My City August 2022

MYMUSIC

Vicariant found its start when drummer Mike Roberts uncovered a hidden talent. “I probably shouldn’t tell this story but, why not?” says Held as the band laughs. As the story goes, Roberts and Held were both into playing the video games “Gui tar Hero” and “Drum Hero.” Roberts stated that one day while playing “Drum Hero” he believes he gured out how to actually play the drums and told Held that the two should start a band. “I basically just told him ‘okay’ and left it at that,”Held remembers, “but soon after that, I heard him playing drums along with songs by Metallica and other bands. I immediately ran to grab my guitar and that was it.” Roberts and Held recruited bassist Jake Morrison, guitarist Matt Gilson and singer Noah Fox. “It was basically Noah who named the band,” states Held. “†e premise of the whole thing is that we want our fans to live vicariously through us – we want to be the vicariant, so to speak.When we started, our slogan was “Tonight,We Live” and is one of the reasons we put everything possible into our shows.”After being together for nearly eight years, singer Fox and guitarist Gilson left the band to pursue new dreams and opportunities.To ll their spots, Vicariant has added singer Brandon Curry and bass ist Dave Asbridge (Morrison moved over to guitar) and the band never missed a beat. If anything, they are hungrier and more driven to be the greatest show in metal. Vicariant is known for the kind of “in-your-face” music that is not for the faint of heart.†ey play the hardest of heavy The premise of the whole thing is that we want our fans to live vicariously through us. We want to bethe vicariant.

IT’S all about the show. When that rst note hits, when the ri takes o , Vicariant explodes. “It’s all energy and right from the start we are all into it,” says guitarist Jake Morrison. “We just want to play anywhere and everywhere,” adds guitarist Zak Held. “Really, we believe success is 40% music and 60% show.”†e band’s frenetic live performances and raucous rock sound has been turning heads in Greater Flint and around the state since its inception nearly a decade ago.†eir reputation is such that they were voted “Favorite Local Band” in the My City Magazine 2022 City’s Choice Awards, despite not being able to play a local live show since the pandemic began. It was an award of anticipation for their next big production. “Yeah, when I rst heard that we had won, I was shocked,” says Held. “I mean, we haven’t been able to play live much for nearly two years.”†at will change soon in a big way with the band rumbling straight forward, refreshed and hell bent on a dynamic end to the year with new music and upcoming shows.

48

MYCITYMAG.COM