Airbourne (Rock on the Range 2010)

This interview is far from earth shattering status and I am very much aware of this.  It was very rushed at this point of time in the media tent and it was also very loud.  I know people that can say this is fact because they were doing interviews with members from Airbourne at the same time.  I will be interested to see if my media tent buddy Luie from  http://www.splattertribe.tv/ even posts his.  He gave me a shout out on the site a while back so this shout out is way past due. 

MsBrandyRock: I just wanted to let you know I am representing Muen Magazine and if you haven’t heard of them, they keep up with a lot of the ‘underground’ bands and help bands network through their street team. Have you ever heard of Taddy Porter? They played the festival yesterday on a smaller stage.

Joel: Okay, cool, nah.

MsBrandyRock: They are from Oklahoma. I don’t know them but, their music, its like old rock, more so 70’s and I think that you would like their music.

Joel: I will check them out.

MsBrandyRock: How old are you, are you allowed to tell me that?

Joel: 26

MsBrandyRock: Ok it says on the site that everyone is between 19 and 23.

Joel: Yeah we haven’t updated it.

MsBrandyRock: When you got signed to Capital and that fell through do you feel like that was a blessing in disguise?

Joel: Yeah…I do….yeah its like things work out, ya know?

MsBrandyRock: All of the bigger tours you have been on, like with the Rolling Stones, did that happen before or after Capital came across Airbourne?

Joel: Before.

MsBrandyRock: What do you think about bands that do not write their own music?

Joel: Each to their own.

MsBrandyRock: Airbourne has a lot of upcoming dates in Europe and you have played a lot there in the past, being an outsider, do you think there is a difference between music fans in the United States and Europe? Do you see a difference in the crowds overseas, are they more involved?

Joel: Well, today for example, there was a circle pit, crowd surfing, same thing going on over there. People come to drink; people come to drink over there. I find it similar.

MsBrandyRock: Now you’re from a small town in Australia that I can’t pronounce, how many kids were in your school?

Joel: ahh about 500.

MsBrandyRock: Really? That’s about as small as my school in Pennsylvania. So being from that small of a town, did you ever expect to be playing shows this size?

Joel: I mean, when you start out you just want to get out there and play. You don’t think too far ahead. You don’t think oh your going to be over here on the other side of the world.

MsBrandyRock: Now, I now you just toured Canada with Motley Crue. What has been your favorite tour so far, the one that was unforgettable?

Joel: A tour we did with Motorhead and Rose Tattoo in Australia.

MsBrandyRock: When you were recording the CD you slept in the studio, why?

Joel: We like to be where the action is. We used to live together in a house.

MsBrandyRock: Were you really on welfare for three years when you were trying to make a go of the band because you would have been playing shows. How did you get away with that?

Joel: Yeah, yeah. A lot of smoke and mirrors.

MsBrandyRock: Have you ever played in the state of Pennsylvania? Have you heard of the football team the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Joel: Yes, Yeah.

MsBrandyRock: Your song, ‘Steel Town’. They need to use that song.

Joel: Yeah they gotta use that song.

MsBrandyRock: You need to make that happen. The city of Pittsburgh, that is what it was founded on.

Joel: We will have to send it over.

MsBrandyRock: Yeah, they would love it. They would probably make it their anthem.

MsBrandyRock: Ok well, I am all about the live show and this was my first time seeing ya’ll live and I was exited about that.

Joel: Aww, well thank you.

MsBrandyRock: Ok originally I was told the interview was going to be with you, then it changed, and now you are sitting here. So I did find out about the book that is coming out in October. What is up with that?

Joel: A good mate of mine Paul Miles, he is releasing a book called ‘Sex Tips from Rock Stars’. He has this big list of big name dudes. It will be a funny book.

Press Pass courtesy Brian Cade Photography at Muen Magazine.

Thanks to Luie too!

Special Archived Edition- FiXeR- April 2009

I have decided that I am going to give some sort of an introduction to myself. This makes sense since this is the first article I am writing. Growing up I listened to what my dad did. I don’t like “genres”, I like good music! But if you are curious, it was 80’s hair bands. The one that I latched onto was Bon Jovi. I thought all songs by others such as Poison and I’ll throw Aerosmith in (I know not a “hair band”) but regardless, I thought they were all by Bon Jovi. I guess that I do good latching because they are one of the few “hair bands” to stand the test of time.

Now my father is somewhat narrow-minded. I didn’t discover the likes of Ozzy and Motley Crue till much later. I will never forget when I first heard “Crazy Train” at a high school basketball game. My point with this is look into Ozzfest, now Cruefest, and I am going to include Shinedown here. The bands and people associated with these bands believe in ‘artists helping artists’. In today’s world this is somewhat absent and you have to dig to find it. I just happened to find one of the best thanks to Tunelab and a comment left on their myspace page by the lead singer of this band from New York City concerning Brian Cade Photography.

