BAND – Delhill

By Rick Garner

So how long have you guys been around and how did you decide on the name “Delhill?”  Since the beginning of time when the great cosmic forces collided and sent all the molecules of the universe spiraling outward, spinning towards infinity ~ which was, roughly, about two years ago. Delhill is a beautiful place somewhere in the world where the five of us decided we were going to make music together. But much like Springfield in the Simpsons, we won’t tell you where exactly it is (just yet!). In Spanish it means “Of the Hill.” Think about it…

Who plays what? Andrew DelCid, Guitar/Vocals;Tony Maiella, Guitar/Vocals; James Rockpoint, Guitar/Mandolin/Back-up Vocals; Freddy G, Bass Ninja and Art Vigilante; D-Rawk, Drums & Percussion

What’s everyone’s band history? Andrew D played in the groups Shoopus (who later became Sucka Brown) and Say When. In college, Tony Maiella played in Bay State Love Machine. Daryl played in NooK (which later became Audrey Can’t Die) and bad 80s metal cover bands. Rockpoint and Freddy G played in the high school talent competition ~ and took last place.

And are you guys self-taught on your respective instruments? For the most part, although some of us have taken lessons and played in school ensembles. D is the only one with “formal” training ~ he played in Drum Corps for a greater part of his youth and that’s why he always breaks snare drums. He also was a Marching Band Percussion Instructor for UMass-Lowell. You know, “This one time at band camp…”

Take us through the song-writing process. This is the best part ~ everyone contributes to the song-writing process here. Andrew and Tony are the chief song writers and often they will bring entire songs written on their acoustic guitars. Rockpoint lays on the guitar riffs and both he and Freddy G always have great lyrical and melodic ideas. D-Rawk does all the heavy rhythmic lifting, making sure the arrangements are snug and our timing is right. It is very much a collaborative effort and that’s how we keep it interesting and progressive.

Your new CD “Bouncing Souls” was just released. How’d you choose the tracks? We wanted to make a good record that would really resonate with people and become a part of their lives. The album title comes from the idea that people are constantly bouncing off of and into experiences, places, and one another, like billions of bouncing balls going in infinite directions. And the title track is a play on words, and is about the communal madness of a good rock-n-roll show. The tracks were a culmination of everything we had done up to that point that reflected these ideas.

What’s the overall feel of the CD? Sad? Rebellious? Retrospective? Somebody told me that whenever they think of us, they think of driving down the highway on that first sunny day of the year with the windows down and the sound system turned up. This is a CD to turn on at a party, BBQ, or while you’re driving. It’s meant to make you to sing at the top of your lungs and pound your fist in the air because you feel alive. There are songs about missing a lover’s touch, about extreme internal conflict and insecurity, and others about celebration of life, people, and music. We tried to touch on universal themes but to do it in a fresh way.

What’s that old saying? “There’s one in every bunch?” Who’s the biggest ham of the group? Freddy G is a notorious prankster. As we become more fluent as performers, he gets more ridiculous on stage, and people love it.

What kind of music do you guys listen to for fun? We’re an eclectic bunch ~ we listen to reggae, world music, Brazilian music, folk, 80s death metal, punk, and tons of 70′ rock and funk. Lately it’s been Manu Chao, Amy Winehouse, the Doobie Brothers, Tool, and My Morning Jacket.

What’s next for the band? We love to play live and have a healthy schedule through the fall, when we have plans to record another EP ~ and we’re currently looking for proper management so we can stop focusing on silly stuff like how big our Stonehenge stage prop will be.

Catch Delhill at Tammany Hall in Worcester on 5/18 for Sucka Brown’s CD release party and at the Paradise Lounge in Boston on 5/16 w/Lucy Vincent. For more on the band, their new CD, and upcoming shows, head to www.myspace.com/delhill.

CD – Vicious Disorder
A “Chance” worth taking

By Bobby Hankinson

Scott LaFlamme, lead vocalist and guitarist for Vicious Disorder, was on the phone waxing philosophic about the music industry when it him: Life is chance.

After briskly wrapping up the call, LaFlamme penned “Life Is Chance,” the title-track on VD’s latest release, in about 15 minutes.

