Aside from Copeland on drums and vocals, the rock super-group Gizmodrome is made up of Adrian Belew on guitar and vocals, Mark King (bassist of Level 42) on vocals and bass, and Vittorio Cosma on keyboards and organ.
Gizmodrome album
On the song selection process for their Gizmodrome album, “They have been piling up in my cookie jar for 13 to 16 years. We really have been playing a lot of the songs in the summers in Italy, just for gigs, with no agenda or record deal or product. We played shows in Italy for the fun of being there. The material just grew, so when we went in to make an actual album, we mostly had the material, but some of the songs we concocted on the spot, when Adrian and Mark brought in some material.”
While his personal favorite song on the Gizmodrome album changes, his favorite tunes at the moment include “Zombies in the Mall” and “Amaka Pipa.” “Now, when we are playing these songs live, they have a whole different concept,” he said.
The iconic drummer shared that he is working on an orchestral version of the classic Police song “Darkness.” “On stage, we do that with GIzmodrome. Mark King sings it beautifully,” he said.
Copeland noted that his music is inspired by everything, mainly life. “Music is what we do, and music is easier than life. That’s the main inspiration. Music is a fast horse that we like to ride,” he said.
Proudest professional moments
His proudest professional moments include playing at Shea Stadium in New York, as well as Francis Ford Coppola turning around and saying “that sounds great” when he played him some much for a film score that Coppola hired him for.
In 2003, Stewart Copeland was inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of The Police, along with Sting and Andy Summers. He complimented the actual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland, Ohio, which is “run by wonderful people who live to revere rock music.” “The people in Ohio believe in the dream of rock music, and God bless them for that,” he said.
Digital transformation of music industry
On the impact of technology on the music business, Copeland said, “The technology has granted the blessing of music to everyone. Everybody who has a musical idea, whether they practice for 10 hours a day or not, can make music. The whole commitment to climb the high mountain and dedicate yourself and practice everyday is no longer necessary. It is optional. If you have a song in your heart, you can put it straight in your laptop and create music. That means that people with a song in their heart can make music. It’s a wonderful thing. What it means is that there is a flood of music. Ultimately, for the human race it is a net gain. Everybody gets to make music.”
July show in Italy
On July 1, 2018, Gizmodrome will be performing at the Sun and Sounds Festival in Grado, Italy. “We are looking at fixing up some summer dates in Italy. Even though there is only one Italian in the band, we consider ourselves to be an Italian band, just because Italy is where we do it and why we do it. Italy is just such a great atmosphere,” he said.
Success and fans
Copeland defined the word success as “Achieving the mission.” “In the wide meaning, success is achieving sustained happiness,” he said.
For his loyal fans, Copeland said, “I love all of you. Each and every one. I quote the Gizmodrome song: ‘We were sinners all, and can’t help but judge, but when the gavel falls, remember love. That’s the main thing, remember love.”
Gizmodrome’s self-titled album is available on iTunes.
To learn more about Stewart Copeland and his music, check out his official website. For more information on Gizmodrome, check out their Facebook page.
Read More: Digital Journal reviewed Gizmodrome’s eponymous studio album.
