Interview Dream Child

''How are you doing?''

Craig: ''Busy but good! Thank you!''

 

''What band(s) / artist(s) have inspired you to

become a musician?''

Craig: ''Ritchie Blackmore was the reason why I started playing guitar in the first place! It was the Deep Purple "Burn" album that started all this!!! When I was a teenager, I was in "search mode" for the kind of music that was going to be my favorite.....I would listen to the radio and couldn't stay on just one radio station. I liked Jazz, Classical, Blues, R&B and Rock......but each one of those radio stations couldn't keep my interest alone! But when I heard the song "Burn" come on the radio.....it was the turning point of my life! Every type of music that I liked.....and every element within those types of music that I liked were suddenly all wrapped up into one band! Ian Paice was Jazz based, Jon Lord was Classical based ( but could also be from another planet ) , Glenn Hughes sounded like a white Stevie Wonder and his bass lines were very unique, David Coverdale had the bluesy/gruff/rock voice and Ritchie Blackmore was completely from another planet!! And the search was over!!''

 

''Did you have any musical training?''

Craig: ''I had about 1 week of lessons and then I ended up becoming self taught! I needed to learn how to write music, but didn’t have the resources to go to college and learn music theory...so through bits and pieces of information gathered up here and there I began to put it all together.....however....I didn’t speak the actual music theory language. Once I got into a band with a keyboardists that were doing original songs.....he saw how I had the basic understanding of music theory.....but was speaking my own language....since he had gone to college to learn music theory.....he taught me the actual language for the information that I had pieced together myself!''

 

''How would you describe your music to someone who doesn’t know the band?''

Craig: ''Well, if you like the Deep Purple “Burn” & “Perfect Strangers” albums, the Rainbow Rising album, Whitesnake, early Van Halen and Genesis.....with some of the “Dream Evil” & “Magica”  Dio era and some progressive Rock....but only done more like progressive Metal.....without a new mixture of older things just being a new mixture of older things......but done with a new spin on it.....then you should like the Dream Child album!''

''What is the main inspiration behind the music?''

Craig: ''Deep Purple and Rainbow were and are my favorite bands.....alongside of the Sabbath albums with Ronnie.....I didn’t like much of the Sabbath stuff with Ozzy.....but loved the Ozzy stuff with Randy, Jake and Zakk! The main mission behind this album was to try and bring back an era once thought to be long gone and never to return again....and make it new somehow!! Since I bought all of the Deep Purple and Rainbow albums......and as I moved from place to place throughout the years....some of those vinyl’s and CD’s went missing......so I felt ok about listening to the songs that I already bought twice on Youtube. And then I noticed in the comment section, that a lot of comments about certain Deep Purple and Rainbow era's....those comments being...."They don't make music like THAT anymore"!......And I wanted to try and form a kind of certain Deep Purple and Rainbow era of the 21st Century!! I also love the early Van Halen sound and certain Whitesnake songs.....even Genesis.. ..and wanted to incorporate those elements into this album in such a way ( as I said before ) that it wouldn't be just a new mixture of old stuff.....but a new era made from an older era that many of us miss!! And not just about Ronnie.....even though he and Ritchie and Mr. Iommi were the best combination on the planet....but to also try and make it my own!! I'm on my own path now.....and I want to make sure that the ways of the best from the past never dies!!''

 

What is your favorite song from the album, and why?

Craig: ''Asking to pick just one....would be like me asking you to pick just one......which would you rather do.....but only one......inhale, or exhale? “Until Death Do We Meet Again”, “You Can’t Take Me Down”, “Game of Shadows”......all the songs on this album, they each have a certain value that I’ve gotten from certain Deep Purple and Rainbow songs.....and ever since my first encounter with those two bands.....I’ve been trying to create music that would hit someone just as hard as those songs from those bands hit me......and there are multiple elements that go into that.....therefore.....not just one song! I’m not saying that every song is my favorite.....it’s just that for the same reason that I couldn’t stay on one radio station in my teenage years.....is the same reason I can’t pick just one song here. My goal is a multiple level goal......so only one song couldn’t wrap all that into it.....but if one song were to come close....it would be “Until Death Do We Meet Again”!''

 

''What can you tell me about it in terms of lyrical content, musical styles / influences and production?''

Craig: ''Ronnie showed me his method for how he writes his melody lines and lyrics for his songs.....and I simply applied that method......however....it is not a simple method by any means!! I think I answered your question about musical styles already in the previous answers.....production was a collaborative effort between Alessandro Del Vecchio and myself! There are some things that I’ve picked up on over the years.....and I’ve been unknowingly giving some of those secrets away.....and I think that some things should remain a mystery!''

''Are there new themes or new sounds you wish to experiment with in the future?''

Craig: ''Yes......and that too would be giving away a new approach that hasn’t yet been utilized....so, I don’t want to give it away before I have a chance to utilize it first!''

 

''Do you have any touring plans?''

Craig: ''Yes, we have been approached by several promoters and we are just trying to sync our tour schedules together at the moment! But we do wish to tour this album!!''

