Firezone is an exceptionally talented metal band from the Netherlands who will be heading over to Dubai to headline the Metal Asylum Festival. Like Hatred in 2010, you may not have heard of these guys over here in the Middle East, but they have a strong following in their home country and a wealth of experience under their belt.
We thought we should get to grips with the band before they heard here so YOU can all see why WE are excited and why Metal Asylum chose them to headline! For more information about the Metal Asylum Festival on November 4th please click HERE.
Tell me about your band, when did you start, who are the members and who are your influences:
Firezone is a Metal band hailing from the South of The Netherlands.
Formed by Roy van den Boorn (Bass) and Eugene Ackermans (Guitar, departed the band July 2010) on April 1st 2010, the line-up currently consists of:
Roy van den Boorn (Bass), Bas “BEF” Siersema (Vocals), Bob van Bergen (Drums), Leon Vinders (Guitar) and Jaap Bouvrie (Guitar).
Influences range from classic Metal acts like Metallica, Iron Maiden to Hardcore Punk to Pantera and so on.
Describe your music in three words:
Me-T-Al
How did you hear of the Metal Asylum Festival and what are you expecting:
We’ve been informed on Metal Asylum Festival by our friend and producer of our EP “Welcome to the Firezone”, Joren Scharn. Joren is not unknown in the UAE Metal Scene.
He said it would be great for Firezone to play there. We immediately liked the idea and did some research on the Dubai Metal Scene. Naturally we already knew about the Desert Rock Festival, but further than this our knowledge didn’t reach. After some research we became increasingly interested and finally agreed to play the MAF. After we have been offered the headlining spot at the Festival, we jumped the opportunity, sorted things out and booked our airline tickets.
Is this your first time in Dubai and what are you looking forward to most:
It will be our very first visit to Dubai. We are really looking forward to meet our Metal Brothers in Dubai as well as meeting the other bands playing at the MAF.
What are your plans for your set on the night, can we expect some surprises:
We play an energetic set of approximately 45 minutes. You can expect everything Metal has to offer: shredding Guitars, Solo’s, Pumping drums, galloping bass lines and mind blowing vocals!
If you could dress up in any crazy stage costume, what would it be?
Roy: A costume of the Eddie on the Killers album (Iron Maiden 1981)
BEF: Through the years I dressed up on stage on various occasions with any of my former bands. I particularly liked clown costumes. If however the opportunity arises to do so with Firezone, I would dress up as the Donnie Darko rabbit, without question. That mask just rips it
Bob: The Character Vincent from Collateral
Leon: Nothing..
Jaap: Just a really large sock…
Tell me something about each of you that would surprise your fans:
Roy: Besides Metal, I love to listen to one of my all-time heroes: Mr. Dean Martin, the king of cool. One of the biggest legends ever to walk the earth.
BEF: A lot of stuff I’m involved in would surprise any of our fans. Let me start off by telling that I’m a tour guide in daily life. I provide guided tours in several cavern systems and underground tunnels in Maastricht. Strolling and crawling through dark, narrow passages is my idea of relaxation. Furthermore, I used to be a rapper in a locally well-known dialect hiphop formation. I however very much dislike mainstream pop music. I get off on hardcore punk, metal and underground hiphop. And Johnny Cash is my god.
Bob: I like speed (motors / auto)
Leon:I like to fold paper planes, boats and hats.
Jaap: At home i listen to a wide variety of music, i’m a big fan of singer/songwriter music like Chris Jones and Damian Rice.
What is the funniest/most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you on stage?
Roy: I have to say that fortunately that is limited to unplugging my bass by standing on the input cable. Nothing sensational really.
BEF: I used to literally crash stages. I broke and fell through at least five stages in eighteen years of making music. That’s an average of once every 3.6 years. It’s been like three years since the last crash so who knows what’ll happen at Metal Asylum..!
Bob: Broke the snare drum from another band during a show
Leon: Once I was kind of involved in a moshpit while playing
Jaap: Nothing to spectecular, a once played a song while an effect-pedal spontaniously whent on and off. Very annoying because it was a very relaxed almost acoustic kind of song and it was a very high gain effect that went on and off.
Radio Metality UAE