Romeo chat at gigantour forums NOW!
- Thread starter bball_1523
- Start date
Thraxz said:
lol at least you got 2 in, I had 4 out of like 20+ that I submitted.
Yngvai had one in too!
soundgarden
I know how to be cool !
Here is the transcript:
Event Chat #16 with Symphony X guitarist, Mike Romeo
2:00PM - 3:00PM CDT, August 12
symphonyofnevermorex <Q>romeo, what do you think of Jeff Loomis (Nevermore)? Would you ever do a song together?
MikeRomeo <A>Jeff is a smokin guitarist..Iv'e known him for a few years. We were jamming in the back of our tourbus the other day, just noodling and trading some licks. As far as a song together, if the opportunity ever came up, it would be cool.
symphonyofnevermorex <Q>what do you think of petrucci (dream theater)?
MikeRomeo <A>John is a really great player and an awesome guy, as well. We were having a talk the other day about gear and stuff, and his live performance is flawless..he really nails everything dead on.
Rattler <Q>Hey Mike, what can fans expect on the next Symphony X CD?
MikeRomeo <A>The next CD will be along the lines of the Odyssey..a bit heavier though. We are still writing tunes for it and it is going well. We set up a little studio/workstation is the back of the tourbus to try to continue working during the tour, so things are moving foward.
abbadon <Q>Hi Mike, new SymX fan here, was wondering how difficult it is to write new material and keep it with a fresh feeling in a time where it feels like
everything has been done before.
MikeRomeo <A>Very true...it is difficult to try to keep things fresh. You just gotta keep writing and experimenting till you have something cool. That is one of the reasons it takes us a while to write for a new CD...we want it to be exciting for us as well as the fans.
DETH <Q>Mike great show at corpus!!! any plans on coming to Mexico?
MikeRomeo <A>Thanks. About Mexico, we will get there when we finish the next CD and get a tour happening. Looking foward to it.
DETH <Q>Mike.. what inspired you to play guitar
MikeRomeo <A>I think the first guy that made me start playing was Ace and Kiss ( listening to the Kiss Alive album) - then Sabbath, Zeppelin and Preist
Yawt <Q>Hi Mike, how's life treatin you?
MikeRomeo <A>Pretty damn good, thanks
Lionheart1827 <Q>Hey Michael, just wanted to ask how many songs are going to be on the new album and if theres gonna be a long 20 minute song again?
MikeRomeo <A>Not sure yet...we are still putting the tunes together...there may be one longer track ( maybe not 20 mins - but a longer kinda tune ) - still working on it
metalsanchez <Q>did you attend a professional music school (eg. Berklee) or are you self taught?
MikeRomeo <A>I took some basic lessons when I first started playing. But aside from that, I am self taught.
metalsanchez <Q>what is your favorite SX song to play live?
MikeRomeo <A>Inferno and Of Sins and Shadows
Lionheart1827 <Q>Hey Michael, just wanted to see what your opinion is on a Symphony X / Dream Theater tour? That would be badass!
MikeRomeo <A>It would be very cool
symphonyofnevermorex <Q>What motivated you to practice playing guitar consistently while you were young?
MikeRomeo <A>I just want to play like the guys I was listening to at the time. Players like Randy Rhoads and Van Halen really got me into playing and practicing alot.
metalsanchez <Q>with what program did you do the orchestrations for the odyssey?
MikeRomeo <A>I use Nuendo 2 with Gigastudio and alot of Symphonic libraries ( Vienna Symphonic, etc. )
ForceMajeure <Q>Mike, is Symphony X going to do a headliner European tour when the new album's finished?
MikeRomeo <A>Yes..absolutely
Arn <Q>What's your estimate on when the new SX album will be out?
MikeRomeo <A>Our plans are to start recording in Nov or Dec - but we are still working on the tunes
aytch_7 <Q>are you going to collaborate with any of the musicians you met on this tour as a side project ??
MikeRomeo <A>Maybe...a few of us talked about jammin and stuff...but who knows
Yngvai_X <Q>Hey mike, just wondering how the new Caparison is, are there any significant changes between it and your old M-II besides the maple fretboard?
MikeRomeo <A>The guitar is perfect. They modeled the neck after a few different guitars I had - so it is very comfortable for me. Cool stuff
metalsanchez <Q>Hey Mike, do you think that the progressive scene has fallen under a stereotype? (lots of time sig. changes, arpeggios, lots of solos, etc...)
MikeRomeo <A>We dont care about that shit..labeling music ...we just do what we do..we write songs
ForceMajeure <Q>Mike, how has gigantour been for Symphony X so far? Do you think you've gained a lot of new fans?
