BEAUTIFUL FREAKIN' WEIRDO

Beautiful Freakin' Weirdo is the solo project belonging to seasoned UK music veteran, Mick Pritchard. The new EP is 'Zap The Fear' and the latest single is "Psychohead". Fearless, Deliberate and commanding of respect, we're grateful to Mick for his time in answering a few of our questions about his songs and his project.

Hello and thanks for answering the interview for our blog today. We usually like to start off by asking for a brief background for the readers that might not be familiar with a particular band. Would you kindly do so?

I hail from the metal capital of the world-Birmingham, England. In the past, I had Black Sabbath’s management for two years and Diamond Head’s for ten years. In that time, I released two albums with my then band, Adrenalin Kick. We toured with such bands as Judas Priest, Almighty, Wildhearts, Wolfgang, Mind Funk and more. Throw some German festivals in the mix. This is my brand-new industrial metal dance project, Beautiful Freakin Weirdo. The world is full of Beautiful Freakin Weirdos and we have a voice. It’s a movement for all the caring crazy heads out there who just love life and just want to get on with it with as little drama and bullshit as they can; real people with real lives and good hearts and souls.

The latest release is the single, “I Am Fire.” What kind of genesis did the song have to go through before you were happy with the final product?

“I Am Fire” was one of those songs that just organically popped up from nowhere. I had spent the day in the studio recording another song and was going back in for a final mix the next day. While lying in bed at night, I had the idea of “I Am Fire” come into my head. So I scrapped the other song and recorded “I Am Fire”. It was a great decision and as random as it gets. I swear by the studio I have used for a long time, so the end product is never an issue.

Do you think that you’ll adopt a release plan that is perhaps less full-length albums and more singles, remixes and Eps?

I would love to make an album. I have about three albums worth of great songs. But, I think in the present climate, I will stick to singles and perhaps another ep.

Scenario: You are stranded on some island but you had the capability to put a flash drive with three of your most important songs into a sealed bottle and send it out to the world. These are songs that mean the most to you and best represent your legacy. What are they and why did you choose them?

Song 1, “I Am Fire”. This song means so much to me as it was a clear message back to the powers that be. Telling them no one will ever take my freedom or that of the human race. Covid and the lockdowns stank from the get-go , and as it is becoming quite clear now, my gut feeling and the fire within my soul was right. We all have fire within. Never let it be doubted by anyone. Always have self-belief!

Song 2 ,“Psycho Head”. This is a song about everyone's split-personality, the real you, and the version of you that the Matrix grows and manipulates from your first breath. Red pill? Blue pill? Both are designed to control. Take neither. We are all in control of our own destinies.

Song. 3 , “Sideways Through Life”. “Sideways” in nature is constantly having to avoid the rules. You simply look both ways and then go sideways and go around the bullshit-the claustrophobic rules of control

Could you give us some insight into your studio, your “tools of the trade” so to speak? How much is hardware/physical instruments and how much is based on softsynths and the like?

My first two albums were recorded in analogue where if you messed it up, you did it again and again until you got it right. Now I use Logic and sometimes Pro Tools although both are a minefield. But you get there in the end and the things you can do are of the dial. But it’s easy to crawl up your own ass with it because you can. So, I always have that in mind when recording. Less is more.

Some artists often engage in certain rituals when composing in the certain studio or before performing. Ex: They may like to have certain items around, They may do certain pre-show preparation, They may do things like meditation. Are there any particular rituals you do before writing or performing?

No. I don’t have any rituals. I’m one of those people who crosses bridges when I come to them and everything I do is in the here and now. I’m also awesome at ad-libbing which always comes in handy

Some artists have resorted to using AI for the likes of cover art and even videos.

What’s your feeling on that? Do you think that it’s already gotten out of control and maybe is an excuse for lack of creativity? Or do you think people are still inserting a bit of human/organic quality into what’s being produced?

I don’t use AI at the moment for anything. All my music is recorded by me, produced by me and written by me. I am not having AI steal my vision from my crazy mind. It can get its own. All my videos are shot and edited by the same company who I totally trust with my vision and the way I want it to be perceived by everyone. They are fantastic, a certain Mr. Nick J Townsend and his company, Weak 13.

What do you anticipate for the coming months? Side projects, shows, more releases?

In the coming months I’m concentrating on live gigs. I’ve done the work. Now it’s time to play. My live shows? I tell people that they won’t be coming to a gig. They will be coming on a journey into my heart, mind n soul all taking in place in a far away magic mushroom forest where anything can happen and usually does. Escapism is always a big part of what I do. I like to surprise, I like to be freaky, I like to be and i am in real life “out there”. That’s the only place where new experiences exist, a place where no man has ever been.

William ZIMMERMAN
27/08/2025