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Publisher Highwire Daze Magazine A General Partnership Editor Ken Morton Managing Editor Danny S. Pasley Senior Photographer Jack Lue East Coast Editor Jupiter Lee Contributors Ken Morton Jack Lue Jupiter Lee James Grover Kim Crain Joe Schaeffer Erica Vincent
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTERVIEWS with...
Paolo Gregoletto of Trivium.................................14 Eugene Abdukhanov of Jinjer................................18 Marc Storace of Krokus.........................................22 Herman Frank of Victory.......................................26 Old Blood..............................................................30 Jen Majura of Evanescence...................................34 Swanee...................................................................38 Markus Pfeffer of Barnabas Sky...........................42 Roy Cathey of The Fifth........................................46 We Are The Black Things......................................49 Bullet To The Heart...............................................50 King Chris..............................................................52
JEN MAJURA POSTER by JACK LUE..............................32/33 CONCERT REVIEWS George Thorogood, Bonnie Brae, Despain Dizzylilacs, Luna 13, If I Fall...............................54
Cover Art by Yannick d’Assignes of Smart Works Intl Cover Photos by Jack Lue HIGHWIRE DAZE 827 N. Hollywood Way PMB419 Burbank, CA 91505-2814 www.highwiredaze.com email: ken@highwiredaze.com Copyright 2021 Highwire Daze Magazine Opinions expressed within this publication do not neccessarily reflect those of the publisher. All rights reserved. Nothing may be produced in whole or in part without the express and written permission of the publisher.
ALBUMS REVIEWS Fiction Syxx, George Becker, The Guitar & Whiskey Club, Lit Soul, Sandgaard, Valentine.............................................59 SKETCHES BY THE EDITOR................................................... 8 PRODUCT REVIEW BY JAMES GROVER Sean McNaab interview Part 2..............................10 IN MUSICAL ORBIT BY JUPITER U.D.O., Vega reviews............................................12
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Sketches By The Editor And here it is, Highwire Daze Issue #139 - our December end of the year edition. And what a strange and amazing year 2021 has been. The pandemic rages on and now Omicron is the latest variant we all need to be on the look out for. Live events are happening and here in Los Angeles you need a vaccination card in order to attend a concert. It is going to be interesting looking back on these Highwire Daze pandemic issues years from now and recalling how we all live in such a tumultuous time.
Editor Ken with Jen Majura of Evanescence
One of the highlights of this issue for me was interviewing Jen Majura from Evanescence. Their tour with Halestorm has concluded, and it was an honor to speak with such a wonderful musician who has also worked with the likes of Blind Guardian and Nothgard! Jen also did a photoshoot with Jack Lue and is featured as the center poster in this very issue! Hope everyone has a terrific holiday season. Watch for my Top 10 of 2021 to be posted on our website December 18th! The first print issue of the New Year will be out January 21st! See you all in 2022!
Down In Wuhan New original 12 song Hollywood Hard-Rock album Down In Wuhan released world-wide on 8/28/21! Produced by: Tone Raven Available Now. Everywhere. World-Wide on all major platforms. iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and CD. youtube.com/toneraventunes
MANAGEMENT-TONE RAVEN MUSIC 8
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Behind the scenes by James Grover featuring Sean McNabb of Quiet Riot, Dokken, Great White, and Sons of Anarchy PART TWO Sean and I had met 2 years ago working in the music industry. I had the opportunity to sit and enjoy a conversation with one of the most hard working bass players in today’s music industry despite his busy schedule we stopped for a minute just to look back and here it is. What do you have going on in Music now? Well I’m down the rabbit hole on a big learning curve I can’t tell you what it’s for, my manager hasn’t signed off on me being able to make that public yet, but it’s really cool and I’m in a massive learning curve right now for the next gig. I also got two new solo singles that I’ve recorded, with the help of my friend Gilby Clark and those I am going to be working on the videos right now so I will be dropping those in the next few months as a vocalist, they are covers but you know I think a lot of people don’t know that I sing, so putting out some solo projects. What is your “go to” Instrument? I’ve got a 1970’s Fender bass that I really like, been playing that for about 20 years you might have seen pictures of, it’s the white one with the tortoise shell pick card it’s all beat up. I love that bass, it feels right I feel very comfortable on that I’ve also got two really old Spector Basses that are great for recordings, I’ve got two of the OG ones that are like late 70’s early 80’s you know the New York Brooklyn ones and those are amazing it’s great because I played those back and when I was in Great White for many many years. I maybe did five albums with them. I use to play on and off with them for ten years. I used to play those and it’s it’s great because this new gig I’m doing I’ve kind of dusted them off and brought them back. You know, they have always been great recording basses but I’m bringing them out live on this gig so it’s amazing. You and I know some of the same musicians in our circle, so I just have to ask, what is your go to bass amp? It’s been Ampeg - its been my go-to amp my entire career, I was playing before you got here and I was talking to “Dino” representative and President of Ampeg and I’ve been playing those amps. I got my first one when I was 15, the first amp was an SBT - and I’ll never forget the guy opening up the back of the truck and warning down this giant cabinet. I’ve never used anything other than that I’m paying. I never will it’s just always gotten 10
the job done for me. It’s right tone - it’s the industry standard - if it ain’t broke don’t fix - that’s the tone. Who has been your most favorite artist that you have worked with? Wow I have worked with so many greats, Wow that’s really tough because I been so blessed to work with so many different kind of artists, and I have say all of them! It’s just everybody’s been different and we all been through our ups and downs or sideways and to be a journeyman and somebody that’s played with a lot of people, I feel really blessed to have had that kind of career. And I’ve got a mentionp Frankie Banali because he opened the door for me. Great drummer from Quiet Riot “rest in peace.” He gave my my first break In Quiet Riot at The Cathouse. I came out here in a Nissan Stanza with an SBT in the back, a Fender bass, $200.00 in my pocket and couple of clothes changes. I did the Hollywood couch tour. “ I am for ever grateful to Franki Banali.
Reach James Grover at: http://www.facebook.com/james.grover.311 December 2021
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Hey everyone, it’s Jupiter Lee - East Coast Editor. Check out my record reviews here and be sure to add me on Facebook! Link is at the end of my column...
Game Over U.D.O. AFM Records UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER, the frontman and vocalist formerly of ACCEPT, has recorded a brand new album. He calls it GAME OVER. Collaborating with him include musicians ANDRY SMIRNOV on guitar, UDO’s son SVEN DIRKSCHNEIDER on the drums, bassist TILEN HUDRAP and guitarist DEE DAMMERS. It’s a powerful line-up! Armed with a grand guitar-driven introduction is track 01, Fear Detector. There’s no one else that sounds like UDO. You can hear the passion in his voice. Short stabs of screeching, fast guitar leads have a tasteful flair and let you know that there is going to be more. The track also features some killin’ drumming. Track 02, Holy Invaders opens with bass and guitar riffing it out together to create an instant bond. Defiant but surprisingly melodic at the same time. Track 04, Empty Eyes has an enchanting chorus with UDO sounding better than ever, no harmonies on this one. Simply flawless guitar playing on this as well. Track # 06 Metal Never Dies is one of my favorites and reminds me of Balls To The Walls. With track 07, Kids and Guns has quite a different swagger from the others. Maybe slightly funky. Though a bit more raw it contains a long instrumental break. On to track 08, Like a Beast. This one has the beat I was hoping to come across. It will give you the siiik riffs you crave, UDO’s rockin’ message and fast double-bass drums. Drummers, I think this one could be a challenge. Quietly followed by Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye, track 09 features a very dry and sincere vocal from UDO with some acoustic guitar to create this love song. Did I just hear piano? There are sixteen tracks on this new release, too many to delve into, but you will be rocked by all 70 metal minutes! Let me say that the final track #16 Metal Damnation, well, I would say sums up the album. This tour is gonna rock!
https://www.udo-online.de/ 12
Anarchy and Unity Vega Frontiers Music Srl
From the UK, welcome to the new album from VEGA. Their seventh album, ANARCHY and UNITY is already creating a buzz. Members consist of vocalist NICK WORKMAN, brothers TOM MARTIN on bass and JAMES MARTIN on keyboards, guitarist MARCUS THURSTON, guitarist BILLY TAYLOR, and drummer PETE NEWDECK. Jumping in full force is Beautiful Lie. This hard rock, driving tune seems to have a very natural progression of chord changes that combines some electronics creating a mixture of sounds. High range, strong lead vocals from WORKMAN cast a shadow of DEF LEPPARD with a tight, amazing rhythm section rarely heard these days. Fresh sounding, skillful lead guitar work is nicely executed. Track 02, Sooner or Later is another hard rock tune totally ready for the Airwaves. Track 04, Ain’t Who I Am is already one of my favorites after just a few seconds! Moving, driving rhythms are consistent and are throughout the recording. Track 05, Welcome to Whenever has a pair of short awesome guitar solos leaving you wanting more! The album contains many highlights from everyone and contains powerful studio production with vocal harmonies being a strong point to VEGA. Ok, so there is a slow ballad with track 07, Live for Me , but then turns wicked cool! Love the ending. Familiarities of JOURNEY.. BON JOVI perhaps as well on track 11, Had Enough. The keyboards will give you your touch of progressive rock. Great work from VEGA! ANARCHY and UNITY is available now on Frontiers Music Srl!
https://www.vegaofficial.co.uk/
JUPITER on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Jupiter-Lee-173082899386911
A HIGHWIRE DAZE CHRISTMAS at Highwire Daze Radio on Live 365 December 15th - 25th Rocking Holiday Songs For The World www.highwiredazeradio.net December 2021
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Beyond The Metal Tour Of The Year with
Paolo Gregoletto of Trivium
Interview by Ken Morton - Live Photos by Jack Lue One of the very first bands out of the gate after live shows resumed in a pandemic age, Trivium would find themselves on the road with Megadeth, Lamb Of God, and Hatebreed on The Metal Tour Of The Year. There was no time for a break in the midst of Covid-19, as Trivium found themselves recording and releasing In The Court Of The Dragon, their 10th epic album via Roadrunner Records! In this interview with Highwire Daze, bassist Paolo Gregoletto talks about being on the road again, their 10th glorious masterwork, his previous band Metal Militia, and a whole lot more! Is there any overall story of concept behind the album title In The Court Of The Dragon? I kind of spent the time collecting any ideas – anything that could be cool for song titles or lyrics. I don’t know where I saw it – probably online somewhere – someone mentioned Robert Chambers. I was kind of doing a deep dive into the King In Yellow type stories – and that’s where it came from. He had a short story called In The Court Of The Dragon in one of his books – and I really liked the title. So, I kind of put that down – maybe this story would be cool for a song or whatever. And as we started to write lyrics and figure out the vibe of the record, it kind of seemed like instead of taking 14
the story and kind of doing a retelling of that, we could just take the title and sort of re-purpose it into a whole new story – essentially creating our own storyline myths – meant to feel kind of conceptual. I don’t want to say it’s a full concept album, but I definitely feel that there’s a story that runs through each song – and they all are meant to feel like they connect. This is in fact Trivium’s 10th studio album – you’re on 9 of 10 of them. How does it feel you have recorded and released Trivium’s 10th studio album? It’s pretty mind blowing. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long, but it also does feel like it’s been that long in some ways. The last two years have been such an interesting time to make music and I feel like we are one of the more prolific bands in this sort of pandemic time period with releasing a record and then writing a whole new one. And so, it’s been very crazy, and we’ve not done a lot of touring yet – we only did the one tour. So, I haven’t been able to really fully comprehend – like we’ve done albums 9 and 10 in the last.years – and that’s such a big feat for a band to exist that long and to have done 9 of them on the same label even. So, it’s a really crazy thing! We’re just trying to stay on our timeline. We like to write albums every couple years – and this was kind of a different scenario where we had the time to go right into the next record without any touring. December 2021
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What was it like recording new album in the middle of a pandemic and all of this crazy social unrest in the world today? It was sort of like our little escape from it all, cuz we really weren’t going out or doing anything. We were trying to stay safe as possible – especially if we were going to be with each other inside for long periods. It was crazy, but it was also a nice way to shut everything out and really focus ourselves on this project and putting everything we had into it – because we really had no other distractions or other things to worry about. It was kind of freeing in a lot of ways because normal scenario, we’re worrying about tours coming up, because you’re always juggling so many things. It was just nice to have a clean slate – it’s record time – just focus on that – don’t worry about anything else – and we’re going to see this through until we feel it’s done. What as it like being on a tour with Megadeth and Lamb Of God after not being on the road all of this time, and what were some of the highlights for you? The shows themselves were the highlights because seeing that many people come out after a long period of no touring was just a really great feeling. It was extremely successful – in the midst of all this stuff happening – tours cancelling – shows being moved – it just felt like to get through this tour and to make it happen was a real big accomplishment for all of the bands on it. It just felt great playing. And then aside from that, being back out on tour with the guys, with the crew – we had to adjust our usual off day activities which is usually going to restaurants and stuff like that – so we always had to find places that had outdoor seating just to have extra safety with everything – just to make sure there were no issues the entire time. Even though we did have an issue at the beginning, but after that we really tried to do our best. I’m just very happy we got through it because we kind of had to be the example that it could be done – that you could be safe – you can do you best and you can make the shows happen. For us, no matter what, we would have made shows happen. Whatever form of the band could have gone onstage would have gone up there. If I had to mix the show myself, I would have done it. That was very true. You guys were one of the first major tours to get out there. Yeah, we were definitely kind of the Guinea pigs, I guess. You have a 20-year anniversary coming up with your previous band Metal Militia. Your album Perpetual State Of Aggression came out 20 years ago next year. Oh wow! That’s insane! When you look back on the album, what do you think of it now in retrospect? You know – it’s kind of funny – I think about it nostalgically obviously – that was my first real band – but also feeling a little vindicated that like playing thrash – we were a little too early for the third wave of thrash. Actually, when Trivium really started to kind of take-off, I feel like there was a thrash resurgence with a lot of bands, which was cool. (Metal Militia) was kind of early to the game. I don’t feel like we influHIGHWIRE DAZE
