Speed Round Brian Fair Shadows Fall

Shadows Fall's lead screamer, Brian Fair Bottom Lounge 9/29/04 Interview: Karma E. Omowale Photo: Kimisha L. Pierce

Click here to read Brian's in-depth interview this page is an excerpt of the original interview

Karma: Okay, here's a Speed Round of Questions.

Brian: Okay!

Karma: As your best friend, how would you describe yourself?

Brian: As an asshole!  [Chuckles and we all die laughing]

Karma: What's your mantra?

Brian: Fuck what you heard!  [Laughs]

Karma: Metallica or Megadeth?

Brian: Ohh, that's tough!  I have to go with Metallica because at the time and back in the day I was probably more in to them but 2 Megadeth albums stand out better than most things Metallica did: Peace Sells and Rust In Peace. Both of those records could hang with ANY Metallica but overall the first 4 Metallica records are as good as it gets!

Karma: Pretty interesting that you didn't pick Metallica straight away with your "Master of Puppets" homage, "The Light That Blinds".

Brian: Yeah!  But I'd probably have to say Metallica but Megadeth has some records that can hang!  They also have some clunkers too!!  [Snickers]

Karma: [Laughs] Didn't they both have 'em?

Brian: Yeah!  That's what I'm saying!!  [We all laugh]

Karma: What is the wildest thing that has ever happened to you on tour?

Brian: Oh Jesus Christ!  [Smiles]  While we've had our normal drunken shenanigans, I'd say the weirdest thing was ending up at a Nellie after hours party in Minneapolis a few years ago with the guys from Avenged Sevenfold. [Giggles]  It was hilarious!

Karma: [Laughs]

Brian: We were out there trying to pimp and it we stood out so bad it was ridiculous!  It was awesome!!  'Cos people were blingin'!  It was great because I was a HUGE fan of "Country Grammar" so I was all psyched to see them.  Then one of the St. Lunatics stole Reverend Jim from Avenged Sevenfold's girl that he was kicking it with at the bar!

Karma: Okay!!  [Laughing]

Brian: It was hilarious it was a good time!!

Karma: What's your favorite quote?

Brian: It's usually like "Fuck You!  I'm Drunk!"  [Cackles]  But I don't know, I'm gonna have to get back to you on that one in a bit.

Karma: Okay! Top 5 favorite movies?

Brian: Ah shit!  [Smiles]  Scarface…no real order here, the Kill Bills 'cos I just bought in Manhattan and had them and them in my marathon yesterday; I watched them straight through.  Run Ronnie Run!; one of the best comedies of all time, David Cross.  Apocalypse Now.

Karma: The original version or Redux?

Brian: I don't think I've ever seen the Redux, so probably the regular one.  I'll have to check it out.

Karma: Yes, you do.  There's a lot of extras that were added.

Brian: Oh, okay!  Actually I haven't seen that movie in years but it still one of my favorites.  I haven't seen Scarface in a while either.  [Chuckles]  Shit…

Karma & Brian: Scarface, Kill Bills, Apocalypse Now,

Brian: Run Ronnie Run, and American Beauty.

Karma: Last book read?

Brian: Notes From A Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski

Karma: Burn or buy?

Brian: Buy

Karma: If you could commission another band to do a cover of your favorite song, which song would it be and who would do it? 

Brian: Actually there's a cover I've always wanted to do and would love to hear Testament or Megadeth do it, "Synchronicity, Part II" by the Police.  Because it's meant to be a thrash metal song.  I'd love to do it ourselves too!

Karma: That would be cool!

Brian: [Smiles] Yeah, like a good thrash band do it.

Karma: Now a song of yours.

Brian: You mean someone else covering it?

Karma: Um-humm [Nodding head up and down]

Brian: I'd love to hear a band like Radiohead or Muse or some tripped out band like that do a tune of ours and make it sound totally nothing like what we did.  [Sniggles]  Kinda like what we do with "Welcome To The Machine." It's like an acoustic ambient song and we put this Judas Priest riff behind it.  So I'd just love to see somebody fuck our shit up, man!  Something like a trip-hop DJ or something!

Karma: Favorite city played in so far?

Brian: Uhh, that's tough; it really isn't one we've had so many amazing shows but a few that stand out are: Tokyo; London; Worchester, Massachusetts (it's always amazing, it's like hometown style).  But on this round we've had incredible shows in New York City, Philly's always amazing, Chicago's usually awesome, LA is always amazing same with Anaheim (Southern California).  So that's a tough one, Seattle!  [Snickers]

Karma: [Laughs] There's a lot!

Brian: [Laughs] They're all good!

Karma: What legacy would you like to leave behind?

Brian: As a band or as a person?

Karma: Let's do both.

Brian: As a person, I'm gonna leave a lot of dirty hair behind!  [Hearty guffaw from all]  And hopefully a few decent ideas passed along that I've picked up along the way. As a band we just want to be remembered as a great metal band.  I feel like we made a few albums at the time that were significant in the metal scene.  I don't know how they’ll rank in history after years go by, but I think at the time we've made some relevant music and pushed the genre maybe not further but in a new direction.

