Page 33 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 104

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as a kid, I was in trouble a lot when I was "And I'd like to think we are making that This leads to a rare pause, the subject is
younger but looking back, it's quite cool be- point with 'Unbreakable'. I always hate to clearly one which Nikki feels passionately
cause I learned a lot of those lessons back sound like I'm getting cocky and be like, about but at the same time it is obvious he
then and growing up, you see a lot of people ‘Yeah, that's what we're saying,’ but there is wants to choose his words carefully. "Yeah,
making the same mistakes I did and you can so much you want to say in one album and I society needs an enema, I'll go with that old
look and think to yourself ‘Yeah, I already hope it's all coming out ok." Jack Nicholson line!"
knew that one!’ But I am one of those people But it's not the case everywhere and
who has to know what it's like myself to un- nother killer song from 'Unbreakable' again, we highlight that a typical New Years
derstand. You can tell me something is bad Ais the highly aggressive and some- Day show is a place where a different part of
and I could end up in jail or get hurt but I'm what confrontational 'Come For Me', a song society are coming together as one without
still like, ‘Well, there is only one way to find in which Ash screams to her listeners, ‘I any concern of prejudice and judgement,
out for sure,’ and afterwards I'll agree that want you to see the monster in me’. Given something which the guitarist quickly con-
person was right all along! how much time is currently being spent firms he is especially proud of. "It's espe-
"In a sense, I want to say I'm still the highlighting the growing issue of people and cially cool at these kind of rock shows
same now for the most part but you know, as their personal monsters and demons, we ask because you have bands who used to look a
you get older you realise that your career Nikki whether he feels that everyone, includ- certain way and now look a different way but
means more, you have relationships which ing himself, has a monster within them- you still see this collective group of people
mean more so you think ‘Well, I think I'll just selves. at these shows whose looks are influenced
try and stay alive a little bit longer, maybe life "I definitely believe everyone has a mon- by these different bands at different times as
isn't completely all a gamble and there are ster inside of them and yeah, I definitely have well as people who are all different. All dif-
some things which I don't need to do to one myself; you see it every time I go on ferent shapes and size, all ages, male, female
know they're not the best idea. I've already stage. It doesn't matter if I've hurt myself or or whatever you want to identify yourself as
done some wildness, I've already done some bleeding, I can have blood all over my face, these days, who gives a shit, you just have
crazy, I'm good!’" it will still come out!" all these guys here and we're all having a
But, while sometimes these monsters great time together and that is all that mat-
n 'Unbreakable' Ash also sings about can be a positive and helpful thing, as Nikki ters."
I‘feeling trapped for way too long’, so has highlighted with his own, which helps
we ask if being a part of New Years Day, rep- give him his energetic character when he is ooking to the future, Nikki’s hopes
resents freedom to Nikki. "Oh my God, yes performing, there are other monsters which Lare "Just to play some more kick-ass
absolutely", he tells us without batting an can be the complete opposite and this is rock and roll shows. That's pretty much all
eyelash. "It's so much to me. It's freedom, hinted at throughout the song with Ash's I'm here for!"
it's therapy, it's anarchy, it's everything you words and so we ask Nikki if he too has ever "But already it has exceeded so many of
want and expect it to be as a human. You go suffered with a personal monster taking over our expectations. This headline tour in the
up and you're like born on that stage and in a negative way. UK especially, just a couple of shows in and
when you come off, you die on that stage "I want to say yes", he tells Black Velvet. they have been some of the most fun shows
and you come back the next night and do it "You always have your darker side and some I have ever played. The first one at a place
again. It's weird because sometimes you get darkness in you and sometime it comes out called The Key Club, it was the small little
up in your stage clothes and play your guitar in not the best way. And me and Ash, we stage but it was the most punk rock show
and you are like this completely different have clashed in the past as friends and and then at The 1865 in Southampton it was
person. It's like having this spiritual experi- we've always been able to say to each other just a wild show, we were going out into the
ence and whatever issues you had before, ‘Your monster was a dickhead yesterday’ crowd, falling all over the place, it was a
whether they are of anger or whatever, hope- when it does. We both have them but we are super fun show and we left just feeling so
fully you've resolved them by the time the always able to hash it out and talk it out great and I can't wait for tonight and the next
show is finished. when we do and that's what makes this band night!"
"I remember with Ash and her personal extra tight." With the lyric ‘I won't be your master-
life and you can tell these lyrics were speak- The song includes the lyric ‘Say it to my piece’ we simply ask Nikki if he believes 'Un-
ing so much truth for her than I think even face when you talk about me’ and Nikki says breakable' to be their masterpiece or does he
she realised at the time." this is something of an ethos of the band and feel like that is yet to come. Without any hes-
Having mentioned the strong bond be- that when they have an issue or there is itation he tells us, "Oh, I always believe that
tween the words of the song and their lead some friction between them they do have a is yet to come. You would never say ‘This is
singer, Nikki quickly confirms that he too has policy of airing it and clearing the air be- it, after this we're gonna go downhill!’ I think
found great meaning in the words in relation tween them as soon as possible. Ozzy said something once about always
to his own personal life. "I can pretty much "Absolutely! We're very much a family. wanting to write his 'Sgt. Pepper' album and
find a way to relate to almost any lyrics in As much as we have our little band fights, I how he hoped he'd never already done it yet
music but that is the beauty of music in gen- guess you could call them, most of all this and how he always hoped he would one day
eral. You can take a simple lyric and a real band is like a family. I remember times where and I've always kept that mindset with every-
metaphorical lyric and still find a way to say we've been screaming at each other and five thing we do."
‘This was written for me, this was meant for minutes later we're all ‘I'm sorry, I was out of That said, he does believe there is much
me. They wrote this part just for me and this line’ and it's been really cool to see that and from 'Unbreakable' and what has happened
part of my life,’ so I can always find some- watch us grow as people." on the back of it which will help their next
thing, but it's great because it makes that chapter be an even stronger one. "These life
song hit really more for me when I can relate he song 'MissUnderstood' includes experiences and the people who we meet
it to my own life and I'm sure it's the same Tthe lyric ‘You say I'm trouble, call me and who we get influenced by all help make
for a lot of people." a freak, it's not intentional, it's just me’. With the next thing better because we very much
On the subject of being trapped, Nikki more and more people finding the strength wear all these things on our sleeve, so life
says there have been times he has felt to come out and being proud of who they and the shit we go through will all help shape
trapped within the band. “Yeah, there have are, we ask Nikki if he feels people are start- what's next."
been some times. Especially when we were ing to becoming more accepting and tolerant
going through different labels. of those who may appear a little different to nd if 'Unbreakable' is any indication
"I remember a while when we were get- themselves. Aof what is to come, then the next
ting told by everybody that we weren't going "I want to say yes", he tells us. "But then chapter promises to be very exciting indeed
to make it. Someone actually told Ash that you watch things, like especially on the news and a reminder that you shouldn't wait for it
this was as far as we were going to get and in America, that make you think otherwise. to arrive and enjoy their ride now as well.
we were never going to get any further and I'm not sure if it's the media having an awful You'll only feel stronger for doing so.
she would never be an icon and those things outtake on it all and that is what we are see- Visit www.nydrock.com for more info.
would give you, at times, feelings of being ing or maybe we are really like that, but quite
trapped, but we always try and use that to in- often it does feel like society sucks some- Words by Michael Coventry
spire us. To be two middle fingers up in the times. I hate to say it like that but I do get
Photos By Hristo Shindov
air and ‘We'll show you’, it's like we often very into politics and it's a subject I can just
say, fuck with us, you'll find out! go off on."
NEW YEARS DAY