Guitarist Dweezil Zappa appears on the latest Randy Rhoads tribute album titled “Immortal Randy Rhoads- The Ultimate Tribute”. The album which pays tribute to legendary Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads reads like a who’s who of hard rock musicians. Along with Dweezil the album also features the likes of Tom Morello, Rudy Sarzo and George Lynch. Media Mikes had the pleasure of speaking with Dweezil recently about his work on the album, his first exposure to Randy’s Music and also about his first solo album release in over 10 years.

Adam Lawton: What was your first exposure to Randy Rhoads and his music?
Dweezil Zappa: I grew up listening to music my dad made and whatever he was listening to around the house. I didn’t really know about other music until I was about twelve. We never listened to the radio or anything like that. Around that same time I started to get into guitar. I liked all of my dad’s music but I thought it was a bit hard and not the easiest place to start. At that time the most popular music on the radio was hard rock music. I would hear bands like Van Halen and Ozzy Osbourne when I was hanging out at a friend’s house or what not and I was super into what Randy was doing. When I started reading about him and his playing what really stuck out was just how much he practiced. You could tell what he was did in Quiet Riot and a short time later with Ozzy was just leaps and bounds ahead. Hearing that made me very dedicated to the instrument. Seeing what he was able to accomplish in a very short amount of time made it seem possible to me. I could start from one place and get to another in big steps.

AL: How did you get involved with the album and, what do you think make’s it stand out above other tribute album?
DZ: I have been in touch with Randy’s family over the years in different ways and been involved in a few different tributes they have put on. This particular record was being produce by Bob Kulick who had contacting me to work on previous projects he was involved in. It was a simple thing to want to be involved with as everyone who worked on the project is really great and just good people. Randy’s playing was something that was very life shaping for me and ever night that I’m out doing a show I try and throw in a Rhoads lick as sort of a tip of the cap. It’s one of those things I decided to do a long time ago. So getting to just be part of this has been great.

AL: How did you go about approaching your performance?
DZ: I felt that what Randy did was so great that I didn’t really want to change it any way. Bob wanted us to make the pieces our own so I did do that to an extent but, I tried to keep things true to what Randy did. I feel like in order to play Randy’s music you have to play it as he did.

AL: Were you involved in the song selection at all?
DZ: All of the songs on the record are ones I appreciate. The one I was invited to play on buy Bob was “S.A.T.O.”. That song has always been one of my favorites. The solo is one of the ones that Randy didn’t have completely composed solo for. Most of his work is done as a complete composition but this song has always felt like it was more free form with him just going for it. With that being said the song still has great structure and flow. What’s also cool about this song is that it goes through a series of chords that are a little different than what he had been playing over. There are elements of major pentatonic along with a few other things that are different. There are also some bluesy elements to it as well. He really seems to have dug in and just went for it which I love.  I added a few slight changes of my own and who knows they may have been things Randy may have done later on.

AL: What do think it is that keeps Randy’s legacy still going some 33 years after his passing?
DZ: I think you have to put things in to context by what he did and the time that he did it. That makes a difference. There wasn’t anyone doing what he was doing at the time. The intricacies of his recordings can still be listened to today and you can hear all the pieces and how they are connected. His style of arranging and songwriting hadn’t been done up to that point. He added classical styling’s making his work very sophisticated. There were a lot of rhythmic things in his riffs which I think made him stand out. He was in his early twenties when he did all of this and the fact he was here so briefly adds to his body of work which really stands the test of time. Everyone took notice of him and those two albums were burned in peoples mind. The energy and emotion just jumped out of the speakers. I think all of these things helped Randy and his body of work transcend time.

AL: Can you give us a quick update on some of the other projects you are currently working on?
DZ: I have a lot of things in the works right now. I have a new solo album in the works. I haven’t been able to make a record of my own for over a decade as I have been busy doing Zappa plays Zappa. I have a pledge campaign started at www.pledgemusic.com and the plan is to have it out sometime in April. There’s a lot of stuff on the record which sort of showcases everything that kind of got me into the guitar and taken me to where I am. There are a lot of different styles and influences on there. I even did a track by the Bulgarian Women’s Choir on guitar. It’s a very song oriented album with lots of strange moments of guitar spread throughout. I am also working picking out dates for the next run of Dweezilla boot camps. Along with that I recently shot a new DVD lesson series, I will be out doing more Zappa plays Zappa date along with a few other appearances.

I have been listening to Andrew W.K.’s music since “I Get Wet” was released in 2001. The music has such a positive vibe and energy to it, that I would almost call it “addictive”. Much of the time, people attribute negative connotation to addiction, but I feel in the case of Andrew WK, can you really be faulted by forming a habit for music and messages that bring you up from the darkest places and make you feel alive? Notoriously fan friendly, motivational and a seemingly endless fountain of “life”, Andrew W.K. is someone that I have long waited to meet, and I finally got my chance before his full band performance at the State Theater in St. Petersburg, FL, on January 29^th.

Eric Schmitt – When did you decide that your music should take a positive approach in the hard rock and metal genres?
Andrew WK – It’s a great question. Even more so than lyrically or ideologically, the big question for me early on was whether to use major or minor keys. I like all types of music, both major and minor chords, but I was always, in terms of energy, really driven by  chromatic minor music. Like traditional heavy metal, especially very brutal heavy metal. It was very aggressive and I always drew great energy from it’s power. I wanted to do that, but I never felt I could do it as well as the masters. I had this strong feeling, like a pinpoint where I could use this major key, but I didn’t know if people would like it. I had these doubts that it somehow wouldn’t work, or the metal community wouldn’t like it. I remember very clearly coming back from this family trip, where I decided “okay, I’m just going to do it. I’m going to make this music that’s in my head.” I could hear how it sounded, and I just had to believe that I could do it. And it all formed from that, the major key is a cheerful sound, and everything just formed from that cheerful sound.

ES – How have you seen some of the positivity of your music manifest in your fan base and other external areas?
AWK – I never initially thought it would be a positive thing. Music itself makes you feel good. Music of all sorts, even if it’s a sad song, angry song; I don’t think anyone would listen to music to feel physically worse. It has a good feeling – it’s magical really. I feel that any music you put out there has the ability to generate that feeling in people. Certainly, when you can add to that already positive feeling in music, a positive message, or specifically focus on getting motivated and powered up, feeling good about life, then it gets amplified by a billion times! You fuse these two things, cheerful music and positive mindset, and it goes through the roof. So I was really excited and very influenced by people reacting to the music I was putting out early on – finding positivity in it. So I said, “okay, I’m going to commit to this”. A lot of the lyrics aren’t positive in a blatant way, they’re kind of all over the place, so it was really people finding that in it. I definitely wanted to be cheered up myself, so when I saw it was working for other people, it sort of became a team effort. We were using this music and a Party mind-set as a centerpiece to build around.

ES – Describe your mentality when writing music – specifically when piecing together the Wolf, which ventured into more serious territory than “I Get Wet”. For instance, “Never Let Down” is a significantly different song than anything that was on “I Get Wet”.
AWK – Well, there wasn’t a whole lot of rhyme or reason to it. A lot of the songs on the second album, “The Wolf”, were actually written at the same time as the “I Get Wet” songs. Some of them before. I guess I just chose to make the first album, like it will be these types of songs. Then the second album I would open it up to more tempos. But also, I think the first album started this party, then the second album was almost like singing about how that felt. Again, I didn’t intend for it to be that way. A lot of the lyrics and feelings that I got across on the second album were my amazement that any of this was happening, and recognizing it and trying to amplify it. It was “here’s the party starting“, and then “this is what it feels like”.

