INCLINATION Issue 7

ISSUE 7/JUNE 2010

Glam Rock Legends

LA GUNS ALSO FEATURING: ARTIST PATRICK SMITH, PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHILRYAN, AIDEN, DRAKE MEFESTTA & JON MAGNIFICENT

From the desk of…

Greetings!

So, here it is…the issue you’ve all been waiting for, my interview with LA Guns!! Cola and I went up to Penny Road Pub in Barrington, IL earlier this month to see them

Table Of Contents Pages 4-5 The Revolutionary Photography of Phil Ryan (cont. on back page) Page 6 Drugs, not immigration, the problem in arizona by Mike Paus

While Arizona is the hotbed of controversy amidst their

play, she took photos, and I asked the questions. It was a fantastic

recent measure on immigration, Mike Paus sees a different

show that left an impression on both of us, if you get the chance to

side to the conflict.

see them; do it!

Page 7 MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC By Lissy

We’ve also expanded to a Live Radio Show that we broadcast every

Pages 8-9 Artist PATRICK SMITH by Cola

Wednesday evening. Our first show was quite comical in that we lost internet and thus, control of the switchboard which meant that Cola and I had to keep on talking not really knowing if people were listening, but I’m glad to say we had a great response that night, so we knew we had to step it up a notch for our second show…anyway you can read all about in an editorial written by Cola right here in this issue. Make sure you tune in, call in, chat in the chat room, IM us on Facebook… whatever, we’d love your participation as we do

Page 10 TALES FROM THE ROADSIDE by eddie shafer Page 11 on the road… by Cola Pages 12-16 LA guns by Cola and Lissy

Glam rock legends L.A. Guns sit down with Cola and Lissy outside of their most recent Chicago appearance.

this for you.

Page 17 retro/active by brian ryder

As most of you already know, Cola and I are about to embark on

Pages 18-21 DRAKE MESEFTTA INTERVIEW by Lissy

what we call “The Great INCLINATION road trip” We’re traveling over 5000 miles to expose us and you to the western corners of the US, and we’ll be keeping you up to date along the way with video and audio blogs that you can find on our website. Fingers crossed no bears eat us.

As always everyone has worked hard to put together an issue we want you to love, so enjoy! We’ll be seeing you soon. Thank you and keep on spreading the love!

Pages 22-23 jon magnificent by shaz Page 24 SO YOU WANT TO START A RECORD LABEL

By Greg Klimczak Page 25 WHORE-A-SCOPES by cola Pages 26 WHEN GLAM KILLED THE VIRTUOSO

BY KEVIN BRANIGAN

Your Editor in Chief

Page 27 SAME OLD TEN WITH ANGEL AMORE

Lissy MacMillan

Page 28 DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME- BY COLA

www.inclinationonline.com www.myspace.com/inclinationwebzine http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-IL/ INCLINATION/173128635781 inclinationzine@gmail.com

Page 29 QUICK REVIEWS By Lissy Page 30 AIDEN AND STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO by cola Page 31 generation inclination by cola

Lissy MacMillian Editor-in-Chief and Founder

Cola

Creative Director Movie: Party Down Season 1 Book: The Betty And Veronica Chronicles Albums: Elliot Smith - Roman Candle

The New Pornographers - Together Place: Permanent Records

Brian Ryder

Graphical Wizardry & Editorial Associate Movie: Up In The Air Book: The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank - Garth Ennis Albums: Deftones - Diamond Eyes

The Decemberists - Picaresque Place: Alternate Reality, Chicago

Mike Paus Editorial Associate Ranting & Raving

Movie: Pirate Apocalypse Movie: Radio Now Book: Freakonomics The Wealth Of Nations - Adam Smith Book: Albums: Pearl The Crystal Albums: Jam - Vs.Method - Vegas Place: The Lonely Island -Park Incredibad Mickey’s, Tinley Place: 5th Avenue Apple Store, NYC

Shaz

Australian Correspondent No Picks For June.

Staff Picks

Movie: Blue Velvet Book: Rand McNally Albums: Band Of Horses - Infinite Arms

White Lies - To Lose My Life Place: Delilahs, Chicago

Drugs, Not Immigration, The Problem in Arizona

U

By Mike Paus

nless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of the new law in Arizona that was recently passed that allows for local police to start enforcing national immigration law.

Now this has raised all kinds of controversy, bringing condemnation and boycotts from across the United States. The bill’s most egregious point is the one that allows local law enforcement to research a suspect’s immigration status, even if they are being apprehended for something fairly minor like a traffic stop. If the accused don’t provide proof of their US citizenship or green card (“Papers! Please!”) the next stop is INS and a one way trip out of the country.

But what was the impetus for such a law being passed? Obviously, Mexicans coming across the border into Arizona is nothing new. Indeed, millions have crossed the border for decades with nary a fence to get in their way. Here’s what happened: A rancher was shot by an illegal alien, and when combined with a sheriff being killed by another illegal alien, not to mention the fact that Phoenix has become the kidnapping capital of the world, Arizonans became fed up. Tired of a federal government derelict in it’s constitutional duty of protecting the border, they passed some very questionable legislation where Arizona has taken it upon itself to start doing the job of Border Patrol and INS. Now, most Mexicans that emigrate to the United States are not violent. They just want a job, work hard, and send the extra money they have back to their families in Mexico.

However, there are Mexicans that cross that are members of drug cartels, and that’s where the problem starts. The Drug War has grown simply out of control along the Mexico/U.S. border, as rival drug gangs have sent the murder rate soaring with innocent people being caught in the middle. A major

part of the solution is of course simple: legalize drugs, and most of the crime goes away virtually overnight. As the drug supply goes up, the price will correspondingly drop, and there will be no incentives to deal with a shady drug dealer when you can get your marijuana or heroin at your local drug store. It’s simple economics people: the Law of Supply and Demand. If you make something illegal, like drugs, that people demand (and you’re never going to reduce demand for drugs, because, quite frankly, a lot of people are miserable and that’s not going to change) then there will be people, like drug dealers, that will fill that demand, and charge a premium for it, due to the dual nature of the limited supply and the risk involved with breaking the law.

Historical precedent is ample: When the evil that was alcohol prohibition descended upon this land, people didn’t stop drinking. They just turned to gangsters that kept producing the product, 18th Amendment be damned. The mob grew and places like Chicago became war zones as rival gangs got involved with turf wars over distribution. Not surprisingly, crime rates drastically fell with the repeal of alcohol prohibition, as the mob was starved of revenue from it’s most lucrative product. Repealing drug prohibition will be every bit as effective as repealing alcohol prohibition.

This is a nation of immigrants. They have come here from all over the world in search of freedom. Everyone in this country is either an immigrant or is descended from one (Yes, even “native” Americans came from Asia first). As a libertarian, it is my opinion that if an individual wants to come here and work, then we should extend every courtesy and let them in. Immigrants from Albert Einstein to Ayn Rand to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, among countless others, have made this country better than how they found it. If the problem is crime, as it is in Arizona, then deal with the issue causing the crime: drug prohibition.

Don’t punish the country by cutting it off from the people that make it work.

music music music By Lissy MacMillan quite

a

formidable

band

and

a

I hate referring to a band as ‘Female Fronted’ as it leads to so many stereotypical connotations and it generalizes and points out something that’s pretty trivial… do we refer to Metallica as a “Male Fronted Metal Band”? No, and I can hear you all saying, “that’s ridiculous!” as you’re reading this. But there are as many Women showing that they can kick-ass as much as any man when it comes to playing in, or fronting a band.

That can be said about Kryssie Ridolfi, the singer for Dead Man’s Wake, as she shows she can stand with and above any man on their new CD “It Comes To This” that was just released in March of this year. Accompanying her is JP Soule on Guitar, Josh Barker- Guitar, Troll playing the Bass and Kip Kiebles on the drums. Together they make CD you can really rock out and sing along to.

The songs all have catchy lyrics that get you singing along, and the heart pounding drums, guitars and bass all work together to create well- balanced melody that is both metal and rock. Album highlights for me are “Back to Blood”, a very radio ready song that has a lot of punch to it, “Running Behind” has some great guitar riffs, “Save me” has a great chorus and I totally dug the acoustic track at the end, “Homeless”.

No matter your music taste, this is a CD that’s easy to like and listen to. “It Comes To This” is available on CD and for download from their website www.deadmanswake.com and check out their show listing while you’re there too, they’re always playing shows in the Chicago area.

Last Call by Elliot Smith

Scissor Sisters

Kill Rock Stars

Invisible Light

killrockstars.com

www.myspace.com/ scissorsisters

Sunday Mornings are for relaxing and giving our eardrums a bit of a break after a weekend of partying. But that doesn’t mean you need to sit in a silent house…enjoy your coffee today to the delectable sounds of Elliot Smith and his song “Last Call” from his album Roman Candle. His soothing vocals along with the acoustic guitars will satisfy your auditory senses and welcome the day for you.

Elliot Smith gained popularity when his song Miss Misery was used for the soundtrack for Good Will Hunting but unfortunately left us at the young age of 34 in 2003. His albums From a Basement On The Hill and Roman Candle were re-released on April 6 after being remastered by Kill Rock Stars.

I admit to having not been the biggest fan of Scissor Sisters in the past but Invisible Light could be good enough to completely change my mind about them. The song reminds me of one of those disco remixes from the eighties by Pet Shop Boys or even Duran Duran in some places. I grew up in England though, so that vibe might not be the same for those of you that grew up in the US, although it seems to be gaining in popularity now. Invisible Light is from the Scissor Sister’s third studio album, “Night Work” due out June 28 on Polydor. I can’t wait!

Cola: Hi Patrick, tell our readers a little bit about what you do and who you are.

Patrick: I’m the creative director and owner of C2. We are a boutique creative group that develops brand identities, interactive experiences and advertising.

My background is in art direction and I’ve worked for a variety of ad agencies, interactive shops and design studios in Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. As far as who I am, I’m a workaholic.

Cola: What sort of educational background do you have?

Patrick: I have a Graphic Design degree from Illinois State University.

Cola: When did you decide that you wanted to get into your career?

Patrick: As a kid I was interested in photography and illustration but I never saw myself as an artist. When I went to college I still had no idea what I wanted to do. I was taking art history courses and I literally stumbled upon graphic design when I was talking to some other students in class. Once I was in that concentration I knew it was something I wanted to pursue as a career because it incorporated so many creative disciplines.

Cola: What kinds of things inspire you, where do your ideas come from?

Patrick: For me inspiration happens on a few levels. There are external day to day inspirations that typically are creative work in all forms that is emotional, well crafted and conceptual in some way. It can be something abstract as a song, as concrete as architecture or utilitarian as a piece of technology. When I’ve worked with

The Creative Mind of Chicago’s Own Patrick Smith Interview by Cola

painters or photographers in their studio to help them on projects, I’ve been inspired more on an interdependency level. There’s an exchange of ideas and constructive criticism that’s very motivating. Finally there is the internal inspiration that’s changes your perspective on everything, for me that usually happens when I travel abroad. I wish I had some kind of divine answer for where my ideas come from but I don’t. I do have a process for idea generation that’s part organic and part structured. If I shoot from the hip too often I don’t feel like I’m doing my due diligence for the work.

Cola: What is your ideal work environment?

Patrick: I spent a couple of soul destroying years in an environment that had a distorted idea of creativity and business. Looking back I can say it was a valuable experience because my BS meter is even more accurate.

Now I place an even higher premium on a working environment and team culture than I ever had before. For me an ideal work environment is anywhere I can work uninterrupted for an extended period of time and the people that I’m working with focus on creating best in class creative.

Cola: What kind of music do you enjoy?

