Highwire Daze Issue #131

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HIGHWIRE DAZE Sponsored by THE SANDGAARD FOUNDATION

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 Joe Schaeffer James Grover Kim Crain Alex Kluft

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTERVIEWS with...

Klaus Meine of the Scorpions...............................12 Primal Fear............................................................16 Naglfar...................................................................20 ,,,And Oceans .......................................................24 Britt Lightning of Vixen .......................................26 Steve Mann of Lionheart ......................................30 Limahl of Kajagoogoo...........................................34 Chris Wyse of Hollywood Vampires.....................38 Domination Black..................................................40 Matt Skajem of Despain........................................42 Post Mortem Superstar..........................................45 Hüsband................................................................50

BRITT LIGHTNING of VIXEN POSTER................................28

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 2020 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.

Supporting Noise Pollution Since 1990!

CONCERT REVIEWS The Swansons....................................................... 52 The Guitar & Whiskey Club................................ 53 ALBUMS REVIEWS Cooter Brown........................................................54 SKETCHES BY THE EDITOR Save Our Stages profile...........................................6 PRODUCT REVIEW BY JAMES GROVER Laney Mini Bluetooth Stereo Guitar Amplifier......8 IN MUSICAL ORBIT BY JUPITER Alcatrazz Jet Jaguar Pinnacle Point. .....................................................10

SaveOurStages.com

HIGHWIRE DAZE

July/August 2020

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Sketches by the Editor

Welcome to Highwire Daze Magazine Issue #131, the third edition presented as we continue to confront the worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic. Of course, we all miss going to see live shows. and our local music venues are definitely feeling the financial impact of being shut down ever since the initial lockdown in March. With quite a few live concert venues throughout LA and OC considering closure and there being no end in site with this pandemic, the time is more important than ever to act to Save Our Stages not only here in Southern California but all across the country.

In my column for this issue, I wanted to bring attention to NIVA (National Independent Business Association) and their Save Our Stages program.

NIVA includes nearly 2,000 independent live entertainment venues and promoters from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., banding together to fight for survival. Here is the SITUATION and IMPACT direct from NIVA regarding the ongoing closures...

SITUATION

SaveOurStages.com

● Independent venues were the first to close and will be the last to fully reopen. ● Venues have zero revenue, but obligations like mortgage/rent, bills, loans, taxes, and insurance continue. ● We have no work to offer our employees for the foreseeable future. ● The shutdown is indefinite and likely to extend into 2021 as our venues are in the last stage of reopening. ● The ability to open at partial capacity is not economically feasible. Rents, utilities, payroll, taxes, insurance, and artist pay are not on a sliding scale matching the capacity we’re permitted to host. They are fixed costs. ● Due to the national routing of most tours, our industry will not recover until the entire country is open at 100% capacity.

NIVA members need assistance in order to survive until that day.

IMPACT ● According to a survey of NIVA members, 90% of independent venues report they will close permanently in a few months without federal funding. Current PPP funding will not solve the crisis. ● Pollstar estimates a $9 billion loss in ticket sales alone - not counting food and beverage revenue - if venues remain closed through 2020. ● Live events provide 75% of all artists’ income. ● For every $1 spent on a ticket at small venues, a total of $12 in economic activity is generated within communities on restaurants, hotels, taxis, and retail establishments. ● The estimated direct annual economic impact venues bring to local communities is nearly $10 billion.

In order to ensure our survival, we are respectfully asking Congress to PROVIDE LONG-TERM ASSISTANCE FOR SHUTTERED BUSINESS. NIVA supports the RESTART Act (S. 3814) led by Senators Todd Young and Michael Bennet, and (H.R.7481) led by Representatives Michael Kelly and Jared Golden, and other like-minded proposals that tailor the PPP program to work for shuttered businesses like ours that have zero revenue, high overhead and no clear timeline for reopening.

For more information on NIVA and Save Our Stages and how you can help, please visit their website at SaveOurStages.com!

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July/August 2020

HIGHWIRE DAZE

Product Review by James Grover Laney Mini Bluetooth Stereo Guitar Amplifier

Since I been spending a lot of time at home during this Pandemic I have been using my Laney “Supergroup” mini amplifier and it’s amazing!

Have you ever wanted a portable amp that sounded great?

Well look no further!

Laney amplifiers has released a new version of their mini series stereo amplifiers with Bluetooth for Guitar and Bass.

The Laney “Supergroup” and the “Lion ST”.

These amplifiers pack 6 watts of power through two three watt speakers, each amplifier has three channels. The first channel is a clean channel, the second channel is an overdrive channel and the third channel is a line input channel in which you can plug in external tracks or by using Bluetooth. It has built in effects of delay and overdrive distortion. What I really like about these Amplifiers is that it uses digital software to dial in the tone and the effects of certain signature tones using the “Tone Bridge” App on your phone or Tablet using a TSR cable (included).

It’s so compact that it’s easy to carry around and play guitar anywhere since you can operate each unit with 6 AA batteries the power adapter is available separately. I really enjoy using the “Supergroup” amp for portable use while teaching of practicing away from the studio or home.

Supergroup

Likes and Dislikes: Likes: What I really like about these units is that it has great tone it has balance for the distortion and delay. The controls are easy to use and the stereo sound is superb.

Dislikes: Power supply sold separately.

For more info visit www.laney.co.uk Reach James Grover at: https://www.facebook.com/james.grover.311 8

Lion ST July/August 2020

HIGHWIRE DAZE

In Musical Orbit by Jupiter Jupiter at Highwire Daze Online Crew East Coast Editor

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...

Born Innocent Alcatrazz Silver Lining Music Determined not to recreate the past, this neo -classical hard rock / metal band has put out their first new studio release in over thirty years! Featuring founding member vocalist / frontman GRAHAM BONNET (RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP) who reunites with other founding members, keyboardist JIMMY WALDO and bassist GARY SHEA. Adding to the mix is Berklee graduate, virtuoso guitarist JOE STUMP and veteran awesome drummer, MARK BENQUECHEA. Bolting out of the starting gate fierce and furious, is the first of thirteen tracks, BORN INNOCENT. This album is clearly made for the 21st century with fresh and invigorating riffs and sounds that has something for everyone . Track seven, I AM THE KING written and performed on guitar by BOB KULICK is a real showstopper. I found myself anxiously anticipating for each tune to start.

The whole record moves so fluidly, just loved it! I believe ALCATRAZZ has set a very high benchmark for other bands to compete with . Well worth the wait. www.facebook.com/AlcatrazzMusic

Endless Nights Jet Jaguar Pride and Joy Music Opening their dynamic melodic rock album with a spacey and narrative introduction, ENDLESS NIGHTS brings in a tight, hyper-fast galloping beat featuring soaring high vocals on JET RANGER . This album has tremendous FM rock radio potential including the tune FINAL PRAYERS being one of them.

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With many of the tunes having as much lyrical content as lead guitar solos, it really spoke to me. Well thought out riffs with a hint of KIX and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN influences. Ambitious, fluent and technically advanced musicianship from everyone without being overindulgent. I found it to be the right balance. I can imagine just how great a live show could be and hope to see them here in the States soon. Original mixture of Espanol and English lyrics, this album has a positive and uplifting outlook on making your dreams become a reality. Musically and lyrically I feel there is nothing these guys can’t handle. Being that the album is just over forty minutes long, it will leave you wanting more! The 5-piece band is based in Mexico. High hopes are for this band.

JET JAGUAR is: Sergio Quintero: Guitars Jorge Ramirez: Bass Jimmy Lozano: Drums Maxx Mendoza: Vocals Nehuen Pacheco: Guitars Viva JET JAGUAR! https://www.facebook.com/jetjaguarmusic

Symphony Of Mind Pinnacle Point Escape Music PINNACLE POINT - founded by members lead singer JEROME MAZZA (ANGELICA) and Danish guitarist TORBEN ENEVOLDSEN (FATE, SECTION A), unveil this brand new release with some influences of KANSAS and STYX. This being their second album, SYMPHONY OF MIND has the elements of progressive rock written all over it. Stunning production, and no less than 8 extremely talented worldwide musicians make up the band.

Beginning with the all instrumental PRELUDE, it gives way to JEROME MAZZA’s incredible voice on SO ALIVE. Innovative drumming, courtesy of MARK PRATOR, keeps the pace rocking. I like the way the vocals seem to follow the melodies and has many different time signatures throughout the recording. Violinist VALERIA POZHARITSKAYA helps to make the music different from other albums in this genre along with some amazing piano playing from JOHN F. RODGERS. Make sure you check out track 5, NEVER SURRENDER. The album is over an hour in length and features twelve tracks in all including many very nice melodies.

With their previous release WINDS OF CHANGE being so successful, this is definitely another contender. www.facebook.com/pinnaclepointtheband

Visit JUPITER on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Jupiter-Lee-173082899386911 July/August 2020

HIGHWIRE DAZE

Klaus Meine of SCORPIONS Photo by Jack Lue

The Scorpions present

A Sign Of Hope To The World

Interview by Ken Morton Live Photo by Jack Lue

The Scorpions, one of the most iconic and influential hard rock bands of all time, have released a brand new song entitled Sign Of Hope. Presenting a positive message amid all that is going on in the world at the moment, the Scorpions wrote this very special single during the recording sessions for their upcoming 19th album, With Sign Of Hope providing the inspiration we all need during these turbulent times, music enthusiasts from all around the world have made video responses with the song in mind - including a very heartfelt rendition from their Russian fan club.

Highwire Daze recently interviewed Klaus Meine, the legendary vocalist of the Scorpions to discuss Sign Of Hope, how the pandemic has affected the band, his message for fans all over the world, his lifelong collaboration with Rudolf Schenker, and whether or not he would accept the open invitation to join up with Michael Schenker Fest...

Of course, the big news now is Sign of Hope. Tell me about Sign of Hope and the inspiration behind this new song?

Well, when we came back to Germany from the tour earlier this year in Australia and Southeast Asia, it was just about when the COVID-19 pandemic started over here and was becoming more and more dramatic every week. It was so inspiring to see the whole music community being so creative, putting little concerts together from home, and doing a lot of things, reaching out for the audience. And being in the studio. I was just reflecting that moment in time, and trying to send out a little Sign Of Hope to our fan community without thinking about the new album too much. It was more like getting in touch with our fans through Facebook and to all the social media. Give a little Sign Of Hope and say, “It is going to be all right.” We’re going through this together and we do not give up. We are strong and hopefully. Everything will be all right. It was just a moment in time without the big production behind it. This song came straight from the heart in these troubled times.

I just saw on YouTube a Russian cover of Sign of Hope.

Have you seen it and what do you think?

Yes, I think that was so beautiful. When I saw the Russian fan club putting a little video together where they all worked, and each of them was singing a line of the song, HIGHWIRE DAZE

July/August 2020

(I thought) “Wow!” It was so very touching. It was exactly what I thought we needed in these dark times - to give something that will uplift our souls, that will give us the way to escape the dark reality for a moment and then stick together and sing together. It was just wonderful feedback.

Now, it looks like we have more than 3,000 fans from all over the world that were inspired by the Russians in a way to send to their signs of hope. So many of them have sent pictures with their pets, with dogs, cats, horses, of course with their loved ones - or like a beautiful sunrise, like a flower, whatever it is. Whatever gives you hope. And I think that is such strong feedback from all over the world now.

The feedback was fantastic.

The amazing thing is that this is not about the big business.

It is not about the big marketing thing. It is about a straight way to take a little song, and to put it out for the fans to enjoy.

Since we are making the new album at the same time, the fans go, “Come on Klaus. We listened to Sign of Hope. It is another ballad. Come on. Give us some real shit!” The thing like you said with the Russians and now the whole world participating in this video; no matter how good or right the song is or whatever it is. This is not the point. It is just a point to connect with our fans and beyond of course - and 13

The Scorpions present A Sign Of Hope To The World (continued) just being an artist, to be creative, and to be part of the work community of artists. We are all very, very creative in this lockdown, and just trying to help people get to through this.

