Page 4 - Black Velvet Rock Music Magazine Issue 92

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Photo By Marie Korner

A (Musical) Note From...

RICHIE HUDSON & ROBIN GUY (THE FIASCOS)

Hey Black Velvet readers! Richie (and ing... it's ALL good! was in. He also had a band named Sack Trick,
Robin, in a while) from the London-based band This week we have started work on which I ended up recording and then playing
The Fiascos here. I'm the guitarist and vocalist recording the next single. In one day, we live shows with (also with Alex Dickson!). Fast
and I have three main points in my 'life mani- recorded two different videos for two different forward to 2002. Bruce was a fan and at one
festo': 1. Be like water (Sun Tzu), 2. Do stuff, songs in two different locations and just by show (the Kingston Peel), he came down to
and 3. Don't be a douchebag! Look up number emailing a booking agent who knew nothing see us, also bringing Maiden’s Janick Gers.
1 - Bruce Lee borrowed it and kind of made it about us (until then) we got The Fiascos on the After the show, I was packing down and Chris
his own and number 3 is pretty self-explana- bill of several shows with one of our favourite came up to me and told me that Bruce had just
tory. However, it's number 2 that we're going US bands. told him he’s headlining some huge European
to be covering in this article. I'm going to pass you on to Robin, who ex- festivals (in support of his ‘Best of Bruce Dick-
The Fiascos has only been going for a plains how, by doing stuff, he’s managed to inson’ album coming out) and he wanted US
short time after two of us met in hospital and move onwards and upwards with determina- to be HIS band!
the others had been playing together in a cou- tion and perseverance... My jaw hit the floor (I thought he was jok-
ple of bands over the last few years. In that ing), and then we ended up headlining Swe-
short time we've been offered festival slots, a ‘How Being A £50 Roadie For A Queen den Rocks (over Motorhead - my other
record and booking agent deal plus tours of Tribute Band Lead To Me Doing A Drum favourite band), Wacken Open Air - to 40,000
Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Italy (before we'd Solo To 40,000 People, With A Singer From crazies in Hamburg, an amphitheatre on top of
even played a note together), France and Ger- The Band That Changed My Life…’ a mountain in Greece and a bunch of others!
many (not forgetting the UK!) plus recorded I also ended up in Bruce Dickinson’s biog-
three singles and finished off our debut album. I joined a band (Violent New Breed) in raphy - a whole chapter on me - entitled 2002
How? I hear you ask... 1991, then a keyboard player (Alan Nelson, - describing myself playing Graspop Festival
Two words. Do Stuff. ex-W.A.S.P.) joined. He wasn’t right for the in Belgium (also on the bill were Slayer, Rob
There are a lot of bands out there, and band, so he left but we stayed in touch. Halford, Machine Head, etc.) then the same
don't get me wrong, I've been guilty of this in In 1996, I got a call from him - he needed day, flying back to headline Thurrock Music
the past, who write and rehearse up a bunch his keyboards driven to a show in Fulham Festival with Rachel Stamp - the band I was in
of songs and then wait around on the off (Kings Head) as he was now playing for the at the time - on the SAME day!
chance a manager / record company exec. / New Bohemians - a Queen tribute and he (but that’s another story…)
booking agent etc. will turn up to see them play knew I had a van (a necessity, being a drum-
at the ‘Egg And Pencil Case’ in West Ruislip mer!). I said yes and whilst they were sound- So there you have it folks. In a nutshell if
(Don't look for it, it's not there anymore ;))... checking in walks three dishevelled band you #dostuff then stuff happens. If you don't, it
and this used to work somewhat back in the members. won't.
day if A&R scouts happened to be pounding I recognised the bassist, Chris Dale (ex- Now get out there and hustle... play
the streets looking for the ‘Next Big Thing’. Atom Seed) and the guitarist, Alex Dickson shows, create an EPK, do a photoshoot,
Nowadays things have changed and you have (ex-Gun), they were in Skunkworks, Bruce record, make a list and work your asses off
to get up off your ass and make these people Dickinson from Iron Maiden’s band after he ticking off the tasks... most of all have fun with
notice you. quit Maiden. it, it's the greatest 'job' in the world.
Whether it's getting a buddy with a decent I was bored, so went and said hello, and See you out there!
camera to take some press shots (or hire a pro in doing so got chatting. They also needed a Richie & Robin
- not as expensive as you might think), email- van driver/tech/roadie for a project they were
ing radio stations and podcasts with your latest in named Fling. In a band? Want to write a one-off col-
tune or even messaging friends in bands and I did that for a while, then Chris needed a umn for Black Velvet? Get in touch. Email
getting out there playing shows, cross-promot- place to live. He moved in to the houseshare I editor@blackvelvetmagazine.com.

THE FIASCOS