DOWN ON THE FIRST

PHOTOGRAPHY BY YOLANDE SNYDERS
WEBSITE: http://www.facebook.com/people/Jason-Vorster/552992036#/pages/downonthefirst/37705078113?ref=ts
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Rock

THIS QUESTION WILL PROBABLY IRRITATE YOU IN SOME WAY. HOW DID YOU GUYS GET YOUR BAND NAME, I GUESS THE FIRST DAY OF EVERY MONTH IS NOT GOOD, BUT SERIOUSLY WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

WAYNE: We tried pulling the name from the hat vibe, but that didn't really work out as well as we had planned. I think the name just appeared in a thought one night whilst lying awake in bed trying to fall asleep. It was also a name that doesn't have a particular meaning so we thought it would be a very cool idea to get fans involved and give them a sense of being a part of the band…. We like to take a personal approach after all its yall we got to thank and be grateful for. For me it was the first time I took a “Downer” which Fucked me up for years…..lol

TRUCKER: Getting a girl to go down on you on the first date.

I KNOW IT IS HARD BUT HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND TO PEOPLE?

WAYNE: I think that we are very lucky to have so many influences within the band. Each member has his own particular style of music that they listen to and we manage to make a big melting pot of rock. I personally think that pigeon holing our style of music is just over complicating things. There are far to many sub-genre's of the same thing out there…… Dude its all Rock &Roll to me….

TRUCKER: I'd say just straight forward rock with subtle hints of all our individual influences.

ROCK HAS BEEN AROUND FOREVER AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL ALWAYS BE AROUND IN SOME SHAPE OR FORM. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS GENRE HAS SUCH A LARGE FOLLOWING AND IMPACT ON PEOPLE WORLD WIDE?

WAYNE: Nothing beats the sound or ringing guitars and thundering drums and I think. People have realised this. I remember when I was in school everyone was into “Techno” cause it was new….lol… Look what happened to that. I think there is only so many times you can listen to the same shit before you start getting bored of it, like playing a song on repeat all the time. That's why rock will always be here, even though its not as new and as advanced it all sounds different and every band try's something new and it's the shows that ultimately makes Rock what it is today…. AWSOMELY HUGE!!!

Dude, who wants to see some dude behind a laptop when u can go out to watch a full piece band giving a performance and playing their hearts out? a band interacts with the crowd and feeds energy back to the people who are watching. Rock gives that personal touch and is always willing to take things one step further for the fans, no questions asked…. Lets use Ozzy Osbourne as an example…. That dude has done more on stage for his fans than anyone else I have ever heard of… Hes fucking old now and he's still rocking it out…… Dude, that's Rock & Roll.

TRUCKER: It's the only style of music that everybody in the world can in some way relate to. The ‘dance generation' proved this by remixing some of the rock scenes legends. If I have to listen to another Nirvana or Pearl Jam remix….

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE SOUTH AFRICAN ROCK SCENE AT THE MOMENT AND WHAT PART OF IT DO YOU FIND THE MOST EXITING?

WAYNE: The scene is very awesome now… bands galore, fans galore and really cool. Festivals and shows. South Africa has managed to get her foot in the door, we are attracting some attention in the overall world market and I think we have Seether to thank for that, as they are our biggest music export. There are some really great bands here that I dig and we have great potential and fantastic musicians, and dude … the fans can get WILD!!!

Which is awesome. For me the most exciting part of the scene are all the festivals…. I love them. Also, as I mentioned earlier, is that there is some interest from oversees looking into our bands here and the opportunities that will open for the musicians and bands are going to be radical.

TRUCKER: I'm glad to see the SA Rock scene booming again. The way that festivals have grown over the last couple of years is insane. Just look at Rocking the Daisies where they actually had to turn people away at the gates.

PEOPLE CAN GO AND LISTEN TO YOUR SONG “PYROMANIAC” ON FACEBOOK. WILL MOST OF THE SONGS THAT YOU RELEASE IN THE NEAR FUTURE HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF “SOUND” OR ARE YOU EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF USING OTHER “SOUNDS” AS WELL?

WAYNE: To be honest, I don't really remember the motive behind recording a slow song first, The next song that we are going to release is another slow one that willbe our radio single that we plan to submit to all the local stations once we receive it back from mastering. It was a suggestion that was made to us that we should do a slower song first as a radio single to attract some attention toward the band…. Which we open mindedly took. All our other tracks are heavier and more driven and we are planning to do another recording very soon of which will definitely be a heavier song.

