Kickacts Interviews Paul from “No Surrender”

1. Hello Paul and welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Here's Paul slamming a killer guitar riff and bowing at the Alter of BUD!!!

Well first I would like to say hi and thanks for having us here. Well
you want to know a little about me. Well I was born in the back seat of
a cab in Chicago just kidding. I was born there though. I moved to
Kentucky when I was 13. I didn’t get into playing guitar till late in my
life. And after I started playing I just had to have a band  seemed like
the right thing to do you know. I would like to introduce the rest of
the band. Chris Rich he is our front man and plays guitar also. Then
there is Brandon Zackery he is one of the guitar players and sings also.
Brian Hill he is our drummer he don’t sing and please don’t ask him to
Ha Ha. And last but not least our bass player Jaywood Vincent. Oh and me
of course Names Paul Brake I play the guitar and sing a couple of songs
but don’t hold that against the band please Ha Ha. We are just a bunch
of regular joes that have full time jobs and love to entertain people.
We may come off a bit nuts some times but the fans seem to love it so it
works for us. Oh I forgot to mention one of our friends he is one hell
of a guy and a great guitar player. We think of him as one of the band
members. His Name is David Stevens he lives in Hopkinsville and comes
and plays with the band when ever his band don’t have a gig. One day he
may be a full time member in the band.

 2. You’re currently in the band called “No Surrender”. What the hell, is
 that a “take off’ On Corey Hart’s “Never Surrender” song or one of
 Triumph’s lamest album’s (Other than the song “writing on the wall)and
 what type of music do you guys play?

Who the hell is Cory Heart. I know thats bad but I don’t have a clue
as to who he is. as for our name well lets say we’ll make a short story
longer. I was tired of just jamming to backing tracks so I had my nieces
nephew (Brandon) come over to jam some. Then I told him hey you know we
need some one to play drums. Well I remembered this cat from church that
played (Brian) so I called him to see if he wanted to hang out and jam.
He said yes. So we was struggling just to learn a few songs.  Well we
made it to ten songs and a light came on in my head. I asked the guys
hey you guys want to start a band well bet you can guess there answer.
So we had 10 songs no bass player and no real singer but we got a band
Ha Ha. So coming home one afternoon from I think wal-mart.Brandon and I
were trying to think of a name. You should hear some of the ones we
thought of first ha ha. Like the camaros or the mustangs or oil slicks
guess by now you know we work on cars ha ha. Well I am an older guy wont
say my age and I told Brandon “I ain’t giving up”. And low and behold it
popped in my head we ain’t ever going to surrender so needless to say
that formed the name No Surrender. And now that name has meaning to it.
We have went threw a few singers a few bass players to get to who we are
now. Most bands give up after being rejected a few times but not us. We
have been together now as a whole band for about a year. And took about
a year to get to that point. So no mater how many times we get rejected
if your in this band there is No Surrender. As for the kinds of music we
play. We play all kinds we like to give everyone something. We tell the
crowd that we will be playing some songs you might not like but we will
be playing some you will like. We play rock to country to pop and about
everything in between. Just to idea of what we play I’ll name a couple.
We play stuff like boot scoot n boogie, bad girl friend, long way to the
top, walk softly on this heart of mine, nothing but a good time, hoochie
coochie man. Its just a big mix of stuff we even do billie jean. So
every one gets a bit of something. The only thing we don’t play is real
old country and rap.

(editor: Who the hell is Cory Hart you ask? I would have looked him up on youtube instead of saying that :P..He sung “Sunglasses at Night, That ring a bell now? 🙂 .Here is Cory Hart and “Never Surrender”)

[youtube]mHl4OmRpq8M[/youtube]

3. Have you guys considered doing original music too?

Sure, we do originals. In fact we have three that we do at almost
every show. The names of the songs are, Never Gonna Stop her, I’m Coming
Home and I’ll go. We have quite a few more we are working on, but seems
we have been staying so busy with gigging and other stuff , we have not
had time to finish them up. We are trying to complete enough of them to
make a ten song CD.  When we write a song, each of the band members
contributes their own colorations. Everyone may not always have a part
in writing the lyrics, but we all have input on the music. Maybe one day
you will hear us on the radio!
 

4. Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share?

yea, we see "The SHOCKER" 😛

Well we have had quite a few great gigs. But the one that sticks with
us the most is the Hog Vally Bike Rally.There’s kind of a little story
behind this one. We had been gigging all month one of the most busy
months we have had since we started. So the next month our drummer
(Brian) thought we needed to take a few weeks or so off to start on some
new songs. Well we all agreed that would be a good thing. Plus Chris was
waiting on his new baby to get here and was due any time. So it was good
timing to take a small break. Well I was sitting in front of my computer
working on our web site http://www.nosurrenderband.com when Chris (our
front man) called. He told me that Bob called him about doing a show
this coming Saturday. Bob is the owner of Shakers in Owenboro we play
there often in the summer time. Anyway I told him I am up for it let me
contact the rest of the band and see what they think. well before I
could contact any of them Chris called me back and said guess where they
want us to play. Well I thought at his place Shakers. Chris said nope
they want us for the Hog Vally Bike Rally. Now this was on a Thursday
night and the gig was for Saturday. So I called all the members of the
band and they all said sure thing that might be fun. Well fun was an
understatement. We had a blast. There had to be well over 500 people
there maybe even over a 1000 the place was packed. David came in from
Hop-town and did the show with us. Now they have this barn there that
every one hangs out at because they have music and dancing up there.
Kind of a club I would say. A few days after the show I was talking to
one of the people that helped with this event. And they said for over
two hours we had everyone pulled away from the barn watching our show.
And he went on to say that doesn’t ever happen. He also went on to say
everyone he spoke with loved the fact that we had such a variety of
music not only the young but also the older people were dancing and
having a great time. So that made the whole band feel good. We are
hoping they call us back for next year. So we would have to say that was
our greatest gig to date so far.
 5. How about the worst gig?

Would have to be Chubby’s in Owensboro by far. We had went out and
talked to quite a few clubs trying to get some gigs. Well we went by
Chubby’s and talked to the guy there that books the bands, he was a nice
guy. So a few days later he called us and asked if we could do a show on
December 27th sure we said but we also told him probably wont be much of
a crowd there two days after Christmas. He said he knows. So we went and
setup for the show did our sound check and all and then the bottom fell
out of the sky. there was tornado warnings out. It rained like hell you
couldn’t see two feet in front of you. And this lasted most of the
night. So needless to say didn’t nobody show up that night we played a
four hour show to maybe five people all night. Well about a  month later
we got this gig at Millagans in Owensboro. We play Owensboro most of the
time but trying to get out to new places now. Well after about our third
set the owner came over and was talking to our front man Chris. The
place was packed. I thought we may have done something wrong, like I say
we are a bit nuts ha ha. Well Chris came over and told the rest of us
that the owner just wanted to say we was doing one hell of a show and we
had an open invitation there any time. Then he went on to say he wasn’t
sure about having us play because he had spoken to the guy over at
Chubby’s. And the guy there said we sucked we didn’t even bring a crowd
with us. And then he told Chris I don’t know what kind of drugs that guy
is on but you guys freaking rock. Hell we told that guy there wouldn’t
be a crowd there. Who is going to go out two days after Christmas. Most
people are out of town and/or have family in from out of town. So We
would have to say that was our worst gig.

 6. You guys recently ventured into Double Dukes. Eddie  has spent a ton of
 money on lights and P.A. to make that place look and feel like an
 expensive night club. It looks great. Tell our readers and fellow band
 members what they are missing if they don’t give Eddie a call to play
 there or stop by with their friends for a drink or two.

Check out Double Dukes Killer stage and "No Surrender"!!!

Man I cant say enough about that place. They have a great PA system
there. Hell keeps us from dragging ours out makes for a faster setup and
break down. He has a guy run sound for you but if you have your own
sound guy I am sure he would let them run the sound. It’s better some
times if your own sound guy runs your sound because he knows when you
are going to come in to a lead and other stuff. Funny thing about the
sound guy the night we played is he was our old bass player so he knew
our stuff. He had to give up playing bass he has a bad shoulder. But the
place has a great lighting system lazers and all even smoke machines, he
has spent a lot on getting the place really nice. Out of a lot of the
places we have played I would say it has to be one of the best ones
other then not many come there and I can’t figure out why. The place has
an upstairs, pool tables and is laid out really nice. You can see the
stage, Band and the dance floor really well from upstairs where there is
also more seating. This place has a nice size dance floor, some of the
places we have played if you got 10 people on the dance floor you was
elbow to elbow. I think if all the bands and people would just get away
from the past and start going there and help get the place going it
could be one of the best clubs around. I hear people say its all up to
management but let me tell you I owned a business for over twenty years
and management has its part but its the customers that either make or
break a place. You can only spend so much money on things till you have
to start getting revenue coming back in so you can expand. If no one
comes and helps that happen it ain’t going to. So all I can say is come
on everyone if you want to have a great place to perform and also a
great place to just kick back go there and help get the place going. You
can’t just sit back on your behinds and expect it to happen on  its own.
After the show one of our roadies (and you should see our roadies, their
females) had spoken to some of the guests that were there at the club.
She said that there was a great deal of them that had mentioned they
loved the music and the fact that they could dance to a lot of the music
we play. She also stated that the staff there was very friendly and made
sure she didn’t go thirsty. She also said every time she went up to the
bar the bar tenders ( which are really nice looking ladies) would be
dancing and singing along with the band. Our roadies also stated that
this is the best club they have been to so far with the band, and they
loved the music they played on break because they could dance to it and
still have fun till the band came back.

