Hi! Today, I have the pleasure to chat with Matt Groupie, lead guitar from King Beez 3rd wave band! Thank you Matt for taking time to answer us. Let's surf and start the interview if you please. ?
SRR: What year was King Beez formed?
Matt Groupie: 2008.
SRR: Who are the members of King Beez?
Matt Groupie: Me, guitar; Mike Crombez, bass; Gavin Parkes, guitar; Robby Sedran, drums.
SRR: From which city did King Beez originate?
Matt Groupie: Thornhill, Ontario, Canada.
SRR: Where the idea of the band name come from?
Matt Groupie: I took the idea from Tom Petty who was originally going to call the Heartbreakers the King Bees.
SRR: Where did the idea to form an instrumental band come from?
Matt Groupie: I was highly inspired by the film soundtrack from Pulp Fiction - I had an early love for Richie Valens - locally I was inspired by the Von Drats who were a Toronto surf band. Initially it wasn't just instrumental but we decided it would be easier to be instrumental so we didn't need a pa system or sound tech ever.
SRR: How did you meet each other?
Matt Groupie: Mike and I played in a band called the Bandits before he joined King Beez. Robby I knew from his work with The Bloody Five and Tonemirror and Gavin I met as a member of Bs101 and is cousins with my good buddy Darryl.
SRR: What were the influences of the band?
Matt Groupie: Motorhead, Link Wray, Ramones, Dick Dale, Richie Valens, Iron Maiden. My personal influences include the artists above plus a lot of Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, AC/DC, The Who and when I was younger a lot of punky stuff like Green Day, Offspring, ya know stuff like that.
SRR: How did you guys describe the band at the time?
Matt Groupie: Raunchy. We've always been kinda regarded as a non surf surf band. We garner punk and metal energy through our music as well as surf and garage so our official style is "metal influenced instrumental surf punk".
SRR: When was your first gig?
Matt Groupie: Summer of 2008 in my friend Steven Harnetts kitchen while his parents were away. It was a fun time.
SRR: What year did you do your first recording?
Matt Groupie: 2008.
SRR: Did you have a label?
Matt Groupie: No label. We put out our music ourselves.
SRR: Which instrument did you used?
Matt Groupie: I uses custom guitars designed by Hansen Kustoms, Traynor head, Marshall 2×12. Gavin uses EVH 5150iii, Traynor YCS50H and Mesa Rec 2x12. Gretsch and Gibson guitars. Robby uses Mapex Saturn drums with a Sonor ascent beech snare and cymbals are mostly Sabian as well as 1 Zildjian, 1 Han-Chi china, Regal tip stucks. Mike uses Yorkville 400 head and Beringer cab, Sterling musicman ray 34 bass.
SRR: What are the effects used on the guitar?
Matt Groupie: I use a boss reverb pedal.
SRR: What type of strings did you use, flatwounds or roundwounds?
Matt Groupie: 10-52 roundwound.
SRR: Were the members in any other band(s)?
Matt Groupie: I also play in Green Jelly, Blackdog Ballroom, Bad Ape, Matt Groupie and the Bandits, Phoenix Complex. Mike Crompez is also in Johnson's Creek. Gavin Parkes is also in Green Jelly and Bs101. Robby Sedan is also in Tonemirror.
SRR: Where can we buy and follow King Beez?
Matt Groupie: We have a Bandcamp and you can follow us on Facebook.
SRR: Thank you very much Matt for taking time to answer me today.
Matt Groupie: Thank you.