By Andrea Ramirez-Maciolek, Rock At Night Philadelphia and Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa, Florida
Chyrisse and Andrea of Rock at Night had a chance to do a Q & A with Australia’s masters of glam rock CROSSON. We dig the music and the look so much that we had to know more about the band and its infectious sound.
Can you give us a rundown of who is in your band?
Thanks for having me. CROSSON is essentially a solo act like Ozzy or Alice Cooper and I engage some of Australia’s best rock/metal musicians in the studio. We have been using pretty much the same guys for the past 3 albums.
Guitars – Joel McDonald (Rose Tattoo, Frankie’s World Famous House Band)
Bass: Dario Bortolin ( Baby Animals , Rose tattoo)
Drums: Jordan McDonald (The Art)
How did you first get started in music?
I actually played the piano accordion from ages 6 – 16 where I was bashing out ABBA mixed with German polka’s….. (Did I really need reminding of that !!! ) My father was devastated when I traded the piano accordion for an electric guitar!! (The piano accordion was also Tommy Lee’s first instrument. )
Which artist or band did you look up to growing up?
I’ve been a KISS fan since I was very young, so I guess they would be my biggest influence. However bands like Motley Crue, Alice Cooper, Ozzy, Scorpions, Dokken, Stryper, WASP, Bon Jovi, ACDC, Ratt, etc all played a big part!
We love your look. Where do you get your amazing outfits?
The whole costume and image was years of trial and error before we got it right. For the new costumes, I worked with a great young designer called Brenda Lam from the Sydney TAFE of Design, who did an amazing job.
In the song “Rock Warriors”, there is a line that says ‘Don’t give a damn what the critics say.” Have the critics been accepting of the glam image?
Reviews are a definite reflection of Newton’s Law. With every great review from the media that loves the music and image there’s going to be someone who has one look at what we are doing visually and will tear us apart (usually without evening listening to the music) . It also depends on whose desk the press release lands. If one reviewer loves Death metal, then of course they aren’t going to like us!! Id be the same if I was reviewing a Death / Grind Core metal album!! At the end of the day, CROSSON is about producing catchy melodic rock and providing a great visual element. If you like us, bless you. If you don’t, bless you also!! We will continue to do what we love to do and what we believe in!!
The song “Never Give Up” is a really inspirational and high-energy song with a great message (not to mention “Invincible”). I love the 80s retro sound and the video is really humorous. What inspired YOU to write motivational messages?
Definitely tried to get a “Born To be My Baby “ vibe on that song. During that period of writing, I was listening to a lot of inspirational audio books by the likes of John Demartini, Rhonda Byrne (The Secret) , Wayne Dwyer etc. The lessons here are all much the same. Give you energy and attention to something and it will grow (as long as you are willing to put in the work) . There will be obstacles along the way. Once you find a way through the obstacles and never give up, the prize awaits you on the other side……. Wow!! That was a little deep J !!!
If you could tour with a band of your dreams who would it be and why?
Being on tour with KISS would be great as they are my childhood heroes. I’d also love CROSSON to get on the bills at some major festivals in Europe , Japan and USA. Now there’s a target to aim for!!
The music world has lost a lot of iconic musicians in the past few years. Whose loss affected you the most?
Over the past 2-3 years, none of the musicians that have passed were hanging on my wall as kid (except for Ronnie James Dio who passed away in 2010) Ask me when an original member of KISS goes…. Then I’ll be a sobbing mess like I was when Benny Hill died!!!!
Which three CDs are in constant rotation in your CD player or playlist?
I’m always listening to new albums from bands, especially the new breed such as W.E.T, Grand Design, Crazy Lixx, Vega, Shakra, Kissin Dynamtie etc who are doing an amazing job keeping the genre alive and kicking. Its also great to great new albums from old school artists such as the new Stryper. Favourite 3 x albums would be Shout at the Devil (Motley Crue) , Under Lock and Key (Dokken) , To Hell With The Devil (Stryper)
And just for kicks, is there anything you do (like a hobby or whatever) that people would be pretty surprised to know?
Reformer Pilates 5 x times a week and hot bikrim yoga!!! . Not very metal eh??
Any plans to tour the US or Europe?
Our label in Germany is working on a few things and hopefully these should come good soon. That being said, if anyone wants CROSSON, feel free to send us an invitation.
What can one expect to see at a Crosson show?
The CROSSON show is a visually enticing, costume changing, choreographed rock n roll roller coaster ride. The CROSSON dancers are the highlight and will leave you coming back for more!!!
Is there anything you want the public to know about Crosson or any kind of message you would like to put out there?
Thanks to you Chyrisse, Andrea, and Rock At Night for doing such a great job keeping the spirit of metal and rock alive.
Feel free to visit us at www.crosson.com.au www.facebook.com/crossonrock www.youtube.com/crossonrock . If you like what you see and hear, spread the word!!!
CROSSON, return in 2018 with their new album Invincible. The album has already entered the Top 20 of the Official German Rock and Metal Charts. Mixed by legendary producer Duane Baron (Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, Alice Cooper), and mastered by U.S mastering legend Dave Donnelly (Aerosmith, KISS, Whitesnake), Invincible delivers CROSSON’s own brand of uplifting catchy rock anthems with loud guitars, big harmonies and a blistering production.
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