Big Al's Rockin' Podcast
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© Allen "Big Al" Tate
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Hosted by Allen "Big Al" Tate, Big Al's Rockin' Podcast brings you interviews with musicians from multiple genres, book authors, comedians, actors, and other forms of entertainment. Along with interviews, he will also offer occasional reviews of concerts, books, newly released albums, and more.
28 Episodes
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Martin and I discussed Martin's book "Guns N' Roses at 40," which covers 40 career highlights of the band in a chronological format. We also explored Martin's extensive writing process and experience authoring over 135 books, including his work on band biographies and historical accounts. The conversation concluded with discussions about Martin's upcoming book releases and their availability through various retailers.
This week I spoke to author Sean Egan about his new book "Bruce Springsteen and Born to Run: 50 Years," which explores the making and impact of the landmark 1975 album on its 50th anniversary. The book, published by Motorbooks, provides context about Bruce Springsteen's career and the challenging recording process that resulted in what many consider "the greatest record ever made." Sean discussed how Springsteen's songwriting style evolved for the album and the significant challenges faced during recording, including personnel changes and the artist's perfectionism.
Diego Sagredo, guitarist from the Chilean rock band Consequence of Energy, joins me this week to promote their debut single "Freedom" and upcoming album "We Are One." The band's new conceptual album, produced by Gard Richardson, blends hard rock with ancestral sounds and features 12 tracks including "Freedom," set for release in January 2026. The band shared their touring plans for South American festivals and potential tours in Europe and the United States, along with details about a special animated vinyl edition of the album with U.S. distribution.
In this conversation, Walter discussed the Headless album "Transitional Objects" released on August 29, 2025, on the M-Theory Audio label. He described it as a 37-minute, 8-track album with meticulous production and a dystopian perspective, inspired by personal experiences and events like 9/11 and the loss of a close friend. Walter highlighted specific songs, such as "Weightless," inspired by the birth of his son, and "Losing Power," reflecting on 9/11, emphasizing the album's diverse inspirations and emotional depth. Walter also discussed the history of the band.
In this interview, Derek Shulman discussed his life journey from his Scottish upbringing to becoming a successful musician and later music industry executive. He shared his experiences with various bands, including Simon Dupree and the Big Sound and Gentle Giant, and detailed his transition from performing to working in A&R at Polygram Records. Derek reflected on the evolution of the music industry and advised emerging artists to focus on authenticity rather than fame, while also mentioning his upcoming book "Giant Steps" which explores these themes and the future of music.
This week I had a chat with Francois and Junior from the Canadian hard rock band Atomik Train, who discussed their band's origins, current activities, and upcoming debut album release. The guys shared details about their album launch plans, including physical and digital releases, limited edition merchandise, and upcoming tour dates across Canada and the US.
In this episode I talk with veteran bassist Matt Bissonette, known for his work with legendary acts such as Elton John, Ringo Starr, and Rick Springfield. We discussed the formation and evolution of his band, The Squirts, including their musical influences, songwriting process, and recent album release. They touched on technical aspects of music production, such as digital audio workstations, and explored the thematic content, highlighting their lighthearted approach and influences, of the band's latest album. The conversation also covered future plans for touring, vinyl releases, and where fans can find The Squirts' music online.
In this conversation, Chandler, a member of the Foreigner tribute band Double Vision, discusses their new album of original material, which was released on July 11th. The band's journey into original music was driven by their goal to establish Double Vision as a benchmark for tribute bands, with half of the album co-written by a Swedish songwriter. Chandler explains their approach to balancing tribute shows with original work, discusses the challenges of competing with the original band Foreigner, and shares insights about their performance style and online presence.
Black Note Graffiti's Kris Keller discussed the band's history, their latest album "Resist the Divide," and musical influences in this conversation. The album's theme revolves around life's struggles and the importance of resilience, drawing from the band members' personal experiences. Kris also shared details about their upcoming performance at the MileOfMusic.com Festival and hinted at future shows to be announced on their website.
