Speaker 1: Get Command, don't get Supreme La Megxilling. Hey, everybody, welcome
to Matt Connerton Unleashed, the af edition because this version
of the show, of course, is strictly online, uncensored, unfiltered,
truly unleashed. And I have with us Jagger from the
band vices An Kilo Jagger.
Speaker 2: Hello, Hi guys, doing.
Speaker 1: Good, very well. So we're gonna be talking about something now.
I did talk it up, of course on Saturday on
the radio show Saturday Morning of Course, which we do
every Saturday from not am to noon vices Fest, which
is a pretty big deal. And I did go through
the lineup too on the air. A lot of these bands,
I'll let you kind of talk about some of them,
but a lot of these bands we've had on the show.
Many of them we have not had on the show yet,
but we've heard about them, their their name, their names
have come up on the show. So we know that
that there there are people that you know, we should
be looking at having on and of course, and and
a few of them that I'm not familiar with. But uh,
now let's let me get that flyer up too. So
when is so Vice's Fest? This is coming up? This
uh this coming weekend, Labor Day weekend.
Speaker 2: Correct, Yes, it is Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so people
can recover on Monday. Because the yeah, that's true, that's true.
Speaker 1: That is that is well timed. And this year you're
doing it at the Strand Theater in Dover, which is
a beautiful venue.
Speaker 2: Definitely, it's it's gorgeous.
Speaker 1: Why uh, why Dover because I think last year was
in Portland, correct or maybe I'm wrong about that.
Speaker 2: Well, you're right, it was. It was in Portland at
a place called the Cavern, which doesn't exist any more.
Ale of reasons why we we decided to uh we
relocated into uh Dimon Venue. One. We wanted something that
was bigger uh the Catherine, and it seemed like the
areas that we could book at in the Portland area
wasn't suffice and the ones that were Suffice were too big,
so we had to you had we needed something in
the middle of that. And coming around with that, plus
we thought, you know, the whole point of it is
bands from the Northeast area. That's the main focus of it.
I mean, we we always listed like bands from the
Northeast and beyond, which is a true statement, but it's
really the heart of it is like New England bands
for the most part, and we felt like, okay, well
we have a lot of bands from New Hampshire and
we should you know, obviously give dat a chance to
instead of just being a Portland then, because we feel
like Vice's Inc. Is a New England band. I'm I'm
from Boston, elinor the Leed Centers from from Massachusetts too,
so we're not really just a main band. That's it
just you know, obviously that's where we are stationed because
that's where our practice, bace and everything else is. But
we're New England for the most part. So it was
mainly for those reasons. And I've been to the Stream
before and I fell in love with it because it's
it's it's a great venue for something like this and
the comfort level. The other place we played at didn't
have seats. This has seats and stuff, so it's more
cover level for the fan base too.
Speaker 1: That makes sense. Yeah, you are, as you mentioned, so
you're a you're a Portland band, Vices Inc. And I
know there's there's a great uh, there's a great music
scene there. When you well, when did let me ask this,
when did Vice's first start. Is this the second year
or the third year or.
Speaker 2: The second year. So what happened was, uh, the band's
been around for few for years, a few years, but
it wasn't until twenty and twenty three we actually played
ser shovels okay because of COVID and stuff, so we're
called a COVID band. And all we did was record
and record and record, and then when we felt safe
enough to go out into the open, we started in
twenty twenty three. I know that maybe a little lay
in the game, but we felt that's with the best
bet to be sure and stuff. Yeah, and so we
went on. Obviously we played in the New England area,
but we actually went on a real tour as far
as west as Indiana, and we went to Kentucky, Ohio
and all this stuff, and we met a lot of bands,
and we became fans of the bands and friends of
the bands, and we thought what a good way and
showcased some of the bands we met in a different
area that they can't get to and put them all
together in one show and set to see people what
we saw and heard and hopefully they become fans of
them too.
Speaker 1: Right, it's a huge undertaking. I don't have to tell you.
