LOVEBOMB is comprised of 4 guys with different musical tastes who put aside their differences to create what they really want to get out of being in a band and making music. Andrew Fullerton is the chief song writer and guitarist, Art Amici, the drummer and producer, Matt Robison, the powerful singer, and Nate Malara completes the band on bass.
On October 12, 2003 Matt Robinson and Andrew Fullerton leave Andrew’s house in Upper Darby and exclaim, “We just have a few things to pick up, before we make our way to Art’s place!” By a few things, the two apparently meant a camcorder and Nate Malara, their bass player. The guitarist, singer, and bassist took off and would soon be crossing the Commodore Barry Bridge and entering an extremely pungent smelling New Jersey. Heading off the Mantua exit, the band made its way to Art’s place.
The apartment of Art Amici opened up to a large screen television with ESPN’s NFL Primetime highlight show on. Behind the television was a wavy black metal entertainment set, with a wavy mirror, almost directly next to it. Five *N Sync action figures, still in their boxes stood facing anyone who entered, with the exception of Joey Fatone who’s box was turned sideways. Art would later explain that he believed that his deceased mother turned the box, in a way of communicating with Art, being that Fatone was Amici’s mother’s favorite *N Sync member. “My sister and my mother think that Joey was the hottest,” Amici remarked.
The band was settling into the apartment and filming a version of their “Cribs” before the interview began. Amici showed off a drumhead that featured his own picture when he was a singer and had dark hair. Before the interview began, Ken Baumbach who was taking pictures and asking for biographical information took a seat across from Nate Malara at a small table. A slow trickle could be heard and Nate slowly grinned. Then came a loud belch, it was Art peeing with the bathroom door open. After that, the band was ready to get down to business. Art took a seat in between me and Robinson on the couch, while Fullerton was checking out Art’s CD collection stretched out on the floor.
Q&A
Question: How has the band progressed since the breakup of Premium (a previous band that featured Andrew, Matt, and Art)?
Andrew: Premium broke up in the summer of 2001, and we have since progressed from a studio project to an actual live band. It’s completely different because we are going out, playing shows, and getting heard by more and more people.
Question: What exactly does the band look for when selecting a venue to play at?
Art: Other than simply a place to play, you would like to have monitors so you can hear yourself and make adjustments. You also would like a sound technician that knows what he is talking about, someone not like the guy who was at Abilene’s when you saw us play. That guy thought he knew what he was talking about, but he was a j— off.
At this point Fullerton gets up and looks at the big screen T.V. from behind the couch. “Yo, Art this is it. The show called ‘Cold Pizza,’ ‘the morning show with everything.'” Everyone looked up, and sure enough it was an advertisement for a new ESPN morning show called Cold Pizza, with the catch phrase of “it’s the morning show with everything.”
All: Laughs.
Art began to flip through the television channels as I asked my next question.
Question: How do you know when a song works or doesn’t work? Is this something the band works out?
Art: All of that is worked out before it is even brought to the band. Andrew is a great songwriter; he really knows how to craft a song. (Art stop flipping channels when he reached Comcast’s music choice, which featured Meatloaf) He writes the music and the lyrics, which is hard to do.
Andrew: We have a large catalog of songs that are on the backburner right now. There are some songs that we don’t play anymore, because they just get old, fast. What are you watching?
Art: Listen to this a–hole (Meatloaf)! He should die; he even has that ‘retarded Apollonia backup singer chick.
Matt: I think you actually like Meatloaf.
Art: I like his one album, I have the making of it over there, (points to entertainment center) but he probably should have died like 15 minutes after he made it. After that he thought he could be some big superstar, and actor, then he apparently went back to music.
After catching our collective breaths from laughing, we ventured back into questions.
Question: OK, so here it is; the question that starts arguments. The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones, which band is the one that you most want to aspire to be, which had a greater impact on you?
Andrew: I think my shirt pretty much gives away my answer. (Fullerton was sporting the infamous black shirt with Red lips, a dead give away to his preference for the Stones.) I mean both bands had the songs, but the Stones had the attitude with the songs, and they were uglier. Then again, the Beatles had a better career guide. The Stones have worn out their welcome like 10 times now. So I guess their both great for different reasons, lets just leave it at that.
Nate: I don’t know; the Beatles were kind of bad asses for their time.
