Behind theWin board withSignature Steve atGuitar the Harmony Hut Enter To A GWAR on page 35
GWAR &
MISS KATONIC
Sepultura, Exodus & COC sit down with us on
Barge to Hell Metal Blades 30th Anniv. with Armored Saint Lita Ford on Living Like a Runaway
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Features
Interviews 12 13 14 16 18 20 21 22 25 26 27 28 30 38
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That Metal Show’s Eddie Trunk That Metal Show’s DJ Will Davey Suicide Lita Ford Trippy the Clown Tony Campos Brian Slagel- Metal Blade Armored Saint Orgy Vinnie Moore International House of Blues Foundation Wednesday 13 GWAR & Miss Katonic Barge to Hell Report with: Sepultura, Behemoth, Exodus, Moonspell, Municipal Waste, COC, Mayhem Nigel Glockler Quertersheckle Cap’n Ron Nightwish Kamelot Dan Spitz Fan Favorte: Cougar Bait Ginny Luke Junkman Moar Appelbaum
Write Ups
Leah Burlington
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GWAR
Behind theWin board withSignature Steve atGuitar the Harmony Hut Enter To A GWAR on page 35
GWAR &
MISS KATONIC
Sepultura, Exodus & COC sit down with us on
BArge to Hell MEtal Blades 30th Anniv. with Armored Saint Lita Ford on Living Like a Runaway issue 6 parts 7.indd 1
1/21/2013 12:29:18 PM
On the COVER: Miss Katonic Oderus Urungus Shadow Vixen: Ulorin Vex Photography: Allan Amato Photo manipulation: Zak Hennessey Makeup by Christina Schock Centerfold: MUA by Cynthia Monelock
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Metallica In this Moment Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp Dio Cancer Benefit Gemini Syndrome Kiss mini Golf The Knife Outline Marshall: 50 Years of Loud Peavey Hollywood
Industry 35 Schecter ENTER TO WIN 42 Centerfold with RNR Girl Jenna Drouin 60 Miss Katonic interviews Nekgrogoblikon 64 Intense Guitar 67 Shops that Rock: Schecter 68 New Gear to tune into
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Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 7
Editor’s Words EDITOR IN CHIEF Mike Smothers
SENIOR EDITOR Angelica Ulloa
mike@rocknrollindustries.com
angelica@rocknrollindustries.com
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Jessica Johnson
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Chairat Roberts
jess@rocknrollindustries.com
DEVLOPMENT COORDINATOR
chairat@rocknrollindustries.com CONTRIBUTORS
Bill Hershy
bill@rocknrollindustries.com
Christa Dozier, Mercedes Keveson Steiner
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Keith Stixx, Mark Allee
ILLUSTRATOR Zak Hennessey
WRITERS: Ron Colquitt*, Stacey Shaw, Manny Rivas II, Michael G Clark, Peggy Murphy, Julian Douglas, Noelle Kim Retes, WINJOW, Rob Gainey, Alison “MetalBabe” Cohen, Roger Stoddard, Nicole DeMarco, Taylor Hicks, Laura Chen, Raquel Figlo, Jamie Katonic, Sarah Roberts, Andrea Granillo, Scott Schoenkopt
In this epic issue of the INDUSTRY‘s magazine Rock N Roll Industries; We will take you to HELL!! As in the “Barge to Hell”. It is billed as, “The World’s Most Extreme Metal Cruise.” Out of Florida to The Bahamas, Rock N Roll Industries’ Jess and I took a trip to hell shortly before Christmas. (I guess we ended up on the naughty list….huh?) So “Here’s the scoop.” Cruise lines are the way to go. Everything from your luggage, and room. Going from one port to another, everything was easy and taken care of, even the food! Forty bands, eighty shows; everyone from Behemoth to Sepultura, show after show all day and night. I enjoyed
every minute. It really lived up to all my expatiations! Enjoy our coverage. RNR catches up with GWAR at The House of Blues, featuring Miss Katonic; the cartoon comic that will be debuting later this year. Nothing like doing a photo shoot with GWAR and Miss Katonic on the outside patio at House of Blues; never know what action you’ll find going on at the Foundation Room, but you can bet that RNR will be there! I also got to meet Lita Ford! That has been a dream of mine since I got into music way back when. Lita is a true rocker at heart and very down to earth. Have fun with our first issue of 2013.
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Neil Zlozower, Chad Lee, Leah Burlington*, Alex Kluft*, Jazmin Monet Estopin, Simi Friedman*, Gonzo Sandoval*, Enrique Nuñez*, Cyndi Johnson, Doug Gouge, Larry Dimazio, Lan Nguyen*, Rosaura Sandoval * Photojournalists
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Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 11
Don Jamieson, Jim Florentine, Eddie Trunk, Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, John 5
What’s in the Trunk? Diggin’ deep with Eddie Trunk “The Encyclopedia of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal.”Eddie Trunk was at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip to co-host Metal Blade’s 30th Anniversary party with That Metal Show partner Don Jamieson. Eddie is an incredibly busy man with two national radio shows, his television show and various projects in the works, but he graciously took some time between the sets of Gypsyhawk and Armored Saint to give us some updates, along with his perspective on rock, metal and the industry itself. Rock N Roll Industries: What brings you to Metal Blade’s 30th Anniversary Party? Eddie Trunk: My history with Metal Blade goes way back in many different ways. Next year for me is my 30th anniversary with the metal radio show. I started doing metal radio right after Metal Blade started. I did a lot of stuff for Metal Blade Records over the years and played a lot of their bands. Also, a lot of people don’t know this, but I worked for many record labels. I worked for MegaForce Records. That was the east coast version of Metal Blade Records. I worked in the industry side of things and knew Brian Slagel back then. I’ve known Brian for probably 30 years now. And more than anything, we bond over the bands we love and anything that has to do with the industry. Mike Faley who works for Metal Blade, I have known for 30 years as well. We are friends and it is all one big metal family! The reason I am here is to co-host this event and it has been an honor to do it so far!
an award I presented to Sammy Hagar (he was the recipient of the “Voice of Rock Award”). If there is an opportunity, I will throw in a book signing somewhere, but I was really there for the “Vegas Rocks Awards,” where I presented Sammy an award! My second book is a sequel to my first one and it will be coming out the 4th quarter of next year. Thanks to everyone who bought the first book because it was a huge success and that is why I am getting the chance to do a second one. Is your 30th year in radio going to be coming around the same time as the second book is done? I don’t have an exact month in 2013 that I am going to commemorate as the 30th year. It’s really going to be kind of like I am trying to do an event. For my 25th anniversary in metal radio, Judas Priest played a private show for me in New York, which was the most insane thing ever, if you could imagine Judas Priest playing a private show for you. That is going to be hard to top, but I am working on stuff I want to do. You know I am from New Jersey, so I want to do some kind of big concert event to celebrate my 30th anniversary event, if I can pull it off. If the book ties in at that time of the event for the 30th, it’s going to be more about the band that I get scheduled versus any schedule of my book. If it happens to work out, then that would be great.
So in the industry of hard rock, what did you do for that genre, metal not included? I am not a musician - I don’t play anything. I took some drum lessons when I was a kid, but didn’t really You were just in Las Vegas a few pursue it much. For me, my whole months ago doing a book signing. gig is “Okay, well, I am not going to be Tell us a few things about your a musician, so what can I do to help book. spread the word of the bands I love?” My first book is called “Eddie Trunk’s So right out of high school, I was Essential Hard Rock and Heavy writing music columns. I worked in a Metal” and it came out almost two record store for years. I started radio years ago now. My thing is I have right out of high school. I did college always been about rock, hard radio. I still do two radio shows a rock and metal. I like it all. I like week nationally. So, for me, it had commercial hard rock, heavy metal, always been about “What can I do thrash and I like all sorts of stuff. My to spread the word of the bands and book is a reflection of all that. You are the music that I love?” Unfortunately, going to read about all sorts of styles these bands have an incredibly of the music I grew up listening to. hard time being played or getting The thing I did in Vegas was actually acceptance, so I try to do that. I was 12 12 Rock Rock N N Roll Roll Industries Industries Magazine Magazine
out about if I wasn’t such a big fan of the show. There are a lot of ways that we, as fans, the three of us support these bands even if they are not on. We How did That Metal show start? talk about them, we might make them Can you elaborate? as the pick of the week, we may do Well, everyone who has seen That something as simple as wearing one Metal Show (TMS) knows that even of their T-shirts - something we can do if it is called TMS we have all sorts to just create some kind of exposure of bands on there. We have rock, for them. They may not be big enough hard rock and metal bands. What or mainstream enough to get to be people need to understand about the on the set and get an interview, but television show is, it is on a network as fans, we will find ways to get the and the network ultimately decides word out, and every little bit helps. what we can and cannot do, and who Something as big as a platform as a we can or cannot have on. television show, as big as its gotten, not only America, but all over the That’s censorship, right? world now. It is just our way of at That’s not censorship. It’s just that least helping because we can’t just television is about getting the most find any band we want on the show, possible amount of people to watch it has to go through a process and I it. So let’s say I have a band I love play a big role of getting the bands on to death, but they are not all that and booking the show, but at the end popular, the network is not going to of the day the network still has to say say let’s put on a band, and when “Yes” or “No” to it. viewers are clicking the channel and they see a band they don’t How did the idea of TMS come know who they are, they change the about? channel. The network wants the most I’ve worked for VH1 for 10 years now recognizable faces, and I understand as a host and interviewer. As far back it is a ratings game. So, sometimes, as 2003 I was always on the network it’s hard to get the bands that we to let me do a show the way I wanted, want to get on. Certain genres are with the music I loved. I kept pushing not covered, but we have a niche and then finally in 2008 they called and a following and the show has and said let’s talk about doing this been on for eleven cycles, over four “metal show” idea. It went through years and we are grateful for what we many changes and had many people have. Man, it has been an amazing attached at various times. I brought ride and it continues. I don’t know Don and Jim into it when VH1 said where it is going to go, but it’s been they wanted me to have co-hosts to incredible and really amazing to see mix things up a bit. Those guys often how many people love it. For one, I hung out on my radio shows and were worked for VH-1 Classic for six years also really into the music and were before TMS. So this is my tenth year friends. We shot a pilot in 2008 and with the channel. I did all sorts of the rest is history…. music and interviews before TMS. Where do you see TMS in another Even though rock and metal are my four years? passion, I love talking to people of That’s 100% up to VH1 Classic. Not different genres of music and I hope me. The show may be my baby to to do that again someday. some degree, but they completely Being a huge fan of TMS, one of own and control its future. I’d love to the things I love about it the most be doing so much more with it now. I is the “Pick of the Week” segment, think the show has a ton of massive where Don Jamieson, Jim untapped potential, so hopefully Florentine and you go around and it can grow, expand, and evolve. I talk about bands you discovered also hope we can one day have live and the new albums you are performances and an even greater listening to. I’ve discovered a variety of rock and metal. bunch of new bands listening Do you still get excited when you to your show that would have get to interview certain musicians probably taken me longer to find just talking to someone before about this. It is still a fight after thirty years. It is still a fight everyday to get people to understand this stuff is important.
Steven Adler as he came out of a cake on stage to wish Eddie Happy Birthday Dj Will
or celebrities? Who are they? For sure! I’m still a fan first and foremost. So many of these guys are now friends and I have a relationship with some off air, but the guys I grew up with that are sacred to me always have some extra juice. I spent a week on the road with Aerosmith recently and can tell you it was super-special just being around those guys, flying on their plane, just surreal as a lifelong fan. When the giants of the business embrace you like that, it’s simply amazing to me and I never take it lightly.
that are up there going through the motions and have lost a lot and are kind of making a mockery of their bands. It has gotten diluted and I am not really into it.. But then there are just as many bands that I see that are awesome! I just saw Aerosmith three times in the last couple weeks together with Cheap Trick and they are two bands that have been around forever and they are as good as they ever been!
Tell me about your upcoming visit to Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp in 2013. Yeah. I am looking forward to that What do you think is taking place – it’s in March in Vegas. It’s my first in the music industry right now? time doing that and I will be there What do you think of all these up- the same time as Sammy Hagar, and-coming bands? Steve Vai and other special guests There are so many bands and so to be announced. I am going to do many genres and so many spin offs a Q&A with the musicians, talk to and subgenres. One of the things I the campers, give any sort of advice most like is this sort of retro-vibe that and help that I can give them and I see a lot of bands like Gypsyhawk. I’ll probably interview some of the I like that there are elements of Thin musicians. My first experience with Lizzy in their sound. They are a new the Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp! It band that has an old school sound, will be fun. same with the band Black Country Would you like to share anything Communion, who I love. There is a else with us, Eddie? band right out of LA called Revival There is lots of cool stuff coming up Suns that I love that capture a 70’s with me. If you follow me on Twitter, sort of vibe, but they are young which is @eddietrunk or go to my bands bringing that sort of energy website www.eddietrunk.com, those to it. are the two outlets I use most to Who do you think will carry the communicate with people outside of torch after bands like Judas Priest my radio and TV shows. My website and Iron Maiden? is going through a huge redesign, That’s a great question and nobody which I am excited about- it’s long really knows. Are there bands from overdue. There is going to be some the 80’s and 90’s that can sustain great new content and it’s going that and have that sort of aura? I to look better, so I’m really excited mean, if you look at the 80’s, there about that. are a few bands. An 80’s band is still Over the course of our conversation, ten years younger than the bands you just mentioned. Honestly, I don’t Eddie clearly exhibited a strong know because you look into the 90’s passion for what he is doing. He also spoke very highly of and was very and bands from the grunge scene appreciative for his fans and all of the like Soundgarden are back, Pearl support he gets from them and for Jam does unbelievable business, the music he loves. so maybe some of that stuff, even though some of it is already kind of classic rock, for today, it’s still significantly younger. Rage Against the Machine can start doing some stuff again. Maybe that becomes the classic rock 20 to 30 years from now. Even though I personally think The Stones will still be going at it in their nineties. I have no problem with guys doing this as long as they want to, if they can still do it and they are still good. I think there are some guys
After we finished the interview, Eddie resumed his hosting duties for Metal Blade’s 30th Anniversary party, which included members of Metallica and many other notable surprise guests in attendance.
-Raquel Figlo
DJ Metal Will usb drive and letting it run. How did you get started with TMS? (When? Where? Who approached you?) DJ Will: When the show production moved to Los Angeles in Season 5 I attended each taping as a guest of the hosts since they’re all my friends. I gradually got to know the rest of the TMS crew who all work very hard behind the scenes. In the following season I made a suggestion to the Producer (Jeff Baumgartner) about being part of the show in some capacity, if filming continued on the West Coast. He was keen on the DJ angle idea since it would be a new addition as well as an extension of what I do anyway. So I truly have him to thank and the powers that be at VH1Classic.
What is it like working on the show with Eddie, Jim and Don? My interaction with the hosts is very minimal during actual taping unless I’m asked a direct question/ comment which has happened a few times. Going on my 5th season I feel that I have it down to a science of what to do and what my role is which is very ancillary, hell anytime I can get to play Heavy Metal outside of KNAC that’s a good thing! I predominately take my direct que from the Stage Manager (Raf Oroczo) as he lets me know when I can crank it and when to go silent because it is after all a TV show where the conversations & interviews take priority. All in all the guys are great to work with on and off the show. They’re just as passionate about Rock/Metal as I am! How do you go about choosing the music for the show? First, it helps to have over 60k songs to choose from!! In the structure of the taping schedule, early on there is a small window to “freestyle” and by that I mean mix together just about anything: Pantera, Girlschool, Slayer, Venom, Dark Angel, Slipknot, Motorhead, etc as well as the classics Sabbath, Priest, Rainbow, Maiden, Metallica, AC/DC and yes lots of UFO (!!) before the audience is seated, the hosts are introduced and during breaks. It’s much more interactive than just throwing on a random CD/
The key to my selection process is getting the guest schedules in advance from production. Once I have that I then pull their entire band discographies including new releases, put all the music together and get it all ready to mix before, during and after their segments. The cool challenging part I like is at any point during the interviews, when the hosts or the guest(s) reference a particular song/melody, solo,etc I like to have that locked & loaded to play so everyone can hear what was just mentioned once we go to break also with the many great guest guitar shredders as well. It can be tricky but I like to have fun with it and let the crowd follow along because for some it might be the first time they’re hearing it. It’s truly a dream gig. How did you get started as a DJ? As a metal DJ? By accident really….I blame music hoarding! I kept my collection together since the late 70’s into the 80’s which included just about every format: Lots of Vinyl, 45’s, 8 tracks, CDs, cassettes, you name it. Lot of European imports, demo rarities too accumulated from my time at Metal Blade & Capitol Records. About 15 years ago some friends had asked me if I could bring some records to play at a few parties and then that led to some more parties/ private events so it caught on from there. I more or less grew into it because I love Heavy Metal anyway so I found it to be a great outlet to share my collection plus it’s really an “acquired” taste in relation to what you hear in most night clubs and I get that. I sure as hell wasn’t going to compete with the Techno, Hip/Hop and Pop DJs anytime soon. Not my forte. Do you have a crazy behind the scenes story at TMS you can share? We had a situation in the middle of a taping where one of the next guests who were way back in their dressing room had a live open mike, all of a sudden and their conversation became audible over the entire sound system on the stage! We figured out from the voice who it was and resolved the Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 13
Thank you for your time Davey. Can you please tell us about the band? How did the Davey Suicide band come to be? The band started about 2 years ago, Frank and I were just recording a record and then we brought in the pieces as we were trying to figure out the live band and what not, you know, I’ve been writing forever so we started playing, got the record deal earlier this year and then we started touring and haven’t stopped since. I assume you all came from previous bands, different projects… Yeah, we all did, Murder Dolls being one of them and all our side projects, but this is the first time I’ve taken a band and pretty much just said “Hey, this is the vision, this is what I want to do, etc, etc. If you like it…WELCOME!” And it’s worked 100 times better, because everything is so black to eventually shut it down, retire, etc there’s going to be a real, real technical glitch quickly but there drop of next generation rock/metal was a moment during those 20-30 bands that I think will have it tough seconds being a “fly on the wall” maintaining that kind of 20-30 year could have been hectic had it gone staying power reaching a level of on longer! longevity while remaining somewhat Tell us about your metal collection relevant. At the top of the list, Foofighters on display at the Grammy are already 20 years in and that’s Museum? How did you get great, Airbourne, Volbeat, Mastodon, involved? Avenged Sevenfold all about 13, A close friend had told me the museum was looking for Rock/Metal Ghost? Halestorm? Also come to mind. So Maybe. Hopefully. related Memorabilia for a Special The real question is will the Display being planned around the majority of these bands and all the “Golden God Awards” Event @ other modern rock acts really keep Club Nokia in Downtown LA. I told them about my collection, submitted it together for the long haul? Write quality songs? Tour their asses off? a few images, didn’t hear anything Continue to build a fan base? Get for a few months then around Dec support from management/booking of last year I was contacted by the agents? It all remains to be seen. Grammy Museum folks, made an appointment, they checked out what Some are already ahead of the game. There are a lot of moving I had and proud to say a small part parts to be a success these days has been on display ever since up on the 3rd floor, but its unfortunately especially when it comes to Rock/ Metal. coming to a close in Feb (2013) I’ll always do my part in promoting Where do you see metal now and it any chance I get. where do you see it in the future? Where else can we find you It’s as strong as it has been in ages with a huge resurgence these besides TMS? What are you currently working on? last few years. It will always be I do a weekly 3 hour show on around, it’s not going anywhere. Maybe a new hybrid of styles mixed KNAC.COM called “The Vault” which I’ve been doing for the last 10 years, together like it is now between genres will be the new rage, tough to the annual NAMM Convention Party in Anaheim for Schecter Guitars say. No matter, Metal lives through word of mouth and touring. Doesn’t and you can find me on weekends upstairs at The Rainbow Bar & Grill have to be mainstream, the core in Hollywood mixing Pure Rock. diehard fans will always be there. Just look at all the consistent year My website: metaldjwill.com round European festivals as proof. Any final words? Who do you think will carry the My thanks to you and the torch in metal after bands like magazine for providing an outlet. Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Print media has taken a bit of a hit Black Sabbath? over the years, so it’s refreshing to Good question. I’ve always said, see a local publication expand and once the bands I grew up listening compete. -Raquel Figlo
DJ Metal Will Cont.
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and white, everything from percentage to the songs. Everything is just a conception and interpretation of who and what I am, you know. How did DS get on board with this Static X tour? Our manager is also manager for Static X, so we have a lot in common, even the same booking agency. I’ve previously known Brent, the bass player for static more than the rest of the band. Are you guys touring to support an album? Or do you have something that you are working on? We are on the “Generation Fuckstar Single”, 11:6 is our EP, the first week of February 2013 will be the release of our album. Artist and performer aside, what influenced you as a FAN? Who are your inspirations? Guns N’ Roses is my absolutely favorite band, EVER! “Use Your Illusion II” is my favorite, which is weird because mostly everybody likes “Appetite For Destruction” best. GNR, Eminem and Marilyn Manson are my 3 favorite, best, and favorite. I just love how they did their thing and the industry changed for that, they were just so dead on, with what they do. What’s your favorite part of touring? Er… that half hour - 40 minutes per night Makes it all worth it? Yes, this Is a hard thing to do, this industry, long days, traveling… it’s a lot of hard work and it’s great when people come down to the shows, and getting to know new people, greeting the fans, makes all the other 23 hrs worth it. What are other activities that you enjoy when you are not performing? Tattoos! I design for “Killers Never Die,” a clothing line, I started 5 years ago. I also like sports, basketball… (Ponders for a second) Only, basketball? No, no, no… football, baseball, you name it. I’m a Bears fan for football and Lakers fan for basketball. What’s Davey’s favorite food? I love Thai, Indian, Sushi… mostly anything but black olives. (Interrupting) Yes!!! Well, I don’t like black olives either. Any great memories from this tour so far? Everyday there are many great things happening, but there was this show in Arizona where people were crazy!!! Stage diving, hanging from the pipes, ceiling and throwing stuff around, having a great time, it was a small venue and very rowdy crowd. In this digital era, what do you think are advantages or disadvantages of releasing digital singles and albums compared to physical forms of music, LPs and CDs? I personally love the conceptual art in albums and how everything interwindes together. I love how the album flows and how it’s cool to have in your hands all the effort and art that goes into making an album. I think we have a similar feeling towards being excited when having a physical album in our hands from bands we like. Recently, about 250 empty CD cases were stolen from my storage room at home, I am a CD collector so it was heartbreaking, and it’s not the same having all your CDs in a wallet. Yeah, the coolest thing for me as a kid was going through the album, the inserts (art/lyrics), pressing rewind and hearing the song over and over again, I loved that. It’s a shame that kids these days won’t get to experience that, because downloading and digital are now a “normal” thing to do, but I think that everything comes back around. Are you an LP or CD collector? I used to be, sadly I haven’t gotten any CDs in a while, I also download now, I love having the actual and physical item in my hands. I actually buy a lot of stuff online and DVDs and such are now pretty cheap now. I love getting stuff in the mail, Ha Ha! So for those that are getting to know you as I am today, what would you like to say as “first impression?” I’m a firm believer in second chances, if I wouldn’t have had one, I wouldn’t be where I am today. We also have to support artist that put the ART back into ARTist, nowadays everything is just so accessible and maybe not as appreciated. We have to support the reason music and bands were created, not because we’re gonna be cool, gonna get chicks, party or whatever. Music saved me from drugs as a teenager, I’ll never forget that, I’ll never forget the feeling of how we connected, the energy with the crowds back in 8th grade playing NIRVANA and PEARL JAM covers, you know… that magic was something I knew I wanted for the rest of my life, that’s why you get into bands and you get into music in the first place. www.DAVEYSUICIDE.com By: Enrique Nuñez
Enrique Nunez
Hollywood Ca, the place to be for memorable rock shows. We are here to dig into the creative mind and the man behind the dreadlocks and stage/performance clothes. Today… I get to meet and know this artist that talks about keeping alive as a statement and having suicide in his name. He was kind enough to give us a few minutes before performing while the opening band was onstage. “The name SUICIDE is a constant reminder that unless we kill ourselves, there is no ceiling for what we are capable of, DREAMING KEEPS US ALIVE”. – Davey Suicide official Facebook page Biography.
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www.espguitars.com Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 15
At age 16 Lita was recruited to become the lead guitarist for The Runaways. As the band began to change, Lita took a stand and parted ways to continue playing what she believed in, and to build her name. Through downfalls, twist and turns she succeeded and is now known for hits such as “Gotta let go,” “Kiss Me Deadly,” the famous duet with Ozzy Osbourne “Close My Eyes Forever,” and many more. In the time when Rock n Roll began, girls hardly made it or made it thus far. Lita
became an idol, winning everyone’s heart, respect, and even becoming a Sex symbol. Admired for her talent and beauty, while no one ever knew what she hid or how much she struggled until now.
good songs out there, but IT IS NOT A LITA RECORD. This record, is a Lita Record. I was able to have complete control over the songs, working with Gary Hoey as the producer, we really made a great record together. He motivated you… He motivated me, he brought out the best in me as an artist, and that’s what a record producer should do; is bring out the best in the artist, vocally, on guitar, ‘You are gonna play these parts, you are gonna play and you’re gonna sing it.’ The cool thing about Living like a Runaway is that we used all the original tracks, we didn’t beat everything to death. Where as a lot of record producers will make you do things over and over until it’s sterile. You lose the feel, the vibe of the song, but Gary didn’t do that. He took the very first cut of the vocal track and he just went ‘Well, I don’t see anything wrong with that,’ and we just kept it on pretty much every song. All the originals, on guitar solo’s… on everything. So, this record has a lot of feel and a lot of attitude because it’s so RAW. Did anyone help you with the lyrics? When Gary and I would get stuck on lyrics we would bring in my song lyricist who is Michael Dan, the very first song we wrote together was “Lisa.” Which was a song I wrote for my mother, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and had been given 3 months to live. It’s your mom, how do you put that into words? I couldn’t do it, I was really trying to, but I couldn’t do it. At that time, I met Michael Dan, in 1990, and he put it into words that just brings tears to your eyes. Ever since then, him and I have been best friends. And he’s the best lyricist I’ve ever worked with. There’s some heavy duty lyrics on this record. Talking of which, Mother is a song that you wrote for your children, do you feel like you were able to accomplish that point across to them? Honestly, I haven’t seen them.. The father is holding them away from me. I tried to call them, I tried texting them, emailing them.. The last time I saw them, was probably 3 months ago, but the father was there, and they had plotted a skit to runaway from mom. It’s horrible… They’re only 10 and 14. He won’t let them listen to the album, they’re going to have to grow up and go get it. They’re in the Caribbean in North Caicos, which is not protected under the United States law. Otherwise I’d have him turned in on a heartbeat. Because I have no contact with them, it’s awful, but that song is for them. Whether it’s next year or 40 yrs from now it doesn’t matter, that song will always be and one day they’re going to hear it.
