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Interview with Man Alive
By: Caz* Bevan
 Man Alive is a punk-influenced band
that comes to us from Israel. This band has done everything
for themselves - from creating a large fanbase to paying for
and releasing their own full-length, professionally recorded
album as well as touring the United States. Their biggest tour
ever, Man Alive will be included as part of this year's Take Action! Tour.
Be sure to go and support them if they come to a city near
you.
All the way from Israel - Wow! What motivated you
to start a pop rock band?
We are all just big fans of listening and playing to
music.
What's the Israeli music scene like?
The punk scene in Israel is great. Useless ID have really
spearheaded punk into a semi-mainstream market there.
About 5 or 6 years ago, if we had 150 kids at a show it was
pretty monumental moment for the punk scene in Israel, but
nowadays the bigger shows with us and Useless ID are fairly
regular and reach 400-500 people. There are a lot of good,
talented metal and punk bands in Israel. The scene is really
growing.
What's the most popular genre
there?
Well, that's a tough question. Popular styles are really
influenced by MTV Europe, but there are also all kinds of
music sung in Hebrew. There's an Israeli version of MTV,
which is really open to playing anything from Israeli Hip-Hop,
dance, rock, pop, etc.
Are there several venues?
There are three major cities for our kind of music in Israel:
Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Tel Aviv is the biggest and it
is smack in between Haifa and Jerusalem, which are only 45
minutes away. Basically, the best venues and most punk
rock shows happen in Tel Aviv.
Sounds like you are incredibly dedicated to a
career in music - literally promoting yourselves
internationally, releasing your own professionally recorded
full-length albums, etc. What has that been
like?
It's been an uphill battle for nearly 7 years now. We've been
lucky to make good friends and find people who believe in
us. Jamie (vocals/guitar) has been one of mine and my
brother's (David Shkedi - guitar/vocals) closest friends for
about 14 years now. We've just stayed true to ourselves and
really made an effort to be positive and work hard. It's all
you can do and just hope that things work out.
What bands influenced you growing
up?
Our influences vary. We all grew up listening to different
stuff. Dave was always into Megadeth, Metallica and any
techi stuff he could get his hands on. Jamie was really into
Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains and all that cool 90's stuff. My
favorite bands were Smashing Pumpkins and Counting
Crows, but as a band we're very influenced by punk bands
we love - Face To Face, Propagandhi, MxPx, Useless
ID....
Why the Take Action! Tour?
First off, we were asked to do it. It's the biggest tour we've
ever been on and we're honored to take part in it.
What makes you a supporter of the Take Action!
Tour?
It's a great cause. We were all teenagers and along with the
good times came the absolute all-time-lows and having
someone to talk to is key. We're happy we can be part of
something that raises awareness and helps fund a positive
entity and is making a positive difference in people's
lives.
Do you have any personal experiences with suicide
- friends, family or yourself?
Fortunately, not much.
I just asked my niece if she had any questions for
you. She wants to know if you have any
dogs?
When I'm in Israel I stay with my parents. I'm 27 and I've
had the same dog since I was 13. His name is Icey and he's
a mutt that turns 15 this year. I love him so much!
Touring internationally would probably be hard with
pets. You seem to really like being on the road. What are the
best aspects of tour for you?
Being on the road has its ups and downs like everything
else. We all love playing every night and traveling can be
fun as well. The hardships of keeping a girlfriend and
sleeping in a different place every night can be
uncomfortable at times. It is great to spend time with my big
brother and two of my closest friends.
I didn't mention our drummer, Yair Braun in this interview.
He joined the band less than a year ago and we love him,
but hate his driving.
We want people to hear our music and have a positive
experience when they watch us play and hang out with us.
Touring is a job but all in all, we really do love it!
Do you have a favorite country? A favorite
city?
Israel is our favorite country because it is our home. Our
favorite cities in the US are probably Austin, San Francisco
and Seattle. I'm sure I'll catch hell for mentioning a Texas
city in this interview, but...Yeeeehaaaaa!
Well good luck on all your upcoming tours! I will
definitely have to come see you guys.
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