I managed to catch up with Christiaan what's his name, aka Sam from AGHAST! The interview was held at Zed One studios in Camden (London) http://www.zed-one-studios.co.uk/

AGHAST! (Yes it’s always capitalized and has an exclamation at the end of the word) are a serious metal band and is not for the faint of heart!  Sam works in advertising and has a very unique sense of humour.  With his skills and personality combined, he has managed to apply all his knowledge and skill to helping to promote his band AGHAST! as well as acquire some endorsements. We'll be talking to Sam about the gear he's now using and how he managed to get hold of it! The band is due to play at the Bloodstock festival, this coming Sunday (August 15, 2010).  Make sure you check them out as they are a band meant to be seen as well as heard!

By what name do you like to be called?

Just call me Christiaan.  People also call me Sam for some reason but you can call me Chris.


Who are your main influences?

I guess Brian May, Eddie Van Halen, Dime Bag Darrel - massively hugely! James Hetfield too. There are loads of other guitarists like Andy Summers and people like that.


So not just metal guitarists?

Absolutely not! I find that there is a majority of “go-to-influences” that people have, James Hetfield etc.  Brian May, Dime Bag and Eddie Van Halen would have been the main ones for me.  The way I grew up playing, is very different to the way a lot of kids these days play.  Kids, nowadays generally sit and jam out to Powertab stuff, where as I was listening to old Sex Pistols records and trying to tune my guitar so it sounded like that.  


Earlier you mentioned Andy Summers.  Do you find you are able to incorporate that style of music, into what you’re doing with the band?

Yeah I try.  The guys in the band do see through it and I am quite transparent about it.  Most of the songs that have clean sections will have loads of chorus effect on the guitars – it’s all 80’s stuff like The Police and Def Leppard, that influence this.


Let’s talk about your gear :) So, you’re currently or soon-to-be endorsed by Blackstar Amps and BC Rich guitars?

Well, hopefully Black Star will be endorsing me, after the Bloodstock festival, should everything go well.

Christiaan - AGHAST!

OK then, you’re currently being leant a Blackstar amp to try out before the festival :)

But I am endorsed by BC Rich guitars. I started using BC Rich guitars, after trying other brands like Ibanez, just because they were readily available but found that they just can't keep up with the vigours. BC Rich are built differently, I don't know how, as I'm not a luthier. A lot of people don't like BC Rich guitars because they're big, baseball bat style, f*****g big guitars. I’m quite a big guy, so when I hit a guitar, I don’t want it to pussy out. The BC’s don’t. They just keep going and roll with the punches. I haven’t had to tune my guitar for 5 shows and that’s because I use D’addario (cough...ahem) strings, with a really heavy gauge.


So what model of Blackstar amp do we have here?

This is the Blackstar Series One 100 head. I tried the 200 and I liked it but it just didn’t have any sort of pinpointable Blackstarish tone. Then I cracked the One 100 open and I was wailing on it for hours.  I was so engrossed in it, I didn’t even realise how long I had spent in Machine Head Music’s guitar amp room. James Hart, one of the guys that works there, came down and said “You’ve been here for hours, what are you playing at?” I had to tell James that it sounded like a hot-rodded Marshall, but it’s just got so much more grunt. It’s like a Peaveyish, sort of, burpy kind of guitar tone. Difficult to describe but it definitely had something unique to the sound.  I was using my Engl Powerball previously, for years.  When the Powerball first came out, I bought the first one that came into the country.  Throughout the years, I ended up modding it so much, it wasn’t even a Powerball anymore.  It took a lot of work to get that tone. I had to change the power tubes and pretty much everything else.  So I spose you could say that it was a Blackstar wannabe, where as the Blackstar was exactly what I was looking for, right out of the box.


How did you get endorsed?

I just pestered BC Rich and said that I was an advocate for the brand.  There were loads of pictures of me with BC Rich guitars and I kept sending them links to the pictures and videos, where I was playing them.  When they brought out the Gunslinger, which is a sort of 80’s retro model, I sent them an email off the cuff.  They never replied to me ever but then the band weren’t really doing too well.  We were actually loathed by everyone in the metal industry. I sent an email to one of the guys at BC, Bjorn and mentioned how amazing the Gunslinger was and got a reply.  After getting booked for Bloodstock, I got an email from Bjorn, saying that I was going to be endorsed.


Would you say that the key to getting endorsed is having a decent gig lined up?

I would say that you have to at least be an advocate of the brand.  I know guys that have been endorsed by loads of brands but they’ve never even tried the stuff before.  I’ve been offered other endorsements before by other bands, but I’ve always gone to BC Rich over everyone else. You also have to raise your profile in such a way that they think that you will benefit them. That sounds really shallow but it’s a business and that’s how things work, otherwise everyone would have free guitars. Not to say they wouldn’t take care of you. Before I was endorsed, I broke one of the necks and they offered to send me a new one, so they are really helpful.  


Would you say that the music industry is fair?

I don’t know about fair, but the music industry is a business and I think that people forget that.  You’ve got to be able to generate interest and turnover.


Do you generate interest mainly from your live performance or your music?

We’ve never had a good recording.  The best way to hear us is live.  It’s all about the show.  The band all grew up watching live music and how to put on a good show, so we like to just get up there have fun and be ourselves.

Interview by Chris Geden
Transcribed and edited by Chris Geden
Photos and Video by Chris Geden

http://www.youtube.com/user/gedenbyfield
http://www.myspace.com/gedenchris
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisgeden