Tommy Bolan, veteran guitarist best known for his work on Triumph & Agony, is back with a vengeance, fronting his latest project N.Y.C. and unleashing a debut record that lives up to its name: Built to Destroy. It’s loud, unapologetic, and, if Bolan has anything to say about it, powered to perfection.
Bolan’s reputation as a “10,000 volts” performer isn’t just branding—it’s a mission statement. From his early days obsessing over KISS to crafting cardboard guitars as a kid, his path into heavy metal feels almost preordained. That path hit a major milestone in the late ’80s when he joined Warlock, laying down guitar work on the band’s platinum-era material, including the enduring anthem “All We Are.” Decades later, he’s still chasing that same raw electricity, now channeling it into N.Y.C., a band built for impact.
So what exactly does N.Y.C. sound like? Bolan calls it “rage metal,” describing it as “the energy of AC/DC with the power of Priest tied in with the grit of Motörhead.” It’s a three-headed beast of classic influences—AC/DC, Judas Priest, and Motörhead—filtered through Bolan’s decades of experience and a rhythm section stacked with heavy hitters.
But behind the riffs and the roar lies a quieter constant: tone. And for Bolan, tone has always started with one name—Celestion.
“Back in the day, I’d hear friends playing through Marshall half-stacks and I’d go, ‘Dude, that sounds great!’” Bolan recalls. “Finally, I got my hands on a cabinet loaded with Greenbacks, and I was like, ‘Holy cow!’ Celestion brought out the absolute best in my amp; it always does.” That moment turned into a lifelong obsession, with Bolan collecting cabinets loaded with Greenbacks, Vintage 30s, and G12Hs like prized artifacts.
That obsession didn’t go unnoticed. During the Triumph & Agony era, legendary amp tech Cesar Diaz reportedly inspected Bolan’s stash and declared, “People would jump out of windows for these things!” It’s the kind of endorsement that money can’t buy—and Bolan never forgot it.
Fast forward to Built to Destroy, and his approach hasn’t softened. If anything, it’s gotten more dialed in. The album was recorded using a stripped-down but ferocious rig: a Peavey 6505 Plus and an XXX II amp, both cranked with little regard for subtlety. “I brought my amps in, turned everything up to 95, and just went nuts!” he says. The secret weapon tying it all together? Celestion Vintage 30 speakers.
“The Vintage 30 is consistent and available... [and it] delivers every time,” Bolan explains. “If I fly to play a gig in Sweden or Norway and request a backline… chances are it will have Vintage 30s in it. I strike gold every time and I win.” For a touring musician who doesn’t have time to troubleshoot tone mid-soundcheck, reliability isn’t a luxury—it’s survival.
That philosophy extends beyond convenience. Bolan builds his entire sound around those speakers. “I EQ my entire rig around the Vintage 30 because it is consistent,” he says. It’s a reminder that great tone isn’t just about gear—it’s about trust.
Still, even a seasoned player isn’t immune to curiosity. Bolan is already eyeing Celestion’s newer innovations, particularly the Peacekeeper attenuating speaker. “I’m going to turn the fire up so the amp explodes with tone!” he says, clearly relishing the idea of pushing smaller combos into full meltdown territory.
For Bolan, the relationship with Celestion goes deeper than specs or nostalgia. “It’s an honour to endorse Celestion. With what I do, failure is not an option… Adding a Celestion to your rig brings out the best in your amp... You can’t lose.”
As N.Y.C. prepares to take Built to Destroy on the road, one thing is guaranteed: subtlety won’t be on the setlist. “One thing is for sure,” Bolan says, “it’s going to be loud and it’s going to be Celestion powered. Fuhget about it!”
To read the full interview with Tommy Bolan, visit the Celestion Speakerworld blog. To learn more about N.Y.C. and the new album Built to Destroy, visit NYCtheband.com.
