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Post by PokerKitten on Apr 7, 2003 11:28:44 GMT
I kinda forgot to bring these over from the old board when we moved house  Better late than never! ************************ From the Sacramento News Review 23rd Jan: Scene & Heard This Dogstar’s got fangs! A packed house turned out Saturday night at the Crest Theatre to see Ghost of the Robot, the Willknots and Honeyspot. A certain frenzy, reminiscent of the kind of mania that accompanied such rock icons as the Beatles or Elvis Presley, was detectable among the audience at the nearly sold-out show. Throughout the night, you couldn’t help but notice swarms of teenage girls clutching photographs for members of Ghost of the Robot to sign. Some even sported T-shirts spelling out the band members’ names--Aaron seemed to be quite popular. That’s impressive, considering Ghost isn’t signed and hasn’t played many shows; it doesn’t even have a full-length CD out yet. So, what exactly causes a relatively new and unknown band to generate so much frenzy? Ghost has been making noise as a fresh, solid, stripped down-to-basics rock band. What does that mean? Basically, that Ghost doesn’t sound like 10 other bands you hear on radio; the band doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t. The buzz that has followed Ghost in the past few months has helped it to sell out nearly every show it has played. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt when your singer is James Marsters, whom fans of the beloved television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer know better as Spike--the platinum-haired, cigarette-smoking vampire with a bad attitude and a whole lot of swagger. But Marsters is more than just a pretty set of fangs. His swagger carries to the stage, and any doubts that the actor could make the transition from actor to musician have certainly been slain. He sings kinda like Charlie Sexton meets Leonard Cohen. His band--bassist Kevin McPherson and drummer Aaron Anderson, both locals, and guitarist Charlie DeMars and keyboardist-guitarist Steven Sellers, both ex-locals--hit the stage as the crowd erupted into cheers and frenzied screams. It was surprising to see how many people were singing along to such songs as “Goodbye” and “David Letterman” from the band’s forthcoming debut CD, Mad Brilliant, which will be available on February 2. DeMars had girls swooning with a turn as vocalist on “Sounds Like a Personal Problem,” demonstrating that he’s quite the crooner. McPherson’s thundering bass lines and Anderson’s powerful drumming complemented each other nicely and provided the groovy backbone for the band’s sound. Sellers went back and forth from the keyboards to guitar, adding a progressive arrangement of layers to the sound. Each member seemed to be completely engrossed in his own little world, but united, they created something very refreshing. |
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Post by PokerKitten on Apr 7, 2003 11:30:50 GMT
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Post by PokerKitten on Apr 7, 2003 11:33:24 GMT
This one had to be tracked down by Nos - we had both lost it... yeah, yeah we both lost it a long time ago, I know....  It is not available via linkage any more as the wrteched folks have archived it and are charging for it  ******************************* POP MUSIC REVIEW; Ghost of the Robot proves more than a part of its sum The Los Angeles Times; Los Angeles, Calif.; Feb 3, 2003; Natalie Nichols; Abstract: "Buffy" has featured a wide array of musical acts, from L.A. indie-poppers Four Star Mary to singer-songwriter Aimee Mann. Last season the supernatural drama even had an all-singing, all-dancing musical episode, which allowed [James Marsters] to strut his aspiring-rock- star stuff in a more controlled environment. Full Text: (Copyright The Times Mirror Company; Los Angeles Times 2003. Allrights reserved.) CORRECTION: SEE CORRECTION APPENDED; Singer's age -- A review of the band Ghost of the Robot in Monday's Calendar misstated the age of singer James Marsters. He is 40, not 39. It must be said that the singer of local band Ghost of the Robot is James Marsters, who plays peroxided vampire Spike on  's cult hit "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." But the quintet proved more than a vanity vehicle during its Knitting Factory debut Saturday. "Buffy" has featured a