Archive for the ‘ Interview ’ Category

Neil? Yes, Amanda? – Performances and Q&A with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer

Show date: June 3, 2009
Venue: Housing Works Book Store Cafe
Guests: Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer

d42 was having a fan girl fit. Neil Gaiman, best selling novelist, comic book writer, tireless blogger, as well as Amanda Palmer, singer, musician, icon, and recently deceased, were going to be under one roof at the Housing Works Book Store Café! These two beloved icons gathered with us this night to promote Who Killed Amanda Palmer Photo Book for which Gaiman provided the text.  Kyle Cassidy, photographer (also in attendance, but on the sidelines), provided excellent pictures of Palmer bloodied and stuffed into a shopping cart, floating in a pond, as a gorgeous statue, and in various other poses, all having a lack of life in common. Continue reading →

2009
06/22
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Interview
Literature
Music
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Q&A with Brendon Small

Show date: April 3, 2009
Venue: B.B. King’s Blues Club and Grill, NY

Brendon Small intensely on stage

Brendon Small intensely on stage

Brendon Small is a 34-year-old musician, composer, comedian, writer, and the lead vocals in the invented band Dethklok,  from the animated masterpiece called “Metalocalypse”, which he created, co-wrote and co-produced. Small is the voice of Nathan Explosion as well as Skwisgaar Skwigelf and Pickles the Drummer.

Small was the opener to his own headlining act with the School of Rock All Stars. Sometime before our car was broken into that night (long story, cops are useless), he addressed, belittled and made fun of the early-comers at B.B. Kings. Here is the gist of what was said and a few bad pictures. Continue reading →

2009
04/16
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Interview
Music
11 comments

Interview with Marcus Pelegrimas, author of Blood Blade

If you have not yet read it, I suggest you read my review of Blood Blade, the first book in the Skinners trilogy.  We were fortunate enough to get an interview with the author, Marcus Pelegrimas.  For those not familiar with him, Mr. Pelegrimas has written a good number of westerns and short stories in various other genres, primarily under the pseudonym of Marcus Galloway. This his first entry into dark fantasy/horror genre of the romantic persuasion.  If you want to learn more about him, you can look him up on his website at www.marcuspelegrimas.com.

And now, without further ado, here are the words of Mr. Pelegrimas himself regarding his latest novel.

marcus-pelegrimas

You’ve written works in a variety of genres. Which do you enjoy the most?

I really enjoy writing westerns, but horror and fantasy has always been my first love. The labels may change (horror / dark fantasy / urban fantasy / high fantasy / whatever), but anything with monsters has always had a special place in my heart. The very first stories I used to write when I was a little kid were about monsters and now that I get to write in this genre on a professional level, I’m truly excited! Continue reading →

2009
01/27
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Interview
Literature
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Do Not Fill Up At The Generic Music Buffet: Vains of Jenna Break it Down

vains-litupletdown.jpg
From http://www.discaffinity.com

November 2, 2007. Jacki Stone (drummer) met me by the back door of Roseland Ballroom and Nicki Kin (lead guitar) escorted me to the Vains of Jenna dressing room where Lizzy DeVine (vocals, guitar) and JP White (bass) huddled in their respective sweatshirt and leopard print coat, cursing the chill weather.

Vains of Jenna was formed when in a town of Falkenberg, Sweden two rival bands fell apart, bringing their most dedicated members together. The year was 2005. The band was eventually called Vains of Jenna. Dictionaries began arriving in response to the spelling choice, but they were discarded with sly remarks. VoJ, whose influences are Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses, the Rolling Stones, and Aerosmith truly began their career when they played Crufest in Hollywood, in 2005. There, Stevie Rachelle, owner of Metal Sludge and former singer of Tuff, noticed them and quickly became their manager. A week later they were recording in a studio with Gilby Clarke (former guitarist of Guns N Roses). In 2006 they met Bam Margera who signed them to his label, Filthy Note, and they’ve been touring the U.S. ever since supporting their album Lit Up/Let Down.

Back at Roseland, JP and Lizzy are both rubbing their eyes and yawning. Although obviously tired, they are affable guys and after shaking my hand and introducing themselves settle down into their chairs. Torn between the desire to smoke and the intense dislike of the cold weather conditions outside, they eventually lay the cigarette dilemma aside and we launched into our interview.

(JP White and Lizzy DeVine making faces for your amusement) Continue reading →

2007
11/10
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Interview
Music
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Sixteenth Century Now! An Interview.

For a review of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, with lots of photos, click here.


Sir Lukas and Lord Connor do battle

The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (thereafter to be referred to as the PRF) doesn’t just happen because a few hundred people shelled out the cash for costumes. No, it takes a large number of thespians dedicated to being anachronisms. Two such people are John Lukas (Joust Director and Horsemaster as well as “Sir Lukas, the bull of England”) and Kevin Stillwell (Equine Stunt Trainer as well as “Lord Connor, Prince of Stockwell”). You can check out their brief bios here. An interview with these fine men will follow after this short digression on how one can become part of the revelry that is the PRF.

There are three levels of performers at the PRF: The Bacchanalians are professional actors; The Black Friars are volunteers, although no less professional or devoted (some have been performing there for a dozen years); and then there are the independent performers hired for only a season.

Auditions for Bacchanalians take place in January, February and March and the selected actors arrive at the grounds in July and for the next six weeks live on the grounds and rehearse six days a week, eight hours a day. By the time the Faire opens in August, they are ready. Continue reading →

2007
10/30
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Interview
Theater
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Doris Thunder Tears on Her Experience Touring the U.S.

Doris with guitar
(photo by Dazvsemir)

After finishing their set, the members of the Taiwanese melodic black metal band Chthonic changed into civilian garb and dispersed through the crowd to enjoy the show during their September 12th appearance with Obituary at B.B. King’s. Doris Thunder Tears, guitarist and backing vocalist, was rocking out to Alabama Thunderpussy when we caught up with her.

Chthonic had played a show at B.B. King’s just recently, August 21st, and on that night they occupied a good slot. Today they were squeezed in as openers for three other bands. Doris complained that they didn’t even get a chance to play their favorite song, “Quasi Putrefaction” from the album Seediq Bale, their fourth, but the first to be released outside of Asia. Continue reading →

2007
09/18
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Interview
Music
6 comments

Comic Book Geeks Beleaguer Jhonen Vasquez: A Q&A

In guise of an introduction I would like to apologize for taunting googlers with the terms “Jhonen Vasquez” and “interview” for so long in the Coming Soon section. I just felt sick with impotent rage because I could provide no actual photos, and I took plenty. Maybe next year, when I, once again, gain free entry by masquerading as someone who deserves one, I will take photos and NOT format my hard drive without backing anything up. UPDATE: d42 who rocks DID back up said photos, so enjoy!

d42 and superheroes A collection of middle-aged, pudgy men with no pants on never before aroused admiration in so many. Surely, the comic-book-loving, video-game-playing LARPers of NYC came for the scantily dressed girls as well? And yet, the playboy model present, and expecting attention from sex-starved nerds, was almost as lonely at her booth as Gary Coleman was at his, and she wasn’t charging $20 for an autograph.

Continue reading →

2007
07/13
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Conventions/Festivals
Interview
5 comments