The Third Degree - Vlad In Tears

This weeks "The Third Degree" is with Lex, guitarist for Italian rockers Vlad In Tears.

T. - How long have you been playing together?

Lex: Well, we are all brothers, and I mean REAL brothers. I do remember the first time we played together was at a family party, and we were almost 10 years old!!! Really, the first gift from our parents was a piano, so we started to learn music. So, it’s the case to say “a life spent in music”!!!

T. - How did you meet?

Lex: To be honest, we met in the same house… One day we realized we had the same parents, the same dogs, the same bedroom… Heheheh! We grew up together honey!!!

T. - Is there an album that inspired you to join a band?

Lex: The first album we had the chance to listen to was a vinyl in our father collection. It was “Led Zeppelin IV”, a great album. Since then we’ve listen every album we can… from the 50s until the modern age. It was music that inspired us to join a band and, to be honest we live in a very small city, so the best thing to do was to join a band!!!!

T. - What was the last album you bought?

Lex: Let me think about. Oh, yes, “Origin of Symmetry” by Muse! They are amazing!!! But during the last year we’ve bought just albums from the UK, your country is the best in the world!!!

T. - What do you think of downloading music?

Lex: We guess that musicians themselves don’t really need money from albums. You know, the labels really only give the bands few pence for each album sold. The problem is that they want to get richer and richer. Downloading music will be the only chance for the bands to survive in the global crisis. If you produce your music by yourself, it won’t cost you enough to say “Ok, I want to sell this album for 20€”. There is no reason to do it. Musicians have to be musicians, and they need to understand that the world is in a great crisis, so people really have no money even to buy food. So what about the future of albums? What about the future of labels? If people don’t buy music I mean. See, the main problem is there is not a great and powerful underground scene or movement. If the venues start to pay the bands again (even a hundreds pounds), if people start again to go to gigs to see unknown bands, than the bands would be able to survive with live gigs, and merchandising, and probably they would give their albums out for free; starting from the digital stores. The problem is that even the live scene is under control of strange and confused business regulations. It’s easy to say “Hey, why the hell do I have to pay your music? You are no one”, but don’t forget that music, for many people (and I don’t mean the great acts) it’s the only way to pay the rent. If people download music for free, if venues don’t pay the live performances, if people don’t go to the gigs, I guess in less than 5 years, the underground scene, at least, will be f**ked!!! The problem, at the moment, is not for the great and millionaire acts. Nope, it’s for the underground or upcoming bands. Maybe, the best thing would be to say “Yes, download our music for free, but then come to see us live” and ask the venues to PAY the bands!

T. - Who would you say was your personal biggest influence?

Lex: As I already told you, it would be hard for me to say “this one, or that one”. We listen to all kinds of music, and we are influenced by all the music we listen to!

T. - If you could trade places with another musician for a day, who would it be and why?

Lex: Well, I don’t know. The problem is that all these musicians seem to be so damn sad in the end. By the way, I’d like to trade place with Bon Jovi. He has a great mind and a great life.

T. - If you weren’t playing in a band, what do you think you’d be doing instead?

Lex: Probably producing bands, trying to help young bands to find a little place in this world. We love to produce bands. We’ve worked with many. The problem is that people find it easy to say “yes, I wanna be a rock star”, but in the end they are not ready to suffer for this dream; and yes, you have to suffer a lot!

T. - Where do you think the best metal/alternative rock is coming from at the moment?

Lex: Honestly? I guess there is an amazing underground scene from the UK. Alternative rock is coming from the US too, but you know they are used to be more concentrated on the ShowBiz side, and not on the music, which is a good thing in a commercial point of view, but instead of the English acts, who pay more attention on the music, they are all the copy of the others. I’ve listened to some people around talking about an amazing band coming from Italy… Vlad In Tears… do you know ‘em?!?!?!? Hahahahaaha!!!!!

T. - If you could only eat one kind of food, would it be savory or sweet?

Lex: As you know, we are from Italy, so, this is the reign of savory food. But hey, I could live without everything but our Real Italian Food!!!!! And wine!!!!!

T. - What would you do if someone gave you a dildo to sign?

Lex: Would be hard just to find the right way to sign it because you know, the best would be to let the sigs be visible during the “self practice”… Hahahahaaha!!! But hey, if that happened, I hope it’ll be big enough to contain all our sigs!!!!!!

T. - What’s your favourite movie?

Lex: The favourite ever? Pulp Fiction… the favourite, at the moment, is “Rec”, an amazing, low budget, horror movie!!!! It’s the best example of how to make a great thing without millions of Euros!!! You know, to write a best seller you just need a pen, and paper; not a 3000€ pen and golden copybook!!!

T. - What was the last live show you went to (not including your own)?

Lex: Green Day!!!! Amazing!!!

T. - What do you have lined up next?

Lex: So you want me to discover our secrets?!?!? Hehehe… no, sorry, I cannot say anything more about the future! But maybe, one thing, we’ll be again hitting the streets, ‘cause during the last year we dedicated too much time to the recording studio, and we miss our fans!!!

T. - Why should people check out your band?

Lex: That’s easy! ‘Cause we are one of the last TRUE bands around. We don’t act like stars (and you know, even the unknown are prone to act), we always get in touch with our fans and friends, even on MySpace, cause we love to know what the people think, how they feel, almost everyday! Being on our friend’s list, means to be in a family… Ask around, and you’ll see that I’m not lying! See? Another good reason to check us out: we never lie!!!!!!!!!

Check out Vlad In Tears Myspace for further information, a preview of their music and a couple of UK tour dates at: http://www.myspace.com/vladintears

Hannah