RNR ind mag issue 9 by Rock N Roll Industries

Smashing Atoms with Dave Mustaine

Write ups

Kiss e Depeche Mod Leatherwolf Faded Sun Sammy Hagar Interviews

w/ Black Lodge

H T E D MEGA rez Twiggy Rami

Summer Shreds

Industry

Music City Pat Hicks Andy Gould e Fan Favorit

r u o t n a g i G r a Mayhem-Upro

ock with R t a h T s p o h S

Epiphone

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photo: TRAVIS SHINN

Celebrating seven years of artistic collaboration!

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss MegadetH on GIGANTOUR 2013! Powered by Dean Guitars! DeanGuitars

Official Dean Guitars Page

DeanGuitarsVideos

www.deanguitars.com/mustaine Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 3

Perfect timing. Barry Kerch’s decision to join ddrum is as perfectly timed as his musicianship with Shinedown. His love for classic tone and traditional shell sizes in a modern setting coincides with our release of Vintone Elemental and Vintone Arbor snare drums... and of ddrum’s flagship Paladin Maple, our tonally supreme drum set to date.

Barry’s Paladin Maple drum kit is finished in Inca Gold Sparkle with Vintage Nickel hardware. Our 5.3mm maple tom shells and 7mm Vintageblend maple/poplar snare and bass shells provide rich low end and clarity that will complement your music, too.

“Huge, sensitive, amazing: all you could ever ask for.” Barry raves about our Vintone Arbor 7x14 mahogany snare. We hope you play one soon, and agree. The sweet sound and feel of our Vintone Elemental 7x14 nickel over brass snare wowed Barry. Its sheer musicality is a joy you should experience for yourself.

Find your favorites in our full selection of Paladin kits and Vintone snares at www.ddrum.com – and catch Barry’s masterful use of ddrum on his 2013 tour with Shinedown!

www.ddrum.com ddrumUSA

ddrumUSA

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ddrumofficial

Barry Kerch

Features

Summer Shreds

Features and Cover photo by: Myriam Santos

42 Mayhem-Interviews with Butcher Babies, Attika 7, and Huntress 48 Uproar 49 Cruefest 50 Gigantour 50 Splash Kingdom 51 Make Music Pasadena 52 Gwar BQ 54 Amaranthe & Kobra and the Lotus Interviews 56 SSMF- Cherri Bomb Inter view 30 Megadeth

- Smashing Atoms with Dave Mustaine

Write ups

Kiss

-In concert

22 36 61 63 64 64 66 66 68 68 69

Leatherwolf Kiss Brandon Gibbs Faded Sun Depeche Mode Bonded by Blood Megadeth Acoustic Set Battlefield of the Mind Sammy Hagar Cougrzz Rock Steev Moreno

Industry

42 Summer Shreds -From California to Canada we

ps o Sh t a h t Rock

have you covered!

Rock N Roll Industries Visits the House That Jim Rosenberg Built It’s a scorching mid-July day, when Rock N

78 Epiphone

Current President Jim Rosenberg’s new HQ is tight; well not really, it’s a pretty sprawling site. At the entrance we met Dustin, one of the friendly and always-

- Shops that Rock

70 How to be a Rock Star in a Bar 70 Fan Favorite -Jack Russel’s Great White 72 Intense Guitar 74 Pat Hicks Interview 74 Music City 76 Know Your Gear 78 Shops that Rock- Epiphone 79 Zakk Wylde Book of Doom Tour 82 Andy Gould Interview 83 Music with Michael G 84 To Rack or Not to Rack 84 Mill Creek Idol 86 CD Reviews

Interviews 12 14 16 18 22 24 24 26 28 29 30 38 40 41 58 59 60 62

Doyle Chuck Wright Doro Trippy the Clowns “Metal Madness with Zloz Madame Mayhem David and Olivia Low Life Music Sandy Martin Billy Sheehan -The Winery Dogs Gooding Dave Mustaine-Megadeth Black Lodge Jasmine Cain Chris Bennett- Widow Kingo Buzzo- Melvins The Heroes Lie Big Drum Bonanza Teagan- Shred Kids Cancer

Use the FREE Microsoft Tag reader app for your smart phone to Scan “Tags” pictured here to get extra content throughout the magazine!

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 5

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Billboard 200 debut chart position: #7

Rob Zombie Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor “[Rob Zombie’s] best album since his debut masterpiece… a non-stop thrill ride of freakin’ fun rock ’n’ roll. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.” – Loudwire

Billboard 200 debut chart position: #6

Megadeth Super Collider “Super Collider…It’s another strong addition to Megadeth’s catalog and might also be their most diverse.” – Guitar World

Kobra And The Lotus Kobra And The Lotus “Kobra and the Lotus have taken metal to a new level, devising a sound all of their own.” – Valley Hype

www.tboyrecords.com © Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 7

Editor’s Words EDITOR IN CHIEF Mike Smothers

mike@rocknrollindustries.com

SENIOR EDITOR Angelica Ulloa angelica@rocknrollindustries.com

PUBLICATION DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jessica Johnson Chairat Roberts jess@rocknrollindustries.com Christa Dozier CONTRIBUTORS Gemino Smothers, Andrea@rocknrollindustries.com Mercedes Keveson Steiner EDITORIAL INTERN Andrea Granillo

ILLUSTRATOR CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Zak Hennessey Keith Stixx, Steev Moreno, Luke Brown Pets and their Rockstars Simi Friedman

Rock n Roll is all I know. Here at Rock N Roll Industries, we are endlessly fascinated by all things that rock. In this issue we bring you even more coverage from all around the nation with our “Summer Shreds” project leading the way. With some of the biggest acts like Gigantour, Uproar, Mayhem Tour, and Joan Jett in LA for The Sunset Music Festival. We headed out to Summer NAMM in the great city of music; Nashville, Tennessee. There, we hooked-up with Epiphone for “Shops That Rock,” and got an inside glimpse of some of their newest products that will be coming out and what it takes to run a successful company for 140 years and stay on top.

Mike Smothers Editor in Chief Follow us Facebook.com/rocknrollindustriesmag Twitter @RockNRollind Instagram @rocknrollindustriesmag

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One of the great parties of the month had to be the Sullen Musik birthday party for CEO and founder; Jeremy Hanna at the House of Blues in Anaheim. What a great time we had with Sullen showing off some of their bands under their new label and Low Life Music headlining. I also found a new favorite blues band name “Gooding”, from San Diego; playing two guitars at the same time really gets you going!! I want to thank the entire team at Rock N Roll Industries for a great job this issue. I am extremely proud of this team that keeps developing and producing a great publication for our readers. YOU ROCK!

WRITERS: Raquel Figlo, Jamie Katonic, Stacey Shaw, Manny Rivas II, Michael G Clark, Peggy Murphy, Julian Douglas, WINJOW, Rob Gainey, Alison “MetalBabe” Cohen, Roger Stoddard, Nicole DeMarco, Taylor Hicks, Laura Chen, Sarah Roberts, Scott Schoenkopt, Toshi Iseda, Sandy Martin, Monni McCleary, Tim Phoenix, Steve Slaughter, Ray Laracuente, Raya Morrison, Justin Ingold, Evlin Lake, Melissa Anderson, Billy Zee, Catharine Wood, Parker Minor, Wolf Navarro, Daniel Hicks PHOTOGRAPHERS: Neil Zlozower, Chad Lee, Leah Burlington*, Alex Kluft*, Jazmin Monet Estopin, Simi Friedman*, Gonzo Sandoval*, Enrique Nuñez*, Cyndi Johnson, Lan Nguyen*, Doug Gouge, Larry Dimazio, Igor Vidyashev, Matt Upton, Graham Denzler, Craig Morse, Scott Dworkin*, Wes Anderson * Photojournalists

Advertising/ Intern Inquires sales@rocknrollindustries.com Tel: 909 289 8872 www.rocknrollindustries.com SUBSCRIPTIONS To order by phone: 909 289 8872 To order online: www.rocknrollindustries.com Check, money order, Credit and PayPal accepted. Subscribers: Please alert us of any changes of address 6-8 weeks before the date of your move. Rock N Roll Industries is not responsible or obligated to re-ship issues missed because of a move we were not informed of. Rock N Roll Industries (ISSN 2164-9863 print ISSN 2164-9871 online) is published bi monthly, 34955 Cella Ln Yucaipa Ca 92399. Annual Subscription cost is $12.95. Submission of manuscripts, illustrations, media kits and/or photographs will not be returned. The publisher assumes no responsibly for unsolicited materials. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 9

On the go with innovation and tone.

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ELITE INTRODUCING

LTD ELITE BY ESP Designed and built by the same luthiers in Japan who create our high-performance ESP guitars and basses, the new LTD ELITE Series delivers our world-renowned quality and attention to detail in instrument design, materials, and workmanship. To view the full LTD ELITE line of guitars and basses visit us at www.espguitars.com. LTD ELITE ECLIPSE-I Cherry Sunburst

www.espguitars.com Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 11

RNR: tell me about your new album “Abominator?” Doyle: We have been writing since 2008 up to 2011. We did two records at once. I go home after this and we have 3 more songs to record. Then we are finished with this album. RNR: You produced this album yourself? Doyle: Yep because it is cheaper! I am putting it out on Monster Man Records and Brain Muscle Media. RNR: When can we expect this album out in stores?

alking Horror Business with the Ultimate Misfit, Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein. One week after I approached Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein at the Golden God Awards for an interview, I sat down with him at Snoop Dogg’s studio in Orange County to listen to an advance copy of his new album “Abominator,” and talked horror business. As we were listening to the album, Doyle tried on our Rock N Roll Industries shirt and we took some candid photos. We had time to get to know one another and let me tell you for such a big scary dude, Doyle is a super laid back guy and with a great sense of humor! The long awaited new album from Doyle is finally here. The Misfits have such a long history of greatness, and I knew Abominator

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would be nothing short of amazing. It does not disappoint. As I sat down with Doyle, I had a unique opportunity to discuss the album, touring, and his favorite pink bubble gum. RNR: Did you have fun playing at the Golden God Award’s with Danzig? Doyle: Yes I had fun. It was fun to see all the rock stars. RNR: Who is your favorite rock star? Doyle: My favorite? I like to see John 5. I have known him for a while and he is a really nice guy.

RNR: Who did you give your “Abominator” out to? Doyle: I gave them out to the show you were at, Golden God Awards. I also gave them to the bands and said “Check it out. We want to open for you. “ RNR: How did you go about finding your new lead singer? His name is Alex Story. What’s his story?

Tim Tronckoe

Devil Lock

Doyle: This is an advance copy. The hard copy comes out July 30th with extra songs and a picture booklet. Why I made it is because I am going on tour with Glen, and I changed the name of my band. And I wanted everyone who came to those shows to FUCKIN KNOW THAT! So we made banners for the merchandise booths and we only sold 210 copies, we also gave away 210 for publicity. 420 went out. They’re going for $160 bucks on E Bay, so it is pretty awesome.

show with the Misfits was at 16. RNR: how did it feel to be on stage with the Misfits at such a young age? Doyle: It was easy for me because I was my brother’s bass tech so I was already on stage. What’s the difference if you take a couple steps over (Laughs)? RNR: How do you stay so fit? Doyle: His story is he is completely insane. He plays in this band called Cancer Slug. I was doing ads in the “East Coast Rocker” some out this way, in the “LA Weekly.” Alex was the first one to send in something! RNR: Where is Alex Story from? Doyle: Alabama. He wrestles deers! HA! RNR: When can we expect you touring with your own band, Doyle? Doyle: Around October.

Doyle: If we play with Glen Danzig I will.

Doyle: Eat good shit and lift weights.

RNR: Tell me about your signature guitar the Annihilator?

Doyle is a lot of fun to look at. The years have definitely been good to the “Gorgeous Frankenstein” and the iconic Misfits logo hasn’t lost its luster over the years either. The love the fans have for Doyle is beyond words. Their reaction to him when he hits the stage is insane!I recently saw him play twice with Danzig: once in Pomona and again at the Golden God Awards. The crowd goes wild to see the Misfit in his costume. The theatrics of the band, and that

Doyle: October Guitars makes a replica of the one I make, the one I play. I have been with them for a while. The way it got started is they called me and were very persistent on making it. They sent me a sample without measuring mine and it was pretty close. RNR: you make your own guitars?

RNR: Just in time for Halloween. Any thoughts about doing a Halloween show opening for Danzig? Doyle: Yes I am thinking of it, but Glen needs to think about it! RNR: Tell me what it is like touring with Glen Danzig? Doyle: It is great! It’s hilarious. Glen is funny, believe it or not. Glen Danzig has a really great sense of humor. All the guys are awesome so it’s a great time. RNR: I notice when you are on stage you like to blow big pink bubbles with your gum. What’s your favorite flavor? Doyle: Extra. RNR: What kind of reviews have you received on the Abominator? Doyle: My drummer Dr. Chud, says they have been great. I don’t know because I don’t have a computer, and I don’t want one. Every time you look at someone they are on their phone. I am sitting on the bus, look around and people are on their phone. I am like WTF are you guys doing? RNR: Do you think you will ever play with your brother Jerry again?

Doyle Yes. It’s like when you make the guitar neck it is an extension of your COCK (Giggles)! You make it the way you want it, you know what I mean? RNR: When did you start making your own guitars? Doyle: About 20 years ago. RNR: Glen and your brother taught you to play guitar, right? Doyle: Yep, when I was 13 years old. When I was 15 I got in the misfits because the guitar player who was recording with them at that time couldn’t make it to the studio so they asked me to do it and I did it. I used to practice with them when he didn’t show up. I started with the band at 15 and my first

raucous sound, are definitive heavy horror music! Doyle is helping the genre thrive, and live on in dominating fashion. Who knows if the crowd would react differently if he had no makeup, and who cares! His persona is truly timeless, and I have no doubt people will always fork out their hard earned money to see him and his band abominate the mainstream! I look forward to seeing Doyle with front-man Alex Story. The guy is ferocious, and writes brilliantly vile horror rock lyrics to match his bellowing voice and the crushing guitar of the monster man himself. Definitely not a band to miss! For more information on Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein please visit his website www.officialdoyle.com and follow him on Twitter @officialdoyle13 Raquel Figlo

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Chuck Wright The Man Behind The Mask: Meet Chuck Wright, bassist for MultiPlatinum rock band, QUIET RIOT, who also has an amazing discography and resume, having over 85 worldwide album releases. He’s worked along side music icons such as Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Gregg Allman, Pat Travers, and Ronnie Montrose, to name a few. As a full member of HOUSE OF LORDS, QUIET RIOT, ALICE COOPER and GIUFFRIA, Wright has been touring around the globe since 1985. Not a household name to many but you have heard him.

I play my Godin fretless Bass. I’m doing a recording deal right now with Cleopatra Records for an unplugged Led Zeppelin tribute called “UnZepped. Check us out at: www.acousticsaints.com

I believe your first album was the 10 million selling, #1 album, Metal Health with Quiet Riot and you’ve been working with them off and on for many years. How are things going with Quiet Riot these days?

In my opinion, if House Of Lords would’ve been on a Rock label like Epic or Atlantic, we would’ve gone Multi-Platinum. Unfortunately, R.C.A. was basically a country music label. They didn’t have a clue about how to break a Rock band. They had a couple good people but that was it. Our single “Can’t Find My Way Home” was the most requested record on Rock radio in 1991 and they still didn’t know what to do. Their head of publicity didn’t even know we were about to leave on a sold out tour. We had bad management as well. Sad really, it was a great band that fell through the cracks.

CHUCK – Indeed, I’ve been playing live and recording, time and time again over the years with them since 1981, and we just celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Metal Health release. Things are going great, we’ve been doing our usual weekend fly out shows including this years Sturgis Bike Week. We were just in Canada, which went down fantastic and we just headlined in Des Moines and drew over 10,000 people. Rock fans still want to bang their heads. We’re also expecting the Quiet Riot documentary “ Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back “ to be released anytime now. www.officialquietriot.com

As a graphic designer, I’ve done well over 200 CD packages, many logo designs, the full gamut but I’ve had to really cut back, mainly because I haven’t had the time for it. I was just contacted by Matt Sorum, from Guns n Roses, about doing art for his next solo album. I did his last CD package but had to pass on this one. Following your time with Giuffria and Quiet Riot in 1986, you did a couple albums with House Of Lords, after being signed by Gene Simmons (Kiss) for his custom label with RCA/ BMG. Do you think you got the support you needed with RCA/ BMG?

What’s your favorite personal Spinal Tap story from the road? That would have to be while doing the “Dragon Town” tour with Alice Cooper in 2002. During his famous Guillotine illusion, he’s face down, the drum roll begins, the executioner is holding the rope and yells “Dieeeeee”!! The blade dropped half way but Alice’s head still fell off. Panic ensued and the crew quickly took the Guillotine rig off the stage. Oh, Alice also got stuck in a smoke filled tube but that’s another story. He’s a good sport and one of the nicest men in Rock-n-Roll. Let’s talk Bass. What’s your secret to playing Bass?

Tell us how you originally got involved with Quiet Riot.

I try to incorporate as much of what is going on in the song as possible. First locking into the Bass drum and drum accents, moving through what A lot of people don’t know that I’m the bass player on “Bang Your Head the chord changes are and finding the right notes that compliment those (Metal Health)” and “Don’t Wanna Let You Go” from the Metal Health as well as the vocal melodies. Above all, a Bass player’s most important album, which was the big one that everyone always refers to. I sang backjob is to keep the groove solid. ground on every song too. I did all the club gigs and showcases for labels. So tell me Chuck, who’s your personal favorite Bassist? I did the one where Spencer Proffer saw the band and then signed us. The band was called DuBrow at the time, which turned into Quiet Riot. I For Fretless Bass, it’s a toss up between Jaco Pastorius and Pino Pallareplaced Rudy Sarzo who went off to play with Ozzy Osbourne and Randy dino. For Rock Bass playing, I’d have to say John Paul Jones. Funny thing Rhoads. Randy was the guitar player in Quiet Riot in the beginning. When is, my Bass player hero’s names all start with the letter “J”. John Entwistle, that horrible plane crash happened that killed Randy, Rudy didn’t want Jack Bruce, Jaco Pastorious, Jeff Berlin, John Paul Jones, James Jamerto continue on with Ozzy and he wanted to come back to Quiet Riot. I son but again there’s also Paul McCartney ahhh but his full name is John thought, ce la vie, hard rock and metal weren’t remotely in vogue and I Paul McCartney. I might have to change my name to Jack Wright. wink... had my own band at that time. Who knew “Cum On Feel The Noize” would wink... change the course of music. Quiet Riot literally kicked open the doors for So, there you have it. A brief summary of the man behind many a stars bands like Motely Crue, Ratt, Cinderella…for all of them. There was an and songs that you’ve rocked with. This is just the tip of the iceberg with 80’s hair band feeding frenzy with the labels after that song broke big. I count myself lucky to have been a big part of Rock history with that album. Mr. Wrights career and there’s much, much more ahead of him. From what I understand, you have a couple other bands as well now and you’re also a graphic designer. That must keep you busy?

By: Sandy Plute Martin

Scheduling is always the main issue for me. If you know me at all, you know I always have a lot going on. I have a new album out with Heaven And Earth called “Dig”. The first video has over 500,000 views on YouTube and we just released our second video, which are both directed by the incredible Glen Wexler. This album and our videos take you back to the old school Rock-N-Roll days when MTV ruled. Musically, we go further back to a 70’s sound with screamin’ B3 organ and our secret weapon, smokin’ Joe Retta, who is singing lead. He’s a world-class vocalist and I’d put him on the same stage going toe to toe with Paul Rodgers. No kidding!! Here’s the website: www.heavenandearthband.com I also have a cool, eclectic local group called Acoustic Saints. We reinterpret Classic Rock songs with Violin, Mandolin, acoustic guitars, percussion and 14 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

1986

2013

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How is the “Raise Your Fist” tour going and how are the fans reacting to your new music? Doro: I just finished the U.S. tour, and next week we are starting rehearsals. We are doing a Russia tour, then Scandinavia, then we are doing a cruise called ‘Full Metal Cruise.’ Then preparing for my 30th anniversary celebration kicking it off at Wacken Open Air festival with special guests and pyro. We want to do a couple more shows in New York, one in Paris, one in London, and one in L.A. We definitely want to celebrate a couple of times and make the shows very special. We will probably film the 30th anniversary tour for a DVD and include footage from all these anniversary show celebrations, so I really want to prepare and put on great shows, meet and talk to the fans. I’m totally looking forward to it! Can you tell us more about the Wacken Open Air festival? It’s definitely one of the BEST metal festivals in the world! The atmosphere is great, and I think there are 200-300 bands, and always-GREAT headliners! I’ve seen so many great bands there, that I have always been a BIG fan of…I just think it’s the shit! I think it’s mandatory for any metalhead to go at least once in their lifetime, right? I would say so. It’s also very close to Hamburg. Only 1 to 1 ½ hours from the festival and it’s a beautiful city! If people want to take a trip to see Wacken I would suggest they take a few days so they can see not only the show, but also tour. I first played there in 1993. I found out through some people that these two guys, who were BIG metal fans, wanted to put this festival together. They were so passionate about this show that they made it happen. In 1993 we played to approximately 2000 people. Then four years later they invited us back to play again, and we played to 60,000 people! Now it sells out nine months prior to the show and is always at maximum capacity, which holds 80,000 people! Always great bands and you can make so many friends.

it how music can their from, or what

I have always been a big RJD fan. When we formed our band Warlock our first big tour was with Judas Priest in 1986, who was one of my favorite bands at that time. But Warlock’s 2nd big tour was 1987, and we got booked to play with RJD, and he was my favorite singer in the world! When I actually met him he was so nice and kind. He was always so positive and always had a smile on his face. It was awesome, and he made a big impact on my life, but I couldn’t speak English very well at the time. We then had the opportunity to go on tour with RJD again in 2000, and this was our big American tour. On this tour is when we became really great friends and we really connected. We would have long, deep conversations because I could speak a lot better English, and I could understand. In Florida we had 3 gigs and Ronnie walked off stage before the show was over. It surprised me; I didn’t understand what was going on. I always watched all his shows and sat right by the stage. He walked over to me and gave me the 2nd microphone, and said, “lets do the encore together.” I think we sang ”Long Live Rock n Roll.” It was overwhelming and so special, and I put footage of that tour in my 25-year anniversary DVD and dedicated the DVD to him. He was loving, so supportive, very intuitive, very sensitive, super intelligent, and he had the best sense of humor and always cracked the funniest jokes. We had such a good time on that tour, and we were both excited to tour again together. But… we never had the chance to. When I heard that Ronnie passed, I tell you, everybody was so shocked and in tears, and actually two weeks later I was going to bed, and was almost asleep thinking about Ronnie, and I had this melody in my head, I woke up the next day and sang the lyrics and melody on a recorder and finished the song that evening. For me, it’s the most important song on the album. I loved hearing you play Judas Priest’s power anthem “Breaking the law” live! Why did you choose to cover this particular song? When I told you about my first big tour with Warlock in ‘86, we were supporting Judas Priest. And for a long time I wanted to thank them, for giving us a chance, and for the amazing tour all over the world. I thought it would be really cool to honor them by singing one of their songs, but in a different arrangement, to make it interesting and special. It’s very hard to cover a classic song! I wanted to try it with an orchestra, and then we came up with the arrangement of starting off slow and getting more and more dramatic.

conect so many people kind of music they like.”

someone right now; I would have to pick Lemmy. Have you ever dated anyone famous? No, actually I haven’t dated in a long time, because I am always on tour, or busy in the studio. I have never dated musicians, but you play somewhere, and meet a great man, then off to the next city! Ok, I have to ask one for the female metal fans. I must ask you who designs your stage clothes? I usually design them myself and I have someone who sews them, and sometimes I sew myself too. I also like to shop in different cities when I’m on tour. Actually my favorite store to shop is Trash and Vaudeville in NYC. I love that store too, I live 2 blocks away from there. You must know Jimmy who works there? Yes of course! He was actually in my limited edition “Raise Your Fist” video. Speaking of the “Raise Your Fist Video,” it was shot in the Bronx, but we know that you love the city of New York. Why did you choose this location and how would you describe this experience? It’s very difficult to get a permit in New York, so we decided to take a truck and drive around in search of cool neighborhoods around the city. Sometimes the most fucked-up areas are the coolest. So we drove all over, and I see this amazing bridge. We stopped under the bridge and decided to shoot there. I was singing and some guys walked up, and I was hoping we weren’t getting into trouble because we were invading their neighborhood. These guys asked what we were doing and I told them we were shooting a video. We had our boom box and let them listen to the music, they were excited about it. We asked them if they wanted to be in the video and they said sure! They looked more like hip hop fans than metal fans. Some homeless people walked up and wanted to be in the video and we said sure! It was a combination between the hip-hop guys and the homeless people and we had a blast! Who knows, maybe I turned them all into metal fans! But it was such a great experience; I thought how great is it how music can connect so many people together. No matter where their from, or what kind of music they like.

One last thing, after your show B.B. Kings show, I went back stage to take a picture with you, and you looked gorgeous, not a stitch of make-up out of place after doing a live show with so much energy. I was perplexed. Who do you like to listen to on your iPod, I have a great beauty trick, Johnson and Johnson’s when you’re getting ready to go out or baby powder! I put it on my face and in my hair you want to get pumped up to go on (as dry shampoo), and I can rock all night and my stage? make-up never comes off and my skin never gets Actually, it’s “Ace of Spaces!” It always gets shiny! It’s better than any Chanel or Givenchy or my adrenaline up. I love listening to all the Dio Clinique. I must say the two-dollar bottle of baby records; I’m also a big WASP fan. I love “Detroit powder is my secret weapon! I stock up when I Rock City, “ and I like listening to Metallica, Megeam in the states because it’s very hard to find in deth, and Danzig. Europe. I have often heard you say that you don’t Well, I want to thank-you so much for have kids or a husband and that you are your time and for sharing so much with married to your band, your crew, your us. You are truly an inspiring person, fans, and your metal! But whom would and I understand why your fans love you You said at your show that the song we be shocked to hear that you dated or so much! Thank-you for doing what you “Hero” was dedicated to the late, great, hooked up with? do and for being so gracious. Ronnie James Dio. Can you tell us some- If I were to get married…hmmm…it would be….I It’s so nice to hear that! Thank-you so much. I thing about the importance that Ronnie don’t know…I’m married to my fans. But if sometotally appreciate that. Good- bye for now. Thankhad in your life? one said, you absolutely have to choose to marry you for supporting metal! -Monni McCleary 16 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

Simi Friendman

“ I thought how great is together. No matter where

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 17

and writers so I did this photo shoot with Ozzy and Zakk.

TRIPPY – Zakk fukun rulezzzzzz….Speakin of da movie Rock Star, I think dat metal movie was released around da same time 911 happened. And come da think of it, I think dat movie tanked. Shit man. ZLOZ – Well ya Trippy, 911 was the weekend after the release of the movie. That movie was number 2 at the box office when it came out and I think 911 was that following Monday or Tuesday. Hold on a second…911 was on a Tuesday so that photo shoot with Ozzy was on September 7th, 2001. The movie was doing amazing. So anyway, Zakk came in there and he had a bottle of lemonade or something that I think was filled TRIPPY - So Zloz, I gotta tell ya man, you dont mostly with vodka cause that night was the premake shit easy brotha. I almost went nuts choosmiere of the movie “Rock Star”. I think it was on a ing my top favorite photos but once I got drunk Friday. So Zakk was already doing his pre-movie, and threw in OZZY’S Crazy Train, dis photo of pre-premiere rituals and getting a little buzz going “Da Prince of Darkness” magically popped out of but I had to shoot both of them so first I shot Zakk your archives. Ozzy helped pave da way of the and then Ozzy came and I shot Ozzy. The funny metal genre and dis shot right here captures da thing is a lot of people say Ozzy’s a space cadet essence of what Ozzy’s all about. He’s all about and can’t do anything. Ozzy at that shoot was a METAL. I love dis photo. We need to know where true professional. Every single thing I asked Ozzy and when dis photo was taken and what went to do, he did. If I said Ozzy point at me, flip me down. the finger, give me a fist, stick your tongue out at ZLOZ – Well Trippy, this photo of Ozzy was done me. He didn’t give me any hesitation. No back lip. in 2001. It was done the weekend the movie Nothing. It was an actual pleasure/joy to work “Rock Star” was released which I so happened with Ozzy. Unfortunately that was the last time I to have a cameo appearance and played myself worked with him. in the movie. It was in September and I had to TRIPPY – Are you serious! What da hell! Why’s go and do a shoot with Ozzy and my little baby dat Zloz? brother, ZAKK WYLDE. It was at a photo studio in Santa Monica where they were doing press that ZLOZ – Well Trippy, let’s just say some people in day so they had a lot of other photographers there the Ozzy camp for reasons unknown to me keep me away from Ozzy. I don’t have a clue what I did. I don’t know why they don’t like me, but Ozzy only lets a few people shoot him and unfortunately I’m not one of them anymore. TRIPPY – Dats blasphemy Zloz. Maybe I should go and talk to da Oz myself, or go up to his camp and bite someone’s head off for ya brotha. Do you want to work with Ozzy again? ZL0Z – I’d love to do more work with him but that’s up to the Ozzy camp Trippy. TRIPPY – Maybe dey need to drink more beers Zloz. ZLOZ – I agree with ya Trippy.

head dat day? I hope so. ZLOZ – (laughs) No but my friend actually was at that meeting when Ozzy pulled the dove out and bit the head off right in front of all the Sony execs or whoever. Ya my friend was there. He saw it first- hand. TRIPPY – Holy shit man dats awesome! I wish I was deare cause I would of joined Ozzy and bit off all of da Sony execs heads, one by one, cuz dey don’t know nothin. What’s your pals name who witnessed da beheading and I hope he didn’t freak da fuk out man…I needa know! ZLOZ – His names Jeff Mayer. He’s an old photographer friend of mine that I’ve known since about 1971-72. You know what trippy, I don’t know. I talk to him all the time so I’ll find out the details and I’ll let you know. He’d probably be more tripped out seeing you than Ozzy biting off the head of a bird. You’re a pretty weird little fuck head. TRIPPY – Ha ha ha. Your just jealous cuz Im one good lookin SUPER BEAST. Come on, get dis guy Jeff Mayer on da phone so we can get an exclusive! Hurry up! ZLOZ – Okay Trippy. (The phone rings and Jeff answers) Hey Jeff, I’m here with Trippy The Clown and and he wants to know exactly what happened when Ozzy bit the doves head off at Sony. (Trippy screams metal) JEFF MAYER – Well, I was hired to do a trade shot by the publicist at Jet Records. It was a marketing meeting at CBS at the Century City office and there were about 20 to 30 people in the room. I was told to shoot very fast. Ozzy came in wearing jeans, a t shirt and a sports jacket. He sat on one of the arms of the chair of the publicist and after a few moments he took the dove out of his sports coat, bit off its head and spit it out. I photographed the entire sequence of shots. Ozzy’s eyes were crossed and moments later he took out the second dove and it landed on someone’s head. Two women ran to the bathroom and threw up. TRIPPY – Holy shit! Dats a great story brotha! Trip me out man. Hey Jeff, why do you think he did it and were you in shock or surprised? JEFF – Why does Ozzy do anything? Why did he piss on the Alamo? I was hired to do a job and I did it. They never wanted to see Ozzy again but with Ozzy’s success he was eventually welcomed back with open arms. Many stories have been warped but this is the first incident he ever did this.

