Noise Auction (Rock on the Range 2010)

I had a chance to sit down with three members of Noise Auction at Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio May 22^nd and they hail from the area. The members interviewed were Se7eN (guitars/vocals), Shorty (bass/vocals), and Ryan (keys/vocals).

MsBrandyRock: Did ya’ll know there is a memorial site dedicated to you online?

Noise Auction: Let us say on record, Noise Auction is not dead, baby!

MsBrandyRock: You guys know Joan Red, right?

Shorty: yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

MsBrandyRock: Anthony told me you, specifically were theatrical during your live shows. What does that mean?

Shorty: Theatrical as in I swing my dreads around and I come and pat Se7eN and Ryan on the ass, very theatrical in that aspect!

MsBrandyRock: Ok I found this describing ya’ll. I don’t remember if this is on your myspace page but it said ‘proud of being a rock band, while others follow trends’.

Ryan: If it’s not it probably should be because it makes sense. Listen to the radio it’s a package deal that they present to you. From media, from economics, from the market, what people think they should be listening to? We’re going to create what we want to and let people make their own mind up.

MsBrandyRock: Exactly, I was looking up all the bands I had not heard of when I found out I was getting the opportunity to come to Rock on the Range. You guys caught my attention, but most of the bands I support don’t get mass radio play, such as Joan Red. There are so many mid level touring bands, 10 times better than half of the bands playing this festival but they aren’t here.

MsBrandyRock: Ya’ll have worked with producer, Joe Viers, who has also worked with Bobaflex. Do ya’ll know them?

Noise Auction: Oh, very well, yes

MsBrandyRock: Ok this band Hydrovibe (St. Heather), who they have toured with, told me that I should never want to get in Bobaflex’s heads because it’s not a good place to be.

Se7eN: Very true.

Ryan: I can tell you one of the best jokes I have ever heard in my life.

MsBrandyRock: What?

Ryan: I’m not going to go there never mind. But, that’s how serious I’m talking about. Bobaflex is off the wall and like that musically. They go above and beyond what you would normally expect from a band. They’ve always been successful because they go that extra mile.

MsBrandyRock: Are ya’ll working on a new CD?

Noise Auction: oh yeah, absolutely

MsBrandyRock: Where can ‘A Stitch in Time’, the current CD, be purchased?

Noise Auction: http://www.myspace.com/noiseauction, at any of our shows, we sell them out of our trunks, Reverbnation, http://www.noiseauction.bigcartel.com/

MsBrandyRock: Was there some type of contest to get ya’ll on the show?

Se7eN: No, let’s clarify this real quick, we got chosen to play Rock on the Range, we were not part of the Battle of the Bands. No, disrespect for our boys in State Your Cause who won that. We got a high recommendation from Ronnie Hunter on 99.7 The Blitz, “Just Scott” from the Rock on the Range Party Page who was very vital in helping us get to play.

Ryan: There was one competition that we won, like a tribute to March Madness in college basketball, called Ranger Madness.

Shorty: It was like text in American Idol type voting.

MsBrandyRock: Really? Yeah, I didn’t even know there was a competition. I was just curious since ya’ll are ‘local’.

Se7eN: They decided to put one more Columbus band on. Definitely check out State Your Cause, very cool band, they go on tomorrow around 12:15.

MsBrandyRock: Ok, you have this cruise coming up with the Genitorturers? I showed up at one of their shows once, not knowing anything about the live show, to see a band from New York City called Sex Slaves. And I was kind of shocked. How did ya’ll wind up being chosen for the cruise?

Noise Auction: ***laughter*** Good story.

MsBrandyRock: Well you know I had never seen people hanging from hooks before.

Shorty: Well it’s kind of the same thing as Rock on the Range, someone who appreciates us, they got a hold of us, asked us if we wanted to do a show that involved us going on a cruise with some national bands. We’re always up for that kind of challenge. We’ve seen the Genitorturers before and we’re great fans of their show and it’s a great opportunity for us.

MsBrandyRock: Do you have any endorsements from any of the gear you abuse?