Patrick: I grew up with 80’s metal and I still listen to a lot of guitar driven rock. iTunes has really changed the way I purchases because now I buy a lot of singles from musicians that I would of never bought before iTunes. I have a mix of everything from The Shazzbots to Lady GaGa to Passion Pit. Typically when I’m working I just put on an iTunes Jazz or Trance station and just let that play for a few hours at a time.

Cola: Who are some of your favorite contemporary artists?

Patrick: The work that John Maeda does is really innovative. He does an amazing job of integrating art, design and technology.

Bruce Mau is another designer that keeps expanding the traditional boundaries of art and design. Both Maeda and Mau are influencing our cultures through innovative design and big ideas.

Cola: You seem like the, “Have camera will travel” kind of guy, this leads me to assume that your trips around the country and the shots you’ve taken somehow affect your work, your concepts....am I correct in assuming this? Elaborate please.

Patrick: There was a time when I carried a camera with me but I’ve gotten away from that over the years. I typically photograph architecture and I have a backlog of projects that I told myself I have to complete before I start adding more images to my library.

In regards to the photography affecting my work I’m not sure that it has in a dramatic way but on occasion an image or two has found its way into my design work.

However I think being a designer has really influenced the way I take photos. Sometime I have to turn the designer part of my brain off when I’m taking photos because I get too focused on organizing a composition instead of trying to capture a moment.

Patrick: I was fortunate enough to be invited onto a pro bono project earlier this year with a group of really smart and talented people. My role was to develop a brand image for the program. The work we did resulted in a six figure grant to a local charity. I’m not sure it was my favorite assignment as of yet but I like the fact that it made a direct impact for a worthwhile cause.

Cola: Do you feel that you are growing with your experiences? How have you changed as an artist over the past 5 years?

Patrick: If you’re not growing you’re dead. Every project brings on it’s own unique challenges and problem solving opportunities. Some are small and others are large but there’s always something to learn. I think I’ve learned 2 things over the last 5 years that have really helped me. The first is to simplify almost everything I do.

Much earlier in my career my ideas were complicated and in all honestly not very well thought through at times. The second is to ask the right questions at the right time.

So much of what I do is about discovery and insight and if you don’t know how to ask the right questions it can be difficult to come up with anything interesting or fresh.

Cola: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? What are your hopes, dreams, desires, etc.?

Patrick: I started C2 late last year and it has been all consuming as we are getting off the ground. So much is happening organically for us and projecting towards 2015 is difficult but one of my goals five years from now is to have C2 evolve beyond a strategic Cola: What’s your favorite city to visit? and creative services company and into a Why? studio that develops original content. On a Patrick: New York. What can I say about personal level I’d really like to finish several New York that hasn’t been said? of the photography projects that I’ve started Cola:What has been your favorite assignment but haven’t made the time to finish. as of yet? Why? Cola: What’s on the agenda for you

currently?

Patrick: Right now we are involved with several branding and interactive projects across a variety of clients from banks to bands. We’ll be in a position in a few months to begin showcasing our work.

Cola: In your opinion, how does Chicago hold up against the rest of the country, as far as media, marketing and art in general?

Patrick: The creative industry has gone through some very dramatic changes in the last 10 years but that’s not unique to Chicago. Many of the larger creative agencies have been going through a down cycle but the good that has come out is it has lead to a variety of new shops popping up. We’re definitely in a transition phase and it might be a while before we come out of it. Chicago is always going to be an influence in the media, marketing and art culture but many other cities have caught up. Now you don’t have to go to a big city to big things. You can do big things on a laptop and a wi-fi connection, so that’s really leveled the playing field for other regions to be competitive.

Cola: Thanks so much for giving us all a glimpse into your creative mind. One last question....What do you feel that you have to offer to the world, what do you want to be remembered for?

Patrick: I feel like I’m just getting started and I plan on having a lot of productive years ahead. I hope I’m remembered for growing C2 into a creative shop that designs meaningful and sustainable communication. We have a long, long way to go.

Patrick Smith is fast becoming an icon in the Chicago design world. He has set the bar for creative entrepreneurs of our generation. Hard work, trial and error and of course being a creative idea factory have paved his way onto the road to success in the world of design and marketing. We can all learn from Patrick’s experiences and diligence. Coming from a background filled with art and music, and being surrounded by those who are of the like, has shaped this uniquely driven young man into who he is today; a persevering businessman and an artistically metro-savvy individual that stands out in a herd of “same”. You can visit Patrick and his partner’s website and experience all of their talent and creative endeavor samples at: www.C2-cc.com

As stated as Patrick Smith’s email signature: “Think Small. Dream Big.”

Written by Eddie L. Shafer

Episode one:

T

he year was 2003, and Phistine Verona was on their first East coast tour. Destination, Lower East side Manhattan, CBGB’s! All was in preparation for the nighttime excursion from our nonrocker dwellings at the Comfort Suites in Jersey City, N.J. As we ripped through the Holland tunnel full of adrenaline, we had three shows under out belt knowing that the next venue warranted a performance worth mentioning. Little did we know, we would talk about this in a unflattering way.

We came upon CBGB’S, the bastion of all raw and original Punk rock music; the place that gave life to the likes of Talking Heads, The Ramones, Blondie and other legends. We rolled out of the van feeling paranoid to this alien environment, and entered to the sounds of a young punk band tearing through their tightly honed set at a breakneck pace. All I could notice was this young female bass player in complete command of her instrument, echoing lyrics of call and response to her hyped lead singer!

She later told us how much she wanted to see the band from Chicago, but had to leave the club considering she was only sixteen!?

O.K. We’re in New York now! Needless to say, we had to bring our A game. The club had all of the attributes you would expect; worn walls and floors painted with stickers and graffiti, You could smell the history! After load-in we noticed another thing that was not part of the present, our guitarist’s gig bag! “Wait! Do you have it?” “No! I thought you brought it!” Blame was thrown at a rapid meter until one of us had the sense to realize we left the bag at our non-rocker dwellings in Jersey! Who really left it, will remain in question. Our drummer mentioned, that “since you’re the guitarists, you should hightail it back to Jersey and retrieve the bag.” Good point, I think. I volunteered to drive, feeling

confident my muscle memory would kick in, and our forgetful guitarist in question will ride side saddle. As we approached the car, forgetful guitarist number one was miffed and vented potential blame to your loyal driver. Really he was thinking out loud, and freaking at the possibility that we would miss our time slot at CBGB’s!

Off we go! Yes! This is the way to go.....

Wait. Not that street, this one. “Do you know where your going!?” “Of course, don’t you?” I said. “Dude, I have no idea where to go from here!” bellowed guitarist one. Sweet. Literally fifteen minutes go by and we are finally at the tunnel. Taxis rush us and own the streets making it all the more challenging to command my failing memory. It seems like a half hour goes by before we can compromise on the proper exit to get to the damned hotel. At last, here!!! Guitarist one rushes the hotel to come back successful with gig bag in hand.

“Nice try, now let me drive this time.” “You got it”, I say. We make it to the tunnel and it feels like we’ve hit hyperspace on the Starship enterprise! You could have sworn we’ve broken a sound barrier exiting the end of this too familiar tunnel. “Right! I think this was the turn, yeah! Right here.”

Wait! I remember this part. We need to take this right, guitarist one.” Suddenly, it’s the blind leading the blind, and now we are at each other’s throats. I wondered if it was possible that two friends had the potential to wrestle while driving at the same time.

Luckily, we never had to find out. OMG! We’re here!

Apparently, one lone angel had survived long enough to make the trip from Chicago to New York and guided our way to the club. That Angel, tired of this band’s bickering, bought a ticket back to Chicago and told us, in not so many words, “Fuck off, you can work this out on your own. I’m going back to the Midwest where Mayor Daley has at least 4 lives left.” Good luck,

you hacks.

Guitarist one and I smoldered silently and agreed not to talk about this embarrassing moment, and to simply get our shit together. We walked in with authority as we could feel the questions mounting from our rhythm section. They instinctively however, knew not to ask a fucking thing!

It seemed like an eternity before we fully set-up our own gear. “Stupid guitarists!”

I could hear all of them...all twelve of the audience members mentally purge my melon with this exclamation. Finally, we are ready. Shaken, like we’ve had way too much Puerto Rican coffee, agree that we are now ready to blow away what crowd was left to “Rawk!”

We did, sort of. P.V. Set it off to a brutal start, missing cues, botching up harmonies, and not feeling comfortable until the fourth song. Ironically, we had admirers from one of the night’s line up acts. Thank you “Secret Agent Bill” for your undaunted applause and support during our shortened set. You helped to create a chain reaction of interest into approval from audience to the soundmen alike!

As we finished, S.A.B. Slapped hands with this drenched and frazzled frontman, and proclaimed we were not the only Chicago band jamming in New York tonight.

“We rep Chicago also!” What a relief!

As we loaded out, our brothers in arms helped and joked with us about their own ominous adventures into the unknown. It is a right of passage only those of us on the road can illustrate. Not long after we left the building, employees of the world’s best known punk club, closed the gates and locked up! This would be known as witnessing a “New York minute.” As we bid all a good night, we mentally downloaded what exhausting misadventure took place, and looked forward to the next baptism that awaited us.

“On the Road” with INCLINATION – and we’re off…

B

y the time you all are reading this, Lissy and I will be on route to the great, pacific (northwest) coast.

Planning our departure at 6pm central stand time will allow us to drive through the night while in Wisconsin and west through Minnesota into South Dakota, where our first stop for rest and meals and sightseeing will be. Our initial landing in Keystone SD, otherwise known as that small town where Mount Rushmore can be found should prove to be eventful. We’ll be able to trek the black hills, see the badlands and deadwood, while catching killer live music right down the street from our motel. Since everything is cheap out there, in comparison to the evil Cook (Crooked) County taxed items, we’ll be sure to graze the shops for trinkets and I will most likely be passing out our cards and picking up even more stickers for my van. You can’t miss me on the road at this point, as the back of my vehicle is adorned with flair; representing Inclination and all the rockin’ support we’ve accumulated.

South Dakota can be quite tricky for visitors, as the roads are not at all like what we Chicagoans are used to.

My very trip out to Keystone, 3 years ago was quite the adventure. I had booked a cabin that nestled in the Black Hills, with an ideal panoramic view of Mt. Rushmore. I was so excited to be able to sit on my little wooded porch, have a couple ales and watch the sunset and rise over one of our countries’ most beloved landmarks. Little did I know the trouble I would get into navigating the streets, and the chaos that was about to ensue in doing so. To make a long story short, I found myself watching hours disappear as I hunted for an address that was seemingly impossible to locate. Driving up the side of a pig-tail (or corkscrew) mountain with no cell phone signal, in the rain, and running low on gas was not my idea of a peaceful stop. After I saw a cougar (Not like the tight pant wearing 40 something variety, we see at the rock shows) hop along side of my Chrysler PT Cruiser, is when I ultimately decided that it was time to give up and just swallow the $30 that I had spent on the cabin. It was time to just get a motel room.

Even with all the “vacationus interruptus” that had almost dropped my spirit, the room that I booked was comfy and situated on an adorable downtown Keystone strip, packed with shops, pubs and restaurants. This is where Lissy and I will have our first overnight break from driving. After cruising all night through 2 and ¾ states, it will be super wonderful to be able to take a load off and see the sights, ending the evening with great South Dakota home style meals and music to boot. As we plan to awaken early the next morning, to head off to Yellowstone Natl. Park, it will make for a nice reboot.

We’ll have much more to come, so be sure to check out our daily video blogs at the “Roadtrip/VideoBlog” tab on the website from the 1st-the 14th. We’ll be “On the Road” Inclination style!