I am glad and very proud that we are part of it.

2020 marks 55 years of the Scorpions as a band. What goes through your mind when you hear the number 55 and that it pertains to you?

Well, I think about Sammy Hagar because you can’t drive 55! (Laughter) It is so surreal. It is unreal to think about 50-beyond. When we go out on the road, we play so many concerts all over the world and it is so wonderful to play. It is such a privilege to play in front of three generations and that we can play this global stage on this level, and there is still so much passion in the band. We still enjoy it so much, because when you walk out there, you see so many young kids in front of the stage every night together with the older generations all in the venues. The young ones are right in front singing those songs that were written before they were born. It feels so good. It is so motivating to keep going.

There is no reason not to. I know we made this decision years ago to play a farewell tour and we could not be more wrong. It is just time will tell, The last couple of years were simply fantastic!

What do you think has made you and Rudolf Schenker work so well together after all of this time?

As Rudolf would answer, “He is the moon and I am the sun.” Why the two of us work perfectly together? I don’t know. I mean I’ve always loved The Beatles and Rudolf loves The Stones. Of course, the two of us really enjoyed Led Zeppelin and Purple and so many other great bands.

The Who. The Kinks. All those great bands that came over here to Germany in the ‘60s - and then we started playing together. We shared the same dream. Over the years, we became a very powerful songwriter team and it looks like it’s still working up to this day, which is great.

Michael Schenker was on a few Scorpions albums. What was it like having two Schenker’s in one band?

It was a total Schenker Madness!

I did an interview with Michael Schenker a few months ago and as you know, he is doing Michael Schenker Fest.

He said it would be his fondest dream to have you join Michael Schenker Fest. What would be your response to that invitation?

Well, there is some heatwave between Michael and his brother. Looking from the outside, this is like family. It is a family issue and I would love to hear from both of them that they work it out somehow and there will be peace. But if this would happen and the two of them overcome their personal fighting and wars and whatever it is - this whole family issue. If they will overcome it and would join forces together, just not playing together but just living in peace together. It would be wonderful. And then, of course, he would not have to ask me twice. I would love to join him for a song or whatever he wants me to do. But until peace 14

DIANE & THE DEDUCTIBLES

www.DIANEANDTHEDEDUCTIBLES.com

COVID-19 has changed our lives... but we will be back!

Look for our New Music LATE SUMMER 2020

is in the air, there is no Klaus Meine in Michael Schenker Fest.

Do you have any messages for Scorpions fans who are reading this right now?

I hope you are well and healthy while are you reading this brilliant article from Ken - who gave it all he got to make it a great feature! I hope you are healthy and well. I hope that this new album we are working on right now will see the light of the day in spring 2021, and we are back on our road again. We hope to do the rescheduled residency in Vegas.

But also we hope to come back for a tour in the US and of course, it has got to be a world tour with a new album out and new songs in the setlist. I know fans were many saying “Oh, c’mon Scorpions, there are so many great songs.

Please change the setlist. Now is the time to change the setlist to rock it all up and bring in some new material.” It will be a new production. We are very excited about it.

Of course, since we are not getting any younger year after year, you never know what waits for you around the corner, but we are all very positive and we hope we all stay strong and healthy going through this COVID-19 pandemic. We hope we see all of you again on the road next year.

www.the-scorpions.com July/August 2020

HIGHWIRE DAZE

YEARS OLD

METAL AS

EP Available NOW! “A five song testament to hard raging rock and the sounds of perseverance, SUZY is ready to captivate the masses with her melodic metal anthems for the ages.

SUZY is a thrilling, expressive vocalist, bringing you into the pulsating metal heart of the matter.”

- Ken Morton, Highwire Daze

For more info, check out: suzymusicofficial.com

Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear Photo by Jack Lue

The Metal Commandos of

PRIMAL FEAR

Interview by Ken Morton Live Photo by Jack Lue Band Photo by Heiko Roith Primal Fear has unleashed Metal Commando, their mighty 13th studio recording via the Nuclear Blast Records compound. Jammed packed with the power metal that has made Primal Fear so well known and respected the world over, Metal Commando presents a band at the very height of their creative prowess. Highwire Daze recently caught up with legendary front man Ralf Scheepers to discuss their epic Metal Commando endeavor, his working relationship with band mates Mat Sinner and Magnus Karlsson, releasing an album in this pandemic age, and other topics of intrigue...

Is there any overall story or concept behind that album title Metal Commando besides the fact that it is a cool title?

We are the Metal Commando. It is this entire team feeling we have. We thought it is about time to call the album that because it is a strong metal title. It is also an expression of a team effort, and team playing. That is what we wanted.

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July/August 2020

Is there any story or concept behind that song title, ‘I Am Alive’?

‘I Am Alive’ means here I am. No matter what will come, there are many obstacles in our lives. Like, right now with the pandemic. It makes life not easy but we are alive. Let us hang in there. Let us be patient. It is a message for all the people who are going through a hard time. In many of the songs, we have this kind of message to hang in there and to be patient.

It will all be fine in the end, and to have power and strength.

Believe in yourself. That is the message.

You have another song in there called ‘Along Came the Devil’. What is the story behind that one?

Actually, this is somehow an autobiographical song which is telling you a little bit of the story of how we started. We take the title ‘Along Came the Devil’ like a synonym. It is not meant to be like the devil in person. It is just maybe some black times we went through - like everybody is also going through hard times. In our band history, there was always a difficult time where something is trying to bring us down, 17

The Metal Commandos of PRIMAL FEAR (continued) even if it is just the music business - even if it’s our own, somehow feeding in-between band members who are now not members anymore. That is basically ‘Along Came the Devil’.

That is, along came the bad time which tried to bring us down; but it never made it because we were together. It is very important as a team to be loyal in the end. We knew that Primal Fear is such a strong thing. It would be just a pity to call it a day just because some people are not liking what we do or trying to bring us down. Like I said, in the band, if people do not want to hang with us anymore, we have no problems. Just speak out and then we will respect if you want to leave. That is no problem. That was a little bit of a story of what we went through the last twenty years.

One member who has also been with you since the beginning is Mat Sinner. How did Mat become involved initially and what do you think makes you and Mat work so well together?

Mat is a founding member with me. He became involved from the very beginning and he is a very important band leader with myself and Tom as well. It is always a team work but in the end, somebody has to have a final decision. That is why he is also the producer of the album in the end, because there might be too much of a chaos if we have too many opinions.

Although we respect every opinion, in the end, but somebody has to push the button and say, “Okay, that is it. We are doing this or that.” Somehow, we always had good decisions with him having the final decision because of his various experience in the music scene. He also shares a long career just like I do. The good thing is, we all are mature in the end and we all can call our experiences to make this whole thing even better.

Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall recently released a new album called We Are The Night. Are you familiar with the Free Fall albums and do you like them?

Yes, I am. I sang on an album. I sang the song ‘Higher’ (from the 2013 Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall Self-Titled album).

Magnus is a great composer and one of the great songwriters.

I did not follow every song to be honest, and I did not hear the entire product so far. That is still in my bucket list in the next days if I am not very busy doing interviews. But I am pretty sure I will like it because he does a fantastic job on whatever he does.

What has it been like to release a new Primal Fear album right in the middle of a pandemic and all this social unrest in the world? It is pretty crazy.

It is pretty exciting still because music is pretty much also being sold online now. You can get your physical CD, vinyl, or whatever. There are so many platforms, so it does not make a difference if there is a pandemic or not. It is just affecting the live market. We would have been playing in America right now which is not happening, but we will do it next year.

It is pretty much more the live market. It does not make any change to an album release.

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Are you still doing Blackwelder? How did that band come about? I think that was about five years ago.

I think the first answer is no. We lost contact somehow. He wanted to continue a little bit more but I do not know what is happening. He did not answer my last email. Anyway, it was great. Andrew Szucs from America got connected with a guy from the local studio and the guy asked me if I want to help Andrew to write some songs. He delivered some rudimental songs to me with no vocals, lyrics, and melodies. We had some back and forth in terms of arrangements and so forth.

Then, I made the whole album. In the end, he also liked the album and it was great but somehow, we lost contact. It is not even a bad mood or a bad vibe. I do not know why. Maybe he is too busy with something else. I do not know.

Would you be up to do another one if they asked you?

The time would be now, this year, as I am not playing live so much. Never say never. It is also a matter of which company is going to support us and so forth.

What is up next for you and Primal Fear? Probably not a lot of touring at this point.

Well, unfortunately all the live shows got cancelled. The festivals got cancelled as well, which are always so great for me as a vocalist because we only had to play every weekend. All of them do not happen this year and that is a bummer. But we have our Metal Commando release and we do a lot of work right now. And we cannot wait for the fans to hear it!

http://www.primalfear.de/ July/August 2020

HIGHWIRE DAZE

The Sonic Vortex

of NAGLFAR

Interview by Ken Morton The almighty Naglfar has returned, breaking through the sonic vortex once more and unleashing a brand new album of absolutely epic proportions. It has been a long eight years between releases for Umeå, Sweden’s black metal nihilists Naglfar, and now in the grim and tumultuous year of 2020, their seventh full-length album Cerecloth has been presented to the world! Recorded and mixed by Naglfar guitarist Marcus Norman at Wolf’s Lair Studio and mastered by Edge Of Sanity’s Dan Swanö at Unisound, the underlying musical and lyrical themes of Cerecloth were succinctly and confidently described by guitarist Andreas Nilsson as, “the usual death and destruction.” In 20

this interview with Highwire Daze magazine, Andreas goes into further detail about Cerecloth as the legendary collective now approaches their 30th glorious year of black metal infamy! Read on...

Let’s talk about the new album Cerecloth. Is there any overall story or concept behind that particular title for the album?

Not really. We initially had an idea for a concept when we first started writing for the album, but as time passed by, we noticed that it did not really suit the idea we were going for. Then I came up with the title Cerecloth, which we felt was a much better fit, There is no concept all across the album so to speak.

July/August 2020

HIGHWIRE DAZE

You and Kristoffer W. Olivius are the longest-running members in the band. What do you think is made you both work so well together throughout all these years?

I don’t know actually. I mean, we have been friends for longer than we have played together. So I guess that is an important part. The core of the band is me, Marcus (E. Norman) and Kris. Me and Kris have known each other since high school. And Marcus and I - we‘ve known each other since 4 years old. We were friends before we were playing in a band together, I think that is what’s made it easier.

What has it been like to release new music in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and all the social unrest in the world?

To be honest, it has been the same as prior. The difference is that we are not out playing right now as we usually do when we release an album. We go out to play and that is not possible now. This whole pandemic thing is so unreal, so I have not even put it in context as the musician, but rather as a person in my daily life.

I would like to go back to 2003 to the Milwaukee Metal Fest. What was that experience like and was this your first time here in the States?

That was our first visit to the States and the experience was awesome. I mean just the fact there were bands playing all around the day - I think it was a cool festival. I saw a lot of cool bands at that particular festival.

Have you guys been back to play here in the States ever since?

Yeah, we did the tour with Dark Funeral in I think it was 2007 - maybe 25 dates or something like that and also last year at the Maryland Death Fest as well.

What was the best and the worst part about touring the United States?

Well there are differences from Europe. As in you know in Europe you have the basic things like showers after the shows. Many clubs in Europe are shower accessible. Traveling for three or four weeks cleaning yourself after shows with wet wipes in the States - we checked in at motels in the daytime, just to take showers and stuff like that. So that is the difference, but I think it was an awesome experience.

We were lucky to travel on a bus, which was really very comfortable with an excellent driver and an excellent tour manager. I think we had a really easy first US tour. And the crowds were awesome and the promoters we had met were friendly. It was a very pleasant experience in the end and I am glad we did it and I would really like to do it again.

So when you look back on your work in ‘Ancient Wisdom’ with Marcus E. Norman, what do you think of it now?

