Episode 60 – Mike Mills (Toehider)

 

One of the most musically gifted gents that I know! Mike Mills has been lubricating ear drums for several years under the affectionately known name Toehider. He’s released a substantial number of EP’s and albums receiving high praise not only from a growing fan base here in Australia, but by many internationally.

Mike’s success with Toehider has led him to the ears of Arjen Lucassen of Ayreon fame which consequently has seen Mike appear on several Ayreon releases. Most recently including a new album in 2017 and even appeared on stage for the theatre performance of Ayreon’s The Theatre of Equation along with James LaBrie, Anneke Giersbergen and more.

In 2015, Mike released the critically acclaimed ‘Mainly Songs About Robots’ that featured the legendary Vinny Appice on drums of Dio and Black Sabbath fame (Vinny was on the podcast!). You can grab a copy of the EP here.

The planets recently aligned and we discovered that both Mike and I will be joining forces in February 2017 to play with Carmine and Vinny Appice for the Appice Brothers Drum Wars Australian tour. Mike and I previously played a Dio tribute set back in 2011 so it’s quite surreal to be getting together again to not only play some classic Dio tracks but to do it with Vinny and Carmine.

I stopped by Mike’s home whilst in Melbourne recently and we chatted all things Appice, our love of Dio, his work with Arjen Lucaseen and what the future holds for Toehider. Enjoy!

Show notes

Toehider – Bandcamp, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram.
Arjen Lucaseen – Official website.

Listen to Toehider’s ‘On and On’ here.
Listen to Mike singing ‘Wuthering Heights’ (it went viral!) here.
Listen to Toehider’s ‘Whatever Makes You Feel Superior’ here.
Check out a quick glimpse of ‘The Theatre of Equation’ with Mike here.

 

 

Episode 59 – Vinny Appice (Dio and Black Sabbath)

 

The man needs no introduction, but I’m going to write one anyway. Best known for his work with the legendary Dio and Black Sabbath, Vinny is one of the greatest metal drummers to have slammed the stages over the past several decades.

I tried my best to approach this episode with a different perspective some slightly adjusted questions, however we still kicked into some classic Appice stories from years gone by. From an unexpected opportunity recording with John Lennon to being thrown in the deep end with Black Sabbath and a book full of notes on stage that fell victim to the skies above, it was surreal to hear Vinny reflect on it all.

From first seeing Vinny in the Hungry for Heaven video clip as teenager, I’ve been fascinated and in awe of his drumming for years in particular with Dio and Black Sabbath. To have an opportunity to chat with him for this podcast is something that I’ll look back with with glee for years to come.

The Appice Brothers ‘Drum Wars’ tour is hitting Australia in February and I will be playing bass in their band along with Mike Mills of Toehider fame on guitar and Chas West (Jason Bonham Band, Lynch Mob, Foreigner and Jake E Lee). Details on the shows and tickets can be found below.

What an amazing opportunity to share the stage with two drumming greats and to also have them on the podcast. If you want to hear the previous episode Carmine, click here.

Show notes

Vinny Appice – Official Website
Appice Brothers/Drum Wars – Official Website
Drum Wars DVD/Book – Buy HERE.

Purchase tickets for the Australian Drum Wars tour (Feb 2017) HERE.

 

Episode 58 – Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Rod…

 

The man, the myth, the legend. Carmine Appice.

One of the world’s greatest rock drummers, Carmine has been an undeniable influence on many of the greats that have followed him, ranging from Nicko McBrain and Dave Lombardo right up to Phil Collins, Neil Peart and even John Bonham.

Carmine’s resume is incredible and continues to grow after 50 years in the business. Not only has Carmine built an empire as a performing artist playing with bands such as Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Rod Stewart, King Kobra, Ozzy Osbourne, Blue Murder and more, but he’s also an instructor having released a number of instructional drumming publications. His most famous being the current ‘The Ultimate Realistic Rock Drum Method’ (Buy HERE), that was first published in 1972 and continues to be re-released decades later.

These days Carmine has recently released a biographical book entitled ‘Stick It’ (Buy HERE) and has also teamed up with his younger brother Vinny (another drummer legend – more to come!) for their Drum Wars tour, which showcases both drummers on stage together playing songs from their respective careers.

The Appice Brothers ‘Drum Wars’ tour is hitting Australia in February and I will be playing bass in their band along with Mike Mills of Toehider fame on guitar and Chas West (Jason Bonham Band, Lynch Mob, Foreigner and Jake E Lee). Details on the shows and tickets can be found below.

What an amazing opportunity to share the stage with two drumming greats and to also have them on the podcast. Carmine this week and Vinny to follow. Enjoy!

Appice Brothers Drum Wars Australian Tour

February 16th –  Sydney – The Factory (Drum Clinic) – Tickets
February 17th – Sydney – The Factory (Drum Wars Show) – Tickets
February 18th – Melbourne – Max Watt’s (Drum Wars Show) – Tickets
February 19th – Melbourne – Croxton Bandroom (Drum Clinic) – Tickets

Meet & Greet Packages and combo deals available HERE.

