Joe Altier is the former front man of the Syracuse based hard rock band Brand New Sin. Joe has a new group called Elephant Mountain which features former Brand new Sin guitar player Brian “Slider” Azzoto. The group has just released their first CD and Joe took some time out of his busy schedule to talk with Media Mikes about the release.

Adam Lawton: What led to your decision of leaving Brand New Sin?
Joe Altier: There were a lot of reasons for me leaving Brand New Sin but without a long winded answer I was unhappy not just with my position in the band, but with myself in life. A lot had happened in 2007 leading up to my departure good, bad and, ugly. Basically I hit a turning point where I was re evaluating my life. I decided the best thing was to leave the band and let them move forward. I needed to fall in love again with myself and with music.

AL: What was it like writing songs again with Brian “Slider” Azzoto?
JA: Writing with Slider again was surreal. He was my compadre in Brand New Sin and when we kicked him out, I felt I lost a little bit of myself. He and I didn’t talk for a few years but after reconnecting and becoming friends again, I knew that we would eventually work together again. Next thing I know we start jamming again and we picked up right where we left off. We have a great bond not only as friends but as songwriters as well.

AL: Was there any reason you guys decided to release the Elephant Mountain album independently?
JA: We decided to do it on our own because honestly there are no record labels anymore. It was nice to write at our own pace and with no outside influences or deadlines. Also who is going to sign a bunch of guys pushing 40! (Laughs) We had the means to record and release it ourselves so we did! We won’t ever do any extensive touring with Elephant Mountain but we just want to make good music and have fun.

AL: Do you have a favorite track off the new album?
JA: My favorite track off the Elephant Mountain album is “Pray”. That song was written about my late father and the traumatic events of the day he passed. That song is the most soulful, personal song I have ever written.

AL: Can you tell us about your other two projects Just Joe and Aylyst?
JA: Aylyst which is my cover band that plays mostly classic rock and heavy metal tunes. That project really kept my chops up while I was waiting for Elephant Mountain. As of right now it is on hiatus as I have been busy with Elephant Mountain and Just Joe. Just Joe is what keeps me the busiest these days. I am playing 4-5 days a week with a song catalog of close to 2000 songs which range from Frank Sinatra to Metallica! Just Joe also is an outlet for my “lighter side”, “country side”, “soulful side” and so on. I have released an EP and a full length in the past year and am working on another EP and album as we speak!

AL: 2000 songs is a lot of songs.
JA: I am busting with songs! Some of them were written over the past 10 years and were never used in Brand New Sin or they were something I just kept to myself. I live, breathe and eat music!

AL: Other upcoming projects or plans?
JA: Well I play to release a Just Joe EP at Christmas time and a full length album by summer of 2012. Elephant Mountain is knee deep in writing a new album and we have about 5 songs written far. We probably will finish writing and recording that over the winter and release that in 2012 as well!

To find out more about Joe Altier and to hear some of his music click on the links below. Also be sure to read our review of Elephant Mountain’s debut release, here:

Charlie Benante is the drummer for the legendary thrash metal band Anthrax. The band just released their newest studio album titled “Worship Music” which is the first Anthrax album to feature singer Joey Belladonna since the bands 1990 release “Persistence of Time”. Media Mikes caught up with Charlie after the bands performance at the Big 4 concert held at Yankee Stadium in New York City.

Adam Lawton: What was your first response when it was announced you and the band would be playing at Yankee stadium as part of the Big 4?
Charlie Benante: (Laughs) I was like “Oh my god! We are playing Yankee Stadium!” We have a couple really huge Yankee fans in the band so it was just awesome. The anticipation leading up to the show was crazy. It felt like we waited a year to do the show and then all of a sudden it was here. Then it was like “Oh Shit! It just happened”.

AL: Will the set you guys played tonight be the same one you will be playing on your upcoming tour?
CB: The set we played tonight was just something we sort of threw together. We sort of screwed up as we had a little bit more time to play today but didn’t. I think we had about 5 extra minutes.

AL: Do you have a favorite track off the new album “Worship Music”?
CB: It’s hard to pick one of them. Each track brings back different moments and moods so it’s hard to pick just one. However if I had to pick a song based on today I would probably pick “Judas Priest”. Yesterday I was feeling the song “In the End”. Day by day it just depends on what my mood is and what that song represents to me.

AL: Do you have a favorite song that you guys don’t play live but would like to?
CB: Oh Yeah! There is a song off the album “Spreading the Disease” called “Long Justice” that fans just love. It’s seems like every time we try and play that song live it just doesn’t work. It’s a tricky song. There always are songs on a record that people want to hear live but then when you do try it, it just doesn’t seem to work.

AL: I happen to be from the Ithaca, NY area where you guys worked a lot early in your career with producer Alex Perialas. Can you tell us what that was like?
CB: Our experiences there were all great! We built a lot of great relationships there. I haven’t seen Alex in a long time and I wish I have. He is an awesome guy and I learned a lot from him Alex is one of those true real people! Alex is a great guy.

AL: Other than the tour is there anything else planned for you guys?
CB: This week has been a crazy world wind with the album release and the show tonight. We have been just enjoying everything. The tour starts and runs Oct/Nov. and we are just looking for feedback from fans and how they are enjoying this. I am really just enjoying this ride.

For more info on Charlie and Anthrax head over to www.anthrax.com also be sure to check out our review of the band’s latest release “Worship Music” as well as our coverage of the Anthrax from “The Big 4”.

Paul DeGeorge and his brother Joe started the band Harry and the Potter in 2002. Since that time the duo have been the subject of a documentary titled “We Are Wizards” a film that delves into the impact of the Harry Potter book series on its fans. The group has also been credited with the creation of “Wizard Rock”. Media Mikes had a chance recently to talk with Paul about a variety of things related to the band.

Adam Lawton: What led you to starting Harry and the Potters?
Paul DeGeorge: It kind of started with reading the books. My brother and sort of pop culture at large turned me onto the books. I just thought there was something about the Harry Potter character that was similar to some of my punk rock heroes. I figured it would be cool if Harry had his own punk rock band.

AL: Can you tell us what some of those influences were?
PD: I would say as far as punk rock goes Fugazi as well as Adam and his Package were both real big influences. The thing about Adam and his Package was that they played really fun and goofy punk rock songs that were also smart. I remember being in college reading their tour diaries which made it sound like anyone could get out on the road and have a band.

AL: How did you guys get involved with the “We Are Wizards” documentary?
PD: We had received an email from the directors of the film telling us that they were interested in us being a part of a film they were planning that was going to talk about Harry Potter fans and different theories and phenomena’s related to Harry Potter. We said sure we would be interested and then one day they showed up to film us at our parents house.

AL: How was your experience with the filming?
PD: It was fun! Every two or three months the guys would pop up at a show or something and start shooting. As with most documentaries they use only a small portion of what they shoot. They shot some of our coolest shows ever played and I wish I could see some of the footage. I remember they were at one show in Brooklyn and it was a bigger show at a newer venue. At night I guess it’s a pretty intense place so they had their normal security crew there who were these huge dudes. These guys were patting down every 12 year old that was trying to get into the show. It started to freak everyone out so we moved the show to the space next door and it was really great. The place we had the show at now has shows pretty regular and is called Death by Audio.

