Hello everyone, I hope you are all well. I have been busy reviewing new bands for website Loud Stuff, I have review many great bands so far such as Sonburst, Bankrupt and Perfect Khaos. It has been a great experience to work with them so far, it's fantastic to hear new sounds and write for somebody else other than myself has proved very challenging but fantastic so far. I will be off to Paris tomorrow morning but I shall be back with more reviews as I'll be attending Firewind's Paris show that I do plan to review, also I shall post interviews with Dendera and Liv Kristine from Leave's Eyes. Here are my reviews I have done for Loud Stuff so far:
Perfect Khaos - http://www.loud-stuff.com/perfect-khaos.html
Bankrupt - http://www.loud-stuff.com/bankrupt.html
Sonburst - http://www.loud-stuff.com/sonburst.html
Possibly Intoxicated Gents - http://www.loud-stuff.com/possibly-intoxicated-gents.html
I do hope you read them and I shall be reviewing more when I am back from Paris. I have got plenty of gigs planned and hope to be interviewing a lot more musicians in the next coming months!!
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Thursday, 30 August 2012
Jettblack - Prison Of Love video and Aerosmith's new single
Jettblack have released a second single from their latest album Raining Rock accompanied with a very artistic video. It's for personal favourite song on the album Prison Of Love, the mixture of animations and live actions blended together very nicely. Of course the theme of the video fitted with the concept of the song, being in a prison. This is in my opinion the best video from Jettblack so far; it is different to what their previous videos have consisted of so far. A top notch video, Jettblack never fail to disappoint.
Head over to Metal Hammer now to check out their brand new video.
Find Jettblack on Facebook
In other news, looking on Spotify this morning I realise Boston rock legends Aerosmith have a brand new single. Listening to What Could Have Been Love this morning I was very uplifted by the single, if I didn't know it was a new single I would have assumed it was one of their classics. It reminded me of their wonderful I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing and I think it's still great to see that Aerosmith still have the power in their music after many years performing. It's a single from their upcoming album that due for release in November this year.
Find Aerosmith on Facebook, Twitter and their official website
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Joining Loud-Stuff.com and music from Brave
Hello everyone, hope you are all well. I have some news, I recently joined the team at Loud-Stuff.com. I now will be writing reviews for them as well as my blog so I am incredibly happy with that. It is one step further into the world of music journalling and I am happy to know that I will be gaining experience writing for someone else other than myself. To view my profile on the website click here.
Also if you want a review than you can contact me on this address charlotte@loud-stuff.com.
I recently watched Disney's latest film Brave with my sister at the cinema. I thought the film was spectacular, there was so much hype around when I was in the States earlier this year since it had already been released so I was curious to find out more. It takes place in the Scottish highlands where young free-spirited princess and skilled archer Merida is set to marry one of the neighbouring clan's first born sons, Merida however isn't happy with this arrangement set by her mother Elenor so visits a witch to find a spell that will change her mother. This spell releases a curse on the family and Merida has to find a way to reverse the curse to avoid the kingdom descending into chaos. One of the things that made the film more spectacular was the soundtrack, I love how composer Patrick Doyle used elements of Scottish music such as bagpipes, acoustic guitars, pan flutes and fiddles in the tracks.
I got goosebumps listening to the song Touch The Sky by Julie Fowlis in the cinema as Merida rides her horse Angus through the forest whilst embarking on different adventures through the Scottish highlands; shooting arrows at targets on trees and climbing rocky mountains, as you listen to the song you feel as free as Merida does in that film sequence.
Also if you want a review than you can contact me on this address charlotte@loud-stuff.com.
I recently watched Disney's latest film Brave with my sister at the cinema. I thought the film was spectacular, there was so much hype around when I was in the States earlier this year since it had already been released so I was curious to find out more. It takes place in the Scottish highlands where young free-spirited princess and skilled archer Merida is set to marry one of the neighbouring clan's first born sons, Merida however isn't happy with this arrangement set by her mother Elenor so visits a witch to find a spell that will change her mother. This spell releases a curse on the family and Merida has to find a way to reverse the curse to avoid the kingdom descending into chaos. One of the things that made the film more spectacular was the soundtrack, I love how composer Patrick Doyle used elements of Scottish music such as bagpipes, acoustic guitars, pan flutes and fiddles in the tracks.
I got goosebumps listening to the song Touch The Sky by Julie Fowlis in the cinema as Merida rides her horse Angus through the forest whilst embarking on different adventures through the Scottish highlands; shooting arrows at targets on trees and climbing rocky mountains, as you listen to the song you feel as free as Merida does in that film sequence.
