Connection, Community, and Chaos: Following the Signs Share Bloodstock Stories and Band Insights

0:04 Hi, you have done too. That's true, se Wow for you you it is the pipemin here on the Adventures pipe Man W four c Y Radio and I'm here. With Alan from following the signs noe of the guitarist from following designs. Nice. So you followed the signs into Bloodstock? Huh we did? We did. It's a long journey. Yeah. Yeah, and that's kind of like how I figure out getting here. The GPS doesn't do and do it the signs do it? No, you have to follow designs exactly. You're not following doing something wrong.

0:45 So you got to come to Blonde Bloodstock not only follow the signs to get in here, but follow the signs of your set. That's it. It's we're on the ump ten to five, so nice looking forward to it. So is this your first time at Bloodstock? It's our first time playing in the UK. Wow. So to be on Bloodstock in UK for our first show, it's pretty surreally. Yeah, because this is like one of my favorite festivals because we're like a family here. Yeah, you can really you can really feel that as well. Like, yeah, it's like and from what I understand you tell me, you might not know too much so far. But how they take care of the artists too, is real important to me. And everybody tells me that, like you're taking care of like your family.

1:29 Yeah, not like you can really see how they try and do what they can for you no matter what you're dealing with. If you're not supposed to be somewhere, they'll help you out to get you where you need to be. Like so it's it's so good, like. It's yeah, yeah, and so helpful too, because the last thing you want is like your shirt says you don't want to be stressed out. You know, you're stressing me out. Shout outs at the home team. Right, let load in or stress you out. Sound check will stress you out unless you have people like Bloodstock that make it to where you're not exactly. And it's so much better for everybody because you have a better set. We have a better set as the audience because you're just having fun at that point exactly.

2:15 Yeah, you're free to just go up and play, no stressing exactly. That's good. So for each one of you, where did your musical journey start? Well, I mean, as a proper child, I would have been eminem and stuff like that. But then I went onto like Lincoln Park, which then evolved into old rock ACDC and all of that, and then that went into Event sevenfold and that's kind of where the metal core kind of started nice and it's just grown since there, how about you. Yeah, so i'd say I was I was like Alan, I was into like popular music when I was a kid, you know, anything. Your mother would listen to or something. But like I remember here in the Metallica Creeping Deaths Sea nineteen eighty nine on like the TV for the first time, I had an older cousin watching it, and I.

3:02 Was like, what the fuck is this nice? It's been hooked ever since, you know, so it's a Metallica And then went into like the new metal stuff like Slipknot and stuff like that, and now we just kind of proud weird metal taste. Yes, too bad you weren't here yesterday because Slipknot's kids played yesterday. We did catch it. They're good, right, They're good, amazing? Yeah, Yeah, I love their ben because I love Slipknot too. In fact, i'll show you something. Pull it out here my hoodie since you're a Slipknot fan. Checked that hoodie out.

3:43 That's class. That's right, that's unreal. I don't think you don't don' want a hoodie anymore unfortunately. Yeah, I don't need the hoodie right now. Maybe later. That's the that's the bipolar weather over here, like when the sun goes down. You know you've been here. It was freezing those first couple of nights, man, And I'm like, I don't even know how to dress like our paction in my backpack to be prepared for whatever is going to happen. I think this is the first time, like sleeping, I have sleep clothes and like wearing clothes right, like I'm usually just like in my underwear asleep. Not a hope in this tent. It's like condensation everywhere on freezing.

4:24 Oh all worth it though. Right, The things we do for music right. Has to be done. I mean, like this is what we want to do. You got to go through with the groin first. That's right. And it is the best therapy music, you know, for you the band and for me the listener, you know, and so that is what makes it worth it. Yeah, big time. It's all about the connection that you get, Like when you have people coming up saying, oh that's part of that song really stuck with me, and like, that's just unreal to be able to have that effect on people. And it's weird to think. It's weird to think like as humans we can just like make these sounds and connects, you know. Yeah, so music, when you think about it, it's crazy, Like you know, I love it.

