Letz start the monday with an interview repost: JOEY VERA - 1. 2011

Interview 1.2011 JOEY VERA

Pic copright by: StephanieCabral.com

Hello Joey, I welcome you to the interviews with Rocket Queen. I hope you are doing fine and thank you very much for this opportunity to talk to you.


1.Please introduce yourself to my readers in some short sentences. 

Joey: I’m a bassist of 25 yrs or so, and made my start with Armored Saint. Since then I’ve played on many records and other bands such as Anthrax, Chroma Key, OSI, Tribe After Tribe, Seven Witches and Fates Warning which I’ve been a member of since 1996. I also produce records which I’ve got about 30 records to credit that.

2. How did you ran into the phenomenal Fates Warning? 

Joey: I’ve known them since 1984 when they came to a tour we were playing in their area, and they were also signed to Metal Blade which we had a relationship with. We became friends over the years and when they needed to replace Joe Dibiase, they called me.


3. I see that you are playing in Essen/Germany this year on 10 february. So what is new with Fates Warning? Could we maybe expect a new CD in the near future? 

Joey: Fates is still in the writing process which takes some time as you can imagine. We hope to have a record out late this year or early next.

4. With Amored Saint you released your latest album in March 2010. So what is Amored Saint doing at the moment, are you guys writing new material?

Joey: No we are not writing. Again, it takes quite some time for us to make records so at the moment we are trying to put together some European shows.

5. You mentioned in facebook that you are learning vocals for John Archs record. So it seems that hes doing a second Solo CD, sounds great. So are you singing or playing bass, doing both? On how many songs do you support him? 

Joey: Mmmm no not singing, but playing bass. I’m playing on the whole record.


6. What are you favourite bass guitars and which bass do you play mostly?

Joey: My favorite is my ’72 Fender PBass. I have 2 others as well but they are newer and those are the one’s I play most. I’ve retired my ’72 to only recording so that’s the one I’m using on the John Arch record.

7. Please give us a short overview on your current equipement.

Joey: I’ve been using the same gear for years. Ampeg SVT head (1981) and 2 SVT 8x10 cabinets. That’s basically it. I change around the effects depending on the gig.


8. You and John Bush did some cooking videos which we saw on You Tube. Was it your idea to do so? And what is the background behind the cooking thing?

Joey: The label wanted us to do something to promote the release of the record but we didn’t want to just sit there and answer questions so we thought we’d do something different.

9. Do you have your own studio? 

Joey: Yes I do, in my house. It’s a Pro Tools HD3 studio with a Control 24 surface controller. I mainly do mixing here but I can track almost anything.

10. Which are your favourite bands of all time? And which bands are you listening to at the moment?

Joey: Too many to mention. I listen to lots of stuff.

11. You are a bass player and producer. Is Heavy Metal still your favorite music or is there some kind of other music you prefer today? 

Joey: I just like honest, good music. Some of it is heavy but some of it is not.

12. Is the first EP with the song "Lesson well learned" still available? 

Joey: No it has been out of print since 1984 but you can sometimes find it on Ebay.

13. Last but not least.. please leave a message for me and my readers!

Joey: Thank you for all the years of support, We cannot do any of this without you!!

I thank you from the heart for answering my questions. I wish you all the best
and wish you a super rocking weekend, SUSI 



©1 2011 by Rocket Queen *Promotion* SM


Pic above: Pic copright by: StephanieCabral.com

Interview re-post: THE RODS (7.2011)

~ pic and design copyright by Eric Philippe Design ~

Hello Garry, and The Rods, it`s nice to have you here for an interview. Here`s your questions:

1. Please introduce THE RODS anno 2011 to my readers.

Garry: We are the same three members from the 80's: David "Rock" Feinstein, Carl Canedy, and myself. Back doing the same things we did (and still do) so well!

2. In May 2011 you released your lates album called "Vengeance".Who came up with the album title?

Garry: I believe Dave did, as he wrote most of that song, but he and Carl both had many titles for the album that came and went.

3. What were the fans reactions on the new album?

Garry: So far they have been very positive. We think it hits close enough to the original material that it is recognizable as a Rods album, and that is also what many of the comments have been. We have been very happy with the fans' feedback!

4. The title called "The Code" is with Ronnie James Dio singing. Was it hard for you to deceide to put it on the album or better not to release it?

