We recently reviewed Collateral’s 4 Shots! EP and they’ve been whipping up a storm on the live front recently. So it’s only fair they became the latest band to tackle our Band of the Day questions. Here, Angelo Tristan, lead singer and acoustic guitarist of the band gives us his take on them.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We’re scattered across the fine meadows of Kent. Jack and I from Ramsgate, Todd and Ben from Medway. Just wish we were closer as I get withdrawal symptoms when I’m not with the guys!
How did you meet?
At first it was just Jack and myself. I was playing a small pub in Ramsgate doing a little solo acoustic show, and he came into the pub after hearing me from along the street covering “Born To Be My Baby”. I saw him and his long hair, leather jacket. and we hit it off. It was love at first sight really! After many years of trying to find the right line-up with a shared vision, we found lead guitarist Todd Winger. He sent over a video of himself playing a solo to one of our songs and he was wearing a H.E.A.T t-shirt which just sealed the deal really. He was really good friends with Ben and at that point we were also looking for a drummer, and Ben just likes to smash it! Now there is the unity that we’ve always wanted, it’s a real band of brothers.
How long have you been playing as a band?
With this line-up, nearly a year although it feels like a lifetime already… In a good way, obviously. We are family, there’s no doubt about that.
Before you get sick of being asked, where did the band name come from?
We’ll never get sick of that question, it’s part of being in band! Collateral came about when we came to a crossroads as a band. We had just finished recording our debut EP 4 Shots! and we know it couldn’t be The Angelo Tristan Band going forward. It just doesn’t have that ring to it. So we were sitting down together and I came across the word “Collateral” as I was naming films that I really want to watch again, one being the Tom Cruise film. I did a double take once I said it and it just felt right so I looked up the meaning behind it, one of the meanings comes from the old English dictionary. “Collateral” is defined as ‘related but not by blood’. There is no other perfect name in my eyes, as being in a band, you have to be related in a spiritual way if you’re going to create magic together.
What are your influences?
For me it was Bon Jovi, especially Richie Sambora and his solo stuff. I just connected with his songs more than any other songs out there. Jack is all out sleaze. You only need to take one look at him to realise he has a poster of Nikki Sixx on his wall! Todd has a broader range of influences such as The Cadillac Three and Black Stone Cherry but then loves Winger and Danger Danger. Ben likes the heavier stuff… your Megadeath and Pantera, but he keeps that to himself most of the time.
Describe your music, what makes you unique?
It’s simple…. no that’s it… It’s just simple. We’re not trying to be anybody, we’re not wearing any masks. We’re focusing on the song and not on how much we can fit in one song which in this modern music industry is very hard to do as it feels like the competition is seeing how many notes someone can fit in to one second. To me it’s how much emotion you can put into one note. We write from a deep place with in us, which means the songs take much longer to write because to really understand your feelings, you need to take your time. A lot of bands these days release albums after albums and they tend to sound the same…
You need to give your self time to adapt as a songwriter so that the audience sees everything about you, that’s what this industry was about, not about how many songs you can write in a day, but how much power one song can generate. Also I think with all of our different influences, there’s definitely a slight country rock element. Whether that’s intentional we’re yet to see. In all, it’s simple, stadium and every “get your hands together” for the best time of your life music. At least that’s what we think.
Do you have any lyrical themes?
Lyrics are what comes to you on the day, they’re not something that you really have control of to be honest. You sit there with the guitar and whatever comes out, comes out. It all comes to what’s happening around you at the present time, be it personal or outside of you. You take everything as inspiration.
Whats your live show like? how many shows have you played?
It’s happiness… but in the form of loud, pumping bass.. face melting guitar solos, a drizzle of some acoustic guitar to keep a smile on your face and the songs you can sing along to. Over the past 4 years we have easily played over 700 shows… most of which were to empty pubs with a man and his dog as the audience. You learn a lot from those shows.
Whats the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
I threw up on the drum kit at the HRH awards show in the middle of one of our songs…. the excitement got the better of me, I couldn’t keep it in!
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
Jack plays Charvel, Todd uses mainly Jackson but also introduced his PRS at our last show. He goes through an Orange head with a Mattamp cab. Ben uses Pearl. I use a Takamine EF341SC, can’t rate them highly enough! Absolutely love it.
What if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
We have a huge show at the Borderline on the 18th of May. We love this venue and to see this sold out would be a dream come true. We will be doing a nationwide tour in May and June and tickets will go on sale mid-March.
What are plans for 2019?
Everything…. we want to do everything. We don’t want to slow down!! We will be releasing out debut album at some point towards the end of the year… We want to tour week in, week out around the world…. We want to experience what rock bands did in the 80s!
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
To support Bon Jovi would be the dreams of dreams…. and I’d have our good friends at Malagodi to open up… Brilliant hard rock band with the songs to match!
Upcoming dates:
Friday 26 April – Leo’s Red Lion, Gravesend (supporting Bad Touch)
Saturday 18 May – Borderline, London (very special guests to Daxx & Roxanne)
Sunday 2 June 2019 – Camden Rocks, London
Link: https://www.moshville.co.uk/reviews/album-review/2018/12/ep-review-collateral-4-shots/