After her last divorce, she has kept busy, sharing her story through her new album release “Living Like a Runaway.” Every song sharing/explaining all the secrets she kept from the world; from her marriage, to her children, to coming back 10x stronger for her passion and her fans. This is her story on her new cd, Are you able to hear that song? Or do you put it to the side, have you sang it live? and what it took to comeback. We are going to do a video of it. Live? No, Would you say this album is ofI haven’t done it live. I think we will soon. ficially your comeback? Because we do a lot of store appearances Lita- It, is.. yeah. The last album, I and play acoustic guitar a lot and that’s a literally took some boxes, (cause we good acoustic song, but I think the video is were the record company) took all the going to be a huge statement, and that’s funny records I could find, loaded them up because that song, has gotten the most hits in the truck. I went around and threw on youtube, spotify… it’s not a single, hasn’t them away in different dumpsters. It gotten released as a single, yet it’s gotten the took months, a lot of records, a lot of most hits. A lot of people I have done Intercd’s.. I didn’t like it. There’s a few views with they get chocked up on the phone, 16 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine
video. We have some great people on board that I am very very excited about. One of them will be “Mother,” and I know I’m going to cry my eyes out when I watch it. It’s going to be a bitch just A complete opposite song is “Relentless,” it to get through it. The other video is “The Devil feels like you heard your old albums and you in my Head,” there will be special effects, it will have lots of spiritual meaning. We are going to inspired yourself to stand your ground and pick yourself up, tell us a little bit about that. film it in Joshua Tree, I think it’s a very spiritual Relentless is a song that Gary Hoey took by the place. It will have that whole Indian Navaho vibe. horns and he wrote that himself. He took stories How long did that song take to put together? that I had told him, so (keep in mind this album It was a Bitch. We were stuck on that song. took a year to write) we were locked in a room That song, actually started off ‘The Angel on for about a year with his wife throwing us food my Shoulder,’ and it wound up ‘The Devil in my she’s awesome. I would tell him stories about Head.’ Because you know everyone has an record companies, and being a girl and having angel on their shoulder, and a devil in their head the door slammed on your face, people not really telling them ‘Oh no, you should wear white,’ ‘No, giving you the credibility you deserved because you should wear black!’ It was kind of a fight, you’re a female. And that’s what that song is we kept being drawn to the dark side. We about. The more you tell me I can’t do it, the wen’t with it, and when Gary and I got stuck on more I’m going to do it. ‘I am relentless, like a the lyrics we brought in Michael Dan. Michael freight train coming to the driving rail, relentless.’ Dan hadn’t heard the song, but as soon as we I would start a sentence and Gary would finish it, told him what we were doing he emailed us 3-4 he was great, perfect producer. pages of words. I got maybe 3-4 songs out of 1 set of lyrics. We picked the best pieces and Living like a Runaway wasn’t a song until you we wound up with: (starts to sing) “Love don’t mentioned it being the title, tell us the story? come easy for a lonely soul like me, I find myself We had just came up with the title, my song in trouble on a road of misery, I try to do the writing lyricist partner had said to me ‘Lita you’re right thing, but I’m easily mislead. I’m drawn to going through this divorce, he’s got the 4 million the dark side and the devil in my head.” I think dollar down the street and here you’re living in so many people will be able to relate to that this apartment.’ I took nothing, I just grabbed my because so many people have demons. car keys, a few guitars and I left, so my friend say’s to me, ‘You’re living like a runaway.’ And I The song “A Song to Slit your Wrists by,” by Nikki Sixx what was his reaction after you said ‘Michael that’s a great song title, let’s write re-made that song? it!’ Oh Nikki is thrilled, Nikki is my brother, I love I got on the phone later that day with the record him like my brother. I turn to him in confidence company; I was sitting in my car in the divorce and because I trust him. He knows me well, lawyers building he say’s ‘Lita we must have probably better than a lot of people truly know the Living like a Runaway as the title of the me. When I was going through the divorce I was comeback record, it’s perfect!’ And I’m like well a little lost, and I needed somebody to talk to. I was thinking of calling it Branded.. ‘No, Living So, I talked to Nikki, and when I was writing the like a Runaway is empowering, it tells a story!’ album, his song popped on my desktop. I was and I’m thinking Oh Shit, open mouth insert foot shocked, I thought ‘I don’t have any Nikki Sixx ya know? So, I was stuck from that point on, I songs saved on my desktop.’ But ok, I had to had to write that song and I had to write it right listen to it. I played it and I went ‘WOW. I gotta now, because once that title got out, I knew it do this, this song is written for me.’ I emailed was a matter of time until someone else wrote Nikki and asked him ‘Is this something you did that song. I got Michael on the cellphone and with your book? What is this?’ He told me that we started messing around and I came up with it was that he’d written for his ex wife 15 years (starts to sing) Run baby Run.. and Michael ago. And I thought, ‘Done, sold, I gotta do it! Can say’s, Across New York City, Run baby Run. I I have it?’ So, I asked Nikki, ‘If you were to resaid, Through the streets of LA and I went Ahh! do it what would you do different?’ He said he That’s it! That’s the hook! All day long I went would give it a Nine Inch Nails industrial vibe, so around singing, right there and then is when I I took it to Gary Hoey, and played it for him and knew we had something in our hands. It went to told him what Nikki said. Gary gave that song number 8 on Classic Radio. Nikki’s Nine Inch Nails vibe and it worked great. Living Like a Runway is an emotional song, You’re touring at the moment with Poison but it takes you back to so many memories. It and Def Leppard how is that? makes you think, it goes over the decades of my It’s great! The poison guys, I’ve known for ages, life. Started from 1975, 1980- when I was in the I’ve known all of them for ages, even the truck Runaways and then just being a solo artist- Lita drivers. They’ve all worked for me at one period Ford, and then being an artist today. of time, place, or stage. Especially Poison, they’re like my brothers, and the Def Leppard The lyrics go ‘Fans like you, that make my guys are wonderful people. So it’s a real honor to dreams come true.’ It’s real, that song really be on that tour and they’re great musicians. takes me on an emotional journey. I definitely poured 15, maybe 17 years worth of aggravaWhat has the crowd’s reaction been to your tion and built up aggression, emotions onto this comeback? record. Because the whole time that I was gone, On our crew with us we have Kevin Dugan workall I wanted to do was play, so I had all these ing for me, he’s Michael Anthony’s tech and he ideas and I couldn’t share them with anybody. I did the whole Van Halen crew tours, so he’s rewas being held back, held down. Finally when I ally seen the crowd and the audience response, did shake the demons, lose off of me and I was and he said he’s never seen a support act, get able to play everything kept rolling out. It wasn’t this kind of response. By the end of our set, the easy because it was emotional, a lot of sweat, place was packed. It doesn’t start off packed, tears, hard days. At the same time, I had so it starts off where everybody’s looking for their many stories to tell, so now we’re going to do a seats and scrambling around, but by the end of sometimes I’ve had to hang up. For people that say “oh it’s cheesy,” they obviously don’t have feelings or don’t have any kids in their life.
the show it’s packed.A-A-Aa Have you done any solo tours while being on the road? We go out of our way, a few hundred miles, just to play our headlining set for fans, so we can just goof off and do what we want to do, we’re not on any set schedule or set time. Because the sports Arena’s are very strict, if Def Leppard goes over 5 minutes, it rolls back on Poison, which rolls back on me. So, I get the butt end of the stick, so I have to be dead on, if I come off late 1 minute, it rolls back on me, and they get fined. Some of these Sports Arena’s will fine you a minute. We try to go on a few mins early so we can get the most out of our set. We don’t rush, but the headlining shows, we will drive 2-3 hours out of our way, we have fun! We have a couple of cocktails, we screw off, we try our new song, talk to the audience. We play as long as we’d like and we get personal. Anything else about the album that you’d like to share? The art work is really cool and I know these days everyone downloads everything, and that limits you because first of all you don’t hear the music unless you have some kick-ass head phones, that you can plug into your laptop. When I was growing up I use to read the lyrics, I use to study the artwork, look at the photograph and I would really study the packaging, it was a huge part of it. It told you a lot about that person. You don’t get any of that these days. You’re only getting a quarter of what the artist is really trying to sell you. But if downloading is your only way of getting it then download it. And we’re selling vinyl too. Vinyl’s coming back, and our record is beautiful. It’s red, like a candy apple red, it’s like a gatefold, so it opens up, the sleeps pull out and on the sleeves there’s photographs and handwriting. It’s a collectors piece, the original vinyl only has 3 or 4 songs per side not 10 on one side. You said, you were planning on writing a book, have you started it yet? Yes, I have. We started with The Proposal and so far, it’s very intense. It should be released early 2013, it’s coming from a different aspect, from a female rocker- a whole different story. It’s not the same sex, drugs, rock n roll, but it’s not just for females, it’s for everyobody. Tell me a little about your clothing style. Tony (from The Rockwood Saloon) likes to capture what I like, we had a long conversation before-hand, I tell him what I want and he captures it. I’ve used his clothes in a lot of different photo sessions. I wore his pants at the Rock of Ages primere. It’s good onstage, photo sessions. He’s a good guy, he’ll work with you on whatever it is that you want and there’s definite character to his clothing. Anything you would like to say to people out there? Get Living Like a Runaway there’s something on there for everybody and it’s a smoking album in it’s entirety, not just one song. -Anlly
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Trippy I noticed in your videos that you like to change band members, why is this? Well it’s all in who’s right for dat song, and whose broke dat day, who has da most BEER… haha. I’m an opportunist!
Well, my idea of Spelled Moon was to put together music scores much like the ones in the movies but with a power metal band on top. It is classically influenced, but I guess you guys will come up with a more precise term… I just write songs. I don’t think too much about the genre. It is only rock and roll, and I like it. Where did you come from and who were your influences growing up as a kid? Andy: Well, I grew up listening to Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen, Bach, Vivaldi, Paganini and Beethoven. I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina. At 16, I enrolled in a classical music conservatory and spent a there a good 3 years. When did you move to America and why did you decide to come live here? What was the metal scene like in your country? I moved to the States in 2001 because my eldest Californian born By Leah Burlington brother was living in Florida, and Spelled Moon is a California based he brought me there. It was great Power/ Neoclassical Metal band also ‘cause lots of doors started who’s lead guitarist, Andy Sarcone opening for me. I got to work with Rooney has a lot coming up in the chief engineer of Bongiovi’s his future, including a killer CD Entertainment, Power Station and some amazing artists that are Studios for more than 3 years and working with him as well. was able to learn a lot from those guys. The Argentinean metal scene Tell us about your band Spelled is crazy. Fans go nuts for their Moon and what genre of music bands. They’d do anything to get to is it?
Interview with Andy Sarcone Rooney from Spelled Moon
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How far along are you into your record? I have 4 songs recorded and on ITunes. Fuckers of Fame, Lil Bitch Gurl, Shit’n on da Cop Car, and just released WAR. I have millions more written but just need da record about 5 more and I know exactly which ones and who is involved but it’s a secret… Everybody wants da work on my projects cuz it’s so Fukin bad ass. Who are some of your influences? Myself cuz I’m made of the heaviest metal! And I’m so fukin awesome. But does anyone inspire you? Oh, ya I got a few things Pantera of course. Slayer! Rob Zombie, Korn to name a few. I even like new bands that I’ve never heard of as long as they have that heavy sound…And stuff you can mosh to, cuz I’m all about da pit. A pit tempers me like steal like a machine gun… So was that you I saw at Gwar the other night? Oh ya, I don’t know how you recognized me I was all bloody! But I was the one that killed that guy! I love the pit, it’s all about beating people’s heads in and your own gettin bet in. Trippy what’s your future goals?
a concert and go miles away just to see their band on a stage. What is your favorite guitar to play? My favorite guitar is the one I put together many years ago (the white Ibanez look-alike in the pic’s.) It is one of my hobbies to put guitars together using different mic’s, electronics, woods, etc….. But, I’d have to say that Les Paul’s are among my favorites. I also happen to own several guitars such as Fenders, Ibanez and Gibson. In the acoustic world, I’d say Taylor guitars. Who is in Spelled Moon besides you Andy? I have the pleasure to be playing with guys that I admire Ralph Rieckermann (ex Scorpions) on bass, Patrick Johansson (Yngwie Malmsteen) on Drums. And last but not least, Claudio Pesavento (Dokken’s studio keyboardist, who has played with Mahogany Rush, Foreigner, Heaven and Earth and Jeff Beck) on keys.
Neil Zlozower Atlas Icons.com
“I am the Metal God!!!!”
Trippy I really liked your first single “Fuckers of fame” What’s this particular song about? That’s my anthem number one kit song! It’s about the doze kiss ass people in Hollywood. Selling their souls for something stupid, like to get on a dumb reality show or somethin. I call them fuckers of fame cuz, dat’s what dey are.
What’s the name of your band Trippy? Trippy da Clown…Cool right? It’s got a nice ring to it.
with David Jenkins from Wine Cellar Studios. For mastering, we have Alex Saltz from APS Mastering, the very guy who did House of Lords last album. We also have Daniel Trajtemberg who is illustrating our album and he works out of Imkstudios. When is the release date for the CD? Any video’s being made for the new CD? The release date, we hope, would be by mid 2013, but by the time you read this, a preview of the album (including an unreleased Scorpions’ song!) will be out. It’s a song that Ralph wrote in ’94, and we’ve made our new version of it. We shot a video in Las Vegas, Nevada for the song “Soul Mates,” should be out soon.
In closing, is there anything you would like to add or plug for you and the band? Where can we listen to your music online? Do you have a website? Yes, that we are Dreamers! That’s why we pursue this very difficult career. We always have dreamed I understand you are currently with music and we always will. working on a new CD and you There’s no politics nor interests are working with some pretty big in the tunes. It is not about being players in the music industry? famous or infamous. It is about the We’ve recorded this album at Power song always. Chase dreams till the Station Studios in Florida, Shut Up end. You can listen to the songs on and Play Studios in Los Angeles our web www.spelledmoon.com. and at my own studio (that I call Black Gates). Now, we are mixing it
Leah Burlington
So Trippy, I see you’re becoming quite the name on YouTube... your new song and music video ‘War’ seems to be getting a lot of attention...Could you tell us a bit about the song and the video concept? Trippy-oh ya! First off, the track is heavy has hell. One a da producers on da track is Thom Russo who won about thirteen Grammy’s and he did one Hell of a job on this metal masterpiece. I recorded da vocals on my own cuz I like it even heavier. Da song is about WAR so people just need da go watch it. And I did da video myself, so you know it Rulez. Another cool thing is that I have Dr. SATAN A.K.A. Wallter Phelan on drums and you should know who he is cuz he’s in a lot of Rob Zombie Movies. He’s one cool dude, and he’s in a band himself, RF7. Plus, it got thousands and thousands of hits in its first week on YouTube.
To take over da WORLD…. And to make a masterpiece metal record dats so intense dat it will create da biggest mosh pit da world’s ever seen. I want everyone to feel the ground rumble because of my master piece album. Trippy where can the viewers go to check out all of your shows and your music and get some of your awesome swag? Its TrippyTV.com people can see everything there I have shows, interviews with some of da
coolest metal beast around, Like John 5, Zakk Wylde, and Carmine Appice da beast. Plus all my cool swag is on my website, so dey need to go buy all my cool swag so I have more beer money. Trippy I have to ask this and don’t take it personal....But everyone’s been asking me so I have to ask...How old are you? What kind of Question is that? 21 maybe 100, I don’t know all I know is I was born on Halloween and my mom was drunk when she had me. I’m not sure, at least 21 so I can buy beer, but everyday’s my burthday…
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Tony Campos
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We sat down with Tony Campos at the Fernandes Showroom. To have him tell us about his signature bass, and what he has been up to with his projects Ministry, Prong and Soulfly.
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You have been with Fernandes for quite a while now, how long has it been? Twelve to Thirteen years now that I have been working with these guys, yeah it’s a long time. (Laughs) Yeah, so do they keep you coming back? Yeah (laughs), they treat me well. Anytime I need anything they are there for me. There are a lot of companies you can’t say that about these days. I am loyal to Fernades as they are to me. That is very important. We have your signature model bass. What did you do to make it your own? A couple years ago they started making a signature model for me. This is what we came up with this year. I saw some of your other ones which are badass too! Thanks, we started off with different things. After touring and beating the hell out of it, we changed a couple things. It’s based off of the 5-string standard model. The standard model has EMG DC pick-ups. My signature model has the MM’s the big music man style pick-ups, which ries on the road! I think sound beefier! It also has an Speaking of Ministry, when I did the active EMG EQ on there, we also brought back the Lava Burst finish on farewell tour in 2008. there and it looks nice. I also threw in Whoops! the Maldito X logo on the twelfth fret, (Laughs) Yeah, whoops! That is Al last year we had it squished and we for you, he changes his mind. That wanted to make it bigger so it looks whole experience was just incredible, cool. Fernandes made two models of getting to play with one of my favorite this bass. The higher end model is a bands ever! Not only getting to play neck-through which adds more sustain with Al, and Tommy Victor which lead to it. And the standard X model has to me playing with Prong. It just felt EMG HC pick-ups that are passive. It like summer camp, hanging out with has a tone a volume knob, and a bolt your friends. Particularly when we did on neck. I actually used the X model the rehearsals in El Paso, we were all last year when with Soulfly and they camped out at an Almond ranch on the sound great! outskirts of El Paso. Some guy built a studio out there called Sonic Ranch, and we spent a month there rehearsing for the tour. A cool story in particular, Tell us about some of the albums you had come out in 2012, you have it had nothing to do with me but I saw the whole thing. Burton C. Bell from been a very busy man this past Fear Factory he was there because he year! was doing some guest vocals for the Yeah! It was a good year; I came out on three records. Carved into Stone by tour. He found a dead skunk in a ditch, Prong, Relapse by Ministry, Enslaved and I went to bring Al and said “hey look, a dead skunk!” and at the same by Soulfly. Those three records came out at about the same time last year in time Tommy Victor is coming back from the airport he just picked up his March and April. They were all really good records and I was lucky enough girlfriend and on the way to their room. Al thought it would be a great idea to to play on them. Yeah, it was a good throw the dead skunk into their room! year definitely! It made a great first impression for Three great records and some tourTommy’s girlfriend (Laughs). ing! Tell us about the tattoo you got with Yeah, I spent most of the year with Justin at Demographic Ink. Soulfly. I did some shows with Prong It’s a couple years old and it looks like in the beginning on the year. Unfortuit is holding up good. If any of you are nately I couldn’t do the Ministry tour, Slayer fans you because I will still out with Soulfly at would recognize the time. Al only wanted to tour 5-6 the art off of Hell weeks and retire again. Awaits. It is a reYou can’t clone yourself yet? cord sense I have (Laughs) liked as a kid, so I No, I haven’t got that trick down yet! got cool album art! Tell us one of your favorite memo-
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Ernie Manrique
-----------------------------“Hey look, a dead skunk!” ------------------------------
Behind the Metal Blade Brian Slagel - more than a Metal Head If metal had a face, it would be that of Brian Slagel, CEO and founder of Metal Blade Records. 2012 marked the thirtieth year of this brutally raw record label. With heavy hitters such as GWAR, Cannibal Corpse, Corrosion of Conformity, and Armored Saint still on its roster, what keeps this hard core label grounded on this unstable pavement we call the music industry? RNR Industries Magazine was about to find out, as we paid a visit to the Metal Blade office tucked away deep in the Agoura Hills. I sat down with Brian on his black leather couch that metal gods have sat before me. His office is covered from floor to ceiling with gold and platinum records of his various artists. It was right before lunch and I had the creator of Metal Massacre all to myself, well at least for the next 45 minutes.
T-shirt. Now, nobody knew who Saxon was in LA let alone would have worn a European T-shirt of them on. So he ran up to him and said, “Where did you get that shirt?” And the kid (Lars) said, “Well I just moved here from Denmark.” John said, “You got to meet to meet my friend Brian.” The next day, we ended up hanging out and talking music. He had records that I didn’t have, I had records that he didn’t have and we just became friends. We would drive around to different record stores and find stuff and that was it and we became buddies because of that!
Rock N Roll Industries: I want to start off by saying congratulations, 30 years in I read that you signed the Goo Goo Dolls and they were with you for 7 to 8 years. the industry, how does that feel? Can you elaborate? That is so not metal, Brian Slagel: OLD! (laughs) I mean, it’s amazing how did that happen? we have been able to do this for thirty years and still Believe it or not they were so much more metal doing it! So it’s not bad when they first started out. We did this separate Tell me about the beginnings, Metal label that had a lot of punk bands on it like D.R.I, C.O.C, Dr. Know and the Goo Goo Dolls were Blade 30 years ago? Well, I was working in a record store started doing obviously on there. They were just a cool little punk a fan zine called “The New Heavy Metal Revue.” band from Buffalo New York and to give them a There was this whole metal scene that was going little metal credibility, The Goo Goo Dolls and on in LA that nobody knew about. So I figured the Cannibal Corpse were both from Buffalo and they only way people might know about it is if I helped played a show together in Buffalo, so it goes to out somehow, so I put together a compilation album shows you that they were much heavier then. But, called Metal Massacre, talked to all the people just as time went on they were writing more ballads I knew at the record stores, the various imported on every album. One you might now know as “A distributors back then, because there was no Boy Named Goo” and the ballad was “Name” and distribution network, so I said, “If I put together this the next thing you know, every radio station in the compilation album, will you put it out there?” and country is playing it and they became huge. they said, “Sure.” So I did that and it had RATT What does Metal Blade look for in a band? and Metallica and some other bands you may have There is nothing specific that we look for but we like heard of on there. to do something different something that no one How did you pick the bands that are on else is doing. I don’t want to sign the 83rd band that Metal Massacre? sounds like Pantera. I have a really wide range I was kind of doing a lot of things in the scene, so of musical taste. And we have everything from I knew all the bands. It was a small scene, so Gypsyhawk to Armored Saint to Cannibal Corpse everybody already knew each other. We basically to GWAR, so I like a lot of different things. We also all partied with each other at the same time. I try really hard to sound a little different so we don’t worked at the record store, so a lot of people came sign the same bands over and over again. in and I would go see the bands. I remember going What would you say your secret to see Motley Crue and RATT at the Troubadour on ingredient is as an independent label? a Wednesday night for a dollar, so that shows you Being around for so long compared to what the scene was kind of like then. Because I corporate labels in finding bands? knew everybody in the scene, I went to them and We definitely embrace the new technology and the said, “Hey, I want to put together a compilation new sound a lot of other labels get afraid of doing. album, can you put down a track?” and they said, I think the reason why we have been around for 30 “Sure.” Then a friend of mine named Lars called years is because we will change and do whatever me up and said, “If I put together a band, can I be we think is cool at the time, so we will sign different on the record?” and I said, “Sure.” Of course that types of bands. Again, if you look at the roster ended up being Metallica. And everything just there is a lot of different stuff on there. went from there. You have 52 signed bands on your roster. You had a major role on the formation of Who do you think will carry the torch Metallica. How did you meet Lars Ulrich after bands like Slayer and Metallica? and become friends? That is really hard to say. Obviously, we had a There was a Michael Schenker group show at band called Ghost that is doing very well. They just the Country Club, which is an old great club that signed to a massive major label (Universal), so we existed here in Los Angeles and my friend John and will see how well that does. Gypsyhawk is another I were the only two people in LA that knew anything new band that I really like a lot. They are more of about the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. So a Rock N Roll Thin Lizzy sort of style. But they are we went to the show and afterwards John saw this really cool. There is a band called In Solitude from kid in the parking lot wearing a Saxon European Sweden - young guys doing a very cool old school
sounding type music. That is some of the newer stuff that we are excited about that is doing well. What can we expect from Metal Blade in 2013? There is a lot of stuff going on with BattleCross. They are amazing and they have a new record coming out in 2013. All of the bands I mentioned and all of the big bands here on the label will be touring in 2013. There are a lot of amazing tours that are going to happen. I cannot announce any of them yet, but if you are familiar with summer tours in the USA and the festivals in Europe, pretty much every band that is on our label will be doing something on all those big festivals next summer. It is going to be a lot of fun. I am going to be very busy next summer! It is Metal Blade’s 30th anniversary and Armored Saint who will be playing the anniversary party along with Gypsyhawk(Article Below). What other special surprises can we be expecting that night? They are not even telling me, but what I do know is we have Gypsyhawk opening up. There will be special appearances from our friends in Sacred Reich. They haven’t played in LA for I don’t know how many years, but I saw them play some festivals this summer in Europe and I think they are better now then back in the day. And then of course Armored Saint who has a very special set list they haven’t told me about. Hopefully it will include some of my favorite songs. And, of course, it will be hosted by Eddie Trunk and Don Jamison from That Metal Show - you know those guys are always fun. And then we are having a whole jam thing going on that I am not sure how they will be doing it all in the same night. It should be a lot of fun. When it was your 20th anniversary. One of your biggest successes was seeing a band have a long, successful career. This past ten years, what has been one of your most successful highlights? Well, kind of the same thing. Back in the day, we had bands like Cannibal Corpse and GWAR that are all still on our label today. And we kind of graduated to signing bands like The Black Dahlia Murder and White Chapel. All those bands have at least ten years of success now and are doing very well and looking good for the future. The fact that we are still doing this old school – “let’s sign the band, develop them, and hope they have a nice long career” is amazing! I just downloaded your new app for Metal Blade. Can you tell us some of your Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 21
favorite features on it? Pretty much if you look at our website, it has all the stuff you want on it. It has all the tour dates, the artist information, the new releases, links to purchase songs…. I even use it to see who is on tour where and to find out all the tour dates, so it’s good! We just updated our website as well. It is more user-friendly and easy to navigate. So you can check that out, too. What is Metal Misconduct? Metal Misconduct is a sports/metal radio show podcast. Hockey players, NFL players, race car drivers have all come on the show and we just talk! What we find out is all these athletes are huge metal heads, so it’s fun to talk to them, because for the most part, hockey players are not the best interviewers, but you start talking to them about metal and they just completely love it. We just had Kyle Turley who played in the NFL last month and we just had Curtis Joseph, the goaltender for the National Predators, whose mask is Eddie from Iron Maiden, which is pretty cool. We will have a couple baseball players coming up and when hockey players start playing again, we will be talking to them, too. There must be an insane story you can share with us about your interactions with the notorious members of GWAR? I wish I had an insane story about GWAR. You would want more insane stories about GWAR but I can tell you two interesting stories about GWAR. When I first saw them, I had heard about them for a couple of years and people kept telling me, “You gotta see this band… They throw blood at people and meat.” Now, back in 1989, this was a big thing, but now it’s old hat. I saw them years later and they had this insane, amazing show and all I could think of is “If these guys are at least partially sane, I have to work with them”. So I went back stage and actually talked to them. It happens to be that they are really smart college kids from Virginia. So I was like “Okay, now we gotta do this thing.” We ended up working with them. So another story that is not so much crazy or insane, but more fun is they’ve ended up doing the Jimmy Fallon show twice now. The first time I didn’t get to go, but the second time, we were all hanging out in the green room and Jimmy Fallon comes in and starts talking to the band and he was like a real fan. He knew who they were and was talking to the band about their stuff. It was really interesting to being a fly on the wall listening to this. Jimmy Fallon is a huge GWAR fan! Who would have known? Brian and I finished our interview, but continued to chat about our run-in at Eddie Trunk’s Birthday this past summer. It was a great night. Eddie was in town for the tapings of That Metal Show and we all met up at the Rainbow on Sunset, where we had a couple drinks and food. The celebration also included Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan, Richie Kotzen (who had just finished a recording session for their upcoming power trio super group album, masterminded by Eddie Trunk), Chris Broderick from Megadeth, Don Jamieson, Jim Florentine, DJ Metal Will, the entire TMS crew, and, of course, Eddie Trunk. What topped it all off was Major League Baseball great Mike Piazza singing “Happy Birthday” to Eddie Trunk with all of us! Brian referred to Piazza as a “Monster metal head”. He also mentioned that Mike is a longtime Armored Saint fan and he knows everything about the old 80s metal scene, and even likes the heavier stuff, such as Cannibal Corpse. Good times indeed! Metal and star athletes - who would have thought? Brian had so many interesting stories to tell - a metal history lesson directly from behind the Metal Blade! Thanks, Brian! I think metal will outlive all genres of music. Metal heads are loyal, brutal and merciless and as long as we have visionaries like Brian Slagel keeping up with the changing times, Long Live Heavy Metal! -Raquel Figlo 22 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine
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e caught up with Armored Saint backstage at the Metal Blade thirty anniversary show. This show not only celebrated the Metal Blade thirty year Anniversary but Armored Saints as well! It was a packed house with many celebrates stepping up on stage to play with Armored Saint including Johan Hegg (Amon Amarth) and Ray Alder (Fates Warning). With Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield hanging out at the VIP tables with Brian Slagel watching the show. Tell us what does it feel like to be playing there thirty anniversary and your thirty anniversary the same night? Phil: Oh it’s just awesome, Brian Slagel was very prominent in the early beginnings of metal in the 80’s and he picked us up we were in metal massacre 2 from there the rest is history and we want to say thank you very much to him.
false alarm the song and it came out really cool and we said well that was just a trial version will come back the next day and do it better so we came back the next day we recorded a song to get false alarm but nothing was better than that one late night version so we kept the late night vision it’s a good memory. Jeff: I remember back in 2000 Armored Saint got together to record the album Revelation and the band had been on let’s say a hiatus for ten years John Bush was in Anthrax so Armored Saint was dormant for a while and we got back together to do the revelation album and we played the Voken Festival in Germany and it was sort of this return of armored saint show and I remembered we were the first band that went onstage with lights at that time of the day and the gig just went without a hitch and the energy and everybody was so excited that Armored saint was there and it was definitely in the top five favorite shows I’ve ever done in my life, this energy and everything about it was such a great show and such a great moment I think for the band to be back in strong sounding better than ever.
