Page 35 - Black Velvet Issue 90

BV90 pg34,35,36,37_BV90 pg35 25/09/2016 21:17 Page 2

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FOR A HERO
FOR A HERO

question.” what they want to report. They seem to pro- kind of speaks similar to the way a lot of people
In politics, 2016 has been a historic year mote and report on less of the good in the feel in the world today.”
for both the USA and the UK. The current US world and we just don’t know what is factual
presidential election has featured one of the and what is false out there. It’s just a tough oing into the making of ‘The Last
most discussed campaigns ever, while in the world we live in with the media portraying one GHero’, Brian tells Black Velvet that it
UK we had the EU referendum. They both thing and then later maybe something comes was not a deliberate decision to go and make
share similar traits – both have seen a country out as that it was actually not factual. You just a record based around the hero concept. Ini-
divided and both have used fear to try and don’t know what to believe and I wish the tially, the band was concentrating mostly on the
drive the results. The media circus surrounding media would report more on the good in the music, the lyrics followed afterwards. “The
these campaigns has done little to help find the world.” music was already completed and the hero
truth behind the lies. We wonder whether Brian The lyrical content throughout ‘The Last theme came much later when the lyrics started
thinks the media should be held more respon- Hero’ is very much an in-the-moment social to come into play. I think collectively, as a band,
sible in giving voters more factual and unbi- commentary, with songs also discussing global once that started to come into the picture, we
ased information, so that people are able to warming (‘The Writing On The Wall’) and ex- all agreed that a propaganda kind of theme
make a more informed vote. tremists (‘The Other Side’). Brian points out would be great for the artwork. It all just kind of
“Absolutely! I think the media is to blame that ‘The Last Hero’ is not a political statement; shaped up. The hero concept was just some-
for a lot of the problems,” Brian states. “I think it’s a reflection of what is going on in the world thing that evolved over time through Myles. I
that they focus in on things that are charged today. “We’re not really a political band at all,” think he was going through a lot of personal re-
racially; they focus in on things that create Brian stresses. “In the main scheme of things flection and experiences for himself and what
drama and evoke a lot of emotion out of peo- we just kind of all feel that we’re concerned he was thinking. I don’t really have a lot to do
ple. That’s what they hone in on and that’s about what’s on the horizon. So, I think that with the lyrics at all, so it wasn’t until much later

ALTER BRIDGE