TRIPPY – Ozzy rulezzzzzz...Okay Zloz hang up on him. We gotta get back to da grind cuz I know something crazy went down with da Oz man on dis specific shoot. ZLOZ – Not really Trippy. When you go shoot TRIPPY – Ozzy’s one Ozzy live he sure likes water cuz he got those crazy fukur Zloz so I know something mania- water cannons that he used to always point at the cal must have happened audience and drench everybody. The funny thing is every time I’d shoot him live, he’d always look during dis shoot? Did Ozzy bite off someone’s at me and then he’d go get that water cannon 18 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

Neil Zlozower AtlasIcons.com

I’m back Metal heads and get ready for dis issues Top Metal 5. I’m here with my great pal, Legendary Rock photographer, NEIL ZLOZOWER, a.k.a. “ZLOZ” here at his famous studio in Hollywood California drinkin some beers. If you don’t know who Zloz is den go back to Rock n Roll school 101. Zloz has been in the Rock n Roll business for more than 40 years and has shot millions of the best photos in music history. He is one of the most sought after photographers in da biz. Hell, he even shot my ugly mug. Fuck! Anyway, I went through Zloz’s bad ass catalogue and chose 5 of my favorite metal shots to discuss with Zloz and to find out what da hell went down during da shoots.

make sure everybody else knows! ZLOZ – What you need to do is go to the doctors again to have your eyes checked.

and try to get me. I would just duck down below the stage. He never got me once. He’d get all the other photographers. They’d be soaking wet crying cuz their cameras were all wet. I was too fast for Ozzy. He never got me once. TRIPPY – Ha Ha Ha. Dats fuckin funny. Speakin of da pit? How was it Zloz? ZLOZ - We call it the scum pit for obvious reasons but usually Ozzy’s stage is pretty high which was good for me at that show cuz it gave me more room to hide from the water cannons. What are you so worried about the pit for Trippy?

Neil Zlozower AtlasIcons.com

TRIPPY – Not da photo pit! Who cares about dat! Im talkin about da mosh pit! I’m all about da mosh pit Zloz. Da pit rules brotha! ZLOZ - Well Trippy, you can go in the pit but I don’t think you’d do too good at 3 foot 1. TRIPPY – Screw dat! I rule in da pit cuz I bite ankles and carry a knife. Fuck “Trilogy of Terror”. Dat fukur don’t have shit on me. Okay, onto my next favorite photo of yours. (Trippy screams) Schools out for summeeeeeeeer… Holy shit! Look at dis bad ass metal shot! None other den ALICE COOPER with a snake around his hat. I love Alice. He’s da epitome of horror and metal. He›s creepy and macabre and dats what I like. That must have been fun doing a little snake wrangling dat day. Give us da metal details Zloz. ZL0Z – Well Trippy that one goes back. That was probably in the late 70’s early 80’s when I shot that. I gotta remove some of the dust and spider webs from my brain cause that’s a long time ago but Alice is great! He’s probably the entertainer that’s been most ripped off out of every body. He was before Kiss. He was doing the death rock shock before anybody. There’s a lot of imitators but no one’s quite like Alice. He’s got the classic songs: Schools Out, Under My Wheels, Billion Dollar Babies, etc. You don’t get any better than that. He’s had a long lustrous career. A total professional. One of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. TRIPPY – You got dat right Zloz and dat snake rulezz.. Would have been cool if someone got bit dat day by da snake. Da snake was real right Zloz? ZLOZ – That was 1000 percent a real snake Trippy. Doesn’t it look real! TRIPPY – WTF…I knew it was real! I just have da

days with them.

TRIPPY – Was it fuckun wild Zloz? Tell us! ZLOZ – Well it wasn’t too wild yet because there weren’t any girls there. It wasn’t the actual tour. TRIPPY – I’m half blind man, so what! It was pre-rehearsals for the tour. You know, as What da hell ya want from me, blood? Sheeezzzzzzz.. Gimme a break fukur. Just mean and nasty and as grotesque, brutal and crudal that they look. There really nice and mellow get back to da fuckin interview okay! ZLOZ – Hey Trippy when was the last time sweet guys. You wouldn’t want to come across them in an alley looking like this but the guys are you had that little pecker of yours examthe most mellow nicest guys you’d ever want to ined. You got any more diseases? meet. On this particular shoot we needed some TRIPPY – I’m trying da collect dem all Zloz. group shots and this particular shot was done Still workin on Chlamydia. Rumor has it you at the venue after they finished their rehearsal know her cause she gets around. at about 2 in the morning. The very very very ZLOZ – Well what are you boning these last days of rehearsals, it was now or never and days? Is it human or what? I needed these shots and to get this done. You TRIPPY – Whoever buys me beer. Mostly gotta understand something Trippy, lining up chick monsters, midgets chicks, and dead nine guys, especially nine guys in Slipknot to do a photo shoot is one of the hardest things a girls. Okay nebster fuk. Dis is ur interview not mine! Back to biz. All hail SLIPKNOT photographer is ever gonna have to do, let alone and my next favorite kick ass metal shot. I making them listen to you. They all have different love dis band and dey are heavier den hell personalities and so forth. and why else do you think I love dis band TRIPPY – Dats why you get paid da big bucks Zloz? Zloz. With all of Slipknot’s success dey must all ZLOZ – Clowns. I love Clowney. He’s have a good business sense right? great! This is good. I started working with ZLOZ – Well certain ones in the band do. I mean Slipknot in 1999 before they were anyClowney and Joey Jordison I believe are the main body and I had to fly to Chicago to do my first business people in the band. It’s really Clown shoot with them. It was one of the most mixed though. He’s really the leader of the band. I love up disorganized unprofessional things. Not on clown. Slipknots part, but on the publicists for the record TRIPPY - Clown rulzzzzzzz….. I get asked all da company. Everything was one big screw up. We time if me and clown are related for some reason. were supposed to do the shoot at 11 or 12 in the Weird man. Hey Zloz I’m gonna spill da beans morning. We didn’t start doing it until 4:30 or 5 in brotha. Word on da street is dat you were leaving the afternoon because of various problems. Not this shoot but the first shoot. So the funny thing is, a Slipknot concert a few years back and da donut I drove to downtown Chicago and met them there. eaters busted you for a D.U.I. You should of just They were all scattered. There were nine of them hit da gas and high-tailed it. Dats wtf I do man. in the band. You think they all hang together? No. ZLOZ – Ya, well Trippy I was with your dumb There all doing different things, boning chicks, eat- ass fucking roommate Sandy Martin and we were coming back from San Diego from shooting ing food, whatever they do. So finally, we had to take about 3 or 4 different mini vans to the sites to Slipknots show and I was sort of in a bad mental do the shoot. Well, I didn’t have much to say and state. I was supposed to fly to Thailand on the folthey didn’t have much to say to me. They thought lowing Monday to see my chick who I was madly in love with... I was some old man or something and then we got to the site. I think it was at the Chicago arena TRIPPY – So she dumped ya, who cares! Get a where Elvis played, the Stones played, and Van new one and get back to da story fukur. Halen played in their hay day. They were tearing it down. It looked like a bomb hit it. So we got to the site and we get out of the van and were all quiet and I’m like, “Okay you fuck heads now we gotta work! Get the fuck together, don’t fucking say anything, listen to me, shut your mouths and do everything I tell ya”! They were like, “Wow, holy shit, we never had a photographer like this before”. So they loved the photos and after that I was in with Slipknot Trippy. Next thing you know at the end of 1999/2000 Slipknot blossomed. This particular photo was done at the photo shoot for Iowa that we did in Minneapolis. They flew me out there. They were doing pre-rehearsals for the Iowa tour. I was out there for about 4 or 5 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 19

iliar? Look Fam

Zloz Pic of John 5 was used on our second cover!

TRIPPY – John 5 rulezzz...He shreads like a fuckin chainsaw and I call him “Da metal god of writing” cuz his song writing skills are omnipotent and diverse. He worked with everyone from K. D. Lang to David ZLOZ – (laughs) So anyway, the slipknot guys are the “House of Blues” and Joe Satriani, Orianthi, Lee Roth to Rob Halford and Ozzy, Steve Vai, and Dweezil Zappa were performing. giving me Jack Daniels and all this. So it’s time etc. Dis guy works with da greats. Not to menBrendon came up to me and he was like, “Hey to leave finally and I gotta drive 130 miles back tion, he has about 6 of his own solo records too. Neil”. I said “Hey, Allison’s boyfriend”. He said, to L.A. All of the sudden the red lights come on, His remix album ‘Remixploitation’ is da greatest! “I’m not anymore”. I said, “Oh, what are you doin Also, he played with Madman Marilyn Manson and 3, not 1, but 3 highway patrol men pull me here”? Brendan said, “Oh playing guitar. We just and for almost a decade, Johns been playin over and they were actually pretty cool and their played live out in the dessert last night for 20,000 with one of my influences Rob fuckin Zombie! In like “We saw you doing some lane changes and you didn’t signal and its late and we figured your people”. I’m like, “What do you mean? You fact, John wrote da brilliant haunting soundtrack tired. But it wasn’t till your passenger rolled down opened the show”? He said, “No we headlined”. of Rob’s awesome movie Lords of Salem. Rob I said “What do you mean you headlined”? Bren- knew who da fuk da hire. John 5 is da man, and I her window and threw out a lit cigarette that we don goes, “Well I’m in this band DETHKLOK”. decided to pull you over”. I was like, “thanks predict dat he will go down in history as one of da Sandy”. I should have just ripped her clothes off I’m like “who”? I go “Wtf is DEATH CLOCK”? greatest guitarists dat ever walked da earth just Brendon goes “Dude we got this tv show and we like Randy Rhoads. Mark my words. and threw her into the gutter next to the road. got this big huge following”. I said “Well that’s ZLOZ – Ya Trippy, he worked with Rob Halford, Trippy – Chicks are dumb. Your dumb for taken funny I never heard of it”. So anyway, I’m thinking Marilyn, all the sickos. I think he started with Halher in da first place. Okay, onto my next favorite what’s this guy talking about? Later on, I went ford. You know what trippy I love the Scorpions shot and dis guy is one hell of an artist dats like up to Steve Vai, and I’m like, “Hey Steve, what’s and John did one of my favorite Scorpion songs. a metal tank forging and taken over da world. this story with this guy Brendon Small’? Steve I think the albums called Humanity. Great album. BRENDON SMALL of DETHKLOK and if you said “Dude that guys huge. He’s fuckin in this tv He’s a great song writer. Amazing guitarist. All readers don’t know who Brendon is den ur not show. The guy plays 10, 20, 30 thousand people around a nice guy. I like Johnny he’s a good guy. a true metal head. Brendon created da band every night”. I’m like “Really? I never heard of DETHKLOK and he also created, along with this band”. So any way, 5 months later I get a call TRIPPY - All hail John 5! Okay Zloz its time da TOMMY BLACHA, da American animated tv answer da big question? Have u seen Brendon’s from “GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE” and they series ‘METALOCALYPSE’ my favorite show dats go, “Neil, were doing this dual cover. It’s gonna be show Metalocolypse yet? Answer yes or u die on Adult Swim. Dis guys a metal genius Zloz and man? John 5 and Brendon Small from Dethklok”. I go, I was blown away when I found dis killer shot in “Oh cool, I know Brendon, he’s a friend of mine”. ZLOZ – I’ve never seen it. your archives Zloz. It’s just funny dat Brendon So I did this photo shoot with Brendon and John TRIPPY – UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH… WTF. I’m looks so clean cut in dis photo but plays some 5, and this particular photo that you picked Trippy otta here. I’m gonna go work on my metal record of da heaviest metal around. Dats fascinating. I is one of the solo shots that we did with Brendon and den I’m headin to da Rainbow to get drunk WANT EVERYONE IN DA WORLD DA WATCH from the cover shoot for Guitar Player Magazine. with Lemmy. Tonite Im bringin over 50, 000 cases DIS SHOW! Zloz give us every detail on dis TRIPPY – Hell ya! Brendon is molded in da truest of beer and were gonna watch every episode shoot. No holds bar on dis one brotha. ZLOZ - Well Trippy, let me tell you a little bit about metal form. Before I ask you if you finally watched from season 1. Brendon because of the way I first met him. One Brendon’s show Metalocalypse, I gotta get to my ZLOZ- Don’t buy 50,000 cases cuz I can only drink 2 cases and then we have to drink some next shot. Da one and only JOHN Fuckin 5, my of my favorite bands in the whole world is a girl pal, who actually did an interview with me on my vodka or something stronger. band called “THE DONNAS”. I don’t even like girl bands but The Donnas are fantastic. I love them. So the guitarist, Allison, called me up and was like “Hey Neil will you do a photo shoot with my boyfriend. He’s a writer and he plays guitar and everything”. So I said, “Okay fine just send him down”. So this guy came in and he’s sorta wet under the ears as far as the photos concerned, but it was Brendon so that’s where I met him the first time when I did a photo shoot for him. So anyways, they were having this event at

20 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

bad ass show. John 5 rulezzzzzzz…. Look at dis shot and his metal warrior makeup! Dis is actually one of my all time favorite shots of John 5 and Im sure dats why I am sure it made page 1 of your awesome ‘FUCK YOU’ book. ZLOZ - Well Trippy you know what. I was coming out with my second book. The Fuck You book Rock and Roll Portraits. It’s a compilation of all the rock stars flipping me the finger. Everyone from John 5 ,to Slash, to Van Halen. You name

TRIPPY – Light weight ! .Im out… DONE ZLOZ- Ya, I gotta go and clean up dog shit and dog piss. Bring some hot Asian chicks over from the Rainbow. Till the next issue Trippy. DOUBLE DONE.

To see more of Trippy the Clown, go to: www. TrippyTV.com To check out or purchase Neil Zlozower’s photo’s go to: AtlasIcons.com By Sandy Plute Martin and Tim Phoenix

Neil Zlozower AtlasIcons.com

it, Tommy Lee, Zakk Wylde, your roommate Sandy Martin is in there, that fuckin whore who got me the D.U.I. (laughs) I love Sandy. So anyway, I went to John and said I want you in my book. He said okay. So he had his little Nazi hat on. He had great makeup. So that’s just one of the photos we did at his house that day. John’s great. I love working with Johnny.

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 21

Madame Mayhem One on One with Up and Coming, Hot Young Artist Madame Mayhem

I read that you were a “top camper” at Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp. Tell us more about that and how you got your start in the music business? I’ve been doing music my entire life. I was discovered on Z100 radio’s 2011 New Discovered and Uncovered feature. I was always a rocker and wanted to make the right music, and I realized I was going into the wrong direction, which was going toward pop music. Then I finally took a step back after the success of the one song, and thought “this isn’t me, I need to be doing rock music!” Then I met Mark Hudson at the Rock and Roll Fantasy camp, and he kind of took me under his wing, and we made my debut album White Noise and this is when “Mayhem” really started and it’s been Mayhem ever since!

By Monni McCleary

so I kind of stuck out in the room. I went up to perform what I prepared, but instead he would yell out to the band “play a G” and said “make it up,” so I had to improve the entire audition. And somehow I pulled it off. He asked me if I write music, and I said “yes.“ Then he asked me, “do you tell the truth?” And I said “yes.“ He said, “I want to work with you!” I still can’t believe it till this day! I talk to Mark almost everyday, and he has become not only a mentor, but a friend, he has introduced me to so many people in the industry, I am extremely thankful. I’m a young rocker and get to work with all of these legendary people! How is your residency going at the Cutting Room? It’s great! I’m having an amazing time, it’s an amazing venue, and there’s been great guests that have dropped by, such as Rudy Sarzo, John Moyer, and Elliot Eastman, who where all on my record. So when they’re in town, they will drop by and hang out or play with me on stage. Speaking of artists, if you could choose one artist to work with next, who would it be? Oh that’s so hard! I would say there are three: Steven Tyler, Ozzy, and Alice Cooper! They are all my favorites. I know you were one of Buckcherry’s opening acts at the PA show, tell us more about that? It was just so awesome to open for a band that I’ve listen to growing up! And “Crazy Bitch,” is ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE SONGS! Stevie (guitarist for BC) surprised me by running on stage and played “Living On The Edge” with us.

Where do you get your stage clothes? My spike gloves were custom made from this chick I found on the Internet. Once I put them on I didn’t want to take them off. By accident they became part of my trademark. I also believe that jewelry worn should be able to double as a weapon! And for clothes, I’m a huge Trash and Vaudeville fan!

Lastly, what would you like our readers to Speaking of mayhem, where did you get your know that have never heard your music bemoniker “Madam Mayhem?” fore? How did you actually come to meet the legend- My mom! My parents always called me “Mayhem!” Definitely come check us out. My band is KICKary Mark Hudson? Are you single? ASS and we are ready to take over MAYHEM It was during one of the workshops (at R & R Yes I am! To quote a line from one of the songs on style! Fantasy Camp). I came really prepared to audimy record called “Madam Mayhem,” “It’s so hard For upcoming events visit: www.madamemaytion for him to sing a song. He saw me, and I was to find someone who gets who I am.” I’m single hem.com or follow her on twitter @MayhemOfficial all decked out in my normal spikes and gothness, for sure, and I am definitely married to my music!

Three Axes are Better than One Leatherwolf kicks off their “Unchained 2013” tour in Anaheim, CA appetite, and they sounded especially ferocious on this night, organized by Rob Sherriff of Hollywood Sherriff Productions.

sound was as electric as the music. It was clear that the boys were thrilled to begin their tour: Olivieri sang with passion, guitarists Rob Math and Greg Erba melted their fret-boards, and the powerful rhythm section of Dean Roberts (Drums) and Pat Guyton (Bass) kept a thundering beat you could feel deep in your chest. After more than 32 years, LeatherSo-Cal legends, I’ve had the privilege of seeing wolf still packs a youthful punch of Heretic, warmed up the stage with Leatherwolf (aka, “The Triple-Axe sonic assault. their own brand of molten metal, Attack”) in concert three times: twice, along with established local bands As they closed the night with their hit opening for them with my band, Same Vein and Hypnostic. By the song, «The Calling,» my inner wolf Octane Mob, and most recently, on time Leatherwolf front-man, Michael was definitely clawing for the surface. April 6, 2013 at Mirror Image Studios Olivieri (Vocals and Guitar), walked That song always seems to get me in Anaheim, CA, for the first date of on stage, the energy at this intimate pumped. Even though Leatherwolf their “Unchained 2013” tour. Each venue with epic lighting and killer hails from a generation of metal that time, Leatherwolf satisfied my metal 22 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

took place when I was just discovering «the ABCs,» their music still gets people to “raise the irons,” as I did that night at Mirror Image Studios. I›m glad to see the very talented and hard-working Leatherwolf take the nation by storm with their “Unchained 2013” tour, which will include dates, such as Skull Fest in North Platte, NE (October 19), and Rock Harvest II in White Marsh, MD (November 9). Also, stay tuned for their forthcoming live album, appropriately titled, “Unchained,” which will be produced by Roy Z (Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson, Sepultura). Long live the Triple Axe Attack! Steve Slaughter

Simi Friendman

In a world where our young culture is obsessed with bubblegum pop and techno music, it’s time to bring back the ROCK!!! 22-year-old Manhattan born singer/song writer, Madame Mayhem is doing just that. She loves her hot pink guitar, spiked gloves, skull jewelry, eyeliner and anything leather, not to mention she has looks to kill! She debuted her first album White Noise on October 2012, which was produced by Grammy award winning songwriter, Mark Hudson (best known for his production work with Ringo Starr, and as a cowriter for Aerosmith’s song “Livin’ On The Edge”). Her album features a powerhouse team of rock ‘n roll talent including Earl Slick (David Bowie, John Lennon), Elliot Easton (The Cars, Blondie), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy, Whitesnake, Blue oyster Cult, Quiet Riot), and John Moyer (Disturbed). I caught one of her shows at the Cutting Room in NYC (where she is doing an on-going residency), and I loved her show! It was very eclectic, hard rock, with an 80’s vibe.

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 23

David & Olivia

Tell me about the new album. David- The new album is amazing. We’re so excited to have it out. Been working really hard. It’s kind of a conclusion of this past year. We were touring up and down the California coast, playing wineries and wine bars. We had a lot of time in the car ust less than a week after their album release together, where we got to talk about relationships show at Hotel Café in Los Angeles, I had the and the different things we were going through. So, pleasure of playing a little catch-up with counwe really wrote the record while driving. It was so try/blues/folk David & Olivia before their set at the easy because we had been writing over the past Constellation Room in Santa Ana. Last checked, year. It’s just been waiting to come out. We can’t be the duo had been touring extensively up and down happier about the album. The guys we‘ve recorded the West Coast, including a stint at SXSW. This is with, they’ve played with Donovan Frankenreiter, what we have: a surfer/musician. We came in with a very country Let’s introduce you two. Where are you from? roots sound, and they brought into it a California Olivia- I was born and raised in Fresno/Clovis, in vibe and more of a pop sensibility without losing the middle of California. Been out in LA for 6 and any of the Americana vibe. a half years, living the dream doing the music and Olivia- When we were shopping for the producers, the acting life. the timing came out that when they responded with David- I grew up in LA and have since moved to their interest in doing the project they wanted to get Huntington Beach, and been a part of the Orange started within a couple days. We got it done about County music scene now. It’s been a lot of fun. a month earlier than we anticipated. I think that really moved us along a lot better in setting us up What are your influences? for 2013. David- My influences ranged from everything my brothers were listening to from Jimi Hendrix, to How much of it is autobiographical? Zeppelin, to Guns N’ Roses, Alice In Chains. A lot David- I would say a lot of it is autobiographical. of rock, and then some of the blues snuck in there The lines blur where it’s about me, or experiences too like Robert Johnson, Albert Collins, that sort of of Olivia’s. Some songs are a combination of both thing. of our experiences, not necessarily together. Just

personal experiences we’ve had about similar topics. There is a ton of us in this record, without it seeming like “Oh, here’s all my emotions poured out on the page.” It’s something that’s relatable to other people too. It’s not so introspective that it excludes people. You’ve got great chemistry. What would you attribute that to? Olivia- That’s good, thank you! I think the fact that we’ve both been in rock bands from a young age on. Probably because we’ve always known we’d be musicians for the rest of our lives, we found that we think very similarly. Like if he’s having a thought, I would say something and realize we were just thinking of the same thing. We kind of finish each other’s thought process; which makes working together flow really smoothly. The whole process of making “David & Olivia” has been organic, fresh, and real that I don’t think that if we didn’t have this off the bat, the chemistry would not have existed. A favorite tour memory? Olivia- It probably wasn’t being really drunk in Austin. That‘s not my favorite of tour memories. [both laugh] But, being in Austin was a good tour memory. David- That was a good tour memory. I just remember taking care of Olivia. Everybody has those on the road. It‘s just a matter of when. [laughs] Olivia- We had free drinks in the VIP section of Perez Hilton’s party. You can’t not take advantage of that, so I did. If you could collaborate with anyone dead or alive, who would it be? David- Keith Richards would be really fun, if we can understand what he is saying. . . I think he’d have some really good stories to tell. I think Johnny Cash, because he’s such an amazing song writer. For more information, you can check them out at www.davidandolivia.com -Lan Nyugen

Lan Nyugen

Olivia- I grew up on listening to the radio with my grandma. I’d spend time with her during the summers. It’d be Patsy Cline, Etta James, a lot of the old school soul female artists. And then there was Celine Dion, Fiona Apple around middle school. Ani DiFranco was an artist who made me realize how much I wanted to eventually learn the guitar, and get the whole female angst stuff out. That was where I was at in high school.

5 questions deep with Low Life Music Getting down to the Roots with J King

How did Low Life Music Originate? J King: Low LIfe Music started in 2009 when I met Kenny Dena, the drummer of a punk band named Brodii Split from Anaheim. Kenny invited me and my DJ, DJ Souless to a show at the Back Alley in downtown Fullerton, where the band surprised me by learning my hip hop song but in rock style, and invited me on stage to perform with them. We loved it so much we started rehearsing the set over and over again and decided to join the Vans Warped tour battle of bands just weeks later under the name J King and Brodii Split. We ended up winning the

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Do you remember your first show? The first show for Low Life Music was at the Back Alley in downtown Fullerton. It was amazing cause it was the first time my fans and Brodii Splits fans saw the combination of the 2 separate styles come together. The response of the crowd said it all, they were hyped! People came up to us an told us “this is what fits both of you, keep doing what you are doing!” That response sparked a fire in us to keep going strong with the Low Life Music movement.

What makes Low Life Music unique? What makes our band different from when we started is our musical progression. Finding ourselves as far as how we fit musically and finding our sound. We have matured mentally and musically and became more than a band and more than friends. We became brothers, a family. What advice can you give up and coming bands who want to make it in the bizz? My advice I can give other bands is to not sit around on your hands and hope someone else will do it for you ‘cause no one will ever work harder for you then you will. Stay on your grind and keep pushing forward. When someone tells you that you can’t do it, use that as fuel to move forward!

We want to give a special thanks to Jim Perkins, our producer, for helping the development of our band, past, present and future. A special What can your fans expect next from Low Life thanks to Jeremy Hana, Chris Egger and Mike Music? De Armond of Sullen Musik our Record Label, This summer our fans can expect a bunch of live for believing in us and giving us an opportunity to shows randomly popping up around the west be a part of something so much bigger! And for coast promoting our new album Paychecks and giving us that extra push to be a better band. Pocket Change. Raquel Figlo

Taadow69K

battle and went to do the Warped Tour. Right then and there, we knew we had to make the band one name. My tattooed style and the punk rock style of Brodii Split inspired the name Low Life Music.

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 25

Sandy Martin trying to convey.

How does a singer/song writer find herself in the middle of an extremely political METAL band who traveled from Mexico City to work with? Actually, the metal band had monetary backing and sought out 15 time Grammy award winner, Thom Russo to produce the record. The tracks were done and they wanted to record the album in English. The problem What makes a little girl from a small coal mining town in Pittsburgh, was they spoke English to an extent, but couldn’t write the lyrics. Thom PA light up inside & head out west to pursue a career and life within sent them tracks from various song writers and somehow I landed the gig. All I was told was that they wanted it “heavy as hell” & they wanted it done the world of music? quick so I went into hiding to get it done. They came to America and we hit Well, I blame it on my mother. (laughs) And yes I am truly a coal miner’s daughter and damn proud of it! I’d have to say music was probably in my the studio. Little did anyone know I was hiding in the bathroom, on breaks, blood before I popped out of the womb. My mom loves to sing & as a fam- finishing the last track. Later I learned that when the band found out I was a chick, I was almost fired until they heard my lyrics to the first song. After ily of nine we did a lot of it. Yes, my parents raised 7 children, me being that I knew I could probably write just about anything. the baby. I knew at an early age, I would head west to follow my dream, but I had no idea that I would have to wear a suit of armor to fight some How did you balance one vibe to the next? of the battles that comes with the passion. Mom’s a wise woman and she I’d imagine it comes from growing up listening/singing to all kinds of always said, “You’re a thoroughbred, so go out there, put blinders on, and music. It all kind of just came natural for me to switch from one style to run your own race.” That’s exactly what I did. the next. That and years of practice. Brent always makes it easy and he’s one hell of a producer/guitar player who took lessons from Randy Rhoads Who are your musical & non-musical influences? My mother of course. But I have to give much credit to my older brothers when Brent was just a kid. and sisters cause they all had a different taste in music, which made me Are there any other artists out there playing your music? eclectic and diverse. I studied many great artists, but my biggest influence Well as far as the music that I have placed in tv/film, absolutely. An artist is the Reigning Queen of rock and Roll, Miss “Stevie Nicks.” She is pure that I’m writing for now is “Trippy the clown,” A.K.A . “The metal God” and poetry. Everything from her deep raspy voice of the darkest angel to her we are 2 songs away from completing his first album. It’s metal and it’s mesmerizing stage performance. heavy. Check out this little superbeast at: www.trippytv.com. While waiting tables and a lot of hard work you were conceptualizing Now you have a solo album that gives the world a view of your heart an all girls singing group with grammy award winner Derek Bramble, & soul. Tell me about it. and eventually signed to “Will Smith’s label “Overbrook Music,” you It’s a pop/rock record that Brent woods and I wrote together, it’s produced had Jimmy Lovine of Interscope slated for your distribution, how did by Thom Russo. I like to think of it as a story inspired by people and it go south with this powerhouse team? things in my life and other lives. Experiences along the way, I wont say Unfortunately, deals go south all the time. The stars have to align. I still more except for everyone to go and get it. remember the day Will Smith and his crew walked all four of us girls into Where can we pick up your music? Jimmy’s office and we sang for Jimmy. Jimmy’s question to Will was, “If You can pick it up at my website at: www.OneBlackRose.net. You can also this group doesn’t blow up worldwide who’s responsible?” I believe, the president of Wills company, J.L., raised his hand. So the deal was sealed check out my artwork there as well. My songs will be on itunes very soon if not already once this issue is out. and it was high time. Eventually, we finished the record and I believe it was about 4 months from being released. Unfortunately, Wills prior acts Last question: Let’s say that your story is being made into a movie, didn’t do so hot in sales and his latest movie bombed at the box office. what’s the title of this movie & who plays you? Eventually our contract was up so I just dove deeper into the writing pro“Coal Miner’s Daughter”… Its a sequel cess. I wasn’t quitting. & damn did Loretta struggle, but who doesn’t? Life’s not easy & the music Your song, “Rush” fell upon important ears. Tell me about that. business can be a bitch, but we do it Luck. The right place at the right time. It’s hard to get title tracks unless because we love it. Who would play you’re Dianne Warren. The song “Rush”actually wasn’t written yet. I the part? Hmmm Whoever she was invited to the pre-screening of the movie by the director & I went is better go into the deepest home, got inspired, & wrote some lyrics. When the director, Ric Roman part of her soul to pull this one Waugh asked me my thoughts on the movie I told him I was inspired off cause it’s one hell of an on going and wrote a song that very night. He asked me to share, next thing roller coaster ride that’s a fricking trip. you know I’m in the studio with Brent Woods recording the title track for the film as well as 2 other songs within the film. Thank you Sandy for your time! You are talented & inspirHow did you write something to convey the emotions of a scene ing. in a TV show or a movie? Thanks Arthur, you rock! Actually I didn’t know when I was hired by Rod that there was going to be a world tour so I already had plans of my own before the promotional tour was over. I loved the tour and getting the taste, but I wanted to get back to L.A. to write for film/TV and work on my own projects. As far as writing for a scene? It’s a process. If you’re lucky, the producer you’re working with has a clip of the scene. This way you have a better idea of what the scene is

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Neil Zlozower AtlasIcons.com

The boundaries of music become real when you’ve given up on creating. When you’ve taken all of the dreams packed them away and placed them in a box to be forgotten. This is certainly not the case with Sandy Martin. A small town girl that grew into a women with a powerful voice and possibly one of the most heard voices you never knew, that you knew. Sandy was kind enough to answer some questions about herself, the music industry and give a glimpse into her heartfelt passion for music and more.

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 27

The Winery Dogs ShowBy Ray Review Laracuente

Saturday night, August 3, 2013 at B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill in New York City, The Winery Dogs delivered to a packed house, their much anticipated first U.S. performance.

rhythmagician Mike Portnoy shaking off his prog-rock past, The Winery Dogs cranked out a fat, tough yet soulful and vibey big rock sound. Appearing comfortable and confidant together the trio, led by Kotzen’s powerhouse This stellar power trio consisting of Richie vocals, blazed through incredibly catchy and Kotzen ( guitar, keyboards & lead vocals), memorable original material that had that Billy Sheehan (Bass & vocals), and Mike “already classic” feel to it. Clearly opting Portnoy (drums & vocals), all masters of their for strong songs instead of instrumental craft, blew away the rabid crowd with an inathletics, “Elevate,” “Criminal,” “You Saved cendiary set consisting of their debut album Me,” and “I’m No Angel” were particular in its entirety, peppered with solo spots and stand outs. The first encore song, a cover of covers by bands from former affiliations, Elvin Bishop’s ballad “Fooled Around and (Mr. Big & Poison). Kotzen’s amazing soulful Fell In Love” was pretty damned cool too. voice and bluesy shredtastic guitar coupled This show was a modern day throwback to with the massive superhuman rhythm section the glory days of live rock music and a joy to of bass god Sheehan and drum colossus experience in a club setting like B.B. King’s. Portnoy, breathed new life into the often The deafening cheers of the crowd said it all. disappointing concept of the “Supergroup.” This band is NOT to be missed. With Billy Sheehan at the top of his game and

BILLY SHEEHAN IS PASSIONATE ABOUT LIFE, MUSIC, AND HIS NEW PROJECT, THE WINERY DOGS

What songs do you play most on your

By Monni McCleary IPod?

chemistry wasn’t instant and spontaneous. But John’s an amazing singer and amazing guitar player. Just because you meet someone and it doesn’t click, doesn’t mean they’re bad. It’s kind of like that book that came out a few years ago, “He’s Just Not That Into You!” Mike, Richie, and I are all east coast boys, grew up in the same situation, going to the same clubs, so we have a lot in common and it brought about such an obvious chemistry having such similar backgrounds.

