The Rocklahoma Files: Saving Abel

The Rocklahoma Files:
Saving Abel

Jared Weeks, Eric Taylor, and Blake Dixon of Saving Abel stopped by the Media Tent at Rocklahoma to give a brief interview. Known for their Southern-bred good manners, I found the band members extremely positive and comfortable just a few hours before their Sunday set.

You’ve got tour dates into September, you’ve got the Miss America single, which just dropped, tell me about the album.
To tell you a little story, man, we were actually in Iraq, we had the album finished, but we did not have a name for it, we were all sitting there wondering. And I’ll never forget it, we were all sitting there in our bus, in Iraq, with our bullet-proof vests on and our helmets, and we were all on the same page for the first time! Everybody. We said, “What are we going to name this album?” And we all said it at the same time.  What better way to say “thank you” to these men and women would be to name it for them—not after them—but for them. And that’s what Miss America is about.

Listen, you’re big in support of our troops, how was the 18 Days video shoot on the USS Hornet arranged? Was that something where you approached someone? What happened?
I think the label is what got us…we knew this was our connection to the military and we wanted to make it known, so somebody brought up the idea, that ship is now a museum, so what we did is we rented it out for the day, and they brought fighter planes in and they brought, dude! It was massive. That’s the same ship that picked up Neil Armstrong. They went and picked him up after he had landed on the moon. Reagan was on it and I got to stand on the same spot where Reagan was! To be part of something like that…it’s just amazing.             

Glenn Hughes of Black Country Communion

Glenn Hughes (vocalist/bassist from the iconic bands Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Trapeze) is back at it with his supergroup Black Country Communion. Made up of blues rock guitarist and vocalist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin/Foreigner) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) the band is gearing up for their U.S. Summer Tour that kicks off in San Diego next week in support of their new album titled 2, set to be released on June 14^th.

In our recent interview with Glenn, the living legend talked candidly about his personal journey throughout the years, his drug abuse, his recovery and the impact it’s all had on his music. With the focus then turning to his current project, Black Country Communion (BCC), one of the things we touched on was his new book, Deep Purple And Beyond: Scenes From The Life Of A Rock Star and how it relates to the songwriting on the new BCC album.   Check it all out below.

Interviewed by:  Valerie Nerres

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The Rocklahoma Files: Tony Palermo & Jerry Horton of Papa Roach

The Rocklahoma Files:
Tony Palermo & Jerry Horton of Papa Roach

One really fun part about Rocklahoma was spending some time in the Media Tent, chatting with the bands.  They were typically very pressed for time, talking with radio stations and journalists, so we’d have 2-5 minutes max. 

Papa Roach drummer Tony Palermo and guitarist Jerry Horton took some time to talk to TheyWillRockYou.com about recording in mansions, things people don’t know about them and their favorite comics!

Current projects you’re psyched about?
We are currently on the road supporting Time For Annihilation, our last release. It’s going well, got a couple more months. Then we’ll break, to write a new record.

 
So – recording in a mansion?! You’re doing that? What inspired you to do that – Zeppelin? Aerosmith?
Yeah – all those guys! We just thought – you know – time to do it. We were in a position to be able to do it, and it’s an experience we want to have. It’s this house that was built by an oil [heiress] back in the 1930’s. It’s on the highest hill in L.A., and it’s got a 270-degree view of L.A. From one side you can see the Hollywood sign, from the west you can see the water, and the other side you can see downtown.

 
How is that vibe different than recording in a studio?
There’s more space, we can live there, it’s available 24-hrs. It let us live together, we could be creative any time, and the best thing about it was that we weren’t in this little box for eight hours a day. It was a great experience. It was a little haunted! Couple things here and there – nothing like out of a horror movie.

 
What are a couple things that people don’t know about you guys?
Tony:  A couple of us like to golf! Yeah, like Alice Cooper – except we’re probably not as good! He told me he’s been sponsor for 20 years. He plays golf every day – even show days.
Jerry: I’m a car guy. Been a car guy all my life. Into 1950’s customs, and fast cars.
Tony: Hot Rod Horton!”