Cheers,

Cola

LISSY GETS GLAM-TASTIC WITH LA GUNS Yes, officially there are two LA Guns. But for me there’ll always only be one; Phil Lewis’ with Steve Riley, Stacey Blades and Kenny Kweens.

Very rarely do you get to see such raw, accomplished musicians in the intimate surroundings that Penny Rd Pub had to offer that evening, and this didn’t pass me by at all.

Watching those guys up on that stage was better than porn, and I know I wasn’t the only woman thinking that, the girls in front were going completely crazy. Cola and I arrived in time to see the sound check, which in itself was great and I knew we were in for one hell of a night! I admit I was sad when it was over, because it was like the handful of us that were there got our own private show, but my interview was scheduled for right after so I was also very excited and seeing them play had me all pumped up and ready to go.

We all headed up to the Penny Road Pub’s roof beer garden, where despite the wind and dark, dark clouds rolling in, we thought

Lissy: …

Lumps of coal in your pockets, r i g h t ?

P h i l : shocking…I try not to think about it. Nah it was alright, it was it would be a nice location fun, it was to conduct the interview. We great. I caught the tail end of the got started after Phil Lewis swingin’ sixties, early seventies, told everyone to keep it down it was a good place to be. and shut up. Thank you, Phil!

Lissy: Cool, how was the Lissy: How old were you adjustment of moving when you first knew you from London to LA for you? wanted to be in a band?

Phil: It’s massive, ya know? Its Phil: 13 years old, I was coming really weird cause I just got on back from soccer practice and facebook and was writing to a I walked into the living room friend I haven’t seen since I lived and they had Top of the Pops on there and she was asking if I have telly and Alice Cooper was doing an American accent, cause I’m an “Schools Out” and I saw it and I never played soccer again in my life.

Lissy: Phil:

Football?

Football.

Lissy: What was it like for you growing up in London?

Phil: Ohhh it was very Dickensian you know, we had to walk up the hill to school, in the freezing rain, no shoes on our feet…

American nowI’ve been here longer than I was ever in England and she said “Oh do you speak with an American accent?” and no, I don’t, but aside from that I’m completely American now. But yeah it was a great adventure for me to just like get plucked out of London and to land in with these guys. We got a deal and we were off on the road, it was a great way to see America. I was the only English guy in the band, and the crew too, so it was just like, it was good, I enjoyed it a lot, but it was lonely at times as well, because wherever you’re from there’s a certain local humour that you get used to, a certain sarcasm and I miss that just a little bit, but these guys are sarcastic enough to make up for it. You know just missing the humour that you know and the people that you’ve known for a long time, but it was good.

Lissy: If you want some good English sarcastic humour, I can oblige.

Phil: No Doubt!

you know?

We still write.

Stacy: We’re a Rock N Roll band and Rock N Roll never really goes out of style.

Phil: We’ve got 14 and 15 year olds coming to our allages shows and they’re loving it you know? It did go away for a while, but it needed to.

Lissy: LA Guns has been around for over 20 years and the music scene has changed so much in that time, how is it, do you think you survived through the grunge scene and everything else?

Steve: Just keep playin ya know?

We’re a rock band and we just play all the time and travel all over the world. Everyone should expect music to change anyway, it goes in cycles and we were one of the fortunate bands to come out of it so we can keep working all the time.

Lissy: I think the glam movement is coming back, there’s a lot more new bands coming out now.

Steve: They’ll never have the big machines that we had.

Phil: No we’ll never be as big as we

Kenny: We’ve been a rock band from day one, and its gonna be a rock band till its over. That’s really what it is.

Phil: Yeah we never got tricky, we never got techno or tried to incorporate any other style of music. We’ve stayed contempory and “Tales from the Strip” is a real contempory record without jumping on any kind of technological b a n d w a g o n s or anything.

We’ve still got it,

were; we know that and its fine.

We’re doing great, doing what we love. Love what we do.

Lissy: Where are you most in your

element, on the stage or in the studio?

All: The stage!

Lissy: What are the key factors to a perfect live show?

Phil: Steve Riley.

Lissy: Its true, there are so many bands out there with original Stacy: Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, music that end up doing covers Nazareth, Motley… because they can get more money…gotta pay the bills!

Phil: got

We’ve two

Phil: Good sound, good c r o w d , good wine…

(Holds up his glass of red wine) generations in this Stacy: Cold Beer. band, we’ve got those guys Lissy: Cold Beer? (nodding towards (Laughs) Stacy and Kenny) and you’ve Phil: Guitars that stay in tune. got me and Steve that are more like the Black Sabbath, Humble Lissy: What is your favorite Pie, you know really super old song that you have recorded school. These guys are like the with LA Guns out of all of them? Aerosmith, and the Van Halen…

Kenny: That’s it.

Phil: That’s such a difficult question. It varies you know cause some rocker songs I really love and then there’s the ballad stuff and a few things that we tried to get a bit tricky with, not everything though, some things didn’t work out. But the thing about this band is that we’re really varied, we’re not like ACDC, we’re not a one trick pony. We follow bands like cheap trick and The Beatles you know, it was really important for us to be able to do different types of songs and different kinds of music and I love that about this band.

Lissy: listen

Who did to growing

you up?

Kenny: I really like Jet, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club…

Lissy: so

Why have you done many covers?

Phil: We get paid lots.

Lissy: You get more money? So that’s what it comes down to then is money?

Phil: Yeah yeah.

There’s great money in it. It’s not that we don’t have our own songs, it’s just there’s more money in doing covers.

Phil: We don’t do covers live in our set you know…When Stacy first joined the band we decided it was time for us to do a cover album of the songs that we all really like, but not all the obvious songs you know? We wanted to do something a little bit more obscure. So he came in and it was the first thing he did with us and it was a really good way to set up the machine that our producer Andy Johns and Bruce Witkin our engineer whose studio we recorded at…

We knew we wanted to just set it up and the cover record was kind of a trial run, before Tales and it worked out really good.

I don’t know if there’s such a thing as a record anymore, but we might go in and record a few songs. I can’t see us taking six months off and going in like Ratt just did, I don’t see that, it doesn’t make sense to take that kind of time off, it doesn’t make sense to put that kind of money into something y o u ’ r e n e ve r e v e r gonna make back.

Lissy: So maybe you could record a song, one at a time, put it up on iTunes as it’s completed…

and rock roll…

n you Phil: know, walking Right, around with your guitar a n d strapped to you… I don’t know. w h e n we have e n o u g h Stacy: yeah we always live like songs, maybe then we’ll compile it a rock star. We’re away from and put it on a CD. We have so many home so much that there are cover songs that we might as well everyday things that you have do a record, people might want to to do when you get home… buy them and they do.

But when we put it out there its obvious that its not an original album, that its covers.

Lissy: When you’re not touring, what’s a day in your life like? Do you always live the glam rock star life or is there a different side to you?

Lots

of

laughter.

Stacy: Wait, what was that?

Lissy: When you’re not touring do you always live like a rock star?

Stacy: Well what would that be?

Lissy: Partying, sex and drugs

m y motorbikes, my cats.

Lissy: What kind of motorbikes do you own?

Phil: BMW. Lissy:

Nice,

very

cool!

That’s all I’ve got. Thank you very much.

Phil: Great! Thanks.

The Show...

After the interview, everyone dispersed to get a bite to eat before the first band started to play. “My Morning Kenny: like shower.

Driver” is a bluesy classic rock band from the local area here.

Stacy: laundry.

What really stood out for me Lissy: get rid of the baby wipes… was the keyboard and when they started to play a couple of Doors Phil: Thank god for baby wipes. covers I was really impressed and Apart from Stacy, we’re not really the vocals really matched up well. like party animals you know?

When we’re not on the road, I don’t go out to shows unless its people that I know or something I’m really interested in, I’m not much of a party animal at all really. Stay at home; play with

Up next was my buddy Jeffrey Swanson and Bob Cozza’s band “Slam Bang”. These guys play high energy, original Rock N Roll tunes that really get you up and moving. They perform with an enthusiasm that makes it obvious they love what they do and want you to have as much of a great time as they are. Oh, and they also gave out free Jaeger shots!

When you see Slam Bang play you know it’s party time!!!

When I first saw “Vintage” up on stage I thought I had traveled back in time a few decades. Not only do they play all your favorite 70s tunes like “Runnin with the Devil” and “Carry on my Wayward Son”, but they also dress the part too. At this point of the evening, Penny Road Pub was pretty full and everyone was enjoying the show and singing along, they really warmed the crowd up well for LA Guns.

You could sense the tension building with anticipation while waiting for LA Guns. It always seems to take forever when you’re excited about the headlining band and tonight seemed more so than ever. Everyone was cramming up as far to the front of the stage as they could, women beating back other women and men as they fought to keep their prime spots they’d coveted all night long. Then finally, Phil Lewis, Steve Riley, Stacy Blades and Kenny Kweens took the stage… Wow the electricity was amazing! You could tell these guys were used to playing on

on massive stages and being on a small stage in an intimate venue didn’t prevent them from putting on an amazing show for everyone.

Brilliant musicians and sexy entertainers, each one of them; they had all the girls in the place drooling and the guys rocking out! I admit I have not seen anything like that in all the shows I’ve been to, it was quite an experience and one I will never forget. I’m smitten.

Set List:

No Mercy

Gypsy Soul Sex Action

Never Enough Over the Edge Wheels of fire

One Way Ticket

Some Lie For Love

Sleazy Come Easy Go

Hellraisersball/Showdown One More Reason Electric Gypsy

Ballad of Jayne Rip N Tear

++++++++++++++

Kiss My Love Goodbye,

I wanna Be Your Man

www.myspace.com/lagunsofficial

www.myspace.com/vintagebandchicago www.myspace.com/slambang www.myspace.com/thestationrb

Death seems to have reared it’s ugly head in the past month. From the current stars to the tragically forgotten, celebrities of varying degrees of notoriety have bid the world farewell in recent days and weeks. Though my aim is to avoid a complete round of doom and gloom this month, I am making this month’s theme as such.

By Brian Ryder After what can only be described as a valiant battle with cancer, Ronnie James Dio left the music world behind.

However, he did so leaving a vast catalog of music showcasing his brilliant vocals behind. While the genre he so proudly carried a banner for was occasionally the subject of mockery by the musically inept, few would deny Dio’s skills of vocalization at any point in his career.

Dio was best known for his solo recordings, but to me, his first of what would become three separate stints with the legendary Black Sabbath were amongst his finest. Following would could be argued as Sabbath’s weakest recordings, Ronnie James Dio stepped into Ozzy Osbourne’s shoes and delivered a Black Sabbath album for the ages. In a way almost no other bands are capable of, Sabbath reformed themselves and with Dio at the helm, they made themselves over for the then-new decade without tarnishing their past glory.

One listen to “Heaven And Hell” and one can see how big of an influence this version of Black Sabbath would have on the heavy metal forerunners of the 1980’s. With a small sidestep away from their doom-laden past, the Diofronted Sabbath would craft songs with a more driving and virtuoso-esque candor. Even with a newer musical vigor, Black Sabbath would still make use of their dirgier past in songs such as “Lonely Is The Word”. While his contributions were many, Dio’s best kept secret resides on this album.

As was stated in my first ever “You’re Breaking Up…What?” column (absent this month), I proclaimed to be “done” with zombie films. Well…yeah. Kind of.

In a way. Am I going to stop watching my copies of “Day Of The Dead” or “The Living Dead At Manchester Morgue”?

Ha! Not a chance. The interest is still there within me, but the current pop culturization of the undead has worn on me like a bad Fall Out Boy…well, anything.

