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Bypassing Oblivion

  • Awards and Nominations
    • SAMMIES 2020 Nominee★ Revival/back from the dead band ★
  • Musicians
    • George Bogue — guitar, vocals
    • Gerhardt Ratliff — bass, vocals
    • Grace “Lady Chaos” Bonnett — vocals
    • James “MadAxeDaddy” Cundiff — guitar, vocals
    • King Jace “Drum Killer” — drums
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Q & A

All-time favorite song?

02.26.20

James C.: WOW … Lol , just one ? OK … The song that made me WANT to play guitar is "Rock N Roll" by Led Zeppelin. Every time that song comes on I sing out loud and IF I’m driving then get out of my way! Lol!

As a child growing up, music surrounds us. What type of music did you hear the most back then?

02.26.20

Jace King: LOTS of classic rock , Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, John Cougar Mellencamp, Steve Miller Band, Stevie Ray Vaughn , ZZTop. When I was a teenager, I listened to a lot of harder rock. Bands like the Deftones, Tool, System Of A Down, KORN. Now I listen to a MUCH wider range of music. Currently, I’ve been listening to artists like K.Flay & Meg Myers, QOTSA.

James C: I grew up in the '60s and raised in southern. Arizona. My parents listened to old-school country and western. Hank Williams Sr., Patsy Cline, Ernest Tubb … I didn’t discover Led Zeppelin until 1973! After hearing Led Zeppelin, I discovered KISS, AEROSMITH and as they say the rest is history. Lol.

Can you describe a moment in your career, where you felt like you truly reached somebody or made a difference?

02.26.20

James C.: In 2003 at a Fox & Goose open-mic I strung together a medley of O’Brother Where Art Thou songs and people really took to them! I was a little taken aback from the response. I kept that medley in my sets from then on.

Favorite colors?

02.26.20

Grace: Black, metallic black and silver.

Jace King: Silver and black. Go Raiders!

James: My favorite colors are red and black.

Favorite guitar player?

02.26.20

My personal favorite and again THE GUY who made me want to play is JIMMY PAGE of Led Zeppelin. I own a Gibson Les Paul because of the impact of seeing him playing it in the movie The Song Remains The Same at the midnight movies.

George Bogue: Randy Rhoades, Steve Vai and Dave Mustaine.

Favorite SAMMIES story?

02.26.20

My first SAMMIES was in 2002 I didn’t have a ticket BUT I saw David Houston who mastered Bypassing Oblivion’s CD Corridors for us later in 2005. He got me in through the backstage area and told me IF I was caught that he didn’t know me lol, I found a ticket stub on the floor of the Crest Theatre so I was good to go. I’ve tried to attend EVERY one since then.

How did it first start?

02.26.20

In 1980 after graduation from Hiram Johnson, I wanted to be George Martin and ENGINEER records. But I found it would be a WHOLE lot easier to UNDERSTAND music IF I knew how to play a guitar, bass or drums. Lol, so I taught myself how to play using a chart from a songbook Roy Clark was selling on late night infomercials. Here I am 38 years later still chasing the dream.

How do you describe your music to people?

02.26.20

Metal PUNK lol, I leave interpretation up to the LISTENER of the music.

How do you feel about musical award competitions?

02.26.20

To be nominated is an HONOR and Bypassing Oblivion will be there to SUPPORT our community. To WIN it would be FREAKING incredible to be putting mildly. Lol … Either way I’m happy to be here.

If you could be any character from history, who would it be?

02.26.20

Literary character? IF I could be a character from a book it would be Aragon from Lord of The Rings. Real life historical character, I would want to be Wyatt Earp. I grew up in southern Arizona and the stories of Tombstone and Wyatt Earp were among the first stories I read about in books.

Gerhardt: Napoleon Bonaparte, because got what he wanted and still kept going.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what animal would you be?

02.26.20

James C.: A tortoise … Long living survival creature.

If your band was a movie, what movie would it be?

02.26.20

Jace King: A combination of Mad Max and Tommy Boy.
James C.: Hmmm … Rocky, for me a tale of perseverance to be a GRINDER. lol

Is there a central theme to your band's music?

02.26.20

James C.: To make people THINK … I don’t care WHAT they THINK just as long as they DO.

Name a pet peeve.

02.26.20

James C.: Lack of respect between genres of musicians. WE’RE all in this Community TOGETHER. Let’s go chase our dreams working together.

Tell us about your best gig in Sac.

02.26.20

James C.: Anarchy Lace playing with DOKKEN at the Ace Of Spade to a SOLD OUT house. Three of us had the flu and still ROCKED the house.

Gerhardt: I don't know if it was my best gig, but my favorite gig was at the Ace of Spades. I almost didn't get to play, but James came out and said "That's our bassist!" And sure enough I come out and nail my first ever live bass solo, it felt great playing so loud in front of a crowd. It's definitely something I'd like to do again soon.

Grace: Ace of Spades with my first band Trip Hazard / School of Rock Elk Grove.

Tell us about your worst gig.

02.26.20

James C.: October of 2012 , Bypassing Oblivion’s LAST show with me before NOW. We had maybe 10 or 15 people on a Saturday night at Old Ironsides. I had an epiphany that night and quit the next day and told people I was DONE with music. Cooler heads prevailed and I just took a break.

