PipemanRadio Interviews Kingdom Collapse at Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2023

0:04 Hey, you love them too, sus sure, I'm four see wow, Wake up America. It's time for the Adventures. So pipe Man on W four cy do com West pom Beats, his number one internet radio station. Here's your host, the pipe Man. I am not a cool kid, never give a fuck. This is pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man w f C Y Radio. And I'm here with Aaron from Metallica. Yeah, I'm just second basis for Metallica. Yeah, they just fired Rob right now, place deal with Rob Kingdom Collapse. I played bass for Kingdom Collapse.

1:08 Oh see, I thought you were the guy backstage playing bass for Metallica while Rob was just showing off. That's that's off the record. We can't talk about that. Cannot talk about that on radio. Oh Man. And here here you are at blue Ridge Rock Festival. Say that ten times fast. I want you to say that. I'll say it once. Blue Ridge Rock Fest. We are unsigned and we played main stage today, which we are freaking excited about. How badass was that. It was great because last year we played a side stage and we got John Sly, the head of Blue Ridge, threw us on main stage for this year. So we're super thankful, and there was a massive crowd out there for you. Yeah, it was sold out whole week and sold out. How does that feel like early on the first day, you're rocking to a whole massive crowd, because that doesn't normally happen, right, I mean it was brunch hour. It was cool. I had my avocado toast, but I was surprised there's a lot of people out there at we were on at one tin it was I mean the lawn was pretty full. Yeah, there you go. So it's funny you said the avocado toast because first of all, I'm looking at your tat here on your arm, okay. And I lived I moved to California in nineteen eighty and lived there through the whole Sunset strip scene. You know.

2:24 I was into the Venice scene, which I see on your tattoo, and I first of all, tell me why it's backwards? Is it so when you look in the mirror it looks right? The whole story. I used to live in La I was a hired gun guitarist, lived in North Hollywood when I first moved there. I went to Venice Beach and I saw a cheap painting which was this and it was yeah backwards, like slash behind the sign, like showing the grime and the dirt of Hollywood. I just really loved it, and I want to get a tattooed. I love it. It's a cool tattoo, but it kind of goes along with the vibe of what we're talking about, because you know, Hollywood is like a king of music, you know, and here you are at the King of All festivals, and you know that's my that's my nickname. By the way of the publicist for Adam Splitter pr called me that years ago because I go on tour and I do all the festivals. Splitter Yeah. So she was like, you're the King of all festivals. I'm like, can I use that?

3:30 She's like, yeah, and you should trade market. So I did. So there I I'm I'm a hashtag. I was looking at my text because our friend Dave texts me. He's like, hey, he sent me a selfie of y'all, so he sent me your contact. I hit you. I was like, I was texting Dean. I was like, shit, we talked last year because we were on a dinky stage over here, so we wanted to make sure this year it was like, actually, proper, Well, you're lucky this year because this kind of president was not here last year. Last year wasted better. Oh it was a ship show last year. Luckily I'm experienced at this. I had to grab interviews from wherever I could, so I was like going backstage and grabbing people I knew.

4:10 I'm like, hey, let's do an interview, because there was like, no, there was a little tent here with no tables and chairs up here on this hill, which was worse last year because they had to set up different so this was a hike for artists to get here. Was a major pain in the ass. So I went and found them, well dud, because last year there was a stage like yeah, we played this side stage whatever over here. Then you go down the hill to the stage. Then there's another one. I was like, way back there, right way down the hill. Well dude, so let me interview you. How'd you get iHeart? Have you always been iHeartMedia? You know? Wig? Okay, it's so funny, that's the pit question you picked, And I'll tell you why. So when I first started the network many years ago, our main location is in Wellington, Florida, and we have this festival that we do every year called Winterfest, and there's this dude in our town that plays it every year because he's famous, you know, famous musician. Before he did that, though, somebody said to me, and I'm not saying the name yet, okay for a reason. Wait, we're talking Florida. You said Florida. Yeah, like Orlando winter Park. No, West Palm Beach area.