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enced any of those bands at all, but it was just cool that some people were thinking about the same things. We were just a little too early for that kind of scene. But it was fun – it was a learning experience for me. I was the main guy pretty much all the way through, so I had to learn a lot of stuff about dealing with other people in bands – and dealing with everything that comes with being in a band – recording, playing shows, getting people to take stuff seriously, dealing with egos. Locals bands are full of drama. If anything, you come out of that and realize how much more dramatic being in a local band can sometimes be. Local scenes can be really cutthroat. One of the shows Metal Militia played was the infamous Milwaukee Metalfest. What was that experience like? I think it was my first time playing out of state. There were so many bands. That was my first time playing on a festival, so it was a good kind of experience of things to come – just seeing what it was like playing to a decent amount of people. It was my first time playing in an arena which was pretty exciting. Just flying out to the gig – just the whole process – it was really fun. I think I was like 16 or 17 when we did that. It really wasn’t too long before I was linking up with Trivium – maybe like two years later. But it was cool getting out and seeing a lot of other bands. I actually got to see some cool stuff – I think it was like Decapitated’s first tour in America with the original lineup – it was unbelievable – they were so good! Macabre was there – they were really fun. Vital Remains with Glen Benton was really fun. I got to through all the cool vendors and buy a bunch of CD’s and stuff that I couldn’t find anywhere. So, it was like a great overall experience. How did you initially wind up connecting with Trivium? You were still in Metal Militia at the time… Years before that, we played a show in Daytona – they were on the bill – we were on the bill – it was like a festival type 15
gig but there wasn’t that many people there – it was like inside of a club. So, we kind of connected a little there. And we reconnected – funny enough it was the Milwaukee Metalfest promoter Jack Koshick’s other festival in Florida – the only time this happened called the Sun and Steel Festival in Tampa. Trivium was on it – it was right after Trivium got signed, I think. Trivium was about to go on their first tour ever. We kind of linked up there. And I was at the point where I felt my band was sort of at its end. I had been through so many lineup changes with people either not taking it serious or not fitting in with me. And it was like okay it’s run its course and I maybe need to look for something else. I’m very happy that I was able to see that and feel that, and feel like I needed to move on to something else. Because a lot of times I think that’s a very hard thing to do, because when you’re the main person, you don’t want to relinquish the control you have and everything. For me, it really wasn’t even about that – it was can I play with people who are on the same level as me in terms of taking this serious and of course playing. And I felt like Trivium was definitely a band on that level, but obviously they had their own setup already done – they had a bass player who actually quit a couple of weeks after that tour – and then they got a fill in that just didn’t work = and then it was just like our fate sort of aligned there. They needed a bass player – I needed a new band – we did a tour with Machine Head and Chimaera, and it worked! We gelled, and we went and recorded Ascendency a couple of months later – and it was just off to the races from there. Even though it didn’t feel like it, there was a lot of down time after Ascendency was recorded – we didn’t get out on tour for a couple of months. But once we started touring, it was all year – 250 shows for the next couple of years every year. Yeah, it was just crazy how it all just happened like that. It was a real chance event, but I took advantage of the opportunity. Are you currently involved with any other bands or projects outside of Trivium? No, I’ve not had any desire to do more than Trivium. It’s such a full-time thing, and so much of my creative output just feels like it needs to go into Trivium. Especially now that we have this hangar, we have a lot of ideas of things we want do there besides just our normal rehearsals. Eventually we’re going to have our studio built there as well. We have so many ideas of things we’d like to do when we’re not touring. And of course, everyone now lives in Orlando. I have a new kid – Alex has a new kid – so I feel like that is my other full-time project outside of Trivium – making sure that she’s raised and that I’m fully there for her. I don’t want to get too sidetracked. Trivium again is so full time – and this is without even touring full time at the moment until we really get back to it next year. Just enjoying family time and then Trivium time. 10 albums in, and it sound like this is still exciting for you and the band… Yeah, yeah – I don’t feel like we’ve lost that excitement. If anything, we’ve kind if gained it back even more so since The Sin And The Sentence. When Alex got in the band, it just felt like this real burst of energy with me, Matt, and Corey. And I feel like with Alex bringing this whole new set of skills 16
into our band – and this great attitude and vibe – it just kind of reinvigorated the entire project. And I feel like for fans, they feel the same. You can sense it. The moment we started playing together live, because the first thing Alex did with us was the European tour before we even got to making a record with him. We really felt like we had a good thing going right from day one. Alex has been in a lot of cool bands himself in the past such as Battlecross and Dragonlord. So, do you have any messages for Trivium fans in the States who are reading this now? I just want to thank everyone who has either picked up a copy, ordered a copy, or streamed the new album In The Court Of The Dragon. We wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing right now – we wouldn’t be as far as we are – we wouldn’t be on Album 10 – we wouldn’t have a hangar where we could come up with all these crazy projects and ideas and kind of have a home base to base ourselves out of – without the level of support we’ve had. I think a lot of people say that about their fans. But 10 albums in, I feel like we’ve been very vindicated that we have some of most diehard fans in the world – and we wouldn’t be this far without them.
https://www.trivium.org/ December 2021
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Tatiana Shmayluk of
JINJER The Belasco Los Angeles. CA Photo by Jack Lue
Jinjer: Return To The City Of Angels
Interview by Ken Morton - Photos by Jack Lue Jinjer from the Ukraine has been touring across America, bringing their own visionary brand of modern metal to our distant shores. On the road in support of their Wallflower endeavor via Napalm Records, one of their headlining stops included The Belasco right in the heart of Downtown LA. Jinjer bassist Eugene Abdukhanov is quite familiar with the City of Angels, having lived here at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Highwire Daze caught up with Eugene to find out more about his own personal L.A. story, Jinjer’s headlining U.S. tour, the music scene in Ukraine, and more! How has the current Jinjer tour been going here in the States with Suicide Silence and All Hail The Yeti and what HIGHWIRE DAZE
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have been some of the highlights for you? Honestly, the tour is above all my expectations. I knew it would be cool because we had a bunch of shows sold out before we even arrived here in the States. It’s one of the greatest tours we have ever had so far. Such great crowds and wonderful rooms to play. Everything is going fantastically good! One of the shows you played recently was at The Belasco in Downtown Los Angeles. Tell me about that particular show and your impressions of Downtown LA. I’m quite familiar with Downtown LA, because I lived in LA for some time. There was nothing surprising for me in Downtown LA. But the gig was just overwhelming. In the last question when you asked me about my highlights, this is what I’m afraid of. I’m afraid of giving a spot to one of 19
these shows, because they are all just awesome! And Los Angeles was one of those definitely. A great gig and the crowd was going mad from the very beginning to the very end of the show. They were all so loud and they were so many of our friends who came to see us, so it was a really great night. A fantastic night – especially for me because I know the city and I know some people there. It was a great show! I’m already missing it. You said you used to live in Los Angeles. Tell me about that and what you were doing here in LA? It was last year. We were caught by the pandemic in the middle of the tour in America when everything stopped all of sudden – all shows got cancelled. And I had my wife in Los Angeles, and she was pregnant, and I just went there to be with her. We were still having some hopes that it won’t last long back in March 2020. But it did. And I went there to stay for a couple of months, and I had to stay there for half a year. I was there with my wife and eventually my son was born there. So, I have quite a connection with the place. So, you actually have a connection with Los Angeles during a pretty extraordinary time – that’s for sure. Exactly! That was a time when all these crazy things were happening like riots and lockdowns. At the same time Los Angeles wasn’t the worst place to be during that time and see all those things happening. At least now I can say I was right in the middle of everything back in 2020. In 25 years, I’ll be telling these stories to my grandchildren – so it will be a nice story to tell. Absolutely! You were also in Los Angeles 2019 at The Whisky. What was that experience like playing that iconic nightclub? It was our second time playing that nightclub. I’m not a big fan of old school rock. Of course, I give crazy respect for bands like The Doors – but I don’t listen to that and that’s why I don’t have much connection to those iconic things. That is why it doesn’t matter to me that much. Of course, it was cool to go on a stage that has been there for 50-60 years, and which hosts in the past those legendary characters – the founders of the whole rock and roll culture. Of course, it’s cool, but not that much for me. So, I really don’t make a big deal. Wallflowers is the current Jinjer album on Napalm Records. Is there any overall story or concept behind that title and what it means to you? The concept is introvert – I’m an introvert. This is really what stands behind everything in this album. Every song is actually somehow connected to Tatiana’s personality and issues. And that’s what’s behind the concept. And how it 20
refers to me – I do relate to some of the topics on the record and I actually wrote the lyrics for one of the songs. Tell me about the lyrics to the song you wrote and the inspiration behind it. It’s (the song) Colossus. It’s multi-layered lyrics – a few messages hidden. I’ll tell you about one of those but the rest I’ll keep secret. Maybe one day in ten years I’ll give it away, but so far, I’ll keep it private. Basically, the song is about backstabbers. It has always been like that and will keep being like that. We all are surrounded by people, who for different reasons, because of jealousy – because of just being greedy mother fuckers – are ready to stab you in the back as soon as they have the chance. And they do so. We all once in a while suffer from that shit – and all we can do is stand up on our feet and keep on going. Believe in ourselves – change ourselves – but keep on going. That’s a topic we all can surely relate to and I’m sure we’ll find out more about that from you ten years from now! (Laughter) And on to the next question. Cradle Of Filth recently played out here around the same time you did. Jinjer has toured with Cradle Of Filth in the past. What was that experience like touring with them? That was fun. That was really exciting. Just touring with such a legendary artist / band like Cradle Of Filth – because when we were all kids, like 13-15 years old, maybe we were not into black metal, but everyone knew who Cradle Of Filth was. And everyone was kind of scared of that. All of that vampire image and everything. And that was heavy at that time – that was extreme. Basically, when I was December 2021
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a teenager, Cradle Of Filth was probably one of the biggest bands in the metal scene. And then being on tour with these people who you were looking up to is really special. Even though I was never into that music – I was never a fan – I did have a couple of albums – but I was never a fan. But I did have a lot of friends who were super crazy about Cradle Of Filth. And when we announced the tour, they all started texting me. They couldn’t believe it was happening. And yeah, it was special from this point of view. But then when we started to tour and got to know the guys, these people were always ready to party, always ready to have fun – and this is all that we did with them. We were just having fun all the time nonstop. You are from Kiev in Ukraine. What is the music scene like there and are there very many places to play? First of all, I’m not from Kiev, I’m from Donetsk and we are now in Kiev with the band. And the music scene in Ukraine, precisely the metal music scene, extreme music scene is very underground. It’s so much underground that – just how much underground the brutal death metal scene is in the US – and then cut it twice. And this is the metal scene in Ukraine – it’s very underground – there’s not many followers – there are not many places to play. In Kiev there are only two or three venues where you can play for 500600 people. There are places bigger than that, but who can pull that many and sell it out? We ourselves, being the biggest (metal) band in Ukraine – we only manage to pull 1,600 people at our show a few years ago – and that was the biggest metal show by a Ukrainian metal band in the whole country throughout Kiev’s history. And that’s how bad everything is. So, no clubs, no fans, no community. There are bands which are very good actually, but there is no industry for them. You did a single for a band called The Last Judgment called Blind. That band is from Moscow. Tell me about that project and how you became involved with it. The guys – two brothers / guitarists who are actually the band – we come from the same region they come from. And they have been big Jinjer fans for a long, long time. So, when they just contacted me, I didn’t say no. I had a lot of time – I was in Los Angeles at that time, and I had nothing to do, and I recorded a song for them. Why not? Build a friendship and cooperation. What do you hope that 2022 brings for you and for Jinjer? I finally want to play all of those festivals which were announced back in 2019. Because everything in HIGHWIRE DAZE
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Europe was rescheduled for a number of times – and we still have those festivals and I finally want to play them. It’s like one of my main priorities for the next year. And then we’ll see. I’m going to have some rest and play here and there. Maybe come to the United States again next year and play one more fantastic tour. Who knows? We’ll see. And are you currently involved with any other bands outside of Jinjer? No, I don’t see it possible, and I have no desire for that. Doing something with friends is alright but doing something globally with a different band – I don’t see a point. I can self-express in music in this band better than in any other bands possible. Do you have any messages for Jinjer fans here in the States who are reading this right now? I keep saying peace, love, and harmony – and of course I want to thank everybody who has already been at our shows on this tour and everyone who is going to see us – that is going to be fun, guys. Can’t wait for the day to play for you all.