5:08 Yeah, that's why it's a shame in my country they keep trying to take music in the arts out of school, and I think, no matter what, it should be in there because that is part of making you a well rounded person. You know, you could be book smart, but you need to be smart in the arts and everything else too to really, in my opinion, have a full life. Yeah, it's an important form of self expression. You know. I think everyone should learn an instrument or try with the music because it's like it's just a skill that's very useful to have your for your mental as well. You know. Absolutely, you can just disappear in it or like we're here at Bloodstock and I don't even give a fuck what's going on out there in the world. I don't even know. I haven't even looked at any news or nothing.

5:56 I don't give a shit. I'll deal with it when I get back to it, and then I'll probably not deal with it either. I was saying to the guys last night, Like last night, I told him, I forget I'm in the UK, you know, just being in here like you know, so I'm the same. I'm in my own little bubble in here like exactly. And that's what's beautiful about it. You know, whatever festival I do, it doesn't matter where I am in the world. I don't know where I am. I just know I'm at the festival and that's all that matters, all that matters, right, And then you know, people they misconstrued a marsh pit. You know, the marsh pit is not about hurting people. It's not about you know, getting violent. It's about getting all your violence and anger out of you and feeling good and camaraderie and picking each other up and taking care of each other instead of attacking each other. And you know, then you all have a big group hug afterwards.

6:54 Yeah. I mean last night Stearne who said it was slaughter, slaughter slaughter, one of the guys was in the pit. He fell down and he thought he was going to get trampled and he felt a fluffy hand reach to him and. Oh my god, that's classic. Oh my god, that's something that person will remember the rest of their life. Almost saved my life in the marsh pit. There's not many people in the world can say that sentence. Right's right good. And then the other day during heavy sores, I was in the marsh pit with a bunch of dinosaurs. That was the best thing I've ever seen. That was so much fun.

7:35 There was a twelve dinosaurs just running in a circlus. It was so much fun. And then with Evil Scarecrow there were spiders and crabs and it's just this is what the world needs, this kind of stuff, you know, and you know the expression like you said, like there was a recently, like I don't know, last month, there was a hardcore show where like the band had the crowd attack like a banana from dressing up as a banana, Like what do you fucking care if it's a banana, And they made them rip the banana suit off, and like that's bullshit. We don't need those old school gatekeepers anymore.

8:20 I live those times of the gatekeeping and with bullshit, somebody wants to be a fucking banana, haveout it, man, I think it's fun. I'd rather mash with banana than one of those people. If we were playing the show and I see the banana and I'd be like, guys, look like I'd call the guys look, it's a banana, you know, right. Like, more power to those people for being able to be in a mush but in one of those suits with the heat. That's what I always think, man, Like some of these people dressing up in these suits, I'm like, oh my god, it's gotta be hot at frick. Yeah, you know, it's like wow. But they're dedicated to having fun, and that's why we're here. That's why you're here. Like, if a band isn't on stage having fun, I don't know what they're doing being a band, you know, yeah, exactly, that's what this is all about.

9:09 And if you're not having fun, the crowd will tell you're not having fun, exactly. Pick up on that stuff. Like, you know, So, how. Would you describe to our listeners without using a label like a genre, your band? I'd say we're hectic and all the right ways. That's a great description. How about you? He thought that question was hard? Ah, Like he's better with words than I am, even though I'm the vocalist, but. I'm heavy but melodic. You know, that's a good description there. That's kind of the way I would describe. Because I love doing that because I want to hear the artist's point of view of their own music. And I'm sick and tired of whoever it is, record labels, audiences, other bands put in artists in a box. There's so many micro genres, so many subgenres, that's game ridiculous array.

10:07 It's all just rock and metal in my opinion. Yeah, I agree. You know, I don't have to like a certain type of metal. I like all metal, like Ardier bands. I may not like, sure, but not because of what sub genre they're in. You know, it's still metal at the end of the day, like exactly. I mean it's a three minute song. Do I like it or us? Exactly? And you don't need to listen. I think it would be kind of boring to listen to the exact same subgenre micro genre over and over and over again. Same with for an artist like Ali said it best from Bring Me a Rise, and he said, why do I want to write the same song over and over again? Yeah? I mean.

