| From Reign Radio.com Interviews What’s up Reign Rockers? You know I’ve got one of the best jobs in the world. I never in a million years would have thought I would ever have the chance to talk to so many of my rock heros of the faith. This time is no different, because I got to talk with Mike Lee the former lead singer of Barren Cross. He now goes by the name Drive, and that’s also what his new band is called. Barren Cross are tied with Stryper to me as far as my favorite classic band. I always found myself though listening to their cds more than Stryper, simply because they rocked just a little bit harder. Also if you’ve never heard them they’re like a christian Iron Maiden. Drive now lives in France, and they are busy rehearsing and getting ready to record. So grab a Dew and some Cheese Puffs, crank the Reign to 50 and listen to Drive..... BigHairBrewster: Tell me about Drive and how it came to be? Drive: Well..I decided after I moved to France, to form a new band. I’ve gone on to a different style, kind of a mixture of electro and modern alternative rock. It’s a little bit David Bowie, Foo Fighters, U2 , Prodigy vibe going on. So anyway to go with the new style and the new sound and everything I decided to go with a new identity as well. So I began to search for another name, and I fell upon a word, and it’s not even a name, but it’s something that describes me. BHB: Ok, well are you guys on a label, or are you looking for a label? Have you put anything out? D: Well for the moment, Drive is a band that is in rehearsal stage. Preparing itself to begin shopping the record companies. So that will be very soon that we will be shopping the record companies. We’ve been recording also a bit. We have some new songs, and actually I have a lot of new songs now. Enough for about two albums. Some really fantastic material, some of the best stuff that I’ve ever written. I feel very,very strong about that. The group is just in the final prep stages before we begin presenting ourselves to the majors. BHB: Do you have a following over in France? D: No, the band is too new for that yet. We haven’t been doing any concerts yet, we’re only really in the rehearsal stage. But the concerts are coming really soon. I’ve been playing solo shows myself. But the band is getting ready to do concerts as well as showcases. So pretty soon we’ll be out there. BHB: Well, can you give me the other guys in the bands names and what they do? D: Actually their names I’m not releasing yet. But these are guys that I met in Paris, through different ads and things that I’ve had out, and auditioning guitar players and bass players. You know drummers as well. So I fell upon these guys one by one. They are really excellent musicians, and molding exactly into the band and the songs that im invisioning in my head. So it’s really cool, and these guys are unknown guys that have been in bands themselves and maybe even released some albums theirselves, but they’re very motivated now. Actually as soon as we sign a contract and start performing, we’re going to do a lot of touring. The band is preparing on doing at least 200 dates per year. We’re just are really going to extensively tour. So we’ll definetly be hitting a lot of the United States eventually. BHB: Cool. Now is the music that you’re writing now going in a spiritual direction or are you going for a more secular vibe? D: No, always my songs and I’m still writing with the notion in mind to lead people toward the light. That is something that is always on my heart. I want them to know who the real power is, in this life. You know in this world that’s full of darkness. So I’m doing it in a way that’s very thought out, and in a way that’s not giving too much cookies to the child. You know what I mean? Trying to um.......for example theres a song called "One Direction...From Hell", and it’s about you know many times in life we hit rock bottom. You know there are times in our lives where we are feeling very down. Whether we’ve been left by someone we love or we lose a very important job where we’ve lost a lot of money etc,etc,etc, you know we may fall flat down. But there’s a reason to get back up on your feet. There’s a power to lean on to get you there, and I’m talking about God in that song. So even the man with a shopping cart on the street, even has a reason to get back up on his feet. That’s one example, but there’s a lot of songs that are just fun too. There’s a song called "Cheeseburger"(laughing) about a couple getting together in a fast food joint. So it’s kind of a funny song. BHB: Great. Well where do you see you guys going., I mean do you want to go theatrical on stage or just go out and play. D: Very much so! You hit the nail right on the head. The band is gonna include in it’s live presentation, eventually a lot of props, actors on stage, you know things with fire, you know there will be a pyrotechnic...kind of like a circus type guy, but very different, very original. I’m gonna be using different things like that live, and lasers and there’s just gonna be a lot of theatrical action with lights, and performers, and just some original type stuff that you haven’t seen before. I’m working up a total theory to the show, so it’s not gonna be just four guys up on stage you know lifting their heads up and down. It’s gonna give a full on show to the people who come. With the goal of sending all the people home and telling their friends " You know I saw something really cool tonight" I want to do something that is totally different and original live. Not to mention the music is gonna be really killer. The band that I put together are really excellent musicians. The one thing that I really made clear to the band was that, one of the most important things is "The Live". We are going to be really good live. BHB: Good, because I think that is a thing that we’re missing when we go to concerts You can’t find that much anymore, the theatrics