Thursday, 16 August 2012
My first festival - Bloodstock 2012 (Festival Survival Guide)
As you well know from the previous post I experienced my first proper festival including weekend camping. Thanks to my boyfriend and other friends who have a lot of experience with festivals I got some hints and tips from them and I also learnt a few myself. I welcome you to my festival survival guide.
Festival Survival Guide
1. Valuables
Keeping valuables safe is very important to everyone - money, keys, phone etc. Although there were lockers on the site to keep things in but I much prefer to keep things close to me. If you're like me and like to keep things in a bag, make sure you keep it with you at ALL times; I also found it reassuring to check my bag every time I'm somewhere new so I know I haven't dropped anything on the site.
At night back in my tent before I went to sleep; I placed them at the bottom of my sleeping bag. Whether it's your sleeping bag or under your pillow always be sure to place valuables somewhere you know nobody can take them without your knowledge.
One more thing; NEVER put your valuables in open pockets, if you do keep checking constantly.
2. Hygiene
In some people's eyes that word seems non-existent at festivals; but there are other ways of keeping refreshed if you don't feel like standing in a long queue for the shower block. I found dry shampoo and wet wipes were the key things that kept me refreshed all weekend; I used wet wipes for my face and hands. I found it was quite fun not having to worry about a shower; I appreciated the shower much more when I came home after the weekend.
Nine times out of ten the portaloos on site aren't likely to have loo roll so make sure you have packets of tissue or loo roll when going to the toilet; I personally preferred packets of tissue because they are small enough to fit in your bag and take them everywhere you go.
3. Food and Drink
A lot of the food and drink at festivals can end up emptying your purse/wallet because it costs a lot of money; you can't take your own food into the arena but you can bring your own food onto your campsite so stock up snacks from shops near by to avoid getting caught out on high prices for food. I brought croissants and small cartons of juice for breakfast so I only really had to worry about lunch and dinner. If you do need to buy food make you have enough money to cover it. I would say twenty pounds a day for lunch and dinner, perhaps a bit more for breakfast.
I didn't drink alcohol at the festival but a tip from the Bloodstock guide stated drink responsibly and don't drink too much; you want to be able to remember your festival experience and since too much alcohol is bad for your memory don't drink too much.
Drink plenty of water; especially on hot days, keep your water bottle topped up. There were water taps on site where you can do so.
4. Most importantly
When you first enter the festival they usually do a bag search so anyone with bags should be ready.
DO NOT FORGET YOUR TICKET; it grants you access to the festival so no ticket no entry.
Relax and enjoy yourself; just remember these tips and hints either from this guide, from elsewhere or what you know already and your weekend should run smoothly without glitches
Well that's my guide to surviving a festival; whether you're a first timer like me or experienced all the festivals I hope you enjoy reading this.
Festival Survival Guide
1. Valuables
Keeping valuables safe is very important to everyone - money, keys, phone etc. Although there were lockers on the site to keep things in but I much prefer to keep things close to me. If you're like me and like to keep things in a bag, make sure you keep it with you at ALL times; I also found it reassuring to check my bag every time I'm somewhere new so I know I haven't dropped anything on the site.
At night back in my tent before I went to sleep; I placed them at the bottom of my sleeping bag. Whether it's your sleeping bag or under your pillow always be sure to place valuables somewhere you know nobody can take them without your knowledge.
One more thing; NEVER put your valuables in open pockets, if you do keep checking constantly.
2. Hygiene
In some people's eyes that word seems non-existent at festivals; but there are other ways of keeping refreshed if you don't feel like standing in a long queue for the shower block. I found dry shampoo and wet wipes were the key things that kept me refreshed all weekend; I used wet wipes for my face and hands. I found it was quite fun not having to worry about a shower; I appreciated the shower much more when I came home after the weekend.
Nine times out of ten the portaloos on site aren't likely to have loo roll so make sure you have packets of tissue or loo roll when going to the toilet; I personally preferred packets of tissue because they are small enough to fit in your bag and take them everywhere you go.
3. Food and Drink
A lot of the food and drink at festivals can end up emptying your purse/wallet because it costs a lot of money; you can't take your own food into the arena but you can bring your own food onto your campsite so stock up snacks from shops near by to avoid getting caught out on high prices for food. I brought croissants and small cartons of juice for breakfast so I only really had to worry about lunch and dinner. If you do need to buy food make you have enough money to cover it. I would say twenty pounds a day for lunch and dinner, perhaps a bit more for breakfast.