Show notes

Carmine Appice – Official Website and Facebook and Twitter.
Appice Brothers/Drum Wars – Official Website
Buy Carmine’s book ‘Stick It’ HERE.
Purchase tickets for the Australian Drum Wars tour (Feb 2017) HERE.

Episode 57 – Reflections – Part 2

 

For those of you playing along, the second instalment of my catch up episode is here!

In part 2, I spend a considerable amount of time (what’s new?!) recapping our honeymoon in Europe, as well as some personal reflecting on where my life is at the moment and where it’s all going. You know, all that deep and meaningful kind of stuff! I do hope you get something from it.

A massive thanks to those who have tuned into part 1, and have also kept the podcast pumping while I’ve been out and about for the last couple of months. The Andy Social Podcast will be back on track soon with more guest episodes to come!

Some more happy snaps from Part 2.

The view from our balcony in Barcelona. Photo by yours truly.

Jess and I in front of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Shocking selfie by Jess.

One of the many alleyways in Barcelona. Close to the Picasso museum. Photo by yours truly.

Making the most of the local flavours in Barcelona. Photo by Jess.

Caught up with old mate Mick Jeffery when Aversions Crown played in Barcelona. Check out my previous episode with Mick HERE.

Jess letting me sample beers in Prague to my hears content. Bad selfie by me!

Traditional Czech food. Hearty stuff! Photo by moi.

Church of Our Lady before Týn in Prague. Everywhere you look, you’re met with architectural beauty. Photo by yours truly.

Astronomical Clock and Church of Our Lady before Týn in Prague.

Episode 56 – Reflections – Part 1

 

Yes, it’s been a while. Time to play catch up! This is the first of a 2 part episode where I reflect on the last 2 or so months of my life.

What’s so interesting about it all? Well, I got married, I played at ProgPower USA in Atlanta with LORD and embarked on a 4 week honeymoon through Europe. Now that I’m back, it’s time to play catch up, run through some of fun that I’ve been having and begin planning what’s next for the podcast!

Lot’s of waffling, but I hope you enjoy it! Part 2 coming shortly.

 

 

 

Here’s a few happy snaps.

Lucky, aren’t I? Photo by Matt Godkin Photography

Hanging with my Best Malaka and band mate, Mark Furtner. Photo by Tim Grose.

ESP Guitars & Basses USA – HQ in North Hollywood. Photo by yours truly.

It was great to finally meet Chris Cannella from ESP USA in person. Always good to strengthen the bonds with our ESP family! Photo by Darryl Murphy (hey, he plays drums!)

Meeting the locals in LA. Photo by Darryl Murphy.

When in Brooklyn… Photo by yours truly.

The boys in New York City! Photo by Scott Golby

Not bad for our debut show in the USA, hey? Photo by Rodrigo Simas Photography

On stage at ProgPower USA in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Rodrigo Simas Photography

Episode 55 – Life Update

 

Being engaged to be married has certainly brought a lot of perspective and growth into my life. In this in-between episode I touch on some of the challenges I’ve had over the past several months, lessons learnt and plans ahead for the future. A bit of a life update!

Do you have advice for soon-to-be newly-weds? What lessons did you learn when you tied the knot and what lessons have you learnt since being married?

Married life for me begins, 26 August 2016. I hope that for those who follow the wedding path in future will find some points of reassurance in this episode. Duuun-duuun-d-dun!

Episode 54 – Josh Thompson (The Buskers Guide)

 

Ever thought about just shutting up shop and hitting the road? It would be nice, but there are always things to worry about. Jobs, friends, relationships, money and so many other factors that stop many of us from taking the plunge and venturing into the wide world.

A couple of years ago, Josh and George made the decision to pack in their jobs and begin a series of lengthy trips to explore the world and meet new people. To combat the challenges of financially staying afloat, the guys took up busking along with video work and a number of other odd jobs/services to make ends meet and help fund them in their travels.

It’s not always glamorous, but the experiences they’ve been able to have so far are priceless.

Using their creativity and resourcefulness Josh and George have been able to spend a month in Singapore, 5 months in Malaysia, 2 months in South Africa and have done one and a half laps around Australia. Impressive stuff, but it’s only just the beginning.

Along the way, the guys have decided to document their travels in a number of different ways on social media to help others do the same thing. The Buskers Guide was launched and it has become a respected resource for travelling busking musicians, as well as a portal for travellers in general to discover and learn how to see this amazing world of ours on a shoe string budget.

In this episode, I spent some time catching up with Josh to talk about the adventures they have had to date, challenges he’s experienced getting started, the art of asking and also their future grand plans.

This is another inspirational chat which shows that there are many ways to live and connect with people. If you’re stuck in the daily grind and getting anxious to make a big change, this might be the episode for you.

Support Josh and George by subscribing to their social media channels and reaching out to say hi!

Show notes

The Buskers Guide – Main website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram
The Buskers Guide – Play to Stay in Australia guide
Article – Interview with Olayo Reynaud from Spain

The Buskers Guide

Josh and George and the hostel owner from Kuala Lumpur, also a shot of the bar in action.