Noise Auction: Speed Evil Clothing. We are working on any type of endorsement we can get.

MsBrandyRock: Any future touring plans?

Noise Auction: There are always future plans. Rock on the Range is a step in that direction. It’s a good place to make good contacts and head in that direction. Whatever we can get, we’ll take.

MsBrandyRock: I saw something else written about Noise Auction. ‘Hard rock with a twist’. What is the twist?

Ryan: Vocal, guitar, keyboard, electronic melodies. This makes it a little different and raw.

MsBrandyRock: Ok, I’m all about the live show. So why should I see you guys live tomorrow?

Noise Auction: We’re a very energetic fun band to watch live. Good songs, good hard rock for everybody. We like to bring all the energy we can from the stage to the fans. Really connect with the fans.

Shorty: We also want people to know especially in Ohio that we are not letting up after Rock on the Range. We do have another festival coming up called Woodshock in August (13,14,15) We will be in PA, West Virginia, Kentucky, everywhere in a couple states region.

MsBrandyRock: What about South Carolina?

Noise Auction: There is no where we will not go.

MsBrandyRock: Ok, Se7eN. You are into photography. Why weren’t you here today taking pictures?

Se7eN: Cause I’m not here to work.

MsBrandyRock: You should have though, you’re from here, and you should have been like hey I need a pass. I want to take some pictures.

Se7eN: I’m here as music fan today.

MsBrandyRock: What type of photography do you do?

Se7eN: All kinds.

MsBrandyRock: Where did the name Se7eN come from?

Se7eN: I would love to tell you, but I would have to kill you. It’s something to do with luck.

MsBrandyRock: Lucky 7

Se7eN: Trust me that number comes up a lot in my life.

Ryan: The first time I met him his bar tab was $7.77.

MsBrandyRock: Well at least it wasn’t $6.66.

Se7eN: That woulda been cool too.

Ryan: But I wonder if he didn’t realize what he had to order plus tax.

MsBrandyRock: So Se7en is original. It’s your own thing. One day in the future band members are going to be putting 7 at the end of their names and it is going to be because of you.

Se7eN: Hey, if I can influence somebody, more power.

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Press Pass granted by Brian Cade Photography at Muen Magazine. 

Special thanks to Noise Auction for responding my request to do this interview.

Killswitch Engage (Rock on the Range 2010)

My first in person interview!

MsBrandyRock: Are you planning on playing the ‘Holy Diver’ song today as a tribute to Ronnie James Dio?

Mike D: I think at this point we have to play it everyday for sure. It’s probably the one people gravitate the most towards. It’s gotten the most radio play and we don’t want to jip the fans by not playing it. I suppose, we have played it the last few years not in tribute, but I suppose you could call it a tribute. Either way we are going to play it.

MsBrandyRock: I don’t like classifying music into genres; I look at it all as being rock, because I think the specific genres stereotype.

Mike D: Mmmhmm

MsBrandyRock: But, what is your definition of American Metalcore? What does it mean to you?

Mike D: hmmm, it just like blends hardcore and metal, blurring the lines of chuga chuga hardcore and chuga chuga metal

MsBrandyRock: Now, I was originally told the interview was going to be with Joel and I watched the behind the scenes video with his mom.

Mike D: You can ask me about his mom, we all know his mom very well. She was actually at the show last night because we took Joel’s brother’s band on tour with us and it was her first chance to see both her son’s bands play together on the same stage.

MsBrandyRock: Do you still practice at her house?

Mike D: Not so much anymore, we don’t really practice at all; we tour so much there’s no reason to. We see her a lot, she bakes cookies for us all the time.

MsBrandyRock: ‘The End of Heartache’ was nominated for a Grammy in 2005. Did you ever think that would happen?

Mike D: Not at all, never, never ever ever ever ever. It was never something I thought about because it was so far beyond reality. But, boy did it mean a lot to my parents. It didn’t necessarily mean a lot to me, but my parents all of a sudden said ‘wow, we have to come see you play’. After playing music for 20 years they finally wanted to come see me play.

MsBrandyRock: So they never saw you play before that?

