By Rosine Alleva, Journalist/Photographer–Rock At Night France
Venue: Woodstock Guitares, Ensisheim , France – Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown June 7, 2017
Wild, young, great musicians with incredible shows & thousands of fans!
Yes, I’m talking about TYLER BRYANT AND THE SHAKEDOWN!! I could add charismatic, funny, passionate, fascinating, charming….And certainly part of the best shows I’ve seen in a very long time! These guys are just incredible on stage, giving it all, so magnetic…. I was just blown away by their energy, their groovy rock n’ roll and of course Tyler’s great voice and stellar guitar playing! Not surprising they are supporting bands like AEROSMITH, AC/DC, GUNS N’ROSES, TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS OR DEEP PURPLE. A few days after their concert at Woodstock Guitares, I went to see the band in Freiburg, Germany, where they headlined again their own show, adding to their supporting acts throughout Europe. Since I saw them, they signed with Spinefarm Records after one of their London concerts and will release a new album soon. No doubt these guys will quickly be back as headliners to fill huge venues on their next world tour!!!
It was with a charming young (and lucky) singer, Marissa, that the concert started. She was really excited to support TBSD in Ensisheim! Marissa is 17 years old, very talented. With her very warm and already mature voice, she plays guitar in a blues rock style and sings since the age of 14. She was accompanied on stage by Nicolas Kloss, Dr. Boost’s guitarist, and they made a nice tribute to Chris Cornell (singer of Soundgarden recently deceased). Marissa, a promising artist to follow!
Interview
RAN– You got your first guitar at the age of 6…When did you know this was what you wanted to do, play music?
TYLER BRYANT– I think it’s when I was 7 years old, I saw this video with ELVIS playing…that’s when I was like “yeah I’m a guitar player“….even though I didn’t realize at the time that Elvis was rarely playing his guitar but more dancing with it, looking really cool…So, the first year of me playing guitar was me just trying to dance like Elvis with my guitar (laughs). Then I went through a phase where I didn’t want to play guitar. I actually tightened my first guitar up from a tree in my backyard and shot it with my BB gun as many times as I could (more laughs at the back…).And there are still BB holes in that thing. I think my aunt purchased it at a grab-sell for me for 3 dollars to learn harmony acoustic. I still have it and one BB is still actually stuck in it! I still wanted to play guitar, so when I was eleven, I got an acoustic guitar. My mum wouldn’t let me get an electric because someone had told her that if she really wanted me to be good, I should learn on an acoustic so my fingers get strong….Which I think is probably a good method I guess. So I learned by the acoustic as much as I could. Then I put an electric on layaway at this guitar shop in Paris, Texas. Then I had a dirtbike which I sold to then purchase the electric guitar.
RAN– In 2007, how did you feel when Eric Clapton invited you to play at Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago?
TYLER- Well, you know, it was a dream come true just to get to see my heroes play. A lot of them for the first time. It was the first time I ever saw Jeff Beck live, it was the first time I get to see Eric Clapton live…So yeah, for me it was just a trip to get to go to see all my heroes play.
RAN– Was this just before you moved to Nashville or after?
TYLER- I believe I was fifteen years old I think when that happened. And then I moved to Nashville when I was seventeen, right before I turned eighteen I guess. Cause that’s legally when you’re allowed to move out of your parents care in Texas, when ever you’re seventeen. That’s when I decided I was gonna move to Nashville and start a band, and here we are!
RAN– Here you are, like you say …and what a band! You toured with so many people. Which was the best support act you did?
TYLER- I think, for the band AC/DC and GUNS ‘N ROSES have been the best. For me personally, l learned the most touring with JEFF BECK. I got to do five tours with him. And Graham and I even went and sat right in front of his guitar cab all night when he was playing, he was so good. Just to be so close to my favorite guitar player every day and getting to just hear him sound check and work with his band every day, that was the most influencing things for me.
RAN– What are your influences, all of you?
NOAH– They are all over the place, I think that’s what makes our growth as a band. At least, personally, it ‘s gratifying, as it’s been. Everyone has such different influences that it all kind of shine through…Me, personally I’m a nineties grunge child, SOUNDGARDEN, ALICE IN CHAINS, NIRVANA….all that stuff. Today I’m a huge fan of more modern stuff like QUEEN OF THE STONE AGE, Graham obviously has a little bit of background, Tyler grew up playing the blues, Caleb, I don’t know what the hell you grew up with dude, but it’s cool you know!