Gonzo: we’re just really honored and happy to be here, you know thirty years it just seems so fast but Brian started in the eighties so did armored saint and its cool to be here and playing and just want to have a good time and party. It’s all changed a lot, music’s changed a lot, the industry’s change a lot, but you know at the end of Gonzo: I remember that show too because the the day when it Rocks, it Rocks and that’s what audience was screaming “Armored Saint, Armored Saint” but so loud I remember we were we’re here to do! peeking out and just vibing on it and I felt really Jeff: Well it’s great to be here seeing Brian you super nervous Just the energy that was a there know, I remember him walking around back in at voken and such a great memory the at the club, he was like this metal guy he had his studs and leather jacket everything I What should we be keeping a look out remember seeing him around all the time and for in 2012? to be here now I think about that guy back then Gonzo: We’re going to be doing something in you know what he’s built and of course the Ar- Europe again, it’s always blessing to be able to mored Saint affiliation it’s a real pleasure to be Europe at least once a year and play different here you know thirty years later I just think about places we’ve never played this year we were that guy back around then checking out bands pleased to do Paris France for the first time and and what he’s done for himself and what he’s wow! done Armored saint and many of the bands and Phil: On my birthday heavy metal music. Gonzo: the reception was amazing they say What where some of your best mem- happy birthday to him in French and it was it was ories from touring these last thirty a quite a moment, but this next year the promotyears? er of Olivia in France invited us to play a festiPhil: recording our first EP was definitely a val I think it’s called hell fest and that’s in June great memory and it was a pleasure to record 20th and then we’re going to do the Prog fast in it at Track Records it was our first time and it Atlanta Georgia September that’s really all we brought us to here. have booked right now hopefully we have a new Gonzo: I remember learning we were going to record in store. We talked about it just basically record a demo of our songs that we have been mention didn’t talk about it but that’s stuff to look working on and it was going to be with Brian at forward to. Track Record with Bill Metoyer engineering. We loaded in at midnight that was our start time so by four o’clock in the morning we’re pretty beat but we have set up and got all sounds and we’re gonna come back the next midnight it was all spec time so we altered our minds a little and then had some fun and then we just did a take of
Jeff: everything you said (laughs) yeah just looking forward going to Europe you know next summer and again you will see what the future holds for another armored saint album.
Metallica- Gonzo Sandoval Armored Saint-rosaurasandoval.com
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etallica’s 30th anniversary party at the Filmore in San Francisco, CA was one of the most memorable and exciting Rock n Roll evenings of my life. You see, the mighty Metallica asked Armored Saint if we would open for them at one of the four shows they were putting on for their Metclub in celebration of 30 years of rock. Yet we had to keep it a secret....perhaps to make it even more a special surprise for their dedicated fans. We played the 2nd show, Weds. Dec. 7, 2011. Smiles were ear to ear as we were escorted thru a restaurant out the back and up the stairs to the back stage door at the Filmore. A very clever route I might say, the adventure had begun! We walked in to find Metallica doing a sound check with Kid Rock. The guys took a quick break to great us. Lars, James, Kurt, Robert and the entire Metallica camp were very welcoming and hospitable...There was an awesome vibe fueled by lots of history and rock n roll. We got to see our long time dear friends Zach and Mick (whom graciously did our sound for the gig) amongst others. Lars set the tone for the evening when he spoke into my ear, the words, “Welcome home”! Metallica brought up lots of musical guests that rocked with them in the past or were influential in the Metallica history; such as the Soul Rebel Brass Band, award winning songwriter Marianne Faithfull, Ray Haller of Sweet Savage, Kid Rock, King Diamond, Merciful Fate reunited for a one time performance, Legendary Lou Reed offered his unique vibe to the evening, John Bush (Armored Saint) did a rendition of the Four Horseman with Metallica that finally fulfilled their quest to hear John Bush as the Front man for Metallica, for 1 song ... but what could of been surely slipped away with a huge and very Metal response by the thousands proudly in attendance. Jason Newsted joined Metallica on
stage at the end of their set to do several songs ... this gave a new meaning to the term “Double Bass” as both Jasen Newsted and Robert Trujillo handled the Low end together, and it sounded Monstrous. ... Lol Finally the Last Song of the set was Seek and Destroy... All the featured artists came on stage and Rock out the song with Metallica... I was so touched when Lars Ulrich looked my direction and suggestively hinted that I come over and play the drums for a bit...wow....I jumped up and went to his left side, as he stood up, I (with drum sticks in hand) picked up the beat and found myself play seek and Destroy with Metallica and all the jammin artists ... Let me tell you I was in Heavy Metal Heaven. As I was enjoying the explosive sound, I relished the moment when James Hetfield turned around and noticed I was playing the drums. He had a giant smile and later in excitement shouted in my ear “ I knew it was you playing, you are so f%$#$** Solid” I’ll always remember the words James and Lars spoke to me, and this night. It electrifies me every time I go thru the evening’s festivities in my mind. Armored Saint was completely and utterly honored to be a part of this celebration. I feel Blessed to be able to show respect to the Kings of Metal Music, Metallica. Thank you Metallica, Band and Crew, from the bottom of my heart!
that hung over the entire Filmore., later released at the end of the show (what a breath taking site, as they all came down and spilled over the entire audience). ... It just was the time of our lives! Metallica ended up playing 78 different songs throughout the four shows... each show was unique and was built to entertain. They had Lots of artists thanking them on the big screen in between acts that was as well heartwarming and of course they did a tribute to the late and great Bass Player Cliff Burton RIP! This show had it all! For Metallica Fans across the globe, it was a show that was worth being at ...at any cost. Over all, everyone in the building had the time of their lives. Rock n Roll and people from all over the world, gathered to celebrate 30 amazing years of Heavy Metal thunder from the Metal kings, Metallica! God Bless You All! -Gonzo Sandoval Here is the Set list for the evening~
The Celebration also included game shows, prizes, musical acts of different genres, Metallica History of riffs, Haircuts and a very funny MC ~ Jim Breuer. The Highlight of the evening, (though there are too many to name, yet here are a few) was Armored Saint and Metallica playing together after so many years. Also just being around all the talented musical guests and seeing lots of old friends and new ones, and running into Cliff Bernstein (our manager at one point in our career) The Thousands of Balloons (which had a cool Metallica Chip in each one) and confetti
Metallica 2 hour or so, Party Set.
Check out our interview with Gypsyhawk by scaning the tag or going to our website www.rocknrollindustries.com
Armored Saint~ 30 min set. 1) Lesson Well Learned 2) March of the Saint 3) Nervous Man 4) Reign of Fire 5) Chemical Euphoria 6) Can U Deliver 7) Mad House
1) To Live is to Die 2) Enter Sandman 3) Holier than Thou 4) Disposable Heroes 5) Bleeding Me 6) Wasting my Hate 7 )My Apocalypser 8) Just a Bullet Away 9) Breadfan (with Met clubber Andrew Dowis) 10) The Memory remains (with Marianne Faithful) 11) Killing Time (with Ray Haller) 12) Turn the Page (with Kid Rock) 13) The Four Horseman (with John Bush) 14) Iced Honey (with Lou Reed) 15) The View (with Lou Reed) 16) White Lighting/White Heat (with Lou Reed) 17) Creeping death (with Jason Newsted) 18) Battery (with Jason Newsted) 19) Mercyful Fate (with Mercyful Fate) 20) Seek and Destroy (with Jason Newsted, Scott Ian, Ray Haller, John Bush, Joey Vera, Gonzo Sandoval and the Soul Rebels Brass Band)
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24 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine
Carrying on the Orgy Name
riginally formed in 1997, ORGY was signed to Korn’s label Elementree Records and released their debut album Candyass in 1998, featuring their two hit singles, a cover of the New Order song “Blue Monday” and “Stitches”. The album went on to sell almost two million copies. Their second album, Vapor Transmission, was released in 2000 featuring the singles “Fiction (Dreams in Digital)” and “Opticon”. After the album Punk Statik Paranoia the band seemed to just disappear however, and a revolutionary pop-electronic rock sound that brought inspiration and new life into an industry so thirsty for something new, seemed to come to a halt. Band members went their own directions, working on various other projects, and it seemed like Orgy had perhaps become a thing of the past. But as the years went by the pressure from fans for new music and a tour continued to grow and founding member and singer Jay Gordon decided it was time to bring the band back to life. Hand-selecting guitarist Carlton Bost (formerly with Deadsy), guitarist Ashburn Miller (also from Deadsy), bassist Nic Speck (from Run-Run-Run and George Lynch) and drummer Jamie Miller (formerly with Snot, The Start, And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead) to come together and carry on the Orgy name.
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Since then, the new line-up has been touring and is reported to be writing a new album .We were lucky enough to have a chance to sit down with the guys and ask them a few questions about the new band, and recent works. How did you come about forming the new line-up? How did you guys find/meet each other?
Lan Nguyen
Carlton: I met Jay way back in ‘98 when I was working at NRG studios, they had just finished recording “Candyass” there. Jay: I’ve done the majority of my recordings over the years at NRG. That’s where Elijah (Deadsy), and I had been working on their first record. I told Elijah that Carlton would be a good fit for Deadsy, which worked out, so he and I go way back. I’d often spoke to Carlton about us doing some sort of project together, so when it came time to do Orgy again, I thought he’d be perfect. So I asked him to help me put a band together. He and Ashburn live together so he thought Ash should audition, and I agreed so that worked out perfectly. He had also played with Jamie, who I have known for years, and we both agreed there
would be no better drummer around. So he told Jamie that we both insisted on him being the drummer. Jamie told us to fuck off, but we were persistent, and that was that. I met Nic along the way through my old roommate Kass. He had been playing with a few bands in the LA area, and we had connected a few times. I ran into him again at a deadmau5 show at the Palladium, and we made plans to get together. So most of you have known each other for a long time, how has it been finally getting to work together?
together to do this sooner?” Jay: As I mentioned it’s been really cool. I am just lucky enough that a couple of people still knew who I was (I think my mom was one of them, haha). I imagine there are some bewildered fans that are still wary of accepting the changes that have come about, what message would you like to send to those fans?
Carlton: Well, change to many people is often unwelcome. I know that for some if it’s not the original, then they’re not going to like it just on Jay: Well we all have a good time playing live principal alone. But all of the people that have together which is really nice. We actually all get come out to the shows have been overwhelmalong great. I’ve really enjoyed working with all ingly supportive, and thankful that the band is of them. Jamie is better than all of us though, but back out there. To anyone who is wary, I would he can’t play all the instruments at the same time just say keep an open mind. Check out the luckily. Haha. new material and a show before disregarding it completely. Carlton: It’s a lot of fun…of course Ash and I have been putting up with each other since Jay: Just breathe, everything will be okay. we were 5 years old, haha, and Nic fit right in Change is not necessarily a bad thing, so rather instantly. It felt really easy and natural to get all than hate on it, embrace it. of us in the same room and on the same page since we’re all so familiar with each other’s play- You guys just released a new single, right? ing and personalities. It just made sense. Jay: Yes. Grime of the Century. How has it been getting out there again as For those who haven’t had a listen yet, the new Orgy and re-kindling the relationship What sets the new Orgy sound apart from with long-time fans? the original? There seems to be a bit more Jay: It feels really good. Wasn’t exactly sure how electronic and Dubstep influence but it is still very heavy. the fans were going to receive the new line-up, but it’s been excellent. I had a feeling it was goJay: It’s different in the sense that EDM has ing to be a lot more difficult than it was. The first changed so much since back in the day. We’ve two mini tours, have gone better than expected, always had the EDM influence, but yeah it has after being away for as long as we were. It’s just a little Dubstep influence as well as some definitely given way to doing more music, and other sub genres. touring. I’m just excited to get out there again. Carlton: I guess it’s going to sound a bit different Carlton: The great thing for me personally about just because different musicians bring different joining this band is that Orgy and Deadsy shared styles and influences to the table. It still sounds a lot of the same fan base. So it’s a lot of fun like Orgy to me, just with an updated and more doing this and getting back out there to seeing a current touch, drawing upon other influences that lot of the Deadsy fans again. I was always a fan are happening in music today. of what Orgy was doing back when Deadsy was What can fans of Orgy look forward to in happening and I think it makes sense to those people who were into both bands to see Ash and 2013? I working with Jay in this current format. Jay: Two EP’s is what’s on the agenda currently. How was the first tour as a new unit person- One to be released in Feb. / March. ally for you guys? Carlton: We’re going to follow that up with lots of touring...starting in Feb. I believe and continuing Carlton: It was strange because it didn’t really throughout the year. feel “new” to me. Again, it just felt natural and I was thinking “Damn, why haven’t we gotten Find ORGY at: orgymusic.com Sarah Roberts Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 25
Q and A with Vinnie Moore
How did you pick up the guitar?
I was into bands that were guitar oriented like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Queen, and decided one Christmas that I wanted to get a guitar. That’s how it started, as a Christmas gift. What was your first Dean guitar? Right from the get-go we started designing a signature model. I flew down to the factory in Florida and they had made me a protoype, and I started playing that. Then we started developing it, having conversations about it, what needed to be changed, what we could do with the model, and we tweaked it for about six months, and then came out with the Vinman 2000 which I’ve been playing for five years now. Who do you consider to be the greatest shred players? Guys like Allan Holdsworth, he isn’t really a rock guy but he’s shredding on guitar, Steve Morse, some of the new guys like Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal, Gutherie Govan is great, Gus G. How did you join UFO? We had a mutual friend who is our soundman tonight. He heard they were looking for somebody and he knew about me and recommended me to them. He called my manager and said “UFOs looking for a good guitarist and think Vinnie would be a good guy for the gig.” I was asked to put some of my music together for Phil [Mogg], and I put together an 11 song compilation disc to send to him. I got the gig based on that disc. What are you using for effect pedals? I have a wah, a RotoVibe, a Carbon Copy, all made by Dunlop. I also have a Boss DD-3 delay, an Analog Man Chorus, and a Boss PS-6 for some chorusing detuning. Did you have a different approach on each of the four UFO albums you played on? I don’t think about it too much. I just write whatever pops into my head, and I don’t premeditate anything or decide that I’m going to take a certain approach. I just go with flow naturally, and some things fall within the same routine and pattern. Being influenced by Led Zeppelin, what was it like playing with Jason Bonham in UFO? It was cool. He was on the first record and the first couple tours we did and it was great playing with him. He’s a great guy, he’s really funny, and I enjoyed hearing some old Led Zeppelin stories since I’m a big Zeppelin fan. It’s awesome, but the bummer is there’s times where we don’t get to see some of the bands that I want to see. There’s always this situation where we have to leave, get on the bus, and drive to next city. There’s times where I have to miss some of my favorite bands. At High Voltage we were there a day early so I got to see ZZ Top and Black Label Society. It was cool to have a day off and see some bands. -Alex Kluft
26 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine
Alex Kluft
What do you like about playing festivals like High Voltage?
The International House of Blues Foundation
The IHOBF is a non-profit foundation made for teachers and students available in 13 locations around the U.S. Supported by private, business, and public donors, as well as the government, helping expand the programs, and tools to teach these children everything there is to know about blues and the making of.
Teaching the children the history, traditions, cultures and bringing the adversity of ethnicities together to influence one another is just one of the many accomplishments that this program has achieved. The creativity of this foundation can be seen
through the children’s knowledge with the instruments, and confidence that they perform in. History takes a big role in the programs they hold such as Dr. Martin Luther, King J.r events in which children perform and create art to showcase .
The House of Blues venues have opened their doors to support and hold these children through the school time to teach 5th-12th graders all about American culture. It’s like these sponsors and many others that have helped this foundation survive since 1993, but it isn’t always easy. Affording the correct and best tools to continue strengthening the techniques and knowledge of these children can be hard at times. It’s important to keep the music alive, and support those who have the passion to
teach it to our children. If you would like to be one of the supporters than can continue this foundation please visit their website at www. ihobf.org and become one of the sponsors/ supporters that helps change a life through music. And don’t think that your good deed will go unrewarded. One of the ways that you can help this program, which many of you may already do so without knowing is to get a membership to the Foundation Room along with all the perks like VIP seats, food discounts, and complimentary parking (in some locations). A portion of your membership goes to keeping programs like these alive, that are ran by extraordinary artists, teaching children not only Blues History, but American History as well in a fun way. -Anlly
RNR: Toni, the first time we saw you play with Mandy Lion you were eighteen years old and already very impressive. We’ve talked about how old you were when you started to play but I also heard you could play Steve Via’s album at 15? Tell us a little about that... (Or you could play along with it)... Toni Aleman: Yeah. Actually, Rick Plaster, who’s the guy that was playRNR: Mandy Lion, what was the biggest difference between ing for Mandy (and I was his tech) I did some guitar competition and he the scene here in the United States and in Germany? invited me out to play for one of his sets... and I had a band at the time. I think I was like, fourteen/fifteen there. There’s a video of it somewhere... Mandy Lion: Well, I would say that, America is a little bit more trendy. You know, whenever things go up and down, Europe & Japan pretty much my band, we were more into really, really technical, musicianship type of music. So we were playing, like, RUSH, “YYZ”...uh, I remember we did, stays level. Keeps you alive. I mean, even back in the day, whenever sales would drop here because whatever new fad was coming along, you like, “Passion and Warfare” at THAT age. know, in Europe people are a lot more loyal. That’s not to say that things I remember, Rick actually saw that, he was more like a mentor to me and aren’t great here when they are great but, you know, it’s more of a trendy kind of took me in ‘cause, I guess that’s like, an abnormality that some thing. It comes and it goes... I think that, Europe’s a bit more hardcore fifteen year old kid is sittin’ there doin’ “Passion And Warfare” or Steve Vai I think. Europe has never really been into the bubble gum and the hair and then playing “Eruption” right after that and”YYZ” one after another, metal type stuff. They’ve always been into the more ballsy stuff. so... To me, it was “no big deal” but apparently, it... it’s something!?!? RNR: What can fans expect to see in the New Year from Mandy Lion? (laughter) ML: New music, most importantly... we have a new line up and we wanna SO, ever since then I’ve always played that kind of music...technical... go in somewhat of a new direction, a bit more modern, because everyreally musicianship type music...so...(Mandy Lion chimes in: “That is, until body here, when we play the older stuff everybody here is playing it with he started playing here”)..Yeah... Well, then this band...I kind of “try to put their own flair, & everybody here has something to bring to the table that it in” but it’s more Rock N Roll, METAL, that kind of thing... but that’s my wasn’t there before, so I’d say just, like an updated, fresher, probably a bit roots as far as, academic excellence, as far as music. (chuckles) more aggressive, probably a bit more hooky, you know... kind of a bit more (Mandy Lion speaks up: “But we can fix that.”) (laughter) Yeah, we’re trygroove orientated kind of, uh, sound. ing to fix it here... Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 27
Tell us how you plan on starting out your 2013? 2013 is a special year for me as it marks 10 years as me being a solo artist, and 20 years of me releasing music in this whatever you wanna call it “horror punk/rock” genre”. It being 2013 and my name is Wednesday 13, it just kind of has to RULE! I will kick off 2013 by releasing my 5th solo CD” The Dixie Dead” on Feb 19th with a US and Uk tour alongside it in Feb/March. We hear you are about to release a new album. Can you into what you have in store for us? The new cd “The Dixie Dead” is my 5th solo cd, and I really feel like it’s my best work so far. This is the one where we stepped it up and you can really see a growth in the band and music. I hate to compare it to my other albums, when trying to describe it because I feel like it’s in a league of its own. Its heavy, its dark, but overall it’s fun, and I never lose the sense of humor in what I do. I’m really excited to get out on the road and play these songs live...2013 is my year. What are your tour plans for this year? I’ts gonna be busy, but i can only discuss what’s been announced so far which is the US run in Feb, and the Uk in March. We have lots of exciting tour plans for the rest of the year for all over the world, just stay tuned to Wednesday-13.com as we will announce these as soon as we can. Do you have any special shows or events planned that you’d like to mention? Yeah we have 2 special shows coming up, one in February on Wednesday the 13th at the Whisky a Go Go, which will kick off our US tour, and one in March on Wednesday the 13th in London. We have been playing special shows whenever a Wednesday the 13th falls during the week for a few years now. The turnout for these shows have been amazing with people flying in from all over the place. We do limited merch and special guests at these as well, It’s like I get my own holiday besides just waiting on Halloween once a year. 28 28 Rock Rock N N Roll Roll Industries Industries Magazine Magazine
Are there any other projects you are currently working on? Im currently working on my first horror film, It’s still in the early stages, but I hope to have it completed and released in 2013. Right now the idea is based on the title of my new cd “The Dixie Dead”. This won’t be a big production and I don’t see it having any major theatric release. It’s gonna be low budget and very much like the sense of humor as a Wednesday 13 record. So take all of that, and mix it heavily with my love for the Grind House films of the 70’s, and not to mention the B movie king Ed Wood. Can you tell us a little about the art influences for your new album cover? The artwork looks like an old 1980’s horror movie and the vibe and atmosphere of the cd stays close to this as well. Even the intro on the cd reminds me of something from a John Carpenter film. I wanted to do something different this time around and not use a photo of me or the band, or a drawing on the cover. I wanted to keep it kind of mysterious as to what this album is gonna be like, and I think this cover delivers that. This record is diverse for a W13 record, and it has a lot of different sounds and styles all over it. What is your biggest source of inspiration for your new album? Musically, I’ve been listening to lots of different music over the past several years. I’m known for being a big hair metal/glam fan and there is no denying that from me. However I find myself listening to different or much heavier music these days and that changed my writing a lot for this CD and the recording approach from the past. Listening to different kinds of music has only inspired me to be more creative at what I do, and to think outside of my comfort zone. So yes, there is the “music” side, and then there is the “Fan” inspiration side as well. My fans are so amazing, so die hard, and dedicated...I feel it’s my duty to only deliver the very best that I can. That inspires me to want to be better at what I do and give back what my fans deserve. -Jamie Katonic
House of Blues, Los Angeles November 13, 2012 When there is a headliner such as Halestorm, it is imperative that the opening band can do more than keep up –they need to hold their own. In This Moment opened for Halestorm Tuesday night at 9:20pm on November 13th at the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard. The audience was charmed by the display, and invigorated by the influential rush of adrenaline pouring down on them. Vocalist Maria Brink possesses a stage presence that is lethal, which strikes the blood in the veins of crowd members. Its power is seductive, intoxicating and well-suited for a heavy rock show. Free of a handheld mic, she was able to take the music to another level, utilizing props such as billowing sheets aided by wind currents and a shadow screen with backlights for the effect of a dancing silhouette. Maria’s uplifted panel acted as a pedestal, and there were modest gate contraptions flanking her, adorned with white silk and skulls. At her feet was an enlarged, white rock formation ornamented with glittered masks and staked skulls. Their unity as a band was evident through their comfort in performing and the music that blasted out of the speakers. Die-hards could be heard singing along to all the songs, while newcomers rushed to throw fists in the air and join in the fun. Heavy interaction allowed the band to establish themselves in the hearts of these new fans, and many walked away with used picks and wide smiles. Band members: Maria Brink [vocals], Travis Johnson [bass], Chris Howorth [lead guitar], Randy Weitzel [guitar] and Tom Hane [drums] brought the set to life with fan favorites: “Blazin” and “Gun Show” from the album A Star-Crossed Wasteland. The set included tracks off of their recent record Blood, which contains: [Intro: “Rise with Me”] “Adrenalize”, “Whore”, “Beast Within”, “Burn”, “Blood Legion”, and their single “Blood”, which ended their set with a call to bring down the house with them one last time. Their energy was tangible and reverberated into the flesh of their viewers. Maria’s motions beckoned the audience to come a little bit closer. The barricade was unsteady by the middle of the first chorus. It was not possible to feel anything other than awe and appreciation while being witness to the honest work on that raised platform. After the night’s events were over –at the venue at least –an afterparty sponsored by Monster was held at the St. Felix on N. Cahuenga and Selma. Members from In This Moment and Halestorm were in attendance. The men of the former were armored in dirtied vests and jackets, with black streaks and smudges lining their arms and faces. Their leading lady waltzed about wrapped in one of her signature looks: a red skin-tight latex dress with a white hat displaying a red cross. Band members stopped to take photos, mingle with fans, and sign merchandise before being rushed off with humble smiles –Chris Howorth’s wife, Danielle, was present and garnered a fan-base of her own. While the bulk of the bodies packed into the House of Blues were in attendance for Halestorm, In This Moment delivered a memorable performance and left a lasting impression on the stage. Guaranteed, they gave veteran fans something to “fan-girl” over, and secured a new band of followers. Welcome to the Blood Legion! -Andrea Granillo
From New York City to Donington Park, Hartke gives David Ellefson all the power and tone he needs for the biggest stages in the world. © 2012 Hartke | hartke.com | Check out Megadeth’s new release, “Th1rt3en” available now.
Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 29
&
Miss Katonic
Beyond Hell
Oderus and Miss Katonic
30 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine
comic book series appropriately titled, “Miss Katonic,” from Lucid Dreamer Productions. Those events of ages ago haunt the dreams of the real-life Jamie Katonic, who upon waking relays them in vivid detail to an artist named Zak Hennessey, who then puts pen to parchment and translates the nightmares into words and drawings. Those mad dreams are chronicled within the pages of the comic book, waiting for those brave enough - or mad enough - to look inside.
