Exclusive interview with Natalie West by Scott McGlynn


Exclusive interview with reality star Mark Byron by Scott McGlynn
Scott: When did you know acting was your passion and wanted it to be career of yours?
Richard: I trained as a dancer & started out in the musicals (I played ‘Flat Top’ then ‘Electra’ in Starlight Express)… I kind of just fell into acting, loved it, never looked back.
Scott: You been in some amazing programmes like “Bad Girls” “Where the heart is” and “waterloo road” how was the auditioning process?
Richard: The audition process is always tough & that will never change. You have to develop thick skin very quickly in order to manage inevitable rejection… The upside is, it makes success taste even sweeter when it comes around & you learn to appreciate every second.
Scott: You also produced some projects, Will we be seeing more from you?
Richard: I’m always writing & developing projects. It keeps my creativity flowing. I’m currently co writing & directing the comedy series ‘TownHill’ with my good friend Stefan Pejic. Very excited about it. It’s the best thing I’ve ever been a part of.
Scott: Tell us a bit about yourself?
DADA NADA: I started my career as a child soloist with the New York City,Metropolitan Opera when I was 11 years old. Father said, “Your career is downhill from here.” Hmmmm . . . I’m still thinking about that one.
Scott: You have made some great dance songs, one being in the top 5 billboard! That’s amazing how did you feel?
DADA NADA: Thanks for that. I truly do love dance music. It’s a privilege to create music that moves people. I actually had two Top Five Billboard Club hits with DaDa NaDa – and they felt great! They were particularly sweet because I released them on my own label at a time when that was unheard of. So much so, that I kept my ownership a secret. I’d been in a successful synth-pop duo, EBN/OZN on major labels worldwide. We’d had two club hits, one, Top 20, the other Top 40,both with videos on MTV and I had a pretty high profile as a dance artist, a singer and rapper and even as a ground breaking musician because EBN/OZN pioneered music sampling and the use of music computers in the early 80s. We were the musicians’ musicians, which was a wonderful position to be in. But when I went to get a deal after that, no American record company would sign me. They thought a white artist who sang and rapped was a “novelty” and every major label in New York City passed. I was devastated, hurt and angry. I moved to LA because Mick Jagger’s attorney said he’d represent me. But even he couldn’t convince these guys that rapping and singing was fit for a white boy. One label Vice President – no names – actually said to me, “Rap is just a fad. It’ll be gone in a year or two. You’ve got a great voice so just sing, Ozn. Come back to me with something rock.” I was incredulous at the stupidity and lack of creativity. Finally, I put the material out myself and wound up charting higher than most of the major labels’ artists. I know it’s a bit ego-ish to say, but it did feel pretty good to have the last laugh.
Oh, man, I’m hearing myself right now. I need to give up that little music biz soap opera from the past don’t I? Ok, fuck it, Yeah, Scotty, it felt awesome! Period!.
Scott: Where can we all get your music? (ITunes, spotify) etc
DADA NADA: The full remix packages will be out on August 26. The record just blew up on Soundcloud – 6000 plays in 36 hours. So we’ve decided to do a pre-release in the next few days of the Richard Cutmore mix, which I absolutely love – he’s got amazing ears and the Mntna Deep House mix.
Scott: Who was your inspiration growing up?
DADA NADA: My stepmother Dorothy who’d been a professional dancer was the first person to recognize that I was talented. She guided my professional education and attitudes. She was intent that I’d adhere to a disciplined code of conduct that came from the theatre – not the music industry, mind you. That’s a 500 year-old tradition with a long list of rules on how an artist conducts himself and it served me well. I was able to land large roles at a very young age and knew how to handle myself because of her. By the time I was a recording artist in my 20s I could hold my shit together in the studio or backstage while most everybody else was in the bathroom snorting coke and getting drunk. I developed a reputation in the music business as being very professional and I owe all that to her.
Scott: You’re a huge supporter of LGBT community, Are you working with any charity’s or campaign right now?
