Flashback 2017: Mike Peters Presents The Alarm

MIKE PETERS presents THE ALARM Jul 9 Belly Up, Jul 11 The Concert Lounge, Jul 12 The Coach House; photo James Christopher

MIKE PETERS presents THE ALARM Jul 9 Belly Up, Jul 11 The Concert Lounge, Jul 12 The Coach House; photo James Christopher

Mike Peters, or The Alarm, or Mike Peters presents The Alarm, how ever you want to put it, the music has been saying it all since the 80s. Three SoCal dates are on the books for July so we thought we’d re-run an interview with Mike from 2017.

The Alarm have been crazy busy in America this summer with a ton of live shows including dates on Vans Warped Tour as well as their own headlining gigs not to mention a new documentary.

“It’s great, we love being on tour and playing our music,” founding member, Mike Peters said. “We’re lucky to be alive and playing music in 2017.”

With a multitude of dates in SoCal, it’s The Coach House that Peters has a great affinity with in Orange County.

Mike Peters/The Alarm; photo James Christopher

Mike Peters/The Alarm; photo James Christopher

“It’s a special place in some ways ‘cause it’s where the last Alarm gig with the original lineup took place,” Peters recalled. “The audiences have come with all the changes that have gone on and rallied round and supported me as a solo artist and have been there for me. It’s a bit of a home away from home.”

This time The Alarm is performing as a full band with Peters’ sons helping the crew with the show and setting up equipment.

“They’re on the summer holidays and they’re both musicians,” Peters mentioned. “They’re having an amazing time. They’re loving it.”

Vans Warped Tour has a certain reputation of bands and genres that at first glance seemed at odds with a group such as The Alarm. However, the audiences have been very receptive, and they’ve increased their social media followers.

“It’s been a challenge, of course, but we’re still a modern band and can mix it up,” Peters explained. “It’s breathed a lot of life blood into the group.

Jules Peters/The Alarm; photo James Christopher

Jules Peters/The Alarm; photo James Christopher

“Seeing how young bands play and react in modern times has been good for us. It’s never good to re-tread old ground. It’s always great to take up challenges. And I’m sure the Vans Warped Tour will really inform the future of the group and keep us relevant. It keeps us in the modern context which is what we always strive for.”

For a band that first toured America in 1983, creating a 25-minute set out of their huge wealth of music required great discipline.

“It’s a really good opportunity for us to get together and think about how we put our music across and I think we came up with a great set,” Peters said. “We get 11 or 12 songs in, a really good representation of where we came from. It comes over great as far as I’m concerned.”

Peters often refers to a 1976 Sex Pistols concert and hearing “Anarchy in The U.K.” as inspiration for wanting to learn how to make music himself.

“I got a guitar from a guy that my sister was going out with and he showed me how to play a couple of chords and I never looked back,” Peters recalled. “I just played along to records in my bedroom and tried to go see bands when I could.

Mike Peters/The Alarm; photo James Christopher

Mike Peters/The Alarm; photo James Christopher

“I grew up on glam rock – David Bowie, Marc Bolan and TREX, Slade, Sweet, those kind of bands in Britain. And when it became Punk rock it was The Clash, The Pistols, Joy Division, Siouxsie and The Banshees, Buzzcocks. The purest song would be a three-minute punk rock single, that was what I loved the best.”

Today, the songwriting is inspired by his life and what he’s been through. Both Peters and his wife are Cancer survivors and he has been living with leukemia for 21 years.

“Music has kept me strong, kept me one step ahead of the disease and allowed me to become a father and a musician. I have a charity called Love, Hope, Strength, we give a lot back through that to society and like I said, I’m very lucky to be alive and play music in 2017.”

When it comes to the actual songwriting, it’s usually the music that comes before the lyrics. But it’s all jumpstarted by a phrase.

“Somebody says something to you or you read something or hear something and that triggers something in your imagination that makes you want to say something and that becomes the title and then the lyrics flow from there.

“I think after you have a phrase then the music instantly follows. You can hear it all in your imagination straight away just because you’ve given birth to it.”

Following the exposure Peters has enjoyed being around a lot of modern bands and seeing a little bit of what’s going on with the next generation, Concert Guide Live was curious what sort of advice he had for bands starting out today.

“Stay off the internet. Go underground. Do it with posters and aim at your own audience. Don’t try to be global before you become local.

“If you’re gonna make it, you’re gonna make it. Don’t be on the internet a lot. You’re better off staying off the grid. Be punk rock, go underground, you go dark, people will find you.”

Flashback 2014: Wolfmother Rocks OC Fans At The Observatory

Wolfmother

Wolfmother plays the Observatory July 27

Wolfmother hits The Observatory on July 27 as part of a lengthy world tour to play songs from their innovative first two albums as well as some new hard rock and psychedelic gems from their latest release, “New Crown.”