I am very proud of it. I was not really involved after the first album was released . I left to focus on Naglfar, I think that it is actually one of my favorite bands still to this date, so I am very proud to have been part of that.

HIGHWIRE DAZE

July/August 2020

And of course Marcus is in Naglfar now. Tell me about your other band Malakhim and what are they are currently up to and how does that band compare to Naglfar?

Malakhim is another band I play in. I would say it’s a more rawer form of black metal. It differs in the sense that it has more dissonances and just more weird stuff going.

I really like that, and it is good for me in the sense that I can challenge myself to think outside of the box that I was very comfortable in when writing riffs. So I had to change that when I joined Malakhim. And what we are up to now is that actually this weekend we are starting to record the guitars for our first full-length album. So hopefully that will be out sometime before the end of the year with a little bit of luck.

Are you involved with any other bands outside of Naglfar and Malakhim at the moment?

I have a third project - like a solo project called Occasum.

While I have been writing for Naglfar and Malakhim in my home studio, a lot of riffs showed up that just did not fit into those bands and were more of a death metal kind.

So I started up this third band called Occasum, where I play everything and I do the vocals and just put all my death metal stuff into that. So I have three bands going on.

So there’s always something to do when you are sitting down at the music computer.

Back to Naglfar. Do you still keep in touch with previous vocalist Jens Ryden?

Well not as much as I would like actually. We meet up occasionally when I go to shows in Stockholm where he lives or at festivals. But you know, that is what happens.

You drift apart when you do not meet as often or live in the same city, but I would say that the relationship is good but infrequent. (Please turn the page for more of our Naglgar interview...)

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The Sonic Vortex of Naglfar (continued) How do Efraim Juntunen of Persuader become involved with Naglfar and did he record on the new album?

Actually Efraim is a good friend of ours. We have been hanging out for many years. I would say the scene in Umeå is pretty small. It is not a big town so everyone knows each other basically. And when he heard we were looking for a drummer, he’s like “I can do that.” That is basically how we got to hire him as a live drummer. He is our session live drummer and when the new album came up, we were supposed to record and we thought let us just keep on working with Efraim as we liked his way of playing. So he is definitely playing on Cerecloth.

In two years’ time Naglfar will celebrate 30 years as a band. What do you think keeps a band together for nearly 30 years?

That is a good question because I have no idea. I guess for being friends for such a long time. It is easier I think.

Marcus and Kris are my family for sure, and will be until the day I die. So I guess it is more easy to stick together if you look upon it like that.

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And what is up next for you and Naglfar?

Well at the moment we are trying to see what is going to happen - if the travel restrictions and the show restrictions start to clear up, we are going to try to play as much live as possible when that happens. In the meantime, we will just write music.

Okay, sounds good. Maybe we would not have to wait eight years for the next Naglfar album, who knows?

I am not making any promises. Last time someone asked me - I think it took five years between Harvest and Teras.

So they asked “You are not gonna make us wait another five years,” and I said “No, of course not, not this time.” So it was not five years, it was eight! So I am going to keep my mouth shut this time.

And do you have any messages for Naglfar fans who are reading this right now?

Thank you for not forgetting us and for still supporting us.

Check out the new album if you haven’t.

www.naglfar.net/ www.facebook.com/naglfarofficial/

July/August 2020

HIGHWIRE DAZE

…AND OCEANS COSMIC BLACK METAL FOR THE WORLD

Interview by Ken Morton - Photo by Mikael Karlbom The almighty …and Oceans has returned, unleashing Cosmic World Mother via the Season Of Mist compound – their first masterwork in 17 years! Featuring members of Finntroll and Festerday, …and Oceans is presenting their next compelling chapter of symphonic black metal devastation and the results are vibrantly epic in scope! Highwire Daze recently caught up with two members of the …and Oceans brigade to discuss the dynamic Cosmic World Mother and their vast and glorious metal legacy. Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in …and Oceans and how long the band has been together.

Timo: I play guitar. This band was born in ’95, but was put to rest in ’05. After first rehearsals late 2017 we’ve been active again. Have had a few great gigs and festivals here in Finland and a few abroad.

Mathias: I’m the singer, that joined the ranks last year!

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Is there any overall story or concept behind the Cosmic World Mother album title?

Mathias: I always find myself writing concept albums. Once I get a theme everything around it just starts to unfold. This album’s theme is based upon energy and how energy affects us as human beings. As stated by laws of physics, energy is eternal; you never loose any, it just changes form. Which means that the energy we use and are made of has always been around and will forever be. That we all are, have been and will be a part of the “Cosmic World Mother.”

Who did the cover art for Cosmic World Mother and how much input did you have on it?

Timo: Adrien Bousson did it along with the whole artwork on the album which is beyond awesome! That cover is inspired by one Russian painter. Basically Adrien made it step by step and sent us previews. We gave suggestions if needed.

Mathias: The artwork really goes hand in hand with the theme of the album. I made the concept around that front cover and then sent finished lyrics to Adrien to make individual July/August 2020

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paintings around the words.

What has it been like to release your first full length album in years right in the middle of a pandemic?

Timo: It is difficult to support the release at least. Then it may delay distribution as it seems to do. We decided to release it on the schedule though, since the promotion was already been ongoing for some time etc.

How did Mathias Lillmåns of Finntroll become involved with …and Oceans?

Timo: He is a long time friend. I have shared and still share other bands with him. I and we knew what he can do, so it was really natural to ask him to join. Also the schedule was really tight, so we certainly didn’t have time to arrange any auditions for a new singer. When you get older, you really value more and more the chemistry in the band.

When you look back on the previous …and Oceans albums A.M.G.O.D. and Cypher, what do you think of them now?

Timo: Some great stuff for sure, but maybe not that great as a whole. They were something we wanted to do at that time. We are gonna add some of the songs on the set list also… some killer tunes.

What was the last live show you performed before the pandemic and how did the show go?

Timo: Last show was in Turku here in Finland. Turku Saatanalle festival on the 7th of March. That was the first with Mathias. We were not supposed to do any gigs before the release of the album, but they had a cancellation and offered us the spot so we took it. It went great considering the circumstances. Being the first gig with Mathias and not that much rehearsing before it.

When the world is reopened, what could one expect from a live …and Oceans show?

Mathias: Hopefully we can go out there soon and show them what …and Oceans have to offer. Lots of old-school songs, of course, and some new fresh material to top it off! The set definitely has a lot of energy.

Will we have to wait another 17 years for the next …and Oceans full length?

Timo: Certainly not. New stuff is already in the making.

Mathias: Yes, heard a couple of brand new songs and even wrote lyrics for one already!

Are you currently involved with any other bands outside of …and Oceans?

Timo: Yes, I have Festeday. Old school death metal. I have also Magenta Harvest, but that is more or less on a hiatus since we don’t have a drummer.

Mathias: Yes, we put Magenta Harvest on ice for a while now. I also joined Festerday for a couple of shows, so that is also going on. The new Finntroll album was just mastered and sent to the label, so that means I will be out there with those guys as well to tour as soon as travel bans are lifted.

Also working on my punk band Dispyt’s second full length as HIGHWIRE DAZE

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we speak. So lots going on! Hehehe.

What is your favorite Finnish beer of choice and why?

Timo: Wow, there are so many nowadays. I don’t drink that much those more known Finnish beers like Lapin Kulta, Koff and Karhu anymore. I like more beers from small breweries, craft beers. Mostly IPA’s for the taste.

Mathias: Same goes for me. Going more to smaller craft breweries to get my beers. I’m a stout and porter guy right now, but like those IPA’s as well as Timo.

What’s up next for …and Oceans?

Timo: Waiting for gigs and festivals. Tour plans for next year.

In the meantime we already do some new stuff for the next album so that we and you don’t have to wait another 18 years for it. So we really hope that this situation gets better soon.

Mathias: Right now we are trying to re-schedule as much as possible of those shows we had. Stay tuned for some info on those!

Any final words of wisdom?

Please check our new album and hopefully we’ll see everyone at gigs.

Line-up: Timo Kontio – Guitar Mathias Lillmåns – Vocals Teemu Saari – Guitar Antti Simonen – Keys Kauko Kuusisalo – Drums Petri Seikkula – Bass

www.facebook.com/andoceans/ www.instagram.com/andoceans_official/

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Hanging Tough with

Britt Lightning of Vixen

Interview by Ken Morton - Photo by Jack Lue

Britt Lightning, guitarist for the legendary all female rock band Vixen, is certainly hanging tough in these pandemic days and beyond. Since touring has pretty much been an impossibility, Britt has found ways to keep very busy pursuing other interests such as painting, writing music for an eventual solo project, hosting a virtual version of Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp called Masterclassses, and a whole lot more! Highwire Daze recently caught up with Britt Lightning after a recent photo shoot with iconic photographer Jack Lue for an interview regarding her work with Vixen and other current happenings! Read on...

How did you wind up in Vixen and were you familiar with the band prior to joining?

I was a fan of Vixen, but did not know any of the individual members personally prior to joining the band. I knew I wanted to play guitar when I accidentally heard Eruption the summer before I started high school, and I was blown away. Soon after, I traded my flute in for the guitar. Growing up in the 90’s but having an interest in guitar, I was not impressed by grunge that was popular at the time, and starting with Van Halen I soon became obsessed with other bands with great guitar players like Metallica, Pantera, Megadeth etc., and then got more into 80’s rock. I soon learned there were not many females in this realm of music, let alone all female bands, and Vixen was one of the very few that stood out and I always admired. I joined the band about a year after moving to LA from Boston.

I started playing around in the local jam scene and meeting people and was then recommended to the band.

What was going through your mind during your very first Vixen show and where did it take place?

I was pretty nervous at my first Vixen show. The show was in Toldeo, OH and it was a festival called Rock the Arena II with Cheap Trick, Autograph, Trixter, Great White, Tom Keifer, Lou Gramm, Warrant and Stephen Pearcy. My biggest fear was that I would be having so much fun enjoying the band and the music that I would space out and forget the live arrangement (which actually did happen for a split second in one song!) I was happy to get the first one done and under my belt.

Do you still keep in touch with Janet Gardner now that she’s been out of Vixen for a while and what do you think of her solo work?

I have so much respect for Janet and really enjoyed getting to know her and having the opportunity to play on stage with her.

We keep in touch here and there. I am really happy for her and think her solo project sounds awesome – it can’t not be great, because she is a super talented and experienced singer who knows how to write.

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Tell me about the Live Fire album and what made the band decide to release that particular show for a live album?

The Live Fire album was recorded at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, IL, one of my all time favorite venues. If you have never been there you have to check it out, it is a historical place. That was my first time playing there. I think that show was chosen for the live recording because the venue has a controlled environment, it’s a really nice indoor theater with a good sound system, and we were on the bill with Slaughter, who are friends. The day of the show we almost thought we wouldn’t be able to do the live recording due to our gear truck breaking down and almost not making it in time for a sound check! I was nervous to begin with but that made me more nervous! A couple of the songs I had never played live with the band before, July/August 2020

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but it all ended up coming together, just like it always does!

How have the fans received Lorraine Lewis, and what was your first performance with her like?

The fans love Lorraine and so do we! She is an incredible person filled with amazing energy and positivity. She can light up any room, and she does that every night on stage with Vixen.

Her stage presence is a show to watch all in itself! Our first performance with her was in Clearwater, Florida with Winger at an outdoor bike fest. It was very natural and easy, I don’t think a single person would have ever thought that was her first show with the band.

How close is Vixen to writing and recording all new music?

We are close! Covid-19 has pushed back many in-person writing sessions we had planned this spring. The band lives all over the country, so getting together requires a little planning. We have some killer songs in the works, and I really can’t wait to start the actual recording process.

Have you ever considered recording a solo album? If so, please tell me more about how you would want it to be like and sound like…

I have! I have been writing a lot during this downtime. I am working on some blues rock type stuff as well as a surf rock album which you will hopefully hear next year!