I mean, I'm impressed and I look at the lineup
and it's like, oh my god, Like I'm curious. And
I may have asked you this before when you were
on the radio show, but like, what are some of
the surprises that you've encountered when putting a putting together
a three day festival again, and anyone outside the industry
might not know this, but that's just putting together a
one day festival is an enormous undertaking. I mean, what
what what are some some things maybe some surprises or
issues that you ran into planning this either last year
or this year.
Speaker 2: Well, last year was I can't It was a blur
to me because we decided to do this kind of
like a last minute and it was done in four weeks.
And I still can't believe I did it. I don't.
I still don't know how I did it, to be
honest with you, People ask me all the time like
how did you do that? And like, I really don't know.
It was like the whole month was a blur to me,
like twenty four to seven working on that, so I
didn't What I learned from that was maybe I need
to try to start earlier in four weeks. That's the
first thing I learned how much and depth you can
get the community involved in the first one. I didn't
do that as well because I well, hey, didn't have
time and be maybe you know, I didn't understand the
start for instances to make that work. But reaching out
to the community, having the community part of this was
a bigger deal to me and which worked out really well,
especially when you're you're showcasing bands from this area or
from the earlier you are in and they want to
work with those bands or groups whatever too, or maybe
you know, get their fame base and be part of
whatever they're doing. And I mean, I think it's obviously
it you get people involved in that we were over there,
they were involved with will be part of it too
or whatever. You know, who's you know who was working
with us. And so I guess surprise wise, I mean,
there was nothing nothing like I mean, I'm learning thing
all the time. I learned something yesterday. So it's like
it's a constant battle of oh is this gonna work?
And that's not gonna work kind of then. But I'm
just like, you know, when we first originally did it.
It was one day, which was smart enough, but the
three day under taken it was a different animal for sure.
Oh yeah, how do you make it work? Things work
quicker and like little things like learning, like most of
the most of the shows be backlined instead of having
individual you know, equipment for each band, because there's no
space supporting we can up with all that stuff, you
know right right in the changeover would be insane. So
the goroop liners all have their own equipment and the
rest of the groups are shared in the back line
and stuff like that. You learn like little lens that
make it one smoothly, you know.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I just remember back too. So it's been a
long time since I've actually put on a show that
I was promoting. I kind of moved out of that
side of the business, but I used to do you know,
even just doing a show with five bands on it,
you know, back when I was promoting live shows, it
was you know, it can be challenging and stressful. So
I can't even imagine. I mean, obviously you're handling it well,
and you don't you don't seem like you're terribly uh
stressed out. I don't know how you feel on the inside,
but you're you're outwardly projecting what seems to be a
certain calmness about it all. So that's good.
Speaker 2: I mean, this is a thing like me being stressed
or showing that it is not going to help anybody else.
So I have to be stable in this. So with
that beings said, I'm excited about it because I've we
were we're able to under undertake a lot of things
in such a short period of time. But we got
a lot of good music, a lot of good bands
all going to be under the same roof which to
me is amazing and and getting them to be part
of that, you know, and you know, and obviously uh ah,
being excited about this. Uh festival was was a big
deal to me, but all styles of music. So it
was like, it's like that's how a festival should be
in a ways, it should be you know, you should
very you know, variety. But I've got you know, I
got a good amount of people working working with us,
working for me. Yeah, but I'll be straight with you,
like most of the work was I did it, you know,
and I don't really know how I did it. I
just do it. I don't really know. It's like you said,
you know, you did booking and all this stuff, and
sometimes it's just easier for you to do it then
have somebody else do it. Yeah, and it's easy for
you not to do yourself then to have you teach
somebody or explain it to somebody. Right, I just do it,
you know, and if it's I mean, I've done booking
for years, but I've never done anything like this before.
But obviously it was a it was an easier segue
because I've done booking with bands and then with bands,
and you know, when you're doing multiple bands, you got
little problems like oh I need stage plots or something
like that, and you'll wait for them to do it
because you the sound guys want that stuff. So you know,
there's little things like that. You just got to keep
you know, harping on them until they push, you know,
you know, give you the stuff you need and stuff right,
or have them you know, advertise this and you know,
promote promoted because you know, obviously social media is really
important today, so you have to do that to get
to get your fan base out there for for you know,
so they know what's going on. So that's probably more
work in getting the bands to do their what they
their part than me do my part. That's really the proof.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, do you want to talk about some of
the bands that are going to be performing well?
