DEVIL'S ISLAND featuring Take It Or Leave It
Welcome to this weeks edition of Devil's Island! Every week we maroon a band or artist on the island and see what they get up to, how they cope with being all alone on a small island in the middle of the ocean. It's not your average desert island and we'll see just how each person copes with the extreme conditions.
This week when we arrived at Devil's Island we find Take It Or Leave it sat on the beach. The island is far from their home, so how did they end up here and how did they cope with life on Devil's Island?
Find out now...
Welcome to The Razors'e Edge and our somewhat lovely, warm desert island. Don't worry about it's name I'm sure it's not as bad as that would suggest.
You're marooned here on this island, but before you ended up shipwrecked you chose one album that you couldn't live without. Which album did you each chose and why?
Craig (Bass/Vocals): Sgt. Pepper because it influenced all music.
Devon (Drums): It's a tough call, but I'd save Blow by Ghinzu. There's a lot of variety in the tracks, some really jazzy downtempto stuff, some coked out noise rock, some synthpop, and just enough introspective piano songs to stare hopelessly at the ocean to!
Mario (Rhythm Guitar): The Mark, Tom and Travis Show, Blink-182's live album. It has all my favorites from the early days with the live, sped-up tempos with some cleaned up post production. I also love how much of a bunch of goofballs they are between songs, I'll never stop laughing at them.
Zach (Lead Guitar): The classic Guns N’ Roses album, Appetite for Destruction
Just behind that palm tree is a shack for each of you to stay in, with enough space for you to put up a poster on the wall of one album cover. What album cover do you each chose?
Craig: Same album (Sgt. Pepper) because of the importance of every person featured on the album cover.
Devon: Zeppelin II. I would run downstairs after school and put my mom's copy on the record player and jam out to it on repeat, so it'd be a nice lil reminder of home
Mario: "Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing" by The Wonder Years. I love their mascot, Hank the Pigeon, and his exhausted stare is so relatable. Plus the album slaps.
Zach: I've never looked at album covers that way. Probably the Blink-182 album with the nurse, Enema of the State.
There's also a bar on this here island. But alas each of you only get to choose one drink for the entirety of your stay. What's your tipple of choice?
Craig: Purified water (if it’s unavailable) if it is, then a craft golden ale or hef.
Devon: Mango margaritas. All day. Tequila on a beach hits different, might keep me from eating a bandmate for another day
Mario: If somehow we were able to get seasonal kegs floating ashore, rotating Sam Adams limited releases is what I do on a regular basis without being stranded. Boston Lager is fine if I can’t be picky.
Zach: I can't drink so I’d choose nothing. When I was still able to drink, I loved me a rum and coke. A pirate's life for me.
Your suitcases were lost when your ship sank, but you each managed to salvage one item of band merch. What’s the merch and for what band?
Craig: A random soft one for comfort.
Devon: My Korn zip-up hoodie. Zip ups rock. I've used them as pillows, blankets, they've got 2 pockets. S-tier merch for sure. Plus it says "always a freak " on the back so it let's whoever rescues us know what's up >:D
Mario: I will wear my Four Year Strong "Rise Or Die Trying" alien tee until it falls off my body. I'm pretty sure it has holes in it but I don't care. Wouldn’t really help us on the island, but it will make me feel better.
Zach: It definitely wouldn't be an article of clothing. I’d get too hot to care about clothes on a deserted island.
You’re sat on the island thinking “I’m stuck here on this island with my bandmates for eternity”… who would you rather have been shipwrecked with?
Craig: My kid
Devon: Christopher Michaels from VinWiki is one of the best storytellers I've had the pleasure of meeting in person. He's a wicked artist that's just about seen it all, and I legit don't think he'd run out of stories until we're dead or rescued.
Mario: She'd probably be mad that I got her stranded on this island suddenly, but I'd like to be stranded with my wife.
Zach: I'd still pick the same crew. The guys are like extended family to me. They also wouldn't be as harsh to me about being dead weight physically.
There's a walkman in your pocket, on the tape inside is the recording of the one live show that stands out for you. It could be any show, from any band, anywhere in the world. What show is on that walkman?
Craig: I don’t know
Devon: Gotta be Queens of The Stone Age at Forest Hills on the Times New Roman tour. They played (almost) all my favorite songs (a testament given their 7 albums or w/e), vamped just enough, and was one of the best shows I've ever seen.
Mario: I got invited to be on stage with Goldfinger in 2012, as he handpicked a few of us in gold shirts. I got to stage dive at Starland, I don't care if it's just audio, I know I'll get to hear it and reimagine it entirely. Plus Reel Big Fish was on that tour too, so if I get the whole night’s show, that’s a massive bonus.
Zach: Maybe that time a bunch of us saw Neck Deep unveil Gold Steps for the first time at Warped Tour? Think it was Holmdel NJ 2015.
You're getting desperate, you decide the only course of action is to put a message in a bottle and hope someone finds it. Your message could be to any member of any band, but should be the most suitable for a rescue attempt. Who is it?
Craig: Henry Rollins. Pretty sure he’d save anyone.
Devon: I'd write a letter to Sting being like "you're not gonna believe this...."
Mario: Tom DeLonge. If this dude can find aliens, he sure as hell can find me.
Zach: Probably to one of the guys in Electric Callboy (Nico or Kevin) so we’d get a music video made of them saving us.
You've been stuck here a while and food supplies are running low. There's only one thing for it... which fellow band member gets sacrificed to help the others survive?
Craig: Zach
Devon: Craig is too skinny and Mario is too important, so we're either eating me or Zach. The diplomatic thing would be to flip a coin (and then eat Zach)
Mario: Love ya dude. Zach.
Zach: My body is the most broken and medically complicated between all of us, so me. The only downside would be it wouldn't be a lot of food and it might go bad quickly. So I don't mind taking one for the team.
Finally, when the ship sank you each managed to save one person from the wreckage. That person is the one musician that has influenced your career the most, shaped your way of thinking and your outlook on life. Who did you save?
Craig: Joe Strummer
Devon: Jack White. His guitar work showed me how much tone matters, his drumming showed me how much simpler fills can crush when they fit just right, and his vocals showed me you don't need to sing opera to be an effective vocalist. It's all energy baby. Plus a fireside dinner listening to Blow with Chris, Jack and the boys, some margaritas, and some braised Zach sounds like a pretty cool hang.
Mario: Mark Hoppus, come on down! He's the godfather of pop punk. I can only dream of playing and releasing music for decades like he has.
Zach: Probably Slash. He was the first guitarist I idolized and almost all of my fundamentals and style are a result of putting in the work to play and improvise like him when I first got started.