How has Covid-19 affected you as an artist? Were any tours cancelled or postponed? Have you remained busy during this crazy time?

Covid-19 has cancelled all of our summer touring plans. I am sure it will be derailing some of our fall schedule as well. We just don’t know when full concerts will be happening steadily again.

I am a person that likes to stay busy, and therefore I always create projects for myself. I am always working on multiple things, from music projects, to art projects (I love painting), and I am enjoying the extra time to do more cooking and learning. I have so many projects and books I have never finished, there is no way I could ever be bored! In fact, I think I may be one of the few people that haven’t even had a chance to binge watch anything on Netflix yet! I have also started hosting Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp’s new online Masterclasses. They are a way to connect fans with their favorite rock stars from their homes when we can’t all physically get together for concerts.

It has been a blast, and we have a great schedule lined up with talent including Alice Cooper, Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith), Steve Morse (Deep Purple), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Lita Ford, producers like Mike Clink (GNR) and more. You can check it all out at RockCamp.com.

What has it been like to work with varied artists such as Alejandro Sanz and Rachel Platten? Do you still keep in touch with either of them?

I love working with artists of different styles. It opens you up to new ways of playing and every new experience helps you to grow, learn and improve yourself. Working with Alejandro in particular was a dream come true. He is a real artistic genius with an amazing natural talent. I went to his show at the Nokia Theater last year, a venue I had played with him on the past tour. I went backstage to say hello to him and the rest of the band and it was a great time. I have so much respect for Alejandro and his whole band.

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July/August 2020

Working with Rachel was so much fun, and I had the opportunity to play on a lot of national television shows that were on my bucket list, performing her anthem hit “Fight Song.” She is so talented. I haven’t seen her in a little while but did connect with her when she first moved out to LA. What is your guitar of choice and why?

My guitar of choice is…an electric. Haha! That is always such a hard question! I have always loved Gibson and Epiphone, mostly Les Pauls and SGs. They just have that classic tone and look that really can’t be trumped. Epiphone has come out with a new Muse line that I did a product demo for - they are awesome guitars. That being said, I also enjoy playing other guitars, like the Carlino Identity, and I will always love the Jackson Randy Rhoads Flying V model, which was my first guitar.

While we are talking about gear, tell me about the Britt Lightning Guitar Pick Pack and your involvement in the Wounded Warrior project.

I have a huge fascination and love for warbirds. I love visiting aviation museums, and I even paint pictures of WWII planes in my spare time. When I was thinking of making new picks, making a warbird themed pick pack seemed like the obvious choice for something cool and unique that I was passionate about.

I have a lot of friends and family that have served in the military and wanted to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project.

One of my goals is to play for the troops, which I have not had the opportunity to do yet. I would love to do that with Vixen sometime.

What advice would you give a young guitarist seeking an endorsement deal?

Go to NAMM! When I first went to the NAMM Show in Anaheim my mind was blown and I couldn’t believe all the gear, but more importantly all the relationships you can make there.

What was it like doing a photo shoot with noted photographer Jack Lue? Jack’s last name should be Lightning too! This was my second shoot with Jack, and after both times, I felt as though I only spent about 10 minutes with him. He is by far the fastest photographer I have ever worked with. I think I spent more time changing shoes than we did shooting. He gets the job done before you even know it! I can’t wait to do more work with him in the future.

What’s up next for you and your various bands and projects?

Up next is finishing this new Vixen album, which is going to rock, and recording some solo material before the end of the year! And hopefully at least a few live shows before 2021! I also want to paint more and put on an art/music show sometime.

Any final words of wisdom?

I am reading his book right now, so I have to quote the words of the inspirational war hero Major Dick Winters, “Hang Tough.” We will get through Covid-19 and come out all the stronger when this is over!

www.brittlightning.com/ 27

HI GHWI REDAZ EMAGAZ I NE

PRE SE NT E DBY

J ACKL UEPHOT OGRAPHY

OF

Steve Mann of

Lionheart and

Michael Schenker Fest

Photo by Jack Lue

A Chat with Steve Mann of

Lionheart and Michael Schenker Fest

Interview by Ken Morton - Live Photo by Jack Lue Lionheart was founded in late 1980 by Dennis Stratton (ex-Iron Maiden), Steve Mann (Michael Schenker Fest), and Rocky Newton (ex-MSG) with Clive Edwards (exUFO) completing the lineup a little later on. In 1984, CBS Records offered Lionheart a contract. With the new singer Chad Brown, the debut album Hot Tonight was released. Hit with managerial problems, Lionheart would disband shortly after their first record hit the streets. Interest in Lionheart would remain, with a release of their Demos in 1998, and a grand return of most of the band members in 2016. As Chad Brown chose not to participate, Lionheart would recruit Lee Small of Shy, and present Second Nature in 2017 - and now in 2020 we have The Reality Of Miracles on Metalville!

Highwire Daze recently caught up with Lionheart guitarist/ keyboardist Steve Mann to discuss the making of The Reailty Of Miracles in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, as well as his participation within the ranks of Michael Schenker Fest and The Sweet. All this and a pretty rad goldfish story that led Mr. Mann straight into the lineup of the McAuley Schenker Group...

What does the title The Reality of Miracles mean to you?

We wanted this to be a very positive album, because obviously we were recording it during the time when Covid-19 really hit us. There are a lot of things going on in the world at the moment which are not really, I think, to people’s taste. It’s HIGHWIRE DAZE

July/August 2020

just not a particularly good time generally at the moment. So I think we really wanted to try and put the message across: “Look, There is a light at the end of the tunnel, it doesn’t have to be this way.” And it might actually seem a bit like a miracle to some people if we come out of this Covid-19 situation and all of the other problems that we’re having and get back to some sort of normality. We just wanted to put across the statement that actually, “Don’t worry. Miracles can happen!”

How does The Reality of Miracles compare to the previous three Lionheart releases?

The first release Hot Tonight which came out on CBS in 1984 was very much a thing of finding our way. And so it was a good album that had some good songs. The production was pretty good. It was I think all in all a kind of fairly average AOR album. I enjoy listening to it still. We then had the album of Demos which was put out by Pony Canyon Records in Japan, which really captured the band I thought.

Those were Demos that we recorded between 1980 and 1984 and it really captured the essence of what Lionheart was all about back then. And I really like that album; I listen to it from time to time. And then we had Second Nature, which was really the beginning of the new Lionheart - I suppose the 21st century Lionheart. And that was when we really had control of what we were doing and we were making creative decisions, deciding exactly how the band should sound.

I love Second Nature. I thought it was a fantastic album and 31

A Chat with Steve Mann of

Lionheart and Michael Schenker Fest (continued) it had some amazing reviews, but I think that Reality of Miracles now is a step up from that. So I am very excited to hear what everyone thinks of it.

After Lionheart first went on hiatus, how did you wind up with McAuley Schenker Group?

Well, there was a bass player that Michael knew that he asked to do the gig and he said, “I can’t because I have to feed my goldfish and if I come over and record with you, my goldfish will die.” So I say I find him a very honorable person that puts his goldfish before his career. This bass player, who ever he was, knew Rocky Newton. And he phoned Rocky and said, “Michael is looking for a bass player.” And so Rocky went over to record the demos in Rudolf Schenker’s studio and while he was there, Michael said, “Do you happen to know a guitar player/keyboards player?” And that is when Rocky came up with my name; and obviously because Rocky and I had been working in Lionheart previous to that. And so that’s how the association came about with Michael Schenker. So ultimately I have some bass player in the UK who owns goldfish to thank for my job with Michael Schenker.

And to present day Michael Schenker Fest. To me one of the most magical moments of the Michael Schenker Fest tour were the shows that they performed at The Whisky last year. What was that experience like playing at the Whisky A Go-Go? Fantastic! There is legend with that club! When we first heard that we were having to try and cram eight people onto a tiny stage like that, we thought this is going to be dreadful. But you know, we did the sound check and we got through it. We got a sound that we liked and then when we walked out on the stage, and all three nights were absolutely packed, right to the back of the hall. They were the most fantastic shows! You forget the size of the stage, the fact that it’s triangular-shaped and the fact that you are in danger of falling down the stairs as you walk onto the stage. All of that stuff you forget. You walk out onto the stage of the Whisky A Go-Go and you think of who has played there before you and whose steps you are following in. It was a truly magical experience.

What has it like touring with The Sweet (UK version) and did you ever know or get to meet Steve Priest (The Sweet US version) who recently passed away?

The Sweet is a fantastic band and I spent seven years touring with them full time and then I left and I would carry on playing with them part-time. But when I first joined the band, Mick Tucker was in the band and Andy Scott was in the band. And then back in the mid-90s sometime, we did a show in Frankfort just for the fans and Steve Priest had flown over from Los Angeles and was in town (in Germany), and so he came along and guested. Mick had gone by that point, but we had Steve Priest and Andy Scott from the original lineup.

So I met Steve then and he was a very nice guy; he got a bit drunk later on in the evening. So it is a bit difficult to hold a sensible conversation with him, but it was a very sad time when he died. It was a very sad time when Mick died and of course Brian and now Steve is gone, As Andy says, “And then there was one.” He is the only remaining member now.

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But Andy is doing good. He’s still alive and kicking.

Back to Lionheart, how did Lee Small of Shy become involved with the band?

We originally wanted Chad, who was the original singer with Lionheart back in the 80s and he had gone back to doing some kind of business that he was running and had left the music business. And so we were a bit stuck. And then I got a call from Rocky and he asked me if I had heard of the guy called Lee Small and I said no. And we checked him out on YouTube as he had been recommended to Rocky. And what we saw on YouTube, we thought was fantastic! So we tried him out and it was one of those situations where the moment that you work with someone, you know, they are exactly right for the band. And that’s how it was with Lee. It was the first time we had all played for 22 years or more. So we got together in the rehearsal room and we did a song called Waiting For The Night which was the first track on the Hot Tonight album. And Lee started singing it and straight away we thought “That’s the guy! He has got to be in the band!” So at the end of that song we said, “We love it! It sounds absolutely fantastic! Are you up for it?” And he said “Absolutely, of course! It will be good working with you guys” And so that is how it came about. I think it was one of those instances where you put it down to destiny. It is like he was out there and he was meant to be for Lionheart.

What are the future plans for Lionheart and Michael Schenker Fest?

First of all Lionheart; we’re just going to carry on as we have been going. I think every time we do an album, we learn more about each other; how we write songs together, and we are definitely developing as a band from album to album. I think for the next album, we are hoping that we will have a slightly better budget. And so we can actually get together more, write songs together, get into the studio, and just work more as a band. We have had to do a lot over the Internet because of keeping costs down for this album, but hopefully if we can raise the budget, then I think we will get together as a band and then I think you will really hear a big step up in the output that we are coming out with. We are very, very excited about the way the whole thing is working because we love the music so much. Obviously, as soon as we can; as soon as lockdown is over and the clubs are opening again, and bands can get out, and audiences are going out to shows, then we will get out and start playing shows again. We are very excited with the way things are going.

With Michael Schenker Fest; Michael is in the studio as I speak, recording a new album, which I will be doing the keyboards for. He plays his cards quite close to his chest, so how things are going to pan out for Michael Schenker Fest partly I do not know, partly I probably cannot tell you anyway. It’s certainly carrying on. Obviously we had the same problem, we had to cancel a European tour, we had to cancel a tour of Japan earlier this year, but we have a tour of Europe coming up in December. So providing that everything is relatively back to normal, then we will be out back on the road again.

Watch for our interview with Lee Small of Lionheart in the next issue of Highwire Daze magazine!

http://www.lionheart-music.com/ July/August 2020

HIGHWIRE DAZE

Out now!

Out now!

Jet Jaguar – Endless Nights The stunning debut album from Mexico’s hottest new Melodic Metal band!

Domination Black – Judgement IV The Finnish Melodic Metal masters return with their 4th album!

