Name: Randy Gonzalez and Gino Vento
Hometown: Miami Florida
Band: Thick As Blood
Instrument: Randy- Guitar, Gino- Vocals

1.) How's life on this tour been so far?
Randy- Well we aren't on tour at the moment, we have been really busy at
home finishing up writing our full length which we are recording in March
and it's being released early summer so be on the look out for that.

Gino-Right now were busting our asses finishing up our album,it will be
out in the summer on Eulogy Recordings like Randy said. Were working real
hard on it and hope kids are into it 'cause we do this for you guys.

2.) Do you prefer tours like this or huge festivals with multiple
bands playing at once?
Randy- Well I definitely do enjoy playing for a few hundred kids when we
play festivals but there is just way to much going on and they are normally
really long so we will be there waiting for like hours baking in the sun
before we get to go on stage. So I guess playing more intimate shows with
about 5 or 6 bands playing is much better you get to socialize with the
other bands better and with the crowd.

Gino-Festivals are awesome ,you get to see  tons of bands  for  usually a
good price and im a hardcore kid so i love going to shows and seeing bands
,but there's nothing like being on tour with a band the friendship that
comes from bands touring together is like no other its almost like going to
school with a band seeing them everyday haha

3.) When you guys are on the road, what do you usually do?

Randy- A whole lot of sitting in a van driving for hours and hours ,eating
Cup O Noodles at gas stations. Showing up at venues 6 hours before the show starts. Hanging out at malls. Stopping at a Walmart in every state. Sleeping at people's houses, Sleeping in the van or when we feel like being highclass we will sleep at hotels. Playing videogames and spending quality time with the ladiessssss.

Gino- Driving lots of driving, Its alright though because my dream actually
is to be a NASCAR driver one day there's nothing like putting the pedal to
the metal and rocking out to Metallica, but yeah lots of driving we usually
get to the venues really early so we try and find a mall to kick it at or if
we have friends in the city were at we hang out with them.

4.) What would you say is the biggest sacrifice you had to make to be in your band?

Randy- I was going into my third year of playing high school football
and I quit so I could begin touring , and I have always had plans of moving
out of state for college but I had to change that  so now I am going to be
attending college at home , but all the sacrifices will definitely pay off
in the end.

Gino-Biggest sacrifice id say was  dropping out of college cause all i want
to do is rock! haha and touring in my car putting a million miles on it.also
having shitty jobs so i can quit and go on tour when i have to, but hard
work always pays off even with a lil sacrifice.

5.) What bands would be on your dream tour(i.e. Who would you like to tour with)?

Randy- Slayer, Hatebreed, Killswitch Engage, Unearth, and Glassjaw

Gino-Ill give you a 2 tours one that will never happen and one a lil more
realistic ok first one NWA, Pantera and Dio haha ok for something thats not so out of this world id say Slayer,Hatebreed, KillSwitch and Sick of it all

6.) Where did you get your inspiration from for your music (other
bands, family, etc.)?

Randy- We all listen to different music ranging from Morissey to
Necrophagist, but me I get my inspiration from just situations in life when
I am stressed out or in a bad mood I pick up a guitar and just start writing
riffs until I write something I like I start jamming out to it, then bam
just like that I am in a good mood and there is a new riff written for the
band. When I am at home I barely even listen to hardcore though. Recently I have been jamming out to Paramore, Circa survive, New Found Glory, Saves the day, and the new Fall out boy. Keeps me relaxed at home until we head out on tour again then its 3 straight months of jamming out to hardcore every night.

Gino-I get alot of my inspiration thru past experiences,problems things
people can relate to i like to give something real to the listeners. Like
Randy said we all listen to different stuff my dad was in a metal band in
the 80s so i grew up on that and that plays a big roll in what i listen to
and the ideas i contribute to the band.

7.) As a musician, what do you consider to be "making it big"?

Randy- Being able to make a career out of playing music, being able to play
in front of hundreds of kids every night and being able to bring my parents
to one of our shows and having them be proud of what I am doing with my
life.