I mean. So that will be good to see a band come out like that. D: Right, but to actually go to concert and hear a band that sounds just as good or not better live than on the album....that’s my goal. BHB: That’s a great goal man. It’s a big disapointment to hear a band that’s great on cd, but stinks live. So that’s cool D: Right, well the band is gonna use a lot of electronics to produce it’s sound in the studio. Cause I want that sound....a partially electro, partially modern or alternative rock with a lot of guitar edge in it. But we will definetly reproduce live what you hear on the album. I mean live...it’s not gonna be recordings, it’s gonna be really live. With a good electro vibe to it. BHB: Cool, I can’t wait to hear it. Now about a year ago you sent out an email, and said a lot of your stuff had been stolen. Did you get any of that stuff back? D: Yeah, they ripped off like 300 of my favorite cds, and a bunch of stage clothes and stuff like that, but it’s alright I’ve recouporated everything I needed. So it’s not a big deal. Since then I’ve barricaded my motor home(both laughing) and installed an alarm and a bunch of stuff like that so it’s cool. Because my motor home serves as a recording studio too. But it’s like a fortress now(laughing). BHB: Ok I’m gonna switch gears now man. Barren Cross to me was one of the greatest metal bands, if not the greatest metal band of the 80's. How does it feel to know that you were in that band? D: Well first of all thank you for the compliment that’s very nice. I’m honored to hear that. I felt very priviledged to be a part of that band. We were very tight as a family, which is something that I have now in my new band, which is a family atmosphere. With BC we were very,very close and shared all our hearts with each other. You know like the things that we went through in life, the ups and the downs. We knew what made each other tick, and what made each other tick musically, and on stage. It was a definite friendship vibe on stage, and it resounded in our sound live, you know that presence that we had together. That’s something that I have taken with me, and that I have been concentrating on as I’ve been finding my new members. The personality part....not just great musicians but also a great personality that blends with each other. That;’s something with BC that we always had. BHB: That’s cool man. "Atomic Arena" and "State of Control" to me were both masterpieces. What was it like making those albums? D: Oh it was a blast. It was great fun. To me the studio is one of my favorite places to be. The studio and the stage both of them. As you now know the new band that I’m with are gonna be at least playing 200 dates a year, because I love the road. But the studio is the same thing, they had to kick me out just about every day. I was there more than anybody else actually. I was there all the time at least 16 hours a day. The producers were always kicking my butt to get out of there. They would say ok Mike go home(both laughing). I loved being there for the bass tracks, drum tracks...you know cause I really cared about the music. So I always liked to put in my two cents, and I wasn’t always right but I loved to just be a part of it. BHB: Well it showed in the music, because I still talk to people you know on the internet, and people around where I live and Barren Cross’ music is one of the very few that stands the test of time. It’s not dated you know what I mean? The music was so great! D: Well thank you. BHB: I can listen to some of the bands back from that time, and you can’t listen to them that long. But when I put on those records and even "Rock for the King" even though it was a more raw album, it still stands. The music was just beautiful and I think that you guys were put there in that era for a purpose. I just think it’s some of the greatest music ever made. D: Thank you very much. I really very strongly remember, vividly some of the days of the recordings. I remember vividly doing my guitar parts and doing my vocals and being produced by Dino and John Elefante. I really remember it vividly because I’m so into that aspect of it that it just fulfills me deeply. It’s....you know who I am on this earth. BHB: Great. Well on the tours who would you say was one of your favorite groups to tour with? Or did you have a favorite? D: You know, I can’t really say I had a favorite. We came across a lot of bands that were interesting. I ‘d have to say Rapture was pretty cool, I remember that. They were a band that we toured with that actually did our sound for awhile. That was pretty interesting for us. I cant’ really say who else would be interesting, but there were several bands that were very interesting to tour with. BHB: Ok. Well how have you seen in your personal life, that the Lord has changed you since those days in Barren Cross? Have you seen him take you into a more different direction since those days? D: Oh definetly. That’s interesting. You know at the era that I had left Barren Cross, and I took myself out of the band. But I later began to realize that it was in the workings of God to take me out. Even though it looks like I took myself out, it was more of God that drew me out, because he was planning on making a lot of changes in my life. I came to a place in my life where I needed to change some hardcore things. God worked a lot in my heart and matured me as a man through the years. I mean I’m still a little boy(both laughing) somethings never change you know? BHB:(laughing) Yeah I know me too.. D: I still love acting like a kid and I probably always will. I like jumping up and down and screaming you know? There’s certain things that just don’t change you know? But I’ve matured in a lot of ways and I’ve learned what’s really important in life and what’s not so important. That’s a couple of things that God has done, and something that I can really proudly say is...the times in my life where I’ve put