gothicgoddess

Ronan of VNV Nation was kind enough to grant me an interview with him before their show at The Nokia in NYC this past Saturday 7.18.09.  It was a unique experience.

I was shown into this large lounge-like room with virtually no light.  I grappled my way to a seat and got my self situated before he entered.  The first thing he remarked upon his arrival was the lack of light!  We both fumbled around to see where we could find an active light switch until he finally found one on the little lamp between the couches where we were to sit.

He had much to say that he just wanted to spill that night.  I could tell immediately the moment he opened his mouth to speak to me.  It needed to be said and it needed to be heard.  There just was no stopping him, and I was only to happy to hear what he had to say.  I don’t know how or what he felt after the interview was over, but while we were talking in that dark room, I knew there  was an immediate “click”.  And Ronan did not disappoint.

I saw VNV for the first time at The Music Hall in Williamsburg in November of 2007.  It was about a month or a bit more after my Dad died.  I always had been moved by VNV’s music, but when I saw them (and specifically Ronan) live, the musical experience became an even more intimate as well as uplifting one. And this time was no less.

There is something unique about Ronan and the way he is able to reach out to his audience.  I don’t think he can stop a show until he feels that he has truly connected with them and “conveyed his message” of the moment.  I felt that especially this past Saturday.  He was in rare form, just as he was in a different kind of rare form for the interview.  It was very interesting to listen to and later watch on stage. When he felt that he had truly connected and conveyed - that while he was “still talking”, they INDEED were “just listening”, the show came to an end.

Ronan is an old soul.  He claims not to be religious or spiritual, but I think he is one of the most “spiritual” people I have ever met.  I don’t mean it in the traditional “religious” sense at all.  I mean it in the absolute purest meaning of “spiritual”- “relating to the soul or spirit, usually in contrast to material things”, “connected by an affinity of the mind, spirit, or temperament” - Microsoft Word dictionary

I learned much from this man and feel there was a reason for my meeting with him at this point in time.

At one point in the interview he asked whether we should return to talking about the new album…what he did not perhaps realize was that we had covered quite a bit of it as well as answers to most of my questions which I had prepared for the interview but had not yet asked!  Now THAT was a strange feeling… What was even stranger was that the more we spoke, the more I wanted to know.  I think we could have gone on for hours, and that would have been fine with me!

Did I get what I wanted and achieve what I set out to achieve with this interview?  Absolutely. Podcasts, interviews, reviews, and other such editorial are meant to get me and my fans closer to and better appreciate artists and their work. By getting to know better WHO they are and not just what they do through the interview, I, my fans, and the artist’s fans do get closer and better appreciate the artist and his/her work.  I did with Ronan, and I hope VNV fans will feel the same.

Don’t worry Ronan, Of Faith, Power, and Glory will get  its own time with a proper review very very soon for I still have much to say about the album that I have not yet articulated and that I feel needs to be heard.

But meanwhile everyone, enjoy the interview!  I know I did!

Eternally yours in darkness,

Gothic Goddess

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This entry was posted on Monday, July 20th, 2009 at 10:29 pm and is filed under Podcasting, Music, Band Shows, Interviews, VNV Nation, Bands. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.