Karma: Introvert or extrovert?

Brian: That all depends.  I'm pretty quiet and a soft spoken guy but I can also get a little drunk and rowdy.  Like last night was 80's night in Cleveland I was DEFINITELY an extrovert but like today listening to Morrissey, I was pretty mellow.  [We all laugh]

Karma: What’s the ringtone(s) on your cellphone?

Brian: N.E.R.D. "Lap Dance" and "Bark At The Moon" by Ozzy for unknown ID's.

Karma: Live or dead: If you could host a dinner party with 5 people, who would you invite?

Brian: Joe Strummer, Bon Scott, from AC/DC, Bukowski, somebody's got to bring the drinks!  Oh, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh would have to come as a tandem.

Karma: What's the craziest thing a groupie has ever said to you?

Brian: I've gotten the, 'I would definitely rape you' quote a few of times!  Actually once very recently! [We all break out in uproarious laughter]  That's always a little spooky!! Yeah!  But the weirdest thing I've seen is recently someone came to an autograph signing with a tattoo of an autograph that I did on their arm.  And I'm like, 'Whoa!  Hey!!'  I mean I'm pretty honored but that's taking it to a different level!

Karma: Wow!

Brian: Yup!  [Look of shock covers his scrunched up countenance]  At least those would be easy to work into something else if you had to.

Karma: What's the ratio of your fans: more male than females?

Brian: I'd say we have more male fans in general because metal seems to be testosteroned based BUT it has been changing a lot lately.  It's been becoming much more of a mixed crowd in which I love!! We get some serious mosh action but I don't really like the violence at shows.  I want people going crazy and jumping on each others heads.  But I don't like the fights and the boy's club mentality that can happen at a lot of shows; so it's nice to see girls singing along in the pit and stage diving. Hopefully we will get more and more and honestly as the band gets more popular, girls show up!  And that's cool…

Karma: Thus your raping comments… [Laughs]

Brian: Yeah, yeah!!  [Laughing]  See, we don't need any more girls like that though!

Karma: If not music, then what?

Brian: Shit, I don't know!  I've been in bands since I was 12-13 years old; I'm almost 30 now! I'm a one trick pony, I don't know anything else.  I went to school and got a Literature degree, all I got out of that was learning how to read, you know!  [We all die laughing]  It's not like I acquired some useful skill!  I don't know, that would be tough, but I'd probably work in the music industry either that or I'd be growing weed on a mountain somewhere!  [Laughter fills the room]

Kimisha: [Laughing]…with a goat!

Brian: [Cackles] Exactly!!  Listening to Morrissey!

Karma: First car owned?

Brian: Oh, it was awesome, it was a '76 Subaru.  It was the size of toaster!  [laughter from all]  It was the awesomest pig car you ever wanted to see!  It was this little piece of shit, it was awesome! 

Karma: Most embarrassing name a lover has ever called you?

Brian: Nothing emabarrassing, I'm trying to think of one…but I want to be called "Big Poppa"!  [Uproarious laughter fills the room from all]  But that hasn't happened yet either!

Karma: It might now!!  [Laughter continues]

Brian: Big Poppa Smurf!  [Laughter kicks back up]

Karma: If asked by Playgirl, would you pose nude?

Brian: Hell no!  My mother couldn't see that!  She'd kill me!

Karma: First thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?

Brian: Where's my weed!  [Laughter from all]

Karma: Really?

Brian: Probably!  Honestly these days when we're on tour I try to figure out what the fuck city we're in!  That's usually the first thought and where do I get a cup of coffee!  You look out the bus and say, 'Where the hell are we? And Where the Hell do I find a Dunkin Donuts?' [Laughter from all]

Karma: What's your favorite drink?

Brian: Alcoholic or non?

Karma: Both

Brian: Alcoholic: I've been on a vodka cranberry kick and Budweiser is always a staple.  That's always my most drank drink just in general, a cold Budweiser in a glass bottle.  I used to be a huge beer snob for years when I worked at this high-end liquor store…it was all free!  [Laughter fills the room again]  So now I'm like 'Fuck all that shit' give me a 30-pack of Bud!' And besides that I like a freshly squeezed juice, many types.

Karma: If stranded on a desert island who would you take? 

Brian: Gwen Stefani, I don't even have to think about that twice.  And Gavin, her husband from Bush, cannot come! [Uproarious laughter fills the room]

Karma: What tracks would you take with you?  Choice of 5!

Brian: I'd have to cover a different moods: Spiritual - Super Laser Gods of Melodies (a super mellow CD for just chilling); I would need a mix of the Smiths, as many as I could fit on a CD, I'd probably have to go MP3 style so I could fit like 200 on a disc (that's probably the band I listen to the most); Joy Division; Master of Puppets; and I need a good rock CD – an AC/DC mix.  Mostly Bon Scott era but you've got to have some "Back In Black" in there!

Karma: [Smiles] Thank you very much!!

Brian: No problem!  No problem!!