MikeRomeo <A>Its been great all around. Great players, cool bands. At the signings we defintely see new people or people who say they've 'heard of the band - but not the music'. and after the show - they are fans..so Things are going well.
slayer667 <Q>Hey Mike, I cant wait to see you and the rest of the boys later today! I was just wondering what you are listening to right now, and what you do to get ready for the show.
MikeRomeo <A>Since we are writing tunes for the new CD.. I try NOT to listen to anything that might influence me..although Jeff Loomis was on a bus 2 days ago and turned us onto the new Nevermore...he also gave us a free air guitar performance..
iggyb387 <Q>When is the next album due to be released?
MikeRomeo <A>We are shooting for March
Dann_Hazlehurst <Q>How would you compare Gigantour to previous tours you have done?
MikeRomeo <A>This is the biggest tour weve done here in the States...another things is that there are alot of great bands and players on this tour...so you gotta stay on your toes
KingofTerrors0372 <Q>Hey Mike. As far as lyrical content on the next album, is it going to have a concept or a story behind it or is it yet undecided?
MikeRomeo <A>The CD will not be a concept CD
DETH <Q>Hey mike out of all the cds you have written which is your favourite?
MikeRomeo <A>The Odyssey
iggyb387 <Q>Hey Mike, would you consider performing all of "The Odyssey" (the song) or all of V (sort of like in the way Pink Floyd's "The Wall" was performed) during other tours with a longer set time for Symphony X?
MikeRomeo <A>Time is always an issue...and also - that there are new songs that get added to the set - so sometimes it is difficult to get those older, longer tunes in there. But we like to pull them out from time to time.
COBHC <Q>Will you release another solo cd?Tthe Dark Chapter is possibly one of the greatest albums of all time *bows*
MikeRomeo <A>Thanks alot...I'd like to do another solo CD - but the band is always priority one.
COBHC <Q>How did you end up playing with Jens Johansson and Timo Kotipelto?
MikeRomeo <A>We had done some shows with those guys in Europe...and we became good friends.
DETH <Q>Mike just wanted to say symphony was the show i enjoyed the most out of all the others at gigantour!! great show man
MikeRomeo <A>Awesome... Thanks alot
Imadrumer <Q>How do u get that super heavy sound?
MikeRomeo <A>Play super heavy shit ( and with some attitude )
abbadon <Q>Do you have any idea where the rivalry between Symphony X and Dream Theater fans stemmed from?
MikeRomeo <A>I didnt know there was one? Pretty fucking silly - isnt it.
metalsanchez <Q>you rule dude! thanks for being with us here in this chat, and please come to Mexico!
MikeRomeo <A>No problem dude..see you soon in Mexico!
metalsanchez <Q>divine wings of tragedy or the odyssey? which one do you prefer?
MikeRomeo <A>The Odyssey
Lionheart1827 <Q>Hey, Id like to ask how many hours a day do you play guitar?
MikeRomeo <A>I play a little each day - most of the time I actually play - is when I am writing and coming up with new shit. I really spend alot of time writing
Crunkologist <Q>Who's been your biggest inspiration, musically?
MikeRomeo <A>That's a tough one..so many guys have influenced and inspired me...BUT I would have to say the first guy that really made me serious about guitar playing was Randy Rhoads
Thraxz <Q>What do you think of the crowds that turn out for your set? Are they getting bigger?
MikeRomeo <A>The crowds have been amazing!
aytch_7 <Q>which album did you feel like you invested the climax of your work in ??
MikeRomeo <A>The Odyssey
Thraxz <Q>Would you take a spot on next year's Gigantour?
MikeRomeo <A>Definetely Yes
rsxjc11 <Q>Hey Mike, what type of gear are you using for your heavy sound on gigantour?
MikeRomeo <A>The Line 6 Vetta I and Vetta II - with 2 Mesa/Boogie half-back cabs
miro <Q>Hey Mike,do you have your strings set up as low as possible to enable easier tapping and how do you prevent unwanted vibrations and sounds of the strings when you play a more complex tapping phrase?
MikeRomeo <A>No -my action is kinda standard. I mute the open stings when tapping ( either the inside of my left hand or palm of my right )
symphonyofnevermorex <Q>how do you sweep pick so good? I've been trying intro to smoke and mirrors and I can't get it down cleanly and fast
MikeRomeo <A>just practice - that's all there is to it
Yawt <Q>Have you enjoyed watching the other bands? Good luck on the rest of the tour and on future projects!
MikeRomeo <A>Throughout the tour I've gotta a chance to see ALL the bands - and it was great..like I said- alot of great players and good music...we are all having a great time and look foward to seeing everyone out there!!! Thanks you guys for being here!