If it’s a Saturday night, and had some people come to my house, I would probably put on “Smokin” by Humble Pie. Then I would put on one of the first two Kings X records, and then maybe the baroque station on my Internet radio. I love classical music too. I love all kinds of music, Sinatra as well. I did a thing recently in NYC, a metal masters jam. It was Myself, Phil Anselmo from Pantera, Kerry King from Slayer, the drummer/bass How would you describe the musical player from Anthrax, direction of The Winery Dogs? and some other guys. Well, it’s three guys who all have a long history. We jammed, and had Some things quite similar and some things quite a great time. That’s different, and bringing all of our histories and not really my genre, experiences together is quite special. None of us but it was great to just gave up our individuality or wanted to do someexperience that. thing because that’s the way we did it in the past. We played and just did what’s right for the band. Who are some of your music mentors? We all played together in sync and did things Bass-wise, just about everyone. Paul McCarttogether for the betterment of the band, and not ney, Joni Mitchell, Three Dog Night, Grand Funk the individual. It was all about what sounds great Railroad. After that, I got into a lot of progressive How did The Winery Dogs start? together and what do we all loved. With age stuff, Genesis and King Crimson. Then came Well, Mike Portnoy and I have worked together a there is wisdom…I hope! Van Halen and the world changed. All of those lot over the years, in different situations, touring bands had a profound influence on me. In the with him, etc., and he got in touch with me and What comes first when writing an al70’s there was a lot of heavy music, very eclectic told me he wanted to start a new band. We went bum, the lyrics or the music? mix of stuff and it fine-tuned the 80’s. It got a down a few roads looking for a singer and it just It’s generally the music, and then you do the little too fine-tuned in the late 80’s early 90’s wasn’t productive. Then Eddie Trunk suggested lyrics. But there’s no definitive way of writing a and we needed alternative to come in and tear it Richie Kotzen. I thought to myself, “Why didn’t I new song. Some lyrics come, then your writing apart so we could re-build it again. We owe a lot think of that?” I’ve toured with Richie before and the music and putting in some lines, then singing of credit to the alternative bands and tearing that he played with Mr. big, so I thought he would be some blah, blah’s in between. music down so it could come back alive again perfect! So we got in touch with Richie, and we more organically and from the heart. got in a room together with our instruments and What genre of music it fell together real naturally, real organically, and would you classify Do you have any pre-show the chemistry was amazing! The Winery Dogs? rituals? I would like to classify it in No, but I’m not crazy about hanging Now I know John Sykes was originally a more general genre and out with people before the show. I like in the band and was replaced by Richie just call it rock. It’s a little to focus on what I have to do back Kotzen. Can you elaborate on what bit of everything…rock, stage with my bass and warming up. happened? ballads, heavy metal, etc. Maybe a beer or a half a beer before It’s not like he was in the band per se. Mike It comes from a time I go on, but I don’t like to drink before. worked with John for a while and Mike called me when getting records in I like to really concentrate and focus to come in and we did a couple demos. John’s my youth that have a little because when I walk on stage that’s a wonderful guy with a great talent, but he has bit of everything. Then the moment they see me and I see a different way of going about the process of when the music business them. It’s just exciting! making music and it wasn’t quite suiting and the became the music indus-

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Jim Belmont

Three veteran rockers have come together to create an all-star trio, THE WINERY DOGS. The new project features Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB), Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG) and Richie Kotzen (MR. BIG, POISON). The group’s self-titled debut is filled with straightforward rock and roll, inspired by some of their favorite bands. The album is a labor of love written from the heart and revealing unexpected shades of melodic eclecticism and lyrical vulnerability. Legendary bassist Billy Sheehan has gone in many directions in a career that spans over 30 years. He’s not only a legendary bassist, but also a passionate and amazing guy.

try, you had to fine tune all your material so the music industry could market it to a target audience, which makes me choke just hearing myself say that. Now that the music industry has fallen apart and it’s back to the music business again, you can make a record that represents a whole lot of ideas and transcends a lot of genres, and I love that. Some of my favorite records of all time have heavy stuff on them, but also beautiful lyrical things with all kinds of depth and emotion from the lightest to the heaviest, so that’s what we kind of went for here.

What’s the best live show you’ve ever seen? Good question! Well I think the first time I saw Van Halen was pretty amazing. I went to see Eddie, but spent most of the time watching Dave. And the very first show I ever saw was Jimi Hendrix. I may be an old man, but I got to see Hendrix twice. Literally life wasn’t the same after that. It’s hard for people to imagine now because

people didn’t know the world before, but Hendrix really changed the world. He freed people. After seeing Hendrix and Van Halen shows, I want to have happen to the audience, what happened to me and give people the experience that I got after seeing these two bands. I want to give back. That’s what I have always set my standard to. I set the bar high when I preform, I have a lot of self-criticism, and I make sure it’s the best

“Billy Sheenan has done it again”

performance I can possible do. As an entertainer and a player, I want to make sure I give people what they paid their hard earned money for. It doesn’t matter what it is, but if you do it with absolute passion, then first of all, you will love what you do, and secondly, chances are you will be a huge success.

TheWineryDogs.com Also visit: billysheehan.com

9.2 rating out of 10

The Winery Dogs stands up and delivers a powerful punch with their self-titled debut release... This band, brought together by monster bass player Billy Sheehan (Tallas, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth), guitarist Richie Kotzen (Mr. Big, Poison) and drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) are a complete commercial package and ready to take on road to the top charts... Jumping in line of power trio super groups TWD adds technical melodic wizardry with a smooth dry finish that is perfectly ready to hit the radio airwaves. Some of my favorite tracks are “Elevate” with it’s classic Billy bass lines that we all can sink our teeth into and power ballads “You Saved Me” and “Damaged” moved me with their soulful arrangements and vocal lines. I love where all these guys have come from and the synergy that TWD produces by being together creates a force to be reckoned with, one of my new favs for sure...

How did you first decide you were going to be a guitar player? I saw Gene Simmons breathe fire at a KISS concert at Cobo Hall in Detroit when I was four years old, and there was really no changing paths after that. The die was cast and the insanity begun. What song do you remember most from your childhood? Queen “Radio Ga Ga”. Prince “Purple Rain”. A few guilty pleasures come to mind too- Bonnie Tyler “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats. People slam on the 80s but there were a couple years in the middle there where no two songs sounded alike. What was your first guitar and where did you get it? An old Epiphone 6-string from Music Mart in Ann Arbor, MI. $100 with this little hard shell case that had gold felt and smelled like lemon oil. Thinking of buying that guitar is like time travel. I scalloped the neck myself and spray painted in order to fully pretend I was Yngwie Malmsteen. I destroyed that guitar- which is good because no one wanted to buy it when I was raising up money to do my first recordings and so I still have it. You have an awesome sound

I met Jesse Rich in 7th grade and we won our junior high talent show. I stopped getting beat up and we never stopped playing and dreaming about changing the world with music. We met Billy Driver at KU in Lawrence (we are all proud Jayhawks) and he put an end to a string of talented but unreliable bass players. Billy was really the anchor. I call Jesse security cause he always has the entire band family’s best interest (and his forearms are bigger than my arm), and I put Black Magic next to Billy’s name cause no one enjoys horror movies and Halloween more.

and talent as a Blues player! Who are some of your influences? Hendrix and Clapton at first. Then went a little farther back to Jimmy Page, Buddy Guy, then finally went all the way back to Robert Johnson. Tell us a little about what went into producing the new Who are some of your favor- CD? ite musicians? Produced and recorded everything I grew up on my dad’s Motown/ in my garage in Woodland Hills, CA Blues records and my mom playing using mid level mics through Drawclassical piano. You can hear those mer 1960’s into logic with all UAD two forces at work in much of the plug-ins. I engineered and mixed band’s music to this day. it. Kendall Stephens out of OKC mastered it (people check Kendall’s Specifically, I would say that the Red Audio out- he is a beast). lyrics to Dylan’s first 4 LP’s have still not been touched with a 10 foot What have been some of your pole. U2 keeping a band together greatest experiences being all these years and doing such good on the road? in the world is beautiful. Will always We donated 16 shows to military love Zeppelin. Radiohead have bases around the country in 2010 made some classic records. Prince when we played every state in the live is on another level. Willie Nellower 48. By the end of that tour son writes songs so beautifully and the communications department at effortlessly it can break your break the White House reached out to our your heart (which as he says is agent and invited us for a tour of the “what makes the Jukebox play”:). Af- White House. We hightailed it back ter a loud night with drunks scream- to D.C. and have never been more ing “Play Freebird”- the soundtrack honored in our lives. to come down to in your motel room What experiences have you is Willie, Waylon and Cash. picked up on the road musiHow did you hook up with cally to inspire you for new your band mates? How did writing material? the guys get there titles as I have more fun writing songs now Jesse as security and Billy than I did in my 20’s. I guess there as black magic? is just more material- more road

stories- more time listening to the greats, but I feel the roadblocks are a lot less than they used to beespecially lyrically. I have learned to get out of my own way a bit more. I sense when I’m in that soft energy you create from (I call it the “green and gold”) that allows me to channel the song instead of forcing myself to write. I know rockin-rollers have their dreams that keep them going. As far as the longevity for staying together, being on the road for years, sleeping in cramped quarters, playing hundreds of shows, what is your secret for handling it all? It’s like having several marriages at once. You must communicate ALL THE TIME. You must give each other space. You must respect what different needs you each may have out of the relationship. What makes this unit strong as that we have lived, breathed and suffered TOGETHER over half the highways in America. This outfit is a closed fist. What more would you like to do with the band and what more can we expect from Gooding in the future? We would love to reach more people. We are looking for a new booking agent and hopefully we can get on with some bigger bands soon. If anyone has a great lead on then hit us up. gooding@goodingmusic.com. Past that, we want to make the most interesting, honest, soulful records we can. We just added Jenny Wood on vocals for this tour and she is amazing. We have been at it for a bit but we still feel it’s all ahead of us. Thanks for the great questions brother. Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 29

photo: Igor Vidyashev

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Smashing Atoms with Dave Mustaine

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 31

Smashing Atoms with Dave Mustaine Thrash is “Still alive... and well!”

RNR: Tell me about the album Super Collider?

When I was in 6th Grade, Megadeth’s “Countdown to Extinction” was the soundtrack to my adolescence, and apparently I never grew up because I am still thrashing to it now! When the opportunity came to interview Dave Mustaine, I was thrilled. That 6th grader would have been proud! As I walked into Universal Music Group with the RnR Crew, we were escorted to a private listening room to hear the new Megadeth album “Super Collider” for the first time. I loved the album from the very first listen. Hearing it before speaking with Dave inspired some great conversation. He and the band have evolved, while maintaining the classic spirit of Megadeth. Dave is more than meets the eye. He is extremely intelligent, very insightful.

Dave: This is our first album with Universal. It is our 3rd album with Chris Broderick and Sean Drover. Dave Ellefson is back in the fold so it is pretty exciting. We have stable line up. The songs, I believe, are perfect for us, and what is going on with us in our career. We are enjoying playing together and it is effortless. I think the lyrics are pretty poignant because of the times we are living in now. That’s one thing I really try to do: make lyrics that are timely and as well timeless because I don’t want to have lyrics that are like Milli Vanilli crap, where you listen to them and look back and are like “what were we thinking!” RNR: What was the significance in the lyrics for Super Collider?

“It is better to learn to dance in the rain than to wait in the sun”

Dave: The song Super Collider is about atoms smashing in a place called Cern in Switzerland. I saw something in the USA Today about them finding the “god particle.” When you look the model for a molecule, the space around the ball is called mass. They were trying to find out what it is called, and they titled it the Higgs Boson, which is actually the “god particle.” I know there are a lot of people who are closed-minded to my spiritual beliefs, so I wasn’t going to go and call it the “God Particle” because it is unnecessary to build walls with people, so I figured Super Collider is actually cooler. The lyrics to Super Collider are more about positive things. If your life really sucks come on in and we will have a good time together. We will do this until the war basically ends, we will be together and do the right thing. RNR: Describe the song “Dance in the Rain” from Super Collider? Dave: It’s a very disturbing lyric. It is about trying to make ends meet, facing the hand that you’ve been dealt, and not trying to always strive for something that you are never going to get. It is basically accepting what you are and making the best of it, and seeing how you can basically “turning lemons into lemonade, you know that kind of crap (laughs). The interesting thing about that song is David Draiman, lead singer of Disturbed, actually came out to the studio and hung out with me for a couple days and helped me out a little bit with the melodies and stuff. The lyrics for that actually came from a fortune cookie of all things (I love fortune cookies). I have a sweet tooth and so I was at the studio eating fortune cookies and I opened up a fortune that said you are going to get a gift, expect a random gift and then the next fortune cookie said “It is better to learn to dance in the rain than to wait in the sun,” and I thought, “Well there’s the gift?” It’s this lyric, and I wrote the song right after that. The end of it is pretty politically charged! It talks about how the middle class is being destroyed right now. How we have race, sex, and religious wars where it almost seems that the powers that be, whether democrat, republican, independent or whoever; instead of presenting your case, we are vilifying the people and just attacking them to the point where you don’t even care who they are. You just hate them and make them the enemy.

Dave: People are built for war. It’s a matter of survival. What is a fist for, it was meant to hit. If you are closing your hand and holding something that is totally different. Shawn Drover had written most the music for it; we kind of have an interesting history of song writing together. He had given me the music for the song “Head Crusher” before and I had looked at the music and thought something about it I don’t like. I couldn’t put my finger on it and I kept listening to it and I thought I will just learn it on guitar and see why I don’t like it. The first half of the riff he gave was the riff to “Take no Prisoners.” That’s why I don’t like it,

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photo: Igor Vidyashev

RNR: “Built for War” is another powerful song off the new album. What inspired you to write this song?

because you are trying to sell me my own crap (laughs)! So we fast forwarded it in the song, past the “Take No Prisoner’s” riff and the riff right after that was really great so that is the first song we wrote together. When it came to “Built for War” I was pretty open to his song writing and the process in how he writes. Listening to the song when it was done, it kind of calls for a real snotty kind of lyric, like a Pantera kind of a thing, like “Walk” or something, and that is kind of what I did with it. RNR: I read an article that made light of the fact that you are over working your band members on this album. Tell me about your experience in the recording studio making this album? Dave: It’s weird because I almost feel like I’ve been lazy, not that any of the last records weren’t really authentic records or that we were not trying, but when you have your bassist saying “my god I am exhausted, my hand is tired. I have been playing more than I ever have before!” It made me think, “maybe I have been a little soft on you there junior, maybe you need to play a little bit more there homie.” Looking at some of

Dave: Actually yes, there is. This record we started with 14 songs and we ended up with only 13. And of the 14 songs the one we did not use was song number 13. So it’s really weird. RNR: Tell me about your upcoming tour with Iron Maiden? Dave: Playing with Iron Maiden is amazing. They are seasoned professionals and they have such a “larger than life” stage presence you really have to bring your “A game” to even stay on stage with guys like that! We have a long-standing relationship with them. We toured with them for years and years and years and all the great guys including AC/DC. We are in no way out of our element. So we are really looking forward to touring with them. We really love the band and we look forward to playing with them and hanging out and learning as much as we can from them. RNR: You are ending the year with Gigantour, rumor has it “Notorious bad boy” will be on the tour. Can you tell us who he is?

photo: Igor Vidyashev

Dave: He is not on it. He pulled some shit already and we kicked him off! (Major Laughs). I think that is pretty funny! He was too notoriously bad! RNR: If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could only bring 5 albums with you, what would they be? Dave: AC/DC Let there be Rock, Led Zepplin’s Physical Graffiti, The White Album, Lightning to the Nations by Diamond Head.

the other stuff, like the guitar soloing, there are a couple songs on the guitar solos I really tried to apply myself. Before I would have just been done and figured it is a really good guitar solo, it’s fast and melodic. This time I was like its good, but there are a couple parts that are not fantastic so I went back and worked on some of the solos. I think when you make a record you got to remember it is forever. You can go back and do a live record and totally shred it up but then people go to listen to it and they say” I don’t want to hear you “wanking” away on guitar. I want to hear the guitar solo that I know.” It is the whole thing about familiarity too. RNR: You talk about “13 weirdness” anything recent you can share with your fans?

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Smashing Atoms with Dave Mustaine RnR: Any newer bands? Modern thrash/metal bands? Dave: Nothing really impresses me anymore. It’s all detuned, cookie monster vocals. I have heard some new stuff that excited me, but no one you would know. As far as that 5th album it would be KISS Alive. Super Collider is an incredible album and I highly recommend it. The songs on the album are very well composed, the lyrics relate to the personal struggles we all feel in our day-to-day lives. Like Dave said, “if you are feeling down, come with us and we will get through it together.” It’s nice to know you can relate to rock star as big as Dave Mustaine. Make sure to look out for upcoming dates for Iron Maiden and Megadeth. I know I will definitely be hitting up San Bernardino, California on Friday September 13th. Dave is big on the number 13. Dave Mustaine and his band have stayed true to their roots over the years. They remain titans of thrash, while constantly keeping their music fresh and full of interesting twists, just like a good movie. May they live long and thrash… forever! For more information on Megadeth please visit their website at www.megadeth.com

photo: Igor Vidyashev

- Raquel Figlo

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photo: Myriam Santos Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 35

I’m a rock and roll chick who grew up in the

1970s with three older brothers. In 1977 these same brothers teased me incessantly for being a fan of bubblegum pop stars, The Bay City Rollers. My brothers of course were listening to much heavier bands like Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, RUSH, Led Zeppelin, and KISS. I never did and still don’t like being teased, but now that I’m all grown up, I credit these same brothers for shaping the cool rock and roll chick I have since become. For growing up with them, I was exposed to, and now have a deep appreciation for, iconic rock bands and their classic albums.

In the fourth decade of their career, KISS is once again on this side of the border on a tour of arenas and theatres in five Canadian provinces. With 19 dates in all, Toronto came in at number 13 on a Friday night at Molson Amphitheatre, following a well-received show in the nation’s capital the night before. On my way to the show, I kind of felt the way I did when I found myself going to see Ted Nugent when he rocked the park in London, circa 2008. (The Motor City Madman was another 70s rock star whose album Cat Scratch Fever could also be found amongst the vinyl strewn all over the family rec room). I thought gee, am I one of them nostalgic rock and roll chicks in a never-ending mid-life crisis, or what? Perhaps. But the truth is, I like rock and roll, especially rock and roll that made its mark in the glorious 1970s and which still resonates today. And resonate still, KISS does. The musicians for the Monster tour, named after the band’s latest album, their 20th, sees The Demon and Starchild as the only original, founding members. Tommy Thayer joined KISS in 2003 replacing Vinnie Vincent who replaced Ace Frehley, who left in 1982. Eric Singer is now the drummer, who replaced Eric Carr in ‘91, who replaced Peter Criss, having left in 1980.

All photos: Igor Vidyashev

Never considered myself a large KISS fan when I was a kid, but the big-ass posters that plastered the wood-panelled walls of the family rec room in the house I grew up in, nonetheless fueled my teenage imagination. And I was quite aware of the impact their music had on my brothers. Amongst the vinyl albums that were strewn from one end to the other of the same family rec room, the covers of Destroyer, Alive! and Rock and Roll Over could easily be spotted, and their music constantly heard spinning out from the rec room’s hi-fi console. I didn’t realize it at the time, but songs like Rock and Roll All Night and I Was Made For Loving You began to mesh with my dna. And Beth, the ballad.

Formed in New York City in the early 70s, KISS were one of the original shock rock bands that dressed up in flamboyant, outrageous costumes and platform boots of black and silver (and in the case of Gene Simmons, to scare the bejesus out of you). The paint they used to mask the face of their real identities not only defined each member’s fantasy character, but created an image that is now instantly recognizable all around the world. Founding members saw Gene Simmons as “The Demon” on bass guitar and vocals, Paul “Starchild” Stanley on vocals and rhythm guitar, Peter Criss as “The Cat” on drums who also sang, and Ace “Spaceman” Frehley on lead guitar. The four-piece went out on their first ever tour at the beginning of 1974. And that tour kicked off in Canada, in the city of Edmonton. I was way too young then to have seen a concert in Alberta or anywhere else in my country, but in 1999, twenty years after I moved away from that house with the wood-panelled rec room, I finally saw a member of KISS in person and that was Paul Stanley, when he was sporting a different mask in the Phantom of the Opera at Toronto’s Pantages Theatre. KISS have been to Toronto to perform live on several occasions during their long career that saw personnel changes in the band and an attempt to make a go of it without the make-up, yet I never saw

by Live Music Head KISS in concert during any of it. Until now.

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After feeling the joyous vibe enveloping the many fans milling about outside the venue pre-show, I was inside the Amphitheatre on time to see the start of the most elaborate rock presentation I’ve ever seen in my life, when KISS arrived on stage via the head of an enormous robotic spider that brought them down from high above, to the thunderous applause of what looked like a sold-out crowd. One thing’s for certain, the KISS army of fans has certainly not decreased over the years, nor has their enthusiasm. Many in the crowd ranged in age from their peers of 60-somethings, some sporting makeup and costumes just like their heroes, to kids of 10 whose parents took responsibility by putting plugs into the ears on both sides of their excited little faces. Psycho Circus, the track that opens up the 1998 album of the same name, was the show opener, followed by Destroyer’s Shout It Out Loud, a song I thought I’d forgotten but immediately found myself head bangin’ along too, and remembering all the words. Clearly these songs are embedded in my dna more than I thought, like it or not. A few songs in and Stanley had the audience in a cheer-a-long from one side of the stage to the other, and cheer we did, loud. Loud, I Wanna Hear it Loud! The explosive blasts and fireworks of the pyrotech extravaganza (was that really a smoke machine?) was

absolutely spectacular. Dare I say, awesome! Thayer and Singer’s mid-set guitar and drum spotlight was impressive, as was the bass solo spotlight of Simmons, complete with that iconic tongue projected in all its length many times on the big screen. (One could probably write a thousand-word article on that tongue alone). And when that same big screen camera went straight for the hot-looking, cleavage-buttonbusting chicks in the front row, who were fistpumping and screaming along to, “Lick it Up, it’s only right now!” I laughed out loud. In a shrieking voice, Stanley seemed to enjoy acknowledging the city he was in, repeatedly,

and not only reminded us of his six-month stay in Toronto when he was The Phantom, but recalled the first time KISS played here at a place called The Victory Theatre, an old burlesque house that closed down in 1975. I would bet there was more than one fan in the Amp that actually saw them there too. When it was time for Stanley to shine in the spotlight, he trapezed across the audience to a second

stage, and in all the poses of the classic rock star, he was the photographer’s dream. Throughout the night, I took over three hundred photos myself. Fans who still go out to see shows by classic rockers always want to hear the old hits, first and foremost, but when Paul Stanley asked the audience to let him know who actually added Monster to their collection, there was a very large positive response. Good for them. But even if they never put out a new song ever again, KISS would continue to amaze as a live act because they know how to put on a show. Saving the best three for last (and they didn’t even leave the stage and make us call “encore!”), the crowd went nuts for Detroit Rock City, I Was Made For Loving You and Rock and Roll All Night. And the confetti effect that shot out from the stage in a shimmer above our heads as we shouted: “I wanna Rock and Roll All Night and party every day!” was quite simply, amazing. Dare I say, beautiful! For all the spectacle that KISS invests in their show, plus the two solid hours of music, I will also say that the price to see them is well worth it. In what remains of the working class, who can now barely afford today’s high-priced concert tickets, KISS is a stand out for one of great value. It was a night of pure entertainment that could only have been made more fun if my brothers had been there to enjoy it with me.

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Black Lodge and Twiggy Ramirez An unholy matrimony Ventura: The performance. I love being able to engage the crowd, feeding off their reaction and their energy. That’s the reason why I love to play.

Black Lodge had a pretty amazing summer, if you ask me. In the past few months, I’ve gotten to know Johnny Royal pretty well, and see the direction he would like to take his band. From what I have seen so far, they are very talented and definitely a band to keep on your radar. With some help from their friend, Twiggy Ramirez, former guitarist for Marilyn Manson, their album- “Tomahawk,” is shaping up to be a winning blend of memorable hooks and rock ‘n’ roll attitude. This collaboration was like a marriage that was meant to be, and the creativeness that is coming out of it is true art. Before Black Lodge took the stage at Swing House Studios in front of a rambunctious crowd, I sat down with the band and Twiggy to find out what inspires them, and what it was really like working with Jeordie White, a.k.a Twiggy Ramirez.

Do you have a muse? What inspires you to write songs? Johnny Royal: For me personally, when we first started, it was all about putting out a message that would help create, and give people a feeling of familiarity. I guess my muse is the reaction of the fans. Like when we went out on tour, it was cool to see the people come alive with the music. What was it like working with Twiggy Ramirez?

What is the song “Never Clean” about?

Johnny Royal: Honestly, it was amazing! I have looked up to him for a long time, and it’s like a dream come true! He is an amazing musician. He has been a great friend, a great leader, and a great mentor. The level of creativity he is at, and the depth and feel he has for writing music is amazing. We are very fortunate to have him producing our album.

Black Lodge (Gavin): It’s hard to put into words outside of the lyrics. It’s having that need for someone who is a drug to you, that thing you don’t really want to have in your life, but you can’t live with without. That’s deep. Tell me about the video that goes along with the song? What is its meaning? Gavin: The video for the song is a little more geared towards Tomahawk’s story, as opposed to really being in the lyrical sense of what is actually being sung. What inspires you?

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Twiggy, how was your experience working with Black Lodge and producing the album, “Tomahawk?” Twiggy: FANTASTIC!!!!!! (Laughs). No, but seriously, they are inspiring young men with lots of ambition. Their vision and talent has really invigorated my own creativity as well. When I first met Johnny Royal and he asked me to assist him with his record, for some reason I said yes. That was immediately followed by, “oh fuck, how am I going to get

out of this!” (Chuckles). Then he sent me some stuff to listen to, and I was 100% convinced that the record was going to be terrible (laughs), kidding. Actually when I did listen to it, I was blown away by it! I am just really proud of them and to be a part of it! On tour, how was the overall reaction of the fans? Justin: The tour was amazing! We were gone for about 30 days. It started in Vegas. We went as far East and South as Little Rock, Arkansas. We had a great time. It was our first tour, and we didn’t kill each other! We are still here! What’s next for Black Lodge? Johnny Royal: Well, we have to finish writing the record. We are 8 songs in right now. There is a total of 13 songs. Every song tells a chapter for the “Story of Tomahawk.” We need to finish writing the record, which will be out in 2014. With every single we are doing, every song has a music video that goes with it. The next release will be “Thankful.” Jordy White, “Twiggy,” will be featured in the video. We are also all big fans of Iron Maiden. We love Eddy, and our “Tomahawk” is kind of like our Goddess, our Eddie. The character of Tomahawk will kind of be evolving over the next album. We are just going to beat the shit out of her, destroy her, then bring her back to life. We are going to head out on tour again in the fall.

only bring five albums, what would they be? Gavin: “Anti Christ Super Star,” by Marilyn Manson. Law: Rancid, “Out come the Wolves” Justin: If I was stranded on a dessert island, the last thing I would think about is music. I would be thinking about how I can get some food! I am going to plead the 5th on this question. Ventura: Depeche Mode, “Violator” Johnny Royal: Pink Floyd, “Dark Side of the Moon” Twiggy: “Lost” on Blue Ray since we are going to be on an island. So what’s next for Black Lodge? As Justin put it, “All shall be revealed.” For more information on Black Lodge please visit their website at www.blacklodgeband.com Raquel Figlo

If you were stranded on a dessert island and you could

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Jasmine Cain

oday I have the distinct pleasure of chatting with one of the most talented women in the music business right now, the one and only Jasmine Cain. Oh buddy let me tell you, this woman can sang... no not a misspell.. she can sang! I caught up with her recently and we got to talk a little about how she got where she is...

do our own music video to this song and make it great and that’s exactly what we did! It totally paid off and we won Music Video of the Year. In a city of nothing but songwriters, we won an award for Rock Song of the Year “Nightingale.”

Any. Funny show stories? Probably my most recent funny story took place during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally last summer. Before the show we are setting When did you start playing? up and firmly warned by the stage I started playing guitar at age 4. I moved on to piano at age 8. I didn’t manager that we’re not allowed to use any profanity. Really? At a biker touch a bass guitar until about age 15. In the meantime, I’ve learned a event??? He went on to tell us that if we dropped an F bomb we would be little of everything. I have a banjo, fined and taken to jail immediately. ukulele, and mandolin. Bass guitar The cops were all around the venue is the most natural for me and I and I knew he wasn’t kidding. As I’m spend the most time with it so I’m waiting at the front of the stage for much more comfortable with it. a line check, the stage hand bumps Where are you from? his head on my microphone stand Born in Sturgis, South Dakota during while plugging in a monitor and as the Wold Famous Sturgis Motorhe raises up he grabs his head and cycle Rally and graduated from yells “FUCK!” It roars over the PA. Faith High School which was about Everyone stops and stares. We’re 3 miles from the Cheyenne River all looking around nervously and I’m Native American Indian Reservation. getting ready to throw him under the I rode my horse to school all during bus cause my band isn’t going to grade school. I rode that horse jail for a stage hand fucking up. No pretty much everywhere I went. cops. Immediately the FOH cranks up some break music and Puddle How does it feel to win those of Mudd comes screaming over the awards? PA system “SHE FUCKING HATES Amazing. There is so much talent here in Nashville and to be awarded ME!!!” By now I’m dying laughing because they’ve struck the fear of Female Rock Vocalist 3 consecutive years is saying something. I’ve God in me and they’re fucking up been nominated for Rock Bassist 2 everywhere. Long story short, I said years as well and although I haven’t Fuck...many times. I didn’t go to jail. snagged it yet, I’m still amazed that But I hear next year they’re not fucking around you can’t say FUCK in I’m in the running because people come from all over the world to have Sturgis. I have the mouth of a sailor. a career in music and be based out Any challenges making it in muof Nashville. There is no shortage of sic because you’re a woman? great musicians and great singers If you’re a woman and you want to here. To be one of the best is really make it (sooner than later) in music, impressive. I’m very proud of that. you need to sleep with someone or This year we really put a lot of effort have a rich daddy. Neither of those into a music video for one of my things exist in my past so I’m still favorite songs, “Highway Prophet.” pushing forward which is why I’m After a while we decided that there making it later rather than sooner. was no reason that we couldn’t just I’m sure it’s not as important to

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all women as it is to me, but my integrity is all I feel I really have at the end of the day, so I put myself in positions where I’m compromising myself to get farther ahead. If it feels shady to me, I’m out. That’s it. I have made all the main mistakes of working with management who just dips into what you’re already doing and never does anything for you. I’ve hired booking agents that are supposed to book me as a rock band in rock venues and I end up at some German festival with a horn band opening for me. I’ve done all the screw ups. But now I keep control of my own shit. Nobody is going to sell you or believe in you as much as you do. So by nature, you will always work harder for yourself than anyone else. If you want to make it as a chick in music, you have to work harder than a guy to be taken more serious. Only after you’ve worked twice as hard for twice as long will you gain some respect and start to move up the ladder. Get ready to be very tired and very hungry.