5:28 So he got somebody says to me, hey, you should go. You should interview so and so. And I just rolled my eyes and I'm like why because you'll find out in a second rock band or a singer. No, he's a rapper from the eighties and you know, I'm a metal head and I'm like why. And so then he goes he does this charity of end downtown West Palm Beach. Go check it out and you'll see why. And I went down there. I'm like, holy fuck. There were fifty thousand people there. I'm like, holy fuck. He still has a following. I can't believe this. So anyway, he came to our festival. Is here at this festival he is it is. See I was naively to see if you would figure it out. So what happened was is he did this festival of ours, our town festival, and he brought I was live broadcasting, so he promised me an interview. And every time he came and sat down at the chair's manager whisked him away, same as like you were busy last year, you know. Yeah. And at the end of the night, manager comes up to me. He's like, sorry, he can't do the interview. He's got another event he's got to go to.

6:38 And I look and I see Rob running across the amphitheater, sits down in the chair, shoose his manager away. He's like, I promised you an interview. I'm giving you one. You're gonna interview him tonight after his set. I'm I'm gonna walk up to him and see if we're friends now. So I'm gonna walk up to him. I'm like, hey, he's playing the club stage. Wherever that is he's playing, it's the after party, it's the monsters stage. I think it is not monster there's the monsters, and there's Monster monsters. The main the monsters is the one way in the back somewhere. Ohta. But so he when you hear what happens next, because it all ties together to your question, Okay, you can tell I'm a radio personality because I can tell a whole story for one little question.

7:30 But anyway, he uh so, Denny invites me to broadcast live at his event, the which is the big one, Like sure, first thing that year. I go down. I'm unpacking all the radio equipment. He's helping me, and because we became real friendly, and I had slip not blasting, and he started headbanging and I looked at him and I rolled my eyes. Well, you know what's nuts with Rob? His original drummer obvious playing today, but his original drummer owns clubs in Dallas like Venus that our band is played in the Dallas Deep Ellam area. Because I thought, I don't know if Rob is he from Texas originally? Do you know? I don't think so Clinton his drummer is I don't know. I know he lives in my town now, but yeah, but no, we have I mean, it's weird that we even have ties to Vanilla Ice, right, all roads lead to Vanilla Ice. Yeah, clearly, that's that's what it is.

8:24 So then okay, I roll my eyes and he's like, oh dude, this is my jam. I love the metal I'm like, okay, So now I had mad respect. They gave me the interview when he didn't have to. But I gain mad respect the following year because the following year, he goes, hey, you can come broadcast again, And so I did. I set up and there's this big person like a director of Clear Channel, walks up to my booth. Clear Channel for those of you don't don't know, it's who iHeart is. Now they were a Clear Channel, yeah, And she was like, you need to take your booth down and leave. And I'm like, what do you mean you can't be here. I'm like, well Rob invited me here. We don't care. We're paying for this event. It's our event. We don't want you here. And I'm like I'm playing nice. At first. I'm like, well, you're a Clear Channel. I'm just some little radio station. I'm not your competition she and she goes, yes, you are, because we're Iheartrail and I'm Internet streaming. So they had just started in that arena, so she then I knew I wasn't gonna get anywhere where. I'm like, well listen, I'm not leaving because you tell me to leave. If Rob tell asked me to leave. I'm happy to leave, but I'm not leaving because you tell me to leave it damn. And she lost her shit. So you've built, You've built something cool. Yeah, but so wait, we got here to rest. I know, I know you want to get to a point.

9:50 But this is where the iHeart comes in. Oh yes, yes, he's radio. It takes thirty eight minutes to get to a point. Right, you like that? So she goes up to his stage while he's sound checking, and all I hear over to Mike is get the fuck off my stage and leave my fucking radio station alone. Mad respect Like he didn't have to do that. They were paying him. I wasn't. I will just left. He put me in his meet and greet and he's like, you stay here. They can't fuck with you here. Next year he kicked them out of his festival, brought me. He says, I want you coming back. I kicked them out. I don't put up with that corporate radio bullshit.

10:31 Here's the answer your question. Then I get a phone call. This is so and so from Clear Channel. We're starting a network of talk. There was no word for podcasting then, but that's what it was. We've been listener stationed for the past year, and you have great content and we want a partner with you for beta testing our new talk network, Online Talk Now, because you just had not in Flames. You had a band a couple of weeks ago. Who do you interview last month? I was in interview. Well, I was just looking at your at your thing on iHeart. It wasn't in Flames. I did interview in Flames, but but now I don't think it was last month. I had like sixty interviews last month.

