Not content with just being a solo artist, Mark Boals also has his band Ring Of Fire. Between the two, there have been 3 albums this year and it looks like it's only going to get busier for the former Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist.


So, it's been a while since we talked last, but you have been very busy!
You have now established two band names - Mark Boals the solo artist and Ring Of Fire. What's the primary difference between the two?
OK! With Mark Boals, I obviously get to do what I want, write what I want, work with new people, and in general, have a great time with the freedom of a being a solo artist, making up for years of artistic suppression!!! Haha!
But seriously, I wanted to be able to do music that was more based around the melody, with a heavy sound that is a little progressive, and totally different from the neo-classic sound of Ring Of Fire.
So many people have been asking me to do it for so long, and I wanted to do it for myself, so there it is!
With Ring Of Fire, I have the ultimate Neo-classic metal band, with the best musicians in the world, and they also happen to be good friends!!!!
I really feel blessed at this point in my life!

The new album is Edge Of The World - what was your aim going into the writing and recording of this album?
It may sound strange, but I really had no ideas except the general sound that I wanted.
I kept that mindset and let the music and lyrics flow out of me naturally, with the knowledge and desire to make music truly from my heart. It all came together fairly quick and easy, which is how I like it!

How does it differ from your last solo album?
With the album "Ring Of Fire", I was really going for a straight neo-classic album, because there was so much flak from the people who refused to let me be anything but a singer in Malmsteen. Don't get me wrong, I fully appreciate the times spent in the shadow of the Original Viking Guitar Shredder, but I wanted people to see that the rumours of my not being able to create that kind of music were not true.
I also happen to enjoy that style of music as well, and after being denied the opportunity to write with Malmsteen so many times, I took the chance to write an album with one of his finest contemporaries, Tony Macalpine, who by chance had also been denied many things in his career. It was so much fun making that album that I wanted to make it a real band, which was successful, I am happy to say!!
As I said before, "Edge" was made with a different mindset, albeit a natural one for me, and for all the players involved! I also have several guitarists on this one, including a new guy named Chris Brooks who is a phenomenal player/writer with tremendous potential.

I personally think it's your best record to date - I really enjoyed the style of the songwriting.
Thanks!!!

Vocal wise, it sounds like you tried harder with the screams and high notes! Did this come easily, or require a little vocal training before hand?
I guess it might seem that way because I used more range on this album by using more midrange vocals, which tends to accentuate the high notes once they arrive!
Really, with Malmsteen I was singing higher notes all the time, but then there was no reference of lower melodies, so one doesn't realize how high the notes were, unless you try to sing along!!!!
Many people have told me they are happy that they can finally sing my songs in the shower!!!!!!

You produced the album yourself again - do you find yourself learning more each time in the studio?
Of course every experience is a new lesson, but really, there is always so much more to learn. Making albums is really a fine art that keeps progressing all the time.

What production tricks are in effect on this album?
Tricks? Not really. It is simply mixed as it was recorded, by Erik Norlander.
I gave him the raw tracks, and he simply tweaked the sounds slightly and got a balance, and that's it!!!

And straight behind this album is a new Ring Of Fire! How did these albums come to be scheduled so close together?
I wish I knew!!!
It was a bit nerve wracking!!!

How would you describe the musical and lyrical approach on the new Ring Of Fire?
We tried to modernize our approach to neo-classic styling, and I wrote in a more poetic and direct style of lyrics, instead of the standard fare of Dungeons And Dragons that has been done so well already by myself and others.

Any live dates for either project lined up?
Yes! There will be a world tour in early 2003 to promote both albums!

Any chance of making it over to Europe for any live shows?
It's being put together now, as one of our first priorities, especially since my solo album is being received so well there.

How has the response and sales been for the live Ring Of Fire CD and DVD release?
In Japan it has been great! It hasn't been released in other territories yet, but we are working on a major deal for the rest of the world right this moment for an early 2003 release. It is a great representation of the band.

What's next up for you Mark? Solo and Ring Of Fire are done - anything new, or more hard work on these two projects?
I'll be busy with the tour for a good while but afterwards, there will be a new release late in the year.

Heard from Yngwie recently?!!
Not recently!!!! He is busy and so am I!

What are you currently listening to music wise?
I like System Of A Down and Linkin Park! (along with my jazz and classical favorites!)

Favourite albums of 2002?
I like my own of course, and the ones mentioned above, and also the new Rush album is cool!

Anything you would like to add?
Many thanks to my friends around the world for so much great support!

Thanks for taking the time out to answer these questions!
Thanks for inviting me, and best of luck to you, with your new expanded website!!!

Singer Ted Poley has been around long enough that he's witnessed and seen first hand the ups and downs of the music industry. Are the recent down's enough to put him into retirement? And all about his new album with Gerhard Pichler - "Big".

So Ted, here we are - why is this the last Poley-Pichler album?
Well, that's a sad way to start out an interview!
Actually, my friend, partner and guitar player of 3 years has gotten a big taste of the sad realities of the music business and has decided not to continue along this path in life, so he is heading home to his native Austria to pursue a more "fair" career and I don't blame him.
I wish him the best of luck in whatever he ends up doing, he is very intelligent and will do well no matter what he chooses. We achieved a lot in just 3 years and I will miss working with him in the future, I hope to still keep our friendship going and I would love to keep doing some songwriting together but it will be harder because of the distance.
Its a sad time for me. Since the team of POLEY/PICHLER will be split up, this will be our last CD unfortunately. Possibly my last as well too, unless something good comes along. We tried our best and are very proud of the music that we made, especially this new CD "BIG". We never had any sort of a budget for any of our projects, but the songwriting kept getting better and better. Its a real shame how we've been treated in this business.
I guess I am used to it by now, but I think it was a real dream killer for him.
I am very glad we had this chance together though, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
We learned a lot from working with each other. Hope everyone reading this will go out and buy the new CD, it really is our best.

