In the Mind of Nate

I know I haven't written in awhile. But seeing this new video immediately inspired me to share my thoughts. And I will share more again very soon. Enjoy. Once again, the SpaceMan has taken us on a wild ride into another universe with hos new muisc video for the somg 10,000 Volts . Continuing to inspire Fellow axe slingers, and giving us a new song with some familiar Ace Tones, Especially in the solo as some of the licks are reminiscent of other Ace classics, such as “You give me a feeling” and "Shock me" but unique in its own way. Same goes for the music video itself, where at first it seems like a simple rock music video. But then you will discover some innovative special effects that without giving them away will both shock and amaze you. The title of this track is also a hint to what those visuals may be. Overall, this soon to be hit song, gives his former bandmates a phallic finger without even attempting to. As This ...

We are just starting to get back to performing shows. See the info for this event if you're in the area. If not click here to watch perform live this Thursday online 6:30 PM EST in support raising money for COVID relief through the American Red Cross. Tri County Give Back On Saturday July 10th, Charlee Bravos in Putnam Connecticut and Metal Fortress Radio brings with you : " Bravofest ". This is an annual event that is being held in order to raise money for the American Red Cross and Homes For Our Troops , a national nonprofit which builds and donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-911 Veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives. This will be an all day event featuring live performances from several bands from the local area, as well as bands from Rhode Island and New York City. This event will also include Food with the cost of admission, but will be completely free for all Veterans. The band's...

How's it going everybody? As this title may or may not imply, this is about trying to maintain consistency during the holiday madness (or Iron Maiden ) that I'm sure we are all breathing a sigh of relief that it's officially over. Don't get me wrong, we all know it's good to unwind a bit spend time celebrating with our friends and family. Although, for us ambitious types it has a way of throwing us off course no matter how hard we resist. Which is partly to blame for me not making an entry in almost two months. Since my last hiatus, I was trying diligently to stay consistent. And of course like most independent art forms, we have to be self-motivated. Knowing that there is no actual authoritative obligation (accept with my readers of course) I simply had to take a a pause til when I was comfortable to write. So here I am 😊. I'm usually not a big fan of year in review type things. But I must say, this year despite all of the low points. There h...

Hello, so here I am yet again trying to think of a theme that's not going to bore all of you to death. This week was a little more busy for me and I almost found myself making me excuses that normal people usually make as to why they can't do certain things. I'm really glad I didn't fall into that metal trap like most people do. I do admit that being much busier did have an impact on my activity on social media to promote the band and our upcoming show in Salem, MA . But luckily, I figured out how to organize myself a little bit better so that these things don't keep piling up. Here's the flyer and the event link btw. I'm sure it's apparent to most of you by now that one thing I'm referring to is, Change . After all, it's one of the few things that's guaranteed in life. And then when we need it, we choose not to change. I think mostly because, even though a certain situation be it a relationship that has gone sour, a job or living ...

Hello everyone, after my last post may have come off at the beginning being downright whiny I decided to put a positive spin on exactly what has been on my mind lately. I have been noticing a decline and the overall camaraderie teamwork not only with and bounds but with other bands themselves. This is probably one of the reasons why one of my most recent shows had very poor attendance, Which at this stage of the game for me is downright embarrassing. I didn't think playing on an off night would be a total deterrent for everybody. Especially since other bands have been able to draw at this particular events. And I'm sure if this was a bigger national touring acts, the charges triple or quadruple of who have been able to draw at this particular events. And I'm sure if this was a bigger national touring acts, the charges triple or quadruple of why our door cover most people wouldn't care and they be even taking pictures i'm going live on Facebook to brag about ...

Mike Repel with Heidi Sheperd from the band the Butcher Babies For most musicians, especially us "gear heads" this past weekend is like a second Christmas. This past weekend the NAMM show was held at the Anaheim convention center in Anaheim, California. All music instrument manufacturers showcase their new gear including products that feature the latest technology (such as recording software).From new guitars to synths,drums,saxophones and much more. Along with new product demonstrations you can also see live performances and appearances by many of the industrie's top artists. Most of us (myself included) have to patiently wait for the new products to hit stores, and hope to catch a few highlights of pics and videos online. I was able to pick the brain of a friend that attended this years show. Mike Repel, Lead Singer/Guitarist for the band "Riotous Indignation" and author of : The Music Industry Self Help Guide which is a very good read (a must for ...