Gino- When people come out to your shows even if they have school or work
the next day.Just being able to make enough money to survive and live
comfortably thru tour and while the tour is over as well.

8.) What tour would you say was your favorite?

Randy- So far my favorite tour has been our most recent one, which was with
All in of Hand of Hope records go check them out they are good dudes. It was
our first Winter tour and we are From Miami which the coldest it gets down
here is like 55 degrees, so we were all freezing and we all got sick because
we aren't used to that type of weather but we didn't care because a good
amount of the shows were good and we ended up making so much money that tour
it ended great.

Gino-My favorite tour so far id say the tour we did this past summer we did
a few dates with Suffocate Faster, xBISHOPx and The Red Baron check all the
those bands out if you get a chance all of them are real good guys. All the
shows had really good turn outs and being on tour with bands is usually
better then touring on our own.

9.) Where was your favorite place to perform (city)?

Randy- Well I definitely always enjoy playing our hometown Miami Fl,
But I really have enjoyed playing Altoona, PA and Douglasville, GA.

Gino-Of course our Hometown Miami,Fl  GO CANES!
but i cant honestly answer this questions because we always have a blast no
matter where were at.

10.) What is your favorite song to play live?

Randy- My favorite song to play live would have to be "Holdfast"
It's a song with lyrics about being straightedge and it just such an intense
song. It's going to be out on our full length.

Gino-Favorite song to play live would be  "Dead to me" its a really heavy
and intense song its a song about betrayal it will also be on out Debut full
length.

11.) Name the five greatest bands of all time.

Randy- Slayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Metallica, Pantera

Gino-In no particular order
Led  Zeppelin,Slayer,Pantera,Dio and Hatebreed, yeah Hatebreed.

12.) What's the best part about going on tour?

Randy- I don't even know where to begin everything about being on tour is
amazing I mean think about it you are traveling the country with your
closest friends, going to shows every night for free, Playing music every
night having kids go insane for your band, meeting ladiessssssss and getting
money for doing this. It really cannot get any better than that in my book.

Gino-favorite part about tour is eating all the delicious flavors of
Ramen,no but seriously just being able to see the country and playing music
in front kids and being able to meet new faces everyday theres never a dull
moment,were all crazy guys so we usually pull lots of pranks on each other.

13.) What did you do before the band started?

Randy- Not much I was just going to shows ,going to high school, running
track for school that was about it.

Gino-I was in high school going to shows,but ive played music since i was in
middle school nothing serious tho.

14.) Where's the one place you want to perform that you haven't?

Randy- I can not wait to tour out of the country Europe, Japan and
Australia!!!!!!!

Gino-Yeah im gonna have to go with the same response Randy gave  i want to
play out of the country even tho i love AMERICA! i just want to see the rest
of the world doing the thing i love doing the most.

15.) If you could describe it in one word, what does it feel like to
perform?

Randy- Epic

Gino-tubular!

16.) Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?

Randy- practice your instrument a lot before you go and start a band, make
sure your band doesn't start out trying to sound exactly like  another band.
Practice until your fingers fall off then practice some more. When you feel
you are ready to record go for it, then promote your music like crazy never
stop promoting, play shows and tour tour tour!

Gino-Practice practice practice practice,practice makes perfect the more you
do it the less you suck,and promote your band alot hand out demos hand out
flyers do whatever it takes,dont give up.

17.) Any last words or shout outs?

Randy-   Thanks for the interview Go check us out at www.myspace.com/xthickasbloodx come out to a show if we
are ever in your town!. Ladies holllllaaaa and thank you Set Your Goals for pretty much getting us this interview we really appreciate it.

Gino-yes I want to give a shout out everyone that believed in us and all our
friends,Set your goals for getting us this interview our friends in Dead
weight,Know the Score,Knock em dead,Five across the eyes,Hoods they got
album comming out in spring on Eulogy recordings xBishopx,The Red Baron Suffocate Faster and All In.If were ever in your town hit us up.