AL: What is your take on being dubbed the originators of “Wizard Rock”?
PD: I guess we were in the right place and right time. (Laughs) We didn’t set out with any purpose to create a genre. A lot of what our band is about fostering the DIY punk spirit of doing things for yourself.

AL: Other than the show you already mentioned are there any others that stick out?
PD: We are all about pushing the boundaries of what you would expect a concert to be. From the start we were trying to do rock shows in libraries. The library is already a safe all ages places for anyone to go to. No one gets turned away at the library. We don’t want people to be turned away from our shows and the library is that kind of space for us.

AL: Can you tell us about the Harry Potter Alliance?
PD: The idea behind the Harry Potter Alliance was to form a real world Dumbledore’s Army and become the heroes that we read about. The books are really empowering and tell the storey of teens who all stick together to help change the world. We wanted to use the premise of the books to get youth involved with social activism and social justice issues. We try to draw parallels out of the books and relate them to real social and political issues. One of the current campaigns we are working on is that we are trying to get Harry Potter fans to lobby Warner Brothers who control all the merchandising related to the films to make their Harry Potter chocolate fair trade chocolate. Chocolate is notorious for really bad working conditions especially along the Ivory Coast where about 2/3rds of the worlds chocolate comes from. The main idea behind the campaign is to educate Harry Potter fans about the fair trade issues. We also have the opportunity to use our power as Harry Potter fans to maybe affect change on a large corporate level. We can use our leverage as an organization to get our message into the press which will hopefully influence Warner Brothers to change their business practices. We really want to tryand use Harry Potter as a tool to create global citizenship.

AL: What other upcoming plans do you have for the band?
PD: We just finished a two month summer tour and we are going to take it easy during the fall. I think the biggest thing on the horizon for us as of right now is we are in the planning stages for our annual Christmas shows. We have been doing these shows for a few years now in our home base of Boston, MA. This year will be our 7^th annual Yule Ball in Boston. Last year we branched out to New York and Philadelphia which we plan to do again this year. We might possibly being do one other city but I can’t say too much about that just yet.

For more info on Harry and the Potters you can go to www.harryandthepotters.com

“Tony Levin is one of the world’s best bass players, if not the best.” – Peter Gabriel

So true.

Tony Levin (aka “TLev”) is the bass player’s bass player. Incredibly accurate in his musical phrasing but always matching the song’s mood with a sense of fluidity and true funkiness, Tony’s playing is always recognizable and unmistakable. At the forefront of experimentation, the array of instruments at his disposal isn’t strictly limited to his signature Music Man bass (which he often plays with “funk fingers” – an invention of his own design that allows him to hammer on the strings with half-size drumsticks that he attaches with tape to the index and middle fingers of his right hand), but includes the polyphonic Chapman Stick as well the Electric Upright Bass (EUB) and a host of other instrumentation.

Levin is primarily known for his work with King Crimson and Peter Gabriel as well as numerous spin-off projects like Stick Men (featuring two Chapman Stick players and current Crimson drummer, Pat Mastelotto), the Liquid Tension Experiment (with members of Dream Theatre), in addition to a host of King Crimson-related “ProjeKcts”. Over the course of his extensive career, he’s been involved with over 500 records as a session musician. The list includes some of the best-known artists in the business: John Lennon, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Todd Rundgren, Pink Floyd, Yes and Warren Zevon – just to name a few. And then there’s the list of musicians he’s toured with: Paul Simon, Peter Frampton, James Taylor, Richie Sambora…

He’s just finished being a part of the “Three of a Perfect Pair” Camp, a week-long music camp in New York state that allowed its campers – musicians and non-musicians alike – to learn from, jam out and hang with three members of the Crimson court: Adrian Belew, Pat Mastelotto and, of course, the esteemed Mr. Levin. In mid-September, the three Crims embark on the “Two of a Perfect Trio” tour which pairs Belew’s Power Trio with Levin’s Stick Men trio. The show closes with “an extended Crim-centric encore.”

I caught up with Tony between the last day of Camp and the start of the tour to chat about both of these topics as well as some of his wide array of side projects and session work. We also talked about how he goes about writing music and choosing from the myriad of instruments he’s mastered. I managed to squeeze in a couple of questions that only the seasoned Crim / TLev fan (a la “DPic”) would ever really care about – and even posed a question from one of his former touring buddies, Rick Wakeman of Yes. Tony’s answer was truly mind-boggling…

Dave Picton: How’d it go with the “Three of a Perfect Pair” Music Camp?
Tony Levin: Very well. I knew it’d be fun, but it turned out that the vibrant ‘campers’ and their passion for King Crimson’s music made it a growing experience for me. And I got the feeling they were really pleased to spend the week in that setting, hanging out with us Crimson guys. We also were able to get a lot of surprise gifts for them, which didn’t hurt!

DPic: What was the genesis of the “Two of a Perfect Trio” tour?
TLev: Seemed a good name for the tour – it’s based on the song title “Three of a Perfect Pair”. Since we have two trios… The idea for touring together, and with a Crimson based encore set, came from Adrian. He’d been thinking for some time of doing something like this with Pat and me.

DPic: “A Scarcity of Miracles” is the latest King Crimson ProjeKct. What has been your favorite ProjeKct to date (and it doesn’t necessarily have to be one that you were a member of)? Opinions / observations about being in the projeKcts (so to speak)?
TLev: The thing about me is that, like many musicians, I don’t look backward much. So I don’t even know the list of ProjeKcts I’ve done, let alone have a favorite. I can say that all of my playing in Crimson-related groups has been a great experience for me – expanding my own playing, and learning from some very special musicians. I also hope there will be lots more of it in the future.

DPic: The list of artists with whom you’ve done session work is staggering. Is there a favorite musician that you’ve worked with? Any favorite behind-the-scenes story?
TLev: Again, no favorites. Looking back, I’d have to say that my experiences with Peter Gabriel and with King Crimson (each encompassing many albums) were great for me. I also toured a lot with each, and that makes it a more complete experience – really I prefer playing live to recording, but doing both is the best way to immerse yourself in the music.

DPic: When you’re creating a song or contributing as a session musician, how do you choose between using electric bass or Chapman Stick or Electric Upright Bass?
TLev: A good question. There is no rule for me, but when I hear the song (or the composition, if it’s an instrumental) I get a sense of what I think I can contribute on the bass end. It may be simple or complex, but I sort of hear it in my head – then I can choose the instrument that might express it best. Even among my basses there are subtle differences that make some much better for certain things I might want to do. The Chapman Stick is very different, with it’s sharp attacks and huge range. I also sometimes opt for the NS Electric Upright with it’s almost acoustic bass- sound, and huge bottom end. If I’m writing the piece, sometimes I just write the music, and then approach it later as the bassist – choosing then. Sometimes of course I base the song on a riff or idea I have on a particular instrument. With Stick Men, needless to say, I write my material on the Chapman Stick.

DPic: As an aspiring bassist, I’m very intrigued by the Chapman Stick and would love to try one out before committing to buying one. Do you know of any way I (or any other Stick-curious folks) can try/rent one out?
TLev: Best idea is to contact Stick Enterprises (stick.com) and ask them – they might be able to hook you up with a player in your area, so you can try it out and have some guidance. There is a very nice community of Stick players around the world.