Now, for the first time, Oderus Urungus of GWAR and Miss Katonic come together for a rare interview, where a little bit of their plans for world destruction and chaos come to light. RNR: First of all what brings you to Hell-A today? What are you here for anyways? ODERUS: Uh well I’m here supporting my good buddy Miss Katonic and together we will be embroidering on the fabric of reality, coming up with the brand new comic book spectacular. It’s
George Abruzzese
When a band of misfit inter-galactic scumdogs cross paths with an extra-dimensional, powerhungry elder goddess, you know heads are going to roll. Millennia ago, the demonic metal monsters known as GWAR found themselves adrift in the nightmare realm of the infinitely powerful Katonic entity. What happened next defied sanity. Now, Miss Katonic has arrived, and that which began so long ago is coming to fruition here on Earth. The brutal (and adultthemed) details of their story unfold in a new
good to be here- awesome.
the whole photoshoot and what not.
to your progress on this.
RNR: It’s been quite a great interview day today I’m just..my jaw’s dropping beyond words.
RNR: So explain to me the character in which you play. What is this all about?
ODERUS: She’s a Hottie, she’s totally HOT.
ODERUS: I’m trying to plunge-
MISS KATONIC: Well the Character in which I...
RNR: Plunge?
ODERUS: Yeah what is it about.. what is all this anyway?
ODERUS: My semi-turgent member into it, but failing that.. You’re not looking too bad yourself. RNR: Hey that’s okay with me man. ODERUS: Miss Katonic! Hey there she is. MISS KATONIC: Hi sorry I was a little busy with
MISS KATONIC: Technically I am a multidimensional entity who has taken over the body of some poor young earth dweller and lots of horror is really going to ensue and that’s pretty much all I’m in liberty to say -at the moment. RNR: Well you can tell we are looking forward
MISS KATONIC: It’s Terror.. at its sexiest. ODERUS: Very very sexy- if I had the ability to achieve an erection I would, but I found that just the sheer weight of it even when deeply un erect I justMISS KATONIC: - he passes out entirely ODERUS: I just kinda of put it in there. She wont let me near her. But as far as she’s concerned it’s more of a brotherly sisterly kind of a relationship as long as the brother and sister Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 31
MISS KATONIC: It’s Miss KATonic! Don’t get that wrong or else I’ll take your soul too. RNR: Miss Katonic ODERUS: But we need the media. RNR: My soul is for the taking! ODERUS: We Need the media! I made that mistake for years. We need to keep these guys alive. RNR: Well I definitely stand corrected as of right now. ODERUS: Miss Katonic! Watch out for it soon human scum you better buy it or or.. MISS KATONIC: Give us all your money! ODERUS: Yes give us your money, souls or both or either, Or a bowl of macaroni and cheese. MISS KATONIC: Well give us your soul and we will have your money anyway. RNR: Soul or macaroni and cheese? That’s definitely a tough comparison ODERUS: I mean it is the greatest invention the humans ever came up with, I think. RNR: Not better than Top Ramen. ODERUS: Mona Lisa Shmona Lisa. Macaroni and Cheese. RNR: (laughing) MISS KATONIC: But only the velveeta kind. ODERUS: They don’t say put a mustache on the macaroni and cheese. RNR: You cannot do that. Definitely not possible. Thank you very much for this lovely lovely meeting.
ODERUS: Take a look at his size! (standing ominously behind Joaquin-RNR’s interviewer) RNR:Take me- ahhhh! ODERUS: Oh Oh wait wait we need to spare him. Spread the word to the human masses about how fucking cool we are! RNR: That I will do. That is my job. (.....censored)
to say.
MISS KATONIC: Yeah and everyone else in our general vacinity.
ODERUS: Yes we are trying to Keep it mysterious but at the same time bulbous and also stinking and smelly and very wet around the edges but firm in the middle and then squishy and stinky in the center again.
RNR: We are looking forward to it. Also, Comic Con I mean, what is that all about? MISS KATONIC: Well the girl whose body I’m currently inhabiting, Jamie Katonic, she will be special guesting at the Comic Con in Denver, where you get to have a sneak peak at this new amazing thing that’s called Miss Katonic that he will have very very very big part in and we will do very much reaping of souls together. And that’s really, again, I think all I am contractually allowed 32 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine
MISS KATONIC: We hope we’re making ourselves perfectly opaque.
MISS KATONIC: (MISS KATONIC grabs Oderus’s cuttlefish and makes a face at the camera) Oh wait- I’m not supposed to be doing that. ODERUS: Yes you’ll make it tergant and unapologetic.
ODERUS: Perfectly, perfectly opaque.
MISS KATONIC: And then you’ll pass out and I’ll never be able to drag you out of here.
RNR: It’s good with me by the way. Looking forward to the cause that’s soon to be here of one Miss Katatonic.
ODERUS: Exactly, See that’s my super power, my ability to pass out while having an orgasm.
Photo: Gonzo Sandoval Photo manipulation: Zak Hennessey
MISS KATONIC: Thank you for being a part of our brief moment.
MISS KATONIC: Well, you know, all of the blood practically rushes to your cuttlefish and its hard to keepRNR: Cuttlefish? (his three foot long monster-cock) MISS KATONIC: -it’s hard to keep it under control. ODERUS: You do not have to have an erection to achieve an orgasm. That’s a lot more interesting. It goes all over the place. MISS KATONIC: It’s true- I have had plenty of orgasms without having an erection.
ODERUS: (playing with his cuttlefish) It’s flop n’ flopinzee furter that’s what I call it- the old flippy floppingster. It’s great for taking paint off the walls. MISS KATONIC: (Whispering) I wouldn’t show that to anybody. RNR: Shhhh keep it on the low down. But thank you so much for a lovely time. ODERUS: I know we just keep talking- it’s almost like you enjoy this or something. -Joaquin Sahagun
Top Left: Group shot by Neil Zlozower in studio in 1987 Top Right: Live photo of Beefcake in Vegas NV 2012 by Leah Burlington Bottom Left: Miss Katonic’s arrival in our dimension causes GWAR to awaken from slumber in their Antarctic fortress. Excerpt from the new Miss Katonic comic series. Artwork by Zak Hennessey Bottom Right: Live Photo of Orerus at HOB sunset strip 2012 by George Abruzzese
Rock Rock N N Roll Roll Industries Industries Magazine Magazine 33 33
Tell us about what GWAR has planned for 2013.
How is Flattus’s cousin, Pustulous, getting along here on Earth since his arrival?
Balsac: We will be starting out the year by entombing ourselves in the newly completed Slave Pit Studios, where we will record our 13th studio record album, a truly epic chronicle of our battles with our latest and greatest arch nemesis, Mr Perfect, whom we will be battling on-stage in the Fall of 2013. You may ask, “how can you chronicle something that hasn’t happened yet?”. The answer is simple, time travel. 2013 will be riddled with time paradoxes and incongruities. Future GWAR has already visited us to help us avert the End of the World which we kept from happening on December 21st 2012(and December 31st 2000 and all those other End of the Worlds that we have thwarted. You’re welcome). In retrospect, I guess it isn’t simple. It’s rather complicated and convoluted.
Balsac: Not so good. Musically, he is doing awesome. He has got GWAR firing on all cylinders again, transforming us back into the metal juggernaut that our fans expect, but he is pissed off all the time. I think it has something
Balsac: Blondes. No wait! Red heads. What is your personal favorite form of debauchery?
Balsac is quite the name. How did you come by it? Balsac: Many people think it is a reference to my impressive scrotal sack or that I am named after Honore de Balzac. Neither is true, although I did ghost write La Comedie Humaine while sleep in our Antarctic prison. The truth is that “BalSac” in my native tongue means “Rupert”. Other than being GWAR’s guitarist, what is your title/rank amongst your band of marauding murderers? Balsac: Scumdog soldiers don’t have the same titles as your human military(but all of them are rank). Some like to call themselves “general” or “God Emperor” but that doesn’t mean they hold any authority over their comrades, only that they like to bark orders that will usually be ignored. I have been called the “Navigator” in the past, but that was because I was the only one that could read a map. to do with the fact that Oderus took his space craft joyriding and crashed it into Mt Vesuvius, stranding Pustulus here on Earth with us.
Any plans on releasing a new album this year?
Are you worried about the GWAR fortress sinking into the Antarctic glaciers due to global warming?
Balsac: No, I mean yes. Sorry. That whole time paradox thing is still screwing with me.
Balsac: Absolutly! I suggested moving our stronghold to Key West, but the rest of the band
34 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine
What is your favorite past-time?
Balsac: My tastes are a bit more refined than my Scumdog brothers. Where they enjoy smoking crack boulders and slaughtering thousands of innocents, I prefer sipping a fine brandy distilled from virgin’s blood and a quiet night of entertaining in my torture chamber.
The annual GWAR-B-Q is becoming quite a popular event. Can you tell us a little about what we can look forward to? Balsac: On August 17th GWAR will be hosting our 4th annual party/festival to thank our fans for giving us their support and blood, the GWAR-B-Q! It is too early to make announcements about bands other than GWAR for this year, but we are working on getting some amazing artists and I can promise you the line-up will be stellar! We are overjoyed to be bringing the GBQ back to the fabulous Hadad’s Water Park, one of the Nine Wonders of the Red-Neck World!! We will also be unveiling two new products from the GWAR Universe: GWAR-B-Q sauce and GWAR Beer!! So bring your bathing suit and get ready for the greatest day of bands, food, booze, games, and water park fun that you’ve ever experienced!
didn’t think that sounded evil enough.
Any plans on trying to escape Earth this year? Balsac: From what future GWAR told us, I think we will be too busy fighting off a new threat to give much thought of escape. But maybe, now that I’ve a second to reflect on events that are yet to happen, maybe we will try to escape into the future.
George Abruzzese
Balsac
ENTER TO
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Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 35
So You Want to be a Rock Star? Then Drop and Give Me… 20 bars of Detroit Rock City!
The time has come to leave the office, take off that tie, and replace the brief case with the guitar case - the Rock N’ Roll fantasy is about to begin.! But first you need basic training. What better place for boot camp than Las Vegas with Jack Bruce of Cream as your drill sergeant?! This program will teach you the ropes of being in a real rock band as you improve upon your rhythmic abilities and hone your technique while closely working with your band members. Welcome to Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp (RRFC), where YOU are the rock star! The weekend of November 9th, 2012, I made the trip down to the Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp. If it was anything like the VH-1 television series, then I was in for a backstage experience of a lifetime! And I picked a great weekend to go, too. The theme was “Blues Weekend,” with special guests Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers, Jack Bruce of Cream, and John Popper of Blues Traveler. In addition, rock star counselors included Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis, Rudy Sarzo, Gary Hoey, Kip Winger, Ty Dennis, Johnny A. And Alan White (for more information on each musician, please visit www.rockcamp.com). The Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp (RRFC) is an interactive musical event where attendees get to learn from legendary talent and play, write, and record music alongside with them. The attendees are split up into 4 bands and are assigned a rock star counselor. After hours of training throughout the week, the last three nights are where the bands get to show off their new skills and talent at the Rouge Lounge inside the MGM Grand Hotel. The lounge transforms into a high energy rock concert for the friends and families of the bands. On the last night of camp, each band performs original music in a “battle of the bands” format. The camp packages range from three to six days and now even offer “Rock Star for a Day.” When I got invited by David Fishof, CEO and creator of RRFC, I didn’t think twice about making the trip! I arrived in Las Vegas on the evening of November 9, 2012. The campers and camp counselors were already at the Rouge Lounge in MGM Grand ready to perform their first night of new material. Friday and Saturday night are just for fun. The bands get to learn cover songs of their favorite blues bands and get to rock out with them as well in front of a live audience. After an hour or so into the night, to my surprise, legendary blues guitar soloist Warren Haynes steps out onto the stage and electrifies the crowd with his southern charm and guitar slide techniques. The crowd was eating it up. The campers were really great on stage as well playing along Warren Haynes in perfect harmony. You could tell they really studied up and learned their material. Kip Winger, the front man of the band Winger, got on stage as well and rocked the crowd. The cool thing about RRFC is you don’t have to be a professional musician to be a rock star at the camp. The staff and counselors work with you to see what you are best at. It is all about team building, harmony, learning to work with other people from different backgrounds and having fun at the same time. I was really enjoying myself. The night was young and I did not know what to expect next! I look on stage and I see my good friend Keith Brock wailing his guitar with Warren Hayne! It was unreal and not surprising. I can see how RRFC would attract a diehard guitarist like Keith to the camp. When Keith finally broke away from the ultimate blues scale, I asked him, “What brought him to the camp?” He said to me, “The whole experience! I am a big fan of the blues and there is no other program like the RRFC where you can jam for up to 5 days with your favorite recording artist and write, 36 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine
play and record music with them, too!” He confessed he is a regular to the camp and this trip was his 5th time coming. Keith Brock is no stranger to rocking out with legends. Just last year he performed at the Playboy Mansion alongside Paul Stanley of KISS. For someone of Keith’s professional music career, it is more than just jamming out with rock stars. It’s a shared love for music. Keith said, “It is such an amazing opportunity. It’s one of a kind! Where else do you get to come and jam with rock stars from around the world in one space at one time! If you really love music and playing music, this is for you. You get to play with rock stars you would normally pay money to go see!” The next day, I decided to pay a visit to the RRFC headquarters. This place was out of sight. The studio is based west of the Strip and holds 12 individual “rockstar caliber” studios.. The reception desk is decorated with a border of electric guitars in all different colors. RRFC is a good- sized building with a small auditorium inside, were the camper’s have lunch, practice with their bands and get to participate in some intimate Q&A sessions with their rock idols. I got to peek my head into the different studios where campers and camp counselors were jamming out on material they were going to perform for that night’s show. I looked in on a room that had a sweet melody humming out into the hall.. I saw Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis on keyboards giving instructions to the bass player in the band. Her name was Debbie and she was killing it on the bass. She could really hold down a rhythm. I had to talk to her and find out what her thoughts were of RRFC since she was the only woman out of the whole camp that week. Debbie came out with her husband to the RRFC. She picked up the bass guitar after attending a class Kip Winger was teaching. She soon after bought a bass and got addicted! She says holding a rhythm is most important thing for a bass player. I asked her, “As a woman, how does it feel to play with a bunch of men onstage?” Debbie said, “They have all been so gracious and they share the stage with me. The band thing after 5 days becomes kind of tribal, much like a family coming together. It’s great!” When I asked her what she would say to all the women that want to come out here, but aren’t sure about it, Debbie answered confidently, “Just do it! Forget your work, forget your kids. It’s OK for a few days to forget about that stuff and do something just for you.” I then asked her, “As a married couple out here at the camp, what would you say to the rocker couples who would want to come out here together?” Debbie answered, “Be in separate bands! Go back to your room at night and share what you did. Have your own experience separate from your wife or husband!” To wrap up a great interview from the perspective of a female camper, my last question to Debbie was “What did you take away from this whole experience?” She answered, “It’s a great feeling performing with such great musicians, the campers are great musicians, and the counselors are great musicians. It’s surreal, too. I was coming down the elevator and someone said to me, ‘oh didn’t I see you play last night at the Rouge? You were great!’ A random stranger thinks I’m a professional musician. That’s a great feeling!” I really enjoyed talking to Debbie because she gave it to me straight. This is definitely a place where you can escape from the stress of work and family and have some time to be creative and share a common love of music! The day was going great so far. I was curious to know what some of the camp counselors thought about the Camp. So I started talking to guitarist Johnny A and asked him a few questions.
RNR: So Johnny, what brings you to the camp? Johnny A: “Lots of friends of mine have done it. And the idea of teaching civilians, non professional musician types, getting them involved and really doing it for real - I thought that was really intriguing. I thought being a mentor would be kind of cool because, as a kid, people helped and mentore me.” RNR: What are the challenges when playing with “civilians”? Johnny A: “These guys are at the top of their game for what they do. It is the same discipline here when they get to camp. They might think rock n roll is a loose lifestyle, but once you hit that stage, you have to do what you have to do as a performer and it is just as heavy duty as having a day job. You have to teach them. Yeah, you can party hard but you have to work hard, too. RNR: What did you take away from this whole experience? Johnny A: I have learned a lot, too, from this experience. It got me back in touch with why I started playing music in the first place. I got to see it through them by just watching them, how excited they get when they saw everything coming together!” Another counselor I found particularly interesting was David Sparro,who has worked with Joe Walsh, Ringo Starr, and has been on tour with the Eagles. I asked David, “What’s it all about?” pertaining to the music, the lifestyle, and the career. David answered, “I have been so fortunate working with some of the biggest bands in the world. I worked for forty years in this business and I never had a job. I just love it! Going out there and doing rock n roll, what could be better. I am experiencing the fantasy camp being out here even though I live the fantasy every day! And I am having a blast! He added, “If you play an instrument you get to play with all these talented musicians out here at the camp. Before, you couldn’t buy this experience, but guess what? You can! It is a great way to live vicariously through these counselors and hear their rock n roll stories. They are here to really help and if you can afford it, you should really take advantage of the situation.” It was pretty incredible interviewing the counselors and the campers. There were no attitudes, no walls up; everyone was super friendly and inviting. They were excited to share their experiences with me. Everyone was really positive, caring, friendly, all smiles and talked very highly of the camp, each other, and the counselors. The day was coming to an end. It had been a long day of hard work of jamming out and working with rock stars. Now it was time to party like a rock star! Well, at least on stage. It was night number two at the Rouge Lounge. The RRFC crew and I were ready to burn the midnight oil. The Rouge Lounge was packed again. You could feel the excitement in the air with a lot of supporting fans in the crowd and wall-to-wall smiles from everyone in attendance. The bands once again played new material they learned and some blues cover songs. It was great to see the camp counselors jam out on stage with bands. Ty D, who is the current drummer for Robby Krieger of the Doors, played alongside Alan White, the drummer of Yes! Kip Winger, Johnny A and Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis played onstage and showed the onlookers what being a rock star is all about! It was a great moment when all the camp counselors all got on stage and jammed out. Only at RRFC camp can you get this type of once in a lifetime experience. All different musicians from different bands on one stage in Vegas playing an intimate free show for RRFC friends and family. It was now Sunday and almost time to leave fabulous Sin City, but not until after one last visit to the camp to catch a little more magic. I returned right around lunch time when all the campers and camp counselors were in the auditorium/ lunchroom having a nice sit-down lunch and listening to a very special Q&A with John Popper of Blues Traveler. Gary Hoey, known for his guitar stylings and popular “Ho Ho Hoey” series of Christmas CDs, was asking John Popper questions about the beginning days of Blues Traveler. John made mention of being on college radio and playing wild college parties! There were some great stories heard that day! After lunch, everyone went back to their assigned studios to practice for the grand finale - the Battle of the Bands! I felt bad that I couldn’t stay, but promised I’d be back. The whole experience was surreal and left me wanting more! Giving ordinary people the opportunity to live out their fantasy is what RRFC is all about and brings to life the vision behind David Fishof’s creation. Even though I wasn’t personally on stage playing alongside the rock stars, I felt like I was a part of something bigger in this rock n roll fantasy. The RRFC is more than playing in a band for a few days. It teaches you to work with others from different backgrounds, skill and talent. It opens your mind to new music genres, styles and may really encourage you to follow your rock star dreams! My overall reaction from the students was “just DO IT!” It is an experience like no other and if you have the chance, then just take it! Any kind of reservation you may have, leave it at the door. You don’t have to be the best musician; these people are here to help. It becomes “tribal” a family over the course of 3 to 5 days. You learn to work together with people of different backgrounds, styles and levels. Lucky me! I got invited back to camp. Next time around, I will be writing from a camper’s perspective! I am totally going to live out my Rock N Roll Fantasy wailing out on the electric guitar! Until next time, Rock ON! For more information on Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp and how YOU can live out your rock n roll fantasy, please visit www.rockcamp.com. -Raquel Figlo Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 37
The Barge to Hell Report:
What equipment drives the power of your sound?
What do you guys have coming up for 2013?
Andreas: I have mesa boogie amplification which I have used for ages and still works great and a sound that I really like. And many guitars, I have worked with so many different brands Fernandes to ESP now I’m with Fender and Jackson, I have a Brazilian guy that signature instrument with my name called Sasy, a pedal with Dunlop a crybaby in Brazil I have my own signature strings, it’s great to develop something close to the factory. You can try to do your own input into the sound. I try to be open and not only use one thing and in the studio is the time that we experiment it’s great to have a lot of choices for sounds and to find different sounds for specific parts.
Derrick: Were going to start working on a new album were on nuclear blast out of Germany the idea is to have the album come out in Fall and then will start the whole touring processes and promoting it. Up until then were going to be focusing on the writing process and developing it songs and the idea of the album and document as much things as possible so that people really have a understanding of that it’s always really interesting for people to be able to see that
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What equipment drives the power of your sound? Nergal: Well I’m not an equipment geek so I go for either Bogner amp or Mesa Boogie, just the standards, fortunately those are also the best equipment. I don’t really experiment that much, I mean I know what I want and what I expect. But I am experimenting a lot of guitars, we are endorsed by ESP, there amazing guitars! And lately I have been rocking my telecaster which is unheard for extreme metal bands because of the pickup setup it’s just not enough gain and so on, it’s more of a Rolling Stones kind of thing, but for some reason it plays so well and I love it and most of the riffs on most of the songs on the new record, that we are working on
right now, I wrote on this guitar, a new guitar is new inspiration. Monogamy doesn’t work for me when it comes to the guitar world.
What do you guys have coming up for 2013? Nergal:We’re going to be busy, throughout most of the year we will be doing the new record, tracking in Poland and mixing it somewhere in and mastering maybe in the US, that’s the rough plan. Doing a handful of festivals in the summer and I can’t announce this tour yet but will be coming back to the US around the summer so you might have an idea of what tour it is, but I can’t say(laughs) officially yet but we’re excited. Then Europe, Poland we will be touring a lot.
them on tour over and over and then we see them here, it’s really cool.
Barge to Hell: the world’s most extreme metwhat makes you want to be a part of it?
al cruise,
Jack: This is awesome, we did the first 70000 tons and had such a great time, they called us back and we were like absolutely we will come back anytime! This is one of the funniest festivals that happens, these boats there awesome.
What do you guys have coming up for 2013? New album, were long overdue for a new one. We have been touring a lot we have a lot of good tours and Gary also been subbing for Jeff in Slayer so our time has been sort when where home he has been taking off and going so it’s looking like were going to be able to put some time together right at the beginning of the year and get the album done and start touring again
RNR: Are you seeing a lot of the same fans as the last cruise? Jack Typically its people that we run into on tour nits the fans that we get to know, the fans that are here are the real super fans so we get to see
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Barge to Hell: the world’s most extreme metal cruise, what makes you want to be a part of it?
Fernando: I think there is no reason not to be a part of it when you think about it it’s like Nassau Bahamas 40 very good bands this time around more extreme more underground and has we have done the 70000 tons of metal we know better what to count right now so I think we have all the reasons to be here. Also we come from Portugal a country that is very connected to the sea and navigation so we king of find it home here. The tour routine is flights, hotels, sometimes tour buses a lot of times so this was quite a welcoming brake because you are here you have nowhere
to go and you don’t have to run home or go to the pub or take public transportation, it’s a very enjoyable experience. I never had mixed feelings about coming to a metal cruise, metal is expanding a lot.
What do you guys have coming up for 2013? basically touring we will be visiting the States and Canada in a tour called verses from the Dark Then we go back to Europe and tour some more, up to Scandinavia as well and then all of a sudden its summer festival season and that’s quite extended in Europe. Not on a boat but on the road.
Barge to Hell: the world’s most extreme
metal cruise, what makes you want to be a part of it? Land Phil: I mean there’s nothing that I wouldn’t want to be a part of a cruise ship filled with great bands and free food. Tony: For me hearing AT THE GATES was on it was the like holyshit, we would have done it anyway but just hearing that too was just incredible and there are just so many other great bands playing. Where stoked to be a part of it. Dave: AT THE GATES definitely for me, a lot of great bands and the foods awesome I love the food quite a bit. Ryan: We look at it as a good way to end the year we have been on the road most the year, played over 200 shows and we ended on a boat so you can’t really top that
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Tony: One day we want to end a tour on a jet ski but a boat right now is cool, it’s pretty cool
What do you guys have coming up for 2013? Land Phil: Were doing a show in the UK called Blood Stock and I’m particularly excited about it because King Diamond is playing. Tony: Where doing the decibel magazine show with Converge our friends and Reposition those are the two things we having coming up right now we just did a seven week tour so where thinking about going home after this. Probably be hung over for a few days, and then get back to working on more stuff.
Tell us about your
writing process?
Woodroe: Recently it seems like all three of us have been coming up with several riffs and we huddle up in a room and start throwing them all in a blender. For instance Mike Dean will have the majority of a song written and he’ll go “I got this much” if you got a little thing (to add) will throw it together and vise verse with all us. That’s been our little formula as of resent, seems to be working. Reed: I concur Mike: Everybody comes with their different musical ideas and we kind of put them together then the processes to misinterpret some of the ideas and change them and go what the mistake is better throw a couple wrinkles in there then it’s time to write some lyrics and that’s kind of a gift from the random, the randomness of the universe to start with a couple nonsense words and put a throw to coherence in it and it resembles a rock song.
What do you guys have coming up for 2013? Reed: I think were going to go to South America we haven’t been yet, been together 30 years haven’t been down there yet. But that would be pretty cool, a lot of fans down there supposedly
Mike: If you believe the data on Facebook the second most popular city for fans of COC , that look at Facebook anyway, Santiago Chili, who knew, so we got to travel South America see what’s going on. Woodroe: Where going to record an album, touring and maybe do another one of these (music cruise)
Tell us about your writing process? Charles: We went to Budapest to this place about two months ago we stayed for three and a half weeks and pretty much just got completely fucked up for three weeks but somehow by the end of it we had some pretty good ideas. We were rehearsing it in this club for the whole time but really there’s no specific process we come up with ideas at home, share them and decide what we want to work on and we record the stuff put it on listen to it all together, “That’s cool, Let’s work on that then go jam stuff, but there’s no scientific process to it. Necrobutcher: We went to the studio and recorded what we had after those jam sessions about 5 songs more or less where planning to have another one in Norway, same kind of thing
What do you guys have coming up for 2013? Necrobutcher: First we go to Dubai, do a show there, then Norway, then it goes on and on all year were starting to feel up the festivals they call it summer festivals but they start in January now, so that’s what where going to do festivals and then hopefully we get the album out then start massive touring staring in Europe to promote the new album. Also this year there new Web shop will be up with Merch available as well as an update to their site.
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RNR Girl
Jenna Drouin
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RNR Girl
Jenna Drouin
Your favorite bands/musicians? My favorite band of all time is Tool! I love them so much I named my dog after the lead singer Maynard! They have gotten me through some tough times in my life. The other band that has been and inspiration to me is, the Beatles (my whole apartment consists of Beatles posters). Without Tool and the Beatles...life seizes to exist for me!! I love all music but I have been listening to a lot 80’s heavy metal like, Def Leppard, runs n rose’s, poison and motley crue. Then there is, a perfect circle, puscifer, Alice in chains, Depeche mode, Janes Addiction, The Kinks, Portishead, Ministry, Soundgarden, Pixies, Pearl Jam, Pink Floyd...the list goes on. What made you want to be an RNR Industries’ Centerfold? Because it’s badass...duh! I am drawn to musicians...the talent that goes into making music is incredible, so just being featured in such a magazine is a huge honor! Thank you so much for featuring me in RocknRoll Industries!!
This multi-faceted, innovative amplifier found is an aesthetic equal in the custom Italian leathers signature dragon embellishments and metalwork of footwear designer Mark Nason. No stranger, to the rock & roll lifestyle, Mark Nason’s signature couture creations translate easily from Sunset Boulevard to Center Stage on the Budda MN-100 and MN-412.