“We have to play ‘Woman’, ‘Joker’, and ‘Dimension,’ otherwise I think people will be pretty pissed off!” lead singer / guitarist, Andrew Stockdale laughed.

Those songs are all part of the Australian natives self-titled debut album which came out in 2007 with “Woman” receiving a Grammy for “Best Hard Rock Performance.

Stockdale said their latest album was written to sound good for a band to play live.

“It was all about just trying to get the energy levels to the point where you would be at 9 o’clock at night, going out to a gig with your friends, after 3 or 4 beers, or whatever.

“When you’re in that state, you need a certain type of high-energy, rough around the edges, rock-n-roll that you want to hear, at that time.”

The album came out through Bandcamp and SongCast and has been available on iTunes around the world. It’s been hitting the top 10 on the iTunes rock chart in many countries.

“It’s kind of incredible that we’ve been touring for about seven months around the world and we don’t have a record label,” Stockdale mused.

“Times have changed for music and how people buy music. Things have changed so much in the last 5 years in the music business.”

While Stockdale is trying to make sense of the changes in the music industry he can’t help but notice that more and more people are streaming music and going to You Tube to hear new music. However, checking the number of views a band has on You Tube can be misleading and mind-boggling.

“It just kind of blows me away when I look at a Jimi Hendrix song and it’s only got 50,000 views or something. In my mind he’s like a legend. Then I see some weird Eurovision Soccer theme that’s got like 20 million views. It breaks your heart.”

Following the upcoming tour dates, which will take the band to South Africa and back to Australia, they’re looking at recording another record to release early next year.

In fact, they recently recorded a few songs in Berlin at the band, Kadavars’s studio.

“They’re like a German, stoner-rock, metal rock, sort of groove rock-n-roll band. We just jammed on a few ideas and recorded a couple of songs in their studio,” Stockdale said. “And ate sausages and drank German beer.

“There’s this sausage place out in front of the studio, where they have different levels of chili that you can put on the sausage. They had all these photos of people who’d had the strongest chili.

“This one guy went in and had the strongest chili and the sound he was making whilst he was eating was so disturbing. It sounded like hiccups while he was crying but sort of groaning. It’s pretty weird. “

Joining Stockdale on tour and also on “New Crown” are Ian Peres on bass and keys and Vin Steele on drums.

Sun Worship With Allah-Las (2017 Remembered)

ALLAH-LAS

ALLAH-LAS play Music Box Oct. 18 and The Regent Oct. 21; photo James Christopher

ALLAH-LAS 2017 interview remembered…

Local scenesters Allah-Las play their unique, psychedelic, dream pop at Music Box Oct. 18 and The Regent Oct. 21. The group is known for playing their interpretation of retro 60s rock a la The Troggs, The Standells and The Grass Roots, full of catchy choruses and guitar hooks.

Now with three albums under their belt, the songwriting continues to evolve while hinting at previous influences. Songs such as “Tell Me What’s On Your Mind” and “Don’t You Forget It” are crowd favorites from their self-titled 2012 debut, while newer tracks “Could Be You” and “Famous Phone Figure” are quickly catching on.

Although notoriously a band of few words, Concert Guide Live managed to get a few words out of them in a previous interview prior to the release of Worship The Sun and this is what they had to say:

CGL: It looks like you have a handful of dates lined up so far this year. What else is in the works?
A-L: We’re working on finishing our second record, new songs etc.

CGL: Is there a particular song the band looks forward to playing live and why?
A-L: Yeah. We have some new ones we’re excited to try out live. See how they change and adapt as we play them for an audience.

CGL: How did everyone in the band meet, did some of you meet while working at Amoeba Records?
A-L: Matt (Correia, drums) Miles (Michaud, vocals/guitar), and Spencer (Dunham, bass) went to high school together in Los Angeles. Later on Matt, Spencer and Pedrum (Siadatian, guitar) all worked together at Amoeba. We had a lot of interest in various types of music back then, working at Amoeba allowed us to spend time digging for more.

CGL: What is everyone listening to these days?
A-L: Aww lots of stuff. The search never ends.

CGL: Working with Nick Waterhouse sure seems to be a good fit for your sound. Do you record your songs then give them to him to produce, or do you all collaborate on the production?
A-L: We always work together. I’m sure it’s annoying for Nick to have to listen to us argue our points on the mix but he’s patient. He’s an amazing producer and a great friend.

CGL: What is the status of a new album?
A-L: Should be coming out on a Tuesday sometime.

CGL: it seems like you play quite a bit and all over the place, any good road
stories you can share?
A-L: Nothing to mention really.

CGL: Is there a particular song the band looks forward to playing live and why?
A-L: Yeah. We have some new ones we’re excited to try out live. See how they change and adapt as we play them for an audience.

CGL: How would you describe Allah-Las to someone who isn’t familiar with your music?
A-L: Aww well. I try my best to avoid it and let people decide. We get some pretty funny comparisons though.

