Monthly Archives: June 2010
Interview: L.A.GUNS Guitarist Stacey Blades
RN: Are you ready for M3 next weekend?SB: Yes, we did it last year and it was really cool. We were on the 2nd stage, but we will be on the main stage this year. Jet Boy, Kix & L.A. Guns are the 3 bands returning. This is turning out to be the big festival of the summer. It’s going to be a really killer day.
RN: Will the band be doing a meet n greet at M3?
SB: Yes I think we will be doing it at our merch table. The meet and great last year was crazy. We really enjoy meeting with the fans. It’s harder at the big shows. Not a lot of bands do it. The fans love it, and we hold it dear. The night before M3 we are doing a L.A. Guns meet and greet pool party.
RN: Will you be doing the VIP Meet n Greet?
SB: I think so.
RN: What’s going on with the L.A.G. Tour? Are you still doing the Cocked N Loaded Tour? Or has your set list changed?
SB: This tour started in January, it’s called The Greatest Hits And Precious Gems Tour. One song has not been played live since ‘89 and I’ll leave that as a surprise. People have been digging’ it.
RN: When I caught you guys on your last tour Kenny just joined the band how is he working out?
SB: Kenny came aboard in July almost a year ago. His 1st show was opening for Whitesnake in Sioux City arena around 8000 people and the 2nd show was Warrant a free concert in Syracuse around 10,000 people. He’s a real professional. He has great energy on stage and he is a great musician and brings a lot to the band.
RN: Do you want to talk about your book “Snake Eyes“?
SB: My book has been out over a year now. I started working on it October 07 and it still kind of blows me away I wrote a book without a ghost writer. It’s gotten great reviews on Amazon. It’s tough, you really put your self out on a limb talking about your life and other people. It’s right from birth in till now. It’s really a story of inspiration how I never gave up and stayed focused. And all the shit I had to go through to get where I’m at. The reason I called the book “Snake Eyes” is because there was so many times I was almost there, and so many times the rug would get pulled out from under me and that would just make me try so much harder. If any one has any books and want the signed bring them a show and I’ll be happy to sign them.
RN: Will we be seeing a new L.A.Guns CD ?
SB: We get asked that allot, but right now with the industry the way it is, there are no deals out there. A lot of the Indy labels are gone. We are dying to do new music. Maybe in the end of the summer we will do 2 or 3 new tracks and put them up on iTunes. As we put more material together we may look for a deal.
RN: How have you seen the industry change from the time you started in till now?
SB: When I joined L.A. Guns we would tour, do a record, do production, and then repeat. What is strange is that there is much demand for compilations and cover albums. I’ve done a ton of session work in the last year.
RN: What’s going on with your solo CD?
SB: I just released my solo album which is an instrumental album. Its classical music metaled out. It’s only available on Amazon and iTunes. It was released 3 or 4 weeks ago it‘s called “Symphonic Slam“. Adam Hamilton (former LAG Bass Player) produced it in his studio, he played bass and drums and did all the orchestration. It kind of feel in my lap, Brian Perera at Cleopatra Records was doing sessions and asked me to be part of it. The first track turned out so good he suggested we do a whole record. I’m glad I did it. It’s really going to prove to people “that this guy just isn’t Tracii’s replacement but a he’s a great guitar player as well.” I am really glad I did it. I always wanted to do an instrumental record so I’m really glad I got it out there. It showcases my playing. I really got to rip it up and show some different influences. A great mixture of dynamics. I was able to get creative. Like ‘Moonlight Sonata’ were I played a Strat, and played a blues sound like Stevie Ray and Hendrix and put that style into the mix. It’s not just 10 songs of nonsense shredding. I’m really proud of it.
Life Of Agony’s Joey Z Interviewed
JZ: A promoter from NJ asked what we thought about doing the RRR CD in its entirety at my club The Starland Ball Room. So we thought about it for a few days and we decided it would be fun. We started to prepare for it playing songs that we have not played in awhile like, The Stain Remains and Words And Music was fun in the rehearsal room. We recorded that show at the Starland. Our sound engineer Matt Brown recorded that one. That particular recording will be a special item only available on vinyl.
