What is your full name?
Nick Grima
Do you have any aliases?
Deicide
What bands are you actively involved with (playing if any)?
Æolian / Spain: Melodic Death Metal (Black Lion Records)
Align The Tide / Malta: Active Nu Metal (Cleopatra Records)
Black Therapy / Italy: Melodic Death Metal (Black Lion Records)
Forsaken / Malta: Epic Doom Metal (Mighty Music)
Jet Jaguar / Mexico: Nostalgic Heavy Metal (Independent)
Lone Survivors / France: Progressive Metal (Independent)
MartYriuM / Malta: Death Black Metal (Art Gates Records)
Moonshade / Portugal: Melodic Death Metal (Art Gates Records)
Necronomicon / Canada: Blackened Death Metal (Season of Mist)
Re-Armed / Finland: Melodic Death Metal (Inverse Records)
Saħħar / Malta: Ruinous Black Metal (Independent)
Smoke Rites / Poland: Stoner Doom Metal (Independent)
Soothsayer / Ireland: Sludge / Doom Metal (Transcending Obscurity Records)
Tortharry / Czech Republic: Death Metal (MetalGate)
Two Face Sinner / Peru: Death Black Metal (Non Serviam Records)
Upper Lip / Malta: Nostalgic Heavy Metal (Pride & Joy Music)
White Walls / Romania: Dynamic Prog Metal (Independent)
Tell me about one of your first musical memories?
Basically, I grew up in a Rock music background environment at home thanks to my father who was a huge Beatles and Rolling Stones fan... moreover, through him I have discovered several other artists such as Blondie, The Police, Santana & Black Sabbath among others in my early years of life! Both of my parents used to also work in a local nightclub close to where I grew up and at this club used to do Las Vegas style shows and booked 70’s/ 80's bands which I got to see when I was still in my early teens!
Moving forward I have had the opportunity to see several local bands playing live plus I was already heavily listening to Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne. In the early 90's I got introduced to the first underground bands through cassette trading! I am the proud owner of several demos from bands who are now heavy weights in the Metal Industry. (Btw still have the cassette tapes in my collection). From 1994 onwards I was attending underground Metal gigs nearly on a weekend basis.
How did you get involved in Artist Management & Booking?
In 1999 I started organizing my very first gigs and later festivals which I have been organizing until 2005. From then on, I have turned my attention to help local bands to break through the international scene. My background is mainly in management but wore loads of different hats and was hands on every aspect of the music Industry from scouting, developing, managing, organizing, and promoting bands. I tried hard the best way I knew!
My main mission is to sign local bands to major labels and have them booked on tours and festivals. Nowadays, I do also help and represent artists/bands from several other countries apart from the local ones.
Labels & promoters please check us out www.nickgrima.com
If you could insert yourself into any one band what band would it be and why?
I am involved with several bands at this point in time :-) I love each and everyone of them firstly for their musical creativity and their commitment to genre. On a more professional level I love their professionalism towards the industry.
What band have you witnessed live that has really impressed you with their live show?
There are several bands I do enjoy live but ‘FORSAKEN’ & ‘SOOTHSAYER’ are on top of my list.
The year is 1997. Where are you at and what are you listening to?
I lived in Miami, Florida and my fave at the time was ‘JUDAS PRIEST’
What advice would you give young musicians that are just starting out in the music business?
Practice, support your local scene by getting involved, have a good presence on all socials, make connections with both fans & other bands and play live as much as they can!
Lack of practicing their craft, not getting involved in the music scene in general!
What are three mistakes that you commonly see bands making?
Waiting for things to happen for them, not getting involved in the music scene in general and lack of communication.
If you were to start your own music festival what would be the name of that festival and who would be the three headlining bands?
In the past I used to organize several small scale festivals so I would revive one of those fests such as ‘METAL at LUST’ and the x3 headlines will be: FORSAKEN | SOOTHSAYER | SMOKE RITES
What’s the longest time you’ve gone without bathing?
2 days I guess
What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?
I own a huge Metal music CD library
Is the Fistful of DOOM show in the top 10 of your favorite music podcasts?
Of course!
Do unicorns sleep standing up?
They can sleep in any way they want!
You’re driving cross-country and you can only listen to one album the whole time. What album will it be?
That will be ‘ICONOCLAST’ by the legendary ‘FORSAKEN’
You are writing a book about your life thus far. What is the title of that book?
‘One of us’ or ‘Lurking among us’
What is your favorite song by Adele?
None! I do not listen to Adele!
Conan or Electric Wizard (if you had to choose)?
Electric Wizard
Doobies or Boobies (if you had to pick one)?
Boobies
Waffles or Pancakes (if you had to pick one)?
Waffles
Star Wars or Star Trek (if you had to choose)?
Star Wars
Favorite band t-shirt you own?
‘FORSAKEN’
Favorite meal?
Pizza
Favorite book?
I do mostly read music magazines and watch documentaries
Favorite movie?
The count of Monte Cristo
Favorite album?
‘ICONOCLAST’ by the legendary ‘FORSAKEN’
Thanks mucho to Nick for taking the time to answer my questions. I appreciate it. For all your management and booking needs give Nick a shout!
~El Pedo Caliente
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