Eliza & The Delusionals To Tour With Silversun Pickups

elizadelusionals-USA_POSTER-2022AUGUST 25, 2022 (Melbourne, Australia) – Following the release of their critically acclaimed debut album NOW AND THEN, Australia’s ELIZA & THE DELUSIONALS will be returning to the U.S. this fall for the first time since March 2020. Picking directly up from their last tour before the pandemic stalled their U.S. tour, they will be hitting the road once again with indie rock favorites Silversun Pickups who they toured with in 2020 from September 28 to November 18. The tour will be hitting markets such as Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Nashville, Atlanta, and more. In addition, the band will also be playing select headline dates in Fresno, Denver, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Richmond. Surrounding all of this exciting news, the band had the honor of appearing on Triple J’s longstanding Like A Version series, where the band performed a cover of Phoebe Bridger’s “Motion Sickness.”

“I think excited is an understatement for how we feel about this upcoming tour. All we’ve been thinking about since we were last touring USA in 2020 is how badly we’ve wanted to come back, and we feel so grateful to be heading out around the country again with our friends Silversun Pickups along with a few of our own shows,” says the band. “We love America, it holds such a special place in our hearts and our band so we can’t wait to see everyone, and catch up with all of the fans we were supposed to see almost three years ago now! It feels like such a long time coming, but we’re so excited for our dream to once again become a reality!

For Eliza & The Delusionals, music has not only been a unifying force amongst them as a band of like-minded individuals, but also a proven mode of escape into a soundscape marked by vibrancy and emotion. The group’s journey until this point has seen them grow up on stages around Australia, their music arresting and speaking to music fans who yearn for that same sense of belonging and escapism.

Their 12-track debut album Now and Then is Eliza & The Delusionals in their purest form. An album that reflects on youth and the formative years that have influenced the mid-20 somethings they are today, it is the perfect soundtrack to the band’s coming-of-age period.

Written by Eliza Klatt and Kurt Skuse with added writing credits coming courtesy of acclaimed songwriters/producers in Sarah Aarons (Zedd, The Rubens, Childish Gambino), John Hill (Cage The Elephant, Charli XCX, Lykke Li) and Keith Harris (Madonna, The Black Eyed Peas), Now And Then is a properly international effort. Sessions that took place between Australia’s East Coast and Los Angeles formed its sound: guitars and rhythms that feel fresh and contemporary while casting a nostalgic look back at the artists who brought similar ideas to prominence in the ’90s and early ’00s.

Capitalizing on the momentum their EP A STATE OF LIVING IN AN OBJECTIVE REALITY brought them, Eliza & The Delusionals hit the ground running, with a trio of successful single releases in “Save Me” (accruing over 1 million combined streams worldwide, 30+ editorial playlist spots and the cover of Spotify’s Front Left playlist), “YOU” and “Nothing Yet,” bolstering their presence in Australia and abroad, all the while demonstrating the potential of the album that was waiting in the wings. Renewed popularity and hunger for Eliza & The Delusionals in 2022 has resulted in a whopping combined stream count exceeding 2 million over the last six singles alone.

Eliza & The Delusionals will be on tour with Silversun Pickups this fall from September 28 to November 18. In addition, the band will perform at Toonerville Music Fest in Pelham, NY on September 17. Their debut album NOW AND THEN is out now via Cooking Vinyl.

ELIZA & THE DELUSIONALS FALL US TOUR
Sep 17 – Pelham, NY @ Toonerville Music Fest
Sep 28 – San Diego, CA @ Observatory (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Sept 29 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Oct 2 – Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theater (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Oct 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Oct 4 – Fresno, CA @ Strummers (Headlining)
Oct 6 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Oct 7 – Monterey, CA @ Golden State Theater (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Oct 8 – Stateline, NV @ Harrah’s Lake Tahoe (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Oct 9 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spade (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Oct 26 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake (Headlining)
Oct 27 – Kansas City, KS @ Record Bar (Headlining)
Oct 29 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean (Headlining)
Oct 30 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop (Headlining)
Nov 1 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Black Forge (Headlining)
Nov 2 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Nov 4 – Newhaven, CT @ College Street Music Hall (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Nov 4 – Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theater (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Nov 6 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Nov 8 – Baltimore, MD @ Ramshead (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Nov 9 – Philadelphia, PA @ Fillmore (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Nov 10 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall (Headlining)
Nov 11 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Nov 12 – Charlotte, NC @ Fillmore (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Nov 14 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Nov 15 – Saint Petersburg, FL @ Janus Landing (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Nov 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre (w/ Silversun Pickups)
Nov 18 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Hall (w/ Silversun Pickups)

Titanic Bay Area Metal Kings TESTAMENT

Testament-w-Exodus-_-Death-Angel-NAT-Square-2nd-LegIn celebration of the return of Drummer Dave Lombardo and Live concerts returning – Testament announces the second leg of the unrelenting and legendary Bay Strikes Back Tour lineup featuring Testament with Exodus and Special Guests Death Angel.