 What’s the craziest shit you’ve seen on tour?
Jerry: umm….” [looks at Tony] “What can we talk about?
Tony: Certain women…
Jerry: OK, let’s talk about this: the biggest show we’ve ever done was in Poland. It was Polish Woodstock…and when we got the offer, it said, there’s capacity of 500,000 people. And we thought, it’s gotta be a typo, it’s gotta be 50,000. And when we got there, it was 350,000 people! We headlined the show. We were the only American band. And it was really unbelievable.”
Tony: I’ve never seen that many people in one area.

Favorite comics, cartoons, TV shows?
Tony: Don Rickles!
Jerry: Mitch Hedberg, Jim Gaffigan, Joe Rogan.

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Check out our gallery of live photos from Papa Roach’s set at Rocklahoma HERE!

The Rocklahoma Files: Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society

The Rocklahoma Files:
Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society

One really fun part about Rocklahoma was spending some time in the Media Tent, chatting with the bands.  They were typically very pressed for time, talking with radio stations and journalists, so we’d have 2-5 minutes max. 

Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy, etc.) dropped by, and we had a chance to catch up on a couple topics.  And while it wasn’t enough time to have a back-and-forth dialogue, we did get a few fun tidbits (for example, turns out Zakk loves Seinfeld and Family Guy!).

Is there something about you that most people don’t know?
Yes – that I’m married and I have three kids! And it’s not a front – The wife and the kids aren’t a beard!

What current projects are you excited about now?
Well, right now we put out a new album Order of the Black [peaked at 4th in the U.S. charts], the Black Label [fan community] is growing and growing. We just put out another album, Song Remains Not The Same, in the Top 50 on the US charts. Just goes to show the strength of the [BLS] family.
Then looking forward to throwing down with the Rocklahoma chapter of the Black Label Society. Then the 5th and 6th I’ll be on Jimmy Fallon, sitting in with the Roots. The 7th we fly to Europe, to do a whole bunch of festival dates.

Looking back over the past couple decades – how do you evolve in the context of an evolving music scene?
Maybe I evolve physically, I look different, but music makes me feel like I’m 14 years old, it’s a larger than life thing, That’s what music is about, it’s just life in general – you evolve, which is good.

You’ve had a lot of different collaborations over the years – are there some favorites?
No – I’ve loved them all. At the end of the day, you’re making music. I’ve never had a bad time making records. The objective is all the same – you want to succeed at whatever it is you’re doing.

Favorite TV shows, cartoons?
Obviously – Seinfeld, Family Guy – and obviously sports – I’m a Yankees guy, a New York Giants guy.

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Catching Up With Jesse James Dupree Of Jackyl

Jackyl’s Jesse James Dupree is not a fan of idle hands.  When he’s not rocking out with Jackyl he’s brewing his Jesse James America’s Outlaw Beer or co-producing Full Throttle Saloon, a realith show on Tru-TV.  Amidst all of that, the band is preparing to head out for a summer full of tour dates, including three New England Stops so be there! 

I recently caught up with the outspoken, unapologetic rocker himself to talk about all things Jesse James and Jackyl.

Interviewed by:  Roger Scales

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Spotlight Band: Mindflow

Although not exactly a household name just yet in North America, Mindflow has been tearin’ it up in their home country of Brazil for over six years now.  Their progressive hard rock sound is starting to make some waves and the band is currently out on tour with UFO here in The States.

TWRY had the opportunity to catch up with founding members guitarist Rodrigo Hidalgo and drummer Rafael Pensado prior to their show in Foxboro MA at showcase Live and find out a little bit about who they are.  Check it out!

By: Roger Scales

You’re currently out on the road supporting UFO here in the US.  Have you toured here in North America previously and what have the crowds been like thus far?
This is actually our 4^th time here, although most of the dates have been on the West coast and Southern part of the US.  So far on this leg it’s been awesome.  Every show the crowds seem to get bigger and that’s a good sign.  We did play the Prog Power Festival in Atlanta in 2009 and I think that was our biggest show here in America up to this point.  We love the American crowds and they seem to be really into the music.  You guys are all rockers at heart and we are very happy to be here once again.