DADA NADA: I’m really glad you brought that up, Scotty, as I’m very passionate about it. I am the Chairperson of The Los Angeles Bi Task Force, a bisexual advocacy non-profit. Bisexuals have been the most ignored letter in the LGBT world. We experience tremendous prejudice not from just straights but from lesbians and gays who are convinced we “don’t exist.” I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard “There’s no such thing as bisexual men. They’re really gay and they can’t admit it.” Other classics are : “They’re just in transition from straight to gay.” “Bisexuals are greedy and promiscuous.” “Don’t date a bi person cuz they’ll always leave you for the opposite sex.” “They’re all terribly confused – why can’t they just make up their mind and chose one already?!” These of course are all myths. The one about transitions stems from young men trying on different identities, but by the time they’re in the mid-late 20s, most gay men know that they’re gay. Bi men, however, can and often remain confused for years or even the rest of their lives because up until a few years ago there was a dearth of accessible, truthful information. Thank God times are changing. Imagine being bi and hearing all those lies your whole life from the time you’re a teenager. Do you see how that can screw with your head? You’d never want to tell anyone you’re bi, including yourself. So many bi people are in denial or in the closet, especially the generations over 45 years old. I’ve even talked to people in same sex marriages who are bi and who lie to people saying they’re gay just to avoid all that shaming, just as hundreds of thousands of bi people who are in traditional male/female marriages, just let people think they’re straight because they don’t want to hear all the bull shit or create doubt in their partner’s mind. In response to all that darkness, I went into advocacy. I’m pretty clear and comfortable at this point with who I am and once I unwittingly discovered that it’s unusual to be an out bi man (as opposed to millions of out gay men), I decided I could help others and shine some light. One of the programs LA Bi Task Force offers is a workshop for high school and college age LGBT kids to support their clarity about their sexual identification. That’s a very confusing time in many peoples’ lives and it’s particularly rough if you’re homosexual or bisexual. We give them tools to help them understand who they are. It’s literally life saving information.
Scott: I brought my book out earlier this year called “OUT” my true life story being gay and getting bullied for who I was, Have you ever experience anything like this growing up?
DADA NADA: I’d heard about your book when I saw the Guardian’s “100 Inspiring LGBT People” list. Bravo, Scotty! That’s such an important subject matter. Many people, especially men and boys, do not want to talk about bullying because they feel ashamed – and shame is a dangerous, deadly emotional dynamic that destroys lives. So I know you and your book must be helping thousands of people. Respect, young brotha. I experienced a lot of bullying when I was a kid – mostly for being Jewish or for being white. I grew up in Lower Manhattan when Catholic schools were still teaching that “the Jews killed Christ.” I got the shit kicked out of me on a regular basis by older Catholic kids. Hell, my nose still looks like a boxer’s because of it. I was from what an Englishman might call a mixed class family. I was going to a very smart school and then my family fell apart, so I was sent to a state-funded school. (We call them public schools). Mother lived in a part of our neighborhood that was districted in with a ghetto school. You can imagine the rest. It was horrible. But I learned how to stand up, fight and handle myself with people from all walks of life. Because of those years, I’m just as comfortable in a tuxedo dining in a private club as I am in black leather jeans listening to a band in a dive bar. As far as LGBT bullying goes – I didn’t experience that sort of thing until my teens. Father and mother were divorced. Father lived in Greenwich Village and then moved to rural New Jersey when I was in high school. Talk about culture clash! I was from one of the most progressive neighborhoods in the entire world and suddenly I was thrown back in time 15 years. I joined the chorus and the drama club and was shocked when I first got bullied for it and called a “faggot.” I comprehend why I was being bullied because in my hood in Manhattan if you were artistic you were cool. And here I was getting pushed around and teased in the hallway because I sang in the chorus. “Chorus fairy,” they’d say. I’d mouth off right back at these older guys and eventually got warned that I’d better back off or I was going to get stomped on after school. I’d skipped a grade and was only 13 years old in high school and these dudes were 16, 17, 18 and I got scared and I shut up. But there’s a fighter in me, you know – I just couldn’t stand there and take it. So I switched tactics, ran for class president and won and then took over the damn place. Screw those assholes. I don’t play being bullied and no one else should either. It’s one of the reasons I’m so keen on my current record, Je Suis Paris! which is a House Music anthem for Peace standing against terror. I have a thing about injustice, probably left over from my childhood, so I had to do something after the Charlie Hebdo and Paris killings. I’m not a warrior. I’m an artist. So I expressed myself creatively to inspire courage in people.
Scott: Will you be coming to the UK anytime soon? Any tour dates?
DADA NADA: I’m hoping to go to the U.K. this summer. Nothing definite yet. Tour dates? Not at this time. I’d love it, for sure. Maybe a bit of stage fright, too. It’s been a while to say the least that I’ve performed live.
Scott: Who would you love to work with in the industry?
DADA NADA: I’m just gonna riff here and keep it short — In no order: Greg Kurstin – monster musician. Nile Rodgers – we used to chat back in the day in NYC out in the bars and clubs. Doubt he’d remember – astounding talent and always a gentleman. DJ Snake. Clean Bandit. Sia. Can you imagine singing or writing with Sia?! Chance the Rapper. Eminem – he’s more than a rapper, he’s a Voice. Herbie Hancock. Thievery Corporation. Christian McBride, jazz bassist. Mark Ronson. Tove Lo, fascinating songwriter.