“We’ve all been having a killer time playing a lot of sold out shows for die hard metal fans across the US and we wanna keep the party rolling!” – Chuck Billy, Testament

“We’re so excited to do a second leg of Bay Strikes Back Tour into Canada- Its been a ling time coming and now things are starting to gel with Dave. We will be adding some newer songs and some older ones too into the set METAL!” – Eric Peterson, Testament

This tour has been so raging, so crushing, what do we do to follow it up? We do it again! Exodus will be joining Testament and Death Angel for another round of The Bay Strikes Back Tour in the US! Hitting some major markets and also Canada! More Brutality on tap for all, come join the violence!” – Gary Holt, Exodus

“I can’t begin to tell all of you how excited Death Angel is that this AMAZING tour has been extended with a second leg of North American dates! Night after night all three bands see how amazing the crowd reactions have been and we as band members are also so appreciative that we’re back doing what we love doing most of all! Playing music and exchanging energy with the most passionate fans of all! Thrash Metal Fans! The Bay Strike Back Tour is extending it’s endless reach! See you on the road!!” – Mark Osegueda, Death Angel

No strangers to making their mark in heavy metal history. Testament’s very excited to bring this over the top, legendary lineup to more cities across North America !! Don’t miss the most epic lineup of any metal tour this Fall, The Bay Strikes Back Tour, and witness Dave Lombardo’s return to Testament.

Chuck Billy declares“ I’ll state the obvious, We are more than overwhelmed to welcome back Dave Lombardo to play drums with Testament. We are so excited to share the stage again with Lombardo. Dave added immense power when he joined the band for The Gathering (release), and we are ecstatic to see what new flavor he will bring back to Testament.”

Dave Lombardo stated, “This is a long-awaited reunion that was bound to happen. Once upon a time, we created a thrash masterpiece. I have no doubt that our musical chemistry will pick up exactly where we left off. I love the Testament family and am very excited to be joining them once again. Pure brutality awaits.”

Eric Peterson expresses, “Having Dave Lombardo join us again feels like we are picking up where unfinished business had left off. There is a silver lining to every cloud and working again with Dave calls for us to celebrate with our horns held high!”

Bay Strikes Back Tour Dates:

Friday, 9/9/2022 – Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren
Saturday, 9/10/2022 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Monday, 9/12/2022 – Wichita, KS -Cotillion
Tuesday, 9/13/2022 – Kansas City, MO – Truman
Thursday, 9/15/2022 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
Friday, 9/16/2022 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl
Sunday, 9/18/2022 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live
Monday, 9/19/2022 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
Wednesday, 9/21/2022 – Asheville, NC – Orange Peel
Thursday, 9/22/2022 – Silver Spring, MD – Fillmore
Friday, 9/23/2022 – Stroudsburg, PA – Sherman Theater
Monday, 9/26/2022 – Hartford, CT – Webster Theater
Tuesday, 9/27/2022 – Albany, NY – Empire Live
Wednesday, 9/28/2022 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
Friday, 9/30/2022 – Montreal, QC – Mtelus
Saturday, 10/1/2022 – London, ON – London Music Hall
Monday, 10/3/2022 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Piere’s
Tuesday, 10/4/2022 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
Thursday, 10/6/2022 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
Saturday, 10/8/2022 – Calgary, AB – Palace Theatre
Monday, 10/10/2022 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore
Wednesday, 10/12/2022 – Ventura, CA – Majestic Ventura Theater
Thursday, 10/13/2022 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Friday, 10/14/2022 – Reno, NV – Cargo
Saturday, 10/15/2022 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic

Dramarama Does ‘Anything, Anything’ To Rock HOB (2013 Remembered)

Dramarama

Dramarama opens for Berlin at the House of Blues Anaheim Sat., April 13th

JOHN EASDALE / DRAMARAMA 2013 interview remembered… This was one of the very first interviews for Concert Guide Live!

Alternative rock group, Dramarama may have formed in New Jersey, but they call Southern California home and Orange County their base of operations. They will be playing with Berlin at the House of Blues in Anaheim on April 13.

Since this is a co-headlining show, Dramarama won’t be able to do their “Grateful Dead four hour marathon jam” according to vocalist John Easdale. “Unfortunately we’ll have to wait until we have a show all by ourselves.”

They still promise to do an entertaining mix of old and new.

Dramarama have been recording a much anticipated new album for the last couple of years. It will be ready to go after some final mastering and artwork touches. “We’re hoping to get it out before the end of the year but we were hoping that last year, too,” Easdale said.

With the internet, many artists self-release their material. “There’s always that option, “said Easdale,
“We’ve been doing it ourselves since our first 45 in 1982.”

“There are a thousand bands selling a million records and a million bands selling a thousand records,” he added.

