Voice Of The Underground
Presents
By: Jasper Jackson
| Jasper J. : Please introduce your current lineup to our readers. Willi : The current lineup is still Graham Allen on bass guitars, who has been playing in various lineups over the past ten years with myself, which is why we have such a locked in rhythm sound. Lead guitars are handled by Dan "Irish" O'Flannery, who replaced our original guitarist about a year ago. He is just 25 years old & has the feel & expertise of a much older, seasoned player. Our new material really reflects this. Vocals...well, what can I say? We've had the worst luck with vocalists recently. The original guy who is on the CD "Come Taste The Beast," left the band about three months after the release due to some severe personal problems he was having (you know...they say new families & rock 'n' roll don't mix). So Brad was replaced with a guy from Berlin. But the touring we were doing nearly killed him & his vocals just couldn't handle the pace. So after some very extensive looking Australia-wide, enter Milosz (pronounced ME-WASH). He's originally from South Australia & with a name like that you'd have to put him in the band. Seriously though, he's only 24 & has a massive set of vocal pipes on him. He chucked in three years of medicine to join the band & we are all extremely happy with the way it's going. He fits in like a glove & the fans really dig him. Then there's me, Willi. well, it's my band, so they can't get rid of me, although I suspect they think of it sometimes. This is a great creative lineup & very talented. Jasper J. : How long has the group been in existence? Willi : Taurus Run has been together for approximately two & a half years. Jasper J. : In your own words, briefly describe your band's sound & influence? Willi : I believe this is a hard question to answer, what do you sound like? My perception would be different from other people. I will say that I consider us to be a ROCK band. Sometimes hard/heavy, sometimes contemporary. I believe we have our own sound & most people don't label our sound as being like a particular band, which is great. The record companies hate this for obvious reasons, as they just love to be able to market you as a particular style & sound. Our influences are vast...when I was young, Graham & I were listening to bands like Yes & Budgie while everybody else was listening to The Beatles. The interesting thing is that Milosz & Irish are into lots of early bands as well & with their 90's music upbringing, it brings in the best of both worlds. So, you'll just have to get the CD & tell us what you think. Jasper J. : Name some bands in which you've shared the stage & opened for? Willi : Well...we've shared the stage with no one. This has been out of choice. We prefer to do our own shows & tours so we have full control over what the band sounds like & looks like. I actually own a small concert production company, so we have always been able to put on great shows. We've always been able to get crowds to our shows, whether they be big or small & we are only interested in giving our fans the best. If it's your show, you can do what you like. Jasper J. : Does your band have an independent CD, demo or video available? Willi : Yes, our current CD is entitled "Come Taste The Beast" & is available through SB Discs. It's a four song EP. We have a video available in Australia at the moment. Jasper J. : What is the current scene like in your local area? Willi : The scene here is very similar to yours, I think. (That's from what I read). There are not a lot of venues around at the moment pushing rock/hard rock/metal. I believe the reason to be that the promoters are trying to push the indie scene as they think it's the flavor of the month. As I own a production company, I actually get to work & tour with these bands, and let me tell you, they are not doing well considering the airply & TV exposure they receive. The crowds are not good at all unless they play in the city or on a large concert bill. I think the home entertainment young people are brought up on these days is just a different scene. We stopped playing live for a while. Myself & Graham (he's my systems engineer/foldback operator) started touring again. We saw lots of small crowds at the gigs. I thought, well FUCK...Taurus Run does better than this. I mean, we were working with bands like The Melvins, Ween, Millencolin & many Aussie bands. Let's face it, if you have a successful record out, then the scene is good. If not, then it's usually shit! Jasper J. : What are your long & short term goals & plans? Willi : Our long & short term goals are the same. We are writing with the new lineup as a unit & we are recording again with Peter Blyton as producer. He did the last EP with us. We have had a lot of overseas interest for a while now, so as soon as it's finished, we'll suss out a worldwide release. The recording will go into early next year as we want to make this record as the consummate rock album. We want to tour the 'States and Europe as well. Jasper J. : What would you say is your biggest gripe about the music industry? Willi : I don't know whether this is a gripe, but, I'll say this: I think it's sad the way the music industry is run now. Today it's all about corporate business & music has become a fashion statement as well as a marketing excercise. There's nothing I can do about that & things won't change. Even the independents are only able to survive today if they work next to the majors as they need them for distribution, etc. I had an interesting comment the other day from a booker at Australia's biggest booking agent. He tells bands who gripe about the sad fees they get paid today that you mostly play music for a hobby, not the money anymore. I think it's wise today to realize how the industry works & go with it. Do your own thing for sure, but work out what you want to achieve & go for it! Becoming apathetic & gripping just becomes part of the problem. Get out and see bands. Support the industry if you really believe in what you're doing. Remain a part of the game. Jasper J. : Any last words? Willi : Yes, I would especially like to thank David LaDuke for all this support & help & must say that he has helped us to keep the faith from time to time. I'd also like to thank all the fanzines/magazines etc. who have so graciously said nice things about us. A very big thanks to Paul Autry from The 1/2 Creeper, Lori Burton of Underground Music & Lord Litter, Radio Marabu, these people will alway ensure the word is spread. Support them because they will always support you. Ballbuster is one hell of a mag... it's true to its belief in the underground & that's what it's all about in the end. I'll continue to do my bit & spread the word in Australia. |