wide array of musical acts, from L.A. indie-poppers Four Star Mary to singer-songwriter Aimee Mann. Last season the supernatural drama even had an all-singing, all-dancing musical episode, which allowed Marsters to strut his aspiring-rock- star stuff in a more controlled environment. But GOTR, which was celebrating its self-released debut album, "Mad Brilliant," wasn't strictly about Marsters, 39. There were no songs lamenting the pain of celebrity. Even the goofy "David Letterman," by guitarist and principal songwriter Charlie DeMars, was a lighthearted paean rather than a behind-the-scenes tale. Marsters had about two decades on his bandmates, but he grinned like a teenager whenever the small, age-diverse crowd cheered. The young players skillfully blended garage, grunge, and Weezer-esque cerebral punk-pop with emotional notes. The singing proved more mercurial. Marsters was refreshingly unpretentious but frankly out of his depth doing complex vocals. Yet his deep baritone worked well for the rawer tunes. And his solo- guitar rendition of his own sweetly old-fashioned ballad "Angel" had a heartfelt, Buddy Holly-esque simplicity. |
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Post by PokerKitten on Apr 11, 2003 23:35:38 GMT
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Post by HallowsEve on Jun 22, 2003 19:21:04 GMT
Interesting Scottish review of the band posted on Voy. Here is a snippet: Perhaps the reason it's so important to him to stress that they're a band is that the other members seem to be his refuge from the Hollywood hellmouth. "Music is a great fountain of pleasure to me," he says softly. "I have been in this town for seven years and the business in LA can be really rough, it can basically almost destroy you. It's all about money and the people can be pretty cut- throat. Everyone in Hollywood is scratching constantly for power, there's a lot of ego, people lose their perspective, I'm not talking just actors - agents, producers, everyone is both very ambitious but also panicked that the next story won't be good enough.
"I was very lucky to work with a really good man, Joss Whedon, and in a really good working environment with people I love and respect, but it's in the middle of this Byzantine, chaotic environment with very little morals.
"So having a group of guys that I can talk to, to be able to have something in my life that's completely clean of that and that is a more pure form of my own expression - because when you're an actor you're serving someone else's words, which is honourable but there's something more dangerous and wonderful about doing your own thing. Good acting is like good songwriting, any kind of good art is an honest impression of self," he says.
"Anyway, music is something always I've kept with me for my own reasons to basically stop me smashing up the apartment. Being in the company of people who expect a lot of each other and get it and love each other for it, the easy way to say is it keeps me sane - it keeps my soul intact." Which is handy, because to win his back, Spike had to go through trial and torment. "Yeah, in life you can't just go to Africa and ask a demon for a soul, you have to find a human way of doing it.
"If the band did take off in their own right, there would, of course, be problems fitting them into the high-pressure schedule of American filming - though Buffy has now finished, it's just been announced that Marsters has signed up to take the character to Angel, the spin-off series about Buffy;s other ex-boyfriend, the original vamp with a soul (and no, he says he hasn't been told yet how Spike will return from the ashes).
With 22 episodes a year and 10-14 hour days, not to mention night filming since vamps can't handle that pesky Californian sun, conceivably there could come a time when Marsters would have to make a choice between acting and singing.
"Aww, poor Jimmy, he would have to decide! Oh, what a horrible life that would be!" he mocks himself. "I guarantee you I would find a way to make it work. Honestly, I feel the potential for this band is astronomical."
Hey, if an evil vampire can fall in love and save the world, maybe anythings possible.
Read entire article -- www.voy.com/13746/5362.html  |
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Post by Incogni2 on Jun 22, 2003 20:47:55 GMT
You know, if he would just stop saying things I understand, I would go away....
