|
 So
Vic, how did the whole AdrianGale thing come together? I'm guessing
that when it was conceived it was as a studio band given the nature
of Jamie's involvement.
(Vic Rivera) AdrianGale
as you know evolved from an earlier incarnation of the band with a
different lineup. I was the only holdover from the original incarnation;
in that group of players, I was basically just playing sideman, with
the hope of being a contributing songwriter at some point. It wasn't
to be and everyone went on their separate ways but I stayed in touch
with Kivel intermittently. When Kivel met Jamie in the spring of 2000
he knew that I had material tucked away and immediately thought of
pairing Jamie and I together and we built everything around that.
The rest is history.
You're a hell of a player,
and considering AG is primarily a studio band, why the other gunslingers?
It's not like you weren't already pulling double duty playing drums
and guitar, why not all the guitars?
(Vic
Rivera) Thanks for the compliment! I've always
wanted to further myself in both fields so I have been playing both
instruments since my teens, and over the last two years I have also
become a pretty solid bassist as well. I endeavour on recording and
releasing material sometime with me playing all of the instruments…I
have done it before and sometimes it is really nice to play with yourself
(ha ha). As to why the other players: we always wanted to present
that this was more a band than a solo project, thus we hired the players
to flesh it out, although those who played aside from myself largely
(except for soloists) largely stuck to what I had written for the
songs.
John Kivel - how cool is this
guy? I mean really, from what I've read about the guy he seems to know
how to run a small label.
(Vic Rivera) John
is a champion of hard rock and he was really taken aback by the major
labels' abandonment of his favourite music. So he took it upon himself
to do what he had to and start his label in order to keep it going,
in whatever limited capacity this market can sustain. Without him
and others like him, the music of the underground rock scene (who
would have ever thought we would be underground?) would not get heard.
 Under
the Hood was a real treat, I know the whole unplugged thing has
been pretty much beaten to death, but it sounds like it was a blast
- was it as much fun as it sounds like?
(Vic Rivera) Oh
yeah, it was a total blast. We tracked the whole thing at (former
AdrianGale guitarist) Eddie Campbell's home studio, which is right
next door to my own place (and home studio). We basically did the
whole thing in a few days and it was very relaxed - lots of fun. Eddie's
bedroom, in particular, is acoustically perfect and Jamie did a splendid
job tracking his vox in there.
Speaking of the e.p. the bootleg
tracks from Spain - are you telling me that no one had the foresight
to record one of your ultra rare appearances from the board?
(Vic Rivera) Two
things were working against us there. One, the language barrier between
us and the soundperson (despite my Puerto Rican heritage I am not
terribly fluent in Spanish) and two, by the time we got out ducks
in a row speaking to each other, we discovered the tape machine was
not working. But don't worry - we have a true live CD in the can that
we will be releasing so you can more properly hear what we sound like
live.
Still on the subject of the
live tracks from the e.p. it sounds like the audience was really receptive
to your stuff, does not being able to tour or work the band ever bug
you - even a little.
(Vic Rivera) Oh
yeah - best crowd I have ever played to! As far as not being able
to tour or play more...geographically we are literally in different
states and we have different schedules so we've never really been
able to hook up much, aside from a few isolated appearances and the
recording of the records. Believe it or not, it doesn't bug me too
much at all! Having said that, playing out for the fans is always
a treat, whenever the opportunity arises.
 Okay,
I've been kind of dancing around this, but I may as well just blurt
it out. What's the deal with Jamie Rowe? I've read a bunch of stuff
about him only being a hired gun, this is the last time he'll record
with AdrianGale … on and on. It seems like the timing couldn't
be worse, the album has only recently come out, and it's like he's wanting
to bury the thing. A casual glance through the credits, shows him as
a pretty involved hired gun. What's your take on this whole thing with
Jamie distancing himself from the band?
(Vic Rivera) I
know that there has been a lot of speculation as to Jamie's involvement.
As far as I was concerned, he was more than just a "hired gun"…but
the reality is that this is has always been more of a studio venture
than a gigging band, so in essence we're ALL hired guns - LOL. In
no way does this invalidate what AdrianGale has been about: to bring
the music I've written on my own and with Jamie to the melodic rock
market. Even though, barring a miracle, >>CRUNCH<< is
the last studio effort from AdrianGale, I'd say we've left a pretty
good bunch of tunes and a lasting legacy in our niche market. (So
get out there and get it while you can! LOL) That is something we
can all walk away with, holding our heads high.
