They’ve
got tattoos all over their necks and hands and everything and I
thought they looked like stabbing enthusiasts, so I kept my distance.
Bot not too much, because this was Dragon*Con and everybody’s cool
there and also because there was no way I was going to be anywhere
but right up front.
After
the show we met up again at Calbrese’s booth and they told me that
seeing Calabrese a few years earlier was what had inspired them to
form a band. I told them I understood exactly what they meant, as it
was a marathon of Calabrese albums that inspired my songwriting kick
a few months ago. They gave me a copy of their second album, Rock
N’ Roll Death Machine
and I told them I would probably be interested in doing a Q&A in
October.
It
took me a little while to listen to Rock
N’ Roll Death Machine,
but I totally dug it as soon as I did. It has a very lo-fi, seventies
punk feel and the songs are all about horror stuff. I immediately put
it into my Halloween playlist.
I’ve
been chatting with Hero from time to time over the past month and he
was good enough to send me a copy of their first album, Vamp
City Rockers.
Sometimes it’s a little rough going back to a band’s earlier work
when you are already familiar with something new, but Vamp
City Rockers
felt like a natural lead-in to Rock
N’ Roll Death Machine.
The albums definitely share a continuity, much like Calabrese’s
work. Or AC/DC’s, for that matter. There is a certain quality that
lets you just kick back and enjoy what’s going on.
Here
are Hero
Bishop
and Joey
Gruesome
of Alucard:
1)
Where
were you born and what is one way that place has affected you as a
person?
Joey
- I was born in Lebanon, Tennessee. I'd say it affected me as a
musician because the first time I ever saw a real (expensive) drum
kit was at a place called mikes music and pawn on the square in
Lebanon.
Hero
- Taft, California. I think it got me exposed to punk rock at an
early age. I went to Jerry's Pizza when I was 13. That is in
Bakersfield CA, it was my first punk show and it changed my life
forever!
2)
What was your favorite toy when you were a kid?
Joey
- I had a big T-Rex toy from Jurassic park best thing ever!
Hero
- It was a big stuffed monster and I think it was like purple and
green with orange chains. I'd have to call my Mom to see what it was
called haha maybe a monster buddy?
Side
Note: I immediately recognized this one and sent Hero this ad:
3)
What is one album everybody should own?
Joey
- Besides anything Alucard does? Ha! I'd say "Lifted" by
Bright Eyes or the Bat Out of Hell trilogy by Meat Loaf!
Hero
– “The Travelling Vampire Show” by Calabrese!
4)
What are your thoughts on Halloween?
Joey
- dark.... Ha! It's a great excuse to party!
Hero
- I fucking love Halloween! I have a lot of Halloween related tattoos
and well.....who doesn't love Halloween?
5)
Speaking of movies, what is your favorite scary movie and why?
Joey
- the Rocky Horror Picture Show, you've got a cross dressing Tim
Curry and a music number from Meat Loaf what more do you want?
Hero
- American
Psycho because it is hilarious!
6)
Who is your favorite wrestler and why?
Joey
- Zack Zero! He's a pimp
Hero
- Macho Man because he reminded me of my Dad.
7)
What is the best Halloween costume you've ever worn?
Joey
- I had a bad ass real looking Jason X costume one year where he was
all metal. That was pretty dope.
Hero
- I once went as a woman while playing a Halloween show. A few people
loved the chest hair coming out of the top of my dress.
8)
How did you become involved with Alucard?
Joey
- I found them through a craigslist add and once they heard my omega
power drums they had to have me! Haha
Hero
- After my hardcore band Vonnegut broke up due to dumb shit I just
wanted to have fun and play Rock N Roll so I learned the mighty and
simple two finger power chord – haha - and called up my pals to get
it going. Note: I still only use two fingers haha!
9)
Which actor do you feel like you could sit and watch for hours no
matter what they were doing and why?
Joey
- Meat Loaf. Just because he's a god!
Hero
- That is a tie between Christian Bale and Gary Oldman. I think their
careers speak for themselves!
10)
What inspires you to do what you do?
Joey
- Mostly the zillions of dollars that Alucard makes ya' know but I
guess part of me loves it too…
Hero
- I just
wanna have fun and live life. Playing Rock N Roll with friends is
reason enough!