Speaker 2: Like you said, credit a few of these bands you
you know and you have on your show on the
radio part of it, and you know how good they
are as under the Horizon. It's a new one for
you guys. Yeah, I know you had uh Crying Caleb recently. Yeah,
play Dad who was there early this year? Were you Dad?
Speaker 1: Love playing Dad?
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's a great talker. He's like me. We just
talk a lot, you know. Yeah, I'm not just in
the car together when we go to shows together walk
we do.
Speaker 1: So we had Troll, I see Troll. We had them
on the show a few months ago. Great band. I
love those guys.
Speaker 2: Very popular in main very popular single to Noise. It's
been popular for a while long time down in the area.
So at acts are up and coming, as you can say,
or stuff that you know you you haven't had exposure to,
like Night Curry, which are really good. I mean, I
would think you'll you're gonna love that band. So I'll
send you some stuff from them so you can so
you can hear how they sound and stuff and.
Speaker 1: Please Yeah, and I saw I noticed to Scarecrow Hill.
Uh they've been around a long time and they're fantastic.
But we had them on the show not that long ago.
And Jenny and I saw them at Jewel in Manchester.
They were on a bill with Under the Horizon and uh,
Devil Inside Us and just fantastic.
Speaker 2: Oh fantastic, and and and they and then and then
and and and it's just like the fact that you
mentioned on the Horizon, which is an elephant that believe
the play that festival with a cespis, you know, and
those bands all play together in different ways in different places,
you know what I mean. And obviously the you know,
the variety of music from themselves, it's like it's it's amazing,
like their top notch talent and yeah, we got it.
So I'm really excited about that. But there's bands that
I think you should listen to and maybe you know,
it's like the the mention the band I mentioned before
Night Period. They're from Philadelphia, so obviously they probably won't
be in studio, but at least you guys can communicate
via the telephone whatever. But you know, I will definitely. Uh,
you know, give you a handful of these bands that
I think you should you know, have some contact with.
Speaker 1: Oh please, Yeah, we're always looking for suggestions. House Lights.
I noticed another name on there. We've had them on
the show. That was a couple of years ago though
we haven't haven't talked to them in a while, but
definitely want to get them back on. But they're they're amazing.
I I know it was a couple of years ago
because I remember it was in the old it was
before WM and H moved to where we are now,
when we were in the old place on Elm Street.
And uh, yeah, another great, great band. There's a lot.
I mean, this lineup is very, very impressive.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you know, I I that's the thing. You know,
a lot of these bands, you know, obviously some are
more properly than others, but just all having together with
the mutual aspect of just performing music for whoever and
all on the same page with it. It's just it's great.
All everybody has been great about that. Just yeah, they
want they want to perform, but they also want to
see each other perform. It's like a really friendly environment,
which is great. It's always to show so anybody can
show up for it. It's that's what it's good about
it too.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and what's the best way for people to get tickets?
Sow should they get tickets?
Speaker 2: That's a good question. Many ways they get tickets. So
the easiest ways to go vices beest dot com. That's
a direct way to get it. You also can get
it off of the Strand Theater's website. Okay, and you
also get it directly at the van Bright dot com
or devices Fast twenty twenty five dot evan Bright dot com. So,
but the easiest way to get just go devices fast
dot com website. It is a link for it. Click
you're there, you know. But it's also like online it's
QR codes and stuff. If it's if that's what you
want to utilize this, that's there too.
Speaker 1: Okay, Okay, very good, And I'm sorry no, no, go
go ahead, because i want to make sure we don't
miss anything that you want to talk about with this.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, sure, But people can also wait to the
day of the show and get tickets that way too.
And we're not one of those plans where oh you
need to pay something in advanced for cheaper tickets. It's
the same price. I'm not. So you go there and
you can pay cash, Venmo, any way, PayPal, it doesn't matter.
They'll they take it rid of them there at the door. Okay, okay,
we made it really convenient for everybody.