ES – What factored into you writing the “Party Bible”?
AWK – Being asked, probably first and foremost. Writing a book wasn’t something I planned on, at least right now. But, I had some people that were very supportive. Initially, my book agent, Simon, he said I should make a book. I’ve done writing throughout my work, advice columns and posting stuff, you know? I always liked writing, but a book was a huge undertaking. I, of course, was intimated by the challenges that it implied, but having someone there that believed I could do it was nice. Then several years later, Simon & Schuster actually came through with a book offer. So I started writing it (the Party Bible) and it’s not really an autobiography, more about partying and the stuff we’re talking about now. Hopefully it’ll be done soon, I’ve been writing it for a couple of years. It was definitely harder than I thought it would be.

ES – Do you think we’ll see an “I Get Read” book tour when the “Party Bible” is released?
AWK – (Laughs) That’s a great title for a book tour! Of course, I want to do a book tour and you know, not just do book appearances, but party lectures like I’ve done before, and play some shows. I love touring, so any reason to tour is great. Having the book, of course would be a whole new version of a tour experience.

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I had never seen Andrew perform live, and having his full band on hand before trekking down to Miami for ShipRocked 2015 was certainly an added bonus. I’ve always envisioned Andrew WK as the “party guy,” but the interview gave me a glimpse into the intellectual away from the stage. I don’t know if I was still hung up on that aspect, but when the band blasted into “It’s Time to Party,” the State Theater crowd erupted and I was swept up in a tidal wave of emotion and sweaty metal heads. It was the most intense level of fan interaction I have ever seen at a live performance!

Song after song, bodies would fly from every corner of the stage, some being caught by partying revelers, the others falling to the sticky alcohol mess of the floor. But there was no strife, no anger, no machismo – the entire crowd was united under the “Party Banner”. I had never seen anything like it, and I stood my ground 6 feet from the stage so that I could absorb the energy in all its glory.

Sporting 4 guitarists (!), a bassist, drummer and Andrew on keys and vocals, the band was almost militant in it’s musical assault on the crowd. The performance was an unrelenting barrage of good feeling, and the crowd was more than eager to reciprocate. Constantly singing along, invading the stage to dance with band members and raining down applause after each tune! ANYONE that walked into that performance mid-set would have been swept off their feet by the energy – it was that strong! After playing the majority of the “I Get Wet” and “The Wolf” albums, AWK closed the show with the title track from the first album and “Don’t Stop Living In the Red”. It was towards the latter song that my wife, who has never really been a fan of Andrew’s music, was converted. The look in her eyes said it all – She had indeed, Partied Hard!

John 5 is probably best known for his work with Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie however he is also a successful solo artist who recently released his 8^th solo album titled “Careful with That Axe”. The album blends a multitude of styles and sounds making the album impossible to ignore. Media Mikes spoke with John recently about the album creation, his backing band The Creatures and what fans can expect from his first ever solo tour.

Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about your latest solo album?
John 5: The latest album is titled “Careful with that Axe”. The album was recorded live so there are no punch ins or anything like that. I had an amazing band which consisted of Rodger Carter on drums and Matt Bissonnette on bass. Everything just went together real well which led to the idea of taking things out on the road. The songs all sounded really great and Rob was going to be working on a movie so the timing also worked out. The album has everything from western swing guitar to Spanish style guitar. There are also a couple Jerry Reed songs on there as well. This is really my favorite record from the ones I have done.

AL: What made you decide to cover some of Jerry Reed’s material?
J5: Everything is from childhood. Jerry Reed was someone whose music was always being played in my house. My father loved “Hee Haw” and was into guys like Chet Atkins and Jerry. One of my favorite pickers is Jerry Reed so I wanted to pay a little tribute to him and maybe educate a few people along the way about who he was.

AL: What type steps did you take during pre-production to ensure you could record each song live?
J5: I would sit with a metronome and really work at the songs to get them as tight as I possibly could on my own. I would then go in and rehearse with the guys. It was sort of like training for a fight as after those rehearsals we would go in and record it. It only took a couple hours for each song and then I would go back and mix things. It was a pretty fast recording process however preparing and getting to that point took some time. It was a challenge doing things the way we did but it I like that and it was a lot of fun.

AL: Can you give us some info on the upcoming tour?
J5: This will actually be my very first solo tour. This is a tour that is going to be very special for me. For the fans we are doing a special meet and greet package where people who purchase these will get to come to sound check and meet the band along with all the standard photos and such. You also get the super rare John 5 soda. People have been driving hundreds of miles for this stuff! We are going to be everywhere with this tour and I am very excited to get out there. We also have plans to record a live album during this tour which should be a lot of fun as well.

AL: Are you going to have the same backing band that played on the album out on the road with you?
J5: Rodger Carter will be on drums. I have known him for quite awhile and he is just a really great player. However Matt will not be out with us due to his commitments with Elton John. To find a replacement I had to go to the Musicians Institute to find someone who could play this material. I found a guy buy the name of Ian Ross who is just a monster. This band is just phenomenal.

AL: Are there plans to change any of the song arrangements for the live shows?
J5: They will pretty much have the same formula. When I would go see bands and they wouldn’t play songs the way they were on the albums it sort of bummed me out. I loved going to see bands like Rush that played exactly what you heard on the record. I just found that so cool. I tend to take that same approach and keep things pretty close to the records.

AL: You also have a new live album with Rob Zombie coming out. Can you tell us about that?
J5: This album is a completely live album. There are no overdubs what so ever. We captured the material over a couple different shows. This record really shows just how tight of a band we are. I am very proud of that fact. Rob has done an amazing job and this album came out really great. I personally enjoy live albums especially ones like that this that are true live albums. You can go back and listen to that live performance time and time again.

AL: What other projects do you have in the works for this year?
J5: We just finished work on a new Rob Zombie album. I’m not sure when it’s going to be out just yet however it’s probably one of the best Zombie albums to date. I was a big Zombie fan even before I was in the band and I feel this new album is the best one by far. I also will be working with Rob on the score for his next film “31”. Another thing I have out is a new set of signature guitar strings which are being put out by Dean Markley. I have used their strings since I was a kid so to have my own signature set is pretty cool.

Niclas Engelin is probably best known for his guitar work in the Swedish heavy metal band In Flames. However when he’s not holding down the six duties there Niclas spends his time working on his melodic death metal group simply titled Engel. The group’s newest album titled “Raven Kings” was released in November 2014 and Media Mikes had the chance recently to speak with Niclas about its creation, what it was like working with Jacob Hansen and the prospects of the group touring in the United States.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some of the background on Engel’s new album “Raven Kings”?
Niclas Engelin: After the last album “Blood of Saints” we decided to take some time and sort of regroup. We didn’t necessarily stop but we did take time to think about what it was we wanted to do with the band and just exactly how we wanted it to sound. We knew that we wanted the next record to be strong and well put together not just musically but also visually as well. We had lots of conversations about what the music for “Raven Kings” was going to be about. We took all the ideas from those conversations and sort of compiled them into one theme. Marcus and Mikael are big in to gaming and they had this vision of a post apocalyptic type game. I am not a gamer so I had to do some reading and also watched some films. We really just collected all these moods, ideas and themes and from there went to pre-production and so on.