A l l P r i d e & J o y Musi c rel eases are availa ble v ia www.pr ide a ndjoy.de /s hop (s hips w o r l d - w i d e ! ) #prideandjoymusic #prideandjoymusic

www.prideandjoy.de

Catching up with

Limahl

Interview by Ken Morton

Limahl is best known as the iconic vocalist of Kajagoogoo - whose songs Too Shy and Hang On Now were all over the radio airwaves in the early 80’s. A later solo career would include working with the legendary Giorgio Moroder with the resulting song The Never Ending Story leaving quite an impact in the pop music world. With these tunes turning up on current shows such as Black Mirror, American Horror Story and Stranger Things, there has been a renewed interest in Limhal and now a brand new song entitled Still In Love has been unveiled. In this interview for Highwire Daze, Limahl discusses the making of Still In Love, releasing music in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, working with Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran in the early days of Kajagoogoo and later with Giogio Moroder, the secret of staying with the same partner for 26-plus years, and a whole lot more!

Tell me about your new single Still In Love, and what inspired the lyrics for that song?

First of all, I liken songwriters to the guys you see on the beach with the metal detecting machine looking for treasure.

So we are just digging around looking for treasure as songwriters. Simply because we have a hundred years of lyrics and melody, and it is very difficult to find something new or something interesting. I was going back and forth with my co-writer Miro Markus, a German musician, and finally we find eight bars that we sort of like. That was the verse. And really the mood of the verse just led me to that lyrics. I cannot explain; it was just organic. Before I know it, I am writing this quite deep love song and I think the reason for that is I know this guy very well. I have been there. I think most people of a certain age have been there, and it is part of life growing up, you know? You have to get hurt in love. When you come through the other side, it is incredibly uplifting when you realize that you start finding yourself as a person again. You start learning to love yourself. So just going back to the discussion 34

about treasure, what I love about the song is even though the chorus is lyrically a sort of lament of unrequited love, it feels uplifting, it feels hopeful, and those are the accidents that we look for. It is not me. I was not in that head space when we wrote it, but I was definitely speaking from experience. I know this guy very well.

What has it been like to release a new song in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and so much social unrest in the world?

When I wrote the song and recorded last year, we were in a different place. And the reason I did that, the reason I was kind of tempted back in the studio is because those three massive American TV shows that are using my old music. I saw the streams of Never Ending Story just jump massively to like one point five million a month and I thought, “Okay, maybe people might be interested in hearing something new.” So, we July/August 2020

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recorded it and it was ready for Christmas for release this year and I did the the video in January. Then the pandemic came and the first thing I thought was well, this is my song, my record. It is completely insignificant looking at the big picture. I will postpone it. I talked to my team and then we thought that there is going to be a lockdown. Everyone is going to need culture more than ever just to comfort themselves. Movies, TV, music. And so we changed our mind. Now, I knew obviously it would restrict everything in terms of getting out there.

But look at us. I am at home. This is kind of cool. I do not have to leave the house to do my interviews. I can have a cup of tea on the side here.

How close are you to writing and releasing an album or EP of all new material?

I have an EP ready. Initially, my thoughts were to see how the single goes. But just in case, I have some stuff and there will almost certainly be a second single and almost certainly be an EP. Everybody was asking for an album. Albums are a big commitment. I think that the climate has changed. We are all creating our playlists and jumping from one artist to another on the streaming sites. I love that technology. I use it myself, so I think just good tracks are going to be the future. If you have a big record deal with one of the majors like Sony, Warner, or Universal and you sign that contract that says three albums in three years, then you have got to do it. There is no pressure on me. So we will see what happens.

When you look back at that first Kajagoogoo album White Feathers, what do you think of it now in retrospect?

I love the sound of it. I love the fact that it was recorded on analog tape. I think it epitomizes almost that early 80’s sound and I am quite proud of it in that respect. Personally, I think my vocals sound a little bit young. My voice was... I mean, come on. I was twenty-three. I just think my voice sounds a little bit more interesting now; a bit more mature. But of course, I cannot take away and I do not want to take away from the success of it. Too Shy and Never Ending Story kind of works on those recordings. But on some of the album, I always think I could sing that better now. But I guess most artists are like that, you know? Never one hundred percent satisfied.

Too Shy was produced by Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran.

What was that experience like working with him and have you kept in touch with him over the years?

No, we have not spoke for a long time. No particular reason.

Life gets in the way, but I believe he thinks of me every time he gets his royalty check. It was an absolute thrill. If Andy Williams launched The Osmonds, and Diana Ross launched the Jackson Five, Nick really launched us. Nick Rhodes, I met him in a nightclub where I was a waiter in the Embassy Club on Old Bond Street in Central London. It was a very cool club and lots of music and media people came in there.

One night, I served him a drink. He was in there with his manager then, Paul Berrow, and I started telling him all about the band. To my amazement, he just said, “Well, send me your songs and I will have a listen.” A week later, he called me up and he said, “I really like the songs. I am going to take them into EMI Records and tell them I am one of the producers” and that is what happened. Working with him was a thrill because also on board for production was the Duran’s producder of the first two albums, a guy called Colin Thurston. So you had the skill and experience of these people. We were just like young kids from out of town. It was such a thrill. Nick is HIGHWIRE DAZE

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very laid-back, very charming, and quite intelligent. Just all good memories.

How did The Never Ending Story come about and what was it like working with Giorgio Moroder?

Getting a call to work with Giorgio Moroder would be the equivalent of an actor getting a call from Steven Spielberg.

When I got that call, I was so excited because he had written and produced so many amazing records that I love. When the band split, EMI Records asked me to go to Japan for this massive event called the Tokyo Music Festival and Giorgio was there. We connected a bit, but I did not expect six weeks later or thereabouts, he called my manager and said, “I would like to try Limahl on this movie soundtrack I am working on.”

So being the stupid 23 year old that I was, the night before, I was due to fly to Munich to record it. I was up all night partying. I was smoking cigarettes, drinking lots of alcohol, I had about four hours sleep. When I got to Munich and we tried the song in the afternoon, I just could not sing. The voice was going “No way Jose.” Giorgio was very cool and very calming. He said in his lovely Italian accent, “Hey, do not worry Lim. We have some food, a couple of drinks, and we try again later.” So anyway, that is what happened. I do not think my voice works before six o’clock. So we nailed it about eight o’clock. I had two glasses of wine, but somebody told me the other day that there was a rumor that he got me drunk and I said, “No, that is not true.” It was a thrill! Actually, he just had his 80th birthday and his wife emailed me and said that she was planning a sort of surprise for him that I do a little greeting by video, which I did. The next day she told me that it was just the two of them and lots of messages - probably from people like Irene Cara and Berlin who are the Top Gun theme people. I mean, you can imagine the people that might have sent messages. She said that he had a great time.

After you left Kajagoogoo, they did two more albums - Islands and Crazy People’s Right To Speak. Have you heard those albums? (Please turn the page...)

35

Catching Up with Limahl (continued)

I have not heard them in their entirety. The only two songs I know are Lion’s Mouth and Big Apple. I think they are brilliant records. I wish I would have sang on them. I wish they would have kept the band together instead of firing me.

Because when you have a chemistry in the public’s eye and the media’s eye that is working and you have got the machine of someone like EMI behind you - that is a great position to be in. You put a big question mark over everything when suddenly the band breaks up. But you know the reasons they did it. They thought we were a teeny band. They did not like being labeled a teeny band as serious musicians. They are great musicians. They thought it was my fault because I was like the pretty guy. I was the outsider, you know? They were a four piece before I joined. So I guess I was an outsider although I never really felt like that. I lived with Nick the bass player and his girlfriend for two years while we wrote all the music and recorded the demos and everything. I think they’ve probably realized since then that Elvis was a teen idol and the Beatles were teen idols. Duran, Wham!, I could go on.

So it is very sad that I did not get the chance to sing on those recordings with them, because that is why I joined the group. I thought they were great musicians. They had something extra.

Nick is currently in a prog band called The Mute Gods.

Have you heard them or do you have any thoughts on them?

No, I do not know them and I am not sure what Nick is up to.

I do not follow him on social media. I do not follow any of the band on social media. I am sure they do not do the same.

You know what I mean? It would be like watching your ex too much, All I can say is I know that whatever Nick does will be interesting because he is a great musician. He is a colorful

36

character. He is very much left of center. And boy, can he play that bass! It is a great name, The Mute Gods!

A Valentines Day and beyond question, What is the secret of staying with the same partner for twenty-six years and counting? I want to know. We all want to know.

Compromise. Seriously. It is about finding the right partner.

If the partner is right, and I know from previous experiences where there were so many fights and jealousy and mistrust...

Trust, you have got to work at it. That comes in time because everyone is a bit suspicious. I think a relationship is like a garden. You have got to tend to it constantly. Create memories and not fights. And if you find the right person, it just happens. Just like friends and soul mates. Yes, it is nice if it starts with passion. For me that was always important, and they have to be a good kisser.

And do you have any messages for your fans who are reading this right now?

Keep safe. Keep optimistic. Filter the news. Do not watch it too much or it will drive you into dark areas. I had to do that myself at the beginning of the pandemic. I was starting to have nightmares. And so now I limit the news because I have realized that whatever I am feeling, whatever terror I am feeling, however done I might be feeling from all of it, it would not change what is going on out there. Just try to keep positive. Keep your mind healthy. Always think of your cup as half full, not half empty. I will leave you with this one quirky thought. “Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Because if you do it today, and you like it, you can do it again tomorrow...”

limahl.com

July/August 2020

HIGHWIRE DAZE

New LP release Streaming on all outlets CD and 180g Vinyl available at cdbaby & bandcamp www.HusBand.Rocks @HusBandRocks

Interview with Chris Wyse of

Hollywood Vampires

Interview by Kim Crain Kim@kimcrain.com Kimcrainmusic / Instagram

Chris Wyse solo photo by Joe Schaeffer Hollywood Vampires photo by Alex Kluft Chris Wyse, an American Bassist from New York with Viking ancestry. He has earned himself the name as one of the best “Rock” bass players in the music industry today.

Some people like to call him “Jimi Hendrix on Bass.” Chris is known best for playing with the supergroup - Hollywood Vampires, Joe Perry from Aerosmith, Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp. And he has his new solo album coming out soon and will be featured on chriswyse.com. Chris has performed alongside Tal Bachman, Mick Jagger, The Cult, Ozzy Osbourne, and Ace Frehley. I had the opportunity to catch up with Chris and interview him.

How old were you when you picked up your first instrument & who were you influenced by ?

I was 13 and started listening to Iron Maiden. Listening to Steve Harris on the bass just blew my mind. His speed and power were so evident. I knew when I heard Steve that the bass was for me.

What was the first band that you played in & Where was your first gig ?

Well I started early and played lots of battle of the bands and clubs when I was under age.

I had a band called East Wall when in High School and Mister Strange in college, We were local but had national sized crowds in NY. First gig was the “Battle of the Bands” at my High School. We won and always would. That started the fire.

What made you come to Los Angeles ?

My band in NY came to an end and I had to start fresh. The keyboard player for Steve Vai invited me out to start a new group and then I took the leap. I drove across the country with my bass guitar, upright bass and suitcase. I lucked out and got a bass teaching gigs at the late Spitzers Valley Arts and The Bass Centre. These were teaching studios in stores. That led to getting into the club scene and meeting bands. I still love teaching and have been doing Skype bass lessons. People can reach out to me on Insta and FB. 38

What are the highlights & most memorable of your career?

There are so many. When I was a kid I told my parents I would move to Hollywood, CA. one day and play with Ozzy. Calling them when I was in the studio recording with Ozzy was a great one. “Guess who I am recording with?”

I remember the day I got the call from Shep Gordon and he said you got The Hollywood Vampires gig!! I was very happy to hear they all voted for me and there was no audition just a start date. Getting asked to join a supergroup with these guys is just awesome.