Hello everyone. I would like to say that it is great to be back blogging. And as the title suggests, what better way to comeback than to interview Ex-Misfits Singer Michale Graves while on his "When Worlds Collide" tour. The tour has not come through my town yet,but the last time I saw him perform was at a show that I had the distinct privilege of opening up for him. The energy from Michale and his band that night was unprecedented. I was able to get in touch with Michale while he is out on tour and this is what he had to say: Nate: How did you first discover your love of music? Michale: My home growing up in New Jersey was filled with music – classic rock n roll, early punk and big voices like Sinatra and Elvis Nate: How did you develop the Michale Graves image and persona? Michale: I had been interested in the theater for years – in front of and behind the curtain. Over the years I have evolved both the voice and my make-up – to now what we call the “Skel...

Hello all, I know it's been ages since I have posted. However, I'm sure we can all agree that it has been a long cold winter and for many reasons I needed to stay dormant and step away for a bit(I will elaborate further in another post).Anyway, I am a fan coming back in a big way and I thought that writing a post about one of the best new artists around would be the perfect opportunity to do so. I am speaking about none other than Justin Symbol . It has been great to watch Justin come into his own over the past few years, sharing the stage with him and trading ideas with him has been a true blessing for me and I hope more artists have the same rapport and support for one another that Justin and I have. I chose to name this interview "Symbolism" because of the religious cult like fanaticism that his fans(more commonly known as Fuckheads ) have taken to Justin and his music. Please enjoy and I hope this gives both his current fans and those who just discovered his...

Now that the Holiday consumerism fest is over, those of us that have their sights set on accomplishing projects can finally get down to it. Although, it may be a bit harder the first weeks with all that extra Holiday weight you maybe carrying around. For myself, it is a very difficult part of the Holidays having to drop everything and trying to celebrate with not even one major task out of the way. Although the New Year does bring us hope that we can make things better for ourselves and many believe how you enter the New Year is how you shape the rest of it. As I'm sure you noticed by now, this a downtime for the entertainment industry as a whole. Show attendance and club events usually don't have as many numbers as they do in the months prior to the Holidays. The music industry actually shuts down and all business starts up again in the New Year, as there are many behind the scenes things happening and many trade shows in January, such as the NAMM show. So what is th...

After that last entry and all I put into it and the previous entries that include tips on the music Business, I needed to take a breather(which is needed from time to time). Well that and I have been having computer issues. Anyway, I really hope my last few entries gave you some serious insight into what is put into a career as a professional musician. What I really mean is an original band that plays professionally. All the Orchestras you may have heard(think Star Wars ) in movies, Tv, or in plays or operas are all classically trained musicians, some of which have been playing since early in their childhood that have spent some much time learning their instrument that can not only play many complex pieces of music, but can also play them as soon as a piece is given them. Which is also known as "Sight Reading". That is in itself is something many artists(including myself)can barely do if at all.Luckily these musicians usually are well compensated and receive medical an...

In my last entry this was one the things I didn't mention about promoting an album, well this and the importance of making a video (mainly because I assumed most bands have videos on you tube of performance and regular MTV style music videos). Touring is a very necessary and effective way for bands to build a more solid fan base and insure that album sales will increase, if done correctly and effectively. Many bands have an unenthusiastic opinion about touring or unrealistic expectations. First off the word "Tour" doesn't necessarily mean 3 months out on the road packed in a van, but it can mean that. You can actually take trips to separate cities and come home each time and consider that a tour too. Either way the goal is to play in as many different cities as you can in order to strengthen your fan base and album sales. But of course it is wise to KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS in this case it pertains to how many places you can afford to travel to with your budget and...