The mid-80s radio hit “Anything, Anything” seems to have defied time becoming a “classic rock” song in its own right. “It is truly gratifying and rewarding. I wish that every song I wrote had that kind of impact and that people accepted it in the same way,” Easdale said. “My purpose with every song is what happened with that song.”

Three of the original Dramarama members Peter Wood, Mark Englert, and John Easdale continue to be in the band. The other two members bassist, Mike Davis, and drummer Tony Snow, have been part of the group for over fifteen years.

As a final thought, Easdale mentioned, “We hope that the people from the audience have as much fun as we do!”

ARCHIVE: Albert Cummings Pre-Pandemic Tour 2020 Interview

AC-Promo2Albert Cummings, photo:Jennifer Mardus_JenniferMardus-3

Albert Cummings, photo:Jennifer Mardus

“I’m still kind of a kept close secret, you know what I mean?” Albert Cummings mentioned. “But hey, if The Coach House knows about me the secret is getting out – that’s exciting!”

A blues, rock guitarist, with nine albums under his belt, if you haven’t listened to him, now is the time! You can see him live at The Coach House Feb. 17th.

“You could just walk in and feel history. I love playing places like that,” Cummings recalled. “Everybody you ever wanted to hear or listen to has pictures on the wall. I gotta bring a picture, get myself up there somehow. Really cool. So happy to play there.”

Albert Cummings, photo:Jennifer Mardus

Albert Cummings, photo:Jennifer Mardus

Cummings headed to the legendary Muscle Shoals studio to record his most recent album, Believe, fully intending to do an all covers album. He began to notice that his cover songs on previous albums seemed to get more radio airplay than his original material.

“I got like nine albums with 11 or 12 songs on every one and maybe one out of that is a cover,” he declared. “That means over 100 songs are out there that are originals. I was like wow; they’re only playing the covers.

“Then I realized the blues DJs they want to have their show popular – this is only my opinion – they play songs people are familiar with. So, I was originally going to do a 100% cover album just so I could get some more play because the airplay gets me to places like The Coach House (laughs).”

However, once he got to Muscle Shoals and started playing with the other musicians, he thought better of it and did six originals and five covers.

One of those covers is a rendition of “Little Red Rooster” which features some nice guitar solo work. In fact, all of the guitar solos sound fresh and natural, not forced throughout the album.
“I know that if I try to do a guitar solo after a track is done, if I don’t get it in the first two, three, it just goes downhill from there,” Cummings explained. “I always end up picking from my first three.

"Believe" CD cover art

“Believe” CD cover art

“I think if you’re thinking you’re stinking. The more you think about it the worse it becomes. You can’t think about music. It’s gotta come from your heart. It can’t come from your mind.”
But it’s the originals that really stand out. Songs like “Going My Way” with its nice solid groove and guitar work or “Call Me Crazy” which really catches fire and jams. The guitar gets pretty wild and you wish it would go on forever. Maybe it will in a live setting.

“Oh yea, that’s one of those four-hour guitar songs,” Cummings laughed.

Cummings never played with a band until he was 27, then a couple years later he was doing an album with Double Trouble which was the only band he’d ever listened to.

“To do an album with those guys is over the top,” he said. “Pinch me, I can’t even believe it happened.”

Coming from a rural area out in the hills of western Massachusetts, about an hour from Albany, once he started a band there was no place to play. He knew he’d have to go to Albany if he wanted to do anything with his music.

“If you’re gonna go fishing you don’t go to an empty stream,” he quipped. “So, I went to Albany and I started to do really well, and people were starting to fill up.”
It was here, in Albany, that he caught Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble at the RPI Field House and a whole new world opened up.

“I didn’t know what blues was as a music until I started listening to Stevie,” he admitted. “And what I think was cool mostly about Stevie was he introduced me to everybody else in a way. Like I didn’t know who BB King was, or Freddie King or Albert King or all those people.”

Sometime later, the Field House contacted Cummings to be the local headliner at a blues day concert they were putting together for the students, the faculty and the public. They asked him who he thought they should get as the National headliner.

Albert Cummings, photo:Jennifer Mardus

Albert Cummings, photo:Jennifer Mardus

“I just jokingly said ‘why don’t you get Double Trouble to come play with me?’ and I was not qualified to say that, but I said it,” Cummings laughed. “And they said, ‘that’s a great idea’.
“So, I had to send this little demo out that I had which was my first CD which was Albert Cummings and Swamp Yankee… the CD was The Long Way.

Much to his surprise, two weeks later Double Trouble agreed to do it! As a result, the last time Cummings walked into the RPI Field House was to see Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble play, then literally the next time he walked in there he was fronting them!

“Then we booked another gig that night in Saratoga, NY which is about 45 minutes north. We played a large club and we played this sold out show and it was just incredible.
“I’m taking Chris (Layton) and Tommy (Shannon) home, it was just the three of us, it’s 2:30 in the morning and they’re telling me ‘Albert, what we heard on your little demo and what we heard tonight are two entirely different things. You need to do an album’.