I didn't drink alcohol at the festival but a tip from the Bloodstock guide stated drink responsibly and don't drink too much; you want to be able to remember your festival experience and since too much alcohol is bad for your memory don't drink too much.
4. Most importantly
When you first enter the festival they usually do a bag search so anyone with bags should be ready.
DO NOT FORGET YOUR TICKET; it grants you access to the festival so no ticket no entry.
Relax and enjoy yourself; just remember these tips and hints either from this guide, from elsewhere or what you know already and your weekend should run smoothly without glitches
Well that's my guide to surviving a festival; whether you're a first timer like me or experienced all the festivals I hope you enjoy reading this.
My first festival - Bloodstock 2012 (Bands)
I am back from a fantastic weekend at Bloodstock Festival; here I want to share the experience of the festival, what bands I saw and some hints and tips I have learnt along the way. I had been to Reading Festival before but for the day; since then I have always wanted to experience a full weekend including camping. Up until now I didn't have the time or money to do so. I was very nervous packing my stuff ready to go; I had hints and tips from my friends who have experienced festivals on what to bring and to expect that helped. I wanted be sure I had everything I was going to need; tent, sleeping bag, food, drink and most importantly your ticket so once I had everything prepared I was on my way.
Arriving at the site at about ten; my boyfriend and I picked the camp site Hel, a more than perfect spot and set our tent up. We then headed to the main arena since my boyfriend wanted to watch the band Malefice; from what I heard they didn't sound bad at all, would have paid more attention if I hadn't been spaced out and tired since we left very early that morning. The main stage saw some very big names in metal on stage such as Iced Earth, Dimmu Borgir, Dio Disciples, Testament and many others. The bands I enjoyed the most this weekend were Pythia, Behemoth, Hatebreed, Rising Dream, Kobra and the Lotus, Dimmu Borgir and Alice Cooper; I loved how theatrical Alice Cooper and Behemoth were.
Behemoth's opening was very haunting and atmospheric with the band members appearing from out of the blue, one minute there was an empty drum kit, the next there was the band's drummer Inferno; along with a passionate performance and incredible stage props that gave an indication of what they were about. This performance was particularly important to Behemoth; they were due to play a couple of years ago unfortunately had to pull out since frontman Nergal was in hospital receiving treatment for leukaemia at that time. Luckily he is clear; so it was a touching moment when he shouted out to the crowd 'It's fantastic to be alive'.
Saturday's headliners Machine Head just didn't quite do it for me; compared to Behemoth's performance the previous night I found the performance from Machine Head to be quite bland. It may have also been to do with all the hype and suspension around the fact they were the mysterious headliner that weren't revealed until June. I think they are fantastic musically; but their live performance wasn't quite what I expected it to be.
I had seen Alice Cooper before and remember his theatrical stage tactics; he first appears on a huge tower with a jacket on that had six metallic arms attached to the sleeves as he performs The Black Widow. It was great that he performed a varied collection of songs; the setlist included brand new ones such as I'll Bite Your Face Off and classic anthems such as No More Mr. Nice Guy, School's Out and my personal favourite Poison. Definitely the perfect end to a great weekend and well worth waiting for. If you missed his spectacular performance at Bloodstock then you do not have to worry as he will be back in the UK for a tour in October.
Other great stand out performances for me came from Pythia, Hatebreed and Rising Dream. Pythia's admiration for gothic literature really was reflected through their medieval costumes and very well scripted passages in between, Emily Alice Ovenden's vocals were so powerful and clear that made their set more magical. I loved how Hatebreed got all the crowds pumping and showed so much energy. Rising Dream's style of music was very unique to me; the front woman Ines Tancheva sang the verses in harsh growls and the chorus's in clean vocals that took me by surprise. I also enjoyed Dimmu Borgir and Kobra and the Lotus.
Well that was my experience of the bands; in my next post I shall share some hints and tips that I have learnt about festival survival that made my first festival experience generally fantastic.
Photos: Peter Russell
Arriving at the site at about ten; my boyfriend and I picked the camp site Hel, a more than perfect spot and set our tent up. We then headed to the main arena since my boyfriend wanted to watch the band Malefice; from what I heard they didn't sound bad at all, would have paid more attention if I hadn't been spaced out and tired since we left very early that morning. The main stage saw some very big names in metal on stage such as Iced Earth, Dimmu Borgir, Dio Disciples, Testament and many others. The bands I enjoyed the most this weekend were Pythia, Behemoth, Hatebreed, Rising Dream, Kobra and the Lotus, Dimmu Borgir and Alice Cooper; I loved how theatrical Alice Cooper and Behemoth were.
