Myriad Interview

Published on 27 March 2020 at 18:52

MYRIAD INTERVIEW

Published on 27 March 2020 

                                                                                                                              Time to invite some old local friends of mine to talk about their old band Myriad. A Progressive Thrash Metal bandfrom Tilburg, The Netherlands, who are back on track again! ​ Myriad interview by Patchman Marco JAN. 2020 -Welcome Harrie (guitars) and Ad (bass) at my place!What's up, how are you? Harrie: I have a cold.Ad: Yes, always doing fine, hah...

By Patchman Marco

 

-Welcome Harrie (guitars) and Ad (bass) at my place!What's up, how are you?

Harrie: I have a cold.

Ad: Yes, always doing fine, haha.

-Please start from the very beginning. When and by who was 'Myriad' formed and what lead you guys to a comeback of the band?

Harrie: Yeah I think myself, Serge Smolders (see also Acrostichon and Milkman) and Frank Verraes, (a classmate of mine) started the whole thing back in 1988/89. Mark van Nistelrooy and Rene Emmen joined quickly and we recorded our 1st demo in the Chateau studio in 1989 and performed at the Batcave club in Tilburg. Mark and Serge left the band and were replaced in 1990 by Adje van Osch a.k.a. Dj Rocking Adje on the bass and Alex van Wanrooy on the drums. In 1992 Rene left and 'Bidi' Danny van Drongelen joined us. He was also the one who introduced us to the American Progressive Thrash Metal band Anacrusis, which was a very important influence for the band.

-I saw you live recently at your first reunion gig at Bidi Fest at Little Devil in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Did you enjoy the gig and the feedback of it? what was it like to do this gig without Bidi 'Danny' (vocals)?Can you tell our readers what happened to your vocalist, just before the reunion was a fact?

Harrie: I had an extreme cold and was very stressed that night, so I wasn't fully aware of what was happening around me. There were also problems with the audio card. But it was very important for me that we did it for Bidi. The mind-set was what we did, was for him. After his passing we went on with the band, but it was with struggles. The show was really a Bidi tribute. As many probably know Bidi passed away unexpectedly by the hand of a heart attack in June 3th 2017 at Rockhard festival in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

Ad: 3 years ago Alex came with the idea to start playing again with the condition from Harrie that Adje would join us as well. I agreed and me and Harrie were busy looking over the tracks and that's actually how we started again. There was a bit in the song "Back to Nature" that I changed though. The changed version was also played at the Little Devil on the tribute show for Bidi. When he passed away, we were all very shocked. After that happened, Alex send a email to Anacrusis about the news of Danny's death, and he asked Kenn Nardi (the singer of Anacrusis) if he wanted to sing the two newly recorded songs. This because Bidi passed away two weeks before our recording session. Kenn agreed and we send the files of the old version to him so that he knew the original vocal lines of the songs. We also send him the new instrumental versions of "Thoughts" and "Back To Nature" to him. Kenn recorded his vocals for us, and send it back to us. Harrie then mixed the vocal lines into the newly recorded songs.

Danny wanted to make the songs in Myriad a bit more commercially accepted, he had lots of connections, also with Anacrusis, and he had the mind-set of really putting work to the scene. He wasn't there for the songs to sing them as he was very busy during the time. It's really not a reunion but more a tribute to our friend and passed away singer Bidi. I was also very motivated to start playing again in the reunion and hope we will continue.

-To come back to your music. Which bands are your main influences? And have these influences changed over the years?

Harrie: Anacrusis, Trouble and NWOBHM in general, like Angel Witch. Also the old Metallica until "Master Of Puppets" the rest was all shit haha. Also Mekong Delta, Watchtower and New Wave music like Joy Division and A Flock Of Seagulls. Later Anacrusis became a main influence for myself and the band.

Ad: early bass work of Steve Harris from the band Iron Maiden, bass work of Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order), and uuuhm, very difficult question, there are so many bass players which I like. Because this is a totally different question, instead of the question: "what are your favourite bands". My favourite band ever is KISS, and my motto is ´Rock ´n Roll all nite and party every day´. But other favourite bands are AC-DC, Slayer, The Cure, Ramones, Joan Jett, Volbeat, and lots more…

 

- What are your lyrics about, do you have a certain message to spread?

Harrie: Rene and Danny wrote songs about society and criticism, but also songs about love. Anyway, you can always give the music a listen and make your own interpretation of the words.

-Please give me the discography of your band! And are there any plans to re-issue your old stuff on a great compilation CD and/or Vinyl? Are there even some plans for recording a new demo, album or whatever?

Ad: the first demo was called "Down To Earth" and was recorded in 1989. "Cadances" was our second demo, and the first demo with me on the bass and Alex on the drums, which was recorded in 1990 or 1991. The third demo of MYRIAD was called "The Well", recorded in 1992 (produced by Oscar Holleman), and this demo was the first demo with Danny on vocals. In 1993, the band recorded the fourth demo "Naturalism", which was produced by Han Swagerman. After that demo Harrie left Myriad.

About reissuing old stuff on a compilation CD, well, we have to discuss this with the rest of the band members.

And yes, as well as Harrie and myself (Ad), we both have plenty of new ideas for new songs. So, time will tell.

 

-About the past! Have you played often with 'Myriad', back in the 90's, and are there any highlights of that period you like to tell us?

Harrie: not that much but we played as support for GWAR at the Noorderligt concert venue in Tilburg (NL), on August 30th 1992, which was a really great chance for us. Also our very first gig at the Batcave club in '89, was a very good memory. During our existence we played around 20 gigs In general.

Ad: Also a very funny memory is about a show in Stabroek, Belgium on October 20th, 1990, when Harrie's hair got stuck in my bass guitar tuners, haha.

-Harrie, is it true your old Doom Death Metal band 'Spina Bifida' is on-hold? and why? Are there any plans to continue with this band in other times?

Harrie: I quit the band and have no idea about the others.

-Anymore future gigs planned?

Not yet!

-Top 5 albums of all time!

Ad:

1. KISS – Dressed To Kill (1975)

2. AC/DC – Powerage (1978)

3. The Cure – Disintegration (1989)

4. Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden (1980)

5. VoiVod – Killing Technology (1987)

Harrie:

1. Metallica – Ride The Lightning (1984)

2. Anacrusis – Screams And Whispers (1993)

3. Trouble – Psalm 9 (1990)

4. Slayer – Reign In Blood (1986)

5. Thin Lizzy – Life Live (1983)

 

-Ok guys, thanks for having me! See ya guys back very soon and Ad, how can they hire you for making a great Dj set? You're my yearly birthday bash DJ and for sure one of the hottest DJ's in Tilburg Town!

Ad: Well, actually….a couple of months ago, a guy saw me working as the DJ in Little Devil. He was very excited about all the music that I played, so he asked me to be the DJ on his birthday in 2019. I said, no problem, as far as I'm able to. So now I'm the DJ for his party in February. And in the last few years I've been the DJ for some more people's birthday.

But yearly I do about 18 or 20 shows as the DJ in that awesome club Little Devil. I like to do that very much, I have a real wide taste of musical styles in the Metal/Punk scene. Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Punk, Oi, Death Metal, Glam, Speed, Thrash….you name it.

And indeed, since 2011, I am the DJ on your birthday bashes, Marco, and as you know, I always do my best to make your party unforgettable.