How do you handle drunk crowds....being your endorser is Ole Smoky Moonshine? Handling drunks has never been a problem for me. I started in bars at age 6. I watched my older brother pick dudes off the ground using one hand around their necks and tell them they need to apologize to me and leave immediately. I’d rather protect myself than end up in a bigger mess. I haven’t had to do anything like that in a very long time, but trust me if I have to I will. You get this really bad feeling in the pit of your stomach. I can’t explain it, but I don’t ignore it. When that happens, I waste no time and get the hell out of the way. I’ve never been wrong and I’ve never been hurt so pay attention. The thing about moonshine drinkers is this: You can tell who the professionals are and who just tasted their first drop of shine. The guys that carry around the corn whiskey and white lightning typically have a little more experience. They’re the connoisseurs of moonshine. The girls are usually the ones I have to worry about. The flavored moonshine tastes like candy and those girls will go all night on that stuff and when it hits, it’s like a brick wall. They either want to fuck or fight. Either way, I’m looking for an escape. Because when those girls make up their minds, something’s gonna happen.

New CD? I just released Highway Prophet in 2011 and Modern Day Gypsy in 2012 so this year I’m releasing our single “Nightingale” only. It’s never been release and is not available on any of our albums so downloading is the only way you can get it. It just won Rock Song of the Year so you know it kicks ass. Where can you’re music be bought? My music is available for download on iTunes and physical copies can be bought on my website: www.jasminecain.com or at CD Baby (www.cdbaby.com). It’s also available on Amazon. Any endorsers you would like to thank? Our endorsement companies keep us going. Without them we would be constantly struggling to stay in the game. We tour hard. Our stuff breaks. We’re on the road, driving. There’s no way to repair along the Interstate. One call to your endorsement company and BAM they have you ready to rock by the time you get to the next venue! That’s like emergency roadside assistance with gear! We love them for it! I have played Warwick since I made the decision to do this professionally and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. Their company has been absolutely wonderful to me in supplying me with amazing instruments and making sure I was covered if anything malfunctioned or was damaged on the road. They really are like family. If you’re considering any other company, consider Warwick. Another company that has really held hands with us has been ESP Guitars. Not only did they set me up with some amazing acoustic and electric/acoustic guitars for my Modern Day Gypsy tour last winter, but Tim is working with us to giveaway 4 guitars this summer for our major motorcycle events that will be painted by some of the most famous bike builders in the country! Make sure you check out our website, facebook & twitter to know how to get involved with those drawings. My newest favorite to deal with has been GHS Strings. I have been experimenting with strings on different instruments. I’ve always played a medium gauge string but now with different tunings, I’m finding that a heavier gauge string makes a world of different on a 4 string bass. I know I’m probably the biggest pain in the ass because I never order the same strings so they constantly send me different things to try (Thanks Chris). But they totally understand the importance of finding the right strings for the right instrument. It’s all about sound and GHS really understands that.

“If you’re a woman and you want to make it (sooner than later) in music, you need to sleep with someone or have a rich daddy.” Wireless units have always been a challenge for me. I never trust them. But years ago I met Guy Coker and he had just developed the XWire system. I still love that wireless and I decided right then I would follow him in whatever new technology he developed. XWire was the first digital wireless system and at over a mile away from the receiver, it never got less that 98% frequency response. That’s incredible!

what I need and what is going to work the best for me. I appreciate their support for so many years. Telefunken Microphones set me up with an M80 to use for Daytona Bike Week and the difference between my standard Shure SM58 and that M80 were undeniable. I will never use another microphone again. This year at NAMM we were lucky enough to get some new interest from NADY as well. They sent us home with some recording microphones that we will be testing out with our new song “Shine on” this Summer.

a song called “Shine On” which is co-written by my Tennessee BFF Goldylocks in support of the Ole Smoky campaign this summer. We will be linking arms with them and expanding our horizons into NASCAR and more Harley Davidson events. Goldylocks and I are shooting our very own television show called “Goldy Knows” where I will be co-hosting and we will be discussing topics much like what we discussed here. Everything from girls in the EMG Pickups was my first ever music business to fashion, fitness, endorsement and I’ve stayed with and tons of interviews with celebrithem all these years. I did 2 years ties we have known and worked with of booth signings for them and they What’s next? over the years. We just filmed our have always been good to me. I As I mentioned, we are officially first segment a couple days ago and don’t change out pickups as much in “hitched” with Ole Smoky Moonshine it was hilarious. We’re a hot mess instruments, but they always know this year and we will be recording

and we know it, so I guess the rest of the world will know it now too. It’s like the rock and roll version of “2 Broke Girls”. Same concept... different career choices. I suck as a waitress. Ok... listen to Michael G... go get yourself some of this artists music, she and her entire band are great, if you’re a hardcore biker you know who she is already! And remember Rock N Roll Industries is your only spot for the best interviews in the music industry Michael G out

Q and A with Chris Bennett of Widow by Alison “MetalBabe” Cohen I spent almost an hour on the phone with Widow founding member, songwriter, and lead guitarist Chris Bennett. We had a great conversation about the band’s history, their music, their most recent CD “Life’s Blood,” and their upcoming 2014 release. Chris is such a genuine, downto-earth guy who is so grateful to be where he is today. I really enjoyed getting to know him and the band a bit better. For anyone who isn’t familiar with Widow, or even if you are, I hope that you will enjoy reading this interview as much as I enjoyed doing it.

our singer, LiLi Padilla wanted to take the band into a real different direction than we did, so she ended up leaving. Then we made the album “Nightlife” in 2007, which was a bit more personal.

And then “Life’s Blood” was next. Yes. I write the music and lyrics for the band, and I realized at that point that we just overall needed to make a better album. Get rid of the excess and just make an album where every song from start to finish was our definition of what ‘perfect’ is. It’ so great to get a chance to talk to you. I And just make better songs, just found out about Widow recently when have a better album cover, the cover for your “Life’s Blood” CD made a list of ‘25 Creepiest Album Covers’ in the L.A. and a better everything. I Weekly. I found you online and completely fell feel like we did that with in love with the band. Tell me about the cover. “Life’s Blood.” Chris Bennett: That was really cool. We were I think you did just that. shocked actually. Timo Wuerz, who is a really Where does “Midnight great artist from Germany, designed the cover. Strikes Twice” CD fit in? We wanted something that really tied in with our “Midnight Strikes” was music. In the past we had always, in one form or our original album in 2003. another, been on our album covers, so we wanted There was interest for that to be re-issued something different. We had a concept for this around 2010, when the traditional metal thing song, ‘Lady Twilight,’ who was a lady that was was gaining a lot of popularity. People were good and evil at the same time. proclaiming that there was a whole new thing going on and we were a part of it, along with Tell me more about ‘Lady Twilight.’ I love that bands like Cauldron, White Wizzard, Icarus and song! Witch. That was kinda surprising to us, because It’s really deeper than it seems. It’s about putting we’ve been doing the same thing that we’ve your trust into people, and thinking they’re really always done. We reissued “Midnight Strikes” as good, and then you see the bad side of them “Midnight Strikes Twice,” and put our 2002 demo come out too. That’s how the evil nun thing came on there, and some video stuff. That sort of paved about. the way for “Life’s Blood,” which has been our best-received album to date. How did Widow initially form? John E. and I played together for a few years Gotcha. What are your primary influences for before that in a melodic, death metal band Widow? called Sorrow Bequest. We got some record As far as guitar playing, George Lynch, Eddie label interest, but at that point, there were band Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, King Diamond is just members that weren’t really getting along, on a huge influence on the band overall. Of course a musical and personal level. When we formed Maiden, Priest, and Metallica. But I’m also into Widow in 2000, the original intention was just thrash, death metal, and punk rock. I love The to play here locally and write some songs that Ramones, GBH, Discharged... I think, it’s kinda we like, and just have fun with the whole thing. like, mix all that together, and we create our own We’ve had a few line-up changes. Basically what sound out of that we wanted to do when we started the band was What’s your main inspiration as far as lyrics make short horror movie songs, like our own horror stories. We had three people singing at the are concerned? You mentioned horror same time, which was cool at that point. However, movies, and there seems to be a personal

Peter Lemieux, Chriss Bennett, John E. Wooten IV

element as well. For the last album it was just a lot of my own personal feelings and thoughts about life, death, relationships, and things that I’m going. In the past, when we had done our horror theme, and in “Nightlife,” the whole thing was about us. That’s when we were starting to play some shows and partying a lot. That’s kind of what that album was about. I think people associated us maybe as a party band. Lyrically, “Life’s Blood” was so different, I was almost nervous about it. I felt like I’m saying these things that are so not what Widow has been. It’s nice when your personal thoughts and feelings can connect with other people. What do you have scheduled? We are actually playing Australia for the first time in November at the Steel Assassins Festival There’s some cool bands like Elm Street, Razorwyre… I’m really hoping to hit some more places in the world that we haven’t hit. Great. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing Widow perform live! It’s been great talking to you Chris. Thank you so much Alison! And I wanna say thank you to all the Widow fans that have supported us over the years. It means the world to me! Check out “Life’s Blood,” and be on the lookout for a new album next year! Cheers. I’ll see you at the bar . . . Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 41

ayhem

Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Mastadon Photos by Scott Dworkin, Born of Osiris, Children Of the Bodom by Andrea Granillo

Summer Shreds

eather reports clued metal heads into record temps for the summer and for Rockstar’s Mayhem Festival in Southern California. The natives were getting used to the blistering sun and humidity, but not paired with the electrified air of an all-out metal concert that lasted for a full half-day. Headlining the grand production on the main stage were Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Amon Amarth and Mastodon; however, on the other side of the hill were three other sponsored stages which showcased some killer bands that deserve hard earned recognition. Fueling daylight: Sumerian Stage: Scorpion Child, City in the Sea and Headbang for the Highway Winners 1, 2 and 3. Musicians Institute Stage: Children of Bodom, Emmure, Motionless in White, Born of Osiris, Attika 7 and Thrown Into Exile. Jägermeister Stage: Machine Head, Job for a Cowboy, Butcher Babies, Battlecross and Huntress. The fields at San Manuel Amphitheater were crawling with metal heads stripped down to the essentials, and others braving the heat in skinnies and band tees. The dash between stages for set-up and tear down was nearly comical to watch as fans settled against the barricade with water bottles in hand, while chatting it up with other

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fans that traveled long distances and suffered overheated engines along the way. Mosh pits and crowd surfing were popular among the patrons; each band delivered something admirable and brought out renewed energy.

cians than just a production. These men come to the stage and play from the heart, and it is one of the most badass things that those attending the festival witnessed that day.

One thing to be sure of is that Rob Zombie never stops moving. And if you want another hard fact, he puts on a damn good performance. Something unique to Zombie that you won’t quite catch with other bands is what he gives of himself to a performance. With his wild hair, tight pants, and a long leather trench coat, Rob was able to amp up the crowd to a new level of adrenaline and brought the night to its knees. The masses were in an uproar By far one of the most interactive over Five Finger Death Punch and and lively performances you can Rob Zombie. To start, FFDP offers see. There wasn’t a member of the up killer melody and lyrics with a venue that wasn’t serenaded that front man whose voice knows no night. Down in the pit we had a few bounds. Ivan Moody is unwavering beach balls getting tossed back power while performing live with and forth from the stage, and up fellow band members who underin the lawn seats were a few scatstand the importance of dedication tered fire pits with numerous ragon the stage. Their bond with one ers circling the flames. Zombie is another and their indulgence in a master at wringing out every last excellent music allows the fans to bit of energy from his followers, reach out and experience what a and Mayhem was no exception. true show is all about. Music is an expression of life in every aspect, At the end of the night, fans were raving over the showcase while and it’s something that should be also yawning on the way to their shared and cultivated. So when cars. While the majority chose to Ivan brought up a group of kids from the audience to rock out with make the trek home before passing out, others continued to party them, everyone understood that in the lot until the traffic dispersed. there was more to these musiDown by the main stage on the other side of the hill crews were busy setting up for the final four. Dusk was upon them as hordes of people filed into the seating area. Here the fans, now needing a break from the dirt and scraggly lawn, claimed their spots in the stands and in the pit. Game time was arriving and the excitement for some metal at nightfall kept everyone on edge.

The event was a success as it allowed fans to become acquainted with new emerging artists while also witnessing major headliners. Already speculation for next year’s lineup has hit the web. Who are some bands that you’d like to see at next year’s Mayhem Festival? -Andrea Granillo

utcher abies

hen you started the band W about three years ago you guys had a drive, an idea on

what you wanted this project to become. What of your perspective has changed since you started as far as the goal you have for your music and the reception with the public. Butcher Babies: HeidiWhen we started it was more just a bunch of friends getting together and we really just wanted to create heavy music. Carla and I were in a band together prior to this. It was a cover band and we wanted to do something heavy and something original. So we quit that and that’s kind of where it all started. We just started playing music and having fun and I think we’ve kept that, which has been really great. We want to write music that we would like and then hopefully other people will like it too. I guess they have. Henry-I would say also that in the beginning there were a lot more theatrics. We were the shock-rock band; we had a lot on our stage – a big stage show. We’ve kind of focused and made it more about the performance. So our performance now is way more energy and it’s way more about the music now. Carla- I also think that lyrically we’re always written lyrics that we’ve believed in, but I think even more so now because we’ve taken it to another level and we realize how many more people we’re going to reach. We really want them to know what’s in our hearts and to really make an effort to get the messages out that we want out. You guys are going to be playing at Rob Zombie’s Great American

A Attika 7 by Chad Lee Butcher Babies by Andrea Granillo

ttika 7

Nightmare at the Pomona Fairplex on October 26th. How did that get started? Henry-We were asked to do it and we were like ‘absolutely!” I mean, we’re huge Zombie fans. We always wanted to play a show on or near Halloween, cause that’s just like our favorite time of the year. So this thing is going to be crazy! Are you guys going to have a full set? Heidi- Yeah, we’re excited for that one! Finally, a Halloween show! A real one! We crashed a Halloween party a couple years ago and it was funny cause we all went to the same party and the Spazzmatics were set to play. We were pretty new at the time. We asked them if we could borrow their instruments and play a couple songs to warm up the crowd for them at a house party, and we did and it was so funny! So since then we’ve always wanted to play a real Halloween show. For curiosity’s sake, what did you guys come out as for that Halloween show? Henry-We were huge attention whores. We have to be the center of attention all the time. Heidi-I think we had the liquid courage too. What do you guys do to get hyped up prior to going on stage? Henry-We do a cheer. This is how it

goes… Chris-On three… one…two… three… All-Buh, buh, buh, buh, Butcher Babies! Henry and Heidi-That’s what we do every show. Henry-We’ve done that for years. Would you guys like to have Who started that song? guest musicians come join Carla-We actually came up with the you on stage? Heidi-There’s always opportunity for guitar riff. It was a last minute song; we weren’t even going to put it on the that; we’re definitely open for things album. like that. It hasn’t happened yet, but if Corey Taylor walked up and said, ‘I Henry-We didn’t even rehearse it. want to sing Goliath with you’ we’d be Chris and I worked out the details and like ‘um, yeah!” talked to a producer. It came together really fast, but it was probably one of As far as the new album Goliath the stronger songs. is concerned. If you take a group of people that have never heard of Heidi- We wrote the lyrics in one you before or listen to the genre night – overnight. On the spot we and you want to persuade them were recording the song. that it is a kickass genre and a Carla- I have that word written down kickass band, what song would ‘deathsurround’. I went to mortuary you choose to best represent school and that was a term we used, that? deathsurround. I had it scribbled on a Jason-The Deathsurround. paper; I turned the page and thought Heidi- I’d do The Deathsurround as ‘that’d be cool’. well. Heidi- It also has a great meaning Chris-I Smell A Massacre. It’s one of to it. It’s a grieving process. Or the my favorites. feeling of grieve. Carla- I think The Deathsurround. Carla- Yeah, Deathsurround is That’s the heaviest one we have right like all the symptoms of grief that now. surround an individual. I think it fit Henry- That’s the song for us. perfectly for the song. Andrea Granillo

Attika 7-Rusty Coones By Andrea Granillo

You have a very interesting story, would you mind enlightening us? Rusty Coones: First of all, I never intended to do what I’m doing with the music and all. It wasn’t my ambition, it was by accident. I went to a federal prison in 1999 and I got an eight year sentence. With good time I did a little less, but I had a lot of time to think while I was inside. While I was there I used to go to the weight pile and work out with weights five days a week. I was going past the band program where the guys would play music, and I kept walking past this room hearing music. Something happened one day, I don’t know what it was, just sparked my interest to play guitar again. I started when I was nine and I took lessons, learned how to finger pick and the whole deal until I was about fourteen. So I had all the basic knowledge of music. I used to read and write actual music, not just tap. It was in my head, so I started writing music and playing with a band in there. It was mostly blues and rock. Then there was a riot in the prison I was in [in Oregon] and they sent me to Texas. When I got to Texas I had to stay in the hold in Texas for two and a half months before they put me on the yard. There was a blues Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 43

European metal background. Real shredder. With his skills as a technician and me we’ve got some great synergy. Then we have Tommy Holt on drums, he’s incredible. He saw us playing on a TV show called Devil’s Ride. He said, “I want in that band.” He found somebody that knew me, did an audition for us, and nailed the whole album. The first time, flawlessly! We said, “He’s in!” He’s a great guy, there’s no drama with the people in our band. Every guy contributes; every guy is really a team-player. What does it feel like to write? Ninety percent of the songs I write, I write to music first. The riffs and the choruses and everything before I have any words, cause I want it to feel good. I find sweet spots on the fret board that really feel good when you listen to them, and I put together the song, probably most of it, that way. Then when I start to actually write the lyrics for the song it’s the first linethat first verse is the hardest one. Cause you’ve got to set it up, and then the first words you throw in there sets it up for the next, and then all of a sudden it flows. I never name a song before it’s done because the song names itself. It’s a mistake to try and say I’m going to write a song about such and such and stick to that. What songs on the new album did you find yourself going back to for revision? Lockdown was one that has a good feel that we kept from the songs I wrote inside. Serial Killer was actually written in E4-40 and we transformed it into drop-C. Living in Oppression, Hellbound, and War was written inside.

That might be all the ones from there that we’re using right now. What did you use while you were inside? That’s a trip if you know what I had to play with. In the federal prison system they took away the electric guitars around 1995. So what they did – you had to the use the really cheap box-guitars and you had to put a portable pick-up in it. Then you had to plug it into a little tiny Marshall 10inch single speaker amp that had a distortion on it. That’s all you had. You know, your basic controls and distortion. No wah-pedals, nothing like that. I found with the PA system, they had a pretty big PA system, I mic-ed up that Marshall to the PA system every time I played and it gave it the sweetest, fullest sound throughout the whole PA. It was like night and day. I always rehearsed and always played mic-ed up through the PA system. It gave it a big fat sound. For the people that have never heard of you and your band, what song that you have written on the album best represents the band and yourself. I’m really excited about the new song Darkness. We opened the set with it. It’s probably because it’s new, but I really love playing that song. We bring a different flavor into our music with that song; it’s a little different than the rest of them. I’ve played a lot of these songs for years.

Off your set lists for this past year, which song has been your favorite? Performing “I Want To Fuck You To Death” is always a good time. It was co-writtten by Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead and so many fans scream to hear it...we can’t resist.

for Huntress. Now that I have band mates that share the same vision, I feel like I finally belong on this planet.

untress

This has been a busy year for you. With Mayhem Festival at a close, your tour with Danzig on its finishing days, and an upcoming run with Lamb of God and Killswitch Engage, what can you say about the ride that has been 2013 thus far? My bandmates and I are living the dream. It’s a bit surreal, but the most important thing to remember is the hard work never ends. We have many opportunities coming to Huntress, but unless you stay cool and humble, it ain’t worth much. So we remain sane and solid with each other. It’s all about the band, nothing else matters.

Final words for the people? Have an open mind and give us a listen or see us live before you make up an opinion about us.

Background image by Chad Lee

band down there that found out there was a guitar player in the hold, and they needed a guitar player. So two-three days after I got out of the hold we were playing my songs at a concert on a holiday for the inmates. It was really strange –it was cool. Blues is very universal and the chord progressions are very easy for a blues guitarist to learn a new song that’s a blues song. That was easy for the guys to do. We did it, and it sounded really good. While I was there I started getting interested in down-tuning. That’s what we do now; we play in drop-C. We played in drop-D while I was in prison cause we could tune back and forth between the E4-40 songs and the drop-D. I wrote thirty-two songs, I think it was, while I was in Texas. Then I got released and one of the things that I really wanted to do was put together a real band with professionals and do what we’re doing now. It took me eight and a half years to get out of prison to where I’m at now. I mean we love it, we’re moving, and it’s exciting. Are you going to pull back from the older lyrics that you have? Yes, on this album there’re nine songs, and out of that nine at least five of them were written in prison way back. They were just songs that we kept. Serial Killer is one that we played today, that’s one of the songs that was written way back. We have a bunch of other ones we rotate that are also songs from there –just too good not to keep. We have a new line up in the band that’s incredible: Ira Black on the guitar comes from a heavy metal almost

While on tour earlier this year your tour bus broke down. Can you tell us the circumstances of that situation and what turned out as a result? How do you determine what outfits you’ll wear on stage? Moreover, how do you man- Showbiz! Fortunately Huntress was sharing a bus on Mayhem Fest with Battlecross. Those age to keep up appearances on the road? Well, the real glamour isn’t on stage. It’s me in dudes are good team mates. I didn’t lose my shit, I knew these boys had my back. I don’t the back of the tour van peeing in a McDonworry very much. I have burly metal men who ald’s large soda cup while battling road work. protect me from all danger. I like those cups. They are ideal for pissing in. If I can keep my feminine drama under control What is your favorite part about touring? while touring, I can bring it harder on stage. My favorite part of touring is freedom. It’s ultiWhat is your reflection on Mayhem Festival? I’m inspired by gay men. I adore Rob Halford mate. and Freddie Mercury. The theatre within their Boot camp! That was fucking crazy! Mayhem Fest is like family to us now; it taught us many performance, I swoon. The costumes, the hot Any particularly memorable interactions spot lights. I’m a sucker for tight leather. lessons and kicked our asses. It ruled hard. with fans while on the road? What can we expect from Huntress while on Huntress has been a project that has grown Donuts. I love to find weird donut shops late at night. I always force myself into full vocal immensely in the last two years. Such tour with Lamb of God and Killswitch? widespread recognition in this span of time rest after the show, I fall asleep in the van then You can expect a raw, true heavy metal show. must have been quite the experience. Could wake up a few hours later craving donuts. Many No backing tracks, no triggers, no bullshit. fans have helped my mission. you give us some insight to how this has Prepare for the face melting! affected you? To help raise money to go on tour for MayWhich musicians would you like to tour with It fucked me up a little bit at first. I had to surhem you fundraised on Indiegogo. Can you and why? render to it. Once I did, once I chose to only live tell us the inspiration behind the perks? King Diamond, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden. I for Huntress, things have been smooth. The First of all, Huntress fans rule. They perpetually shouldn’t have to say why, really. We worship Universe has been delivering the goods. inspire me. I knew that if we launched an Indithem. How has your goal changed or developed? egogo fundraiser, we’d have to make it unique Your latest music video Zenith has relike our music. Fans are smart. And crowd Nothing has changed. I’ve always known my cently been released on YouTube. Reception funding has a stigma. Huntress has humility; we purpose. I was singing before I could speak. seems to be doing quite well. What was your never want to hide that. The fans relate to our Anyone that knows me, truly knows me, has initial vision going into this video and how nerdy shit, so we stayed humble and offered up seen my journey and how clear it has always do you reflect on the finished product? some amazing perks that were intriguing. The been. It’s developing faster because we have Every music video Huntress creates, we underfans inspired us. people who believe in us now. Our manager stand this going to be part of our legacy. The Jackie is magic. How was it executing these perks? [Water destruction of mediocrity inspires me. balloon fights, Donkey Kong, etc…] What have you noticed in the evolution of How do you come up with ideas for your your music and the way you take to writing? The water balloon fights were awesome in music videos? 110 degrees! And meeting fans who invested The evolution is very organic. Which in some I have amazing visionaries who have found me, in our vision was thrilling for me! It was cool, ways surprised me because before we were like Phil Mucci and Simon Chan. But much of man. Together we will blaze a new path for true signed, I thought it would be a challenge to it comes from the cosmos. I’m tapped into a heavy metal! write one album a year. But it’s so effortless Andrea Granillo higher source. 44 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 45

Neil Zlozower AtlasIcons.com 46 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 47

proar

Alice in Chains, Coheed and Cambria, Danko Jones, New Politics, Dead Daisies, Walking Papers, Janes Addiction by Igor Vidyashev

48 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

proar Festival hit Toronto on a sunny Tuesday, August 20th, 2013, with acts like Walking Papers, Coheed and Cambria, Jane’s Addiction and Alice in Chains. The softer one of the two Rockstar Enegry Drink’s cross-country tours, Uproar Fest was by no means soft. Combining rock-n-roll, punk and grunge acts, there was something to like for everyone. Held at The Molson Amphitheatre and the nearby grounds. There were two smaller stages erected side by side, as for the Mayhem Festival. The acts playing throughout the day shared these stages. The merch booths were once again on the right hand side (if you’re facing the stage) and the sponsor booths – on the left side. All the food vendors were placed closer to the Amphitheatre and beer was available at the beer-stands all around the grounds. For a regular festival-goer this layout would be as familiar as a house they grew up in. The first band that I caught were Middle Class Rut. They are a rhythm driven rock band with a punk attitude from Sacramento. The fascinating thing about their set was the addition of a second drum kit, which added to the anthem-y feel of their songs. Check out “New Low” to get their jist. Next up were Chuck Shaffer Picture Show. These guys are still riding the punk wave of mid 2000’s. Walking Papers were showing everyone what the term “professional musician” really stands for. Catchy rock-n-roll tunes with a sprinkle of blues, the ones you would expect from seasoned musicians like Duff McKagan (ex Guns N Roses) and Barrett Martin (ex The Screaming Trees, Mad Season). Incredible stage presence over-

pouring with confidence and not cockiness, with singer Jeff Angell hopping down from the stage and into the crowd during the set. The Dead Daisies are an Australian rock-nroll band with a similar feel to Walking Papers. Admirably, they went on stage even with Jon Stevens (vocals) covered in casts (for his leg and hand) and delivered a solid performance, that got people to stop and nod their heads along with the songs. A “Helter Skelter” cover was a nice addition to a great set. Danko Jones were the last band to play before the headliners and they brought the house down. Torontonians were eager to support the local band with everything they got. Jones is a great front-man, making the audience crack up over and over again. Plus their riff-driven songs worked like a charm to pump up

the energy for the headliners. Miss Uproar contest served as an intermission. While all the beautiful girls were walking up and down the main stage people had time to grab snacks and find their seats. With a background of two naked women and a set of swings on either side, the crowd knew it was time for Jane’s Addiction. Opening the set with “Underground” with enough energy for 3 Amphitheatres, Jane’s Addiction got the fans screaming, clapping and whistling. Soon enough the venue started filling up. Perry Farrell (vocals) was dancing all around the stage, not forgetting to execute some impressive vocals. Molson Amphitheatre was packed and ready for Alice in Chains. With all my respects to the late Layne Staley, William DuVall fills the shoes of the lead vocalist nicely. He is very energetic and almost cat-like sometimes, he adds his own vocal touches to everyone’s beloved songs while maintaining overall integrity and the second guitar thrown in on newer songs builds an extra layer to the already distinct sound that is Alice in Chains. Jerry Cantrell (lead guitar, back vocals) is a true master of his art and mixed with Mike Inez’s careless attitude, the band is a monster that can’t be stopped. Alice in Chains obviously played a bunch of the fan favourites, including “Would?” “Man in the Box” and opening the set with “Them Bones,” however it was great to hear them play new material from The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here - “Hollow” and “Stone”. “Got Me Wrong” had everyone take out their cellphones and lighters. Closing the night with “Rooster” was the cherry on top of the already delicious cake. Overall, Uproar turned out to be fun. And if you still haven’t seen Alice in Chains live, you’re missing out big time. By: Raya Morrison

Kemical Kill by Anlly Nova Rex by Elisa Hansen

ruefest

osing a child is a pain which any parent should never have to endure. Vince Neil of Motley Crüe was one who underwent this tragedy when his daughter Skylar had fallen in her battle against cancer at the age of four. In her memory the Skylar Neil foundation was established,

they played to encourage positive reaction. The power of music is a force that is beyond compare. If nothing else, Kemical Kill’s talent and confidence allowed for an amusing display which undoubtedly brought viewers to appreciate and since their performance was proof that the night not only for its purpose, 2001 Crüefest these men haven’t lost their touch. but for its music as well. Hollywood In honor of the night’s purpose, If it weren’t for bands such as has taken root these musicians were present to these which not only realize the to provide enthuse and welcome any dona- power of music, but the moveproceeds for tions for the cause. Their efforts ment and compassion it can crethe benefit of were fruitful and crowd reaction ate within a concert atmosphere, those currently and resulting contribution demon- we would not have the same in their own strated their success. environment for success that exfight. ists with events such as Crüefest. Kemical Kill was founded early Two bands which came The significance lies in the gather2013 by guitarist Nik Kai. The out to rock Sunset Boulevard ing of people which acknowledge twelve year old prodigy isn’t a were Nova Rex and Kemical Kill. and fuel the cause for a better stranger to his instrument, nor The members of Nova Rex have future for others like Skylar. Until does he fail to see the weight of never been strangers to entertainnext year, keep rocking out and what this occasion inspires. The ing from the stage. Past footage remember that every donation band as a whole handled the is a prime indicator of this and crowd with considerable ease as makes a difference. By Andrea Granillo Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 49

igantour

Megadeth Black Label Society

greatest expectations lay on Black Label Society and Newsted, but the day held a lot of pleasant surprises in store.

After a parade of festivals like Warped Tour and Mayhem Fest, with multiple stages and seemingly never-ending line-ups of bands, Gigantour might feel like a step down, a cool-off as the summer comes to an end. The shy bill consisting of five bands – Megadeth, Black Label Society, Device, Hellyeah and Newsted. This might have sounded suspicious to fans, who would otherwise run at the opportunity to see Megadeth and BLS play a gig together. However, with exmembers of Metallica, Pantera, Mudvayne, Disturbed at their foundation, my

It was a warm sunny day in Toronto, in spite of its tendency to spoil festivals with rain. Thrashers and metal enthusiasts of all ages were gathering at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, mostly in Megadeth and BLS t-shirts. The excitement was in the air. People were drinking beer and chatting in between the sets, sharing their experience and expectations for upcoming bands. Newsted were opening the day, with their balls-to-the-wall heavy metal. Catchy riffs, fast drums, short but sweet solos and raspy vocals is everything that makes thrash genre so appealing. Jason

Newsted proved that he still has the drive and aggression of a 20year old. He played “Whiplash” (originally by Metallica). From the first notes the crowd went nuts for this classic. The mosh-pit broke out, people stood up from their seats raising horns to the skies. This single-handedly set the mood for the entire day. Hellyeah were up next. They are a super-group, consisting of Chad Gray (vocals) and Greg Tribbett (guitar) of Mudvayne, Tom Maxwell (guitar) of Nothingface, Bob Zilla (bass) of Damageplan and the legendary Vinnie Paul (exPantera) on drums. Chad Gray is an entertaining frontman, jumping and running around the stage all the time. In fact he was doing it so much that he cut his head open,

and blood came rushing down the side of his face. The audience responded to all Gray’s requests and there were mosh-pits going around. They performed a lot of their singles, like “Drink Drank Drunk,” “You Wouldn’t Know,” and “Hellyeah.” “War In Me,” had a refreshing guitar solo at the end of the song, Jason Newsted came on stage for a song and shared the bass duties. Device was the dark horse of the tour, but it worked for them. David Draiman’s voice was the strongest it had ever been live. Not having a bass player and using samples was not a disadvantage, as Will Hunt’s drumming was fast and pounding. A shocking cover of Lita Ford’s “Close My Eyes Forever,” went out to all the guys who

Igor Vidyashev

ith the 5th instalment of the heavy metal festival Dave Mustaine proves that he still has tricks up his sleeves.

plash ingdom

with much positive feedback. One wouldn’t expect such a small space to provide a barricade, but the foresight was spot on. Due to the band’s energetic nature and musical style, those that came to see them were in an uproar. Throughout the evening Smile Empty Soul’s lyrics could be heard throughout Splash Kingdom, and not a single listener was disappointed by the pleasant invasion. A mere two months later on Sunday, July 21st the Voodoo Glow Skulls came to play. With a unique sound that demands further listening, the members played with an enthusiasm that is few and far between with other recent acts. Such vigor is what puts these musicians over the top and makes them an act for the books. If you’re looking to be entertained with some upbeat tunes, Voodoo Glow Skulls are a band you should definitely look into.