Mike D: There is not reason to invite your parents if you playing a show to like 10 kids in someone’s basement. We played a lot of shows that weren’t necessarily meaningless, but now we are at the level where it’s easier to get them through the door, get them a cushy spot, and they can watch from a good area. And not get bumped into.

MsBrandyRock: Were they supportive of what you were doing before you made it a little bigger and got a record deal? Or did they think you were wasting your time?

Mike D: Yeah, they thought I was wasting my time. They forced me to go to a technical school which was actually a great thing because I have a career out of it. They would tell me I shouldn’t be concentrating on playing music. I should be concentrating on getting a job and doing other things. But, as it turns out it was sound advice, now I have a graphic design career as well as being a musician.

MsBrandyRock: Killswitch Engage has a history of playing festivals, like Mayhem Fest last year, do you seek out festivals or are you asked to play them?

Mike D: 9 times out of 10 asked. I can’t really remember one we have asked to play on.

MsBrandyRock: Why did you choose to self produce the second record?

Mike D: We self produced every one except the last one. Adam our guitarist does it. It costs a lot less money; it’s more do it yourself, than let everyone else do the work for you. More control over your product, more control over your music. And it’s more relaxing, there is no stress involved, a friend doing all the work instead of a producer that may want to tell you what to do.

MsBrandyRock: Who did you work with?

Mike D: Brendan O’Brien. He did Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, the new AC/DC, Mastadon. He had contacted us and said he was a fan of the band.

MsBrandyRock: Did that surprise you that he contacted you?

Mike D: Yes, totally, because he doesn’t like metal at all. He’s more of a song structure guy, someone who concentrates more on the overall sound of a song, rather than if it is metal or not.

MsBrandyRock: Well, like I heard Killswitch Engage for the first time on satellite radio. So there is that appeal to a wider audience. Has that helped or hurt you?

Mike D: Definitely helped, for sure, absolutely 100 percent.

MsBrandyRock: Did you expect that to happen when you first started playing shows?

Mike D: Not at all. Everything that has happened to us has been a dream, a whirlwind dream; I never expected any of it. I come from bands that never even got paid when they played. Drive like 10 hours to a show, play for 10 people, and not get paid. It was just the love of playing at that was it.

MsBrandyRock: Yeah a lot of people think that if you are in a band and ‘touring’ you get paid but sometimes you don’t even have the gas money to make it to the next town.

Mike D: Right, yep.

MsBrandyRock: Your known for pointing out people during the live show, do you pick people that are singing along to the songs?

Mike D: Well from experience from when I was in the crowd and that would happen to me. I would remember that show forever. It was out of the bounds of reality. Usually people on stage don’t quote on quote break character or even acknowledge the audience, or do something really lame like yell at them or spit at them. So I had always said to myself, you know, if I got any sort of statute, I would relay to the audience that I was excited and stoked. And that they in turn were as excited and stoked to be there as what I was. I don’t know a lot of people that I do say hi to, will come up to me afterwards and say ‘thank you that meant a lot’. I do it all the time now. It means so much to people why not keep doing it.

MsBrandyRock: Other bands say that Killswitch Engage helps keep the underground alive but also helps define the genre. Bands that you probably look up to say that, what do you think about that?

Mike D: Cool, we are just doing what we do.

MsBrandyRock: The positive messages that you put out, are you involved with the song writing?

Mike D: I write the music but not the lyrics. The lyrics were put in motion by our first singer, Jesse Leach, who wrote nothing but positive lyrics. When Jesse left the band and Howard joined it was sort of a necessity that the songs had to be positively aimed. Have some sort of outcome that was a little bit brighter than most of your metal songs. Most metal stuff is total downer stuff. There is always something that is not great about someone’s life. We kinda wanted people to come to our shows and have fun. And not come there scowling and think about their life being crappy. We wanted it to be an escape from all that garbage that goes on in everyday life. We let people participate, shake their hands, yell, scream, and laugh at us. And it’s kind of our whole vibe.

MsBrandyRock: What band are you most looking forward to seeing?

