Spread the Social Love:
Down are one of those so called ‘Supergroups’ that lazy journo’s love so much, consisting of members from Crowbar, Corrosion of Conformity and Pantera. But the band is more than the sum of its parts. Over the space of three albums the band has forged a murky, sludgy, down tuned path of southern fried riffs and guttural soulful vocals proving that not all bands made up of members from other more high profile acts are made out of vanity and rockstar boredom.
I was lucky enough to catch up with lead guitarist Kirk Windstein at the High Voltage festival in London to discuss Down, touring with AC/DC, Crowbar, Kingdom of Sorrow and the future.
Altsounds: Hey man, Hows it going?
Kirk: Busy man, I’ve been on a mad schedule lately between Down and Crowbar.
Altsounds: You’ve just completed the new Crowbar album haven’t you?
Kirk: No, its written but I can’t find time to do it. I just got back from 26 days in Europe and right before that we did a show in Switzerland and Down supported AC/DC in Romania and before that I did a tour with Sepultura and Crowbar. Now I get to go home and have 10 days off before starting rehearsals with Kingdom of Sorrow to do Ozzfest.
Altsounds: The Kingdom of Sorrow is already out, that’s been out about a month now.
Kirk: Yeah, that’s already out. Its just trying to get time for the Crowbar one, it’s written. It’s been so long its like if it comes out in January instead of November its no big deal.
Altsounds: How are you feeling about being back here in the UK?
Kirk: Its cool, I’ve been here a lot and everything’s in English so you can pick up a magazine or watch TV or whatever. I’m definitely looking forward to the show today.
Altsounds: How do you feel about being asked to play the first ever High Voltage Festival?
Kirk: Really good, especially for a band like us. I know we’re playing the Metal Hammer stage but most of the bands here like Heaven & Hell, ZZ Top, UFO, and Wishbone Ash I grew up with so it's kinda cool to play with other types of bands that are hard rock with a metal edge. We usually get lumped in with metal bands probably due to our other bands like Pantera and Crowbar so its kinda nice to play with guys I really grew up listening to instead of playing with 20 death metal bands or something. Nothing against those guys, some of them are good friends, but Down has nothing really in common with them.
Altsounds: Feeling a bit starstruck this weekend then?
Kirk: Yeah, a little. Well Heaven & Hell we toured with so still kinda starstruck but it’s cool. Bumped into Glenn Hughes and Billy Gibbons at the hotel and basically had lunch with them, that was kinda trippy eating a shrimp cocktail with Billy Gibbons with Glenn Hughes sitting next to me.
Altsounds: Why did you decide on this as your only UK show of this year?
Kirk: The pay's good (laughs), probably cos of the other bands on the bill we felt like we don’t like being pigeonholed as a metal band because that’s not all we have to offer. We’re much more influenced by seventies bands and, so many of them, in fact all of them I grew up with, so I was pleased we got to do it and it’s a nice change of pace for us.
Altsounds: What kind of set are people going to get from Down this weekend?
Kirk: A little bit of everything, I think we are opening with ‘Eyes of the South’ so that will be cool, usually when we do a festival it’s a lot different to the evening with Down stuff we do, we have to play a shorter set and Phil likes to keep things rolling. Because it’s a festival there are a lot of things we do in a venue with lights and ambient songs like ‘No Return’ and ‘Jail’ that we don’t do here because it doesn’t really fit out in the burning sun. All these weird trip out weed smoking songs don’t really go over well at a festival, so we do more of the hard stuff to try and keep it tight.
Altsounds: You guys are also working on a new album right now as well right?
Kirk: Right. Before we came out we did 3 new tracks, so its cool. I’m looking forward to getting back and finishing the Crowbar record and getting into writing for the new Down album.
Altsounds: Do you have an idea on the turnaround for the new Down album?
Kirk: Actually I can’t speak of that, not for legal reasons or anything like that (laughs) we have a crazy ace up our sleeve if you will as to what’s going on release wise, its something really different and I cant elaborate any further.
Altsounds: The rumoured title for the new album is Down IV. Is there any truth to that?
Kirk: No cos if you knew what was going on you’d understand.
Altsounds: Oh right, OK. Are you going to be playing any new songs this weekend?
Kirk: No, not this weekend.
Altsounds: Down are a band that’s get better with each release. Did you ever imagine the band would be around this long or get to this level when you put it together back in 1991?
Kirk: In a way we did. We always spoke about Down when we’d be together at a barbecue or something like watching a Saints game and drinking beers, or whatever. We’d always get to talking about Down, even if we might have had a couple of years where we did nothing we were like how much longer can we do this, everyone’s falling apart Phil’s got fucking rods in his back and just got his knee operated on, my shoulders are shot.
Altsounds: Rex just had surgery as well didn't he?
Kirk: Yeah Rex just had surgery, which was more of a drinking thing.
Altsounds: Pretty much a "cut out the drink or you’ll be fucked kind of thing…."?