DPic: Your book, “Beyond the Bass Clef”, is one of the most enjoyable music-related books I’ve ever read. Any plans for a follow-up (i.e. “Way Way Waaaaay Beyond the Bass Clef”)?
TLev: Good idea – but no plans at the moment. Books and photo exhibits are great fun, but time consuming, and best done when no recording or band projects are taking up my time and creative energy. Lately, happy to say, I’m very busy making new music.

DPic: You were one of the first musicians to actively blog and keep an ongoing road diary on the web. In your opinion, how has the internet and the web affected music and musicians – both positive and negative AND you personally?
TLev: For me, it was quickly apparent that this was a great way to minimize the wall between performer and audience. It doesn’t take it away, but gives a way to share more of the experience than just the show. So I like showing behind the scenes, and telling what’s going on, and especially sharing my photos of the audience – so people who were there can see how inspiring they are to us on stage, and how they are really in some ways a part of the show.

DPic: A few years back, I spoke with world- renowned trumpet-player Chris Botti at a post-show meet-and-greet where he was kind enough to sign my copy of “Bruford Levin Upper Extremities: Blue Nights”. Many of his band-mates had never seen the CD, so he showed it to all of them and told me “I’d love to work with those guys again!” Soooo…would you be game? What about Bill Bruford and David Torn?
TLev: Always something we discuss when we meet up. Realistically, it’s been pretty unlikely for some time, and now more so, with Bill’s retirement from playing live. We did have great fun, and made some darn good music. You learn to never say never in music situations, so I’ll stick with ‘unlikely’ but add that it’d be really great if it did happen again.

DPic: One of my all-time favorite bands is Pink Floyd. On the “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” album, you played all of the bass parts. What was that experience like?
TLev: Very special. David Gilmour was great to work with, as was producer Bob Ezrin, whom I’d worked with a lot before that. Playing the music was fun, and once I got the hang of the style, it went smoothly. There was a chance of touring with the band too but, alas, it conflicted with a Peter Gabriel tour I was on.

DPic: OK…drum roll please…it’s time for the “Picayune Crimson Question That’s Plagued Me for Ages!”: On the initial LP release of “Three of a Perfect Pair”, the opening to the song “Sleepless” is a continuous non-stop bass riff extravaganza that’s – as far as I’m concerned – one of the funkiest I’ve ever heard. On all subsequent compilations and reissues, it’s markedly more staccato. Why is that? And will the original mix ever be reissued? I miss it!
TLev: I’m afraid I don’t know! I’ll try to find a copy and listen.

DPic: You were involved with the Yes-centric “Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe”. Earlier this week I interviewed Rick Wakeman. He wants to know when you’re going to get a proper haircut.
TLev: Indeed! I miss my nightly Boggle games with Rick. We’d play right up to beginning of show time … heck, even after it, since it began with a Steve Howe solo – then Rick would jump up to run onstage and play his solo section – having usually beat me, I must admit!

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Arguably the best and certainly the most well-know band in the progressive rock arena, Yes has always been at its forefront and is no stranger to the one constant of the genre: perpetual change.  No one knows this better than the eternal voice of Yes, Jon Anderson.  His unique powerhouse alto tenor vocal is the anchor point to decades-worth of the band’s music, from multi-part opuses like “Close to the Edge” to the MTV-era chart-toppers like “Owner of a Lonely Heart”.

In mid-2008, Anderson was diagnosed with acute respiratory failure and has since made a full recovery.  While no longer the lead singer of Yes, the past year has found Jon working on a wide variety of projects including a collaboration with former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, 2010’s “The Living Tree”, and the recent solo release “Survival and Other Stories”.

To say that Rick Wakeman is an excellent keyboardist is a grotesque understatement. Throughout his career – and most notably as the keyboardist for Yes during thier “classic” era – Rick’s astoundlingly fast dexterity and fluidity made it seem as if he was channeling higher powers through his nimble fingers.  Often dressed in a long satin cape, Rick dazzled audiences with 70’s-era Yes classics such as “Roundabout”, “Long Distance Runaround”, “I’ve Seen All Good People” and long-form pieces such as the title track from the “Close to the Edge” album.

In addition to Yes, Rick has had an extensive career as a solo artist, often releasing albums that have famous historical figures (“The Six Wives of Henry VIII”) or renowned works of literature (“Journey to the Centre of the Earth”) as their inspiration.

2011 finds Rick on tour with his former Yes-mate, vocalist Jon Anderson, supporting their recent collaboration “The Living Tree”.  We were fortunate to be able to catch up with Rick and discuss the tour with Jon, his feelings about how technology has affected his work and one particular Yes album that brings tears to his eyes.

Dave Picton:  Your recent collaboration with Jon Anderson, “The Living Tree”, is – much to my surprise – simply that: you on keyboards and Jon on vocals.  Was this minimalist approach there from the beginning of the project or, at any time, was a more augmented version contemplated?
Rick Wakeman:  No, that was always the plan.  About six years ago, Jon and I were talking about how there was very little new material around because you have to get together with people and people are very much scattered all over the world these days.  So Jon and I wondered if this magical thing called the Internet is so wonderful, maybe we could send each other music and do something that way.  So Jon said: “Send me some stuff and let’s see what happens.”  So I sent him some music and he came back and said: “I like that bit, or I think I can work on that bit.”  So we just kept flying stuff back and forth.  Then, when we did the first duo acoustic tour together a few years ago, we tried out four of these songs and we were amazed at the really good response we got.  That’s when we knew we were on to something.  We kept sending things back and forth, but we only kept the good stuff, so by the time it came to putting the tracks we wanted on the CD, we were both 100% happy with everything that we’d done.  And I think that shows.  And the response we’ve received from the CD has been just amazing.

DP:  You’ll be joining Jon on a number of tour dates later this year. What can audiences expect to see and hear?
RW:  This, that and a lot of things.  The truth is, Jon and I are very similar people.  We don’t like to stand still, we don’t do what comes easily, and we don’t live in the past.  We also hate managers.  Too many bands today seem to work for the management.  When we bring management in to do things for us, they work for us – not the other way round.  So we’ll do this tour the way we want it to be – new songs, past songs, re-interpretations and interacting with the audience – which, it just so happens, is how we believe the way our fans want it to be.

DP:  Yes’ “Union” tour in the early ‘90s featured many members of the “classic” ‘70s era of Yes – of which you were a part – as well as members of the ‘80s 90125-era band all on one stage. How was that experience on your end?
RW:  Well, it really all began in January of 1980. The band was an absolute shambles at that point, nobody was talking to anybody and everyone was fighting.  The whole thing was just a disaster.  Jon and I’d had enough and so we both left.  But the rest of them carried on.  The Buggles were added and they did the “Drama” album. Then at the end of the ’80s, Anderson Bruford, Wakeman & Howe was formed and now we had a real mess because ABWH was playing all the Yes stuff that we’d written, and what people came to call “Yes West,” which was basically Chris [Squire] and Alan [White] and Trevor [Rabin] and Tony [Kaye] were also doing stuff.  So, the two managements came up with the idea to join forces.  Now, I have to say, for the stage show, was fantastic, but the album was just awful.  I don’t even classify it as a Yes album, the “Union” album.  I always call it “Onion” because every time I hear it, it makes me cry.  It was an absolute pile of junk.