TRUCKER: Pyromaniac is one of two mellow tracks that we have in our set at the moment. Although the response from the online track has been great, people seem to enjoy our other tracks more when it comes to the live set.

YOUR BAND BIO ON FACEBOOK MENTIONS THE WORDS: “…SUBTLE USE OF COMMERCIAL INFLUENCES…” DO YOU THINK THAT MOST BANDS ARE INFLUENCED IN SOME WAY BY COMMERCIAL MUSIC EVEN IF THEY DON'T WANT TO ADMIT IT?

WAYNE: Yeah I definitely think so, Dude I have found myself listening to Ah-HA on occasion… and I think that some of their stuff is pretty cool, I do try and keep an open mind to things as I don't want to limit myself in any way… I think that most people won't admit it out aloud but there are some cool commercial stuff out there… Nirvana has become very commercial and it still rocks the socks off you. Commercial means: fit for a wide popular market and with the way things are going even some heavy metal may become just that….

TRUCKER: I think that all bands in some way or another are influenced by commercial music. Even the bands that try to stayaway from it. WITH THE WORD “COMMERCIAL” COMES THE WORD “RADIO”.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE STATE THAT LOCAL RADIO IS CURRENTLY IN AND DOES THE BAND HAVE ASPIRATIONS OF GETTING ITS MUSIC ONTO RADIO?

WAYNE: Unfortunately I don't listen to much radio so I wouldn't know what the state is, but we are planning to get on the stations. All bands need exposure and is the perfect tool for that. The more people that hear us the better, we may attract more fans. What would u rather do, play a show for 40 people or play a show for 400 people. The more people at a show the more energy, the more energy the better the show… its all a cycle dude.

TRUCKER: You can play the best music in the world but that still doesn't mean shit if nobody hears your music. It seams that rock bands are finally topping the charts again so things are definitely looking up.

WHAT TYPE OF IMPACT WOULD YOU GUYS LIKE YOUR MUSIC TO HAVE ON PEOPLE?

WAYNE: I would like the people to enjoy what we write, enjoy our shows and Fuckin rock out with us, man.

TRUCKER: We're not here to change the world. If we can get people to relate to the songs in some way or another and just have an awesome time with us, I'll be happy.

WHAT SONG HAS HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?

WAYNE: Alice in chains – Man in the box….. dude, That song is the fuckin Bees Knees…. It has so much emotion in it… I can also relate to it and to Lane's Struggles that he had and I have been through some similar shit man… Lane is a legend to me. And they are probably my favourite band.

I SEE YOU GUYS HAVE A FEW SHOWS LINED UP IN THE NEXT MONTH. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE KNOWN MORE AS A GREAT LIVE ACT OR AS GREAT RECORDING ARTISTS?

WAYNE: I love playing live shows…. So for me it would have to be a live band, but recording is also very cool and there is no feeling like recording a track and seeing a song grow from beginning to end and the anticipation of waiting to see how the fans will take the songs.

TRUCKER: Recording is cool but live shows are definitely what it's all about.

HOW HARD IS IT TO GET “A FOOT IN THE DOOR” AND GET GREATER OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY LARGER SHOWS THESE DAYS ON THE LOCAL SCENE?

WAYNE: Dude its all about how big the band is, the more fans u have the bigger show you'll play and the more opportunities will arise. That's why bands should try and get on the radio as much as they can… it's all about exposure and getting your music out there and heard. TRUCKER: It's still about getting your music heard and being at the right place at the right time. So basically, just be everywhere all the time and doors will open.

SUPERMAN OR BATMAN?

WAYNE: Batman is cool with his suit and all but he's only a vigilante and not a super hero, so he would get pulverised by superman. I also take my hat off to a dude that can pick up a hot girl wearing red and blue tights…. The dude is legend in my books. I say superman..

TRUCKER: Use to be superman because of the whole “the only superhero that was born a superhero”But have you seen Batmans car? Fuck.

ANY LAST COMMENTS/ADVISE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

WAYNE: Yeah… firstly I would thank Theo Crous for the huge opportunity of recording with him, to Yolande From YSP photographyfor the work she has done for the band, I would like to thank all our members of fan page, our band members and the best for last,our special lady friends for giving their guys up for three whole nights in the week… and everyone who know us and who don'tknow us yet….