Man, Blue Rumble would have been BIG in the late 60s/early 70s. Their style of improvised acid rock would resonated big time with the flower power crowd, but also with the generation that came after, wanting their rock as lysergic but heavier resulting in Black Sabbath, Leaf Hound, Blue Cheer, and the likes. Blue Rumble wanted to be a part of that scene, they don’t disguise it, even their moniker gives it away. And to be fair, they would have rocked it back then.
But hey; they are rocking it right now, and we all still love to be taken on a trip like this. Wandering guitar solos, John Bonham inspired thundering drums, beautifully rumbling bass lines, and an organ that hits all the right places. It is all there, and Blue Rumble plays it from the heart, lives it, breathes it. Not just emulating things from the past, but creating their own.
The biggest compliment perhaps for an instrumental jam band like Blue Rumble is that you would almost forget that they are. The vocals are hardly missed when the music is constantly taking you to interesting places with so much to see and hear. If you didn’t know of them before, you know now, and this vinyl EP is an excellent way to get acquainted.
I talked to the band and guitarist Andrea Gelardini, and bassist Sebastien Metens responded. This is the introduction to their band, of which no doubt we will hear plenty more in the future. Let’s dive into the world of Blue Rumble!
How are you? How has the pandemic period been for Blue Rumble?
Andrea: We’re doing well, during the pandemic like many people we suddenly had more time than usual on our hands, and that’s when we recorded our debut LP. So, in a sense, we made the best of that free time.
Sebastien: We would have been a remote band regardless of the pandemic–given that all of us live in different countries–so COVID didn’t affect us in the way it would have done for a more conventional band. We didn’t have any gigs planned, so there was no issue on that front.
Can you introduce the band, and how did you meet, etc?
Andrea: I’m Andrea, the guitarist, I’m from Italy. Sebastien plays bass and is from Luxembourg. Ronaldo plays keyboards and is from Brazil. Harry, is our drummer and is American. Living on different continents means we record our music remotely, we haven’t actually met in person but only through video-calls. The idea of starting the band came to Ronaldo and me while discussing our musical influences. We noticed we like the same things in music, and decided to look for like-minded band mates.
Sebastien: Andrea and I have known each other online for quite a few years now–the early 2010s, if I remember correctly. We met through the music platform last[.]fm and started exchanging messages after finding that our tastes coincided. In the intervening years we started a band (again remote) called Occhio e Croce, with Andrea on guitar and me on drums and bass. One of Andrea’s friends also contributed keyboards on some tracks. The songs weren’t terribly good in retrospect, particularly because I would lay down the drums without listening to an accompanying guitar track; this meant that I would speed up or slow down unintentionally, having no reference tempo on which to base my playing. We re-recorded (properly, this time) one of the songs from that period with Blue Rumble; you can find it on our LP as the song “Occhio e Croce”. I met Andrea in Rome in around 2015 and we had a short jam session in a studio. Fast-forwarding to the formation of Blue Rumble and Andrea contacted me when the band were in the middle of recording “Occhio e Croce”, asking me if I’d like to play bass on the track. I did and I stayed on, relieving Ronaldo of having to record both keyboards and bass going forward.
What can you tell me about your musical backgrounds?
Andrea: I come from classic rock, when I was very young I fell in love with the music of Led Zeppelin and the Jimi Hendrix Experience; the intensity, passion and sheer musical genius is what caught my interest in these two bands. From then over the years I’ve been listening to all kinds of music and I’ve been expanding my horizons. Progressive rock, psychedelic rock, folk, blues and jazz are genres I often listen to; with an ear always open for unusual sounds and underground oddities.
Sebastien: Although I listened to classic rock when I was a child–I remember in particular listening to mixtapes of Deep Purple albums on my Walkman cassette player during long car journeys–it wasn’t until I was about 19/20 years old when I really fell in love with music. Seeing footage of Led Zeppelin playing “We’re Gonna Groove” at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970 struck a chord with me–in particular Bonham’s drumming. Listening to Black Sabbath‘s first album all the way through for the first time was another pivotal moment: I had never heard such a heavy sound whilst still exhibiting blues and jazz underpinnings. I got my first (and only) drum kit shortly after that, but I only had the opportunity to practise regularly starting from 2010. I considered the drums my main instrument, playing bass only when Andrea and I needed a bass track for one of our Occhio e Croce songs. It was when I was given the opportunity to join Blue Rumble that I took my bass-playing more seriously. In fact, I don’t currently have the space for my drum kit, so I don’t play drums anymore.
What can you tell me about the current vinyl release on We Here Now/Echodelick/Ramble Records?
Andrea: The vinyl release of our upcoming EP is set for July 28th. We’re stoked to be part of this team of wonderful people who showed interest in getting our music out there. Really looking forward to release day!
Sebastien: The EP on Echodelick consists of four tracks: there are two songs from our digital single release and two taken from our self-titled, privately-pressed LP. The former pair, “Brasas” and “Blue Lightning”, haven’t had a vinyl release until now.
Who are some contemporary musical heroes of yours?
Andrea: Some of my favorite contemporary artists are Kevin Parker, Jack White, and Sven Wunder. In the past few decades there have been bands/artists who influenced me as a guitarist, I’m a big fan of the work of Surprise Chef, Soft Power, The Strokes, Radio Moscow and many more. Although I would say I’m more grounded in the 60s/70s music-wise, I still enjoy plenty of modern artists.
Sebastien: I don’t listen to modern artists very often these days. That said, Paul Marrone (Cosmic Wheels/Radio Moscow/Psciomagia/Birth/Pazzo/etc.) was a big influence on me throughout the years, as was his brother Vincent (when they were in a band together called Cosmic Wheels). Both very talented musicians and songwriters. I like what’s coming out of the San Diego area in terms of progressive rock, and that’s usually where I go looking when I want to find a new (modern) band to listen to.
Can you tell me about how you go about composing and recording songs?
Sebastien: One of us–usually Andrea, Ronaldo, or me lays down an initial, rough track. The other band members then add their tracks on top in succession, generally at home, using their own DAW software. This method of recording involves a lot of sharing of files, as you can imagine. Harry, the drummer, adds extra percussion–in addition to his main drum track–as the very last step for some songs. When we’re satisfied, we send off all the individual tracks to our producer, who works his magic.
What are your immediate and long term future plans?
Sebastien: We have several new songs worked out; it’s just a matter of each of us finding the time to record. Currently, we’re in the middle of working on one of my compositions
Weirdo Shrine 