Saturday's headliners Machine Head just didn't quite do it for me; compared to Behemoth's performance the previous night I found the performance from Machine Head to be quite bland. It may have also been to do with all the hype and suspension around the fact they were the mysterious headliner that weren't revealed until June. I think they are fantastic musically; but their live performance wasn't quite what I expected it to be.
Well that was my experience of the bands; in my next post I shall share some hints and tips that I have learnt about festival survival that made my first festival experience generally fantastic.
Photos: Peter Russell
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Interview with Dead PinUps - Sam and Jamie
Entering The Suite Studio in Havant I was politely welcomed by Samhain from local unsigned band Dead PinUps as he with fellow band member Jamie were currently recording their brand new EP; here is their interview I did that very day where we talk about their new EP, performing and who they would appoint in charge of a magazine. I also tried something new in this interview that I will be doing again.....a quick fire round of questions as shown below. I think though next time when I ask different band members the quick fire round questions I'll mix the questions up each time or maybe ask a few at a time; other than that the quick fire round seemed to go down well with zombie rock band Dead PinUps.
QuickFire - Sam
Charlotte: Beer or tea
Sam: Cider
Charlotte: Kopperberg or Strongbow
Sam: Strongbow
Charlotte: Lady Gaga or Lady and the Tramp
Sam: Lady and the Tramp
Charlotte: Ketchup or Brown Sauce
Sam: Ketchup
Charlotte: Ice Cream or Ice Ice Baby
Sam: Ice Ice Baby
Charlotte: Brighton or Bahamas
Sam: Brighton
QuickFire - Jamie
Charlotte: Beer or tea
Jamie: Beer
Charlotte: Carlsberg or Becks
Jamie: Carlsberg
Charlotte: Lady Gaga or Lady and the Tramp
Jamie: Lady Gaga
Charlotte: Axl Rose or Freddie Mercury
Jamie: Axl Rose
Charlotte: Ketchup or Brown Sauce
Jamie: Ketchup
Charlotte: Ice Cream or Ice Ice Baby
Jamie: Both
Charlotte: Brighton or Bahamas
Jamie: Bahamas
Charlotte: Where did the name Dead PinUps come from?
Sam: A drunken night out; it was going to be a London band with all London people but then we moved it Portsmouth.
Charlotte: You are currently recording a new EP at the moment; I hope that's going well
Jamie: It's going really well; because last time we recorded an EP it seemed really quick but this time was enjoyable
Charlotte: Could you describe your EP in three words?
Sam: Death, doom and filthy
Charlotte: You have some songs on your online pages such as Facebook, Soundcloud etc. Are these going to be included on the EP or is it all new material?
Sam: This EP is totally new, it's full of porn samples and it's all about sex, drugs and rock 'n roll really.
Charlotte: What inspirations come to mind when writing and creating music?
Jamie: For Dead PinUps inspirations as we mentioned in a previous interview; B Movies and really sleazy rock 'n' roll.
Charlotte: You recently appeared on the cover of Unsigned Muso, congratulations for that. If you were in charge of your own magazine, who would you appoint as editor, photographer, weekly columnist and agony aunt/uncle?
Sam: Bruce Dickinson for all of them
Jamie: And Ron Jeremy
Charlotte: And your reasons why?
Sam: Bruce Dickinson is just awesome; he's in Maiden.
Charlotte: You have all performed at Sonisphere along side Corey Taylor?
Sam: Yeah that was myself and Jamie; he was my sound tech for the gig.
Charlotte: How would compare that to performing your biggest headline show?
Sam: I don't know, each gig is different that you have to take with a pinch of salt. We try and perform to the best of our abilities whether it's five people or a thousand people; those people have come, made the effort, paid the money to see your show. Just because there is four other people apart from them, they shouldn't have a lesser show
Charlotte: What's your best gig you have ever done?
Jamie: I really liked Halloween at the Intrepid Fox.
Sam: That was a really good gig; tiny, really really disgustingly hot and sweaty gig dressed up as zombies.
Charlotte: You describe yourselves as a zombie rock band?
Sam: It's hard to define yourself in a genre these days because there is so much going around. Try not to pigeon hole yourself.
Charlotte: Finally; what advice would you give to unsigned bands starting a music career?
Sam: Don't jump on the band wagon; it's all too easy.
Jamie: Don't look for a label; because labels are a downfall at the end of the day.
Sam: Especially with this EP we're doing it ourselves for ourselves; we're really enjoying it on how it sounds and if someone else doesn't like then we are not going to be too disgruntled because in a few years time we'll look back and hopefully have a raging stonk on by listening to it. Especially the porn samples.
