Interview With Shari Black Velvet
You are synonymous with your magazine but how did you get the name Black Velvet?
SBV: It stems back to when I started wearing velvet in the early 90s. I bought more and more as time went on until all I wore was velvet. I decided that that would be my image and all I'd wear would be velvet. So when I decided to start a rock zine and had to think of a name it just seemed the obvious choice. Velvet and black velvet in particular, was a part of me, and I think it's something that you can associate with rock music as all the rock clothing stores sell velvet.
What or who initially inspired you to start the magazine?
SBV: It was a love of rock music and a love of writing. I did a zine previous to Black Velvet for an unsigned band in LA and then when they split up it seemed like the next step. I went to a lot of concerts, as I still do, and I wanted to branch out and write about more of the bands I loved.
Black Velvet started twelve years ago. If you knew then what you know now what, if anything, would be different about the magazine?
SBV: I don't think anything would be different. I've liked how the zine has slowly grown over the years. I can't think of anything I would want to do differently.
Your promotion of and deep passion for Rock music is reflected in Black Velvet. What do you feel are your magazine’s finest achievements to date?
SBV: I think getting Black Velvet into some of the shops it's in is an achievement. Having it on sale in some stores in USA and a store in Australia as well as the UK. I think interviewing some of the bands we've interviewed, getting photopasses for gigs and even just completing each issue itself is an achievement. And doing it for 12 1/2 years.
Black Velvet is now on sale in the US. How has this come about and are there any plans for global distribution?
SBV: Some of the stores I deal with directly and some the UK distributor I have deal with. I'd love for Black Velvet to be on sale everywhere. The sad thing is that not enough shops support zines. It is all about making money and zines don't make huge chain stores much money so they don't sell them. Plus a lot of people just don't buy zines and want to read things for free on the net. I think it's a shame, especially when we put so much into it.
Without putting you too much on the spot. Who has been your favourite artist to interview and why?
SBV: I've been asked this before and usually say the same answer. I'd say John Feldmann of Goldfinger and Tyler Rann of Midtown because they were both animal rights/vegan-based interviews. I'm vegan and against animal cruelty and love talking to like-minded people about the subject. Tyler was my first ever interview about vegetarianism and then later I interviewed John Feldmann more about animal rights. It's awesome to talk to people who really care about the welfare of animals and do what they can to stop animal abuse. I've also enjoyed interviewed Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, Sugarcult - read my interview with Tim Pagnotta in issue 50 - and... well, pretty much everyone really. I liked interviewing Ben of Billy Talent for issue 49.
Who has been the most difficult artist to track down for an interview?
SBV: Hmm. I don't know if anyone has been hard to track down. I usually interview someone after I've been sent their music to review so I know who does their press. The bigger a band gets the harder it is to get press time but most of the time the bands I interview aren't huge so it's not too difficult. I would like to interview Jon Bon Jovi at some point and haven't yet, but I haven't really chased up an interview with him. I wanted to interview My Chemical Romance a second time last year but they've only been doing national press. And I asked about a Lostprophets interview when their new album came out but their press officer said that regional press were getting a syndicated interview - and I'm not into syndicated interviews, so...
Everybody knows your passion for Jon Bon Jovi. If you could ask JBJ three questions (which we could print!) what would they be?
SBV: Can we change that to Bon Jovi, because it's the band I like? I wouldn't say I have a passion for Jon Bon Jovi. I mean, I like Jon, and Jon's solo work, and I've talked to Jon the most out of Bon Jovi, but it's Bon Jovi, the band/the music, that I really like. If I had to ask Jon three questions, I would need to think long and hard first of all. I'd like to ask him if he's ever checked out the peta2.com website and if he'd ever consider going vegetarian and talk to him about animal welfare. I read that he has a dog from a shelter, so that's cool. I guess I'd have to ask him something musical, but I'd need to think about that. I need to ask him if I can get a pic of him holding Black Velvet at some point. He's kind of missing from the 'Bands With Black Velvet' page of the Black Velvet website.
Who were the last new band to really grab your attention?
SBV: I got 3milehigh's CD the other week and liked that a lot. Before that, I think it was The Summer Obsession and Quietdrive's CDs that I was really impressed by. Livewise, The Matches have caught my attention and before that, Bandcamp - although I discovered them back last December so that's quite a while ago now.
What’s currently happening in the world of Shari Black Velvet?
SBV: I've just finished issue 50 of Black Velvet - which everyone needs to order. I think it's the best issue yet. It has interviews with Sugarcult, New Found Glory, The All-American Rejects, Eighteen Visions, Allister, The Matches and Quietdrive in it - plus reviews of Lostprophets, Billy Talent, Bon Jovi, Taking Back Sunday and more. Aside from that... well, Black Velvet is pretty much my life so I don't have much time for anything else other than that. There's an Oxford University Animal Lab march and rally on October 21st which I want to go on. Oxford University are building a new laboratory to test on animals and obviously I'm against that as animal testing doesn't work, and is cruel. People can find more info on that at www.speakcampaigns.org.uk - if you're not doing anything you should come along. For more info on Black Velvet go to www.blackvelvetmagazine.com and check out the Black Velvet MySpace page at www.myspace.com/blackvelvetmagazine
Finally, what question have you always wanted someone to ask you? And what would the answer be?
SBV: I've always wanted a cute guy to ask me out but it's never happened. Hahaha. If he was really cute I might say yes. Although if he wasn't vegetarian I would probably have to work on him. Haha.