http://jinjer-metal.com/
OUT NOW *When Hearts Pull Daggers *Self-Titled
LITSOUL.COM 21
Marc Storace of Krokus Goes Solo with Live And Let Live
Interview by Ken Morton - Live Photo by Joe Schaeffer Marc Storace is best known as the vocalist for the legendary hard rock band Krokus. With a final world tour cut short because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Marc would find himself recording his debut solo album. Going under the moniker of Storace, the debut single and album is entitled Live And Let Live, and it’s certainly an explosive and infinitely timeless introduction that should enrapture Krokus fans all across the planet. Highwire Daze recently interviewed Marc Storace to discuss the glorious Live And Let Live, an upcoming show with the Scorpions, and if this is, indeed, the end of the road for almighty Krokus. Read on... Is there any overall story or concept behind the album title and new single Live And Let Live? The single is something I wrote 20 years ago and had in my archives. And the positive side of Covid is that it gave me 22
time to immerse myself into creating this solo album. And I called it Live And Let Live because it suits the time – it’s a sign of the times kind of song. It’s interesting how something you wrote 20 years ago could have been something you wrote yesterday. (Laughs) It’s a coincidence. It’s mind-blowing – and I didn’t realize until after I started the re-working on it that it held up. The lyrics I wrote way back in the days of Saddam Hussein cuz he was on this big genocide trip. It was a protest song about these kind of people, but on looking back, it’s also quite an open lyric. It fits all kinds of situations. Live And Let Live – that goes for everything. It has to do with racism as much as it has to with – the latest thing people ask me – “Is this about Covid?” So yeah, it’s kind of open – and I like that kind of philosophy – I’m kind of into live and peace still way back from my hippie days. That’s the kind of person I am - still behind the hard rocker is a peace-loving man and a December 2021
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family man and nature lover and equality lover – you know, all those good things. Tell me about the song Don’t Wanna Go and the lyric “the road to ruin leads to darkness?” “I don’t want to go down that road anymore, the road to ruin leads to darkness, don’t want to go faster than the light.” It’s kind of an abstract thing. Imagine a spaceship going faster than light, which exists in like Star Wars. When they go through this dimension again it gets dark – obviously. So I kind of put this in the situation where a person is living life in the fast lane – he’s going so fast and he falls into the darkness – and it can be deadly and ruthless. Like we see the many victims of life on the road – or it could be other things – it could be life if you become addicted to alcohol or drugs, and you can’t get off it. It’s kind of symbolic whereas I put everything under one hat – and I take the situation and my experiences from life on the road – life in the fast lane with Krokus in the 80’s – and we were doing so many concerts and so much mileage on the road – and flying here and there – busing there and everywhere – night liner life. For us, stopping at a mall on a day off and having the time to go to a movie and enjoy a meal without any disturbances – no soundcheck before and no concert afterwards – just going in, sitting there together, and having a steak and being together and drinking beer or whatever – having fun without even having all the fans around. Instead of being a party it was more like a chill out for when the band and crew got together, and we could slow down a little bit. So this is really what the song is about. And there’s a bit of the fact of when I met my wife and now, I have been through a divorce – you already experience loneliness on the road even though you are with all these people – when you’re far away from the one you love. It’s a different thing flirting with a groupie – that’s just a flirt. And these things also lead to when you flirt around and get into that habit – it also lead into that other kind of darkness – you get kicked out of the house and end up with a divorce. So yeah, this is what it’s really all about. Let’s talk about the song Fly Again and the inspiration behind it. It’s also a song about – you go through certain mishaps or broken heart situations – and then you have to get to a point where you wake up and make the move and get tough again. So really, that’s what it’s about – the broken wings and the broken heart – and you get up again and you go for it – you get back into the normal life situation and start looking ahead. What made you decide that during a pandemic would be a perfect time to release a solo album? (Laughs) Well, I thought it was over now, but it looks like it’s coming back. The figures are rising incredibly here. It’s so scary. And I’ve got gigs in December and my fingers are crossed that we’re going to be able to do the gigs because the neighboring countries, like Austria – is extreme. They’re HIGHWIRE DAZE
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like locked down again and Germany is following suit very close. Switzerland is open and concerts are still opening – the only problem is now; people are starting to get scared again. And we’re not boostered yet – they only just started – and I’m over 65 and we get it first – but I still have to wait. The thing is, people are going to be scared to buy tickets – if everything is still open and we’re still allowed to play, people might show up. So right now, we’re still moving forward and hoping that things recede again by the beginning of December. We’ll see – that’s not in our hands, but it would help if everybody pulled on the same rope. Right now, there’s a bit of a tug of war between the people who are vaccinated and the ones who deny the whole thing and don’t want to be vaccinated. I compare it to the smokers and non-smokers. Why should you smoke in a room where people don’t want to smoke – they don’t smoke – and pollute the whole room with the smell of cigarette smoke and pollute people’s lungs if you can do that in a separate room. Just stink up air on your own and get lung cancer on your own. I mean, I’m being very straightforward about that. I see it in the same way. I got both my vaccines and I’m waiting for my booster – and that’s what I’m doing. You mentioned about playing live. Next year Storace has a pretty big show opening for the Scorpions in Zurich. What are you looking forward to the most about that particular show? Well, first of all, I’m looking forward to meeting the Scorpions again, because we knew each other way back in the 70’s when I sang with a Swiss progressive rock band called Tea – and we were produced by the same producer that produced the Scorpions – Dieter Dierks. And he had this studio in Cologne up in Germany – and we met the Scorps there – and 23
this was around the beginning days when they had hits like Rock You Like A Hurricane. So then we met later on, on the road in England – just by coincidence in a highway café. And then later on, we were booked with the Scorpions – we played with them as special guests. So, there’s always this friendship of whenever we see each other, so I’m looking forward to saying Hi and Bye one more time – apart from playing to the same audience. Would you like tour in support of the new Storace album here in the States? Oh, definitely! My manager, he has his feelers out and is checking out the situation. We’ll see if we could get something good together and if it’s worthwhile, I would definitely love the tour the USA again. And why not do Canada as well? I mean that’s what it’s all about – you do an album, and you go on tour. Why don’t you tell the Scorpions to take Storace on their next US tour? That would be cool! Yeah, it would – but it’s up to the Scorpions to decide that. They know we’re a band and we’re going to open for them, and they could check me out and check the band out and check the songs out, and see how we are live. If they want, they could take us along. Why not? It would be great! Scorpions, if you are reading this, you know what to do! So much of the final Krokus tour was postponed or wiped out due to the pandemic, including a show you were going to have out here at the Whisky. Do you think some makeup dates might happen, or are you pretty much done with Krokus? Well, it’s still open you know. Fernando would not come anyway – he stopped flying over the big pond – he didn’t join us for the last couple of things we did. We flew over did Monsters Of Rock in 2015 and then when the boat dropped us off in Miami, we flew to Texas and waited for the night liner and then went on this tour of the USA which was great. Then we came back and did another Monsters Of Rock Cruise in February – and this was after the band stopped. We played our last concert in December 2019 in Zurich in Switzerland. So as far as Europe is concerned, Krokus doesn’t exist anymore. And 2019 we played a big festival tour in Europe – we also did Wacken – it was enormous – this humungous, big festival – they pack in 80,000 kids and old school guys like me too. And it was great. We even gave out an album – we recorded everything and gave out a live album – Krokus: Live At Wacken – which went Gold here in Switzerland. It’s available now – you can order it from the Krokus shop. If you go to www.krokusonline.com, you can order Krokus: Live At Wacken – and I swear, the band is in top form there. It was a great concert and great audience response and everything. We loved it! Then came December 2019 we played – Zurich was the last show. Very emotional – I couldn’t stop the tears after the last 24
song and just managed to get through the encores. It was too much – all these people there and loads of hardcore fans. I just kept saying to myself, “Is this the end of the road for Krokus? I can’t believe it! There is still life out there. They still want us. We can still play. It’s a packed stadium – 12,000 people out there!” And I just couldn’t take it. So I was happy that following in February we went out on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise with Krokus without Fernando – but we had a great time – did those couple of gigs and flew back home – and that was it. That was the last thing we ever did in 2020. So then I saw the opportunity to do my solo stuff because of lockdown. So first I got into doing some Karaoke stuff with my young daughter Giuliana – I put that on my website and on YouTube and Facebook – and we got invited to do these duets. We did a couple of TV shows – like streaming stuff – this is what was happening during lockdown. No audience. Giuliana got out there and said “Hey dad, this feels really strange. There’s no people out there.” And I said, “Yes there are! Look into those cameras!” There’s about 3, 4, 5 cameras there. I said, “Behind each one, there’s 1,000’s of people. Don’t forget that. They’re sitting at home on the couch drinking beer.” So, after that. I got into doing my solo album. It is going to be something different than Krokus – my solo album – and I think it should be – because the worst thing I could have done was try to copy Krokus. There was no point in trying that, because Krokus – in my eyes – isn’t over yet. It ain’t over till it’s over. I hope we can come over and play the dates we had to cancel because of Covid in the USA and Canada and Mexico – and the UK as well. But it’s definitely not going to be before 2023 – if that happens, so fingers crossed for that!
www.krokusonline.com December 2021
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Encountering Gods Of Tomorrow with
Herman Frank of Victory
Interview by Ken Morton
Victory has unleashed Gods Of Tomorrow, their first album of raging hard rock in a decade, now available worldwide via AFM Records. Featuring founding member Herman Frank on guitar and vocalist Gianni Pontillo of The Order amongst its membership, Victory has presented unto world the thrilling next chapter to their already massive legacy. Highwire Daze recently interviewed the one and only Herman Frank to discuss the Gods Of Tomorrow masterwork, his recent solo album Two For A Lie, his times spent within the ranks of Accept, and other topics of intrigue. Read on... Let’s talk about the brand-new Victory album. Is there any overall story or concept behind the album title Gods Of Tomorrow? Oh, sure there is. The whole world knows that Gianni Pontillo the singer and me know that we are the most famous poets in the universe. (Laughs) Gianni came up with the title The main meaning behind it is if we go on like this in our lifestyle for the next 20-30 years in the same way, we’re going to be surprised – everything will be going bad and getting worse and worse. Everybody’s waiting 26
for any cause for outside the universe or from somewhere – from any political people – just to tell us what we’re going to do and stuff like that. And we don’t think that’s the right way. I guess we have to do everything by ourselves, so everybody should be the God Of Tomorrow and handle his own fate and handle his own opportunities to make the best living out of it. It’s been a decade since the last Victory record. What made you decide that during a pandemic would be the perfect time to release a new Victory record? (Laughs) It’s not cuz of the pandemic. 2 1/2 years ago I was looking, and the older singer Jioti, he got problems with his voice, and one day he went to visit a doctor. He was the singer, but he never practiced, and he’d go from zero to 200 every day he would start singing. So, he got problems with his voice – with his throat – and one day he visited the doctor, and the doctor said, “Oh, you better stop right now guy, or you’ll lose your voice totally. You may not even be able to speak anymore.” So, he had to stop, and I was quite down. So, I was looking for a couple of years around for someone who could replace Fernando Garcia and Charlie Huhn and Jioti – I mean these aren’t the worst singers anyway. So, it was quite difficult to find December 2021
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somebody. I tested a few singers, but it didn’t work out as well. And then all of a sudden 2 ½ years ago I played a show with my solo band Herman Frank at a festival in Germany. I entered the venue, and I was listening to a band I had heard. And said to Michael “That’s a good band! Who’s this?” And so, I watched the whole show – it was The Order – that was Gianni’s original band – and after he finished the gig, I immediately started talking to him about the Victory thing I had in mind. And he said, “I’m very pleased and interested and honored.” So, I sent him a couple of playbacks from the classic hits from Victory – Temples Of Gold and On The Loose and stuff like that – and he sent them back two days later. And I said to myself “My goodness, that sounds like Fernando Garcia and Charlie Huhn in one person.” It was obvious, so I said “Okay, let’s do it!” At this time, we had decided to do an anniversary tour of the Temples Of Gold and Culture Killed The Native albums, because they had been the most successful. But then Corona showed up. And we said we have such a great singer with such a great voice, it might be worth it to write a couple of songs and come up with a new CD or something. So, it happened. We started writing songs, and after a few songs it was so easy for me to write all these riffs and all these songs in the style of Victory. It felt like yesterday. So that’s the reason why we came up with the album. The tour had been cancelled and festivals had been cancelled. And then we and the record company decided we were going to release this album right now in November. How do you think this new album Gods Of Tomorrow compares with the classic Victory releases? The most successful Victory albums have been Culture and Temples Of Gold. And at best, this album is in the same style. I tried to keep the face of the two successful albums in this album and I think we succeeded. But it’s sounding way more modern and with the same freshness as these previous albums. That’s maybe because we have new members in there. I’m really proud of this thing. For me it’s the best and as good as the successful albums. How would it feel to do a tour with Victory and The Order on the very same bill? Nah! Never do that. I really would split all of these different bands – it really doesn’t look that good. If Victory is going on tour, we’re going on a headlining tour. I don’t want the singer to blow out his voice when he’s doing a supporting show. Nah, that’s not good. That’s a little bit strange for me. I could easily tdo a festival – Gianni’s band The Order, my solo band Herman Frank and Victory or vice/versa. That would be one thing. But each for his own. I’m So Excited by The Pointer Sisters is a cover from the previous Victory album Don’t Talk Science. What made you decide to cover a Pointer Sisters song? Actually, I did this song for an album that I did with my wife Martina for Poison Sun. I did this cover and I said HIGHWIRE DAZE
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this has such a good drive and is such a good song. Jioti heard this version that I did and said we should do this! It’s gotta be a rocker! So that’s the reason we decided to do this because it turned out good – like a rocky metal version of the original. Do you still keep in touch with Charlie Huhn who is now running around the world in Foghat? Once in a while he gives me a comment on Facebook, and I give him a comment. But I haven’t met him in a long, long time. I interviewed Charlie from Foghat a few years ago and he told me he loved his time spent in Victory. He is a such a great singer and he’s a nice guy. But it’s much easier for him, because he likes to do this blues rock thing and I think he fits perfectly into Foghat. Your recent solo is album is titled Two For A Lie. What does that title mean to you? The title was coming up in my mind – I met so many people in my life and I have to say that a couple of people have lied to me – especially in this kind of business I work in. But you could also say in the normal society and especially for politics – if there’s two people, there’s mostly a chance that somebody is lying to you. And when I came up with this title, I got this cover in my mind – the good guy and the band guy – the Ying and the Yang. The guitar Michael in Victory also appears on Two For A Lie. How did your collaboration with Michael come about? He’s very good – very talented. He’s a couple of decades younger than me, but he still has the same vibe in his hands when he plays guitar. But he’s able to copy my style mostly, perfectly – and the best thing is that he’s also living 27
in Hanover, so I get a chance to practice with this guy. And he’s got really great ideas – he tells me “Oh Herman, you should do a different thing that’s not your style.” You’ve been in Accept during two different time periods with two different lead vocalists. First when you look back on Balls To The Wall, what do you think of that time period and that album? It’s still a classic. It’s one of the best albums I’ve appeared on. It’s still a classic and people love it after decades. Do you still keep in touch with Udo Dirkschneider? Once in a while. I mean, now he’s not living next to me. I guess he’s mostly living on this little island on the Mediterranean sea. Maybe I’ve got a chance when he goes on tour, that I will visit him at a concert. But it’s not like where we’re talking on a phone or Zoom every day. He’s doing his business. I’m doing my business. And what do you think of the modern day Accept and the work you did on those albums with Mark Tornillo? It was great fun. Mark is one of the nicest guys and a real gentleman and I do love his voice. And I never would compare Mark to Udo and Udo to Mark because they’re
Are you currently involved with any other projects outside of Victory and your solo album? Kind of. Why did I expect this question? In these couple of months, I’ve been working on a couple of songs with David Reece. And Donnie Van Stavern from Riot is on bass – and Francesco Jovino – he played in Primal Fear, and he was the early drummer for U.D.O. He’s going for the drums. And right now, we are writing songs, collecting material, and going back and forward about songs we are going to do. Sooner or later there might be an album. (Editor’s Note: According to Blabbermouth, this project is going to be called Iron Allies.) So that’s like three Accept singers you’ve worked with! Yeah! So, I got them all! That might be a good album title. I Got Them All! Do you have any messages for Victory fans here in the States? Hope to see you all again. I wish to so bad to come back for a couple of shows with Victory to the U.S. I promise I go for Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, and any big town!
http://www.victory-band.com/
different guys and different vocal styles. But I respect Mark – when he has to cover Restless and Wild, Balls To The Wall or Princess Of The Dawn – he is doing it really, really good. So, I give my most respect to Mark Tornillo, but also, I give my respect to Udo because he’s the original one – he came up with the voice. the melody. Personally, I never compare. It doesn’t make sense to compare two different singers to each other. You were also on the Sinner album Touch Of Sin. Oh my God, how did you find out? I researched all your credits, and I thought this guy Herman Frank is on everything! A week ago, my daughter said “Oh, daddy, are you in Wikipedia?” And I said “Maybe.” And then she said, “Oh daddy, then you are famous!” And I said “Maybe, kind of.” But you’re right, I did one album with Sinner – Touch Of Sin. What do you think of A Touch Of Sin in retrospect? It was great fun and still really good songs. I’m still proud of it. 28
December 2021
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The Acid Doom Artistry of
Old Blood
Interview by Ken Morton Photos by Jack Lue
Greetings! I am LYNX, vocalist for OLD BLOOD. The band has been together since 2014, I began my tenure in April of 2019.