Speaker 1: Outstanding, No, very good, very good. I did want to
ask you about Vices Inc. What has Vices Inc. Been
up to and and and by the way, I I
it's understandable if you say not too too much, only
because you've obviously been very occupied with vices fests. So
if you don't have a lot to tell us, I
completely understand. But I am a fan, so I need
to ask to hear that.
Speaker 2: Well, I mean the crazy thing about Vice's Best, I'm
advices Best Vices Inc. Is uh you know you know
we when we told you before, we're a COVID band.
That's how we do is record So even though we're
busy in schedule wise with other stuff in our lives now,
we still keep a crazy recording schedule because that's what
we're used to. Good. Well, we are working on an
honestly three albums at once right now. Okay, really albums
are once and the first one comes out at the
end of this year. It's gonna be called Into the
Stranger Things, which is an album based off the songs
that are in that show Shine of Things. So it's
a cover album, so it'll be two originals and in
the in the middle of it would be all songs
that were on that TV show.
Speaker 1: Oh that's a cool concept.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we thought it would be something different, and since
the show's ending this year, it's you know, we thought
we'd tie into it.
Speaker 1: Okay, that makes sense.
Speaker 2: And then earlier next year we're releasing an album called
Holo Go Bye, which is a more like senior soundwriter
acoustic album. It's really different for us and we're looking
for that because it's been something of a change for us.
And so it's a little metal account Collie all right,
people like that, it's great. And the end of this
year that next year we release Suburban Decay, which is
really to fall up to our last album, back Line Kiss,
which is the more alternative, hard whatever sound music you
want to call it. Yeah, And that's what's going on.
And plenty of shows.
Speaker 1: Wow, uh, do you have any kind of e t
as on any of this or I mean it's it's
a lot.
Speaker 2: I mean, just an album comes out December for sure,
it's already there. We're not done with it. I did
all my work, and Christy the drummer is uh, she's
got a couple of songs left. And Alan is the
student of vocals. She actually did three songs over the weekend.
I think she gets like five songs left and she's
done too, so we're almost done with that one. Wow
and okay, the same with the whole Goodbye. I'm done
with it and Chrissy's done with it. And then we
ran for Ellen or to finish her stuff and she
will probably be done with it by I would say March,
and we're probably coming out with it maybe two months
after that. Okay. December of twenty twenty six is Suber
and Decay, which is like our main album that we're
really excited about. It's a little bit harder than it's
it's the hardest thing we ever done before. It's it's
edgy are for sure?
Speaker 1: Oh cool? Okay? And where do you where do you record?
I mean, do you have a studio that you work
with or do you do you do it all yourselves?
Or I know you guys are very di i y
with everything that you do, which is.
Speaker 2: Sure sure, are we. I I bought a house after
I got you for my wife, and I was I
went to school in Boston. She went to school Maine,
and she's from New Hampshire. But she said, I fell
in love with Maine. I said, great. We bought a
house that used to be apartment building and it's just
it's not a Poment building anymore. It's just our house.
And she was really nice, which is great because she's
always supported me. She let me have the first floor
apartments as my studio. Nice studio. It's just really nice
for she's great, you know.
Speaker 1: So yeah sounds it. Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2: It does help out because I mean, obviously we weren't
able to afford we going to studio old time, you know,
yea to do. We got over three hundred songs online.
It's crazy, you know, three hundred songs. It's nice.
Speaker 1: Do you three hundred?
Speaker 2: Really? Yeah? Yeah? We do a vices inc. Yeah, yeah,
jesus I did.
Speaker 1: I didn't realize you had that many.
Speaker 2: We're nuts. At the Countary year of twenty twenty three,
we released two two singles a month, which were A
and B sides, so we have fourst new songs every
month for twenty three Oh my god. And that had
nothing to do with the albums. We will released albums too.
We just yeah, yeah, obsessed with recorded. It's just because
we have to be able to do any time we
want to. And it's yeah, you know.
Speaker 1: No, that's fantastic. I remember, I remember the last time
that you were on the radio show with us. We
talked about that a bit, but you know, about where
you record and so forth, But I didn't realize the
level of output. I honestly, I know, I'm shocked. That's amazing.
