With Passion Interview

With Passion

Beard Stubble Kills A Boner: an interview with With Passion the first all gay metal band.

By Losillë

Red Bluff, CA

August 3, 2006

Due to the mature content of the photos in the article it is a Band Slut Diary entry. These entries are about me and my opinion as well as the interview content.

I have said from the beginning of CFM Music Scene that I would never write a negative review about a band, but With Passion changed my mind. I went to this meeting with the intention of roasting this band.

First their jerk off booking agent blew me off when I asked about booking them and did not return my emails. Then when I heard they were playing in Red Bluff, I contacted their manager to schedule an interview. In my experience managers set up interviews for bands. Maybe it he thought CFM Music Scene only gets ½ million hits per month and not worth his valuable time cause he didn’t even give me the courtesy of a “fuck off” email. Their support staff are a bunch of assholes so it followed they would be assholes too.

With Passion is a hot Sacramento band, I definitely wanted to get an interview when they came to Red Bluff. I decided to try one more thing and sent an email to the band on MySpace.

I DID NOT expect a response.

I was pleasantly surprised when I received an immediate response agreeing to the interview.

If they hadn’t acknowledged the message on MySpace I would have really ripped their asses to shreds.

This interview was nothing like I had expected.

They are very polite and not the elitist snobs I had anticipated meeting. They actually seemed confused as to why I wanted to interview them. It surprised me that their record label had not given them some type of interview training. They didn't have a press kit, CD or any promotional material with them.

The guys in With Passion are sweet, polite and very well mannered. I couldn't help but like them.

I decided to screw with them during the interview anyway just for fun. I am old so I can get away with asking stupid questions. I just keep a blank face. It is fun to watch the band members try to answer me without hurting my feelings. Who wants to be mean to someone’s mom?

I laid the groundwork by telling them I was from a Christian website.

"Please don't smoke or use bad language during the interview."

They agreed right away.

Light emanates from Shaun (lead singer of The Passion of the Metal) as he blesses a follower.

Shaun was very good about interacting with the fan while he was performing. His professionalism was impressive.

With Passion struck me as a name that would be confused with a religious band and I was going to play that out. The video camera was rolling and they were sitting there looking at me with those sweet, sincere faces and I started laughing. They were so open and honest I just cracked up. When I played back the tape I started laughing again. It is the first time I haven’t been able to mess with a band and keep a straight face. Man they are straight! They were sitting in front of the pavilion where my son had been to Boy Scout functions. It flashed in my mind that they would have fit right in with the Boy Scouts.

This is a transcript of the interview I was working on when my computer crashed and no, I didn’t have a back up. Sorry

They started by introducing themselves. (This was the band lineup at the time of the interview.)

Shaun (Gier) – vocals

Mike – merch, I mean bass

Greg – drums

Jeff – *cough* lead guitar

John – the “better” lead guitar

There was short discussion of the name Red Bluff.

Mike and John, “What’s a bluff.”

Jeff, “It’s like when you are playing poker.” The group understood completely.

I was behind the camera and they made sure to point out that I was laughing.

Losillë, “You are a Christian rock band called ‘With Passion’.” (I really had trouble getting this out I couldn’t stop laughing.)

John, “Whoaaaaa”

Shaun, “We are not Christian.”

Mike, “I am Roman Catholic.”

John, “We are not pro or anti religion.”

Shaun, “We get called ‘The Passion’ all the time.

It was too difficult to keep up my front and I told them I was just messing with them and they could smoke and talk about anything.

Losillë, “The name ‘With Passion’ came about because you are passionate about music?”

John, “No, because Shaun thought it was a good name, but we thought it sucked.”

Mike, “It did suck.”

It seemed that Shaun won and they were stuck with the name.

Losillë, “That isn’t what it said on the website. Greg, are you lying?”

Mike. “We like him but he Is a liar.”

Shaun, “He plays drums what can I say?”

Losillë, “I want all of you to feel comfortable with me.”

John, “Oh yeah totally.”

They were so sweet and so easy to fuck with, but I couldn’t help laughing.

Losillë, “Feel free at anytime to remove your clothes. I and the women watching this tape will be grateful.”

There is a moment of stunned silence on the tape.

John, “It is kinda hot out here.”

Mike started removing his shoes.

Greg, “Yeah take off you shoes that’s sexy.”

Jeff, “The women watching it ummm here’s some sex appeal.”

Shaun, “I like my clothes.”

Mike showed us his “Shear socks.”

Greg, “They fell good on the crotchial area.”

I thought that sounded very interesting so I asked Greg how knew this about Mike’s sock. I should have asked why Mike wanted to wear the socks after Greg had found out they felt good on his crotch.

Greg. “I am a liar remember.”

Mike, “He lies a lot especially after he has had a lot of tequila.”

(I think if I were Mike I would keep Greg away from my socks.)

Losillë, “Who writes the songs?”

Shaun, “I do.”

Greg, “Some other guy that we pay.”

John, “Me, Jeff, Shaun and him are probably the main song writers. Mike doesn’t count”

Mike, “I am just the merch player.”

Jeff, “Shaun writes songs about one day a month.”

BIG groan from Greg.

John, “Shaun brings in riffs from time to time cause he used to play guitar for the band, but now he is…The Vocalist.”

Jeff, “John writes the majority of the stuff because he is very quick.”

John, “But he writes most of the riffs that don’t suck.”

Mike, “I would say that John starts out with the structure and then Greg would come in and solidify…”

Greg, “My grandma shows me what to play.”

Mike, “…by giving it more tempos and time signatures. Then Jeff will come in with something really, I don’t know, technical.”