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Ernie Manrique
Buddha MN-100
Nigel Glockler by: Leah Burlington our agent over there is sorting out some dates, either before or just after the Cruise, although before is more likely. Three other dates have been put in before the cruise - Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico City. So, keep an eye on the website for more details and updates. I understand next year starts with the “Monsters of Rock Cruise” in March and then “Sweden Rock” in June. We’ll be touring the UK and Europe from April onwards, building up to ‘Festival Season’ - yes Sweden Rock is going to be great, especially as Rush will be there! - We’ve also been confirmed for Graspop!! SAXON has consistently put out excellent new material just about every year and has never rested on your laurels. What is the inspiration to keep the band going after all these years and where does the band keep finding such great subject matter for all these epic songs? I know there is a lot going on with Basically, we just love composing and playSAXON, starting with the new CD, SAXing music - the fact that the fans want to come ON’s 20th, “Sacrifice” and Live Movie/ and see us, buy the CDs etc, is a good enough DVD, “Heavy Metal Thunder- live- Eagles reason to keep going too! If that stopped, then Over Wacken,” coming out in Dec and the CD I think we’d stop. So, fingers crossed, that in Feb. What’s in store for SAXON fans with won’t happen for a while. Also, I think once you the new CD and DVD? don’t get off on what you’re doing - in our case Nigel: We’ve just got back from doing three composing etc - then it’s time to call it a day. As pre-Christmas gigs in Europe - one was a Metal regards subject matter, a couple of us are big Festival in Berne, Switzerland and the other readers so a lot of inspiration comes from that, two were in Holland. Next week we’re going to but it could be anything one of us has read, seen be shooting a video for ‘Sacrifice,’ and maybe on film or TV, or in the news. one other track. Re-touring in the US, I think What festival is SAXON’s favorite to play and
is there any certain country where SAXON is the most popular? I think each of us probably has a favorite festival – personally, I love the atmosphere at Wacken - the fans, the backstage vibe, all of it! Saying that though, I honestly enjoy all the main ones Sweden Rock, Graspop, Bang Your Head, Rock Hard etc. The fans make them all so special. What is your favorite thing about being in SAXON? I just love playing drums onstage with the guys! Do you have a favorite memory of being in SAXON and what legacy do you hope the band leaves behind? Playing Wacken for the first time was such a high - can’t explain how euphoric I felt!! Legacy? Purely and simply that we were a great band with some excellent music! Is there anything that you would like to add or plug at this time for yourself or SAXON? Just keep an eye out for the new album, and watch the Saxon site for all the news of the upcoming tour schedule - see you all somewhere!! Hope everyone has a fantastic a prosperous and healthy New Year!! Rock n Roll Industries Thanks you for your time Nigel and hope to see you at NAMM and on tour next year in the USA!!! You’re very welcome - and yes, I’m looking forward to NAMM once again, where I’ll be doing signings for Paiste and Remo. So far, I need some sun! And corned beef hash - oh, and a few big glasses of Sierra Nevada!
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Behind the recording of Quartershackle A few funny things I remember include blowing up a couple of microphones tracking my rhythm guitars, and almost freezing to death while tracking solos. At that time we were working out of the new studio, but it was still under construction so there wasn’t much there. The producer and I showed up on a warm November afternoon in flip flops and shorts, but that night when we took a break to eat it was literally freezing and snowing outside. So we were trampling through ice and snow to get wood to make a fire so we could cook out. God bless Texas. One more funny story I’ll mention that actually spawned the album title, which is somewhat of a testament to the album itself, originated from an event that took place during pre-production. Our bassist, Blaine Matte, had this great driving verse riff but every chorus idea had been a forced disaster. Finally, it was resurrected by a guitar that had been thrown into a fire due to the frustration of our engineer and producer, Rob Hinton. When he showed up at the studio with the remnants of this mangled instrument I couldn’t help but attempt to play it. So on the three remaining strings of that scorched guitar I wrote a chorus riff that finished out the song “Up from the Ashes”. For readers new to this group who would you compare your sound to? This kind of question is always difficult to answer. Rather than say who we “sound like” I’ll mention some of Quartershackle’s influences who might or might not be apparent on this album: Faith No More, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Melvins, Clutch, Tool, Megadeth, Metallica, Pink Floyd, The Doors, The Beatles. I could go on forever. I guess you could say it’s like a melding of grunge and metal but doesn’t really sound like either. What instruments did you use to get your sound? I used my signature Skunk model Tregan Guitar with Dean Markley Strings. The guitar on the album was actually a prototype of what has since been put into production. The look and feel of the guitar was a little different than my current model but tonally it is basically the same. For a rundown of the specifics you can visit treganguitars.com. I’m a big fan of Rivera and Mesa amplification so
Merry Meltdown
With tickets starting at $10.39 (you read it right, one, zero, decimal, three, nine), X103.9 FM’s “Merry Meltdown” sure did melt not only the frosty windows on cars outside in the parking lot, but also the faces of those who were in the front rows with all the energy and raw power of many great performing bands such as: P.O.D., Switchfoot, Anberlin, Sick Puppies, The Dirty Heads, Lit and Dose of Adolescence, local heroes who earned the opportunity to open this show through a battle of the bands called “Locapalooza.” Most of us have experienced great moments at live shows, regardless of the genre, and this one was no different. A couple of exceptional moments were when Switchfoot’s frontman Jon Foreman ditched the stage to run around the arena blending in with the crowd, wearing the fans’ hats, shaking hands and “hard rock serenading” them while trying to keep balance on top of the dividing barricade performing circus-like moves to Shim (Sick Puppies). Joining Switchfoot during their set, Foreman’s “Feliz Navidad” cover and Shim Moore’s final riffs while crowd surfing, not to forget Sick Puppies P.O.D. paying respect to the victims of the Connecticut school tragedy with “Youth of the nation.”
those were the amps we used for the main rhythm guitar sounds. The solos and additive parts were mostly done on a hot rod Mesa combo, but the huge rhythms are a testament to my Rivera. So how long have you been with Tregan Guitars? I actually met both Tony Guarriello from Tregan and Paul Rivera at the same NAMM show, about five years ago. I guess you could say that was the birth of the Skunk tone. I immediately liked the feel and playability of the Tregan; especially the Shaman, which became the template for the “Skunk”. Tony and I went back and forth on the Skunk stripe graphics a few times but it came together fairly quickly, and I had a custom guitar within a few months. I think the Skunk model for sale has been around for about three years now. Where can readers get your new album and find out more about the band? The best way to get the album is on iTunes or through the websites quartershackle.com or mesarecords.com. It is also streaming on Spotify and Reverbnation. We pretty much just advertise the music and the listener can decide what Quartershackle is. The album artwork is a reflection of this philosophy. It’s vague and oblique. There is no current bio or news on the website but I’ll say this much: The people who wrote and recorded this album all come from different universes and live very different lives. It wasn’t easy but somehow we all came together and created this music. I’m more than happy with the final results and very proud of this album. Start to finish I think it’s a solid record. Can you tell us about your other projects and what readers can expect in 2013? I’m currently working with Rob again mixing A Good Rogering’s new album, which should be released some time early this year. I’ve got a few other studio irons in the fire, but I’m definitely looking forward to a lot more time on stage in 2013. All I can say about the future is that I promise to keep rocking and rolling!
one of my favorite moments when I see Sick Puppies perform is that no matter if it’s a Hollywood Von Dutch store or venues like The Greek Theater, they will take the time to meet and greet the fans and sign their SP memorabilia. Sweaty and perhaps tired, Shim More (Vocals/guitar), Emma (Bass), and Mark (Drums) will try their best after their sets to make every single fan feel special by dedicating time to get close to them, to those who pay a ticket to come see them perform and go back home with a big smile telling all their friends that they met a “cool and energetic” band, perhaps their favorite band. -Enrique Nunez
Enrique Nunez
Skunk, tell us about your time in the studio recording with Quartershackle? It was very much an on and off process. The songs took time to craft because initially the band was playing a lot of shows, and everyone had completely different schedules. The night we moved out of our rehearsal space, to begin pre-production, all of my gear was stolen out of my car. Ironically, because I had no amp, I ended up shopping around and discovered the Rivera Knucklehead. I got a great deal on that amp and it ended up becoming a major part of my main guitar tone on the album. Actually my vanishing gear may have been a tell tale sign of what was to come, because it seemed the entire pre-production process was a study in Murphy’s Law. At every turn there was a hurdle to overcome. We had to work out of a shared warehouse space while our producer’s new studio was being built, so we constantly had schedule conflicts with other bands. I’d guess most of our hours were put in between 9pm and 4am. The actual recording process was more or less a one on one deal between each member and the producer. We’d each leave our notes, but it was virtually impossible to get us all in the studio at the same time. Around this time I had formed the band “A Good Rogering”, and when I wasn’t needed for QS stuff I was in the studio working on AGR’s first EP. Finally after what seemed an eternity we were ready to mix. Mixing, however, was a huge endeavor as well, and when you hear the album you’ll know why. (laughs) Any funny stories?
Overall, concerts/shows are a great experience, but 46 Rock Rock N N Roll Roll Industries Industries Magazine Magazine 46
Switchfoot
Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 47
Circus Berzerk
Tim Ripper Owens
Wendy Dio
Oni Logan
Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll! Cancer Benefit for Ronnie James Dio ever recorded, and they recorded it together. The song actually came out on David’s solo album “Bitten by the Beast,” in 2010, which was the year that Ronnie passed away. They had recorded it about 2 ½ years prior to that in his home studio, and it was just sitting around because they planned to use it when they did some kind of reunion.
I ran into Geezer Butler again, and this time I had the chance to have a conversation with him. He told me a couple stories about Ronnie James Dio, who really was one of the best friends he ever had. He told me that Tony Iommi had introduced him to Ronnie in 1979. “You could go two or three years without talking to him, and The 2nd annual Benefit Show for the Ronnie then pick up the phone if you’re in trouble, and James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund he’d be there for you,” Geezer said. “I was just took place on Halloween Night at the Avalon Theatre in Hollywood, CA. Celebrities arrived for blessed to have him as a friend. He was the only one I knew that would go out and have a drink this Red Carpet Event as Circus Berzerk took with his fans.” Geezer told me a story about a the stage. An award ceremony was scheduled, time when they played in Scandinavia, and his as well as a silent auction, costume contest, plane arrived late, around 5:00pm, and when he performance by the Dio Disciples, and an Allgot there Ronnie was outside drinking with all the Star Celebrity Jam. Dozens of items were set fans. Ronnie was “just one of the guys.” up throughout the Avalon for the silent auction, including autographed items from bands like Prior to the Dio Disciples’ performance, 7 Stand Kiss, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, and more. Up and Shout Gala Awards were proudly given to honor the following people, who were all very When I arrived, I could hardly believe the first important parts of Ronnie James Dio’s life and three people I recognized were Tony Iommi, who have worked hard to spread the word about Geezer Butler, and Glen Hughes! After taking a quick picture with them, I watched a few minutes the Dio Cancer Fund: of Circus Berzerk, and then noticed Joey • Neil Warnock (CEO/Founder, The Agency Belladona from Anthrax. He was really looking Group) – Man on the Silver Mountain Award forward to singing the hard rock version of “Man • Bob Chiappardi (President, Concrete on a Silver Mountain” during the Celebrity Jam. Marketing) – Stand Up and Shout Award (He did an acoustic performance of this song at the Dio Memorial Show 5/31/10.) He said it felt • Charlie Hernandez (President, QED like “Ronnie just handed that song to him.” Productions) – Killing the Dragon Award I talked to Joey Vera from Armored Saint for a • Raul Mena, M.D. (Medical Director, Roy & bit, who was really stoked about playing “Holy Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center) – Diver” onstage later that night. I asked him what Sacred Heart Award the first thing that comes to mind when he thinks Alex Hodges (CEO, Nederlander Concerts) about Ronnie is, and he said “how down to earth • – Master of the Moon Award he is.” He knows that everyone always says that, but “he really was such a genuine, normal, • Tony Iommi (Legendary Black Sabbath regular guy. Even though his voice is not from Guitarist) – King of Rock N’ Roll Award this planet, it’s from somewhere else… He really • Stanley J. Diamond (ESQ. Diamond & was a genuine guy. He was always courteous Wilson) – Rainbow in the Dark Award and kind.” Joey first met Ronnie out on tour in 2001. They ran into each other again five or six years later and Ronnie remembered him. Joey was just floored that a legend like Ronnie James Dio remembered his name. Joey went on to say that that really shows his character. He’s the real deal, and sorely missed.
The Silent Auction took place after the awards were given, and then Circus Berzerk took the stage for another set of acrobats, aerial arts, stilts, fire, and more.
The time had finally come for the Dio Disciples, which consists of Tim “Ripper” Owens, Oni Logan, Bjorn Anglund, and Dio members Craig Goldy, Scott Warren, and Simon Wright, to take I was really happy to meet Dio’s Cousin and the stage. It was exciting to see them go through bandmate David “Rock” Feinstein from The a set of Dio, Black Sabbath, and Rainbow songs Rods. David and Dio were together in two that I know Ronnie James Dio would have been of Dio’s earlier bands, Ronnie Dio and the proud of. Throughout the set, Tim “Ripper” Prophets, and Elf. David was going to play Owens (Solo Artist/Judas Priest/Iced Earth) and guitar on “Metal Will Never Die” during the Celebrity Jam, which was really important to him, Oni Logan (Lynch Mob) went back and forth on the vocals, sometimes both singing at once. because it was one of the last songs that RJD
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Their set included “Kill the Dragon,” “Last in Line,” “Stand Up and Shout,” “Egypt/ Stargazer,” “Kill the King,” and “Heaven and Hell.” The All-Star Celebrity Jam picked right up after the Dio Disciples’ performance, starting out with “Metal Will Never Die.” I was right in front of David “Rock” Feinstein to show my support, which was really cool since I had talked to him earlier that night about the meaning of that song. It was also really cool to see Joey Vera play guitar on the next song “Holy Diver,” and Joey Belladonna sing his hard rock version of “Man on the Silver Mountain,” since I’d talked to them both before they played too. In addition to the Dio Disciples, the stage had become a rotating circle of rock stars! Songs/Musicians included: •
Metal Will Never Die (David “Rock” Feinstein)
•
Holy Diver (Evan Seinfeld, Joey Vera, Xavier Muriel, Steve D)
•
Rainbow in the Dark (Brian Tichy, Doug Aldrich, Michael Devin)
•
Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll (Michael Devin, Oni Logan, Doug Aldrich, Brian Tichy,)
•
Mob Rules (Stephen Pearcy, Greg D’Angelo, Sean McNabb. Alex Grossi)
•
Man on the Silver Mountain (Joey Belladonna, Rowen Robertson ,James Lomenzo, Frankie Banali)
Even though the last song ended, the night continued on. I talked to contributing musicians Doug Aldrich, Bjorn Anglund, Brian Tichy, Tim “Ripper” Owens, and Michael Devin backstage for a little bit, and then went to the upstairs lounge to close out the night. At that point I had a chance to speak with Wendy Dio and thank her for all that she has done, and is doing for the Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. There are hardly words to describe the love that filled the air that night for Ronnie James Dio. I am truly honored that I was able to participate in this magical event. Prior to the Benefit Show the Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund had already raised over $600,000, which was donated to T.J. Martell and M.D. Anderson for cancer research. Hopefully this event was a success, and the Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund is one step closer to reaching their goal, and we are one step closer to finding a cure for cancer. For more information, or to make a donation, please visit: www.diocancerfund.org Keep Rockin’ Alison “MetalBabe” Cohen
left-right 1,2,4 Alex Solca 3 Glen Willis
Legendary frontman and vocalist extraordinaire Ronnie James Dio lost his battle with gastric cancer on May 16th, 2010. After his death Wendy Dio, Ronnie’s Widow, founded the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund with 13 of her friends in an effort to find a cure for cancer. She made a promise to Ronnie that they would raise $10,000,000 in his name.
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Cap’n Ron of Bulldozur By: Leah Burlington
It was quite an experience flying out to the land of hillbillies and banjos, also known as Arkansas, to a place called “Hell On The Border”(i.e. Fort Smith, Arkansas), for a photo shoot with the Cap’n amid some of his last minute pressure tactic. Some of you may also know him as the R ‘n R Industries feature writer in the last few issues, but now we’ve turned the tables on him a bit to talk about his project, and it’s mission statement. Hey Cap’n Ron! First question that is on my mind is about the name “Cap’n Ron”. What’s the story? CRRC: Well, speaking of hillbillies… although I must say I prefer hightech redneck. (He grins and takes a 50 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine
shot of blackberry moonshine) Several years back, Mongo, a buddy of mine that fronts the band “Hillbilly Orchestra”, blew up his bus engine. He called me up asking about “Betty”. (He refers to the old Eagle bus dubbed with his mother’s name). Mongo, and the other Hillbillies, were hauling a guitar exhibit honoring Dimebag for Ozzfest. He asked me to help out. Hearing it was in Dime’s honor, I volunteered “Betty” for the task. Little did I know what would transpire.
the engine was toast! The exhibit curator hitchhiked to the nearest town, when he returned they loaded the exhibit in the truck, and left the bus, trailer, band, and myself… on the roadside. A broke down bus, a broke band, and Ozzfest headed further away from home.
They don’t exactly overnight Detroit Diesel engines on demand, so we were stranded in Youngstown, Ohio for 3 days with the bands trailer anchoring us there. Nobody locally rented vehicles for towing one way to Texas, but finally, an RV capable of finishing the northeast leg was I picked the Hillbillies up in Dallas, secured in Pittsburgh. Problem the opposite way Ozzfest was being… we were in Youngstown. heading. After a few stops involving Luckily, the people at the RV rental difficult navigation and questionable were fans. They agreed to deliver it parking, the guys started calling me, to us for some t-shirts and CD’s. “Cap’n Ron”. I didn’t like it much We loaded up, and bounced on at first, as it made me think of the down the highway. Literally. The movie character. We headed for trailer caused the RV to bounce Indianapolis to pick up the exhibit, really hard, but we were rolling once it’s caretakers, and then catch up again. I bet Mongo has a story of to Ozzy. his own about bouncing around in We made several of the gigs without that thing. Rolling northeast, would any major issues, but then one night give me a few days to figure out as Mongo took relief drive shift to how to get to Texas from Pittsburg… climb us out of the mountains, I via Boston. It was an arduous trip retired to the “Captain’s quarters”, at best, but I made it “hap’n”. They which is directly above the engine. called me “Cap’n”, and it’s been Rather suddenly, I heard it go silent. stuck on me ever since. It is sort of a No boom. No clank. No rattle. Just mantra now. nothing. Upon inspection, we found
What about “Bulldozur”? How did that moniker transpire? Another long story eh…? Ok… make way! (He takes another shot of moonshine) Sometimes… what you seek the most, is the hardest to find. Then when you stop looking… there it is. An ol’ road dog driver once told me, “Just surround yourself with the best musicians you can.” I’ve traveled many miles down the road, and connected with a few people along the way, but when I started looking around locally. Checking the perimeter seeking like minded people, I realized pretty quickly, that the small town I live in held little opportunity for my particular agenda. My goal was to bust open the doors of Hollywood and announce, “Here I am!” Is that not the big “rock n’ roll fantasy” after all? So we gotta love technology, ya’ know? Rock ‘n roll fantasy… hmmm. I type the key words. Hit search… and boom! I signed up for Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp’s master class, fully intent on surrounding myself with the best musicians possible. I stopped looking for a band… much less a band name, and instead I went to where there were people like me wanting to do the same
Leah Burlington
We’re here with Cap’n Ron, of the Bulldozur vessel, in dry dock at the Dozur Distilleries Compound. The name he gives the place where he does his research, applies heat to various subjects, and under the extreme pressure of… “last minute freshness”, gets down to the nitty gritty of things he feels the urgency to write about. In essence, distilling “Dozurstyle” tracks, to the level he deems ready for mass consumption, and serving it up fresh. It ain’t your standard issue kool-aid in other words. That is for sure.
thing. “Bulldozur”, didn’t happen the first time around, but I did meet the people that would facilitate Bulldozur’s creation, and evolve to a new level myself by stepping up to the microphone for the first time ever, at the Whiskey A Go Go, with Robbie Krieger standing onstage next to me. The first camp was so amazing that I had to go back again. I assembled a crew, and we embarked on “Betty”. After several years of restoration, it was time to get out on the road, and see how the wind carried her. I chose California, via I-40 in February (2010), as the maiden voyage. A challenging path in itself at that time of year. After her refitting, some dry rotted rubber resulted in a broken belt incident, immediately followed by a flat. A 12 hour delay resulted in Amarillo, Texas for two rather common predicaments. After all day in repair mode, then we headed west, but there was no sunset to ride into. Only snow. After trekking for 3 days, and traversing a blizzard 3 states wide, we found ourselves in sunny California, and several hours late for rehearsal. We went straight to the studio. It was not even an option to stop for a bus wash or showers. Betty, covered in dirt from the blizzard, was not even silver anymore. She was more like reddish brown as she pulled up in front of the Hollywood studio looking rode hard, and put up wet. There we met up with our keyboardist, Teddy Andreadis. He advised that we were scheduled to play the Key Club that night, and that we had 45 minutes to rehearse a song, as well as name the band. After looking at Betty, and the crew piling out… Teddy said, “You guys look like a bulldozer rollin’ up in here.” I sounded off, “Aye sir, we’re here! 3 days stale, and ready for action.” His response was, “3 days stale…? I like that.” I nodded and replied, “Bulldozer… hmmm. Dig it! Shall we use it?” And so it was. The camp pressed the single, “3 Days Stale”, under the common spelling of the word, but due to a conflict discovered afterward, I decided to change the “E”, to a “U”, and make original usage of the word. Had we stopped to wash the bus, would Teddy have even said what he did? Everything for a reason… right?
connect, and make it your band name. I’m not into that. Connection to the message seems elemental to me. Sure, it’s worked for many, but I have always sought that one word. They say, “The best names are given… not chosen.” I’m proud to say, “Bulldozur” is a name given. Tell us about the new Dozur tracks. What does this “mission” entail…? Liberty… Freedom. Awareness… truth. Revolution… and such. Standing up against “The Man”, and all his cronies. Stopping “The Machine”, with an even stronger machine. Fighting fire… with fire. Tearing down worthless structure, and dispersing it for reformation. Breaking out of the rut… and making a new path. Ya’ see… a war is on against the free thinkers. Someone has to step up, and I really don’t see many people doing so. Music can change the world, but if the world refuses to
change, then Bulldozur will most likely have to say something about it. If nobody else will… then someone has to. A wise man once said something along the line of, “If there is something wrong, those who have the ability, have the responsibility to take action.” If they want to “disappear” me… or “drone” me, for singing about freedom and liberty, then so be it. Uncle Ted gets death threats for being a hunter. Ron Paul gets ran out of town on a rail for being Libertarian. Will I compromise my belief system to satisfy the hip crowd? HELL NO!
forward, what are we really doing? Just… revolving? Or is it perhaps better described as devolving? Forward is the way, at all costs, slow and steady. That is Dozurstyle, and that IS the mission stated in the lyrical messages carried by my music.
“band” I do not currently require. I just accept that much more work as “my part”. When it is time rehearse a show based around the material, the crew will be further assembled.
I can’t talk about the crew, without mentioning Mike Thom, the shipscribe. He has done an amazing job extracting imagery from my Tell us about the current Dozurcrew? I understand that you mind, and making it visual. His role write your own music and lyrics, is essential in the mission as well. Art isn’t just audible after all, only as well as play the instruments the music is. I am partial to the yourself? What about the artwork in the old vinyls. CD’s do “band”? not offer it to the same level, and Yes, I write 100% of the lyrics. As for digital downloads are even worse. composition, some are 100% me, The old days of pulling the insert, while others I might add another and checking out the artwork as you guitarist. Brandon Wall worked listened might be gone, but they are for me for a while, as a “works for not forgotten. I worked with Mike 6 hire” musician on some of the older months designing imagery. Nothing demos that are to be reproduced in was skimped in this department. Full 2013. Ben Dyer stepped in on a few size, the painting you see in the ad sessions, though you will featured in this issue, would take only hear him up an entire wall mural. Cramming it into a CD is not going to be easy, but could be possible with a multipanel insert. I have seen Mike’s work, is has a lot of very detailed symbolism involved. Would you explain what doing the meaning is behind the art? some Other than my father’s family coat guitar of arms being the logo, it would effects actually not be wise to open that can on the of worms, so I will not go into much opening detail on that right now. There are track this many symbolisms indeed. We’d be round. talking for days, and the magazine Jason would become a book. I like to Honeyman, leave an art piece to the eye of the stepped up beholder anyway. If I explain it all, to the plate then you won’t have to stare at it for for some hours. Hmmm… a book. (You can last minute tell the Dozur gears are turning as sessions. His he winks an raises another shot of string stylings moonshine) and structures, are now included So you do plan to form a band on 5 tracks at this and get the music on the road? point. That is the only real way to reach
That being said, I do employ collaboration to achieve objectives occasionally. Regarding instruments that I play, I’ve played them all at one point or another. I usually compose the music, write the words, arrange the track, and then send it on to Mike Froedge. Where I have him embellish my drum part, at Open Sky Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Afterward, he sends me his track, I play the rhythm guitars against his chops, add a bass line, then sing the vocals. Once complete, I know For many years I had said, “I precisely what room I have left for There is no capitulate. Forward is just need one simple word that guitar solos and such. I also played the only real direction, and obstacles describes the mission”. A lot of keyboard/piano parts on some of that stop the wheels of progress, bands use the “3 unrelated word” the tracks, though keys are not are scheduled for demolition. When combo just for acronym value. Ya’ my forte… I do enjoy them. With know… pick 3 words that don’t really evolution’s impetus stops pressing this structure set for production, a
the masses. It will happen at some point, but there will be no wine before it’s time. Iron Maiden took 3 years to assemble for full effect. I’ve now spent a couple years writing original music, and refining the concept. February 2013, is year #3. Perhaps this is the year of the Dozur.
Thank you Cap’n Ron for sharing your time with the Rock n Roll Industries Magazine readers! We look forward to more of your awesome essay’s in future issues! Good luck with Bulldozur! Thanks for stoppin’ by to help spread the word. Bulldozur comin’ through… best get on board or get on out the way.
