3D In Your Face is an 80’s tribute hair Rock/Metal band, they are amazing in my perspective, I have listened to and enjoyed all their songs and they won my heart from the start. Bringing back the rocking style of Def Leppard, Poison, Whitesnake and more, these guys have aced their instruments and their style. This is my interview with their rocking bassist Sam ‘Spade’ Morris and their answers to the questions just make them even more awesome.
How did you guys get together and start the band?
3D In Your Face started way back in 1999 by our lead singer Alan ‘Hot Rod’ King. Alan played and toured all throughout the 80’s. In 1999 music and especially music in the Midwest USA had become boring and stale. There was a need for something new and different. He decided that he would put together a band that played 80’s hair Metal/Glam Rock and put on an over-the-top spectacle of a performance. This was before there where tribute bands on every corner. 3D In Your Face was an instant hit due in no small part to the popularity of the glam metal and the over-the-top theatrics of the show. After many lineup changes over the years Jeremy ‘The Playboy’ Deans was recruited to play drums. Guitar virtuoso Chris ‘Sniper’ Hineline was the next piece of the puzzle. I was actually with the band on the sidelines for many years as the guitar tech and stage manager. When the bass player position opened up I jumped at the opportunity and learned the set-list in a month. The current lineup we have now has been together almost three years. We have done three tours together, recorded and released Midnight Devils on Dec. 6th 2013, and we are working on our next album hopeful due out by Dec. of 2014.
Is there any significant meaning to your names and the band name?
First of all I wish I had an awesome story for you about the band name. I get asked this question all the time. The idea for the band name was to clue anybody and everybody in as to what we were doing with just the name. “3D In Your Face” is an unapologetic, unabashed high energy Rock N Roll circus. When you say “3D In Your Face” you are talking about lasers, pyro, big hair, tight pants, and loud guitars. In no other words it’s “In Your Face” Rock N Roll. As for the names of the guys in the band, each member has been outfitted with a special nickname. Our singer Hot Rod got his name because he is the front man, the flashy one. He blows fire on stage every night. He is the ring leader. Plus he loves everything with an engine. Sniper the guitar player got his name because he is an ex-US Army Ranger. He served his country in two theaters of war as a Sniper in the 82nd Airborne. Our drummer The Playboy’s nickname is pretty self explanatory. He is blonde, thin, and hilarious. He flips the sticks and gets the chicks. My name is Spade and I got my name from an old radio detective named Sam Spade. My first night out with the band Hot Rod called me Spade and 9 years later everyone calls me Spade.
Being an 80’s themed band, who is your favorite band/artist back in the 80?
I love a lot of music from the 80’s but honestly it doesn’t just have to be music from that decade. Sure the music was amazing then and that was the height of Rock N Roll but I love music with that raw primal emotion. I love music with that swing and swagger. I was first really drawn to KISS and they are still my favorite band to this day. I also was highly influenced by early glam bands like The New York Dolls, punk bands like The Ramones, and even metal bands like Iron Maiden. I think my favorite band from the 80’s would have to be Twisted Sister. I think that Dee Snider is the president of Glam Rock N Roll and songs like You Can’t Stop Rock N Roll, I Wanna Rock and We’re Not Gonna Take are the back bones of 80’s hair metal.
What inspired the lyrics to your songs?
A lot of the lyrics for our Midnight Devils album were inspired by actual events and things that happened to us as a band out on the road. From the time we decided to write this album until the time it was finished was about two years. The songs came from the things we saw, the things we read, and the things we experienced. Our first single Generetion Durt is about being broke and having to work every day just to get by but still being happy and determined to make something out of life. I found a lot of inspiration in angels and demons, both playing against each other in a cosmic battle for our souls. The good, the bad, and the ugly. There are other songs that deal with love and finding that one true love. As well there are songs that strictly have to do with sex, the down and dirty kind. All 12 tracks I believe come from a very honest place. Mostly we write about loving Rock N Roll.
If each of you had to pick any other job, what would it be?
I believe that Hot Rod would be a Nascar driver. Sniper would be a professional life coach. The Playboy would be an antiques dealer. I would probably be a teacher.
This was a very tough question because we already have the best job in the world. I don’t think any of us would trade this job for something else. It gets in your blood.
