Bastard John, Dead Horse Anonymous, The Velvetones

This past week was extremely busy with nearly a full dozen different events and meetings and other stuff I had to get to. So of course I decided somewhere in the back of my mind to top the week off with a show. Its not like I needed sleep. This time around I made my way back over to Burt's Tiki Lounge to catch some bands off the beaten path.

And hey, Burt's actually had their swamp cooler working! For this show we chat with the irreverent rock show that is Bastard John, the noisy funk-toned rockers that are Dead Horse Anonymous, and finishing up the evening with the blues-country rock of The Velvetones. All with many (blurry) photos that you can find over here, all courtesy of Burt's near burned-out lights that the owner won't upgrade.

Bastard John (SP, Randy, TD, Clark & Kris)

http://www.reverbnation.com/bastardjohn

Gavin: Hey guys, first off, tell us a little about yourselves.

TD: Well, we stem from parts relatively unknown from all walks of life, age, faith, and doctrines. To put it in it's simplest terms we play music in a band called Bastard John!!!!

Gavin: What got you interested in music, and who were some of your favorite acts and musical influences growing up?

TD: Impressing the ladies is pretty much why we got into music! We all like different bands so we range from all spectrums of music.

Gavin: How did you all get together and formed Bastard John?

TD: Bastard John is Randy's fault!

Gavin: What was it like developing your sound and more audience interactive stage show?

TD: We ingest gigantic mounds of drugs! But seriously it all just came together like a refreshing goulash.

Gavin: Being relatively new, what's it been like for you guys playing gigs under this new band?

TD: It is all fun and games right now, but next week we are gonna play for realsies!

Gavin: Are there any plans in the works for a recording or just playing gigs for now?

TD: Right now we are focused on MILFs but we are planning on getting some good recordings, soon.

Gavin: Going state-wide, what are your thoughts on the local music scene, both good and bad?

TD: Too many bands and too little focus from the venues on supporting and promoting good, local original music!

Gavin: Is there anything you believe could be done to make it bigger or better?

TD: Better promotion from the venues and local radio would be fantastic, City Weekly is about the best thing for promoting local shows and we love the shit out of it!

Gavin: Aside yourselves, who are your favorite acts in the scene right now?

TD: The Velvetones , Opal Hill Drive, Fear of Rejection, She-Daisy, and David Archuleta's Mom!

Gavin: What's your opinion on the current airplay on community radio these days and how its affecting local artists?

TD: We love KRCL and very much hope they want to promote our upcoming festival show with Royal Bliss on September 18^th.

Gavin: What's your take on file sharing these days and how it affects you as musicians?

TD: It makes it very easy to find new music and get your music out there!

Gavin: What can we expect from you guys over the rest of the year?

TD: Some small burglaries and vandalism. We are playing our farewell show this Saturday July 24^th at Club Vegas, and our reunion show will be September 18^th at The Ogden Amphitheater. Make sure to make it out!

Gavin: Is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

TD: 7^th Heaven Deli on 2100 So. 700 East. Tandoori chicken sandwiches are to die for!!


Dead Horse Anonymous (Nik, Jeb, Paul & Josh)

http://www.myspace.com/deadhorseanonymous

Gavin: Hey guys, first off, tell us a little about yourselves.

Nik: We are just four guys that work regular jobs, two of us live in Ogden and the other two live in SLC. We also enjoy the little things.

Gavin: What got you interested in music, and who were some of your favorite acts and musical influences growing up?

Nik: Well, I myself have always been interested by music. It wasn't until I was about fifteen that I actually picked up an instrument (bass) and started learning it. Some of my favorite acts are, in no particular order: Prince, Rush, Pearl Jam, NWA, Soundgarden, Phish, MMW, Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, Floyd, John Scofield, Frank Zappa, Marvin Gaye, the list goes on and on...

Gavin: How did you all get together and originally formed Dead Horse Minstrels?

Nik: I started the band with the main thought in my head, no guitar and two basses. We all new each other it was just the matter of getting us all together. It was very lax, practice once a month, if that, and we mostly just jammed, due to the fact that we were all in different projects, at first it felt like a side band. Now, not so much

Gavin: What was it like developing the slower and near funk-rock you perform?

Nik: It is a very simple process, when I write a song I just record it and give it to the boys.

Gavin: You've since changed the name and lost some members. What happened with everything to become the band you are now?

Nik: We kinda stopped playing together for minute, then when we decided to start it again, some of the guys had moved, or their cousin's bird's sister had something going on.

Gavin: Are there any plans in the works for an album or an EP, or just playing gigs for now?

Nik: There is plans for a record, soon enough we hope, shooting for fall.

Gavin: Going state-wide, what are your thoughts on the local music scene, both good and bad?

Nik: We plan on playing a lot of places. Fact is we would like to hit the road. The music scene is alright here, but I think it's better elsewhere.

Gavin: Is there anything you believe could be done to make it bigger or better?

Nik: I think people in general (not just musicians) should be more stoked on live music. I can't tell you how many times I've played a show for other bands around town.

Gavin: Aside yourselves, who are your favorite acts in the scene right now?

Nik: The Pour, Stonefed, Marinade, Ulysses, Palominos, La Farsa and Spell Talk.

Gavin: What's your opinion on the current airplay on community radio these days and how its affecting local artists?