However, the world of comic books, manga and graphic novelization seems to always have a better grasp on things of this nature. Marvel’s “Zombie” is a prime example.

At it’s heart, this is yet another tale of survivalism amidst an outbreak of the undead returning to life.

With Dennis Hopper’s very recent passing, many of his fans and admirers are pointing to his performances in films such as “Easy Rider” or “Blue Velvet”.

In more recent years, Dennis Hopper hasn’t been linked to many projects that will highlight his career (though I found “10th & Wolf ” to be a highly underrated film). For me, his short but oh-so memorable performance in the Tarantino-penned and Tony Scott directed “True Romance” was amongst his best work.

The scene is set inside of a dingy trailer inside of a Detroit railyard. Dennis Hopper squares off against the mafiaheavy played by Christopher Walken so right there, it’s a pairing of legend for movie buffs. The interplay between the two is electric from start to finish with words bouncing back and forth in such a way as only we would come to know Quentin Tarantino’s dialogue could in later years. Though the scene ends So, what makes on a low note, the riffing in between “Zombie” different is altogether sardonic and comical as than the rest? In both characters seem to ultimately short, nothing. This is your classic know where the other is headed at all zombie tale with no happy endings times. in the same tradition that George A. Romero began in rural Pennsylvania in For it’s time, “True 1968 with “Night Of The Living Dead”. Romance” could be described as a starWhat does set this apart from the studded event film. more popular zombie films that have Though some of it’s been made and released in recent years participants have is that it is not trying to be anything watched their career sag more than what it is. It isn’t trying to over time, it was then be so serious that it’s bleak without a collection of people also commenting on something close who would go on to be remembered to home, nor is it satirizing the entire for something great. Most of us never process. “Zombie” is equal to that of a remember who a person is until they great punk rock record: it’s simple, to- are already gone. I like to think that the-point, pulls no punches and leaves through the magic of film, Dennis the reader satisfied in the end.

Hopper will always be here.

By Lissy MacMillan Photos by SGL Entertainment

With his fair skin, dark hair and being an astonishing 6’10”, Drake Mefestta certainly looks like a Vampire. But what we think of this eternal legend is not necessarily how it really is, so I asked the questions that gave Drake the opportunity to set the record straight for us. Enjoy your inside look into the life of a Real Vampire…

I have been fascinated with Vampires for as long as I can remember… reading books and watching movies so this is a real privilege.

Now one thing I noticed is that you’re very approachable, not scary at all, are you going to suddenly turn mean and bite our necks?

DRAKE: One great misconception, for many the greatest of all misconceptions, is that vampires by nature are bloodthirsty savage animals, the quoted “hunters of the night” by definition. It is important to remember that anyone has the capacity for violence and that real vampires are not scribed to such acts of violence inherently because of being what we are. Vampires as a whole are quite peaceful and we give an abundance of care to the upholding of principles and virtues of propriety that we may always be seen in the best of intent as possible, this is defined all within “The Black Veil” our doctrine of laws and guidelines in order to maintain ever a high merit in our existence and exemplary image to both vampires and society alike.

How did you “become” a Vampire?

DRAKE: The actual moment is hard to pin point due to the gradualness in which the symptoms occurred over a rough three-year period beginning at the age of puberty at thirteen. The first notation was the feeling of discomfort in the stomach while simultaneously getting sicker and more uncomfortable on sunny days outside regardless of the weather temperature.I looked into the many reasons for such a thing none of which seemed logical. Incidentally I was lightly teased about being a vampire because of my eventual habits of staying inside more often and my attempts at speaking about my experiences and symptoms regarding my manifesting condition but at the time I paid no heed to it. When all my logical and rational attempts and finding relief seemed to fail, I proceeded to spend the next months feeling more and more discomfort and simply trying to bear through it while going to see doctors and finding nothing for the cause of migraines. I often took Advil almost every day as a feeble attempt to deal with a problem I knew deep down would simply increase in severity over time. After so long I was sitting at home with an old friend of mine just joking about my problems, it was then

for the hell of it I asked him what he would think if somehow that was the case, that the need for blood was to blame. We were still young, minds filled with wild and foolish concepts; out of simple curiosity we tried that alternative. Some of the members of my family were diabetics; they kept lancets used for pricking the finger to test themselves. The first feeding was only a very small amount. I drew the blood into my mouth and swallowed it. I felt a modest pain for about 10 minutes throughout the center of my body and then I felt perfectly fine after the discomfort was gone. About one month later the pain started yet again so we attempted again and again it was successful. I have dealt with life as such ever since. As years went on the intervals of feeding got closer and closer together and the amount grew after that time, as if a tolerance was building, as was the need for blood.

What’s it like being a vampire? Do you only come out at night and feed upon unsuspecting victims? How do people treat you when they find out?

DRAKE: Think of vampirism as any other life-changing affliction such as cancer or diabetes, you alter you life in necessity to manage your condition while simultaneously trying to retain the sense of a “normal life” as possible. Primarily yes I do take many walks at night during the summer when the air is warm and fragrant, I enjoy being outdoors and much as I am sure it would come as a surprise to many but, before my condition came about I was in the sun often and partook of many joys that to this day I still miss, those simple pleasures of a day on the beach that so many take for granted. Again, there is no feeding on unsuspecting victims, no stalking of prey and certainly no use of fangs. Any one who claims to do or enacts in reality such acts is no vampire and furthermore should be incarcerated, as he would be a danger to society as well as to the respectable image that we as true vampires strive so hard to uphold.

Revealing oneself is always a very sensitive matter, the unpredictability of the individual you tell,the negative stigmas already associated with vampires presently, the responsibility of the vampire to present it appropriately are all things to think on heavily before you decide to speak up. My experiences in reactions have varied from fear to intrigue primarily.

There are a few cases in which it was almost immediately excepted as if they were simply waiting for me to come out and acknowledge it to begin with. I think to date one of the greatest of conflicts I have endured are the few that looked at me initially as a sort of “vampire fantasy” their own personal count

Dracula, then to find out how close they were to the truth sent them on a path of denial, not wanting to believe how much unexpected the reality was that stood before them. I often wondered why it was that some people strive to find out the truth about vampires and then when it is presented to them they deny it because it does not coincide with what they wanted to believe vampires really were. They wanted the fantasy “immortal hunters of the night” the exotic creature of legend and yet here I stand a man simply wanting to live happily as can be with the cards I was dealt in life, which for some was not good enough and for those few I can mourn their ignorance.

Do you worry about diseases that are carried in blood, or are they not a problem for you because you’re immortal?

DRAKE: Feeding takes on the same risks as sexual contact, and in this the greatest of consideration and conscientiousness is put forth. Far from immortal, vampires have much weight upon them when it comes to feeding on blood. For myself I have one donor, she is tested as am I regularly for all diseases of the blood, we do not have alternative partners and if it were to come up as it has in the past that she desired to be in a relationship with a man, then our arrangement would be ended.

There are many regulations I have set to keep the health and the well being of my donors and myself in check and there is no straying of any kind, at any time, and for any reason from them. Disease in this day and age has become a grave issue on all fronts and because of this now more than ever formalities are carried out to ensure the healthiness of the blood of both is maintained.

A lot of what we believe is because of Bram Stoker’s Dracula- how much of that is total myth and how much is real?

DRAKE: The only apparent truths are the sensitivity to sunlight, which this does vary from individual to individual, and the need for blood as far as sanguine vampires are concerned. There are a few exceptional vampires that deal with the manipulation of energy as well as practices in the metaphysical, by this have achieved many astounding talents. Bear in mind that everyone in this world has the capacity to do wonders if they have the mind to do so and that the affliction of vampirism does not directly coincide with these talents of myth however, from personal experiences, many real vampires that I have met seem to have a greater capacity and tendency to be talented in such things though the affliction of vampirism itself is merely the condition and does not grant the entitlement

to being gifted in such ways.

How far back have Vampires been around?

DRAKE: I learned much of the history on vampires from the renowned author and friend Michelle Balenger, who had educated me only in recent past months on the history of vampires in society past and present.

There is a book entitled “Vampires Today”

by Joseph Laycock, which speaks of modern rumors that date back as far as the 70’s in London. The oldest recollection that has been recorded was in the early1800’s, which at the time lived a nobleman, named Lord Byron who died 1824. It was he who inspired the idea and concept of the affliction. Letters found from his girlfriend Carolyn hinted and allured to many symptoms of the affliction that we know today to be associated with vampirism as well as what he had done to cope with it. His many habits as well as the means by which he coped with his condition were told of and became an inspiration in fantasia.

What many do not know was it was Lord Byron who was first introduced as a satire vampire character named Lord Ruthven before 1820 which predates Dracula.

Are there covens of Vampires or do you exist in solitary?

DRAKE: There are what are called “houses” none of which I belong to. The vampire community is much like any other social structure containing “chapters” across America and Europe. Within vampires gather from across the country as a means to support one another, to share ideas and philosophies, and to further the progression of the community in a singular aspiration to promote understanding between society and the vampire community. I myself am not involved with any singular “house” because up until recently I had never even met another legitimate vampire. There are many of what are called “lifestyles” that portray the vampire image for personal reasons ranging from the need to escape life for a time to personal gratification. What ever the motivation, they provide a double edged sword, aiding to conceal the true vampires who act as average as anyone else but they also make it very difficult to make contact if you are one as I who sought out the answers of why, how, what do I do now, and found nothing but disappointments. Ironically there was a time when the condition became more and more apparent that I was as questioning as the rest of society and in this my only means of remedy was to live a solitary life, biding my time until I could gain personal understanding of myself and what I needed to do to survive

and eventually not just survive but live.

So, you’ve just done this documentary in Canada called “Real Vampires” for the History Channel…did you meet other vampires?

What’s it all about and how did it happen?

DRAKE: Sadly, I did not meet other vampires, the show, as I understand it will be featuring only myself and Michelle Balenger and our documented telling and display of how we live our lives with the affliction in our own respected ways. In this show viewers will see more than just my life as a vampire but also as a musician and artist. For the show I had written a piano piece as a dedication to my current and past donors, my personal thank you for their sacrifices by which have allowed me to maintain my health and existence. There will be interviews as well as filmed proceedings at a major event that was held in Canada. I was contacted by the producer of the show after Michelle Balenger was gracious enough to refer him to me, we spoke on the phone for over an hour after which he desired to proceed and bring me and my donor to Canada for the weekend, the experience was amazing and even now with this and all the future events coming up, it is hard to believe that this all came from revealing myself to the world, something I never would have conceived even less than a year ago from now of doing.

You’re also going to be in SGL Entertainment’s movie “Jezebeth”, how did you get involved in that?

DRAKE: Originally Damien Dante, the producer, had approached me for doing the artwork for the film. After seeing many of

my talents he proceeded to give me more and more projects related to the film. It was after our first meeting that he had proposed that I play a part in a cemetery scene in which I portrayed myself in a different context within the movie. I was playing me as if I had a younger sister who had died and my questioning of God’s will. All of this came about before anyone still knew what I was, I believe it was mainly my presence and build that made me so desirable to be casted in the movie.

Do you like playing a vampire in a movie or do you feel typecast?

DRAKE: In this movie I do not play a vampire but I suppose if a vampire role came about I would have to observe the elements of the character to know if I would feel comfortable taking on that role. Even I can admit that playing a vampire that could fly, lift up massive objects and throw them, and have blinding speed would be a fun experience as anyone would want to indulge in. In the end I would read the story as a whole and make my decision, like any great performer you have to want to live it and breath it, you have to want the role and be inspired by the story and characters alike, otherwise the performance will be a hollow one at that in my opinion. The last deciding factor would involve my feelings on whether or not my portrayal of this vampire would put forth the right message, that is always my greatest consideration.

