Gene the Werewolf

Interview with Gene the Werewolf

March 5, 2016

Describe your band, telling a little about it.

Plenty of bands aren’t shy about flaunting cocky bios and making no secret of their self-perceived talent, but few take it as far as Gene the Werewolf.  “We used to say we were the best rock band, but by now I’d say we’re just the best band ever,” Donegan said.  “We play absurdly loud, sweat our asses off, and then sleep on filthy apartment floors together because we love doing it ". 

What are your names? / Who plays what?

Gene (aka Jon Belan)- Vocals, Guitar, Piano

Drew Donegan- Guitar

Nick Revak- Drums

Aaron Mediate- Keyboards

Tim Schultz- Bass, Vocals

Have members played with any other bands? 

Yes, Jon was in Punchline.  Drew was in Clearview Kills.  The rest of the band was in The Berlin Project.

Do you write your own music or perform covers?  Has it always been this way? 

All original music, all the time!

What year did the band form? 2007

Where is bands home?  Pittsburgh, PA.

What's your style of genre? Rock N' Roll.

How often do you rehearse?  Rarely. Usually we'll get together before a big show. And to write music, we demo songs and send them to one another.

What gear do you guys use? 

Guitars: Gibson guitars/Mesa Boogie

Bass: Fender guitars/Ampeg 

Drums: Pearl

Keys: Korg

Do you utilize a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?   We are self booked.  

We'd entertain the right guy, but that hasn't 

crossed the desk yet.

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?  We released our last album on Frontiers Records out of Italy. They were a great group of guys, but it was a one album deal.  We are currently shopping our new record to new labels.

What are your songs about?  

Rock N' Roll. Girls. Partying. Beer.

Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? Gene (aka Jon Belan)

Do you start with the music or the lyrics? 

Generally, music and a melody.

Have you done any covers live? We occasionally will do Michael Jackson's Thriller.

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs?  We played two enormous shows this past summer. 10k people came to see us and Blue Oyster Cult at South Park Amphitheater and 8k saw us and Bret Michaels at Butler County Fairgrounds.  Sold out Altar Bar show with The Darkness was a lot of fun as well.

What ages are most of your concert attendants? 

 21 and over.

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?  We change it up here and there.

Do you have a regular place you play live often? 

We love Atlar Bar and Mr. Smalls.

What was your first gig like?  

Nerve-wrecking and probably not a fair representation of who we are now.

What was your latest gig?  

We were Donnie Iris's backing band for Brett Keisel's charity event.   A lot of fun!

Have you had to cancel a gig?  

If we can't play, we won't book it!

Where have you played live this year?  

Yes. The Keisel charity event.

Where do you plan to gig the coming year?  Lots of shows being planned this summer to support our new album 'The Loner'.

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?   We give away our albums for free (no, seriously...we do!)

Where can people buy your merchandise? 

Our shows.

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days?  I'm fine with it.  Its going to evolve whether you join the revolution or not.  Personally though, I always loved buying albums as a kid.  It's a shame that people don't get that experience anymore. 

How do you think the music industry have changed because of this?  Of course.

Do you have any role models or idols? 

AC/DC for the entire band.

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?  

We draw from a lot of older bands, but there's new influences in there as well. 

What have been your biggest obstacles?  Cutting through the static. There's a lot of bands out there!

What advice would you give other bands or artists?  If you are not having fun, you are doing it wrong.

How do you get psyched for a gig?  We just chat together backstage, goof around, have a couple of beers etc.  About 5 minutes before stage call, we 

put on our game faces.

Do you have any new material?  Yes, a new album called 'The Loner'. It will be out this spring.

What is your website? www.genethewerewolf.com 

How can people reach you? 

Website or booking@genethewerewolf.com 

Social media addresses?

Facebook: www.facebook.com/genethewerewolf 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/genethewerewolf 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/genethewerewolf  YouTube:www.youtube.com/user/genethewerewolf