Some quality new rock for you with today’s Band of the Day…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
I am from Ireland and our drummer, bassist and guitarist are all from Venezuela.
How did you meet?
I moved from Ireland to Chicago looking to put a rock band together and I placed an ad on a musicians site looking for a drummer, that’s how I met Tomas. Alejandro his brother came next to play bass and lastly Arturo on guitar. Everybody else had worked and recorded music together previously back home so that helped the band right from the start.
How long have you been playing as a band?
The four of us have been together for about two years now.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
When I came up with Blacklist Regulars I thought it reflected our story pretty well. To be blacklisted so to speak, the underdog, the immigrants, on the outside that was part of it.
What are your influences?
Our common influences would be bands like Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Chevelle and Guns N’ Roses to name a few.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
It’s a modern twist on the hard rock genre with some old school rock and metal influences. Some of us in the band approach our music from rock, alternative and grunge perspective, while others add more of a metal slant to it. I think that’s what might make it a little more unique to the listener.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
On this record we’re talking about topics that we’ve dealt with like resilience, hope, addiction, taking chances and overcoming obstacles. Our hope is that it will resonate with listeners out there because I believe everybody has struggles and faces adversity.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
Our show is pretty high energy. We do our best to recreate the record live and connect with the audience. As a band currently we’ve done about seventy shows or so.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
I once saw two people knock themselves out in a mosh pit at a festival. That was pretty crazy, I guess.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I sing through Shure SM 58 and I also use Shure in-ears. Arturo uses a Fender Telecaster and an Epiphone Les Paul with an EVH 5150 with a 2 x 12 cab. Tomas is drumming on a Four piece Mapex Mars kit. He has endorsements with TRX Cymbals and SJC, so he uses their 14” x 6 “ snare. Alejandro on bass uses both Fender bass guitars with Gallien Krueger amp and heads.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Our debut record ‘Through The Blast’ recently released on Pavement Entertainment which we are excited about. We will be touring this fall with Powerman 5000, Hed Pe, and Adema as part of the ‘Days of Disorder’ tour nationally in the U.S. After that we will joining Hed Pe for their November/December tour run. So lots of opportunities coming up for us this year.
What are your plans for 2019?
Our plans for 2019 have been to put the record out and get in front of as many people as we can. We want to continue to grow as a band and reach new fans.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
Alice In Chains or Guns N’Roses for sure with Qualia, who are a great hard rock band from Chicago, opening for us.
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