US metal band Circle II Circle talk about their return Dubai gig

Headbangers are in for a rare treat at the Circle II Circle performance tomorrow.

The band Circle II Circle are back in Dubai. Courtesy Ear Music
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The band’s founder Zak Stevens reminisces about the last time they were here and his days fronting the legendary Savatage.

You played in Dubai close to two years ago, performing at Chi@The Lodge in November 2012. Do you remember the gig?

It’s very interesting – it was an outdoor gig and it barely ever rains [in Dubai], but when we played there was a huge rainstorm – it really made sense to us that wherever we go we bring the rain. It rained for two days right up to the show and we nearly had to cancel – it made us realise that wherever we go we’re inviting some kind of rare occurrence.

You brought in four new members for your last album, 2013’s Seasons Will Fall. How many members has the band had?

I’ll try to do a quick count for you … probably about eight or nine. Wait a minute – I’d say about 10 or 11, throughout the years, plus or minus. [Wikipedia lists 13 former and six current members.]

That high turnover seems quite peculiar to metal bands.

I think that has something to do with the fact that in metal there’s always an interest in not staying the same. If [a band] wants to make a change, in metal, there’s always a change to be made – it could be a musical change, it could a difference of opinion, it could be adding members, or trying to add an instrument here or there you didn’t have before.

You recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to finance a band documentary, Dreams That Never Die. Were you surprised to raise more than US$12,000 (Dh44,000) in donations from your fans?

We didn’t want to wait around for the label to fund something like that because it may never happen, so we said, let’s just reach out to our own fans and see if they can support us on this, because its something they’ve always been asking for – and maybe if they help us out, we can help them out, by giving them what they want.

Let’s talk about Savatage, the legendary band you fronted between 1992 and 2000. We hear you’ll be playing some of their material in Dubai.

In about two or three shows on the tour we have a special Handful of Rain album set, and Dubai is one of the places you’re going to hear it – so you’re going to hear us play the entire [1994] album, as a 20th anniversary [celebration]. We’re looking forward to it, as it’s the first time of doing this [album in its entirety].

Be honest – which band are you prouder of: Savatage or Circle II Circle?

That’s a great question, and I don’t even think I can answer it. There’s too much on both sides of the coin … I guess I could go out on a limb – if I have to choose one, I’ll say Circle II Circle, because I’m able to be out there playing Savatage music, too. OK, I’m giving you that answer – you win.

What’s the most Spinal Tap thing you’ve ever done?

It would probably have to do with managers – we’ve had managers who have really emulated the manager of Spinal Tap, and we’ve had a lot of conversations that have been really similar to the conversations they have with their manager. Luckily we stopped short of bringing a small Stonehenge down from the ceiling, but we probably had close calls on that, too …

Circle II Circle are at The Music Room, Majestic Hotel Tower, Bur Dubai on Friday, October 17, doors open at 9pm. Tickets cost Dh190 from www.timeouttickets.com

rgarratt@thenational.ae