EPIC {{arts & entertainment}}

On the Crunk Kids Tour we not only had a chance to catch up (albeit briefly) with brokeNCYDE but also with the frontman of Blood On The Dance Floor. Trying to snag some time with the flamboyant and energetic Dahvie Vanity was one of the more difficult tasks. Flocks of little girls occupied his time and if one thing could be said it was that after their performance his time became completely about the fans. There hardly seemed a second when photographs were not being taken or tshirts were not being signed. It wasn’t until curfews hit and moms’ vans had finally pulled away that there was the least bit of down time. With the night at a close, we caught up with Dahvie to discuss recent changes in Blood On The Dance Floor, the feel good party movement, and their next album.

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Hi, I’m Dahvie Vanity and I represent Blood On The Dance Floor! BOTDF was started by me who was keyboardist, guitarist. I started writing songs on guitar first then on keyboards. I’ve always been a very eccentric and different artist so I’ve always— I just one day started writing a song and got in the groove. It just kind of metaphorically took its own skin and became what it is. It’s a huge representation of what I am. Yes, I’m a sex addict and problematic. But, I will be your brand new habit.

Speaking of… if your music had a form what would it be?
If my music had a form…
Like, physical?
I think my music would be like good hot sex. It’s fun. It’s pleasurable. You’ll really get into it and it’ll make you feel good. That’s a positive way of looking at it.

When can BOTDF fans expect another full length album?
Right now we’re making a huge third album. It’s going to be great. I think we’re going to have brokeNCYDE on there, Jeffree Star. We got some pretty big names that are going to be on it. It’s gonna be epic so we’re excited. The direction we’re going for is more like raver. It’s going to be more raver hip hop but we’re going to go a little more dark glam, too. We’re going to keep it.
So the new song… is that like a little taste?
Horrifically Delicious… like every song is different. I don’t really go in there trying to make the same song. I think there’s a lot of songs where we can’t really give out spoilers. I don’t want to ruin the excitement. A lot of it is going to be about sex, partying, just living it up and meaningful songs on there, too. We’re going to try to experiment with some new stuff in there, too, but the majority of it is going to be that BOTDF you love but a different switch up. So, fans, expect all the good songs you fell in love with and more on this album.

What is the writing process like?
I have a laptop. I have a little notepad in my room. I just kind of go in there and think of a flow, I’ll hear the beat and write everything on guitar then I’ll hear the beat and I kind of just let go. That’s where I really go to my zone. That’s how I pretty much write all my songs. I get on my laptop, express all my feelings. I really get into my performance and stuff like that. And I really don’t give a fuck what people think or say. I just do whatever makes me happy.

Why hasn’t BOTDF signed with a label yet? There’s been a lot of buzz recently.
Every label it’s about that evil thing. I think a lot of labels can hurt or break a band or make a band. We just want to make sure the label that we sign to will make this band bigger and better and expand it and reach a bigger audience. But at the same time be coherent with the vision and dreams that we want. We want to make sure that it’s larger than life. That’s really what we want BOTDF to be like.
So for now you’re going to take the more DIY approach and continue to release yourselves?
Yeah. I mean it’s so much more personal. It’s more down to earth with the fans. I don’t want to be like, okay, we do a big concert thing and stuff like that. I want to do something big like KISS. You know how they’re about the fans but they’re still doing big audience types of concerts.
Giant productions.
Huge on production but it’s still for the fans and stuff like that.
Do you feel everything being online and more digitized has helped you maintain that DIY edge?
Yes. I mean, we’re a different breed of band and I don’t really look at our band as a band. I kind of look it as a movement. Like a really positive party movement. I think the internet has definitely helped us crucially. I don’t think we would be where we’re at now without the internet. It’s definitely got us out there.

When kids leave a Blood On The Dance Floor show, like tonight, what do you want them to walk away with?

I want them to walk away with a little bit of PMA. A little bit of positive mental attitude. And more importantly, we’re here to take away your pain. We’re here to be your escape. I’ve found that’s the most important thing. We want to make sure everyone leaves with a little bit of hope, a little piece of faith, little bit of positive energy and a little bit of ‘fuck, I’ve just had the best sex of my life’.

How do you define making it and at what point will you know that Blood On The Dance Floor has made it? Or have you?

I think fuck what we’re doing right now playing three to four hundred kid shows. Kids singing the lyrics and me just putting out the mic and kids singing along and I think in my heart I feel like we’ve made it. I really feel like we’ve reached a lot of kids and a lot of people. Not just kids, everybody. And I think the most important part is keeping the good feeling. A lot of fans tell us ‘hey man, we listen to your songs and I feel good about myself. I feel really good,’ and I just want to keep that up. I want to keep that energy going.

If all of this ended tomorrow what would be the thing you valued the most from this experience and what would be your biggest regret?

Just let everyone, all my fans, all my family and friends that I love you forever and always and after. I hope my love and my music hits everybody and I hope it makes everybody smile gigantically and just live your life. Live it up to love it up. And you know just keep your love pure.

If you could plan the most epic tour who would be on it and what would you call it?
It would be us. I’d probably bring Jeffree Star on there and probably Lady Gaga. I would call it the… ah man. Takes me kind of awhile to think of these things. I’d probably call it the Most Epic Fucking Concert of Your Life Ever. It would be the most glammed up craziest show you’d ever fucking go to.
I don’t think there are enough adjectives for what it would be.