Garry: There was some soul searching with that, but in the end we wanted to have it heard because it was Ronnie and David's project, which was conceived and recorded well before Ronnie even knew he was ill. We thought it was a better tribute to let fans hear his work on this than to worry about peoples' opinions regarding the morality of releasing it. The music business has no morality anyway, so I personally had no concerns.

5. You last toured with Dio Disciples and are back since some weeks. So how was the touring life? Any fun stories to share with us?

Garry: I can now confirm to the public that here, in the new century, touring still SUCKS! We had 14 guys on a bus traveling hundreds of miles, drinking a lot of beer, with a "toilet" that held about 10 liters of liquid. That situation gets uncomfortable really fast. It got worse when the air conditioner could only be full on or off, so you were either freezing of sweltering. The best part was breaking down in the Spanish desert and having the Highway Patrol impound the bus! But actually, some of it was really bad... ;-)

6. And which place was the loveliest you visited on tour?

Garry: That's a difficult question, but I would have to say Vienna (Wien) is the most beautiful city I have seen, and that includes Paris.

7. Well I remember it was not all fun as i saw the pic of your foot looked really scarry. What did happen to you?

Garry: We were at the show at The Matrix in Bochum, and I missed the last step on one of the stairways after the gig. It was a little dark in there, and I'm sure that the German beer had nothing to do with it..;-) I have no complaints, as the venue was great, the audience was wonderful, and the food they fed us was spectacular!

8. On 10th July you played a tribute concert to Ronnie James Dio (rip). So I know it was another hard day for you. So what were your impressions of the concert?

Garry: I thought that all of the performers wanted to play to express their love and respect for Ronnie. It was truly a tribute to a hometown hero who never forgot where he came from, or who it was that made him important and were important to him. He inspired so many musicians in our area, myself included, that we needed to demonstrate that losing him meant something to all of us.

9. What are The Rods doing now? More touring any special plans so far?

Garry: We are recovering from our long absence and making plans for another release. We expect to play some US dates, but nothing to announce now.

10. Last but not least please leave a message for all your german The Rods fans.

Garry: Thank you SO MUCH for showing your support for us during our visits to Germany! We hope to return soon and Rock even Harder!!

Thanks a lot for the great concert in Bochum again. It was great to meet you.

Susi: Thank you. It was great to meet you as well! Hope to see you again soon.

RODS WEB

Repost: Interview Tygers of Pan Tang 4.2011

Hello/ Dear Tygers of Pan Tang, I salute you and hope all is good with you. Thanks for taking your time doing this interview with me.


1. Please introduce your band to my readers first - when did the story of TOPT begin?

Robb: The band started back in 1978 and established itself through the NWOBHM era up to 1981 when Heavy Rock/Metal was building its foundations across the world. The band was started by me (Robb Weir) and I recruited original members Richard Laws (Rocky), Brian Dick & Jess Cox. The band was quickly signed to MCA and in 1980 released the first album `Wildcat` which charted across Europe and is synonymous with the sounds of that time (NWOBHM). In 1981 the band took a slightly different musical direction into mainstream Rock and recruited John Sykes on guitar (Later of Thin Lizzy & Whitesnake) to make us a two guitarist band and Jon Deverill on vocals who replaced Jess. This line up then recorded and released the critically acclaimed `Spellbound` and `Crazy Nights` albums before John Sykes left the band to eventually join Thin Lizzy. Fred Purser then joined the band to replace John and this line up recorded The Cage in 1982 which became our biggest selling album worldwide due to the worldwide hit of the single `Love Potion No 9`. After this success the record company wanted more cover songs which we declined as the songs we had written for the fifth album were really strong. MCA then terminated our record contract so we decided to split up in 1983.  
2. What does Tygers of Pan Tang stand for? Just a question for all of the younger generation who didn`t already know you. 

Robb: The Name Tygers of Pan Tang was the idea of Richard Laws (Rocky) who was a huge fan of sci-fi novels and was reading a book called `Stormbringer` by Michael Moorcroft. In the book there is reference to some Cliffs called Pan Tang which were guarded by mythical Tigers. When he suggested the name, I thought at least people would remember the band with the weird name so we went for Tygers of Pan Tang.

