13 QUESTIONS with MIKE & TOM of COMADOSE
Vocalist Mike Roberge and Guitarist Tom Ackroyd of Boston's COMADOSE sat down and answered our latest
batch of 13 Questions. Now, I know what you're thinking, "Who the fuck is Comadose, and why the fuck
should we give a shit what they have to say?" Well, they're a relatively young 'Nu Metal' band, which
means that they write guitar-heavy, cruch-rock featuring a DJ. They're signed to Screaming Ferret Records,
and with any luck, they'll make a name for themselves outside of Boston. Also, they were cool enough to
answer this dopey shit, so let's give 'em a look-see, shall we?
1. You guys write some pretty brutal music. What are you so pissed off at?
MIKE ROBERGE: Iwrite all the lyrics and while most of the songs reflect on my
personal life I try to make the songs easily relatable for the average
person
that hears them to be able to connect the songs with something or someone in
their personal life.
TOM ACKROYD: First, I'd have to say that it's not ALWAYS 'pissed off', type of lyrics. I
guess we like
to make strong points and we would like EVERYONE to listen to them. To the
'BRUTAL' thing,,, FU*K YEAH!
2. What's the rock scene like in Boston? Did the college kids give you a
fair shake?
MIKE: The music scene in Boston is all good, as long as you pump up your shows and
give all you have to every performance you make in order to create repeat
attendance. The college kids dig it as long as they're not hippies. We put a
lot of energy into our shows and as long as heavy music is your bag, I'm
sure you'll like us.
TOM: I'd have to say that EVERYONE gives us a warm 'welcome' and, except for the
police, we always get a warm 'farwell'. Boston isn't any different. I mean,
if someone isn't in the mood for a heavy band we can usually change that
with
our live shows. Fans want great music, a great show, and a great time. We
try to NEVER LET THEM DOWN!
3. You guys have shown up a little late to the Nu Metal party, so to speak,
how much a chance do you think you stand of making it huge in the music
business given the fact that Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and a hundred
other crunch-rock bands with DJs have been crammed down America's throat?
MIKE: Very true and while taking that into consideration we're trying to grow as
much as possible but at the same time while we want to please everybody we
can,we started the band for our own amusement. But if anyone else likes it
that's cool.
TOM: Actually, we try VERY hard to stay out of the 'Fashionably Loud' crowd.
Sure,
we have a DJ but we also have two guitars, bass player, drummer and a
singer.
Do we get compared for that? Ha Ha. Really, we have a lot of content,
meaning
and we happen to have a DJ. Other then that we're just a heavy, getting
heavier rock band that makes the crowds go CRAZY! No fault in that, right?
As
for getting shoved down America's throat? THEY'VE NEVER HAD A TASTE OF THIS
SHIT!
4. Which member of Comadose has the worst taste in women? (Read: Who's
nailing the pigs?)
MIKE: That would be our guitarist Jack. He's a good looking guy but for some
reason..........Moooo.
TOM: None of us have bad taste. Some like 'em thin, some like 'em thick but we'd
all like 'em RICH! HA HA. We've all had the relationships that we'd like to
forget. Man, that was a SAFE answer.
5. The lyric sheet on RE-UP reads like a copy of War & Peace (meaning
there's a lot of lyrics in your songs) ever considered less lyrics? Maybe
some word conservation?
MIKE: I might Rabbit, but I for one kinda like the syllable rhythm of some of our
stuff and we have some other new stuff that's more direct and down your
throat. No set pattern though. Our new album is only some of our material
that we wrote around the same time and thought just as well to release it
the same way.
TOM: Mike writes the lyrics. I guess he has a lot to say. All I can tell you is
that half the people in our crowds already know all the words. That's more
than me!
6. What are you going to fall back on if the whole "rock star" thing
doesn't work out?
MIKE: I guess I'll keep on running my construction business, Jay will keep working
in Robotics, Jack works in construction too, Jacob will go back to school,
Dan will keep doing the head cook thing and running the kitchen, and Tom
will do whatever it is he does with computers. But in the meantime...........