Not good for you, that's great, it's great.
Speaker 2: But at the same time, it's like it's it's it's
it's it's you know, it's it's crazy to think about it.
You know, famouth that we have that, what do you
choose to play live? It's like it's hard. So yeah,
for vices fast. I'll tell you a little then that
no one knows yet. We're debuting two songs that we
never played before that are from albums like our first
two albums that we never played before. Everything. You know,
we're gonna go back in time and do some of
that stuff because otherwise were just got to move on
from it. Forever and never try it, so right, and
they sound great, so it's like, now, what why did
we not play these songs live? You know? But yeah,
that's I'm pretty excited about that.
Speaker 1: Very cool. And then what what night do you go on?
What night does devicesn't go on?
Speaker 2: Okay, so the de selective amount of bands are playing
all three nights actually, and obviously one of them. So
we hadlined Friday and we're kind of in the middle
of a pack on Saturday, and then we're kind of
early on Sunday to get more other bands more exposure
because we don't need that. I mean, we had our
time to shine on Friday, really good spot on Saturday,
so we're playing them afternoon on Sunday and I really
don't care about that. So I'm excited to have other
bands play. I' I'm a fan of these bands, so
I just want to see him play in a way,
so actually be playing almost inconvenience, you know. So, but yeah,
all three nights, Night Furies playing all three nights, play
Dad's playing all three nights. So there's a good handful
of bands of playing all three nights, and then it's
the other one night, so it's it's it's it's thirty
six acts, but it's like forty five slots, if that
makes any sense.
Speaker 1: Yeah, good lord, how do you? I mean, I'm just amazed.
I mean, it's impressive to me that you're able to
pull that off and and just the logistics of all
of that, of slotting everybody in, and that's amazing. Good
for you, man, this is incredible.
Speaker 2: I learned a lot when we toured, because what I
did was I played obviously, I played mid playing shows
for many years, and I learned a lot of lessons.
And one of the lessons I was like, when we're
on tour, I said, we'll be the band that shares
equipment and make it easier for everybody. I was when
I was younger, it was like every band by their
own equipment and stuff, and I go, oh my god,
it it's just it was chaotic and it's just a clusterfuck.
So we didn't want that. Yeah, well, I decided, like,
after that tour will be the band of backs and
stuff up. We don't care, we share our back line.
They made everything so smoothly, and that was a precursor
to what this is, where we had we set guidelines
about what spin used, and mostly the problem you're gonna
have is equipment situation. And once you set those guidelines
and people bands fall suit with that, you really won't
have much as many issues as you would have yet
rowdy fan base, fans and stuff like that. I'm not
worried about that, and never we never encounter that, never
account of that with the brands we worked with. So
it's you know, when my younger days maybe, but not
since you know, never anything advice to think. So we
get security there in the ways, and I'm not a
little worried about that. But I think for the most part,
it's just everybody being on the same page, or at
least being close to that same page, and then you're
pretty good, you know. I mean, there's always gonna be
something that comes up, right, So, yeah, some kind of thing,
and you just got to deal with it, right and
then you move on from it. But for the most part,
you've got a group of people who again want the
same thing. They have a great show. That's all they want,
you know, to.
Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, that's that's so important. Everybody's got to work
as a team. And because it's all on one stage too, right.
Speaker 2: Yes, it is, Yeah, stage so yeah, but that's a
funny thing you say that, because when we were originally
going to do the next one, which was gonna be
at this place and I told you before the Cavern
in Portland, which is not around anymore, the two floors,
and originally we're gonna have all that senior songwriters acoustic
acts on the first floor and all the harder acts
and the bottom floor. Now I'm glad we didn't do
that because that would have been too much for me,
you know, yeah, because when I did the first one,
I was non stop to hold down. You know. It
was there for fourteen hours, maybe more than that, up
and down the stairs, doing all that stuff. And it's like,
I don't want to do that. Now, don't blame me, Yeah,
you know, it's just I don't care how good ship
you in. But after a while you're like, no, I
can't do this any more.