Than we ended up going to Europe a few weeks back. We did 3 more RRR shows, one in Belgium, Holland and one in Germany. We recorded the Belgium show with a full 10 camera video recording and a full protools studio recording. They have a studio up stairs. They had a 10 camera crew come down and shoot the footage. And I was asked to mix it. And it looks like this Live DVD/CD will be packaged in one package and they are looking to get it out in early summer. Late July early August. So every one be on the look out for that. Because it’s going to be killer. I believe we went with Life of agony 20 Years Strong Live In Brussels. RN: I read an interview you did awhile back ,that the Starland show was going to be available for download through ITUNES is that still going to happen?
JZ: We tossed around a lot of ideas. Sometimes we shoot off our mouth before we think. We change our minds a lot. That’s the kind of band we are. We don’t get so stuck in our thoughts and ideas. But I think, Keith or Sal came up with this idea and we liked it. To do a vinyl release, we haven’t done that. We want to do some different to cater some of those really hard core LOA fans. That may still have some vinyl. Like myself and some of the other guys in the band. I don’t think it will be available for download.
RN: Will you release that through your website or at shows?
JZ: I think this is something that we will bring along with us to shows. So you can’t just get it any where. I think we may even number them and sign them. In till we get it mixed and in till we get the vinyl then we will decide what exactly we want to do with it. Because we run our own show. We don’t have a label. We don’t have management. We manage our own band. And we are our own label. I Scream Records is putting out the CD/DVD from Belgaum. We signed just for that particular release. It was not a signing where will do records in the future. Although I have to say, I Scream has been very supportive with this live DVD. They have been great.
RN: Are there any plans for a new LOA CD?
JZ: Well as a band, we write like turtles. On are own we write a lot. But when we get together we take a long time. I don’t know what it is. If it’s how we’re structured or how we formulate as a group. We are very hard on our selves as a group. Occasionally we can be hard on each other when it comes to writing. That’s fine because we come out with really good stuff that way. And you weed out all the stuff that just isn’t gonna make it. And lately every one has been so busy and concentrating on their side projects. Keith has his solo project that’s been going on for years. Alan started a comic book series called Wire Hangers. And Sal has a project going called A Pal Horse Named Death. He’s finishing up his CD right now. I have had the studio going for years now and I’m also writing some of my own stuff as well. So every one is kind of busy, so there is not that much time to write a new LOA record right now.
RN: Have you guys got together at all to where you’re at?
JZ: I don’t want to mislead you. We got together a few months back. We have thrown around some ideas. It was cool we were just testing out the waters. It was alright. I think it was just scratching the surface of where we can go. And what we can really do as a group. Nothing really stuck and in till that moment happens, in till there is a peace of music in front of the four of us, where every body is like “this feels good” in till that happens I think the process is going to be super slow getting there.
RN: How does it feel to be in a band that has been around for as long as you have?
JZ: We just spoke about this recently, how much we appreciate each other and how happy we are that LOA is still around. If you think about, you only live once and we are grateful for what we have as people. Yes we worked hard and it wasn’t handed to us that’s for dame sure. We’re grateful that we where able to build this name, this brand on a real foundation with out being a bunch of bull shitters. We only did music that felt was real. We really are proud of our history.
RN: What’s going on at Method of the groove? Who have you been working with lately?
JZ: Misery, we just finished a full length album. It will be coming out this summer. Some time in August. It’s on Super Metal Records it will be distributed by Megaforce. I have another band coming in to Method of the Groove called Truth And Needles. I have another band coming in called End All and we’ll be doing a full length with them. There’s a lot of good stuff going on I’m looking forward to this year and all the bands and everything.
A VERY BIG THANK YOU to Joey for taking time out from mixing the new LOA/DVD to talk with me.
