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Young
guns on the block and all round rock n roll superstars, Kid Ego tick all
the right boxes. Today we catch up with lead singer and sex god
himself Mr Zakk 'Tearaway' Taylor to find out how it's hanging.
MM - Hi
guys, thanks for agreeing to take part in this interview with us we
really appreciate it.
ZT - Pleasure.
MM - Earlier this Summer the band flew over to the States to play at the
legendary ‘Cruefest 2006’ Festival. Wow what an amazing
opportunity for you guys to get involved in. How did you come to
hook up with the festival in the first place and how did it go?
ZT - We seem to have being adopted by
the Motley Crue fans across the world and in a small space of time the
word spread across America and we're very proud to say we have a huge
and loyal fan base in the states. Those fans then requested KID EGO to
the organisers and they then asked us to play. It was very welcoming.
MM - Did you get the opportunity to play any other gigs while you
were over in the States or was this more a ground breaking experience to
test the waters?
ZT - We a pro active band and due to the passion for what we do, we
always make the most out of our opportunities so we organised a mini
tour down the east coast of the states. we spent 2 weeks playing shows
from New York down to Atlanta before flying over to LA for Cruefest. We
had a fucking blast man.
MM - How would you compare the fans in the States to those in the UK?
Were they familiar with your music and just how receptive were they to
your performance?
ZT - The
fans were awesome, Rock n Roll still holds a strong position in a lot of
American hearts.
Our American fans had waited a long time to have the opportunity to see
a live KID EGO show and I can honestly say they went home with a big
smile on their faces. The interesting aspect of the tour was performing
in front of people who had never heard of us before and they didn't know
what to expect.
We could see from the stage that they were 'converted' 2 or 3 songs into
the set. Coming off stage we were constantly greeted by fans actually
thanking us for bringing back real rock n roll. They were so passionate
about the music they felt the need to thank us, that was a surreal
experience. But we love America and its people, some even got in their
cars and followed us down the coast show after show. We're very much
looking forward to returning to the states for a full tour in February.
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MM
- The band will shortly be hitting the road on your ‘Ignite
The Tide’ tour, when does the tour begin and which UK cities
will you be hitting this time around?
ZT - We start kicking ass mid
September in Edinburgh and Glasgow, followed by huge shows in
Newcastle, Nottingham, Liverpool, York and Camden. This is part
1 of a 3 part tour. We've worked really hard on the
theatrics for this show. We have the best light and sound
engineers in the business working with us on this tour and so
with their help we're gonna put on a show that will make you
feel like your at Wembley arena in your home town. We always
make sure the audience is enjoying what their actually watching
as well as listening to the music. |
MM
- How do you see the current climate for hard/glam rock in the UK at the
moment and even further in the rest of the world? Who do you see
as your target audience?
ZT - I don't believe in target audience, we make
music for people full stop. I think due to our sound being quite old
school with a modern energy, we attract indie fans, metal fans, emo fans
and even pop fans. It's a very universal rock n roll. We never label
ourselves or our fans, everyone is welcome to our shows. It's all about
engaging the audience who ever they are and making sure they are fuckin
buzzing by the time we leave the stage. The great think about the UK at
the moment is the kids are really getting into bands from the 80's and
the whole rock n roll spirit and we are on the front line giving them
what they want.
MM - Now’s the time to sell yourselves, what can our readers expect
from a live ‘Kid Ego’ show and why should they come along to one of
your shows and check you out?
ZT - Every show is unpredictable. You
have 5 very different characters on a stage who all get their kicks by
letting out any built up emotions during the show. Their is no escaping
the energy we create in the building. We put just as much effort into
our stage show as we do writing the music. The reason we are influenced
by stadium rock is because of the drama and energy on stage. When people
come to see KID EGO, they feel a part of the show. The beer and vodka
flows, the party really kicks off and you can almost smell the sex your
gonna have later that night coming your way.
MM - The band have a very strong visual presence on stage as well as
musically, how important do you feel it is for bands to package their
whole look and sound together?
ZT - As people
know we do dress in a very typical rock n roll manner. As in any
traditional music scene it's like a uniform, it's feeling comfortable to
look a little different and be proud of it. But we don't feel the need
to impress anyone by out-doing the next person or following the latest
hair trend. It's all about the freedom to express your self. I think its
important certainly in rock n roll that the kids see bands confidently
wearing some home made outfit from a charity shop and showing that you
don't have to be a walking advert for top man or sport the latest
footballers hair style. Fuck that shit, create your own character!
MM
- Stepping back in time a little, would you like to give us a
brief history on the band, how it came to be, how it’s
evolved, where you call home etc?
ZT - We're 5 boys from a little
village in York called Haxby, who all share a passion for
classic rock.
A few years ago some of us also shared a passion for drugs and
alcohol in a way this is how we came into each others lives. The
time came when Rookie and myself decided it was time to stop
wasting away and loosing our marbles and do something that would
give us a bigger buzz than any drug we were taking at the time
could give us. We jammed out some rock n roll in a drug
squat house and started recruiting. Phil in a similar
position soon joined us. We then recruited Birdy having
known him since school and he was |
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already
the front man and lead guitarist in the biggest rock band in
York but our energy pulled him towards playing in both bands and
in a short time we soon welcome the big boys on the block.
