ALIEN8 is an amalgam of musical background and tastes. Some of their more profound influences are: A PERFECT CIRCLE, 30 SECONDS TO MARS, SOUNDGARDEN, SHINEDOWN, AEROSMITH, INCUBUS, DARK NEW DAY, TOOL, LED ZEPPLIN, NIN, PINK FLOYD, LES CLAYPOOL, ALTER BRIDGE, HALESTORM, U2, SHUVEL, BIG WRECK, ALICE IN CHAINS, BREAKING BENJAMIN, EARSHOT, SMASHING PUMPKINS, JOHNNY CASH, DAUGHTRY, VELVET REVOLVER, LEO, FLAW, JOURNEY & STABBING WESTWARD.
A8 has had the good fortune of sharing the stage with bands like: FLAW, ADEMA, 12 STONES, MODERN DAY ZERO, SWITCHED, BOBAFLEX, ALLELE, ANEW REVOLUTION, NEUROSONIC and many more.
ALIEN8 uses the following equipment on stage: Gibson Les Paul guitars; Mesa Boogie amps; Mesa cabs; Mesa effects, Rocktron effects, Line-6 effects; Warwick basses; Gretsch Drums, Zildjian cymbals, a load of Travis Barker Signature Series sticks; and any mic that gets mistakenly put in front of James.
1. While the rest of the members were in the cheap seats at the Tool concert, A8 singer and founder, James Dean, was third row, center, at the Daughtry show... not that he could hear it over the deafening screams from nearly 20,000 females. Ironically, James had gone to Daughtry mainly to see the bass player... who wasn't there. It was rumored that he'd skipped out to hang backstage at the Tool concert. Of course, there were enough females to keep him company. Too many, actually. Dean, a life-long stage performer who sang his first solo when he was five, is terrified of public gatherings.
2. At one of his first performances with A8, hard-hitting new drummer Kevin Hollinger smashed not one but two major pieces of hardware. A member of the audience, (and close friend to James who'd been told of his penchant for the destruction of all things percussion), sponsored him and Kevin soon found himself in front of a brand new and much more solid kit. Hollinger hits like a bomb. That is, of course, assuming he remembers to bring sticks. He has to date forgotten so many necessary items that other members have taken to hauling his gear and even know how to set up his kit for fear that the show might not go on.
3. Guitarist and backing vocalist, Owen McLain, suffers from a mild case of O.C.D., causing him to tie his shoelaces tighter than what was previously believed to be humanly possible. Owen isn't alone. When his frontman, James, (who also suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder), is in a car and is about to pass by an oncoming vehicle, Dean's left foot raises as if it was jumping over it. About 2% of the U.S. population has OCD in a given year.
4. Bass player and ALIEN8 funnyman, Daniel Worley, learned all of A8's set in the three days before a big show, when he was originally asked to play in place of the previous member. He did so without ever practicing, (or even meeting with), all of the band. A job so well done that none of the national bands they played the show with had any idea he wasn't a normal part of the group. Daniel was in, becoming the 12th official member of the band. Of course, he had an inside man, as his former lead singer and bass instructor was A8 guitarist, Owen McLain, who was originally a bass player, himself. The have been friends ever since and are often seen horsing around after the shows.
5. Originally a drummer, fast-learning JJ Nold picked up the guitar and eventually became lead guitarist for ALIEN8, but only recently found his sound. Nold went through three major brands of guitars, two types of amplification and a load of effects processors until settling on his current rig - one so full of electronic life that it's known only as "R2". A 3-foot-tall rolling rack of the world's best guitar effects processors, (his actual amp can't even fit in the same rack), that is now so overloaded, it's actually breaking off bracketing bolts from the wheels underneath. Not helped by the fact that JJ sometimes jumps off of the rack at ALIEN8 performances. He’s now investigating an even more elaborate and heavy-duty, custom-built rack.
6. ALIEN8’s first full-length record came out in March of ’08. In the same month, they signed on with the professional management company, Concept Artist Management, played the Chicago House of Blues, played at their CD release in front of 800 people and hit Number 1 on the Ourstage.com Hard Rock charts with ‘I Bid U Well”, out of over 1300 songs posted. “Watch the World”, a song from the heart, has also hit number 1 on the Rock charts.
ALIEN8's album, "Minor Emergency" is available exclusively in Wichita at Borders East, on Rock Road, just north of 13th Street. Please stop in Borders, today, and get your copy or come see the band play at any of their upcoming shows. If you're out of the area, you can download a copy of the record on iTunes, now, as well. Thank you for your support.
