Van Avery Interview from 2004

Van Avery has been on the most requested list for a while, so here are 20 Questions with Van Avery !!!

1. What have you been up to lately ? Any plans for summer ?

Well Ive been working kinda hard on getting this new band i'm in with jay daunt. Try'n to get things going and some songs recorded. Really that's my main focus right now, that and working on my camaro like crazy.


2. You sing for Incursion 502 and you also play bass in other bands, who were your first musical influences ?

Vocal wise it was max cavelera, phil anslemo, and dez from coal chamber. I always liked that mid ranged voice and as for my screams I have no idea how the hell or where in the hell those came from. Bass I know I was in a band who needed a bass player so I said what the hell Ill play. Then I started really getting into the bass and enjoyed playing it more and more. I guess those who influence me the most on the bass would be ryan from mudvayne, les claypool, and victor wooten.

3. What was the name of your first band and what style of music did you play ?

the first band I was ever in was Incursion502

4. If you got the chance to go on tour with any band you wanted, who would it be and why ?

hmmm prolly kittie, I went on tour with flaw and those girls where on the tour. I got to get pretty close to them girls and good friends with 'em. I had a good time hanging with them so I guess I would have to say them. If you wanted someone I haven't been on tour with I guess I would say the ozzfest tour. why??? hell its fucking ozzfest multiple bands and a fucking party every goddamn night.

5. Last of Van Avery...

1.) Last book you read ? Motley Crue Biography.

2.) Last good movie you have seen ? Van Hellsing.

3. ) Last good concert you have seen ? Skinlab in Chicago ( they kidnapped me and took me with em for the rest of the tour)

4.) Last time you were really drunk ? Last Incursion show at Pappy's I don't remember that night very well.

6. Who is the absolute coolest person in the 502 scene ?

Its a toss up from the Kallus guys or Sailor from MOV.

7. In the last six months has Van Avery...
1.) Gotten into a fight ? Yes at pappy's one of our shows some mexican grabs like three of my friends ass' so I questioned him about it he got smart so I tried my hardest to rip his head off but I must say stretch and a few other people are not so easy to get past. I should have played nice walked up all calm then ripped his head off, But Ill remember that next time.

2.) Smoked a joint while driving a Camaro on the Outer Loop ? I don't smoke weed.

3.) Bought new bass strings ? Yep like 4 new pair in the last month, warwicks suck tryin' to find the right string for.

5.) Shopped at Liquor Outlet ? nope but I might have liked her....uh nevermind

8. Rate the following bands on a scale of 1-10. 1 being the worst, 10 being the best.

1.) Marilyn Manson - 5

2.) Misfits - 7

3.) Soil - 3

4.) Iron Maiden - 2

5.) Slayer - 8

6.) MSD - 8

7.) Korn - 2

8.) Slipknot - 9

9.) Tool - 9

10.) Guns and Roses - 5

11.) Pantera - 10

12.) Flaw - 7



9. If you could hang out with any one person for an entire day, who would it be and what would you do ?

That would be my parents, I know its more than one person but If I couldn't hang with them then I wouldn't hang with anyone. I would wanna hang with my parents one more time to get the chance to let them know what an inspiration they where on my life. How much I appreciate everything they have ever done for me. I really never got the chance to tell them that before they died and to say the least that has killed me ever since they passed away. There are no other people on this entire planet that I respect more than them and I would really just like to have that one extra chance to let them know that and that when I achieve my goals in life it was because of them that I strived so hard.


10. One day soon, you record a cd for a major label and it sells like crazy. You make more than a million dollars after taxes. You tour for a year and a half and come back to Louisville for a 3 month break before you begin recording the next cd. What will you do, and what would you buy with the money you have made ?

Well first off Ill will pay off my house that's a must. Then i would say I would work on getting a studio built so I can start recording bands for my new record label I would be putting together. That for sure is one dream of mine to get a label going for all the bands. Some labels are to fucking scared to even touch a heavy band any more. Like here in louisville there is so much talent but some labels are to pussied to actually take the time and money and work with a heavy band. If I get singed and if it hasnt happened yet you can bet louisville will be put on the map from a shit load of bands getting signed.
11. What is the best show you have ever played and what is the worst ?

Woof that's a hard one, well I guess the best show I have ever played would have to be the factor 9 cd release show a while back. That's the one i remember the most. Tek world was friggen packed. The crowd went insane that night. Prolly one of the best nights I remember and one of the last shows I remember when kenny was in the band had a fucking blast that night. Now the worst show.......That would have to be any show any of us are drunk. You cant play a good show when your minds not in the game, and well some times when your set to play at 3 in the morning the beer seems to get ya every once in a while but o well that's fucking metal and that's what its all aboot CHAOS.