Who is your favorite fictional vampire? I’m totally in love with Anne Rice’s Vampires myself.

DRAKE: There is a reason Ann Rice’s vampires are loved and that is because they are well written. Her characters are all enjoyable to experience because they bear the very humanistic qualities put into a vampire context. Children who only want to play, father figure types, mentorship, family fights, and all within the realm of the vampire. I enjoyed that they dressed them in other colors but black, I felt many of the same frustrations as the characters did and their constant clashing of viewpoints on what they were and their purpose in life was a much welcomed relief to the whole “I am a vampire, I drink blood, sleep in a coffin, and kill everyone and that is all I am.” Personally I am a fan of many vampire characters and even have a little game of sorts I play whenever a new book, show, or movie comes out about vampires. I watch some of it and see how close they come to depicting what a real vampire is, so far

from the little I have seen when taking into consideration personalities of the characters, quirks, and social interactions between vampire to vampire and vampires to society, “True Blood” is in the lead but still a long cry from the truth, however it is entertainment and fiction, hopefully people keep that separation in mind.

Talking of Anne Rice… Remember when Lestat became a Rock Star and was spilling the beans on all their secrets in his songs? Do you worry that your documentary might make other Vampires angry?

DRAKE: One cannot say for sure although it needed very much to happen. So far from the few that have gotten wind of it, they have been very supportive. I have a unique situation because what many do not know is, your doctors, lawyers, dentists; your respected businessmen are vampires. Because of this they have careers, they have families, and lives to consider. They needed that voice of reason which I provided in this show to be heard but could not do it themselves due to the risk of losing their jobs and families by going on camera in front of the world and speaking about all the things I had. Yes I am sure many vampires out there don’t wish for any revelation to come, they were content with people’s ignorance as it helps them to survive easier if they are in a suite walking down the street as normal looking as can be and society only knows a vampire to walk around in a cape. For the most part I believe in what I am doing, I am giving the truth, which up until now, even I when I watched these shows on vampires never saw. It was not their fault; they had to make due with what they had and what they had were individuals living the lifestyle. I feel a great responsibility to give that truth that both members of society and vampires out there that had no one to turn to, like me, could see and through which find a little solace in knowing there are responsible ones to speak up and speak with articulation and reassurance that through me doing shows as this they would find their answers they and I were searching for so long to find and coming up disappointed.

You’re also a musician. You’ve been in some pretty awesome Chicago bands…what do you play and what bands were you in?

DRAKE:I play the piano/keyboard and sing.

I have had the honor of playing in the band Earthen which is folk metal based, Slauter Xstroyers composing a few symphonic tracks to old and new music and my own band DiAmorte’ a gothic, symphonic metal and opera based band. I had a yearlong position

as the keyboardist in DSG but left in the fall of 2009 for professional and personal reasons and haven’t looked back. I have also had the pleasure of sharing the stage with such bands as Marazene,URN,Doro,Deadstar Assembly, Finntroll, Eluvietieie, Mushroomhead, etc.

Tell me more about your piano playing. What kinds of things inspire you?

DRAKE: What inspires most composers, personal experiences. As I had only recently revealed, the songs in my DiAmorte’ album “Prelude to Shadow” which should be finished this fall were a satire of my life with my affliction and those who shared in it over the years both knowing and unknowing. My life inspired my poetry and art and through those I wrote. Being that I was condemned to spend most of my day in doors, I found comfort in the piano and practiced fervently.

Almost every song of mine has an art piece and poetry along with it for every song was a vision, a dream, an idea and in my opinion, these profound images could not be expressed through one sole media but collectively though three.

What else do you do for fun?

DRAKE:I do many things that most would expect and not expect out of me: horse back riding and extreme physical challenges like rock climbing and long distance running. I enjoy being out in the wild and strive to do so as much as possible, I enjoy camping in the forests of Michigan where you build your fire, make your shelter, and find your food. I enjoy survival hiking, it makes me feel far more attuned with the natural balance of things and helps me escape, realign, and return to a very busy life rejuvenated. I wear heavy clothes to protect my skin, a large leather hat, and an abundance of SPF 70 but as fortune would have it, many days are overcast and rainy, the trees above also are wonderful for shelter from the sun.

I know this was a few years back now, but you played at “Gothicfest 2005” What band did you play that with and who else was there?

DRAKE: 2005, yes that was sometime ago. That was when DiAmorte’ was still in its infantile stage and was self titled under my name. Before DiAmorte’ as it is now, it went through stages of progression being simply “Drake”. At that time there were no drums but symphonic and guitars, I was making a transition from strict symphonic arrangements to having a full band but at the time had not yet decided how I wished to approach it. I played with many friends that year “Withering Soul” “Slave Driver” and the

old lineup of “Rosenguard” which the former singer Giampaul now currently singers clean mid and high range vocals for DiAmorte’ and Earthen.

Have you always lived in Chicago? I thought I detected a little bit of an accent.

DRAKE: Yes, I lived always in Chicago, my subtle accent can be attributed family and friends that came from Italy and Europe though I think there is not that stark of a difference between my voice and anyone else, many would describe my voice as not so much accented but deep and resonating however is more often the claim.

For those people wishing to be Vampires, do you have any advice for them?

DRAKE: You cannot become a vampire, you don’t want to be a real vampire, be grateful for what you are. I will say this; no other affliction has ever been so romanticized as the vampire affliction. We do not write fantasy love novels and movies about people with cancer or any life debilitating disease but society sees what it will. What has bothered me for so long was that it seems fine for someone to claim to be a vampire and no one gets offended but, if you were to have someone that claimed to be in a wheelchair, go on TV and talk about the trial and tribulations of how hard life is, tell people for he’s crippled for years so he gets sympathy and validation for his courage and after so many years tell everyone he is really not crippled even though he spoke for others in wheelchairs on how hard all of our lives have been, society would be in an outrage and it would be covered on all corners of the earth.

How then can someone who is not a vampire claim to be that in order to gain fulfillment, go on television and talk about nonsense they never have been through while ones like me are forced to sit and watch, tell me then how there is such a great difference in severity between the two injustices. I ponder upon is why one would feel the need to be a vampire in order to validate their significance. One can be human and still have the presence, the mystique; everything they desire without the claim of vampirism but it is easier to attain that gratification.

My last advice I could tell anyone who wants to be a vampire or already claims to be, there is much responsibility that you know not of, your claims hold a great weight to them, tread carefully and be glad that you can still go out on a nice sunny day and enjoy it carefree with your friends.

What do you like the best about being a Vampire?

DRAKE: If truth be told, I don’t contemplate on myself as a vampire nor do I get any more elation out of being a vampire as anyone else would from being anything else. I live life and enjoy it for what its worth. However if there must be something, it is that I am a humble and grateful individual who is thankful more now than ever for the things I have, I may have lost my days in the sun a long time ago, it may still burden me when I am forced to be out in it but it reminds me of what others do not see and that we need to always be grateful for what we have for it may someday unexpectedly get taken away.

Is there something you still have not done that you wish to do?

DRAKE: There is always something for I am never satisfied but still grateful for where I am now in life.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

DRAKE: My name is Drake Mefestta, I am a musician, a poet, a writer, performer and composer, a loving mentor. I am all of these things and more and I have to survive with this affliction lastly. No one has ever defined themselves as someone with cancer, someone with diabetes for that is not who they are, they have names, hopes and dreams as anyone else would and they demand respect not sympathy. It is because of that that I never wished to be known as “Drake The Vampire” for I see myself as so much more as I hope that all that know me will as well. www.myspace.com/drakemefestta www.gothicfest.com/sglentertainment/ drake.htm

Interview by Shaz It’s not time-travel, but he hopes to make history. LOS ANGELES, California, May 15, 2010 -- It is dirigibles, time travel, inventions and gadgets, gears and timepieces along with a style of fashion that borrows heavily from the Edwardian and Victorian eras. “Steampunk music is music made by steampunks,” explains Jon Magnificent, “My own music is much easier classified as rock, but the look, presentation and the dimension it comes from is steampunk. There are as manytypes of Steampunk music as there are Steampunk gadgets andways to wear the clothes. I invent other-worldly Steampunk gadgets for our shows, but my musical forte has always beenrock and pop with dramatic orchestral elements.” Award-winning recording artist Jon Magnificent has recently been chosen to perform at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in a judged, qualifying round for the 20th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards. It is an ‘American Idol’ type of process which eliminates the “not yet ready” and forwards those with the strongest talent to the main voting event held in October each year. Last October at an LA Music Awards showcase, the shows producer, Al Bowman announced, “This is such a great album, that I’m proud to say that our first nominee for 2010, for Rock Single [of the Year] for his song ‘Proud To Be an American’ and for Rock Album [of the Year] for ‘ You Won’t Believe This’…Jon Magnificent.”

Shaz: Firstly, could you Please Introduce Yourself?

Jon Magnificent: Per my mentor, I must say, ‘I am the award-winning, Steampunk recording artist, Jon Magnificent’, and since my mentor knows what he is talking about, I dutifully comply.

Shaz: What is your Musical background...(Who are you? Tell your story.)

J.M: I’ve been making music and wanting to make music my entire life. When I was 5, I came home from kindergarten with a drawing that my teacher asked each student in the class to make. It was a drawing of “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Well, I wanted to be a musician...but my vision of this was not of being in a rock band. My 5-year-old mind saw me as a conductor of a large orchestra. I got as far as drawing a man in a black tuxedo with tails holding a baton. Time was almost up and I didn’t know how to draw the orchestra players and their instruments, so I put a top hat on the conductor and drew squiggles where the orchestra should be. Now, if you can envision what this looked like, you can see why it is that when I brought it home and my mom asked what it was... and I couldn’t really say the word “musician” properly...that I received magic sets for my next few birthdays and Christmases.

I was writing poetry at age 8 and at 10 got an acoustic guitar that was previously an anniversary present from mom to dad - and since he was a university-bred electrical design engineer working on missile guidance systems, his love was mathematics and not music. He was never going to play it. I got the guitar instead. Dad was a good tinkerer, though, and encouraged my love of taking things apart and inventing. I’d take apart reel-to-reel players that

I’d find at neighborhood garage sales and turn them in to amplifiers and a makeshift PA. I found that speakers from headphones could be used as pickups for my guitar and microphones for my voice. I even made mic stands out of anything I could find. I created my own colorcrayon system of music notation to remember my songs at that age. When my dad saw the mess that I made of the guitar with all of the crayon colors, he offered to buy me some guitar lessons if I cleaned up the guitar. I took lessons through the local Parks & Recreation department once a week for a few months and learned my basics. From there, I taught myself by watching others and figuring out things and practicing for sometimes 12 hours a day. I now play over 20 instruments and I’m a trained singer. I trained with a fantastic lady who was not only a vocal coach but had a PhD in physiology.

Shaz: Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?

J.M: I’ve performed at venues ranging from Stadiums to bedrooms. Even a dining room to earn a steak supper once. There is no such thing as too intimate or too many people. If we can communicate with each other, magick will happen. My least favorite venues are those that have tiny stages, nasty hosts and jealous operators who, if you are a better act than their own band, they cut you off and treat you rude.

I have a show at The Whisky A Go Go on June 23rd. It is a showcase performance for the 20th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards. The LA Music Awards is a great organization. The show’s producer Al Bowman should be one of the most-loved guys in the music scene. Every year they look for and spotlight the best of

the best of new artists and award them with a recognition for their talent that can help the artist open some doors they may not have been able to even approach before. It has now been going for 20 years! It’s the most prestigious award for a new musician to win. As you might guess, I am proud to be recognized again this year.