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and am simply taken aback as to how polished their sound is, building on what was already considered ahead of the curve. It is as though the curve remained the same and they simply increased the distance they are ahead of the pack. The re-recorded songs are fuller with more atmosphere and character. The question most will ask when describing a band they Gemini Syndrome took Los Angeles by storm in aren’t familiar with is, “Who do they sound like?” June 2010, swinging for the fences. Assembled Gemini Syndrome is incomparable and doesn’t as a band only 6 months prior, from their very sound like anybody other than GS. Undoubtfirst show at the Roxy on the famed Sunset Strip, edly; as time rolls on, they will be a band that it was apparent that they were the real deal; others will use as a benchmark of comparison as putting together a live performance that rivaled a high compliment. many seasoned, signed touring acts. There was no question that this was somebody’s vision and While assuredly an honor to be listed in a roster of artists that includes Avenged Sevenfold, plan, as opposed to a couple of guys saying, “Hey lets form a band. We will play a few shows Deftones, Metallica, Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers and many more, the bigger picture for GS and then someone will notice us and we will get signed to a record contract.” After only one is the music. While their tunes from the outset made anyone who heard them take notice and show, they were approached by management, instantly transformed them into “Synners” they booking agents, entertainment lawyers, as well have continued to work and polish the very as being courted shortly thereafter by heavy music they eat, breathe and live. hitters in the music industry. It is an industry… a business. In any business, the proverbial The five members of the band individually are marriage has to be the right fit and Gemini brilliant, accomplished musicians and the colSyndrome’s patience paid off less than two years lective have come together surpassing even the later, being signed to a powerhouse record label highest expectations. They literally do live their in Warner Bros. Records. music as they all live together in Southern California continually playing, touring and working on Rather than releasing a 12 song LP, GS how to make even the slightest tweaks to songs released a six song EP in 2011 without label to make them even better and anyone that has backing. The first EP to be release by Warner Bros. in February 2013 includes the re-recording followed their career can hear the progression. Front man Aaron Nordstrom has a voice that of most of those songs, as well as new material. The album was produced by the re-known displays 3 octave range, harmony and pitch but also has a growl/scream that gives some of Kevin Churko and recorded at his Las Vegas their songs an edge. Through relentless playing studio “The Hideout”. Churko has worked with such names as Ozzy, Five Finger Death Punch, and touring, Nordstrom has added depth to his In This Moment, Hinder, Shania Twain, Brittney voice giving an even broader range and has grown into hit role as a true front man. Some Spears and many more of the tweaks for the re-recording of the original The band has done a spectacular job with their songs for the new album, include Nordstrom artwork, merchandising and marketing on their displaying the increased vocal talent at the back own and has retained that creative control by end of breaks replacing what may have been a working hand in hand with WB; however, the growl with his singing voice. In different parts of obvious benefit of the deal in that respect is the various songs you can hear showcases of each marketing juggernaut and backing of Warner member, their musicianship and the techniBros. to help in getting GS to the masses. cal proficiency as well, whether it be a layered guitar sound, unique timekeeping and rhythm or I have gotten a sneak peek at their WB debut
Gemini Syndrome: Enrique Nunez
ost bands have a vision of where they want to go with their music; however, only a handful have the tools, resources and ideas of how to accomplish making such vision a reality. The ones that do are the bands that when they come to town, everyone wants to catch them. Such a band is Gemini Syndrome.
vocals. As musically proficient as they are, GS is a band that you must see live as well to get the full effect. In addition to Nordstrom; Alessandro “A.P.” Paveri (bass), Rich Juzwick (guitar), Mike Salerno (guitars/vocals) and Brian Steele Medina (drums) all have a stage presence and visual performance that makes a GS show an event. The complete package already and destined to be the band on everyone’s playlist, they are also the nicest group of guys that truly appreciates their fans. Whether it be at a GS show, another bands show, via social media or at an event like NAMM take the time to approach them and you will be welcomed into the fold with open arms. Their stage show, the lighting, backdrops, the marketing, merchandise, guerilla marketing techniques, artwork, release of promo videos, “Syn Cards” with free downloads and topped off with songs that will have you hooked lyrically and musically have all parlayed into leaving no doubt that this is a Synners world marching to the beat of Gemini Syndrome. Taking the music world by storm and assuredly coming to a town near you, GS is doing it right and doing it their way…with their vision. -Scott “scotty2hotty” Schoenkopf
Opening band Septmber Mourning (Emily Lazar pictured) Have a new music video that is now out see more on there site www,septembermouring.com
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date and no shows were cancelled on the tour. After a few shows Floor showed that her soprano and rock voice fit perfectly in NIGHTWISH and she made an easy transition into the band. Floor will be finishing the tour for IMAGINAERUM but the band hasn’t officially said anything about her being the permanent replacement. But the fans are speaking loudly and really want her to be in NIGHTWISH permanently. We will see what the future holds for this incredibly talented band.)
release or is it just going to come out in Finland? How are you guys going to release this movie? It’s going to be released on DVD and Blu-ray in Europe next spring 2013, I have no idea about the American release yet.
So it’s not going to be a movie that they are going to release in the theaters, it’s only going to be played at that one big show in Finland. It’s going to be released in Finland Interview: Tuomas Holopainen from and select theaters in Europe. It’s not your average blockbuster film, Nightwish not like a huge release, but it will be How’s it to be back at PPUshown in theaters. I would imagine SA? It’s been a couple years, they would do it in Canada because huh? it was filmed there. There’s more I remember the first time we ever hype going on in Montreal because played on American soil it was all the actors are from Canada. PPUSA in 2003. Do you think you might want Are you guys excited for this to do some more movie American tour? scores or write some more Very much! I have said this a million movies after this? times but, North America is one of Yeah, there are tons of things I want my favorite places to tour because I to do but doing another movie isn’t a really love the American Atmosphere top priority at the moment because I love that the venue’s aren’t quite this was quite an ordeal to get done. so big because of the nice intimate So something else, but doing a feeling and being able to be on the movie score at some point would be bus. I never sleep, the scenery rolling nice, but let’s stick with Nightwish for by, there’s just something thoroughly a while. romantic about that. There’s something about this continent that really What do you think it is about prog- power, symphonic metal gets to me. that isn’t quite catching on in How are the new song’s going the United States as well as it over with the fans and the does in Europe? crowds so far? There’s a lot going on in the music a Yeah, they are going over really well!! lot of information and it’s not like your Instantly you can see that, “I Want average thing, so I don’t know it’s like My Tears Back,” is the live hit off this the North Americans are more used new album, so I think we will have to a more simple structured song. I to be playing that until the end and guess it’s just a bit too complicated. also “Song of Myself.” I love playing But then again bands like Pink Floyd “Scaretale,” because it’s so weird, are huge. and it’s really going good. Actually, If there’s anything you would at the moment we are rehearsing like to talk about, like the some songs that we haven’t played in a while so that we can bring them movie, tell me about it? I saw the movie for the first time back to the set-list at some point during this tour. We have been play- last Thursday and I was genuinely positively surprised. Because the ing pretty much the same 28 songs first version I saw, it was really nice, throughout the first half year of this and it caught the atmosphere that tour so we need some change. we were after but some shots mainly How did you guys like playthe effect shots that looked like a ing the 70,000 Tons of Metal Russian puppet theater from the Cruise? 30’s. It wasn’t credible or believable. I loved it! It’s like one of those things That’s something that really bugged that I feel like I could go there on my me so that’s why we took a little time spare time to see the bands because out and postponed the release for it was so relaxed and well organized, about three months and got the thing with 40 bands and beautiful scenery. done. Now, when I saw it with the 7.1 On the deck, under the stars, just sound all the sound effects, special playing. It was fantastic, really surreal effects, and editing, it’s beautiful and weird. Very cool, got to see a lot and I’m really, really proud of it. of bands like Stratovarius, Amorphis, I know you’re into the “EscapCannibal Corpse and stuff like that. ism” thing and you like Neil Imaginaerum CD is a concept Gaiman and Stephen King. album followed by a movie Have you ever thought about that you scored. Is this movie writing a novel one day? going to have a worldwide Oh yeah! Definitely, that is something
Leah Burlington
of the show is when Troy Donockley comes out on stage with his pipes and flutes, the band gets to sit down relax and play some folkish tunes for the fans. That would be “The Islander,” which is such a powerful song. “Nemo,” was done acoustically and the instrumental “Last of the Wilds.” Everyone goes wild for these songs and we see a lot of smiles from Marco(Bass), Tuomas, (Keyboards) Anette, (Vocals), Emppu (Guitars)and Jukka (Drums) when the audience; die- hard fans were singing along. After that slow and relaxed set, the band leaves the stage and it turns to a red glow. The band returns with drummer Jukka pounding the drums starting the intro of the wickedly exciting song “Planet Hell,” as Tuomas Holopainen tore up the keys while headbanging away! From red, the lights turned to blue and head-banging ensues with the hauntingly beautiful “Dark Chest of Wonders,” one of their older hits off the successful CD, “Once.” The band ends this fantastic show with Gary Moore’s Nightwish at “Over the Hills and Far Away,” along with the heavy new song “Song of ProgPowerUSA Myself,” which has become a fan Kickoff shows: Sept 12th & 13th favorite as well as one of my fave’s off the new CD a very upbeat song By Leah Burlington that got me all giddy was “Last Ride Finnish Symphonic power metal of the Day.” NIGHTWISH puts on band NIGHTWISH started off their one spectacular show for certain and North American tour with co- headwe were allowed another chance liner Kamelot at the premiere and to rock with them on their second only Prog-Power festival in America, show on the 13th and that show was ProgPowerUSA 13 in Sept 2012 with completely sold out!! It was the same two shows on the 12th and 13th. show except for a few additions and subtractions of songs. NIGHTWISH were on tour in North America supporting their new CD I was allowed to do an interview with IMAGINAERUM, which has a movie the keyboardist, Tuomas Halopainen. of the same title that has followed He was very gracious and kind gave it premiering on Nov 10th in their an informative interview. homeland of Finland in Helsinki, after the tour of the USA. The premiere of (Editor’s Note: Barely through the the movie was for one night only with NIGHTWISH and KAMELOT tour on Oct 1st Anette Olzen was let go from the band playing a stunning show with the movie showing after. It was NIGHTWISH after she fell ill and couldn’t play a show in Colorado. quite a spectacle with flash pots, The band went on with backround intense pyro. singers from Kamelot, Elize Ryde The excitement was high for all of (Amaranthe) and Alissa White-Gluz us at PPUSA as NIGHTWISH got (Agonist) who helped NIGHTWISH their start at this festival in 2003 and get through the set with the crowd almost ten years later they were helping as well to create a one of about to hit the same stage again. a kind experience. Anette was very The lights go low and the beautiful sore hearing this and even posted intro “Crimson Tide,” plays as they hit on her blog the next day with her the stage with the spunky Swedish disdain and disbelief of them replacsinger that replaced Tarja Turunen; ing her so easily and not cancelling Anette Olzen singing the new upbeat the show. She was openly upset song “Storytime.” Then they went and only a few days later she was straight into “ I wish I had an Angel,” let go. NIGHTWISH posted on their where bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala Facebook page “It has become inshows off his powerful pipes! They creasingly obvious that the direction blew us away with the gorgeous song and the needs of the band were in “Amaranth,” the new song “Scareconflict, and this has led to a division tale” and “Dead to the World,” off the from which we cannot recover.” CD “Century Child.” They slowed They then flew in Floor Jansen (After things down a bit with “Slow Love Forever and Re-Vamp) from the Slow,” after that, but my favorite part Netherlands to perform their next
I would like to try. I have written some stories and there are some preliminary plans to get a book released in a few years, like short stories. Very Neil Gaiman-ish or Stephen King. But I need some mentoring because I don’t really know how to write fiction stories. I have no understanding of the grammar or anything. But I love to write! I love to write stories.
Are you going to do “Bye Bye Beautiful?” Never again. We are done with that. We had a discussion of about certain songs that we have no use digging the hole anymore. It’s a good rock n roll song especially live, but just what it’s about we don’t want to do it again. And another thing we decided is that we’re not doing encores again
because a show is a show and then comes the outro and we go out and that’s it. Its kind of one of those things you try to avoid cliché’s, all kinds of cliché’s. Ya’ know encore is one of those things, if people like you, they clap and you come back out, but it’s so obvious and it started to bug us a little. So we decided to see how people react .I don’t want people to think it’s like
about arrogance or about not wanting to come back. It’s just, you do a show, you plan it carefully and that’s it. You have the Drama, you have the outro, you have the bow. Thank you so much Tuomas it was a pleasure talking with you!! Thank you!!!
Leah Burlington
Kamelot At ProgPowerUSA
the USA withNightwish supporting Sept 12th & 13th 2012 the new CD By: Leah Burlington “Silverthorn,” that will be released Oct 30th, American Symphonic Power-Metal band KAhere in the States. But first the band is playing MELOT, supported NIGHTWISH on tour which tonight in Mexico City and the actual first date kicked off the tour at PPUSA, witha new Swedish stateside is in your home state of Florida in St singer from the band Seventh Wonder. TomPetersburg. How does it feel to be doing the myKarevik showed the fans from the start that he first homecoming show with your new singer would bring new life to a band that was left in the Tommy Karevik? lurch in the prime of their career, when Roy Khan We wrapped up the first two shows in Costa Rica left the band for “Religious” reasons. This tour was and Mexico City. The crowd there were just awein support of the upcoming album, Silverthornsome, I had a bit of a rough patch. The first day which came out in late October, two months after we arrived I picked up the‘Montezuma’s Revenge’ the PPUSA festival was over. and was wishing for death, but I powered on. I Tommy found his voice and showed the die-hard feel much better today so I can’t wait to get home skeptics that he was up for the challenge and filland stomp the crap out of some US stages. I ing some mighty big black boots in the meantime. have to say we are very excited to be kicking the If you closed your eyes while listening to him sing tour off in our hometown. It’s been a while since live, you could hear Khan’s technique in some of we have played there. The last few tours we have the low range vocals, which is actually the KAbeen ending in Orlando because it is centrally MELOT sound after all. Tommy was here to show located and easier for fans to come from all over that he was there to fit those boots perfectly and the state. I think it’s great that the original fans proved his worth to the long time fans. that helped and supported us in the beginning will On board for this tour is the beautiful, Elize Ryd, be the first in the US to see Tommy with Kamelot who also sings with Amaranthe, who also played and hear some of the new material. at PPUSA this year. She got to pull double duty Kamelot has done a few European shows and sing for both bands and for three nights of already to warm up Tommy to your fan-base the fest. She does amazing backup vocals with including Bang Your Head and Wacken Open KAMELOT and also some stunning duets with Tommy. Also along for the tour was Agonist singer/ Air festivals. How is he transitioning into the band live, and how are the fans reacting to the growler, Alissa White-Gluz, doing theShagrath new singer that is previously from Swedish parts for “March of Mephisto.” Alissa, slayed the crowd with her killer stage presence and frighten- band Seventh Wonder? ing beauty. The band was in top form and seemed He is a natural. It has seemed to flow out of him very easily. He is a professional in every manner. to fare well with their new singer Tommy. GuitarHe did a tour with us as a guest vocalist during ist and founder, Thomas Youngblood seemed pleased with the crowd’s reaction to his choice of the Poetry For the Poisoned tour so he was able singers as he bounded about the stage ripping up to see how we approach our live shows. We all his fret board. Sean Tibbets stomped up the stage have great chemistry with him and you will see it first- hand very soon. joyfully as usual to master percussionist, Casey Grillo’s thunderous drumming, while Oliver Palotai There is a big difference in Tommy’s vocals was a blur of hair as he pounded his keys like a from one band to the other. Is there a conmad pianist, bringing their symphony to the heavy scious effort to have Tommy sound so much metal stage. They played an excellent but too like Khan? short set-list with all the fan favorites like “Rule the No not at all, Kamelot has had this sound even World,” “Human Stain,” ”Ghost Opera,” and “And before Roy was in the band with the original Center of the Universe.” They even blew us away singer Mark Vanderbilt. This sound or style is with the new song “Sacrimony,” off of the new CD Kamelot. When you hear the entire CD you will “Silverthorn.” hear some really unique and astounding qualities The crowd was left wanting more but it was still to his voice that separates him from our singers an excellent set with lots of surprises and guests of the past. gracing the stage. So far that song, “Sacrimony” sounds fantasInterview: Sean Tibbets Bass player of Kamelot tic and there is a huge anticipation from the Hey Sean, thanks for agreeing to an interview fans for the new album. Do you think this will for RockN Roll Industries Magazine!! be a whole new chapter in the Kamelot story, Sean: Your welcome it’s my pleasure. and do you think that this will be an easy Kamelot is about to embark on a huge tour in transition for Tommy to come in and become a
part of the band and be accepted by the die-hard Kamelot fans? It can be tough for some fans and I get it. I’m sure we will be hearing people say they like one more than the other for a while but that’s going to happen. We chose to push forward and I feel we made the right choice. . Everyone put their best effort in on this CD and I will let Silverthorn speak for it-self. Kamelot is playing two “kick Off” shows starting the tour with Nightwish in Atlanta Georgia at ProgPowerUSA! You guys have been here before and know how amazing this metal festival is. The second show on Thurs the 13th is already sold out! Are you guys excited to play and start off the tour at the Center Stage Theater? Anyone who has seen me play knows I’m a little over excited at every show. Ha-ha! But ProgPower is a great festival some of the best bands from around the world are there. It’s a lot of fun because most of the bands know each other. We don’t get to hang out with a lot of our band friends as much as we would like because you do one tour, two tours, a CD and the next thing you know it’s been a year or two since you have seen these guys. So it’s cool to be able to catch up and make some great music. Speaking of Nightwish, you guys are playing a 28 date tour with them all across the USA. What are you guys looking forward to the most on this tour? We have played a few shows over-seas with them and most recently, the 70,000 tons of metal cruise. We will be playing some new venues and getting to play for some new potential fans. It’s always a good time with them so I think the two bands should make for a great package. Thank you for your time Sean, I am super excited to see you guys twice at ProgpowerUSA and in San Diego on this tour as well as the new Cd “Silverthorn”. In closing, is there anything you would like to say or plug for you or the band here? I look forward to seeing you at the show and make sure to check out the new CD Silverthorn!
Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 55
Where can you get hitched by Gene Simmons, and then sink a few holes with your new bride… in public? Imagine yourself taking a journey through a psychedelic, fluorescent, neon maze where oversized guitars, platform boots fit for the gods, and a KISS Army stand between you and your goal. At the end of your journey, you face a demon head with an enormous tongue daring you to get a hole in one! This, my friend, is what I experienced at the KISS by Monster Mini Golf, indoor putt-putt course in Las Vegas, Nevada. This trip was like no other! And on top of that, I witnessed a marriage performed by a Gene Simmons impersonator at the “Hotter than Hell Wedding Chapel.” If you’re feeling confused, don’t be. Let me explain......... The KISS by Monster Mini Golf course opened in March, 2012. It offers a cutting-edge miniature golf course with other attractions, including an arcade, the world’s largest KISS gift shop and the “Rock N Roll All Night Café.” The café does not serve alcohol, but from what I hear, there is a friendly liquor store across the street and as long as you stay on top of your game, you can enjoy the nice cold one you just bought while you play! Now for the real kicker... The Kiss by Monster Mini Golf, also offers daily wedding ceremonies at their one of a kind “Hotter than Hell Wedding Chapel!” The reverend Las Vegas Gene Simmons, also known as Luis
Reyes, performs the holy matrimonies and I had the honor to be a witness. The stage is fashioned after the KISS album cover for “Love Gun”. It comes equipped with concert-quality lights, fog machine and sound. This is perfect for any rock n’ roll fantasy wedding! The room seats 35, with just enough standing room for last minute stragglers. If your loved ones are unable to make it, they can watch a live stream of the ceremony on the internet. The website (www.monsterminigolf.com/kiss) serves as a wedding registry as well, where friends and family can buy your KISS gifts and wedding gifts. The happy couple I saw tie the knot were the perfect cliché for the wedding chapel. Did they know I was coming to write a review on the show? Either way, it was memorable. The groom came in with a black leather vest, as did members of the audience. This must have been a “biker wedding” which made it that much cooler! He had full sleeve tattoos on both arms and a shaved head. The audience was rowdy with lots of hooting and hollering! The bride came down the aisle practically glowing. She was wearing a white dress with a black sash around her waist to match her groom. What an awesome couple! You could tell by the looks on their faces they were having a great time and didn’t know what to expect next from Gene! After the ceremony was done, I saw some of the wedding party starting in on a game of golf, so I decided to join them! That’s the great thing about the KISS by Monster Mini Golf - there is so much to do, so why leave? Play a game, get hitched, take home a souvenir! I highly recommend that everyone visit the KISS Monster Mini Golf and Hotter than Hell Wedding Chapel. Whether or not you belong to the KISS Army, there is so much to see and do inside. The golf course is challenging and takes a good while to complete. 18 holes is no joke and with Paul Stanley’s oversized platform boot in your way, you will be lucky if you ever get a hole in one! As for the wedding chapel, that is a must see! Who wouldn’t want to tie the knot with a huge KISS sealed by the biggest rock & roll icons in history?! It’s a show in and of itself. KISS definitely lives up to its title as the “greatest show on earth.” You wanted the best, you’ve got the best,” - miniature-siz ed! -Raquel Figlo
56 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine
Always my deepest love and admiration for my brother Randy - Kathy Rhoads D’Argenzio
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Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 57
Dan Spitz, most known for his work with thrash metal band Anthrax, is back in full force with a new heavy metal band called Red Lamb. Red Lamb, which is a duo with vocalist Don Chaffin, released their debut self-titled CD this February. Spitz is taking this opportunity, and using his voice to raise awareness about Autism, since his two five-year-old twin boys were diagnosed with Autism when they were nine months old. Spitz worked very closely with Dave Mustaine from Megadeth on this album, writing and producing the entire CD together. I had a great conversation with Dan about what he has been doing since Anthrax, how he spent several years in Switzerland becoming a Master Watchmaker, and how his love for music is back with Red Lamb. Spitz even told me about how his music is in the top 10 songs played on MARS! Read below for an in-depth interview with Dan Spitz. How did you connect with Mind’s I, and what are you looking forward to with this new partnership? Dan Spitz: Thank you for the kind words. Red Lamb, and what I am doing through music, has to cross over into new boundaries and territories that normal heavy metal management doesn’t understand. Bringing “Awareness” toward the global epidemic of Autism in a “Metal” way is the mission ahead. Due to my unique pathways of utilizing my return to music with Red Lamb, it started to become apparent that I needed a management team like no other. James McComas, who runs the music side of Mind’s I, and I, just clicked, and we instantly went into a 24/7 full tilt. How did you come up with the name Red Lamb, and what does it mean to you? Dave Mustaine and I were going back and forth for a very long time on names when one day he emailed me something. I awoke to the email re58 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine
must understand that Red Lamb is a collaborative of Dave Mustaine and I, and that’s what we both wanted my first music to represent upon return. A piece of Dave and a piece of me smashed together into oblivion and nailed to a cross. So we had Donny re-invent what he does best, clone other human beings. If I say to him be “Chris Cornell” (Soundgarden/Audioslave) and he sings something through the microphone, it’s You described Red Lamb as ‘Music for a New so scary spot on, it can freak out anyone. Donny Era.’ What does that mean to you? will be unleashed when we play live, however, and the reins are off as far as being confined to a Creating another musical journey on round two of my career is not just about a continuum of my pre-determined avenue. creations in Anthrax. It had to be what’s in my On your website, you list, Patrick Johnansgenome structure, and also represent the cutting son, who played drums on the record, as edge of today and tomorrow. It took the better “Brothers in Arms.” What does that mean part of a year of ripping on my guitar to finally get exactly? the chord structures of the sound of Red Lamb (guitar wise). I thought it represented the familiar- Red Lamb is Donny and me. The two of us ity of my past (I really can’t get rid of what I am) take care of everything. In addition to being an incredible singer and human being, he is a and “Music for a New Era” of what I am today full-time video producer for many artists, as well and will be tomorrow. as a record producer. In fact, he just opened his I don’t actually plan or think about what I create. own record label. The two of us drive all avenues I didn’t do that back when Scott Ian and I were of Red Lamb. I think in today’s world the term creating all we did in Anthrax so I have no need “Band” is used a bit too vague. It used to be that to do it again. If it sits right with my angst, pain, if one person from “a Band” left the band, the and suffering then it should please those who band was over. That does not exist anymore. enjoy to listen to my guitar riffs. I really don’t care “Brothers In Arms,” are our friends who help about the rest of the people. You can’t please to create Red Lamb’s CD’s and touring needs. everyone and I only do what I do for the love of Chris Vrenna of Marilyn Manson / NIN played on it. I think that is extremely clear to everyone now. every song of Red Lamb, so he is also a part of I’m back with a love for what I do, I’m not burnt “Brothers In Arms.” out from touring or jaded anymore. I simply just want to play live and connect with the fuel of Dave Mustaine from Megadeth co-produced the CD with you, and co-wrote all the lyrical my friends around the globe. content with you on the CD. How did you end Red Lamb is a duo with you and vocalist Donup working together? ny Chaffin. How did you connect with Don, Dave and I have been extremely close friends and have you worked with him in the past? for a very long time. We tend to stay way below I produced Donny’s band a long time ago and I anyone’s radar, however. I turned Dave on to a was totally blown away. His talent extends into device called a Fractal Audio Axe Fx that I used realms you are not hearing on Red Lamb. You all ally early (we both don’t sleep much) and it was a name about twice as long. I knew that was it, so I cut in half, flipped it back to him for a “Lets go” approval (we’re a team effort), and it was finally done. If you’ve read Revelation 5 in the Bible then you will know all it represents. To sum it up: The “Lion” out of the tribe of Judah IS the “Lamb” slain for the sins of the world.
“They were NOT born that way. “ to record Red Lamb with. During a break in his touring he was ready to program his units and get them in his rack. I had spent a year or more cloning my amps into these boxes, cloning my guitar cabinets and studio microphones, so I offered to come out to his house and Vic’s (his studio) and clone his tone for him. My tech from Anthrax, Willie G., is his tech so this was a true family event. So one day going from Dave’s house to his studio he asked to hear what I was working on. Mind you, in our personal relationship we don’t talk much about music at all. So we cranked it in his car and he went through pieces of each and every song. At the end he said something like, “Would you be offended if I asked you if I could help you with this?” I was like... Ummmm.. “I’m fried from wearing all the hats brother. That would be a Godsend.” So Dave got completely engulfed, cleared his insanely busy schedule, and we went to work. At that point, did you plan for Dave to cowrite the CD with you, or is it something that just happened naturally during the creative process? The reason artists bring in someone who is not actually part of the band is to get that input that can only be administered from someone looking down from the clouds. An outsider. As soon as we kicked into overdrive, all gloves and restrictions on my part were off. I think it’s actually the first time two of thrash metal’s creators have done something like this together. Lyrically Dave and I worked coast-to-coast, at first via electronic transmission on each and every song. I had written all lyrics for the entire CD so it was a rip this apart and build process. We continued this process at Dave’s studio as Donny was singing and I was tracking. I would then go up to my room in his house and awake a few hours later (I need my nightly ice cream) only to find Dave back downstairs in his office sleeping on the keyboard. I would wake him and all of a sudden he would continue his thought process and type it. We’re both workaholics, and we both are one of the few creators of a genre, so it’s kind of like we are on the same path at all times. We’re both also perfectionists. Nothing is done until it’s done. In addition, Dave and I knew how important the message is in what I was about to release to the general public so it was very personal to both of us. Dave has spent considerable time with my family, and the twins, so he understands my daily struggles like no one else. He simply exhausted his mind, body, and so much more, just to help a friend. He went way beyond the norm you would expect from another human being.
begun. Eddie also mentioned that you were doing much better regarding your health, which is great news, but they didn’t really know the specifics. Can you give us an update on how you are doing in that regard? My awaking to return to play my guitar again came from two events. One of which I will speak about later in this interview. The second came from a heart attack I had. As most might know, I am a very healthy person who works out a lot as well. So this was a shock to both myself and all others who know me. It happened at The Bronx Zoo with my family. The doctors tell me I should not be alive. Not a chance. I’m the Uncle Bill story who is eating dinner at the table and all of a sudden his face falls into his soup and he croaks fast. The largest valve going to my heart was 98% closed along with others. Long story short when I awoke from the operation I awoke with a new outlook on what I have to do, knowing your time is limited changes everything. You are definitely making some strong statements with the record and raising awareness for Autism. Can you tell us more detail about that? My wife Candi and I have five-year-old identical mirror image twins with Autism. They were NOT born that way. They were speaking at nine months and we have plenty of film to prove not only that, but they were doing television commercials with Brooke Shields, movies, and more. So now that the new statistics are out about Autism we should all know something is stupid wrong. We’re building giant schools for Autism? So in true metal fashion I only speak the truth and show the truth to all who care to listen. I hope a lot of my friends from other bands will join in with me as well. Red Lamb is NOT about doing benefit shows and trying to suck money from someone. It’s just about playing as I normally do, but letting my fans and fans of metal, see through my viral avenues my family, and the daily (if not 1/4 hourly) struggles we go through having identical mirror image twins with Autism. Our day is distinctly difficult, tiresome, grueling, and has Autistic meltdowns that could last hours and hours, with self-injuring behavior and so much more. It’s Hell on earth some days.