Event Chat #16 with Symphony X guitarist, Mike Romeo
2:00PM - 3:00PM CDT, August 12
symphonyofnevermorex <Q>romeo, what do you think of Jeff Loomis (Nevermore)? Would you ever do a song together?
MikeRomeo <A>Jeff is a smokin guitarist..Iv'e known him for a few years. We were jamming in the back of our tourbus the other day, just noodling and trading some licks. As far as a song together, if the opportunity ever came up, it would be cool.
symphonyofnevermorex <Q>what do you think of petrucci (dream theater)?
MikeRomeo <A>John is a really great player and an awesome guy, as well. We were having a talk the other day about gear and stuff, and his live performance is flawless..he really nails everything dead on.
Rattler <Q>Hey Mike, what can fans expect on the next Symphony X CD?
MikeRomeo <A>The next CD will be along the lines of the Odyssey..a bit heavier though. We are still writing tunes for it and it is going well. We set up a little studio/workstation is the back of the tourbus to try to continue working during the tour, so things are moving foward.
abbadon <Q>Hi Mike, new SymX fan here, was wondering how difficult it is to write new material and keep it with a fresh feeling in a time where it feels like
everything has been done before.
MikeRomeo <A>Very true...it is difficult to try to keep things fresh. You just gotta keep writing and experimenting till you have something cool. That is one of the reasons it takes us a while to write for a new CD...we want it to be exciting for us as well as the fans.
DETH <Q>Mike great show at corpus!!! any plans on coming to Mexico?
MikeRomeo <A>Thanks. About Mexico, we will get there when we finish the next CD and get a tour happening. Looking foward to it.
DETH <Q>Mike.. what inspired you to play guitar
MikeRomeo <A>I think the first guy that made me start playing was Ace and Kiss ( listening to the Kiss Alive album) - then Sabbath, Zeppelin and Preist
Yawt <Q>Hi Mike, how's life treatin you?
MikeRomeo <A>Pretty damn good, thanks
Lionheart1827 <Q>Hey Michael, just wanted to ask how many songs are going to be on the new album and if theres gonna be a long 20 minute song again?
MikeRomeo <A>Not sure yet...we are still putting the tunes together...there may be one longer track ( maybe not 20 mins - but a longer kinda tune ) - still working on it
metalsanchez <Q>did you attend a professional music school (eg. Berklee) or are you self taught?
MikeRomeo <A>I took some basic lessons when I first started playing. But aside from that, I am self taught.
metalsanchez <Q>what is your favorite SX song to play live?
MikeRomeo <A>Inferno and Of Sins and Shadows
Lionheart1827 <Q>Hey Michael, just wanted to see what your opinion is on a Symphony X / Dream Theater tour? That would be badass!
MikeRomeo <A>It would be very cool
symphonyofnevermorex <Q>What motivated you to practice playing guitar consistently while you were young?
MikeRomeo <A>I just want to play like the guys I was listening to at the time. Players like Randy Rhoads and Van Halen really got me into playing and practicing alot.
metalsanchez <Q>with what program did you do the orchestrations for the odyssey?
MikeRomeo <A>I use Nuendo 2 with Gigastudio and alot of Symphonic libraries ( Vienna Symphonic, etc. )
ForceMajeure <Q>Mike, is Symphony X going to do a headliner European tour when the new album's finished?
MikeRomeo <A>Yes..absolutely
Arn <Q>What's your estimate on when the new SX album will be out?
MikeRomeo <A>Our plans are to start recording in Nov or Dec - but we are still working on the tunes
aytch_7 <Q>are you going to collaborate with any of the musicians you met on this tour as a side project ??
MikeRomeo <A>Maybe...a few of us talked about jammin and stuff...but who knows
Yngvai_X <Q>Hey mike, just wondering how the new Caparison is, are there any significant changes between it and your old M-II besides the maple fretboard?
MikeRomeo <A>The guitar is perfect. They modeled the neck after a few different guitars I had - so it is very comfortable for me. Cool stuff
metalsanchez <Q>Hey Mike, do you think that the progressive scene has fallen under a stereotype? (lots of time sig. changes, arpeggios, lots of solos, etc...)
MikeRomeo <A>We dont care about that shit..labeling music ...we just do what we do..we write songs
ForceMajeure <Q>Mike, how has gigantour been for Symphony X so far? Do you think you've gained a lot of new fans?
MikeRomeo <A>Its been great all around. Great players, cool bands. At the signings we defintely see new people or people who say they've 'heard of the band - but not the music'. and after the show - they are fans..so Things are going well.
slayer667 <Q>Hey Mike, I cant wait to see you and the rest of the boys later today! I was just wondering what you are listening to right now, and what you do to get ready for the show.
