Sceneazine May 15 - June 14, 2015 | Page 5

Sceneazine.com What’s your opinion of your music scene? And what would you like to see change if anything? Nekro: My opinion on the music scene… I don’t think too highly of it. If you want an opinion of the global music scene, it’s pretty sad that nothing but the most homogeneous of pop music can get airplay on massive markets. Yes there are Internet radio stations, like Whatever68 and PunkrPrincess radio, doing their best to bring good underground music to wider audiences. Locally I think the scene, mainly Baltimore, is getting much better. We’ve been working hard to foster a more supportive community among bands. I think we all need to realize we rely on each other and we all have something to offer one another. to find you? Baron Von Pain: I think personal communication is very important to bands, it’s nice to know that bands care about their fans and the option to contact them on FB, Twitter or even Instagram is always welcome. If you want to see the power of social media just look at the Koffin Kats, their guitarist John Kay is a king of social media and his constant posting keeps people interested and helps keep the band on their minds. This in turn draws in the friends of those that see their friends in these conversations and makes the fans far more likely to suggest the band to friends. Social media is an important tool in humanizing bands and providing a link to them but also a link for them to speak to fans and other bands, without cooperation the bands would be in competition rather than helping each other with promotion, helping the venues and ultimately helping the fans by keeping music alive Do you guys play locally or do you tour much? Nekro: We’re somewhere in between. We don’t tour in the conventional sense that we travel across the country/globe playing shows and living on the road, but we don’t just play down the street. We do short road trips to NYC for a day, or eastern Tennessee for a day, then other times we’ll play in or around MD, things like that. Where do you see this band in a year or two? Do you guys, as a band have any goals for this year? Nekro: Oh geez, I try not to think too hard about where we’ll be. I like to look forward a year at the most. Hell anything could happen in a year or two, life is flimsy like that. Now as for goals this year we’re planning to put out our second full-length CD this summer, play some awesome shows, do some more of those day or two road trips. Mainly we just wanna have a hell of a good time with fans everywhere! If you were asked to describe your band’s sound or who you sound like, what would you say? Nekro: I would say PAIN! is like a good cocktail. I would start with saying that we sound like The Misfits, because they kinda started it all. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with sounding like The Misfits, I mean they’re one of the progenitors of horror punk, and they rock. Then I would say you add a splash of Alkaline Trio from Tim, Baron, and I. After that you add some Black Flag influences from Fester, some KMFDM from Drako, then top it off with some NOFX, Tiger Army, and Masked Intruder from Baron and I. However if you really wanna know what we sound like then come see us live. That’s the real deal or non-musical influence on each of you? And why? Timmy: Alkaline trio is mine but we all have different. As a band do you guys have a favorite local club? What makes it your favorite? How about a regional club? Timmy: Empire . There great to us there and we have had the honor of playing with bands ranging from the misfits to black vail brides , mushroom head and many more Let’s get everyone’s opinion on this. If someone ask you for advise about being in a band or about starting one, what would you say? Would you encourage or discourage them? Timmy: Have a positive out look and always look and act professional. Most of all write for your fans . What are some of your likes and dislikes about being in a band? Timmy: We love to make our fans PAIN!iacs happy. As far as dislikes, how can we have dislikes we are living the dream. Who have guys shared a stage with? Any national acts? Fester: We’ve played with a lot, Sevendust, Black Veil Brides, Mushroomhead, Soil, The Misfits, Koffin Kats.... The list goes on and it’s kind of like name dropping which is weird in a way because basically these bands are real people who are just doing what they love. Most bands dream of making it big or getting signed. Do you guys have that dream or do you care if you get a recording contract? Fester: Not really sure if there are any bands that “make it” anymore considering that the whole dynamic of the industry has changed. The same goes with a label, most labels are signing bands to “360” contracts and not offering much in terms of tour support, and having already been on a label that folded, aside from physical distribution, continue on page 28 Who would you guys say was the biggest musical Page 5