by Alex Smith-Barbieri
– Senior Columnist —
Vic Rivera, chief songwriter and guitarist for Adriangale, and former musical partner of Ted Poley, is a very busy man these days. He’s been holed up in his underground studio in The Bronx, NY – crunching (pun intended) to get the new Adriangale CD, Defiance, finished and pressed in time for Melodic Rock Fest 4. Lucky for us, Vic’s a super nice guy, and graciously agreed to sit down and talk with Hardrock Haven about the new AG, favorite musical memories, his plans for the future, the loss of Jimi Jamison, and much more.
HRH: Vic, thanks for taking some time—I know it’s been a busy summer for you. Tell us about the new Adriangale album, Defiance. Is it all done and in the bag, and what are you especially excited about with it?
VR: All wrapped up and in the pipeline for production with the manufacturer. The guys and I are truly excited because we’ve explored new territory on this album that will distinguish it from everything we’ve done so far. I don’t wish to give too much away, but by now the preview track of “Sometimes” from the album has been made public so I think it’s safe to say that you can see things are a little heavier, but still retain the trademark AG melodic sense.
HRH: Based on some posts and pictures on AG’s Facebook page, there seems to be a great chemistry between you and singer Jamie Rowe. Does that positive energy come through in the writing and recording of the new songs?
VR: Oh yeah, for sure – Jamie and I have the greatest possible friendship and professional relationship you could imagine, same with Ed Campbell. Although some of the songs aren’t necessarily “happy” in subject matter, the positive energy shows up anyway because it’s incredibly fun to make music with these guys.
HRH: Adriangale is playing Melodic Rock Fest 4 on Friday, October 3 at H.O.M.E. Bar in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Are you psyched for that? Who else is in AG besides you and Jamie?
VR: Yep, pretty stoked. I’ll have played at all four Melodicrock Fests and that’s a distinction I am both proud of and humbled by – I mean, getting any opportunities in this very difficult business, especially in this day and age, is never a given, and I’m amazed that I/we are still afforded the opportunity to do such cool things. Believe me, I’m extremely thankful to Andrew McNeice of Melodicrock.com and to the fans for their continued support and belief in what we do.
After some of the experiences I’ve had in this industry, I’ve learned to NEVER take anything for granted, no matter what you’ve done in the past, because you’re only as good as your last record, or your last contribution to another cause, and it’s a struggle to maintain any level of loyalty or relevance. Thankfully, I’ve been able to maintain some great relationships with some really great people in this business and cultivate new ones along the way.
Adriangale is, at its nucleus, Jamie Rowe, Ed Campbell and myself – although Scott ‘Rif’ Miller will always have an honorary membership in AG. It’s been a challenge to maintain a steady rhythm section for numerous reasons, but I am honestly excited to have Paul LaPlaca (bass) and Andy Stark (drums) with us for MRF4 and hopefully beyond. They’re both great guys and great players.
HRH: AG also has a “best of” CD slated for this fall on Kivel Records. Looking back, what are some of your favorite Adriangale songs and proudest moments?
VR: Seeing Feel the Fire come to reality was a big moment, as it was our first release, certainly up there on the list. The surprise of the Crunch album upon the melodic rock community—and the widespread acclaim it received from fans and critics alike— certainly is a contender for one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. And of course, the warm welcome we got with our return when Sucker Punch hit last year was an extremely nice moment for everyone.
Favorite songs? I truly love them all, but if you had to force me at gunpoint to pick a few: “Without A Moment’s Notice,” “Heartbreak Guaranteed,” “Closer,” “Long Gone,” “The Black And Blue,” “Question,” “Suckerpunch,” “Last Call,” “Save Our Love”—those would be my picks.
HRH: Let’s go back in time a bit: Who are some of your musical influences who got you into playing music in the first place?
VR: I have so many influences, but without a doubt, it was AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and The Who that made me realize music would somehow be my calling in life. Although not an initial influence, Van Halen (the band AND the man) played an equally large part in shaping me as a musician. Other big ones that impacted me along the way: Dokken (especially George Lynch), Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, Survivor, Frank Sinatra, The Jacksons, Michael Jackson, Ratt, TNT, The Cars … too many to mention, really.
