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The Birch Hill, 01.26.02 You wonder sometimes if musicians know how lucky they are, if they remember where they came from. Some of them don't. Then again, some of them do. After a triumphant return to the Birch Hill in Old Bridge (the first gig they played together as a band was also at the Birch Hill), Ill Nino front man Cristian Machado invited the crowd to come hang out by their bus. When we left later that night there he was, true to his word, spending time with his fans and appreciating every moment of it. We sat with Cristian on their bus before their January 26th show at The Birch Hill in Old Bridge. SHOW & TELL: This is the lap of luxury... CRISTIAN: Why? ‘Cause we have a satellite? The Satellite actually helps pass the time sometimes, when we're bored as hell. S&T: The first show you guys actually played together was here, wasn't it? CRISTIAN: Yeah. S&T: We're actually from NJ, we grew up in the area, North Jersey. CRISTIAN: Cool, cool. I used to come see a lot of shows here. Actually New Jersey needs to open up an Irving Plaza, a really good, like, showcase venue. They just need a good venue in Jersey that's not so sad, like the Convention Hall. Like something in Hudson County. Or more central Jersey. S&T: Like Newark or an industrial area, somewhere where real estate is cheap. Like The Chance. You guys just played there last night? CRISTIAN: Yeah. That's what Jersey needs, a small theatre. A really good sound system. S&T: Is there anything about coming back here that feels like full circle? CRISTIAN: We've been here so many times its like, "playing the Birch Hill again." Its special, its like coming home (although) to me the club is secondary to the fans. Coming back to the fans is more important to me than coming back to the club. S&T: Do you live in NJ? CRISTIAN: Not everybody, no. Some (of the band) live in Manhattan. I'm in Jersey. S&T: You've been getting solid reviews and there's been a lot of comparisons, you know the bands I'm talking about. How do you sit with those comparisons? CRISTIAN: Well I think that if you listen to any band nowadays you can pull a comparison if you're really looking for it. We're definitely influenced by other bands. So that would be as far as I can take it. We love music and listening to music and we write what we love. Ya know, we're not trying to invent new music or anything like that we are just going about our business. S&T: So its not something that would bother you? CRISTIAN: Comparisons are fine with me, I don't really care. Usually that's when a new fan listens to a band and they want to turn their friend on to the band the first thing anybody will ask is who do they sound like? Who do they sound like, ya know, ‘cause kids want to be able to have something to relate to so that they could maybe know the music before they really hear it. So if people want to use other bands names to compare someone that's fine. When they get the record they'll realize that its Ill Nino. Its not some other band. We have certain tribal influences that maybe Sepultura's done before but I think we do it different, you know? I really think you can't confuse Sepultura for Ill Nino or Ill Nino with someone else. So I don't take it to heart or anything like that. Kids and fans can use other bands to define our music, that's fine. S&T: That's a good point though, as a frame of reference. To say that's a way you explain music, you say, "listen, I got a new band, I really like them." CRISTIAN: It is, a kid might listen to a record and be like ya know his friend may like it, "Its kind of Soulfly but with melodies" and that's fine. And they can compare it and reference it to other bands. As long as they're talking about the band that's all that matters. S&T: What are you guys up to next? CRISTIAN: We have off for a week and a half. Then we go to shoot a video in LA. S&T: Which song? CRISTIAN: "What Comes Around." Then, um, going to Japan for a week at the end of February come back and do the Jagermeister tour with Drowning Pool and Coal Chamber. S&T: Very cool. Thanks for your time, Cristian. | ||