With Bare Hands is your 4^th studio album and the first with Nightmare Records.  Was the recording experience/location any different than you’re your previous releases?
Yes it was.  It was a very different experience than in the past because the initial recording started out within a project called “365” where we worked on 1 song a month for an entire year.  So we kind of worked on the song, recorded it and released it one at a time.  We did move around a bit working at several different studios during this process.  We once again got to work with Ben Grosse (Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Disturbed, Breaking Benjamin, and Sevendust) producing some of the tracks on this new record so we were real happy having his contributions and experience at our disposal.  We were very pleased with how the final mix came out and we hope the fans do as well.

After watching and enjoying the video for the first single “Break Me Out” I’m curious where that was shot and do you have any interesting stories coming from it?
Everybody always asks about the girl!!  No none of us are dating her! Basically that location is a major trucking spot in Sao Paulo Brazil where sand is gathered for distribution to various construction sites throughout the area.  We had a lot of fun working on that track  I think the director got the most out of us that day and the performance shots are really a good representation of who we are as a live act.

I also watched the video for the new single “Thrust Into The Game” which was a lot different from a stylistic approach than the first video from this album.  What is the game referenced in that song?
That “game” is a reference to Brazilian politics and what seems to be going on in local government right now.  There was lot of corruption that was going on at that time.  It was in the news daily and we just couldn’t help but be affected by it and it came out in this song.  It’s all about taking the people and the government and throwing them all in one pot and trying to create a stabilized environment.  It’s still a work in progress.

Speaking of games..tell me a little bit about the Alternative Reality Game ‘Follow Your Instinct”.  Who came up with the concept, how many people have been playing this game and at what stage is it at currently?
The band came up with the general idea for the game and the concept of the game in 2005 that situates the players as detectives in pursuit of a dangerous serial killer.  We thought it would be fun and it started out with about 3,000 players in the first edition of the game that lasted a little more than 1 year.  It combines fictional situations with reality, making use of media channels from the real world.  The game takes place in websites, e-mails, phone calls, and some other media sources.  It’s now up and over 10,000 players at this point.  It has a special connection with our younger fans because it’s similar to a video game.  We put clues in each of the albums so it combines our records in the game as well. 

It’s a little tough to categorize Mindflow into just one musical direction.  Hard rock rhythm section with a melodic flow and power vocals is the best description I could come up with.  Certainly you appeal to different fans and age groups for different reasons.  Did you ever have a goal in mind as a band to overtly attempt to have mass appeal or did it just happen naturally as the band evolved over time?
I think it’s just a natural progress over time.  As a band we never tried to limit ourselves or categorize the act into one particular style or direction..just let it flow.  That’s how we came up with the name of the band.  With the new record With Bare Hands we did try to be more aggressive and heavier for sure so it should resonate with the metal fans all over.  We really wanted to share the energy with the crowd when we recorded this new record and couldn’t wait to start playing these songs live and feel that vibe up close and personal by getting back on the road. 

In your native Brazil you have played some major stadium type shows and also supported some major acts throughout Europe as well.  What has observing these rock veterans in these environments taught you about life on the road, interacting with fans and building the Mindflow legacy?
Great question because we all believe the best experience you can get “cutting your teeth” and creating a band for the long haul is just tour, tour, tour.  We need to bond and work as  family and friends and you can only gain that connection by going out on the road.  Seeing some of these guys that have been doing this for 20 or 25 years just gives us the motivation to someday be that vetern act headlining on a bill with 4 or 5 other bands.  Most of these bands we have toured with have been super supportive and we have appreciated the guidance and advice.

There was a recent photo of the band from this tour with Mike Portnoy..now drummer free agent!  What was that meeting like and did you think Dream Theater will be the same band without him?
He has been one of the biggest inspiration to us and one of the most important metal progressive performers of his generation.  To have him in the audience at our gig watching as a fan was a huge thrill for all of us.  We got to talk to him for a bit after our set and Rafael got to ask a few drumming questions which defiantly made his day!  He was so cool.  We gave him one of our tour shirts and he wore it!!  He is a real music fan who just happens to be the best rock drummer in the business.  Having Mike Mangini replacing Portnoy in the band they will lose very little from a skill perspective and his style and technique are so similar I can see why he got the gig.  But Portnoy was so much more than just the drummer.  From a business standpoint it will be different.  His spirit is what flowed through the band and it will be interesting to see not only the quality of the new music but how the fans react no matter how good it is because Portnoy is not there.  On the other hand maybe the other band members will step out of the shadows and showcase another side from them we have never seen; either way no matter what happens Mike Portnoy will be back in Dream Theater at some point in the future playing like he always did and has with reckless abandonment.        

