Rock Eyez - Interview with Don LaFon - Guitar (Six Minute Century )

Interview with Don LaFon
(Six Minute Century)
Six-Minute Century Don LaFon
Guitar

Don LaFon

Interviewed by Brian Rademacher
Date: March 2008

Office Site:www.sixminutecentury.com/
Official My Space site: www.myspace.com/sixminutecentury

Brian Rademacher: Let’s get into the childhood of Don LaFon.

Don LaFon : “I was born a poor black child.” Just kidding, a line from “The Jerk.” I was born in Waco, Texas, and grew up all over the south. Graduated from Waco High School.

Brian Rademacher: What kind of kid were you in school?

Don LaFon : I did pretty well with grades and stuff in school.

Brian Rademacher: What was your first job? Six Minute Century

Don LaFon : Probably loading hay at my grandparents farm in Texas.

Brian Rademacher: What was the first concert you attended and did it make an impact on you, in what way?

Don LaFon : My first concert was SISTER SLEDGE at Six Flags in Dallas. I don’t believe it affected me too much. Second was KISS on “Dynasty” tour, and third VAN HALEN on “Fair Warning” tour. Those had more of an effect on me.

Brian Rademacher: What was the first Cassette, CD, record you owned?

Don LaFon : I don’t remember exactly the very first. In the summer of ’76 I got Kiss “Destroyer.” That is the first I remember.

Brian Rademacher: When you were a child, did you have any pictures posted on your walls in your room, and what were they?

Don LaFon : KISS everywhere!!!!!!!!! Then VAN HALEN, then Randy Rhoads.

Brian Rademacher: What was the very first garage band you were in?

Don LaFon : I started out on drums. As a sophomore in high school, some guys asked me to play the talent show with them. The band was named “BRAUM STOKER”.

Brian Rademacher: What kind of music did you play?

Don LaFon : I guess it would be hard rock. I remember we played two songs, “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” by AC/DC, and another song that I don’t remember.

Brian Rademacher: You signed with Nightmare Records last year 2007 what do you think made their mind up to sign SMC?.

Don LaFon : I think probably the songs, possibly the vocal style? I remember Lance saying our demo sounded different than most of the other demos he had been receiving at that time.

Brian Rademacher: The band formed in 2004 and you will release your debut CD this year called "Time Capsules", I was listening to your songs “Heaven’s Gate” and “Zero Hour” on your MySpace, some great tunes. Did the band record any demos before this debut release?

Don LaFon : At www.sixminutecentury.com you can hear the original forms of the songs when I wrote them with computerized drums.

Brian Rademacher: If so, are they available?

Don LaFon : They are still there for now. At some point, I may take them down.

Brian Rademacher: The guitar work is amazing, did you ever take classes?

Don LaFon : I took lessons for the first three months when I was about 12. Then I took classical lessons for another 3 months when I was 18 from my uncle who was a classical instructor at that time. For the last 10 years, I have been teaching six days a week in Houston. That helps keep the chops up.

Brian Rademacher: You are also a member of KRUCIBLE with Lance King, What is it like performing with the Boss?

Don LaFon : Lance is a great singer and performer. All the shows KRUCIBLE have done seems to have gotten a very positive response.

Brian Rademacher: Is it hard to focus on two separate bands trying to make an impact in music?

Don LaFon : It is not too difficult to do the actual playing of two bands material, and remembering the songs. It is just hard to find the time to do go to rehearsal and shows and dividing up time, stuff like that.

Brian Rademacher: Tell me a little about each track on the CD and your feelings toward each song?

Don LaFon :
Track:

#1 “Under The Moonlight,” a vampire song, was the first song SIX MINUTE CENTURY” put together as a band so it is one of our favorites.

#2 “The Perfect Picture” is a song that worked out in reverse from the way we normally write. Normally I have a riff and have a few changes and Chuck writes his story line and lyrics from there. This one Chuck told me what his idea for the lyrics were, and I wrote the music from there. This song has become the crowd favorite in Houston.