Mike D: Deftones. And they are playing right before us so I’m going to miss them, have never seen them.

MsBrandyRock: What advice would you give to bands that are on that level playing to 10 people?

Mike D: Don’t expect to ever get paid. Do it for the love, not because you want to be a rock star, because you will never be one. It’s like winning the lottery to get to a spot like this or just being so ridiculously good you just make it there on your own. Do everything yourself. Don’t pay anyone if you don’t have to. Make your own flyers. Book your own shows. Go out there and play every weekend you possibly can. Make sure you have band members that actually want to do it and are not just doing it because you want to do it. And play music you like, not music you hear.

MsBrandyRock: So, don’t try to be like anyone else?

Mike D: Well, that’s the only way you really learn is to play music by other people, but at the same time if you can take that and bring it to the next level, not copy but add your own spin to it, it takes the genre up to another level, if someone else is adding something to the pot. If people just continue to copycat it just kills the genre. I feel like punk rock is going that way right now. Every band sounds exactly the same, the same whiny voice, the same guitar riffs.

MsBrandyRock: What do you think about radio in the United States?

Mike D: Seems like its being squashed. I come from listening to Howard Stern on regular radio then he went to satellite radio and he’s so much better now that he is not censored. Censorship is ridiculous on regular radio. Regular radio is just a dead medium to me.

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Press Pass courtesy of Brian Cade Photography at Muen Magazine.

Special thanks to photographers Lindsey Martin, Jason Goetz, as well as Jeff "Chainsaw" Griffin. 

Murder FM (May 2010)

According to Murder FM they sound like 'your heart in a f**kin blender'.  I say they seem like a beautiful mix of all things enjoyful, dark, and hopeful.  You be the judge. 

Norman Matthew of Murder FM recently took the time out of his busy schedule which has included planning a wedding, recording new music, and working with music students from the school of rock and zounds, to answer a few questions for Espy Rock. 


Your video for ‘As Beautiful As You Are’ was voted Top 10 in Europe alongside Muse, 30 Seconds to Mars and Nickelback. What do you think the appeal is in Europe for your music?

Not sure what our appeal is just yet. It’s quite awesome that a country Murder FM has yet to visit is so supportive of our band and our music out the gate. It's a breath of fresh air to be played on TV airwaves before our market value, marketing dollars and overall stock as a band was proven. Glasstone Record walked the video over to SCUZZ and their program director spun the video because he liked it and for no other reason. It grew wings and flew and I’m extremely thankful.

So this Squizz TV actually plays videos? I think MTV needs to get back to that. Hell, even MTV 2.

It’s Scuzz that plays Videos, sooo dope! Squizz is on Satellite Radio ;) I Agree MTV = music television, hasn’t been that in years!

I personally think it’s awesome that Skindred’s ‘Stand for Something’ is right up there too! Benji is a cool cat! I love his jacket!

Skindred is awesome. I dig their first single that came out a while back. If I’m not mistaken, they are from Wales in the UK which makes it an honor to be listed side by side with them on a chart, it’s their home court.

Now, I’m all about the live show. Norman, you seem multi-talented….vocals, guitar, programming, piano. Do you play piano at shows?

Well thank you, that’s a very nice thing to say. Sometimes I don’t know if it’s so much multi-talented, but more like driven to understand the mechanics and dynamics of a song and the musical communication within the songwriting. I would love to play piano and keys when we are afforded the opportunity in a live show and get more than 30 minutes opening up for an killer headliner. We have many plans in our head and hope they come to life one day, there’s just only so much room on stage sometimes, but tons of room in my head, haha.

Describe Murder FM’s live show using 5 words.

Bloody, sweaty, body paint, baby powder and aggressive.

Ok, I am somewhat concerned. What is up with the backdrop? (By the way those are amazing pictures in the Dallas, TX album on http://www.myspace.com/murderfmmusic)

The backdrops are the blood of our enemies we collect as we tour, haha! its simply part of the theme, bloody backdrops to kinda set the mood, with the full length record, there will be a whole other stage and clothing theme. I miss bands that put on a show, even in their smallest form, so we strive to theme things out and that is the plan for each record.

