From a Sleepy Seaside Town in Australia to Hollywood, Interview with Vasco Era
June Caldwell
August 13, 2006
Vasco Era, the sensation from Australia had some time for a chat before their blistering set at Spaceland in Hollywood. Their sound is a wall of sheer rock n roll with a charismatic lead singer that is a growling force of nature! They hail from Apollo Bay, the tiniest seaside town in Australia.
Vasco Era is: Sid O'Neil - Vocals, guitars; Ted O'Neil – Bass; Michael Fitzgerald - Drums
June: So, what is it like being in a band with your family?
VE: We’re brothers in the band and we get along quite well! We’ve been playing music together since I was twelve. Our drummer has been with us that long. We're from a small town called Apollo Bay of 1,000 people. There's not much opportunity there! There's a small number of musicians and we end up playing with them all in some form or another! We grew up together. Michael was a friend of ours before we started the band.
June: How did you start in Apollo Bay, and end up in LA on your own tour?
VE: We went up to Melbourne where there were emerging bands competing. We ended up winning the competition! It went o from there. Since all our friends knew each other they ended up moving to Melbourne. 300 people showed up for our first gig! All our friends showed up for every gig!
June: How do you define your sound? And…how do you write your music?
VE: Our sound is indie and blues based which is a popular scene in Australia. We have slow folk songs with elements of country. We're taking time to write our debut for 2007. We write songs in the process of touring and realize which ones are good enough to make the cut. We still have a song or two to go for the rd.
June: (to Michael on drums): What is it like for you working with two brothers?
Michael: The two brothers sometimes fight and I have to get in between. There's some bickering… LOL! This guy wants a Playstation and the other is in the middle of a Tony Hawk game. It's hard trying to be like the mum, the dad and the uncle at the same time!! No, really...it's fine! We grew up together.
June: How are US audiences and UK audiences different for you?
VE: Our American audience is mostly industry people and our English audience is mostly crowds. We have friends in London to spread the word. The whole idea of the tour was to get through to the big crowds, then to play to industry people so we can get the record out. It's kind of working! We're having the best time!
June: Did you plan your career out? Did you expect to be here?
VE: We did plan out a future. This is what we want to do. If it keeps growing than we grow with it hopefully. Let's try this for a few years. If it doesn'twork out than we'll just leave it as it is and give it up! Not really! This is what we want to do.
June: What would you do in a universe without music?
VE: If we didn't have music I'd be an artist or do something on a boat. I'd be a quarterback for World Cup baseball! We don't have baseball in Australia but we'd invent it!
June:: Where will Vasco Era be this time next year?
VE: By next year we want to have an album out and be on tour. We'll travel all around the world with similar size crowds of 400 to 500 people. We don't want to get really big. We want to play for 400 or 20,000 with nothing in between! (ha, ha). We want to make a living and travel. Once we release the first album there's a lot of pressure to release a second.
June: What is your favorite song to play?
VE:: I like playing a song called "Sweet Little Honey Bee." Our favorite song changes all the time. Right now I like the newer songs. Our album is going to be all new songs and songs we haven't recorded!
Vasco Era is: Sid O'Neil - Vocals, guitars; Ted O'Neil – Bass; Michael Fitzgerald - Drums
June: So, what is it like being in a band with your family?
VE: We’re brothers in the band and we get along quite well! We’ve been playing music together since I was twelve. Our drummer has been with us that long. We're from a small town called Apollo Bay of 1,000 people. There's not much opportunity there! There's a small number of musicians and we end up playing with them all in some form or another! We grew up together. Michael was a friend of ours before we started the band.
June: How did you start in Apollo Bay, and end up in LA on your own tour?
VE: We went up to Melbourne where there were emerging bands competing. We ended up winning the competition! It went o from there. Since all our friends knew each other they ended up moving to Melbourne. 300 people showed up for our first gig! All our friends showed up for every gig!
June: How do you define your sound? And…how do you write your music?
VE: Our sound is indie and blues based which is a popular scene in Australia. We have slow folk songs with elements of country. We're taking time to write our debut for 2007. We write songs in the process of touring and realize which ones are good enough to make the cut. We still have a song or two to go for the rd.
June: (to Michael on drums): What is it like for you working with two brothers?
Michael: The two brothers sometimes fight and I have to get in between. There's some bickering… LOL! This guy wants a Playstation and the other is in the middle of a Tony Hawk game. It's hard trying to be like the mum, the dad and the uncle at the same time!! No, really...it's fine! We grew up together.
June: How are US audiences and UK audiences different for you?
VE: Our American audience is mostly industry people and our English audience is mostly crowds. We have friends in London to spread the word. The whole idea of the tour was to get through to the big crowds, then to play to industry people so we can get the record out. It's kind of working! We're having the best time!
June: Did you plan your career out? Did you expect to be here?
VE: We did plan out a future. This is what we want to do. If it keeps growing than we grow with it hopefully. Let's try this for a few years. If it doesn'twork out than we'll just leave it as it is and give it up! Not really! This is what we want to do.
June: What would you do in a universe without music?
VE: If we didn't have music I'd be an artist or do something on a boat. I'd be a quarterback for World Cup baseball! We don't have baseball in Australia but we'd invent it!
June:: Where will Vasco Era be this time next year?
VE: By next year we want to have an album out and be on tour. We'll travel all around the world with similar size crowds of 400 to 500 people. We don't want to get really big. We want to play for 400 or 20,000 with nothing in between! (ha, ha). We want to make a living and travel. Once we release the first album there's a lot of pressure to release a second.
June: What is your favorite song to play?
VE:: I like playing a song called "Sweet Little Honey Bee." Our favorite song changes all the time. Right now I like the newer songs. Our album is going to be all new songs and songs we haven't recorded!