Gary James' Interview With Robert Stevens Of
Dark Age
From Alta Loma, California comes Gnarly recording artists Dark Age. What's the group all about? Lead singer Robert Stevens fills us in.
Q - Okay Robert, so what's the Metal scene like in Alta Loma?
A - The Metal scene in Alta Loma is similar to that internationally. The preferences stray more to the melodic yet intense, instead of Thrash Metal. Alta Loma only normally catches the local bands, but there is plenty of partying Dark Age style!
Q - Tell me what your stage show is like.
A - We feel the stage is our true forte, a combination of martial arts and magic. The sincerity and electricity in our music can only truly be felt through our stage show. Our stage decor and dress reflect our Medieval image, including a mortared stone riser and ramps and castle style backdrops, towers, fog and assorted pyrotechnics.
Q - What does a group really get out of performing in the L.A. club circuit? Do record company people really turn up at clubs like the Troubadour and The Country Club?
A - Yes, I would say record company people do show up occasionally at clubs such as the Troubadour in L.A. or The Country Club in Reseda, which is a great place when a band is playing, that record company people feel may truly have potential. It seems a lot of record companies are now starting to take more chances on young bands earlier in their careers. Basically we feel the only real ways to gain anything from the L.A. club scene, other than strictly exposure, are to have either outrageous stage gimmicks, a pretty boy image, or to have just an out and out great musical impact, the latter obviously being the most advantageous.
Q - Is Gnarly Records an American or European record label?
A - Gnarly Records is American in origin and was formed by the Dark Age's EP producer, Steve Sinclair. Gnarly is Dark Ages's exclusive label. We are being internationally distributed by Greenworld of Torrance, California and are seeking distribution by Important Distributions of New York.
Q - How did you manage to land a recording contract in just one year?
A - Actually, we haven't yet, but are soon hoping to land a recording contract with a major label. We are on Gnarly Records, but there will be no further recordings done under that label. We used Jimmy's (bassist Jimmy Thaiger) contacts he had made while recording a number of albums with Christian Death, an L.A. Glam Punk band. The album was finished seven months after the present lineup was formed in January, '84 and the album was released in mid-January, '85.
Q - And so, what does the future hold for Dark Age?
A - Well, we have a video in the works with Chuck Woods for tentative release on MTV and there is a discussion of a limited edition picture disc. We are also currently in negotiations for a European tour. The future of Dark Age, musically speaking, holds more intense, melodic, original, metallic, crunching Metal!
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