We’re calling all dawn-of-the-dead shapeshifters, metamorphosing into only the darkest paranormal critters, from ghoulish ghouls to witches bubbling with sinister crackles. We’ve wrangled in another that only seems to come out this time of year: a vampire. But it’s not just any bitingly enticing one, nor does it sparkle in the sun. Instead, they come draped in leather, slung with electric guitars, and skunk-like eyeliners. One must let others know they only sleep during the day, right?
Of course, we’re musically sired to Vampires Everywhere! Their nest includes Jesse Smith, smashing up a drumming storm, his bloodied head flicking up like a rollercoaster every time the stick hits a boom, “Ghost” Rodd using a flying bat to help pluck his guitar strings, Brandon Burke showing off his glamour with bass and backing vocals, and you know who else? The supremely blood-hungry, coffin-bound Michael Orlando, their lead vocalist, has been with the band since its inception.
We got to interview him at his crypt, asking several questions one would only ever dare to ask a vampire. But don’t worry, we’ll break it down into human speak: his favorite Halloween memory, how to date a vampire (you know, in case you still have Edward Cullen posters glued to your wall), and their latest tour. Read on if you’re not too faint of heart.
The Lost Boys
You’ve mentioned the name Vampires Everywhere! comes from a comic in The Lost Boys. What does that name mean to you, and how does it reflect your band’s identity?
When I first decided to call the band “Vampires Everywhere!” I was definitely torn! I wanted the band to be directly associated with the The Lost Boys movie because the movie meant the world to me! However, I didn’t want to go full monty with it! It took me over a week to actually commit and say, let’s just be literal about the name! I will wear this name loud and proud! Little did I know that only a select few would actually know where the name came from! It was very hard to keep explaining it. People actually thought we were ripping off Twilight and had no idea it was from The Lost Boys! Believe it or not, our name has kept us as an outlier in the industry for over a decade! However, I like being the outcast…I didn’t become a rockstar to wear gym shorts and flannels!
So much of Vampires Everywhere!’s inspiration is drawn from classic horror movies such as The Lost Boys and Fright Night! If you had to spend a week trapped in a horror movie, which one would you choose? Which archetype do you think each member of the band would fall into?
Well, I’m going to have to say The Lost Boys for this one! I have this down! See below
Michael Vampire (Me) – David (Evil Leader)
Jesse – Marko (Loud and proud)
Ghost – Paul (Skinny and tall but dangerous)
Brandon – Dwayne (Dark and emo)
Mikey – Laddie (Confused and crazy)
Halloween’s More Of A Treat
It’s no secret that Halloween is Vampires Everywhere!’s favorite holiday. And we here at THP feel the same way! Do you guys have any favorite Halloween memories or traditions from your childhood?
I had one very traumatic experience! My grandma made me a custom felt/spandex Batman costume from scratch. It was pretty amazing how she put this outfit together, and I loved it. Well, let’s say I loved it when I was in my house and my house only! I was at the age where costumes were kinda losing their luster to most kids, and most resorted to shaving cream/eggs as a Halloween night out! So, on Halloween, I literally ran around my neighborhood in that Batman outfit as quickly as I could. This way my friends didn’t see me!
It was a nightmare, but fortunately, I made it without being seen. Then I headed out with my friends covered in shaving cream! It honestly wasn’t as fun as trick or treating! I did learn one very important lesson from this. Always be yourself because trying hard to please others only results in your own unhappiness.
As you once said, Halloween is when you are not questioned about your appearance. What inspired your aesthetic, and do you feel the most when wearing it?
I was ultimately inspired by the makeup used in my favorite vampire movies. However, the movies and the look had to have a certain authenticity to it to catch my eye. I always wanted a sense of realism in my band and refused to go the “cheesy route” just for streams or likes! I would die if VE! was considered a “Gimmick Band”… I see some other bands (I won’t name) doing “goth” because they think it’s the cool thing to do. That is definitely not being your true self! I honestly dress like this every day, so it’s not something I feel different in, to be honest! However, I have been known to wear cut-off tee’s and tiny shorts when I work out… now that is weird to me, haha!
Your sound does give the perfect Halloween vibes, but if you had to pick only three songs, which would you say are a must for a spooky party?
I feel ‘Cry Little Sister,’ ‘Ghost’ & ‘White Wedding’ would do the trick! This is really exciting for me because all these songs are relatively new for VE!
