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-First of all, thanks for the interview
-Kliff McBurtney here duder. Thanks for the questions.
-How are you and how is the band doing?
-The 7 months of winter have finally broken here in Wisconsin, and that means hardcore festival time. We barely get a summer here so when it is warm, we go apeshit. The band is gearing up for the Abbey Load tour, wherever that road leads.
-For those who don’t know the band yet ( 🙂 ), could you briefly introduce yourself and the band Beatallica?
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JAYMZ Lennfield: Lead vocals, guitar
GRG Hammetson III: Lead Guitar, backing vocals
KLIFF McBurtney: Lead Bass, backing vocals
RINGO Lars: Drums only
Beatallica is the answer to the age old question; What would you get if you combined The Beatles with Metallica?
-How was the band started? Who came up with this odd idea?
-In 2001 Jaymz and company were having an inebriated laugh and decided to ask the aforementioned question. A CD of mp3s was made and handed out at a party. One of the party goers was an internet blogger and fan of Beatles mashup bands. He named the band and contacted Jaymz with a stack of fan mail. From that the live act was put together in 2004.
-About the lineup, can you specify who does what and where do the funny names come from?
-Read them and figure it out for yourself!
-The original lineup was different from the actual. Why did Kirk Hammetson had to leave the band?
-We had a great run with KRK, but as the tour schedule got crazier, his familial obligations took precedence over the band. Being such an influential member, we decided to “retire” his name and all subsequent guitarists have been GRG (George without vowels).
-We noticed that Mike Portnov was featuring as a guest. How did it go and is there any chance of a featuring on your next LP?
-Mike has been an excellent advocate for the band and sat in with us on several occasions, coining the Beatallica name Joey Nicol (referring to Joey Jordison and Jimmie Nicol)
-Do you plan on touring in Europe, and more specifically in France?
-We have been to France several times, and had a great time. We even met Metallica in Paris, that was great. Personally I found Lyon very beautiful. Most recently we played the Motocultor festival in Brittany. Vive la France! (Special Hello to Stephan Forte, Kevin Codfert and the guys in Adagio!)
-You had some legal issues with beatles’ copyrigths, did it end well?
-Agreements were made by all parties. It isn’t necessarily what we would have chosen, but when the options are to either deal with the powers that be, or flush your work down the drain, one learns the art of compromise.
-Your latest album – Abbey Load- was released on April the 16th 2013, is it selling well?
-Not my department. That is outside of my pay scale. I usually find out that stuff months down the road. It takes longer than one would think to tabulate that information.
-Any good or bad feedbacks from your fans?
-The biggest complaint and the biggest compliment of the new album by fans is the fact that we used the original Beatles lyrics in all of the songs. Not our call. (see answer to the previous questions). Fans have enjoyed our comedic mash up lyrics throughout the years, and are missing that aspect. On the other hand, I think the Beatles lyrics are pretty dark already, and now my sister can actually sing along when we play.
-Any idea about the next album?
-Always. It is half written already with all the songs we had to cut. With the proper publishing rights, we could have most of it done already. Ah, but then there is the little matter of getting all parties to agree to it. The legal shyte is really what takes so long, and what delayed ABBEY LOAD for 3 years.
-Your favorite song from Metallica? From The Beatles? From Beatallica? Why?
-I’m old school man, so Creeping Death was always my favorite jam. I’d have to pick the Abbey Road Medley from the Beatles, just from growing up with it. Though technically it is several songs, I am really happy we were able to include it on our latest CD, and heavy it up. Other than that I like our “Ktulu – He’s So Heavy”, as I think it is the embodiment of Beatallica
-If you run out of ideas with Beatallica, would you create a similar band? what would it be?
-The MEATLES: Metallica songs done Beatles style. 😉
-Are you still in touch with Metallica?
-We have a professional relationship with the Metallica camp. We don’t go out for tea and bikkies with them, but yes we are in contact.
-Beatallica as a support band for Metallica : possible?
-Perhaps they would need us to be jesters at a Medieval feast. Metallica might dig it, but I can’t confirm that 70,000 rabid Metallica fans at a show would have the same sense of humor about things.
-Did you already asked a Metallica member to feature on one of your albums? Would it be possible?
-Those cats have a lot on their plate. Even if the interest was there, I don’t think they would ever be free enough in schedule to make something like that happen. They are all more than welcome.
-Do you have a side-project? Come on, give us the link 😉
-We are all involved with several projects in our local scene
Jaymz has an Irish rock band called Reiley https://www.facebook.com/reillyrocks?fref=ts
GRG is very involved with touring with the Violent Femmes and a host of other projects, as well as running his own recording studio; Nutone Studios
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Violent-Femmes/105517516149236?fref=ts
When GRG is around, he and I don our big hair wigs and play in a Thin Lizzy Tribute band called THEN LIZZY https://www.facebook.com/ThenLizzy?fref=ts
Myself, I have a Viking metal project called MJØD https://www.facebook.com/Mjodmusic?fref=ts
and Ringo, well he is an odd fish. I think he is working on becoming an electrical engineer when not drumming. You would have to ask him yourself.
Thanks for the questions. Please visit Beatallica.org ! A Votre Santé!