 

''Tell us something about Dream Child that we might not know…''

Craig: ''Unfortunately, by now......I don’t think that there is anything about Dream Child that hasn’t already been discussed!''

 

''What is the weirdest gossip you heard about yourself?''

Craig: ''Luckily.....nothing so far!!''

 

''How important is chart success to you?''

Craig: ''I think it’s quite important! However that goes hand in hand with sales.....and the internet has made it just too easy for people to steal our music!! Getting higher in the charts also goes a very long way in getting onto a tour!!''

 

''How much has stardom changed you?''

Craig: ''I’m still that fan who first listened to Deep Purple and Rainbow for the very first time! I don’t trust people right off the bat like I used to.....but if they are trust worthy.....then not much has changed at all!

I’m still just a fan that got to be in the band with his favorite singer, and who’s been able to work with some of the very best in the business......somehow capture their hearts enough for them to want to become friends and show me what’s behind the curtain!''

 

''What do you think about the way music affects people’s lives, even changing them?''

Craig: ''Well, I for one know how music has changed my life! It can be as simple or as complex as a musician wants it to be! It can be as simple as just trying to be their best and put out great music......or it can be as complex as actually playing a personal role in changing the very course of a person’s life!! Because of the influence you have over certain fans, as a perceived “Rock Star” .....but instead......just another caring person, but with a massive network of people that can and will get them the help that they need, can become quite complex.....but very rewarding!!! Since this type of music calls to the down trodden and the black sheep of the globe......and to those who feel that they just don’t fit in and are hurting secretly inside ......these are the types of people that come to our concerts.....and since I’ve had just about every possible bad thing happen to me.....I can relate to anyone on their level......and once they meet me.....and the conversation steers towards what’s eating at them.....that is where the true magic can begin to happen, and people’s lives can and do get changed!! Or, like I said before......maybe on that night, we just did the best we could and made some people happy for a while and got them out of their everyday world and into ours!''

 

''Outside of the business aspect, how has music affected you, personally?''

Craig: ''I came from a very abusive family......both physically and verbally! I was always either in and out of the hospital with injuries, stitches and/or surgeries....or all!! Ronnie James Dio was the voice that I turned to in my time of need! Once I got into the band Dio.....I noticed just how many people his music had also had an enormous affect on them! He would often get letters from military personnel thanking him for his music that gave them the courage to face the unimaginable on the front lines in times of war for our country! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg through a pair of binoculars!''

 

''How would you continue the sentence “Music is…”?''

Craig: ''Music is God’s special gift to us.......so that we can communicate with people all over the globe that we might not ever get a chance to meet....yet make a difference in their lives! A song is either a conversation or a story that is being told within a musical environment. And if that song is written correctly.....it doesn’t matter what race, country or gender a person is or is from......they can relate to this in some way shape or form.....to a point where their very heart and soul can be pierced by a person that they haven’t even met!.......yet!''

 

''Rock and metal bands generally have lengthy careers, more with more than 20 years doing this. Why do you think that is?''

Craig: ''The answer to that question has actually been answered in bits and pieces of my previous answers. Alongside of everything else that I have mentioned.......On a general level of a vast amount of people, Rock and Metal fans are not the kind of people that allow themselves to be a slave to the latest trends! Therefore, their musical appetite is found on a narrow path......yet with musicians on that very same path who often have imaginations without boundaries! Good quality music to the Rock and Metal fans are as essential to them as air, food and water are to the rest of the world! So as longs as they live and breathe......they will have an appetite for Rock and Metal music! And it is within this simple equation of supply and demand.....that a rock and metal musician can have a rather lengthy career!''

''Is there anything else you would like to add? Something I might have missed?''

Craig: ''What I’m about to say.....I say with complete love, respect and understanding! But what I’m afraid of.......is that the internet has made it so easy for our music to be stolen!

 

Like I said earlier.....I’m a fan who got into the band! I’ve had so many wonderful experiences, that I would never trade for the world. Many of us who made a name for themselves in the 80’s were paid as sidemen. We didn’t belong to bands with an equal share like the Van Halen’s, the Aerosmith’s, the AC/DC’s.....and so forth....and quite frankly I know many people think that since these bands became millionaires that they can miss a few royalties here and there......I can understand that!

 

Also...like I said before.... I paid for the vinyl’s.....and the CD’s......and as I moved from place to place.....apartment to apartment...and so forth.....a lot of those CD’s and vinyl records went missing......and since I already paid for them twice......I feel entitled to listen to certain songs for free on Youtube.....I understand that!  I also understand that people became sick and tired of forking over $12-$15 dollars for a CD and only getting 2 or 3 good songs......I understand that! I understand that the song previews on iTunes can often be misleading......just like movie previews......and you go and pay to see the movie only to find out it sucked and you were misled by the previews.......I understand that too! And now many bands are over charging for concert tickets and meet & greets trying to compensate for their music getting stolen.....I understand that too to a certain extent! People often sit back and say...”Oh here we go again.....another so-called super-group and everyone is doing ten different projects all at once......can’t they commit to one project?!!!”........Well, it’s those very same people that make us do ten different projects just so that they equal the amount of money that one used to bring in......and it’s because those same people are the one’s stealing our music!

