It’s time to get to know Will Pearce, reviewer for AltCorner! We set Will 10 questions about their musical likes, their guilty pleasures and what music means to them.
How would you describe your taste in music?
Diverse. My iPod consists of acoustic, pop/punk, death metal, even dubstep. If I had to describe my perfect go to music, it would have to include a nice blend of pop punky vibes with some heavy elements of breakdowns and screams, and synth/samples.
Who do you consider to be your favourite band and why?
Mest. In my prime of finding my musical direction, I was big on the skate rock, but Mest stood out above all as they have adapted through the years as I have. Starting as a raw punk rock band, moving onto a more punk emo stage, and then the most recent album that stood up to the modern pop/punk albums you hear. Also after finally having the chance to see them in 2012, Tony Lovato was such a nice guy, even found me a place to crash at the 2 shows I managed to attend as I was close to broke, barely affording travel & tickets for the London & Manchester shows. Never forget how he helped me stay off the streets twice.
Who is the best live band you’ve ever seen?
An answer I find myself impossible to answer. With 15 years of gig attending, it truly is a hard question to give a clear answer… I’ll list a few top nominees? Jimmy Eat World when they played Clarity & Bleed American back to back, A Day To Remember at Alexandria Palace when they bought the huge house set, Letlive supporting Your Demise at The Underworld?… Really, I could give a handful more that sit in the top live shows.
What is the one song that you could listen to forever?
Again pretty tough question, my all time favourite song is Mest – Lost, Broken, Confused. I have this tattooed on my wrist. Although I’m not sure I’d want to listen to my favourite song forever, it’s not exactly a hugely interesting song? Just meaningful for me. Okay, a band I am proud to of been a part of and personal favourite we wrote, Sandfire Siren – Pursuit. Every time I listen to it I will think of how much passion we put into the song and making a unique sound.
What album, if any, was a turning point in your ‘musical life’ and why?
Let’s go for the cliché turning point for most people my age… Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory. That band really introduced elements from one extreme to another in rap and metal. They kind of screwed up when they got Jay Z involved though, on a personal level that was their demise for me, by then I’d moved onto heavier bands, and punk rock bands primarily.
In 3 words, what makes a good album or song?
Unique blending styles.
A festival or a gig? Why?
Gigs. I love to see longer sets from the band I want to see. As much as I love festivals to see a mix of bands (and adds up to be cheaper) you know the band can and will put on a more memorable show if it is THEIR show.
Who would be your 3 dream festival headliners?
Story Of The Year
The Offspring
And if I had to go for the impossible, prime years of Queen with the one and only Freddie Mercury.
Who are the best new band you’ve discovered lately that everyone should know about?
I’ve found many bands recently, I am always on the hunt for new bands, so I’m kind of losing track. Off the top of my head, I’d recommend Canadian band Never Say Die (Featuring members of My Darkest Days after the vocalist became the frontman for Three Days Grace) who have that similar sound, and a punk/rock band who’ve recently released a debut album after years together, Newdrive who’s hometowns are based in Sweden & Germany.
What band or artist is your secret, or not so secret, guilty pleasure?
I don’t really have any secret guilty pleasures, I mean, I guess when I think about it there are many pop songs I like, but I think it is more because I’m thinking “That sounds like a great song that will soon be covered by a rock band” usually by the likes of Our Last Night, those guys know how to cover songs right!