It’s January and everyone in the music industry knows what it means, it’ time for NAMM 2017 which stands for National Association of Music Merchants, held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. January 19th – 22nd, four days of everything associated with music.
GHS Strings have been at the forefront of sting design for over fifty years, while Rocktron Technology has developed three custom voiced settings for the Mike Orlando Signature Wah pedal, with the classic setting, it’s ‘vintage’ Wah effect.
I had the honor of catching up with Mike Orlando guitar virtuoso of Adrenaline Mob, Sonic Stomp and Noturnall, with his bassist Fernando Quesada of Sonic Stomp and Noturnall put on a demonstration, I would say more like a clinic, the crowd gathered and as I looked around everyone was live on their cell phones. It was evident they were having a good time.
The following is an interview with Mike Orlando talking about his signature Wah pedal and news on the upcoming album from Adrenaline Mob.
I’m here speaking with Mike Orlando of Adrenaline Mob at NAMM 2017 in the GHS Strings/Rocktron Technology booth.
Mike Orlando: Yeah!
It’s nice to see you again I can’t believe it’s been a year. This is ending up being a yearly meeting.
Pleasure to see you! Yeah! This has been the last 10 years, I’d say, yeah. Easily. A lot of NAMM’s.
Anything new with the GHS Strings this year?
I’m still using the same products. I use GHS custom gauge. 9½-44 are my favorite ones.
Sometimes 10-52 Boomers. You know, they’re the best.
You’ve talked about your signature Wah Pedal in your demonstration.
Yes!
Can you give us some information?
It’s my favorite piece of gear! It’s the Rocktron Signature Mike Orlando signature Wah pedal. It looks great, it’s such a beautiful black into purple type of finish, beautiful scroll work they did. The sound is great. Very smooth. There is a mix knob on it, which not a lot of Wah’s have, so you can pull back the amount of it. If you’re recording you don’t want so much, or…so that, I love that fact that it has that, and it’s just a very sweet, natural sound. It’s not overbearing, and I love it. It’s my favorite piece of gear.
You’ve spent a lot of time last year in Brazil with Sonic Stomp.
Oh yeah. South America.
I posted the other day your video, Wheels in Motion, it’s a beautiful song.
Oh yeah.
Amazing!
Thank you so much, thank you.
Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Yeah, it’s been great. I’ve been doing tons of work over there with Sonic Stomp and I also joined a band called Noturnall who are based in Sao Paulo as well, so we’ve done 70 performances last year alone, and we plan to do twice as many next year. I’m very honored to be playing with amazing musicians out there. Fernando Quesada’s my bassist in Sonic Stomp and Noturnall. Juninho Carelli on keys, Aquiles Priester on drums – he’s absolutely amazing. We just recorded a full live DVD with the guys at Fusão Studios, which is my singer in Noturnall.
His name is Thiago Bianchi. He owns the facility and we shot a lot of the DVD there. It comes out in March or April of 2017. And then I’ll head back and do another, you know, three- or four-week run to support it. And then it’s on to the Adrenaline Mob world.
Yes!
Yes, because…
I can’t wait (laughter).
We just finished our new album, so we’re very excited about it. Myself and my partner, Russell Allen, have written our best album to date. So, I finish up the mixes next week and we hand it in and it’ll be out probably April 28th, give or take a week. I think that’s the release date so…
That’s exciting!!
We’re super excited!
Last year we talked a little bit about a new band, A Beautiful Disaster.
Yes. Yeah. A Beautiful Disaster is… unfortunately it’s on hold. I have…I cannot do…it’s just like I’m…
(Laughter)
I wish I could break myself in four, but between Sonic Stomp and Noturnall and of course Adrenaline Mob, you know, I have so many things going on. I have another new project that I’m doing with Tred, the singer’s name is Dan Nelson, who is an amazing singer and so we’re slowly working on that, finishing the album, but it’s so hard to, you know… I want to do everything, so…!
Yes, we always want to do everything!
I’m trying.
This year you’ve played at the ‘Randy Rhoads Remembered’ show?
Yes! One of my favorite shows to play at. I’ve done so many of them and it’s such an honor to have done that many. Sanctioned by the Rhoads family themselves, you know, paying tribute to one of the greatest rock guitarists ever. It doesn’t get better! Randy Rhoads.
Perfect.
That’s it, you know.
Thank you very much. Is there anything we missed?
No, just all good stuff coming in 2017. A lot of work. A lot of Sonic Stomp coming. DVD, I have an anthology that’ll be coming out of Sonic Stomp with all the material and some new stuff as well in South America after the DVD and Adrenaline Mob and…
Will Adrenaline Mob tour here in the States?
We will tour everywhere. We will definitely have a very big, long cycle with the band. We’re excited and it’s just nonstop.
Good, because I’ll be watching for the tour and hopefully I’ll be able to cover the show.
Awesome, that’d be great!
Thank you very much! I look forward to seeing you sooner than a year!
Thank you so much. Pleasure!
Connect with Mike Orlando online at http://www.mikeorlandomusic.com/
GHS strings: www.ghsstrings.com
Rocktron Technology: www.rocktron.com
Adrenaline Mob: www.adrenalinemob.com
Noturnall: www.noturnall.com
All photos by Tammy Greene
©2017. Please DO NOT copy or use without permission.
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