Fallen Blue Joins Shut Up And Deal's Army
Last Updated on 28.07.11 Written by John Guarnieri
A couple of hours before their energetic set at the Vans Warped tour stop in Columbia, Maryland, Fallen Blue had the honor of speaking with Shut Up And Deal's John (vocals/ guitar) and Johnathan (guitar). We were approached by their tour manager, while catching some time in the shade, and he asked who we were doing PR for, which led to our discussion of Fallen Blue. He was blown away by the cause, and asked if we wanted to interview the band, and we obliged without hesitation. We had heard of the band prior to meeting them, but we never really listened to a song or even followed them, but after speaking with them for over a half hour we were blown away by their thoughfulness, respect for the music business, and their career goals.
Both John and Johnathan very happy to be taking part on the Vans tour this summer as it "gives them the oppertunity to make new friends, hear new music, gain new fans, and enjoy some incredible catering." Some of the other bands that Shut Up And Deal enjoyed listening too were Bad Rabbits and August Burns Red. Johnathan went on to explain that the band does all of their own management and publicity: "All of the posters you see of the band is all stuff we did on our own. We take great pride in spreading our name and music." Hearing the guys talk about how they operate was refreshing because the band genuinely cares about their music and fans.
Both John and Johnathan explained how difficult it is to determine a set-list for a festival of this calibur: "We are constantly doing revisions and picking what songs make the most sense in a 30 minute block. There may be a couple of songs that make sense to be played in a row because the guitar sound flows perfectly, but then we have to step back and make sure that vocally, Joe is able to handle the transition. And ultimately, we want to keep it engaging for the fans." In a funny moment, Johnathan shared some stories of items that fans have brought the band, to include a lot of baked goods, and in one instance a hand knit quilt from one fan.
John let us know that on the current Vans tour, the band van was pulled over by a police officer becuase of their tail lights malfunctioning. They ended up getting a warning and told to drive with the hazzards, after it was determined to be a glitch in the system. Johnathan also shared the story when the band was crossing into Canada when they were told to pull-over: "We were randomly red-flagged by Canadian Customs & Immigration and taken out of the van as everything was searched. Luckily there was no issues and we were sent on our way." In one serious moment, the bands' manager shared with us that one of his relatives, Officer Pat King, of the Long Branch Police Department (NJ) was killed in the line of duty. We told him about the Officer Down Memorial Page (http://www.odmp.org/officer/15009-detective-sergeant-patrick-a-king), something that he was unaware of exsisted. He also reiterated that almost everyone has been affected by police in some way, and its a thankless job that someone has to do.
Shut Up And Deal is primed for great things. With songs like, 'Just So You Know', 'Think Or Swim', and the anthem 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', there is nothing to slow these guys down. They put on a killer live show, that oozes of confidence. If you have the chance, be sure to catch the band as they continue on the Vans Warped tour this summer. Fallen Blue can't thank the band enough for their support.
For more information on the band, be sure to check out: http://www.facebook.com/shutupanddeal, http://www.myspace.com/shutupanddeal.