DP:  In your career as a solo artist, you’ve made many albums that have historical figures or classic novels as their inspiration (e.g. “The Six Wives of Henry VIII”, “Journey to the Centre of the Earth” and “Myths & Legends of King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table” – just to name a few).  Are there any projects like this slated for the future?
RW:  Well, I have plenty in mind.  For instance, I’d like to do a full-scale ballet someday.  I’ve had some stuff used in ballet in the past, but I think a whole, new full-scale ballet would be fantastic.  Ballet’s a really interesting area.  I go to Milan a lot, to the Scala.  I’m friends with the director there and also in Florence.  Both are continually getting more adventurous with their music.  So I think there is an opportunity to bring progressive rock music to a new audience.  The trouble is, I know what it would cost to do something big and dramatic and these days, no one wants to back anything.  And frankly, a ballet soundtrack probably wouldn’t be much of a winner in the market today.  But, you never know.

DP:  The 5-CD set “Caped Crusader Collectors Club: Bootleg Box – Volume 1″ was recently made available here for sale in the States.  What was the inspiration to release these recordings and how much material do you plan on releasing in the future?
RW:  We just wanted to come out with a nice collection of back-to-basics live performances.  Obviously, something recorded live sounds different from something recorded in the studio, so we wanted to put something out there that was the other side of the coin, so to speak.  As for the future, who knows?  I like to think that the best parts of the past and the best parts of the present will add up to a very positive future.  If that holds true, then lots of good stuff should be on the way.

DP: Which artists’ music do you currently find appealing and perhaps even inspirational?
RW:  That’s a bit difficult to answer at the moment, other than the obvious choices.  But going into the past a little bit, I can tell you that David Bowie is far and away the cleverest man I’ve ever worked with.  He was just so far ahead of the game.  He wasn’t into listening to managers and record company executives because they weren’t musicians, so they didn’t really know what it was like.  And that was a wonderful attitude.  He was also always incredibly prepared in the studio.  He never wrote in the studio.  He was always what he called “75 percent prepared.”  He’d get the piece that far, and then go to the studio and take it that extra 25 percent.  He respected the studio, and I think that’s the one thing he taught me more than anything else: respect the studio.  It’s not a plaything.  He was an absolute pleasure to work with him.  Amazing character.  Amazing man.

DP:  In a few short decades keyboard technology has gone from fully acoustic and mechanical to fully computerized and you’ve been at the front line of that wave for your whole career.  How have these changes affected your work?
RW:  I don’t consider myself a technician.  Don’t get me wrong.  I like all the technical things I use.  But as far as the engineering side, I’m lucky to have a friend, Larry Jordan, who is a very talented guy.  Electronics, recording, whatever – he knows it all.  When some new technology comes along, he’ll come to the studio and tell me: “We can do this now.”  And it always something that sounds fantastic.  And then he’ll ask: “Do you want to know how it works?”  And I always say, “No.”  You can fall into the trap of making use of something just because it’s there and available and not because it necessarily adds to what you are trying to do. So I don’t need to know the technical things. If we’ve got it, maybe I’ll use it or maybe not.  But, at the end of the day, I just want to play.

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Mark Tremonti is the guitarist for Alter Bridge as well as for the Multi-Platinum selling band Creed. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Mark recently about both of his bands as well as his upcoming solo project release.

Adam Lawton: What’s has it been like touring with the Carnival of Madness tour?
Mark Tremonti: We are three weeks deep into the tour which has five bands on it and it’s been great. Alter Bridge generally plays an hour a night and it’s been a cake walk. Everyone out with us are good people and all help to put on a good rock and roll show!

AL: How did you guys get involved with being on the tour this year?
MT: We had been approached to do the tour last year. We thought it would be a good time and got all the details worked out with everyone and here we are.

AL: Do you have a favorite song the band is playing in the set and why?
MT: “Blackbird”. I think it’s all of ours favorite song that we have ever done. Most of the songs in the set are very loud and high energy. That song is a dynamic change from the rest of the set. It makes us all watch and listen to the crowd.

AL: Do you have a favorite moment from the tour so far?
MT: I think the most fun we have had so far is the show we did at the Kentucky Fair. It was good to just walk around and win all sorts of prizes for my kids and then the show was just real rowdy and fun.

AL: What do you like most about playing live every night?
MT: It’s what we are and it’s something we have been doing for a long time. It’s your release everyday and it’s what all the practice is for.

AL: What was your reaction to receiving the nomination for album of the year from Classic Rock Magazine?
MT: We were really excited. Classic Rock is such a classy magazine and we really respect their opinion. It’s a very big honor for us.

AL: What’s it like balancing both Creed and Alter Bridge?
MT: I am juggling 3 groups right now actually. I do a lot of planning ahead. 2012 is going to be dedicated to mostly Creed stuff. I also will be releasing a solo album as well. Miles will be going out with Slash and we all will meet up for a few months here and there for Alter Bridge touring. I know we will be going to Australia next year and doing some writing for Alter Bridge as well but the majority of 2012 will be Creed stuff.

AL: Have the comparisons between your two groups finally stopped?
MT: I think since the last record people really stopped the comparisons. With the newest record it has been a real non-point. We are pretty much our own band now and I think a new wave of fans are seeing the band for what it is and don’t compare the two as much anymore.

AL: What is the hardest part about writing material for both bands?
MT: I think you are always pushing to do your best. It’s hard to just switch hats and be the best at different sounds. I don’t want to over complicate a Creed song and make it sound like Alter Bridge.  This band is a little more progressive than Creed, so when I am writing for Creed I have to focus strictly on the melody and finger style stuff. It’s hard to sometimes not really dig in.

AL: What else project wise is coming up for you?
MT: I will be putting my solo record out early next year and then probably we will have a new Creed record out the middle of next year around February.

AL: What can we expect from the solo album?
MT: It’s a little heavier than both bands and I sing on the entire album. It’s a different thing that’s fun and heavy but still melody based. I have been a song writer for most of my life and I think I have finally gotten to a point in my life where I want to get all these ideas down on tape that don’t make the other bands records. It’s more streamlined when you can translate the ideas straight from your mind to tape.

AL: Will you be touring at all on your own?
MT: It just depends on how it turns out. If there is a demand for it then yes.

AL: Will it be put out by Wind Up Records?
MT: No it is completely independent. We are going to put it out on Fred 12 and you will be able to go to fred12.com and download the songs. The idea is to use our grassroots fan base to promote the band and hopefully they will come and spread the word.

Dean Back is the bassist for Theory of a Deadman. They are currently headlining in this year’s Carnival of Madness tour. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Dean before their performance to talk about the band’s latest release and what he likes about being on the road.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the band’s latest album “The Truth Is”?
Dean Back: “The Truth Is” builds off our last album “Scars and Souvenirs” which was an album that took us to that next level and by far has been our most successful record. We wanted to build off that and continue to use some of that humor found on that last album. Tyler has really started to show his lighter side as early on in our career we thought we had to be this serious rock band but we found it’s a lot more fun being funny and just having fun. Songs like “Low Life” and “Bitch Came Back” which are very tongue and cheek songs go over great with the crowd and they seem to have a lot of fun when they hear us play those songs.

