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Showing posts with label Cyrus Bolooki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cyrus Bolooki. Show all posts

Wednesday, 26 August 2015

New Found Glory - Boardwalk Empire, Piano & 400,000 Likes

Cyrus Bolooki - New Found Glory
O2 Academy Islington
24/08/2015


It's not every day you get to meet the legends of Pop-Punk and see them warm up for Reading and Leeds Festival, one of the biggest dates in the musical calendar. 

So when we sat down with New Found Glory drummer, Cyrus Bolooki we put a pile of ridiculous questions in front of him. Obviously.  


What decade would you most like to have been born in and why?
That's a great question, and one that I don't think I've ever been asked! I'm currently in the middle of watching the TV series Boardwalk Empireand so I think in the spirit of that show I'll say the 1920s...obviously a very interesting time given how much has changed since then. I don't know about here in the UK, but in the US there was a lot of crazy stuff happening with prohibition and it just seems like it would be a fun time to be born in. However, that being said, I probably wouldn't have lived long (obviously healthcare was nowhere near as advanced as it is now), and I highly doubt I would have ever been able to be in a band and travel all over the world like I have been fortunate enough to do in my life. So on second thought, maybe I'll just stick to my current life, a kid from the 1980s!
Is there any musical instrument that you would love to be able to play?
I'm a drummer by trade yet played guitar before joining NFG, and I started my musical career by playing the piano.  I would love to become better at piano, to the point where there's no effort in playing almost any tune, because I think the piano is one of the best ways to learn music in general, and it is pretty accessible meaning that you can play anything from a small keyboard all the way up to a grand piano, instead of having to purchase an expensive (and/or large) instrument. 
Who is the last person on earth you would want to be stuck in a lift with?
There isn't a specific person, but rather a "type" of person. I would hate to be stuck in a lift with the uber-pessimistic person; the person who immediately would think worst-case scenario, and whose overwhelming anxiety would surely bring us both to a quick end.  Just relax and calm down buddy, and (hopefully) help will come!
What is your favourite memory of being in New Found Glory?
Fortunately we've had plenty of amazing experiences in NFG and it's really hard to pick just one memory. However being that I'm in the UK right now, I can definitely look back on our appearances at Reading Festival as some of the biggest (and best) shows we've ever played as a band. When we played Reading 2 years ago my drum tech posted a picture while we were performing on the main stage of the view from over my shoulders showcasing just how many people were actually there watching us. That picture was later reposted by the official Instagram and ended up receiving over 400,000 likes! It was truly an amazing picture, an amazing show, and an amazing memory that I will always cherish! 
What excites you the most about the future of your band? 
At this point, I'm excited about the fact that NFG has been going strong for almost 20 years now, and that there seems to be no end in sight. Every year we find ourselves traveling to new countries, new cities, and doing things that we never thought imaginable. We continue to write, record, and release new music constantly, and our shows are just as fun now as ever. We've been able to have an amazing career not only in the US but all over the world, and I am truly grateful for the opportunities that have been presented to us. Like I said, there seems to be no end in sight and I want to continue to do this for as long as we can, so just the thought of keeping this going is enough to excite me and hopefully does the same for all the NFG fans out there!

New Found Glory get warmed up for Reading and Leeds

Jordan Pundik - Vocals
O2 Academy Islington
24/08/2015
With Reading and Leeds just days away it was only right that New Found Glory treated the UK to some warm-up shows. We caught all the action at the O2 Academy Islington on Monday as they stretched those festival muscles ahead of their Lock Up stage headline slot on Friday.  

The Pop-Punk legends erupted onto the stage with Selfless, from their 2014 album Resurrection, which set the relentless pace for the work out that they were going to pull the crowd through.

But these guys didn’t get their legendary status for nothing. They kept that fast and sweaty pace through the epic 23-song set which encompassed just a few of the highlights of their extensive career.

And that’s just one of my favourite things about New Found Glory. They can rock out a song from an album released just last year like Selfless, The Worst Person and Vicious Love (their rereleased single) but they can also offer 00’s classics like Sincerely Me, Dressed to Kill and of course My Friends Over You and absolutely nail that too.

Ian Grushka - Bass Guitar 
O2 Academy Islington
24/08/2015
It’s the benefit of having a tight band who have been making music for nearly 20 years and, in 8 studio albums, have never wavered in recording just exactly who they are just because they’re the best at it.

Drummer Cyrus Bolooki mentioned the length of New Fond Glory's exceptional career when he faced the Louder Now Grab Bag. You can read that here! 

And when they’re bored of playing the songs that they’ve written themselves over the past two decades, they can belt out a pretty impressive cover as well. Tonight they played The Goo Goo Doll’s Iris and it was spectacular. (The night after, also in Islington, they played Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer. I imagine that was also incredible seen as the recorded version has always been a favourite.)

Jordan Pundik - Vocals
O2 Academy Islington
24/08/2015
This was the first time I had seen New Found Glory for a really long time and it was great to see that the exit of their guitarist Steve Klein in 2013 has had no detrimental effect on their live performance. It’s extraordinary to see how they have adapted so well to being a quartet. Those classics are still as good as ever.

It didn’t take long before Jordan Pundik (vocals) was up against the barrier singing directly into the faces of the crowd, running the length of the pit high-fiving the fans in the front row. It’s always nice to see the great bands spending quality time in the crowd.
Chad Gilbert - Guitar 
O2 Academy Islington
24/08/2015

“This doesn’t feel like an actual gig,” adds Chad Gilbert (guitar) from the stage, “This feels like a private party with people we all have mutual respect for.” He was 100% right.   

The energy tonight was absolutely ferocious, with New Found Glory on top form and looking primed for Reading and Leeds this weekend. So if you’re heading over there then make sure you check them out on the Lock-Up stage (Friday at Reading and Saturday at Leeds.)

And if you’re going to Reading…SEE YOU THERE!