Shaz: What genre of music do you consider your work to be and who are your major influences?

J.M: My music is rock and pop with a Steampunk aesthetic and attitude. My influences are mostly based on 70s classic rock: Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Queen and The Beatles.

Anything that was magical and moved me became an influence. Sammy Hagar’s Danger Zone album was a favorite. Van Halen’s Fair Warning and Van Halen II, Tom Petty’s Hard Promises, Jackson Browne’s Hold Out , Dire Straits’ Making Movies, Third Eye Blind’s debut, Styx’s Grand Illusion, Pieces Of Eight, Cornerstone, Paradise Theatre albums, Bruce Springsteen’s The River, The Clash’s Sandinista and London Calling albums and Pete Townsend’s Empty Glass were likewise favorites. Rush albums.

Many singles, too, from artists ranging from Ambrosia to Peaches & Herb to Grand Funk Railroad. I also enjoy the “hits” of Beethoven, Wagner, Holst and Mozart. Those are my major influences.

Shaz: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music?

J.M: People can understand my music better.

That’s really the biggest part of how my music has evolved! (laughs!) I have ideas that I can sense emotionally, and I try to convey those in my music. With better skill and better equipment

as well as lots of practice, sometimes people feel exactly what I am communicating with my music. At least, that’s the intention. Sometimes an early song just needs a better recording for people to enjoy it more now. Like my song “Baby!”which was written MANY years ago, was newly recorded on my new album “You Won’t Believe This.” That song was on the GRAMMY ballot last year in two categories: Best Rock Song and Best Rock Solo Vocal Performance.

Same song. But communicated in a different way, better way.

Shaz: I love your Tunes. What inspired the music for them?

J.M: Thank you! (Tips his hat) Each song has a different inspiration. Ultimately, it is that some idea or situation fired me up enough to want to describe it for others. “Baby!” was just a song about trying to win a girl I was infatuated with.

“Lust and A Dance Floor” was a silly accident of combining a blues song I had just written with some synthesizer and beat experiments.

“You Won’t Believe This” and its introduction “Overture” have a longer story. The original guitar riff came from a day when I was 14 and my mom had just told all of us kids that dad had passed away during the night at the hospital, losing his battle to cancer. I was at a friend’s house at the time and my friend’s father owned a very nice guitar. I asked if I could borrow it and went to the back of the house and strummed it until I found some chords that made me feel better. Later that hour, I gave the guitar back, life went on and I forgot about the haunting chords until one night just a couple years ago while I was working on music for my next album. Suddenly, I remembered the chords and quickly recorded them and fleshed out the remainder of the song over the next week. Once the song was done, I knew I had a great one for the album. Similar to the song I wrote this month (May) titled “When I Come Down.” It’s a great one, too. “Proud To Be n American” was written as a song of political discontent. It’s a huge rocker. And “U Ready 2 Ride?” was once titled “Pink Torpedo” and originally titled “My Libido” -- so you can guess, yourself, what that one is all about...

Shaz: Who handles your daily business activities? (Bookings, promotions etc.)

J.M: Very close trusted friends and myself handle my daily stuff. It’s very, very important to thoroughly check out and know who is helping you, because as an artist, one communicates with and has an influence on many, many people. If someone louses that communication up between me and my fans, or me and my music-business contacts, I am the only one to blame and it is my career that has a new setback to overcome or flap to straighten out. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way and twice I’ve had to re-organize and start from scratch. I hope this saves other artists that trouble.

Shaz: What are your long-term career goals?

J.M: I think artists such as Beethoven and Mozart set high marks for longevity of enjoyment of their art. I want to out-do that, in the long-term. In the short term, there are records set by more modern artists and I’d

like to best those. The only way to do this is to write songs that more people find more meaningful and applicable to their lives and to make these songs well known. I always aim for making better music than I ever did before, with each new song. I eliminate a lot of ideas that aren’t good enough to me. Sometimes these are recorded and shelved, but most of the time discarded before I get to that step. I like to aim high, because it gives me motivation to create something truly great. No one can tell someone how high they can aim, and what fool would listen to someone else’s ides of limitations, anyway? Aim for the stars and beyond. Why not?

Shaz: Do you have Any Major tour Plans?

J.M: Lots of plans. Invitations to play in other countries! But they are still in the planning stage. Need some interested investors and/ or partners to make it happen as big as it really should for a proper Jon Magnificent presentation / concert / performance.

Shaz: If you could tour with another band who would that be and why?

J.M: I think Trevor (Fraisse, bass) or Eric (Dudinsky, drums) could answer that question better than I could. So many of my favorite bands have had members pass away... I think a tour with U2 would be great, the audience would enjoy both of our shows. For me, I’d tour with just about anyone, I’m open to suggestions.

Shaz: How Big a part has The Internet Played In promoting you as an artist and getting your music Out there?

J.M: The internet has played a huge part in my promotion and marketing. Whereas nothing beats going out and playing for people, in order to get better at performing music, the internet has allowed me to connect with people all over the world who would never have been to the shows. Then they in turn, introduce me to their friends who are not only local to them, but also all over the world. I was lucky.

The fundamentals are still the same as in face-to-face relationships. Treat people with kindness and appreciate them for who they are; communicate clearly and try to not be too clever that the intention gets lost in what one is communicating. It’s better to be clear and concise than it is to impress. My fans are all over the world. And I like that, I love my fans.

Shaz: Could you tell everyone where they can go to get a hold of your music and check on you to see where and when you’re doing your gigs?

J.M: www.JonMagnificent.com. My official website is the best place to find me, I send out a surprise to my email list every week, so if you like surprises, A SURPRISE will ARRIVE in your INBOX very soon -- IF you are ON the Official Email List! The surprise is my music - and each week is a different one, with a bit of a history or the story behind how it was made or what influenced it. I like to keep my emails very fun and far beyond the norm and I like to interact as much as I can.

Shaz: You have been nominated for some wicked Awards...could you tell us what and where and how that has changed what you do?

J.M: In 2008 I was awarded ORCHESTRAL COMPOSER of the YEAR and I was one of five nominees for MALE SONGERSONGWRITER of the YEAR. This was at the 18th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards.

Awards and credits can open doors that were closed before and get an artist attention where none was given before, IF one actually communicates about the award to people who matter. The bigwigs won’t likely go looking for the artists and find them. It just doesn’t work like that. So for me, I mentioned my award where I wanted attention and I got it. I got representation, which led to being included on the GRAMMY ballot in 2009. I was also given a complimentary Steinway Piano program that is stunningly gorgeous from Gary Garritan who makes the Garritan Personal Orchestra that I used to make the compositions that won my award. In 2009 I was included on the GRAMMY ballot beside Prince, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, and many others for Best Rock Solo Vocal Performance for my song ‘BABY!’ That same song was also listed as Best Rock Song on the same Grammy ballot. It was and still is amazing to see that in print. This year, I am nominated for ROCK ALBUM of the YEAR for my new album You Won’t Believe This as well as ROCK SINGLE of the YEAR for my song Proud To Be n American at the 20th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards to be held on the Paramount lot in November.

The awards make me want to push myself to make even better music. Music is what I do, so an award or recognition, no matter how great, no matter how prestigious, is not going to make me say “Ok. That’s it! I’ve done it. I’m done now.” Won’t happen. I love the challenge to create something better too much to ever give it up.

Shaz: Is there anything you would like to add, for your fans?

J.M: Yes! To my fans: I love you! And I hope you’ll spread the love. Because love is what allows us to trust.

Shaz: Thank you so much Jon Magnificent for this Chance to get the Low down on you and what you do best....ROCK! J.M: Thank you. It is a pleasure for me!

If you ever wake up one morning and think, “I have way too much money and way too few gray hairs,” I have a suggestion: start a record label. That’s what I did in the winter of 2008 when I started Ten24 Records. As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be in a band signed on a record label.

Then a friend of mine got signed with his band and I thought it had to be the coolest thing in the world. I asked him what it was like -- did he get big royalty checks, are they planning a world tour, have you met this artist or that artist that’s signed on the label too? The answers were very disappointing, “I get a check every three months or so for a few dollars, we are planning our own national tour, and I’ve really only talked to our A&R guy twice.”

soliciting for artists; I received over one hundred responses the first week.

Fast forward a few years and I’m sitting in my band room, talking with the band about planning our next record and what labels we should solicit, when I had the same bright idea I think every other musician sitting in my spot has: I’ll just start my own label!

Music is my one true love; from the moment I played my first show in a grammar school library I knew that music was what I wanted to do. Then fourteen years later, three cities, more bands than I can count, and several stylistic changes I was still sitting in the same band room doing the same things. Now was the perfect time to do something different and something I could have true passion for -- Ten24 Records was the result. I had been laid off from my previous position as a Regional Manager for a sales organization and I reckoned if I could run someone else’s business then I could run my own. I had been in sales and management for ten years and had always wanted to own my own business and since no one was hiring me at the time, I hired myself. Now, almost two years later we support two bands, Eleven Dollar Life, a dynamic and energetic funk rock band with a huge indie appeal, and Kaserne, a hardrock band with the kind of moody power tunes of a radio hitmaker, but getting from there to here wasn’t as easy as I thought.

Going to shows has to be best part of the job. What other job allows you to hang out in some great clubs and venues, enjoy adult beverages, see live music, and hang out with some very talented musicians? In my opinion, a band’s live show makes or

A few tips for bands that are soliciting labels: MySpace is a great place to showcase your music to your fans, but not to labels -- the sound quality is poor at best. Include a little bit about yourself -- there is more to a band than its music.

If you have a story, tell it. Make sure you are ready to solicit labels; just because your girlfriend thinks you’re a rock star, it doesn’t mean anyone else will. And be open to criticism; there were a few bands that I emailed back with some comments -- no one emailed me back to ask why.

The Fun Part

As Long As We Could just about sums it up. Recording schedules, day jobs, line-up changes, funding challenges, and studio issues make what you anticipate to be a three-month project into an eighteenmonth project. Kaserne starting recording their EP in February of 2008 and finished tracking in May 2010, with mixing and mastering still to go before the release.

Nothing goes according to schedule, so be prepared, and more importantly, keep the artists prepared. Bands can disappear when they feel they aren’t at the point they should be, but they aren’t always aware of what happens behind the scenes to get that record in their hands.

What Worked in the Past Won’t Always Work in the Future The music industry is undergoing a revolution, and when the dust settles, those that embrace technology and cater to the changing ways in which consumers find, buy, and listen to music will still be standing.

W h e n people ask where they can buy our records, I list off all of the popular online

so you want to start a record label?

By Greg Klimczak

A&R: Simultaneously the Most Frustrating and Fun Part of the Job Chicago has an awesome music scene, but sifting through the muck is a daunting task. I put several ads on Craigslist

announcing

Ten24

Records

and

breaks them. I have heard some amazing tracks sent to me only to be let down by a band that mopes around on stage or already thinks they are rock stars. I went to see a band once and while in the middle of a conversation with the singer, he walks away from me mid-sentence. A friend of his, who found out I was a label rep, came up to me and started freestyle rapping in the hopes I would check out his MySpace. Needless to say, I didn’t stay for the band’s set. Then there was the first time I saw Eleven Dollar Life. Their keyboard player contacted me and invited me out to a show in a very frat-boy-centric area of Lincoln Park; I couldn’t believe it when they had a packed house of DePaul Undergrads and Lincoln Park Trixies dancing with their hands in the air, absolutely jamming along to their funk-rock songs.

Time is Your Worst Enemy The day I met Eleven Dollar Life, I said they have to record a live album. This was in November of 2008; we started tracking for the record in October of 2009, and we finished in May 2010. I think the title of the album …We Waited

destinations.

