By: Rob Cavuoto
It’s been about ten months since Black Veil Brides released their strongest CD to date, Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones.
Since its release, they have toured the world virtually non-stop. From their winter headlining tour, to the Vans Warp Tour, to their latest the Outbreak Tour with Bullets for my Valentine
Just prior to their cancelled Starland Ballroom show in NJ, I was able to sit down with drummer; Christian “CC” Coma and bassist; Ashley Purdy.
I was informed of the news that singer Andy Biersack was under the weather and resting at a nearby hotel as I boarded the band’s tour bus for the interview.
I did think it was a bit strange that CC’s drum kit was outside the venue rather than inside being assembled for sound check when I first arrived at the show.
As I boarded, security began barricading the area around the bus behind me.
Even though the guys were extremely disappointed for having to cancel, they still brought their high energy and comedic nature to the interview.
As I spoke to them during the interview, it was extremely apparent how good of friends they are.
They traded jabs and busted each other chops for a very funny and candid interview. In many instances they would call each other out in order to set the record straight.
If you haven’t met CC or Ashley, they are extremely friendly, personable, and down to earth guys despite their talk of having “rock star attitudes.”
They are two regular guys having the time of their life and enjoying every minute of it.
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Robert Cavuoto: You both play a critical role within the band by providing a rock solid foundation for the guitars. Tell me about the chemistry between the two of you.
Ashley Purdy: I think our connection comes from even before playing in the band. We’re as tight as brothers, so friendship is first and foremost.
I would say CC and I are probably the closest in the band. We hang out and party. We’re from the same area in Los Angeles too.
Musically, it’s about bass, drums, and rhythm. BVB comes from a more typical bass and drum house – sort of the dance arena.
We both like dance music and electronic music, besides being heavy metal/rock dudes. There’s a foundation within ourselves that likes different styles of rhythm.
Christian Coma: I completely agree. I think everybody’s influences are slightly different, which makes this band so unique.
But touching on what Ashley said, a lot of times we’ll go to dance clubs or strip clubs. [Laughter] We love to have fun, and we love to rock.
Our interests are definitely one in the same with the importance of rhythm.
Robert: CC you replaced somebody as the drummer. Did you have to audition, or were you already friends with the band?
Christian Coma: I was friends with Jake and Jinxx prior to joining the band, and then I started having meetings with Ashley.
I was working with several different bands as well as working as a studio musician. I wasn’t tied down to one band and wasn’t sure where I wanted to go.
Ashley Purdy: He didn’t even want to be in this band at first! He was saying, “Oh, I have this other band in Colorado, I know Avenge Sevenfold is looking for a new drummer. I think I’m gonna do that.”
We were just on the cusp of getting signed to Universal. We were like, “We got a fucking record deal!” And he was like, “Oh, I don’t know, man.” He was holding out. [Laughing]
CC: You were putting the pressure on. You were like, “All right. You’re going to lose the greatest opportunity in your life.”
We always joke about that now, because I was a little bit reluctant to join the band immediately. I didn’t know about the makeup as I’ve never done that.
Really what happened is I gave up on music. I was working in a hospital. It’s just that I’ve been let down so many times throughout my career in the music field.
I’ve done the touring thing. I’ve released several albums. I’ve done the studio musician stuff. So to get back that into it or to get my hopes back up, I was just expecting them to be smashed again. Obviously, it didn’t happen.
Now we’ll go to bars, just hanging out and they’ll say to me “What the hell were you thinking back then?” I just don’t know; I can’t explain it.
Ashley Purdy: We’re sitting there with our lawyer, and he’s holding out. I was sweating. I was like, “All right, you’re going to miss a great opportunity.” He goes, “I’ve got all this stuff going on. I don’t know.”
Robert: Any regrets now?
Christian Coma: No, not at all. [Laughter] This is what I’ve always hoped from it and truly wanted it to be. I’ve been let down so many times throughout the years and never really thought this would happen.
You have some of the most talented musicians in the world playing lounges. They’re just doing it on Saturdays and Sundays because they have nine to five jobs. I think that might have been why I was so reluctant to join.
Now I’m seeing the chemistry between the five of us. Everyone has a different personality, and I’m getting to know everyone a lot better.
I think I would have said yes a lot sooner knowing what I know now. We have our mission.