AL: Do you have a favorite track off this album?
DB: I think “Gentleman” is one of my favorites. We actually have added that to our live set. I also enjoy “Hurricane” which turned out really well as did “We Were Men”.

AL: You guys have been away from the road for quite some time. Can you tell us about that decision?
DB: We had toured on the last album for 2 years, so it was time to go home and for me to reconnect with my family. We also used that time to kind of prep for the next record. I think it’s good to disappear for a little bit. We had been on the radio for 2 years straight. People were probably a little sick of us. Taking that time allowed us to work on the songs and put out a really strong record.

AL: How did you guys get involved with writing a song for the film “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”?
DB: They asked us to be on the record and if we had any material we could contribute. Any time we can get in front of another audience it’s a great opportunity to spread our fan base. In the past we have done video games as well as WWE events and soundtracks. We did some touring in Europe where we weren’t getting a lot of radio play but we had fans coming up to us telling us that the reason they came out was because they heard us on a video game. It was really awesome. Every time we can spread the music to different genres it’s good for us.

AL: How has it been touring with Carnival of Madness line up this year which includes Alter Bridge?
DB: It has been awesome. We have had past relationships with some of the other bands on the tour, however this was our first time going out with Alter Bridge. We are having a blast the whole crew and everyone are great. It’s like one big family out here. Alter Bridge along with Black Stone Cherry are going to be taking us over to Europe in November for a big arena tour.

AL: Is there a favorite song in the set that you guys are playing each night?
DB: “Hate My Life” is a fun one to play and sing along to. The crowd really gets into it.

AL: Any great tour moments you can share with us?
DB: We had a day off in Chicago, which was really cool. Chicago is a great town. We got to go to the White Sox game which was pretty cool but, every show has been a highlight and having a good time playing live.

AL: Other than the European tour are there any other upcoming plans for the band?
DB: We are going out with 3 Doors Down starting the end of September and running through all of October. We have a great relationship with those guys and it’s been a while since we have toured together.

Lance Warlock is part of the composing duo of Lance and Bradford Music.  Lance is also the son of Dick Warlock, well known stuntman and Michael Myers from “Halloween II”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Lance about his film work on ‘Halloween II” with his dad as well has his upcoming scores like “ChromeSkull: Laid to Rest 2”.

MG: How did you meet up with Leon Bradford to form Lance and Bradford Music?
LW: We have known each other for years. We used to play in different bands. I was drums; he was keyboards. Then he opened up his own recording studio and used to hire me to do all the drum tracks for various artists. He is a fantastic musician and has a great ear for details.

MG: What is your approach when you start composing a film?
LW: We have had different approaches depending on the project. Sometimes it depends on what the director/producer is looking for from us. For example, they might say,”Do whatever you feel.” Sometimes there are more restrictions to a certain style. Our main goal is to come up with a basic concept in tones, style and textures. It’s common for us to score a scene and pass it off to the powers to be and wait for thoughts. That way we don’t get too far ahead without knowing we are on the right track.

MG: How much freedom do you have with a director when working on a score?
LW: We have found so far that there is plenty. They are always positive in indicating that we are the musicians and this is what we do. Again it depends from project to project, but our goal at the end of a film is to have the director/producer very pleased with everything we have done, and hopefully we will get the call for their next project!

MG: Were you always planning on having a walk-on role in “Halloween II” or did it just happen?
LW: I flat out got lucky! I was with my dad that summer of 1981 and they called him in for 3 additional days of re-shooting that John Carpenter was coming in to direct. I always remembered it was to tie up some loose ends with the story. The night of the boombox scene, John did not have anyone in mind for the part. My dad and I were in the trailer practicing the scene for fun when John came in. Dad asked him who was going to be the kid and he said he had no idea. Dad asked what about Lance and John said great! I was a happy camper! All I know is in the end I didn’t end up on the cutting room floor.
I made it even to the TV version. Makes me laugh every year I happen to see it.

MG: Growing up were you able to visit the film sets that your father, Dick Warlock, worked on? If so what was the coolest?
LW: I remember as a very young kid being on many sets. At that time it was mostly Disney films when my dad was doubling a very young Kurt Russell. I remember him dressed up doubling a tiger. I remember him driving Herbie the Love Bug when nobody was in the car. I remember hanging out with Bear from BJ and the Bear while dad was driving a car around a race track. But I would have to think one of the coolest things was going to the tank where they filmed his cage scene from Jaws. Bruce (the shark)was hanging outside of the tank on a lift bigger than all get out. I was able to take a tooth of his for a souvenir. I still have it.

MG: Your father has been a stunt man since the 60’s, you did stunts in “Halloween III” & “Fletch”, what happened after that?
LW: I think I just had a bigger passion for music. Music had always been a big part in my life but as I got older, it got bigger. I still love visiting movie sets and the environment that they have, but were never sure what I wanted to do in films. Except write music!

MG: Any fun/crazy stories from working on the “Halloween” films?
LW: The one thing I would say was the most obvious was everybody working on those sets loved what they did. All the crew members were awesome! They were professional and had fun at the same time. There are some people from those films that have gone on to work on some pretty big films. It is pretty cool to have had the chance to work with John Carpenter.

MG: How was it working with Dante Tomaselli’s on the film “The Ocean”?
LW: Dante is great. He contacted me and asked if I would be interested in writing some music for The Ocean. So I did. Not only does he compose music for his films, but he has a few guys write additional music as well. I was lucky enough to be one of those guys. The bummer is he never ended up making the film. Seems weird to some that he had the music written first, but I remember he said he likes to work that way. Maybe sometime in the future it will happen. It would be great to work with him again!

MG: Tell us about composing the film “ChromeSkull: Laid to Rest 2”?
LW: I remember the first time I saw the film. I text the director Robert Hall and told him that he was one twisted guy! He wrote back and said thanks! We knew we were in for it from then on. Robert really knew what he wanted as much as he knew what he didn’t want. That made that part of it easy. We really worked our asses off to get it just right. The experience was a total blast. Robert was great to work with and we hope to work on more with him.

MG: Was it difficult working on “Monsterpiece Theatre Volume 1” since it has different segments?
LW: I didn’t think so because each segment could stand on its own. Each segment has its own feel and tone to it, so in a way it was easier to think differently for each one. Those were all fun because again, it was like 4 different short films, so before you knew it, you were done and could move on to the next one.

MG: What other projects do you have planned upcoming?
LW: There are a few things in the works as of now. We try to stay as busy as possible. We really want to create great music and long lasting relationships with the people we work for so we can stay busy for a long time to come! We have just finished updating our website to include new trailers and some of our latest music tracks: www.lanceandleonmusic.com. We are not always looking for the biggest projects, but they have to have substance and passion behind them. To anyone interested, contact us any time regarding your project if you feel we may be a good fit.