Old Blood recently completed the first leg of their Acid Doom Across America Tour, quenching the thirst of metalheads on their sixteen day journey. Old Blood’s latest magnum opus is entitled Acid Doom, now available via Metal Assault Records, and the sonnets contained within are sure to tantalize the senses of all looking for an exhilarating auditory adventure. Highwire Daze recently caught up with vocalist Lynx in between tours to find out more about the grand and devastating sounds of Old Blood. Read on...
Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there? OLD BLOOD hails from the greater Los Angeles area. The LA music scene is a giant, ever-evolving family of arists. I’ve lived here for 23 years and as a spectator, am never at a loss for great rock and metal shows. Often I’ve found myself torn between multiple shows in one night or I end up going out 3 or 4 times in a week! There’s so much to discover here.
Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Old Blood, and how long the band has been together.
How did your recent Acid Doom Over America Tour go and what were some of the highlights?
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This was the first leg of our Acid Doom Over America Tour and it was a resounding success! From being the first band to receive an encore at Aces High Saloon in Salt Lake City to seeing old friends and family (including my PARENTS!) in Palmdale, Eugene, Portland, Salt Lake, Wichita, Seattle and Phoenix, the sixteen-day journey was packed with good times, gorgeous Autumnal scenery and great memories. We’ll pick up again in March to take Acid Doom to the East Coast and I couldn’t be more excited. What could one expect from a live Old Blood show? We like to bring a big presentation with us wherever we go. An elaborate light show with a sultry, smoky atmosphere is designed to coax the crowd closer and encourage participation from all. Magic will happen and spells will be cast. Select two songs you played on the Acid Doom Over America Tour and what inspired the lyrics. Veinscraper was our first single from Acid Doom and is an excitingly heavy part of our show. Inspired by the heroin-fuled demise of an addicted individual, Veinscraper spins a web and captures the protagonist in the tornadic whirlpool of a tragic addiction. Slothgod is, by contrast, a sexy, flirtatious dance inspired by sweaty nights out in dark clubs that can lead to a dizzying energetic release. Y’know, the kind of thing that one might witness at an OLD BLOOD show... How did you wind up signing with Metal Assault Records? Andrew Bansal had been the manager of OLD BLOOD for a while before he added us to the Metal Assault Records roster. I’ve watched Andrew’s business grow successfully, from booker to manager to label owner for years - it was a natural progression. Acid Doom your new album was released right in the middle of a pandemic. What was that experience like to release an album during such a turbulent time? The turbulence of 2020 provided a fertile environment for artists to find new ways to create. Not being able to perform shows gave us plenty of time and creative energy to make videos and do publicity for the release. In addition, the great grassroots support for musicians that boomed during the “quarantimes” made our efforts feel even more worthwhile. If Old Blood could open for any band either now or the past, who would it be and why? Opening for the mighty Metallica would be a dream come true. Why not aim high?! They’re the reason I first fell in love with metal and have influenced my musical style for many years in many ways. HIGHWIRE DAZE
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If Old Blood were invited to record a song on a Black Sabbath Tribute album, what song would you select to record and why? Black Sabbath’s Black Sabbath. There’s a theatrical quality to the song that is right up our alley... and I truly enjoy singing that song. What do you hope 2022 brings for you and for Old Blood? I hope the transformative nature of the last two years has created a strong platform for musicians to continue building their businesses in new and innovative ways. We’re continuing to write new music and are gearing up to hit the road again in March - I can only hope for great success for all of our upcoming ventures and adventures. Any final words of wisdom? Metal is the Fountain of Youth. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
http://oldbloodgroup.com/ https://metalassaultrecords.com/
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A Report From The Road with
Jen Majura of Evanescence
Interview by Ken Morton - Photos by Jack Lue Evanescene and Halestorm made their way across the United States on The Worlds Collide Tour, thrilling their many fans with a concert for the ages! It was an absolute honor to interview guitarist Jen Majura to not only discuss her return to the road with Evanescence after pandemic downtime, but to also chat about her vast and brilliant career in music that includes working with Blind Guardian, Northgard, and a recent solo album entited Inzenity. Read on as Highwire Daze presents our exclusive interview and Jack Lue photoshoot with Jen Majura of Evanescence! How has the tour with Evanescence been going and what have been some of the highlights for you so far? Every show is a highlight. And this tour is the biggest production Evanescence ever has done. We are on the road with eight trucks, countless buses, a crew of fifty people – it’s a 34
mind-blowing tour to be honest – because I’ve never been allowed to be part of a production of that size. It is a very exciting thing – especially the first show in Portland was nerve wracking. Because that was the first show after 771 days. Our last show we played was September 26th of 2019 in Saint Petersburg in Russia. Everybody was excited to get back onstage and it’s beautiful to be reunited with my band again. I live in Germany and I’m the only one from Europe – so during Covid there was no chance of me getting ahold of anybody and come here to the States. It’s just great to be back. How did you wind up joining Evanescence? Alex Skolnick is a very dear friend of mine – and I played in another band back in 2015 – and we were scheduled to play two festivals in one weekend. And Testament were scheduled to play the same two festivals. Alex watched me onstage and then he sent me a very mysterious email saying, December 2021
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(in a hushed voice), “Jen! Friends of mine are going to reach out to you. I can’t reveal much but it’s something you should say yes to!” Three days later, our management hit me up and asked me if I would consider being a part of Evanescence and I immediately said yes. And within a heartbeat, Amy flew me to New York – we hung out for three days – took long walks, laughed together, ate great food, drank, sang, played music a little bit – and she was like “Jen! You got the gig!” “Woo-Hoo!!!” People see Amy Lee as a legend and this icon in music. How do you see Amy Lee as? I see her as a very, very dear friend – she’s family. We all in the band are honest friends. We love each other and we respect each other a lot. But I can’t lie – I have moments when I’m looking at her – the way she works. She knows exactly what she wants, which I think is amazing – and she’s a super strong woman with that remarkable, beautiful voice. And every single night that I get to sing with her – because I sing a lot during Evanescence shows – it’s the first time ever that a female vocal is performing with Amy, because she never wanted a voice to do harmony and backgrounds. Now I’m singing a lot and it’s beautiful. I’m very blessed and I’m very grateful for that. So, you have a few solo albums out on your own – the latest being Inzenity. How close are you to recording new solo music, or do you even have time? Honestly, every musician had a lot of time in these past years – but the thing is – what I realized – at the beginning of the lockdown in Europe, I was like, “Oh, I have so much time now! I’m going to make this work! I’m going to write music!” But after a couple of weeks when you realize there’s nothing happening in your life, you have no output – because there’s no input in your life. Everybody asks me that question – “Hey, when is your third solo album coming out?” Honestly, I wrote one song in 2020. One song! Of course, we did the Evanescence album which came out in March. We recorded. But it was not as busy as a normal, traditional way of recording an album because Amy and the guys could meet up in the studio and record and write while I was remotely at home in Germany. So, I had to record everything myself, and I missed the input from Amy and Nick (Raskulinecz) our producer. Like “Hey that was a great take!” “Try this again.” “Do a little bit more that and try that note!” So, recording at home all by yourself, alone a home, is just different. What is meant by the title of you last solo album Inzenity? What does that mean to you? So, I heard the joke a lot – why don’t you call it “In Jenity?” Hahaha! (Laughs) But Inzenity is – I’m Asian and I find my inner peace in Zen by acknowledging there’s black and white – the Ying and Yang. There’s good and bad – and you find your inner peace as soon as you acknowledge there’s both. HIGHWIRE DAZE
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And the whole album is in black and white – you can hear that in the songwriting. For example, the title track Inzenity we have a jazz solo, but we have death growls – we have long Oriental-like sounding parts. It’s like literally I said I don’t care about mainstream roles – I just do what I do. And that’s my inner peace – that’s my Inzenity. You were on the Blind Guardian album At The Edge Of Time. What was that experience like working with Hansi and Blind Guardian? I’ve known those guys for so long. The European metal community is very small – and everybody knows everybody. I’ve been friends with them forever. We sang together I remember – it was so long ago – but I also played digeridoo on one of the songs. Charlie Bauerfeind produced the whole thing, and it was fun. The way they work, again, was a different way other bands work. We were three background vocalists and Hansi (Kürsch - lead vocals) – and we were standing around one microphone. Each one of us had a different tone and flavor and frequency in their voice. And all four of us recorded together at the same time and built this giant, big, massive frequency of vocals. It was very interesting. And I learned a lot! Another band you worked with more in the underground was Nothgard. Tell me about that experience and how it came about. Well Dom the singer and head of the band – he’s a friend of mine. He asked me if I would be interested in joining them a little bit on the songwriting, on the backing, on the harmonies – and I think I wound up on almost every song singing background vocals because it was so much fun. And especially the video shoot in one of the songs I finally got to play a dead person. I’ve always wanted to play a dead person in a music video, and I finally did it! Black Thunder Ladies – are you still doing that? No, that was my AC/DC tribute band. I’d say this is the years of learning and experience collecting – because I literally did everything in the band from managing to contracts to 35
merchandise to website – and that’s when you learn how to coordinate stuff – how to tour in a tiny little van – you know, the hard-working years. It was fun. We did one album called First Take, but then let’s just says it’s difficult to keep a chicken coop with five chickens. You did an interesting project called Anywheredoor earlier this year. Tell me about the project for people who don’t know about it. It’s a project by my friend Kris Claerhout, – he lives in Asia. And he’s a booker for all these guitar players, guitar players. It’s Mattias IA Eklundh from Sweden, Guthrie Govan, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal – and we’re all friends. And when he asked us if we would be interested in doing this weird electro-guitar album – he gave us all the program stuff – all the single stems – and we were allowed to cut, edit, and just do whatever we want to do. And I thought that the idea was very challenging and interesting, so I immediately said yes because I got to be on an album with all my friends that was challenging, amazing, super different and interesting! Do you have any other projects you’d like to mention before we close out the interview? I did record an album with a friend of mine called Alen Brentini – and we called the project Something On 11. And
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the album is out – you can buy it and find it everywhere. And it’s again another part of my history where I don’t give a shit about mainstream rules – just do what you want to do and have fun with music. That’s something that is really fun. And then there’s a bunch of stuff that I’m not allowed to talk about yet... So, what’s up next for you after the Evanescence / Halestorm tour is over? Christmas with mama and papa in Germany. I think I’m going to go on a small vacation in January. And then next year – in March/April we have an arena tour in Europe together with our friends from the Netherlands Within Temptation. And then we have more planning for May, but that’s not official yet. And then I believe in June we’ll be back in Europe and tour all over the place – so I hope this whole thing will happen. I’ve known Sharon and the boys again because the European metal scene is very tight. I’ve known them for years and I can’t wait to be on the tour with them. Also, I’m super happy to be on this tour with Halestorm because Lzzy and I are friends. Touring with friends on this kind of level is like a big vacation with your best friends – and you get to play these rad shows and awesome venues!
