our flagship Orange AD30 is an ideal midpoint between the classic country tone and that synonymous British sound that harks back to the heyday of the all-valve amplifier. Its balanced and natural compression is the perfect all-rounder amp for country picking. If you need more heat, the second channel gives you more attack while still emphasising the bottom end for a full-bodied tone.

A Divided Country

On one side of the ravine, a glassy formation looms ominously; its meteoric rise is a paragon of success and excess. Below, overshadowed by the enormity of its neighbour, a gritty cliff edge juts out over the ravine.

And there’s no way better to explain it, mainstream traditional and pop country guitarists usually opt for the open and glassy chimes of an amplifier with those iconic American 6V6 tubes. It’s a path well trodden.

Artists like Tim Montana and The Shrednecks aren’t just pushing the envelope of sound, they’re pioneering a new wave of southern rock that’s like a sonic punch in the face. The bastard love child of ZZ Top where smashing out riffs like Thor’s hammer on the Rockies is just another day in the trailer park. Their weapon of choice is the Rockerverb MKiii.

“Orange amps give me the versatility to go from the cleanest, warmest, country sounds to the melt your face, Shredneck shakedown, in the click of a switch! These amps are built for the road and built for life” – Tim Montana

This boozed-up, steroid-fuelled monster is no roadhouse frequenter. It’s built for a hardcore workout on the road with a feast of total delights that range from chimey cleans and iconic gain tones of a classic British crunch right through to a fistfight with Satan himself.

But others choose to expand the frontiers.

Looking Back to Go Forward

Not so long ago the general public could distinguish the difference between that classic American tone and the British sound. While they are fundamentally different, the lines have become blurred. That’s when the magic happens.

Claudia Hoyser – What Kinda Man

Take modern country artist Claudia Hoyser, her amp of choice is the Rocker 15. It’s an amp that is perfectly voiced to bring out the natural sound of the instrument, the perfect accompaniment for Hoyser’s sultry vocal styling. Sensitive to the touch of dynamics and oozing with valve warmth the Rocker 15 begs one question.

How long before others walk the line?

Tag Archive for: Rockerverb 50 MKII