Whose idea was it do dress accordingly to the 80’s era?
The idea to dress like a glam band from the 80’s started with Hot Rod but I think it was just such a natural thing to do. Bands at the time where wearing shorts and sandals with backwards baseball hats on stage. It was appalling. Each gut in 3D In Your Face derives his look and style from the bands and the music that they were influenced by. I started out playing in a touring punk rock band wearing fishnet shirts and lipstick. To this day it has become our battle armor, our war attire. The clothes are an extension of our individual personalities. When I was a kid and even to this day I didn’t want to go and see bands that didn’t look the part. I wanted bands to look and act like Rockstars, larger than life performers. I have the attitude that the stage is yours, the people paid for a show and you damn well better give them a show. The bigger and brighter the better. Nothing is off limits.
Do you have any advice to other bands who want to show off a bold image?
Never ever back down and never ever give in. People hated KISS when they were first starting out. They hated the look and the music. Look at KISS now. Be proud of who you are and be proud of your individuality. Don’t think that we still don’t get called names every day on a regular basis because of the way we look. The trick is to not let it bother you or get under your skin. To me eye liner and hairspray is normal who is anybody else to tell me differently.
Do you have any setbacks this day and age because of your image?
No, not really anymore. People will always talk and they will always mumble behind our backs. They will put us down because of the way we look but in reality they are jealous that we are out there chasing our dreams and living life by our rules. When we step out on stage usually peoples jaws drop and they can’t believe their eyes. By the second song in we have them hook line and sinker. People listen with their eyes and when they see the passion we have for the music that we play that can’t help but get on board. Our goal every night is to win you by the second song. We are passionate about what we do and it shows on stage.
What message are you trying to send with your music?
We are saying, purely and simply, follow your dreams and never give up on what makes you happy. If you believe in something so badly that you are willing to give up everything than you are willing to go the distance. 3D In Your Face started out as a band for fans of Rock N Roll and to this day I believe we are no different than any person in our audience. We are no better or worse. We are all fans of dirty, sweaty, down-in-the-gutter loud Rock N Roll. We are all in this together. We promote individuality and dedication. We promote passion and emotion in our music.
Tell us about your first time on stage? When was it and was the audience feedback?
My first time on stage was roughly ten years ago and it wasn’t so much of a stage as it was a backyard. My band was asked to play a party at a girl’s house when her parents had left for the weekend. We showed up early set up and thought we were kings of the world. I was wearing an Iron Maiden head band and playing an Ace Frehley Les Paul. My mother had custom designed me a shirt that looked like a cross between Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne during the Black Sabbath years. It was one of those with the long fringe that hung down from the arms. As soon as the sun went down we stepped out into the backyard and hit the first chord. The audience which was full of underage drunk kids freaked out and started running because we were so loud. Needless to say we played about 5 terrible under-rehearsed songs to 15 people. It was a magical evening that I will never forget.
How has your music developed since the first album to the third one?
I wasn’t around for the making of the first album but I was there for the second and third. On our latest album Midnight Devils we wanted to focus more on straight-ahead guitar oriented Rock N Roll. We wanted the songs to be fast and mean. We wanted it to sound like the band did live on stage. We enlisted the help of our live sound engineer Troy Way to produce, mix, and master the album. I think Troy captured our sound right on the nose. Most of the songs had been rehearsed and were ready to be recorded before we even hit the studio. Some we had even played live to feel them out with a live audience. Our main goal was to take all of our influences whether it be KISS, Whitesake, Van Halen, or Motley Crue and mix them together. But we also wanted to give this album a modern feel. We didn’t want to set out to recreate Appetite or another album from the 80’s. We wanted the songs to be relevant to people listen to our music today. Our goal was to make a good solid Rock N Roll record with no filler and no loose ends. I believe Midnight Devils was inspired by the 80’s but is an album that stands up in 2014.
Anything thing you would like to say to your fans?
Our fans mean everything to us and without them we wouldn’t be here today. They have dubbed themselves the 3D In Your Face Army. Thank you for all the years. We love you and we are very honored to be doing what we love because of your dedication and support.
KEEP THE FAITH
I STILL BELIEVE IN ROCK N ROLL
Sam Spade
Thank you guys for the amazing music, and I can’t wait for your next album. ROCK ON!!
