Interview: Grand Bite

Author’s note: if you want to read the Spanish version of the interview, go here.

Nota del autor: si quieren leer la versión en español de la entrevista, vayan para acá.

Talking about Grand Bite is talking about one of the most important bands in Metal’s inception in Venezuela, being at the same time one of its more underrated symbols. Unlike equally important legends such as Arkangel or Resistencia, Andrés Guzmán’s band have remained in a sort of second plane; but that has stopped the group, against all the odds and vicissitudes that ruled in the south American country, to continue in its classic Heavy Metal track and being one of the absolute referents in the scene since their very beginnings back in 1.980. They survived changes in the movement, musicians leaving the band, multiple problems because of the lack of support in the nation and many more; and they still stand strong with their new work, Túnel Hacia lo Desconocido. A work that sees them returning to their more 80s sound and to what made them great.

To seize such an important moment as the release of a new album from this band –besides being Grand Bite’s 30^th anniversary of their debut, Al Borde del Precipicio-, I decided to contact the band for a very interesting interview and they were very keen in doing it. The interview took place during one of the band’s rehearsals so they answered me between songs through the lead guitar player, Andrés Guzmán, one of the most important musicians in the history of our music. I have done a couple of interviews in the past and you have been able to read some of them; but to interview one of the main bands in my country has a special meaning. I hope you like the interview. I really enjoyed doing it.

NOTE: the interview was done a few weeks ago, in case you notice a couple of discrepancies with the chronology of the events.

KT: first of all, thank you for talking with us, guys. It’s a pleasure. Since the Blog is presented to an international audience, can you tell me which are the members of Grand Bite and what is the current state of the band?

GB: it’s a pleasure, Kevin, our regards in the name of Grand Bite. Thank you for this opportunity. Well, Grand Bite it’s Joseph De Luca on vocals, myself, Andrés Guzmán, on guitar, Antonio Medina on the other guitar, Luis Miguel Sanabria on bass and Rafael Gil on drums. We released the new album just three weeks ago, which is called Túnel Hacia lo Desconocido, which is also our seventh work. It has nine tracks, including a keyboard-driven introduction, of social awareness.

KT: why you choose the name Grand Bite, considering you are a Spanish speaking group?

GB: well, remember that our band is going to turn 35 next year. Back then, things were different. All the Rock bands, the few Rock bands that we had around that time, were making the mistake of singing in English. Then, after a couple of months, we realized that we had to write the songs in Spanish; but we already a certain following and we were known that way, so changing it would have been a mistake.

KT: I’d like to talk about your beginnings. You are one of the first Heavy Metal bands in Venezuela and your input has been vital to promote the genre. What can you tell us about the start of the band back in the early 80s and the scene itself?

GB: in those days there were not problems to get records. They didn’t come to lots of stores; there were only two or three, I think; but you could get albums from Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, AC/DC. You could get stuff from all those bands. As far as the beginning of the band goes, we started around the same time Black Sabbath released Heaven & Hell.

KT: Grand Bite has been one of the more lasting Metal bands in the country. Which are your methods to make the group viable for over 30 years?

GB: a band carries on by rehearsing non stop. Writing non stop. Over the last 35 years, that’s what keeps us going: keep rehearsing, keep recording, and keep playing live. Even with lineup changes, we never stopped. I think when a band takes too many breaks, that’s when the problems start.

KT: What moment in the existence of Grand Bite would you guys qualify as the hardest in the history of the band?

GB: look, there are many hard moments in a band. So many problems like the first change in the lineup, a concert with sound problems but, being really honest, after a 35 years career, there are always problems. And I can also remember the second LP we record with a couple of new members and where we didn’t have the right vocalist –it was the first time where I really thought of quitting.

KT: you take your time to release your albums; in fact, from your debut to your third album, No Moriré, it covers 13 years. What is the reason behind that?

GB: remember Kevin that most of the productions in the country are independent productions. That makes the albums’ production longer, the expenses bigger and the movement between records is pretty slow around here; and the record sales you get only start to add up after the first two or three years, without leaving aside the time you take to tour different parts of the country. Al the end, you spend five or six years in that process. If you realize, almost all of Grand Bite’s have a five year span between them.

KT: musically speaking, you guys have always stayed very loyal to your propossal of classical Heavy Metal. Even at the late 90s we could hear you doing some really Metal numbers such as Prepárate a Luchar, for example. Have your ever felt interest to experiment with other styles?