Go back to the start, you have 2 albums under your belts - how does the process start for the Big album?
Actually we have 3 prior to this one if you count the acoustic CD. The process usually starts when we finish the previous CD, like Lovemetal. Gerhard will play me an idea of his and I will take it and come up with a melody and lyrics and we usually demo it and work on a final version.

Do you write the songs first, or head into the studio and write?
We start once we have a few songs, head into the studio and while recording those songs, we continue to write, so it actually takes a year to write and record a good CD. This last CD was cool to do because usually, in the past, Gerhard would have all the music recorded, and I had to fit my parts and melodies into his set format. This time we both worked more as a team and I could change some chords here and there, and we could edit parts so that if I felt I wanted a song to go in a certain direction, we would take it in that direction , instead of being restricted to what was already on tape. The songs reflect that and are better for it I think.

Now, you guys did the whole album yourselves. What was the recording budget?
Nonexistent.
We are and have always been unsigned, we just are left to ourselves to make a CD and then license it to a willing company, We always take a loss.
This time, we had to pay for all of the recording costs ourselves with our company and the sales of our other CD's. Now that the company is basically over, I am personally pretty far in debt from the BIG CD. Luckily we has the help of our friends, our wonderful band mates Joe Slattery, Marty Brasington, and Laura Diamond, who recorded this CD by donating their time and talents, otherwise, we could not have afforded to record it.

So how did you make it work on such a limited budget? Take us through how you recorded all the parts....
Instead of running out the clock in a real studio, we purchased a digital recording system and set up a studio in my house, which consisted of a live room and the mixing suite, with tie lines running through the walls so that the band could rehearse the song and then stay in that room and we would just plug them into the recording gear and do the basic tracks live as a unit.
This gave the CD a very tight, very cohesive sound, as the band was basically recording the rhythm tracks live.
They almost always got it right on the first or second take. Then we would fix up any glitches by punching in a few bass notes or keyboard parts after we got a good take. After they went home, Gerhard and I would take time and do the guitar layers, leads and I would do the lead vocals, and best of all spend a lot of time layering all those background vocals, the most I have ever had on any record. That was the most fun for me, coming up with cool background vocal parts and having the flexibility to lay down tons of layers.

And how about the mix? Did you do that yourselves also?
We did almost everything ourselves, Gerhard would do the "hands on" mixing while we both co-produced how it should sound, he is a great engineer.
I know what I want something to sound like, but I don't know the equipment well enough to turn the knobs. So I would say "make it sound like this" or "more delay" , "raise the volume", and we would agree on what should happen and he would make the moves to get the sound. We tried a lot of new different ideas of both of ours, and a lot worked and some didn't so we would change it. The only thing that we couldn't do was master it at the end, so we asked Gerhard's friend Horst to polish our diamond, and he did a really nice job.

Last time you had Tony Harnell stop by - Any guests on this album?
Not this time, but still I do love Tony! It is purely the band and I am very proud of everyone's performances.
We really didn't have time to start calling in friends on this one, we started out making the CD for Now and Then Records, and spent our own money, with the pending advance in mind to recoup, but in the middle of the project, they pulled the plug on us so we had to just finish as best we could with no hope of any monetary relief. We charged a lot on our credit card to finish the CD.
By then we really loved the songs and wanted to finish it regardless of label support or lack of it. We truly love what we do, that's why its so hard on us when critics nit pick over a snare drum sound or something stupid like that. They don't realize that it was like a miracle that we got it finished at all!

Tell us about the songs - what they are about:
· Parachute
This song is about how I feel that my wife is like a parachute to me, she saves me when I am "falling" and her love for me saves me on a daily basis, I get depressed a lot especially these days, and if she wasn't here for me, I don't know what would have happened.

· I Love You
Once again, inspired by my Love for my wife (there's a lot of that on this CD!) I write about my real feelings and experiences, and since she is the biggest best part of my life now, I am usually thinking about her when I write.

· Elton John
That one is pretty obvious, when I was a kid I was more into music than anything else, and one of the first artists that I loved was Sir Elton. This is my tribute to that great man. His songs and his playing and singing are still among my favorites. I always wanted to meet him but I don't think that's going to happen anymore.

· You're The One
Wife song once again, this song is more about when we first met and I fell in love with her. It works for anyone who is in that stage of their lives.

· How Many Nights
Wife song again, sorry.

· Let Me Out
This song is pure fantasy. I love to collect toys and this song is about a doll who falls in love with his collector and is forced to watch her from the confines of his box, through the cellophane window in the box. I tried to think of what he would say to plead with her, if he could. It's the doll singing his frustration over not being able to play with her or be with her/his still "mint in the box” and is very frustrated. It's a fun song.

· Darkest Hour
This is about my own depression and again the fact that my wife is here for me even when I cant take it any longer, I think of her and she makes me smile. Sort of a hopeful song in a way, I guess, yet dark. Hopefully listeners can relate and know that even in the worst of times you can think back to some of the better times and get through it.

