In honor of his role in the DRN, and of his contributions to Hit Machine and Nu Wave Machine, CV NW proudly presents excerpts of our interview with Blake, originally published in the October issue.
CV NW: How long have you been playing music? BS: I've been playing music since I was 5 years old! CV NW: What first got you interested? BS: Like a lot of people from my era, it was the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show"“ that was inspiring. CV NW: Who have you played with prior? BS: I played with the LA based Dear Mr. President (formerly Bang Bang) who signed to Atlantic Records and were produced by Mick Jones of Foreigner. I also did some work with Gary Mallabar (Steve Miller Band drummer) and Claude Schnell (Dio keyboardist) amongst others. CV NW: How did you first get together with the guys from the band? BS: I had met Dan Reed prior to moving to Los Angeles in 1986. I got a call from him in early '87 to possibly audition. I flew up to audition and met everybody in different places and never actually auditioned. CV NW: What do you hope to accomplish with your music? BS: I hope people feel the energy that I'm putting out and I hope that they are feeling something different that they could only experience from a live performance. CV NW: What do you want people to remember you by when you hang 'em up? BS: I hope people remember me for my reasonable playing skills and through music I was able to help out others. CV NW: Where is the craziest place you've played? BS: The craziest place I've played is always New York City! We have had some die hard friends and supporters!!! CV NW: Where is the coolest play you've played? BS: The old Wembley Stadium! It's where they had "Live Aid"and so many huge concerts! CV NW: Do you have a favorite song? Which one rings closest to your heart? BS: "Tamin the Wild Nights"! CV NW: If you could play onstage with one artist, who would that be? BS: Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson