The Soldiers

By CARL STROUD
Published: The Sun, Wednesday 09 September 2009

FED up with pop charts full of weedy boy bands? Well, here's a trio of REAL men aiming for No1.
All three are serving soldiers who have witnessed the horrors of war first-hand, from Afghanistan to the Gulf.

And now Trooper Ryan Idzi, Sergeant Major Gary Chilton and Sergeant Richie Maddocks - who are known simply as The Soldiers - have signed a recording deal with Warner Records.
There are high hopes for the threesome's debut album, which is out on October 26.

But that could all change at the drop of a hat if they find themselves on the front line once again.
Gary explained: "We are serving soldiers. We have to fit this career around our Army commitments."

And Ryan added: "We can get called to a war zone at any time. I'm due another tour in the next two or three years." Already their experience of the harsh reality of life in the battlefield has served as an inspiration for the stirring songs they sing.

Two years ago Ryan faced tragedy while he was on patrol in Iraq and just moments away from his head-quarters in Basra. He recalled: "We were on our way back to base and only had about 800 metres to go when a roadside bomb went off. "I wasn't hurt. All I got was a face full of dust and mud. I was blown back inside the wagon, but my two friends were killed.

"The freaky thing was, we took a picture of the troop before we went out and the two people who died were stood next to each other on their own. That's what freaked me out the most.
"Two other guys in the front of the vehicle were also really badly injured. One had to leave the Army because he was so badly hurt."

The loss of his friends affected Ryan greatly, but it was the camaraderie of his corps, the 20th Armoured Brigade, that taught him to deal with his grief. He said: "It's very traumatic at first when somebody dies, but people help you get through it. It was a horrible feeling but I had people round me all the time. "They teach you how to cope with the loss."

And it is this sense of how important camaraderie is to our Armed Forces that looms large on the lads' debut disc. On it, the trio give soaring renditions of such classics as The Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends, Ben E King's Stand By Me and The Hollies' He Ain't Heavy.
Richie, who is serving as drum major with the Minden Band of The Queens Division, near Cambridge, said: "The entire album is about comradeship.

"We want the public to buy this, but first and foremost it is songs for soldiers and songs that soldiers will relate to." Crucially, a portion of profits will go to charities the Army Benevolent Fund, The Royal British Legion and Help For Heroes.

Gary, who is with the Army's Heavy Cavalry And Cambrai Band in Catterick, North Yorks, explained: "The charity aspect is incredibly important to this project. "We've all had, and still have, relatives in the Armed Forces, from the First World War onwards. "Ryan's dad was in the forces and his brothers are as well. I think it's important we give something back. "At the end of the day we wouldn't be sat here now without all the people who have gone before us."

If something seems familiar about 24-year-old Caerphilly lad Ryan, who is currently stationed in Germany, it is probably because he was the squaddie who made it through to the boot camp stages of The X Factor three years ago.

He said: "I still get approached in the streets now, especially in Cardiff. I got kicked out of the show but to be honest I'm glad I didn't go any further than I did. I would never have had the chance to sing with these lads if not. "It was all too much for me the first time round. I didn't like the attention at all." But it was Ryan's exposure on the prime-time ITV1 show that landed him a place in The Soldiers. Pop manager Jeff Chegwin had seen his performance and was struck by his abilities. And Jeff remembered the youngster when he started putting the band together a couple of years later.

Ryan, whose favourite act is Sex On Fire rockers Kings Of Leon, recalled: "My phone rang and I thought it was one of my mates screwing around. I ignored the call, but a couple of days later I went back through my phone and when nobody was around I gave the number a ring. It was Gary."

Jeff had already approached 41-year-old Gary, who was born in Andover, Hants, and Mancunian Richie, 37, after the pair had become pals on the Army music circuit.
The trio make their live debut at the Festival Of Remembrance at The Royal Albert Hall in November.

Ryan admitted he is not looking forward to it. He said: "I'm bricking it. I'm a naturally nervous person. "I'd rather be out on an Afghan tour than on stage. At least I know I can do the job out there."

But married dad-of-two Gary is sure everything will be all right on the night. He said: "We're getting some vocal coaching and we've got a few sessions coming up over the next couple of weeks, so we should be fine."

Head over to The Sun's website now to get a taster track from the trio's debut album, Coming Home. A tender ballad of the same name features on the album and is all about troops proudly returning to the UK after serving overseas. And the lads reckon it is the support of the public that makes all their hard work worthwhile,

Richie, who is married, said: "As much as I'm proud to be doing this band, there's nothing I'm more proud of than going on parade through British towns with all the British public cheering my regiment."

Ryan added: "When you've got thousands of people lining the streets, clapping, crying and supporting the work we do, it makes every sacrifice bearable. That support means you are not alone when you're in Iraq or Afghanistan."

Gary agreed, saying proudly: "The recent support we've been getting from the public is like nothing I've ever experienced. It swells you. It makes you grow."

Posted by: Michelle Nielsen