· Stuck On You
Gee, can you guess? Wife again. I have a lot of love for that woman! Are you all bored yet?! Its actually got a great sexy groove and its a good song to "fool around" to!

· Better Off Dead
See all of the above! From the title you would think that its a suicide song, but the lyrics" better off dead, than living without you" say it all.

· Don't Spread Your Lies
This one is about all the crap and hateful people on the internet. I think that the internet is a huge piece of crap, some good can come of it but most people use and abuse it to anonymously scam other people and ruin other good people with lies.
That's the worst part of it, everyone can get their words read around the world, true or not, and sometimes no matter how ridiculous, other people will believe them. Its about people in my real life that I have met, and been cool to, and then I read the worst stuff that they post, for whatever reasons.

Looking forward to being in the UK again shortly?
Yes, very much, I hate to think that it will be my last trip over, as a singer, but it probably will be. I have always loved to tour the U.K, I love the people and I even love the food! I want to visit sometime and go to Canterbury with my wife, its such a cool place, I have been there a few times, but I really don't see much hope for me in this business anymore for the future, in Europe or the U.S., as things look now, I plan to retire within a year or so and maybe go back to school for something, as soon as i can figure out what else I can do, its been over 25 years that i have devoted to my failed career as a musician and I am not sure what else there is for me out there, so I hope the fans will come out and see me and say goodbye.

What's next up for Ted Poley then? Solo album?
I don't think so. I have tons of cool songs and will always love to write and demo them, but I have never had the luck that others have had, I have never been paid for any of my hard work in any of my bands, including the big one, so unless there is a company that is willing to actually pay me something to record again,” BIG" will be my last CD as it looks now.

Still serious about retirement then?
Yes, I am just not sure when. For the rest of this and next year, I plan to do a lot more touring in the U.S. with my same band and with the addition of our new guitar player Steve Massa, as the original voice of D2,singing the classics from those days and from all of my projects, Bone Machine, Melodica, Poley/Pichler.
I will be hoping beyond hope that something comes along that can keep me doing music, but for now, I have exhausted every trick if could think of doing it this long, and paying for the privilege myself. Steve is a great talent and we sound so great as a live band that its still a lot of fun. As they say, its not over till the fat lady sings, but I can see her now standing at the side of the stage, and she's warming up her voice!

What might you do if you do retire from music Ted? I'm sure people don't want you to...
I wake up every day with a panic attack because I really don't know the answer to that question.. I sort of spent my whole life, even as a kid, working on my craft and its the BIG question, to which I don't currently have an answer. If anyone out there has any job opportunities for me, I would very much love to hear from them!

I haven't asked you this until now, but in your opinion, what went wrong with the first Melodica album?
We were green then, we had no outside help or input and we tried our best, some people had problems with some of the production and those comments may or may not be valid, but you cant deny that there are some really good songs on there like "Take Me Away" and "Never Let You Go", "Hardest Part Of Love" and others too. I think that the critics expected too much from me, they never understood that after I was fired from Danger Danger, I could only try and do my best with what I had to work with, but I didn't have to direction of a knowledgeable producer that comes with big budgets. I still think that its a better CD than some I have heard, but I guess my fans and critics felt I was capable of so much more than I really was at the time. Its clear to see that we have since learned a lot, and each release has gotten better and better since that rough beginning. Without it we wouldn't have gotten as far as we did, so in a way, it was a blessing in disguise, the critics taught us how to be tough and how to make better records along the way.

What are Ted Poley's favorite 10 albums of all time?
There are a lot more than ten of them, but in no particular order:
Boulevard - Into The Street
Faith and Desire - s/t
Icon -Night of the crime
Elton john -Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", and "Captain Fantastic"
any Dan Reed CD
Def Leppard - Euphoria, Adrenalize, especially Slang and X
Starship - Love among the Cannibals
Hall and Oates - Big Bam Boom and Ooh Yeah
TNT - Intuition
Bruce Hornsby's first 3
Yessongs
Kings X (the 1st one and "Faith Hope Love?")
The 1st Enuff Znuff!
Sorry I went over the limit of 10!

And what are you listening to right now?
Def leppard X

So Ted, thanks for taking the time to answer these - God Bless!
God Bless us all!

Anything you would like to add?
Just a BIG thank you to all of my fans and friends for whom I have sacrificed the better part of my life trying to bring them some great music and I hope that it has meant something special to them, as they are so special and mean so much to me.
And I would ask them to visit my website www.tedpoley.com and please buy something so that I can pay off some of my debt, its newly rebuilt and ordering is a lot easier and there are some fun new items for sale, as well as photos and tour dates.
Thank you all for a great ride. And thank you Andrew for your wonderful website, your continued support and your nice review of BIG.

Thanks Ted.

Gus Adrian Gabarrò Vocals
Tony Mad Fontò Guitar
BB Nick Savio Guitar
Fabio Pozzato Bass
Alex Mantiero Drum
About the story of the Band you can look in the home page: http://users.iol.it/white_skull

How long have you been together?
A lot of years, sometimes one member change for personal reason, but Me, Fabio and Alex are together since '90s.

What is the best description for the musical style of White Skull?
Power Metal! And no other discussion.

Who did the artwork for the amazing CD cover?
Diego Ferrarin, the same art-worker for all the White Skull's cover. He is a professional drawer. He have drawn a lot of cover for other some bands especially for the Underground Symphony's Band.

First album ever bought?
[Not answered]

Biggest musical influence over career?
Iron Maiden.