Keep in mind that
there is still life left in the AdrianGale catalogue ... we're finally
going to get around to releasing LIVE PROGRAM shortly and eventually
there will be a compilation of our best material (with some ancillary
unreleased music) that will make its way into the hands of the fans!
It has been great
... but I'm not done yet! Ive got plenty of music left in me and you
are going to see a number of projects involving yours truly in the
not too distant future.
Winding up this
segment, let me assure you on good authority that Jamie is extremely
proud of his involvement with AdrianGale. His tastes may pull him
in another direction, but I know there is no intention on his part
to slag what we've done…this is pretty much where we knew we
were going to stop the AdrianGale train anyway. I think if people
read his recent words carefully, they will see that he really is proud
of what we have accomplished, but that he is pursuing his own endeavours
that were moving along the whole time. He has all my blessings. He's
the most gifted singer I have ever worked with, he is a dear friend
(more a brother than anything else), we remain in touch and close
to this day and I am certain that our paths will cross again musically
at some point.
On >>CRUNCH<< Scott
"Riffmeister" Miller plugged in, and boy howdy he's a solid
player - but Vic, who had final say on the flat hollow tone, or is that
his "thing"?
(Vic Rivera) One
thing we were really trying to do with this record was pull out all
the stops on the production. To that end, we wanted to make distinct
the differences (tonally and stylistically) between the soloing of
Scott and I. Basically, he uses a much more processed tone than I
do (I generally just plug in and go) so yeah, that's pretty much his
"thing". It might not be a tone I would use but it does
give a pretty good contrast between us. Even without looking at the
credits, you know he's the "new kid on the block" because
his tone and style stand out from the style I have establishing in
my soloing, which had increased in volume with each of the first two
records.
>>CRUNCH<< is arguably
your best CD to date, how has the reaction been so far - in terms of
sales how has it been moving.
(Vic Rivera) Right
out of the chute, the reviews, sales and reaction to this record eclipsed
all of our previous efforts. We couldn't wait to unleash it on the
market because, if I may humbly venture, we knew that we had a real
gem on our hands. Though you can never predict what a market reaction
is going to be, we were reasonably certain that it would go over well
- and we're thrilled that it has!
Speaking of sales and availability
- how cool is it that and labels like Kivel are able to make a go and
produce high quality product without having the traditional product
channels?
(Vic Rivera) In
this day and age, with the technology available conceivably ANYBODY
could put together a product that surpasses anything you have heard
from back in the day... having said that it still takes a bit of know-how
to work said technology. Kivel seems to line up some great talent
behind the scenes most of the time, in particular a gentleman named
Alex Salz who has mixed and mastered the whole AdrianGale catalogue
and has really helped me to become a better producer and engineer
in my own right. He's amazing - and an amazing guy too!
You're a pretty good writer,
why go back in time and create melodic / hard rock? It's not like you're
flogging your old catalogue and trying to recapture your glory days
from 15 years ago.
(Vic
Rivera) It's a matter of taste more than anything
else. "Old School" hard rock has always been my thing, even
though my tastes to run to many diverse corners. I think if you listen
to the progression in sound and songwriting over the records, I've
tried to incorporate a lot of more contemporary elements (5-string
bass, heavier riffs, nifty production tricks, strong thematic material)
to keep it sounding fresh.
 How
long did you have to practice in front of a mirror to get that cool
Eddie Van Halenish "cat that ate the canary" grin down pact?
(Vic Rivera) Ha!
If I has a dime for every time someone told me that ... I'd have a
dollar in my pocket right now. LOL No, seriously - I've had than comparison
more times than I can count! No practice needed - that's my natural,
instinctive smile happening!
There are a lot of really great
songs on >>CRUNCH<< and it doesn't take a rocket scientist
to figure out that there's something deeply personal about Without a
Moments Notice. I personally find it much more powerful knowing you're
writing about something that happened in your back yard. As someone
a coast and a country away, it takes on an almost surreal element, and
when I read the album notes, before hearing the song I'm not sure what
I expected - cheesy? Powerful song - were you worried that people would
write this off as another in a long line of 911 songs?