Not three weeks passed and already we have another memorable act! On Saturday, August 3rd Adema swarmed in. From their beginning notes all through to the end of their set, these gents had a knack for reigning in plash Kingdom is an uncanny entertainment center which houses the attention of their listeners and keeping them entranced throughout. the best trampoline park in the Redlands, but also a riveting water Their guitar solos were the product of some solid work and the arrangepark. Out of these, one would unlikely be inclined to believe that ments to flow with the lyrics brought out the best representation of their on the upper floors of the kingdom is a bar and entertainment center. Of overall sound. course, the parents of the targeted audience need a bit of R&R themselves, and this is just the place to get it. The upstairs lounge houses a All in all, Splash Kingdom is maintaining its reputation for housing fantastic bands throughout the year. If you’re fortunate enough to live in the modest yet fulfilling hall that has recently held a multitude of shows. A few noteworthy bands have come to grace the stage and yet the running Redland area, feel encouraged to keep tabs on the place and check out business has managed to keep its walls secure after the consistent rock the next event. There are many more musical acts to be uncovered, so don’t miss out. out sessions above. Smile Empty Soul graced the stage on Friday, May 17th and was met

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Andrea Granillo

Matt Upton

Device Hellyeah wanted to get laid that night. Device’s rendition of the song earned respect of many fans in the audience – it was flawless! Closing the set with a cover of “Wish” (Nine Inch Nails) was a bold move. Suddenly, Molson Amphitheatre was packed, as a sure signal that Black Label Society were about to start their set. Zakk Wylde and the gang came out with a bang, a solid wall of Marshall amps behind them. Air-tight waves of sound covered the venue from the front row to the very last man standing. The fans seemed to be enchanted by BLS - hands raised up the whole time, mosh-pits never stopping for a second. Apart from Zakk Wylde’s epic 8 minute long solo, Wylde shredded out some mighty fine licks. The set was a crowdpleaser, a compilation

of Black Label Society’s greatest hits, such as “Crazy Horse,” “Overlord,” and “Godspeed Hell Bound.” Nick Catanese and John DeServio are extremely entertaining to watch. A loving relationship with their fans; they constantly threw extra picks into the crowd and people went right after them like blood-thirsty hounds. The band concluded the set with “Stillborn” and Zakk Wylde’s gorilla chest-beating (fans go ape-shit for it!). The moment that everybody was waiting for arrived. The anticipation was almost unbearable as the back screens lit up slowly spelling out “Megadeth.” The band walked on stage going straight into “Trust.” Megadeth is definitely NOT a novelty act. These guys might look nice and have one of the biggest followings in the metal scene, but they are true to

their music and what they do. They never held back, and gave 110%, and the crowd knew. The fans could feel it in their bones. The energy was unbelievable, the band and the audience seemed to have an intense intimate connection of mutual appreciation and love. The whole band was working together like a family, no one outshining one another. Megadeth played a good mix of their most beloved songs, with a couple of tunes from their newest album Super Collider. The mosh-pit was sometimes interrupted by an overwhelming urge to sing along. And yes, there were guest appearances. David Dreiman of Device came on stage for “Dance in the Rain” (he also is a guest singer for it on the album). Then, after a cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Cold Sweat”, no one other than Jason Newsted came on stage, sans-bass. What happened

next was beyond any fan’s wildest dreams – they broke into “Phantom Lord,” (Metallica cover). The two underdogs united to celebrate their achievements. This was definitely the climax of the show, “Symphony of Destruction” followed as a calm down. At the end of the set Mustaine said a heart-warming speech about finishing the fifth year of Gigantour, thanking the fans for supporting them throughout the years. The show ended to “Silent Scorn”, and everybody started heading for the exit. I can now fully see the appeal of the tour. Five band line-up is practical, allowing musicians to have longer sets. It is also much easier on the ear. Bigger doesn’t always equal better. And with a stronger line-up I would gladly participate in this event next year. Rock on! By: Raya P Morrison

ake Music Pasadena

he Make Music Pasadena is Southern California’s largest free music festival. Every venue, street and bar hosted live music. We had the pleasure of taking over the 35er Bar and turning it into a live rock music stage. A Hot Mess had the pleasure of starting off the day being the first to perform getting everyone’s attention, bringing in people that passed by. As the day continued we introduced our giveaway of the day a SG epiphone provided by Epiphone. Everyone received a raffle ticket and were told to come back at 8 for the winning announcement. Freedom was up next, warming up the crowd, and having a few heads nod to their sound. Rust N Roll came up afterwards having people from outside stop to see what the commotion was about as this band did a cover of a few classic old rock hits. Radio Suicide performed next, preparing the crowd for some heavier music. A little punk to add to the night, had younger crowds that couldn’t come into the bar watch from outside. Finally the night was ending and our headliners arrived. 100 Hundred Proof filled up the bar inside and outside all around, their hip-hop mix sound with rock has been a unique taste in this industry creating all

kinds of fans. Sullen Musik to support them with no doubt they and anyone under this label will be recognized and loved. A crowd gathered eagerly as we got the guitar in its case and the numbers mixed in a jar. As we called out the numbers everyone looked around, voices were being shouted from the back someone had won. The winner came up, everyone that worked in the bar had started to applaud as it had been one of their regular drinkers who had came to the bar this day not knowing of the event. Pasadena by this point had started to clean up the streets and open the roads. Everyone was left with a day to remember and that lucky guy with a prize he did not expect, but was really grateful and enthusiastic to have won. For information on the Make Music Pasadena please visit: makemusicpasadena.org

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 51

WAR

52 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

few times. They also instigated the first wall of death of the day, in which I had the honor of participating. Battlecross also had the biggest and most brutal pit of the day up till that point, with the pit spilling out of the small covered second stage into the surrounding area. I was able to catch up with Battlecross singer Kyle Gunther after their set and asked his thoughts about the festival and being asked to play as a younger band. He said, “Defintely an honor. GWAR is a huge staple in metal. I’ve never heard of a shitty GWAR show, you know. It’s just awesome to see a band doing what they want to do. As an artist that’s what you strive for. It’s a fucking huge party man. Everybody’s out here fucking partying and just having a great time. It’s a great little festival. Hopefully next year it gets bigger.” The day ended with the main reason everybody came out to a sleepy waterpark in Richmond, VA in the first place, to pay homage to our Antarctic dwelling, interstellar, scumdog overlords, GWAR. If you have never had the privilege of seeing a GWAR show, it is the vilest, most obscene, offending, vulgar, and disgusting thing you will ever love. By the second song GWAR had killed a priest, raped him with his cross, and sprayed the crowd with enough fake blood to make any slasher film director queasy. By the end of the third song, Jesus himself had been crucified, had his skin ripped off and been dismembered all while continuously spraying the crowd with more fake blood. Being sprayed at a GWAR show is a rite of passage, known simply as being blooded. In fact, many fans showed up with homemade white GWAR t-shirts just for the chance of being hit by the blood and staining their shirts as a badge of honor. Near the end of GWAR’s set, they graciously allowed several of their VIP subjects to share the stage and be ground into a pulp by the GWAR Meatgrinder, undoubtedly helping jump start next year’s meat supply. GWAR-B-Q was a day I shall not soon forget. I made a few new friends, discovered some new bands, ate amazing food, drank some great beer, and participated the in greatest charity event I can think of. That’s right, this is a charity event, all the proceeds of this amazing party filled day of chaos that brings the metal community together at the end of summer goes to Ring Dog Rescue. Ring Dog is a pit bull rescue that does everything they can to rescue pit breeds and end dog fighting. And you thought our GWAR overlords didn’t have a heart... GWAR-B-Q needs to be on every metalhead’s bucket list. Where else can you have the party of your life and support a great organization at the same time? You won’t regret it!

Graham Denzler

After a few more bands, including the extremely colorful Kung Fu Dykes, my nose and my stomach decided it was time to partake in the legendary GWAR-B-Q sandwich. I walked down to the food tent where the Grill Ghoul, GWAR’s personal chef, was eagerly preparing slab after slab of succulent slow roasted pork for his masters’ human guests. A generous mound of pulled pork is piled onto a bun and smothered in the famous GWAR-B-Q Sauce for a reasonable $5 price tag. I headed over the beer tent, grabbed a GWAR-B-Q Brew and headed for a picnic table. To call the BBQ delicious would be an understatement. This was one of the best BBQ sandwiches I’ve ever had, 2013 marks the 4th annual GWAR-B-Q and the and the sauce really does live up to its legend. 2nd year of hosting at Hadad’s Lake just outside A bold flavored sauce with a kick, I honestly of Richmond, VA. Just like most other festivals believe GWAR-B-Q sauce can make any piece GWAR-B-Q used two stages, a main large tourof meat into a masterpiece as they claim. To ing trailer stage and the small covered wooden be completely honest, the meat didn’t need the stage Hadad’s Lake uses for local live music. sauce; the perfectly smoked flavored pork was This year’s line-up featured 12 bands from all amazing by itself. Please don’t tell Balsac I said walks of the metal spectrum ensuring the listenthat, I would like to keep my head. The perfect ing pleasure of all in attendance. The bands complement to a perfect sandwich, GWAR-B-Q that fueled this year’s party included: Kung-Fu Brew was a hoppy, pale ale that cleansed the Dykes, Volture, Mobile Death Camp, Wilson, pallet well and complemented the bold sauce. Warbeast, Cannabis Corpse, Pig Destroyer, Municipal Waste, Corrosion of Conformity, Or- As the day heated up, so did the festivities. gan Donor, Battlecross, X-Cops, and of course Hopefuls had to submit an essay of why they should be allowed to participate and were hand the mighty GWAR. Loincloth was originally on selected by GWAR before the festival. Competithe list this year, but tragically had to drop off tors were given nicknames at registration to the event after guitarist Tannon Penland and protect true identities or add to the humility, his family were involved in a serious, but nonlife threating auto accident. Best wishes to Tan- whichever way you want to view it. Events this year included: King of Swing, Beware the Blob, non and his family on a speedy recovery. This and Sperm and Slide and Die. Each event left a hole in the lineup, but, local Richmond, VA death metallers Organ Donor answered the was judged by a completely smashed panel call and delivered a crushing set in Loincloth’s of judges. All 20 contestants participated in place. This was also a very special GWAR-B-Q, the first event, the King of Swing, where each with former GWAR members reuniting for a one contestant had two attempts on giant rope swings to flail their way through the air with show only reunion of X-Cops, 17 years after the top-ten average scores moving on to the their last show together. next round. Event two, Beware the Blob, again Opening the day to a completely sold out crowd gave two attempts to contestants to impress was one of the two bands supplied by Detroit, their drunken judges while flailing through the Michigan, Wilson. Wilson has a bluesy groove air after being launched from a giant airbag in mixed with a southern rock sound filled with the the water. The top four average scores moved lyrics of a guy hell bent to have a good time. on to the final round, the Sperm and Slide and The entire band plays as if every show is their Die. Round three is part obstacle course, part last. During their final song of their set Nicefield swimming contest and 100 percent abuse. walked through the crowd with a The winner was known only as Goldmember, marching bass drum branded with a small, young guy in a gold Speedo. This his “fuckery” motto beating it to the lucky guy left with a trophy, a GWAR prize pack beat of the song as he walked, and including shirts, a skate deck, signed gear, sought out the help of crowd members a signed GWAR guitar, and zero dignity. He to help him “beat off” as he put it. Even also was thrown through the legendary GWAR other bands came around Meatgrinder on stage during their set making to cheer these his glory and fame short lived. guys on. GWAR By midafternoon, the sold out crowd had shown could not have up in full force. Detroit Thrash aficionados picked a better Battlecross played such a crushing set on the band to start off second stage that the PA system for the stage the festivities of kept going out and had to be fixed mid song a the day. he end of summer is often celebrated with one last cook out, one last party, a last hoorah for students and adults alike before the dreaded fall rears its ugly head. The scumdog overlords of GWAR take this tradition to another level; hosting the biggest, most brutal and insane barbeque of the year to send summer out with a bang. GWAR invites a few thousand of their closest friends, sacrifice a few hundred of their animal slaves for their human companions to consume, bring a dozen bands to become the soundtrack to the devastation about to unfold, and provide enough beer to quench the thirst of Odin himself.

Justin “Warbeard” Ingold

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 53

A& K S maranthe

obra and the Lotus

unset Boulevard finally got a taste of Swedish/Danish metal rockers Amaranthe! The group managed to make it to the United States on their latest tour and the fan reception was incredible. The Roxy is a beloved venue and for good reason. Intimate shows in small venues are about as precious as it gets. Playing first were locals, Sign of Sirin, who openly admitted that this was their second live performance. For a four-piece band, they did remarkably well and came forth with positive energy and a strong handling of their respective instruments. Next up was another local band by the name of Sirion. This six-member band, has played Hollywood numerous times.

obra and the Lotus

How has the new album been doing? Kobra and the Lotus: [Kobra] it’s been amazing, actually. We have had a really good run with this record and we’ve had a really great number of tours. The last couple of tours promoting the album have been very successful, very positive and it’s been very encouraging for us. Tell us a fun tour story with some of the bands that you guys have toured with? Kobra: This tour has been really fun because we’re both bands that are growing right now. The cool thing about them is that they’re very youthful and it’s not very common for that to happen when you’re supporting a band, so we’ve had a ton of fun with them. One of the funniest things has been some of the reviews, the live reviews saying Morten, their drummer, is an amazing drummer because he plays not only with Amaranthe but does the Kobra and the Lotus set before. They keep thinking that him and Griffin are the same person, which they are actually the same person. Yeah, it’s been pretty humorous. Tell me a little bit about you guys and how you got into the business. How’d you start playing? Charlie: Well, I started playing almost thirteen years ago, but recently joined the band nine months ago. Kobra sent me an email and I traveled from Peru to Canada to join the band. It’s been awesome so far. Griffin:I don’t know. My friends needed a drummer so they asked me to drum. So I did it. Jasio:I started playing classical piano at the age of five. By the time I was thirteen I was so sick of classical music that I really wanted to play some rock or metal or whatever. So I bought a guitar and haven’t stopped since. Robert:Jas and I grew up together and played in bands growing up all the time. We basically just developed out own tastes and styles, and that’s what got us into the music. I got a call about a week before 54 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

There is a very good chance that you’ve seen them open for names like Turisas, Sabaton, Katatonia, Arsis, Krisiun, Holy Grail, Intronaut, and Huntress, among many others. These gents are quite interactive and get as close as they can to the crowd. There is much to expect of this band that deserves to be so much more than an opener. Be sure to look out for Sirion at your next metal show in the LA area where you are guaranteed to be amazed and wanting more. Third on the bill were Canadian rockers Kobra and the Lotus fronted by none other than Kobra Paige. The most astounding and flattering comparison has been Dio, and those are some serious shoes to fill. The band’s Facebook page states that “the defining factor here is a

this tour to learn this material. Next thing I knew I was in New York City playing on stage with them, and so far it’s been a great experience. Kobra: Very similar story. I just got into classical music when I was eight years old and started singing and playing piano as well. Same as Jasio, but it was a little later for me. When I was fifteen and I saw Judas Priest and I didn’t want to do anything else. That was that. How do you come up with the concepts for your music videos? Kobra: I don’t know. They just come into my head. I’ll be listening to the song and there’ll be a story behind it and I’ll usually see something. Then we’ll see how best we can make it come into play. The process for Forever One, that one was a live video, and the song is really for the fans to just recognize that we’re all on the same playing level when we meet each other. We need them. We all feel stronger when we have each other’s support. That was kind of the only one that’s not wild. More of an introduction of what’s going to happen live with the band. When you write the songs, do you have ideas you’d like to see in the videos during or after? Kobra: Sometimes it’s been afterwards and sometimes it’s been during. For example, Welcome to my Funeral came after the song was written, but it was almost instantaneous because of what the song was written about. It just made sense to have my own funeral in the video. Tell me a bit about your writing process. Kobra: The writing process happens in a few different ways. I use the piano and the guitar to get my ideas out. I write a lot on Guitar Pro to send to the guys and they can play it for me. The other guys also write material, they’ll write riffs, they’ll write full songs of music. Usually there’s no lyrics or melody lines until later. Or we’ll fill in each other’s parts and collaborate it a lot. If I see something cool I’ll go and work on it and make it consis-

commitment to engage, entertain & excite” and the band did exactly that and so much more. At the onset of the show, all members were going full-out on the intro of their song “Nayana”, a fan favorite and an excellent introductory song to their discography. Kobra came running from the depths of the stage and went straight to the front to serenade and throw her lovely mane in the air. The chemistry between those in the band was palpable and identifiable in their movements. How they rocked out beside one another, leaned against and played as if taunting the others to kick it up yet another notch all came back to their dedication to the music. Don’t rob yourself of the opportunity to check out this band and see what they have for future releases. Members: Kobra Paige [vocals], Jasio Kulakowski [guitar], Charlie Parra Del Riego

tent somehow. It’s good to keep things a little fresh and spiced up here and there. It’s hard sometimes to not get stuck in that box. How did you feel when you got Gene Simmon’s seal of approval? Kobra: Pretty surreal. I couldn’t actually believe it was happening. We’re so lucky to have this man as a cheerleader on our team. We get to work with this man that has been in this industry and has grown this monster of a band/project that has become globally recognized. One of the hardest things that I’ve found within this industry and coming into the industry, is that everyone has to learn things by trial and error. We didn’t know anything; I didn’t know anything when I first started the band five years ago. Learning how it works, learning what to do in this situation and how to get to the next stage. To have a person like Gene Simmons come in where he has this knowledge of so many years of experiences and he has grown this beast, to have that is an amazing tool. You have played a lot of festivals, as well as toured. Which one do you find is your personal favorite? Kobra: Festivals are so fun. I can’t wait for our next festival. We talk about it all the time. I couldn’t say

which one –they all ruled. There’s one that’s pretty bad, that’s actually why I mostly remember it. It wasn’t just a great festival, but it was just ridiculously hot. We played at 11 in the morning Milan, Italy. We were right dead in the sun and I was wearing leather from head to toe, so I was drenched and running around. I remember being on stage and being so out of breath, but I was having such a good time. It was the last festival on tour so we were giving it our all. When we got off the stage I was so sick from sun stroke. I had to go and have a shower, and then I sat in a towel for five hours in the back. We had ice on my head. What do you do for fun out on the road? Kobra:Go skateboarding around the city. We go to the movies. We watch a lot of movies, probably way too many movies. I guess that’s really it. We don’t really have a lot of free time. We try and do some fitness; we go on runs if we can because that’s kind of the only thing you can do. In our spare time, that’s mostly what we’ll do: write music and also do little work outs if we have the energy for it.

[guitar], Robert Steele [bass], and Lord Griffin Kissack [drums]

Finally, the final drop of the curtain before it would unveil the headliner and the cause of the evening’s excitement. Traveling a long way from home takes a major toll on the body. Vocalist Jake E. figured this out the hard way with a healing elbow infection and what seems to have been some sort of cold. One might assume that the performance suffered, but this was not the case with Amaranthe. For this final American performance date, everyone was right on the mark. Elize looked divine as always on stage, and she utilized a few costume changes that worked around the band’s ballad Amaranthine. Olof Mörck practically melted his guitar with the speed and precision with which he played. Johan

Photos by Andrea Granillo

maranthe

This is your first tour through America as Amaranthe. How does it feel? Elize Ryd: It feels amazing. It’s been a big dream for a very long time, for me personally, going to the US and perform. In some way it has been a dream since I was a little kid, and with Amaranthe we started to talk about it five years ago when we wrote the first songs. And now we’re here and the response has been amazing. We just love being here and we love the fans and everything has been great. We feel a little bit sad that we have to go home tomorrow; this is our last show in LA here tonight. Is there a certain place that you’ve been fortunate to play in that holds particular significance to you? Olof Mörck: Absolutely! I mentioned briefly North Africa, and we were talking about Tunisia in specific. This was actually the first show that our band played outside of our home country and it was just a couple of weeks after the revolution happened in Tunisia. It was two years ago, because the entire North Africa was run by dictators- dictatorships. They had this revolution happening, the people got to vote, and Tunisia was turning into a democracy. We were scheduled to play there two weeks after this whole thing happened. We figured that it was going to be cancelled because it was still a bit unstable, but the show happened anyway and the American embassy to Tunisia decided that they should use this rock n roll concert to promote democracy. So they moved us from a 300 capacity venue to an 8,000 capacity venue. As we hit the stage there with American Symphony X, we realized this show isn’t about us; it’s about them- these guys and their freedom. People would walk up to us afterward and say, “I couldn’t wear this t-shirt two months ago. Thank you guys so much for coming,” it’s still giving me goose bumps just thinking about it. It was quite the experience. Amaranthe actually started with

was characteristically entertaining, charming and “Johan-ish”. That last one is with particular attention to his side vs. side screaming game with the crowd. Morten obliterated his drum solo and moved the audience to a new beat. Lastly, there was Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson who stood in as the band’s screamer. Andreas Solveström, while back at home tending to his family, was unable to embark on the band’s American adventure. No worries, as a friend and fellow musician, Henrik stepped in to fill the void and did an outstanding job. His showmanship was flawless and demanded the attention of every person in the venue. The set for the night was a meticulously organized mix of both older songs and tracks off of their latest release The Nexus. This album is the perfect follow to their previous self-titled album Amaranthe. Surely, fans were not disappointed

you and Jake. What was the initial spark for the idea of Amaranthe? How did you determine the overall concept and aesthetic? What were the goals for the project in the beginning and how do you think they’ve changed or developed over the years? Olof Mörck: Basically, we had a collaborative between a lot of different musical situations. For example, Jake helped me out with some of the writing of Dragonland record Astronomy. And I was also helping him to produce their second Dreamland album, and a lot of collaborations like that. Same thing with Elize as well with singing on both Dreamland and Dragonland records, so there was a lot of that going back and forth. I realized when I was doing that stuff that Jake was one of the better vocalists that I have ever worked with in my career. Still, for some strange reason it took us a lot of years to realize that we should do something full-time together. There was actually a situation where a guy from the outside was suggesting to pay me, Elize and Jake to do a project together full-time. He has this vision that it would be the most incredible project ever. It’s very ironic now that we’re actually doing a project together that has really taken off. But basically the project me and Jake were talking about was to do this kind of Avantasia-Gothenburg All-Star metal thing, and we were going to bring in people from bands like In Flames, Dark Nobility and Hammerfall. All kinds of acts, you know? We tried Elize and Andy who were two of those guests because they were friends of ours, and obviously very talented singers. When we heard the results on the first track, I think it was “Leave Everything Behind” or “Enter the Maze” or something like that, we were mind blown- we need to do a band out of this. And we got confirmed when we posted a few songs on our MySpace page. It just took off. We had like five record deals in our inbox in the first week. When we realized we could actually do a band, not only a project with people who were also very good friends that you’re probably going to

with the turnout of the night. Members: Elize Ryd [female vocals], Jake E. [male vocals], Andreas Solveström [screams], Olof Mörck [guitar/keys], Johan Andreassen [bass], Morten Løwe Sørensen [drums], and Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson [screams]. After the concert was finished and the traditional photo op in front of the crowd was taken, the guys and gal wandered off to the back to cool off and to tear down the set for the upcoming flight to their next stop on tour. Everyone came out for more photos and signatures with fans that waited on Sunset and the “after party” and celebration of their final show in the States was held at the Rainbow Room next door. Ending the night with a few drinks was a classic end to an extraordinary day that is sure to hold fans over until Amaranthe’s next round of U.S. tour dates. -Andrea Granillo

be able to tour with quite a lot, then that whole thought was very appealing as well. We definitely created some type of family from then. What is the dynamic on tour? You know, bunch of guys, solo girl… granted you do have Kobra Paige, so that must be fun. How is it touring with Kobra and the Lotus? Elize Ryd: it’s been great! They’re fantastic people. For me to have another girl on the tour it make a huge difference, I really love that. Kind of like touring with Alissa? Elize Ryd: Oh yeah, that was amazing! Oh, we did so many girly stuff together I really love her. Kobra is also a super sweet girl, so I’m very pleased. Hopefully we can do another tour them sometime. Olof Mörck: Yeah, absolutely! The dynamic has been uncommonly good. We did a European tour with Stratovarius, that was also fantastic, really nice guys. So I think it would be very fortunate from the last couple of tours having group dynamics that works very well. Obviously we’ve been touring with a lot of fucking amazing people in other circumstances, but this time specifically it’s been –like with Stratovarius guys and the Kobra guys- it’s been truly awesome. Elize Ryd: It is super important to connect with the people, because

it’s so hard if you’re on tour and you don’t have dynamic. It takes a lot of energy. They’ve been giving us energy, and I hope we’ve been giving them energy. We just like each other. We’re going to cry tonight probably because it’s the last show. We really don’t want to leave. Olof Mörck: That’s going to be depressing as hell. Last day on your American tour. Are there any last words you’d like to say prior to going on stage? Elize Ryd: Well yeah. We’d like to thank all of the American crowds we had and all of the people that worked with us. We’re just so grateful to come here and we really want to come back here soon. And the promoters also have been great. Olof Mörck: Yeah, I’m just going to agree with Elize. We obviously want to thank Kobra and the Lotus for being amazing people and a great band to tour with. All the kids that come out to the shows, and all the non-kids as well, we are humbled by the support we’ve been shown here in the States. There is no question that we will come back as soon as possible and possibly even this year. Looking forward to being back! -Andrea Granillo Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 55

SMF

or those new to the name Sunset music festival, it is a 3-day music festival created in 2008 that occurs every year with a lineup of over 50 bands performing through out the Sunset strip in West Hollywood, Ca. This year the amazing Joan Jett was honoree of the festival and the city proclaimed Thursday August 1, 2013 Joan Jett Day. She then proceeded to performing at the HOB with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Filling up the venue from the second floor to the first with fans of all ages, lyric to lyric everyone sang and jumped to her performance. Movie artists – to musicians, sat VIP on the 2nd floor sitting down watching and supporting her. It was a comeback- that left people talking for days, she took us back to a time in life that either we lived or had wanted to be born in.

Above: Joan Jett Left: Hoobastabk Right: Linkin Park

56 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

Aug 3, the day the whole strip gets shut down and no one can enter unless you have a ticket, or work in any of the business stores in the area. It was a hot sweaty sunny day; everyone was making the line for today’s show. Linkin Park was to headline – everyone rushed to make line to try and get as close as they could. Leaving half of the venues empty, the line was immense. Fans and photographers spread pictures of this night in social media showing how packed the night and performance was. Everyone is still talking about the festival, and eager to know what bands the next year will come with. It is an amazing opportunity for bands to come perform in the U.S and bring back the history of rock that inspires and influences what many of us miss or never experienced.

For information on the SSMF please visit: www.sunsetstripmusicfestiThe second day of the festival on val.com Aug 2 we caught a great performance by Cherri Bomb at the Roxy, -Anlly who we insisted on interviewing as their music, style and performance caught our attention. We ended the night moving to Hoobastank’s performance at the famous Whiskey A Go Go. Playing old songs to new songs, as if years never had gone by, hardly anyone sat down trying to catch the band in action. Finally, the last of the SSMF arrived,

herri omb

Linkin Park: Alex Kluft, All others: Anlly

herri Bomb – what started off as an all girl rock band with Julia Pierce on lead vocals, Nia Lovelis on drums, Miranda Miller on lead guitar/vocals, Rena Lovelis –Nia’s sister on Bass/Vocals. Getting attention not only because they were merely children (ages 11 and younger in 2008) who could not just play their own instruments, but all sing as well. Writing from lyrics to riffs or drum solos, all together they won the hearts of media, fans, even famous known musicians, instantly getting signed into Hollywood Records. Even though they did not name their band after the song by “The Runaways,” they share a similar story. Because of “creative differences,” the band replaced their lead singer Julia with what became a stone in their path- A boy; who is now Lead Guitarist and known as Casey Moreta. Hollywood Records and a lot of their ‘All girl Rock Band’ image supporters, decided to pull the string on them making their path a bit of a twist and turn. But the unconditional love and support from fans, and all those that continue to push/believe in them have sparked a new flame in what will be the new Cherri Bomb. After doing the interview with Jason Sutter (Marilyn Manson’s drummer) he urged me to listen to this band as he had been teaching Nia drum lessons. Finally at the Sunset Music Festival in August this year, I caught Cherri Bomb’s show at the Roxy. I was left impressed and won over, they weren’t just kids playing songs and instruments. They connected and bonded with each other, spreading the spark with the audience. They all had a natural adrenaline and love for the songs and performance. Maybe it’s a great thing to have a boy in the band, a manager can’t be with the girls at all times, and who can you really trust in this industry? As tough as a girl can be, there will be times where a girl will be disrespected and many times come in danger in tour on or off set- to have a guy be a part of the group not only

By: Anlly

can it be safer, but it can be a more challenging and diverse influence. I think Cherri Bomb as they’re getting ready to turn 18- sorry Rena, except you.. with Casey in the band, they just may be ready to do a bigger, safer, crazier and more spontaneous tour. Sometimes you need a stone in the path in order to gain strength, test the waters and do a comeback. RNR:Casey- At the beginning what did you feel like- joining a band with all girls? Rena- You were definitely a lot shyer. Casey- Yeah, it took a while for me to come out of my shell. They broke me, it was kind of weird to break the stigma especially with the name Cherri Bomb- the whole Runaways thing. I still get confused for a chick, but it’s worth it. They’re so much fun (Sarcastically looking at them)! How do you guys feel about being an influence and inspiration at such a young age and what have you guys done to take advantage of it? Miranda- It’s been really awesome because we have gotten to play a lot of charities that come up to us and ask us to perform. We raise money and it’s a great feeling. Also we talk to our fans on tumblr and twitter. We want to inspire people, make people feel like they can do what they want to do. Favorite tour as of now? ALL- Warped Tour! Miranda- We got to see so many bands, new music, bond with the musicians. You create these amazing bonds that go past the tour and you meet fans from all over the place in the U.S. Rena- One random thing that I enjoyed about the Warped Tour is the weather it was always up and down. I’m not a sun person, but there were some days where you get the worse storms, we had our tent blow over it was pretty crazy, and I enjoyed it like a rollercoaster (laughs). Nia- I have to agree, we made lots of friends, we run into people and have this unspeakable unexplainable

bond. What would you say makes you different from other bands? Casey- Hair (All together laugh) Rena- It’s funny because my favorite color is black, but my hair is all rainbow. A lot of bands are really determined, but since we’re so young we got started at a young age. The fact that we got started really early kind of sets us apart from everyone else. A lot of the bands we go on tour with are older, and we still bond with them because that’s our scene. Are you guys sponsored by any companies? (All together) Yes. Nia- I’m endorsed by Zildjian and DW Drums. Rena- All 3 of us are endorsed by Schecter Guitars, (Miranda, Casey, and Rena) DR Strings- which are the neon strings on my bass and her guitars (points at Miranda) and also Aguilar Amp. We’ve also gotten a few sponsorships from clothing companies; which is always fun for us girls. This year what have you been up to and what are you looking forward to doing? Miranda- I see they’re relying on me today (as everyone points at her to speak). We are writing songs right now, we eventually want to make a EP; which will eventually turn into our second album. And we are setting some tours for the fall, right now we are trying to put our show together and come out even better. It’s been a lot of writing, getting ready to record. Any advice you would like to give to readers, fans, bands? Nia- If you’re looking to be a musician or anything, just follow your heart. If it’s really what you want to do and it’s what makes you happy then keep doing it. If it doesn’t make you happy don’t do it. Rena- Don’t let anyone get in your way, stay determined and as long as you have support, try to get support from friends/family- promotion is a really big deal. We promote all the time online and it helps getting in

touch with fans. Please explain how Casey came into the band what happened? Miranda- Ok well, me, Rena, and Julia were founding members of the band and eventually it really was creative differences. We wanted to go different ways, and she wanted to go a different way (referring to Julia not being in the band anymore) so, we thought we’d be happier doing what we wanted to do. We were jamming out with some friends at that time - Casey was one of them. After playing with a bunch of people at that time we realized we didn’t need to look for just a girl to fill the spot. He’s the perfect fit, he gets along with us, is an amazing guitarist so we just went from there. Last, but not least.. Mentors, who are your mentors? Nia- I have a lot, especially from Warped, family and a bunch of adults I have been surrounded by who are just really creative and loving. All my drum teachers have been really inspiring, pretty much everyone in my life right now. Casey – Eddie Van Halen, I know you’re out there! I can feel your mentor-ness! ( All laugh) Jon Bon Jovi, Robert Plant, I haven’t met any of them. Rena- I must say my biggest mentors and inspirations are Madonna, Jim Morrison and Beyonce. I saw a couple of documentaries, one of Jim Morrison about The Doors, one about Madonna and her rise to fame and everything. It got me inspired so much, really motivated to do more with practicing vocals and writing more poetry. I get really determined when I see stuff like that. Miranda- I think my biggest mentors are my family because my mom and my grandpa are musicians and taught me guitar, piano, and how to sing. My dad and my stepdad are in the arts. They have supported me in everything I’ve gone through. Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 57

for them to pay the check at the restaurant. That’d be a good one. Or, if it’s okay for me to get all my stuff at Guitar Center for free. That never happens.

music so many different genres? I would call it “Captain Beefheart playing heavy metal”.