What other bands have you played in?
Grave Digger, Saxon, Overkill, UDO, Doro, Uriah Heep and more... a lot of experience with other bands.

Last album bought and what is on your current playlist?
The last is HALFORD Crucible, on the play list the best is Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast.

Favorite album recorded or project you have worked on?
Officially I've worked only in the White Skull Work, the Best? The last one..

Where do you live and the best thing about it?
Our city is Vicenza, North-est Italy. I like because is quite, warm and we have a lot of things around this city, sea, lake, mountain, Venice, good wine, and so on...

Best live experience - either playing in or witnessing....
Play on tour with Grave Digger was a big experience, to play at festival is really nice too, but every show is good.

Is music your full time occupation?
Yes, I have a recording studio now, in Vicenza. I work there with Nick...

Best thing about playing music for a living?!!
Play Live!

Worst musical experience?
I haven't, I like all.

Best thing about the Internet and e-mail?
To stay in contact with all the people that write to the Band, is a really quick way to exchange photos, post and so on. I hate to download songs...

Biggest personal loss as a result of doing what you do (music)?
Noone!

Biggest gain as a result of doing what you do?
Satisfaction!

Best piece of advice ever given?
All the advices received from our Manager/Friend Chris Boltendahl
from Grave Digger.

Favorite track on The Dark Age?
All... ha ha ha… The Dark Age, The Edict and Grand Inquisitor

Next project planned?
Play Live and start to write a new album.

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions!!
Thanx to you. Stay Metal
Tony Mad

G'Day Chris! Tell us all about the band, and the line up?

Based in the North of France 'Charleville Mezizères'near Belgium, Northwind is Franck - vocals, Gilles - bass, Nico - Keyboards, Yannick - drums and me guitars.

How long have you been together? I started with Franck the band on the summer 2000,the actual line up was drafted in september 2001.

What is the best description for the musical style of Northwind? I think Northwind play melodic Heavy Metal mixing old and new influences.

Who did the artwork for the CD cover?
The artwork was made by Mathiew Bennett, based on a idea from Phil Igram from England.

First album ever bought?
I think it was Lovedrive by Scorpions. After some AC-DC, Saxon, Motorhead, Van Halen.......

Biggest musical influence over career?
My favorite band will be forever Thin Lizzy, many melodic bands like UFO, Pretty maids, TNT, Ozzy........and lately Stratovarius.

What other bands have you played in?
Many unknown local bands, in solo and the last one was a French Metal band call Heavenly (Noise Records).

Last album bought and what is on your current playlist?
The last album I bought is Thunderstone, Ozzy 'live at Budokan', on DVD too!

Favourite album recorded or project you have worked on?
The Northwind album 'Seasons'is my favorite one but i still like Dreamland my 3ND 'solo'album with Franck on vocals.

Where do you live and the best thing about it?
I live near to Besançon in the East of France, and there's nothing else to say about it excepting, maybe, good food!

Best live experience - either playing in or witnessing....
One of my best recall is the tour with Sratovarious in 2000, especially in Prague CZ. The people was so cool!

Is music your full time occupation?
I have to work in a store, you know money, always money!!!

Best thing about playing music?!!
To live 100% for my music, travel a lot, have a big guitar and CD's collection!

Worst musical experience?
The recording of the first Heavenly album! that was terrible!

Best thing about the Internet and e-mail?
To be connected with the entire world fans, médias, finding rare CD's and DVD! actually I receive many mails from Japan, Brasil.... it's fantastic!!!

Biggest personal loss as a result of doing what you do (music)?
Money is the only personnal loss résulting of music actually but I play with passion so, I'm happy!

Biggest gain as a result of doing what you do?
The biggest thing is probably the meeting of varius persons especialy pretty girls (ahahaha!), producing songs that people would enjoy.

Best piece of advice ever given?
Don't stay on your own! go and try to find the way of succes, but stay humble.

Favorite track on the Northwind album?
Masquerade.

Next project planned?
We are waiting for the first part of the Dio concert in Paris (Sept 30), we will play at the next Z Rock festival in Germany (Oct 5), we have some news stuff for the next album and we hope we could make a lot of shows after this.
Many thanks for this interview, I hope my English was ok!

WMMS Cleveland - Interview by Matt.


Van Halen, in particular, the Hagar era, has always been a religion for me. All of my very best friendships in this world, were started around musical discussion that led us to discover that “5150” was definitely our favorite album ever recorded, and when it came to live videos, there was definitely nothing that could touch our well worn copies of “Live Without A Net”. Any TRUE Van Halen fan knows that the Hagar and Roth eras are two very separate periods of time, and one, does not mix with the other……or does it? In what could be a possible sign of the apocalypse, Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth have united for a tour this summer, and the tour opens right here in Cleveland, on Wednesday, May 29th. I had an opportunity to catch up with Sammy and discuss many things on a Friday afternoon, and here is just a bit of what the Red Rocker had to say!