I was in the Ace Frehley band for a few years and Ace July/August 2020

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took care of me after I had a hernia surgery. It was really nice of him. He was concerned as he could tell I was going through pain on the road and totally helped me recover staying at his penthouse in San Diego. He drove me to the hospital and picked me up too. Ace yelling at me to stay in bed as he brings me a plate of pasta and my pain pills was pretty unforgettable.

did my 10,000 hours a long time ago.I have never stopped.

My work ethic has not changed. If it is a club or 60,000 people at a festival. The craft does not change with success.

I remember playing clubs at 16 and packing the place. I worked hard way back then. Some of the club owners were upset after they found out how young I was. We acted older then.

I remember recording with Mick Jagger and having lots of fine wine after the session. We had lots of laughs and hit it off. The funny thing was a week later I was going to get the mail and a limo stopped in front of my house on Wonderland Ave. The back window rolls down and I hear “Hey Chris” and it is Mick. It was funny because I had just met him a week before and now he is driving by saying hello.

I then bumped into him at The Country Store down the road. Life is funny and hard to explain but it was wonderful to have synchronicity with Mick for a bit.

Who is your dream artist you would love to work with?

I really wanted to play with David Bowie. I have enjoyed playing Heroes with The Hollywood Vampires on upright bass live and we also recorded it at Hansa Studios in Berlin. It is the studio where Bowie actually recorded Heroes.

So in spirit I got close. I’d love to start something with Dave Grohl on drums and myself on bass for something experimental. Playing upright for Snoop Dog would be cool. I would love to unleash that sub bass and sound effect style I have on him.

What are your plans after this Pandemic is over ?

A world tour with The Hollywood Vampires and release of my solo album. It is bass centric with bass guitar acrobatics and plenty of bow layers at times with upright bass. One song is about Jack the Ripper and I get to sing, scream and be theatrical. It is a super fun project. It has a soundtrack feel at times. Chriswyse.com coming soon!

Thank you “ Chris Wyse” You “Rock!”

If you can go back in time in the early days & change anything in your career, what would you change?

Nothing!..I busted my ass in clubs and in rehearsals and HIGHWIRE DAZE

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Stay tuned for more Rockin” interviews.

www.facebook.com/hollywoodvampires/ https://www.facebook.com/ChrisWyse-1785889051730963/ 39

DOMINATION BLACK UNLEASH JUDGEMENT IV

Interview by Ken Morton

2010 when Kari had left the group.

Domination Black rages out of Finland, unleashing their own exhilarating brand of mighty melodic heavy metal upon our great big world. Judgement IV is the name of their just released magnum opus, now available via Pride & Joy Music.

Highwire Daze recently caught up with two of the Domination Black brigade to find out more about this amazing band and the supersonic world of Judgement IV! Read on...

Where is the band based out of and what is the local music scene like there?

Lauri: The band’s hometown is the Finnish town Kotka. It’s a small town but despite that, it has a relatively active metal music scene. Already since the late 80’s and early 2000s, lots of heavy rock bands were formed in Kotka area, some of them still going on with others fading away. I think the same phenomenon could be seen all around Finland at that time. Of the bands that started at the beginning of the millennium, Omnium Gatherum is the most known Kotka area band being popular all around the globe. During the last 10 years, however, metal music has been a bit out of fashion and the kids often choose different hobbies than playing metal music. All we old-timers are still here, though.

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Domination Black, and how long the band has been together.

Lauri: Originally the band started in spring/summer 2003 when Kari A. Killgast and Ville Viren met each other and decided to form a band combining the best sides of their musical tastes.

Also in their opinion no one had done that kind of music since the ’80s. I also heard about this band but wasn’t involved until the end of 2003 when they asked me to join as a bassist.

Previously they had thought I wouldn’t like to play this kind of music, so they hadn’t asked me earlier. I was kind of bewildered that they asked me to join since I didn’t consider myself that good a bass player.

Matias: I’m the current lead vocalist and I joined the band in 40

How did you wind up signing with Pride & Joy Music?

Matias: I hadn’t heard about Pride & Joy Music before, I think. But I was talking to a friend of mine who’s a writer in a major rock magazine in Sweden. I played him a few of our tracks and then he recommended Pride & Joy. So I sent the material to them and they contacted us. Pretty much right from the start we felt that they were on the same page with us July/August 2020

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concerning promoting our music and how the things should be done business-wise. We also got some other offers from different companies but decided to go with Pride & Joy. Is there any overall story or concept behind the Judgement IV title?

Matias: Well, yeah, kinda. We wanted to come back with a vengeance, so to speak, so it had to deal with that subject somehow. The opening track of the album is called The Judgement, so I think we got it from there and also this is our 4th full-length album, hence “IV”.

Lauri: I think naming the record was one of the most discussed subjects within the band and for example my excellent suggestion didn’t get much support.

Matias: Exactly. Lauri seriously wanted to call the album “Slippery When Buttery.” And I’m not even kidding!

Select two songs from Judgement IV and what inspired the lyrics.

Matias: Let’s pick Center Of The Universe and VAT. By chance, they’re also the two first singles from the album but the topics of the lyrics are somewhat similar. They both tell stories about some difficult persons we had to deal with in the past. Center Of The Universe is about someone who cannot see nothing but his own truth no matter what happens. And eventually it gets to the point where he loses it. VAT is obviously the acronym of value-added-tax but since we like to put some humor into our lyrics, for us it means “Violence And Terror”. It’s about people who are trying to cheat you and then get caught with their pants down.

Who did the cover art for Judgement IV and how much input did you have on it?

Matias: The cover art was done by Katja Medarhri of ShiverLab. She had made a sketch of an artwork that we then saw on Facebook. So we contacted her about the idea to turn it into our album cover and she was very happy to create it. It actually connects to the album title. The title has number four in it and on the cover you see four hooded characters summoning Domination Black’s mascot Fearbringer from another dimension.

So this is how The Judgement comes to be, heheh!

What has it been like to release a new album right in the middle of a pandemic and so much social injustice in the world?

Have you had any shows or tours cancelled because of the pandemic?

Lauri: I was actually a little surprised that everything has been running so smoothly concerning the release, and we actually managed to finish the record and a couple of videos amid all this gloom. We hope our album brings forth some nice musical experiences to help people survive. We didn’t have to cancel any shows as we hadn’t booked anything for the spring, and now it seems possible that we can make some shows in the autumn. We even have one gig coming in August when Dark River Festival takes place in Finland.

What could one expect from a live Domination Black show?

Lauri: Energy, action - joyful heavy metal. We don’t really need much special effects but let the music and live energy speak for themselves.

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When you look back on the first two Domination Black albums Fearbringer and Dark Legacy, what do you think of them now in retrospect?

Lauri: Those albums were the products of the times when they were created and if we recorded them today they would certainly sound very different. But they show very well what Domination Black used to be like in the years 2004-2006.

There are some nice songs but production-wise they don’t really shine and of course the band didn’t have much experience on making albums yet. For me they bring a lot of good memories.

The beginning of 2000s was a good time for heavy metal! I was actually searching for my own CD copy of Fearbringer a while ago but didn’t find it. Sadly the CD edition of the album is sold out.

And are you currently involved with any other bands or projects outside of Domination Black?

Matias: Yes. I’ve been with Heavy Metal Perse and Merging Flare for some 20 years already. They’re both bands that were formed in my hometown Kajaani and they still exist. Merging Flare actually released an album called Revolt Regime last year. The music is kind of European style power/heavy metal with lots of 80’s pop music influences. Heavy Metal Perse started recording a new album, too. HMP is more like folky heavy metal stuff sung in Finnish.

Lauri: I play bass in a Finnish-sung rock music group called Suuri Tuntematon. All the other projects I’m involved with have nothing to do with music.

Any final words of wisdom?

Lauri: One has to drink booze! And heavy metal music must always prevail. If we lose heavy metal we will be lost forever!

https://www.facebook.com/DominationBlack/ 41

Matt SKajem of

DESPAIN Photo by Erica Vincent

DESPAIN in

WØNDERLVND

Interview by Ken Morton Photos by Erica Vincent

From pop punk to emo hip-hop and beyond, Matt Skajem has truly experienced quite a life in music. His previous bands Out With The Old and Best Kept Secret impressed fans at the Vans Warped Tour - and now with the unveiling of Despain, Matt Skajem presents the next compelling chapter of his auditory destiny.

WØNDERLVND is the name of the debut EP from Despain, jam packed with deeply introspective lyrics and striking melodies.

In the midst of a worldwide pandemic and protests all across Southern California, Highwire Daze, Matt Skajem and photographer Erica Vincent made an early morning trip into the heart of Hollywood for an interview and photo session, Read on as we discuss the world of Despain’s WØNDERLVND, memories from the Vans Warped Tour, thoughts on the current state of the pop punk movement, and a whole lot more topics of intrigue...

What does the title WØNDERLVND mean to you?

WØNDERLVND for me - it’s like where I go when I’m on mushrooms, honestly. The whole WØNDERLVND concept to me was more of just like I gotta kind of explain where I’ve been at for the last four years. I’ve been going through so much crazy shit, been working on myself, getting myself back together. Psychedelics really helped me piece myself back together, so it is kind of just a tribute to that.

Tell me about the first single Chemicals and what inspired the lyrics.

Chemicals - that one was like an interesting song for me because I wrote it in like 20 minutes.I got the instrumental from the producer. He sent it over to me and I had the melody right away. Lyrically, I sat down and did like two drafts of the lyrics. Originally it was just about getting fucked up, partying, doing that kind of thing. But then it just turned into a deeper song about trying to stay sane when you’re losing it. It is more so about dopamine and serotonin and chemicals released in your brain that cause depression and anxiety. It’s about anxiety, depression; about doing a lot of drugs. It’s about missing your dead parents and dead grandma...

Let’s talk about the song Fine, I Guess...

Fine I Guess - that one I wrote - I was in a relationship for a while. And you know, it’s about feeling like you’re just trapped and lost. Just like you are with someone that is supHIGHWIRE DAZE

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posed to make you feel like you are ten feet tall and instead you feel like you’re at the bottom of a shoe. And so to me that song was about personal experience honestly.

The whole album, it’s me being as honest as possible. So it’s like I would wake up after a shitty night and I would be fucked up and I would just go into my closet and just start recording. These songs on WØNDERLVND are really like my diary. I honestly just like went up to the microphone and just went for it. With the newer stuff I’m doing - I’m not going to 43

DESPAIN in WØNDERLVND (C0ntinued)

say it’s like not my diary still, but I am having more fun with it now. Music for the last four years has been the one thing where I need to sit and write because I felt like I was losing my mind. I’m starting to work with my friends and different producers now. I certainly have more fun with it, so the music kind of represents that now.

The video for Fine, I Guess is filmed all over LA including the Pershing Square Metro Station. What was that like to film all over LA, probably without a permit?

Yes, man and that was right when this whole pandemic thing started. I think like a week or two before we did that, but my film guy Nick Medina, he is a genius man. He will literally sit there; he will listen to a song and be like, “Alright, we are gonna go do it!” It is like the same thing with Chemicals. He just hit me up one night and was like, “Hey, do you want to do your video right now?” And I was like, “Yes sure.” And we just went for it. And with the Fine, I Guess video, going all over LA was exhilarating, Like whenever you’re just shooting without a permit and you’re just going for it, you’ve got the adrenaline going and you’re kind of nervous, but it was good.

Bad Things with Terrence Carter. Tell me about the song and then about the collaboration.

Bad Things is gonna be the first song off of my next EP which is a complete collaboration with Terrence. We have written six songs together and we’re going to put five of them out on this EP. Bad Things is more of our party song. You know, all of our songs are weird, because one minute we will be singing about being super sad and then the next minute we are having a good time partying. I stayed over at Terrence’s place after I went through some shit and we just started writing and that is just one of the songs that came out. He’s one of my best friends, so it’s really just us having a good time, and we try to put that through with our music. But at the same time, we both deal with a lot of depression and anxiety, so we are trying to also put that into these songs.