When I got the call, I came in and played with them. I remember them saying, “This is how that song goes, because it was never played that way before.” So I was able to lock it down much easier.
Robert: You guys have come so far in a short period of time. Most bands take ten years of playing clubs before something happens. Is it difficult to maintain that level off success while trying to evolve and grow?
Ashley Purdy: I don’t think so. I think we’re tenacious. We’re already talking about what the next record is going to be, and what the concept will be. I know that our interests, individually, vary so vastly.
We’re already discussing how we can top the next thing but be different. We’re just looking at some of our predecessors have done in the past and what our contemporaries are doing and why they aren’t getting to the next level.
Often they are making the same record that they just made – they sound the same. We’re always thinking what we can do to still be us, yet evolve sonically. We have so much creativity behind us. We can do more.
Robert: Do you sit down at band meetings and formulate strategies for the band’s next steps?
Ashley Purdy: We’re already assessing material for the next record. We have a clear vision of what we’re going to do.
Robert: Do you have any material written for the new album?
Ashley Purdy: We’re always writing.
Robert: How did this tour with Bullets for My Valentine come about?
Ashley Purdy: I think we always wanted to go on tour with them. We fit in that same genre of a two-guitar band with dual harmonies. When the opportunity presented itself, it’s like “Hell, yeah, we’ll do it.”
I feel it hasn’t lent itself so well to play with someone who’s so similar to you. I don’t know. We already have our core fan base who’s always going to show up for us but starting to present ourselves to a wider variety of people in other genres.
Robert: I noticed that BVB goes out on tour predominantly with peers rather than the Motley Crues, Rob Zombies, or Alice Coopers.
Ashley Purdy: We started that way. We’re always looking to achieve something. Once we’ve achieved it, were on to what’s next.
We’ve always wanted to play with KISS and Motley Crue and we did it. We wanted to play with Avenge and Bullets and we did that too.
And the thing that we’re talking about for the next record cycle is going outside our scope, start playing with some active top-forty rock bands like the Foo Fighters. Just completely change it up and do something else.
Christian Coma: Also to play for a lot of different people who normally wouldn’t come and see us. We get people who’ve heard about us and now finally get the chance to catch us.
You don’t know how many people say, “I heard about you guys. I wasn’t a fan, but then I saw you at Warp and now I’m going to buy your album.” That’s what it’s all about.
There are so many people who have preconceived notions about the band. It might be because of our aesthetics or our rock-star attitudes?
I don’t know if it’s a jealousy thing, or they just don’t understand it. My favorite thing is just turning people over. I think we do a really good job with that. “It’s a show. We bring entertainment.”
I think that’s what a lot of bands lack now. Getting in those festival environments and doing stuff. It really shows, no matter what level of success we have, we’re always pushing ourselves further. We’re always trying to entertain and trying to engage the audience.
Robert: Last January BVB did a headlining tour in support of the latest CD, why go out as an opening act now?
Ashley Purdy: This tour has been an eye-opening experience. Our fans came out in full force. Again, and I don’t think it’s any secret, people have been tweeting about it; the walkout is pretty huge after we play. We definitely could be headliners. Seeing who’s lined up outside.
CC: After we finish here, we go on a headlining tour over in Europe and the UK. Most of those dates are already sold out. There are a few in Italy that aren’t sold out as of yet.
Robert: The band never seems to stop touring, how do you keep touring fresh?
Christian Coma: This is easy compared to the Vans Warped Tour. That tour, we were confined to this bus every day. We never had a dressing room, the heat was killer, the generator was always breaking, and everyone was sweating and smelled.
I’m not talking terrible about the Warped Tour, but I think for us, that it was a very hard tour to go through.
Ashley Purdy: Doors open at 11:00am and you have to find out what time you’re playing during the day. It’s grueling, 100 degrees outside every day; humid, hot, dirty.
You’re just set up in the middle of gravel in a parking lot or a field. This is way more comfortable, doing the club circuit.
Robert: What gear did you bring out on the road with you typically?
Ashley Purdy: I’m having more basses sent to me when we get to Florida as I break them a lot. I bring about four of my signature Outlaw Cadillac basses. I have a new signature model coming out.
Robert: Are you going to introduce the new one at NAMM in January?
Ashley Purdy: Yeah, I’ll demo it at NAMM.
Robert: Tell me a little bit about your kit.