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Post by HallowsEve on Jun 22, 2003 21:14:55 GMT
But I2....That is what makes me STAY...  |
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Post by PokerKitten on Jun 25, 2003 1:01:16 GMT
Skytext (P614) have an interview with JM about GotR, but as it is a UK thing, here it is: Q: How did you find the time to get a band together? A: I've always had my cake and eaten it too and when I met Charlie and the rest of the band it was obvious I was going to make time for it. There's always time. You just have to work it out. Q: Was it easy to write with guys ... half your age?! A: That's the beautiful thing about music, it crosses all those boundaries. If you're writing honestly and successfully you are talking about something that is very personal, but something that is hopefully shared. The reason for the band being is not money, fame, drugs or chicks, it is because we found a mutual way to express ourselves. The things the band want to express about themselves I either agree with or I have been there, or I just support them in their expression. Q: Do you write your own music? A: The big litmus test for what I consider good music is whether the band writes its own material or not. If the band write its own material then the point of the band is expression. If it doesn't then it's obvious the point of the band is money. Q: Do you feel like you are risking more if you write it youself? A: Much more Q: Do you think you get less or more criticism writing your own music? A: The criticism is harsh whatever!! Luckily the critics really like us. Q: How do the critics take to a actor becoming a pop star? A: The critics hold me to a higher standard because it's assumed I am just doing it for the ego. They want to take me down a peg. But frankly, when the band plays, we're pretty darn good. I've played solo all my life. Just some guy with a guitar. Q: What's it like playing to packed houses in Britain and Europe? A: I get an incredible rush from it. It is more dangerous, you are expressing yourself and you are saying things to strangers that you probably wouldn't tell your best friend right out. Q: Do you feel exposed songwriting? A: I'm drawn to things that scare me so it is that terror that is the most exciting thing. In all honesty I have set about to write lighter songs as a lot of our songs are heavy. There's pain behind a lot of them. I thought we needed to get a couple of lighter songs into the set, but I've discovered you cannot write the perfect light song about love Q: What do you mean? A: If a song's really about love it gets complicated and you get a heartfelt, yearning sound. I've decided that some of the great feel-good love songs are really about infatuation. So, I'm writing songs about girls I barely know! Q: Do you ever reveal who your songs are about? A: I name names. I'm bad that way! Q: Did you name one of your songs 'Angel' for the show? A: No! Angel is about a dear woman named Helena, who I went out with for a year. We're not together any more ... Q: If your music really takes off which will come first - the acting or the music? A: I see no reason to choose. I have always been able to have my cake and eat it and there's no reason to stop now. All you have to do is have less sleep - and drink more coffee! Q: What's your biggest aim? A: I'd like to be a record mogul. Charlie and I would like our own company, Robot Records, to produce other bands. We self-produced our own album successfully and there's no reason we couldn't help other bands if they need it. |
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Post by PokerKitten on Jun 25, 2003 12:42:40 GMT
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Post by PokerKitten on Jul 30, 2003 16:30:52 GMT
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Post by PokerKitten on Mar 11, 2004 18:02:52 GMT
Screen vampire to stage ghost Mar 11 2004
By Marion Mcmullen
Top telly vampire James Marsters is heading to Coventry in search of fresh blood.
The star of American shows Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel will be flying to the city as soon as he finishes filming the climax of the new series of Angel in Los Angeles.
Californian-born James plays British bloodsucker Spike in the international television hit which is broadcast on BBC 2 and Sky.
Spike has become a favourite after romancing vampire slayer Buffy, saving the world and fighting for his soul.
James is looking forward to finding about Coventry's nightlife when he heads to the city in May with his band Ghost of the Robot.
He is the lead singer of the indie rock band and they are launching their forthcoming European tour with a concert special at the Colosseum Nightclub in Primrose Hill Street on Tuesday, May 4.
The tour will also take the band to London, Berlin and Amsterdam.
James, who is a self-confessed fan of British music, said: "They really know their rock music in Britain and we have some great audiences. I used to be in a band in high school that was inspired by The Clash."
Ghost of the Robot sold out across Europe last year playing in London, Germany, Scotland and Liverpool's famous Cavern Club.
Tickets for the Coventry concert go on sale on Monday from Coventry Tourist Information Office and Way Ahead on 0115 912 9000.
Huge Url!
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Post by PokerKitten on May 2, 2004 11:19:57 GMT
I had a go at translating this article yesterday but it was laughable! Veronica GOTR artcle in DutchBut thankfully some kind person has done it for MTS so you can read it HERE |
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