We had the opportunity to speak with Ron and ask him a few questions. Here is what he had to say:
Age: 29
(I'll be 30 on March 22nd this year)
What Genre/s of music do you listen to?
For the most part, a lot of Alternative, Hard Rock and Metal. Once in a while it'll strike me to listen to some classic Rock or Latin music. Whether it's something like Queen, Medadeth, Evergrey, Iron Maiden, Alter Bridge, Demon Hunter, Killswitch Engage or Santana, anything that gives me some punch for work, working out or even some reflective thinking, it will hit my earbuds!
First album you bought ?
I would have to go with the Nu Nation Project by Kirk Franklin. Funny how the first record I bought was a Gospel/Rap/R&B album but very much worth it as it was fun, diverse and had its reflective moments too.
First concert you went to ?
Creed live at Jones Beach 2009. It was the very first time I got to actually see a live concert, especially considering that Creed was the very first rock band I ever actually listened to, given that I came from a heavily rooted Gospel and Latin type of family.
What is the significance of the face paint that you ware in the pictures, why do you ware the paint and when did you start wearing it?
Originally, the face paint was supposed to be for Halloween at my job! Then as I started to tinker with it, it got me thinking, "hey, I'm out there as is being this guitar player with green hair, how about I just go on ahead and slap some paint on too?". Even after Halloween went by,
The face paint I did was a cross between The Joker from the Batman comics and the 80's face paint that Sting from WCW used to put on. Sure enough, John 5 is another artist I listen to and he just so happens to mess around with face paint so no, I'm not part of The Devil's Rejects or living in a House of 1000 Corpses!
What was it like growing up in Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY?
It was like seeing a world change over and over! As a kid, I grew up at a time when you had drive-by robberies, people picking up prostitutes and people shooting up drugs or having sex in the stairwells in cooperative buildings and co-ops are not supposed to be anything like projects and were supposed to be safer and with security!
When the 90s came around, amidst all the things that went on with racial profiling, crime saw a serious cutting down. We were able to safely walk outside even at 2am and you didn't have to fear break-ins or let alone the kind of chaos that ensued in the 80s.
Before I moved to Tampa in August 2013, the Williamsburg I knew began to change again. More affluent folks were migrating either from the midwest or from the Lower East Side of Manhattan and before you know it, there was extra police presence, more organic food shops (which was great) but then in the process you had more bars opening up left and right (just check out Grand St. near Bedford Ave. in Williamsburg and you'll see what I mean), small condo buildings built here and there but at the same time, rent was skyrocketing, people that lived over 20 years in Williamsburg are either scratching their way into paying rent or are forced to move outside of the state altogether, like myself.
As for the music scene, the 80s here were all about hip hop, the 90s saw even more of that here but you also had a lot of salsa and merengue playing in car radios, bachata if you were in a barber shop and from the late 90s and early 2000s you saw a hint of post-grunge come on. It is as though the whole hair metal, thrash and grunge scene totally skipped Williamsburg! Around 2003, reggaeton was everywhere and to this day, while the indie rock scene is growing there and you have somewhat of a good metal audience there, you still have events involving bachata, salsa and merengue artists. In the end, regardless of the gentrification, Williamsburg, at its core, has a strong Hispanic and Black community of which set it apart throughout my childhood.
Have you ever been to the UK?
Not yet although my wife has but I would love to visit someday!
Have you ever performed outside of the US if no tell us more about playing in the US and other places you have played there !
Unless you count playing classical guitar in front of my grandfather's house, I would say no. Haha!
Who peer pressured you into playing guitar and why ?
My uncle Rex. At the time, everyone was well into singing in church but suddenly he started learning guitar and I guess he saw that I could do more than just sing. Dear God I did not want to play guitar, I just wanted to focus on singing and lyric writing.
Are you glad that your uncle made you pick the guitar up?
I am more than glad he gave me the push! As a matter of fact, my only regret is that I didn't learn sooner. It didn't just end there either because by 2007, I also learned bass and then since 2009 up to now, I took an interest in learning to program drums and even a touch of synths and piano. I even now hold in my hand my uncle's one and only guitar, which is a discontinued 1985 Ibanez Axstar!
Where Was Your fist gig ? what was the experience like ? how old was you when you performed your first gig ?
It was a spanish church in Red Hook called Jovenes Cristianos (Christian Youth). The place could pack at least 40-50 people. Very woodsy environment, acoustics were very dark but I liked it. I'm surprised that to this day, I didn't suffer stage fright given that I had hardly played guitar for two years but already playing live. It was fun as it led to me playing in other church events and led later on to public parks like McCarren Park and even performing at Riker's Island.
How frequently do you Gig/practice? what are some of the local venues on your circuit ?
I have yet to do gigs here in Tampa as it has been almost 2 years of readjusting to an entirely different environment, let alone adjusting to being a husband, father while also working. As for local area that come to mind, the Boba Cafe, which they do live open mic and sometimes you got people from the USF school coming in with a band or two to chime in. You definitely have The Ritz in Ybor where you've had names like Black Label Society, In This Moment, Devil Wears Prada and even Amon Amarth play there, The Tampa Bay Times Forum which have had some bands play there sometimes like Skillet or Red and even something small like the Pegasus Lounge and even the famous Skipper's Smokehouse, where they'll have live bands play on (I believe) Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Have you ever been to the UK?
Not yet although my wife has but I would love to visit someday!
Have you ever performed outside of the US if no tell us more about playing in the US and other places you have played there !
Unless you count playing classical guitar in front of my grandfather's house, I would say no. Haha!
Who peer pressured you into playing guitar and why ?
My uncle Rex. At the time, everyone was well into singing in church but suddenly he started learning guitar and I guess he saw that I could do more than just sing. Dear God I did not want to play guitar, I just wanted to focus on singing and lyric writing.
Are you glad that your uncle made you pick the guitar up?
I am more than glad he gave me the push! As a matter of fact, my only regret is that I didn't learn sooner. It didn't just end there either because by 2007, I also learned bass and then since 2009 up to now, I took an interest in learning to program drums and even a touch of synths and piano. I even now hold in my hand my uncle's one and only guitar, which is a discontinued 1985 Ibanez Axstar!
Where Was Your fist gig ? what was the experience like ? how old was you when you performed your first gig ?
It was a spanish church in Red Hook called Jovenes Cristianos (Christian Youth). The place could pack at least 40-50 people. Very woodsy environment, acoustics were very dark but I liked it. I'm surprised that to this day, I didn't suffer stage fright given that I had hardly played guitar for two years but already playing live. It was fun as it led to me playing in other church events and led later on to public parks like McCarren Park and even performing at Riker's Island.
How frequently do you Gig/practice? what are some of the local venues on your circuit ?
I have yet to do gigs here in Tampa as it has been almost 2 years of readjusting to an entirely different environment, let alone adjusting to being a husband, father while also working. As for local area that come to mind, the Boba Cafe, which they do live open mic and sometimes you got people from the USF school coming in with a band or two to chime in. You definitely have The Ritz in Ybor where you've had names like Black Label Society, In This Moment, Devil Wears Prada and even Amon Amarth play there, The Tampa Bay Times Forum which have had some bands play there sometimes like Skillet or Red and even something small like the Pegasus Lounge and even the famous Skipper's Smokehouse, where they'll have live bands play on (I believe) Wednesdays and Thursdays.
What is the name of the first song you wrote? what is it about? and what inspired you to write it?
Back when I was with one of my first bands, Robbed N Restored, I had written Breakup. The song's always been about learning to break up with things that just weigh down on you. Of course, some would think it's yet another song about dumping an ex but in all actuality it was more towards depression that I would go through, anger, frustration and for some people this song would hit them close when it came to letting go of addiction, isolation, coping with loss and so forth.
Do you have family and friends who support you?
My parents have always been #1 on the list as they raised me and always showed support with anything i set myself to do -- whether it was through helping me through college, getting me a guitar, driving me to a gig or showing me how to change my first set of strings.
Do any of them play music and have you played in any bands ?
My uncle Rex was in a church group years ago when he started learning guitar in a church group called La Cumbre. My brother played drums sometimes at church as a kid and my grandfather Paco played a lot of folksy, latin gospel on guitar.
What was it about A Knight's Tale that inspired you to start writing ?
That scene where the knight didn't know how to profess his love, so he starts writing poetry. I had a crush on this girl in high school and it just so happened that this specific scene influenced me to start doing poetry, which eventually led to me writing lyrics for songs later and with guitar, learned to compose instrumentals.
Do you set yourself targets to reach musically? E.g play so many gigs a month or write/record so many songs a month?
My first record in itself was a target. The mission in Where MY Voice Cannot Speak was to put an album out where I put my emotions and expression in, no matter how simple, via lead guitar. For my next record, Bacon Salsa, the goal is higher. There's going to be vocals, better drum programming and more guitar work and the main target is overall better songwriting. I looked at what I did on the first record and now, with better resources at home, do more!
No Vol. 2 yet however I am in the process of writing a comedy action novel called The Ballad of DJ Brimmstone Firebutt! I promise it will be quite humorous. I'm also in process of transcribing my apocalyptic novel, "4", which is almost done in terms of writing. I want to say that Brimmstone may be out sometime 2016 or 2017 depending but I do aim to release 4 as early as late 2015 or mid-2016
You Write books, poems and songs out of the three what is your biggest passion and why?
Writing in itself is the biggest passion for me because without the ability to write, the poetry wouldn't happen, the songwriting wouldn't happen and even the books couldn't happen. Music became an extension and a means to an end.
Do you have a favourite song from your first album. if so why is It your favourite and what inspired you to write it?
Silent Somber. I love my album but this one song, I put every ounce of my heart into that guitar and arrangement. The song puts in a nutshell the pain, suffering I felt when I lost my sister Bernice in 2008.
Where My Voice Cannot Speak is your debut album. is there any plans for a follow up ? if so when can we expect that ?
Bacon Salsa! I'm aiming for late August this year but plans and things always wax and wane so I will humbly target early 2016!
Download Ron's music here - https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/where-my-voice-cannot-speak/id849135529
Check out Ron's social media
Website - http://rongunz.wix.com/home
Twitter - @RonGunz
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RonGunzofficial
Google+ - +Ron Gunz
Myspace - https://myspace.com/rongunz
Sound Cloud - https://soundcloud.com/rongunz
Instagram - http://www.enjoygram.com/ron322gunz
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Input Meets... Xavier Miller Coming 26th January
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