Clear visions of rock

Clark Hall Battle of the Bands winners Sex Ray Vision say being in the band is the best part of their busy schedules

Sex Ray Vision says they don’t have a favourite between playing covers and original songs.
Sex Ray Vision says they don’t have a favourite between playing covers and original songs.

Go balls firmly against the wall, or go home.

With a name like Sex Ray Vision, it’s no wonder that’s the band’s motto.

I got a chance to hang out on the couch with all the members of the group during band practice this week, after their victory at this year’s Clark Hall Battle of the Bands.

To describe the music that won the competition, guitarist Alex Burnett says it’s their hard hitting sound that caught the attention of the audience.

“It’s not heavy in the metallic sense, but in the Guns ‘N’ Roses sense,” he said.

Performing both covers and originals, Burnett said his favourite songs to perform are ones Sex Ray have written themselves.

“Playing originals at a bar is awesome when someone comes up after and compliments you on how you nailed those wailing vocals or those drum fills — it’s an even better feeling than someone saying your Miley Cyrus cover was awesome,” he said.

Fellow guitarist Colin Richards chimed in to describe how the band approaches doing cover songs.

“It’s like the opposite of people at open mics doing hip hop songs on acoustic guitars — we take acoustic songs and put them into rock,” he said.

You’ll hear a mix of cover songs and original music from the four guys of Sex Ray Vision, including the Batman theme song and a rock and roll version of “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls.

The guys are content with their current lineup, saying that each member brings their own musicianship to the table.

However, it wasn’t always this way. Burnett, Wilson, and Richard’s old project playing in the Ten O’Clock People wasn’t always the most ideal experience with Richards playing an instrument he wasn’t comfortable with.

Now that Richards has switched back to his original instrument of guitar, the band’s found the perfect formula for their music.

“We have a much better drummer now. I mean leaps and bounds better. That other guy was terrible.”

As we continued our conversation, the four members of Sex Ray Vision told me about maintaining balance between playing music and the busy life of a Queen’s student.

“It’s tough, but band practice is the best because you can rock out for a couple hours at the end of the day and enjoy yourself,” Burnett said.

Bassist Josh Wilson agreed, saying that the band’s been a constant “pick-me-up” for him.

“Every aspect of life seems to have low points, except for this band,” he said. “I really enjoy what we create together when we hang out, get drunk and talk about girls.”

Sex Ray Vision performs at the Journal’s benefit concert tomorrow night at the Grad Club. Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets are $5. All proceeds go to Dawn House Kingston.

Tags

Clark Hall Battle of the Bands, Interview, Sex Ray Vision

All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Skip to content