TOM: We've all talked about building and running our own bar and grill. haha!
Really though, we all have stuff that we can fall back on, from contracting
to financial advise we're a pretty smart band. If you can call it that?
7. Hypothetical Situation: You're offered a major label deal and a million
dollar advance. However, Fred Durst, who is demanding 60% of your publishing
royalties, offers the deal to you. Do you take it?
MIKE: Ouch. Well, I guess it depends on how long the contract was for. If you
think of the exposure that we'd gain in a situation like that on a short term
contract...Plus they'd be paying us forty percent and we'd be able to play
shows full time like we want to. Plus I'm sure we'd have people talking to
him and his people instead of doing it ourselves so he won't see us
laughing.
TOM: Major label deal is what we dream of but like with anything else we'd have
to
take it SLOW! The million advance, we're more investers than spenders. The
Fred Durst thing, it doesn't matter who it's for as long as they believe,
like us, that Comadose is
going to the top. As for the deal, it would depend on for how long. As for
the 60% thing. That's what laywers and management are there for, to make
sure
we DON'T get screwed. On the other hand... we all gotta start somewhere.
8. Hypothetical Situation #2: You're offered $100,000 in tour support, but
in order to get it, you must do one of the following:
A) Stick your thumb up a Homeless man's rectum, and then put it in your
mouth for 5 minutes.
B) Amputate your pinky with a meat slicer, because it's a useless appendage
and you don't use it to play guitar.
C) Record a cover of a Ricky Martin song on your next disc, and release it
as your only single.
MIKE: Well, our drummer drank a 22 oz beer that a big, sweaty, hairy, Irish guy
that had been working at Applebee's teabagged for like 5 min. for $50.00 so
if that opportunity arose, I bet Jacob would opt for CHOICE A. We could
probably round up at least 3 pinkies, Never C. If that ever happened, my
brains would be splattered all over my bedroom so our other stuff would make
it. Take one for the team. Right Kurt?
TOM: Honestly, our drummer, Jacob's digits have been in MUCH WORSE places than
that. We'd love to tour and I don't think Jacob would mind... he'd probably
like it.
9. What's the largest crowd you've played in front of so far?
MIKE: We played on front of 700 people at a battle of the bands, and 600+ at a
show
last month with Bi-Polar.
TOM: In a club, over 5-600. Outside, 1000-1500 I think.
10. What's the WORST gig you've ever played?
MIKE: Definitely "The Wired Frog " in Michigan. There were three fat girls there.
But they bought a CD after Jack sweet talked them.
TOM: Personally, Our FIRST show at Bill's Bar, in Boston, one of my and Jack's
guitars were stolen. HOLY VIOLATED! Right from under our noses.
11. Who's the biggest asshole in the Boston music scene?
MIKE: There are some people that I can think of however I wouldn't punk them out
like that. They're just way over there to us.
TOM: I'm VERY sorry, ask me that question when we're a little larger. I really
can't burn any bridges yet. DAMN, DAMN, DAMN! If wishes were horses...
12. If you could tour with any artist/band (must be a current, living,
able-to-tour artist), who would it be and why?
MIKE: Either Hed-PE because they are the coolest band on earth or the almighty
Slipknot because they are the shiznik of all shiznik. Either tour would be
mad sic.
TOM: One of my favorite questions. SLIPKNOT(#1)! SOULFLY! OZZY! MUDVAYNE! Shit,
there are SOOO many!
13. Did you ever get your finger nice and wet and stick it in your butt?
MIKE: Hmmmmmmm.......Nope but I'll do it to a chick if the mood demands it.
TOM: Yeah I have, but then Jacob said 'it hurts, pull it out' so I did. I didn't
like the peanuts!
Thanks Mike and Tom for being such good sports (even though there were a handful of conflicting responses
to some of the questions). You can visit COMADOSE via their website at comadose.com"