Then they ask, “Why so you don’t sell CDs?” and I ask in return, “When was the last time you bought a CD?” The answer is always a resounding, “I can’t remember!”

Think and Act Differently People don’t get their music the same way they used to, and the industry needs to be flexible to adapt. Ten24 Records decided to be an all-digital label, partnering with a distributor that gets our artists to just about everywhere people go for music, including the increasingly-popular streaming sites.

We also operate on a profit-sharing system where we split the revenue with the artist over the traditional royalty structure. I thought back to my friend and his checks for a few dollars, and I wanted to do something different. So instead of the artists making tiny percentages off of high-cost physical media, they take a large cut of a low distribution cost digital sale.

So if you think you have what it takes, go for it! Just remember that they call it the music business for a reason.

www.ten24records.com

COlas

Happy Un-birthday Gemini!!

Much like beloved Alice in her Wonderland, you have been in another world, your entire life. Why spoil the fun with tedious things like responsibility You finally got that and morals? I say, let that “freak run in that you were flag” fly as high as you usually are. dreaming of. “Wow” Toss off your bras and boxers and is all you found to say become the town streaking weirto that special somedo for the day! Everybody loves one. They may have you and everybody knows you’re taken that as, “Is there something crazy, bask in this. wrong with my hair?” Be sensitive

Whore -A - Scope

A large sum of money is on the way, accompanied by a letter from the IRS. Don’t be too surprised when that pawn shop in the shady part of town only offers you a ¼ of what you paid for your most treasured belongings; the IRS doesn’t take blow jobs for payment.

Adventures of a whole new variety await you, as you are about to do something that you’ve never done before. You will meet exciting people, discover places that will steal your heart and most likely forget your troubles. Just don’t forget to get all your prescriptions filled….no one likes a crabby, crazy person…only fun crazy people make new friends.

You may have learned a lesson within the last month that softened your earthen shale. Attracting more flies with honey, may pay off in the near future. Someone that you work with has a crush on you. They have a small closet with candles and pictures of you and they have stolen hair from a comb or brush of yours.

As they are not an experienced practitioner of magical arts, the only worry you should have is your name spelled out on the lawn….on fire.

to feelings of others, but don’t let an asshole spill beer on you without at least letting them know you’re an ass-kicking mutha when you need be. Don’t let work get you down and remember to pluck your eyebrows.

If you keep being a pain in the ass, the ass will go away. What is life without ass? Why not try being a massage on the ass? Give a bit of hand candy when needed.

Love thy neighbor, but always ask for the things you’ve loaned them back.

A pleasant surprise is coming your way in the form of a great idea… that someone else has had…but none the less caters to your happiness.

Your best friend has done you a huge favor and now you need to return it. When they call you in the middle of the night asking for a ride home…get your keys and don’t ask questions.

You find yourself having to make a choice between two lovers.

One is human and one is a vice you have been hiding. The human will be there when you give up your other love. You won’t be alone

. You’ve got friends in LOW places, don’t act shocked when they drag you down with them.

Feeling that you’re above it all, doesn’t always work in the material physical world, especially when it comes to answering to the police in the middle of the night while someone is cursing and slurring in the passenger seat. Take comfort in the fact that the REAL you knows better.

If I were you, I’d try to get out a bit more this month. You have a special artistic gift that someone with a lot of money will notice, but only if you’re out in the world with pictures in your pocket of all your hard work…cell phone pics!! They will win you a new job or a freelance gig that will pay off your car or help you with a down payment on a home.

You suck. That is why your face looks so funny. The constant action of sucking is killing your complexion.

With a mind like yours, you shouldn’t be dressing up in stupid costumes and working all the weekends away.

There is a place for you to show off your brains and build a new career that is right around the corner…ask Mike about it.

WHEN GLAM KILLED THE VIRTUOSO

I

n January, 1978, I was eleven years old and excited about getting my first guitar.

I probably had visions of becoming the next Jimmy Page or Brian May. Two weeks after getting my guitar, however, the world of rock guitar was changed forever. Van Halen released their first album, which included the “Eruption” guitar solo.

It’s hard to deny that this solo, as well as Eddie Van Halen’s overall approach to the guitar, raised the bar significantly for rock guitar players. Over the next decade, several talented rock guitar virtuosos would come along and put their unique stamp on this movement. However, spandex and makeup would be thrown into the equation and eventually scar the reputation of these talented musicians.

In September, 1980, two and a half years after Van Halen erupted,Randy Rhoads burst onto the national scene with the Ozzy Osbourne band. Although his flashy techniques, such as finger-tapping and whammy bar tricks, were inspired by Mr. Van Halen, Rhoads had more of a gothic, classical approach.

I guess one could say that Van Halen’s foundation was bluesy, with traces of the classical modes, while Rhoads was a mode man, with some lingering elements of the blues--which is practically unavoidable when soloing on the guitar. Over the next year or two, I spent a lot of time learning songs like “Revelation” and “Mr. Crowley.”

It was Randy Rhoads, as well as Alex Lifeson from Rush, who drew me to the classical guitar, and, in turn, to classical music in general. This interest was fueled even further with the arrival of the Swedish Yngwie Malmsteen in 1985.

Malmsteen was not an L.A. boy like Eddie and Randy, but was from northern Europe, land of the original Goths. His shredding approach was quite different from his predecessors. The blue notes were gone, and he entrenched himself in harmonic minor and melodic minor scales and arpeggios, which gave him more of a gothic, Baroque sound than the Romantic style emulated by Rhoads.

He was also a master of sweeping arpeggios, whichtookprecedenceoverthemanufactured speed produced by finger-tapping. This challenging technique separated him from his predecessors and raised the bar even further for rock guitarists.

From 1983 to 1986, I played in a cover band called London Fog, which was basically a five-piece Rush / Duran Duran format. The other band members were very talented,

by Kevin Branigan

with strong backgrounds not only in pop and rock, but in jazz as well. In 1986, however, high school was over and I decided to pursue new avenues of expression.

I formed a metal trio with a bass player and drummer, and we called ourselves Transylvania. In Transylvania, I could indulge myself as a guitarist without stepping on the toes of other talented band members because I was, in a sense, expected to fill the spotlight.

But along with the guitar virtuoso numbers, I also found myself playing songs from bands like Motley Crue and Ratt. There are guitar virtuosos in virtually every musical genre, but I found it ironic that one of the most superficial of all styles, glam metal, became so tightly connected with a craft that took a great deal of determination and discipline-the mastery of the guitar.

A perfect example of this is none other than Steve Vai himself, who emerged in 1986 with the David Lee Roth Band. Vai went way beyond what his predecessors were doing, incorporating jazz-fusion approaches, and expanding the use of the whammy bar to virtually disassemble the tonal restrictions of his instrument. He was truly a twentiethcentury musical genius.

Interestingly enough, he was also a spandex and make-up guy. Slap him on a poster with Bret Michaels and C.C. Deville, and an unwitting observer could easily suspect they were band mates. I’m not knocking Vai for his fashion sense; his space-age image was fantastic. Instead, I am drawing attention to a connection between two unrelated things that eventually became the unnecessary downfall of one.

This downfall occurred in 1991 when Nirvana and Alice in Chains propelled Seattle grunge into the national consciousness, followed by Pearl Jam and STP. The spandex and make-up were gone, and so was the virtuoso guitar playing. It was no longer hip to play fast, melismatic solos.

As a matter of fact, it was seen as an outdated style. Playing “fast” made the player sound like an 80s dinosaur, and a dinosaur in spandex and make-up is not a pretty sight! Not wanting to cling to a dead style, I slowed my own playing down significantly.

But in the music world, nothing is

dead forever; everything cycles back around.

On the scene today are some very talented rock guitar virtuosos, including Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold, Mark Morton of Lamb of God, and Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage.

The question now is, did we learn our lesson from the fall of the 80s guitar virtuosos? Can we let these brilliant musicians continue to thrive without corrupting their genre by intertwining it with a trendy, superficial fad with a short life span? It seems to me that we never really learn from our mistakes, and we are doomed to repeat history one way or another.

The Same With Angel Amore of...

Old Ten http://felonloverocks.com Angel Amore plays drums for Chicago’s Glam metal band, Felon Love. They’ve been around about a year and have played some great shows including recently opening for RATT at the Cubby Bear. They’re also currently recording a CD at the famous Southside recording studio, Dungeon Of Noise. As well as being a kick-ass musician, Angel also designs some shit hot Rock N’ Roll clothing which you can buy online at her website: www. etsy.com/people/T00FAST4L0VE We at INCLINATION think she’s really cool and recently asked her to do our Same Old Ten for us.

2.

Who would you most like to record a song with?

I’d have to say Lita Ford. Her guitar and voice + my drumming = sweet musical love down by the fire.

3. What are you reading right now?

I’m re-reading The Heroin Diaries.

I was in a different place when I read it the first time. I think it speaks to me more now.

4. If you had one day left to live, what would you do?

Damn... well it would definitely involve fast cars, a buttload of substance abuse, ridiculously loud music, and 1.

What was the last explosives. If I’m goin’ out I’m gonna concert you went to? take some fuckers down with me!

The last concert that we PLAYED and then watched the band was Ratt 5. Who would you say is the underrated musician in at the cubby bear the other day (which most the History of Rock N’ Roll? was awesome). The last concert I just went to to was LA Guns at I’ve always said it’s Mick Mars. Forever Penny Road. They killed it of course. and ever. He is so fucking cool. He has his very own style of guitar playing that’s incomparable, and it’s even cooler cuz every Motley album has an entirely different feel to it because of little tweaks in his playing and tone. He’s just such a calm cool guy next to a bunch of loud mouth rockers (don’t worry I’m one too) so no one notices how awesome he is.

6. What’s your favorite meal?

Photo by Phil Ryan

Oh man. I love food. I’m so Italian... my family’s recipe for gravy (pasta sauce for you non-pizans) is fucking unbeatable. Other than that I love a good Chicago style hot dog. mmmm 7. Where in the world would you most like to visit?

Italy, Egypt, Germany... I wanna see all the stupid stuff tourists wanna see. I’m so lame haha.

8. What was the last song you listened to?

I guess it was “You’re in Love” by Ratt because it’s stuck in my head right now.

9. If you could be someone else for 24 hours, who would it be and why?

I would be Lita Ford circa 1980 something so I could date the young asshole Nikki Sixx, feel the glory of dominating the female rock genre, have the greatest hair ever, and at the end of the day I’d put all my money in an account for my real self and when I turn back into me I’d be rich. :D 10.

What has been your biggest fashion faux pas?

Yikes. I had liberty spikes at one point when I was really into punk rock before I got a tri-hawk and before the legendary “quint-hawk”. Looking back they weren’t the cool kind though. They were the “bigger the better” kind. Half black half white like Cruella DeVille. Like on my whole head there were probably about 15 spikes.... like I said, yikes.