QuickFire - Sam
Charlotte: Beer or tea
Sam: Cider
Charlotte: Kopperberg or Strongbow
Sam: Strongbow
Charlotte: Lady Gaga or Lady and the Tramp
Sam: Lady and the Tramp
Charlotte: Ketchup or Brown Sauce
Sam: Ketchup
Charlotte: Ice Cream or Ice Ice Baby
Sam: Ice Ice Baby
Charlotte: Brighton or Bahamas
Sam: Brighton
QuickFire - Jamie
Charlotte: Beer or tea
Jamie: Beer
Charlotte: Carlsberg or Becks
Jamie: Carlsberg
Charlotte: Lady Gaga or Lady and the Tramp
Jamie: Lady Gaga
Charlotte: Axl Rose or Freddie Mercury
Jamie: Axl Rose
Charlotte: Ketchup or Brown Sauce
Jamie: Ketchup
Charlotte: Ice Cream or Ice Ice Baby
Jamie: Both
Charlotte: Brighton or Bahamas
Jamie: Bahamas
Charlotte: Where did the name Dead PinUps come from?
Sam: A drunken night out; it was going to be a London band with all London people but then we moved it Portsmouth.
Charlotte: You are currently recording a new EP at the moment; I hope that's going well
Jamie: It's going really well; because last time we recorded an EP it seemed really quick but this time was enjoyable
Charlotte: Could you describe your EP in three words?
Sam: Death, doom and filthy
Charlotte: You have some songs on your online pages such as Facebook, Soundcloud etc. Are these going to be included on the EP or is it all new material?
Sam: This EP is totally new, it's full of porn samples and it's all about sex, drugs and rock 'n roll really.
Charlotte: What inspirations come to mind when writing and creating music?
Jamie: For Dead PinUps inspirations as we mentioned in a previous interview; B Movies and really sleazy rock 'n' roll.
Charlotte: You recently appeared on the cover of Unsigned Muso, congratulations for that. If you were in charge of your own magazine, who would you appoint as editor, photographer, weekly columnist and agony aunt/uncle?
Sam: Bruce Dickinson for all of them
Jamie: And Ron Jeremy
Charlotte: And your reasons why?
Sam: Bruce Dickinson is just awesome; he's in Maiden.
Charlotte: You have all performed at Sonisphere along side Corey Taylor?
Sam: Yeah that was myself and Jamie; he was my sound tech for the gig.
Charlotte: How would compare that to performing your biggest headline show?
Sam: I don't know, each gig is different that you have to take with a pinch of salt. We try and perform to the best of our abilities whether it's five people or a thousand people; those people have come, made the effort, paid the money to see your show. Just because there is four other people apart from them, they shouldn't have a lesser show
Charlotte: What's your best gig you have ever done?
Jamie: I really liked Halloween at the Intrepid Fox.
Sam: That was a really good gig; tiny, really really disgustingly hot and sweaty gig dressed up as zombies.
Charlotte: You describe yourselves as a zombie rock band?
Sam: It's hard to define yourself in a genre these days because there is so much going around. Try not to pigeon hole yourself.
Charlotte: Finally; what advice would you give to unsigned bands starting a music career?
Sam: Don't jump on the band wagon; it's all too easy.
Jamie: Don't look for a label; because labels are a downfall at the end of the day.
Sam: Especially with this EP we're doing it ourselves for ourselves; we're really enjoying it on how it sounds and if someone else doesn't like then we are not going to be too disgruntled because in a few years time we'll look back and hopefully have a raging stonk on by listening to it. Especially the porn samples.
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Interview with Russ Diapper
Well hello everyone; you may have noticed I have not posted for two weeks! It was because I was in Florida for two weeks. Before I jetted off to this sunny place I conducted an interview with up and coming blues rock artist Russ Diapper, where we spoke about his charity single, where he would like to play a gig and who he would invite to a dinner party. Here is the interview as follows.
Charlotte: What are your musical influences?
Russ: Well you know, its Like I've always said, I was born into rock. Not in a 'Hey my Dad is John Lennon' kind of way, I grew up listening to my mum's vinyls of The Who, The Beatles, AC/DC, Sammy Hagar, Queen etc, so I took a lot of influences from all areas. Guys Like Sammy Hagar, Roger Daltrey, of course Alice Cooper is the master. I love David Lee Roth and I'm a drummer too, so in that dept its Keith Moon all the way. I like guys who are different and set a blue print. As John Entwistle said, 'What really makes you different is the DESIRE to be different'. In terms of musical style...I love blues and classic rock...so all sorts! It's a massive bag of worms that I'm not gonna devour right now.