Looking over the band’s credentials, it’s hard to deny chance has been pretty kind to the hard-rocking trio. In addition to sharing the stage with such established acts as LA Guns, Static-X, Trapt, and Bret Michaels, the band’s track “Pure Evil” was used in the DVD documentary “Halloween: 25 Years of Terror” which examined the history of the Michael Myers’s films.

But it’s been more than chance behind Vicious Disorder’s success. As LaFlamme surmises, “If you work hard enough, with perseverance it will pay off in the end.” If the band’s latest five-song disc is any evidence, they’ve definitely been working ~ and rocking ~ quite hard.

The disc’s opener, “Shot Down,” kicks things off with a bang. The drumming, courtesy of Scott’s brother Rob LaFlamme, comes with a flurry of hits reminiscent of a machine gun firing. By the time Scott rips through his guitar solo, it’s easy to turn yourself over to Vicious Disorder’s brand of hard-hitting metal.

“Life Is Chance” eases in a little slower than the previous track. But as it methodically makes its way to a hell-raising scream, LaFlamme’s description of the band’s sound as “…the devil and an angel in the blender” really begins to ring true. The LaFlamme brothers’ appreciation of the Eagles and the Beatles, coupled with bassist Chris Pauze’s propensity for heavier influences, adds another dimension to the band’s already complex sonic structure.

Time all but stops when the album gets to “Pure Evil.” What begins with a menacing hacking sound (think of what knives sound like in horror films as they slice through flesh) transitions into a take on the Halloween films’ unmistakable theme. The track is nothing short of a masterpiece ~ it’s compelling enough to be a stand-out in its own right, but the implied relationship to “Halloween” is clear without sounding campy.

The song’s inclusion on the DVD opened a lot of doors for the band, but they’ve also got some top-notch folks lending a hand. Scott shared some of the great experiences he’s had working with Sullivan Bigg of Bigg Time Entertainment, Inc. and how helpful Paula Morrison’s been in getting the band’s name out there.

With great musicianship (those of you who were lucky enough to catch the band on April 21 at Partner’s Pub in Fitchburg got to witness first-hand just how great) and the right professional support (not to mention killer production courtesy of John Ellis at Prism Sound Studios) it’s a wonder these boys aren’t signed yet.

Then again, sometimes it’s just up to chance.

Check out www.viciousdisorder.com and
www.myspace.com/viciousdisorder1  

SOLO – Pete Beatz

By Allie Bombz

Pete Beatz keeps the Science Sonic. The Worcester-born hiphop producer, “508” tattooed proudly on his arm, is doin’ his part to keep 508 thumpin’. Me & PeteBeatz hit the gritty city streets to rap about rap in Woo.

PeteBeatz on PeteBeatz’z Beatz:

I actually got a lot of music in the works, so you gotta stay tuned…check myspace.com/therealpetebeatz. I have been poppin tracks off with Ariez & Rugged from Worcester, Chester Green from The Bronx, Servo from Boston, & R20 from The Queens Street Clique in Queens, New York. I can’t read music, but I can tell you what sounds good. Like this, I just made the craziest sounding strings. They’re nutty. Hear that shit? Nutty strings.

[The strings are nutty, yo.]

PeteBeatz on Wortown:

A sick place. There’s a lot to do here, but not a lot that won’t get you into some type of trouble. I know I gotta get outta here if I wanna make it, but I am proud to have grown up here. It’s tattooed on my arm… a 508 and a W… it ain’t goin’ nowhere. Check this track I did with Ariez.

[Dope hiphop, yo.]

PeteBeatz’s Craziest HipHop Experience:

I chilled onstage with Redman, Snoop, Don The Magic Juan, & Ice T and at Snoop’s “Blue Carpet Treatment” record release party in New York City. I…bluntly conversed…with Redman. He’s a real, real, real funny dude, yo.

PeteBeatz on HipHop Music:

Music is a creation of people, so it evolves like people do. Some don’t appreciate the swearing, but it’s an expression, an escape. Sorry ‘bout the swears. If you don’t ever say swears ever, you’re lying to yourself.