MBL – You guys have said some pretty colorful stuff about each other in the past. How is it in 2002 that you guys are touring together?
SAMMY HAGAR (SH) – First of all, Dave said a lot of colorful things about me, and he said a lot of crazy, wild, goofy things about me because his feelings were hurt because I joined the band that he thought he was going to die with, and we took it right straight down the road. I understand why he was a little upset about that. If you look at some of the things that he's said about me, it's just pure angry stuff like, “he's a no talent troll. He's my bitch.” And I'm going, “Oh, boy.”
MBL – That was my favorite – “He's my bitch, and when he says my name, we just sell that many more records.”
SH – Yeah. For him to even say that…Take a look at me and take a look at him together. It kind of looks like he's really my bitch, but I'm not claiming that. The only thing that I ever said about Dave was the truth. We did have a rivalry. As many times as he's went back into Van Halen and tried to make it work…they've thrown me out and try to get him back in, then throw him out and get Gary Cherone in, throw him out and get Dave back, throw him out, get him back again. I'm going, “hold on here.” I called their attorney and said, “why can't we just do the Sammy Hagar 'Sam and Dave Tour'? Tell Ed and Al, “Don't worry. We'll all travel separately and meet on stage, and we just do the show.” They threw that out, you know, don't even want to talk about it. I think that we had both just had enough, and he just called up and said, “let's just do it together – The Sam and Dave tour.” I said, “Right the Hell on!” It came together. When we met in a room for the first time to discuss the whole thing, Dave stood up and shook hands and said, “I don't care what's gone on in the past and what's been said in the past, we're just meeting for the first time. Let's just start from there.” I said, “right on.” That's the way we approached it. So far, so good. But now, what hasn't happened yet has been us going out on stage – not together. He's got his band, I've got mine. But in Cleveland, the very first show, on the coin toss Dave closes that show, and we go every other one. I close the next show, then Dave closes Chicago and I close whatever is next. The problem is that we haven't addressed yet is, “what's Dave gonna do when I've finished my hour and a half on stage?” That's gonna be the problem. That's all I'm going to say. Everyone's going, “what do you see as a problem.” I'm saying that the problem is that Dave has to walk out and follow me, and that's all I've got to say. We'll find out what the man's made of.
MBL – So, the coin toss has already been made and he's going to close in Cleveland?
SH – Yep, so get there early, folks!! Even if I was closing in Cleveland, it wouldn't matter. This is really about the whole show. We have this big 30'x40' video screen that we're going to put together. Dave's putting 10 minutes of his career together. I'm putting 10 minutes of my career together…you know, little footage of things like Ronnie Montrose wrestling with me backstage and stuff.
MBL – Does any of that footage include any letters like, “Four #1 albums with Van Halen?”
SH – (laughing) I'm not going to brag, but we're going to put all the little pieces of video clips together. I don't know what it's all going to be, but we each have 10 minutes, and then we're going to hire a guy – a filmmaker – to put all that footage together into a 20 minute video that's going to be shown before the show starts. Anyone that misses that probably just shouldn't even come. It's going to set the whole thing up so well, and then boom! It's going to be an hour and a half each. We both get full production. It's not like the opening guy that night gets short changed. The opening guy that night gets the full stage. The other band's gear is completely off the stage. When I finish, they wipe the stage and put Dave's stuff up. We've spent a lot of money on technology, getting things that roll out. We built this whole high tech stage so that we can switch over in 20 minutes and people don't have to wait while we set up for the whole next production. It's all good. I've got my waitresses and my 50 people with me on stage from the Cabo Wabo, and I've got my bartenders and my 20 cases of Cabo Wabo Tequila. I'm just throwing the big Cabo Wabo tequila party every night. It's going to be a last.
MBL – So, the Cabo Wabo remains intact then.
SH – Yeah. I had to redesign it, because it had to move quicker, but it's more high tech now. We've got bleachers that fold up, and they are all scrimmed and painted up really fancy. We get 25 people on each side around the screen, so 50 people. The bleachers are connected to the big screen. It's just a big party.
MBL – Is anyone going to document this for DVD purposes?
SH – I hope so. We're having troubles with that. Dave has his rules. For some reason, Dave's a control freak.
MBL – Well, so would you be to a point, don't you think?
SH – No.
MBL – No?
SH – I say, “Anything goes.” I'm saying, “Dave, you can control your set. When you are up there for an hour and a half, you're in control. I have no say so. I don't even want to know what you did. I could care less! You can bring 50 naked women up there and you can do anything you want. That's what you're here for – to entertain these people. They've got to walk away happy.” But when I'm on stage, you've got no say so. But he said, “I want to make sure that you don't do this and you don't do that.” And I'm like, “Dave, forget about it.” This is like a competition. This is like Ultimate Fighting Championship. You go in there and you can bite, scratch, pinch, pull hair, anything. Hit below the belt – legal.
MBL – Was there anything that went into Cleveland being the official launching pad for the tour, or is that just how it happened?
SH – It had a lot to do with the logistics of starting in a place that had the individual places that were available. This tour came up kind of late, and a lot of the places where pretty stacked…a lot of the venues. So, it worked out that if it started in Cleveland, which we were all good for…you know, it's not like it's not the rock and roll capital of the world or anything. But it really worked out routing wise, because then we go to Detroit, and then to Indianapolis and then St. Louis. So, it really routed nicely starting the tour out there. If we started on one of the coasts, it wouldn't have worked out. Of course, I would rather it would have started in my hometown so I can stay in my house a week longer, but it didn't work out that way. It's just going to be a blast. I'm not doing all Van Halen. Everyone knows that. I'm going to do my handful of the Van Halen hits; the Van Hagar hits or whatever, and Dave's doing exclusive Van Halen. It's all good. You are going to get a big dose of Van Halen, and you are going to get a big dose of some fun rock and roll, you know, “55”, “One Way To Rock”, “Heavy Metal”, “Three Lock Box,” “Mas Tequila” – what am I going to do? I can't not do those songs for the RedHeads out there.
MBL – I think that whether you have 2 ½ hours or an hour like you did for us about a year ago at that nice little club show you did, you have the power to deliver.
SH – I like to have fun, but I don't need to apologize for liking to have fun, do I? Matt, come on! I told Dave that it ain't about who can scream the loudest, jump the highest or play guitar the fastest. It's about who can throw the best party, and if you can out party me, pal, then God bless ya. I'll be in your dressing room the next night.
MBL – Initially we heard that there was going to be the sets by you guys, followed by an end of the night jam with all of you. Now as the tour comes to fruition, it seems that the jam has gone away. What happened?
