Hi Scot… It’s really wonderful that you finally managed to release your 10 songs demo from the early 90s. It was a dream that came true, right?

S: We are very happy to have this finally see the light of day!

Can you tell me why did you call the band Kidd Havok? Who thought it?

S: Johnny and I came up with that. I was always the young kid on the scene so, it just made sense.

What things can go wrong and a band that has the potentials to make the big break, does not make it at all at the end? Which things stopped the band from going all the way back in the early 90s?

S: The whole scene changed. We had tons of chances. We had two small deals that we said no to. We had sold about 7000 copies on cassette in a 2 and half year span. Plus we really wanted to own or publishing and control the way the band was marketed etc, Then grunge hit and for bands like us it was over.

I believe the time was ideal back then for a band like Kidd Havok to release a CD ad to gain much reputation. But then again, time proved that many bands (not only US bands but European as well) never made it… How do you see those things now almost 15 years from then?

S: Everything comes in cycles. Kids want to have fun again, not every kid is mad at their dad, or hates their mom, ya know. I put up the Kidd Havok myspace because I was getting so many emails about the band.

So please tell me, with which music label did you talk back then in order to release the CD, if you have the cover ready etc… every little detail… and why in the end this didn’t work.

S: Thats not important to us anymore. Plus they are still around and I don’t want to burn any bridges.

Have you ever thought all those years to try again with the band, or to form another band etc. Did you though seriously to get back on action or the company policy has disappointed you that much that you wanted to stay out?

S: I had a lot of offers, but nothing that got me pumped up to jump in full time again. I just wrote guitar type music, jammed with friends and did guitar contests. Just had fun.

And what happened in the end and David Moors (the Chief of SunCity recs) discovered you? It has hard to convince the band to go through it again? Did you need it to do… not matter how many years have passed?

S: Dave got the cassette of Ebay and made a pretty cool offer. Since John and I write all the songs, he was really the only guy I had to convince at first. John and I stayed close so that was easy. Rob was a little tougher sell! Tom jumped right in! It seems like we never stopped!

OK, lets say some things about the CD… to me it’s like a totally new release no matter how many years ago the songs were written… so why did you call it “Roll Of The Dice”? This was the first album title or there were other titles as well?

S: David Moors came up with that one! It sounded good to me!

Did luck after all can lead our lives to success? Did you personally roll the dice? What was the result? J

S: I roll them everyday, life is meant to be lived!

Now I would like you to tell me a few words about each one of the songs.

S: “Too Sadd”: Great driving song! Fun to play live

“1 Push”: A Crowd song that I wrote when I was about 17 years old

“Candy Store”: Our 1st song back then to get alot of airplay

“Treat Me”: Great song to open the show with

“Lady Luck” this where the roll the dice title came from!

“Cold Sweet” Great riff, fun to play

“Lust 4 Life” About living everyday!

“Rumors”: About people talking shit

“Entertainment 4 Tonight”: great song to close the set with!

“Night On Me”: Hard driving fun guitar song

What are the expectations from this album? What should we wait from Kidd Havok in the future? Do you intend to continue this thing that you have just started… or this is it?

S: Well we hope to sell some copies get over and tour Europe , Asia , Japan etc. We are going to push this as hard as we can. We will be doing a 2nd cd for Sun-city Records. Plus I will be doing a guitar instrumental cd very soon as well. And of course more live shows.

What inspires you in general in order to write music? Are there any boundaries on your musical horizon?

S: Everything, sights, sounds, movies , books, a good conversation, you name it.

Can you tell that hard rock music is here again stronger than ever (if we also consider the fact that most of the big 80s hard rock bands have re-united again)… or hard rock music has passed to a new more “modern” path than in the past?

S: I would say both, things have to grow and change but we can never forget the past. Everything evolves from something else.

I have written it thousand times before that grunge music tried to kill rock music in the mid 90s but nowadays that all those “trendy” 90s grunge bands have gone for good… How difficult was for a band like yours, to experience a change of music in the 90s… what do you think? Do you believe that it worth the waste of time and money on behalf of the music labels in order to promote this kind of music that caused so much damaged to rock music?

S: Music got tired, it needed a change. The world changed, people didn’t have as much money as they did etc. Some of it I liked but most of it sounded like the stuff you do in your folks garage when your 14 years old.

Allow me to ask you a hypothetical question… If you had released your debut album on time back in the early 90s… how do you imagine that Kidd Havok’s carrier would have been like today?

S: I think we would be doing a reunion tour! But on a much bigger scale!

And some weird Questions now!!! How difficult is t survive and to succeed in a music world that is ruled by irrelevant people that promote shit-wannabe-good pop music all the time… without caring about music’s quality?

S: You just have to believe in yourself and rise above all the bullshit. That and don’t let anyone change you.

Do you believe in luck and in coincidences or do you believe that the human mind and will can affect all the things in life?

S: If you can think it and really believe it you can do it! I really believe that!

Do you believe that internet has helped the bands to become more popular or has caused many problems?

S: Both, it is really easy to take shots at bands from behind a computer screen. But at the same time, we wouldn’t be talking if it wasn’t for the internet.

What is missing from today’s music industry and most albums are missing that quality that they used to have back in the 70’s and 80’s?

S: They don’t take the time to build bands. Bands sitting in room together to record almost live. Getting the vibe right instead of every little note. Plus with pro tools anyone can make a great cd from home and sell it on their own website.

Which are the things that piss you off from today’s music industry?

S: They want to build BRANDS, things they can sell lunch boxes and dolls with not so much music.

What things can make you laugh and cry in your life?

S: My family and friends!

Which is the most overrated band today?

S: Anyone who lips syncs live!!!!!!!

If you could go back in time in any time-period where would you go and why?

S: All the way back, I would love to see how this all started.

Imagine that your girlfriend/wife is selling your whole album-collection just to buy for herself an expensive ring. How would you react?

S: I would be pissed. I have 6000 cds!

Those were my questions Scot. Thanks for the music, please leave a note to Grande Rock readers… Take care!

S: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this! Check us out at www.suncityrecords.com and at www.myspace.com/kiddhavok. We will see ya soon!

Take care everyone!

Scot Marcs,

Kidd Havok,

Guitarist.

by Thanos Aggelakis