3. Can you describe the feeling which you had as you reunited TOPT back in 2001?

Robb: It was a fantastic feeling to be playing music again although because Jess was on vocals we were only covering the `Wildcat` songs. After we played at Wacken in 1990 I wanted to start to play songs from the other three albums so I put together a new line up that enjoyed the music and wanted to take the music to the fans. At the time we did not have any plans to record new material.

4. How would you describe TOP in 2011...? What has changed since the year 2001?

Robb: The band is hugely different in 2011; we have a real solid infrastructure in terms of management and band. The present line up as been together now for 7 years which is the longest the band has ever gone without a change. This is really showing its benefits in the music we are writing and the performances live. Our website is full of activity and the web shop has the best range of merchandise the band has ever sold. We also keep close to our fans; we listen to their comments and always respond to correspondence. There are very little ego now just an appreciation of the music we write and respect to the people who buy it.  

5. Were there many singers you casted before you decided to choose Jacopo as your new singer? 

Robb: We auditioned a few singers before Jacopo but as soon as he auditioned in 2004, I knew he was the man for the job. There will always be a time when you hear a musician audition and you just know that he will be playing with you in the future because there will be no-one better that walks through the door. This has now happened twice to me, once in 1980 when John Sykes auditioned and then again in 2004 with Jacopo. He was everything I wanted in a singer; he ticked every box so to speak.    
6. So what are the Tygers doing at the moment? Which things keep you busy? At the moment?

We have just recorded and released a 6 track EP which is a series we are calling `The Sessions `. Last year we released `The Wildcat Sessions to celebrate 30 years since the album was originally released and in February 2011 we released `The Spellbound Sessions` to celebrate 30 years since that release. We have just been confirmed to play a few festivals including the Bang Your Head Festival in July, and some others but we have been asked not to announce these as yet. We are actively writing new material for a brand new album for later in the year before we then record the third `Sessions EP` to celebrate `Crazy Nights`. For more details on the EP or to purchase this visit the bands website shop at www.tygersofpantang.com

7. Are you looking forward to play in Germany? Are you already exited to be back in Germany and performing in front of this huge audience? 

Robb: We love playing in Germany; the fans have never forgotten the band and have always been very kind in their support. Last year we played at Keep it True X111 and Headbangers Open Air Festivals and got a fantastic response. It will be just great to play to a larger audience and hopefully get more fans back on board with the band. We are having to really raise our game now though as a band and always look at ways to improve the live performance/ set list. When we played KIT the audience did not really know what to expect from us as they had never seen this line up. If you read the reviews I think we made a lot of friends that day and we hope we can keep this momentum going. BYH gives us the chance to keep the profile of the band high through the media and expand our fan base further with the performance and we will take that opportunity, trust me.

8. Do you prefer to play big open airs or club-tours? 

Robb: We love to play anywhere where there is Tygers fans, we will play to 150 people or 20,000, and it’s not a problem. We like to hang out with the fans so it is a bit easier at a club gig but if there is signing sessions at the Festivals we play. Be sure we will be there.

9. How would you describe the style of Tygers of Pan Tang in 2011? What has changed since the early days?

Robb: The musical style has not really changed, the Tygers have a signature sound and we are still writing music in that style. The lyrics of the songs may change slightly with different topics because the authors have changed but if you compare our last album `Animal Instinct` it was a similar style to the first three albums. We have a fun side to the band also and I think this is still reflected in the music.

10. Which equipment do you use?

Robb: I have a guitar endorsement with `Spear` who made me three customised models and I use Hughes and Kettner Amps & Cabs. The band has also endorsements with Dean guitars and we also use Marshall and Ampeg Amps in the backline.

11. Last but not least please leave a final message for all my readers!

Robb: I really hope that you find the time to check out the band at Bang Your Head, if you like NWOBHM or want to just hear some good time Rock n roll then we are the band for you. Also check out the website www.tygersofpantang.com and send us a message, we love to hear from you.  Finally if you have not listened to the Tygers for a while either put on some old vinyl you have stored away or maybe look to purchase one of the new EP releases from the website, I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised. The songs have really stood the test of time.



Thanks for your support of the Tygers



Robb

Tygers of Pan Tang Web

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 4.2011 by Rocket Queen Promotion

Supertramp John Helliwell Interview from 2012 (repost)

Interview 8_2012 - Supertramp - John Helliwell

Pic Source: www.johnhelliwell.com by the one who took this pic! 