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Mark Hunter is the lead vocalist for the Cleveland, Ohio based band Chimaira. The band recently released their 6^th studio album title “The Age of Hell”. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Mark about the new album, life on the road and what it was like touring with Slipknot.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the new album “The Age of Hell”?
Mark Hunter: Where do I begin? For those that follow the band they may know that we have had a couple line-up changes over the past year and half to two years. We were forced to go into the studio a couple guys down and make the album. We tried to not let it cramp our style too much and we used the energy that came from it to make something great. We started in January and came out a few months later with “The Age of Hell”. It was a great experience working on the album as there were a lot of things both good and bad that led up to it.

AL: Did being two members down impact the recording process at all?
MH: It’s a mixture of two things. When it comes to writing the music for Chimaira, Rob and I have been the guys who usually deliver the base of the song. From there everyone else comes in and adds their character to it. Sometimes we would write so much that there wouldn’t really be much room for people to participate and other times it would be very open. We knew with our approach to writing an album technically we could do the work other than the fact that we were tripling the work load for everyone. Of course there is some impact on an emotional level as well whether it is confusion or anger or excitement. All the things that come with a relationship ending were present. It was almost like a divorce as we had been with the guys eight or nine years so it was a little difficult. We didn’t necessarily write specifically about the guys leaving but those events did affect the energy.

AL: Had you written any of the songs prior to the guys leaving?
MH: Everything had been unfolding over time and we chose to keep things internal until we felt it was appropriate to discuss. We tried to do our thing and make the album and music our focus. We had written something’s as early as 2010. Leading up to January 2011 when we began pre-production on the album we had about 15 songs written. I remember not being very satisfied with those songs as a whole and I knew that there was going to be a lot of work in front us. I have said before in interviews that we scrapped everything which wasn’t really the case. What I had meant to say is that those songs didn’t really get used and after everything happened we started writing and those new songs seemed to have what I was looking for that the previous demos did not.

AL: Do you have a favorite track of the new album?
MH: Yes and No. I like to listen to the album as a whole. I find that this album more so than our others feels like a journey of some sort.  So it’s hard for me to pick a favorite track from this album. Our previous albums it was a clear cut case for me but if I had a gun to my head I think I would choose the song “Powerless”. I really like to just hear the whole album and reflect on what it took to make it. I have taken more out of this album than all of our other albums combined.

AL: Can you tell us about the upcoming fall tour?
MH: This is going to be our first full U.S. headlining tour in almost four years. We have been out but most of it has been supporting other bands. We had some real great opportunities to go out with Disturbed on the Mayhem Festival as well as the other tours we have been a part of. It’s cool to go back out and headline. We get to play 14 or 15 songs a night which really pleases the fans, which is something that we love doing. It’s a great package that features Impending Doom, Revocation and Rise to Remain. This will be one of two U.S tours that we are going to be doing. We will also be going overseas and we are booked solid through April. I have been home for a year so it will be good to get back out there.

AL: Is there anything you like or dislike about being out on the road?
MH: I think Rob Zombie said it best when he said “You don’t get paid for the hour you are on stage. You get paid for the other 23 hours leading up to it”. I think that’s a pretty accurate description. The best part is playing the gig and the worst part is waiting around prior to the show. It’s an interesting life. You are camping with your friends but instead of being in nice scenic places you’re in shitty parking lots.

AL: What was it like when you guys were touring with Slipknot a few years back?
MH: Slipknot is a great band that we learned a lot from. They were always down to earth and treated us great. They were very thankful to have us on the tour with them. The first night we played together I was in the dressing room waiting for them to go on. I am a big fan of theirs and actually saw them on their first tour. So we were sitting there and a couple of the guys came into the room in full costume and in character. These guys were not the same guys once they had transformed into their roles. There was this feeling that things were about to get real serious! I was actually terrified.  Out of all of the bands I have seen live Slipknot is definitely the most intense.

AL: Are there any other things going on besides the tour for yourself?
MH: The touring is definitely going to preoccupy all the energy we have. However to keep busy I met a band from the Cleveland area called Ohio Sky. Musically they are in the vein of the Deftones or Mastodon. I describe them as space rock. Their keyboardist helped us out a lot on the album and we have become real good friends. I am trying to help them and share my knowledge of the business to help them get their foot in the door. It’s a good project to spend my free time with. Working with them has been different and a nice change of pace. This business and climate right now is like walking into a lion’s den, so I am glad to share my experience and insight.

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Media Mikes had a chance recently to talk with JB Brubaker and Dustin Davidson from the band August Burns Red about all the great stuff the band has going on this fall and next year.

Adam Lawton: How did you guys get involved with the iMatter festival?
JB Brubaker: We played the festival for the first time last year. I’m not sure how everything actually worked out.  We were contacted about playing the show last year and being it isn’t too far from our home in Pennsylvania., so we loaded up the trailer and came up to play. They asked if we would be willing to play again this year and we were happy to come and do it.  We had such a great time the previous year and the festival is for a good cause.

AL: You guys were on Warped Tour this summer and then had a few weeks off. What do you have planned next tour wise?
Dustin Davidson: We are off until the middle of October. We head over to Japan for a festival and then from there we go to Germany and do a full European tour with A Day to Remember.

AL: Have you guys toured overseas before?
DD: Yeah we have been over there multiple times.
JB: We have been over there I think around 10 times or so. So we are pretty familiar with it over there.

AL: How does tour overseas compare to touring here in the states?
JB: The U.S. is much more comfortable. The buses you get in Europe are somewhat smaller than here and they pack you in pretty tight.
DD: There are usually two bands per bus.
JB: The buses are almost always double-decker buses which makes the ceilings pretty low which makes it so you can’t stand up all the way. The buses aren’t great over there but it does beat sleeping in a van.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands most recent release titled “Leveler”?
JB: The album came out on June 21^st and it’s our fourth full length record on Solid State. You could call it our most ambitious release to date. While we are still a metal band we have started to include other styles of music a little bit. We have sort of branched out of the metal core box more so than we have in the past. I think that has been a result of us being bolder as well as getting better at our instruments. We wanted to explore some other sounds besides the thrash riffs and break downs. We still love those but sometimes its fun to do other stuff as well.
DD: Adding new things makes it so we aren’t making the same record every time.

AL: I you had to pick a band you wanted to share a stage with who do you think it would be?
JB: That’s a tough questions because there are so many great bands to choose from.
DD: I would like to share a stage with either Blink 182 or Jimmy Eat World. I love those bands and grew up listened to them. I would be there singing every song!
JB: I would say the Arcade Fire. They are an awesome band that isn’t in our world of music at all. It would be pretty crazy if we did get to play with them. I think they are awesome and they are a great live band.

AL: Any great road moments you can share with us?
JB: There have been so many. The one that sticks out most recently was from this summer’s Warp Tour. We were in Pomona, California all the bands were hanging out waiting for bus call and our sound guy runs up to the bus to tell us there are two people really going at it behind the trailer. A bunch of us go out to look and sure enough about three buses down there is a guy and girl just going at it. It was pretty wild and I guess something you would expect. We generally don’t see that type of stuff on tour!
DD: We never see that stuff happening!

