By day he treats stroke patients with a calm and compassionate approach but in his own time Anthony Hoult belts out rock songs before 20,000 people.
And today sees the release of his band’s single – coinciding with his 25th wedding anniversary.
Musician Anthony, 49, Assistant Practitioner for the Cannock Community Stroke Team, is lead vocalist in Questions of Angels. The band has streamed listeners from the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, Argentina, Peru and Chile. Its latest release, Feel So Alive, is available on YouTube from today.
Anthony’s vocals have been compared to Metallica’s frontman James Hetfield and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, while the six-piece has released an album called From Within.
“The fact people are listening around the world is great, even if there aren’t many streams in each country,” said Brownhills-based Anthony, who has recorded around 30 tunes himself in total.
“I’m quite proud of what we’ve done, but I’m not under any illusions that fame will follow – that would take millions of streams and it’s our hobby.
“We’ve taken the decision not to do gigs at the moment but our music is a good standard, so we want to get it out there.
“We’re going back into the studio in about three months’ time, plus we’re working on the Skunk Anansie song Weak.”
Questions of Angels appeals to all ages, “from 16 to 80 year-olds, metal heads and those who don’t like rock”, says Anthony.
“We’re melodic – all of the choruses are memorable and you can sing along to them. We launched our album on Wolverhampton Community Radio and get played on several others,” he added.
Anthony’s big moment came in 2014 when he appeared on the main stage at V Festival as one of several lead vocalists in The Neon Brotherhood.
The 40-strong Band Aid style movement reached number 16 in the UK top 40 with a charity single called Hope Ain’t A Bad Thing, which helped swell Stephen Sutton’s fundraising effort for Teenage Cancer Trust to £5.5m and featured on Sky and BBC News.
“Stephen was a really lovely guy and he heard the single before he died and put his thumbs up,” recalled Anthony. “To walk out in front of that crowd at V was incredible – dreamland.”
Involved in bands since he was 16, Anthony has been in Questions of Angels for more than a decade and writes all the lyrics and melodies which his bandmates put to music.
It’s a diversion from his day job, based at Springfield Health and Wellbeing Centre in Rugeley. Anthony has worked in stroke rehabilitation for more than 27 years and for Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust for 31 years.
“I do physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and some nursing as well,” he said.
Music is a huge part of the Hoult family. Anthony’s schoolteacher wife Ruth plays the clarinet while youngest son Noah, 15, has composed and performed his own piano piece and wants to learn guitar and sing. Eldest son Sam, 20 is studying a Master’s degree in Biological Science at Birmingham City University.
Feel So Alive will be available on YouTube from today, Tuesday 4 April.