HRH: Looking back at live shows, what have been some highlights—with who, and why?
VR: Playing Nemelrock in Spain in 2001 (Adriangale), Firefest IV in 2007 (Crunch), and MRF3 (Adriangale) last year absolutely rate very high on my highlight list. Playing MRF2 and Dakota Rock Fest with Ted were a blast as well.
HRH: You were friends with singer Jimi Jamison, who tragically passed from a heart attack recently. What are some of your favorite memories and stories about Jimi?
VR: You know, Jimi was such a humble and gentle guy—we really lost a giant in this community when he passed on, as a musician but especially as a human being. Like so many others who knew him, I think a little piece of me died with him. He was funny, caring, humble, talented beyond words. My favorite memory? The long ride we took together from London Heathrow over to Nottingham for Firefest 7 in 2010. We covered so much ground in our discussions about life in general (as we did every time we saw each other). I’ll never forget it.
His work on Vital Signs, When Seconds Count and Too Hot To Sleep impacted me as much as any of my influences ever did, and when you get to meet that influence, discover he’s just the nicest person around and develop a friendship with him … it’s an indescribable feeling. This is still really raw and it’s going to take a while before the hurt from this goes away for us all.
HRH: What music business advice do you have for your fellow musicians?
VR: Well, it’s a tough business to be in, more so now than ever before, so I’d offer that follow your passion—but have a good, solid backup plan. And don’t try to pander to any trends—set one, even if it’s not a widespread success. Fake shows right away—but sincerity does, too.
HRH: For the more technical people, please describe your guitar rig and studio set up.
VR: One of the coolest questions I have ever been asked! Nobody cares about this stuff, usually (LOL).
My Visual Sound Pedals are a constant before whatever amp I put them in front of. My main live amplifier is a Line 6 Flextone III but I don’t cart it around with me except to New York- area shows. I usually play whatever is available at the venues for festivals. I was a hardcore Music Man guitar guy for years, but for the past two or three years I have been almost exclusively a Schecter guy and would love to endorse them (Schecter, are you listening? LOL.)
The recording rig at my sanctuary (a/k/a Red V Studios) is a Mac-based Pro Tools 10 system, analog preamps from Universal Audio, Sansamp, PreSonus (among others), tons of plugins/virtual instruments; for my guitar tones I almost exclusively use Amplitube 3 because of its extreme flexibility—it’s like miking up an amp in the real world, down to variable mic placement, and I have almost any amp, cabinet, microphone or effect at my disposal. I sum my audio out from my Digi 003 out to a Dangerous Music D-box (sounds like I am mixing on a big analog console), my system is clocked to a Black Lion Audio Micro Clock II, I’m mixing on Yamaha and Avantone monitors. My main mics are an Avantone CV-12, a Blue Baby Bottle, a Rode NT1A, among others, and I play Yamaha drums and Sabian cymbals in the studio.
HRH: What’s on your iPod and who are you listening to lately? Anyone we should check out?
VR: All the usual suspects from the old school stuff. But I listen mostly to newer rock and pop these days. Sevendust (well, OK, they’ve been around a while), Nickelback, Five Finger Death Punch, Skillet, Cherri Bomb, Halestorm, Like a Storm, Bruno Mars, Train, etc. So much great music out there … in spite of what the music industry has become. You just have to ignore most of the mainstream.
HRH: Are there any other projects or charities you’re involved in you’d like to talk about?
VR: At the moment I am mostly wrapped up in my studio work for clients, be it engineering, producing or some combination of both. As far as my own music is concerned, Adriangale is pretty much it for me right now (and I have already started to write the NEXT album, if you can believe that)—although I have other projects in development or planned, so we’ll see where the road takes me, depending on my AG endeavors.
HRH: Is there anything else you want to say to your fans, and Hardrock Haven readers around the world?
VR: Only to tell all of the fans that without you, making music would be a whole lot lonelier! Thanks so much for all of your support over the years, I’m truly astonished and humbled that you have shown so much love for Adriangale from the start.
HRH: Vic, thank you again for talking with Hardrock Haven, and all the best on the new CD!
VR: You got it man – thanks for taking the time to have me here!
Order Adriangale Defiance on Kivel Records.
Like Adriangale on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adriangale/