http://www.jenmajura.com/
December 2021
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COUNTRY ROCK NEVER SOUND SO GOOD
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12 Classic New Tracks Available Now On www.mrrecords.com.au
The Magic of Swanee
Interview by Ken Morton
John Swan, best known as Swanee, is an absolute legend in the vast confines of Australia and beyond. His legacy in music spans several decades as a solo artist and within the ranks of The Party Boys. He is also the older brother of singer/songwriter Jimmy Barnes, who is another much revered artist from down under. Recently Swanee partnered up with MR Records, presenting a comprehensive Greatest Hits package, featuring 20 songs spanning a brilliant career in music. Doing an interview with Swanee is a glorious epic in itself. And Highwire Daze is thrilled to present our first of what will be many conversations to discuss the music and magic of Swanee. Read on... First of all, how did your collaboration with MR Records come about? Well, my father passed away unfortunately. My dad was a big influence on me. He was a boxer actually, but he was 38
one of these men who was a great singer. He sounded exactly like Nat King Cole – that was his favorite act. When he was training, he’d sing away. And there’s not too many boxers who had that sort of outlook. I’d go to the gym with him, and I’d be sitting there and hear him sing “Unforgettable, that’s what you.” You’d hear that in the gym along with “Bam! Bam! Bam!” It was really cool! So, I sort of met Peter (from MR Records) back just along the way. The industry is not huge here. You don’t have as many players that are that well known. There are a lot of musicians, but not a lot of guys who get chart success and stuff like that. Peter contacted me and we had some lovely conversations. And I said to him, “One day I’m going to go and do this for my dad. I’m going to get out there and sing those songs.” Because I made an album for him, and I gave it to him just before he passed away. He said, “Oh, that’s not bad…” Very, very typical December 2021
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Scotsman – he was sort of very gruff. He put the album on the bed next to him and we kept talking, and then apparently when I left the room, he had the nurse in the room with the speakers up and gave it a go – but he wouldn’t do it in front of me. So, it was very, very cool. So, Peter said, “Well, why don’t we do a little show. We’ll fly people into Melbourne and see how it goes.” So, for me, any excuse to sing Nat King Cole, I just went down there. And a guitar player friend of mine turned up – and I was going to use some of the backing tracks I had given to my dad. But this guitar player – he knew every song – and I had worked with him for about 5-10 years, He said what songs are you doing, so I told him. So, he sat down as I was signing autographs as people were coming in, and just wrote up some charts. We go up there, we had a talk to Peter, I introduced myself to the people who were having a meal and a wine – it was a really nice atmosphere for me because I’m used to big rock concerts. And I loved it – it was a great place – it was an Italian restaurant which is my favorite food. And it was really easy to do. And we filmed it and we were going to release it. But Peter said, “Have you thought about releasing some of the hits that you’ve had?” And I said, “I don’t know if I’d have enough to release” and he said, “Man, you’ve got enough for a double album!” So that’s how it came about – it was just by two people who get along chatting whose passion is music. I was very impressed. So, the albums come out. It’s one of those things. My success has always been – I’ve only had a few go to number one – I’ve got a couple of platinum albums and a couple of gold albums, but they’re creepers. They’re long term on a playlist for radio stations – which is much better for me – because you stay in amongst all the different generations. I’m not exactly 17 anymore, so it’s kind of nice when you’re all up to do a show, and there’s maybe 10,000 people there. And you walk out and do a show – and they come up afterwards and they’re trying to buy your album and they’re trying to get you to sign it. And they’re looking at you and they say, “How old are you?” And I say “69.” And then they stare at me and go “Jesus Christ, man! Where do you get the energy? How do you do that?” This is what we do. I live for this. I’ve been doing this since I was 13. And that’s really how the album came out. There was no messing about – signing contracts and all that stuff. It was a shake of the hand – and two friends getting together trying to put some music out there to entertain some of the fans that I’ve had over the years. And make a couple of new fans along the way. Like me… Yeah! Oh wow! Well, I’ve got a couple of more coming up. My brother Jimmy Barnes – he’s huge here – he’s like Number One. There’s nobody bigger. He’s got Joe Bonamassa and all of those guys coming over to his HIGHWIRE DAZE
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place – Springsteen and those guys stay there. I lived in a surfing town way out in the Coast – and I love it because it’s just the way I like to live. He lives in the fast lane. I’ve been out in the garden all morning – and I love it. I live a simple life now. I used to have a big boat on the harbor and five acres in Sydney and three gardeners and more cars than you can point a stick at. You could only drive one car at a time – you know? What I decided was – I got rid of all the fancy stuff. I felt like all of this was not necessarily because I want it, but I want people to see that I’m successful. Like look at me! And I find that a lot in rock and roll – there’s a lot of ego involved. And I’m a pretty simple guy. I’m a Glaswegian – we just tell it the way it is, and we get up there and do what we do. And if people enjoy it, that’s wonderful. If they don’t – come back again and I’ll do it better. In addition to the amazing original songs on the album, you have a few really terrific imaginative covers and I’d like to talk about two of them. You did If I Were A Carpenter by Tim Hardin which is amazing – and then Hold Your Head Up by Argent – which is probably one of the most inspired covers I’ve heard of that song… Fortunately, they both went Number One in this country, so it was good. The same company Warner Brothers – lovely people – they wanted to me do this other song. You know how record companies have always got writers and they’re not necessarily guys who can go out there and be stars – but they’re writers. And they had this guy, and he was writing good songs – he had these two hits for himself – and they said, “we want you to record this” and I said “no, I want to record this!” And they said “Tim Hardin?” And I explained the story about Tim Hardin – such a 39
tragic story – I won’t go into it now. He sold the rights to the song straight away and he didn’t get anything for it – very, very sad. A lot of musicians had done it. And I heard (If I Were A Carpenter) done by Bobby Darin and nearly every man and their dog had a hit around the world with it. It’s like the old story – a good song will stand up as long as you sing it well. You don’t even have to be a great singer – you just have to do a good version of it. At the time, I was listening to Leon Russell – because what he did with Mad Dogs and English Men was just fantastic! “What about if I did that with Carpenter?” And everybody went “Nah!” And then I heard Joe Cocker do it and I got to do support for Joe. So, I was out there doing it, and he was just the nicest man. And I went out and did Carpenter the way it was. And because I played it in front of Joe Cocker’s audience – you get such massive exposure – and the song went Number One. And the same thing happened with Hold Your Head Up – when we had a band called The Party Boys. It was all guys from the best bands in the countries – and they were thrown together. They had a floating rotation – whoever turned up and was sober enough to get onstage played. But when I joined, I said this is what’s going to happen. We’re going to sit down, we’re going to write stuff, we’re going to rehearse, we’re going to do a set, we’re going to get lights, we’re going to do a proper show! And everyone went “Oh! I knew you’d be a wusser!” But the bass player agreed with me – he said, “Yeah, yeah, that’s a great idea! I can’t stand this. This is driving me mad!” Because you don’t know who’s going to turn up that night, so you can’t play Sympathy For The Devil if you’ve rehearsed it and the guitar player doesn’t know it. So, you finish up with Honky Tonk Woman or something like that. And I hated that. I wanted to see a show from these guys who are such talented musicians. The bass player was from Status Quo – Alan Lancaster – he passed away a couple of weeks ago. He was just such a professional. And with me pushing and him having the influence that he had, we got it going. The last song on the Greatest Hits album is called Here’s To You. It’s such a reflective song and a great way to end the album. Could you give me a little background on that song and what those lyrics mean to you? What I had been doing for those ten years – every day I would get up and I’d go into a hospital with my acoustic guitar and I would play to the patients – like in a burn injury unit or a cancer unit. I was the Vietnam Vets Ambassador here and I would go in and play to the Vets. And I went into Poets Of Care because I suddenly started realizing how many people were in such great pain – and I was having such a great life playing rock and roll – and rock and roll’s been great to me. So, I wanted to play to them – and there’s no money in it – none whatsoever. Never made a cent out of it – but the whole point was I got more out of that than I did anything. 40
I met this guy – Todd, he was a pilot and he was in Poets Of Care, and he had the drip in it which was slowing down the respiratory system getting ready to pass away. And he’s got six kids under the tent – he met this girl – she’s got three kids and he’s got three kids – and they fell in love. I went in and he was sitting there, and he had no hair, and he was looking so gaunt. His wife was such a beautiful girl. And she said, “He’s such a massive fan of yours. Would you come in and have a coffee with him?” So, I went in and looked at the guy and he was on the drip to die – and I drunk his coffee. It was a moment where something happened in my life – I’m not a religious man – I believe God is love and the universe and nature and all beautiful things. And this guy, he said “I used to play guitar.” And I said “Really?” And he said, “Yeah, can I have a go?” And trying to get him up to hold a guitar was kind of a massive, massive effort. And he played Better Be Home Soon by Crowded House. And I sung it. And after I sung it, I said “Look, I gotta go because I’ve got be over at the burn ward to do songs during their lunch time because it’s the only time that they can get.” So, he said, “Yeah, yeah, thank you for coming.” And I said, “What’s your favorite song?” And he said, “When My Guitar Gently Weeps.” And I said, “I’ll learn it tonight and I’ll play it for you tomorrow.” And he said, “No, I won’t be here tomorrow.” The actual process of dying had taken place and I said, “Man, you’ll be here! Don’t give up. Don’t you dare give up on me. You’ve got those kids – you’ve got everything to go for you.” And he said, “Yeah, but sometimes we don’t control what happens to us in life.” And I said, “Okay, very wise. I get it. Have some faith.” And I left. And his wife runs into me and says “Swanee, what the fuck did you do to him?” I had never heard this woman December 2021
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swear before in my life – she was related to Bon Scott and that’s how she knew me – and her husband being a fan, that was natural to do it. She said, “He wants his guitars!” And I said, “So, take the frigging things in. What are you worried about?” She said, “You don’t understand. He’s not supposed to make it through the night. And now he’s got his good guitars in there and he doesn’t want the rubbish ones and he wants somebody to get the other ones strung.” And I was like, “You know, maybe he’s not ready to go.” So, I went in that night and sat there playing with him – not to him – with him – and we played When My Guitar Gently Weeps. He started crying and he said “This is magic. I’ve always wanted to do this.” And I said, “Really?” Anyway, they pulled out the drip from the stuff they put into you to slow down the respiratory system and it basically keeps you out of pain from cancer. He pulled the drips out and he said, “I’m coming with you.” So, the next day, he checked himself out. So, I was playing a Repat Hospital and his wife brought him out there – and he walked in with his guitar, and I just about fell over. So, I sat down and played, and he joined me. And I went home and wrote Here’s To You because of everything that guy had done. If you listen to the lyrics of it, you will understand. The whole story will make sense to you because it was about celebrating his life – and raising a glass like the Irish do at a wake. Here’s To You and all the things you used to do. You make a difference.
Three months later, he rung me and said, “Are you coming over?” I went over and he grabbed ahold of me and sort of gave me a kiss and he was cuddling me really hard. And I said, “What’s wrong now?” And he said “I can’t do it anymore. I’ve had enough. But it’s okay. I want to thank you. You gave me the best three months of my life. I would have been dead three months ago because they kept pumping the drugs into me. And I got to spend three months more with those children under ten, and they understand why dad is going away now.” And I was just in tears. So, the next week she rung me and said, “Would you come to sing at his funeral?” And I said “Yeah.” And she asked, “Would you carry his casket?” And I said “Yeah. I would do anything.” So, the next time you listen to that song, you will find a story of a musician who had everything in his life – in the old days I made forty grand a night – and that’s a lot of money. And this guy has money – he’s a pilot by the way. But he had no health. I had somehow after all of my drug addictions and alcoholism didn’t have any of the problems that he had. And it touched me so deeply. I do think there’s a magic to music that inspires people…
https://swaneemusic.com/ https://www.mrrecords.com.au/
Promoting the all new full length album, "Down In Wuhan" out August 28, 2021. World-wide on all major platforms
Wed. Feb 16. 2022 8:30 PM WHISKY A GO GO ( with GRINDER BLUES, Featuring dug Pinnick of KXM and King's X.)
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ROCKING OUT INTO THE
BARNABAS SKY
Interview by Ken Morton
Barnabas Sky is the new project of guitarist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Markus Pfeffer. Best known for his participation in Winterland and Lazurus Dream, Markus found himself writing music that did not fit in with either of his bands. Rocking more in the style of Tyketto, an all-star cast would soon be assembled, resulting in the just released Inspirations - now available via Pride & Joy Music! Once Danny Vaughn from Tyketto was attached to Barnabas Sky, other notable singers such as Zak Stevens, Jesse Damon, Rob Rock, and Steve Grimmett would become involved - rendering Inspirations a truly epic recording for the ages. Highwire Daze recently interviewed Barnabas Sky’s mastermind and creator Markus Pfeffer to find out more about the making of Inspirations, as well as news on upcoming music from Lazurus Sky and Winterland! Read on... How did the project Barnabas Sky come about? Well, it wasn’t really planned at all. But what I can say is without Lazarus Dream, there wouldn’t have been Barnabas Sky. Earlier this year, I was having lots of song and riffing ideas, and one day I sat at home and I had a riff idea. a coming to myself like, that’s what about the cover means, Inspiration comes from somewhere above, I don’t know where it comes from but I had a riff idea. And I was asking myself, is this something I should work on with Lazarus Dream or with Winterland, which is my main band for 25 years but now. But then I thought, no, it’s not Lazarus Dream and it’s not Winterland. This sounds like Tyketto! So after everyone was sitting at home during the lockdown, I wrote to Danny Vaughn (of Tyketto) and after he was on board, it became like a snowball system. After I knew I have Danny on board, Jesse Damon was the second person I contacted because I always loved his voice. I contacted several guys and most of them replied and actually were enthusiastic to join for the project. And so yeah, one came to the other and I hade enough vocalists on board quite quickly to have a complete album. Let’s talk about a few of them. First of all, what was it like finally working with Danny from Tyketto? It was very, very easy-going as with all of them. But but 42
for Danny, for instance, it was was some kind of special because in the meantime, Danny doesn’t live in in the US anymore but he lives in in the south of Spain, in a town which I already visited years ago when I went to Spain with my parents quite regularly. And the thing is, I met Danny a few years ago when we supported Tyketto with Winterland. So when I wrote to him I said, “Hey, maybe you remember we supported Tyketto with Winterland few years ago in Mannheim, and I think you remembered because we talked while doing soundtrack and stuff.” And when I sent him the the songs, which I wrote for him, one of the songs he had immediate ideas, which was to first song, Say Farewell To Darker Days. The second song, that was very, very interesting. He tried to find ideas, but he did not find any. So I wrote another song for him, and I thought that was very honest of him to say December 2021
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that he tried to find an idea for that but the magic didn’t happen. So I wrote another song and that was Legends Rise. So good, good for me that the second song, which was supposed to be sung by him, didn’t work out because I think Legends Rise is probably the best song of all. Now, on about 2 of the songs, you’ve had the team of Jesse Damon and Paul Sabu. What was it like working with both of them? I mean, Jesse’s awesome, and Paul’s got credits like crazy. [Laughs] Well, I discovered Jesse, when seeing a video of Silent Rage in the late ‘80s after a rehearsal of my very first band. We were sitting there and I saw Silent Rage on MTV and I said, well, the song is not necessarily my cup of tea, but what a hell of a voice this guy has!. It was in ’89 or something. So when Jesse came on board, I very quickly wrote the ballad especially for him because I wanted to have his smoky voice in a ballad. And I’m not at all your ballad-type of writing guy, I always write riffs and heavy songs. Paul Sabu, I didn’t have any contact. Somehow, Jesse convinced Paul to add backing vocals and Paul obviously liked the songs and did that. That was like a surprise for myself and very good one, because I can go to the next room and show you all the Sabu CDs I have. I really appreciate and respect Paul a lot. I love his work, but I have didn’t have any contact with him. So it was like, surprise! You’ve got Paul Sabu on your album too. [laughs] Rob Rock, now, he’s got some crazy credits too. Not to mention his solo work, he worked with Axel Rudi Pell. What was it like to have someone like Rob Rock in the album? Well, let’s say Rob Rock and Steve Grimmett, for myself, were kind of the same musical corner. They come more from the heavy metal genre than the other guys who are more from the AOR or melodic rock genre. Rob Rock, was also very easy-going, however, it was very interesting. He was the one who had the most input in the final mixing of the song. I was positively surprised that he was very interested in details also concerning the mixing which also showed that he is very very deep into what he is doing, in any detail. That was a learning experience for myself because most singers are not interested in all that, let’s say, technical kind of stuff when an album is finally being put together. But he was. He was very focused on detail. And you mentioned Steve Grimmett, let’s talk about him, and Grim Reaper. Grim Reaper and Rock You to Hell was one of the first heavy metal LPs the guy living next door owned. And each time when his parents were away, we were listening to Rock You to Hell all on volume 10 and playing air guitar. So, having Steve on board was, really almost surreal for myself. I mean, you probably know that he lost a leg a few years ago. I mean he’s a living legend. So I really HIGHWIRE DAZE
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have lots of respect for him for not giving up and for still doing what he does. I was writing to him by Facebook early on a Saturday morning. And I thought, okay, now you write to Steve because I had a song which I thought could fit to him and he replied almost immediately within a few seconds. And, even before I could have my first coffee on that Saturday morning, I had Steve Grimmett on board, and that was very cool. Steve was featured in a radio show amd said some nice things about myself I got goosebumps hearing. You know, because he’s a legend. A very nice guy and real British gentlemen. And of course, we have to talk about Zak Stevens of Circle II Circle and Savatage. It must have been a treat working with him, what was he like? Also, very easy-going, he was, I think What Lies Beneath was the first vocal track which I got back from singers which I contacted. And before he worked on the vocals of the lyrics, he asked “What kind of subject do you have in mind?” And usually, I do not have any subjects in mind because I just compose music and then the singers and lyricists are free to act what they are inspired with. But that was during the lockdown, so I said “Well Zak, maybe you can work something out with the subject of the whole pandemic situation and what it does with us. We all sit at home, we are isolated; cannot meet people like we want to; musicians are locked up in their offices.” And I’m interested in the subject, “What is this whole situation doing with with our minds, and with our hearts?” And this is exactly what What Lies Beneath is about. In My Mind by Danny Martinez, also, it’s the same subject. So I thought it was cool that he worked out the subject, which really was just a spontaneous idea of myself. However, you need to know, he did not write the lyrics. The lyrics for both songs, which he sings were written by his 43
wife Katie. So, that’s even more surprising. That’s obviously the way they worked with the Archon Angel project as well. He is singing but his wife is writing the lyrics. That’s fascinating. How can she write lyrics that he sings? So absolutely fantastic. I don’t know how this works out, but they must be a very well working couple. Would you like to do any live shows to support Barnabas sky, is that even possible? Well, to be honest, I don’t think so because, where I am from here in Germany, the whole live circuit is dominated by cover bands. So, I am playing bass in a Billy Idol and David Bowie cover band, just to get onstage and have fun. I’m a guitar player but I play bass in that band, just to get any gigs at all. With Winterland, for 25 years, we tried to build up a fan base, but we are, I wouldn’t say we are in a redneck area, but it’s very close to that as far as cultural value of rock music is concerned. What is currently going on with Lazarus Dream? Believe it or not, but I’m writing songs like a possessed maniac. I have, I think 15 songs demoed for Lazarus Dream and for 8 songs Carsten already recorded his vocals. However, he had the surgery on his left knee and can’t walk for several months. So the recording and writing process on his part is delayed. So I think the album might not be released until late summer next year. However, my part is done.