Yeah, exclamation point exclamation exclamation exclamation.

How has the crunk kids been thus far?
Shit, there hasn’t been like one worst moment. Like… you’ve heard of the disaster tours I’ve done. This tour is so much more professional. The bands we’re working with are all so positive and it’s like one big huge family and the bad moments might be something like security guards. Security at some of the venues, I think they just need to get a little crunk and a little loose and maybe they’ll chill out. You know shit it’s been more positive. I love my new family. I love all the bands we’re touring with. I love my new band members. I love my new drummer and screamer. I love everything and right now I’m just in a love mood. I can’t hate life right now. I’m so fortunate and grateful.

In the past month or so there’s been a lot of drama surrounding Blood On The Dance Floor. Looking back on things now, do you wish you had handled things differently or do you wish that you could have changed the way things could have gone?
Shit, I think I handled things amazingly. I kept my maturity, I kept my professionalism. I really can’t stop people from slandering my name like defamation of character you know… I could sue the mother fucker I could send him to jail but I have a life. I don’t dwell on the past. Like I said, anybody can go on youtube or go on the internet and post negative things about you and say you’re this or say you’re that. It’s hollywood. You know? Everyone’s going to hate you or love you. When the fans meet me they know I’m a good person and shit like that so you know I don’t give a fuck. It’s like go ahead and make me famous, you know what I mean? That’s how I look at it. Make a

rumor and sense of humor. I look at it like you’re putting my name in your mouth. You’re advertising me so thank you!

If you could say one thing to Garrett right now what would it be?
Uh, Mr. STD. Like I said, I have a life. So I don’t need to dwell on that.

Do you feel the lineup change will help to evolve Blood On The Dance Floor’s sound?
Shit, you heard us tonight! We sounded better than ever, right? Better than ever. Like I said, I wrote all the songs I sing them all. Shit. Blood on the Dance Floor has never changed. It’s always been me. I’ve always been the focal point of it. I’ve always been the write and creator.

What do the new members bring to the table?

The new members bring new song writing and new live show action. The cool thing is there’s more of a live show involved right now. It’s not just the laptop thing. It’s becoming more of a live show. That’s where I want Blood On The Dance Floor to go. I think you’re going to see keyboardists eventually, you’re going to see it evolving more. It’s going to be more of a big live production thing. More dancers. More crazy lights. More action. Jay actually brings a lot of writing. A lot of amazing epic lyrics and stuff like that. He actually helped me write Horrifically Delicious. It’s epic, I mean shit. I’m so happy. Actually I wish this would have been Blood On The Dance Floor from the beginning. I’m that confident. You heard it tonight, fucking on board. This was how it was supposed to be. I mean, Im the main attraction but now it’s kind of going kind of 50/50 with Jay. And Nick. I kind of feel like it’s a triangle now. It’s really bad ass. Loving it.

Autotune is becoming more and more prominent among bands live and while we know it’s been long practiced on albums, it almost is becoming a clutch. What are your feelings on it?
It’s like when you write a song, whatever best fits a song. I look at it like I’m a very open minded person so it’s kind of like I think too much autotune is fucking annoying. I think a little bit of it is just right. It depends on the song.

…Sorry I just lost my train of thought.
Lol.
Lol. Jk. Cut That. Do you think the whole practice redefines the parameter of who can be a live performer or is it just another means?

It’s just another creative means. Like I said, fuck, it’s exciting. Music wants to always be progressive and things like that so you don’t always want to use the same things. You can switch it up. Like the album we’re working on right now? There’s a little bit of autotune but not much. Just a little bit. I actually like a little bit of the hip hop vocal settings on there. That’s fun for the background.

If your music was my exboyfriend why did we break up?
I broke up by cumming on your face and telling you to go fuck yourself you can die get hit by a bus, thank you bye! I love to be obscene.

If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing, what would it be?
Keep the band that I have now and keep fucking rocking out.

Any final messages?

Hey, we’re the fans band. I love my fans. Haters, keep sucking my dick and make me famous. And like I said man, haters made us famous. Thank you. To the fans, we love you guys. You know we’re about you guys. We try to take every picture, sign every autograph. WE love you mwaaaah. And no seriously, expect exciting things coming up. We love you. Expect the new Blood On The Dance Floor out summer 2010. Expect singles coming out. Expect collaborations. Expect possibly Warped Tour. WE are aiming for Warped Tour. I think we’re going to have a slip-n-slide on there. No rocks at the end so no bloody slip-n-slide. Like I said, the goal is… it’s not a band it’s a movement. Keep the positive engery. That’s what we’re about. Embrace your dreams and live by your honor. That’s from Final Fantasy.

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Though the new line-up for Blood On The Dance Floor may still be in the honey moon phase, the energy and on stage performance is phenomenal. With the Crunk Kids tour under their belt and big plans for 2010, BOTDF promises to be that catchy guilty pleasure you are not going to get out of your head any time soon.

Be sure to keep up to date with BOTDF. Their new song, Horrifically Delicious is available for download on iTunes now.