Awesome. Great. Tell us about Christ Church. What do you have planned for your Well, we were in Christ Church a couple of years ago when they had 50th birthday? Are you still going the big earthquake there. We didn’t to be moving the Melvins along know it at the time, but as it turns out, and putting out albums? the club that we played at the night Well, let’s hope so. I don’t have any before was totally destroyed. It was a plans. Me and my wife aren’t big pretty good size one. We were lucky celebrators of birthdays, and stuff like that. I don’t know, I can’t imagine to get out of there. It was chaotic. We could be dead. You know. It’s not throwing a birthday party for myself. the kind of thing you get over. I don’t Oh, wow. Well, congratulations are I think you need to have an amazknow that I’ll ever get over that kind ing birthday party. After all, you are in order. of thing. It’s tragic and horrible, and I like the Godfather of... what would His girlfriend could have the baby don’t want to go through those kinds you call it? Everybody calls your at any moment now for all I know. of things again. Jarred, yah! Good work! Who are your band members right now? Well, we have Dale Crover who’s played with me since 1984, almost 30 years. We have Cody Willis, our second drummer, who’s played in the band since 2006. And we have Jeff Pinkus from Honky who’s touring with us because our regular base player, Jarred, is on paternity leave.

Melvins are notorious for touring a lot of shows, is that correct? Well, we do somewhere between 80 and 100 a year, give or take. Some years there’s more. Who causes the most trouble? Oh, everybody’s pretty well behaved. Awe. Every night is Saturday night on the road. Any crazy-wild stories that have happened since you’ve been on the road for your 30th anniversary tour? We deal with crazy people here and there, but by and large it’s business. We’re here to do our job, and that’s why we like it. Your latest album is cover songs. Tell us about it. The cover record is called, “Everybody Loves Sausages.” Lots of bands have done cover records, but the angle on this one is that we picked bands that were an influence to us musically that maybe not everyone would have thought of. Queen, The Fugs, John Waters, Roxy Music, The Jam, David Bowie, and more. We were also able to record some of the songs with guest stars which we had a lot of fun with. What superhero would you say you’re most like? I don’t know, that’s a hard one. Maybe a combination of the Incredible Hulk and Spiderman. My favs. Right on. Rock on. What would you like to tell the readers of Rock N Roll Industries Magazine? Something that nobody ever asks about, that you really want to get out? Hmm, I don’t really have any burning desires in that department. Nothing sexual? Sexual, no. One thing I would really like people to ask me is if it’s okay Guitar: King Buzzo Drums: Dale Crover Bass: Jeff Pinkus (Butthole Surfurs)

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You can come off as big and outrageous, but you seem to be an extremely humble person. You don’t want the big limelight, the big shows, the big arenas. Or do you? I’d take half of that in cash. (laughs) Fame is really the worst part of the whole thing, I don’t really care. I’m into promoting my band and everything like that to the best of my ability. I don’t run away from it, but being famous isn’t something that I’m super excited about. It’s okay, but ultimately I like to work and that’s part of the deal. And you like to take care of your family, I’m assuming. Well, yeah, my wife would have very little tolerance for me not working. As well she should. I’ve spent the vast majority of my career in the early days for years and years and years not making any money. It’s a money making proposition for most people. I’d say ninety-nine percent of the people out there never put two and two together, aren’t able to put one dollar ahead of another one and turn it into more dollars. Generally, you don’t find perfectly well rounded musicians who have it together in every aspect of their lives. We came out of nothing. Me and Dale certainly are below middle class, I would say. My parents were working class, and certainly worked their whole lives. Don’t have a whole lot now. You know, I mean, but that’s fine. It’s no different than anyone else. The vast majority of people in the world live paycheck to paycheck, and that’s not abnormal. So, success for me at the beginning was that we would actually be able to play.... Thank you. We love you. One more thing, are you going to Bourbon tonight? The wife’s not listening. No. I don’t drink, so… I can’t imagine going anywhere after except back to the hotel. You are awesome. We’re excited about tonight. Me too. Thank you so much. -Evlin Lake

Craig Morse

You’re on your 30th anniversary tour, correct? King Buzzo: Yes, we’re about a little over half way through.

The Heroes Lie writes hard-edged music that belies the small-town feel of their roots: the village of Menomonee Falls, Wis., just north of Milwaukee. The energy of their songwriting tattoos your eardrums, and all but demands, “Sure, go ahead and record me. But, you’d better weld the tracking gear in place when you do!!” Eric LaBrosse (vocals), Andrew Ballard (guitar), Chris Newlin (lead guitar), Brett Dumstrey (bass), and Paul Newlin (drums) comprise the group. The first of three albums, “The Heroes Lie,” hit the airwaves in 2010. Original drummer, Bob Packard, added his talents to this effort. “Seven Sins,” produced in 2011, finds new drummer Paul Newlin not only picking up where Bob left off, but becoming a cornerstone to THL’s newly found harder edge. Earlier this year, the band released a music video and their newest album.

Amy Aiello

I caught THL at LaBrosse’s Falls-based Cherry Pit Studios, for an interview that reveals how genuine, focused and humorous these dudes are…

several drummers, but they weren’t what we were looking for. Chris said that his brother could come in and try out. Chris thought he’d do ok. So Paul comes in for the tryout, and we were like, “Ok, where would you like to start?” Paul said, “Why don’t we just play the album from the beginning?” So we did that. First time we went through it was super tight-he knew the whole thing! Afterwards, we were like, uh, ok, I think you got the job (laughing). How did each of you decide to pursue music? Chris: My dad got me interested in playing guitar when I was really young, and my uncle used to listen to early progressive rock—Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Rush. Then, I went to Milwaukee Area Technical College in early 2000-something, and was introduced to Steve Peplin, who is a monster musician. He made jazz music look really cool, and I wanted to do that more than anything else. After that, I was heavily involved in jazz music. So I come from both the jazz side and the rock side. Andrew: I started playing guitar late. I was 20 when my dad got me my first guitar for Christmas. I haven’t put it down since. One of the best parts about this band is I’ve gotten free guitar lessons from Chris (laughs). Paul: I grew up playing video games, and I was always more interested in the music than the game playing. [At this point, various band members start singing video game theme songs, decently, I might add.] Then when my brother picked up guitar, I wanted to pick an instrument that would complement him, so I chose drums. Eric: I’ve been playing in bands--drums, guitar, bass, and singing--since eighth grade. And, I think this goes for the rest of the band members; you don’t choose music, music chooses you. It’s your priority. It’s in your blood.

Guys, your new album, “Angels Wear Armor,” and music video based off the LP’s title track were released within weeks of each other. That’s determination! What are fans saying about these new projects? Eric: Fans are really diggin’ the new direction of the band! We’re heavier, harder. We’ve also gotten a really good response from radio stations and program directors. Brett: People like the direction of this new album! It’s music for the fans, but we create it because it’s what we hear and feel. Some are real ass-kickers and others are more laid back, with different style We all know the music industry is not easy to break into, or cope with. How is the band influences. navigating the ups and downs? You have been playing together just four Eric: Behind the scenes of The Heroes Lie, we’ve years. How have you evolved as individual mudealt with our fair amount of rejection. You have sicians and as a group since then? to have thick skin, and you’re gonna be told a Eric: The quality and content of our music has thousand times “No” before you’re told “Yes” one gotten better. We’ve started to write more about time. There are a couple labels out there that I personal things as we’ve progressed on. We’re thought would have been a solid fit. Not just mulearning to polish the passion in our music a bit sic, quality, or song-wise, but business-wise, and better. you think it’s going to work, but it falls through—it Plus, any band will tell you that an “invisible consucks. We’re now in the age of the independent nection” with your bandmates happens over time. digital musician. Twenty years ago, you’d try to This happens on the stage and in song-writing get signed to a label, and they’d give you money as well. There are songs our bass player wrote and marketing. It’s a different business model on the guitar on this album. Everyone throws now. It’s an area where THL is grabbing the bull something into the pot. We’ve progressed more by the horns better than a lot of other bands. and more into this. We’ve had a fair amount of licensing success, and Brett: I think we found our direction and sound we’re almost 100 percent do-it-yourself musicians. after writing so many songs. People often know I advise bands all the time, even when they come our sound even if they haven’t heard the song to Cherry Pit Studios to record, to look at their before. A radio station played one of our songs band as a business. I want to encourage bands the other day, and I got a text from a friend saying out there to explore song licensing. THL utilizes they knew it was us by the sound. ReverbNation, which has a partnership with APM THL was formed when several musicians from music, a licensing company out of California. Our three local groups merged. Was there a clear- music sat in a catalog with 300,000 other songs from other bands, and eventually the right person cut moment when you guys just knew the heard our music, multiple times. It took almost two chemistry was happening? years, but they found our music, and from there Andrew: The day that happened, we’d tried out

it snowballed. So, put your music to work! Also, other bands see that we have music on ESPN, WWE wrestling, American Chopper, The Cooking Channel, among other shows—you must get out there and shake some hands! In the music world, it’s about knowing the right people. Get out there, be yourself, and go do it! What do you enjoy most about performing? Chris: I spend so much time practicing to get better at what I do--not to sound arrogant--but when I perform, I try to exude a lot of confidence. And the fans’ reaction to that; it’s just a really great feeling. Andrew: We’re able to create energy, with a crowd of people, with music we came up with. The crowd reaction is the best part. Paul: I enjoy changing things. I like that our songs don’t have to be point-by-point the same as on the album. Behind the scenes, what makes THL tick? How does the song-writing come about? Eric: Someone in the band has an idea, and as a band during practice we’ll sort it out. Then Andy and I go to town and write lyrics for it. Sometimes we’ll sit at the computer for a few hours at the studio, or we’ll text back and forth. If we get stumped, then we’ll go to the rest of the guys, “Guys, give us something, pleeease (laughing)!” Andrew: It’s kind of expected that others will have song ideas. If I come up with a chord progression, and I really like what Chris does on the guitar, I’m fully expecting him to come up with something awesome to put over the top of it. Then Paul will come in, and we kind of build the song up that way. Everybody’s got their piece of the puzzle they’re responsible for. Brett: In business you have deadlines and timeframes, but you can’t rush song writing because it’s art. Writing a song comes from inspiration, not because it has to be done by Wednesday at 5 p.m. We tick because we let it flow. If it’s not working and we’re putting too much effort into it, we’ll set it aside and work on something else. Musically, where do you gain inspiration for your songs? Eric: Melodically, a lot of my inspiration comes from what I grew up on in the ‘90s—The Offspring, Green Day, and Stone Temple Pilots. The stuff that was catchy and powerful. Brett: I get my motivation from watching The Smurfs (laughing). There’s something really empowering about those little blue people. They make me want to write a face melting riff. And Fraggle Rock! It just has «Rock» written all over it, you know? Lyrically? Eric: Lyrics come from everywhere. A lot comes from personal experiences, but then they are molded into something else. A good example is one of our most successful songs financially: “Here and Now or Never.” I was 25 years old and starting a brand new band with these guys. I’m not getting any younger. It’s essentially here and now, or never. Little did I know that a lot of sports teams would like the music and lyrics to that song, like the NFL, WWE Wrestling, and a lot of other organizations. I had no idea we were actually writing a sports anthem! When we toured with Shinedown a while back, their drummer said to always write about stuff you’re passionate about. And, while writing “Angels Wear Armor,” it was a song I was superpassionate about because this song was about the girl I was dating at the time. By: Jim Kube Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 59

Big Drum Bonanza his past summer, I had the opportunity to experience a very unique event called the “Big Drum Bonanza,” and it was probably one of the most intense experiences of my life. It was a five-day event, from July 3rd through the 7th, at the Drum Channel studios in Oxnard, California, and the nearby Courtyard Marriot in Camarillo, CA. This event was all ages, all levels, and all styles of music. Thomas Lang (drummer/ producer) is the mastermind behind this incredible event, along with his superstar wife, Elizabeth. Together, they created one of the most original, and intense, 5-day boot camps ever, that left you feeling like you got your ass kicked! This event was not for the faint of heart. What makes this event so unique is the lineup! Thomas Lang was joined by other special guest instructors, including world-renowned drummers George Kollias (Nile), Jon Dette (Anthrax/ Slayer), Stanton Moore (Galactic), Virgil Donati (Steve Vai/ Planet X/ Derek Sherinian), Chris Coleman (Prince/Chaka Khan), and Dave Elitch (The Mars Volta). Lang, along with his stellar line-up of instructors, gets down and dirty, leading daily schedules of intense, hands-on drumming, along with master classes, Q&A sessions, private lessons and killer performances throughout the week. I was there for one day, and I was exhausted, but I felt good. I felt like I just completed an intense workout! I couldn’t interview all the drummers, but there were a few that I got to sit down with, and get their perspective on the event, and what it meant to be there. As a metalhead myself, I was stoked to sit down with George Kollias and Jon Dette, but first, I got the low down from the Langs, and how it all got started. How did the Big Drum Bonanza get started? Elizabeth Lang: We have been doing the Thomas Lang drumming boot camps since 2009. The idea was Thomas’s, because he’s been part of a lot of clinics all over the world. The difference is that in most camps, there is an instructor and an audience. The instructor has a kit, but the audience has a note pad. It was Thomas’s idea to give everyone their own individual kit to play, so the students could actually play along with him for a really long, extended period of time. The drum boot camps are usually 3 days, 8 hours a day. When you really think about how long it would take you to accomplish 24 hours of practicing,

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you really accomplish a lot in a very short amount of time. We decided we were going to try it, and we did. People loved it, so we kept on doing it all over the world. We wanted to take that camp concept and make it a little bigger, branch it out with more artists, and give more people a chance to have that experience with more artists. Drummers are a very loyal community. It is such a success this year because of word of mouth from the drummers and students, happy people, and the lineup is remarkable! What do you want the students to take away from this experience? Elizabeth Lang: A lot of inspiration! You can download all the music in the world but you cannot download the experience. It’s rare air and you can feel it. It’s not every day you will have Thomas Lang sit down with you and show you how to play the drums. Thomas Lang Thomas, I noticed the way you hold your stick in your snare drum hand. To my knowledge, that’s the traditional style that you mostly see maybe a drumline. Can you explain why you hold your stick that way? Thomas: Well, I used to hold it like that for many years. I actually changed my grip a few years ago because of carpel tunnel issues I had. But that was just the way I learned. My first teacher, when I was five, said, “Hold the stick like that,” and that was almost 30 years ago. I like the fact that we can use a sort of traditional, historic grip, even in contemporary and heavy music, like Cozy Powell did. I was always a huge fan of Cozy Powell, Buddy Rich, and all those guys, who were all traditional players. And I like to be able to do both. There are certain things you can do with that grip you can’t do with the other, and vice versa. So I use both. It’s just a broader spectrum of sounds and technical abilities. What inspired you to create the big Drum Bonanza? Thomas: I’ve been hosting my drumming boot camps for a number of years, and whenever I host a camp anywhere in the world, I try to contact local drummer friends of mine who are big name drummers to pop in, say hi, and sign some autographs for the students. Basically, give them a second opinion on what I’m teaching, and maybe teach for a few hours. I’ve

been doing that for a number of years now, and I’ve decided to elevate and take my boot camp to the next level by just bringing a whole bunch of other drummers, and giving the students the ability and opportunity to learn from not just one teacher in a super intense way, but from 5 or 6 different guys, all worldclass drumming superstars, and get a really broad range of information from everybody. I personally just invite my favorite drummers, and my friends, and I try to create a camp situation that would work for me, as a student. I just call up my favorite guys, and say “Hey, do you want to come down and teach?” I’m lucky enough to have a lot of great friends in the drumming world, and everybody loved the idea and showed up. It’s pretty unique that the students can take private lessons, and small group lessons, with all these guys for such a long period of time for 5 days. What do you look for in an instructor? Thomas: Well, I’m a rock fan, a heavy music fan, but I like to offer a broad spectrum of playing. For example, this year we have George Kollias, who is a super extreme speed metal drummer. And then we have Jon Dette who is with Slayer and Anthrax and Testament, et cetera. He’s a sort of old-school drummer, who is also fast and loud. Then we have Virgil Donnatte who is a total Jazz fusion player. We have Chris Coleman who is an RnB, Gospel chops kind of player. Finally, we have Dave Elich, who is in the Alternative rock world, and of course myself, teaching my whole thing. So we have a really broad range of players: Jazz and fusion to extreme metal, and that’s what I’m looking for. I’m looking for drummers who represent their certain genre, and who are the best in the world, hands down. This is sold out. That’s amazing. What do you think sold it out? Was it the marketing, the PR, the students? Thomas: Well, this year is the second year. The first year, people went “What the hell is a drum bonanza?” We wanted to keep it small and manageable last year. We didn’t try to sell out. We didn’t put as much marketing and publicity behind it. This year, being the second year, we have a lot of return customers. Plus the “Theme Song

Play Along” contest has grown. We’ve had many more entries from all over the world. That’s definitely word of mouth. They start talking about how something crazy and new happened. It’s also a little more publicity I think, and also the fact that the students from last year went home and said, “Guys, you have to check this out. This is insane,” and showed pictures and videos. I think that made a big difference. How’s the recording process coming along? Thomas: It’s great. The album is done. Artwork is done. It’s mastered and ready to go. The first album was released on my label, Muso Entertainment. For this record, we are looking for collaborations with other labels, especially in Japan. At the moment, we are negotiating a little bit, but we should have something in writing in two or three weeks. As soon as that’s done, the record’s out. What can we expect for the Big Drum Bonanza next year? Thomas: I already have spoken to many of my friends. I’ve actually gotten some calls from people who said, “Hey man, why didn’t you call me for big drum bonanza?” so I’ve got a long list of people! I like to mix it up a bit, so you will just have to wait and see, but it will be good! Jon Dette What got you into thrash metal? Jon: I started playing drums when I was 13 years old. I got my first drum set 14. My parents were divorced, so I asked both of them thinking I would at least get one drum set. I started off with a double bass drum set. That same birthday, my brother got me the Anthrax, “Fistful of Metal” record. It had just come out. I had already been listening to metal like Judas Priest and Anthrax 3 months before my birthday. When I heard that, it just changed me. I never heard bass drumming like that before. I saw my path in drumming as soon as I started listening to that album and playing along with it. Literally, from day one I have been playing that style of music, and now I have been fortunate to be playing for some of the bands that have influenced me. What is a highlight of being a part of the Big Drum Bonanza? Jon: I think the highlight for me will be the drum channel. It is

Francesco Desmaele

Everyone is super cool, especially Thomas and Elizabeth Lang, who put this all together. Where else can you hang out with the most incredible drummers in the world, and have a beer? Having a beer with a teacher How did you get involved with The can be so educational because you Big Drum Bonanza? are talking about music, and the Jon: There is this pesky, annoying backstage stuff. We talk about the man called Thomas Lang (laughs). music business, and how things I have been friends with him for really work. It’s a 24/7 school. I am several years now, and his lovely very impressed with the students’ wife Elizabeth. He asked me to be a level. Everyone gets it really quick. part of his Drummers Boot Camp a It makes my job that much easier! few years ago. I had been a guest I would really like to be here next instructor, then this came up, and year. This is the coolest thing you I said yes. It was perfect timing! I can do as a drummer. If you haven’t had just gotten back from Europe checked it out yet, you have to get four days earlier. It’s an awesome out here next year! experience, and I love being a part What can we expect from you this of it! summer and Nile? What do you want your students to George: With Nile, we have a take away from your lessons? European tour, a South American Jon: I am teaching a very specific tour, then Australia, and possibly style of music. I made it very clear China. I will be coming out with my that I am not a session guy. I am not own album. It is actually a very fun a jazz player. I am a heavy metal project. I play all the instruments. I drummer. I am an old school heavy write all the songs on the album, and metal drummer, and I will actually I sing as well. So I am very busy all hit! It’s not a technical thing. It’s an the time, because this is fun for me! attitude, and a feel that goes behind This is not an easy job, but it is still it as well. A lot of the things I am great. I love getting to sit home and teaching them have to do with not write music, and I love being here. relying on technology. If they are The Big Drum Bonanza was, without going to try this style of music, they a doubt, one of the coolest, and can’t be shy. Hit those things! The loudest, experiences of my career as exercises I am showing them will a music journalist. If the notorious actually help improve their speed, Spinal Tap “cranks it to 11,” Thomas stamina, and endurance. They are and Elizabeth Lang crank it to 12 not too happy with me right now. with this camp! This experience was They are all sore this morning. It’s non-stop intensity, and everyone more like a workout then a drum had drum fever. George Kollias was lesson (laughs). right. The talent of the students was George Kollias absolutely remarkable. Not only did Who are your musical influencers? they seem thrilled to be there, but George: Thomas Lang to begin with, they also took a lot away from the Big he was a huge influence on me. He Drum Bonanza. You could see how into it they were, and how excited is actually the reason why I did my they were to learn from their heroes. first DVD, then the second DVD. I Elizabeth Lang says people came started because of Lars Ulrich back from places like Hong Kong, Peru, in 1989. I loved bands like Slayer, Japan, Singapore, Columbia, and the Kreator, and Sepultura. I always United Kingdom. This goes to show give a little more respect to those that everyone drums in the same who worked to educate me. Let language! Music unites people like me explain what I mean. If some nothing else in the world. It’s great of my favorite drummers of the past to see that the Big Drum Bonanza recorded and released an album, I is growing like a thunderous snare would buy it and would learn a few drum crescendo! If people used to things. Guys like Thomas Lang say, “What the hell is a ‘Big Drum spend a lot of time making a DVD, Bonanza?’ they will now say, ‘How and offering it like real education, and now I do this too with my DVD’s. the hell do you NOT know about the Big Drum Bonanza?’” I, for one, am I will always have more respect to glad to be in the know. I will definitely those who spend a lot of their time be back next year. I can’t wait to see to release a product that is about where the very talented power couple education. of Thomas and Elizabeth Lang take What is a highlight of The Big this event! Drum Bonanza so far? For more information on the Big George: The students! They are Drum Bonanza please visit www. out of control! Their level is out of musoentertainment.com control. This is like professional drummers here, I am not kidding. Raquel Figlo something I have wanted to get into for a long time. I hope this leads into getting a DVD done later on, and drumming on an individual level as opposed to just on a band level.

Leah Burlington

Brandon Gibbs

reative Defense Music artist Brandon Gibbs and Cheap Thrill brings you a sound flavored with Cinderella tunes such as “Nobody’s Fool, Heart Break Station, and “Hello and Goodbye” from Jeff LaBar’s soon to be released CD, along with the newest song from Brandon’s solo record, “This Town”, which is currently featured on ESPN 2 for the NHRA season. This show is littered with popular covers and stadium rock songs.

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Kids Helping Kids: Shred Kids Cancer and the Shredfest 5

Scott Dworkin

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could get, but what I learned from him and his family was that the actual treatment and research that goes to pediatric cancer is very little, so I started trying to figure out ways to get money raised, where it can actually help develop better care and treatments for kids, so we decided to donate to the doctors who were actually doing the research because that could help so many more kids than just trying to help one. So, basically every year, there’s a new Shredhead that represents Shred Kids. It’s a dual purpose, the Shredhead is somebody, he or she is always the face of the organization for the year, and last year- that was Ashley Jenson Fray, and this year it’s Andreas Knickman. This is Andreas’ second time because he’s been through battling it twice. The money that this raised goes to the pediatric cancer researchers specifically doing research on the kind of cancer the Shredhead kid has, so in Andreas’s case it is osteosarcoma. This year we’re donating to more clinical trials and funding for rare diseases, so we’re going to donate to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles where Andreas’ primary doctors are doing research into pediatric osteosarcoma. And you pick that yourself? Do you also pick a different kid every year? The way Shred Kids works is that we don’t just donate the money, we raise to a specific person or patient. We are giving some to Andreas’ doctor’s research grant, and he is working not just on treating Andreas. He opened up a clinical trial to get a research grant, and we will just keep donating to funding that grant for now. In the past, we donated to a doctor whose grant is trying to target cancer cells with nanotechnology. Sometimes I get discouraged because I wish we could donate more money but one of the doctors told me a couple years ago, “Teagan you don’t understand, It’s a lot, because it gives me the opportunity to get data from the trials I am doing and then pass that hopefully good data on to get more money. Then I can present it, this is working and hopefully then, can get milliondollar grants.” That particular doctor actually just got a million-dollar grant

which is amazing so I guess every little bit helps. We also grant money to other research, occasionally when we can. It doesn’t necessarily mean for a specific kid, or related to one of our events. The doctors have also told me it’s not even about dollars and cents all the time. It’s just about keeping moving forward with research, however you have to. I’m curious as to how did you come to guys like Shavo (Shavo Odadjian bassist for System of a Down) Zakk Wylde, and Slash, how did you reach out to them and get them to participate? Tony Baraz from Guitar Center asked him to come. He knew Shavo and asked if he’d be willing to help out and he agreed. He came the first year and judged the bands, and after the show he came up to me and my family and told us, I forget his exact words, but it was something like, ‘I will do this as long as you continue to do it.’ What is amazing is he had no connection as far as family or cancer, I mean, he didn’t say anything to us at least, he didn’t even have kids at that point, he just really believed and continues to believe in what I am doing. I also think for the guys like Slash, Shavo, Zakk that it’s as much about helping the medical cause as it also is fostering kids that believe in music, the next generation. They see us playing real instruments, and real rock, and maybe they think oh my gosh rock is not going to die! For some of the other judges that have come out like, Zakk Wylde for example, we had a wish list of people we wanted to come out, either as a judge or performer. We worked with a publicist and told her to go down the list and reach out and see if anyone would be willing to show up and help out any way they can. I wrote a letter myself that she helped me send out. So Slash was another one on the list, and how did you get him to get up onstage and actually play with some of the kids? No, we ran into him in the mall! So when I saw him I told my mom you know, let’s just ask him. He asked if I had a card or something so his people could get in touch, and I didn’t

Scott Dworkin

was kind of discouraged so I walked out and somebody ran out to the parking lot, it was Misty Antonio, and she said, “wait, wait, wait, I work for the president of Guitar Center. I overheard what you were saying.” It really was some kind of miracle. So she says, ‘I work for the president. I will do whatever it takes to help you, Tell me why you started Shred even if it means pulling money out of Kids Cancer, what it’s all about. own pocket or giving my employee What would make a 13 year old kid, discount to purchase items for your who should be out playing with his silent auctions.’ So she was the one friends doing normal 13 year old that was originally responsible for getthings; dedicate his time to startting the Guitar Center involved and ing something like this? we’ve been partnered with them ever Teagan Steadman: 5 years ago, I since. She is no longer with Guitar was inspired by my friend, Alex, who Center, but we get amazing support was diagnosed with cancer. When year round from Tony Baraz now. Alex found out he had cancer I saw Tell them about some of the things how hard the treatment was, and also how hard it was to be a kid with you do with Guitar Center? They help out with so much of what cancer. I realized I needed to do Shred Kids does. Even one of our something to help. I knew that we were both interested in music and he board members works for Guitar had passion for this as did I. So, I felt Center. They have helped us with like it’ll be a great way to maybe help marketing, they have a piece on Shredfest in their stores last year for someway bigger than just one person’s treatment with a bunch of other about a month, on their in-store radio kids and have an event. So, I started station they did the same thing again this year before the event. They do calling up sponsors in the music like a round up story after the event business, I called up the Roxy, and many of them agreed to help me with too. They also have helped with the this and they were very supportive. I items that we auction off every year at our events, getting signed mergot Guitar Center involved and they have also been very, very supportive. chandise and other cool stuff. The auctions are really where all of the They donated some auction items the first year and have become more money we raise goes back to cancer and more involved every year. I went research, so what they help out with out and found a few kid’s bands from really makes a huge difference in the local music school and elsewhere raising donation money. When we in the area and from that we had our did our first Shredfest show I was 9, I organized and was also participating first Shredfest five years ago. in the show, but from my first idea, it Did you start this all from scratch? takes a while to get all these things When you say you called Guitar lined up, all the auction items, all the Center, the Roxy, you just cold bands to play, it took a couple months called them? You asked them withto get this going. I started working on out any industry connections? that in probably like, November 2000, Basically, yes. I didn’t really know I literally called the Roxy up myself what to say or how they would react, to ask them if we could have it there. but I was so young I guess I really We eventually moved it over to the didn’t know if it was normal or not House of Blues, where it is now and to try to do it this way, or any other we just had our fifth show in April. way. I walked in to the Guitar Center So let’s talk about that, what the headquarters in Westlake Village charity supports, where the funds into the receptionist, said can I speak to somebody in charge? They go. How did you figure out how the best way to help was? were like, ‘I don’t know what you’re When Alex got sick, he got good talking about, we can’t really help treatment and his family was able to you.’ I think they didn’t really know get him the best treatment that he what to do with a kid in the lobby. I

On April 13 the House of Blues Los Angeles hosted the 5th Annual Shredfest benefiting the Shred Kids Cancer foundation. Shred Kids, started by 13 year old Teagan Steadman when he was 8 years old offered a unique opportunity for kids to actively help their peers battling cancer. th

but I had a flyer for the event, we carry our flyers around [laugh] a lot, but maybe I should make cards! The next day, his people e-mailed me with some questions, what’s the lineup, they wanted a few more details and stuff. After we replied he told us he was interested not just in coming out but in performing! We originally only wanted him to judge too but performing with our bands is incredible because that’s kind of, a really special thing. How do you find the bands that participate in Shredfest? The first year we obviously didn’t

have anybody, since no one knew, no one came up to us. We had to find bands around the local schools and ask them. Now we have people submit to us to play, we have an online submission. They send in videos and stuff or CDs, depending on where they are, if they are local we may even go see them play, and they have to have played before onstage too. How many submissions do you typically get? About 30 submissions and we had nine bands play and then the jam session at the end.