AL: Other than the European tour is there anything else you guys have going on?
JB: I am currently writing for a release that I can’t say too much about. But I can say that it’s going to be a specialty release that won’t be out until probably next year. We also are in the works of putting together a North American headlining tour that will start in January.

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Matt Carter is the lead guitarist for the South Carolina based band Emery. Emery released their 5^th studio album earlier this year titled “We Do What We Want”.  Media Mikes caught up with Mike at this year’s iMatter festival to talk about the release as well as the bands future plans.

Adam Lawton: How did you guys first get involved with the iMatter festival?
Matt Carter: I’m not really sure how that all worked out. As a band we love to go out and play festivals in the summertime. We really like being in that type of setting and we try to play as many as we can. With iMatter being a newer festival we really wanted to play it.

AL: Can you tell us about the band’s latest release “We Do What We Want”?
MC: The album came out earlier this year and it has been received really well by the fans. It a little bit heavier than our previous records. When we first came out as a band we were very heavy and we were trying to push those limits. However in the last 10 years since we have been writing songs together certain things have changed in music. We want to continue to stay cutting edge so we decided to push things further than writing regular verses and choruses. We really pushed ourselves and that’s what this record is about.

AL: Can you tell us any great stories from being on the road with the band?
MC: My favorite moment would have to be probably the worst tour moment as well. We had purchased a bus that had no air conditioning. We put fans…but the generator never worked either. We were crossing the desert and at one point we stopped. All we had were these two roof vents for air, so it was like being in a tin can. It was about 120 degrees in this thing at night. It was early on when we first got this bus, so we didn’t have beds or anything like that made up and people were just lying around.  People were complaining so much that it made it almost enjoyable for me to sit and listen to them. I really had joy in that moment. (Laughs)

AL: If you could pick one band to share a stage with whom would it be and why?
MC: We would love to play a show with Weezer. They are one of our favorite bands.  They are a large band and they are still making music. It would be really fun and they are our heroes for getting to music on a long term basis.

AL: What are the bands upcoming plans?
MC: We are going to begin planning for a new record. We haven’t written it yet but we are going to start doing all the pre-planning stuff such as where and when are we going to be doing the album. It will take awhile as we currently don’t have any plans to write just yet.  We will be starting to make plans for which direction we want the album to go and what tours we want to get on.

Texas in July released their second full length album this spring titled “One Reality” Media Mikes got a chance to chat with the whole band recently and it was quite entertaining to say the least. A huge thank you goes out to the band as well as their manager Jimmie and publicist Natalie for making this happen.

Adam Lawton: How did you guys get involved with the iMatter festival?
Christian Royer: 3 years ago they asked us to do it.
Ben Witkowski: A few years ago we got the offer and I think that was the year Devil Wears Prada played as well as Kid Napkin.
CR: We were really stoked to be asked!
BW: Shout out to Kid Napkin! Their bass player is wicked good!

AL: What has been your take on playing the festival?
Adam Gray: It’s great!
BW: It’s cool and I love playing it!
Alex Good: The kids are all really great and nice!
CR: They always treat us really great. They love us and we love them.
BW: The crowd has been really great each year we have played.

AL: Chris I would like to say you look a little bit like Russell Brand.
BW: OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!!!!
AG: (Laughs)
CR: The interviews over!
Chris Davis: I am leaving now! (Laughs)

AL: It’s not a bad thing.
AG: He gets that all the time.

AL: What can you tell us about your recent release “One Reality”?
BW: We put a lot of hard work into it and we are really proud of it!
Alex: It’s our second full length album but our first on Equal Vision.

AL: Does anyone have a favorite track off the album?
CD: The title track “One Reality” which we just started playing for our upcoming tour with We Came as Romans.
CR: I think I am with you as that song has been really fun playing live.
BW: It’s a toss-up between when I listen to the album and when I go out and play the album. It could really be any of the songs.

AL: Do you guys have any crazy tour moments you can tell us about?
AG: I was held up at knife point!
BW: We blew a tire in the Bronx one time and were stuck there until 4am.
AG: The trailer got stranded there for a few days but it never got robbed.
CD: We ran out of gas in Montana one time in a blizzard. We ended up pulling over at a gas station and waited out front until they opened at like 6am. I was driving. I’m an idiot!
CR: Europe was pretty crazy just in general.

AL: How is it for you guys touring overseas as compared to in the states?
CD: I think its better.
AG: There just tends to be double the kids each night coming out to the shows.
CR: It’s great because none of us have to drive over there or worry about being up. They treat all the bands like gods.
BW: I love Las Vegas!
CD: What? (Laughs)
BW: I was just teasing. (Laughs)

AL: Can you tell us about your upcoming fall tour?
BW: We are very excited for that. We are playing with our good friends We Came as Romans and we hear good things about Miss May I and the rest of the guys on the tour.
CD: The full line up is We Came as Romans, Texas in July, and Miss May I, Of Mice and Men and Close to Home.
BW: It’s going to be a great time and the tour wraps up at the Tuxedo Junction in Danbury, CT with Miss May I.
CD: We get one day off then we have to fly to Europe.

AL: Adam can you tell us about your appearance on the “Late Show with Jay Leno”?
AG: Probably the most stressful thing I have ever experienced in my life. It was awesome to meet everyone but I was just so nervous and stressed out that I couldn’t clear my head. I did enjoy it though.

AL: How did you get involved with doing the show?
AG: There was a video of me that had gone viral going around. Hayley Williams from Paramore kind of helped it and really started it off by posting it on her Tumblr site. From there Ryan Seacrest posted it in Twitter to Travis Barker and from there it just blew up.

AL: Jay treated you alright?
AG: Yeah! He walked in dressed in all denim and told me not to be nervous as my grandma was watching. That’s all I needed.

AL: You had to be in front of William Shatner as well correct?
AG: Yeah but him I don’t care about!
BW: William Shatner better watch his back!
AG: I am really not a big fan of his.

AL: I assume he wasn’t very pleasant?
AG: Yeah but It doesn’t really matter. I didn’t exactly know who he was at first and I know that’s kind of stupid but I never was a real “Star Trek” fan. As soon as I got back from that thing I laid down, turned on the television and the first thing I see is William Shatner on the Priceline commercial.

AL: Other than the fall tour what else do you guys have planned?
BW: Were starting to write some new rock songs!
CD: We have pretty much all of November and December off. So we will probably start writing for the new album. We have some touring at the beginning of the year planned as well,which should be good.
AG: That tour will be a good one! But we can’t tell you who is going to be with us.