SH – I wanted it to be that way. I had seen Elton and Billy on tour, even though this is not much like Elton and Billy (laughing), although it might be more like a WWF version. I thought it was a great show the way they co-mingled and the way they started together acoustically singing each other's songs. The first thing I presented, I was like, “Dave, we can really do something great for the fans doing something like that,” and he said, “Absolutely not. I've never jammed with anybody. I've never sang anybody else's songs and I'm not going to start now.” And I was like, “Fine.” I've got no problem with any of it. Like I said, anything goes with me. I just felt that when I'm out on stage that I don't want to hear from anybody else about nothing until I'm done. When I'm done, then I'm done. Dave doesn't want to do it. At the press conference, he had a little bit of a change of heart, a little bit. He said, “well, once we get out there and get to know each other and see what each other's doing, you never know. Anything could happen.” So I'm saying, “OK.” I'm a jammer. Any town I'm in, if there's another musician on the side of the stage, I'm inviting him out. That's just the way I am. That's why I build the Cabo Wabo, to jam with my friends and stuff. I'm really open to that, and hopefully it turns into that, but I wouldn't guarantee that. Really, it's just two bands and two solo artists going out there and trying to make the other guy wish he wasn't there.
MBL – It sounds like it's a good anything goes thing going into this tour.
SH – It's a good fan thing. If I was a fan sitting in the audience, I would be like, “all right. I get to see these guys go at it. It isn't about even trying to cheer for your favorite guy. This is about entertainment. It's about hearing all these great songs and jumping up and down and cracking up and having a hoot. It's going to be a good, good, good, good time rock and roll.
MBL – For me, I grew up with the Hagar era of Van Halen, and I never got a chance to see Roth live, so this is a chance for me to see that on a curiosity level. I guess you really do get to see the best of both worlds as a Van Halen fan.
SH – Absolutely, and you nailed that right on the head. There was so many of the Van Hagar fans that thought it and a bunch of the Roth era that never came on board with the Van Hagar era and always said, “Roth was the best, and it ain't the same anymore,” and then the Van Hagar fans and the Sammy Hagar fans that joined the Van Halen crowd that said, “Oh, this is so much better than it ever was.” It is a chance, kind of, to maybe see kind of a touch on that. But it's not a pure Van Halen thing. This is just, in my opinion, two legendary rockers going out and doing their thing, and it's very interesting to see the seasoning on each of us that really brings together the two of us. Together I think you are going to get the best of both of us. For me, when I finish, I want this guy to go, “Oh my God. I don't ever want to follow that guy again,” and I know that he feels the same way. I'm going to give Dave all the credit in the world. If I have to be following that knucklehead, I'm going to be going, “I'm going to kill that guy.” It's good, man. It's good. I'm excited. I'm so up for it. My band, they are like mountain biking to rehearsal. They are coming in and they are pumping iron to get ready. We are up for this mother, man.
MBL – I've got to think that with one wrong look, Mona's gonna take Dave out!
SH – Well, that's gonna happen. That could be the whole highlight of the tour, baby. Someone will go, “What was the highlight,” and I'll go, “Well, one day Dave was walking down the hall making some sly remarks, and Mona walked out and decked him (laughing). I'm telling you, she'll deck him. We talk about it all the time. Mona keeps saying, “Oh God, I hope I can keep from punching this guy in the face.” And I'm going, “Mona, just wait until the last show, OK? (laughing) I want this tour to happen.
MBL – To talk about something else, you have this really cool other project in the works called Planet Us. What is going on with that?
SH – Well, Michael Anthony is at my house right now. He stayed last night and he's staying for the next three days. With my band, we are rehearsing during the day, and with Planet Us, we are trying to write some new songs at night and trying to get as many songs in the can as we can, so that when we start recording in the fall, we'll have a lot of material there. We really postponed the project until the fall because I'm on tour and Journey is also on tour this summer. Poor Mikey is sitting around scratching his head going, “Why aren't I out there playing?” We're writing, and it's really an exciting project. I don't want to hype it too much it's so brand new, but the energy between us is so unique. Everyone knows that Slash was originally asked to do it, and he was in, but as soon as we started rehearsing, he never made it. Finally, we recorded two songs without him, and it was so good that we were like, we don't really need anybody else because it was so good with Neil. Neil's a very busy guitar player, and Deen Castronovo is an unbelievably busy drummer and Mike is a very busy bass player, so it was kind of like really rockin'. It's like kind of early Zep meets Cream meets Van Halen maybe, and meets Tool maybe. It's a little more modern like Tool. It's very intense, and kind of Rush-y. It's not like any of that, really, but it's on that ilk of bands. It's very musical. I'm very excited about it. If it wasn't for the Sam and Dave Tour this summer, I was going to work exclusively with Planet Us, because it's that exciting. I'm not leaving my band. This is a project, and it's really, really good.
MBL – Going back to Michael Anthony, it was really obvious that you and him had the most camaraderie together. It was always Sammy and Michael during the Van Halen years. Then, after you left, there was no more Sammy and Michael hanging out at the Cabo Wabo.
SH – I know, but that's all changed now. He's not only joining me for my birthday bash from October 1st to the 13th this year, but Planet Us is joining me to do,and we're going to do a Los Tres Gusanos reunion, which is myself, my drummer and Mikey. That was the original band down at Cabo, Los Tres Gusanos – Three Worms. Then Planet Us is going to play a night. My band is going to play a night, and then the guys from Metallica…I don't know if the whole band, but for sure Lars and Kirk are going to be there, and we'll put together a jam band. Some of the guys from Nickelback are going to come, because they had to reschedule from last year when the hurricane hit and we had to blow out the Mexican Meltdown. So, it's going to be the craziest week of rock and roll ever. And it's just…Mikey and I are back. We both said, “we don't care about 'the brothers'. They can't tell us who we can have as friends.” I don't care anyway, but I've always been protective of Mikey anyway because he's in the band, and I don't ever want to destroy that for him. If he ever got thrown out of that band, it would be terrible because I can't add him to my band unless Mona quits, and I can't fire her because she's the greatest. She's been loyal and all that stuff. I'm kind of in a predicament, but I'm definitely on his side. Right now I'm calling Mikey “Switzerland” – he's neutral. He can do anything he wants.
MBL – Well, I'm going to let you run, and let you go on to other things…
SH – I've got to go to rehearsal. I've got to go to my favorite thing in the world, man. I've got to go play music.
MBL – We will see you here in Cleveland on the 29th, and I can't wait, man.
SH – I want to thank everybody for waiting in line and camping out and stuff for those tickets. We're already at about 7,000 in Cleveland. Half of the place is sold. I just want to say that that is really fantastic for me. It makes me feel really good that the fans really care about me and this tour. We won't let you down, so come on. Buy the rest of those tickets.