Busking on Haji Lane, Singapore

Busking at Scarborough Beach in Perth

Shooting an impromptu film clip for Josh Johnstone on Table Mountain, Cape Town

 

Episode 53 – Jake Lloyd Jones (MerJa Media and…

 

“I’m all obsessed with Kurdistan at the moment, getting ready to go and shoot a doco over there in October.”

When this is the first thing that someone says to you, naturally it’s going to spark some further interest and conversation. In my case, it sparked another podcast episode.

With a long history working for the ABC working on programs such as the 7:30 Report, The Chasers War on Everything and The New Inventors, just to scrape the surface, Jake Lloyd Jone’s expertise behind the camera is quite impressive. In recent years, he’s has moved on to form an independent video production company MerJa Media, including producing a number of documentaries covering an array of social topics from graffiti in the inner west of Sydney to Coal Seam Gas controversy in Queensland.  Now Jake has his sights set on the middle east to document Kurdistan’s struggles for independence and their involvement in the war against ISIS, including their female soldiers.

This is a real eye opener for me and our conversation highlights the complexity of that pocket of the world. I hope you gain as much from this as I did!

Show notes

Jake’s video production company, MerJa Media and YouTube channel.
You can find Jake also on LinkedIn.
Jake’s IMDB page.

What is Kurdistan anyway?
Article: Meet the Brave Women Fighting ISIS in Syria.
Article: Why is the world ignoring the revolutionary Kurds in Syria?
Photo Essay: Women Guerrillas of the PJAK by Maryam Ashrafi.
Documentary – Kurdistan: Women at War by Arte TV

First documentary of Jake’s through MerJa Media – Unrequited Art.
Check out Jake’s documentary – An Occupied Country.
Watch The Chaser APEC Motorcade Stunt here or below.

Photo by Natasha Marfutenko featured at the Sydney Art Gallery

 

Episode 52 – 10 Podcasts That You Need To…

 

Episode 52 is all about the podcasts that I listen to. Here are 10 podcasts that I believe you should at least try once to get a grasp of what different people are doing out in the podcast world. In this episode I run through my 10 selections (in no order) and give my thoughts on each one.

This is for people who are new to podcasts or those who are thinking about starting their own. Hopefully some of these shows will help push you further into this fantastic media platform.

Note: These are not ‘the best’ podcasts out there. These are just picked from my current playlist that I think people should check out. I’ll do another list in 12 months time with a new set. Please also note that I have placed some honourable mentions at the end. They are just as great, but 10 was simply a nice rounded number!

Let me know which shows you listen to, your favourites, the crap ones and any suggested podcasts I should listen to!

Here we go…

1. The Vertical Podcast with JJ Reddick

Listen on iTunes and or via The Vertical Podcast.

2. The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe 

Listen on iTunes and or via The Way I Heard It.

3. The Univi Podcast

Listen on iTunes or via Univi.

4. The Skruins and Co Breakfast Show 

Listen on iTunes or via Skruins and Co Breakfast Show.

5. Pod Kembla 

Listen on iTunes and via Pod Kembla.

6. The Joe Rogan Experience

Listen on iTunes or via Joe Rogan.

7. The Duncan Trussell Family Hour 

Listen on iTunes or via Duncan Trussell.

8. The Tim Ferriss Show

Listen on iTunes or via Tim Ferriss.

9. The Small Business, Big Marketing Show

Listen on iTunes or via Small Business, Big Marketing.

10. WTF with Marc Maron

Listen on iTunes or via WTF with Marc Maron.

 

Honourable Mentions

The Key of Solomon Podcast on iTunes and Main Website.
Claim the Throne Bodgecast on iTunes and Main Website.
Damn Interesting on iTunes and Main Website.
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History on iTunes and Main Website.
Henry & Heidi on iTunes and Henry Rollins Website.

Episode 51 – Annelise of Metal Marketing Blog

 

In the ever changing world of the music industry, it is often said to be difficult to stay on top of the latest ways for artists to successfully market their music to the masses. While there’s those who think it’s never been easier to find an audience, many bands tend to get stuck in solely older methods of promotion, getting left behind in the growing and competitive digital world of music.

Seeing the successes and failures of many bands not only within the local scene in Australia but also internationally, Annelise has channelled her passion for metal by helping artists maximise their band marketing, especially in the digital realm.

In this episode, Annelise and I run through the experiences we have had with marketing in a general sense but especially via social media. Social media has become large part of our everyday lives, but many of us have not spent the time to grasp it’s full potential.

I urge bands to follow and reach out to Annelise via her blog and media channels and continue to learn new ways of pushing your music to not only more people, but the people who actually matter.

Show Notes

Metal Marketing Blog
Metal Marketing on Facebook
Metal Marketing on Instagram
Metal Marketing on Twitter

Further recommendation – Check out the Small Business, Big Marketing podcast (also on iTunes)! Amazing marketing tips for anyone pushing a brand, regardless of the industry or service/product.