Master Watchmaker; your newfound love. Can you give us some further insight on this? Anthrax is inside my human makeup. You can’t get rid of what you create. You dream, you struggle, you fight, and then you accomplish. I have a love for my brothers (who alongside me) created musical history. It’s a sound that cannot be duplicated. Perseverance and intangible avenues of accomplishments only happen when there is a perfect team. People often say things like “there’s just something that happens when we get together that is unexplained.” That’s what happens when that line up is in a room. In addition, when Scott’s guitar and mine play together it becomes one. I am blessed to have had that time in my life. But, for now I have something new to do. I’ve spent many years in Switzerland becoming a very rare mechanical Watchmaker. My title is “Swiss Trained Master Watchmaker of Complications Specialist.” In the luxury watch world I am trained to service and/or diagnose, teach others, and report manufacturing defects for the world’s most complicated mechanical timepieces. These timepieces are works of human art, and often reach $1,000,000 or more having no diamonds anywhere on the piece. Simply because the movement (the engine inside) is stupid complicated and doing insane things.
I used my quiet time in Switzerland to clear my head and achieve a goal often not obtained. Especially for an American. I’m a bit OCD to say the least. Right before I decided it was time to end my Watchmaking journey and return to music a funny thing happened that started a trigger. I was in the outskirts of Geneva working on a very complicated timepiece at an extremely famous company. In this complicated room it’s so quiet you can hear a pin drop, and some Master Watchmakers have iPod headphones on as they work. I had a phone call from Dave Mustaine that morning and he was telling me something to the effect of “You need to stop messing with those stupid million dollar toys and get back here to play.” There’s only a bunch of us still living who breathe what we created and aren’t 2nd or 3rd generation players just rehashing what we have running in our blood.” So that day I was already all emotionally fried, and confused a bit as I was getting burnt on ripping apart watches and figuring out what another bad Watchmaker I just read that the Anthrax song “Got the hacked up inside. So I’m working and I see this Time” was actually played on Mars in an efguy a few benches down from me (He has tatfort to wake the Mars rover Curiosity. Tell us toos everywhere) and I wanted to see what he more about that. was working on, so I walked over and he has his phones on as he worked on a crazy piece. I think it’s totally mind blowing that my guitar is the first heavy metal guitar to reach Something like a Tourbillon, Perpetual Calendar, Chronograph, Jumping Hour, Flyback and I look another planet. That is simply insane. I mean That is awesome. I was excited to see Red in his bench drawer and see an empty SLAYER I broke the top 10 before songs I co-wrote, but Lamb mentioned on the season premier of now I’m in the top 10 on MARS alongside Frank CD case. He’s freakin’ blasting SLAYER and “That Metal Show.” Did you know that you working on this thing!!!! At that point I started Sinatra and The Beatles!! So all metal heads were going to be mentioned in the “Where cracking up and just said to myself “I’m done… should be proud, as we are now such a huge are they Now” segment of the show? I’m outta’ here. Time to rip on my guitar again.” part of society’s mainstream that all must take serious notice when we speak. I take no claim for I just started missing everything music in an I had no idea. Eddie Trunk and I go back to the instant and left Switzerland shortly after. anything. I think metal in itself and my fans are beginning of thrash metal, as he worked within responsible. It’s all because of the incredible fans Megaforce Records and traveled with me quite Wow. You have definitely had quite a journey. of metal that things like this happen. extensively. He is one of the nicest human beThank you Dan for a great interview! ings I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with. Speaking of Anthrax, you were with the band For more information on Red Lamb and Dan He’s always had that metal knowledge that is for 12 years, and released seven studio alSpitz, please check out: so far beyond any mortal’s. That was very kind bums during that time, before leaving in 1995. of him to do as well. Any and all help I can get http://www.danspitz.com You came back in 2007 and spent two years is graciously appreciated. It’s not easy to start touring for the Anthrax Reunion of Among http://www.redlambofficial.com over from zero. I did it back when all odds where the Living tour. I’ve read about your major against me with Anthrax, and I have concrete accomplishment of becoming a Swiss trained Keep Rockin’ - Alison “MetalBabe” Cohen foundation’s now for my next round. I’ve only just Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 59
MISS KATONIC: Hello! And welcome back to The Miss Katonic Show.. where humans are kidnapped in their living bodies via their nightmares, pulled into the Dreamlands... and toyed with endlessly, deep inside the monstrous living castle of Katonic. Tonight, I’ve had the Shadow Vixens pull the sleeping bodies of the human band, NEKGROGOBLIKON, through the shadows of night and into my realm. First off, Tell the earth viewers how you humans first came in contact with this illustrious Goblin race, and how this all began: EDDIE: The goblins chose us. It was not our choice, and we are merely doing our duty. We are the slaves to do their bidding, as are all humans, really. The origin story is thus: In 2006, Tim’s old death metal band, Inquest, was falling apart, and he ended up using some of the sillier left-over riffs for the album “Goblin Island”. The title track was written first, and the whole album was subsequently written/recorded with Nicky Calonne over three months that summer. The song Army of Goblins was reminiscent of the movie Army Of Darkness, starring Bruce Campbell. In that movie is “the book of the names of the dead” - the Necronomicon. Nekrogoblikon was obviously more goblin and “K”s are far more metal than C’s so that’s how the name came about. MISS KATONIC: Oh, the Necronomicon? (Katonic smiles) Written by a Mad Arab who saw deep into the darkness.. Yes... Continue! NICKY: It was the summer after my senior year. I was spending a lot of time hanging out with Tim. At the time, I lived in Palo Alto at my mom’s apartment. He lived in Sunnyvale, which was about a 20 minute drive away. I would drive over to his house to hang out and work on music pretty much every day. One night, it was raining. I mean like REALLY raining, the kind of rain where 60 60 Rock Rock N N Roll Roll Industries Industries Magazine Magazine
you’re afraid to even be driving. I decided to make the drive anyway, against my better judgement. As I was getting off of the freeway and onto the offramp, I felt a strange thud. Mortified, I pulled my mom’s minivan off to the side of the road and got out to see what I had hit. It turned out that I had hit a goblin. He was very angry, but wounded. He tried his best to kill me but he was too weakened. I bundled him up in a blanket and put him in the passenger seat, and continued my drive to Tim’s house. Eventually, we made a deal- we write songs about goblins, and he won’t kill us. He still checks in every few months with death threats and the like, so we keep writing music about goblins. MISS KATONIC: Delightful! These are my kind of creatures.Now enlighten us on your full inspiration for your music, human. EDDIE: The inspiration for our music! Yes, lots of things...horror, comedy, gaming, b-movies, soundtracks, electronic music, classic melodies, power metal (all metal I suppose), sci-fi, fucking Beethoven, Bears, space, time, pain, suffering and joy. To name a few. Oh, And yo-yo’s. That’s a thing. NICKY: The inspiration for our music is our own survival, and to ensure the successful domination of the human race by goblins, which will occur some time in the next 200 years. MISS KATONIC: If I leave any on that planet for you, that is. I plan to devour humanity well before the passing of 200 Earth years.In any case, how do you plan on using your message to perpetuate the destruction of this putrid species? EDDIE: Hm. Well, the destruction of humanity is
imminent, we’re basically the warning. It’s like...a to Nekrogoblikon and Stench as a whole. I knew self-fulfilling prophecy. Of sorts. But not our the only way to make this video work was to truly sell the idea, just as the band does musically from prophecy. The goblin’s. production value to musicianship. From the get NICKY: Every song we write has secret “goblin go, I had a very very specific vision. If it wasn’t exfrequencies” coded into it. Using these frequenecuted exactly how I saw it in my brain, the Gobcies, we are able to communicate with the goblins that live in my head would murder me. I will lins, and update them about the state of affairs continue to work with the band with the live show, here on earth. The frequencies defy what we refuture video endeavors, secretly encouraging the fer to as “the laws of physics,” which are actually dethroning of Eddie and becoming the band’s completely misunderstood. The goblins can dedrummer, etc.” tect them all the way from their homeland on goblin island. The more people listen to our music, From our perspective, this was someone who fithe stronger the signal is. They use our messages nally GOT our band and wanted to do something awesome with it. We like that, and we knew the to plan their attack. concept was a good one, so we rolled with it. MISS KATONIC: This is a concept familiar to me. So, your video caught the eye of my human NICKY: It came from space. Jamie, in turn arousing my curiosity..and other MISS KATONIC: So many amazing things do. things. Tell us where the idea for such a unique Now, What are your plans for future destruction of video came from? morality and the extinguishment of life? EDDIE: The idea came from our director BranEDDIE: Ah, yes. Morality. The puny human moral don. In his words: “It all goes back to the first time system is irrelevant, as the entire species will end I saw Nekrogoblikon. I randomly stumbled upon up crushed into tasty morsels for our snacking their show deep in the San Fernando Valley and pleasure anyway. Fools. was instantly blown away. After the show, I got my hands on Stench and continued to be blown NICKY: Time and space, bro? away by this band yelling and screaming about MISS KATONIC: Well in light of your delicious goblins, birds and bears. I knew I had to do a mu- hopes of furthering death and destruction, I will sic video and help get their voices heard. I can’t return you to your waking world. Looks like YAAG say it enough; I absolutely love this band. So, I will have to catch his own prey this evening...(She spoke with some of the guys in Nekrogoblikon, smiles deviously) and even though I knew they were working on new tunes, I felt Stench didn’t get the attention i choose to throw these back . it truly deserved. I listened, and still continue to Until next time... keep your dreams close to you. listen to the album several times a day, and that You never know when we shall come looking for is how I came up with the entire music video con- you in the night. cept. I didn’t write to one song specifically; I wrote Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 61
Fan Favorite
When I first started on this venture, my initial thought was to dive right into the subject of tipping. After thinking about it a little more I felt it might come across as somewhat self-serving. The reality is that tipping is a very important tool in shaping the customer experience. After all, the origin of the word tips is To Insure Proper Service. Tips make up the majority of a bartender’s income, in my case, about 90-95 percent. In the state of California bartenders are taxed based on their sales. Since we don’t tip out Uncle Sam at the end of our shifts, the taxes come out of our wages. It is not uncommon for me to get a paycheck amounting to zero at the end of a two week pay period. In many states, a tipped employee’s wage can go as low as $2.75 an hour. I am often asked, especially by twenty-one year olds,” what is the standard tipping procedure?” There are a couple different guidelines you can go by. The standard for years has been 15% of your total tab. Economic times have taken their toll and whereas prior to 2007 when 20-25% was standard, in modern times 10-15% is the reality. In bars, when ordering one at a time, a dollar per drink is the norm. All that being said, I’d like to address a subject that has started many debates in my time behind the bar. I ultimately end up winning these debates. In my travels to Europe and the UK I have had many discussions with our oversea counterparts. Every one of them felt that the tipping system established in America is far more lucrative than their way of doing things. They do make a wage 3 to 4 times higher than us but, on an hourly basis, we American bartenders still make more with tips. There are advocates of this higher wage system, mostly people who have never worked in the service industry and, well, cheapskates! If the U.S. were to take on this higher wage system, business owners would be faced with a 300-400% increase in payroll. Where do you think that money will come from? The answer is price increases! I can guarantee it will be a lot more than 15% or a dollar per drink. Major companies in the U.S. like Papa Johns, Applebee’s, Carl’s Jr./Hardees, have all come out saying that they have to increase prices to the consumer to cover a single or double digit percent tax increase…what do you think a triple digit percent increase would cost the consumer? Debate won! All that being said, let me be honest with you in regards to how bartenders may address the “non-tipper.” Know that a good tipper or even a decent tipper is going to be served before the bartender gets to you. Also know that the bartender is in total control of that drink you want. A short pour might be in your future! Another suggestion, don’t be an “end tipper.” If you don’t tip on that first round, the assumption is you won’t tip at all. Saying “I’ll get you at the end” also not a good idea. Any good bartender knows that is code for “You’re not getting tipped but I will let you believe that so I get good service.” There are service workers out there that do give horrible service and I am not suggesting you reward them with a gratuity. Just make sure that you take care of those who do work hard for you. More often than not, these people work nights, weekends and holidays so that you can enjoy yours. As always, have fun and drink safe.
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Cougar Bait is the name, what’s the story behind that? Chest- Being so tall at such a young age, women always have assumed I am older than I really am. So my friends started calling me jail bait in high school, to which I thought, “no; I’m more like cougar bait”. laughs. I realized that was a pretty catchy title, and I held onto it until we formed the band. How did you all meet? Chest-I knew Lush (CT Luscious) from Ayer High School (outside of Boston) before I transferred to Nashoba Valley Tech my senior year to major in Media production. There I met Buck who had just bought a bass and knew I played guitar, so we started jamming. There was another kid named Rod who had a rep of being a nasty lead guitarist, and having a really cool afro, so we immediately recruited him. We added Lush on drums the following year.
regards and opening for them would mean being able to see them perform free of charge once we’re finished. What was the most embarrassing thing to happen on stage? Chris-I never had a specific embarrassing moment on stage, but I am told I make the most ridiculous facial expressions when I play. I honestly can’t help it though. I just enter my own world when I get behind the kit. Rod-Definitely forgetting the words to Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean” and yelling obscenities into the microphone. Chest-I once jumped during a solo and unplugged my guitar while an amused Jay Geils and Danny Klein of The J Geils Band sat watching from the front row. I didn’t even realize what I had done for a while.
Congratulations on your endorsement with Snagle Guitars, what can you tell us about that? Chest-Thanks, it all came about as the result of our “Lovecraft” music video. Donpheebin Kid Kaewtid is a Thai metal legend and the founder of Snagle Guitars. He saw the video, loved the band, and offered us an endorsement deal, providing Rod and I with guitars for our current tour. It just goes to show you the power of the internet. Snagle also created the signature Chest Rockwell guitar which is just incredible. What band would you want to open up for one day? Rod-I’d like to open for Muse. I definitely hold them in the highest of
is right
Buck-Getting humped on stage at The Raven in Worcester by an old Russian dude up there.
How was the making of a music video experience? Rod- A run in with the cops, a nonhostile takeover of an innocent suburban neighborhood, burning close to a full tank of gas cruising around in an ice cream truck, and enough ice cream and double cheeseburgers to choke a donkey. It was one of the more fun things we’ve done as a group. Chris- Driving around in an ice cream truck really is as fun as it looks. And you can’t top playing in a creepy warehouse at night.
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many people who copy CD’s from friends or download music from the Internet and then pass it on. Say a person buys your CD then their buddy wants a copy too. So he copies it for another friend and say’s “check these guys out! They’re great!”. Then that person passes it on and so on and so on. Now, like, 5 people or more have your disc but you only made money off one! One of the reasons I see people wanting to buy a CD less and less is the quality of music of which it was recorded. The ADAT was a great invention and really got a lot people into “professional” home recording but unfortunately they didn’t know exactly what they were doing. There’s a reason why people go to places like Berklee College of Music, SAE, M.I, Full Sail and other colleges to learn the art and skill of engineering. With that being said, there are some people who inherently have the skill to hear things a certain way and create quality tones with that God given skill. Most people do not.
What’s happening Rock N Rollers!!!! Welcome to my “starter” column for Rock N Roll Industries Magazine! In my future columns I’ll be covering any and everything related to Rock N Roll guitars. From instructional lessons to gear stuff to music industry related things to even some guest appearances from some of my “very recognized” buddies! If anyone is interested in having me cover a specific topic, please feel free to reach to With technology getting more affordable for me at Toshi@rocknrollindustries.com. the “common Joe”, the problem arises that In this first installment of ‘Intense Guitar!’ let’s we have people recording their CD’s in their discuss the importance of pricing your CD’s and bedroom, “mastering” it themselves or having a download cards. The one thing I’ve been noticing place like ‘Discmakers’ master it, duplicate and package it. Hell, if you have a computer you about the industry is that a lot of musicians are can get a Digidesign ‘MBox” or something of the not touring to support their CD’s but releasing likes, for less than $500.00 and get very high CD’s to support a tour. Many musicians are not making any money from their CD sales because quality recording capabilities at your fingertips, of copying, downloading, pirating, etc. Let’s take literally. After that, they sell it on their own website and/or sell it on any one of the numerous a look at why this is. online stores. It’s always been difficult for musicians to make But with many people doing this, they’re also a living doing what we love to do. Play! Hence the term “struggling artist”. Even if you did get a pricing their “homemade” CD’s at the same price the major label artists are. I’ve bought many CD record deal, say 15 years ago, the label would from online retailers who distribute CD’s from screw you over by giving you less than a dollar anyone who has the setup fee and this IS a for sales per CD. It’s still that way. The majority great thing for emerging artist but the downside of artist I know, “big time”or not see less than a is I’ve paid close to $20.00 for a CD that sounds dollar per unit (CD) sold. Now not only do we have to deal with labels but also the public who like it was recorded . . . well . . . in someone’s bedroom. Keep in mind, being a music lover and downloads and/or copies our music. I know
consumer, I still love to go out and buy CD’s that are worth listening to. I am after all a huge fan of music. That being said, I totally understand the consumers wanting to save money and copy a disc. They (and you too) have to understand that in the end it’s the consumer/listener that looses out when that artist that they so adore stops making CD’s due to there inability to make a living doing that. Many artists and friends I know quit playing or get out of the industry due to the lack of income. This sucks because there are quite a few people who I’d like to hear some more music from. Yea, sure we all want to make as much money as we can on our music but you also have to spend the money if you’re going to ask for it. The reason most people got record deals back in the day was because they needed someone to finance their project and properly market it. Much like a bank. This was actually, believe it or not, a good thing. This for one thing told the listener that someone believes enough in you and your group to invest money and time into you. Assuring the consumer, “well, SOMEBODY thought they were good. Maybe I’ll like them too.” It would also insure them that the CD was going to be at least packaged properly and not just recorded on a CD-R. And yes, I’ve actually gotten CD’s from folks who sell their CD’s like that! Then again some people simply want to get heard and so they either price there CD’s low or give them away for the “exposure”. Again, if your music is as good as you say it is, shouldn’t you charge at least something for it? I’ve been given many a CD to “check out” and let me tell you, generally speaking I usually won’t listen to the CD’s because of this philosophy. If you believe in what you’re doing, act like it. Okay, that about wraps it up for this month. Thanks for tuning in; we’ll see you next month here in ‘Intense Guitar!’ (c) 2013 Toshi Iseda
After seeing Ginny play live with her solo project and bowing us away with her dancin’ rockin’ grove, we had to find out how it is that she gets her sound so after her show at the three clubs sponcerd by Jonny Coffin we found how what gear shes using. Ginny tell us how you get your sound? I play a Fender FV3 electric violin (as well as an acoustic violin) through a Trace Elliot TA300 amp with footswitch. For distortion I use a Coffin Case “Blood Drive” overdrive, for fuzz I use a Pigtronix “Polysaturator”, and for delay I use the Fishman AFX Delay Acoustic pedal... when I’m on the road I usually use the Digitech GSP 1101 rackmount guitar processor because it travels really easily. I’m also a big fan of the BOSS ME-70 effects processor by Boss/Roland. Where can we find out more about you? You can find out more about me on www.ginnylukeonline.com
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Junkman
What do you do on KNAC.com and how long have you been there? I started working with KNAC.com in 1998 when they were just starting out. For those that don’t really know what where all about, KNAC was a radio station that focused on heavy metal. Everywhere you went especially around Hollywood. During the Sunset strip bands era, KNAC was what it was all about. KNAC focused on such a broad spectrum of metal. They went off the air in 1995, when the station was sold then resurrected online a couple years later. They are the pioneers of online broadcasting. Before KNAC there wasn’t a whole lot of brodcasting online. The technology wasn’t really known. Radio was kind of going one way and technology was gone the other. They put together KNAC.com and luckily I was one of the first jocks they hired. I was in the right place at the right time. I had known the staff through working in the night clubs which is what I did. I was a nightclub disc jocking for twenty years in southern California, and they got to know me. I was at the studio with a friend of mine who was one of the air staff, he went to go take a phone call and said “can you man the board for a little?” and I said “sure”. Luckily for me the program director was listening and he knew me. I thought to myself that I knew him too. He continues by asking if I was looking for a job because they needed jockies. I had been with them ever sense. So everyone use to listen to KNAC when it was on the radio and most people don’t realize that it switched over internet? People thought that it died that one day, that’s real famous for one minute they where playing Metallica’s fade to black, the next thing you know it was a Spanish station! There’s a lot of people unaware of the fact that it’s all about internet technology now, that’s where it’s at. You can listen to us anywhere at anytime with no commercial interruptions, a better signal and a bigger playlist. We got ten thousand songs and growing, maybe more than that! It’s got everything that the radio station had and a whole lot more.
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People thought that with internet, you had to be on your computer. Tell us about the app so you can listen everywhere you go? There’s a app on my phone that you can download, and its free! The app is called the TuneIN radio application. As he boots up the app to show us how KNAC.com plays music. You can esssentially get any radio station that you want. I put on KNAC.com its playing Leatherwolf right now. The app displays a graphic and it takes you straight into ITunes if you want to buy it. You can plug this into your car, which was a big bitch before that people couldn’t hear us in the car. They had to sit on their computers, now you can listen to us anywhere you want to go. On the website itself we give you information about the music. The app lets you rate the songs if you like it or don’t like it. You can buy songs from ITunes or Amazon.com. Plus we have an in studio camera, so that you can see the jock while he’s broadcasting. Like when I bring in a guest. For example, when I brought in David Coverdale you got him on the screen where people can watch. Plus at the same time, there is a chatroom that goes on when the jock is live. So it becomes interactive! Tell us about your show, what can we expect when you’re on the air? Well it’s a full on metal show! They have come up with I think thirty different kinds of heavy metal and still growing. It encompasses all of it. Anything from hair band like whitesnake to some grind core anything basically that’s coming out, there are a ton of new so many great rock bands that fall under that genre right now and so many great releases. If a Local band wants to get on KNAC, how would they go about doing that? We got a guy by the name of Greg Williams who has this show called Uncharted. Local bands send in their press packages, look at KNAC.com website Greg Williams Uncharted. We are sitting here at Steve’s Village Pizzeria, across Capitol Records. How long have you been coming here? Well, I met Steve through my buddy Neil Zlozower a few years ago. We hit it off great! We both come from similar background, we were from the same kind of neighborhood. We just had a lot of the same taste, and once I tried his Pizza and pastas. I was sold! I come here before I do my show every Monday, and they are always good to me. Most importantly they got a great product.
a
Shops that Rock Where did the name Schecter originate from? Schecter Guitars was the creation of David Schecter who initially began as a small Southern Californian guitar parts manufacturer in 1976. Though no longer owned by the Schecter family, we’ve maintained the tradition of the original name and the brand and will continue to do so. Even with our steady growth, we’ve adhered to the quality and care of a small shop while continuing to offer that care and quality to players of all levels through our products and service. What can we be expecting from Schecter’s 2013 production line? In 2013 we’ll be offering up some truly exciting products, including our first ever line of American made amplifiers – entitled Schecter Amplification. This is a new endeavor which will feature the Synester Gates Hellwinn Amp as well as the Schecter Hellraiser Amp. We’re also excited about our expanded artist roster which with it will bring some incredible signature models, some of which are in their design stage and will debuting at his year’s winter NAMM 2013. We are also revamping the Damien guitar line for 2013, under the moniker the “Damien Platinum Series”, with some existing models now being offered with the Sustainic system – which will offer players a new creative format for their writing, recording and performing needs.
us with R & D. This was a series project and we feel we have really brought a product to the marketplace that will appeal to many musicians. What kind of amps will you be offering? And where will they be made? We will be making two models immediately. The Synyster Gates Hellwin head and the Hellraiser head and combo, along with cabinets and a special cabinet that I can’t talk about yet, but it will definitely turn “heads”, so to speak. There will be a USA made and Chinese import version of almost all of these products Who are your new amps catering to? Musicians who want a quality product that is both versatile and reliable.
What will differentiate Schecter’s Custom Shop from other manufacturers’ shops? We have established a unique production facility here that incorporates everything from concept and design to tooling, fabrication, finish and assembly – all in-house. We have gathered seasoned professionals from the Southern California custom guitar industry to contribute their unique skills and talents to this endeavor. Our manufacturing techniques incorporate old world hand craftsmanship with cutting edge technology and machinery to give the What was the inspiration behind the customer a truly affordable launching of the amp line? And how did you and precise custom instrument. Additionally, always adhering to quality, pride, imagination, and never forgetting the needs of the consumer. That is what creates the success that our company continues to build upon. Also, with the expanded Custom Shop and Amplifier manufacturing, we are bringing more production back to the United States, which decide which in this economy, not many builder was going other companies are doing. to custom voice your amp’s for What improvements have been made to the you? Schecter Custom shop? Many of us here We’ve always offered a full custom shop, but are really into until recently we’ve had limited space to work amplifiers. With all in which created a demand/supply issue. But of our experience since we have re-located to a much larger we thought we facility (at 36,000 square feet), this has helped could come up us to increase the production of our 100% U.S. with something versatile and pleasing to a wide designed, constructed and finished custom array of players. We spent months tearing apart guitars and basses. The new space has also our favorites to see what made them “tick”. Also, helped us keep up with the rate of demand. In James Brown, who developed the Classic and addition, the added work-space helps us create 5150 series while working at Peavey helped the conceptual designs for our future mass-
produced lines as well as our signature models. Schecter’s chosen Sun Valley as its new location, was that decision based on any one thing? Sun Valley has a small town feel to it, yet it’s still only 15 minutes from Hollywood. The area suits us because it’s small, scrappy and industrious; attributes that we feel fit Schecter. It’s the ethos of being in a place that is growing in the shadow of a much larger entity and kind of tells our story, the Schecter story. How did the collaboration between Schecter and GWAR’s guitarist come about? We had worked with the band in the past through their guitarist Cory Smoot (Flattus Maximus). His was one of the company’s first signature models and we were all saddened when we heard of his passing. Since then, we’ve kept an open line of communication with the band and believe it is this type of commitment that develops and maintains the relationships we have with artists. We’ve made it a priority to be in touch and continue working with our roster of artists to ensure that they get the results they need from their instruments. In turn, this creates a great interest in Schecter from other band members. Can you turn the amp knobs up to volume 11? Not unless you install your own knobs but believe you me, at 10 ours feel like 20. www.schecterguitars.com
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Whats up rockers....and welcome to another guitar review with Michael G and Rocknroll industries magazine...
let this baby sing!....the near flawless neck and fret job feel natural in your hand, like a old friend...and the brass nut helps done of that sustain I think...designed by Diego Today we are checking out the awesome Ruth model guitar Grinfeld (and boaz Elkayam?) and made here in the good, from Viktorian guitars...the guitar in question was beautiful, dare I say Great US of A.. In Colorado... pearl white paint on the body...black neck, all made of composites..the weight of the guitar is just ridiculous, under five Fully a “Green” guitar, with the right balance between good pounds, so you can play til the cows come home and not old and new great materials, achieving no problems with worry about fatuige....this model has 2 custom humbucking temperature changes or humidity, the neck can never pickups and a knob configuration akin to a les paul...volchange...bonus!...tired of adjusting your truss rods....check ume tone, volume tone...with a three way toggle switch... out a Viktorian guitar..with several models to choose from, they are a new guitar company on the rise...don’t believe Unplugged the guitar is almost as loud a acoustic!....it is me...just ask Mark Slaughter of the band Slaughter..he is amazing how much volume this small electric guitar has touring with his as your reading this!....so in short..do yourwithout a amp!....but chords just ring out, very tasty on self a favor and check these incredible guitars out...i know either pickup with a clean setting, and bending strings you I can’t wait to play another!...give them a look at Viktoriancan feel the note ring through the entire body as all the guitars.com or if you get to the 2013 NAMM show make guitar is made in one piece -from headstock to lower strap sure you check them out!!!!....once again people... bottom...The sustain is simply to die for, and the guitar plays in tune all the way up the neck, never dropping out Michael G out... in tone anywhere....switch you amp over to distortion and
Nova Rex--Ain’t Easy Being Cheesy This video sure lives up to its name! It is a blast from the past that takes you back to the 80’s Glam metal scene. Lead by Jp Cervoni and Kenny Wilkerson as they look back on live footage and tell the Tale of Nova Rex. From the minute the previews start you feel the 80’s vibe kick in, and they keep that feeling going even with new footage shot with interviewees of current days; which include their new drummer Mike Hansen. Whether you knew the band from way back when or just want to hear the tale of Nova Rex now is your chance to get taken back and reminisce how it all began.