MikeRomeo <A>Since we are writing tunes for the new CD.. I try NOT to listen to anything that might influence me..although Jeff Loomis was on a bus 2 days ago and turned us onto the new Nevermore...he also gave us a free air guitar performance..
iggyb387 <Q>When is the next album due to be released?
MikeRomeo <A>We are shooting for March
Dann_Hazlehurst <Q>How would you compare Gigantour to previous tours you have done?
MikeRomeo <A>This is the biggest tour weve done here in the States...another things is that there are alot of great bands and players on this tour...so you gotta stay on your toes
KingofTerrors0372 <Q>Hey Mike. As far as lyrical content on the next album, is it going to have a concept or a story behind it or is it yet undecided?
MikeRomeo <A>The CD will not be a concept CD
DETH <Q>Hey mike out of all the cds you have written which is your favourite?
MikeRomeo <A>The Odyssey
iggyb387 <Q>Hey Mike, would you consider performing all of "The Odyssey" (the song) or all of V (sort of like in the way Pink Floyd's "The Wall" was performed) during other tours with a longer set time for Symphony X?
MikeRomeo <A>Time is always an issue...and also - that there are new songs that get added to the set - so sometimes it is difficult to get those older, longer tunes in there. But we like to pull them out from time to time.
COBHC <Q>Will you release another solo cd?Tthe Dark Chapter is possibly one of the greatest albums of all time *bows*
MikeRomeo <A>Thanks alot...I'd like to do another solo CD - but the band is always priority one.
COBHC <Q>How did you end up playing with Jens Johansson and Timo Kotipelto?
MikeRomeo <A>We had done some shows with those guys in Europe...and we became good friends.
DETH <Q>Mike just wanted to say symphony was the show i enjoyed the most out of all the others at gigantour!! great show man
MikeRomeo <A>Awesome... Thanks alot
Imadrumer <Q>How do u get that super heavy sound?
MikeRomeo <A>Play super heavy shit ( and with some attitude )
abbadon <Q>Do you have any idea where the rivalry between Symphony X and Dream Theater fans stemmed from?
MikeRomeo <A>I didnt know there was one? Pretty fucking silly - isnt it.
metalsanchez <Q>you rule dude! thanks for being with us here in this chat, and please come to Mexico!
MikeRomeo <A>No problem dude..see you soon in Mexico!
metalsanchez <Q>divine wings of tragedy or the odyssey? which one do you prefer?
MikeRomeo <A>The Odyssey
Lionheart1827 <Q>Hey, Id like to ask how many hours a day do you play guitar?
MikeRomeo <A>I play a little each day - most of the time I actually play - is when I am writing and coming up with new shit. I really spend alot of time writing
Crunkologist <Q>Who's been your biggest inspiration, musically?
MikeRomeo <A>That's a tough one..so many guys have influenced and inspired me...BUT I would have to say the first guy that really made me serious about guitar playing was Randy Rhoads
Thraxz <Q>What do you think of the crowds that turn out for your set? Are they getting bigger?
MikeRomeo <A>The crowds have been amazing!
aytch_7 <Q>which album did you feel like you invested the climax of your work in ??
MikeRomeo <A>The Odyssey
Thraxz <Q>Would you take a spot on next year's Gigantour?
MikeRomeo <A>Definetely Yes
rsxjc11 <Q>Hey Mike, what type of gear are you using for your heavy sound on gigantour?
MikeRomeo <A>The Line 6 Vetta I and Vetta II - with 2 Mesa/Boogie half-back cabs
miro <Q>Hey Mike,do you have your strings set up as low as possible to enable easier tapping and how do you prevent unwanted vibrations and sounds of the strings when you play a more complex tapping phrase?
MikeRomeo <A>No -my action is kinda standard. I mute the open stings when tapping ( either the inside of my left hand or palm of my right )
symphonyofnevermorex <Q>how do you sweep pick so good? I've been trying intro to smoke and mirrors and I can't get it down cleanly and fast
MikeRomeo <A>just practice - that's all there is to it
Yawt <Q>Have you enjoyed watching the other bands? Good luck on the rest of the tour and on future projects!
MikeRomeo <A>Throughout the tour I've gotta a chance to see ALL the bands - and it was great..like I said- alot of great players and good music...we are all having a great time and look foward to seeing everyone out there!!! Thanks you guys for being here!
Pedrowzky said:
:Spin:
gosh man, metalsanchez had 6 total questions answered and two of them were already answered beforehand! lol
I am symphonyofnevermorex by the way
Vucko
Member
Similar threads
