Mick Birchall Reviews

Where do you think your passion for music came from? Steven Campbell (lead vocals, bass): Most likely my dad, he used to sing in rock bands back in the ’70s and ’80s, so I was surrounded by the music from when I was a little kid. Veronica 'V' Taleski (lead guitar): I have no idea, no one I knew played anything, maybe listening to some of my dad's old rock and metal CDs got me into that kind of music over what was playing on the radio. He bought a guitar for my brother and he never touched it so I started playing around with it but wasn't too into it. I think it was after I discovered AC/DC and saw them live that I decided that I wanted to be a musician. Ryan Roma (drums): Yeah, AC/DC. Arthur Divis (rhythm guitar): Not too sure, I think it might have been that as a kid Mum and dad always used to play music around the house and eventually I got a guitar and that was it. Who are your biggest influences? Steven: I think at the moment I’ve been really influenced by...

Where do you think your passion for music came from? I love this question. In this moment, as I think about it, it was always an innate thing. I was the kid subconsciously trying to outsing the radio. My mother use to have to turn it louder to drown my prepubescent voice out! My whole life has been a manifestation of where I am now. Who are your biggest influences? I think this is constantly changing because my biggest influences tend to be the people in my life that inspire me. My relationships. My father. To you, what is the most important thing about playing live? People can see through bullshit. So be IN THE MOMENT. What is the one song you had wished you had written? PASS haha! What are the biggest lessons learned over the years? If you don’t listen to your gut, it will constantly remind you that you are living a lie. Are there any bands/artists that you recommend that don’t much attention? I mean, my secret obsession is Olafur Arnolds. But I’m pretty sure he gets PLENTY of at...

What an amazing experience. Sometimes it really pays off to just go to a gig. Having only a passing interest in their music, I decided to buy tickets to see the Japanese punk rock group on a whim. Let me say, I'm so glad that I did. Mutant Monster is one of those bands that I had heard about but never really taken the time to properly listen to, now having the chance to catch them live, they have definitely won me over. Like I have said before, I can't think of a better way to spend a Friday night, then getting myself to a gig and letting loose and on this night Jimmy's in Manchester certainly allowed the punk rock shenanigans to commence. With a great line up of wild, unruly punk rock this was one sweaty and intense evening of fun. Opening the show was the St Helens based punk rock act, The Innocent Bystanders . This was certainly a way to start the show, their ode to classic punk rock stylings certainly warmed up the crowd. Their set was fast and furio...

Where do you think your passion for music came from? I don’t know man. When I was a kid my parents tried to get me to take piano lessons and I really started to hate it after a while. Then I joined the school orchestra for no reason and I liked it, but when I moved back to Italy (I must have been around 11) I stopped giving a shit about music. But then when I moved to the Netherlands at 14 I fell in love with it. We went through a rough patch, music and I, but in the end, our struggles just made our relationship stronger. We still have our rough patches here and there, but we work through it like any strong couple would. We complete each other. Plus the sex is amazing! Who are your biggest influences? As bass players, Ryan Martinie, Sean Malone, Jeroen Paul Thesselig, Jaco Pastorius, amongst many many others. Musically, Devin Townsend, Steven Wilson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cynic, Leprous, and more. I’m very much influenced by what I’m listening to at the time so it tends...