Charlotte: Excellent; as well as a musician you also film videos for bands, is there a balance between the two?
Russ: I've always been into film making so its a perfect balance. I used to separate the two, but I thought hey I have all this HD Video equipment, so why not use it? To help others? and its Business venture at the end of the way. I love meeting new musicians and going to shows. Not many young bands can afford their own multi-angle HD DVD of their show...so I offer it at a price where at most, each band member has to chip in a tenner. It's a hobby for me that compliments the music, plus I have an obsession with filming my own gigs and archiving performances. Its a good way to learn and see if your hitting your marks on stage.
Charlotte: That sounds amazing; do you help film your own music videos?
Russ: Being an independent musician isn't easy. And by Independent I mean indie in the way of self funded/managed. Not indie in the bland, 3 chord British music way. I've always overlooked and produced nearly every aspect of my music and merch/promos. So I direct all the videos. They are whipped up quick, just something to put an image and some promo out you know? We just have fun with them. Like the new single and video 'DoomsDay' is a dark track, quite a different style to the rest of the record. The video was great fun to do, there's 3 different themes explored in there and I got to wear a tonne of make up, which is always fun. I could get someone else to do the video, sure. I will sometime...but right now, I'm happy working on all this stuff. I want to take it as far as I can on my own, so one day when someone else starts doing some of the work for me, its going to feel like a breeze!
Charlotte: The video for Doomsday is very dark and quite spooky. Do you plan to make a music video for another song off the album Kingsnake?
Russ: Well thanks, that was the idea. I'm a horror film maker when I do film stuff mainly so..without falling into the trap of turning into a misfits tribute (I've been there before and I'd love to again but I'm avoiding temptation!) I wanted to do something a bit darker with a horror element. the video was knocked up in about 2 days..made up of pieces I had shot for a horror film, and new material which was track-specific. Doomsday is the last single from the album, so no other video's now until the charity single, I'd imagine anyway!
Charlotte: A charity single? Tell me more
Russ: Well....we all need to raise money for charity. I could spend all year working on projects for charity's and only just touch the service. A proud member of Save the Children, Greenpeace, PETA etc...the list goes on but something personal for me...and statistically 1 in 3...is Cancer so I chose to release a single to raise money for Cancer Research. I've done some charity stuff before but I'm hoping this will be different. Some people make cookies and cakes....some hold events...I thought I would release a single, and give the money to charity. I'm working with David Lee Roth's old studio/touring guitarist on it also, he's playing lead and he's a monster player. I'm very exited about it and its going to be a great release. I'm hoping to squeeze a few bonus tracks on there also, so you will get just enough bang for your buck..and its a good enough cause to help you sleep well at night knowing you have done your bit, in the best way possible. I wrote a song that has lyrics that aren't too soppy, on the nose and at the same time...they aren't too happy either. I really hope people listen to the lyrics and really like them, and see what I'm saying. its a bittersweet song with a bridge that says 'Hold on tight, don't let go! Life goes on (and so does the show)'. That's all I'm giving away until its finished but I've laid down all the vocals and the keyboards etc and Its sounding epic. I just cant wait to unleash it and see how much I can raise for this great cause. Its with full support and blessing of cancer research UK which is nice. They sent me free t-shirts and everything! Which make me look sexy I will say...I'll wear them with pride!
Charlotte: That sounds like a fantastic thing you are doing; are you planning to hold a launch for the single and when are you planning to release it?
Russ: Well I hope people appreciate it for sure. To be honest, I'd like to hold an event for the release, but it will honestly be more of a networking party, rather than an event I will play at. If I did, it would be an unplugged event or something like that, not a full gig. I just wanna get the word out and rather than holding some big event for it, I just want to release the song and start raising cash for charity and getting people enjoying the music with a good message that we should all listen take to heart. As for releasing, I will release the single as soon as Its finished! Its taking a while and its been in the works for a longtime, but the legwork is done. So not long I hope. Definitely no later than Autumn I hope. The track isn't even in our set for the new tour at the moment, its spiritually a separate entity from me and the band. Speaking of which I have the best band joining me on the road for the next set of gigs, some of which have been announced on our Facebook page.