Finally, I know there are other events that support the Shred Kids charity, other than the Shredfest. What are these and how can people donate, or come out to some of these? We’ve done May Tie in with other larger national and international cancer charities over the years like Pablove, Livestrong, things like that. We also have our own Rock the Run 5K run/walk event, which we held in Thousand Oaks for the first time in October last year. It was a great event and we raised over $7,000 for the same doctor we are donating to for Shredfest. Other events we do

and ways to help can be found on my website www.shredkidscancer.org/ An eight year old calling the Roxy, or walking into the Guitar Center HQ, or that you had the nerve (for lack of a better word) to walk up to Slash in the mall, people who don’t know the back story need to know this, because you have done 100% of this on your own, with hard work, dedication and belief in what you are doing, and that is amazing. I’m not surprised at how this has grown and I’m sure that next year and the year after are going to get even bigger and better!

Faded Sun’s “Epic Awesome Rock ‘n Roll” Threesome The last show in the threesome of Rock was at Saint Rocke when Faded Sun took the stage with Y&T. This show was a perfect way to close out the trilogy because it was a sold out show. We saw the progression of the guys from all 3 shows and have to say that they sounded awesome at all 3 shows, but by this one their nerves were settled and they owned the stage. They were more aggressive on stage and they were tighter than ever before. Another reason this show was one of our favorites was because we got to see Faded Sun’s The legendary Roxy on the infamous Sunset Strip in Hollywood was Tony Devita be a fan. He got to meet and ground zero for the first of 3 unforgettable shows for Faded Sun hang out with Y&T after the show and he where the guys took the stage as direct local support for Adrenaline had them sign their set list. The guys from Mob. Faded Sun fans old and new packed the floor ready to see a Y&T were kind and gracious and took pics face melting set. The guys did not disappoint. Coming out strong they with Tony. We also met David Gamble’s rocked the stage and fans to the core. After the show we talked with mom and sister at the show who had travthe band, who were very excited to play the stage with a legendary eled many hours to see this show. This was band like Adrenaline Mob. Lead “Shred Meister” David Gamble told awesome to see how music brings together us, “it was the best show we have played to date as the band Faded families and friends. David’s mom told me Sun.” about how she was at the show to see her son Show 2 of 3 in this threesome of “Epic Awesome Rock ’n Roll” was play, but also because her daughter was a legendary on multiple levels. Playing with Lizzy Borden for his 30th super fan of Y&T. “My daughter got to see Anniversary show at the iconic Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip. Y&T play at her middle school dance many Lizzy played only 5 U.S. dates and one was with Faded Sun (and this years ago. Now my son gets to play on stage with them”. Yes, music feeds the soul was the only show in California). This truly made this show a must and this was Rock ’n Roll soul food. see. It was so rare that we met multiple people who lived East of the Mississippi who flew to L.A. just for this show. Not only was this Faded Sun has been out doing shows and a huge resume builder for Faded Sun because of the bill, it was an keeping busy recording an album that will arena sized show in a club. Faded Sun fans again packed the house be out soon. They have been in the studio ready for round 2 and Tony and the guys delivered yet again. Stepworking on new music and mastering old ping up their game with new songs and on stage antics, the guys had favorites. Stay tuned at keep in touch with an energy that spilled out into the crowd, feeding the frenzied music them on Facebook at www.Facebook. fans old and new. At this show we also got back stage and recorded a com/Fadedsun full interview with the band. After the show Tony told us he felt better Written by: Melissa & Wes Anderson about their set on this night because the sound was better for them.

ROCKwell UnScene

Faded Sun is the living, breathing brainchild of Heavy Rock veteran Tony Devita. If you do not know Faded Sun from our previous three reviews of this epic band playing with the legendary bands Y&T, Lizzy Borden, & Adrenaline Mob, let me introduce them to you: Tony Devita - Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar, David Baldwin Gamble - Lead Guitar, Mike Brown - Drums, and Lou Papai - Bass. All the members have been in the scene performing in other projects but have only come together as Faded Sun in the past year. We were witness to how hot this band is when we had the pleasure of covering a trilogy of shows for the band. The shows, in chronological order were: Adrenaline Mob at The Roxy, Lizzy Borden‘s 30th Anniversary Show at The Whisky a Go Go, and Y&T at Saint Rocke.

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By: Raya Morrison

children), indie rockers, and regular folk, all waiting and chatting excitedly. This is what it means to be a legendary band – uniting people from all walks of life by the power of music. It really put the weight on the fact that music is universal.

peak with the triple-hitter of hits – “A Question of Time”, “Enjoy The Silence” and “Personal Jesus.”

Undoubtedly, all masterpieces in their own right, “A Question of Time” made me wonder if it’s appropriate to sing about introducing a 15 year old to the pleasures of sex at the age of 51, even While Bat for Lashes set the mood just right, if the song was written almost 30 years ago. Depeche Mode started their set with a proper Moral implications aside, I thoroughly enjoyed introduction with “Welcome to My World”, off their new album Delta Machine. The experience the performance. After such an intense climax, it was time to cool off a little bit with Martin L. was enhanced by the words, “Welcome to My Gore’s acoustic rendition of “Home”. A touching World” flashing on the screens on both sides of the stage and the backdrop behind the drummer. number left the audience clapping frantically, singing along and almost in tears. “Halo” brought Dave Gahan’s soothing voice felt like honey the crowd back down to earth and “Just Can’t to the ears of hundreds of fans. The audience was instantly drawn in. Everyone stood up from Get Enough” squeezed the last bits of energy out I had very high expectations and I was not let their seats. The powerful sound of the band was of the fans. The show ended with an odd ball, an down. ode to heroin – “Never Let Me Down Again”. A complete with the addition of touring musicians Peter Gordeno (keyboards, backing vocals) and bow from the whole band, curtains fall. I got to the Molson Amphitheatre just in time to catch Bat for Lashes. My knowledge of them was Christian Eigner (drums). Depeche Mode continIt is easy to see just how much Depeche Mode very limited (before the show) and they won me ued presenting the crowd with their new material influenced the generations of bands to come with “Angel”. over with their haunting melodies and Natasha after them. Even now, in their 50’s, the guys apKhan’s beautiful wide-ranged vocals. Bat for proach their performance with so much passion “Walking in My Shoes” brought the fans back Lashes’ set was luring the audience into a night and gusto. Dave Gahan, looking as good as 20 years, proving that Depeche Mode’s sound of magic like a prologue of a dark fairy tale. They ever, worked every bit of the stage. He turned didn’t age a day. People young and old were did a great job spreading their sound through the whole show into his private striptease, first delightfully singing along. The rest of the set this massive open venue, however, it seems like taking off his jacket. Staying in his signature vest was a good mix of old- fan favourites and new they would be best enjoyed in a smaller, more material, managing to accent nicely on the tracks for about half of the set and dancing around, he intimate setting. then took it off and started moving seductively by off Delta Machine. Dave Gahan had a chance the microphone stand. All I can say is that girls to fully expose his vocal range with “The Child After their set, I started looking around and I Inside” and “But Not Tonight”, accompanied only still want to do him and guys still want to be him. was amazed by what I saw. I’ve never seen so many different people gathered in one place for by Peter Gordeno, while the rest of the band took A one of a kind experience, seeing Depeche a concert. There were Goths, Metal heads, club a short break. “It’s like a musical!” he exclaimed Mode live should be on everyone’s “do-to” list kids, older middle class couples (sometimes with during “But Not Tonight” The show reached its Depeche Mode has been a personal favourite of mine since childhood. Clueless about musical subcultures, lyrical content and personal implications, songs like “Enjoy the Silence” and “Master and Servant” spoke to me on a very primal level. As I got older, I found that my passion for the band didn’t subside with each new record, but instead built on the foundation of the early records and expanded further, opening up doors for new genres of music and thought processes for me. With that said. I was beyond excited when I realized I’m going to see them live.

Bonded by Blood Sunday, July 14, 2013 House of Blues Anaheim, Downtown Disney By Andrea Granillo Pomona metallers Bonded by Blood decided to give Downtown Disney an educational experience in good

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music. A free show prompted by the goodness of their hearts and a drive to be on stage, Mauro Gonzalez [vocals], Juan Juarez [guitar], Carlos Regalado [drums] and Jessie Sanchez [bass] gave the evening the brunt energy that a metal concert is dependent on. Perhaps you’ve had the pleasure of experiencing these thrashers on the stage before with the likes of Blackguard, or you might have seen Mauro rolling around venues working merch booth for The Agonist while they were on tour with Danzig earlier this year. These musicians have an intense compassion for their craft that resonates off of the stage. Next time Bonded by Blood announces a show in your area, grab your friends and go!

Igor Vidyashev

Depeche Mode’s music uniting people from all walks of life under one roof.

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Megadeth Acoustic Set

ugust 7th: Some very lucky contest winA ning fans , along with a few journalist were privileged to see Megadeth perform a rare acoustic mini set at VEVO studios, in New York City. The event will be available to be see online in a few weeks. Based on the success of Megadeth’s private recorded session, VEVO hopes to have similar future sessions

with other metal bands, visiting New York. It was quite an interesting experience hearing the heavy Megadeth classics (and new song) pared down to a mellow raw sound. The guys in the band seemed to enjoy this unique (thou quick) performance as much as the enthusiastic fans and media who crowded in close. After the performance the band came out

to take pictures and talk with their delighted fans, then headed off to get ready for their full out thrash headlining set at Hammerstein Ballroom that night. Set consisted of: Symphony of Destruction, followed by King Maker ( off the new album Super Collider) and closed with “She Wolf.”

photo: Simi Friedman

Review by Simi Friedman

Battlefield of the Mind

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sources to these wounded warriors and raise awareness, a benefit and release celebration show (of the documentary and soundtrack) was held at the world-famous “The Whisky A Go Go,” on April 24th 2013. Consisting of a screening of the documentary, Q&A panel, an award presented by the L.A. City Attorney (Mr Carmen Trutanich) to Larry Murray (executive director for The Boot Campaign). Also, live performances by Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), Sal G (Staind), Troy McLawhorn (Evanescence), Pete Murray and Neil Godfry (Lo-Pro), Otan Vargas, John Fahnestock (Snot) and Eye Empire headlining the evening. It surely did raise awareness about this “epidemic.” I am one of them and now off to buy the documentary. -Enrique Nunez

Enrique Nunez

Emiliano Zapata said during the Mexican Revolution: “It’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.” It’s a sad (and heroic) act to die defending your country, to protect the freedom we all enjoy and your loved ones, but a tragedy when these soldiers return home and now face a new war, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and homelessness. Whether your political stand is on one side or the other, whether you agree that soldiers are heroes or pawns in a senseless war, I believe we all could agree on one idea: They are humans suffering, American’s that want to live a “normal life” Campaign help- these sons, fathers, brothers and friends of many of us and pick up upon their return. after where the country, that they faithfully defended and were (for a minute) cheered This is where and celebrated for (upon their return), has “Battlefield forgotten about them. of the Mind” (Documentary) In order to provide assistance and reand the Boot

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Cougrzz Rock! Marquee 15 Corona, CA Missing Persons, of 80’s fame, may have been the headliner at this full capacity 600 seat venue on Saturday night, April 6th, but their opener, Cougrzz Rock!, had the Marquee 15 show-goers rushing the stage; arguably stealing the show. At 10:15pm, the six scantily, fishnet and corsette-clad cats went on and gave their audience a performance well-worth the $20 price of admission. Lead singer, Grace Richardson, has a very fun, disarming rapport with her fans that welcomed the audience, metaphoricallyspeaking of course, to become one with the music. With a 10 song rock tribute set list, the girl-power infused selections paid homage to divas through the decades...ranging from The Runaways’, Cherri Bomb, to Lady Gaga’s, Born This Way. All presented with crowd-pleasing, dramatic aplomb and musicianship to match. These women may be easy on the eyes, but their music will rock your ears off. In one of Roseann Aldrete’s flamable guitar solos during Sweet Child Of Mine, a swarm of fans and photographers nearly ended up on stage they were so sucked into the song.

A12 city North American summer party slammed Toronto’s Molson Canadian Amphitheatre on August 27 featuring Michael Anthony (Van Halen, Chickenfoot) and with special guest Kim Mitchell (Max Webster). Sammy promised that this tour would be a party and that’s exactly what it was. He wore his fall beach party regalia because of crazy canuck weather with red cargos, red guitars, red shoes but no flip flops. There were a couple of home brew tees with the shades and shaggy hair definitely the shaggiest seniors do since Phyllis Diller.

The Multi-platinum, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer kicked off with a Montrose medley that inspired the 40 year celebration. “Space Station #5,” “Rock Candy” and “Bad Motor Scooter” were classic! The next decade’s set was studded with solo tunes “Red,” “Three Lock Box” and featured his signature song “I Can’t Drive 55.” The party people revved to the red line. Metal, cold drinks, fast cars, love and sex; Sammy has no regrets! The set geared down with a lap guitar solo that kicked ass while he sat his 65 year old keester casually on the drum riser. Apparently needing a little rest, he then cracked a beer and toasted Toronto’s beautiful women.

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“Right Now” was the beginning of something awesome! Then Mikey hits the spotlights and the crowd went wild as the boys shared a bottle of “Beach Bar Rum.” The set of “Van Hagar” tunes kept the crowd rockin’ with “Best of Both Worlds” and “Why Can’t This Be Love.” Michael’s mad skills, major harmonies and infectious smile brightened the cloudy night and the party piqued with “Finnish What Ya Started.” The Wabos band were on hand with Denny Carmassi and Bill Church packing a hell of a punch. Those dudes were solid enough and they didn’t try to play like Chad and Eddie or Joe. Bassist Mona Mona (Mona Gnader) shared the bottom and the top with Michael maximizing major harmonies and rocking the bass when Mike took a Beach Bar break. She sang serious lead on “Heavy Metal” Sammy sizzled and sped into the next decade with songs like “Mas Tequila” and “Knockdown Dragout.” He’s a party. No holds barred. “I am retired. This is what retired musicians do!” Culminating the show with a 3 song encore, “Where Eagles Fly,” “Bad On Fords and Chevrolets,” and finally, the captivated crowd sang acapella on “Cabo Wabo.” Billy Zee

The first-class, studied and seasoned musicians and vocalists that make up Cougrzz Rock! added an authenticity to the covers performed -- with the ability to replicate signature riffs and solos true to the originals, but adding their own flare. Pictured: Roseann Aldrete, Lead Guitarist Most of the band members are artists and songwriters in their own right, which gives the Cougrzz Rock! sound a unique, signature delivery. Lead Grace is supported by Background Vocalist -- Crystal Levy Portillo, Keyboardist/Vocalist -- Shelly Cory, Drummer/Vocalist -- Chrissy Marquez, Bassist -- Jeannette Jacques...and shredding Carvin Guitars endorsed Guitarist -- Roseann Aldrete. In fact, and a testament to their rocking prowess, the entire band is additionally endorsed by Carvin Guitars... Talking after the show with Cougrzz Rock! Drummer and Manager, Chrissy Marquez, I learned just how in-demand this band is right now: “We’re currently playing over 10 shows a month. In February we opened for Great White and are in negotiations to open for Cherie Currie, Dramarama and Berlin...and since merch is a critical element in our branding, we’ve been working with the producers at the Planetwood Productions studio in Los Angeles to track, mix and master a fully produced promo album that we’ll be selling at shows...We’re super happy with the work and having broadcast-ready recordings that sound amazing!” In addition to my own questions for the band, they were bombarded post-set by a radio DJ interested in interviewing them for an L.A. radio show...and one voting member from the L.A. Music Awards approached the lead vocalist to announce that he’d like to nominate her for Vocalist of the Year -- and nominate the band as Cover Band of the Year. Dale Bozzio of Missing Persons, their venerable headliner, even joined in the Cougrzz Rock! spirit proclaiming: “I’m the ultimate Cougar!”...Judging from her MTV videos back in the day...that may well be true -- she’s pretty hot! -- but my money’s on the ladies of Cougrzz Rock! for being the ultimate at what they do: rocking out, having fun and making sure everybody in the house is entertained, bar none. -Catharine Wood

Cougrzz Photos: Dana Osgood, Sammy Photo: Igor Vidyashev

Red Rocker’s “Four Decades of Rock”

Stephen “SteevCreeper” Moreno

orking 20 years as a graphic artist is a blessing and a contradiction, Stephen Moreno has taking his love of drawing and turned it into a lifelong working career spanning somewhere around two decades.

“The Riddle of the Sphinx”

Born in Texas and making Southern California his home for the past 19 years, Stephen AKA “Steev” has worked ground up from drawing everyday as a child to printing t-shirts in school, then production in making art ready to be printed, and now is Art Director of Black Flys Sunglass Co. Today he takes his knowledge and talent to big canvases to convey his ideas of the duality of light and dark. Embracing the diversity in cultural myth & legends, a majority of what Steev’s is known for is in the day of the dead themes genres. Not exclusive to solo work Steev teams up with tattoo artist “Life is Wated” Art Guevara, & Black Flys founder Jack A. Martinez, (the 2 friends most responsible for starting him painting,) to form The MVP Crüe, “Mary & the Venus Pixies.” A blend of three unique styles to form some fun Pop art.

“Come Hither”

Steev has displayed his work all of the world and in galleries from Mexico to Japan, as well as Colorado and California.

“Medusa Fallen”

Steev Just wrapped up the “MVP Crüe Showcase” September 21st at GCS Gallery in Santa Ana. Upcoming: “Rise Against Extinction” Charity Show October 4th at the Artery Gallery in Costa Mesa, & a December 7th winter show at Find Art Gallery in Costa Mesa.

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The next day a woman showed up at the bar claiming her brother was dead. It turns out that a patron, who had visited my bar that particular evening, had crashed his car later on that same night and died. As a result, I was under investigation for over serving. I was mortified. After speaking to a lawyer friend, I found out just how bad this could get. I could be facing some pretty heavy charges like criminal negligence, or even involuntary manslaughter. As if that wasn’t enough, this could lead to the closure of the bar. The criminal charges took a back burner when I realized that the family I worked for could lose their livelihood of over 35 years and this landmark could be gone because of my doing. I kept hoping I’d wake up and this nightmare would be over. How did this all end? Video cameras, I love those cameras! Along with the owner, the police officer in charge of the case sat and watched hours of video. Yes, I did serve this guy. He came in around 9 p.m., ordered a shot of Jack Daniels and an Amstel Light, drank both the shot and beer and then left. His accident occurred just before 2 a.m. -- hours after he left my bar. Needless to say, I knew who he was. After I found out what he had ordered, that picture the officer had shown me became more than just another customer. He’d even joined in with a group of my friends the previous week, and a good time was had by all. Let me just finish with this: There are so many laws that we have to abide by every night we step behind the bar. Just keep in mind that when a bartender cuts you off, not only are we following the law, we may even be saving your life.

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Fan Favorite

his issues fan favorite is none other than Jack Russell of Jack Russell’s Great White. Jack Russell one of the founding members of Great White has gotten to tour the world plenty of times over. Great White disbanded in 2001. In 2001 Jack Russell released a second solo album. In 2005 Jack reformed Great White and went on to release two more albums. Recently Jack has started touring again has Jack Russell’s Great White. There have been talks of a new album and a book in the processes and we look forward to seeing those in the future. We are always looking for the readers option and this time it was definite that they wanted to see this amazing singer. If you are a fan of Great White keep a look out for Jack and his pirate crew going to a venue near you at www.jackrussellsgreatwhite.com

Molotov

here was a revolution in Mexican rock as a packed house came for Molotov for the 11th Jagermeister Music Tour, when it came to the Observatory in Santa Ana on 8/11. Molotov rocked the house for their entire set doing what they do best with smoke in hand. Crowds of fans with flags in hand, surging to the stage, beach balls flying above raised drinks. Before Molotov’s bang, Sangre made one hell of a click, turning heads with their more metal sound. Jagermeister made their presents know from their VIP booths upstairs to the models and the hype man showing off the bottles on stage. The event came together without a hitch and will be a tour I wont miss again. Matt Upton

Matt Upton

It all began with a phone call. One of my co-workers called me from the bar and said that a police officer was there asking for me. The officer got on the phone and said he had a few questions to ask me. About twenty minutes later, he showed up at my home with a photo of a man asking me if I recognized him. I told him that the guy looked somewhat familiar; but that I deal with hundreds of people a week and I couldn’t give him anything more than that. The officer was very vague as to why I was being questioned. When he left my house, I wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, I just knew that it wasn’t good.

Michael W Williams

When I first heard about a show on TV called “Bar Rescue,” I was intrigued. After I started watching, I was happy that a television show was giving an inside view of the bar business. Nightlife expert, Jon Taffer, who fixes establishments in crisis, does a good job explaining the financial repercussions of bartenders’ actions. One episode in particular he pointed out to the bartenders that their over pouring cost their establishment about $98,000 in a one year period. Although he has touched on the subject of over serving, he has yet to mention the legal consequences for both bartenders and bar owners. There are large fines involved with over serving and establishments can face closure, temporarily or even permanently. Several years ago, I was faced with a very serious accusation. Though I am careful not to over serve, this experience had me scared.

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--------------------------------------Sixteenth Note Picking Exercise.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------said, you’ll want to start with using a down stroke. After that, to make things more interesting and maybe even more challenging. Try starting with an upstroke. For “most” people this is rather difficult. Now, here’s what’s very interesting. Those intervallic jumps may prove to rather hard when you hit the last note with a down stroke and then I’m glad you enjoyed the variations jump to another LOWER note with on the Major Scale/Ionian fingeran upstroke! This could be rather ings. This month, I’d like to take challenging. Like I said, for most. a look at a sequence pattern that Maybe not Paul Gilbert. I heard that both technical as well as musical he STARTED using upstrokes first while utilizing bits last month’s topic. and not down strokes. Maybe that is This exercise has helped me get the key to his speed! (lol) my chops together on very short I would both use this exercise as notice. Like, last minute gigs when you haven’t been playing that much both a staccato challenge, AS WELL AS, a legato challenge. Think recently. staccato and you have more of a As always, I look for a cool musical Steve Morse, Al Di Meola, Paul means to get my chops together Gilbert, Vinnie Moore vibe. Think rather than just running scales up legato and you’ll have more of an and down. Although, I DO recomAllan Holdsworth, Bill Connor, Joe mend this, too. It can however can a Satriani, and again, Vinnie Moore little redundant and boring. I like to vibe. Like I said. I would utilize both think this “exercise” is a little more applications. If you going to use it interesting than that. You COULD as a legato experience, may I sugactually use it as a riff or lead if you gest a method? Pick the first note, wanted to. What’s happening ‘Intense Guitarist’?!?!? Thanks for tuning into another installment of ‘Intense Guitar’!!! Thanks all, for the feedback in the last installment. Keep in mind that if you are wanting to go over a particular topic, feel free to reach out to me at: Toshi@rocknrollindustries.com .

If you look at guitar playing in general, it can be broken down to essentially playing in three different modes or realms. Playing intervallicaly, in a scale wise fashion (scalar) and playing chordally. To me, perhaps the most boring aspect is playing in a scale wise fashion. I’ve spent MANY, MANY, MANY hours practicing scales. Usually in a ‘cycle of fourths’. Practicing in a ‘Cycle of 4th’s’ keeps it a bit more interesting than simply playing them up and down. Although this gets a little fatiguing on the ears and brain, as well. (lol) So, in order to alleviate this. It’s best to try and come up with some “entertaining” ways to play the patterns. Or the likes of them. This little diddy is in the key of E natural minor/G major (The notes in that mode are E, F#, G, A, B, C, and D) and pretty much runs the gamut of the fret board. It’s an exercise to help develop your alternate picking in a scale wise fashion. Although, we do have a few intervallic jumps in bars 5, 6, 7 and 8. Nothing too difficult for the fretting hand but I find it whips your picking hand into shape pretty quickly. The exercise is based around simple 3 not-per-string patterns. Use alternate picking. (down and up) This being 72 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

hammer-on to the second and then pull-off to the third. Once you get the hang of hit, it shouldn’t be too bad. It will definitely strengthen your fretting hand and ultimately you are nor”, so to speak. It’s a fantastic way only picking 8 times a measure. to build up your speed while keeping track of it. This way you know for When picking. Something else I certain if you are getting faster try and do is put ACCENTS in the in speed and you don’t have to phrases. I would start with the first guess. I was talking to my bro, John note of each triplet but then try Petrucci of Dream Theater, and we and accent the second and then both admitted to writing down our the third not of each triplet. It also last settings and trying to outdo doesn’t have to be JUST in the triplet pattern. To make things even them. I like to practice to a metronome with just about everything I MORE interesting, try say every do on the guitar. It greatly helps you 5 notes in the pattern. You’d be keep in sync with the drummer. That surprised how cool your phrasing is provided your drummer practices will be when you do this!! You can also try odd meters. But will get into to a metronome or click, as well. (lol) that a little later. This should get you Okay, that about wraps it up for started in that direction, though. this month. Keep in mind you can always reach out to me in the above My recommendation, for now, is to address and let know of any topic use sextuplets. That’s 6 notes per you like me to cover or address. Unbeat. You can, however, break it til next issue...’Who Dares Wins’!!! down to other note groupings, as Kampai!!! well. I would suggest trying many. Also, I HIGHLY recommend practice to a metronome. As I always do. © 2013 Toshi Iseda And will. You must have a “Gover-

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s k c i H t a P

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Music City

“It couldn’t be seen with the eyes; it had to be seen with the heart.” We sat down with Pat Hicks the founder of MI (Musicians Institute) at his beautiful home in Sedona Arizona to find out how it all started and became what it is today.

Tell us how MI got started. Pat Hicks: I just needed to figure out a way to pay my rent. I met with Howard Roberts (back in the day) and I started working with him on his seminars. We produced his seminars for a year but we ran out of clients after a while. We started talking about how it would be great if there was a school, a real school, based on Howard’s seminar curriculum. And being the old business man that I was I said, “Yeah, I can figure that out.” I had a music store. I worked for Yamaha Music Schools for a long time. I kinda knew what to do. Howard had quite a curriculum. I knew how to run a business, so I said; “Howard, you write the curriculum and I’ll get the business.” So, it’s a great story because it’s an entrepreneur story in America that you don’t see very often. There’s plenty of Home Depots and Wal-Mart’s around that keep those opportunities away from us. But I went to Becky, my wife at that time, and I said, “I want to start a school”, and she said, “Great! Let’s do it. But where are we going to get the money?” And I said, “I don’t know? How about, if we sell our house?” “You mean, go out in the street and keep our fingers crossed and hope that you’ll have a school?” And I said, “Yeah, I guess that’s right.” “Okay.” She didn’t have to go with me. We sold the house. We had twelve thousand dollars money in equity. We got out of the house. I gave six to her to rent a house down in Downey where she could keep the kids and take them to school. I took the other six thousand and headed for Hollywood. If I had a brain in my head at the time I wouldn’t have even attempted that. If you ever saw the storms out at sea, you’d never leave the harbor. So I said, “No, let’s just go.” All my life I just stumbled into things… I’m like a pinball in a pinball machine that’s bumping into bumpers, being swatted by paddles here and there, helter skelter and yet, coming out with a record-breaking story.

Trading Four’s can be found at Amazon.com of Southern California campus, which is how I portrayed it in my sales letter to them… They came in and said, “Huh?” But I talked to them afterwards, including John Mac, and I said, “John, wouldn’t that bug you? There was plaster on the floor, walls hanging down, and lumber everywhere.” And he said, “No, I didn’t care. I knew it was gonna happen.” It was about the music and an adventure… and Marie Martinez (one of my graduates from back in the day) said, “I walked up those stairs with hope and wonder in my heart and when I got to the top of the stairs I said, “This school’s on fire.” And that’s how she felt. No matter what kind of funky building it was, or what happened, that’s how they felt. It was one of those things that I can’t put a real explanation as to why something like that really did happen. It should not have happened. No money, no curriculum, there’s no teachers, no building, no nothing, no students! But (somehow) it was a magical thing! I like to call it grace.

Grace was there making it happen….High school drop-out, divorces, failures, bankruptcies and everything in my life – Why should that work? AnyI hooked up with Howard. He wrote up the curricuways, that’s kind of the beginnings of school. And lum and he said to go get Joe Diordio from Florida then, what really made it happen was guys like and John Macovin. So, I went and got all these Mike Smothers [Rock N Roll Industries Editor-inguys and talked them into teaching. I would con Chief] and his dad saw what was there. It couldn’t them into doing something that I knew would work. be seen with the eyes; it had to be seen with the Nobody else did. (I really didn’t either, but I thought heart… I did). Joe says, “When do I start?” So, Joe and John, Ron and I started the school. We started with For that story you have to go to his website or his a rickety old building in the Columbia Studio lot. YouTube page and you can hear that one. The floor was crooked and they had Astroturf. They Pat Hicks goes in depth, regarding the transition had a Doberman Pincher in the living room. The between GIT, to what is now known as, Musician’s guard dog peed all over the rug. It smelled like the Institute, the expansion of the campus from its dickens. We tore that out, painted the walls, got it one-room building to the current state-of-the-art faall ready (one room) …the school isn’t one room cility, and the well-known instructors that started off unless you’re in the 1800s, but I had no idea that it as students. These very students wrote about their wouldn’t work. But who cared? Just go! And I did… time at MI for his memoir, Trading Fours, which and I kept going. It happened. features a piece from Mike. Each submission is Then, in walks the fire department. I was just paired with commentary by the man that started about ready to open the school (one room) and it all. On his YouTube page, Pat interviews Mike the fire department was, “You’re not going to have (among other former students) a school. You’ve got to be kidding! You’re gonna and they discuss what each has get out of here; you’re evicted.” Oh, Lord! By that done to give back to the institute time we had thirty-five signed up to come to the that contributed to their success. school… and no school? So, we ran around on To see the rest of this interview the corner and found another rental, started tearing vist our website or youtube page walls out… started all over again. In walk the stuor scan the tag with your smart dents thinking they were coming to the University phone. 74 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

Music is not just a hobby or way to make money in this town.. It is a ‘way of life’ in Nashville. The industry and music scene in Nashville are constantly growing, opening up opportunities in the business, giving people the chance to do what they desire most, work with music. The city’s reputation is a competitive, talented atmosphere and musical environment that is recognized all around by the entertainment world. For a place that is known for its Country music though, the rock scene in Music City is tremendous and Rock n’ Roll is much definitely alive in Nashville, TN! I am fortunate to be employed, working for the greatest company in Nashville Radio, the Cromwell Radio Group Inc. (Owner: Bud Bayard, General Manager: Tincy Crouse, & Program Director: Chris “Zigz”Cox), all whom are a pleasure to work for, have opened up many great opportunities throughout my rock radio career. As a musician myself, and an On-Air Personality in Nashville’s radio market for ‘Nashville’s Rock Station’ 102.9 the Buzz, I have had the opportunity to work and build relationships with many successful musicians in today’s industry. This, in itself, has opened up my eyes of how big of a rock influence Nashville has on the music world. There is a lot of talent and many well-known rock acts, that live in or around Nashville, that are a constant part of Music City. Musicians & bands such as Jack White, 3 Doors Down, Black Stone Cherry, Saliva, Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust, Cage the Elephant, Brent Smith of Shinedown, RED, Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, Kings of Leon, & Paramore, all who live in the Music City or are from the Nashville area, to other talents such as Kid Rock, Hinder, Aaron Lewis of Staind, Pop Evil, Papa Roach, Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge, & Guitarist Toshi Iseda, are all a constant part of Music City and are very supportive of the rock scene and music community in Nashville. Nashville, having the active community that it does, has numerous events and festivals that are held every year, such as, Bonnaroo, Summer NAMM, and other events that many rock musicians and others in the industry attend. While other cities are known for being the place that never sleeps, Nashville is the city where the music never sleeps. There is always a show in Music City, some that I myself will be a part of in the next upcoming months, so be looking out for what NEW is happening with Rock n’ Roll in Nashville! pArker minor On-Air Radio Personality Music City, U.S.A. Nashville, TN

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Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 77

s p o h Sthat Rock Rock N Roll Industries Visits the House That Jim Rosenberg Built It’s a scorching mid-July day, when Rock N

Roll Industries sets out on assignment from our Southern California Home, and rolls into Nashville, Tennessee, for the 140th Anniversary of Epiphone Guitars “Open House” during the Summer NAMM Show. After relocating their North American Headquarters to a 90,000 square feet section of the Ameriplex, at Elm Hill in January, the “Open House” was strategically scheduled around the Summer NAMM. Epiphone subsequently were able to show why they are so internationally-respected. Current President Jim Rosenberg’s new HQ is tight; well not really, it’s a pretty sprawling site. At the entrance we met Dustin, one of the friendly and alwaysready-to-help representatives. After the reception, the walls of the efficiently designed facility caught our attention. There adorned classic guitars along with the pictures of former and present artists that played them. Heavyweights, such as; John Lennon, Paul McCartney, John Lee Hooker, Zakk Wylde, and Slash, just to name a few. The conference room was just ahead. There is a huge cafeteria to our left, where

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we stopped for snacks. Then we could check out the show room just adjacent. Mr. Marty Burns was there to provide full tours, and instrument setup demonstration as well. Bass testing was also provided in the office area by Kevin Bebout. Jeff Waters of Annihilator gave us a righteous clinic. We went through the quality control regimen given every guitar, which speaks for its responsibility in producing the musician’s choice for their favorite instruments. Director of Research and Development Richard Akers gave us the R&D Experience, pick-up, hardware, testing, and some Q&A time. If you’re not up to date on the company’s history. Pick up a copy of,” The Epiphone Guitar Book.” By Walter Carter, who was on hand to share some of the rich history of Epiphone from 1873 to present. The very personable Mr. Rosenberg had a swanky conversation with R N R’s own Jessica Johnson. About what? She’ll never tell. However, Epiphone. com did quote Jim Rosenberg on the earlier times of Epiphone as being, “bleak on the surface. But once you started to dig down, it was clear that there was gold. The gold was Epiphone’s illustrious past and all it really needed was some renewed passion and attention.” Their time to shine also featured a quite impressive silent auction for autographed and prototype guitars. Such as a 2012 Slash “AFD” Les Paul, 2011 Zakk Wylde Graveyard, 2011 Dave Navarro Acoustics 1 & 2,2002 Casino 1 & 2, Joe Bonamassa Les Paul, 2012 Jack Cassady Bass 1 & 2, 2003 Lynard Skynard Les Paul, 2003 Jeff Baxter Acoustic, and a 2003 Alabama Les Paul Junior, all autographed. Prototypes like 2012 50th Anniversary Sorrento 1 & 2, and 2010 Les Paul Custom PRO. We browsed through the entire line of Epiphone

guitars. Wanna test one? Just roll up a conference room chair and go for it! Check out the Rocksmith 2014 edition, that’s right, not even available yet, not so much a game as it is a tool for the fastest way to learn guitar. To give back to the fans, leave it to Epiphone to throw a party; with the reenactment of The Beatles rooftop concert. Of course there was a guitar give away, and lots of free swag. *To find out more about the Rocksmith 2014 edition. Please visit rocksmith.ubi.com.