GB: well, Grand Bite is a classic Heavy Metal band. There could have been a couple of changes like, for example, our sixth album, La Sombra, where the style was more in the line of Power Metal; but in the last one we go back to our roots. Brother, you definitely have that in your blood: the person that is a metalhead, it’s a metalhead. That doesn’t change. I don’t change my style.

KT: have you ever had the possibility to promote the group internationally or to do tours in other countries?

GB: with an independent production is even harder to get to the core of the nation as far as albums or productions go, then imagine what is like at an international level. The two times we worked with labels, even though they recorded us, they weren’t really interested in the material that, to them, wasn’t commercial. Look at the case with the radios; and well, Heavy Metal wasn’t, isn’t and I think it’s never going to be commercial. We’re in a Latin country where it’s hard to promote that type of music so imagine how complicated it is to do it out there. It’s practically impossible.

KT: the internet has really changed the life of musicians around the world. How did that affect you?

GB: (laughter) it didn’t only affect Grand Bite; it has affected everything in the world of music, as far as records sale go. Just like it has helped, of course, to promote the bands worldwide or to arrange concerts; but in regard of record sales, it has practically ended the record industry.

KT: the country’s economic situation is not simple at all. How have you been affected for said situation?

GB: of course the economic situation has affected all the bands; specially in the aspect of buying equipment. In my case, as a guitarist, are the strings; some pieces of drum equipment, which we just bought, by the way, or backups for the equipment. Then that takes you to the prize of the tickets, the people that put the shows together and lots of other things. People are already skeptical about buying tickets, so you can imagine how everything adds up. But all the bands are going through those problems right now.

KT: what can you tell us about the new album?

GB: this album deals, above all, about social subjects. The lyrics are about the everyday life of the Venezuelans. Remember that Grand Bite doesn’t support any political party; to us, they are all in the same bag, so the record is about what is happening to all of us and what is affecting all of us. Daily life. A social album.

And I’d like to add that in this last work, Túnel Hacia lo Desconocido, we go a little bit back to what we did in our first LP back in 1.985, Al Borde del Precipicio, with these type of lyrics that back then were De Cuello Blanco, Reincidirás, Cangrejo and many more. Classic Heavy Metal but with a current sound.

KT: there’s a question I always make to know a bit of the guests’ musical taste. Can you name me a Top 10 of your favorite albums?

GB: well, Kevin, here we are going to answer all of us because we are rehearsing and we are answering you between songs. (*Speaks to the bass player*) Play a little bit there so he can hear you (*a bit of bass and drums start sounding*) (laughter) We are all going to answer you. For example, in my case, since I was a little boy I always have been a huge KISS fan because of the KISS Alive II album and Black Sabbath’s Heaven & Hell also had a huge influence on me.

(*In this part the voices of the band members get a bit confusing because they are all speaking at the same time, so I’m leaving here a list of the albums they mentioned*) Saxon – The Eagle Has Landed; the first five Black Sabbath albums; the first three Iron Maiden albums; Trilogy of Yngwie Malmsteen.

Hey, Kevin! How I forgot? AC/DC’s Highway to Hell! Imagine. It’s a classic’s classics. The albums with Bon Scott singing are the best there is.

KT: being a band with such a long career, you obviously had lots of experiences. Can you name one anecdote, in particular? One that you find interesting?

GB: one of them would be the one where we were going to record in the Channel 8 –the government’s channel, VTV- back in ‘83 and we went there in a car with the guitars, bass, drums, everything. We were a trio back then. In the middle of the road, the police stopped us and we were taken out of the car in front of all the people, they made us remove our equipment off the car and we couldn’t make it to the channel to record. They didn’t find anything and we never knew what they were looking for. That’s one of many.

KT: what concerts do you have planned for the upcoming months?

GB: we’ll be going on tour to the core of the country; but we’ll be everywhere –Orient, Occident, core, to take the music of the new album.

KT: and finally, can you leave us one final message to your fans and to our readers? Where can we follow Grand Bite?

GB: the message we’d like to send is to keep supporting the band, to come to our shows because we’ll be on tour all around the country. Our new album is available in Occident as well in Orient, just like here in Caracas. To those who want to hear the album, listen and read the lyrics. Keep supporting us. Grand Bite forever; as long as the body last. Rock to all! Heavy Metal! Metal or nothing!

You can follow Grand Bite in their Facebook account. You can follow me on my Twitter account.