AL: Can you tell us about working with Jacob Hansen this time around?
NE: Jacob and those guys are all friends of ours. He had wanted to work with Engel in some capacity for quite awhile now. I think we had been talking off and on about it for something like 3 years. We really liked the work that he did with Volbeat and we knew that he was capable of going the extra distance to make what was important to us happen. We talked a lot about this and I love how the album turned out.

AL: “Salvation” is a pretty intense song. What made you choose it as the album’s first single?
NE: (Laughs) It’s a very in your face song. We had never done a song as fast paced as this one before so when we were thinking about doing it we figured we could put a treatment together that really would shock people and let them know we are here.

AL: How does the creative process work for you with Engel as compared to when you are working on In Flames material?
NE: For me I have to think of these two bands as being from two different worlds. I really have to keep them very separate from one another as they are different things. The way Marcus looks at material might not necessarily be the same way Bjorn looks at material so I have to be conscious of that.

AL: What do you feel is the hardest part about balancing your time between both of the bands?
NE: For me it comes down to doing each of these when I have to do them. It’s just like getting the kids around for school each day and paying the mortgage. These aren’t things you can do only when you feel like it. (Laughs)I am always collecting ideas and working on various things. I essentially am always working. I love writing and performing music so much that I don’t mind that constant work process.

AL: What are the tour plans for Engel as we have yet to really see the band here in the United States?
NE: We have plans to start touring Europe in 2015. We will be out on a 6 week run over there and then heading back to Scandinavian. I really want to hit the United States also as it seems like every day I am being asked by someone as to when we will be there. (Laughs)

AL: What do you think has been the hardest thing about getting Engel over to the States?
NE: We want to make sure that we are going to be part of a good package that it going to make an impact. This will be our first good tour in the States and we want to make sure that the fans in the US see and hear what Engel is all about. That’s something that is very important to us.

AL: Does the band have any other plans going in to the New Year?
NE: We are getting ready to release another single off the album. We are currently in talks about what type of treatment we are going to use but I the song is going to “Fading Light”. I have met with the videos director a couple times and I do have a script but we still have a few more things to work out before we start shooting.

It’s been a “Dukes” kind of year here at Media Mikes. Earlier this summer I spoke to John Schneider about his feature film directorial debut, the tongue-in-cheek horror film “Smothered.” This week I got to speak with the other Duke boy, Tom Wopat, who recently teamed with Schneider for an album of Christmas music entitled “Home for Christmas.” Being familiar with Mr. Wopat’s work in musical theater, as well as on country radio, I was well aware of his pipes. When we chatted before the interview he was as proud as a new parent. Rolling Stone magazine recently named “Home for Christmas” one of the ten-best holiday albums released this year and the album DEBUTED in the top 10 on Billboard’s Traditional Jazz chart. It didn’t climb to #10…it opened there! In fact, as I write this the album is “sold out” on Amazon.com Don’t fret, though. They’ll make more!

Mr. Wopat recently took some time out to talk to me about the album, further collaborations with John Schneider and his musical future. You can read my interview with John Schneider HERE

Mike Smith: How did this project come about with you and John?
Tom Wopat: We’ve always enjoyed singing together and in the past 20 years or so we’ve done a few shows. We’ve talked a lot about recording together. I had started producing as well and this just made sense. We cut a couple of songs together last December and then we finished the rest this past August.

MS: Both you and John have been very successful in the theater and in country music. Was there a reason you decided to do a Christmas album?
TW: Well, for one thing it’s kind of a perennial. You’d like to think that it will sell for a while. Another part is that we can go out and do a series of concerts every year with that material so it just made sense to do that.

MS: You’ve done a few shows already this year haven’t you?
TW: We did several. We did a show in New York, then we did a show for about 500 people in John’s barn in Louisiana and we just did one in Atlanta.

MS: It’s obvious that you and John have a great rapport. I listened to you both this past week when you were hosting on Sirius Radio. Is there anything else you two want to collaborate on in the future?
TW: We’ve talked about doing a movie. John has a lot of projects he’s developing…he’s putting together a movie studio in Louisiana…so hopefully he’ll give me a call one of these days and I’ll go down there and do something with him. And I’ve got some ideas for future albums. We finance them ourselves so hopefully this one will do well so we can finance others.

MS: I actually spoke with John this summer to promote his horror film “Smothered.” If Catherine Bach sings I’ll be able to talk to all of the Duke cousins!
TW: (laughing) There you go!

MS: What do you have coming up? Are you going back on stage soon?
TW: Those things just come along suddenly…I very rarely get much lead time on that. The only thing I can plan on is some upcoming dates with my band. We’ll be on Long Island in April and in Indiana in August. But I’m sure between next Thanksgiving and Christmas we’ll have ten or fifteen appearances planned. I’m also getting ready to do another solo record and there’s talk of myself, two women and a little jazz group going out on tour and performing the music of Woody Allen films…pretty much some great standards.

MS: Really? That would be right in your wheelhouse.
TW: Yeah, that would be a good one.

Photographer: Cameron Powell

A few weeks ago I got a weird text. It said “do you want to do an interview next week?” When I replied “with?” I got back “you. Michael Smith.” I was excited. Someone wanted to interview ME! Actually I was told that I would be the interviewer and the subject would be Christian singer Michael W. Smith. I was even more excited!

A winner of (3) Grammy awards, as well as (40) Dove awards, Michael W. Smith has enjoyed success not only on the Gospel/Contemporary chart but in the mainstream as well. This month he has released his fourth album devoted to Christmas, entitled “The Spirit of Christmas.” The album, on which Smith duets with such singers as Vince Gill, Michael McDonald and Bono, consists of both long time favorites (“Silent Night,” “What Child is This”) and new originals.

As he readied to embark on a short tour to support the album Smith kindly took some time out to speak with Media Mikes.

Mike Smith: This is your fourth Christmas-themed album. What is it about the music that makes you want to revisit it?
Michael W. Smith: You know this is the music I grew up with. All the way back to when my sister and I used to pull out the Christmas LPs and play them for four months straight! When I hear those songs they just take me back to my childhood. Especially the first part of this record, for sure.

MS: This album consists of duets. There are a few performers on it that your fans might surely expect, like Vince Gill and Amy Grant. But then you’ve also got Bono and Michael McDonald. How were you able to get them on board?
MWS: Well first let me tell you that I’m still pinching myself that it happened, you know? We had these people picked out from day one…before we even recorded one song. We had the whole record sequenced. We had a plan and we had a wish list of who we wanted to invite. And everybody said yes. I’ve known Michael for about 10 years and I’ve known Bono for 12 years. These guys get asked to do stuff all the time, so the thought that they said “yes” is still pretty miraculous to me and I’m very, very grateful.

MS: Is there anyone out there that you’d like to sing with that you haven’t so far? Do you have a wish list?
MWS: I grew up being a huge Barbra Streisand fan, you know. I’ve always loved her voice…I’ve loved her movies…”Funny Girl,” “Funny Lady.” Recently she’s kept a low profile though I know she has a new album out. (NOTE: Ironically, Barbra Streisand’s latest album, “Partners,” is also a duets album). I would love to record with her.

MS: Do you have a favorite song on this new record?
MWS: Oh, man…that’s so hard to pick. I mean, if I had to pick…gosh, it’s hard to pick! Wow. “Almost There,” which is an original song that I did with Amy (Grant). There’s something really special about it. I love…I think it’s one of my favorite songs that I have written….”All is Well,” that Carrie (Underwood) does. And the one song that I get choked up on is “Peace,” which is the one I do with Michael McDonald. And Michael actually co-wrote that song, so I’m sure that’s one of the reasons he wanted to jump in and be a part of it.