Charlotte: Tell us about the tour you have planned for this summer
Russ: Well I'm exited about the tour, we're still adding new dates all the time but its getting there! Playing the hobbit for the first time and The Brook again, which is always great fun. We have a new set list with the best tracks from the last tour and some ones from the new album , plus some new covers so its going to be a lot of fun. We have a new bass player and a monster of a new guitarist and both of them I cant wait to show off, its going to be a great show for sure! Keeping the spirit of rock and roll alive, as always
Charlotte: Where would your dream venue take place? This can be realistic or unrealistic
Russ: Well that's a really tough question. Somewhere like the house of blues or BB Kings. Somewhere that has atmosphere and some history, rather than 'wembley stadium'. but I would take that too! I like to play places where people 'get' the music and want to be there, rather than a huge place that crams as many people in as they can, when they might not know what they are expecting. I've played some places that have been full and the atmosphere has been dead...some places are pretty empty but it works! You never know what your going to get, and until your signed to Universal or Sony, you have to get used to that. But the fun is not knowing! I've only played a handful of bad gigs mind you. it all depends on the crowd!
Charlotte: Which five musicians would you invite to a dinner party and why? They can be dead or alive
Russ: Now that's a question! The famous Russ Diapper Dinner for the Dead! Well...I'd have to have Keith Moon as the crazy host, John Entwistle as the Butler, Jim Morrison as the chef, John Bonham as the Sous-Chef and Bon Scott as the master of ceremonies. I'll cook the starters, open a bottle of Jack Daniel's, sit back, eat and watch the fireworks! If we need door security then I'll hire Buddy Rich..he has all the doorman attitude and the martial arts skills..either that or he could drum any trouble back out the door. What a party it would be..as for living dinner guests...Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth, Les Claypool and Joe Satriani are all welcome. I'd have to have my band the runaway train along also, couldn't do it without them! Now who's hungry . . .PS. Better call Buddy Guy to actually provide some background blues . . .
Charlotte: Excellent mix of musicians; finally what does the future hold for Russ' Runaway Train?
Russ: Ahh who knows! At this point all I can guarantee is a string of great gigs and a promise that I'll do my best to keep the spirit of rock and roll alive! Hopefully I'll raise some cash for charity also, while rocking out! Peace out, thanks for having me. see you on the road!
Charlotte: What are your musical influences?
Russ: Well you know, its Like I've always said, I was born into rock. Not in a 'Hey my Dad is John Lennon' kind of way, I grew up listening to my mum's vinyls of The Who, The Beatles, AC/DC, Sammy Hagar, Queen etc, so I took a lot of influences from all areas. Guys Like Sammy Hagar, Roger Daltrey, of course Alice Cooper is the master. I love David Lee Roth and I'm a drummer too, so in that dept its Keith Moon all the way. I like guys who are different and set a blue print. As John Entwistle said, 'What really makes you different is the DESIRE to be different'. In terms of musical style...I love blues and classic rock...so all sorts! It's a massive bag of worms that I'm not gonna devour right now.
Charlotte: Excellent; as well as a musician you also film videos for bands, is there a balance between the two?
Russ: I've always been into film making so its a perfect balance. I used to separate the two, but I thought hey I have all this HD Video equipment, so why not use it? To help others? and its Business venture at the end of the way. I love meeting new musicians and going to shows. Not many young bands can afford their own multi-angle HD DVD of their show...so I offer it at a price where at most, each band member has to chip in a tenner. It's a hobby for me that compliments the music, plus I have an obsession with filming my own gigs and archiving performances. Its a good way to learn and see if your hitting your marks on stage.
Charlotte: That sounds amazing; do you help film your own music videos?
Russ: Being an independent musician isn't easy. And by Independent I mean indie in the way of self funded/managed. Not indie in the bland, 3 chord British music way. I've always overlooked and produced nearly every aspect of my music and merch/promos. So I direct all the videos. They are whipped up quick, just something to put an image and some promo out you know? We just have fun with them. Like the new single and video 'DoomsDay' is a dark track, quite a different style to the rest of the record. The video was great fun to do, there's 3 different themes explored in there and I got to wear a tonne of make up, which is always fun. I could get someone else to do the video, sure. I will sometime...but right now, I'm happy working on all this stuff. I want to take it as far as I can on my own, so one day when someone else starts doing some of the work for me, its going to feel like a breeze!
Charlotte: The video for Doomsday is very dark and quite spooky. Do you plan to make a music video for another song off the album Kingsnake?
Russ: Well thanks, that was the idea. I'm a horror film maker when I do film stuff mainly so..without falling into the trap of turning into a misfits tribute (I've been there before and I'd love to again but I'm avoiding temptation!) I wanted to do something a bit darker with a horror element. the video was knocked up in about 2 days..made up of pieces I had shot for a horror film, and new material which was track-specific. Doomsday is the last single from the album, so no other video's now until the charity single, I'd imagine anyway!