Scott: Is music your love, or would you test acting as well?
DADA NADA: Music is indeed my love, but I am polyamorous – in love as well as creativity. I acted on Broadway and in Los Angeles before I got my first record deal. I love acting and would definitely do it again. In fact it’s my fantasy to be in something on the West End. Acting is a very emotional art form for me off stage as I tend to become what I act so I need to keep an eye out. It’s that damn American Method Acting technique. I envy you Scots, Brits and Irish your traditional training, where you can fall apart on stage, then walk off into the wings and make jokes with the stagehands. I was in the first L.A. company of Sam Shepherd’s “Curse of the Starving Class,” playing a guy who has a nervous breakdown and dude, I just about had one doing that role. It was freakin’ painful. When I was in “Shenandoah,” I picked up a Southern twang. Hell, I still say y’all! I also write and produce films. The one I’m best known for is the political thriller “I Witness” starring Jeff Daniels, James Spader & Portia De Rossi. That’s a lotta skill sets. I guess you could call me an ethical creative slut. Ha Ha!
Follow DADA Nade..
Twitter – Dada Nada Music
Paul Manners came to our screen in 2015 on Britain’s Got Talent, The success he has since the show has been a journey, from UK gigs, ITV shows and now his new signed record label…
Scott: You was a big hit on last year’s BGT, how has life been since the show?
Paul: It has been amazing with so much to come. I am ever so grateful to learn that Peter Andre wrote an article on me in his New! Magazine column. I appreciate everyone remembering me and knowing that I have so much to give to others. I have since been onstage at Clacton’s first beach festival with 50,000 people attending, school visits, performed at dick de vigne’s nightclub in South-end (not far short of maximum capacity), sung at various weddings/anniversaries, DJ’d at nightclubs, played various celebrity charity football matches for wonderful causes who are in desperate need of support, performed on stage in Hyde Park at Winter Wonderland and appeared on red carpets.
Scott: How was the audition process?
Paul: I originally auditioned at the Excel, London before Christmas 2014 with my song ‘Inspirational’. It was great to receive the phone call asking for me to attend judge’s auditions. Things did get a bit awkward though when my audition date was changed, sent to Manchester and I was advised by the production team to do my livelier song ‘Hold You In My Arms’. I absolutely enjoyed entertaining during my main audition although I was put outside of my comfort zone; the massive speaker that made the buzzing sound behind the backdrop kept making me jump and the microphone which I had to use. It was also lovely to be recognised by Dec before walking onto the stage, he said to me “I’ve seen you somewhere before”. I can’t remember where I had met him before, may have been watching in the audience on a previous show or performing in central London on a night out. After receiving three yeses I was asked to return to the deliberation round with a phone call from Simon Cowell and David Walliams. The conversation was hilarious. After my audition aired I was notified by several fans that Stephen Mulhern had mentioned this phone call on ITV’s ‘This Morning’, to which I had called up the production team to not authorize the airing of the phone call as I was not told that it was being recorded at the time. My interview with Stephen Mulhern was also never aired on ITV 2, it was so funny to film; we ripped into each other with plenty of banter. It’s a shame it was never aired though and I would love to see myself presenting a show sometime. A few days later I was asked by the production team if I would be the semi-final reserve act for the live shows. I had to attend rehearsals at Thames Television HQ and sign a pre-record contract with syco/sony. It was a shame that it didn’t go through but I would like to thank everyone for their support. During every live show I kept getting hundreds of messages by people wishing I was in the finals. I would love to work up to a point where I would perform as a guest on the show sometime, without forgetting the words! Lol
Scott: Congratulations on the new record label deal, what can you tell us about it?
Paul: It’s with major independent label CO Records UK. I had a meeting at The Dorchester in Park Lane, London on Friday 1st July to discuss & sign the contract. The deal is for one single, 6 months.
Scott: Your EP “Hold You In My Arms” was a hit on Itunes, Will you be carrying on with that style of music?
Paul: Like my current EP, I love doing variety. I shall be exploring all styles with my own personal touch. I love it when others enjoy what I do and can relate to it. You’ll have to wait and see what’s instore for my next single.
Scott: Have you got any gigs coming up? If so where can we be seeing you?
Paul: Any events can be found on google or my website, paulmofficial.com. With my record contract, we will be building up to a gig at the O2 Arena, London in November sometime; which is what I’ve been told by the label.
Scott: You’ve met some great people over the last year who was you star struck by the most?
Paul: I’m just myself and always calm when I meet other great people, but after BGT I was asked to DJ/host a family birthday party to which Shona McGarty (Eastenders) was a guest as it was for her cousin. It took us ages to say hello to each other as I guess we were both star struck of one another but it turned out to be a great knees up. It is always lovely to meet great people who think of others and are down to earth.