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Is there anything going on with Winterland right now? What, it’s same thing as with Lazarus Dream. With Winterland, we started quite exactly 25 years ago with the kind of music Lazarus Dream was making. In fact, the songs Lazarus Dream started working on in 1999 were left over from Winterland after we split up for a short period of time. So in the meantime, Winterland released some albums in German language, but I’m done with that. So we go back to our roots and we’ll have a new album in English language, hard-rocking hopefully by Spring next year. What do you hope that the New Year 2022 brings for you and for your various bands? I hope that anyone who possibly could like music of Barnabas Sky, Lazarus Dream, and Winterland; that all these people will get the chance to hear our music. You don’t make any money releasing music, but what really is the fun thing is when you get feedback from people who say that the music gives them something. And if it is only fun, people desperately need fun and things which make them feel good, especially during the times we are in right now. So I hope that the next year, I will be able to give people more fun with my music. Nothing more nothing less.
www.facebook.com/barnabasskyband www.facebook.com/lazarusdream www.facebook.com/prideandjoymusic
December 2021
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Catching Up with Roy Cathey of
The Fifth, SteelCity, and Cold Sweat
Interview by Ken Morton Band Photo by Christopher Formont Live Photo by Joe Schaeffer Roy Cathey is one of the most underrated rock vocalists on the planet. Best known for his work in Cold Sweat, Roy would go on the front The Fifth and SteelCity, his tremendously effective singing and showmanship launching the songs into the stratosphere. In this interview with Highwire Daze, Cathey discusses the re-emergance of The Fifth, future plans with SteelCity and Cold Sweat - and when it comes to a career in music, why he always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time... Let’s talk about The Fifth. What made you decide that it was time to bring The Fifth back and release new music in the middle of a pandemic? Well, Ken, like always in my music career, it’s all about the timing. 46
Yeah, for sure. (laughter) I’ve always had some pretty terrible timing but at any rate, The Fifth has been in existence for about two decades now. I’ve had the band going since 2001 and I’ve released three CDs with a different lineup and different members. Just the way that the calendar and the events played out, everything came to fruition right around the pandemic. We actually had to delay a couple of recording sessions and everything, but putting new music out for The Fifth has been an ongoing struggle and battle for me, and I’m just glad that we finally got something out since our last CD Confessions Of Man. How does the music on the EP compare to the albums that you did back in the 2000s? Well, this album, we definitely, fully embrace our 80s elements and influences and my past with Cold Sweat. In the earlier releases with The Fifth, I kind of leaned a little bit more toward the modern rock sound. A lot of the stuff was a detuned. I was singing in a lower register, it was a little bit December 2021
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more of the modern rock sound of that era. This record, and after a couple of member changes, and just getting with the right combination of people - mostly getting with guitarist Justin Womble, we were just ready to embrace the 80s influences that we all have and that we all love, and that’s the biggest difference. Shake Little Sister’s such a fantastic song. Give me a little background on that song and the inspiration for people who haven’t heard it yet. Shake Little Sister - when Justin first played the riff for me, it was obviously just a straight-ahead driving rock song and, it just harkened back to the era and the day where you had those bands like Guns N’ Roses and Motley Crue. And the list goes on and on, riding all the way back to bands like Aerosmith in the 70s. There was always that little bit of element of danger with them. But you knew you were going to have a fucking great time along the way - and the song kind of reminded me of that. So I just kind of penned the lyrics to kind of fit, the soundtrack of a bar fight, almost, or a bunch of hellraisers going into a club and having a great fucking time. So, that’s pretty much the influences behind Shake Little Sister. With the song Home, you totally hit it out of the ballpark with a power ballad there. Tell me about that song and the influence behind it. Well, you nailed it on the head as far as the power ballad goes, because there’s a lot of bands that want to shy away from that term “power ballad,” but we fully wrapped our arms around it with Home. When Justin first played the music for me. I knew what kind of song it was and what kind of lyrics and melodies needed to go on top of it. I just wrote it, I mean, come on, let’s face it, there’s just so many people that some of their first romantic experiences had a hair metal power ballad playing in the background. I mean that shit was the fucking soundtrack for a whole generation and there are still people out there that love a great fucking Rock ballad. I appreciate the sentiment that we knocked it out of the park. I feel that we did a great job with it as well. When did you meet Justin? And how did he become involved with the band? What’s his background? Justin is one of those homegrown gems that you can find in cities and states that are outside the realms of the LA’s, in the New York’s, and the far more glamorous cities that sound really good and got a really fancy zip code and area code. Justin is somebody that I’ve kind of had my eye on for a while. He has a band called Modena where he’s the guitarist and singer, and they had played a couple of shows opening for The Fifth a couple of years back. And when I saw Justin play, I just kind of put my eye on him and I knew that if I ever needed a guitarist in the future I would reach out to him - and I’m thankful that he turned out to be a huge Cold Sweat fan, and Roy Cathey fan. Justin is quite a bit younger than me, but he’s an old soul and he’s a shredder, he grew up idolizing those types of guitar players. And I remember one of the first times when HIGHWIRE DAZE
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I met Justin he said, “you know I used to watch your video on Metal Maniacs on TV on Saturday nights,” and he goes, “if I would have known that I was going to be playing a show with you one day, I would have said, kiss my ass.” But Justin is from the Raleigh, North Carolina area. And I could tell you, man, he’s one of the best fucking guitar players I’ve ever shared the stage with. The kids got it. He can play any style. He can shred, he can play the blues, he can play southern rock. He could play country. That kid is a walking fucking rain man of music. He’s a great cat and a great singer, and a great person, and we’ve really written some great music together. And this is just the start. You did a live show during the pandemic with your other band Steel City and MORC Studios. What was that experience like doing a live feed with no audience in front of you in the middle of a pandemic? I was fortunate enough to do two live stream events for the Monsters of Rock Cruise organization. The first one I did was with a little impromptu supergroup called The Seeds Of Low Hangin’ Fruit, which had Sebastian LaBar, Jaron Gulino, and Ian Corabi, which is the backup band for Tantric. We got to do a live stream together. But the real big mac daddy one was with SteelCity out in Los Angeles, at the Monsters of Rock Studios, and that was a phenomenal experience. I’ve never played in such a high-dollar production value type of event. It was amazing to play with LED walls behind you, and you play on top of an LED wall. The graphics were amazing but as an old school guy that used to have in the audience in his face and the smell of beer and cigarette smokes and cheap body spray. You know, you miss that audience feedback, that sound, and it’s weird. Just imagine having the best sex of your life wearing the thickest raincoat you could ever 47
imagine. Regarding Steel City, are you still working with them? And is there any new music on the horizon? Oh, yes. Absolutely. Mike’s hard at work. We will be putting a record out in 2022. I think he’s got about 1,800 songs already written. He’s got a lot of tunes already ready, and we’re going to start going through whatever process to whittle that down to a reasonable about. So yes, there will be future SteelCity music. You’re going to be forever known as the singer of Cold Sweat. When you look back on your time with Cold Sweat. What do you think of that music and that time period of your career? I don’t care what anybody says. I was lucky enough to catch the very tail end of an era that will never be reproduced and it will never be replicated. Cold Sweat was a very small blip on the music or musical landscape. But you know, we made an impact on the genre and it was an amazing time. I got to play theaters and arenas with one of my idols, which is Ronnie James Dio, and I got to be managed by Wendy Dio, and I got to be wined and dined and hang out on the Sunset Strip. I mean, literally everything that I used to dream about as a fan when I was a kid in North Carolina growing up. I got to do, you know, did I get super rich and super famous? No, but I have memories and did things that nobody else has been able to say that they can do, it’s pretty cool to say that you walked out on stage in front of 65,000 people in Germany and played a show with Aerosmith and Whitesnake. I got to fucking do that. I’m always going to be proud of it. Has The Fifth ever played out here in the Los Angeles area? Or do you plan to do so in the future, hopefully? Yes. We’d love to. Our management, Dave Tedder at Head First, is working really hard. We’d love to do a western run. We’ve already played some. We played a festival, a few years back in Denver, Colorado and we would love to do another run out west. We’ve got several friends in the Las Vegas area. We have friends in the Arizona area, and I’m sure that if we would book a show somewhere out in Cali, we pulled some people, and I might even be able to coax Mr. Mark Ferrari to show up for a show. So yeah, man, we’d love to make it happen and hopefully, Dave can make that happen in 2022. Of course I have to ask, any chance of Cool Sweat reuniting once again for some shows? I will never say never. I do think that there is always a good chance that we may be asked to do the Monsters of Rock Cruise again. We are still in contact with one another and we do have some live material recorded that’s in the can that we did on the last cruise that we want to put a couple of light little touch-ups on and hopefully release that soon. Hopefully in 2022. Cold Sweat is - I want to say - it’s on life support, there’s still a pulse there, there’s still life, and there’s still something down the line. It’s just that I can’t look into that mirror mirror on the wall and give that pre48
diction. In the world of The Fifth, I can make those calls; but the world is a Cold Sweat, I got four other guys that have lives and going in different directions. But we’re still all back up to being buds and excited about what happened when we did the cruise last, and excited about possibly doing it again. So I’ll never say never. So yes, I’d say that there’s at least a good 75 percent chance that something will happen again. What do you hope 2022 brings for you and for the music industry and for your various projects? I think all of us could say that we just want things to go back to some sort of normalcy again, and of course my goal has always been a complete and utter world domination. [Laughter] No, you know, my goal is always been just to be involved in great projects, spread the name of the bands that I’m involved with, spread the name of myself, reach new people, reach new audiences. Hopefully get to travel to some new countries, eat some different food - my goals are always the same. It’s just to keep making music and keep trying to reach people and hopefully move them in some positive way.
