Winners Announced: Once again, we’d like to thank everyone for participating in our Beyond the Game feature. This is something we, as a site, enjoy doing and providing you, our readers with. Unfortunately, like all of our other contests, everyone can’t be winners. However, we’re always doing giveaways, so your turn has to come eventually, right?
The winners of these Rock Band 2 and album bundles are Comments #11 and #51. Please send me an email at dave.wales [@] psu [dot] com with your mailing address and we’ll have these shipped to you by the end of next week.
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Beyond the Game: Rock Band 2 is our fourth installment in the Beyond the Game series here at PlayStation Universe. Thus far we’ve gone beyond the game and into the music with games like FIFA 09, Need for Speed Undercover and even Burnout Paradise. However, what would it be like to go beyond a game based completely around music? We wanted to find out, so we spoke with the two founding members of Bang Camaro, Bryn Bennett and Alex Necochea, to go beyond the music of Rock Band 2.
Much like the Beyond the Game articles of the past, entry details in order to win a copy of Rock Band 2 and an album from Bang Camaro will be placed at the end of the feature.
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PSU: It’s no secret that you guys have gone in a completely different direction than every band out there. I’d like to know exactly what the definition of "Lead Vocalist" is to a band like Bang Camaro and how many you currently have.
ALEX: Our definition of lead vocalist is pretty much the same as any other band. The only difference in our direction from that of other bands is we have anywhere between 6 and 15 vocalists singing together at the same time. Our guys have mastered a lot of the same deep knee bends, musical grimaces, and fist pumping you may see in bands that have just one puny singer.
BRYN: Most of our singers were lead singers of their own bands, so we are working with a talented bunch of guys.
PSU: You guys got your start in Guitar Hero 2 due to your ability to push out strong vocals and guitar shredding talents. What is it like for you guys to truly be discovered and have your music appreciated on such a massive level?
ALEX: It’s been unbelievable. I can barely leave my really massive house because of the hordes of videogame fans that stalk me at every turn. Sometimes when I go out I just want to be able to eat in peace and read my Hunter S. Thompson books. It’s very lonely at the top.
BRYN: What Alex is trying to say is that we were really lucky to get picked up and placed in some big video games…. But we’re still poor and eat at taco bell. Spare change anyone?
PSU: According to a recent MTV Video, Bang Camaro was actually forced to recruit lead vocalists while on tour because the band couldn’t afford to bring all 20 members with them. What was that experience like for you?
ALEX: We have met a lot of great singers along the way. Case in point, we have a group of 4 singers in the Chicago area who come out and sing with us every time we come through the area. They are a great group of guys and I look forward to seeing them on every tour. In other parts of the country, the talent pool has been a little bit smaller, but we’re seeing new people crop up all the time.
BRYN: We just picked up 2 guys from Philadelphia that are going to tour with us this time around.
PSU: It’s no secret that Bang Camaro absolutely exploded onto the scene after several industry figures noticed your songs being sold and downloaded at an alarming rate on both MySpace and iTunes. Did you ever think you would have that effect on people who have started listening to your music religiously?
ALEX: Yes.
BRYN: Ha. We didn’t think people were going to like us at all. Our first shows were terrifying. We would just look at each other and ask “Are we really going to play some epic hard rock songs in front of a room full of idie-rockers?!” Then we did, and it was sweet.
PSU: Can you explain to our readers what the phenomenon known as "Camaro Thursdays" means?
ALEX: When we first started the band, instead of releasing an album we wanted to find a new way to get our music out there while keeping the band fresh in people’s minds. So we decided to release a new single every other week for an entire summer. We chose Thursdays because it’s the perfect day to get the weekend started early. It took off, so when it came time to put out a single for our second record, we opted to push the concept further by releasing a song every other Thursday for almost 3 months.
BRYN: It was also a good excuse for us to leave our houses and throw a party at our practice space.
PSU: Your music has recently been featured in key games like Rock Band and Rock Band 2. What has the impact been like overall for the recognition Bang Camaro is receiving?
ALEX: Video games like Guitar Hero 2 and Rock Band have had an enormous impact for us. When those games were released we did not have a record available in major record stores nor did we have the benefit of airplay on commercial rock radio. But, because of the popularity of these games we were able to get in the van and tour across the US and Canada and play for large crowds everywhere. We owe a lot of our initial exposure to the game developers at Harmonix.
BRYN: Sometimes we get recognized at Taco Bell.
PSU: Do you happen to have a "Gaming Moment in History" that you achieved while gaming that you can share with us?
ALEX: I won 20 dollars in arcade tokens in a coloring contest once. I think I had to color a bunny playing Pac-Man.
BRYN: Back when I was working at Irrational Games (now 2K-Boston), I beat our in-house Starcraft champion with my legions of screaming Terrans. It was a major upset, and took about 2 years to happen. I was very proud of myself, and he was unable to cope with the loss.
PSU: Outside of the obvious Rock Band titles, since you’ve already conquered that market, which games would you like to see your music featured in most?
ALEX: I would love to see my music featured in any video game that features zombies. I don’t care what kind of zombies. Also, FIFA.
BRYN: Dante’s Inferno
PSU: If you can, please rank your band members in order from least talented to most talented on the gaming front. Don’t be shy, we know you can do it.
ALEX: I rank Justin Buckley as most talented because he is a college student and hasn’t done anything productive in his life other than master every song in Rock Band at the expert level. I rank myself the worst.
BRYN: Morgan Brown is a our resident uber-geek. I’ve heard that while hanging out with groupies, he talks to them about video games and tornadoes. (Because they both rule…. Also this is a true story.)
PSU: What do I have to do to become a vocalist in Bang Camaro? I sing off pitch, but with 20 other guys in tune that shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, I’m also good at carrying stuff.
ALEX: If you can’t sing in key, then perhaps you can play guitar in BANG CAMARO like me. Remember to lift with your knees. My amp is heavy.
BRYN: We’re outta here!
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We’d like to thank Alex and Bryn for taking the time to answer our odd questions and we hope our readers will have the chance to check out Bang Camaro’s unique music.
As usual, this is where we give our faithful followers the opportunity to win a copy of the related game and album from the band interviewed. In order to enter, leave a comment below that includes one of your favorite songs from the band. The two winners will be chosen at random, and will receive one copy of Rock Band 2 and one Bang Camaro album. The giveaway will end on March 3, 2009.