Did you catch Green Child o’Mine before it was yanked from Google?
It was a great parody of Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’Mine, but it vanished overnight. Well, Geek Native not only has a little insight into what happened but a quick interview with the band that sounded so perfect in the role.
First up, though, that band – The L.A. Maybe – launch the first single off their debut album today. So let’s have a listen.
Geek Native was able to have a quick catch up with Dallas Dwight of the band.
What’s The L.A. Maybe story?
The L.A. Maybe is a 6-piece rock n’ roll band hailing from the southern heat of the Carolinas. If you’re a fan of Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, or Van Halen…you will feel right at home adding LAM to your record collection. Lead vocalist Alvi Robinson (who was one of only four singers to audition to replace Brian Johnson in AC/DC in 2016) lays down gritty, passionate vocals while the rest of the band back him up with slithering riffs, huge catchy hooks, and ripping guitar solos.
LAM firmly plants its feet at the very forefront of the New Wave of Classic Rock movement, and you’re sure to have at least one of their choruses stuck in your head at any given moment. Drawing influence from nearly every style of music, The L.A. Maybe put on an electrifying live show and stand for everything you love about rock music, old and new.
Let’s talk about Mr. Danger. If this is someone’s first encounter with the music of The L.A. Maybe would you say this is broadly indicative of your sound?
“Mr. Danger” is a great representation of who we are at this point in our career.
As a new band it was important to us to put our best foot forward and come out swinging. It’s the kind of blistering rock you get when you combine the singalong choruses of AC/DC with the punchy riffs of Motley Crüe, sprinkle in some Southern Carolina heat, and bring it all into the 21st Century.
This track is an anthem for those who fly the flag of the New Wave of American Rock. It’s an ode to living fast and loose. But most of all, it’s a call to arms for rock n’ roll fans everywhere to stand up, get loud, and to never let the music die without a hell of a fight.
I can’t find “Dirty Damn Tricks”, your debut album, on Spotify. Is it just a matter of time?
“Mr. Danger” is the first single off the album and is releasing January 22, 2021. We have another single, “Sucker Punch”, coming February 26, 2021 with the full-length (10 songs) album “Dirty Damn Tricks” releasing worldwide March 26, 2021.
You’re a new band but already have loads of bragging rights. Can you tell readers about the AC/DC angle?
Alvi Robinson’s own words:
Going into my audition with AC/DC, I really didn’t have high hopes of landing the gig…but receiving their email about moving forward without me hurt all the same. People kept telling me I should be thankful I was even considered to replace Brian Johnson in the first place, but they simply didn’t understand my aspirations of the grand stage and a 50,000 head crowd.
I began to take myself a little more seriously at first, hoping a new approach (and the AC/DC stamp of approval) could somehow fast track me into at least the shadow of the limelight. This new spirit faded as fast as it came as I floundered around small bars, barely able to pay off my beer tab from a night’s earnings on stage.
I turned my back on the music scene and engulfed myself in my day job and found a huge release in daily, achievable goals. About the time I settled in, I was asked to front the Guns N’ Roses tribute band, Nightrain. I reluctantly took the gig, not expecting much but looking for a chance to jam some of my favorite songs.
Eventually, balancing the band and my work life became impossible. So I hung up my truck keys for an Axl wig.
A months into this, I was contacted by Dallas Dwight from The L.A. Maybe with an offer to do original music, which had always been a strong desire of mine. We dove in immediately. The guys drove up for a quick jam to feel each other out, and four days later I was in the vocal booth laying down tracks.
Before I could figure out what I was even doing, we had a full length album finished. Now, with the album due March 26, we’re looking forward to getting out of lockdown and putting some serious stage time to show you all what we can really do!
And then there’s Star Wars. How did you get involved in The Merkins’ Green Child O’Mine?
See next question.
That video seems to have vanished from YouTube. Do you know what happened to it?
Alvi [Robinson, vocalist for The L.A. Maybe] was approached by a YouTube parody group, The Merkins, to sing the Axl Rose part for a Mandalorian/Guns N’ Roses mashup project they were in the process of making.
They already had the lyrics mostly written, and they just needed the music recorded. So Alvi called me, and of course, I had to get involved (Star Wars & GNR are my two favorite things on the planet) and I whipped up the instrumental for him because The L.A. Maybe used to frequently perform that song at bars and small venues when a cover was needed. The Merkins loved the music/vocals and they finished up the video.
Upon its release, it immediately went viral receiving upwards of a million views within the first few hours across all platforms. Then just as quickly as I was released, it was gone!
The Merkins called me and we had a long chat about what could’ve possibly went wrong. Isn’t parody technically legal? The legal gray areas were not our areas of expertise. So they got on the phone with the law firm and they explained that, while everyone in the office loved the video, they were ordered to take it down…and that this order came from the very top of the organization.
We were told that never happens, and it means it came straight from The Boss himself, Mr. W. Axl Rose. So that’s the story of how Axl heard The L.A. Maybe parody his song with The Merkins and was none too amused.
What’s next for The L.A. Maybe?
After the album is released March 26, we’ll be busy playing as many shows as we can (safely, of course). We’re really looking forward to lockdowns being lifted and hitting venues all over the nation.
We also have our own podcast “Your New Favorite Band” launching around the same time the album is releasing, in which we find new, up-and-coming rock artists and showcase their music while talking about all things rock n’ roll in the process. You can keep up with everything we’re doing week to week by signing up for our email list at https://lamaybe.com/signup
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