These songs are hard to describe because it is like they are fun, they are like hip-hop, alternative, emo rap, whatever - but at the end of the day it is really just our personalities coming out in these songs. And we worked with Munk, who is the bass player of Crown The Empire for this beat.

What has it been like releasing new music in the middle of a pandemic and all this social unrest going on in the world?

It is freaking weird. It is weird for me, because when I was doing pop punk music, people told me I was too political on stage and now seeing all these people who told me, “You are too political. No one’s going to take you seriously. You are going to drive fans away from you. You are now over the top political on every social media platform.” I see a lot of hypocrisy with it but you know, it is just people - they suck. But releasing new music right now has been awesome because I finally feel like I have something to push forward towards and to be excited about whereas before I felt like I was just in a very stagnant place. You know Chemicals dropped the day LA went on lockdown and that was not planned. That just kind of happened. But I feel like I am giving everybody the soundtrack to the end of the world.

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Here is a one and only Warped Tour question. To you what was the best and the worst part about being on the Warped Tour?

The best part was playing every day and being around the people you know. In 2017, I did two weeks on it and I was in a van with this reggae band from Vegas. One of the singers from the band - Trice - me and that dude, we really connected and really had a lot of moments. Same with Naja, the singer in that band. That was really the best part of Warped, because you really felt like you had a family when you’re out there.

But the worst part - by the end of it, it got really toxic. Just the wrong people got involved with it. I think a lot of the bands that came on at the last two years really kind of just took advantage of the platform. There was a lot of drama. At the end of it, it got really toxic unfortunately. I still love it.

You know, it still has a very fond place in my heart and if it ever comes back, I want to play it. But you know. It was what it was.

Is pop punk dead?

Yeah, pop punk is dead. There is a reason I am not doing pop punk anymore. The reason it’s dead is because there are like gatekeepers. There are a bunch of people who think that they run that scene and if you don’t work with them, they are not going to book you. You are not going to get on any tours, nothing. So it’s just unfortunately that whole scene and with the Me Too movement - that kind of shined a huge light on that scene. I think it’s a good genre and it was what it was.

But I think what people like myself - and then you have other artists like Iann Dior and Machine Gun Kelly right now that are taking a familiar sound like the pop punk sound and adding something new to it. And I think what people are doing now is probably better than anything a traditional pop punk band would put out right now. And the only reason I say that is because it’s not 2001, you know. We can’t just like play the same song 12 times and call it an album. It might get you so far but at the end of the day, you’ve got to push the genre and do something to make it better. And you know, I don’t even think pop punk is done or gone; it is just the traditional pop punk is dead. There is just a whole new scene coming up and a whole new style; that people, if they listen to it, it is very familiar but at the same time it is doing something completely different.

And what is up next for you?

Up next, I have The End Of The World EP with Terrence coming out. We are dropping Bad Things at the end of June.

I believe we have Lie To Me coming out in July and then I think the EP in August, but don’t take that as final. I don’t know exactly yet. And then after that I am already working on another project. It is either going to be WØNDERLVND 2 or War, I am working on two different albums right now.

So I don’t know which one I’m going to put out next, but I am working with a producer right and we went through the songs last night and he gave me all the notes, so we got a lot of music coming out this year. I’m just gonna keep doing that; keep pushing away and doing me.

www.instagram.com/xdespainx www.facebook.com/xdespainx July/August 2020

HIGHWIRE DAZE

From Willow Wisp to

Post Mortem Superstar Cryptic Innovations with

Tony F. Corpse and Krystal Fantom Interview by Ken Morton Tony F. Corpse is known for his creation of the epically underrated Willow Wisp - an avant-garde black metal gothic rock cult that has defied the mundane in Hollywood and beyond from 1987-2015. The enigmatic Mr. Corpse has been in a few bands since then, including Astrovamps, Salem’s Lott, and Black Heroin Gallery. And now along with Black Heroin Gallery co-conspirator Krystal Fantom, a new project has been unveiled. Out of the darkness arrives Post Mortem Superstar and judging by the two talents involved. expect a whole lot of imagination and intrigue!

In this interview with Highwire Daze, Tony F. Corpse places Willow Wisp into the coffin with a look back on their four full length manifestos. Krystal Fantom also lends his own cryptic observances as we find out more about the oncoming innovations of Post Mortem Superstar...

What was it like to be in a black metal / dark / eclectic band in the early 1990’s when a lot of Hollywood hadn’t really heard of that genre and hair metal reigned supreme?

Tony: It felt vindicating and invogorating. We were always eccentrics and that manifested in our compositions. Our bravery dictated experimentation. We may have looked Goth/Glam but our bewitching brew of odd tunes spoke otherwise.

When you look back on your Self-Titled demo from 1987, what do you think of it now?

Tony: Quite proud indeed, but for the longest time I was flustered with embarrassment. Reavaluating the demo over 30 years later, I find merit in our excitement at the time and realize our intent was pure and enthusiastic. Basically we were performing to our capabilities as young teenagers.

The Building Up And Breaking Down Of Matter was independently released by the band in 1997. What was it like to 46

independently release an album during that time?

Tony: This was our first attempt at incorporating electronica and more keyboard laden tapestries into the mix. At this stage, Willow Wisp was very inspired by NIN and The Cure as well as the burgeoning underground black metal movement. Lyrically it was more ambitious, delving into the July/August 2020

HIGHWIRE DAZE

mysteries of dying, the grieving process as well as social interaction gone astray and the human psyche. *Side note: The album was co-produced by Phil Lewis of L.A. Guns.

Delusions Of Grandeur: A Gathering Of Heretics was released by Full Moon Productions in 1999. What was it like working with Full Moon?

Tony: Full Moon was a cult label based in Florida. It held merit and underground prestige. Soon after we signed the dotted line in blood, all hell broke loose. This album caused divisions and prejudices within the black and death metal community. Many labeled us posers and false because we favored adorning ourselves in dresses and fishnet, but we also played very aggressively. This was another milestone and saw Willow Wisp becoming ever more brutal.

The album was advertised in all of the metal magazines of the time (Metal Maniacs, Pit, S.O.D., Kerrang, etc.) and sold approximately 4,000 copies. It most assuredly gained us a worldwide following. Tiny yet noteable.

Enmity in 2007 finds Willow Wisp eight years later on a new label Quadrivium.

What was that era of Willow Wisp like?

Tony: It was a time of duality. On one hand, our lineup was considerably lethal. Very, very tight and formidably rehearsed. On the other hand, certain members were dealing with substance abuse issues, causing divisions that ultimately proved fatal. Enmity is considered our “lost classic”. I believe only 300 copies were printed. Quite a shame considering the content is among some of our harshest yet most melodic and interesting compositions. *Interesting tidbit: This was the first Willow Wisp album featuring double bass drums. I was a late bloomer and didn’t start using them until 2003.

Antihuman Manifesto saw Willow Wisp on a new label BlastZone and with a new vocalist. That album now having it’s 10 year anniversary, what do you think of Antihuman Manifesto in retrospect compared to the other albums, EP’s and demos?

Tony: Antihuman Manifesto signaled the tail end of the Willow Wisp saga. It was the first album written and composed almost entirely by me. All of the lyrics, guitar riffs and drums as well as a few keyboard parts were laboriously created by me. Once again we upped the ante in the brutality department and for the first time began utilising C sharp tuning. Air Ick (Vocalist/Guitarist) whom co founded Willow Wisp with me in 1987 left the band a few years prior to the HIGHWIRE DAZE

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album’s release.

Do you still keep in touch with any of the Willow Wisp members and what are they up to today?

Tony: I still talk with Air ick and we are in discussions about a Willow Wisp history book chronicling our entire history from 1987 to the band’s demise in 2015. We may also collaborate on one final Willow Wisp album in the near future.

As for the orher members, I speak to a few of them periodically on Facebook.

Tell me about your brand new band Post Mortem Superstar and how did that come about?

Tony: Post Mortem Superstar had been in the gestation period for about two years until we finally felt we were prepared to play our first gig in San Diego in February 2020.

I had an arsenal of material I had been hording and Krystal expressed interest in investing in my new vision, thus Post Mortem Superstar was born. What’s interesting is that we are a two man band (me on drums/vocals and Krystal on guitar/vocals) Our sound is more streamlined and not so overtly eclectic. Very melodic and hook laden and the offerings more traditionally written. Yet, we’re still eccentric and mix in styles such as Post Punk, Soundtrack and 70’s Rock into our Black/Death/Thrash/Doom madness. Our album shall see the dreaded light of day in January 2021. We begin recording in September. (Turn the page for more P.M.S...)

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From Willow Wisp to Post Mortem Superstar (continued)

Krystal, how did you meet Tony and become involved with P.M.S.?

Krystal: Me and Tony were playing together in a separate project. That’s how I met him. After discovering he lived nearby we started meeting and writing songs together. We continued doing that until it evolved into Post Mortem Superstar.

How will Post Mortem Superstar compare to your other band Black Heroin Gallery?

Krystal: Me and Tony have diverse influences, especially Tony, but we have a lot of common interests and some similar views. That translates into our compositions a lot.

There’s definitely a prominent aspect of black metal interspersed with sections that sound alternative or post punk.

We are pretty experimental and eccentric, the same reason I love bands like Lifelover, Tribulation, or Forgotten Tomb.

Tony also brings a lot of influence which I have yet to take in, other kinds of metal and rock. To me, Black Heroin Gallery is like a genuine throwback to early deathrock, such as Virgin Prunes, The Mighty Sphincterr, Christian Death ect... Which I think is cool. That whole genre will always inspire me and be close to my heart. But I think with Post Mortem Superstar, we’re just taking in all of our influences when we compose.

Tell me about your YouTube channel...”

Krystal: My YouTube channel has been up for a few years now actually. I have always seen such platforms as a promising way to share music and related endeavors. I’ve really taken my time to figure out my process with making content but I’m pretty much there. I like to make some videos about collectibles I find... cult/horror related figurines and stuff or CDs and Vinyl. This is where I take a moment sometimes to highlight a local band, artist or magazine I’ve bought something from. Every other video I also upload footage from live shows I’ve played or just me playing something nice I’ve written on guitar.

What do you think of the current Los Angeles Music scene and how will P.MS fit into things?

Tony: We will fit in by not fitting in. We’re like a chameleon and adapt to our surroundings. The magic and diversity of our music will allow us a diverse audience. Anyone from a black/death metaller, goth, punk or even a standard rock fan will find some value within our morbid yet lovely omissions.

Plus, we have the novelty factor of a drummer/vocalist who also plays backwards double bass, tribal drums!

Krystal: It’s amazing, but it’s not easy. I could write a whole book about why I’m grateful to be a part of the music scene here. I think some of my greatest accomplishments so far have come from playing alongside bands I’ve always loved 48

or playing to some really interesting people that I’m glad I have met. But it can also be a labor of love, if you take my meaning. It seems like more than half of the populace in this area are talented and creative people with goals here. It takes a lot of work to make something which people will come out to see; something which they will take time to go check out.

There are a lot of great bands and other attractions in this area, all of the time. It’s all been worth it to me though and me and my fellows continue to out do ourselves, I think.

Future plans for Post Mortem Superstar?

Krystal: My plan is to always strive to write original, expressive music and play from my heart. I want to inspire people who love dark music, or any music. I picture folks out there who are like me, maybe a little darkly inclined, maybe going through something difficult. I hope people can hear P.M.S and feel encouraged, or maybe get inspired. I’m sure we’ll be able to release several unique albums and play some unforgettable shows.

Tony: To infiltrate those willing to be immersed in some grandiose and beautiful music. Anyone who favors brutality, melodicism, introspection and theatrically will adore PMS. The devil must get his due!