MS: When you’re writing songs, do you sit down and write about a certain theme, like Christmas? Or do you later go back and realize that a certain song is right for the project you’re doing at the time?
MWS: Definitely the latter, because I never know what I’m going to write. Obviously if I’m working on a Christmas record I’m going to be a little more intentional. I’m going to be thinking about textures…how a bell sound will go with a piano sound…something that might inspire me to be a bit festive. A bit “holiday-ish,” you know? On “Almost There” I knew I wanted it to be a little haunting. I mean when you’re on that 12 hour drive to the beach how many times do you ask mom and dad “oh my gosh, are we almost there?” My friend, Wes King, came up with the idea which was why not imagine Mary riding on that donkey. She’s pregnant and she can’t find any place and she’s wondering how long it’s going to take…you wonder if she ever said to Joseph, “are we almost there?” And that was the premise for the lyric.

MS: Are you going to tour at all to support the album?
MWS: Oh yeah! The Christmas tour started the Saturday night after Thanksgiving and we’ll be doing about fifteen shows around the country.

MS: What else do you have coming up?
MWS: I know it sounds a bit insane but I actually released three records this year. I did an exclusive record for Cracker Barrel called “Hymns.” That came out early in the year. Then the pop/worship record, “Sovereign,” came out in May. And now, of course, the “Christmas” album has just been released so it’s been a pretty busy year. After the “Christmas” tour we’re going to tour with “Sovereign” all over…South Africa…Asia…Europe. That will all happen in 2015.

MICHAEL W. SMITH’s Upcoming Tour Dates

December 18, 2014 Spokane, Washington
December 19, 2014 Portland, Oregon
December 20, 2014 Seattle, Washington
December 21, 2014 Abbottsford, British Columbia
January 11, 2015 Nashville, Tennessee

For more information go to www.michaelwsmith.com

Singer/songwriter Durga McBroom-Hudson has worked with the band Pink Floyd as a backing vocalist consistently on almost all of their shows since the 1987 “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” Tour up to the final concert of “The Division Bell” in 1994. In 1989, she formed the band Blue Pearl and had several hit songs including “Naked in the Rain”. Recently, she came back together with Pink Floyd to record on their supposed last album “The Endless River”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Durga about her work with the band and her plans for the future.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you ended up perform backing vocals for Pink Floyd?
Durga McBroom-Hudson: My sister was recording an album on Capitol Records in New York with Nile Rogers, and I was doing backing vocals for her. Meanwhile, Pink Floyd had started the Momentary Lapse Of Reason Tour with only 2 singers. The man who ran the production company shooting the initial concert videos recommended my sister, and she recommended me. They needed someone to sing bottom, so they asked me to join the tour.

MG: You toured with the band for their album “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” and “The Division Bell” tours; what was your most memorable experience?
DMH: Probably Pink Floyd Live In Venice.

MG: After your first tour with the band for “A Momentary Lapse of Reason”, what was it actually getting to go in and record in the studio for “The Division Bell”?
DMH: It was wonderful. Bob Ezrin had wanted all English singers, so they recorded the whole thing that way. But David thought the low parts weren’t right, so they flew me over from Los Angeles and I re-recorded all of those parts. He really likes the tone of my voice. It’s a huge honor to know one of your biggest teachers appreciates you.

MG: What is your favorite Pink Floyd to sing and why?
DMH: I don’t have only one. That is like asking which of your children is your favorite. Most people would assume “Great Gig In The Sky”, but I have a love/hate relationship with singing it because it’s so difficult.

MG: What is a fun fact about David Gilmour that a lot of people might not know?
DMH: I personally believe he’s a bit shy, despite the fact that he has quite an imposing presence. I am very fond of him.

MG: How did you get approached to come back for Pink Floyd’s last album “The Endless River”?
DMH: Youth, who is my partner in my own band Blue Pearl is a co-producer on “The Endless River”. He asked me, and we surprised David with what I came up with. Luckily, David loved it.

MG: Did you work exclusively on “Louder than Words”?
DMH: No. I am also singing on “Talkin’ Hawkin'” and “Surfacing”. David asked me to come in to add to what I had already done on “Louder Than Words”.

MG: What was it like working with David Gilmour again after a 20 year break?
DMH: He is the best, and he makes me do my best. I love working with him. It was like coming home.

MG: Was it challenging coming back to work on the music that Richard Wright created without him there?
DMH: He was there. I could feel him.

MG: Tell us about your involvement with the animated film “Strange Frame”?
DMH: I sang on the soundtrack, including a cover of “The Gunner’s Dream” from “The Final Cut” with Roger Water’s approval.

MG: What else do you have planned for the rest of the year and next year?
DMH: I expect to get more mixes in from Youth from the new Blue Pearl album, and next year I expect to see it released, as well as doing A LOT of shows. The rest of this year will mostly be spent with family. The new Culture Club album will be released in January, and hopefully George will have recovered enough from his throat injury to go back on tour – I hope to do some shows with them too. I already have at least 15 dates lined up from Brazil to Finland, some with my sister Lorelei. Keep your eyes open – chances are I’ll be in a city near you!

Jeremy Spencer is the drummer behind the bombastic sound of the heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. In the past couple years the band has released two successful studio albums and performed to thousands of fans. To add even more to an already crazy schedule Spencer found time to pen his first book a biography titled “Death Punch’d: Surviving Five Finger Death Punch’s Metal Mayhem”. The book is a candid, no punches pulled account of Spencer’s life both in and out of the band. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Jeremy recently about the books creation as well as what the band has planned for 2015.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us a little over view of the book and tell us why you chose now to the time to release a book like this?
Jeremy Spencer: It all sort of started around the time that I had just gotten out of rehab. I had started writing basically about my whole life as a way to process and get something outs. It was very therapeutic. Anytime I had some down time I would start writing. Once I had a large amount of stuff I started looking back over it and found a lot of it very interesting. I sent it out to my dad to get his take on it and he thought that some of the stuff I had written could be a benefit to people. He did think it needed to be edited down so I would be ostracized as it was very raw and real. (Laughs) He helped me with that and I ended up sending it off to our management and they loved it. From there they started shopping it around to the publishing companies. It wasn’t anything I was planning on but things took shape and we moved forward. Even though our band is still popular and on the upswing which is not when books from band members normally come out, but that ended up being all the more reason to put it out when we did. I think the story can help a lot of people and the positive feedback has been great thus far. This book has helped me with a lot of different things in so it just been a great experience so far.

AL: Being so fresh out of rehab was it hard to look back at some of these stories you put in the book?
JS: Some of it was horrifying! I wasn’t proud of a lot of it, especially when it was where I hurt someone. Those things made me sad. I have tried to work through things the best I can and I certainly wasn’t proud of who I was during those times. At the same time if I didn’t go through that stuff I wouldn’t be where I am now. I think by being a drug addict it forced me to look at things that I may not have if I was sober. Once you start dealing with the addiction side of things you realize that there is more deeply rooted stuff to also address as well. That for me has been a blessing.

AL: The books layout jumps back and forth between the past and present. Was that something that was a conscious decision or was that idea taken directly from your initial writings?
JS: That was something that happened during editing and was suggested by the book company. I am really glad they suggested that because it’s a bit different. I haven’t really read any books that do that. I wrote sort of chronologically and that has been done so much that we decided to change it up. I am really happy with how it turned out.

