Twinmusix got to speak to Marc Lopes from Ross The Boss about their upcoming tour and more.
TM - Hi, this is Amelia and Elizabeth from Twinmusix, and we are here with Marc Lopes from Ross The Boss, Thank you for having this interview with us today, we appreciate it.
ML - Thank you.
TM - What can fans expect from your Australian tour?
ML - They are going to get the OG Manowar stuff from Ross and I. It is going to be a killer set, and we are going to try and pick the best of the best. We have six albums worth of stuff, and it is a lot to pick from. Everyone always wants to hear a certain song and we don't always get to play them. This is going to be our third time in Australia, so our setlist should be different. Thank God for sites like setlist.com, I use it to try and make sure we don't play all the same songs, but there are the standard songs that you have to play, and we have our regular lineup back.
TM - You are playing festival season in Europe, are you excited?
ML - Festivals are amazing because of the amount of fans that turn out for them, it is mind-blowing, where else are you going to play in front of that many people. A lot of bands wouldn't draw that many people, so it is a great opportunity. I have always said that about the European festivals. The fans are there for the love of the music and it is a culture to them. A festival means something to them more than the casual fan. It was wild especially at the beginning when I first experienced it, there was Emperor playing then Europe then Accept and then some industrial band and everyone was cool with it and there was never any problem. Festivals are always entertaining, we love catering and the people who run the festivals are phenomenal. I have almost never had a bad experience. I also like small shows, when you get into a small venue it brings that kind of intimacy and you feel that energy.
TM - Are you writing any new music?
ML - We have new music, but we have not had the chance to batten down the hatches with it, but it is coming. I am going to let go of a secret here. We have one brand new song that I helped produce and we recorded it, it is done and record ready, and we were supposed to release it a couple of years ago. We did this song quickly because I was on a break with Metal Church and I was like I can't do a record right now but I can do a tune, so we did it and it came out awesome and it is sitting on our shelf and hopefully, we will release it soon with a video.
TM - If you could have any band play one of your songs, what band would it be, what song would it be and would it be in your style or their style?
ML - I would love to hear Fear Factory do a version of one of my tunes, I love Fear Factory. Iron Maiden is at the top of my favourites list. I love industrial metal, and I am starting to record with my own band, and I can finally get that released. I have been pushing it off for five years because I have not had time. I am sitting on Fifty-Six songs to pick from. I was like to my friends, we never have to write again, I have enough. Then my band is like dude I have a new riff and I'm like you can't deny the riff send it over and the way he constructs riffs and passages I call him the quantum Musician.
TM - Who was the first band you saw live, Can you tell us a story?
ML - In 1983 I saw the Iron Maiden World Peace Tour. It was my first show I saw as a little kid and I remember begging my dad to take me to Iron Maiden. He said to get the tickets and we will go and that was back in the day when you had to wait in line to get tickets and line up around the corner. That was one of the fun memories of my dad taking me to see Iron Maiden and that was the beginning of a bunch of concerts that we started going to together. It was cool because it made it special, seeing them with my dad and it was my first time seeing Iron Maiden. I was like, I want to do that and he was like oh shit, but it was a great experience and it opened everything up for me.
TM - Is there anything else you want to say to your fans?
ML - First of all, I would like to say thank you, the fans have always been amazing. Thank you to the fans in the Metal Church camp I have never been so welcomed with open arms to come out to our shows. It is a great setlist. I feel like I am playing for the last time, so every show counts. You will see all the energy there. Thank you for the support, and hope you stick around for more to come. I can't wait to see everyone because that's the best part of the gig.
TM - Thank You for having this interview with us today.
ML - Thank You.