#3 “One Man’s Dream” is a historical song about Martin Luther King.

#4 “April 19, 1995” is a song about the Oklahoma City bombing. It also is Chuck’s birthday, so that is probably why he chose to write a song about that date.

#5 “Zero Hour” was written from one of Chuck’s relatives telling him about being in the war in Iraq. The title is from ground zero and the war; it has nothing to do with the band ZERO HOUR. When we wrote this, we didn’t know of them. Now we are friends with them, and even played with them when they were here in Houston.

#6 “Guitar Concerto” is a solo guitar, orchestra piece that I wrote some years ago. This is the song I play live as a solo when we have a long set. I don’t play a solo in the shorter sets.

#7 “Saved In Time” was the last song written for “Time Capsules” It is not a historical story.

#8 “Heaven’s Gate” was possibly the second song SMC put together. This is about the “Heaven’s Gate” cult from San Diego that all committed suicide.

#9 “Get Your Wings” is a positive song about self-confidence, I believe.

#10 “Seven Seas” is a cover of a TNT song. I have always been a big fan of the band. We started doing this song live very early on and decided to include it on “Time Capsules”.

Brian Rademacher: You will be performing at the Nightmare Metal Fest March 22, what can fans look forward to from your live show? How long will you set be?

Don LaFon : I believe the set will be 45 minutes. SMC will be the first of the Nightmare Bands, I believe at 5:15 or 5:30. We put on a high-energy show. We will focus mainly on the songs from “Time Capsules”, but we will probably pull out one or two brand new songs as well, so the fans will get a taste of what the second SIX MINUTE CENTURY release might be.

Brian Rademacher: Lets see what’s your feelings are towards the following subjects?

Don LaFon : Okay, if I have an opinion.

Brian Rademacher: If you can change anything in the past what would that be?

Don LaFon : Everything in the past had to happen for the things that happen now. You can always look back at bands you were in, or things that happen in life, but if you change things in the past, you would also change the things that happened to you after that, and now.

Brian Rademacher: If you can bring back a band from the 80’s what band would that be?

Don LaFon : TNT, Still one of, if not my all time favorite band. Tony Harnell and Ronni Le Tekro were the best vocal/guitar combination in my opinion.

Brian Rademacher: What are your feelings about the current state of the USA?

Don LaFon : Musically, the radio doesn’t do too much for me. As far as politics, I don’t really need to get into that.

Brian Rademacher: If you had a million dollars to donate, what cause would you donate it to?

Don LaFon : My wife, so I could have some money too!!!!!!! My wife and I both love animals, we have a lot of animals on our land in Texas, so I might donate to the Houston Zoo or the Houston SPCA. Another organization I think does great work is The Make A Wish Foundation.

Brian Rademacher: What would success mean to you?

Don LaFon : At this point in my career, having a full CD release is a success.

Brian Rademacher: What are your feelings towards Lance King?

Don LaFon : Is this a trick question??????? Lance has done more for SIX MINUTE CENTURY than anyone, aside from any of the members of this band, so we have nothing but great feelings toward Lance. He and Nightmare Records, is a class act.

Brian Rademacher: If you could have a dream come true, what would it be?

Don LaFon : Once again, having a CD released is somewhat of a dream come true. I have been in bands that have released their own CD’s, but this is the first label type release. I suppose a dream of any musician is to have a label release. After that, a lot of sales!!!!!!!!

Brian Rademacher: Don it’s been fun, hope you had some fun with the questions. Would you like to say anything in conclusion?

Don LaFon : SIX MINUTE CENTURY and myself would like to thank you Brian for the time you have spent doing this interview and promoting the band, and Nightmare Metal Fest. We are very excited to get out and let people other than the citizens of Houston hear us, and hopefully see us live. We hope to see a lot of people in Tampa. We appreciate all the people that have supported us over the last few years, and the ones who we will hopefully meet in the not too distant future. Thanks again Brian.