Countdown to Weatherstock with RKO

The next band we have had the pleasure of interviewing in our Countdown to Weatherstock is the fantastically fun band from over the Brandywine, RKO.

• What made you decide to start a band?
• Steeloak: Our kin’s (Runic Knights) founder and leader, Meldor, wanted the kin to become more involved with events and parties and, so he sent out the call for any interested parties to start up a band. So I stepped up and decided it would be fun to do.
• How long have you been making music together?
• Steeloak: As it stands, Sanicle, Primrosiah, and myself are part of the original group, which was founded in October, 2009.
• Khalawyn: I’ve only been with Runic Knights and RKO for the last year. I’m a musician in real life, and find the music system in this game to be intriguing, and seeing what people can do with it is just amazing.
• Zaxin: I caught the band playing a show actually and decided I wanted to be a part of it, and joined with Chantillyrose.
• Chantillyrose: Zax is a musician in real life.
• Sanicle: Many of us are at least amateur musicians in real life.
• Chantillyrose: Yes, same here music has been a part of my life for over 50 yrs.
• Grimbori: Yes, me definitely – musician in real life, concert starved
• Pinoh: Been here since 2010. I wandered into the kinhouse while they were practising.
• Rathlaer: I used to play, but I have a knack for working with MIDI files.
• Primrosiah: Mostly kin members hear we have practice and come join in if they like.
• What kind of music can Weatherstock goers expect to hear?
• Steeloak: High energy, dancing music. Just about anything. We hope to bring a bunch of unique and energetic stuff to Weatherstock.
• Khalawyn: We do all types of music – from classical to stuff written recently. People coming to our concert before Weatherstock will probably hear everything from Mozart to Enya to Coldplay.
• Do you transcribe the music yourselves?
• Steeloak: We started off using the fat lute website and slowly started trying it out ourselves.
• Khalawyn: Pinoh and Rath are our current in-group transcribers. I’ve poked around with it a little, but haven’t done a lot.
• Primrosiah: I just whine for music I like and they take care of it!
• Khalawyn: But most of our music was transcribed by our group. We’ve got, what? 700 songs now?
• Does your band have any original pieces they play, or is there a particular tune known as your band’s staple song?
• Steeloak: You could say our signature songs are “Yakety Sax” aka the Benny Hill theme, and “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” of Monty Python.
• Grimbori: No original pieces at the moment.
• How do choose which songs to add to your repertoire?
• Primrosiah: People kinda like to hear what they can relate to.. and we try to meet that.
• Grimbori: Big secret: Random Number Generator!!!
• Pinoh: Whatever I can find good midi’s for.
• Primrosiah: to get transcribed, someone has to like it. What stays is what most people are happy with.
• Steeloak: Whatever the transcribers want. If someone requests something, they’ll do it if they can find good midis. We’ve got a lot of 70s and 80s songs, some classical, swing, oldies, rock, metal, jazz, pop, etc.
• Zaxin: Some country too, we’ve got some Alan Jackson.
• Do you hold regularly scheduled concerts on your home server?
• Steeloak: No regularly scheduled concerts. We try to hold practise every month.
• Khalawyn: Though we do occasionally just go somewhere and play.
• Are you available for parties/events other kins may be throwing?
• Steeloak: We’ve done a Christmas concert, and have done the Popul Festivus three years in a row.
• Grimbori: We also recently played at our kin’s 5 year anniversary.
• Primrosiah: We are willing to consider events?
• Pinoh: I think we would.
• Grimbori: Heck yea
• Khalawyn: Probably both on Brandywine and Landroval now.
• Primrosiah: This is really inconvenient.. but I am loving this server too
• Grimbori: We’d definitely be open to playing parties or events, even though no one has asked yet.
• How do you decide on wardrobe and colour choices?
• Steeloak: I originally asked for ideas on what we should wear, but there was no response, so I just designed it myself. Well, the guys’ outfits. The ladies designed their own outfits. I just wanted easy to get clothing, since there is a lot of stuff that looks good, but can be hard to get.
• Primrosiah: We found something everyone could wear!
• Any special surprises in store for Weatherstock that you care to share with readers, or any special message you’d like to give readers?
• Steeloak: Thanks to everyone for the opportunity to compete and have fun. We just really want to put on a good concert, and good music with lots of dancing and cheering!
• Primrosiah: Tell everyone to stay away from the Orange Mushrooms!!