7/10 Must Watch!
Sushi Girl is a movie that must be watched with surround sound, to appreciate the sound affects, and a big screen for the cinematography. If you like Tarantino films, you will find yourself enjoying this movie from gore graphics, to the plotline. Directed by Kern Saxton, written by Kern Saxton and Destin Pfaff. It is not what many expected, that’s what was intriguing and a breath of fresh air. Even the nudity in the film is shown as a piece of art in which your sushi is served. Highly recommend to be seen and be supported as films like these are rare these days. A story about a man that is sent to jail, and as he comes out, is reunited with people from his past and that is where everything unleashes.
Upcoming underground band: BEHIND Behind The Fallen was started in late 2011 by Singer: Jojo Trujillo, who was later joined by Guitarist/Vocalist: David Bruno, Guitarist: Kyle Ort, Bassist: Eric Cerda, and Drummer: Josh Wimberly. Listed by The Underground, as “The catchy quintet that has lapped the OC/LA circuit and is quickly making a name for themselves.” Filling up Southern California venues, leaving
THE FALLEN
the fans wanting more, they are unafraid to test music boundaries. Behind The Fallen can grab your attention with catchy lyrics and high energy performances. They are breaking their way into the scene with their debut EP, produced by Erik Ron. Catch them at a venue near you! facebook.com/behindthefallen Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 71
The Knife Outline consists of seasoned members of Shuvel: Ryan Stuber - Guitar, Carlos Sandoval- Bass, Josh Fresia - Drums and One Side Zero: Jasan Radford –Vocals. Who after several years of playing shows together in separate bands have come together to make a band that played their first show at the 2012 Sunset Strip Music Festival. Can be found playing at the Roxy among other venues as they work on building their new sound. In their time off from the band you can catch most them at the Roxy either working the “day jobs,” or enjoying the bands. With a new album in the works and plans for a music video this year.
“SEARCH FOR A DRUMMER” EVENT
I
n late September of this year, Archer’s drummer chose to step down from his duties and pursue other avenues in his professional life. While the split was amiable amongst all band members, it presented a setback that no band enjoys – the ensuing search for the retiree’s replacement. Now sometimes this can be fairly quick and painless as we’ve all heard stories akin to Tim “Ripper” Owens and others (Ripper’s story being loosely chronicled in the movie “Rock Star”). However, far more often it can be a daunting task that demands the remaining members’ focus unequivocally for as long as the void remains unfilled. And for the readers out there that have bands themselves, you know that it isn’t as simple as finding someone who can play the parts. A new member is often held to very specific standards depending on the requirements and desires of any given band. Ideally, someone meets not some or even most of the criteria but all of it, and this could include anything from playing background, place of residence, years of experience, touring availability, and in some cases a specific age range and/or image, not to mention the obvious importance of chemistry that all members must develop both personally and musically! Needless to say, such a pursuit can be an extremely laborious and painstaking process. However, Archer was determined to come out on top and turn the tables on an unfavorable and inherently difficult situation. Rather than solely taking customary modern routes of recruitment such as Craigslist, Facebook, music store flyers and word of mouth, they chose to think a bit bigger. First they contacted frontman Dylan Rose’s alma mater to secure a professional and state-of-the-art venue for their idea – Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, CA. Once the date was confirmed, they went after sponsors and landed a great supporting cast including the band’s endorsers Epiphone, Steph Accessories, and Dean Markley as well as their friends at Coffin Cases, Yamaha drums and yours truly, Rock N Roll Industries to cover the event, all of whom donated free product for the giveaway portion of the evening directed at the live audience that got to watch the participants alongside the band. They teamed up with Survival Management (who manages Black Label Society and Archer among others) to act as hosts of the proceedings and coordinate the details for the day. And lastly, they even brought in internal staff capable of manning the video cameras. Now everything was in place. They then set to advertising and promoting their cause. Utilizing all their social media platforms, band website, print ads, and a cool self-made video trailer, they spread the word – Archer was holding a full day open tryout for all comers to be held at Musician’s Institute in Hollywood on November 1st. Not only were they able to churn up considerable interest in-house (several current Musician’s Institute drum students and alumni participated through signups coordinated by MI), they managed to generate significant buzz outside of the school itself as participants traveled from as far as Pittsburgh, PA for the opportunity to emerge as Archer’s newest member. And to top it off, they involved the fans in a brilliant move of exposure for the band. During each stage of their public promotion
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leading up to the event, they promised they would host a stream online of the entire final round consisting of the best 3 drummers from the preliminary sessions playing along with Dylan and David onstage for the fans to watch as it happened live! Sure enough, the fan base was treated to live footage of the band playing with each finalist onstage as though it were a real Archer concert and was even able to interact and comment with one another, sharing their own personal opinions and critiques. In summary, Archer planned and staged a full-scale campaign that culminated in a successful audition event while incurring virtually zero personal expense. And especially to all our readers that can relate to Archer’s predicament, their effort was a great example of how an independently driven band can accomplish goals and promote their band in the modern industry by being creative with their approach and execution. Reflecting on the day’s event, bassist David DeSilva states, “Huge thank you to all the talented players that came and participated, Musician’s Institute, all our killer sponsors, management, our in-house IT guru Marc Romansky, and everyone else involved in pulling off this event. And of course, cheers to the fans for their unending enthusiasm and support. We hope you dug it!” “The departure of one of your musical brothers is certainly a drag to say the least, but rather than view it as a setback you must accept it as an opportunity to improve. It’s the only way to look at it”, offers frontman Dylan Rose. And really, that sums up what Archer did - taking advantage of every resource available to them to create positive buzz, not to mention find a new drummer in the process! On that note, please welcome to the fold the newest member of Archer – Tyler Logan! For more information on Tyler’s arrival and background (as well as all things Archer) head to Archernation.com and all their social media links. Best of luck to this talented trio in 2013 and beyond! Cheers!
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Another video followed which was a trailer for Play It Loud The Documentary which talked about the beginning of Marshall when Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, and Richie Blackmore were their early customers. Next was co-host Nick McBrain announcing the next guests Doug Aldrich and Tim “Ripper” Owens. Aldrich and Owens played Black Sabbath’s “Heaven and Hell” and Whitesnake’s “Slide It In.” Owens is definitely one of the greatest voices in hard rock/ heavy metal and its easy why Aldrich played with Dio and has been Whitesnake’s axeman for the past decade. McBrain jumped in for the next two songs “Flight Of Icarus” by Iron Maiden and then Taylor and Marshalls own Nick Bowcott joined in on Living After Midnight by Judas Priest. Another video followed titled “What Does Marshall Mean To You?” which featured the artists from the concert as well as Lemmy, Alex Laiho, the late Gary Moore, and Brent Hinds. Murray took the stage again announced two more guests Paul Gilbert and Mike Portnoy. Their set was ZZtop’s “Cheap Sunglasses,” “ Manic Depression” by Jimi Hendrix, and Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way,” Not only Is Gilbert and insane guitarist, he is also a great vocalist. Following was an ad for Marshall Headphones. Al Murray Returned and announced the next guests Phil Cambell and his song Tyler. With Corey Taylor they performed Thin Lizzy’s “Still In Love With You,” and was joined by King for “Ace Of Spades,” by Motorhead. As Cambell said he couldn’t be up there without playing a Motorhead song, and “Ace Of Spades” was perfect. The Campbells left and Bowcott returned to stage to play “Mouth For War” with King and Taylor. Then Ripper came back to do another Priest song “Hell Bent For Leather.” Next up was Zakk Wylde with King on Black Sabbath’s “Fairies Wear Boots”, then Wylde and Bowcott on another Black Sabbath song “Into The Void,” and finished with Black Label Society’s “Stillborn.” Before the 1st half ended Jesse Hughes from The Eagles of Death Metal came out to talk about a new series called “On The Road,” which starts on Oct. 27th, a preview followed for “Black Sabbath The Birth of Heavy Metal. A 10 minute intermission or as they say in the UK interval took place. After the intermission ended a video with Lemmy showed, than Murray
came back and got the crowd singing “We Will Rock You.” Next was Swedish virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteem who melted the faces of everyone in the crowd. For the 3 songs, Malmsteem played he shredded like it was no bodies business. He also flipped his strat around , played with his teeth, and threw it in the air. The next video was for the Marshall mini fridge. Nicko returned and announced the house band and said that he had been talking about playing with the next guest for quite some time and would do it one day. The next guest was one of the greatest guitarists of all time Joe Satriani. The first song he played was “Satch Boogie,” followed by the beautiful “Always With Me Always With You,” which was dedicated to Jim Marshall. Next Gilbert and McBrain joined Satriani for the blues song “Goin’ Down” which featured Satriani on lead vocals, which Is quite rare to see. After Gilbert and Satriani tore the stage up, a video of Slash speaking was shown. Murray came back and sat behind Tichy’s drums and played then went into “We Will Rock You” again. The next guest was one of the greatest voices and bassists in rock Glenn Hughes. Hughes played the ultra fast “Black Country,” by Black Country Communion, then his song “I’m A Soul Mover,” followed by Andy Fraser playing bass on Free’s Mr. Big as Hughes sang lead vocals. Next was a collaboration I was very surprised to see Hughes and Malmsteem, they did Mistreated/ Rock Me Baby. The final video of the night was a tribute to Jim Marshall showing photos with quotes from Peter Frampton, Brian May, John 5, Slash, Kerry King, and more. Lastly, was the finale which brought out all the musicians who played throughout the next except for Wylde and King. The song they played was “Smoke On The Water” by Deep Purple. This finale was like no other, it had so many great musicians together onstage. The only time you would ever see musicians like this part of the same bill would be at a music festival. What could be a better way to celebrate Marshall’s 50th anniversary and Jim Marshall’s legacy then by a huge celebration concert at Wembley Arena. Heres to another 50. -Alex Kluft
Alex Kluft
T
his phenomenal concert was a celebration of not only the amps, but more importantly a tribute to The Father of Loud himself Dr. Jim Marshall. Several of the top musicians worldwide paid homage to a man that helped so many guitarists find their sound. The lineup consisted of guitarists Kerry King (Slayer), Yngwie Malmsteem, Joe Satriani (Solo, Chickenfoot), Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake), Paul Gilbert (Racer X, Mr. Big), Billy Duff (The Cult), Phil Campbell (Motorhead), drummers Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), and Mike Portnoy (Adrenaline Mob), bassists Glenn Hughes (Solo, Black Country Communion), Andy Fraser (Free), and vocalists Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour), and Tim Ripper Owens (Dio Disciples, Yngwie Malsmteem) with the house band of Musical Director and guitarist Chris George, powerhouse drummer Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Foreigner) Adam Wakeman (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath)- keys, and Jaz Lockerie – Bass. With a lineup like that It was clear that this would be one unforgettable concert, and seeing this live was amazing. The evenings hosts were the hilarious Al Murray and drumming legend Nicko McBrian. The music playing through the speakers before the show was by Led Zeppelin, which couldn’t be more fitting for a show dedicated to Marshall. The music stopped and the lights went out when the first part of the show began which was a video of guitarists from the show as well as famous Marshall endorsers Slash, Dave Mustaine, Neal Schon, Uli John Roth and many other greats wishing Marshall Amps a happy 50th birthday. Then the house played the first song of the evening which was Edgar Winter’s Frankstein. This was the first of many times the audience was blown away by the talent and power onstage. After the first song Murray came out and welcomed everyone as well as made fun a few people in the front row, one for wearing a hat indoors. Murray then announced the first 2 guests of an already incredible evening from Corey Taylor and Billy Duffy. They played Lil’ Devil and Love Removal Machine by the Cult. No matter what Taylor sings he always gives a great peformance whether it be one of his own songs or a cover. Duffy is phenomenal player and is always entertaining.
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Left to right top to bottom: Guitar Center employee training sessions, Intern, Jamie Cunningham demoing the AT-200, Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria and Upon a Burning Body signed autographs for fans in the Peavey Hollywood booth at California Metalfest, Thrown into Exile playing on the Peavey Hollywood stage, Hartley Peavey at the Grand Opening of Peavey Hollywood.
On Sept. 1, 2012 Peavey opened a factory showroom in Hollywood, California. Hartley Peavey, founder, owner and CEO of Peavey Electronics commented at the showroom’s Grand Opening, “This is something I probably should have done ten years ago”. The showroom represents six different brands all of which are under the Peavey umbrella of companies; Budda Amplification, Trace Elliott Amps, Composite Acoustics guitars, Media Matrix Systems, Crest Audio and Peavey. In addition to having awesome looking and hi-tech functioning displays Peavey Hollywood doubles as a venue where on any given day you might see famous musicians performing live on its’ stage. The showroom quickly converts to an intimate venue that holds a studio audience and is capable of live streaming (in four camera HD) shows on the Internet. Peavey Hollywood has already hosted several live events including The Alex Skolnick Trio, Thrown into Exile, Stan Lee (Marvel Comics Legend), Great White, Metalachi and others. Peavey Hollywood is planning to have incredible shows next year that will include a wide variety of artists, up and coming new acts, International bands and more. Viewers will get to see performances, behind the scenes interviews and have interaction with the artists via live chat. Artist support is also a big part of Peavey Hollywood. Brandon Marlan, head of West Coast Artist Relations for Peavey commented, “With so many tours coming through L.A. we really needed this hub for our artists and endorsees; a place they can feel at home. We’re looking forward to having more great performances which will help promote our products and the artists that use them”. “Outside events have been very successful for us,” said Kenny Smith, Manager of Peavey Hollywood. “We have done four big events since our opening including; California Metalfest and Stan Lee’s Comikaze Show;
venues, affiliates to represent keep an eye out for us.”
both which drew thousands of people and gave our products a ton of exposure to new crowds. In 2013, we will be partnering with select promoters, groups and other Peavey at large events, so
Dealer training is also high on the Peavey Hollywood agenda. The showroom was designed with this in mind and allows for groups of dealers to learn hands-on about products with factory experts at their side. To date Peavey Hollywood has hosted two separate training sessions for Guitar Center employees and has plans to do more this coming year. There will also be interactive-online training sessions offered to Peavey Dealers who are not local. An Internship program between Musician’s Institute and Peavey Hollywood has been a huge success for students in pursuit of a career in the music industry. Students involved in this program receive school credit in exchange for their time working at Peavey Hollywood. They learn about and how to operate products, wait on customers and participate with events. This has and will continue to be a unique opportunity for all those involved. Peavey Hollywood is definitely more than a showroom or a training facility it’s also a place that generates excitement, promise and inspiration to the musical community at large and to future musicians. To see what’s happening next at Peavey Hollywood visit www.peaveyhollywood.com or like us on www.facebook.com /Peavey Hollywood.
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others tell us a little about those projects and how you are able to improve the mix? The five bands you mentioned have many things in common, they’re all professional musicians with great talent, and playing skills. Each project was very different from one another in terms of sound, dynamics, tone, and vibe. The idea was to capture the signature sound of the band , and In this magazine we sat to bring out the inner details of the down with Sepultura tell us about recordings, and the essence of the mastering their last album? song. To enhance the depth of the It was an honor to work with such sound and distributing the energy in a a great band on their latest album, way that its tight, full, and wide while “Kairos”. I have known their music preserving the dynamics and the since a young age. Having known original intent of the feel of the music. their previous music, I knew exactly Communication with the client is also where I wanted to go with the masterkey to figuring out what is needed to ing of the album. I saw them live achieve the desired result from masbefore working on the mastering, and tering, within realm of possibility. I was trying to convey that liveliness One of the most important things for in the mastering by keeping the me is to know what and how much dynamics, and making it heavy and full. The band was great to work with, to apply and how not to harm whats good. It can be a little processing that and communicated well. Roy Z did does allot in the overall out come. It a great job producing, engineering, and mixing the album. They recorded can be a lot of processing that does the album in Brazil, and it was mixed a little or allot - In the end I want the listener to feel the vibe of the music in the states. The first single was the band is presenting in this record“Kairos”, which has the kind of vibe ing and have an inviting and unique that the legendary albums such as listening experience that will bring Arise, Chaos A.D., and Roots had. Roy and I had discussed what type of him back to listening to that specific release. sound would be best for the album, and tweaked it in that way to achieve What do bands need to have ready those results making it feel as orbefore they come in for mastering? ganic as possible I recommend to communicate with the mastering engineer before You have worked with Armored Saint, Halford, Philm, Dokken and completing the mixing process. That way you can begin discussing the the Last Vegas as well as many process, so he holds an un-biased opinion towards the project and can evaluate the sound of the mix in an objective manner. I realized that my talent can shine through being the last person in the chain, and that’s when I figured out that I wanted to be a mastering engineer.
What got you into the business? For a long time I was a musician, and as many musicians do I started to record myself. This made me want to learn everything I could about recording, so I studied audio engineering. After many years working as a sound engineer and musician in a wide variety of positions in the music production industry such as recording, mixing, broadcasting, DJing and live sound. I found myself going back to listening to music more and more as a music lover and a fan. Being a music journalist, Dj (in radio and in clubs), and working on the technical side of things, developed my interest in knowing more about the other side of music which is what the consumer and the music fans listen to and get attached to - the finished product the musical release. That became very interesting to me as I have learned that there is another unique process in the production chain that gives the extra layer, shine, finish, tone and vibe to the music. It can be albums, EP’s, Singles, Demos, Promos or videos. The mastering engineer is not a part of the writing, producing, recording or mixing
desired format, concepts and specific needs regarding the session ahead of time. It is important to ask the mastering engineer about formats, and recommended level of the final mix. Some mastering studios require mix levels as low -6 dB peaking, most will ask for -3 dB peaking. I also highly recommended to print the mix at the same sample and bit depth as the session is mixed on, for example: if the mixing session is at 48 kHz, 24 bit then keep it the same and do not up-sample or down-sample it. Remember that your recording has the specific sound that is captured in that recording and blended in that specific mix. So it’s best to find the sweet spot where you get the most from the mastering and bring the best tone that’s fits your recording. In some cases I hear bands overdoing it or trying to emulate others, insisting on sounding like other albums out there. That might not be the right fit for your music and it can make you sound less good then you are. So it’s important to understand what your strengths and weakness of the recording and how to divert the listeners attention to the right points of thats sound the best. If you have your own music and tone - that’s whats most important - that is your signature sound and that’s how people will recognize you and your music. If you have any questions about mastering you can contact me www.maorappelbaum.com mappelbaum@gmail.com
What’s up music lovers, and welcome to another edition of Music with Michael G!
I like to be very upbeat when I do my lessons, but today is a very somber day for me and all of the world, today marks the day that two wonderful musicians were taken away from us way to soon. In 1980 it was John Lennon, and then 7 years ago my friend Dimebag Darrell Abbot from the band Pantera, ( later Damageplan) they were gunned down by cowards. If you haven’t heard either of these musicians please look them up. Now, who’s ready for NAMM? This will be the special NAMM issue and I can’t wait to be back in sunny California in January with all of my friends and companies I’m blessed to work with. I’d like to thank, Sabreguitars, XOXaudiotools, Minarik Guitars, Tregan Guitars, Big Lou’s, Redwitch Pedals, Brace Audio Wireless, Curt Mangan Strings, Stoneworks Guitar Picks, The Guitar Wheel, the killer family at Coffin Case, and RocknRoll Industries! That being said....lets get down to some guitar!!!
this is in a large majority of music out there. Try it and play around again, it is only the low E string that is lowered in key, “Walk,” by Pantera is in drop D, that’s how Dime got those monster truck in yer face chunky sounds, that and he was f%&ing Dimebag.
sound; light gauge strings will buzz, see #1. 3. If your guitar has a locking whammy bar such as a Floyd Rose, it will have to be reset to handle the different string gauge and tuning.
4. There are a range of Pickups out there that are just for lower than standard tuning. Now on the other hand, drop tuning is lowering the key of every string on the guitar, for example 5. There are even amplifier companies that have tune your low E string to a D, then tune the rest special amps for drop tuning, Pedal manufactures, you name it. of the strings from there, i.e. D-G-C-F-A-D, this will put you in the key of D, while allowing you So go ahead and give playing in drop D or even to play as you would in standard tuning, only a dropped tuning a try, you may be amazed at in a lower key, sort of a Capo in reverse. A lot some of the sounds you can find, remember the of today’s metal bands will drop tune, and then music is in you, you just have to let it out! drop the lowered note to get the drop D chord Little drop tuning trivia: Do you know what Metal structuring and very low sound. guitar god played with extra light strings dropped But, if you have a guitar set up for standard to the key of A, because of a finger injurie he tuning and you drop it, here are some very valu- sustained from his last day of work? able hints. little hint.. He is considered the godfather of I’ve had several requests about drop tuning and 1. Larger gauge strings, this will stop some of the Heavy Metal guitar, the darkest sounding music drop D tuning, most questions asking if they strings from feeling like dental floss and bending ever heard at the time!!! Send your response to are the same thing. No, Drop D tuning is simply michaelg@rocknrollindustries.com and until out of tune just making chords. taking the low E string and dropping it a full step next issue, as always, keep your strings clean, 2. The action of your guitar needs to be set up for to a D note, this allows you to play low power and your riffs mean -Michael G chords using only one finger to make the chords, the lower tuning, unless you like a harsh buzzing
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CD Reviews
Indie score 9.5/10 Genre(s): Metal Label: None Band Members: Vocals: Matt Henthorn Guitar: Gabriel Avina Guitar: Rene Serafin Bass: Brandon Granillo Drums: Jeronimo Rodriguez
Orpheus ~ The Reckoning
Stoney Curtis Band ~ LIVE
The instant that I put this cd in the player and the drawer closed it commanded my attention. Falling Slowly grabbed and held me until it was finished with me, then gently tossed me into 300, a melodically driven instrumental lasting slightly more than a minute. This gave me time to reflect briefly on the first song and it’s possible meaning. Before I was aware of it Anomie was screaming its verse at me using Matt’s vocals, “Ache, Take, Isolate, Immediately Isolate”.. There’s anger lying underneath those words. It seems, as one journeys through the music contained within this cd, that anger is felt or mentioned in every song. This is not a bad thing. In fact if anger is what made this cd so listenable, then it is a good thing. Every last song left me with the impression that there was deep, emotional meaning to each song. As the ending lyrics of the last song rang out, they confirmed that indeed anger had fueled this magnificent work of art, as illustrated by the use of expletives. This is the only tune that should be labeled (Explicit). I found The Reckoning to be exceptional in its quality of recording, lyrical content and individual performances. Every song on this cd is very good. The arrangement is genius. The listener will not be disappointed with this compelling collection of songs.
There’s nothing better than seeing your favorite band playing LIVE at a venue, so it stands to reason that the next best thing would be to have a cd in your home or car stereo with a recording of a LIVE performance. That is just exactly what Stoney Curtis Band has given us in his LIVE cd, a double set which includes a DVD with the video of the set that you hear on the cd. What an AWESOME idea. The tunes on this cd are eleven of his best, in my humble opinion, that he has performed and perfected over the years, starting with his ‘signature song’ Last Train To Chicago. Curtis’ style of Rockin’ Chicago Blues is one that most people will fall in love with after the first song. Every track is a great song. It could have easily been named ‘The Best of… LIVE’. Curtis wrote a lot of these songs and the rest were written by Curtis in conjunction with Mike Varney. A Dynamite Team! There is an internet radio show on www.indie104. com called Blues n Metal on the Rocks that opens up every show with Stoney Curtis Band’s tune That’s Right. The show airs every Tuesday and Wednesday 4-7pm PST. My suggestion is to put the cd in your car stereo and slide the DVD into your player so that you can enjoy the LIVE show at your leisure. The complete package that is LIVE by Stoney Curtis Band is done so well that it speaks volumes for Curtis as well as Mike Varney and his crew that I shall mention below. Bravo! Peggy Murphy
Peggy Murphy
Indie score 10 of 10 Genre(s): Blues/Rockin’ Blues Label: None Band Members: Vocals/Guitar: Stoney Curtis Drums: Aaron Haggerty Bass: Steve Evans
Want to see your band here? Submit your digital press kit to review@rocknrollindustries.com or mail one to the main office.
(not all media will get reviewed)
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Rust N’ Roll Medley
Mr. Creepy Mr. Creepy (Arthur Gonzales ft tony medina)
Relicseed Queen
Bravo Delta Not Enough
Featured Video TRIPPY TV - WAR
TRIPPY’S NEWEST #1 SINGLE... “WAR” Scan the tag to watch for yourself!
The Circle Sleep on it
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Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 81
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The most innovative guitar on the planet is now the
most awarded.
Perfect Tuning Perfect Intonation Instant Alternate Tunings With the simple push of a button on the new Peavey® AT-200™, guitar players can now create music in perfect tune and pitch in countless alternate tunings. The Peavey AT-200 features Antares® Auto-Tune® for Guitar with String Tune and the Solid-Tune™ intonation system, two technologies that work together to bring the clarity of perfect pitch to this high-quality instrument.
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ONE BUTTON TUNING Plug into an amp and switch the tone control pot to the “down” position. Strum all six strings evenly and press the volume control to engage Auto-Tune for Guitar and Solid-Tune.
UPGRADEABLE Connect an adapter cable or the optional AT-200B to the built-in DIN connector to download or purchase upgrades from Antares that enhance the features and capabilities of the AT-200.
INSTANT ALTERNATE TUNINGS Fret while engaging the Auto-Tune for Guitar to instantly access alternate tunings. Additional alternate tuning options available with purchase of upgrades from Antares.
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Unrivaled technology. Unheard-of price. Available at your Peavey dealer.
www.peavey.com/at200
Innovation. Amplified. Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 83
Eddie Veliz of KYNG with his Dean USA GRAN SPORT photo: Chris A. Photography
The all-new GRAN SPORT and the entire Dean 2013 collection unveiled at NAMM!
LOG ON NOW!
See the Dean LIVE FROM NAMM 2013 Artist Appearance & webcast schedule!
DeanGuitars
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Official Dean Guitars Page
DeanGuitarsVideos
www.deanguitars.com
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