“And I’m like, ‘Well, I don’t know how to do an album’. And they said, ‘We do’. And then they said, ‘We want to produce your next album and we want to play on it.’ And I’m like ‘ok’.
“So, I’m literally driving. It’s late at night, I drive by two exits on the highway I’m so floored. My head is just spinning I’m still intimidated and scared but I had to say, ‘I’m so sorry guys, I just drove like a half an hour out of the way. I’m so sorry. (chuckles)

“We set it all up, exchanged numbers at the end of the night and I was still skeptical, yea, right. How the hell can that happen? And sure enough. Next thing I know I’m on an airplane going to Austin, TX, where I’ve never been before.”

Cummings was further surprised when Layton called him at the airport to let him know he was going to bring Reese Wynans along to play, too. This turned out to be the first time since Vaughan died that Double Trouble did an entire album with another artist.

“I was so green, but the album came out great, cuz those guys are so good,” Cummings marveled. “They took care of me, they brought me under their wings, and they helped me. They made me think of things differently. They made me understand how to build a guitar solo.

Meat Beat Manifesto Celebrates 30 Year Catalog (2017 Remembered)

MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO

MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO play Cold Waves Festival at Regent Theater Nov. 11; promo pic

MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO 2017 interview remembered…

Industrial music legend Meat Beat Manifesto will be performing on Day 2 of the first Cold Waves Festival in L.A. along with Revolting Cocks, MC 900 Ft Jesus, Crash Course In Science, Boy Harsher and Not Breathing on Nov. 11 at The Regent Theater.

Original mainstay Jack Dangers has continued to create and evolve musically over the years, but for this performance, he will primarily play a lot of the older stuff.

“Some of the songs I haven’t played live, I’m not gonna say which ones, I’ll let that be a surprise, but some of them we haven’t played on stage for 25 years,” Dangers teased. “I had to get all new video for that. We use a lot of video and samplers live.”

Sampling has always been a part of the music since the beginning, often using spoken word samples from films. So, Dangers went back to the original source films where he got the samples in the first place.

“Like when the technology came up to speed about 12 years ago, you could miniaturize these bits of video into computers and have them to play live – project them,” Dangers explained.

“It’s even more fun being able to go back and get the film and turn that into a video sample and mess with it. You can speed it up, put it in reverse, you can chop through the sample itself. Originally, I would use tape machines and then when samplers became available I would be using those.

“We use the audio as well as the image. That always makes a difference as well rather than just spinning out images.”
For example, in “Helter Skelter” there’s a scream that goes off and on all the way through the song which is from the film “A Clockwork Orange”. It’s from the scene where the main character is experiencing the Ludovico Technique.

“I used that as just an audio sample,” Dangers said. “The Helter Skelter sample is Lydia Lunch. She’s saying that on one of her spoken word records she did back in the 80s.”

Another memorable sample from that song is “it’s in my brain now” which comes from “T.V. Mind” off Big Sexy Land by Revolting Cocks who coincidentally will be performing the album at Cold Waves.

“Maybe I’ll run on stage and have a mic,” Dangers chuckled. “You know Luc Van Acker was the guy who originally did that, so I’d have to run on stage and grab the mic off of him.”

As the song came together it included a bit of Lydia Lunch, a bit of Revolting Cocks and the famous beat from “Hot Pants” by Bobby Bird (produced by James Brown).

“I actually spent a day messing around with that beat making it sound different,” Dangers said. “If you played it next to the original you’d see that I changed it quite a lot.

“At that point, 1989, we didn’t really have the technology like a few years later what you could do with drum and bass and jungle. We’d cut the rhythm track up. So back then I was using different chunks and playing them back a different way and using effects.”

Considering the current political climate, one would think there would be a virtual treasure trove of samples to draw from, but Dangers thinks it’s almost too much and too obvious.

“It’s like this nightmare has happened,” Dangers stated. “I’m more interested in the way that Twitter and Facebook were used to make this all happen. Rather than the usual right-wing talking points and misinformation.

“It’s obvious all the misinformation and fake news that’s put out there by the Russians so Trump would benefit. It wasn’t the other way around. These things always take time to come to the surface.

“This is such a surreal level that I think you could address it in a surreal way more than an obvious in-your-face political stance.”

Impossible Star is a new album ready to be released in 2018 which Dangers has been working on for a couple of years but don’t expect to hear too much of the new stuff played this time around.

“We’re looking to do that next year,” Dangers promised. “We’ll be doing some live shows next year – me and Ben Stokes – that’s the lineup when we play live. The two of us. We use a lot of multi-media, a lot of video.”

Cold Waves Festival has been running in Chicago for a few years, bringing together classic industrial-type artists. It’s unique and thrilling for both fans and musicians alike.