12. Who is the most underrated band in the 502 scene. What band is the most overrated ?

the most underrated would probably have to be jefferson county drunk tank. Them are some talented mother fuckers but I would notice alot of people dont really give them the props they deserve, either them or in the clear they fucking throw, the most over rated band Hell I don't know no one is really over rated that I know of pretty much there needs to be more hype about alot of the bands in louisville that's the only problem with this scene is people bad mouthing other bands and we really need to lose that type of negativity really. I wont lie there are some bands in this scene that I think aren't very good but that's my opinion and something I just don't really talk about. I mean if you ask me about a band Ill tell you how I honestly think about em.
13. What are your 5 favorite cds of all time ?

Coal Chamber (self titled)

Everything by Hatebreed

Everything by Pantera

Everything by Skinlab

Super Joint Ritual (first one)

14. What are your 5 favorite movies of all time ?
The Green Mile

Nightbreed

Young Guns (one and two)

X Men (one and two)

Ok this one counts as one since its all from the same director and writer Kevin Smith...

Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Highway

and for a lil added bonus of my favs ever thing from matt and trey from south park.



15. Who are some of the famous people you have met ? Who was cool and who was not so cool ?


oof I've met tons of people from touring with flaw and touring with skinlab on the super joint ritual tour. Uh The girls and guy from kittie are fucking awesome they where really fucking cool to me and stuck up for me when some people I will not name tried to get me kicked off the tour the girls in kittie made sure I wasn't going anywhere so that should let ya know how fucking cool they are. Th e guys in skinlab are my fucking family now man So much snake from sl tattooed a sl for skinlab family on me steve and jeff from kittie so those guys are always family to me now. Uh met dino from fear factory that dudes a trip. Uh everyone in superjoint fucking rules those guys are super fucking nice 'cept for the heroin junkie piece of shit phil. I was on tour with them for almost 3 weeks and I saw that guy maybe twice the whole tour hanging out. I watched him run to his tour bus in the fucking freezing rain told some fans wait here ill be right back and let them sit outside for like 2 hours. Those kids helped pay for that fat ass tour bus he was chillin in. Even his own crew said he was fucking wrong for how he treated his fans. O and zack wyld that dood is fucking awesome too him and shawn (clown) from slipknot he's a real down to earth mother fucker hung out with us all night real cool guy. So pretty much everyone I met was fucking cool 'cept phil the dick anselmo o and guy sykes is a prick too. BOOT TO THE KOOL



16. Here is a scenario question for you. You have to put a band together choosing from the list of other people I have done 20 Questions with. You will get paid well to record at least one cd and do one tour with this band. Who do you choose ?

Donnie Hardin, Kevin McCreery, Frank Green, Dave Wathen, my band would fucking rule!!!!!!!!!!!

17. Coming soon !

18. What's the best thing about being a musician in the 502 scene, what is the worst thing about it ?

The best thing about it really is just having the chance to play in a band period. I mean this is my lifestyle this is the life I have chosen for my self and nothing else will suffice. If I don't make it in a band I die end of story. The worst part about playing in this scene would for sure be the Haters the fucks who have nothing better to do than run their mouth about this scene and the bands in it just because they aren't good enough to do anything with their lives.


19. What is a typical day like for you these days ?

this ones easy, wake up If i work that day go to work get off come home either practice or get on the computer and start working on websites. If Its a nice day out I'm in the garage working on my car. that's pretty much my same ole game plan day after day.

20. What advice would you give to bands just starting out in the 502 scene ?

This here is the best advice I could give. Do your work, This shit isn't start day one then day two your big rock stars. Don't expect to be treated like kings if your just starting out. We Incursion502 have busted our balls for years in this scene to get where we think is a comfort level. A lot of bands in this scene have worked their ass' off to get where they are and that's what it all takes hard work. For god sakes don't give up just because things don't go right. Trust me if anyone in this scene has had bad shit happen to them You can fucking bet Incursion502 has had the worst out of any fucking band LOL, But ya can't give up ya gotta keep working as well as work with other bands. Bonds keep this scene together. Just get ready to do your share of show after show where you open or get stuck in shitty time slots cuz that's what every band endures and eventually over time (not a short time either) things will start to fucking rock and shit will go great for ya if ya just keep going and keep that head up. O yeah take shit from no one.

O yeah and donnie hardin like to dress in drag.


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Let's recap...


Thanks to Van for being patient. This took longer than most, but turned out really well. I will post the question and answer for 17, and a full recap very soon !


Thanks Van !
I give Van 5 out of 5 stars for his 20 Question interview. êêêêê