Christian Coma: I recently signed with DW, so my first tour to use it was this summer and this is my second tour with a DW. It was an eight-piece kit; all maple shells. It’s awesome. I bring out two snares, plus a 10”, 12”, 13”, 16”, 18” toms and a 14” snare. It sounds great.
Robert: Tommy Lee had a spinning cage and roller coaster kit. Eric Carr of Kiss had his kit on a tank turret, what’s your dream kit?
Christian Coma: I’ve got these ideas, but they’re so hard for me to describe, you’d think I was on the best hallucinogenics in the world.
I say, “Fuck it, let’s put rocket boosters on the drum riser, make all the mics wireless and fly out over the crowd. Who’s done that? Totally not feasible [Laughing]. Maybe in a few years we can develop that. Obviously, you’d need a budget for that.
Robert: We’ll look forward seeing that. You guys seem to be moving away from the makeup. When I saw you on the first Warped Tour in 2011, you had full-body and face makeup. Now every tour there seems to be less and less.
Ashley Purdy: I attribute it to this, which is just an analogy. We’re huge Motley Crue fans. We went through our Shout at the Devil, phase, now we’re in our Girls, Girls, Girls or Dr. Feelgood phase. Just stripped-down leather biker. Still in the black and still looking like rock stars.
Christian Coma: Not me, I’m not evolving. I’m sitting here wearing a Pug t-shirt [Laughter]
Robert: People call BVB glam metal. Is that positive or negative?
Ashley Purdy: I’ll take it as a positive.
Christian Coma: I don’t care either way. I think we’re one of those bands that everyone can call us whatever they take away from it. I mean we’re rock, we’re metal – glam metal. Emo, like whoo; we’re everything.
Ashley Purdy: Glam has such a negative connotation in some people’s minds, because of the late ‘80s. What they forget is bands like Rod Stewart, New York Dolls, and David Bowie were also considered glam.
Robert: What has been the biggest challenge so far?
Christian Coma: I’m in a really good place now emotionally and physically. I was joking the other day, if I die tomorrow, I die happy. I’ve already toured the world and did everything I wanted to do, not that I’m going to get complacent, but I really can’t complain.
My tech takes really good care of me and sets up the kit every night. I don’t have a lot to complain about.
Ashley Purdy: Just staying healthy. I think generally. There are hazards while we’re on tour or on the road – physically, mentally and nutritionally. It’s like trying to eat right and still get some exercise then wake up and do it again. It’s really strenuous on your body, overall, so that’s about the biggest thing.
Robert: Outside of BVB, what are some of your hobbies?
Ashley Purdy: Fashion design, marketing and graphic design. That’s what I was doing before I was in the band. It’s a passion of mine just being creative artistically.
Christian Coma: Actually, I like going to shows. I try and catch as many shows as I can all different styles with friends. Recently, I have a pretty sick, bowling career that I’m chasing.
Robert: Bowling?
Christian Coma: Yeah, I try and do as little as possible. I guess I do as little as possible on tour too [Laughing]. It like I just sort of relax, go on vacations, just take it easy and kind of relax. Get as far outside the “famous guy”, the “rock star” deal and be a nobody. Go out to dinners and make dinner, go see movies and go bowling, just be like a normal guy.
Robert: I see how many fans you guys have on Twitter. You both must get some crazy-ass tweets.
Ashley Purdy: We read them to each other ever day. [Laughter] “Oh my God, look what this person said.” We love this person Kizzie Cherry that we have to read every day and follow her timeline.
Christian Coma: Yeah, there’s a couple that you can tell there’s a language barrier. Even the subject of it is absolutely crazy. Like batshit crazy – this cannot be a real person. But, yeah, we get all kinds – sick, disgusting, perverted, and hilarious.
Ashley Purdy: Some of our fans are just coming into their sexual prime and starting to figure out stuff. The language of how they’re saying it is pretty disgusting, but it’s pretty hilarious at the same time.
Christian Coma: Keep tweeting us crazy shit and crazy photos. It makes us laugh. We definitely read them and go through all the tweets. We’ll be going to bed at night and we’ll just hear someone cracking up. There’s a knock on the bunk, “Look at this.” It’s very entertaining to read all our fan mail and tweets.
Chantal Quintes (11 years ago)
COOL PICS OF ASH+CC!!!