Worcester MA’s “Rock and Shock” event had one element of interest. The only New England stop for California’s Black Veil Brides. A band with more hype and more swoons than any other. Talent and diversity with showmanship not often seen by today’s hardcore bands. I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to speak with Andy Six, lead vocalist of the band. I have done many interviews, but my excitement for this was an all time high,
I got onto Black Veil Brides‘ tour bus, and I saw them- covered with makeup and black clothing. I sat down next to Andy Six, and began a conversation of question and answer that offers some insight to what BVB is all about..
Lets start with the obvious, what were your musical inspirations?
Six “Probably KISS, Motley Crue, Misfits, every one, obviously, has different influences. Like, Metallica, more metal kind of bands but I think ultimately, like, Motley Crue and KISS.”
What got Six into music to begin with?
Six: “I think there was nothing else I ever really wanted to do. I just liked the way it sounded, the way it looked and everything about it made me excited so in a way, if you can find something in your life that excites you, regardless of what that is, you feel like that’s all you can do. (when asked about theatre–)I kind of got into really passionate bands that were more theatrical, so to me the image of the band was always something that was, like a gang or like, post-apocalyptic warriors or something. That’s what I saw in my head of what a band looked like so when I had a band, that’s what I wanted it to look like and I don’t think I ever really had…I mean, to me, it’s like when you practice, you dress like yourself. When you play, you put on a show, and it was just the thought I had in my head so I guess people call it theatrical, but to me it’s just, like, looking like a rock band. (where you a theatre kid?) Yeah, I’ve always loved theatre, and anything that’s theatrical, but I don’t really go see a lot of bands for that reason(don’t dress up, etc). They don’t entertain me. Most bands I could really care less about seeing. Live, I don’t really go to shows. I mean, I love Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, and those kinds of things, but I don’t really think I’d want to go see a show because it just doesn’t interest me. I love, like, punk rock bands, they don’t necessarily put on clothes that are cool or whatever to perform, to put on a show, and I think a vast majority of bands are just kind of boring.”
It was obvious at the venue who was there for Brides, as with KISS back in the day, the girls sported war paint as their favorite band member.
I asked Six how he feels when fans copy their makeup.
Andy said “It’s awesome. I don’t think there’s really anything that could be more flattering. To me, the whole idea of the makeup and the look was to create different personalities outside of ourselves, something that could be a symbol, could be something more than a regular person. When you have an idea or a message or something that you’re trying to carry, it’s a lot easier when there’s a symbol you can have you can hang it on. People dress up like Batman for Halloween because they like it for whatever reason. If people come to our shows and wear the warpaint, it makes them feel like they’re a part of a family, they feel like they’re representing a symbol that’s outside of them that isn’t the them that goes to school, it’s the them at night that goes to a rock show and feels different than that. That excites me, and makes me happy because I was the same way.”
I asked him what band he would see live or play with if he had the opportunity to. Immediately, he said “Black Veil Brides. I get to do my favourite thing every day. This is the band I always wanted to see, it’s the band I always wanted to hear, and the people in this band are my favourite people in the world so for me, it might sound cocky as an answer, but ultimately I think that if I’m happy with the band and the music and the image that we have and it’s my favourite band in the world so.”
I asked Andy if he had ever seen the band going in the direction they are.
Six: “I think that regardless of what job you do in your life, whether it’s to be a musician or to be a doctor or anything else, it’s sort of you have to strive to reach the brass ring and you have to want to be the most successful band or doctor or teacher or whatever else because ultimately, that’s what inspires other people. If it weren’t for people like, you know, Motley Crue and Kiss and those bands for me, or in life people like Malcolm X or Martin Luther King, these people that fought for very specific things whether there was an extreme ideal or not, the idea you wanted it to be, it was completely revolutionary or different, the best they can possibly be is what inspires people, so obviously I’ve always believed that I could be in the biggest band in the world and I think that is what I’ll always want.”
Next, I inquired what his favourite song to play live was.
“Probably ‘Children Surrender’ because I like the crowd involvement, I love when the song cuts out and I c
an hear the people in the crowd singing the song because it’s sort of humbling in a sense, but it’s very rewarding to sit in my apartment in Hollywood and write lyrics on my porch and record an album and then to be able to travel across the country or different countries and to hear people singing those words and that really means something to them because to me, it was a sequence of thoughts that I had of things I had thought would mean something to someone but to actually have physical proof when there are people singing their hearts out is definitely great.”
an hear the people in the crowd singing the song because it’s sort of humbling in a sense, but it’s very rewarding to sit in my apartment in Hollywood and write lyrics on my porch and record an album and then to be able to travel across the country or different countries and to hear people singing those words and that really means something to them because to me, it was a sequence of thoughts that I had of things I had thought would mean something to someone but to actually have physical proof when there are people singing their hearts out is definitely great.”
I asked him for singing advice, seeing as he’s one of my favourite singers of all time, and he said “I think, honestly, vocally, the only advice I have for singers is just to sing in your own voice. A lot of rock singers in particular do their best to try to do impressions of other people to sound like their favourite singer, and that’s all well and good it helps people learn to sing I think, but if it continues into a crutch for you, you’re not singing in your own voice and you wind up damaging your voice and you don’t sound original, you’re not sounding true to yourself. If I write a vocal melody and I can sing it, that means that the song is ours. If I write a vocal melody for someone else that I can’t necessarily sing, I’m not going to write a vocal melody for Vince Neil’s voice because I can’t sing that way, so. It’s important, when you’re a singer, to always remain true to your own voice.”
I asked for his opinions on bullying, and asked him if he was bullied in school because of the strong message in the “Knives and Pens” music video.
“Yeah, the signs in that video that are on the kid’s locker were actually mine that I had saved with all the signs he tears off that say like ‘fag’ or whatever. I had actually kept those from my junior year in high school. It was definitely difficult for me, the odd thing was the whole Myspace thing started happening and I created the band and I had this whole online community of people that knew who I was as this Andy Six character then I would go to school and get my ass beat, for lack of a better term. I sort of created that(Andy Six character) as an escape, and over time it sort of became me and now I have the strength as being older and being able to say I got out of that world to hopefully inspire kids to feel like they can get out of it because bullying, it is what it is. There’s people that feel insecure about themselves, and then there are people that just enjoy making fun of you and either way, it feels hard at the time and in high school, it feels like you’re never going to get out of it but there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. You have to be able to find strength in yourself and I hate to see kids that cut themselves or do harm to themselves because of the things that other people do because those people aren’t worth the pain that you’re going to inflict and they’re not worth the scars that you’ll have in twenty years because those people will be gone and will be working at a 7-11 or something and you’ll have your career and the unfortunate fact is that you’ll know at one point you let them win and it’s important to never let them win.”
Next, I asked him the iPod question. What song would your fans be surprised to know you have on your iPod?
Andy- “‘Jungle Land’ by Bruce Springsteen is one of my favourite songs.
Jake- I listen to a lot of classical music, actually.”
(Helen- you gotta have some taylor swift, everyone has swift.)
“Jinxx- yeah.” (they all laugh)
Andy- “Jinxx’s a biiig Taylor Swift fan.”
And there you have it. We didnt realize that drummer CC was in the back. He came on out for the picture
There are the Black Veil Brides in full regalia.