Nik: I like community radio, it doesn't effect me that much, never been on it.

Gavin: What's your take on file sharing these days and how it affects you as musicians?

Nik: I think it puts a damper on the whole CD, tape, and record thing. it also makes me sad that we are so "ADD" these days that we can't even sit through a fifty minute record. Just gotta get that hot song that everybody's listening to.

Gavin: What can we expect from you guys over the rest of the year?

Nik: A record, more shows around town, the splits, vitamin B12 intake, new songs, good times, and finally bathing.

Gavin: Is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

Nik: No, other than check out our other band The Pour.


The Velvetones (Rick Gerber, Mike Crandall, Tony Holiday, Steve Edwards & Timmy Chicago)

http://www.myspace.com/thevelvetones

Gavin: Hey guys, first off, tell us a little about yourselves.

Tony: Well we are from Georgia and are living in Salt Lake now. We are moving to Ashville, North Carolina after winter. We are a blues band that met at a festival and we feel we have a deep responsibility to play and carry on blues music. We are a four piece that includes two guitars bass and drums and I also play harmonica. We always invite friends such as Rick Gerber on keys. We love whiskey and cowboy boots.

Gavin: What got you interested in music, and who were some of your favorite acts and musical influences growing up?

Tony: I've always been interested in music. I grew up listening to gospel music,hymns, bluegrass music. And played it the first few years of my career. Then I got into Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Guy, Albert King, the Allman Brothers, and have been heavily influenced by Texas blues. We play southern stuff, we write original southern blues rock music and cover our favorite tunes. We cover Stevie Ray and old stuff like skip James JB Lenior and son house.

Gavin: How did you all get together and formed The Velvetones?

Tony: I started The Velvetones as a trio when I moved back from Nashville one year ago. Then I met Timmy Chicago (from Chicago) at Uncle Uncaany's while I was playing. I heard his powerful vocals at a campfire and asked him almost immediately to join the band. We are a year old and ever since then we've been playing every weekend in and out of town. Timmy and I write all the original music.

Gavin: What was it like writing and developing your songs and making it work as a five-piece?

Tony: Timmy and I actually write all the original songs together at home and then present them to the rest of the band, the funny thing is we actually work live and play in a band together so we are together twenty-three hours a day. That's all we talk about on the way to the train, on the train to work, all day at work and all the way home from work until we get to our guitars and play what we've been talking about all day. So I guess you can say it just comes natural.

Gavin: How has it been for you playing around the state in harder rock venues and drawing the crowds like you have?

Tony: Its been good for the most part, we play in Arizona,Colorado,Wyoming, Texas, we play a lot and no matter what the crowd is like we can always make blues lovers out of 'em. We can break it down to bluegrass or good ol' fashion rock and roll. So guess I can say that no matter where we play... we play.

Gavin: Are there any plans in the works for an album or just playing gigs and touring for now?

Tony: Yes we are recording our studio album right now we are working with salt lake recording services. We will have it out in September. Timmy and I are also leaving in three weeks to go spend some time near Vernal to one of Butch Cassidy's hide outs that a friend stays in doing environmental research. Just Tim and I are going to record an acoustic album in the studio he has built there. All original cowboy songs, a murder ballad and banjo tunes. “Timmy Chicago and Tony Holiday Live! In Butch Cassidy's Hide Out!” We are really exited.

Gavin: Going state-wide, what are your thoughts on the local music scene, both good and bad?

Tony: The local music scene has been nothing but good to us. We play the Moab festival Desert Rocks, Uncle Uncaanys in Heber August 13-15, Lake Powell-A-Palooza September 23-26, and many more local adventures that are absolutely great. Park Silly

Gavin: Aside yourselves, who are your favorite acts in the scene right now?

Tony: We have a lot of friends that we have made and respect. Many of them are responsible for helping us get started. There definitely is a scene here and once you're in, you're in. Some of our favorite bands locally are Ulysses, Jr. & The Transportation, Stonefed, Dirty Blonde, The Legendary Porch Pounders, Bad Brad Wheeler, Spell Talk, Labcoat, Tanglewood, Marinade... I could go on forever but those are some of our local influences.

Gavin: What's your opinion on the current airplay on community radio these days and how its affecting local artists?

Tony: My opinion is good, Bad Brad plays us on KRCL and announces our shows on ''Blues News'', we have played live on several different stations all throughout Utah. I think local/community radio can be a very good, positive thing and this town uses its options creatively and functional and community based. we are going to be playing The Handle Bar in Oklahoma City, and they have us on the radio a couple times while were there. I think that it really helps spread the sound out.

Gavin: What's your take on file sharing these days and how it affects you as musicians?

Tony: We have no problem with sharing files and I'm not sure how its affecting everybody but we are pretty open at this point.

Gavin: What can we expect from you guys over the rest of the year?

Tony: The rest of the year we will be playing a few festivals that i mentioned earlier and touring up north right now to Montana, Jackson Hole and Colorado and then tour to the south by way of Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Georgia. this is our last year here in Utah, we are moving to Nashville, North Carolina. We have lots of friends out there and love the south. We will always be back to play the festivals and local bars all over and around Utah. We leave this winter after our tour.

Gavin: Is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

Tony: Yes sir, we would like to promote Uncle Uncaany's, ticket info online. Lake Powell-A-Palooza with lots a bands on six stages. Lots of fun for all.

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