What does the future hold for Mindflow in terms of touring for the remainder of this year, another studio album or maybe a live cd/dvd?
We have actually been filming quite a bit of material since we started in the hopes of putting together a bulk of material for a live DVD package.  We have some more touring planned for the summer in Brazil and then possibly back in the studio to start work on a new record by year’s end.  Writing, touring, writing touring.  We feel the whole spirit of the 1970’s is starting to come back with bands constantly working and trying to release an album a year to keep their momentum going and fan base growing.  We strive for that as a band.  We have  a lot of energy burning inside each of us and want to get it out live on stage and then back to the studio to create new reasons to keep come seeing you guys here in the US!  We love it here and want to thank all of the fans on this tour for coming out early to check us out before seeing UFO.        

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For more on Mindflow:
Website
Mindflow US Tour Dates
Mindflow on Twitter
Mindflow on Facebook

Catching Up With Jamie St. James of Black ‘N Blue

Catching Up With Jamie St. James of Black ‘N Blue
Interviewed by:  Roger Scales

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Mark Engles of Dredg

On their new album Chuckles And Mr. Squeezy Dredg have raised a few eyebrows – and it’s not just over the quirky name.  Constantly reinventing themselves musically this new album shows off a side of Dredg that we haven’t heard before, primarily due to their collaboration with producer Dan the Automator who brought a whole new approach to the table.

The songs focus largely on lead singer Gavin Hayes deeply personal experiences throughout his life from meeting his biological parents in his 30s to his sister’s deployment as part of our Armed Forces.  The music is less focused on guitar and live drums and more on production, mood and ambiance which is probably the biggest shift from their last album.

The band (Gavin Hayes on vocals, Mark Engles on guitar, Drew Roulette on bass and Dino Campanella on drums) show off their musical constraint and their neverending drive to do something completely different with each album.   Some music fans may be turned off by this but then there are those of us who embrace the change and can’t wait to hear what they come up with next.

We recently caught up with guitarist Mark Engles who told us all about it.

Interviewed by:  Mary Ouellette
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Russell Allen of Symphony X

On June 21^st Symphony X will release their eighth studio release titled Iconoclast, their first release since 2007’s Paradise Lost.  Iconoclast is being referred to as the band’s manifesto “a commanding declaration of an inventive blend of classic rock, straightforward heavy metal and ambitious prog.”  That seems like a lot to live up to but if anyone can deliver, leave it to Symphony X.

The band is currently out on a short tour run and I got to catch up with “Sir” Russell Allen before their show in Worcester, MA at The Palladium.  We talked about Iconoclast, their new relationship with Nuclear Blast, side projects with Mike Portnoy and the one question I couldn’ t leave without asking…how does one become a “Sir”?

Interviewed by:  Roger Scales
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Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low

It’s been a long time coming but on June 7^th All Time Low will release their major label debut album Dirty Work on Interscope Records.  Calling this album a crossroads of sorts the album title harkens back to the fine line musicians have to balance between their careers and their personal lives and the songs that were sprung from those experiences.  Offering up a multi-dimensional All Time Low, Dirty Work has allowed the band to grow as songwriters and their hopes are that their dedicated fanbase will come along for the ride.  Forever grateful for all their time spent with Hopeless Records, it was an appropriate time for them to leave the nest and spread their wings with Dirty Work.  

The first single “I Feel Like Dancin” was written with Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo and shows the band stepping out of their comfort zone a little while still keeping the tongue n’ cheekiness that we’ve come to love and expect from them.   Working with several different producers on the album from Butch Walker to Matt Squire to Mike Green to only lends to the overall dynamic of the album.

We recently caught up with ATL’s front man Alex Gaskarth (who started All Time Low along with guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist Zack Merrick and drummer Rian Dawson back in high school) to talk about the new album, their journey making it, and what fans should expect.

Interviewed by:  Mary Ouellette
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