“I’m excited to be playing with the other acts,” Dangers noted. “I’ve always liked Crashed Course In Science and I’m good friends with Not Breathing – worked with them on and off through the years.

“I’ve done some remixes for MC 900ft Jesus – got to see him [Mark Griffin] actually when we played in Dallas last year. He came to the show. That might have been some inspiration for him to get back on the road because we hadn’t been doing it for a while, like him. Not as long as him, though (laughs).”

“And Revolting Cocks – Big Sexy Land was a big album for me when it came out – getting to see that live. It should be a good night. It’s the hottest show in town!”

Indeed.

Dance The Night Away With The Orb (2019 Rerun)

THE ORB play Teragram Ballroom Nov. 21; photo Roney-FM-K3-Media

THE ORB play Teragram Ballroom Nov. 21; photo Roney-FM-K3-Media

ALEX PATERSON / THE ORB 2019 interview rerun…

The Orb recreate a live musical collage of their greatest hits during this, their 30th year anniversary, currently on tour in the states. Breaking out samples and sounds, beats and rhythms, The Orb impact an audience with their trippy sounds and visual aids.

“It’s a mish mash of old and new,” founder Alex Paterson noted. “With bits of old things being played over new things and vice versa. A bit more energetic. A bit more danceable, rather than hip swaying.”

The Orb bring their own elaborate visuals to compliment the live music which are dependent on the size of the screen available at each venue. The bigger the screen, the bigger the visuals. While producer/collaborator Michael Rendall joins Paterson for the musical side of the live spectrum.

“It’s a very similar set up as me and Thomas (Fehlmann) with a lot more freedom.,” Paterson said. “We’re sacking the Americas… We’re throwing American techno back at them…old style…payback time. It’s all good fun. And remember it’s 30 years since the beginning of House pretty much in the world.

“But the visuals compensate for everything you see… I’m just the conductor.”

THE ORB "No Sounds Are Out Of Bound" cover art

THE ORB “No Sounds Are Out Of Bound” cover art

Mixed throughout the setlist of reimagined greatest hits are several songs from No Sounds Are Out Of Bounds. Tracks such as “Doughnuts Forever” and the 15 minute “Soul Planet”, one of Paterson’s favorites to play live.

“Soul Planet all the way,” Paterson confirmed. “It’s the last track on the album and it’s the longest track on the album. It’s what we can all do very, very, very well. When we do a long track, we can investigate what’s going on in 15 minutes, it’s good fun.”

“And Rush, “Rush Hill Road” which is a single and a video. That goes down real well. We muck it about, make it sound a bit heavier.”

The catchy “sing along” album version of “Rush Hill Road” features Hollie Cook on vocals.

“Dare I say I know her dad, Paul Cook, from the Sex Pistols”? Paterson teased. “I used to be a Killing Joke roadie, and Paul’s met me years ago many times in different clubs and things and we all eventually did a gig, it was quite bizarre, with the Sex Pistols when they did a reunion back in the 90’s, it was really odd.

“So anyway, I met Hollie a couple times through the reggae connection, as well, then she started doing an album with Youth (Killing Joke), and Youth being one of my best friends invited me over, and we did a track on her album, then she did a track for me on our album.”

Prior to No Sounds Are Out Of Bounds, The Orb released Cow, a unique and truly original flow of atmospheric songs, alternating and overlapping samples such as – animal noises, rushing rivers – but it wasn’t really toured or performed live.

“Well, what I can tell you about that album is that no musical instruments were played in the making of that album,” Paterson revealed. “It was an absolute joy to use samples in a very constructive way…not even bars, not even loops, just sounds; and then creating our own music with those sounds.

“The whole thing was (put together) a little under 10 days. It’s a small album, it’s only 41 minutes long. It sits very well on the palette.

“Lots of the recordings were taken in America when we went down to the Moogfest three years ago in Durham and I discovered the river Eno which I thought was quite amusing, so I recorded it. And that’s on the album, as well.”

Hanging out in clubs in the late 80’s, hearing things that he liked, Paterson wanted to do his own thing similar to what he was hearing.

“I was lucky to have people around me with studios that I could go in and muck about,” Paterson recalled. “Creating my own music in ‘88, ’89, was very much fun. A lot of freedom. A lot of experiments. Not afraid to do things.

“Everything’s gotten a lot easier with the advent of mass production of computers. It takes away a lot of the studio costs, which is quite good, really. Because you can spend a lot of time in the studio doing this thing.

“I haven’t finished yet. It’s a good feeling to feel that a childhood sort of dream that you always wanted to make music, you always wanted to be known for your music, your art, I did it.”

It’s not often that The Orb play in the states so don’t miss them at Teragram Ballroom Nov. 21.

“Looking forward to Los Angeles,” Paterson admitted. “We should be rocking you by then.”