Dear John, be welcome to the interviews with Rocket Queen. It’s an honour having you. I hope you are fine and got the following questions for you:


1. Supertramp has got a huge musical history and you got tons of experiences you made throughout many years in the music business. Can you still remember the day and the feeling you had when you joined the band?

John: I went to an audition/rehearsal in the summer of 1973 in London and was immediately struck by the songs of Rick and Roger - so different and sometimes quirky!  I especially remember being impressed with “From now on”

2. Back in the days rock music was a new thing and not that explored. Today many many years later all is existing and so you can’t hardly invent new styles etc. What are your thoughts on this? I mean you started in a world where there was soooo much to discover and to invent. So it must be some great kind of experience you must have made being there and inventing your kind of music for example?

John:  In Supertramp we all brought to it our different ideas, ideas and influences.  My background was jazz and soul mainly, Roger and Dougie were Beatles fans, Bob came out of the Californian surf scene and Rick, who used to be a jazz drummer, liked blues and R&B.  We all liked the British groups like Traffic and Spooky Tooth.

3. Lots of kids today are not that familiar with the 60s/70`s and 80s music. How would you familiarize someone with the music of Supertramp?

John:  I would ask them to listen to “Crime of the Century” and the next three or four albums.  Then I would ask them to watch the DVD “Live in Paris 1979”

4. What do you think you liked more back in the 70`s and 80`s compared to the year 2012? And what would have been better in the 80`s comparing to now?

John:  I liked the fact that we toured and recorded a lot in the 70s and 80s compared to now.  My cycling times were shorter in the 80s - I am slower now in time trials due to my being 30 years older - I don’t like it - but I have to accept it!

5. In 2010 you celebrated 40 years of Supertramp. That has been 40 years of great music and your passion for music and a wide range of experiences you made, people you met and shows you played. How were the anniversary shows?You also named your European tour 70-10 s it was 1970-2010. Which places you like best in Europe by the way?

John:  I think that the band in 2010 and 2011 was on top form - we played well, produced a great sound and entertained the audiences. I like to be in Paris and Munich for my breakfasts!  Paris -croissants and coffee.   Munich - weißebier, weißwurst, pretzel and senf.

6. What was the best story from on the road you remember and would like to share with us?

John:  During the 1983 tour, Bernard, our piano technician, went skiing on a day off  (it was forbidden) and broke his leg.  Subsequently he was using crutches.  Each day when he was resting we cut about 2cm off the end of each crutch and replaced the rubber foot - he was having difficulty using them after a week or so. This went on for a few weeks - much to our amusement. We never told him.

7. What was the worst experience you made in your career with Supertramp?

John:  In one of my announcements during our show at the Toronto Blue Jay’s Stadium in 1979 or 1983, I forgot where I was and refered to the crowd as being from Montreal.  This is something you really do not want to do - it was lucky that no-one shot me!

8. What is Supertramp doing at the moment - do you plan to record new material? What could the fans expect from you in the near future?

John:  Rick Davies is in comtrol and we may tour next year. There are no recording planned at the moment.

9. How do you keep fit for your shows? Are you having any warm up rituals you usually do?

John:  I ride a bicycle every day - sometimes I take my bicycle out on the road.  If I am not riding on tour, I like to have a morning walk.  Before a show I like to relax, have a small meal about three hours before we play.  I may have one glass of wine before the show too!

10. John - I am kind of curious now. Which bands are your favourite ones you are listening when you drive in your car? And which new age bands do you like? 

John:  In my car at the moment I am listening to Mike Stern, Donny Hathaway,  Muse,  and Keith Jarrett. I have just checked out the Wikipedia’s list of “new age” artists and bands, and I don’t listen to any of them!

11. And now the floor is yours... please leave a message for all your German fans and for my readers as well.

John:  I like travelling and playing in Germany - the people are friendly and enthusiastic, everything works and is usually on time.  I like the food - what better that a good Gulaschsuppe when you are hungry after a gig!  I will come over and play some jazz with my group “Crème Anglaise” if you like.  Don’t let the French sounding name put you off - we will play German jazz all night for you!

(www.johnhelliwell.com)

Thank you so much for taking time for this interview. I wish
you and the band all the best. Have a great week. Susi

© 8 2012 by Susi Müller Rocket Queen *Promotion*
www.rocketqueenpromotion.blogspot.de re-post!