Hmmm….so I can somewhat understand the baby powder and the water winding up on stage during shows. But what is the black latex paint used for?

In unison things make a bigger impression theatrically. Imagine a sports team all walking out with each member wearing different jerseys, it wouldn’t be quite as intense. Each one of us plays an important role in the band and are cogs in a machine, its not about the individual, but more about the beast we are as one, so our "uniform" just kinda ties us all together.

How exactly does one get to witness the backstage industrial dance party before your shows?

Just walk through an alley or parking lot and look for the convoy of vans, buses, rv's and uhauls. We usually get shafted on dressing rooms unless the janitor cleans out the broom closet when we play bigger places. Seriously, the term "backstage" is a little too rockstar status for me at the moment. I kinda like to just keep it real, listen to jams and stay as far from the club as possible until its time to play.

Speaking of which, I see you are involved with Team Cybergeist. How did this come about and share whatever you wish about this.

Angel from DOPE is the catalyst of the Team Cybergeist project, members of KITTIE, THE DREAMING, STONE SOUR and so many more are involved. Angel hit me up while I was recording the NEVER 3NOUGH record with Keith and Trevor of 18VISIONS asking if I would be interested in doing vocals. Fast forward two and a half years, I’ve sung on two songs and just remixed ‘Justified’. I'm sure all of which will surface as Angel prepares to release ‘How to Destroy Something Beautiful’ in the US. I know it’s out in Japan and the title track ‘How To Destroy Something Beautiful’ is the track I sing on.

To what extent was Beau Hill, Interscope Records founder, producer of Warrant, Ratt, etc, involved with the record?

Forget the record; Beau is involved in my life. He is my mentor in more ways than you can imagine, music aside he's always right behind everything I do in one aspect or another. Beau is always looking out for me and I’m thankful.

I had never heard of him by the way and got lost on his site. There are a lot of up and coming bands that I recognize he has worked with, such as Lynam. He seems like he truly is passionate about finding new talent to work with.

I get lost in his house! It’s hard to find your way when gold and platinum records blind you left and right. He's a true legend in this business. He's done more than what is on his site and he's always looking to be cuttinge edge, pushing envelopes and never content with just things being ok. He strives for perfection, is up on the latest technology, newest bands and the man has ears that just don’t fail. Before there was Rick Rubin and Bob Rock, there was Beau Hill, lets not forget that.

And you are signed to an independent label called Glasstone Records. Do you like it this way because you have more control over what you can and can not do as an artist?

Glasstone has been a key component in the building of Murder FM. The music industry model and business as we know it has changed. The playing field is level, distribution channels have changed, marketing strategies, demographics buying habits and the political infrastructure are flailing, soon, a Glasstone or any indie will be just a big a beast as a Universal or Virgin. It’s interesting to see how things have flip flopped. I love having control over what we do, but if you as an artist realize your music is a product and so are you ,the sooner you figure that out, the less you are "told" what to do in a sense. It’s a big boys game and you need to have your strategy before you get in the ring. I wish any artist trying to "make it" even MORE luck than ever before. Calculate your moves.

When did you guys tour with Korn? And what is your most memorable memory from that tour?

From THE USED tour to DOPE to KORN, April 27th,2010 at County Coliseum in my hometown of El Paso,Tx with KORN is one of my fondest memories onstage.

Hydrovibe Interview- April 2010

Heather St. Marie:

First of all I would like to say WOW! Heather, you look electrifying with straight hair.

THANK YOU!!!

How did the signing to the Japanese record label SPINNING come about?

Mat actually got us that deal!  We knew we wanted to join forces with a Japanese label to release “Nothing Left To Lose” in Japan in 2010, so when Mat got word that he was going to be in Tokyo doing a promo tour this past August with our friend – actress/singer/songwriter Schuyler Fisk – for her album release in Japan, we began researching labels immediately.  We narrowed the search down to the 3 labels we wanted and reached out to them.  Though Mat did 8 shows in only 3 days in Tokyo with Schuyler, he somehow managed to squeeze in meetings with all three labels and scored Hydrovibe a deal with the very top label we wanted!