Kirk: Right, exactly. I spoke to Zakk (Wylde) yesterday and Zakk kinda beat Rex to the punch in the sense that the doctor told him to stop and he stopped, doctor told Rex to stop and he didn’t stop. You can get burnt out on it man.
Altsounds: You guys also have a DVD coming out called ‘Diary of a mad band’ what can we expect from it?
Kirk: It's basically our 2006 reunion tour in chronological order, when we decided to put the band back together and make it a proper band. It starts in Hamburg Germany which is the first show, then through to Download, which actually wasn’t the last show cos we also did one in Ireland but other than that its in chronological order, it’s one song from each of those shows. Its not like a Pantera behind the scenes with everybody cutting up and drinking, titties everywhere kinda thing because we could never top that cos Dime was a genius when it came to stuff like. We made more of a seventies style rock & roll kind of movie like the ones I grew up watching, a lot more along the lines of ‘The Song remains the same’ by Led Zeppelin or ‘Let there be rock’ by AC/DC. It’s a movie.
Altsounds: There were a few legal reasons that have held up the DVD’s release. Have they been resolved now?
Kirk: It had better be (laughs). The way we look at it now is that we’re not downing it, no pun intended, but we’re so much better than that now, because when we got back together Phil had only just gotten over back surgery, but it’s a very good representation of where we were at then and it’s a good rock & roll movie regardless.
Altsounds: When are we going to see Down back in the UK after this. What has next year got in store for you guys?
Kirk: Not sure really, we’re just writing right now and that’s our main priority you know, writing the material and getting it out cos its been long enough and we aren’t getting any younger (laughs)
Altsounds: I must admit I’m looking forward to hearing some new Down material, its been 3 years since the last album.
Kirk: Which for us isn’t even that long.
Altsounds: It’s probably your shortest time between releases.
Kirk: It is, because we’re doing select festivals here and there. We’re doing one in Spain next Sunday and then we have one in Switzerland, we supported AC/DC in Romania which was a dream come true. 50,000 capacity and we’re opening for AC/DC! It was sold out and was a very cool experience.
Funny thing was their guitar tech told us that the eagle ramp they use was only for Angus and Brian only so first thing we opened up with, (I can’t remember what it was) I turn around and Phil’s 50 feet out on the ramp, I’m looking at the guitar tech like ‘I guess Phil didn’t get the text or whatever’ (laughs). So at the end, me and Pepper were like "what are they gonna do? Throw us off the tour?" Its only one show man so we were way the fuck out there rocking out to ‘Bury me in Smoke.’
Altsounds: Fucking awesome man!
Kirk: Yeah afterward they were pretty cool about it, but yeah we need to get back into the writing process again man for sure.
Altsounds: Well we're all looking forward to it. Thank you very much for your time Kirk its been a pleasure.
Kirk: You're welcome man.
I was lucky enough to catch up with lead guitarist Kirk Windstein at the High Voltage festival in London to discuss Down, touring with AC/DC, Crowbar, Kingdom of Sorrow and the future.
Altsounds: Hey man, Hows it going?
Kirk: Busy man, I’ve been on a mad schedule lately between Down and Crowbar.
Altsounds: You’ve just completed the new Crowbar album haven’t you?
Kirk: No, its written but I can’t find time to do it. I just got back from 26 days in Europe and right before that we did a show in Switzerland and Down supported AC/DC in Romania and before that I did a tour with Sepultura and Crowbar. Now I get to go home and have 10 days off before starting rehearsals with Kingdom of Sorrow to do Ozzfest.
Altsounds: The Kingdom of Sorrow is already out, that’s been out about a month now.
Kirk: Yeah, that’s already out. Its just trying to get time for the Crowbar one, it’s written. It’s been so long its like if it comes out in January instead of November its no big deal.
Altsounds: How are you feeling about being back here in the UK?
Kirk: Its cool, I’ve been here a lot and everything’s in English so you can pick up a magazine or watch TV or whatever. I’m definitely looking forward to the show today.
Altsounds: How do you feel about being asked to play the first ever High Voltage Festival?
Kirk: Really good, especially for a band like us. I know we’re playing the Metal Hammer stage but most of the bands here like Heaven & Hell, ZZ Top, UFO, and Wishbone Ash I grew up with so it's kinda cool to play with other types of bands that are hard rock with a metal edge. We usually get lumped in with metal bands probably due to our other bands like Pantera and Crowbar so its kinda nice to play with guys I really grew up listening to instead of playing with 20 death metal bands or something. Nothing against those guys, some of them are good friends, but Down has nothing really in common with them.
Altsounds: Feeling a bit starstruck this weekend then?
Kirk: Yeah, a little. Well Heaven & Hell we toured with so still kinda starstruck but it’s cool. Bumped into Glenn Hughes and Billy Gibbons at the hotel and basically had lunch with them, that was kinda trippy eating a shrimp cocktail with Billy Gibbons with Glenn Hughes sitting next to me.
Altsounds: Why did you decide on this as your only UK show of this year?