Zakk Wylde and Bringing Metal to the Children: Book of Doom Tour.

Leah Burlington

When Zakk Wylde burst onto the metal scene in 1987 as Ozzy’s new guitarist at age 20, he was a baby faced, bellbottom wearing, guitar virtuoso, that seemed to come outta nowhere, when actually he came from New Jersey. He breathed life into Ozzy’s life and Ozzy changed Zakk’s life as well. A lot has changed in over 25 years in Zakk’s life. He played for many years with the Ozzman, started a band Pride and Glory and then left that and started what would become his own iconic brand name band Black Label Society, which is his staple to this day. This band started in 1998 with the album “Sonic Brew” and the rest is heavy metal history. Black Label Society is a monster band of epic proportions with an epic following of crazy Berserkers that are like the Dead-heads of metal. They follow him around to do the Black Mass meet n greets at every show and there are BLS chapters in just about every city in the USA and even worldwide. Zakk has created himself a legend. So it comes as no surprise that Zakk decided to write a book. Written with his long time pal Eric Hendrix. “Bringing Metal to the Children: The Complete Guide to World Tour Domination,” is just that… A guide on how to become a rockstar, deal with the music industry, deal with band-mates, and rules of the road. This whole book is one joke after another, usually poking fun at JD Deservio, Zakk’s bass player and long time friend. He also jabs his wife Barbra Ann and even Eric, who helped him with the book. I would say if you don’t have a very sick and twisted sense of humor: DO NOT read this book. It is NOT for the weak of heart. It is hysterical, all the stories that Zakk has about Ozzy, Dimebag, his bandmates and everyone else he can come up with, are priceless. No one should take Zakk too serious as he has an incredible sense of humor with a dirty mind attached. I really went through it fast and loved it!! When he came to Vegas to play the

Vinyl at the Hard Rock in Vegas By: Leah Burlington club Vinyl at the Hard Rock for the “Bringing Metal to the Children Book of Doom tour” and acoustic set, I had to go see the show. Seeing Zakk jamming BLS songs on an acoustic guitar? I was up for the challenge. Zakk and Nick Catanese, his “Evil Twin” second guitar player, was the only other person besides Zakk onstage. They also had a piano; which was going to be a treat. The stage was set up like the normal BLS “Black Mass” which is the flags and such that are at the meet and greets for photos. Many Berserkers were in attendance and ready to see their hero tear the roof off the small intimate club. Zakk and Nick, blew everyone away tearing through songs like “Blessed Hellride,” which started off the show. With each song came a road story in between and much laughter from the fans. Zakk’s searing guitar solos, even on an acoustic were totally in Zakk Wylde style and he never let up! Well he did when he played the piano for his tribute to Dimebag on “In This River,” which brought tears to many people’s eyes. It’s hard to believe that this hard core metal Viking, with hair everywhere could be so beautiful on a piano and make it breathtaking. Amazed would be the word. After a kick ass set of two piano ballads a bunch of BLS and Pride and Glory songs, it was Q&A time. DJ Ashba of GNR was there and the first to ask a question as he praised Zakk for his glorious shredding. Zakk read some stories from the book and there was much laughter to be had. Zakk is a born comedian and it was a blast seeing this show!! Between the shredding and storytelling it was a show not to miss if you are a Zakk Wylde fan. Get the book, sit down and prepare yourself for hilarity and silliness. It’s a fun read!!! Set List:Blessed Hellride, Queen of Sorrow, Machine Gun Man, Road back Home, Spoke in the wheel, Throwing it all away, In this River, Damage is Done, Lovin’ Woman, I thank you Child, Rust, Stillborn. Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 79

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Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 81

Andy Gould: Tea Boy to Rock Star Management “Are they the Band? Or are they the Roadies?” One of Metal’s most renowned music managers, Andy Gould, gives RNR the low down on what he looks for when he is scouting a band, the future of “rock stars,” and his 5 “stranded on a deserted island” albums. Andy Gould has a very successful track record, creating and managing long, successful careers for his clients. One of them is the most loved zombie in rock music, Rob Zombie. When Andy is not producing films and rock stars, you can find him building his new empire that will soon revolutionize the music industry as we know it. T- Boy Records is the new millennium’s rock and metal label. I have the pleasure to not only be friends with Andy, but also to witness his greatness in action. As I sat down with Andy in his fabulous West Hollywood home, I was both entertained and educated. If I learned one thing, it’s that success doesn’t happen without some good old fashion elbow grease.

fashioned marketing concept of getting their music on the radio and putting their picture in the magazines. You do it smart, and you do well. You customize your strategy to the demographic of the act. And there’s more that you can do, like licensing to movies and TV shows, and working social media. When we use digital marketing, we try to come up with creative ways to engage fans, rather than just throwing content out there.

Also, it’s strange that nowadays you go to concerts, and it is very rare that you see anything that says, “Their new record is out!” When you used to go to shows, in the early days, you would go to see a band and there would be, like, a poster or a billboard or something that would tell you there is a new record out. It used to be, “Oh they are not only selling t-shirts, they have a new record out or coming soon.” I think the people still get their information this way. Even though you think they get it from social media, they get it from Congrats on your new label Andy! Tell me gigs – fans aren’t as dependant on social media how it got started? as you’d think. Our bands are all phenomenal Andy: When I was a kid, I went to work for the Beatles, and in England back in those days, when touring acts. For T-Boy acts, wherever the artist is, messaging about the album is right there with Adam was just dating Eve (laughs), they use to have these things called “Tea Boys.” It’s like how them. you guys have interns now-a-days in America. In England, you had to know how to make a decent cup of tea or else you couldn’t survive (laughs). I was a working class kid from England, and I had this job delivering sheet music. Then, I got a job with Sir George Martin, who produced The Beatles’ albums. They wanted a tea boy, and I was like, “I could do that,” and I still can make a pretty decent cup of tea. So many, many, many years later, after a pretty successful career in management, we were looking for a name for our records label. I said well T-Boy is good. It kind of ties everything in. T-Boy Records with UME -and let me tell you, UME is a fabulous label, and one of the biggest on the planet! That I like. The Andy on the Black Carpet Golden Gods with DJ Ashba bands we sign have already done a lot with their Would you call that branding? careers and know what they want. They’re very I think “branding” is an overused term that the current, they’re cool. I’m very privileged to work record label “weenies” use because they don’t with the bands that we signed. know what they are doing. They use “branding” as a word to encapsulate a bunch of bull shit Who are the bands that you signed? that doesn’t mean anything. They say things like The first act is kind of obvious: Rob Zombie. He “oh we are very strong in social media.” Well, was looking for a new deal, and he knows we what does that mean? “Well we have a lot of can deliver. The next band was Dave Mustaine engagement on Facebook.” Well, good job, and Megadeth. His manager, Mark Adelman, is a really good guy, and understands the long-term welcome to the last century. What’s going on this century? What’s happening? future of the business. We are really close to signing two or three other really big bands, and You forget what good “branding” really means. It it is kind of working out exactly how I wanted it means that the public perception of your artist has to. I kind of thought Roadrunner was a very good transcended “guy in a band” status. You create a label, but after they got bought out by Warner, I reputation of quality with your audience. And that thought they really didn’t care about the legacy of takes time, hard work, and good instincts. Roadrunner. So I guess I was trying to create a trustworthy alternative for these great, established So what is happening? Well, I think there is a whole different new way bands. of promoting bands. I think digital marketing What do you plan on doing for these bands and social media are important, but how do you that their past labels didn’t do? use it? It is sort of like juke boxes. It used to I think there’s a lot to be said about the old be really important back in the 50’s, but if you 82 Rock N Roll Industries Magazine

weren’t on the right juke boxes with the right song at the right time, it didn’t mean anything. Some things don’t change. You need the right social media with the right connections, so when your fans want to interact with you, you are ready to interact with them. Everyone is like, “You need to be on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram.” It is basically a lot of bull, unless you know how to work it and your artist has to be involved. You can’t just do it for them. They have to be very involved, and I would have to say my first two bands, Rob (Zombie) and Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) are really in control of their social media. They have grown their followers from just a few hundred to many millions. What inspired you to become a manager? I worked for record labels back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, and I enjoyed it. There was something great about working for a record label back in those days. You would get a company credit card, everyone wanted to know who you were, and it was really special. But you kind of realize when you work for a record label that all you really work for is the bands signed to the record label. If you were a music publisher, all you worked for was the bands signed to the music publisher. But as a manager, you sort of work with every part of it. One band could be signed to “label A,” music publishing “company B,” merchandise “company C.” I really liked the idea that you could manage people’s careers, not just the label. Right now, the label means very little. It’s the brand of the band that is the big thing. What are three qualities in a manager a band should look for? You want to have a manager that believes in it as much as you do. Sort of conversely, I ask this question all the time, when I speak at some of these conventions. I always ask, “How many managers are there in the room?” You never want to work harder than the band as a manager. It’s one of those things I learned. Rob (Zombie) works harder than anyone I know for his career. I think it is really important. You have to work super, super hard. If the only thing the band wants to do is play gigs, bang groupies, and smoke pot, that’s an okay thing to do, but in this day and age, you have to have a bigger plan. I remember when I first met Rob, and asked him, “What do you want to do” He said, “I want to make records and direct my own videos. I want to use that as a way to get into making movies.” I was like, “Wow. That’s cool. I would like to do that too.” What makes a band unique, and makes you want to manage them? Out of any question you could ask me, this is the hardest one. It is really based on what turns you on as a human being, and as a manager. There are records on the charts that I don’t particularly care for. There are a lot of bands that everyone has been asked to manage, and

crowd. When you think of hard rock and heavy metal, whether it is Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin or Aerosmith, or even some of the more “metally” stuff, they were rock stars. They were different. Every band right now wears black shirts, or some band t-shirt, and you are like, “Oh is that the roadie or is that the band?” A lot of the bands have this thing like, “Oh I want to be like Pantera.” I managed Pantera with my partner, and they were the biggest rock stars ever. You know, I know you produce films. Anything Dimebag Darrel. God bless him. They were coming up you’re would like to share? amazing. Phil, and all of them were rock Yes. We are doing our first non-horror movie stars. Maybe they wore that but, they did with Rob Zombie. It is called Broad Street it with style and authority. You see a lot of Bullies. It is about the Philadelphia Flyers these bands and you’re like, “Jesus Christ, in 1974. It is this really fabulous story. We they look like the roadies.” I always want wanted to expand the brand, but don’t worry. bands that are bigger than life, bigger than We will make horror movies again. We me. When I recently went to see the Rolling just wanted to practice our artistic freedom Stones who are now 70 years old, they still because I don’t just want to be known as seemed cooler than I am. But I am looking the “horror guy,” and certainly Rob doesn’t for the rock star. There are no more rock either. This is a fabulous story. This is sort stars, so I am nervous about heavy metal, of the “Rocky” of ice hockey movies. It was because if there are no rock stars then it’s a team that nobody believed in, with a lead just a bunch of growly, heavy “rawwrr rawrr player that nobody believed in. Three years bands” (I don’t know how you will print that). later, they won 3 Stanley Cups, and were on I always thought rock music is “aspirational.” the front cover of Time Magazine. This is Rock music is a bit like James Bond. “Girls one of the great underdog stories, just like want to be with him. Guys want to be him,” Rocky was for boxing, but Rocky was fake and that is what hard rock is. When we look and this is real. Rocky was a created story, at Ozzy Osbourne, Robert Plant, or Mick and this actually happened. Jagger, shit wouldn’t you love to be him? There is no one like that anymore. Not only What is your favorite movie? do I NOT want to be him, I think I am better I am a huge fan of gangster films. I like than him. Music has become so much of the Casino, The Godfather, Goodfellas, and people. Marx Brothers films an awful lot. I like any movie that takes me out from where I am. If you could give one piece of to all the One type of movie I hate, even though they bands out there, what would you tell have made billions and billions of dollars, them? is movies like Dark Knight, or Man of Steel. Be rock stars! It’s like; those guys seem more flawed then Tell me about the Great American the villains. I don’t know whom to root for. Nightmare? When is it? Where is it? Should I root for the Batman or the Joker? In terms of trying to expand the Rob Zombie They both seem like ass-holes. Why do I even care? They seem like troubled human brand, we created Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare. It starts in Pomona at beings. I like my movies to have some escapism. It could be because I have been the Fairplex on the 10th of October, and runs around for a bunch of years, and I want through Halloween. We have these crazy something to take me out of myself. haunted houses, but we have combined it with rock ‘n’ roll bands that are playing every If you were stranded on a deserted island, night, and I think it is going to be fucking what 5 albums would you take with you? fantastic. We have the famous cars, and Oh, this is good. I’ve played this game a lot. famous people coming to sign autographs. I would take Revolver by the Beatles. With There will be really cool bands, really cool the exception of Yellow Submarine, it is one haunted houses, at a super inexpensive of the best Beatles records. I would take price. We are going to try to take it to Texas, something from Frank Sinatra. It means a and bunch of other places, if it works here in lot to me because my mom turned me on to Los Angeles. It is going to be awesome! music. I also love Leonard Cohen. Hellbilly, by Rob Zombie was just an amazing record. Here is a man who does what he knows I really liked Amy Winehouse’s record. It best, and does it well. Andy keeps it old really bums me out. She should have school. You need to work hard, plain and made three albums, not one. I mean, she simple. When I interviewed Rob Zombie shouldn’t have died ever, but it would have in issue #8, he touched on the same topic been nice if she left two or three at least! of working hard at what you love. I guess great minds think alike. Both Andy and Where do you see the direction of metal Rob (Zombie) are pioneers at leveraging heading? Who will be caring the torch their name and expanding the brand. In after bands like Iron Maiden and Judas my opinion, the metal out there is killer Priest? right now, but the image does suck. What I don’t know if I dare answer this one, but happened to the “denim and leather?” “Why I am going to. I think there is a really bad so serious?” in the Joker’s words. I do think thing going on with metal right now. Every there is still hope for metal. With pioneers band that I see walks on stage looking like like Andy Gould, Rob Zombie, and Dave they are roadies. I see these really cool Mustaine leading the way, this new band of bands… maybe I shouldn’t name names, leaders will help carry the torch of metal, and but they have really big names and hit T-Boy records will be right at the forefront. songs. They walk on stage and they don’t seem any different from the people in the Raquel Figlo you say no because you don’t get it, and you don’t particularly live their life style. I have no problem with Kanye West, but I don’t want to manage him. I don’t get it. I don’t understand his motivation. I honestly don’t really get it, but I do get that some else does. Maybe it’s not Kanye West. Maybe it is some Country act, or some Christian act. I don’t care. I know what I like, and I work with what I like really well.

What’s up guitar players?... and are you as excited as I am?... Hell yea! as my lil buddy Trippy the clown would say!!!.. METAL!!!!!!.... Well that is just what we are going to cover this lesson is METAL!.... The Godfather of Metal, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi lost his fingertips in a work accident on his last day working in a metal factory, but his accident may well have given birth to the scariest sound ever heard by parents in the 60’s...To avoid the pain of using his nubs of fingertips, he used little rubber thimbles, or caps to cover the end of his fingertips. To add more help, he decided to use lighter strings and then downtune to a C!... something unheard of at the time, but the result was a flood of dark evil sounding crushing power chords which in turn found a drove of devoted Sabbath fans and a new era of music...METAL!!!!!! Now.. you do not have to downtune to play metal. Some think you must.. others- eh?.. I like to play whatever feels right at the time!... you can experiment with different tunings... but metal is in the heart!!!!... Many times teaching, I’ve come across students that can only play in Drop D tuning.. that’s cool... to each their own, but you can get some of the crushing power chord sounds just as easily in standard tuning, and that’s what I’m going to cover right now.... Many times in music, we hear what we want to hear. As a kid, I listened to Ritchie Blackmore play “Smoke on the Water”.....wow He was just really heavy and I could hear those huge power chords he used....or so I thought.... What Ritchie, and many others have mastered is playing a chord without the root note, or low bass note... To achieve this is simple...pluck the D and G string together while open.... sounds just like a power G chord huh?... Now move up to the 3rd fret and play the same two strings... sounds just like a B Flat chord... and moving up to the 5th fret.. and 6th completes the Smoke on the Water riff... 0-3-5..0-3-6-5 0-3-5-3-0 if you’re going by the fret... Now the way to use this for more!... simple...come down to the A and D string.. Do the same thing with them... play them both on the 3rd fret.. it’s a mean F.. play at the 5th fret .. you have a very quick playing and crushing sounding G... Many of today’s top guitar players use this easy method to move from chord to chord... without the low E string to worry with... it’s very quick.. If you are tuned to drop D.. then you have 3 ways to do this... Who would have thought that someone with only two fingers could play the guitar?... a dude named Django.... Gypsy guitar legend who lost use of most of his left hand in a horrible fire...but could still out play many of today’s guitar players.. Check him out on YouTube, there’s not much.. but it’s pretty awesome if you’re not familiar with the man... I have another wonderful year to look forward to; recording with the Mr. Creepy project, teaching, sessions, and clinics.. I’d like to thank each and every one of you that has bought a magazine.. It’s because of fans like you that this magazine is in print!!!.. We are here by the people for the people!!!...Now.. Go see my metal brethren Trippy the Clown and get METAL!... Also.. check out Sinister guitar picks.. They really have METAL! So until next time my people... keep your strings clean and your riffs mean...Michael G out.... Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 83

To Rack Or Not To Rack? So, the eternal tone quest begins for any electric

piece of equipment that allows the user to plug up to Eight pedals into true bypass loops and combine them in any combination in 18 banks! Other companies have products like this but Carl Martin has the best I feel! Again, a set up like this will allow you to have a great variety of tones at your feet! Another fantastic option is the all inclusive multi effects system like the Boss ME70, the Digitech RP1000 OR the TC Electronic G-System..a multi effects system with 24 plus DSP effects and 4 analog effects loops that allow the user to add their favorite distrtion pedals or an entire other set up through it and control it while allowing full MIDI control as well! A great suggestion for the guitarist who wants a compact set up with as much versatility as possible!!! Any of these units will allow any guitarist to take their soud to the next level without a lot of cables and extra purchases while sounding really good wth some work.

guitarist as soon as they get their first effects pedal. Two things happen at this point as many of us know, you either hate them or you love them? Many of us know by now that effects can be a very expensive habit...at times it seems ridiculous how much they can cost and at times for only one or two tones tops?!? I myself, have spent enough to buy at least one car on guitar effects alone!! That’s not including all the cables and pedalboards etc that are also an added expense on top of all my favorite boxes of various shapes and sizes strung together to build up tone. With that being said there are other options. Again, most of us know this but for the novice or beginner that may not know there are multi- effects units and even rack effects units as well as the infamous MIDI tone machines!?!? So many choices, so many tones...how does one sort through it all to figure out what you need to achieve “your tone”? The proccess is long and usually and very expensive but there is hope! Most of us try to figure out what our favorite musicians are using and start there. A decent place to start but a lot of the gear they use is high end and very expensive. Sometimes not attainabe by the average person working a 9-5... My suggestion is to go out to a music store..be it local store or a Guitar Center and try out as much gear as you can (without upsetting the salseman...i.e. bring some cash and actually buy something so you’re not just wasting the persons time!!!) that way you can figure out your sound before you The option is to have a heavy and semispend a lot on effects you may not like or even unreliable pedalboard that may require new need! cables and constant upkeep OR go the way a lot of modern guitarists have and use the newly That being re-discovered the Rack system. Not really that said, there new to the music scene but unpopular for a lot of are ways to guitarists for some reason for years?! Rack set control many individual ped- ups are extremely convienent and basically maials with “multi tenece free for the most part. The hardest part of them really is having the time and paitence to pedal” units preset all your sounds in advance so that you like the Carl Martin Combinator. An amazing

By - Wolf Navarro will have a consistent sound. Something that is much harder to get with traditional analong pedal set ups. If one is willing to take the time, the multi effects set ups can make your tour or even just your weekend jamming a lot more fun. Units like the Line 6 POD X3 Pro and the Fractal Audio

Axe Effects II are some of the most unique and mind blowing multi effects processors to ever be put out! They have everything in them from effects to cabinets to mics to amplifiers!?!? Within them you can build all your own programs and really unleash your tonal creativity! So with the suggestions in hand the real question is how much time, cash and paitence do you feel you have to out into figuring out what you need? The pedal set up is fun and looks cool too but the neatness of a rack system with a foot controller is equally cool, extremely fun and very versitile!? In the end they will cost you about the same too...a whole pedal set up can run thousands of dollars the same as a really nice multi feffects unit or rack effects processor. This whole never ending battle between the two really boils down to what you want out of your tone and how much it is worth to you. So all in all the desicion is all yours! You can spend a lot of time and energy trying a million pedals and stringing them together to get your tone or you can use a multi effects pedal or a rack set up like the ones I mentioned! I persoanlly prefer the rack set up it has made my life a lot easier on stage and off...I will be reviewing the Fractal Audio Axe Effects II in my next column so stay tuned and keep the volume up til your landlord complains! Cheers!

Mill Creek Idol

f you are serious about karaoke, then Mill Creek Cattle Co. located at 1874 Mentone Blvd. in Mentone, California was the place to be on Friday nights during May, June and July 0f 2013. The area’s first karaoke IDOL competition, ‘Mill Creek IDOL’, spear-headed by Alicia Lotito in conjunction with Steve Wilson and Rock N Roll Industries Magazine, was held in

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Some of the best karaoke talent this writer has seen traveled to be part of this event. One hundred dollars was given to the winner each Friday night, A panel of judges kept score during each performance, rating vocal accuracy, stage presence, ability to get audience participation and the crowd’s response to their performance. The crowd was encouraged to make noise for their favorite singer as they were pointed out by the lovely host, Bash Stewart. The KJ (Karaoke Jockey) for the event was Daryl ‘Frixion’ Griffin. The Finale was a formal affair with everyone dressed for the occasion. The weekly winners were present to compete against one another for the grand prize. After a stellar performance, including a stage dive into the audience, it was Adrian Estrella who walked away with the one

thousand dollar prize. Adrian, in his acceptance speech, stated that he was going to use the money to go see his mother in Spain who recently had a stroke. Adrian is the lead vocalist of Assuming We Survive, a popular local rock group based in Rancho Cucamonga. Adrian will also be doing a live radio spot, talking about the competition, his performance and his band, on INDIE104 with DJ PJ. Mill Creek Cattle Company and Diamond Jim’s have started ‘Mill Creek IDOL II’ which will run for 13 weeks before the Finale will draw it to a close. Peggy Murphy

Matt Upton

Diamond Jim’s Saloon, located directly behind Mill Creek’s renowned restaurant.

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 85

CD Reviews Audistry

Genre (s): Instrumental, experimental

by:Daniel Hicks

Score 9.2 of 10 I am greeted by the intergalactic ambassadors to take me on a journey to the planet Pleiades... Primarily an instrumental band with subatomic tribal grooves, interrupted by neoclassical soundscapes, this record weighs heavy with anticipation for the

Band Members: Alima Soul – Lyrics and VocalsVincent Ramos – Bass Guitar & Backup Vocals Andres Ramos – Drums, Percussion & Backup Vocals Scott Ramsay – Electric Guitar & Acoustic Guitar

SYZYGY Score 7 of 10

For those that prefer the lighter side of rock, this CD should appeal to you. Singer/ songwriter, Alima Soul, lives up to her name as she fills these tunes with passion and soul. Really Let It Out is a nice showcase of the different sides of Alima. The five tracks are quite diverse. One tune, “Spinning” appears twice on the CD in two definitely different styles. My favorite is the Lounge version in which

A Glorious Disturbance

DevilDriver

Genre (s) Metal Label: Napalm Records Band Members: Dez Fafara - vocals Mike Spreitzer - guitar Jeff Kendrick - guitar John Boecklin - drums

Through and through the album is a stunning success, but these songs beg to be played live. Winter Kills contains ten songs that’ll rip your face off and leave you happy about it. Oath of the Abyss sets the tone. The introduction to the song itself is seductive, but it also serves as incentive for the rest of the record. Every note raises the hype for more; less than a minute in and the vocals come in strong. The adrenaline keeps flowing with songs like Ruthless, Gutted, Curses and Epitaphs, and Winter Kills, all of which maintain the heavy beats, quick-paced drum kicks, frantic, yet well-played guitar riffs, and lastly, lyrics that speak. Dez Fafara is a vocal fiend on each and every track of this creation. Throughout the album there’s a distinctive understanding

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Really Let It Out

by:Peggy Murphy

Score 7 of 10

she belts out the lyrics accompanied only by a piano/keyboard played by Konrad Thompson. Thompson also played piano and keyboard on “Enough”. Art H. Hafen played B3, Rhodes and Keyboard on “Help Me” and “Let It Out”. The instrumentation behind the vocals is excellent and could easily stand on its own without lyrics. It is seamless and tight, like a well oiled machine.

Genre (s): Rock/Guitar Rock/ Puck

by:Peggy Murphy

This Live DVD/CD & Bonus DVD set looks very professional. What is included is a live DVD of two different Prog festival performances (2009 & 2010), with some instrumental tunes mixed with songs containing vocals. Although the songs are tagged as simply Electronica, the music is very Progressive Rock/Electronica. “Including the bonus features, there is nearly 5 hours of music and entertainment”, states Media Stew Public Relations, located in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. The bonus features include a Carl Baldassarre Interview, The

Steve Thomas

Favorite track is the 4th, “Audvocalease”, with its tribal cries of the human voice so strong and powerful, I love this record!

Neverwonder

Genre (s): Pop/Soul/Rock

Band Members: Shawn K. Clement

listener, always thinking… “What’s next?!”

Writing of Realms, a Marc Boals Interview and a Band Roundtable. The music is powerful and energetic. Easy on the senses, it is a must see in 5.1 surround sound. In case you do not have a DVD player there is an audio CD enclosed. The content is very well written. The members of SYZYGY are classically trained, award-winning composer/performers.

Winter Kills

Band Members: Carl Baldassarre – Guitars and Vocals Sam Giunta – Keyboards Paul Mihacevich – Drums and Percussion Al Rolik – Bass and Vocals Mark Boals – Vocals

by: Andrea Granillo

that there is someone on the receiving end of these words, and that relatable front allows for the music to be something more. The sentiment resonates within the listener as well. The track Sail seems to take on a different sound from the others included in the album. While the other songs are considerably fastpaced and hard hitting, Sail hits home with a bang but does so with much more relaxed and soothing tones, at least initially. While the music itself is riveting and captures the ear, the mind will be astounded by the content of each song. Lyrically speaking, there is much more to be unearthed. If you are interested in something that transcends the studio, pick up this album.

Score 9.2 of 10

Swirl

Genre (s): Rock

by: Peggy Murphy

Score 8 of 10

Released on March 25, 2013 worldwide via iTunes, Swirl’s self-titled CD is energetic and upbeat. It was a pleasant surprise to hear the familiar “Time To Fly” (written and titled “Adrenaline” in 2008) and “Mad Disease” (written and titled “Sleepwalker” in 2008) on this CD. Both songs were mixed and produced by Cinderella drummer Fred Coury, who also played drums and keyboards on the tracks with Joe Lester playing bass. Recording was done at Fred Coury Studios. The rest of the songs on this CD were produced by Swirl and recorded at Baxter Rd Studios in Wildomar, CA and engineered by

Genre (s): Rock Label: Thermal Entertainment Band Members: Dave Whitaker-Guitar Clinton Cunanan-Vocals And Guitar Adam Hall-Guitar And Vocals Lee Norris-Drummer Jason Lovelace-Bass

Bruce Copeland & Jeff Gaylor . Post production and mixing were done by James Rieger who also played keyboards and mastered the entire CD. Additional vocals on “Rise Up” and “Message” were supplied by Carol Rieger. “Rise Up” was chosen by a majority vote from Swirl fans to be the first single release off the CD.

Band Members: Alfred Ramirez- Lead Vocals Duane T. Jones- Guitar Shane Carlson- Bass Brian Jones- Drums

The “Message” behind the music, according to Swirl, has to do with standing up for what you believe in and not giving up, despite any road blocks.

Another Lost Year Another epic, flawless record, that stands strong on the commercial rock platform? Yes or no? I say, yes. But one thing that can’t be overlooked is the lack of originality on their overall sound and music arrangements. Don’t get me wrong, this record should provide a successful run for these guys. It’s well

Better Days

by:Daniel Hicks

Score 7.8 of 10

done with razor sharp production & great engineering for an independent project. No question, ALY doesn’t lack talent on any level. But I have to be honest by saying; This music has been done before...

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)

www.farmersagent.com/cpurvisiesberts

Rock N Roll Industries Magazine 87

Mobday The Vow

Love is all Around God Made Women Beautiful