https://www.facebook.com/thefifthmusic December 2021
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WHAT’S NEW WITH THE BAND “WE ARE THE BLACK THINGS” by Highwire Daze Magazine WE ARE THE BLACK THINGS, 2 Years In The Making,The New Album, Down In Wuhan. What type of music is your band? Hard Rock. Release Date? The all new 12 song studio album of all original Hollywood Hard Rock N’ Roll “Down In Wuhan,” released on August 28, 2021 world-wide. Distribution : All major music platforms,i Tunes,Amazon,You Tube, Spotify and CD. Recording Timeline? The album We Are The Black Things, Down In Wuhan was recorded between February 2019 and August 2021.The album was accomplished with vigorous recording sessions daily for two years. Where ?: Down In Wuhan was recorded at Tone Raven Music Studio in Hollywood California. What topics does Down In Wuhan cover? A wide array of topics,all the Chinese virus stuff, the Wuhan pandemic hysteria,frustrations, heartfelt feelings,attraction for someone, rejection,death,and songs of praise and worship. What are some of the song titles on the album? Down In Wuhan,The Chinese Virus Song, Drop The Bomb. Darker Places, Night In The Rats, Snowballed, etc. What musical instruments were used to write the songs on Down In Wuhan? Primarily the songs started off as lyrics and then guitar parts were built around lyrics,and melodies as you’re putting the guitar to words type thing. Overall that was the way the songs were written.Tone RaHIGHWIRE DAZE
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ven would stand or sit around Tone Raven Music Studio in Hollywood and write them in a room. What type of Guitars did Tone Raven use to write the album? He wrote most of it on his acoustic guitar. What type of Guitars did Tone Raven use to record the album? He used all “Strats”, ESP-Kam and Moon N’ Stars Guitars,and his new ESP -Tone Raven”Thing”Guitar. How many albums does the band have? The band has two albums out,We Are The Black Things self titled 2018 debut album,and now our second album Down In Wuhan in 2021,which is our pandemic record,and we’re very thankful to have it out of our system. Where are We Are The Black Things playing next? Whisky A Go Go opening for”Grinder Blues,” Doug’s new band from KXM and King’s X.February.16,2022 at 8:30 PM. Be There! MANAGEMENTTONE RAVEN MUSIC We Are The Black Things-TM Tone Raven-TM wearetheblackthings.com youtube.com/toneraventunes 49
Auditory Transcendence with
Bullet To The Heart
Interview by Ken Morton After facing life’s trials firsthand, Chicago 4 Piece Alt-Metal/ Hard Rock band Bullet to the Heart was inspired to write music to help others through the issues that challenged them; mental illness, addiction, and personal identity. Their latest album is entitled Transcendence, and it’s an adventure in sounds that is ultimately cathartic and captivating. Bullet To The Heart has opened for the likes of Butchers Babies and Diamante - and are anxious to expand their own friend and fan base known as The Bloodline. Highwire Daze recently interviewed the members of Bullet To The Heart to find out more about this amazing band on the rise! Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Bullet To The Heart, and how long the band has been together. Audrey: Hi I am Audrey Queen. I’m the vocalist and Co-Founder of Bullet To The Heart. The band has been together since January of 2017. Draven: Yo! My name is Draven DC and I’m the drummer and Co-Founder of Bullet To The Heart. Tom: I’m Tom Monroe and I play bass. Brian: Hey I’m Brian Benischek I play Guitar. Where is the band based out of and what is your local music 50
scene like there? BTTH:- The Band is based out of Chicago, IL. Our music scene is very dynamic. There’s a lot of competition between bands, however there is also a great support system within that local scene as well. It’s very challenging to find those who want to build you up instead of tear you down. It’s the constant struggle of being in Chicago. It’s a big city so there is plenty of music pretty much all the time. Things definitely changed after Covid. Finding good and honest promoters has been a little scarce but that’s how the ever-evolving unforgetting City Works. Is there any overall story or concept behind the album title Transcendence? Tom: The album title is taken directly from the song Birth of a Tragedy. I think that song in particular and this album in general represent a Transcendence for us as musicians and as songwriters to a more meaningful, nuanced and introspective approach to our music. Audrey: Transcendence is the epitome of wanting more for ones self but falling short. There will always be something trying to hold you back. With perseverance, time, and the support of others, nothing can stop you. From the first song to the last there is a voice pushing you forward, making sure you achieve the greatest version of yourself. Even though darkness lurks around the corner, the smallest of lights can create the brightest stars. December 2021
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Select two songs from Transcendence and what inspired the lyrics? Audrey: “Tortured Pleasure” talks about loving someone but not necessarily liking who they are as a person. You know you need them in your life but at the same time you feel like you could walk away. They somehow always pull you back in by your heartstrings. The music video shows this exact concept in the way the couple fights and interacts. There is some level of love and compassion but there is something dark lurking in the background. But in the end it’s never acted on. Life continues the vicious cycle of wanting to leave or stay. “Falling Away” tells the story of struggling with your inner demons. Going back and forth, being pushed to the edge and pushing yourself away from it, to then finally succumb and fall into yourself. But the war is never over and only starts from where it ended. The video shows a breaking away from one’s self. Being so lost that you lose track of who you really are. Through soul searching there’s a moment where you grasp onto the last bit of hope and claim who you really are. Who produced Transcendence and what was it like working with them? Draven: Our videographer Akash Hans of Ritual Noise had a hand in producing a couple songs (Tracks 1-3). Our main producer Jake LoGiudice produced the entire album and he is a great guy to work with. He really knows how to pull the best of each member to make a kick-ass song. We have been working with him ever since our release Trials and Tribulations, which was our sophomore release. So he was the go-to choice during this release, which has a very heavy meaning for the band. Who did the cover art for Transcendence and how much input did you have on it? Draven:- So the cover art is done by Audrey and I’s tattooist Paul Joseph Johnson. He does all of the band’s artwork and majority of the merchandise that we sell. He is really a creative, out of the box person when it comes to artwork. As far as input goes, we actually just gave him a couple songs and a very small concept and he pretty much came up with the rest. I personally enjoy when someone of this creative nature can hear the concept in the music and can translate that into an art piece. What was the experience like opening for Butcher Babies and Infected Rain, and did you get to meet or hang out with them at all? Audrey: The experience was great! It was awesome to see the performance and Showmanship of the Butcher Babies! It was also very inspiring to hear some industry tips and some pointers behind the scenes from Heidi. Infected Rain brought the house down with their heavy and exciting live show, unfortunately we didn’t get a hang out too long as the show day was absolutely crazy. We were running a little behind schedule and they had a VIP party and of course we had to set up and soundcheck. Hopefully in the future we can hang out with them more. Maybe a tour? Haha. HIGHWIRE DAZE
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You also opened for Diamante. What was that experience like? Audrey: We got to play with the Diamante a couple times. She is such a sweet and humble person and it was a pleasure to rock the crowd with her and share tequila stories. If Bullet To The Heart could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why? Audrey & Draven: Definitely Disturbed! Would be awesome to play with another Chicago based band who is a legend in the Hard Rock world. They have great Showmanship and huge personalities on stage. One of the best live shows that we’ve seen as a band. What do you hope 2022 brings for you and for Bullet To The Heart? Audrey: The expansion of our bloodline. We are always looking for more people who feel outcasted by Society and need a place to belong. The bloodline is always here for you. Draven: More shows! Tom: I hope 2022 offers us the opportunity to share our music with a broader audience, and especially a live audience. The themes of our music are uniquely suited to connect to people who have suffered loss and grief, as so many in our society have the last two years, and we believe this message is best shared and most appreciated with live music. Any final words of wisdom? Audrey: Just know you are never alone in this world, within the darkness there is always a light. Always choose love over hate.
https://www.facebook.com/BulletToTheHeartBand 51
Local Los Angeles Legend
“King Chris”
Interview by Kim Crain All images compliments of Christopher Rocha. “King Chris”
I had the opportunity to sit down with “King Chris,” one of Los Angeles’s vocal legends of soul, funk and R & B. Christopher Rocha has played alongside Bryan Beller, Nick Milo, Rick Latham, Joe Travers, Dave Brown, Yogi Lonich, Jimmy Paxton, Rick Musailam, Jv Collier, Al Kim, Toshi Reagan, Steve Stevens, Jonathan Dresel, Rafael Moreira, Walter Ino, and Dave Schulz, to name a few. Kim: What did it take to come from Texas to Los Angeles & become a local legend ? Chris: It was a dream at a young age. I used to hear about Los Angeles, growing up, so it was kind of a dream to come out here and just sing! I used to hear about all the great artists and bands that used to come up out of Los Angeles and make their way from nothing to stars and you would see the transformation. It was all a big lure to me! Back home I was a big fish small pond. It was good to get out in the open water coming to Los Angeles. And there have been a lot of sharks in that open water. LOL! I like to get out there and sing and move folks. Kim: That is absolutely wonderful. I know when I first saw your show it felt like a spiritual experience. Very moving and uplifting! You always perform with an all-star band. Who are some of the musicians you have performed with? Chris: Everybody I get to play with are pretty phenomenal people. I don’t know why I have attracted such great players? I guess they like my singing? I guess that’s it. One thing about these great musicians, touring guys, these wonderful artists, like Joe Travers, unbelievable, they call him the Vault keeper for Zappa. I know that you have met Joe, he is the best of the best. Guys like him. I got to play with a drummer Rick Latham. He wrote that book advanced funk studies (creative patterns for advanced funk drummers). I remember seeing it in music class. His literature. And here I am playing in a band with him! So when I look back I am grateful for all of those moments. It’s more than the musicians “like my voice”, because when we get onstage, the musicians get fulfilled in a way that HIGHWIRE DAZE
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King Chris they don’t get being on tour. These cats when I talk to them, they say the same thing on tour sometimes; you’re playing the same note at the same time at the same part of the show every night, all the time, it is not much deviation. These cats are so good. They crave being spontaneous. I think that’s what I give them. I think that’s been the draw for some of these great players to come around. We deviate, we can follow, its happening then. We might know the structure of the song. But sometimes we don’t know where the song is going to turn, how is it going to feel, but we know how to read each other. You loose that magic feeling sometimes when you are out there, it takes a special group of musicians to bring back that feeling that you got when you first started playing. Kim: Your voice is very powerful and unique What kind of training did you have growing up? Chris : I was schooled at a young age in gospel music. I come from a family of singers. My father is an incredible singer actually. He was a bass, tenor and had an incredible range. He had a big booming voice. He would sing gospel. And than later on I discovered that big bold sound in singers like Luciano Pavarotti, Meatloaf, Billy Caruso, these phenomenal vocalists. When I discovered singers like this I ended up studying opera and theatre in school. I learned 52
about using my voice as an instrument, and what it does mechanically, technical stuff that you learn. That’s where I got a little bit of my technique, but I am my own singer with my own personal style that is unique, I have been told., Kim: Would you recommend other musicians to follow in your footsteps and come to Los Angeles? Chris: Not necessarily Los Angeles. It could be Nashville, New York, you just got to make the jump. If you want to do anything in life, make a jump! That leap of faith, a lot of people do not believe in faith. Faith to me is like hope. Its that confidence that you can do it! Go somewhere and do something. Try to do something. Get involved. That’s when you find yourself as a singer. We all ask those kinds of questions. What kind of singer am I? What do I bring to the table? Who am I? Just like that you know!
Dave Brown, Nick Milo, King Chris, Joe Travers, Yogi Lonich
I think its smart to get out there and do something, get involved. That’s where you going to find yourself. I remember getting out there when I first started at an open mic night. Kim: Do Something! Get out there and and start whatever you have to do to be a part of something. Kim: How did you break into the music scene in Los Angeles? You have your own show every Wednesday at Back Stage in Culver City. Chris: I was actually working at a karaoke bar. Its funny how things happen. I was working as a door guy when I first came to Los Angeles. Sometimes I would get up and sing Karaoke, and soon I was known as the singing door guy. The costumers would call me up to sing a song that they wrote down. They would pay me sometimes to sing their song. I was doing it for a while and the owner got wind of it. The owner came down to see the show one night. He said; “can you put a band together and start a night here?” And that was like 15 years ago. I have had the most beautiful musical moments that live inside of me. Kim: Are you working on any new projects? What’s in the future for King Chris? Chris: Im in the studio right now cutting tracks. I am recording my original material to finish an album of my original music. It’s been one of my biggest goals. It’s been taking me a long time to get to this place. I have also been working in the studio with Michael Urbano from the band, Smashmouth. He was coming to my shows. Unfortunately they lost their lead singer. We are doing some tracks for audition purposes. HIGHWIRE DAZE
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King Chris I’m totally down to singing other peoples stuff and to bring other peoples songs to life. Kim: I just want to say thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview today. You are such a exceptional vocalist and an outstanding performer. It is a pleasure to get to know you. Keep us all posted on when we can listen to your original music. Check out “King Chris” on at @kingchrissings on IG The King Chris Show – Save the date : will start up again after the New Year at Back Stage in Culver City every Wednesday night at 9:00!
Reach Kim Crain at kimcrain.com www.facebook.com/kim. crain.9231 www.instagram.com/kimcrainmusic 53
DESPAIN at CHAIN REACTION Anaheim, CA., November 4, 2021
Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue Matt Skajem is best known for his time spent in Out With The Old and Best Kept Secret, having performed on several dates of the iconic Vans Warped Tour. Despain is Matt’s latest creation, an imaginative amalgamation of pop punk, emo and hip hop. And on the night of November 4th behind the notorious Orange Curtain, Skajem would play his first show in four years! Featuring like-minded artists such as Lil Used and Apex The Star Killer, the real auditory Wonderland was not be at found a world-famous amusement park two miles away but within the hallowed walls of the legendary Chain Reaction. And those venturing out to catch the live debut of Despain were in for a night to remember. On the stage with Despain was a D.J. as well as other assorted friends rocking out and having a good time. Despain definitely brought the Chain to ultra-vivid life at once, opening with the raging refrains of Got Me Down. Cigarette Burns is a recent single gaining a good amount of momentum, and it was infinitely scorching when performed within a live setting – slam pit and all. The dark and supremely infectious Chemicals was performed from Despain’s vastly underrated EP WØNDERLVND, featuring many in audience singing along to its insanely catchy chorus. Blood Bath was unleashed, presenting Despain flirting with a New Wave aesthetic that absolutely tantalized the senses. Another highlight was the somber yet breathtaking sounds of Death Bed, with its “there’s a monster HIGHWIRE DAZE
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in the closet and he’s going to break out” inflections. Despain closed out his set was the stunning Wake Me Up, featuring a spiraling chorus that would jam on in your head long after the artist left the stage. Matt Skajem has a sunny personality on and off the stage, and the juxtaposition with the often somber and introspective lyrics are compelling to behold. With a ton of charisma and inspiring material to back it all up, Matt Skajem’s Despain is sure to enrapture all types of music fans above and beyond these lingering pandemic days. Be sure to catch Despain the next time he plays in your town because his sonic and lyrical visions are not to be missed.
https://www.instagram.com/xdespainx/ 54
Bonnie Brae at Universal Bar & Grill Universal City, CA., November 6, 2021
Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Dorothea T. The Universal Bar & Grill is a tiny, yet very inviting venue located in the shadow of a famous movie-themed amusement park. As of late, they’ve been bringing some really compelling local acts to perform. Recently bar patrons witnessed a rare live performance from Greg Leon Invasion whose founder was once within the ranks of Quiet Riot and Dokken. And in the beginning of November, Bonnie Brae brought their own auditory megawatt adventure onto the Universal Bar & Grill stage – and what an absolutely raging, mind blowing performance this one was! Bonnie Brae is certainly one of L.A.’s best kept secrets, featuring a cadre of massively talented musicians unleashing an explosive rock and roll experience.
Opening the show with charismatic vocalist Gwendolyn Casella beating the hell out of a drum placed at the front of the stage, Bonnie Brae burst into their set with a mesmerizing sense of conviction. UTA was a sparkling opener that shook the listener to the very core. One of the best and most provocative songs in the show was Slut, with its slinky lyrics and over the top sonic interludes sending this one into the stratosphere. Ms. Casella exudes a wicked passion throughout the entire performance, at times channeling greats such as Janis Joplin and Grace Slick while exuding her own sense of creative identity with her tremendous vocals and fiery stage presence. David Coltrane Levin is truly the master of the axe, delivering guitar interludes that are vibrant and intensive. And Bonnie Brae HIGHWIRE DAZE
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definitely possesses a tight and wild rhythm section, featuring the talents of Darryn Sutton on bass and Scottie Carneghi on drums. And the sonic assault continued on with selections such as their title anthem Bonnie Brae, World On Fire, and Like A Drug slamming us all deeper into the throes of a Universal City hard rock Saturday night. Closing out their set with the hot and heavy refrains of Lattiomi, Bonnie Brae left a final lasting impression on all friends and fans in attendance. Party with Bonnie Brae on New Years Eve as they open for the one and only L.A. Guns at the world-famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip!
https://www.instagram.com/bonnie_brae_band_/ https://www.facebook.com/BonnieBraeBand/ 55
Luna 13 and If I Fall
The Whisky, West Hollywood, CA. November 19, 2021
DIZZYLILACS The Viper Room, West Hollywood, CA.