Who heard of whom first?

Heather:  I’m not exactly sure, really.  Mat said that when he met with the President of International A&R for SPINNING in Tokyo, he had clearly done his research on Hydrovibe… He knew all about us.  They apparently didn’t really spend much time talking about our band, they just got right down to what SPINNING was going to do for our band’s release in Japan!

One thing I was not expecting to see under their artists section was a band I would recognize, but The Exies are on this label as well.  Have you played shows together?

We have not, actually.  I’d LOVE to, though.  We are with the same booking agency as The Exies in the US.

What do you think the attraction to Hydrovibe is in Japan?

Japan has always been a champion of rock music in general, and now it seems that they have been paying special attention to female-fronted rock bands.  That works well for us, obviously!  The Japanese fans are also are widely-known for being guitar enthusiasts, so Mat has been getting a lot of attention for Hydrovibe in Japan for his strong guitar riffs and shreddery as well!

What was your first thought when the record signing made headlines on Yahoo there?

We were obviously very excited and proud.  That also turned into an interview with Yahoo in Japan by the way.  Pretty cool!

I did try to translate some of the comments by the way.

Yeah, there’s always plenty that gets lost in translation with those online translators.  Makes for some very amusing translated dialogue though!

Mat Dauzat:

Ok so you move from Louisiana to Los Angeles.  Within 2 weeks you are on the road with Kelly Osbourne. How did you find out about the audition?

Long story!  I was kinda discovered by the top talent scout / musician referral guy out here in Hollywood while I was still in Louisiana.  A very, very large band in Los Angeles set their sights on having me play guitar in their band when their guitar player quit, and they hired the #1 musician referral guy to find me.  He somehow contacted me when I was still living in Louisiana.  I was highly conflicted about auditioning for the band for many reasons, but my dad kinda pushed me to at least explore the opportunity.  The band flew me to Los Angeles, but due to miscommunication between band and management, some of the band members were not in town for my audition.  They were apologetic and insistent that I return to audition for their band.  But my heart just wasn’t in it and I politely declined.

In the meantime, the talent scout kept calling me for other major opportunities. The problem was, they were always spur-of-the-moment auditions in Hollywood… and I lived 2,000 miles away in Louisiana!  So, the very day I moved to Los Angeles, I called the talent scout to let him know that I was finally – physically – IN TOWN and could appear for any auditions he had going on.  I auditioned for Kelly Osbourne 3 days later.

Were you nervous?

HELL YES!!!  I had never auditioned for anything in my entire life and all of the sudden, I’m auditioning for rock royalty with two MTV cameras on either side of me filming for MTV’s “The Osbournes”… to say I was nervous would have been the understatement of 2002!

Do you still keep in contact with anyone else who auditioned?

It was a semi-private audition, so there weren’t very many of us at all.  I certainly am still very close with the three that were in the band with me.  (Kelly’s bass player – Josh Paul – is playing for Daughtry now, the rhythm guitar player – Devin Bronson – is now playing for Avril Lavigne, and the drummer – Alicia Warrington – is playing for Lillix and debuting her own band The All-Girls Boys Choir).

Summarize Sharon Osbourne in 3 words.

Mother, Manager, Mogul

Has she given you advice that motivates you? Or keeps you grounded?

Absolutely!  She is very motherly and treated us all as though we were family from day one, and she has been very supportive and helpful in my career.  I admire her business acumen and have learned a lot by watching her dealings in the music business over the years.   She’s always been forthcoming with advice and assistance as well.  I can’t say enough good things about her.

Have you met Ozzy?

Of course!  They are a close family and they very much treated us like family as well… We spent a lot of time together.  I always especially enjoy talking to Ozzy… He’s a very interesting guy with a lot of great stories and plenty of wisdom to offer to an up-and-comer in the music business.  I’ve remained close with the entire Osbourne family through, though I don’t get to see them as frequently as I’d like with all our busy schedules.  I usually see them a few times a year at least.