Speaker 1: So yeah, yeah, no, I don't. Uh, I don't blame
you at all. Is there anything, uh? Is there anything
about the festival that you want people to know that
we didn't talk We didn't talk about and by the way,
thank you for inviting Jenny and us. We wish we
could be there. It's just so like our weekends are
so busy now between the radio shows and and everything
else we've got going on.
Speaker 2: But I'm sorry what I'm still plumping you guys in
two thoup and twenty six, I'm starting that.
Speaker 1: We we'd love to. Yeah, maybe maybe with enough planning
we can figure it out. But that does bring to
mind another question though, will there be video of this
or any kind of streaming happening during the.
Speaker 2: Show a little bit? We were going to go all
in on a film for this. Yeah, we decided because
I've got actually, I'm I'm able to talk about it.
I got attend to deal with Netflix actually in prime
to release a movie of this nice. But the requirements
from Netflix are pretty high standards. So yeah, wow, we're
able to able to ascertain that, but not at this time.
So if we had worked on that six months ago
instead of a few months ago, we would have able
to do it. So we decided we're going to do
in twenty twenty six because we have the whole year
to plan on it, right, and we'll use basic footage
from last year's and basic footage from this year's and
incorporated in the main footage from next year. Okay, because
we can use a little bit of footage that's not
in their requirements at on. It's it's it's a very
short amount of it, that makes sense. But all this
is going to be recorded all the whole, all all
three days, and we're going to pick a few songs
from each band and release a live album. That's what
we're all going to do. Though.
Speaker 1: Oh, very cool, that's a great idea.
Speaker 2: And all I'll send that to you if you want
to eat a lot you have it.
Speaker 1: Oh hell yeah, hell yeah, absolutely, absolutely fantastic. Well, let's
just for for anyone who's joining us Late Live, and
of course most people will hear this in the podcast
and the podcast version will be available with it, and
uh yeah, probably by six pm at the latest, so
we'll we'll get that up and out quickly because obviously
this is a time sensitive matter because this event is
this coming weekend, so we want to make sure, we
want to make sure people know about it. But uh
let's remind people of course, vices Fest twenty twenty five
and uh so it starts Friday night and or actually no,
I'm sorry, it starts Friday afternoon.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it does each each each day the doors open
eleven am. Okay, so start around new time, you know,
various times, but it's mostly about around New time, okay,
just you know, and most of the first acts are
more like se and Sonwerder stuff and then after three
pm it becomes full dance.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Oh, very cool, very cool. And where should people
go to get tickets?
Speaker 2: Www dot vices Fest dot com.
Speaker 1: Very good.
Speaker 2: Well that's that's the main place can go. Yeah, if
you if you want to go to the stream, which
is the Strand Theater dot com, it's also there.
Speaker 1: Okay, okay, excellent. Well, like I said, I commend you.
This is a huge undertaking. I think it's awesome what
you're doing. I think it's uh, I predict great things.
I think it's going to go very well. And uh
and again too. Oh and one more time too for
the band. Where should people go to learn more about
vices Inc?
Speaker 2: Oh jeez, that's easy w W dot advices ink dot
com and please go because uh, we guys, we guys
some good stuff coming out pretty soon, you know.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, you heard.
Speaker 2: All the ansa information you got today, know one that
people knew about you got it all?
Speaker 1: Nice. I love I love to get an exclusive. Hell
I didn't even know you had three hundred songs already.
I gotta I gotta go back and listen to some
stuff I didn't I did not realize so many. But
that's that's fantastic. Good for you, Jagger. Thank you so much,
my friend, and uh, good luck this weekend. Not that
you need luck, you've got you've got this well in hand,
but good luck anyway. I know it's gonna go great.
And uh, thank you so much.
Speaker 2: Well, thank you for having me. It's being signed. I
enjoy your company all the time. You know that you're awesome,
and we love being you know, even you know podcast radio.
We love being on part of this and we are
looking forward to working more with you again, you know
soon and maybe we'll be you know, in there on
the radio again before too long to viute that new
album coming out.
Speaker 1: If you're cool with that, perfect, I would love it.
I would love it absolutely, absolutely all right, Jagger, thank you,
and thank you everybody Sea come don't get supremely da
Maxim