11)
What is something you cannot wait to see or have more of?
Joey
- Betty White.
Hero
- People
having a good time at our shows and digging the tunes!
12)
Is there a movie that should never be remade and if so which one?
Joey
- Jurassic Park you don't mess with success
Hero
- American
Psycho because no one can top Christian’s performance as Patrick
Bateman.
13)
Closer – can you sell me cold on your current project?
Joey
- 2 words. ALUCARD RULES!!
Hero
- Two
words....ALUCARD RULES!
If
you are looking for some good, garage-punk, horror rock n’ roll you
should definitely give the boys from Alucard a listen:
Phantom
Troublemaker vs. 31 Days of Halloween
If
you’re new here or haven’t been keeping up, this is where I give
my thoughts on SyFy’s “31 days of Halloween” programming.
Obviously I haven’t seen everything I’ll be talking about, but
that’s kind of what the internet is all about – talking out of
your ass.
Each
day I will cover the schedule from the time my post goes live
(usually 11 AM) through the following 24 hours. On Fridays I will
cover the whole weekend, which is a huge pain in the ass but also
kind of fun.
Enjoy!
11:00
PM – 4:00 PM – Ghost Hunters
– I would like to point out the fact that I don’t actually have a
problem with SyFy showing all of these Ghost
Hunters episodes. I do
think the show is terrible, but a whole lot of people do not agree
with me and obviously SyFy should cater to the majority. Get those
advertising dollars, SyFy. And make Sharktopus
2 with them.
Halloween
score – 5
Quality
score – 1
4:00
PM – 8:00 PM – Paranormal Witness
– Oddly, I really don’t have much more to say about this show.
Today’s block leading up to the new episode tonight includes “The
Real Haunting In Connecticut”, Fox Hollow Farm”, “The
Abduction”, and “Cabin/Ghost In the Garden”. They’ve all been
shown recently, but maybe you missed them or they were so totally rad
you wanted to watch again but couldn’t because you don’t have a
DVR. Well now you can watch them again.
Halloween
score – 5
Quality
score – 3
8:00
PM – 1:00 AM – Ghost Hunters/Paranormal Witness
– There’s another Ghost
Hunters rerun at 8 –
“Paranormal Politics”. I actually meant to watch this last week
when they showed it, so if I remember I will set my DVR for this
week’s (I won’t remember). Then at 9 is a new episode called
“Curtain Call” followed by Paranormal
Witness’ new episode,
“Hollywood Sign Haunting/The Good Skeleton”.
Halloween
score – 5/5
Quality
score – 1/4
THURSDAY
1:00
AM – 3:00 AM – Haunted High
– I was hoping this was a SyFy Original Movie starring Method Man
and Redman as ghosts, with Christopher Walken as the wacky principle.
It isn’t.
Halloween
score – 5
Quality
score – 3
3:00
AM – 5:00 AM – Haunted Prison
– I was hoping this was a SyFy Original Movie starring Method Man
and Redman as ghosts, with Christopher Walken as the wacky warden. It
isn’t.
Halloween
score – 4
Quality
score – 3
5:00
AM – 8:00 AM – Paid Programming
– This whole time I’ve been referencing Pos-T-Vac and Total Gym
even though I knew they darn well aren’t actual infomercials.
They’re just regular commercials. I’m not even sure what the
infomercials are, because I change the channel.
Halloween
score – 1
Quality
score – 5
8:00
AM – 9:00 AM – Ghost Whisperer
– I have noticed that when I say “Ghost
Whisperer” aloud I can’t
help but whisper. Try it. You know – like licking your elbow or
chewing gum and pooping at the same time. I bet you do it, too. I
also noticed every time I say “Ghost
Whisperer” aloud I am sad
that I am not looking at Jennifer Love-Hewitt.
Halloween
score – 4
Quality
score – 3
8:00
AM – 11:00 AM – Stir of Echoes: Homecoming
– What? Why the heck is there a sequel to Stir
of Echoes? That was a
really good movie, but I can’t imagine why anybody would think it
needed a follow-up.
Halloween
score – 4
Quality
score – 3
Come
back tomorrow for the third series of S.L.U.G. Zombies!
-Phantom
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