The name of this band is Fixer. And they will without a doubt be one of my generation’s greats. I know I’m not the first to utter kind words and I know I won’t be the last. They do things on their own terms, their management is located overseas. There are many hot rock bands on the rise and others making the money now, but what are they going to do when that major label drops them? Fixer embodies what fun and crazy ROCK N’ ROLL used to be, yet at the same time they are all very deep and balanced souls. By all means don’t feel obligated to take my word for it. Get out and go to a show! You will never get what I am trying to put into words unless you experience them live. It’s just impossible.


 Part 1: My Introduction to FIXER
The first time I saw Fixer was when they were opening on the Tunelab Music sponsored tour entitled “Horns Up, Tops Down”. The only reason I was there was because I had heard “So Long” by Stereoside on XM radio, looked them up online and saw they were going to be in Columbia, SC. Of course this date was nowhere to be found, not even on Headliners schedule of shows. I will get into further detail with this night when I do my write up on Stereoside.

So I got there late because I had a job interview and went shopping with my aunt. I had actually forgotten about the show and it was also during the week. I almost didn’t go because I was dragging. I had found out from a friend that they had already been thru town once before, something was telling me I HAD to suck it up and go. I did not see much of Fixer’s set. I remember the lead singer saying something about MTV’s “The Hills” and I thought to myself, why the hell would you mention that in Columbia, SC? I also thought he seemed a little odd.

This night was 09/25/08. It will forever and always be embedded in my mind. In fact it is probably fitting that I get it tattooed somewhere now that I think about it. A few days after the show I looked Fixer up online and I liked them a whole lot more, but I thought to myself, eh I’ll never see them again, they are from NYC and I live in South Carolina. I even mentioned them to my mom a few times and I included how I thought my first impression was completely wrong.

Well fast forward to 12/06/08, another date etched in my mind. Fixer was coming back and I was told they were headlining. I was uberexcited and Greedy White Citizens from Atlanta were playing the show as well. In the back of my mind I knew it wasn’t going to be a good turnout. Framing Hanley who had been getting some airplay had been in town 2 weeks prior with radio promo. I worked my booty off (free of charge, might I add) for that show as well.

PART 2: FIXER: Breaking My BoundariesI had already talked to J (the bass player at the time). He has this little project going on now J Brown Productions.

I was passing on a message from Nick at Tunelab about something from their show the night before. I also remember opening the tee tiny room that Headliners refers to as a green room. The door wasn’t locked and Evan (lead singer) was in there getting ready. He said something about me being all access and I said ‘yeah that’s right’.


So I am leaning against the bar. Evan comes up to me making small talk and then says hey do you mind if we crash at your place tonight? Ha! What? Well I said yes! We talked for some time before they hit the stage. This conversation included the little review of Fixer in The Free Times. I was shocked that they made it in there, but then utterly disappointed because all P. Wall did was bash Guns N Roses new CD. Bravo! Awesome Review! Oh! But so what does Evan say while on stage? That he has been made aware if the review and is looking at me! Lovely!
After the show the bands were not done packing up yet. This included Uncrowned from Atlanta who actually had played shows with Fixer and of course GWC. So they are all catching up. I hear dude at bar say something smart. I really have the urge to slap him in the face but because the “promoter” left it looks like I am responsible for things. But then Rev (Fixer’s drummer) decides to do the worm, so that alleviated all my worries.

By this time, Evan already had my number. Tommy (Fixer guitar) already had my address entered in his phone.


PART 3: FIXER: “The After Party”
We are at the “dance club” next door. We as in Fixer, Uncrowned, and myself. This inebrieated dude and Rev are having and in depth conversation. I have a Fixer sticker on me. I hear Rev say Fixer, so I model the sticker. This was not one of my brightest ideas because dude was really a weirdo. I have discovered since this time if I talk to Rev it equals weirdos. Tommy, J, and Uncrowned are catching up. I’m not sure where Evan is. Sticker weirdo keeps trying to hit on me. Rev and I just start dancing. This didn’t work. He wouldn’t go away. So we turn our backs and face the bar.

Last call 2 am. I already had one beer, the only one all night. At 2:10 am Element shuts all the lights on and start screaming for everyone to get out NOW! There were still people dancing. Bouncer singles me out and yells that I need to walk and drink. No one says anything. Rev chugs my beer. I’m trying to round all the guys up, knowing they have been in worse, they are from New York City and Atlanta. So they probably think I am the crazy one.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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This was the feature story in the short lived Soundmag (print distribution in SC, NC, GA, FL).

To my knowledge this was the first time Fixer had ever made the cover of anything and it was also the first time Brian Cade had a picture on the cover of a print publication. 

To date this has been viewed 352 times on my myspace page.  There were some grand comments that have all disappeared.  I also just realized I accidently deleted all of the photos.  Special thanks to Morgan Barton as well as Sassy Photography of Shock and Awe Productions.

All of this means if you have one of the print copies I'm sure it is now a limited edition item.

In honor of this occasion please head on over to http://www.evanrussellsaffer.com/. 

***EVIL GRIN***