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By Andy Laudano |
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Back In Black was formed in 2001 by former Los Angeles bandmates, guitarist Mike Mroz and vocalist Darren Caperna. “We played The Whiskey, The Roxy, FM Station and all the clubs,” Mike recalls. “But there’s a million musicians and a million great bands in L.A. It was a tough scene, but we got through it. Our last original band nearly had a deal with Warner Reprise Records. They were ready to sign us, but there was a big earthquake and two of the guys freaked out, left California and broke up the band. After that I didn’t feel like pursuing a record deal anymore, so I started a Cheap Trick cover band for fun. I did that for about a year before I moved to Texas.” Eventually, Mroz felt the urge to play in a band again. “I had a great job and was focused on my career but, man, I missed playing,” Mike relates. “I didn’t want to get real serious or chase a record deal again. I just wanted to have fun and play. So I thought about doing another tribute band. I remembered back in L.A. we’d always close our original set with an AC/DC song and get a great response. So I tracked down Darren in New York, and he was ready for it. I put an ad in the paper, and our drummer Jay (Benzi) answered it. He said he already had a P.A., a guitarist (Mike Wagner), a bassist (Taylor Smith), and they were ready to run with it.” Back In Black puts on an electrifying, high-energy show that captures the spirit of early AC/DC. Amazingly, Caperna is equally convincing singing Bon Scott or Brian Johnson material. “That’s a big part of our success” Mike notes. “We can do both eras. There’s a ton of AC/DC tribute bands out there. A lot of them just focus on the Bon era. There’s not too many that can do the Brian stuff. But Darren has such a powerful voice. We’re really lucky to have him.” AC/DC hasn’t released any new material in a long time. When Back In Black’s fans started asking them to write some new songs, Stripwired was born. “We’re just doing it for fun,” Mike shares. “We really enjoy performing the songs. It’s a nice little creative outlet for us. If something happens with it, great. If not, it’s all right. I love the place I’m at right now. Back in L.A., I was a struggling musician doing everything I could to be in a successful band. Now I’m just doing it because I love it.” With Stripwired, Back In Black has become their own opening act. “We got the perfect demographic every time we perform. We’re playing AC/DC style music for AC/DC fans. It’s a unique and cool way to launch a band.” Back In Black has accomplished a lot in the past six years. 20th Century Fox had them record music for two movies, Garage Days and Napoleon Dynamite. Sony Music (AC/DC’s label) recruited them to help catalog sales. They’re currently featured in a Toyota Tundra commercial, and they’ve played all over the U.S. and Canada, including a show in Sarasota, Florida for Brian Johnson’s family.
At the Rock School they teach guitar, bass, drums, piano, keyboards and vocals in a very untraditional way. “I learned the traditional way,” Mike relates. “My first lesson was a C chord and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” I’m totally against that. That’s old-school thinking. When kids come in, they tell me what song they want to learn and that’s their first lesson. We simplify the song for them, so they can go home and start playing right away. It’s real easy to get frustrated at first so we make it simple and we make it fun. As they progress, we start sneaking in the more complicated stuff. From there we form them into bands, based on their age and ability. We rehearse with them on weekends and then put them onstage in front of an audience. That’s the payoff — when they feel the power of the band behind them, with professional sound and lights, in front of 300 – 400 people, you should see their faces! That’s what we’re about.” While most of Mroz’ students are in their early teens, his most famous (some would say infamous) student is an adult, 105.3 radio personality Russ Martin. “I was a fan and I always listened to the show,” Mike recalls. “About five years ago, Russ was looking for a band to play his White Trash Party. I knew he was a big AC/DC fan, so we cut a demo and I dropped it off at the studio. He played it on the air and really liked it. We became friends and I noticed that he played guitar. He’d invite me over his house and I’d show him how to play “Long Way To the Top” and “T.N.T.” He was just obsessive about that guitar and I could tell that he really enjoyed it so I started giving him lessons. Now if you go over his house, he’s always playing, always practicing. He’s one of my best students.” After Martin talked the rest of the guys on his show into starting a band, Mroz and his bandmates taught them as well. In only two years’ time, The Russ Martin Show Band has become one of the most entertaining bands around. The band raises money for the RMS Listener’s Fund, a charity benefiting the families of Firefighters and Police Officers that have fallen in the line of duty. Mroz has come a long way from being a struggling musician in California. Back In Black has been a great success, Stripwired is starting to take off, and the Rock School is doing so well, they’ve just opened a second location. For more information on Back In Black or the Rock School, check out www.backinblack.info |
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FEATURES |
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