Interview with Danger

Danger are a glam band from Sweden. They have been going at it for a few years an recently released their "First Touch" EP which sees the band getting even better. I recently got to interview vocalist Jesse Kid to find out more.




Tell us a little about the history of your band.

The band was formed somewhere in 2003. It was a heavy metal band, in style of Iron Maiden/Judas Priest & Helloween in the beginning. Danger did a couple of really good cd’s (Keep Out & In Control). I was not in the band at that time.
I met Rob at Sweden Rock Festival 2006 and they were looking for a new singer, so I jumped in after a few weeks. We started real hard to make our own songs in a sleazier/glam rock style.. and the gigs were flowing in real good, quite fast. Then we were like grown together (sounds disgusting)... So we made more songs, many gigs. Just like we do right now.

Who are your musical influences?

My influences are Steven Tyler, John Norum, Joey Tempest, Michael Monroe, John Fogerty, Marc Bolan and David Bowie. There’s many of them.

What are you currently working on?

I’m working on a few new songs. But I’m also making some new graphic arts for our flyers, posters and coming merchandise stuff. I think it’s fun and interesting with pictures, colours and layouts.

I was recently enjoying the new tracks on your “First Touch” demo. How do you think that you band has progressed since you first started out?

I think we have grown in our way of making music..I mean it’s a quite big difference between.. lets say ”Playin’ The Game”, ”Spread Your Legz and those two or three recent demo’s. Of course they are really good songs, but you can really feel the awesome development. That’s because Rob and me work damn good together when making songs.. He’s like a brother, we think the same…well most of the time hehe =).

In what areas do you think that you still need to improve?

Guess we need to improve the stage-details.. like bigger stages, explosives, a killer stage design and fuckin' more blazting lights on stage. That will fit awesome to our music and performance. Cause that's mainly what it’s all about.



What do you think are some of your band’s best songs? Why do you like those?

I love them all. But one of my favourites are Midnight Teaser.. It's a cool groove and it makes me happy.. even thou the song is all about a stripper, who drained my wallet haha.

What were some of the first albums that you really got into?

It was Twisted Sister with Stay Hungry and Europe with The Final Countdown…. AND of course Guns N Roses with Appetite For Destruction.

Obviously you love 1980’s hard rock/glam bands. What do you think was so good about bands from that time as compared to bands from other decades?

I really LOVE the 60s and 70s music as well, cause that's when it all started. But I think the 80s had the glam and more funny music.. I get the feeling that people were happier, the hair was cooler, lovely clothes, more details everywhere…and a big point is of course that I grew up with that kind of music.
The 90s had many good band, unfortunately the glam/sleaze style died cause of Kurt Cobain.. then he killed himself, how ironic. I like the twenty first century so far.. it’s rockin n rollin!

Have you had any label interest yet? How important is it to you to get signed at this point?

We have a few labels that are interested in us. We think its very important to sign! We feel no rush thou. Let’s see which label it’s gonna be. We’re all open for great deals ;)


Who do you think are some of the best unsigned glam bands in Sweden right now?

Difficult to say, it’s many great bands.. I have to pass on that one.

Who have you opened for so far? Who would you love to open for?

Yeah we opened for Hardcore Superstar here in Sweden in July, it was fun.. and some bands before that are Heaven’s Basement, Crazy Lixx, The Pleasures, Babylon Bombs …and yeah it’s a buch of them.





We’re aiming for the headline! ;).

It would be a fuckin blazt to open for Kiss, Mötley Crüe or Aerosmith!

Do you play any cover songs live? If so then what?

No, we don’t play covers

Pick the band from each of the following pairs that you prefer

Ratt or Twisted Sister

Both are awesome bands, would be really bad to choose one of them.

Pretty Boy Floyd or Tigertailz

Also both killer-bands.. I listen to them all the time.. can’t choose one.

Crash Diet or Vains of Jenna

Two big Swedish bands that have really made it so far. I think they both KIKK AZZ!

Aerosmith or Motley Crue

Those bands are the source to this music we’re making.. Would be a big failure to pick out one of them.

Is there anything else that you like to say about your band of your music?

DANGER is on a roll now, we’re gonna make many many new fans and we’re gonna make them love our music until the end of time. Watch out for coming surprises ;)… Rock n roll will always remain, whatever the sick azz people say…!



http://www.myspace.com/bestdanger

Danger-First Touch

Self-produced

2008





Sweden's Danger return with their fifth and certainly most accomplished demo to date. It includes six songs, but really only three new offerings. The opener "First touch" is sort of a Motley Crue by way of Crashdiet sound, it's mid-tempo sleaze glam rock. It's fairly simple and straight forward, but they have a decent break where they change things up a little and show more control than they have in the past. "Miss Money" is perhaps a little more upbeat and more along the lines of most of the other material I have heard by them. It's short and to the point, but fun enough as it's got a simple yet memorable chorus. Again it's mostly like Crashdiet with maybe a pinch of Motley Crue and a dash of Faster Pussycat. The third track "Hey You" was the one that impressed me the most and perhaps the one song here where they really made the best attempt at defining their own sound. It has strong melodies and a fairly exciting main riff as they take the music and bend it to their will this time around. Just a very solid, likable track with everyone really contributing to the overall sound. The other three tracks are "California Red", "Shove it" and "On the run". All are good songs that were released on previous demos and although they are supposed to be remixed I can't say that I hear a great of difference from the original version. However the focus here is the three new tracks and overall the band isn't going to overwhelm you, but they have certainly gotten tighter and the production is a little better. They are not going to blow your mind, but their biggest strength is that they are steady and consistent. Every song I have heard from them has at least been good so that's a major plus. I am sure that it for them to emerge from what is a fairly competitive field in their country right now, but I hope they get signed because they seem to be rowing on each demo. I would be interested to see what they can come up with when they get the chance to do a full length album.



http://www.myspace.com/bestdanger

Danger-Shove it up your azz and California Red

Shove it up your azz
Demo/2007

This is the most recent demo from Danger although I believe they are currently working on some new songs as well. This three track demo is a big improvement over California Red. The production is almost at the level of a good album level rather than just typical demo quality.The vocals are even better as they have more of a bite and even more attitude on two of the tracks. The music sounds like they turned up the energy level a notch or so and they needed it. The opener "Shove it" is a typical glam anthem, but it's done with enough force and fire that I bought into it right from the start. Diamond Lightz has a real mid-1980's feel all over it. I like the vocals and the music is decent, but it goes on a bit too long and seems a little repetitive. The closer "On the run" picks back up as it's a nice, thick mid-tempo slab of hard rock that's very easy to get into. On this demo they sound a little like CrashDiet and a little like Motley Crue. Overall they are getting to be at a good point as far being ready to do a full length album as soon as some label inevitably signs them.

California Red
Demo/2007

This is the second most recent demo from Swedish glam band Danger. It contains three tracks and while the pace of each may be different from one another, the overall sound is similar. They sound quite a bit like Pretty Boy Floyd musically, but the vocals are a little more distinctive. The vocals are are probably the band's biggest strength here as they strong and consistent. The music is pleasing enough, but a little too sedate at times. It's decent glam rock, but they never quite open up or push ahead enough to really make a huge dent. I like what's hear, but it's all a little safe and that makes it feel like they are limiting themselves to an extent. Not bad at all, but in such a crowded field as the glam scene in Sweden these days, I think they need get their hooks and chops going at it a little more in order to make any real impression.

http://www.myspace.com/bestdanger