Part 1: The Origins of Kick Axe and Early Success with Victor Langen
In this first segment of the interview on Lipstick & Leather, host Ryan Trush speaks with Kick Axe bassist Victor Langen about the formation of the band. Victor shares insights into their early days in the Canadian rock scene, their first taste of success, and the unique sound that helped them stand out.
Here’s a brief summary of the second part of Ryan Trush’s interview with Victor Langen of Kick Axe on Lipstick & Leather:
- Black Sabbath Demo Sessions: Kick Axe was involved in demo sessions with Ron Keel and Dana Strum, but Langen recalls Ron Keel’s limited presence. Dana Strum worked as an assistant during the sessions.
- Lionsgate Band: Langen shared that his band, Lionsgate, recorded a few tracks at the legendary Mushroom Studios. Though unreleased, they still have the master tapes. Langen mentioned Dale Penner as the engineer who went on to work with Nickelback.
- Unreleased Material: Kick Axe wrote around 100 songs for Welcome to the Club, but many were never officially recorded. Langen reflected on how they have some cassette tapes with recordings of unreleased songs that could be revisited.
- Covers of Kick Axe Songs: Langen talked about various covers of their songs, particularly by Nick Walsh (Slik Toxik, Revolver), who covered “On the Road to Rock.”
- Rock the World Album Art: The band disliked the original cover of Rock the World. Their manager had stolen the band’s equipment and drained the recording budget, leaving no funds for proper artwork.
This portion of the interview covers Kick Axe’s recording history, lost opportunities, and collaborations.
I’m Drew, the founder and editor of Front of the Stage. I have a strong love for music and photography, which started at a very young age. There’s just something I love about experiencing live music and capturing memories that will last a lifetime, and that’s how Front of the Stage came to be.