Kirk: The pay's good (laughs), probably cos of the other bands on the bill we felt like we don’t like being pigeonholed as a metal band because that’s not all we have to offer. We’re much more influenced by seventies bands and, so many of them, in fact all of them I grew up with, so I was pleased we got to do it and it’s a nice change of pace for us.
Altsounds: What kind of set are people going to get from Down this weekend?
Kirk: A little bit of everything, I think we are opening with ‘Eyes of the South’ so that will be cool, usually when we do a festival it’s a lot different to the evening with Down stuff we do, we have to play a shorter set and Phil likes to keep things rolling. Because it’s a festival there are a lot of things we do in a venue with lights and ambient songs like ‘No Return’ and ‘Jail’ that we don’t do here because it doesn’t really fit out in the burning sun. All these weird trip out weed smoking songs don’t really go over well at a festival, so we do more of the hard stuff to try and keep it tight.
Altsounds: You guys are also working on a new album right now as well right?
Kirk: Right. Before we came out we did 3 new tracks, so its cool. I’m looking forward to getting back and finishing the Crowbar record and getting into writing for the new Down album.
Altsounds: Do you have an idea on the turnaround for the new Down album?
Kirk: Actually I can’t speak of that, not for legal reasons or anything like that (laughs) we have a crazy ace up our sleeve if you will as to what’s going on release wise, its something really different and I cant elaborate any further.
Altsounds: The rumoured title for the new album is Down IV. Is there any truth to that?
Kirk: No cos if you knew what was going on you’d understand.
Altsounds: Oh right, OK. Are you going to be playing any new songs this weekend?
Kirk: No, not this weekend.
Altsounds: Down are a band that’s get better with each release. Did you ever imagine the band would be around this long or get to this level when you put it together back in 1991?
Kirk: In a way we did. We always spoke about Down when we’d be together at a barbecue or something like watching a Saints game and drinking beers, or whatever. We’d always get to talking about Down, even if we might have had a couple of years where we did nothing we were like how much longer can we do this, everyone’s falling apart Phil’s got fucking rods in his back and just got his knee operated on, my shoulders are shot.
Altsounds: Rex just had surgery as well didn't he?
Kirk: Yeah Rex just had surgery, which was more of a drinking thing.
Altsounds: Pretty much a "cut out the drink or you’ll be fucked kind of thing…."?
Kirk: Right, exactly. I spoke to Zakk (Wylde) yesterday and Zakk kinda beat Rex to the punch in the sense that the doctor told him to stop and he stopped, doctor told Rex to stop and he didn’t stop. You can get burnt out on it man.
Altsounds: You guys also have a DVD coming out called ‘Diary of a mad band’ what can we expect from it?
Kirk: It's basically our 2006 reunion tour in chronological order, when we decided to put the band back together and make it a proper band. It starts in Hamburg Germany which is the first show, then through to Download, which actually wasn’t the last show cos we also did one in Ireland but other than that its in chronological order, it’s one song from each of those shows. Its not like a Pantera behind the scenes with everybody cutting up and drinking, titties everywhere kinda thing because we could never top that cos Dime was a genius when it came to stuff like. We made more of a seventies style rock & roll kind of movie like the ones I grew up watching, a lot more along the lines of ‘The Song remains the same’ by Led Zeppelin or ‘Let there be rock’ by AC/DC. It’s a movie.
Altsounds: There were a few legal reasons that have held up the DVD’s release. Have they been resolved now?
Kirk: It had better be (laughs). The way we look at it now is that we’re not downing it, no pun intended, but we’re so much better than that now, because when we got back together Phil had only just gotten over back surgery, but it’s a very good representation of where we were at then and it’s a good rock & roll movie regardless.
Altsounds: When are we going to see Down back in the UK after this. What has next year got in store for you guys?
Kirk: Not sure really, we’re just writing right now and that’s our main priority you know, writing the material and getting it out cos its been long enough and we aren’t getting any younger (laughs)
Altsounds: I must admit I’m looking forward to hearing some new Down material, its been 3 years since the last album.
Kirk: Which for us isn’t even that long.
Altsounds: It’s probably your shortest time between releases.
Kirk: It is, because we’re doing select festivals here and there. We’re doing one in Spain next Sunday and then we have one in Switzerland, we supported AC/DC in Romania which was a dream come true. 50,000 capacity and we’re opening for AC/DC! It was sold out and was a very cool experience.
Funny thing was their guitar tech told us that the eagle ramp they use was only for Angus and Brian only so first thing we opened up with, (I can’t remember what it was) I turn around and Phil’s 50 feet out on the ramp, I’m looking at the guitar tech like ‘I guess Phil didn’t get the text or whatever’ (laughs). So at the end, me and Pepper were like "what are they gonna do? Throw us off the tour?" Its only one show man so we were way the fuck out there rocking out to ‘Bury me in Smoke.’
Altsounds: Fucking awesome man!
Kirk: Yeah afterward they were pretty cool about it, but yeah we need to get back into the writing process again man for sure.
Altsounds: Well we're all looking forward to it. Thank you very much for your time Kirk its been a pleasure.
Kirk: You're welcome man.
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