Sammy Hagar's CABO WABO BIRTHDAY BASH CLUB TOUR DVD is available now on Image. Catch Sammy Hagar live at Blossom Music Center on Wednesday, May 29th. For more information on Sammy Hagar, check him out online at www.redrocker.com.

Hi Dario, congratulations on a fine album.
Thank you very much for the fantastic review, I'm really glad that you enjoy the album.

Yes, I did. Firstly, you recorded the debut Cage record and left Tony Martin to record with the great Glenn Hughes on Voodoo Hill. What circumstances arose to allow you to again hook up with Tony for The Cage 2?
Tony is one of the best singer in the world and he's my friend, for me it was a natural choice to work with him again.

Did you have a pre-established plan with this album?
Yes I had a plan to work with Tony again and the music was constructed before we got together.

I ask that as I noticed that The Cage 2 is a true partnership between you and Tony, as you wrote all the songs together.
Yes this is true in one sense, because although the music was written previously but then Tony received the songs at his home and adjusted them so that the vocals would work with the tracks. We work so well together that we trust each other to
make the songs work even if we are working apart. We are constantly pleased with how well this works.

How do you rate this album compared to your other albums? I said in my review that I rate it the best yet!
I feel it's much better than the first Cage album but is completely different to the Voodoo Hill album so I cannot compare them. I like both.

This is a more straight ahead melodic heavy rock album as compared to the blusier Voodoo Hill. Was that the direction you were more comfortable going in?
The difference is not really made by the music, what you hear is made by the singers. Their approach to the tracks is completely different
and that's why you hear them that way. My music is always the same style.

How long was the writing and then the recording process for the album?
One year because during this year I toured with Graham Bonnet and Don Airey band and I produced other bands in my studio.

Dario, you produced, engineered and mixed the album, which I dare say, has a cracking good sound to it. How hard is the task of overseeing your own project?
Hard work but harder than producing other bands. I can get too involved when working with my own material because I have other things to think about and sometimes that creates a little conflict within myself. Easier to work with others because I know exactly what to do for them.

Is it hard to be objective when a decision has to be made, or did Tony kick in with some help?!!
Tony's input is mainly with the melody for the lyrics but this is what gives the songs direction. I manage the overall sound personally.

Were there any tracks that didn't make the final album cut?
No all the tracks were included.

Where did the chorus on Terra Toria come from? It's somewhat different than the rest of the album, but I love the effect.
It was Tony's idea and was sung by him through effects. It was to create a different effect specifically for this track.

Favourite songs from the album?
Poison Roses, Life love and everything, Terra Toria.

Will there be any live dates for this album?
Maybe I hope so…we will see.

I think you and Tony make a great team, where to from here for The Cage?
Another Cage album but even better.

What other projects have you got going? / What can Dario fans look forward to next?
More touring with Graham and Don, another Voodoo Hill as well as the next Cage album. .....etc

What guitarists influence your style and sound the most?
Ritchie Blackmore and Van Halen.

You are a extremely talented guitarist, who can diversify into the Blues also.
Can you tell me what blues guitarists you admire there?
Jeff Beck and Gary Moore.

For those that have not yet heard The Cage - right from the horses mouth - how would you describe the band's sound to those curious about it?
Huge!

Thanks Dario! I appreciate the interview.
You're welcome.

xx

So Martin, it's been an interesting 12 months or so, how are things with you right now?

Oh yeah... Things went from good to bad to worse to fantastic! It's been a year of ups and downs for sure.

Pleased to get this album finished and released?
Very pleased. I can't wait for people's reactions.