JANUS – www.myspace.com/Janus LOW OF THE LOW – www.lowofthelow.com THE SERMON – www.thesermon.com IDEAMEN – www.myspace.com/ideamen FIREBUG – www.myspace.com/firebug RAVEN X – www.myspce.com/ravenxonline HYDROVIBE – www.hydrovibe.com FAKER JUNIOR – www.myspace.com/fakerjunior TONY DUGGINS – www.thetossers.com www.myspace.com/tossers THE TREES – www.myspace.com/thetrees08 MATT IRIE – www.cougarsrock.com www. poorhammer-sadsickle.com JEN KUREK – www.roseysunshine.com THE TONIKS – www.myspace.com/thetoniks JOINTPOP – www.myspace.com/jointpop WICKED D – www.metalcrotch.com THE FORES – www.myspace.com/thefores GRAND CENTRAL – www.myspace.com/grandcentral

don’t you forget about me From our third issue to present, we at Inclination have been fortunate enough to have had many talented musicians and artists grace our pages. Check up on what they are doing now. -

Cola

THE BOXER REBELLION – www.myspace.com/theboxerrebellion OCKUMS RAZOR – www.myspace.com/ockumsrazor MARY MAGDALAN – www.myspace.com/marymagdalan FASHION BOMB – www.myspace.com/xfashionxbombx PREDATOR – www.myspace.com/predatorheavymetal NOCTEM – www.myspace.com/noctemofficial RICK BUDA – http://mooramoora.org.au/bobrich/writer/life.html MISS MISHIEF www.myspace.com/missmishiefchaos WE ARE THE BECOMING – www.myspace.com/wearethebecoming MURDER FM – www.myspace.com/murderfmmusic

FIFTH WORLD – www.fifthworldmusic.com IMPALE – www.myspace.com/impale9 JOE MARTINE – www.joelovesyou.com SOIL – www.myspace.com/soil BEN MOLLIN – www.bang-bangboutique.com LIAM KYLE SULLIVAN – www.liamkylesullivan.com HEMOPTYSIS – www.myspace.com/hemoptysis TREVOR WAYNE – www.trevorwayne.com RONNY ROBINSON – www.ronnyrobinson.com THE BOXER REBELLION – www.myspace.com/theboxerrebellion THE WINDY CITY ROLLERS – www.windycityrollers.com TWO TON ANVIL – www.myspace.com/twotonanvil JOHNNY VOMIT – www.johnnyvomit.com STEVE LEETCH – www.steveleetch.com PANDORA BOXX – www.pandoraboxx.com DOOBIE WHITEHORN – www.doobiewhitehorn.com THE AUDITION www.myspace.com/theaudition

Lissy’s Quick Reviews Evan Voytas “Sad, like hearts can be” www.myspace.com/evanvoytas

When you’re not familiar with a musician or a band, you read the description and have a pre-conceived notion of what they’re going to sound like. Evan Voytas was not what I expected at all, and his track “Sad, like hearts can be” was a wonderful surprise. It’s really soothing to listen to, with it’s synthesizer layers and soft but effective drum machine beats. Remember Ultravox? It brought that band to mind, but with a much more subtle sound created in part by his haunting vocals. The song makes me feel like I’m in a dream.

Evan’s eclectic music is probably inspired by his travels, which includes living in the desert, he lives in LA now but grew up in Pennsylvania listening to his Dad’s collection of Elvis and Righteous Brother’s tapes. You can find out a lot more about this interesting musician by going to his myspace page.

The Dead Weather “Die By The Drop” http://thedeadweather.com

This song had me up and excited first thing this Morning. Something that even three cups of coffee and numerous cigarettes can’t seem to do these days. Die By The Drop is on The Dead Weather’s new album “Sea Of Cowards” which just came out May 11th. If you’re not familiar with this band, maybe this will ring some bells with you…Alison Mosshart is also the singer for The Kills and then Dean Fertita, Jack Lawrence, and Jack White are all from the band The Raconteurs. Together they make quite a formidable band and I hope this isn’t one of those side projects that just falls to the wayside.

They’re doing numerous touring dates this summer including my favorite festival, good old Glastonbury in the UK and the day before my birthday they’ll be playing at The Congress Theatre here in Chicago (hint hint).

The Like “Fair Game”

www.myspace.com/thelike

Delicious! That’s what I think when I hear this song, taken from their album Release Me. It might be that these lovely ladies recorded the entire album live to tape with analog equipment that gives it that retro, and “real music” sound that’s perfect for this kind of music. Along with that, the organ, drum beats and harmonies makes you think you’re back in the 70s, but you can still see The Like playing live shows, they’re playing several dates in their hometown of LA before heading out for a small North American tour. Check out their myspace for dates.

ALSO CHECK OUT http://rcrdlbl.com FOR FREE DOWNLOADS OF THEse SONGS

By Shaz

COla checks out two new cds from...

Another triumph from Victory Records, AIDEN’s “From Hell… With Love” screams at you, literally.

Melodic, punk, clever guitar progressions, believable vocals/lyrics and an overall sense that AIDEN feels what they’ve written and perform separate this killer collaboration from a herd of shitty music that is being shoved down our throats, compliments of local radio.

AIDEN’s release of “FROM HELL… WITH LOVE” is accompanied by a bonus DVD of a live show performance at one of my favorite Chicago venues, (I’ve played there and seen plenty of shows there, it rules!) The Bottom Lounge, www.bottomlounge.com. So you’re getting two birds with one stone when you pick up this masterpiece!

Zombie, Angel, Jake and William brought their strengths as musicians together to create a wicked sound that managed to pick my ass up this morning…and believe me, I was dragging. American Mobile and Mark Davie did an outstanding job of capturing the core of AIDEN’s powerful sound. Mixed by Chris Shepard and mastered by Doug McBride over at Gravity, this album is a winner in Inclination’s book…and our book is a music snob’s wet dream. Beautiful cover by Lisa Johnson and just plain kick ass packaging remind me why I still enjoy buying actual CDs. You won’t be disappointed when you rock your copy. I suggest full volume and enough room to thrash around while listening! Dig it!

*****

Ater listening to “99 Songs of Revolution: Volume One”, I immediately got it. Being a big fan of “Me First and The Gimme Gimmes”, I enjoy great twists on classics tunes. Streetlight Manifesto manages to take Paul Simon’s “Me and Julia Down By The Schoolyard” and tweak the tempo up, while throwing in fun horns and harmonies. Though I wasn’t the hugest fan of their version of “Hell” by The Squirrel Nut Zippers, it was only due to the fact that I felt there was not enough of a spin on the original version.

This band is without a doubt packed with talented folks. This release undoubtedly exhibits some truly great musicianship, solid vocals that show off nifty harmonies, both sweet and screaming, and certainly an undeniable “fun” factor that will surely put them on the map. It’s the sort of music one can expect to hear pumping from the local record shop speakers, or over at a friend’s house in the midst of cocktail parties and well, drinking nights.

Cover songs are always tricky, but in my opinion, Streetlight Manifesto chose to pay tribute to tracks that are classic as well as obscure. I will certainly be adding their release to my iTunes library, and awaiting volume two. I may be slightly biased though, as I believe in a delusional fashion of course, that (a well known Dead Milkmen song that they cover on this album) “Punk Rock Girl” should be playing on a loop in the background while I walk down the street. Cheers to Streetlight Manifesto, nice work.

****

Generation Inclination

T

he May launch of our official BlogTalkRadio show, “Generation Inclination” was a huge hit! Lissy and I decided that a great way to get even more in touch with our readers and further involved with our favorite musicians, artists and other talented folks, would be to start audio casting to the masses. The idea of offering our fans a chance to literally “hear” us getting down with our own silliness and of course welcoming guests into the lair of Lissy and Cola, seemed genius and fun at the same time. We are at Inclination, all about connectivity.

We began our quest to talk “at” you all with our cinch casts. Cinch is a mini service offered by BlogTalkRadio that allows Lissy, myself and other staff at Inclination to record short messages, enabling us to broadcast our website updates, give you all the heads up on upcoming events, our plans and well, just rant if we wish. Lissy and I operate Cinch from our iPhones, giving us the freedom to dish out the “breaking news” or just random greetings at will, as we have iPhones will travel. You can access our “Cinches” on our website’s homepage at the right side widget entitled “Listen InClination”. Also we tend to blast our mini broadcasts on the Facebook and MySpace pages for the convenience of everyone.

Finally, the “Cinches” are also available on our mobile site under the “Radio/Small Talk” menu tab. We hope you all enjoy them, as our mission is to keep you all up to speed on all things Inclination related, bringing the circus of creative chaos that is our music and entertainment resource directly to you in any way that we can imagine up.

mind turning and dream BIGGER. This is when we decided that a weekly hour long LIVE internet radio broadcast was the way to go. And so, Generation Inclination was born. Broadcasting from a garage in the middle of nowhere, with drinks and smokes and insane technical mishaps, we push on.

Our first show was the launch show that we devoted to each other, and letting our fans get to know us a little better. Lissy and Cola interviewing one another was quite the laugh. As Murphy’s Law would have it, and it being our first show, we not surprisingly experienced some major technical difficulties.

We overloaded the wi-fi server and lost our switch board, had zero monitors and Lissy’s mic was pouring echo and muddled volume issue galore. C’est La Vie! We at Inclination always press on.

Our following and most recent show was a much more exciting and smooth running experience. With the switchboard in working order and Chicago legends, Bruce Lamont of Yakuza and David Scotney of Janus as our musician guests, we had fun with it and got super cool interviews from both gentlemen. We had the privilege of being our naughty and silly selves with Bruce Lamont, asking him whatever came to mind and just shooting the shit about everything from his musical endeavors for the summer to the Empty Bottle Farmers’ Market. With Yakuza’s new album on the forefront of discussion, we got Bruce to fill us in about the June Beat Kitchen gig, where Yakuza will be playing the entire album from start to finish with appearances from ALL of the contributing artists. Also, Bruce was kind enough to let us hear it first, there will be an Empty Bottle gig on the 20th of June!

As Lissy and I are constantly determined to You heard it on Generation Inclination make our baby grow, soon after “Cinching” first!! With all of Bruce’s kick ass side we decided that it was time to get that projects and his solo album in the works, he hamster wheel in the Inclination collective is one busy guy. Expect loads of shows and

recordings. Cheers to Mr. Lamont, he gave us a great interview and certainly endured our shenanigans with a sense of humor and certainly a tolerance to our drinking and broadcasting. We’re still working out the audio kinks and promise to get better with every episode. “It’s getting better all the time.” David Scotney filled the second half of our show with all kinds of exciting news on the Janus front. We were thrilled to get the low down on all the upcoming gigs and current going-ons. We discussed David’s art and art background, life on the road with Janus and what it’s like coming from obscurity to stardom practically overnight.

He offered up great tales from the stage, but it wouldn’t be any fun if I didn’t make you go have a listen for yourself. Trust me, between Bruce and David, it was one hell of an hour.

So, if you want to join in on the fun, call into the show, join the BlogTalkRadio chat room for our shows, there are a few ways to have listen. The easiest in my opinion is to hit up our website and stream us live on the homepage’s (once again) right side top widget, “BlogTalkRadio”. Streaming us is also simple from our mobile site, which when you choose the “Radio/Small Talk” menu tab will redirect you to the mobile BlogTalk Radio page which will enable you to stream live from your phone. Finally, there is our official BlogTalkRadio page: www. blogtalkradio.com/Inclination Streaming and archived shows available at all facets.

So be sure to tune in every Wednesday evening at 10 pm central, 11 eastern and 8 pacific to our official BlogTalkRadio show “Generation Inclination” to get the best in music and entertainment news, interviews and crazy talk from the ladies of Inclination, Lissy and myself, Cola. Don’t forget the “Cinches”, they may hold the location to the fountain of youth, the secret to what was in that suitcase at the end of “Pulp Fiction” (Thanks Brian Morrison) or just a “Good Morning Inclination Fans, Cola here…”

We will continue to “Cinch” from the road, as we are on route as you are reading this, so definitely keep up! You never know what you might hear. Lastly, while we are away, traveling and video blogging daily, we will have a few special guest hosts filling in for Lissy and myself. Like Surprises? We do, be sure to tune in on the 2nd and 9th…and enjoy the rants and insights of our secret guest hosts. Cheers as always! ~Cola