AL: Throughout the book you speak very candidly about the other members of Five Finger Death Punch. Was it difficult being that truthful knowing your still going to be working with them on a day to day basis?
JS: For sure. I definitely toned things down a bit as my intentions were not to throw anyone under the bus. I made sure to talk with the guys about anything I may have thought was questionable beforehand. I gave them a chance to read the parts they were in ahead of time if they wanted to just in case there was any worry or things like that. This project meant a lot to me and I didn’t want it to hurt anyone. I had to obviously pull back the curtains some so the reader could get a better feel for the story so if needed I changed people’s names or things like that. I was very cautious about all those things. Again there were a few things that got removed. Some of the things I found hilarious at first we decided to leave out after talking a little bit more about them because ultimately they didn’t fit well with the story. I think everyone was pleased with how the book turned out as no one was exposed too much.

AL: With the book having been out now for a few months is there anything that made it into the book that you sort of regret having in there?
JS: I am comfortable with. I don’t really want to change anything or wished I had done something differently. If that first draft I submitted would have come out it would have been terrible! (Laughs) The book went through a lot of editing. The whole thing was a process as there are just so many different steps you have to go through when writing a book. I have lived my several times over now.

AL: The band recently wrapped up a really great co-headlining run with Volbeat but, have there been any discussions about what the band will be doing in the coming year?
JS: The band has huge plans for next year. Once we get through the holidays we will be heading over to Japan for a run of shows there. After that we have a little time off and then we will be heading in to the studio to make the new record with hopes of a summer release. We also have some plans to do a few spring shows and a European run with Judas Priest. First thing first we have to get the new record done and out.

 

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Dave Ellefson and Chris Broderick are probably best known for their work in Megadeth however over the past couple of months the duo have appeared as part of Metal Allegiance. The all-star group along with Ellefson and Broderick the group features Alex Skolnick, Chuck Billy, Frankie Bello, Charlie Benante, Scott Ian and a long list of others. The who’s who of metals top players performed their first show as a part of Motorheads inaugural “Motor Boat Cruise” this past month. Media Mikes spoke with Chris and Dave about the creation of the group, experiences from that first show and what they are most looking forward to about performing with the group here in the States in January.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us how a group like this came together?
Dave Ellefson: Mark Menghi is the guy who put this thing together. Back when we were doing the Big 4 shows with Slayer, Anthrax and Metallica, Mark had put me and Frank Bello from Anthrax together for a couple of bass clinics. That developed into a couple shows put on by our sponsors called “Metal Masters”. After we finished those dates up Mark and I kept talking about keeping the concept of the shows together but develop a little bit further. “Motor Boat” was where the first real chance to try this idea happened. It was very last minute as there was a ccancellationby one of the headliners. I knew Chris and I were going to be there as was everyone else we had talked about so I called Mark right away. The show was really great and set a lot of what we are going to be doing in the coming months in motion.

AL: Was there any nervousness to get up their being everything was so short notice?
Chris Broderick: Absolutely none! (Laughs) I was so ready to get on that boat and just play. I thought the Metal Allegiance idea was great. It helped keep my ticket on the boat. (Laughs) We had such a great time jamming with everyone. Very rarely do you get an opportunity like this one to play with all these different guys. It’s a killer opportunity to play and hang out with some great people. I do have to say the only reservation I had was hanging out with Mark Menghi. (Laughs)

AL: What was it like performing a set that was mostly improvised?
DE: We usually start determining some sort of set list through an email thread. You can only imagine what an email thread made up of 12 metal heads looks like. Things get crazy quite quickly. At one point playing the “Love Boat” theme was mentioned. The cool part is that everyone involved is really talented and between all of us we can play just about everything. We of course throw in some of our band’s songs but we wanted to go back to playing some of the songs we grew up listening to and learning. Songs by Kiss, Deep Purple and Judas Priest were all mentioned. Of course the set changes from night to night and after the first night we did this we were having dinner with Alex Skolnick and we asked him to come up and do some songs. Alex brought in a whole bunch of songs he knew. Before we knew it we had the entire first side of Van Halen 1. Right before we walked on stage we all sat down at this little table and figured out what we were going to do. We are all like a bunch of kids when we get up there. It’s like forming a band and you keep adding all these amazing players. It’s fun to have those types of moments.

AL: Is there one guy who sort of runs the show when you are doing these type of shows?
DE: We default to Mark Menghi. He is sort of the voice of reason and sanity. When you throw a bunch of gun slinging, metal heads together it tends to turn in to one giant beer drinking brawl. Someone has to come in and make sense out of everything. You do really need that one guy to be the musical leader because I feel it’s important to stay within certain parameters. We don’t want this to come off as being too watered down so the music we do is all metal and hard rock. Its music fans of our regular bands might be into as a lot of them are our age and grew up on the same music.

AL: How does playing in a setting like Metal Allegiance differ from that of Megadeth?
CB: There is a lot more improvisation going on. We rehearse the songs on our own and then we just get up there and do them. When we go up there with Megadeth were doing the same songs night after night. It becomes almost like rope memory. With this you never know where everyone is going to be and there is a much freer flowing feel to things. Each performance is a onetime thing which gives you moments that can never be duplicated.

AL: Is this project something we could be seeing more of in the near future?
DE: Once we did the first show the phone hasn’t stopped ringing since. It’s going to be great bringing this show to the House of Blues to kick off NAMM. This type of group is perfect for these events. Outside of those bigger event settings promoters want us to do tour dates all over the world. Our bands separately would tough to get on one bill at one time. Metal Allegiance makes things a little more possible because you bring in the key members from these bands and we can just keep everything loose with a jam feel. The whole thing is about getting a specific vibe.

AL: With you guys being a part of NAMM will you be unveiling any new music equipment at this year’s shows?
DE: I have a brand new signature bass coming out called Kelly Bird 5. This is my 4^th signature model with Jackson and lots of them have been rolling out which is really been great. The new model just came out and I am really excited for people to check it along with the other gear I endorse.
CB: I have a hard tail version of my Chris Broderick signature series guitar. This model is going to be offered through the USA custom series. I am not sure if it we will be completely ready by NAMM but it will be out the early part of 2015.

AL: Can you give us a quick update on the new Megadeth album?
DE: The plan is to go into the studio in January. Generally there is never a specific date we put on an albums release as we want to make sure the songs we choose are the best fit for our style. We have quite a bit of material to go through right now.

Media Mikes had the great pleasure recently to speak to not one but two legendary heavy metal musicians. Dave “Rock” Feinstein and Carl Canedy make up 2/3rds of the band The Rods a band which has been carrying the flag for heavy metal and hard rock since the late 1970’s. Both members have new solo albums out along with a newly released Rods single titled “Great Big Fake Ones” and we spoke with the guys recently about these new releases and their plans for the coming year.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the decision to re-issue “Heavier Than Thou” and
“Hollywood”?
Dave “Rock” Feinstein: “Heavier than Thou”, and the “Hollywood” albums have been albums that wanted by the fans for a long time.  We felt that now was a good time to re-issue them.  They are both slightly different than a traditional RODS album, so I think that’s what makes them so interesting to the fans.
Carl Canedy: We’ve been in the process of re-issuing a lot of our back catalog that we own the rights to. These two CD’s in particular were something the fans had not had a chance own in a re-issued, re-mastered format. Fans have been emailing us for years asking when they’d be available. So like Dave said it simply was time.