I don't want to go over old ground, or get too personal, but can you explain what happened when you decided to leave the band at one point last year?
Well, I never left. We were trying to make the band work with a (once again) new lineup, but things weren't happening. We never found a good rythm and I felt that most of the duties were on my shoulders.
When I formed the band in '94 I wanted it to be a platform for my ideas and my music. I wanna make music, I don't wanna argue with people so I decided it was time for me to record a solo album instead and put PUSH on a shelve for a while. However, the fan reaction blew me away. People wanted me to continue the band and I realised that was what I had to do! The material the band had recorded was ready to be released when some of the former bandmembers threatened me with a lawsuit if I did. In the end I decided to re-record the whole damn thing with some of my good friends here in Copenhagen instead of using all my energy in a courtroom. I am glad I did!

It obviously turned out for the best, as the album sounds great!
Oh man, I am so happy with the final result. It was re-recorded in just 18 days!

And you also briefly split with Z Records. I won't go into why, but what bought you two together again?
Well, Mark Alger has exquisite taste when it comes to music and I knew the band belonged on the best label there is for this kind of music in the world these days.
Basically we just agreed on continueing the working relationship that had lasted since early '98.

So does the album's lyrics in any way reflect the turmoils of the last 2 years?
I can't deny that the lyrics in some of the new songs reflect what has been going on in my head in that period. For me it's the best way to tell the world how I feel about things. I try not to sound bitter because I want to focus on the positive things. Some of the anger and frustration have inspired me to be creative.

For anyone reading this and wondering what a Push album is all about - tell us just what exactly is this album is about and how does it sound through your own view?
A PUSH album is all about rock and roll. From hard rocking tracks to emotional ballads. I know it sounds cliché, but to me, the concept works.
The melody is my main priority, and with the busy lives most people live these days, hopefully this album will help them escape once in a while! I know that is what I like to do when I buy myself a new album. Crank it up!

Would you mind running through the albums tracks, with a brief description?
For The Love Of The Game
This one really says it all. Why I am still in the business and what I live and die for!

Heart Is An Empty Space
A song I am really proud of. I think it's the best hookline in a PUSH song to date. And the guitar-solo is so kick ass. Mr. Anthony Lledo on guitar ladies & gentlemen...

Only Dreaming
My original idea sounded like a punkband, but Anthony refused to record it as it was and thankgod we changed it. Credit to him for making it what it is. I changed the melody to fit his guitar parts and that was it. Basically it's just an uptempo love song.

In My Blood
This is my salute to all former members of the band. I wish them all well. It's a statement - I refuse to give up my rock and roll dream!

Time To Let You Know
The only ballad on the album. I think it came out really well. I love doing ballads, it brings out the best in everyone - myself included, lol! Some nice performances from the guys in the band on this one too.

Not This Time
Straight forward rock and roll the way I like it. She cheated on you and now you've had enough. Not exactly a new theme, but one a lot of people can relate to I'm afraid.

Lucky Man
A celebration of life really. Something about gambling, drinking and having a good time, people can make from this whatever they want, he, he!

The Best Thing
A groovy one. It's about love and holding onto it when you've finally found it. Once again the guitars are so emotional!

More Than Meets The Eye
My first political lyrics to date. I couldn't help myself now that I am the father of two boys. Everywhere you turn your head there is war going on and it will never end. I guess I have matured a lot since they were born three years ago when it comes to awareness and respecting people around me.

Just A Man
This one was recorded in 2000 for our last album "On The Run". However, it was only released as a bonustrack in Japan. Some fine guitar playing by Martin Slott, pure rock and roll!

Black Candles
Also a bonus track from 2000. A fine rocker to finish the album off - pour yourself a drink and turn it up!

How do you rate this album, in comparison to the band's other albums?
I think it's the best one yet! I have matured as a songwriter and I feel that the curve is going up. It's the fourth album and right now I feel like I could go on forever. The guys playing on this album are just great. I have mentioned Anthony on guitars, but I also wanna praise the drummer, Jesper Werner, his feel is great and his drumming has certainly taken the music even higher!

I think personally that this one sounds a little darker, a little moodier...I like the feel of it.
I think you are right. It is probably the personal lyrics this time around. But I do believe it has a positive vibe!

What's next for Push then?
Some PR and then touring. I will tour the UK this summer and I will be playing in Scandinavia as well. Hopefully we can add Germany, Holland & Belgium later. I would love to go to America, but it's a costly affair. A new PUSH album early next year is one of my main goals.

You were working on a solo album - is that still planned anytime?
I want to do the solo album and I have the songs ready. The time has to be right. Let's see, even though you have plans you never know what happens, it could be next year!

How do you find the melodic rock scene from where you are based in Denmark?
Hopeless, lol! There are quite a few acts coming out of Denmark at the moment; Royal Hunt, Pangea, Pretty Maids, PUSH and of course Tramp. But it's all happening away from home, nothing happens here. TV and radio have all forgotten about rock and roll. The good thing about "the underground" is the fact that you can trust that what we do is 100 % honest. The young generation around the globe is being raped by the music industry if you ask me, but hey, "I'm just a singer with a song"...

Are there any opportunities for young bands like yourselves to break through?
Always! I think the important thing is to believe in what you do and work hard for it, then you will be rewarded. Whether it's a big record deal or a smile on someones face because your music makes him happy, that's not for me to decide.
Anything you would like to add?
Yes! I would like to thank you and all the people who come to your site, you are the true believers and without you this would not be happening. Long live rock and roll!

Check for updates at: www.pushrocks.com