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Michael Derks aka “Balsac the Jaws of Death” guitarist for the rock group Gwar has a new project coming out titled “Blood Vomits” which is a puppet based adventure series that was fully funded through the internet donation site Kickstarter.com. Mediamikes.com had a chance to catch up with Michael to talk about the project and how he came about using Kickstarter.com

Adam Lawton: How did you first become involved with the “Blood Vomits”?
Michael Derks: I didn’t really know too much about it at first and I don’t really know why. I knew about the idea as Davis Bradley who basically came up with the idea and built the puppets used to tour with Gwar and was one of our Gwar slaves. After he left the band he was working on some other weird little projects and one of them was these puppets. A friend of Davis’s by the name of John Brennan had written a script about three Mexican banditos with one being a priest and the other two being completely evil. Davis took that script and adapted it to the puppets he was building and then had Dave Brockie and Todd Evans do the voices. I hadn’t really heard about it until I found it on YouTube. This was a couple years later as nothing had really been done with it except for the skit being put up on YouTube. I went to Davis and asked him what he was doing with the puppets and Davis told me nothing really become of the project so I asked why not? As I thought it was really awesome. I asked him if he had a problem with me using the puppets and writing some more stuff. The only problem was Davis didn’t have any money for the project and couldn’t really afford to do the project just for fun. A short time later I saw Chris Gethard from “Upright Citizens Brigade” on his comedy tour and I got a chance to talk with him and he told me about how he had funded the tour he was on through a website called kickstarter.com. I thought that sounded perfect for what I wanted to do so I asked Davis and he said sure and we just ran with it from there. We had a budget of $5,000 which is nothing but we were able to save a lot of money due to all the in house talent we had with the band.

AL: Other than writing you also did some of the voice work as well correct?
MD:  I added some writing and a few additional voices but not a whole lot. I decided that since Todd Evans wasn’t around anymore we had to recast other than Dave Brockie’s character. I thought it would be a cool idea to get a super group of Richmond, VA metal bands together and have them do something other than play music. I was able to get Randy Blythe from Lamb of God as well as Tony Foresta from Municipal Waste. It’s kind of become a collaboration between the three of us.

AL: What were your first thoughts when you reached your budget goal on kickstarter?
MD: We put it up there as kind of a test. The original idea was to do more episodes so us reaching the goal kind of gave us hope that once we have the first episode done there will be interest to do more and keep funding those episodes.

AL: What are the release plans for the project?
MD: It’s almost edited. Davis had thought it would take around a month to have everything edited but unfortunately it has taken closer to 3 months. It’s almost done we just have to get together and do the final tweaks on everything and make sure everyone is happy. I’m guessing within a few weeks we will have it out.

AL: This being just the first film/episode what are the future plans for the project?
MD: We are hoping to do a full 12 episode television season. We want to release it on YouTube for people to watch for free and just see how it goes. We want to get the funding before we make the next episode so if people like it and want more they have to help us. (Laughs) As we go along we want to get more celebrities involved doing different voices and such. When we are on the road with Gwar we run into a lot of our rock star friends so the idea is to give them the lines and record them right on the bus.

AL: Do you have any other projects your working on right now?
MD:  I have a couple things that I am sort of working on. I am thinking about another puppet based series but that’s still in the development stages.
For more info on “Blood Vomits” you can go to www.gwar.net for all the latest info.

Dave Brockie aka Oderus Urungus has a role in the upcoming kickstarter.com funded puppet adventure “Blood Vomits” Mediamikes.com caught up with Dave to talk about the project as well as some of the other things he has been working on lately.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about your role in the “Blood Vomits” project?
Dave Brockie: I didn’t really do a whole lot. I offered some moral support as well as doing the voice of Mad Dog who is one of the lead characters. Pretty much Davis Bradley and Michael Derks were responsible for getting all of the elements of the story together. I just came in and did my voice. For once I wasn’t running the show. I really enjoyed the hell out of coming in and just being a supporting player! There just is so much talent in the Gwar camp that it was nice to sit back for a change. I have been doing a lot of the publicity and informing the fans about the project which has been great.

AL: Had you heard of Kickstarter.com prior to this project?
DB: No I hadn’t. Mike brought that idea to everyone and it’s really an amazing thing. We were very surprised with how well we did. Originally the guys were going to only ask for $2,500. I told them to just go for it and ask for $5,000 and we ended up with $7,000 so we were really happy with it. I’m sure we will be using it again in the future as it’s a really awesome tool for artists.

AL: Can you tell us about your book that was released recently titled “Whargoul”?
DB: “Whargoul” came out on Dead Eye press which is a division of Eraser Head press. I had written the book about 10 years ago and had it up on my website for quite awhile. This company got in touch with me and was interested in putting out the story in a real book form. I said “Hell Yeah” they set everything up and it has been doing pretty good. It’s also available in a Kindle version as well. They have asked me to write a sequel but I don’t know if I can write a sequel to “Whargoul”. I did leave the character in spot to where a sequel could happen but I don’t know. “Whargoul” took a really long time to write and it was a struggle. I want to write another novel but I’m not sure I want to write a sequel just yet. At some point I think I could though. People have been really supportive of this and the other side projects I am involved in which has made me work harder. Gwar fans are tremendous and support us in everything we do. I just finished a short story for a zombie anthology which is titled “Bone Manner Revisited”. I had written this story for one of my creative writing classes in college and similar to “Whargoul” it sat around for a few years. I was contacted by a publisher about doing a zombie type story and I remembered that short story from college. I did a re-write on it and some buffing up and it should be coming out pretty soon.  I also have my blog on rvanews.com which continues to tell the story of Gwar’s inception. I definitely plan to compile that for a novel one day as well. When I finally get into my last days of decrepitude I can totally see myself writing a lot more.

AL: There has been a lot going on in the Gwar world lately with the news of the Gwar B-B-Q line up and a fall 2011 tour. There also has been gossip of a new band member. Can you tell us anything about that?
DB:  It’s getting out now that Casey Orr has left the band. Casey has played Beefcake a few different times over the years. The split was something that didn’t come as a surprise as we knew that he would eventually be moving on. Basically the economy right now is really rough and Gwar is not the easiest band to be in. It’s especially difficult for guys who don’t live in the Richmond area. All of Casey’s family and projects are in Texas so the strain of holding those two different lives together got to the point where he had to make a decision. The split is completely amicable and we love Casey. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t end up working for us again at some point. I know for a fact next time we are in Dallas he will be back stage drinking all of our beer. We all play characters in Gwar and there have been 3 different Beefcakes with Casey playing the role twice. The characters are defiantly bigger than the musicians who play them. The new Beef Cake the Mighty will be debuting at this year’s Gwar B-B-Q but we do wish Casey all the best and we will miss him.

AL: The Fall tour is being dubbed “Return of the World Maggot Tour” correct?
DB: Yes! We recently moved into a new slave pit and when we were moving we went through all the old costumes. We came across the World Maggot and it was still in pretty good shape. We are always getting asked when we are going to bring that prop back. Because we didn’t have time to build a whole new show and we don’t have a new album out we decided to bring out a bunch of the old characters. It’s going to be a cool tour as we will be out with Every Time I Die as well as playing a few shows with Ghoul and Warbeast. We are really looking forward to get back out there!

AL: Are you involved at all with the Gwar “Dim Time” book which is being compiled by former Slave Pit/Gwar members Don Drakulich and Chuck Varga?
DB: They have asked me my opinion about stuff but it’s been Don and Chuck who have been sorting that stuff out. Everyone is really starting to get their own side project niche now and this is one of those times. I trust that they are going to do a great job. Don was with us from the very beginning and he has a lot of really amazing footage. It a story that needs to be told however I don’t really need to contribute that much because I lived it! (Laughs) Anything about the “Dim Time” is going to have my mug all over it.

For more info on all things Gwar you can head over to Gwar.net and you can follow Dave on twitter @therealoderus and also read his blog at rvanews.com.