Musician and songwriter Rachel Lipsky and I discussed her experiences with Armed Forces Entertainment tours and discussed her career in the music industry, including her songwriting process, challenges as an independent artist, and musical influences. She highlighted her work with the Charlie and Hazel Daniel Veterans and Family Center at MTSU and discussed upcoming music releases and dream collaborations.
This week I speak with author and editor Gary Graff about his recently released book "501 Essential Albums of the '80s." We discuss the process for creating this book, along with "501 Essential Albums of the '90s," including the challenges of selecting albums and organizing the content. The conversation also covers Gary's career as a music journalist.
Here's an apology and a quick update about why I've been absent lately.
Selena discussed her book about Alanis Morissette's groundbreaking album "Jagged Little Pill," which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. She explored the album's creation, Alanis' background as a pop and child star, and the album's massive success with 33 million copies sold worldwide. Selena revealed that she was surprised by Alanis's love for the movie Grease and her experiences and challenges as a child star, which she believes influenced her later work. We also briefly discussed the challenges faced by other child stars like Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes.
In this episode I talked with Aaron Camaro about CHW Pro Wrestling and his career in the wrestling entertainment industry, including his experiences as a ring announcer, commentator, and writer. We explored the art of professional wrestling, emphasizing the importance of storytelling, character development, and engaging narratives in creating successful wrestling events. Aaron shared insights into his writing process, challenges faced in producing wrestling shows, and the growth of CHW Pro Wrestling. Aaron talks about a couple great wrestling storylines as well as talking about one that didn't have the anticipated the impact. The episode concludes with an announcement of an upcoming CHW event.
My concert buddy Bryan Harris and I discuss our recent trip to Beaver Dam, Kentucky, to see The Gene Simmons Band with openers The Iron Maidens. We also shared our thoughts on the venue (Beaver Dam Amphitheater), each band's set list, as well as Gene's music career and merchandise sales.
While at Nashville ROCKNPOD 2025, I took a few minutes and spoke with Alan Rueda of Stone Whiskey. He spoke a little about their second album "Scream for Rock," music videos on their YouTube page, musical influences, their upcoming show in June at the "Leather and Lace Festival" in Sparta, NC, and a potential 2026 event.
This week I had a chat with Nate "Bushy" Atchison from "The Plug Podcast" about our experiences at the recent ROCKNPOD Expo in Nashville. Bushy praised the event's organizer, Tracy McAndrew, for her successful first time in charge, while I praised the Christine Perry, who continues to do excellent work organizing the volunteers who work behind the scenes to keep things running seamlessly. We also discussed our podcasting and radio DJ activities, highlighting our passion for music and broadcasting. Bushy expressed surprise and delight at meeting Tiffany, a celebrity he had admired since his teenage years. He also mentioned that Tiffany was there to sell her clothing brand, Radical Reds, and was very friendly and accommodating.
I spoke briefly with comedienne Courtney Cronin at the recent RockNPod Expo in Nashville, TN. We talked a little about one of my TikTok videos gaining 23,000 views while the next one only received a few. Courtney shares about her dog, Rainey, while I talked about my dog, Buddy, and the challenges of dog-proofing my home. Courtney discussed some upcoming LA shows as well as the upcoming Mountain Music Festival. The conversation touches on my dad jokes on TikTok and Courtney's preference for writing over performing. We close out the conversation humorously discussing microphone covers and promotional items from past events.
Kevin Minnis, founder of Menace Guitars, shared his journey into guitar building, discussing his influences, techniques, and personal experiences. He emphasized the importance of learning from mistakes and encouraged others to pursue their passions in instrument crafting. The conversation concluded with plans for Kevin to lend Allen a prototype bass guitar and give him feedback as a musician.
Jaymi Millard, from the band Applehead, joins me in this episode to discuss the band's history, genre, and recent activities. We talked about Applehead's album releases, upcoming projects, and live performances, including a new song licensed for the Hot Wheels fan film "Hot Wheels AcceleRacers: The Fog Realm" and plans for future shows. Our conversation also covers Jaymi's various musical collaborations and his impressive collection of pink bass guitars.
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