His previous band has since collapsed without him. He's
very talented.
Little Nicky at 15 came along as a temporary drummer but his
natural showmanship and energy behind the drums was something we
couldn't ignore. Despite his age causing potential problems he
was worth it 100%. Since then we have grown together and
developed a chemistry like brothers. As a band we have
constantly moved forward together and there is no stopping us.
We can't be ignored. |
MM
- Where did the bands name come from and what does it represent to you?
Can you remember any of the other names that were considered at the
time?
ZT - KID EGO
represents our personality as a band. It was also the first song
we tried to play together (by extreme) and we couldn't fucking play it
no matter how hard we tried. So the name also represents a
reminder to never give up. Rookie has a one track mind when it
comes to music, it has to be full on 80's stadium rock. he even looks
like he belongs on the strip in 1984. So when we first started the
band I remember some of the potential band names he pushed for like
'Thunder Shock' and 'Road Crew'. Although we agreed on our musical
direction, I pushed hard not to be too cliche and got him so wasted one
night that he agreed with me on 'KID EGO'. haha I'm still sure he
still hates it. Tough shit mate, its too late!
MM - The band recently released your
debut album ‘Ignite The Tide’. Would you like to tell us a
little bit about the songs that feature on it and where can our readers
obtain a copy.
ZT - It comes out in stores in the UK
on September 11th. It can also be purchased online at www.rockrevolutionltd.com
. The album kicks ass, It's hard and fast. Each band member
brings something to the table, the riffs will blow your mind, the drums
and bass will make you shit your pants. Birdy's solos will make
you wanna fuck. As for my lyrics well you can relate. There's no
trash talking about how I drive fast cars with groupies on my arm and a
bottle of jack in the other bullshit. Each song is written about
real experiences, thoughts and feelings from myself and as a gang.
Each song stands out on it's own. Fuckin buy it and tell me I'm lying.
MM - What song is your personal
favourite(s) to play live and which one(s) really get the crowd going
wild?
ZT - 'Lady Conniver' is a real hit with
the fans, it's very catchy and sticks in your mind. It's actually a poem
I wrote about relationships which became a song. 'Heartbreak Hooker' is
also a party orientated song, the crowd love to sing along about our
escapades in Amsterdam!
Personally I like playing 'magic candy' live. I wrote the song during a
magic mushroom bender and the lyrics make no sense at all, It reminds me
of the freedom in rock n roll.
MM - How has the internet helped spread the word about the band and do
you feel downloading is harming the scene of helping to keep it alive?
ZT - The internet
has rescued bands from the dreaded pricks in the music industry picking
and choosing the bands they think will make them money at the present
time. It's a great way to market yourself at a low cost and not
needing the backing from a major record label. As technology
advances it will be impossible to avoid downloading. Why cry and
bitch about it, you know you've all done it. It's already starting
to become a controlled industry anyway.
I'm sure Lars Ulrich from Metallica won't go hungry this Christmas!
Bands should put more effort into touring and live shows and make their
money there. After all isn't it about playing rock n roll shows? I
hate corporate greed, you'll never see a tin of KID EGO spaghetti.
MM - Following on from that question,
Mp3 - an abomination or a good way to make your name and music heard?
ZT - Awesome.
MM - In your opinion, who is the greatest genius of all time in the
music business, and why?
ZT - I'd have to say Sharon Osbourne, I
mean have you seen the state of Ozzy without drugs never mind full blown
into them! That women is determined and focuses on what she's
trying to achieve. What other women in the world would have Nikki
Sixx on his knees begging to her to let him fuck a groupie?
MM - If you were doing a gig on a desert island and could only bring one
instrument with you for the whole band, what would it be and why?
ZT - Phil plays a mean kazzu! But I
would have to say a drum of Nicky's choice, he's the only one who can't
sing. haha so the rest of us could do some harmonies to his beats.
MM - Ok, following on from the whole stranded on a desert island thing,
imagine you were stranded and had no food. Why member of Kid Ego
would you eat first and why?
ZT - I think the guys would probably
eat me first! Coz I'm the heaviest. Have you seen my band?
Their isn't any meat on those fuckers. In fact fuck it, I'd eat
myself. At least I'd die with a good meal.
MM - What one thing do most people not know, have never known, and will
probably never know about you unless they read this interview?
ZT - I'm actually
watching porn and beating one off whilst writing all this.
MM - Finally is there anything you’d like to say to all our readers
out there?
ZT - Come fuckin
see us man, don't be treating us like we're special either, come
straight up and have a beer with us. We're no more special than
you. Well apart from maybe Nicky (he's a bit special if ya get
me). Girls I am single so if you want me, have me. Please
don't use me to piss your parents off.
MM - Thanks Zakk, you're a walking talking gigging sex doll. Any
young fillies out there reading this interview, get yourselves along to
one of Kid Ego's gigs and check out a band that really know how to put
the 'T' into talent. |