God on the forgotten list in my heart, are probably the loneliest times in my life. But the tmes where I’ve put God first, are not necessarily the most successful moments,but definetly the happiest and most joyful. That’s what I’ve learned to be the key to success, is to put your trust in God. When you put your trust in God you can be anywhere in life up or down or whatever and you still have that joy. Real true joy can only come from God, and that’s another thing I’ve learned. You can’t put confidence in anything in life, because everything is gonna fail at one point or another. Some people will end up losing their money or they’ll end up losing the girl that they love you know? You can love people, but don’t love the things that are in this world so much because that’s the things that are gonna let you down. God is someone you can always count on. BHB: That’s awesome man, well feeding off that question I kind of ask these questions to people I interview just to get a response of where they’re coming from. Do you think we’ll be the generation that get’s to see Christ or should it even matter? D: (pauses) Yeah we could be....sure why not? But is it really that important? BHB: No not really it’s just something I always like to ask. You know different people have different opinions on things like that. D: Well I don’t think it’s that important, but yeah I’m ready. Death is also something that I don’t fear whatsoever. Actually I look forward to it, because I know one day that when I’m in heaven it’s gonna be way killer you know(both laughing). But yeah sure it could be our generation, but living for today is what’s important. BHB: Ok cool. Well this next question I always kind of like to do this with the vocalist I interview. Who’s got the better scream you or Michael Sweet? D:(laughing) I don’t scream like that anymore. I yell(both laughing) but it’s another form of screaming I do now. It’s not the same, it doesn’t have a vibrato in it I’ll say that much. But ah..that’s not for me to answer anyways that’s for you to answer(both laughing). BHB: Ok, well are there any plans for you to re-release the Barren Cross stuff in the future? D: I think it will happen. But it depends, Barren Cross might be um.....that’s a good question what will happen in the future and who’s gonna be a part of it. I don’t know it’s kind of up in the air right now. There’s talk about producing another album, but I might not be involved in that. I don’t know. BHB: Ok, do you have any good Spinal Tap stories? From those days that you remember? D: (long pause) Yes.(both laughing) One that I can think of right off the bat is we were touring in the very south of Texas. We decided to pull a prank on Jim Laverde(bass player) live and it was an audience that was especially wild. We took advantage of that and threw him out in the crowd, because I knew that he’d start getting ripped up like a pirahna. Which is exactly what they started to do. They started ripping all his clothes off, and at the time we had like lots of chains and stuff. They started ripping everything off of his body, and we just thought that was the funniest thing in the world. It got down to the point where he was about to lose his pants, so we were like ok we’re gonna have a little mercy on him now and we pulled him back up, and all he had left on were his pants(both laughing) I just thought that was the funniest thing. That’s one good memory. BHB: Dude..you guys are hard core. That’s pretty rough. Ok well my last question is what would you like to say to your fans, and the people who don’t know about Drive yet? D: I would say that you have a very good thing that’s in store here with the new band. I’m not gonna divulge everything about it, but I think that the fans of old will very much like the new band. I think they’ll very much attach to the new album and the sound that we have now. BHB: Great man, well I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Thanks for taking the time to do this, like I told you before you and Michael Sweet were my two favorite vocalist from back in the day. You had different styles, but like I said Barren Cross is one of the greatest metal bands of all time. I can’t wait to hear the new stuff. So when you get some things recorded, I’ll get back in touch with you and see if we can do another interview. D: Yeah. By the way something else that’s interesting about the new band as well is, I’m now composing some songs in french. If you can imagine me singing in french...so. Those will be released in some of the french speaking countries Belgium,Switzerland,Canada,France etc, but I think I might release one or two in french just as bonus tracks, on the american release. You know just for kicks, I think it will interest some people.You know there are bands that do albums in other languages you know like Enrique Iglasias or Jennifer Lopez they redo album versions in spanish, and release them in spanish speaking countries. You know Celiene Dion does separate releases in french, that are released to Canada, France etc. But I think I’m gonna put one or two cuts in french on the american release, so I think it will be interesting to people. BHB: Cool. Well the way you described the band I can’t wait to see you guys live. D: One thing that is really gonna be evident is energy! Lots of energy. I will be giving more energy live now than in the past. BHB: Ok, man well again I appreciate you taking your time for this. You were always one of my heros of the faith back in the day. D: Alright man my pleasure BHB: Talk to ya soon D:Ok. later. End of Interveiw. Let me know what you think. gb@reignradio.com Sounds like it should be a pretty cool new band. Look for my next interview to be with Phil Scholling from Philadelphia...and coming very soon Rex Carroll from Whitecross. Remember only use Aquanet in the pink can...and keep your nose in the WORD!
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