11:16 But to your point, what you've built, I mean is nowadays and radio it is hard to do and you have bands who still want to come talk and hang. It's like that's I mean twenty twenty three, that's with streaming and everything. Well, that's like Tech nine was just here. They called right there like that guy knows what he's doing. Yeah, they're smart, you know. So the more oldest story is stand up to the fucking big bad wolf and they may end up partnering with you. Yeah, and here, all these years later, here we are answer your question. The long the un the bridge that was thirty nine minutes, It whenever thirty eight. So what's your next question? Let's talk about my band. Now let me let me talk about myself. You got thirty eight minutes. Fuck, I got a minute of conversation. Well so we talked last year. Last year we played here. We're on side stage, still unsigned, well back then unsigned, still unsigned, but this year we were main stage. We've had seven straight singles on Serious XM Octane. Nice tell us about the new one un Serious too. Yes, never be like you that just came out last week. Just got the ad today or yesterday. So like in regular rotation, but we still as an unsigned band, we go. When we get regular rotation, we tell our fans, hey go Bombard Octane or radio station x y Z. Make sure they know that y'all want to hear it.

12:41 But it's yeah, it's like us talking to our fans where they want to hear it on radio because they know how much it means to the progression of the band. So it's it's really cool. So and even the same thing like, look it, you can promote Serious all you want on my station. No other station does that because you know, well, I fucking like Serious. But you know what, iHeart We have not had any iHeart spin, so this can help with iHeart you know, we're down and if you send me any of your m P three's, I'll put it in a rotation on my station. That'd be cool because I mean, you know how radio, even with rock nowadays, it's like to get into FM radio, it's a it's tough if you're if you don't have a label. News.

13:22 iHeart a moved the much into terrestrial aimore. They basically sold all their terrestrial stations, but they were brilliant. They smart. Part deal was you still got to call it an iHeart radio station. And then they take the streaming. That's your podcast channeling. It says iHeart and says Dean the Pipe pipe man, that's me, Yeah, but it's Iheart's Yeah, that's right, that's right. So, and I'm also partnered with now they were the original partner. I'm also partnered now with Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Music, in Audible. So this interview will be on my live show, but we'll beyond two of my podcasts. You saw one of them on Ihart, Pandora, spot by, Amazon Music, Audible, and like one hundred others. Well, dude, we just got so we got serious XM. Like I told you. But Pandora added us to like all the huge rock nic Rocks.

14:16 Is it channels for a Pandora yea, all the Rocks stations, channel stations because Chris Paddock, he's the head of rock over there, he really likes us. And again, no labels, So we're fighting our ass off just to get looks. And I think if you saw what we're doing, I think it's better you have no label as somebody from the eighties sunsets strip scene the labels never mind. Well that's dude, I can talk ahead. I mean you lived I so I lived in la I mean it was twenty seventeen, so not in the eighties when you had Motley and well, Vince Neil's playing right now, but I know right reading all their books about their record deals, it's a she was nuts. I live there backstage when the line of them signed it. I was friends with a lot of them because they were all my age, just a bunch of kids playing music. You know.

15:05 Motley Crue was maybe like two years older than me. First club show I ever went to was Roxy and Motley Crue unsigned Motley Crewe before an album, went to first Metallica show ever since. You've mentioned Metallic in the beginning first Slayer show ever. Piercy's here at this festival. You see that all the time Armored Saint. I was backstage with Armored Saint when they signed with Chrysalis, And that's when I realized at that point in time, maybe I should have fought differently. But I was at gatekeeper kid. I was like, fuck this, I don't want anything to do with this business back then, because it was like, Okay, well you have to dress like this and your music has to be like this, and blah blah blah, and here we'll give you a shitload of money, a shitload of drugs, and a shitload of women and have a good time. Amen. Brother, Amen.