CALEB– I grew up listening like to Godspell music, all R’N’B like STEVIE WONDER, THE COMMODORES,…but obviously I love Rock ‘n’ Roll and TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS is one of my favorites bands ever. So getting to do this show with them on this tour is, I think just a dream for all of us. It’s kind of like a big top on the list. And I love Frank ZAPPA and all the old school Rock’n’Roll, HENDRIX, HUMBLE PIE…
GRAHAM– I think it’s funny because when we are in a room together, when jamming or riding all those influences, and we’re kind of realizing it’s all kind of bleeding together. It’s cool, I think that’s what makes it work.
RAN– And that’s when the magic happens!!…Guitarist VINCE GILL said about you, Tyler, “To be 18 and play like this kid is the rarest of the rare. Hands down a “future guitar god”. What do you say about this?
TYLER- That’s very kind of him to say I suppose…Oh man, I don’t know….
NOAH– This dude is playing pretty good guitar, ain’t he (laughs).
TYLER- I met Vince Gill when I was thirteen at a show, my dad took me to the show, my first arena concert. It was at the American Airlines arena where we played with AC/DC, on my birthday…So, that was pretty cool, I suppose.
RAN– Who are your favorite bands actually?
TYLER– BLACK MOTORCYCLE REBEL CLUB, QUEEN OF THE STONE AGE, BAND OF SKULLS…
GRAHAM- I don’t know…It’s so funny cause my music taste changes all the time. Personally I listen to all different kinds of music. When I try to think of what I love, lately it kind of always changes, you know just like everything or anything on the spot. Certainly, a lot of time we, I personally, end up listening to a lot of the classics, a lot of grunge, obviously Soundgarden…, this huge friend of ours…R.I.P. Chris Cornwell…(Silence)
It was a bit hard to get to my next question…
RAN– What happened since your EP The Wayside release?
NOAH- AC/DC, that happened!!
GRAHAM- We’re just recording a new album, it’s done for the most part. It will be coming out pretty soon. Obviously we’re focus right now on this tour. As soon as we get a good strategy behind the new record, there are just some puzzle pieces coming together. Yeah, it should be pretty soon now.
TYLER- We just got to get the artwork ready. There will be something out before the end of the year. We were recently on Republic records under the John Varvados label. We recorded “THE WAYSIDE” EP. And then there were 7 other songs that didn’t get released cause that was actually going to be a full album. And so, we’re trying to see if we can work something out with them, to release those songs as well and we have a new 11 songs full- length Shakedown record that will undoubtedly be out this year. Nobody can stop us!!
NOAH– And if you wanna’ hear any of those new songs, all you’ve got to do is come to our show.
RAN– You’re also touring doing those awesome support acts, do you think there is any chance you could record a live album?
TBSD– Absolutely, we would love to. You know, it’s hard being a support act for these big shows…because there is very little time to sound check, you know what I mean…So we have to do it in one of our club shows. That will come, it’s gonna happen, we talked about it a lot. There is a lot of live. For example we went in, after we recorded the Wayside, back to the same studio and just recorded the all EP live and we put all of that up on YouTube. Yeah, I think a live album is definitely in the realm of possibility with this band, because we are very much a live band.
RAN– You definitely are!!! And thank you for this interview.
At the moment of publishing this, they just left Europe…Their last concert was in Tel-Aviv with GUNS’N’ROSES. Safe travels back home, hope you’ll come to see us again soon. And yes, you built an army during this tour!!!!
Special thanks to Jeremy Cardot & Woodstock Guitares for having made this happen!! And to Etjen Vd Vliet, TBSD tour manager, for his kindness and having taken care of them all along their European tour…”just like their mom”!!
Guitar & Vocals:Tyler Bryant – Bass & backing vocals: Noah Denney – Drums: Caleb Crosby – Guitar: Graham Whitford
Photo Gallery
Videos
Social Media Links
Website: http://www.tylerbryantandtheshakedown.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TylerBryantAndTheShakedow/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TBShakedown/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tbshakedown/
**Editor’s note–Tyler Bryant was the subject in the documentary Rock Prophecies . This is a must-see film for all concert photographers!
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From Belgian and Italian parents, I grew up with music, dance and big fun! I love singing since I'm a little girl, I still am, haha. When I was 14, I saw my first concert: T-Rex. Later it was FrankZappa, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Fela, Canned Heat, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Earth, Wind and Fire ....
I dreamed to have a chat with each of them 😀 Before interviewing bands, I used to sing (and still do) and met lots of great musicians. I had the chance to be the support band to Joe Cocker in 2007. I love to communicate and meet people (Italian blood).
Working for magazine, a few years ago, l met José Oliveira! We were working at the same festival in Colmar. 2 people from the South with the same passion just recognized each other...and we stayed in contact since then. Here I am! Enjoying concerts, covering interviews and articles with José for Rock at Night!!
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