 Mick
Cervino has been Yngwie's touring bassist since the "Attack!!"
tour and formed a formidable rhythm section with drummer Patrick Johansson.
We caught up with Mick on the eve of a European tour with his own
band Violent Storm who are promoting their debut album "Storm
Warning" to discuss the Violent Storm album and life on the road
with the Maestro.
Mick,
many thanks for doing another interview with us at Yngwie Malmsteen’s
Guitar Alchemy.
Hi Andy, my pleasure!
Lets
start bang up to date. You are about to hit the road with your own
band Violent Storm. How did you end up forming this band and tell
our readers what Violent Storm is about for those that haven’t
heard the band yet.
Violent Storm is a vision I've had for many years, songs and ideas
I've been postponing for too long for one reason or another. A couple
of years ago I decided it was time to finally go ahead and pursue
this dream, which is my main musical interest at this time.
How did you assemble the band members?
Through an arduous audition process, in great part. I had worked with
drummer Mike Sorrentino before when I was in Ritchie Blackmore's band;
we made a very solid rhythm section and got on well on and off stage,
so Mike was an easy choice. During the recording of the album we tried
out guitarists and singers until we found the voice we needed for
the album. I ended up recording most of the guitars, with the exception
of those played by the guest musicians. We now have a brilliant guitar
player from England by the name of Martin Mickels.
 The
debut album “Storm Warning” has a very original sound
with quite a cross section of music that falls under the “metal”
banner. Was this intentional?
The album could be labelled Metal/Hard Rock/Classic Rock/etc, I was
not concerned with what classification "Storm Warning" would
receive, I just did the style of music that came natural to me being
true to my Hard Rock roots yet avoiding sounding old or dated.
The
album feature guest spots from Yngwie, KK Downing (Judas Priest) and
Roy Z. How did you get each to participate on the album and did you
give them instruction as to what you were looking for from their performances
on their respective tracks?
Somebody very wise said a long time ago: "Ask... and you shall
receive." So I asked Yngwie and K.K.and they both agreed to contribute
a couple of guitar solos each. While showing them the songs I explained
what I was trying to do, but as you can imagine, when you deal with
the likes of Yngwie and K.K. there's really no much explaining necessary.
They knew what to do right away, and they did a tremendous job. Roy
Z also contributed a couple of solos during the final mixes when K.K.
was the executive producer in the final stages of the recording.
What
can fans across Europe expect from the upcoming live gigs?
They'll see a refreshing new band that they can relate to, as it has
elements from the old and the new. There will be a vast display of
virtuoso-ism as well as exciting musicianship, dedicated to highlight
the songs rather than the individuals. Fans should expect to see the
band they've been waiting for all their lives!
Where can people buy the debut album
“Storm Warning”?
Most reputable record stores in Europe (including the UK) should have
it or can order it. It is also available through our website www.violentstorm.net
and at our concerts (please see our "Tour Dates" on the
website).
You initially hooked up with Yngwie on the “War To End All Wars”
world tour which is when did our first interview. Since then you have
played on the “Attack!!” tour and the “Unleash The
Fury” tour. What are the main differences between these 3 tours?
As a band we became tighter after playing together for several years.
The first tour had great energy, but we were still getting used to
playing with one another. As tours progressed so did our musical awareness
of each others styles and therefore we grew as a group.
 When
I saw the band at Hammersmith Apollo in April 06 I was amazed by the
new found energy in Yngwie’s performance. You guys all seemed
to be having a lot of fun that night and I got the impression Yngwie
was immensely proud to be playing Hammersmith again for the first
time in 12 years. Where there any pre-show nerves from yourself or
other band members?
Everyone was excited to be there, but I can't recall any nervousness
from my part, I don't usually worry unless there's a reason to. When
you've been playing with the same band for so long you tend to be
more relaxed and try to enjoy the experience, which in this case was
very special.
Fan response suggests Yngwie stole a
lot of the shows on the G3 tour with Vai and Satriani, what kind of
vibe where you getting from the audience onstage during Yngwie’s
set on this tour?
The vibe was very positive, many people in the audience were watching
Yngwie for the first time and, needless to say, they were very, very
impressed. Even Vai and Satriani were usually standing on the side
of the stage with their jaws dropped in admiration. It was a very
memorable experience.
What songs from up on stage do you see
the fans going crazy over the most?
It's hard to say... There are places or countries were certain songs
had a more profound impact than others. For example; "Hiroshima
Mon Amour" in Japan, or "I Am A Viking" in parts of
the States. People usually respond more enthusiastically to the songs
that mean something special to them. I suppose classics like "Black
Star", or "Far Beyond The Sun" are generally well received
by most audiences.
What is the most challenging song and
the most enjoyable song you have played on your tours with Yngwie?
"Rise Up" comes to mind, as it is a hell of a fast riff.
As far as the most enjoyable song for me it was "Highway Star".
I think we played it at a level only barely surpassed by the Deep
Purple Mark II on "Made In Japan". Unfortunately we only
played it on rare occasions.
Have you ever been close to being on
the receiving end of a high kick or guitar sling from Yngwie onstage?
I've been told by a fan that there was an instance when Yngwie's guitar
came very dangerously close to hitting me on the head, but I didn't
even notice it. I've seen Yngwie first looking behind him prior to
the "sling", so I think he is quite cautious these days.
Can you give us a rough overview of what the
average day on the road is like as part of Yngwie’s touring
band?
At about 7:00 am, while sleeping in the tour bus, the singer decides
to walk by my bunk bed singing "Walk up this morning....got my
self a gun". Then I figure, okay that's it for my good night
sleep, as he goes to the front lounge and puts on the freekin' Sopranos
DVD, loud enough to make sure I get annoyed! Everybody else snores
away.
Soon after that I'm up and walking around the neighbourhood of wherever
we are, looking desperately for a Starbucks.
Then is time to sound check, which usually consists of a 5 hour jam,
covering just about every song every line up of Deep Purple ever recorded.
We then have dinner (a vegan meal for me), try to find a quite spot
in a dark and inconspicuous place and then get ready to go on stage.
Then, after greeting fans, is back to the bus. Some of us chose to
"attempt" to get some rest soon, while others stay up watching
horror movies very loud until around 4:00 am.
Then at 7:00 am, the familiar sound of "Walk up this morning....."
and the whole thing starts again.
What lined up in the future for Mick
Cervino?
It is to be hoped that Violent Storm will keep me busy and happy.
I have accomplished many of the goals I had set for myself throughout
my life, now having my own band and playing my own songs is yet another
challenge I am determined to fulfil. I tend to focus on one goal at
a time, so this is my priority and where all my energy is invested
in right now.
Anything else you would like to tell
the readers of Yngwie Malmsteen’s Guitar Alchemy?
As always thank you for supporting excellent music. If you are in
Europe (...and the UK) come and check out Violent Storm this June
and let us know your thoughts on our guest book on www.violentstorm.net
or www.mickcervino.com
See you soon!
Mick,
many thanks once again for your time.
Thank you
Web
Links
Official Mick
Cervino website
Official Violent
Storm website
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