Scott: We saw you on Judge Rinder earlier this year, how was that? Is everything OK with your father now?
Paul: Everything has always been ok with Dad. He has always been there for me. It was a great experience and a privilege to have the wonderful support from all the ITV Manchester studios production team. They had contacted me mentioning that they loved me on BGT and would I be interested to come on the show with a true story. I had then asked Dad if he would like to appear on television and he agreed. During filming when I saw a picture of mum, I broke down; thinking how I wish she was still here today.
Scott: Who’s your favourite artist at the moment?
Paul: I love the dance track which is currently No. 1 in the UK charts ‘This girl – Kungs vs cookin’ on 3 burners’, what a tune! I don’t have a favourite artist but love others who are down to earth, work hard with a smile and positive.
Scott: What can we expect from you in 2016?
Paul: Lots of hard work, entertainment and making a positive difference. Thank you all for being there.
Join Paul on his social media…
Twitter – Tweet Paul Manners
Facebook – Fan Page
Have any questions for Paul? Please leave in the comments below…
Scott: You were on BGT back in 2013, How was that experience for you?
Gabz: It was an amazing experience, I had never done anything like that before so it was very scary but so fun! Everyone was really lovely and it definitely helped build my confidence.
Scott: How was life been since BGT 3 years ago? Gabz: It’s been crazy! I’ve been performing all around the country and have been writing and recording loads of new music which is really exciting!
Scott:You have a huge following who loves you like snoop dog calling you “John Legend” style you have, How did you react?
Gabz: That was so awesome, I was really surprised and excited! I had no idea Snoop Dogg had even seen my audition or knew who I was so it was amazing that he compared me to someone so talented!
Scott: You been called the mini Alicia Keys by the press, Is this a goal you have? To take over worldwide with your amazing talent?
Gabz: It’s obviously a huge compliment as she’s incredible and I’d love to be as big as her although I’d say I’m not really like anyone as I want to have my own individual style and sound! Taking over the world is definitely part of the dream! haha!
Scott: How was it growing up in the public eye? From age 13?
Gabz: It’s been a bit weird as people at school in the lower years get a bit excited and when I go out I get noticed a lot but it’s been really fun and I love meeting the people who like my music and are supporting me!
Scott: Your new EP “UP” is out 2nd September, Can you tell us about it?
Gabz: Yeah, the songs on the EP are all really different! I like a few different styles so they’re all very ‘pop’ but there’s rap, ballads and dance all featured so hopefully there’s something for everyone!
Scott: Your a big writer up to 70 songs you’ve written! Will we be seeing album very soon?
Gabz: Hopefully! I’ve written and recorded a lot of music but I’m still at school which stops me from doing a lot although my school are very supportive and accommodating. I’m releasing the EP while I’m on summer break and I’m not quite sure what is next, I’ll definitely be releasing more soon it just all depends on fitting it around school until I finish next year.
Scott: I know you a big supporter of charities and do gigs for them, Any charity that is close to you?
Gabz: Yeah, I’ve been supporting a couple of charities recently – ‘Wings Of Hope’ who help underprivileged children in India and Malawi and ‘Jackie’s Drop In’ a centre for adults with learning difficulties based in Letchworth. I try to help when I can!
Scott: Where can we be seeing you in 2016/2017?
Gabz: If you check out the events page on my website www.gabzofficial.com/events it has my upcoming gigs, so check it out and see if I’m performing near you!
Scott: If you could choose anyone to perform with who would it be and why?
Gabz: I love this question! I’d probably say Professor Green as he’s one of my favourite rappers and I saw him perform in Blackpool when I supported him last year at the Blackpool iFest and I loved his vibe on stage as it looked really fun!
Scott: Any gig dates coming up you can share with us?
Gabz: I am performing still but I’m taking a little break at the moment to promote my single and EP but I’ll be online and doing radio interviews.
Scott: You’ve been highly successful and working with some amazing people, Whats been your highlight so far?Tommy: Yeah, we have a great team here. Whitesmith Entertainment has taken really good care of us. So far, charting on the iTunes Top 30 Rock Albums Chart has been one of the biggest thrills. Hearing from people on Twitter saying how much they like the record/songs is an unbelievable feeling.
Scott: What advice can you give artists that are just starting out and want to break the music industry? Tommy: Keep writing and keep playing. There can be so many obstacles in your way and all you can do is keep trying to better your craft, remain positive and don’t forget about the passion that made you start in the first place. That last part I still tell myself everyday. I cannot imagine a place where I’m not picking up my guitar and writing songs.