Page 15 - Black Velvet Issue 88

BV88 pg14,15,16,17 Tremonti_BV88 pg15 04/04/2016 20:03 Page 2

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through? “Compassion,” the guitarist an- ferent than somebody who grows up in Mark had another kind of eye-opening ex-
swers with a smile. “I am who I am; I’ll al- Afghanistan and is taught from day one perience, one that he took a photo of and
ways be who I am, so I just try to live life that the Western world is their enemy. I’ve shared on his social media page. There
without guilt. I think that’s my main rule in watched documentaries on North Korea were people sat outside smoking crack co-
life, if I feel guilty about something, don’t do and how people there, when they see the caine and shooting up heroin, in view of the
it. If I had absolute power I would be nice to outside world, they finally escape, they tour bus. It was a sad sight to see. “Yeah,
people and be very kind to animals - leave have no idea that all this stuff exists and it’s sad,” says Mark. “We were in San Fran-
the world a better place than it was before that they’ve been trapped in this little time cisco which has some of the wealthiest
you got there.” capsule. I think religion has killed more people in the world, it just shows, you
The song ‘Providence’ is about people people than anything over the years, it’s not know. The internet has built so much
who think they are doing good things in the that I’m against religion, I just fear that wealth that these people come and buy up
name of religion but in reality what they are sometimes people take it too far and obvi- all the real estate and they’re pushing all
doing is evil. “That song, it’s kind of tough. ously the world is in a tough place right the people in the city to these little corners
I think religion has caused a lot of damage now because of it.” of the city and they can’t afford to live. They
in the world,” Mark says, addressing the Mark goes on to tell Black Velvet that are creating more homeless people out
subject matter. “Everybody has been travelling the world has opened his eyes to there and they are resorting to drugs. It’s
brought up differently. If you were born into the diversity of different countries. “Every- sad because there is so much people could
a society where you were taught one thing where has their own thing, like the Philip- do to help them; the police don’t even po-
day in and day out, you are going to start pines is so different to Australia and lice the areas, they just let it happen. When
believing it no matter what. You know, it’s Indonesia to England or Germany. It’s cool we talked to the local promoters I think they
the nature vs nurture thing. I think people to be able to experience it all and for the just said, “the police don’t come and bother
are taught and each individual society kind most part you see that humanity, most peo- them and they don’t bother the police, they
of brainwashes people to their way of life; ple, are kind, there are just a few bad apples just do their drugs, sit on the sidewalk
it’s tough to unlearn that. Somebody grow- out there.” shooting heroin. It’s just the way it is. Just
ing up in Florida is going to feel much dif- During one tour stop in San Francisco don’t walk by yourself, walk in groups.””

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