 7.Who are your musical heroes, and influences & why?

Well as for me (Paul, Guitar) I think it would be Jimmy Page. I have
always loved the way he plays. It has a blues feeling to it and that is
what I like. At one time I had a Les Paul wired like his and tried to
recreate his tone but never did. Guess I will stick with my own tone.
    Now for me (Brandon, Guitar), the musicians that first come to mind
have to be Mark Tremonti & Zakk Wylde. I grew up listening to their
music and they are the ones who helped inspire me to pick up the guitar
in the first place. I’ve always loved the melodic shred they impose and
I’ve always wanted to style my leads and rhythms in that respect while
still keeping my own style defined. Chad Kroeger has always been a big
influence on my singing as well.
     For me (Brian, Percussion), I always liked Tommy Lee because he
always put on a great stage show, and I really admire the true talent of
Neil Pert. I love playing to Rush because of the complicated timing and
the sheer virtuosity of Neil’s playing technique. I have also gained a
lot of knowledge and technique from my school marching band, so I’m
going to include them too. That’s how I got started beating on the kit
in the first place.
    As far as I go (Jaywood, Bass),  I would  have to say Metallica’s
old bassist Jason Newstedt and Aaron Lewis from Staind. I really liked
the sounds Jason used to impart on Metallica and he is one of the
biggest inspirations for taking up the bass. I write a lot of acoustic
songs on the side, and Aaron’s strumming style and vocal tone have been
the biggest influence there. Last but definitely not least, I want to
include my Dad. He used to gig around with a band in his day and
accomplished a lot as a bassist. It’s him that influenced me to play the
most.
    Well I (Chris, Lead Vocals & Guitar) say that I was influenced,
guitar wise, mostly by Stevie Ray Vaughn, Slash. There is a lot of great
guitarist out there but those two would have to be the biggest influence
on my playing style. As far as vocals go I really didn’t even know I
could sing. I usually, in previous, bands just played guitar and did a
little back up vocals here and there. I first filled in for these guys
on a whim and had a lot of positive response from my peers so I thought
that I would give the front man position a shot and I’ve never looked
back. As far as my vocal influences, number one has got to be Sebastian
Bach, Brian Johnson, and Axle Rose.

 8. Whats the worst professional band you have ever seen in your life?
 

 As for our band, we cant say we would consider any band the worst,
they just have different playing styles. What one person likes, someone
else may not, but that doesn’t make that particular band bad. Now if you
would have asked if there was a worst bar band, that would be a
different story. We have seen some bands that played so far out of time
and/or key, it would hurt our heads, but we will not name any of them as
we feel it is bad business and disrespectful to put down anyone’s band.
You never know. They may have just started out and may get better with
time. Notice we said “may.” haha. I think people should just give some
bands a second look after a little while if they didn’t like them at
first because they may surprise you the next time. Every band has a
first gig and can get better with more experience, but we can’t tell you
that we’ve seen a pro band that wasn’t tight. If you ask us what the
biggest turn off from a bar band is, it is when the band members have
bad attitudes toward the people and other musicians that may be in the
crowd, especially bands who are conceited and think they are better
players than anyone else when really their style of music and playing
are just different. That opinion applies to professionals also. I guess
you could say we are really open to all kinds of music and we don’t like
someone telling us one kind is better than the other.

9.You guys cover Guns and roses in your setlist.What the hell happened to Axl Rose… Any ideas?

Well to tell you the truth, we have no clue. We know that when the
whole band was together, they were great in our opinion, but after the
break, we just stopped following them and really didn’t keep up on what
Axle was doing. We do however think Slash is a rock icon, or should we
say, a guitar playing icon. We really like Slashes newer band, Velvet
Revolver and we even do one of their songs as well. Last we heard, Axle
has reformed Guns ‘n’ Roses with Buckethead playing lead guitar. They
play great music, but other than that, we haven’t really followed the
story on Axle. There is really no telling about that crazy ass haha. We
love you Axle! haha

 10. # 10 is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about
 whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead Paul, and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!

Well the first thing we would like to say is thanks for having us
here, and we would also like to say something to anyone that reads this
and plays music: Never give up no matter what anyone says. In other
words, let there be No Surrender. We want to say thanks to all the
places that gave us a chance to play at there clubs and bars. We would
also like to let all the club owners know that if they need another bad
ass band,  give paul@nosurrenderband.com a shout . We would also like to
thank our roadies for all their help. They are great. Did I mention they
are females and do accept drinks from lonely guys? But then again, so
does the band hahaha. Well the free drink part. We also want to invite
all your readers to any of our shows. You can find out where and when we
are playing on our at website at http://www.nosurrenderband.com .