PeteBeatz Dream Track:

I’d do a track with Proof. We’d do a song about not takin’ life so seriously.PeteBeatz on HipHop Today:

The sh*t I heard growin’ up made me say, Wow!” WuTang Clan, GangStarr, Hieroglyphics… I think of the kids today, watchin’ MTV ~ that’s not even hiphop. It’s a sh*tty spinoff that sells. I wish we had more of a grip on what’s playin’ on the radio. It can make me sick.

PeteBeatz Shout Outs:

Mick Pucko. Ariez & Rugged. Elemental Force. The entire Deep Blue Squad. QSC. Chester Green.

AllieBombz on PeteBeatz:

Keep an ear open. You’ll be hearing the talents of PeteBeatz thumpin’ thru your speakerz soon enuf.

Add PeteBeatz on myspace.com/therealpetebeatz.
Add Allie Bombz on myspace.com/kojakbeatz

CLUB – BAR NONE

By Linnea Sheldon

Bernard Young has been a well-known face in the local nightlife scene for years. He began bartending as a sophomore business major at Clark University, and he knew he had found his niche.

Recently he took all his knowledge and experience and put it into a new establishment at 18 Grafton Street, and Bar None was born. By focusing on what he thought the Worcester bar scene was lacking, he was able to create a different kind of bar for a different kind of crowd.

“My business partner Steve Stoney and I wanted to fill a niche,” Young explained, “and so far there’s been a lot of positive feed back for what we are doing. The idea was to open a place that would create a new attitude about nightlife in this city, by trying to set the bar on how a place should look and the atmosphere it should present.”

Bar None is open Monday-Sunday from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. “Before 10 p.m. it’s is a great place to comfortably unwind after work or dinner in our two elevated lounge areas and watch the Sox on our five plasma TVs,” Young said. “In the evening we transition into an upbeat social night spot.”

Bar None carries 36 bottled beers and has an impressive collection of the trendiest red and white wines available. Flavored martinis and mojitos are also crowd favorites.

For entertainment, DJ Joe Rossi spins Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. Every Thursday is Ladies’ Night, Friday Night it’s an old school tribute featuring the best dance, pop, and hip hop from the 80s and 90s. Sophistisexy Saturday features the latest and greatest in dance, hip hop, and pop.

Plenty of off street parking is available directly across from Bar None, and complimentary valet service is offered every Saturday night.

Reservations are accepted for tables and the lounge, and private functions and parties are also available. “Come see what Worcester’s been missing.” Contact Bar None at (508) 793-8700 or www.eBARNONE.com.

Also make sure to stop by the Best Bartender competition on May 10 at Bar None!

CLUB – Nick’s

By Christine R. Walsh

The idea of owning a restaurant ~ the fussy patrons, the occasionally reliable wait staff, the perilous and unpredictable stock market ~ may seem daunting to some. But Vincent Hemmeter has embraced these challenges not once, not twice, but thrice!

Hemmeter, owner of Worcester’s oh-so-cool Ralph’s and Vincent’s, is proud to announce his newest addition to the city’s night scene ~ Nick’s, located at 124 Millbury Street. Like its predecessors, this new spot is sure to please the most demanding customer.

“We’re going to have a very good wine list, a very extensive beer list,” Hemmeter revealed in an interview while taking a break from installing paneling in his establishment. “We’ll serve a variety of game, with a staple of rabbit stew. But right now, we’re still whittling down the menu.”

Hemmeter describes his other dining establishments as having an eclectic feel, due in part to the myriad decorations that line the walls. But with his third investment, he is paring down. Diners will be impressed with Nick’s rich, sophisticated ambiance and the classic paintings that will adorn the walls. Despite his natural talent and business sense, Hemmeter, 43, never planned on buying a third restaurant, but the culinary stars simply aligned.

“”I never thought about a third,” he revealed. “But I loved the building. Then I met the woman who owned it and really liked her. Then I bought it. It all happened rather quickly.”

This man about town has no outrageously ambitious projects set up for the future. There is no fourth restaurant on the horizon, according to Hemmeter. He likes to take things one step at a time and approach situations with care. And at this time, the mogul has his hands full with owning three restaurants. But this driven individual would have it no other way.

“This is what I love,” Hemmeter said, competing with the din of the power tools that were working on Nick’s wood paneling. “My favorite thing is to rip apart a place and create my vision.”