(Vic Rivera) September
11, 2001 was a pivotal world moment that affected so many people in
so many different ways. For me, it was the single most moving experience
of my life outside of my son being born….talk about extremes
on the opposite scale. The tragedy is what got the ball rolling on
that song, but for me it also highlighted the incredible swiftness
in which life can take a turn for the worst - and it made me think
of many of the things that can happen to alter our lives. So I put
is all into that one song and only referenced the tragic day of 9/11
in one passing line. For me, writing this song was part of the healing
process; but my intention is for the song to have different meanings
for different people. Judging from the feedback I have received thus
far, it seems that it has accomplished that purpose….I hope that
everyone can come away from listening to that song with a renewed
sense of what life is all about. As I wrote in the last coda before
the final chorus: "Be sure to live each day as if it were your
last - and leave the past behind you."
Okay, you're locked in a room
with Randy Newman, Elvis Costello, and Burt Bacharach. You just happen
to have your guitar and a tape recorder with you - what would you do?
(Vic Rivera) Besides
pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming and I am indeed in the
same room with these monster writers? I'd suggest something in the
key of E and go along for the ride with these fellas and hope to hell
I could measure up!
What's playing at the moment
in your CD player?
(Vic Rivera) The
new Papa Roach - almost non-stop. What a BLINDINGLY brilliant CD.
Also, the debut from Story Of The Year. Another brilliant disc. Shania
Twain - UP. Haven't taken it out since it was released. Higher and
Voice of Reason from Harem Scarem. Three Days Grace - KILLER.
Are you a Gibson or Fender
guy - and why?
(Vic Rivera) Both
are world class instruments and I'd love to own a Les Paul one day
(I already have a Strat) but I am addicted to the Music Man Axis (former
Eddie Van Halen model). I've not played a finer instrument that has
felt more comfortable in my hands. Truly killer guitar!
What song do you wish you'd
written?
(Vic Rivera) Anything
by the great Harry Hess/Pete Lesperance combo. Anything by Dianne
Warren!
In your opinion, who's the
most overrated act out there currently?
(Vic Rivera) I
don't really like to consider anyone as "overrated". If
someone out there is digging on a person or an act making music, then
they have served their purpose!
AdrianGale can't be taking
up all of your time, what does a typical day look like for you (if you
say "Sunny" I'll have to shoot myself, or someone who looks
like me)
(Vic Rivera) (Since
we don't want you shooting yourself) Hazy? heh heh
If music could
pay the bills exclusively at the moment it would be all I would be
doing but in today's environment a day job is necessary. I've had
the good foresight to never quit my job in the field of law so that
pretty much takes care of the bulk of my bills and income (plus makes
sure I have health insurance for my son and I)….having said that,
I have seen a slight increase in my capital over the years on account
of my music and, on account of the opportunities I now have in front
of me afforded by my time in AdrianGale, it looks like things are
moving up. You never know, I still might be able to make a full-time
living out of music yet
If you had the chance to play
with the Rolling Stones would you ask Keith to tune his freaking guitar
before going on stage?
(Vic Rivera) If
I EVER had the chance to play with the Rolling Stones, I doubt that
I would do anything but genuflect in front of the masters!
The coward's question (you
know the one that attempts to make up for my lack of imagination trying
to come up with a one sided conversation). What question should I have
asked you to make this interview truly worth your time? And assuming
I'd asked that brilliant earth-shattering question, what would your
answer be.
(Vic
Rivera) I dunno - I think you've done a great
job with your questions! I really hope that I have answered all of
your questions to your liking.
All I have to add
is that I want to pass a BIG thanks to everyone who has made this
a fun ride so far…the fans, the players, the executives, the
press. Without you all, none of this would be what it is. You have
my sincere gratitude!
Once again thanks to Vic Rivera
(a man who should be more famous than he is) for taking the time to
play. I was really impressed by the quality of his answer, and it was
worth the wait. Not to mention that he comes across as a class act.
Note to the younger kids out there: TAKE NOTES being all pissed off
and rude makes you sound like an idiot.
For more information check
out either Kivel
Records, or AdrianGale.com
Jevon the Tall
banopernalia.com
December 2004
|
It
seems like yesterday I’d found the first AdrianGale CD Feel
the Fire. It was an unabashed nod to the rock and roll of the late
80’s and early 90’s. I guess the correct phrase is melodic
rock - which is better than being labelled a hair band. Fast forward
a couple of years, and the band is back in action with their third full
length CD appropriately titled >>CRUNCH<<. Third time was
the charm for the boys, as it’s by far the best of the >>bunch<<
(oh am I ever on today, give me five!), and sadly most likely the last,
barring the eventual release of their live album, and the obligatory
"best of" album.