What Halloween movies do you think everyone should watch at least once?
Well, I definitely have my favorites and completely back all of these! Here’s my list below ..
1. The Lost Boys
2. The Conjuring
3. Hereditary
4. WITCH
5. Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Serving Fangs And Interviews With Vampires
As a band, you’ve been inspired by classics like Bram Stoker’s Dracula – if you could add your music to a vampire movie soundtrack, which movie would you choose and why? What song would you add?
I would definitely add our version of ‘Cry Little Sister’ to The Lost Boys soundtrack! I mean, c’mon, we did an amazing version of this song! I grew up listening to this soundtrack, and it inspired so much in my life. Most people don’t know our band name, Vampires Everywhere!, comes from the comic book in the actual film. See .. It’s not just a pretty name!
If you were a real-life vampire, what would you miss most about life as a human?
First off, who says I’m not a real-life vampire?!? I think I would miss the summer days in my pool. I throw pool parties at my house here in Las Vegas, and it would be hard to say goodbye to that. Besides that and an occasional pumpkin spice latte, I don’t think I’d miss that much. It’s funny cause I played this scenario in my head numerous times, and my conclusion was… turn me now!
If someone plans to go on a ‘DATE WITH A VAMPIRE,’ what should they know beforehand?
Haha! I love this question because I feel you are asking about me. This made me bashful sort of… and I really like that! So here we go!
Please be prepared to have an actual conversion! Vampires get bored easily.
Always wear black! Now, I do accept red, but only sometimes. So choose wisely, or I’ll never call again.
Don’t wear bright makeup and nails… I love the 80s too, but I don’t want to date it.
Be prepared to drink copious amounts of cocktails because this vampire has a tolerance that is only
seen in The Vampire Diaries.
Say we were to kick it up a notch; what elements do you believe are essential when planning the perfect ‘White Wedding’ for the hottest vampire couple?
Ohh, this is a great question! Below are the steps you take!
1. Bride / Groom must dress in all black! The wedding dress must be glamorous, yet evil!
2. It must take place outside of the church! We would like to get married, not burned at the cross!
3. The wedding cake must be black and blood red! Obviously, the inside must be red velvet! We are vampires, not animals!
4. The honeymoon must be in Transylvania! It would be a shame not to visit the home country.
Bloodsucking Tour
Vampires represent a stasis or a pause in time, and nostalgia is a recurring theme for Vampires Everywhere! What is a memory you will always remember?
I will always remember Warped Tour 2012! We were in Las Vegas, and our tour manager woke me up to the news that we were opening the main stage! I was so stoked to finally take the big boy stage and show Vegas what VE! was all about! I remember a sea of people going crazy! I went out into the crowd and almost got sucked into it! My shirt was ripped from my body, and people were going bananas! This was definitely one of the highlights of my professional music career. It’s funny cause now I live in Las Vegas! A full circle moment!
‘Cry Little Sister’ was met with huge success! Even getting a spot on a Billboard chart! What was it like seeing the reaction to that track?
Honestly, I was completely blown away by the response! There had been so much confusion and adversary with our band name; I had no idea that many people would actually know/love this particular song! I was completely elated reading the positive reviews on the track and seeing people loving the music video. I am just thankful I did the song justice and was able to translate it into something people would still love today. Landing in the top 30 on the Billboard Chart was the icing on the cake, and I am super proud of this accomplishment!
Apart from the Halloween show in Vegas, are there any upcoming projects or performances you’re particularly excited about this spooky season?
We are headed out with our good friends in Alesana all of October for an almost sold-out tour! I am very excited about this run! We are on the west coast for this leg of the tour, and that’s 100% VE stomping grounds! I am beyond excited to see all our West Coast fans and friends! The tour kicks off Oct 17 to Oct 27th! Make sure you get tickets if you haven’t! These shows are selling out!
Vampires are certainly everywhere, and now that we’ve sunk our honeyed fangs into an interview with one—leaving them glistening crimson—do you think you’ve got the chops to sweet-talk one yourself? Or is there a cleverly placed wooden stake next to you, just in case? We wouldn’t blame you if there were. These nightcrawlers are pretty terrifying, after all. But if you think you’re brave enough, slide into our Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook mentions with your top tips for surviving an encounter.
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