Attendees of The Hood Bar and Pizza’s Open Mic have watched some intriguing new faces over the last few months: The members of Emergency Alert System have been setting the stage on fire with their combination of metal and punk, which they call “munk.” While the majority of the members are still in high school, their originality and stage presence shine bright. Catch EAS at the Idyllwild HELP Center on Saturday, Oct. 26, and Synergy Fest in Coachella on Saturday, Nov. 9. For more information, track down EAS on Facebook. Guitarist Fernando Gabriel was recently kind enough to answer The Lucky 13.
What was the first concert you attended?
Silvio Rodriguez at El Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. I was 6 at the time, and I loved it!
What was the first album you owned?
The first album I ever owned was Killing Is My Business … and Business Is Good! by Megadeth. My mom gifted it to me for my birthday, and I was blown away! That man Dave is a BEAST!
What bands are you listening to right now?
Megadeth, Black Flag, Mötley Crüe, Jimi Hendrix, At the Gates, Agent Orange, Dead Kennedys, Cream, Korn, Municipal Waste, Mayhem, Enforcer, Black Label Society, Kyuss … the list goes on and on, but I don’t want to bore anyone.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
Here in the east valley, most people love corridos. To be honest, I find them really annoying, especially the lyrics; they are just so silly and dumb.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
I’d love to see Megadeth live back when they did the Rust in Peace tour in ’91. Marty Friedman, Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson and Nick Menza were the best lineup Megadeth ever had. Fight me.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
Katy Perry. Please don’t bully me.
What’s your favorite music venue?
It’s a tie between El Auditorio Nacional and El Palacio de Bellas Artes, both in Mexico City. My passion and love for music was born in those two places.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
The chorus for “A Love Unreal” by Black Label Society. That song means a lot to me, and it always reminds me of someone special.
What band or artist changed your life? How?
Django Reinhardt and Tony Iommi. They taught me that, no matter what happens, never give up on your dreams.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
To Josh Homme: “Are you the one-inch man?”
What song would you like played at your funeral?
“A Song for the Dead” by Queens of the Stone Age.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Rust in Peace by Megadeth. Thrash at its finest!
What song should everyone listen to right now?
“Undying Evil” by Enforcer. It’s really bad-ass. (Scroll down to hear it!)