What are your musical goals?

02.26.20

James C.: Lol, world domination and the Hammer of the GODS!

What artist or band are you a little embarrassed to love, and why?

02.26.20

David Gates and Bread for their great lyrics and music. I’m embarrassed only because it’s from like my junior high years in Arizona.

What did you want to be when you were 7?

02.26.20

James C.: Wyatt Earp … Gunslinger that is what my Arizona heritage is. The Old West and I am still a western movie fan now.

What do you sing in the shower? (Be honest.)

02.26.20

James C.: Actually, and you can ask my fiancée Kathleen, … I don’t sing in the shower.

Grace: Everything! Full-blown diva concerts. LOL

What drives you to keep playing even though the music industry can be so harsh?

02.26.20

James C.: The LOVE & PASSION of playing LIVE in front of people who are loving it.

What message do you hope to give with your music?

02.26.20

James C.: To NOT FEAR CHANGE, change is a part of life and the ONE THING I’ve learned in this business IS that you have to change and adapt or you stagnate and become part of the past not the future.

What was the first song you learned to play?

02.26.20

George Bogue: "Blitzkrieg Bop."

James C.: "Breaking The Law."

Gerhardt: "East Jesus Nowhere" by Green Day.

What's a big media inspiration that would most surprise your fans?

02.26.20

George Bogue: BIG SURPRISE—I’m a TOTAL WEEB. I’ve watched more anime than anyone else I know and mostly NOT the main Shounen jump stuff.

What's a big musical inspiration that would most surprise your fans?

02.26.20

James C.: The Bee Gees , they were my FIRST concert back in 1979. I had SECOND row stage level in Oakland.

What's next for the band?

02.26.20

James C.: May 31 at The Holy Diver with Flotsam & Jetsam and Rage Of War; July 8 at The Powerhouse Pub for Gerhardt’s 21st Birthday; Oct. 18 at The Holy Diver with Unprovoked & DRI (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles).

What's next for you?

02.26.20

James C.: Keep writing songs and to get into the studio with Bypassing Oblivion and get some NEW MUSIC out from this new incarnation of the band.

What's something most of your friends don't know about you?

02.26.20

James C.: The Doctor told my mother when I was a baby that I would NEVER walk upright and would be mentally retarded and NOT LIVE past the age of 4. Harsh words from a doctor I know ! I’d PAY a hundred dollars to SEE that Doctor now.

What's the best part of this experience?

02.26.20

Rebuilding our sound and reconnecting with fans. It’s fun to grow through this together.

Jace King: New collaborations , Growing as a musician and making new friends.

James C.: The opportunities to play with bands that I grew up listening to on the radio.

What's the story behind the band name?

02.26.20

James C.: In 2004, Matt Parra and I were in a band called FRAKAS, but when we went to package our CD CORRIDORS I Googled the name one more time and there was a Bay Area punk band with that name. We wrote 75 names on paper and Matt picked ”Bypassing The Obvious” I stated that the name was too BIG to go on a drum head so WHY NOT “Bypassing Oblivion.” The rest is history lol.

What's the story behind your stage name?

02.26.20

James C.: 38 years of local music and how my musical style has changed in that time. The red, white and blue cowboy hat is a late addition BUT I wear it EVERYWHERE I go … MadAxeDaddy is who I’ve become as a result of all of this. I love it

What's the worst part of this experience?

02.26.20

The PERCEPTION that the creation of OUR MUSIC SCENE is a COMPETITION of some kind and that YOU can’t HELP our FELLOW BANDS out. SHARING IS CARING and I LIVE by that motto.

What's your favorite jam from the '90s?

02.26.20

James C.: The ENTIRE BLACK album from METALLICA … I love it.

What's your favorite local artist/group?

02.26.20

James C.: SO MANY! To pick one … Lol, Wendell & The Puppets.

George Bogue: 3SD by a mile.

Gerhardt: Astral Cult's bassist is actually a pretty big influence for me. He's the reason I fingerpick a lot of the time.

What’s your favorite song to perform live right now?

02.26.20

James C.: "Lady in White" is my favorite to play because of the punk feel to it.

Grace: On guitar, "Come Together." Singing, "You Had to Lie."

When did you play your first gig in Sac?

02.26.20

Grace: 2018.

Jace King: I’m not positive on the exact date but it was somewhere around 2004-2006 at a bar called Shady Brady’s.

James C.: November of 2005 at Old Ironsides with The Kimberly Trip. THANK YOU Jerry Perry!

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

02.26.20

James C.: Still pursuing my musical dreams and managing a band or two.

Who are your biggest influences?

02.26.20

James C.: The Beatles , Led Zeppelin and Social Distortion.

George Bogue: Megadeth, Ramones and Savatage.

Who first inspired you to play music?

02.26.20

James C.: Jimmy Page … I saw “The Song Remains The Same “ and it had a PROFOUND influence on where I wanted to go.

Who is your secret star crush?

02.26.20

James C.: Ann Wilson of Heart.

Words to live by?

02.26.20

James C.: TAKE THE HIGH ROAD ALWAYS. If you do then , all the mud thrown at you by others will be back on them.

You're given a magic wand. What do you do with it?

02.26.20

James C.: Fill the practice space with 10 1959 Gibson Les Pauls and MONEY !!! lol

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