Leaving your comfy home to join an established rock group is a major commitment. There's usually some sort of culture shock, there's frequently a period of awkwardness while you and your new bandmates adjust to one another, there's no guarantee you're gonna fit in and there's a chance the fans will blame you for replacing the dude who left. It's hard enough when you and your bandmates are from the same state. It's way more difficult when you're from another country. But Bleeding Through's new lead axeman Jona Weinhofen (ex-I Killed the Prom Queen) has been adjusting nicely -- especially for a bloke that rode in on a kangaroo.
Have you ever moved to the other side of the world to join a band?
My name is Jona Weinhofen, and that's exactly what I've done. I'm Bleeding Through's new lead guitar player. I'm Australian. And yes, Bleeding Through is based in Southern California. And that's -- you know -- sorta far away.
I offered to join Bleeding Through earlier this year when my band at the time, I Killed The Prom Queen, was supporting them in Europe. Despite releasing a well received album on Metal Blade Records that we are quite proud of, I Killed The Prom Queen had suffered through some lineup changes and other setbacks, and the writing was on the wall, I suppose, that the band was nearing it's untimely end. I got along really well with Bleeding Through and I've always been a fan, so I offered my services.
After I was given the official invitation to join, I got onboard a plane to Los Angeles. I had been to the U.S. several times before on tour, but it felt different knowing that I was now going to be spending a lot more time there. It's quite a surreal feeling and was sometimes overwhelming to think about on the long flight over.
Right now, I'm living with Ryan Wombacher, the band's bass player, and his housemates. They've taken me to reptile parks and Muay Thai kickboxing training sessions (my fellow guitarist Brian Leppke and singer Brandan Schieppati have been doing this for a while), and they are all awesome dudes. We've also gone to practice shooting guns and after a day with the shotguns, I had a huge bruise on my shoulder. I guess I'm just more used to throwing boomerangs and chasing kangaroos and stuff, right?
As I said, I had visited the States in the past, so, for the most part, I knew what to expect. But there are a few things that will be difficult to get used to, if I ever get used to them at all. For example, the food definitely tastes different here. It's like there's sugar in everything! Like many people in Southern California, I've been on a steady diet of bean burritos, although I'm vegan, so no cheese or sour cream on mine.
After a number of rehearsals in Irvine, California (including writing sessions for the followup to The Truth), my live initiation took place at a hometown show at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, which Brandan has called the "Orange County's CBGBs." Thankfully, the fans -- including several proud members of the band's fan club, The Dearly Demented -- took to me, and I, of course, took to them. It was an excellent introduction.
Next was a short tour of Canada with the Cancer Bats. We hit major cities as well as several small towns and hard to reach places where bands rarely go, and where Bleeding Through had never been. It was a perfect sized tour to warm up with. The venues were intimate and the fans were able to get up close and personal.
So, what's next? A mammoth tour with Marilyn Manson and Slayer that starts in a couple of days. Um, I'm pretty sure the crowds will be a little bigger. You know, like maybe 100 times bigger! It will be a much bigger deal than what I'm used to, and I'm obviously quite psyched to be part of such a high-profile tour.
Needless to say, it's awesome to have the opportunity to join a well established band, but more importantly, Bleeding Through is a band I have been a fan of for years and a band that was one of the pioneers of this uniquely dark blend of heavy metal, hardcore and punk rock. The dudes (and girl) in Bleeding Through are great people and I'm very, very proud to be working with such awesome, professional and all-around good mates.
And thanks to Bleeding Through, I will get to enjoy several other things that make me very stoked about the United States, as well: Wal-Mart, Guitar Center, Big Gulps, cars that are so big it's ridiculous, thong bikinis... We gave you AC/DC, Paul Hogan and Vegemite, but the thong bikini and Big Gulps? God Bless America! Let freedom ring my friends, and thanks for having me.
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