Post Mortem Superstar Facebook:

www.facebook.com/PostMortemSuperstar/

Krystal Fantom YouTube Page: www.youtube.com/channel/ UConyLLcKEQZ2bgZfzoSsgjw

Highwire Daze Radio at Live 365 Weekly Schedule Living After Midnight Classic Rock and Hair Metal 12 Midnight - 7AM PT Sunday - Saturday A Pop Punk Monday Mondays - 7AM - 12 Noon PT /6:00PM - 11PM PT Destination 80’s - New Wave 12 Noon - 2:00PM Monday - Friday Metalcore Madness 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Monday - Friday The Friday Night Bang Your Head Extravaganza Fridays - 6PM - 11PM PT Gazing Into The Black - Black Metal!!!

11:00 PM - Midnight Monday-Friday www.highwiredazeradio.net Streaming 24 Hours a day!

July/August 2020

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In The Situation Room with HüsBand

Interview by Ken Morton

HüsBand present their own highly imaginative brand of melodic pop rock with lyrics that possess a decidedly ironic bite. Based out of the Washington D.C. music scene, the band recently issued their album Situation Room upon this great big world. Fearlessly innovative and ready to tantalize your eardrums, HüsBand is a band well worth seeking an engagement with.

Highwire Daze recently caught up with HüsBand’s very own Michael Kerwin to find out a whole lot more about this dynamic collective.

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Hüsband and how long the band has been together.

I’m Michael Kerwin, and I sing, play bass, and write songs.

HüsBand started with Jonas Carnemark on guitars, Amit Chatterjie on keys and me about 14 years ago and our drummer Jim Sullivan joined us 8 years ago.

Where is the band based out of and what is the local music scene like there?

The band is based in Washington, DC. The scene here, like everywhere, is dead at the moment, but in normal times it is vibrant and inclusive with lots of venues. Fingers crossed they all survive.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the Situation Room title?

The Situation Room is the place in the White House where they discuss strategy in times of crisis. Our version is a closet full of sexless, headless mannequins.

Select two songs from the Situation Room and what inspired the lyrics.

Good Editor is based on the sense that there is way too much information in the world, so we need to stop wasting time on garbage. “oo Big to Fail was inspired by arrogant, self-absorbed slime, as currently personified by our president.

Who did the cover art for Situation Room and how much input did you have on it?

Michael Kerwin took the photo and Jonas Carnemark designed the artwork and layout. Complete artistic control!

What could one expect from a live Hüsband show?

Thrills, chills, and spills. And irony. Always irony.

If Hüsband could open up for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?

The Doors at the Whisky a Go-Go in 1967 because we 50

would be dressed well for once. Currently, I would say The New Pornographers, because they’re a great live band and somehow I think their audience would “get” us.

How did The NAMM Show go for you, and what were some of the highlights of NAMM weekend?

Jonas, who records and manages us and our stuff came back pumped with ideas on upping our game in the studio and our outreach. He was especially stoked to meet you and learn about your magazine at the Highwire Daze booth.

How has the pandemic affected your band, if at all. Were any shows cancelled?

Sadly, we have all been living in our own little worlds. Fortunately, the eight-foot bubbles should be installed in our studio KONSTmusik any day now.

How close is Hüsband to writing and recording a brand new album?

We had been in the early stages of pre-production for our second album before being rudely interrupted; given the Covid delays, hopefully we can get it out by early next year.

If the music of Hüsband was a donut, what kind would it be and why?

Glazed and confused. Because we are not filled with sweetness.

What’s up next for Hüsband?

Re-acquainting ourselves, finish our second album, Hollywood Bowl. Or Bethesda Bowl.

Any final words of wisdom?

Get registered, request an absentee ballot, and VOTE in November! Make America Sane Again!

www.husband.rocks/ www.facebook.com/HusBandRocks/ www.instagram.com/husbandrocks/ July/August 2020

HIGHWIRE DAZE

Friday Night Live with The Swansons Swansonville USA, July 10th, 2020

Review by Ken Morton Photo by Vic Mendoza of Vicscover Art The Swansons have opened for everyone from Missing Persons, The Motels, Gallagher, Cherrie Currie and even the legendary Wayne Newton! Consisting of husband and wife duo Joe & Angie Finley, The Swansons have garnered multiple awards for their albums Country This and BAM! Prior to these pandemic days, The Swansons would perform live nearly every weekend at clubs throughout Southern California, their concerts and supremely catchy tunes bringing smiles and joy to their audiences.

On Friday, March 20th, The Swansons were due to open for Joe Esposito at the Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip. With Covid-19 becoming even more rampant, Esposito would cancel, but The Swansons vowed to remain on the bill. And right before the date of the show, Los Angeles was placed on lockdown and all venues were closed throughout the entire state of California. Being firm believers in “The Show Must Go On” mantra and eager to keep us all entertained, Friday Night Live with The Swansons would be established, with the first episode airing on the night of their cancelled Whisky appearance. A few technical problems were experienced on that first live stream, but The Swansons placed their big hearts and memorable songs into the show, delivering the ultimate feel good performance when it was needed the most in a time of national crisis.

The Swansons have performed every Friday night at 7PM PT, streaming on Facebook Live ever since that fateful date With improved sounds and visuals, Friday Night Live with The Swansons has become a much appreciated and vastly entertaining extravaganza.

The latest show before our Highwire Daze deadline took place on July 10th, and what a fun and lively set Joe and Angie Finley delivered to help us forget about these otherwise dark and turbulent times. Opening with the two Swansons mascots Swany Swansons and DJ Dawg holding up signs 52

and waving, a few minutes of introduction and background music would follow - just to make sure y’all were in the right place.

Kicking off their set with a rousing rendition of I Can’t Wait from their Country This album, The Swansons launched into an hour of country pop rocking goodness.

Next up was No Pain from their recently unveiled BAM! release, a free-wheeling and wonderfully liberating tune that feels vibrantly refreshing.

Throughout the show, The Swansons would greet listeners live including Diane Adams from Diane & The Deductibles who happened to be watching. - as well as friends, family, and more!

There was also a contest running featuring a Secret Word from the previous week and a fishbowl full of prizes. After the swinging Push My Luck and the anthem-like refrains of BAM!, the Secret Word of “elephant” was revealed and a trip to the magic fishbowl would soon take place - and the unveiling of a new secret word for next week. A Swansons trivia questions was also issued with swag being sent out to a fan who knew the answer.

And the glorious selections kept on arriving including the super infectious Country This, the witty and wonderful Let’s Talk, and the swirling refrains of Let It Go. Closing their set was a countrified funky rendition of The Outsider - a brilliant grand finale song that surely remained with the listener long after the show left the Internet airwaves.

You can view all of the episodes of Friday Night Live with The Swansons by going to their Facebook page and checking out their video section. And be sure to buy some merch or leave a tip for this hard working, tremendously talented and resourceful duo!

theswansonsmusic.com/ www.facebook.com/theswansonsmusic/ July/August 2020

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The Guitar & Whisky Club The GWC Clubhouse Show, Episode 9, June 28, 2020 Review by Ken Morton In the midst of a worldwide pandemic, live shows have all but vanished in the Southern California area and beyond.

This however has not stopped our local bands from finding creative ways to stay in touch with their fans through the magic of the worldwide web. One of the most rocking shows from an up and coming band is the GWC Clubhouse Show, presented by LA’s own The Guitar And Whiskey Club.

Highwire Daze caught up with GWC Clubhouse Show Episode 9 just right before the deadline. Taking place every two weeks on Facebook and YouTube and hosted by The Guitar And Whisky Club guitarist and founder Jeff Donovan and vocalist Jennifer Wylde, the webcast also features appearances by the other band members as well as special guest interviews.

Opening the show with an acoustic rendition of the Bon Jovi classic Wanted Dead Or Alive, Jeff Donovan unveiled some exquisite and haunting guitar work while Jennifer Wylde performed with passion and conviction – both talented musicians taking an already familiar song and rendering it all their very own.

After the first selection, Jeff presented his three very distinct and awesome guitars – a 1991 Gibson Explorer, a Jackson Randy Rhodes model, and a Wylde Audio – and let the viewing audience decide which one to he would use for the final song. And the votes starting arrival as the show continued.

Up next was a very special video from one of their previous performances at the world famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip, where the band rocked the iconic venue with a raging cover of the Lita Ford classic Gotta Let Go. Ah, the memories of experiencing live shows at the Whisky – and what a treat it was to see the full band in action.

At this point, bassist Gail Sutton and guitarist Seen Robinson joined in on the broadcast while drummer Bob Sickels remained MIA due to technical difficulties. In the lively chat, the various members let the fans know what they were up to.

And this would include news of their very first band rehearsal in over three months that recently took place!

As a special bonus, a video from the band rehearsal was presented as The Guitar & Whiskey Club performed their dynamic original song We Don’t Care. Taking place at GailForce Studios owned by Gail Sutton, you could see the HIGHWIRE DAZE

July/August 2020

passion and enthusiasm of a band very excited to finally practice their art together again. Gail and the band made sure all the safety precautions of the day were taking place, including members of the band wearing some pretty nifty Guitar & Whisky Club masks.

At this point of the video, Wendy Terrell from Bandhoppers was supposed to be interviewed, but due to a technical issue, the interview needed to be rescheduled. Bandhoppers is a terrific supporter of the California music scene featuring interviews and live shows, and their website may be found here: https://bandhoppersnation.com/.

The winning guitar was announced - the Jackson Randy Rhodes model - and what the axe in tow, Jeff and Jennifer launched into a wickedly rocking original ditty entitled Widow Jane. What a sizzling selection this outstanding tune was, surely burning up the computer waves all across the world.

For the concluding toast, all members of the band was brought back via the WWW, including an appearance by drummer Bob Sickels at last. Wishing everyone a fun and safe 4th of July, it was a warm and glorious send off. There is so much heart and imagination placed within the GWC Clubhouse Show. With so many jamming originals and vibrant cover songs as well as input from the band and their audience, the good times found at The GWC Clubhouse Show are guaranteed to keep you rocking through these turbulent times!

Thanks to The Guitar & Whiskey Club for such the glorious music and inspiring company!

Check out all of their amazing GWC Clubhouse Show performances at https://guitarandwhiskeyclub.com/calendar.html under the “Past Shows” section.

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ALBUM REVIEWS

COOTER BROWN EP urgency. Silver Bullet is fired point blank at the listener through the smoky soundscapes and billowing reprieves.

Cooter Brown Then it’s time to take a trippy ride into the infernal Dust MBM Music LLC

Review by Ken Morton Photo by Lady Lea Photography

From the hard rocking church of all things Sabbath and Kyuss arrives the almighty Cooter Brown, darkening your doorstep and ready to rage! Spawned from the vast and varied Los Angeles music scene, Cooter Brown has just unleashed their Self-Titled debut EP via MBM Music LLC – and what a fiery slab of sludgy intensity this recording is! The EP contains five combustible anthems that will leave your ears ringing while craving a whole lot more of that Cooter Brown!

Kicking off the EP with the raging monster of a song known as Knucklebuster, Cooter Brown demonstrate at once that they mean some serious business when it all comes down to hard rocking your world. Burning then scorches through your soul with a face melting sense of 54

Bowl – you’ll want to reach for your favorite beverage as you traverse through this spiraling cut. And then closing out the Cooter Brown experience way too soon is the aptly titled Goodbye To Them, the grand finale magnificent and murky with its persuasive “leave the past behind” sentiments. Lyrics on this final track are courtesy of Alison “MetalBabe” Cohen!

The Cooter Brown lineup is absolutely first rate and on fire, featuring the participation of Robert Cruz on lead vocals, Grant Masson on guitar, Scottiey Kessler on bass, and Tom Oz on drums. Recorded at Clearlake Studios and mixed and mastered by the legendary Bill Metoyer (Armored Saint, Fates Warning, Flotsam and Jetsam), the Cooter Brown EP is one helluva kickass debut from a band we’ll be hearing more from above and beyond these pandemic days…

For more information: https://www.mbmmusicllc.com/the-mbm-musician-network/cooter-brown July/August 2020

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