AL:  What can you tell us about the newly recorded Rods track “Great Big Fake Ones”?
DF: There are many words that have been used to describe the song, but when Carl brought the song in, the three of us just felt that it was so funny, and just different enough to make the fans want to hear it.  You have to take it for what it is.  It’s not a traditional RODS song, but it is a very catchy tune that should make you laugh.
CC: The guys have been really cool about doing a song this since I initially brought it to them. It’s clearly a “one-off” type of song. The fans who’ve heard love it. I think as long as you realize it’s “tongue-in-cheek” you can enjoy it for what it is. Personally I love it and think it’s quite amusing. I gave it to the guys and when it came time to record it was done quickly. Rock and Garry really nailed the vocals.

AL: You both recently released new solo albums. Can you tell us about those and some of the guests who appear on the albums?
DF:  “Clash of Armor” is my forth solo release now and was done mostly by myself and Nate Horton. On my previous releases I have had quite a few guest performers. In the past guys like John West, Michael Butler, Jeff Howell and Matt Barnes have all come in to help me on various tracks as has Nate. On the song “Bitten By the Beast” from my 3^rd solo release I had Carl and Garry come in. I played guitar and Ronnie James Dio did the vocals.
CC: On my CD, I have John Hahn, a Leviathan artist who is a Mike Varney discovery. I’ve known John for quite a few years as I played on his first solo CD in the “90’s. Mark Tornillo has 3 vocals, Joe Comeau has 2 vocals and David Porter has 2 vocals. Chris Caffery came in and did some soloing on 2 tracks as well as several other artists who graciously brought their talent to this project.

AL: With a career spanning multiple decades what do you find these days to be the most rewarding part of being a musician?
DF: It’s rewarding to still be able to create new music.  Of course playing live is the ultimate rush, and to know that there are still fans around the world checking out our music and wanting more.

AL: Are there any plans to perform this new material live and what type of
plans do The Rods have in place for 2015?
DF: I think I can speak for the three of us that we love to perform live, and if a song of ours merits being performed live, then we will do so.  Right now for us we take every request to perform seriously, and try to do as much as we can to make these live appearances happen, For us and for the fans as well.
CC: We do have a few dates in the works that are not yet confirmed and we have confirmed the Defenders of Old Festival in March with Exciter. We’re excited about this show as it’s the first time in years we’ve been to the NY area. Also, I love the band and the guys in Exciter so I’m looking forward to the reunion.

“Pandemonium” is the latest release from the heavy metal band Cavalera Conspiracy.  Since the album’s release in October it has been garnering rave review amongst the music community. Media Mikes caught up with Iggor Cavalera recently to briefly discuss the albums creation, his working relationship with brother Max and the bands plans for 2015.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the group’s new album “Pandemonium”?
Iggor Cavalera: “Pandemonium” is a very raw record. I feel the new album really showcases Cavalera Conspiracy as a band and how we way are playing aggressive music these days. When it came to my drumming for the album I tried to keep things as minimal as possible. I sort of took the less is more approach.

AL: Can you tell us a little bit about yours and yours brother’s musical partnership and, With a two year gap in releases from the band do you think it will be hard to recapture fans attention due to the constant onslaught on new media?
IC: My brother Max and I have an incredible yet simple way of writing and performing music.It goes back to my previous comment about having that “less is more approach” to things. As far as regaining attention from our fans I don’t feel that is really a problem we have to worry about because our fans are very loyal. I don’t think they suceptable to being brainwashed by all the other types of media that our out there.

AL: Can you tell us what the bands immediate tour plans our as well as the bands plans going forward into the new year?
IC: Right now the plans are for us to start touring in the States sometime at the beginning of the year. Probably sometime in January or February. After that we will most likely be heading over to Europe for a number of the festival shows that take place there.

James Beattie is the guitarist for the hard rock/heavy metal band Season After. The group recently released their second full length album titled “Calamity Scars & Memoirs” and will be out touring in support of the release through December. Media Mikes spoke with James recently about the new album, the bands current tour and what they have planned for the coming year.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us a rundown of the band’s new album?
James Beattie: For the most part the album is about the struggles we were having in the bands down time. We weren’t sure if the band was going to keep going and there were several times where we felt like we were just being held down. The album is about not letting someone tell you what you can or can’t do or who you can or can’t be. It’s about pushing through all that stuff and making the best with what you have.

AL: Can you tell us about some of the setbacks the band experienced prior to the release of the new album?
JB: Our front man Chris left the band in 2010 leading us to pick up our current singer Tony Housh which has been fantastic. He is just really great to work with. We also lost our bassist and we picked up Jessie Saint which has also been really great. Not to take anything away from the former members but the process thus far has been pretty easy. The transition went a smoothly as we could have hoped for. At first we were a little unsure of how Tony was going to be received due to people perception on when a band changes it front man. We feel Tony has fit in well if not better for us as a band. We are very happy with the changes which have allowed us to move forward.

AL: Was there a conscious effort made to diversify this album from the previous due to the change in front men?
JB: I don’t think we concentrated on that very hard. It was more a matter of us all evolving from the time the first album was put out to the recording of the new one. The music might not be as heavy on this new album as compared to the first but that has nothing to do with the lineup change. That has more to do with the change in us as people. We didn’t really think about how we related to Tony or Chris as song writers but instead we focused on just always wanting to write good material. We had faith in what Tony brought to the table with each of the tracks whether it was more screaming type vocals or more melodic type vocals.

AL: What was it like for you balancing both your roles as band member and producer during the making of the album?
JB: That was something Dawson and I decided to do. It really wasn’t too crazy or hard. We were both obsessed with every little detail related to each song. Everyone in the band was that way. We knew from a production stand point what we wanted and where things needed to go. Everything just sort of fell in to place and it was a very natural transition for both Dawson and I.

AL: With all the changes the band has undergone over the past three years do you feel those things will impact the reception of the new album in any way?
JB: I think that hiatus was the difference for us. I feel that if we would have had all these changes happen with the lineup and then immediately tried to go in to the studio and blast out an album we may not have been received as well. There is always that stigma when a band changes singers. We certainly read quite a few things online wondering what happened to Chris and why did we make the change. We knew people don’t always understand the inner workings of things so we had time to address a lot of things while working on the new material and growing as a band.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands upcoming tour run and what other plans you guys might have going into the New Year?
JB: We have a run of show through December which was initially lined up prior to the album’s release. We wanted to get out there as soon as we could and get our feet wet again. We also want to make sure we get the word out about the new album and hopefully create a buzz around it. As far as plans for the New Year we are hoping to get our stuff to radio during the first couple months of the year from there the plan is to go as nonstop as we are able to.

Jimmy Carter is one of The Blind Boys of Alabama, the five-time Grammy Award winning gospel group. This year marks the band’s 70th Anniversary together and Jimmy is a founding member and has been there since the beginning. The band has collaborated with musicians like Ben Harper, Tom Waits and has performed for numerous Presidents over the year. Jimmy took out some time to chat wiht Media Mikes about their new album “Talkin’ Christmas!” and about the band’s 70th anniversary.

Mike Gencarelli: “Talkin’ Christmas!” is your second Christmas album after 2003’s “Go Tell it On the Mountain”; how did this come about and teaming up with Taj Mahal?
Jimmy Carter: Taj Mahal has been fans of The Blind Boys for a long time and we have been a fan of his as well. When we approached him, he was ready and eager to do it! Then we all got together went into the studio and did our thing [laughs].

