Rogue Ogre formed in 2015 and has played a handful of shows at the Palm Canyon Roadhouse in Palm Springs. In 2016, Rogue Ogre plans on having more of a presence in the Coachella Valley. For more information on Rogue Ogre, visit www.facebook.com/rogueogre. Xan Abyss (vocals, bass, synth), Don Browne (guitar, bass, vocals) and Pat Toft (drums) took the Lucky 13 as a group; here are their answers.
What was the first concert you attended?
Xan: Coachella 2005. On Saturday, Nine Inch Nails headlined.
Don: Better Than Ezra, circa 2000, age 9.
Pat: Ozzfest 2005, with Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden.
What was the first album you owned?
Xan: Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory was the first one I bought. Chumbawamba’s Tubthumper was the first CD I got into from my parents’ collection.
Don: The Beatles’ With the Beatles.
Pat: System of a Down’s Toxicity was the first one that was actually mine.
What bands are you listening to right now?
Xan: Tiamat and Motorhead mostly, but lately, David Bowie. It’s a mourning thing.
Don: Vintage Caravan, Graveyard, Mars Red Sky and Led Zeppelin.
Pat: Haim, The Cars, Van Halen and then a lot of EDM. Decapitated and Suicide Silence here and there.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
Xan: Really twee, cutesy, indie-pop stuff. Also, any of the pop-country stuff I’ve heard in the past decade or so.
Don: Drake, trap music, and Kanye West.
Pat: Kanye West.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Xan: Rush or Motorhead or Type O Negative. But I’d give just about anything to hear Dio sing “The Sign of the Southern Cross” with Black Sabbath in person.
Don: Tool or Frank Zappa.
Pat: Pantera and White Zombie.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
Xan: Maybe Lordi. I love Lordi more than anyone should.
Don: ’90s House Music.
Pat: Die Antwoord, I guess.
What’s your favorite music venue?
Xan: The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles is the first one I referred to as my “favorite venue.”
Don: The Electric Factory in Philadelphia.
Pat: House of Blues in Hollywood was my favorite.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
Xan: “I can feel my heart is beating, still. I can see you with my eyes, I still see. But I can’t run the way my children can. Can’t accept a helping hand, leave me. You are the strong one, trust in me, you must lead instead of me now. There’s no time; don’t hesitate or you will also find your fate,” “The Last Amazing Grays,” Sonata Arctica.
Don: “Why must you be such an angry young man when your future looks quite bright to me? How can there be such a sinister plan that could hide such a lamb, such a caring young man?” “Fooling Yourself,” Styx.
Pat: “I see the vultures, they watch me bleed. They lick their lips as all the shame spills out of me,” “Chelsea Smile,” Bring Me the Horizon.
What band or artist changed your life? How?
Xan: Nightwish probably revolutionized how I heard music the most. The sweeping, cinematic, film score orchestrations mixed with drop-D tuning and double bass made nothing feel impossible anymore.
Don: Definitely Cream. It was the band that got me into the whole ’60s/’70s psychedelic era of music, and made me want to play it.
Pat: Pantera and Queen.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
Xan: I guess I’d like to ask Bowie if there’s anything else he wanted to do before he died, since he seemed to do it all before anyone else did.
Don: It would definitely be a question for Jimmy Page: “When is Led Zeppelin reuniting again?” or something like that.
Pat: Probably ask Axl Rose why he has to be such an asshole all the time.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
Xan: Wintersun’s “Sleeping Stars” or Nightwish’s “Dead to the World.”
Don: “Mama, I’m Coming Home” by Ozzy Osbourne.
Pat: “See You on the Other Side” by Ozzy Osbourne.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Xan: Wintersun’s self-titled.
Don: Flick of the Switch, AC/DC.
Pat: It’s a hard tie between Vulgar Display of Power by Pantera and The Wall by Pink Floyd.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
Xan: Gonna go with “Carrion Flowers” by Chelsea Wolfe.
Don: “Brother Wind” by Golden Earring.
Pat: “Blackstar” by David Bowie. (Scroll down to hear it.)