15:58 So but yeah, that's let's go back to me. That's where I was. That's what the cell was for. Yeah, for all that like not having a label. I mean, yeah, if we have, if there's a company that wants to dump one hundred thousand dollars into us, by all means, but until we find that partner that like really believes in us, that we can Yeah, I mean I got an a job. When I'm home, it's like I work, So it's like we're not We're not struggling. It's like we're waiting for the right the right thing. You gotta do the right thing because that wrong decision could change the whole thing forever, you know, And you gotta be true to yourself. To me, that's what music's about, being true to yourself your art. So what question would you ask you in an interview? Why don't you sign a record deal?

16:45 So why don't you? I guess I kind of answered it, but yeah, you did the creative control. Because our singer so he and I grew up together in small town Texas. He writes, produces like nine of everything. He writes. Some by to the business side, Like after having the LA experience highering guitarists been at labels, I geek out on the business side and I see the realities of it. So, like I was telling you earlier, unless there's a label that really believes in us, it's not really about money with us or ownership. We just want to know. The partner is like, all right, we want y'all to go number one. We want y'all to win. That's what we're looking for, is just to win.

17:25 It's not like we don't need a million dollar advance. It's just who wants us to succeed. I love that because if they don't believe in you, how can you trust to believe in them? That's my viewpoint, you know, yeah, yeah man, Well, I mean I appreciate you making the time for unsigned ban you know, at Blue Ridge to give us an interview. My pleasure. And you know, listen, you guys are badass. You're playing at Blue Ridge and people need to check you out. So how do they check you out? On socials, on the web, and most importantly your merch because you can't survive without that. Yes, so our website is Kingdom collapse dot com. But then we're on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, all the above, YouTube, everything's there but merch. Like you said, it's Kingdom collapse dot com. Are you on TikTok? We are now on TikTok. As much as we have fought it, we realize how important it is, So we are we are on TikTok. So is there a TikTok you did that? You're like really embarrassed. No, But what pisses me off It is like our biggest TikTok is a good friend of ours cooking burgers South Dakota, stupid South Dakota. It has like fifty thousand views, and it's like, okay, so fuck our music, screw a music. It's like, all right, go grills and burgers. Yeah, I mean it's so stupid. I have my daughter's boyfriend got one hundred and sixty thousand followers from solving Rubik's Cubes. See, well there, that's way more than that TikTok. So you see now that's what you need to do.

18:56 Just play your music with Rubik's cubes. That's the answer. That's it. That's how you that's how you're gonna make it. And then some record label it's gonna be all about the Rubik's Cube and they're gonna be like, we believe in you. I have a college degree. I'm kind of an intellect day to a Ruby's qube, but I can solve math. You know what. I never asked that I should ask artists when you have a day job, like you do, what does it feel like when you go back to that day job after being at a festival? So I say day job, It's like I had eight thousand day jobs. But I told you I have my degree, but I have a real estate license. I teach music lessons when I'm home. I'm very fortunate with all the people I work for.

19:38 They know what I'm doing, but they know when i'm home I work for them. Basically, my whole setup is like nine to five, I work on the band and some real estate stuff. But at night it's like the lessons. But it's but I'm smart enough to know I should work when I'm home and not just rely on Yeah, oh my band's gonna get signed. We're gonna get a million dollars. I know right nowadays and how it works, and our whole band, they're not here right now, but all of us were at home. We we make sure we can get by. You know, it said listen. Everybody hates to say it, but Laura's was right. They all hated him for the napster thing, but he was right. No, he was. I mean, and we're not complaining about streaming like the bands who don't get streams are wanting to complain like we do well on Spotify. It's like, of course, we all want to make a million dollars, but we're happy with you, yeah, with our half a cent, but we get a lot of streams. So where there you go. Yeah, so it goes back into the business and we're we're fine with it. Like, see, that's a good perspective on because it's true, like maybe you make less, but if you're getting all these streams you would never get in a million years the traditional way it works out. Yeah, and people are exposed to you and that's what happened, and then they love your music and become super fans and that's key. I think that's better.

21:02 Yeah. Do Even today first band on mainstage where we had a lot of shirts lined up at the rails, we were like, damn, we're we're doing something right. I know we're not. We're not up there yet, We're not laws, were not metallicity yet, but there's something something brewing you maybe because you guys rock and I thank you for being here at blue Y Well. We appreciate you bringing us on. Hey, my pleasure. Thanks for being on the Adventures plate Man. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of plate Man on W four CUI Radio.