Greg, “Complimenting.”
Mike, “ and complimentary.”

Mike, “ and Shaun is blonde.”

Shaun was sitting quietly listening to the other four.

Shaun, “Faggot.”

Jeff, “Shaun has a lot of crazy weird ideas.”

Greg, “We haven’t answered one question she has asked.”

Mike, “No we haven’t.”

John, “That was an answer. I think.”

Shaun, “No it wasn’t.”

Losillë, “Who writes the lyrics?”
Shaun, “I do.”

Losillë, “Where do you get you inspiration?”

Shaun, “ Lot of movies, video games, books that are made into movies, cause I don’t really read books, I don’t really know those squiggly little lines.

Jeff, “Clint Eastwood, Curt Russell.”

Shaun, “Short stories, Clint Eastwood, Curt Russell westerns.”

Greg, “High Plains Drifter.”

Mike, “High Plains Drifter, The Good The Bad and The Ugly.”

I mentioned that their website said that they were moving towards a less melodic sound and they all started talking at once. Apparently they have not read their website.

Mike, “You know what? Ironically we harmonize our hum melodically.”

John, “La, la, la.”

Jeff, “I am going to have to take that down now.”

John, “Compared to the old line up, cause that was a lot different lineup. I would have to say it definitely had a more melodic feel to it.”

Jeff, “We still have a melodic element we just want to mix…”

The conversation deteriorates into mumbling here something about four, four.

I told them I was trying to think of all the normal questions that fans want me to ask.

Jeff, “Usually people ask if we were an all gay metal band. It is kind of obvious.”

Greg, “Are we and all gay metal band? Yes we are.”

Shaun, “Curt Russell.”

Three women have read this interview and all three asked me if they have sex with each other. Women seem to like the idea of the them having sex with each other in the van. That is very hot! But they threw me for a loop, I got a little rattled and moved on. Sorry I let you down ladies. Be calm, next interview I will get details, pictures would be nice too.

John, “Can I ask you a question? Is this the worst interview you have ever done?” Boy was I relieved he didn't ask me what I was thinking. I was still in shock, attractive...gay men...touring...

Losillë, “No, it isn’t. The worst interview was one where all the answers were yes, no and I don’t know.”

Mike points at me and says, “Oh wait, to answer your question about the name. The real answer is we just really, really like to play and we like to play ‘with passion’.”

I have no idea why we jumped back to the subject of the name, but it was nice to know there was something right on their website.

Jeff, “The original idea for the name, cause me and Shaun were the only ones around.”

Shaun, “Yeah.”

Jeff, “Here’s what happened. We were in this band before where uh, this one guy who is really short, I won’t say his name because he doesn’t have a real name. He uh, basically we didn’t get to play what we wanted. He used to shoot down a lot of ideas, so we started a new band where it would be able to do what ever we felt like doing. And I got to start playing guitar instead of bass.”

Losillë, “Who can drink everyone under the table?”

Everyone started pointing at John.

John, “Really? You guys think it is me?”

Mike, “It is either you or me.”

John, “I vote you bro, you have been drinking longer.”

There was a short discussion where everyone seemed to be sure the other one was the heaviest drinker.

Greg put it to together this way, “There have been instances where each person has been insanely drunk.”
Jeff, “Let’s not get too far into that.”

Shaun, “Curt Russell.”

Jeff, “John will drink more than anyone else, but Mike handles drinking more better.”

Greg, “More better.”

Jeff, “More better, drinking more in a better way.”

Shaun, “And me and Jeff like to play.”

Jeff, “We are not talking about that Shaun, that is why you are on that end and I am on this end.” ( A hint that there is a story that needs to be told?)

Shaun, “Curt Russell.”

John, “Greg was straight edge until his last birthday.”

At this point everyone turns on Greg. It is seems he comes in last in drinking, but does have some x’s. What that means I do not know.

Losillë, “Who can eat the most?”

Mike!

Greg, “Every stop on tour, donuts and a chocolate milk or a Slim Fast.”

Jeff, “Usually donuts and a Slim Fast.”

Greg, “He is the fat kid.”

Mike, “I eat too much so I over compensate with Slim Fast.”

John, “A meal in a can.”

I thought they meant one of those stick things. “You mean Slim Fast the diet drink?”

John, “Yeah, yeah”

Jeff, “Not Slim Jim, Slim Fast.”

This is where I lost the interview and I cannot find the original

I don’t remember much that we talked about after this point. I do remember that With Passion was formed from members of the band Conducting From The Grave. I never heard the band but I recognized the name. I had seen a Conducting From The Grave t-shirt.

They play soccer when on tour to keep in shape.

There was some talk about having a key that opens coffins. Something that it would never occurred to me to own.

The one thing that will always stick in my mind about With Passion is how they handled the question that I ask every band.

“Years from now when With Passion is really famous, who can I lie and say I slept with?” Bear in mind that I am old, fat and flat chested, every other band has known this was a joke and played along it. One or more band member usually volunteers to have sex with me so I won’t have to lie. They even offer to have group sex with me so that I can spice up my memoirs.

These guys looked at each other then had a discussion.

It was hilarious!

They decided that I should say I slept with John because he has an enormous penis. His penis is SO large that even in a flaccid state it creates problems for him. It begs the question, “How does one get comfortable in the California heat with something that large in their pants?” Maybe next time I meet “With Passion” I will take some plaster and do a “Jimmy Hendrix” for him

The interview over, there was one more amazing moment waiting for us, a fan walked over and drop his drawers. We do not know why. Fortunately I was taking photos when it happened.