November 18, 2021
Review by Tony F. Corpse - Photo by Jack Lue
Opening tonight’s festivities were an intriguing trio called If I Fall. They performed a familiar yet distinctively unique brand of groove laden hard rock. Guitarist/Vocalist Kenny Freeman ushered vocal enunciations with powerful clarity. His riff oriented axe work was amply melodic and memorable, complimented graciously by the metronomic backbeat of drummer Mike Rasmussen and the nimble fingered pacing of bassist Christopher Conway. Numbers like the ingeniously titled freneticism of Breathe and Bleed and the NWOBHM trappings of Earthquakin’ were featured. These gentlemen are of vintage ilk. Years of determination essentially gestated into a well seasoned convergence of wills. Ample testimony that rock ‘n roll is truly the elixir of youth. It was on the cusp of midnight and it felt like a charnel house of hellish iniquity as the rumbling satanic thunder of Luna 13 cracked the foundations of earth. Vocalist Lilith Bathory slithered and sashayed her way around the perimeters of the stage like a reincarnated Erzebet. A sanguine nightmare of eroticism and terror cojoined in visual audial bliss. She hissed ominous lyrical hellfire in such demonic hymns as Upside Down and the perpetually mesmerising Leviathan. Virgin’s blood was spilled unto her nubile frame from an ancient skull as well. Dr Luna, the guru of decibelic damnation, helmed his mechanically benevolent musical mechanism like a masked marauder at a black mass. It ushered forth a bestial storm of industrialized thunder. This isn’t necessarily a band. Moreso a religious experience. Be forewarned. http://www.luna13official.com https://www.facebook.com/ififall 56
Review and Photo by Ken Morton Dizzylilacs made their way back to the Sunset Strip after nearly two years, presenting their very own dark brand of alternative modern rock at the notorious Viper Room, . There is plenty to enjoy about our local Los Angeles music scene when you have the Dizzylilacs rocking out at the very same time Nita Strauss was delivering her very own explosive set across the street at The Whisky. The Dizzylilacs in the past has opened for the likes of ABC, Berlin, and Trapt and now within the context of a local showcase, the band and their timeless songs really shined on through. Kicking off with the one-two punch of EPH and Hazel, Dizzylilacs filled the iconic nightclub with their intriguiing auditory soundscapes. And how terrific it was to hear their brand new single Leather Coffin live for the very first time! Mark Van Fleet Hoagland presented the haunting vocals and dynamic bass lowend with a captivating amount of passion while his brother Paul Hoagland drove it all home with skilled precision on drums. Terrific gutar work from Mike Wendland throughout the entire set as well! Be sure to catch Dizzylilacs back at The Viper Room doing a special acoustic performance on January 28th! https://www.facebook.com/dizzylilacs/ December 2021
HIGHWIRE DAZE
George Thorogood and the Destroyers House Of Blues, Anaheim, CA., November 7, 2021
Review and Photos by Erica Vincent
The All-American unapologetic rock-and-roll revivalist George Thorogood and the Destroyers are on their ‘Good To Be Bad‘ tour to celebrate 45 years of rock! Known for songs like Bad to the Bone, Get a Haircut, and Born to Be Bad, George Thorogood and the Destroyers have sold more than 15 million records in their career. The group has also earned its status as an energetic live performance, regularly delivering highenergy performances all over the globe. I have seen them play every time there is a show in Southern California, and I still love seeing them and look forward to it. Does Thorogood still think it’s good to be bad? I arrived at the venue to find a line of a few hundred fans, eager for an evening of fun. They all packed into the House of Blues; most had drinks in hand of one bourbon, one scotch, one beer, you get the idea, haha. The crowd was ready and screaming for the band. Many were recounting past shows with George Thorogood and the Destroyers. If you haven’t seen them yet, please change this. The Destroyers hit the stage with original drummer Jeff Simon, and bassist Bill Blough, guitarist Jim Suhler, and saxophonist Buddy Leach. Thorogood follows with his classic shades and struts over to the edge of the stage to greet the crowd. Thorogood is a true showman and entertainer. He riles the crowd up and kicks right into Rock Party. The night continues with all the classics you’ll want to hear. I have never heard anyone leave the shows complaining about the setlist of songs Thorogood and the Destroyers select. The show is gorgeous with the lighting (the band brings their own), so you can expect arena-style lighting no matter the venue. The singing and dancing through the set are fantastic, but Thorogood’s crowd interactions make these shows stand out from all others. He is a goof and tells jokes through the set; the crowd has tears in their eyes from laughing at the words he says. The air is pungent with alcohol; George notes this and declares a public service announcement “Don’t drink and drive” and continues as he has a drink in hand. He looks at his drink 58
and starts laughing and says, “Sometimes I’m so full of shit, even I don’t believe it.“ The night continues with tasty blues-rock riffs from the band, several face-melting guitar solos from Thorogood on his Epiphone White Fang (I love this guitar), and more jokes and stories that range from an old coach who told Thorogood to get a haircut and get a real job, to touring stories, to more crowd PSAs that will leave you chuckling for days. So does George Thorogood and the Destroyers think it’s still good to be bad? Thorogood flashes the iconic grin of his and responds, “We’ll always be the baddest band in the land. Expect our best on every tour because that’s what you’re gonna get.” The band leaves the stage while a stage manager throws a blanket over Thorogood’s shoulder and is guided off the stage. If you know Thorogood, you know this is all just him being a goof again. Before leaving the stage, he throws the blanket off and escapes the clutches of the manager, running to the edge of the stage to say a final goodnight to the crowd. I cannot stress enough how awesome this band is live. There are dates across the US, Canada, and Europe slated from now through 2022. The next show for SoCal is the Avila Beach Blues Festival in May 2022.
https://www.georgethorogood.com/ December 2021
HIGHWIRE DAZE
ALBUM REVIEWS Ghost Of My Fathers Past Fiction Syxx Gemini Rising Records
Review by Ken Morton
George Becker George Becker MR Records Country
Review by Ken Morton
Mark Allen Lanoue and his band Fiction Syxx have always been counted on to release the very best in melodic hard rock artistry – and with the unveiling of Ghost Of My Fathers Past, one encounters this amazing collective at their most imaginative and impassioned. With the release of singles here and there preparing the listeners for the dazzling full length, Ghost Of My Fathers Past has finally arrived, and the impact of the auditory adventure found within will devastate the senses and set the imagination in flight.
The esteemed MR Records from Australia has been branching out above and beyond their melodic rock origins, with their latest release being a solo album from George Becker of the rock and rolling Jaded Past. MR Records Country is now a reality, and so is the absolutely brilliant Self-Titled endeavor from George Becker. Featuring a dozen country/Americana selections that absolutely dazzle the senses, the passion found within each and every song will thrill both longtime Jaded Past fans and country enthusiasts looking for new music to enjoy.
From the somber opening refrains of Bleed For The Truth, it is clear from the get go that Lanoue and company are presenting a deeply personal soundtrack to their lives. Lanoue’s vocals are absolutely mesmerizing, exuding triumph and heartbreak on the opening track and throughout the entire album. Caught In The Moment will clearly captivate your senses while My Father’s Ghost is stark and epic with it’s “history is long forgotten” lyrical content.
One listen to the opening refrains of first song Move Alone, and you know you’re in for something really special from the massively talented Jaded Past front man. Looking For A Road and Common Ground are prime examples of wistful, sentimental ballads certain to leave a lingering impression.
Waiting, Wonderful demonstrates how glorious effective Fiction Syxx is with a haunting power ballad that will leave a decided impact on your heart and soul. History Comes Tumbling Down lashes at the listener with it’s powerhouse commentary meshing gloriously with its hard rocking soundscapes. The staggering intensity rages on with selections such as This Place Called Life and Innocence raging supreme. Be sure to stay for the end for an absolutely blistering cover of Black Sabbath’s Children Of The Sea, a wildly effective grand finale to an unforgettable auditory experience. Ghost Of My Fathers Past is a powerful, introspective masterwork presenting each and every Fiction Syxx participant at the very height of their creative prowess. An overall thrill to the senses that serious music fans will want to revisit time and again. The passion and intrigue of Fiction Syxx is presented by Mark Allen Lanoue on lead vocals and guitar, JK Northrup on guitar and backing vocals, Rory Faciane on drums, Larry Hart on bass, and Eric Ragno on keyboards.
https://www.facebook.com/fictionsyxxrocks
HIGHWIRE DAZE
December 2021
Lovin’ That Country is an anthem for the ages, the type of song you’d want to listen to while traversing the highways of America. 5th of July is a memorable track celebrating a post-independence day with it’s “yesterday’s parade has passed us by” lyrical content being both thoughtful and ultimately inspirational. And the conviction keeps shining on through with songs such as the amazing My Country Rocks, the hopeful Save Me From Myself, and the pride resonated throughout In A Soldier’s Eye making quite an impact. Mother May I concludes the album on a superbly poignant note, leaving the listener wanting to revisit the entire George Becker county experience once again. Be sure to check out George Becker solo or his main band Jaded Past when they arrive to rock your side of the world. George Becker a little bit of country, a whole lot of rock and roll, and the heart and soul he places into his MR Records Country album is vibrantly timeless and not to missed!
http://www.jadedpast.com/ https://www.mrrecords.com.au/
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I Know/Rebel Fire
The Guitar & Whisky Club Self-Released singles by Ken Morton After their memorable comeback single Sleazy earlier in the year, The Guitar & Whiskey Club found themselves back in the studio to record even more dynamic selections. And with their latest singles I Know and Rebel Fire, The Guitar & Whiskey Club are definitely establishing themselves as a rock and roll force for the ages. Based out of the vast Southern California music scene, The Guitar & Whiskey Club is a rocking entity that all types of music fans will want to join up with big time!
Visit
MetalBabeMayhem.com
for all your Holiday Shopping Needs!
I Know kicks off with a gentle breeze of an acoustic guitar before merging into a song of great passion and deep reflection. Rebel Fire is a killer anthem as unleashed by The Guitar & Whiskey Club, with the band channeling rock legends such as Zeppelin and Schenker while adding their own vibrant touches to an ultimately massive and rewarding selection. These two tracks along with the kickass Sleazy are a glorious introduction to a band ready to rock your world! Featured within this classic hard rock goodness are the massive talents of lead guitarist and founding member Jeffrey Donovan, who’s imaginatve axe work send these songs into the stratosphere. Mark Prudeaux will rock your world with his tremdendous vocals! Can’t wait to hear more music from this grand slam of a band!
https://guitarandwhiskeyclub.com/
When Hearts Pull Daggers Lit Soul Metal Babe Mayhem by Ken Morton The worldwide Covid-19 was definitely a prolific time for L.A.’s own Lit Soul. Earlier in the year, the band released the amazing Self-Titled endeavor. And now as 2021 slams to its dizzying conclusion, Lit Soul as unveiled When Hearts Pull Daggers, their 8th studio album featuring a whopping 24 songs. Front man Rob Chevelle has always been a thoughtful, impassioned front man, and with the acoustical format found within When Hearts Pull Daggers, the heart and soul of Lit Soul shines through! 60
In a troubled world where chaos and turmoil reign supreme, it’s just nice to kick back and enjoy the warmth and reflection found within the soundscapes of When Heart Pulls Daggers by Lit Soul. Songs such as Home, Girl, When I Die, My Own Thing Here, and Knight present just how innovative and impassionate Lit Soul can be in even the quietest of moments. Amongst the many highlights on the album are Chevelle channeling Lou Reed on the wickedly hip Blues Woman, the badass poetry found within the powerful Freedom, and the classic folk-rock brilliance found within Rainy Friday To Blue Sunday. Rob Chevelle is quite a talent and there is so much life and love to be enjoyed throughout this compilation of pure sonic artistry. Mastered by the one and only Bill Metoyer at Skull Seven Studios and presented to the world by Metal Babe Mayhem, When Hearts Pull Daggers is sure to enrapture all who give a listen! Be sure to check into When Hearts Pull Daggers and the many other inspiring Lit Soul albums!
https://litsoul.com/ December 2021
HIGHWIRE DAZE
Breathe Into Life Sandgaard Sandgaard Music by Ken Morton The epic rise of Sandgaard continues with Breathe Into Life, the dynamic brand new single from the Denver based collective. Radiating a massive amount of cool hooks and uplifting lyrical content, Breathe Into Life is the positive anthem we all need as this pandemic age rages on. Sandgaard presents that new old school sound, bringing 80’s melodic rock into current day, and the results are spectacular! Guitarist Thomas Sandgaard is known for his work with The Sandgaard Foundation, being on the forefront in the fight against the opioid epidemic. If this rock and roll CEO of Zynex Medical and owner of Charlton Athletic keeps on unleashing songs as wildly infectious as Breathe Into Life, expect chart topping success to be adding to Thomas Sandgaard’s many accomplishments. On board for the Sandgaard journey is Robert Mason of Warrant, his superb vocals breathing a lot of passion and positivity into the song. Also featured on the winning Sandgaard team are music industry icons Rich Ross on bass and Kenny Aronoff on drums, lending their own vision and expertise into the track. Skillfully produced by Rich Ross and Thomas Sandgaard! Expect Sandgaard to grand slam into 2022 with even more new tunes on the horizon!
https://www.sandgaardrock.com/
Demos From The Attic Valentine 20th Century Music / Vanity Music Group by Ken Morton Valentine was one of those supremely talented up and coming melodic rock bands signed to a major label in the late 80’s but ultimately lost to the oncoming rage of Nirvana and the grunge movement. Their Self-Titled album was released via Giant Records in 1989 followed up a by revamping of the band – renamed Open Skyz complete with a Self-Titled album in 1993. And then there was silence, although vocalist Hugo Valenti would pursue a solo career and Adam Holland, Craig Pullman and Gerard Zappa would join up with the Steve HIGHWIRE DAZE
December 2021
Augeri Band. Thanks to the team of 20th Century Music and Vanity Music Group, the world of melodic rock has new Valentine treasures to enjoy – as the recently issued Demos From The Attic is just as the titles suggests – songs locked away in the passages of time recently rediscovered and remastered. The demos actually sound terrific, giving everyone an idea of just how amazing a second Valentine album was going to be! Jam packed with 14 radiant tracks, amongst the gems found within Demos From The Attic are potential rock radio hits such as Heart Of The City, Sandy, Alone Tonight, and I’m Still Standing. Valentine still plays one-off shows from time to time, although at this point, there are no plans to record new music. At press time, Highwire Daze interviewed Adam Holland of Valentine – watch for it in the upcoming January 2022 issue! In the meantime, check into Demos From The Attic by Valentine and enjoy those lost songs from this vastly underrated melodic rock band!
http://20thcentury-music.com/ 61