Peter Hook To Play New Order And Joy Division Substance (Flashback 2016)

PETER HOOK

PETER HOOK plays “Substance” at The Wiltern Sep 24; photo James Christopher

Flashback: PETER HOOK / JOY DIVISION / NEW ORDER 2016 interview.

New Order and Joy Division bassist, Peter Hook, returns to SoCal, this time playing The Wiltern Sep. 24 with Peter Hook and The Light. The lengthy set will cover both the Joy Division and New Order albums Substance.

This is a reprint of the Concert Guide Live interview with Peter Hook conducted on a previous tour through SoCal.

CONCERT GUIDE LIVE: Peter Hook and The Light are in the midst of a pretty massive worldwide tour, what do you like about playing live?
PETER HOOK: I love playing live and I always have done. To me, touring is really exciting because I love to travel and I love to meet fans from all over the world who have been touched by our music. We are touring a lot this year, which is great.

CGL: Who is in the band with you?
PH: The Light is made up of 4 excellent musicians. First we have David Potts on guitar and vocals who first played with me in my side project REVENGE in the early 1990s, and later went on to become my song-writing partner in another band of mine, Monaco. Then on drums and keyboards we have Paul Kehoe and Andy Poole, both of whom were also a part of Monaco. Then to round out the line up we have my son, Jack, playing bass alongside me. I must say with the 2 bass guitars it really creates a unique sound.

CGL: Considering all of the material you can pull from, what is one of your favourite songs to play live?
PH: Off the top of my head, and because we just played it at rehearsals, I would say that “Subculture” is one of my favourites to play live. It showcases the goth-pop aspect of New Order and is also great fun to play because it shines a spotlight on each individual instrument. For example, towards the end there are 2 different live bass lines being played as well as synth bass and a keyboard line, while the guitar remains solid and funky throughout and the drums have a nice, loose feel about them. It is a track from New Order’s third album, “Low-Life.”

CGL: How did it come about that your son took up the bass, as well?
PH: I did not pressure him into doing it, he just began to develop an interest in my bass guitars aged around 11 or 12 and then went from there. I got him his first bass when he was 13 and he developed into a really great bass player.

CGL: When you first went on tour together, what surprised you about him?
PH: When we first went on tour he had never done anything like this before but he took to it really well, which was nice. He was not overawed by the occasion yet also kept his feet on the ground and it is important to find that balance. I am very proud of him and we continue to have a great time.

PETER HOOK

Peter Hook; photo James Christopher

CGL: What was it like when you first decided to take on lead vocal duties?
PH: It was very daunting at first. I had not planned to do it, I just sort of fell into it. But concentrating on the vocals forced me to draft in my son on second bass which is now one of the hallmarks of our group, so that was a fantastic thing to have happen. I was very nervous at first because I had never been in that ‘frontman’ role before, and it was the Joy Division material we played first and Ian Curtis of course has very big shoes to fill. I am aware I will never fill them, but I just try and do the best job I can. When we moved on to doing the New Order material, let’s just say that Bernard’s shoes did not feel as big!

CGL: Your bass tone and playing style have always been unique in that it’s reminiscent of guitar playing. Was that a conscious effort and what drove you to choose to play the bass?
PH: I chose to play the bass simply because when me and Bernard saw the Sex Pistols, we were blown away by the gig and decided then and there to form a band, he already had a guitar. So I just went out on a whim and bought a bass. The guy did not have a case for it so I took it home in a bin bag! My playing style developed partly by accident! Bernard’s equipment was so loud and gnarly back then that I had to play high in order to hear what I was doing, and it was Ian that told me that it actually sounded good, and that later went on to become one of my trademarks.

CGL: What is your favourite bass guitar and why? How important are the type/brand of amps to you and to the sound you like to get?
PH: My favourite bass guitar is my ‘VIKING’ bass guitar, which I play live. It was custom built to my specifications by Chris Eccleshall in the UK who is a very gifted guitar maker. I really like the tone it gives and it is also very durable which makes it a good one to take on the road. When it comes to amps I tend to favour Hi-Watts, which I have used since as long as I can remember as well as other gear by Trace Elliott, which is also always very good.

CGL: You’re playing three shows around Los Angeles this time, each one with a different set. But the “Low-Life” / “Brotherhood” set will be the new one. Assuming that you haven’t played most of those songs for some time, which song was the most challenging to “re-learn”?
PH: Yes. We are playing 3 times in LA this year, 6 different albums. I must be crazy! We also have some very special guests lined up to join us, which is always exciting. The “Low-Life” and “Brotherhood” show is the newest one like you mentioned, it has been a challenge but is such an enjoyable set to play live. I’d say the most challenging to get right was probably “The Perfect Kiss” simply because that is such a complex song with so many different layers, but we pulled it off and it sounds great, complete with cowbell and frog noises!

CGL: Is there anything you’d like to add?
PH: Not much, other than I am really excited to be coming back and I will see everybody very soon!