Charlotte: A charity single? Tell me more
Russ: Well....we all need to raise money for charity. I could spend all year working on projects for charity's and only just touch the service. A proud member of Save the Children, Greenpeace, PETA etc...the list goes on but something personal for me...and statistically 1 in 3...is Cancer so I chose to release a single to raise money for Cancer Research. I've done some charity stuff before but I'm hoping this will be different. Some people make cookies and cakes....some hold events...I thought I would release a single, and give the money to charity. I'm working with David Lee Roth's old studio/touring guitarist on it also, he's playing lead and he's a monster player. I'm very exited about it and its going to be a great release. I'm hoping to squeeze a few bonus tracks on there also, so you will get just enough bang for your buck..and its a good enough cause to help you sleep well at night knowing you have done your bit, in the best way possible. I wrote a song that has lyrics that aren't too soppy, on the nose and at the same time...they aren't too happy either. I really hope people listen to the lyrics and really like them, and see what I'm saying. its a bittersweet song with a bridge that says 'Hold on tight, don't let go! Life goes on (and so does the show)'. That's all I'm giving away until its finished but I've laid down all the vocals and the keyboards etc and Its sounding epic. I just cant wait to unleash it and see how much I can raise for this great cause. Its with full support and blessing of cancer research UK which is nice. They sent me free t-shirts and everything! Which make me look sexy I will say...I'll wear them with pride!
Charlotte: That sounds like a fantastic thing you are doing; are you planning to hold a launch for the single and when are you planning to release it?
Russ: Well I hope people appreciate it for sure. To be honest, I'd like to hold an event for the release, but it will honestly be more of a networking party, rather than an event I will play at. If I did, it would be an unplugged event or something like that, not a full gig. I just wanna get the word out and rather than holding some big event for it, I just want to release the song and start raising cash for charity and getting people enjoying the music with a good message that we should all listen take to heart. As for releasing, I will release the single as soon as Its finished! Its taking a while and its been in the works for a longtime, but the legwork is done. So not long I hope. Definitely no later than Autumn I hope. The track isn't even in our set for the new tour at the moment, its spiritually a separate entity from me and the band. Speaking of which I have the best band joining me on the road for the next set of gigs, some of which have been announced on our Facebook page.
Charlotte: Tell us about the tour you have planned for this summer
Russ: Well I'm exited about the tour, we're still adding new dates all the time but its getting there! Playing the hobbit for the first time and The Brook again, which is always great fun. We have a new set list with the best tracks from the last tour and some ones from the new album , plus some new covers so its going to be a lot of fun. We have a new bass player and a monster of a new guitarist and both of them I cant wait to show off, its going to be a great show for sure! Keeping the spirit of rock and roll alive, as always
Charlotte: Where would your dream venue take place? This can be realistic or unrealistic
Russ: Well that's a really tough question. Somewhere like the house of blues or BB Kings. Somewhere that has atmosphere and some history, rather than 'wembley stadium'. but I would take that too! I like to play places where people 'get' the music and want to be there, rather than a huge place that crams as many people in as they can, when they might not know what they are expecting. I've played some places that have been full and the atmosphere has been dead...some places are pretty empty but it works! You never know what your going to get, and until your signed to Universal or Sony, you have to get used to that. But the fun is not knowing! I've only played a handful of bad gigs mind you. it all depends on the crowd!
Charlotte: Which five musicians would you invite to a dinner party and why? They can be dead or alive
Russ: Now that's a question! The famous Russ Diapper Dinner for the Dead! Well...I'd have to have Keith Moon as the crazy host, John Entwistle as the Butler, Jim Morrison as the chef, John Bonham as the Sous-Chef and Bon Scott as the master of ceremonies. I'll cook the starters, open a bottle of Jack Daniel's, sit back, eat and watch the fireworks! If we need door security then I'll hire Buddy Rich..he has all the doorman attitude and the martial arts skills..either that or he could drum any trouble back out the door. What a party it would be..as for living dinner guests...Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth, Les Claypool and Joe Satriani are all welcome. I'd have to have my band the runaway train along also, couldn't do it without them! Now who's hungry . . .PS. Better call Buddy Guy to actually provide some background blues . . .
Charlotte: Excellent mix of musicians; finally what does the future hold for Russ' Runaway Train?
Russ: Ahh who knows! At this point all I can guarantee is a string of great gigs and a promise that I'll do my best to keep the spirit of rock and roll alive! Hopefully I'll raise some cash for charity also, while rocking out! Peace out, thanks for having me. see you on the road!
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