Art: Shut the f— up Nate. Who would walk down a street and be like, “Oh no there’s Paul McCartney; I might get my a– beat.” McCartney is a big dork.
Nate: Yeah, but John Lennon was a bad a– for his time.
Nate is obviously the Beatle fan of the group, he was wearing a shirt and tie at Abilene’s, and had a mop top to boot. This started an absolute razzing of Nate, which was followed by a praising of Nate, as LOVEBOMB explained who else they like in music.
Art: Actually, I like the Who more than those other two bands.
Matt: If you look at our band we kind of follow their mold.
Andrew: Yeah, you guys saw that Artie is a crazy man when he plays the drums.
Art: And our guitarist (Andrew) writes the songs, and he knows Matt’s vocal range and what he can and can’t sing, oh yeah, and Nate’s middle name is Boris.
All: Laughs.
Matt: Actually, Nate had a bass and showed up, so we let him into the band.
Art: When he first showed up, I was like you have to be f—— kidding me; I’m not playing with this kid.
Andrew: We had a choice between Nate and some other kid. Should we tell them? (Laugh).
Matt: Yeah, (laugh) but the other kid had his mouth wired shut. He actually went to Cabrini (College).
All: Laughs.
Nate: I actually played guitar before I was in this band.
Art: Yeah, Nate actually played guitar and so we made him switch to bass because he sucked. Now he has four strings to play instead of six. Just kidding. Nate was eager to learn how to play the bass, and he does what he’s asked to do.
Andrew: Nate is definitely the one member of this band that has truly earned his spot in the band.
Nate: Artie and Franny Smith Jr. from the Hooters gave me the basic fundamentals of playing bass.
Andrew: Why in the hell is this still on?
Meatloaf’s concert session was still on T.V. and the proverbial s— hit the fan when suddenly Meatloaf, of all people, strapped on a guitar.
Art: Come on and play the d— thing. (Meatloaf was standing with his arms spread out, while the band kept playing. Meatloaf never played the guitar.)
Matt: I think we need someone like Meatloaf, a novelty that you just like for 15 minutes and throw away. What are you going to call this interview, (after putting it together with Nate) something like, “Meatloaf would do anything for love, but this bomb wouldn’t let him do that.”
Question: All right, this is the last question, Are there any current bands that you like, and if so which ones do you like?
Andrew: It’s weird, you want to like the newer bands and support them, but most of them aren’t worth the time. There are some that I like. I like some in the alternative country thing that’s going on, like Ryan Adams; I also like this band called The Choral. The Choral are kind of like a ’60s garage sea chantey music. I think we all have a lot of guilty pleasures that say more about us. I like the Barenaked Ladies, how can you not? Their fun guys who write some good stuff.
Art: I like a lot of different people, A Perfect Circle, Marilyn Manson, Dokken, and some of my guilty pleasures are Katie Lang, John Mayer, Toto, George Michael and uh not Meatloaf.
Nate: Nothing.
Art: What the f—? People are going to look at this and be like what the f— is wrong with Nate, he doesn’t like anything. What about the Foo Fighters? You can’t tell me you don’t like them, if Dave Grohl walked through that door right now, you would probably suck his d—.
Nate: Yeah I like them; I also like Prince and a lot of ’80s bands like Flock of Seagulls, and (smothered with sarcasm) the first Debbie Gibson album. All stuff that Matt has to delete from my computer. I’m actually into some classical stuff too like Mozart.
Matt: Actually, Nate and I went to see the Foo Fighters in New York, and the opening band was great. Their called My Morning Jacket; they kind of sound like CCR (Credence Clearwater Revival), they were great live and their CD is really cool. My guilty pleasure is definitely Reel Big Fish. They are a great live band, the best I’ve ever seen
Asked for a final note; Art had this to say.
Art: This band is taking all the right steps to becoming something. They are working with their songs to make them the best they can be, and they have experience on stage and in the studio.
The final credits of the Meatloaf concert were running down the screen, and no one could believe that it actually stayed on for that long. The interview too, like Meatloaf’s career, was over. The band continued to play around with the camcorder as Ken and I made our way back to Pennsylvania. The only thing we could remember about the interview without looking at our notes is that Meatloaf should have be dead long ago; there is no clear winner in The Beatles vs. The Stones question, and Nate is the whipping boy. Oh yeah, and we still don’t really know what LOVEBOMB means.
End.
