New York Buzz Interviews Kim Cameron and Nik Nikpora from Side FX Band
Kim Cameron and Nik Nikpora
Termeh Mazhari: Nik, How long have you been playing guitar?
Nik Nikpora: It’s tough to say the exact year. Ever since I was a baby, I can remember there was always a guitar at my house. I used to always try to play it, even though it was the same size as me. So I would say it’s been plus or minus 25 years since I started playing seriously.
Termeh Mazhari: What’s it like working with each other?
Nik Nikpora: Amazingly, I do enjoy working with Kim, even though she rides my butt 24/7! I guess I’m a glutton for punishment. Kim is very special to me – she possesses many qualities or attributes that you cannot usually find in one person. She is focused, organized and relentless. To work with her you have to “run” just to keep up. She is an optimist with a sunny disposition that is contagious. She has enough energy for both of us! So, to sum it up, working with her is both hard and easy; frustrating and rewarding; all at the same time. She is the only person I know that assigns homework to me. As much as she makes me work, I still love working with her.
Kim Cameron: As much as I love him, I hate him just the same. He makes me crazy and inspires me all at the same time. Honestly, my life would not be the same without him in it.
Termeh Mazhari: Nik, who are your biggest musical influences?
Nik Nikpora: There are so many. But to name a few who inspired me, there’s: Uli Jon Roth, Yngwie Malmsteen, Bach, Vivaldi, and of course Armik.
Termeh Mazhari: Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Kim Cameron: Well, we are both typically very excited at the beginning of every show. We always talk to all the band members before setup – making sure we are all on the same page. And then, there is this silly hand shake/sort of thing Nik and I do (it’s a bit superstitious–but it always brings out our positive energy).
Nik Nikpora: Yes, Kim and I have our secret hand shake; which is really not a hand shake but a nice squeeze without the fingers. But with the rest of the band, it’s more or less like a quick walkthrough to make sure we are all in the same page.
Termeh Mazhari: Ever had an embarrassing moment on stage?
Kim Cameron: Yes, when Nik hit me with his guitar. It hit my head so hard, I thought I was going to pass out on stage!
Nik Nikpora: Yes. That was bad. I felt so bad, because I heard the thud over the loud stage volume. Then I tried to frantically rub the pain away – I think I gave her a concussion (I must admit, since that day I have noticed changes in here behavior – ha ha).
Termeh Mazhari: What can people expect from a Side FX show?
Kim Cameron: Energy – and a lot of it! I think people always see that we have a lot of fun performing.
Nik Nikpora: Having fun is our goal. We believe that if we have fun then the vibe will reach the crowd and they will have fun too.
Catch Kim and Nik on Thursday, March 5th at the Blues Alley jazz club in Washington DC. Click here to be directed to the venue’s site. RSVP to [email protected] to receive a FREE gift at the show!
This entry was posted on Monday, February 16th, 2009 at 5:32 pm and is filed under Interview. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