MG: I listen to a lot of Christmas albums and if you are lucky an artist includes one new song in their album. You guys have given us seven brand-new holiday songs – six of which you written yourselves with this new album; what made you decide to that this route?
JC: That’s right. It is mostly all original stuff on this album. We all got together and wrote some great songs. I think that is what makes it a good album. The first Christmas that we did was mostly traditional songs but this one we wanted the material to be new. I hope it goes over good. We are trying to remind people what Christmas really is about. Christmas had gotten very commercial, so we are trying to put Christ back into Christmas.

MG: Since this is a holiday themed album, I am curious when was it recorded?
JC: We recorded this one in March, if I remember correctly. With the songs that we had it put us in the Christmas mood. So it wasn’t hard at all to record after the holidays and ended up being quite fun.

MG: 2014 is your 70th anniversary of The Blind Boys of Alabama, what is it like to be performing together all these years?
JC: It still feels good. Every year you get a little older but when you still enjoy and love what you do it keeps you going. Everyone is still in pretty good shape, so I foresee us being around for at least a little bit longer [laughs].

MG: If you were asked to pick the first highlight that comes to your head over the many years together, what would that be?
JC: A few come up actually. We had the privilege to singing to three Presidents. Even got to meet former President Jimmy Carter twice [laughs]. That was really cool. Then we got our first Grammy in 2002 and that was an amazing moment. Those are the two that come up the top of my head right now.

MG: You have teamed up with songwriters such as Ben Harper, Eric Clapton and Prince in the past; any more team ups planned next?
JC: I especially enjoyed working with Ben Harper. He is a great writer, a great singer and a great musician. He brought a lot to the table man. I really enjoyed working with him. I think Ben wants to do something else with us. We have to sit down and talk about it but I think he is ready…so we will see.

MG: Any tour dates planned for this album this Fall?
JC: Yes! We are going to start our Christmas tour on November 28th. We are starting that Friday night in Fredrick, MD and we will end up December 23rd in San Diego, CA.

I first learned about Crobot in September through my wife, who is attending this year’s ShipRocked Cruise, where Crobot is one of the performing bands. She very excitedly forwarded me the link to the band’s video for “No Where to Hide” and informed me that this was the band to watch for. I clicked the link and as the music proceeded, I glanced at my wife and just mouthed out “Wow!”. Mixing in powerful vocals and groove-centric rhythm, “No Where to Hide” immediately grabbed my attention and had me seeking out more songs. It wasn’t long after that night we heard the same tune being belted out on Sirius/XM’s Octane channel. Again, I turned to my wife and just mouthed out “Wow!”.

Oddly enough, the exclamation of “Wow!” has been reiterated on more than one occasion as we spoke with friends that have either seen Crobot live or sampled some of their music. I don’t think that the short reply was one of surprise, rather, an immediate reaction to how the band’s music made them feel. “Wow!” – like watching the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks display for the first time, or seeing a fighter land a crushing knockout blow. The music is impact, full of soul and jolts your insides with electricity. Crobot’s “No Where to Hide” is not a one-hit wonder or $15 song, though. Seemingly every track on the quartet’s first release “Something Supernatural” resonates with energy and heart. Power titles like “Skull of Geronimo” mix an in your face metal chorus with extreme funk during the verses. While more subtle, infectious tunes like “La Mano de Lucifer” drag your mind into stoner rock territory, until Brandon Yeagley unleashes a skull splitting vocal assault in the chorus.

On November 7th, Crobot made their way to the Local 662 in St. Petersburg, FL, and I was fortunate to grab some of their time before their performance. I initially didn’t know what to expect, as I first ran into Brandon and Jake Figueroa outside of the venue’s entrance. A little bit of small talk at first, the typical hokey “welcome to Florida” speak. But as we were joined by Chris Bishop and Paul Figueroa, the conversation transitioned very rapidly. I remember the first question Paul asked me was “Have you ever played Dungeons and Dragons?”. A short discussion on role playing games quickly dissolved into laughter, and with that, familiarity was set and the interview began.

Eric Schmitt: How did everything come together for the release of “Something Supernatural” and the tour announcement with Volbeat and Anthrax?
Brandon Yeagley: Well, we recorded in November to December of 2013. Feels really good to have it all out there, walk into a record store and see your record on the shelf. It’s pretty awesome. The Anthrax and Volbeat thing we’ve sort of been hearing about for a little while, and that finally solidified too. It’s going to be a great tour for us.
Chris Bishop: It all just sort of happened by chance, too. Announcing the Volbeat tour and our album release. We didn’t plan that – it just turned out that both were on the same day.

ES: A lot of people are currently looking for the lyrics to the songs on “Something Supernatural.” Listening to them (the songs), you can hear that a lot of them seem to tell their own story. Where did the inspiration come from?
BY: In general, it’s a lot of Sci-Fi and Horror flicks growing up as a kid. Listening to Ozzy and Rainbow, Dio, we were fans that grabbed on to that “mystique”. I’m a product of my environment when it comes to that. I look to guys like Neil Fallon of Clutch, probably the best storyteller of our time, I think, as a lyricist. I really take from what he does and put my own spin on that.

ES: So what’s your favorite horror flick?
BY: Army of Darkness. That was always my favorite.
Jake Figueroa: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.
ES: Ooh! Going old school, there!
CB: I’d say the Notebook. (Laughter)
Paul Figueroa: I’ve gotta go with Aliens. I was really little when I saw it – I saw it before I saw the original Alien. And I saw it on laserdisc, actually. That’s how long ago I saw Aliens. That scared the crap out of me!

ES: Describe the process the band went through when putting together a song like “La Mano de Lucifer”. That’s pretty intricate both lyrically and musically.
CB: There was a lot of different riffs going into that (song). It started with the verse/groove riff going on and we were sitting in Brandon’s kitchen playing acoustics and we came up with the turn-arounds and transitions. Jumping from 3 to 4, our sort of “War Pigs” intro and bridge we wanted to throw in there. We started jamming it and it went from there.
JF: I think it was originally an 8 or 9 minute song. It had 2 bridges, 2 choruses –
CB: If you think that (the song on the album) was progressive, you should have heard the version before!
JF: It was all over the place, like Mars Volta shit.
PF: With crappier drumming. (Laughter)

ES: What do you guys consider the best part and worst part of touring?
JF: Probably waking up after getting drunk.
BY: That’s the worst, no matter what.
JF: For me, that’s the best and the worst! (Laughter) Some mornings it’s the best.
CB: We just keep the party going.
JF: Others it just sucks.
CB: The shitters sometimes suck.
ES: Is that from a shit or piss perspective?
CB: Shit – I can piss anywhere. Well, I can actually shit anywhere now. I’ve shit in some of the sketchiest places known to man cuz I can shit fast. That’s the talent I’ve got.
PF: You do have a talent for that!
ES: So it’s like a Shit n’ Run?
CB: I build it up to where it’s explosive, then I’m out! (Laughter)
PF: In fact, when anybody shits within 5 minutes, it’s called a “Bishop”.
CB: Yep, I’ve got my own shit.
JF: It’s like Superman goes into a phone booth, drops a hot deuce, then comes right out. He walks in there as Superman, shits, and Clark Kent comes walking out. (Laughter)
PF: The worst part for me is when the tour ends. It’s just like “boo!”. At least that’s how I feel. The best part of the tour? I guess when it starts then. I love it!
BY: The best part is definitely sweating and shaking our dicks every night. Worst part, definitely running out of weed.

