Rock N Roll Experience - Kill Hannah/Papa Roach 3/2/07

Outside, the line to get in the venue wrapped around the block & lucky for them, it was a very warm March day! When doors opened, the crowd filed in very fast, & I was informed that Kill Hannah bassist Greg would be DJ-ing next door after the show, so I was definitley making it a point to check out that aftershow party! Kill Hannah came on around 8:30 & played a 30 minute set that packed 6 songs with a punch from these Chicago rockers! Mat owns the stage with his mix of goth & glam presence & "Lips Like Morphine" was probably my favorite song in the set..it just had alot of power, punch, & it was fun!

The Billy Idol classic "Rebel Yell" was played, & that was probably the song that got the crowd really moving, & I think they really do that song justice! "Kennedy" closed the bands 6 song set out & in all honesty, I would love to had seen Kill Hannah play a full hour set..the 30 minute set just really made me want to see the band a little more! The band recently got monogrammed guitar pics too for all the guitar players in the band, & read on at the bottom of this page to check out our interview with the band!

It Dies Today were next on the bill & this was my 3rd time seeing them, & my first time seeing them with the bands new singer...they did what they do & they were definitley the heaviest band of the night.

Papa Roach were the headliner's of the night & they came out with all barrells firing & it was interesting to note just how many radio singles the band has, because there was ALOT of them played. Coby came out looking more like a punk rock icon with his spiked hair & tatt's & the entire band really have developed their look & their sound..I remember seeing the band when they first came out, & they wore dickies, had short hair, no stage show, just pure energy, & now the band kinda refined what they do & they look more like rockstars & seem more comfortable onstage, & Coby has the energy of a rabid pitbull..he's just insane, running all over the stage, ranting, screaming, & carrying on like a person 1/2 his age!

The funniest moment of the night was when a female fan through a pair of panties onstage & Coby picked them up, sniffed them & goes, "Man, they smell like cotton candy..how did you get your pu**y to smell like that..it smells good!" & he threw the underwear into the crowd & told the crowd to smell them that they smelled good. The highlights, song wise, were "Angels & Insects", "Last Resort", & "Getting Away With Murder", simply because the crowd just went off on those songs!

I had the opportunity to interview Kill Hannah guitarist Dan before the show, & here's how our conversation went:

Rock N Roll Experience: Why did Kill Hannah do a cover of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell"?

Dan: We all ahve different feelings about doing covers & that's one that we can kinda do..we are on the supporting slot for alot of bands & alot of times we go into markets where people have never heard us, so we alternate alot of covers..we've done "Wicked Game", we've done covers by the Cure, "Cherub Rock" by Smashing Pumpkins...we throw them in once in a while just for fun & it (Rebel Yell) seems to go over pretty well on this tour..it's pretty mindless..it's brainless fun ha ha

Rock N Roll Experience: What is the deal with the lights on your guitars?

Dan: I think Greg started it along time ago by just putting glow sticks on his guitar & it's just a cheap way to have a little bit of added production...people seem to like it so, and they are just cheap work lights from Home Depot, but we did it first, so we're gonna keep doing it...we love fog too, so anything that cuts through the fog is good for us.

Rock N Roll Experience: Have you started recording/writing new music for the next Kill Hannah cd?

Dan: No..we actually just started talking about it...we have alot of older ideas that I think can be developed a little more & we don't really write on the road because we are so DIY, we do everything ourselves & frankly there's just not time for it, you know? But we catalog all of our ideas & when we get back to Chicago we will lock ourselves into a room & start recording stuff I guess

Rock N Roll Experience: As a guitarist, who are some of your influences?

Dan: I think that The Edge (U2) is like the most briliant musician there is out there, but in a weid way, I never listened to guitar players so much when I was growing up...I played drums for a long time when I was a kid & I could name out my drum influences but by the time I started playing guitar I was just past the point of trying to copy anybody, like I never sat in my room & listened to Van Halen & never learned Metallica solo's or anything, I'm just not that kind of player at all, so the kinda bands that I like are kinda like more atmospheric & I used to think that bands like The Stone Roses & Jesus & Mary Chain..I loved the way their music sounded & that is kinda what I carry on my plate, more than the actual guitar player, you know?

Rock N Roll Experience: Is Kill Hannah your first band?

Dan: No, I've been in a couple of other bands...I've done a few things..I've played with a folk singer out in LA for a while & played an acoustic guitar & I did some weird stuff..I played drums in bands when I was younger, played some guitar, but Kill Hannah was my first band that I got in where everyone took it really seriously & there's no compromise & everyone just goes for it & like it's good to find a group of guys like that...that's rare.

Rock N Roll Experience: Do you like playing drums or guitar better?

Dan: Well nowadays, guitar, but I'm kinda a hack at everything...I play a little piano, a little guitar, drums.

Rock N Roll Experience: How involved are you with the song writing in Kill Hannah's music?

Dan: Most of the songs on the last record Mat came in with a kinda rough sketch, but as a guitar player he is kinda basic, so it's cool for John & I to come in &...when we get to that stage, pretty much everyone is involved creatively & it's like we bounce idea's off each other & some songs I contribute alot to & as far as writing my guitar parts, I'm very involved in it.

Rock N Roll Experience: Are there any plans to re-release the early Kill Hannah cds?

Dan: Well, we have the Curse of Kill Hannah record out which is like a compilation of old b-sides & we have alot of stuff actually...we have alot of b-sides from all of our records & alot of really really great sounding demos that...I mean our demo's are almost as good as some records! So, it's like, we have some demo's from this last record that we were just talking about doing something with because they sound great & are great songs & we worked really hard on them & they were never really properly recorded in a studio, but they are definitley good enough to sell on I-tunes or whatever & as far as the old record...

Rock N Roll Experience: The old Kill Hannah cd's for for alot on ebay too

Dan: Yeah, yeah, & that's kinda the weird thing, you know...I mean the value of some of those records, like the Hummingbirds record where there are only a 1,000 or so, so that's why they go for so much money....they are really great records too..I think we are going to work on releasing alot of the stuff online on I-tunes & stuff & that is just one of the things that we are wroking on...it's definintley gonna happen, I just don't know when because we've got alot of other things we've got to do first.

Rock N Roll Experience: Kill Hannah attracts alot of females to their live shows...do you think it's because the music is a mix of dance music & rock?

Dan: Because they all think John is pretty ha ha...

Rock N Roll Experience: But for a guy, it's a very cool crowd as opposed to a normal all guy rock crowd

Dan: Oh yeah, well I never thought of it that way actually...I think the lyrics kinda relate to girls...they are all just kinda simple love songs & I guess I don't consider the sound of our band to be super heavy or aggressive...we don't have alot of negativity or aggression, so maybe that has something to do with it..I don't know.

Rock N Roll Experience: What's your favorite song to play live?

Dan: The song "Black Poison Blood" off the new record is one of my favorites to play...there's a coupe others that we don't even play...I kinda like palying them all though, I like playing the intro, "Life in the Arctic" which is one of my favorites too.

Rock N Roll Experience: Do you always close with the same song every night?

Dan: When we are doing supporting shows we usually end with "Kennedy" most nights & that's just one of our hits from yesteryear & it's familiar to alot of people so it ends on a highnote, but we mix it up a little bit

I'd like the thank all the cool people who helped me set this piece up...Papa Roach's publicist, Kill Hannah's Publicist, their cool tour manager, & of course the bands! Thanks for all the help!