For More Info Go To:
The following info was pulled from the I SCREAM RECORDS webpage.
May 21st 2010
On Saturday April 3rd 2010 I Scream Records recorded & filmed Life Of Agony’s performance at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, Belgium, this was the second show of their exclusive European “20 Years Strong” tour. In late 2009 the band performed their debut album “River Runs Red” in its entirety during a few exclusive, sold out, US shows and, after popular demand, they went over to Europe in April 2010 to perform a set built around this amazing, legendary album.
“20 Years Strong: River Runs Red | Live In Brussels” will be a digipak combo release holding a CD of the entire show as well as a DVD with a 10 camera production of the show, an on-the-road documentary and much more.
Track listing:
1. This Time
2. Underground
3. River Runs Red
4. Through And Through
6. Bad Seed
7. My Eyes
8. Respect
9. Method Of Groove
10. The Stain Remains
11. Other Side Of The River
12. Love To Let You Down
13. Weeds
14. Lost At 22
“20 Years Strong: River Runs Red | Live In Brussels” in stores July 19th in Europe & July 27th in the USA.
Interview: Bang Tango / D’Molls Drummer Trent Anderson
RN: What’s going man? What are you up to?
TA: I just got done the new D’Molls CD. It was done here in Chicago. And it’s being shopped now.
RN: And how about the new Bang Tango CD?
TA: I have already finished the 9 tracks for the new Bang Tango CD. That was done in Phoenix. We will be finishing the vocals some time in June, and Anthony Foxx will do the mix in LA.
RN: What’s going on with the Bang Tango Tour? How is it going?
TA: It’s going good. Bang Tango will be on the road non stop this year. We will be at the M3 Festival. We just booked more dates. We added Allentown and Philadelphia. For all the dates check out the Bang Tango site.
RN: What else are you up to beside Bang Tango and D’Molls?
TA: I’m putting together a cover band here in Chicago called New Dead All Stars. We are going dress up like zombies. We are going play rock versions of R & B songs. And just gonna have some fun.
RN: Are you still with The Dogs Divine?
TA: They are some of my best friends. Right now Paul Crosby of Saliva is playing drums for them.
RN: He produced the CD right?
TA: Yes he did, along with Chip Znuff. I was in a band with him about 6 years ago called Solace For Now. That had Johnny Sprague from the band Ear Shot as well. We did a video, it had a little play, but Paul had to go back with Saliva. We did ok with that. It was a good time. That’s how I know Paul. And he’s known the Dogs back when we where touring. Tom (the singer for The Dogs Divine) was in another band called Low As I. And that’s kind of how we all met and we just stayed in contact. It’s a big circle of friends. If the Dogs ever need me to play and Paul’s out with Saliva and if I can I’ll do it. I would never leave those guys hanging. Like I said they are some of my best friends.
RN: You have played with a lot of bands. For people that don’t know what are some of the bands you played with?
TA: My first big national band was Black Bone. With Josey Scott from Saliva. We put out our first record on Surf Records which was an upstart label out of Indianapolis.
RN: Was it hard for you in the beginning?
TA: We dirt roaded it. We toured and lived in this van. It had no heat and bald tires. The shifter broke off. You had to shift it from the column to get it in to drive. It was horrible. I wouldn’t wish those conditions on anyone. But it taught me, how bad you really want some thing. And how bad do you want to go after it.
RN: What’s the difference between touring now and touring then?
T.A.: I realized that some people complain about the dumbest shit. They didn’t have the right hotel room, or they didn’t get the right beer on they’re rider. I don’t care if you sold a million records. If something is messed up like that, it’s an easy fix. I always look back and say to myself it can be a lot harder and I could be a lot worst off. I feel blessed that I am able to make a living doing what I do.
For More Info:
http://www.myspace.com/bangtango
http://www.myspace.com/dmollsdoubleplatinum
http://www.myspace.com/trentanderson70