10:47 We love bring Me, so like I would say that bring me is kind of direction that we're kind. Of headed to nice. So like we have the. Singing bits, we have the screamy bits, but then we're adding a lot of like synths and stuff now and it's it's it's getting good. They're in my top five. I fucking love them and they have such a great live show. My favorite lyric of all time is I can't drown my demons. They know I swim as like the most brilliant shit ever man. And he wrote that in rehab, so you know it. And the point is, I think, like I remember when the first song off the newest album came out and it was their old It's like old school Death Corps, And I think what happens is the artist kind of gets bored and doing the same shit all the time, so he diverted to other areas. And now when you go back to the Death cor it's fresh and new again.

11:46 Instead of just going through the motions. You'll give it that time to breathe, like you know, exactly, keeping guessing what you're doing next, exactly. Tell me, what is there a rude way you can't do both? You know why can't I release our seventies rock song one month and then do a decourse song. Then there shouldn't be rules. I mean, even with that said, we have a song that we have written. It's not released, but it's very pop in comparison to some of the heavy, heavy stuff that we've written, like but it's still a banger of a tune. It's very like eighties rock pop. Nice. Yeah, yeah, so we'll have to decide how we slot that one in, you know. But yeah, I.

12:26 Prefer to diversification. And you know, as you grow as an artist, you do want experiment and and see what you can do. You know, when you start off, you have limited like abilities and limited things you could go to. But as you learn your craft, you want to exercise everything you've learned and grown as a musician. Yeah, a painter doesn't just use one color. Like exactly one. And you know what, if it's a good song, like we said, it's a good song, it doesn't matter who the band is or what it is. And like I look at somebody like Lady Gaga doing that performance with Matawca, I'm like, oh my god, she's a fucking badass rocker, and yet she was doing something with Tony Bennett like the month before, you know, so to me, I'm like mad respect She's well rounded and can perform in any arena.

13:22 And I killed it with him too, like a very good you. Know exactly, And you know what, she had to pick up the slack because James Mike wasn't working and she, oh, yeah, I know somebody that works the Grammys. He was pissed. Man. He went back to a dressing rum and he lost his ship. And I can't blame him, you know, especially you're doing it that long. You're you're you're such a perfectionist about what but like she picked up the slack. It like what a pro, you know, And that's the key, you know, just have fun, do your thing, express the way you want to, and then we'll love it because we know you're loving it.

14:03 And like, deal with the caards as they come, you know, don't try and like perfect everything. If you can't, you can't, you know what I mean, Deal with the show when the show is on. You know, it's a live show. I've been saying a lot, you know, in the studio it's one thing you do, take after take to get it perfect. But live show shouldn't be for perfect, and who the hell even notices either except you. You know you're the artist just like all of us. You know you're your own worst critic, but most of the people out in the aliens don't even know that you fucked up when you do. Oh yeah, we actually have a thing during our practice sessions like where especially me and him, because we're alway stood next to each other, if he has a tiny little flick of a string that shouldn't be there, I'll just give him a look. But he knows full well that I've picked up with it. But it's the same boat ways. Then if my voice breaks, he's on it.

14:56 It's like a running joke if one of us do something more like to each other. See, I love that, and like a good artist just keeps going. And that'sn't even like you're giving those slight looks to each other. We don't notice it. We think you're just like being, hey, what's up, we're having fun here. But the fact is when you just go on, nobody notices. It's when you're like I've seen artists where they like freak out on stage. I'm like, that just made it worse. You can't do that like you know, like like I do that to him. Jordan practices like if you're having life, I wouldn't even look at him, you know, just keep.

15:37 Exactly just it's a performance at the end of the day, Like I mean, you can have mistakes, and as we said, it's a life so show like so. You're human, it's natural. Nothing. It's very difficult to be exactly like the record exactly. It's still I'm still gonna do my best to make it. And who wants it to be that. Metallica just said it. They were like, you're not listening to three it's a live band. Yeah, yeah, And like my feeling is it's like I don't want to listen to the album at a live show, like it doesn't have to be perfect as the album. I want to listening the album. I'll go home and listen the album. And there are bands that it's almost like listening the album and like I'm bored. Yeah, you know.

16:22 So kudos to you guys, and so happy you're here at Bloodstock. You're gonna kill it and thanks for being on the Adventures of Pipe Man. Thank you more than happy to be here. Thanks for having us. You got it. Thank you for listening to the adventures of pipe Man. I'm w for Cui Radio