ES: If Crobot were given a live action TV show, similar to the Scooby Doo cartoon premise, who would you want to play you and why?
CB: Phil Anselmo would play me. Just because we look alike when I shave my head.
JF: I was thinking about this the other day, something similar. I would go with John Leguizamo.
BY: I’m gonna say Rick James. Maybe the dead version. Zombie Rick James. Yeah! Imagine what he’d have to say? AAAAAHHHHH! (Laughter)
JF: (to Paul) You should totally have Daphne from Scooby Doo play you!
PF: Was she the lesbian chick with the glasses?
ES: I think that was Velma.
JF: That’s who I meant! Velma!
PF: Yeah, we’ll go with that. Cartoon Velma in human form.

ES: What are you guys looking forward to with upcoming shows like Kink Festival in Orlando and ShipRocked?
JF: Things like Kink Fest I always look forward to because there’s always a little tent where you can get some free booze and everyone pretty much runs around like a madman.
CB: Meaning Jake usually runs around like a madman. (Laughter)
JF: That’s an odd setting where nobody really complains about it, so I like that.
CB: Definitely ShipRocked is going to be awesome. We have a bunch of other stuff coming up that we can’t announce yet, but ShipRocked is definitely going to be awesome. I went to the Bahamas once when I was like 10 years old, that was the last time I was there. I got all my money stolen on the fucking ship. Well, here’s the story – I went with my friend and his grandmother and she had all the cash together. When she was in the casino, she apparently left her purse and when she came back all of her money was stolen. Maybe she gambled it away, I don’t know.
PF: I’m definitely looking forward to that Volbeat/ Anthrax tour. Those will be the biggest venues we’ve ever played at. I don’t think there’s anything I’m not looking forward to. We just have lots of awesomeness going on.
BY: Yeah, what he said. Tomorrow is going to be awesome!
PF: Actually, tomorrow is going to be awesome. The day after, not so much – we have to drive home.

There is a stark contrast between the personalities of Crobot when they hit the stage from when we were conducting the interview. The shit talk (literally) is gone; replaced by four musicians who love to perform. The set list for the performance mirrors the tracks on “Something Supernatural” and the opener, “Legend of the Space Born Killer” immediately injected a tremendous amount of energy to the crowd of the Local 662. Many of these patrons had not heard or seen Crobot perform live before, but were on their feet grooving along. The front of the stage was inhabited by fans of the band who were not averse to reciting the lyrics and getting down with the constant movement of Chris, Brandon and Jake.

By the time the band had reached their radio hit “No Where to Hide,” the crowd was frenzied by the performance. Musically, vocally and physically, you can’t helped but get caught up in the performance. Crobot seemingly telepathically transmits their passion for the music to its audience, and I have to say, it’s easy to start shouting lyrics, stomping feet and throwing your hands in the air during a chorus. It’s as if we were attending a roadside tent revival, and for that night our God was a dirty funk quartet delivering one of the sickest musical performances ever witnessed. Song after song, beat after beat, lyric after lyric, the crowd remained energized and wanting more.

After their performance, the band exited the stage and headed directly towards their merchandise table. They greeted fans both old an new with the same playfulness exhibited during the performance, taking time to speak and take pictures with everyone. It’s very easy to fall in love with the music and the personalities of the bands’ members, two characteristics that will undoubtedly push Crobot quickly towards success. I honestly left the Local 662 that night feeling like I had just spoke to and witnessed greatness in the making. I can only imagine that this was the feeling people got after interviewing the likes of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin early in their careers.

Andy Wood has been performing music since a very young age starting out with his grandfather and cousin. Wood spent most of this past year touring with Scott Stapp serving as the bands musical director during the Creed front mans successful solo run. Wood has also appeared on variety of album as a session player and recently released his second solo album titled “Caught Between the Truth and a Lie”. Media Mikes had the pleasure of speaking with Andy recently about the new double album release and his first memories of music.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on how you got your start in music?
Andy Wood: I grew up playing bluegrass with my grandfather and cousin. We started right around the time I was about 5 years old. I was playing mandolin and my cousin was playing fiddle. As I got older I kept playing music and started getting hired to perform and different places. Once I discovered electric guitar it was all downhill. (Laughs) I started session playing and really working doing various hired gun gigs. I did work with people like Sebastian Bach and list of others. If there was an opening I would jump in there and help out. On the side I was still doing my own music which helped me stay sane. After you work on other people’s material you need an outlet for your own creativity.

AL: You recently worked with Creed front man Scott Stapp can you tell us how that came about?
AW: I was hired while Scott’s solo album was in the mixing process. Tim Pierce played on the album but I was brought on to be the bands musical leader. It’s been a great time being out on the road. I am kind of the go to guy when it comes to the musical arrangement and such. I have to sort of manhandle the decisions when it comes to recreating the album live. If Scott wants to rework a song or something like that I put it all together and bring it to the band. I also will fill in on keyboards or other instruments if needed.

AL: Can you tell us about your new double disc solo album?
AW: The album came from self reflection. I am not just a guitar player or just a mandolin player. I wanted to put together an album that still featured those things but not be jarring to the listener. I put together songs like “The White Tree” which is on the acoustic half of the release and songs like “The Four Horseman” which is on the electric side. The release runs the gambit of Celtic/bluegrass to full on heavy metal. When you look at those two genres there’s not a lot of cohesiveness so I wanted the songs to have a nice transition. The first disc starts out with acoustic tracks and leads in to some more rock type tracks. The second disc starts out with more ballad type rock songs before it really takes off with the heaviest parts of the album. It does slow back down a little with some country type songs which help transition back to the first disc. I wanted the release to make sense no matter which disc the listener started with.

AL: So the idea of doing a double album was something you had always wanted to do?
AW: Absolutely! I wanted to tell the world I more than just what I am normally associated with. I am not just an electric guy or a bluegrass guy. There is a side of me that writes music which is very relaxed and low key. I needed an outlet to where it was ok to show who I am and all the different sides of my musical personality while not alienating my fan base.

AL: With your wide variety of styles was it hard to narrow it down to which ones you wanted to showcase on the new records?
AW: There were some difficult parts but, I went in to the sessions with about 50 fresh ideas. I went in really overloaded with material. To help narrow things down a bit I put a checklist together which the songs would have to match the specific criteria I laid out. There had to be a lot of melodic content because that it’s self is huge. The songs needed that memorable melody rather than something that was just full of guitars licks and flash.

AL: Being a multi-instrumentalist which do you find more comfortable to write on?
AW: I think where ever I am at be it guitar, mandolin, sousaphone or whatever the instrument acts as the translator. I try to be a musician first over anything else and I want to make sure that the melody I come up with will work well no matter what it’s played on. When I am writing the instrument is just an outlet.

AL: Have you thought about putting together a tour to support the release?
AW: With it being towards the end of the year not a whole lot of touring happens throughout the holidays. Once the New Year kicks off in January I will be appearing at Winter NAMM in Anaheim, CA. In February I will be out on the Ship Rocked Cruise which is always a lot of fun. I think we have done four of those so far. The fans that go on those cruises are just so excited for every show. It’s a really great time.

AL: What other plans do you have for the coming year?
AW: I think those phone calls will start to come as the year roles on. A lot of times everyone is so tired from the previous year that they take a few months off to relax and then start back up working again.