What do you put in your orange juice other than ice?

Cranberry juice. Oh, and vodka.  Is that bad?

Heather:

On the interview clip on Hydrovibe’s website , what I replayed and wrote down was the following: “…did what most bands do and start submitting our music to record labels hoping to get the big record deal…we realized that, that probably wasn’t going to be the right solution…we wanted to do things our way…sincere, powerful music…not quick singles that hit radio and fade out just as quickly..”

To be a ‘sucessful’ touring band, do you have to have radio play?

Not at all!  Don’t get me wrong, radio play is helpful and would be certainly welcomed by Hydrovibe, but we are not chasing solely after radio play like we’ve seen some bands do.  Radio is a tough game and costs a LOT of money to see success.  We’ve seen major labels dump lots of money into radio to blow a band up… but all it really does is blow the song up.  The perceived success is short-lived… when the song drops off the radio, the “fans” forget about the band quickly as the major labels are already feeding them the newest “it” song from the newest “it” band.  The only real way to have longevity is to build the success over time and form long-lasting relationships with fans through touring and making connections with the fans any way possible.

Is Columbia, SC or Headliners (now closed) in your Bento 3 (Apple subsidiary Filemaker database)?

I actually purged it from my database when I heard it had closed down.

You are into graphic design.  Do you have a website set up with examples of your work?  Or what is the best way to contact you concerning this?

Hydrovibe keeps me VERY busy, but I do personally take on a handful of graphic design projects every month or so.  I’m also part owner of design agency called New Level Graphics.  You can see some portfolio work at http://www.newlevelgraphics.com . Our site is almost never quite up-to-date because our designers are so consumed with client work, that our own site takes a bit of a back seat.   There is also a contact form to get in touch with us there.  I usually get involved mostly in the design jobs that are somehow music related… SURPRISE!

What is the hardest part thing being a female in a band, while on the road?

We’re usually on a tight schedule, so I’m forced to do my hair and makeup in the van.  I’ve gotten used to it, but it takes special coordination to apply liquid eyeliner while traveling down a bumpy highway!  The hairstyling is also a bit rough too since there is a major lack of mirrors in the touring rig!

Do females in bands have male groupies?

hmmm… I wouldn’t really call our male fans groupies – because that term, to me, brings to mind skimpily clad people throwing themselves at the musicians (or anyone associated with the band, for that matter).  I have yet to see a skimpily clad male fan at a Hydrovibe show – AND HOORAY FOR THAT! hahaha

Seriously, I think we have great fans.  Generally speaking, the guys who come to our shows are very laid-back and respectful, which is ALWAYS gonna get a better reception than the “Groupie Routine” in my book!

Why do you think Bobaflex has a twitter account if they never use it?

Because it’s Bobaflex, THAT’S WHY!  hahaha  Trust me, you don’t want to try to get inside the minds of the Bobaflex boys… you might get lost in there and never find your way back out again!  To know ‘em is to love ‘em, though!

If you could choose 3 bands past or present to tour alongside whom would they be and why?

Eliot:

1. Led Zeppelin (circa 1971) – For obvious reasons.
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers (with Frusciante in the band) – Because they were able to converse with each other so beautifully through music.
3. The Beatles – ‘Cause I LOVE The Beatles!

And if I could have 4 choices, Metallica’s “Ride The Lightning Tour” would have been nice as well!

Phil:

1. Iron Maiden – a big childhood influence of mine
2. Led Zeppelin – one of the most influential rock bands of all time…and amazing musicians
3. Deep Purple – another heavily influential rock band

Have you ever shared the stage with Uncrowned?

On at least a couple of occasions.  They’re a fun bunch!

Any messages to pass along to Joan Red?

(Heather)  Yes, actually…a very, very important message with deep sentiment:

Someday love will find you – break those chains that bind you.  One night will remind you how we touched and went our separate ways.  If he (or she) ever hurts you, true love won’t desert you.  You know I still love you though we touched and went our separate ways.  True story.

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I would like to thank Hydrovibe for many things including posting a link to this interview on their website.

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***