 

We must restore the balance again! I’m not asking to become rich off of the backs of people who are struggling to pay their rent! I’m not asking for fans to build me a mansion on the hill with a golden toilet seat.......I’m just tired of struggling and consistently putting in 24/7 type hours back to back, day to day, week to week, month to month and year to year......just to barely get by! I’m not asking for sympathy....I’m saying that if you like a song.....pay 99 cents or $1.29 for it!  There are so many people that say to me....."hey I’m following you on Spotify.......you guys are great!".......well......that really breaks down to....thanks for the .000003% of a penny!! 

 

I understand streaming! Like Netflix for example! However....at least those movies got a chance in the theaters.....and then HBO and Showtime......and then On Demand for the cable subscribers.......then Redbox here in America......then Netflix. Our music most of the time goes straight to streaming!

Trying to get the world’s best musicians together.....to give their best performances.....their best ideas....only to have it stolen is a very difficult proposition! But that is what I’ve done here with Dream Child! Someone has to stand up and say to the world.....”I’ll do it”......”I’ll give it my best, and get the best musicians in the world together to give their best performances and best ideas in order to make a great album”.......and if you steal from me......well so be it......however let’s not forget that money is a tool.....to be used to make this world a better place for all of us!

 

I remember when I was still in Rough Cutt, Ronnie James Dio gave me an envelope with a name and an address and asked me to hand deliver it......he knew I would without question.....so I drove to the worst part of Hollywood, within the worst and most pain in the a** parking situation......found the place......knocked on the door......and handed the envelope to the person Ronnie wanted me to give that to! They looked at the envelope as if the President of the United States had just sent them a private message......it turned out to be a rent check.......that particular fan was having trouble paying their rent.....so Ronnie paid it for them! Ronnie said to me “Shhhhhh......don’t tell everyone.....cause then everyone will want me to pay their rent too......but some people just need a little extra helping hand once in a while”.  

 

I still think to this day that the “Sacred Heart” and the “Dream Evil’ stage sets never really got the message he was sending in full! For the same price that you could go see any other band.....you could go to a Dio concert! But, at a Dio concert you got an 18 foot Fire Breathing Dragon that lasers shot out of his eyes and explosions would occur wherever those lasers landed......a Giant Metal Spider and lasers shot from my guitar hitting the Spider with explosions and so forth.....but he didn’t hike up the ticket prices for that.......it was his way of giving back to the fans! 

 

He did a string of concerts to build a shelter for a charity that would rescue kids caught up in drugs and prostitution when they flocked to Los Angeles in hopes of becoming a star. That shelter was a huge complex! It had counselors to help the kids get off the drugs......counselors to help them with why they got messed up with drugs in the first place......they could get their GED, a College Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, a Master’s Degree.......there was a ten or 15 year reunion with those kids that were rescued......and one of the before pictures was of a guy who pissed his pants because he was so high he didn’t even know he had to go.......and is now a 5 star General of the United States Army! This was made possible because of the balance between the band and the fans! 

 

Ronnie treated his fans so great! I definitely don’t have to go into detail about that! And that’s the reason behind my favorite part of touring with the Dio Disciples.......after the concert.....I get to go onto the floor in the middle of the crowd .....not by the merch table to try and sell T-shirts......not a paid meet & greet.......Ronnie never did paid meet & greets......but I get a chance to treat the fans in the crowd the way Ronnie did! So that way they knew that his “way” didn’t die with him! There’s so much more to this......but this is too long as it is.......so.....I hope you like the new Dream Child album.......and I hope you think twice before you consider how easily it can be stolen.......and the ripple affect it actually has!!!

 

Thank you everyone! I love you all. Here are the links I've been given: http://radi.al/DreamChild''

''Do you have any kind of life advice for our readers & us?''

Craig: ''Just be true to yourself! And try not to be governed by your feelings and emotions! Feelings are not always the true indication of what is really going on around us! What “feels good” may not necessarily be so good! And what “feels bad” may not necessarily be so bad!! And in the hard times....take heart....they are often transportation! Trouble can be transportation! I was sent into the studio by a big record company executive with some big named guys once.....when the record company heard the songs they paid for.....they turned them down....which was a big bummer and it “felt” like a failure! However.....not very long after that......I got a phone call from Van Halen’s David Lee Roth, asking me to meet him at the producer’s house that had produced Pink Floyd! Those songs that got turned down......ended up in the hands of DLR!! After meeting them and them expressing how much they liked my ideas.....DLR invited me to his home for 3 months.....everyday to write with him and his band! It got me my first Gold Record! We often live life forward and understand it in reverse.... as I look back and connect the dots.....I can literally say......”It’s a good thing that “bad thing" happened! When so-called bad things happen.....they lead us down a different path than we would’ve chosen to begin with......however.....many times....we end up in a much better place than originally planned for!! Thanks!!''

 

Thank you so much Craig for doing this big interview with us!

Read the review of Dream Child's ''Until Death Do We Meet Again'' here!

 

By Tamar
27/10/2018