You've been hearing them all over TikTok, Instagram, and probably your favorite wrestler's profiles! They've been creating banger covers of entrance themes, ripping up their own versions, and they were able to carve out some time to chat with me about their favorite entrance themes! Will Scarr and David Bartolomé chat with me all about how they started working together, their favorite renditions they've produced, and the love and support they've been shown from the wrestling community.

Enjoy!

-

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Do you like wrestling? Do you like music and stories from the road? Join John Kiernan, wrestling entrance theme song composer, and professional musician of over 10 years for stories and interviews with your favorite wrestlers, rock stars, and personalities!

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John Kiernan is a wrestling entrance theme song composer with over 150 themes written for wrestlers in various promotions such as NJPW, WWE, ROH, MLW, and many more. As a professional musician, a veteran in the podcasting space, an avid pro wrestling fan and wrestling personality by way of creating the soundtracks for your favorite wrestlers, John Kiernan forges his latest podcasting venture into diving into stories of music, stories from the road, and wrestling from all walks of life from your (and his) favorites of all time.

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#music #wrestling #ropesnriffs #johnkiernan

You guys are probably tired of hearing my voice, not tired of hearing.

2

These two gentlemen right here, David and Will You've been hearing them do some awesome

covers over on Instagram and over on TikTok and everywhere you can catch them.

3

We were talking off the air and I'm just like, there's stuff that we should be talking on

on air.

4

So let's just hit record and let's just start talking.

5

Thanks for hanging out guys.

6

Thank you for inviting us, Thank you, man.

7

It's good to be here.

8

Totally.

9

Yeah.

10

And I think the first song I had heard from you guys actually was the song you had put

together for like your money in the bank rendition.

11

Right.

12

I, and for me, I heard that song and I saw the images and I'm like, okay, cool.

13

WW is promoting money in the bank.

14

And then I saw it wasn't on WW's account and I'm like, it goddamn better.

15

Well, B this is such a dope song.

16

So already first off kudos on putting together a banger track like that.

17

But the crazy thing about that is that's how my brother heard our song as well.

18

He's like, I heard this really good song and then I realised it was you too.

19

And it's Glitch who did the artwork for it I think he is phenomenal.

20

He's one of the nicest guys ever.

21

he's been so supportive hasn't he?

22

From the very get go he's sort of been straight there.

23

Anything we want, anything we need, he's just more than happy to work with it.

24

So it's been a real nice And he's actually going to do all our artwork.

25

from now on as well.

26

So he's super talented.

27

But yeah, so many people said, I saw this really professional looking poster, thought it

was just WWE's thing, and it turned out it was you two.

28

We were like, oh, that's so cool.

29

That's so cool.

30

And they mean that all positively.

31

It's not like, oh, I thought it was WWE.

32

It just happened to be you two guys.

33

You're like, no, no, no.

34

It's like, that's us.

35

no, was positive, thank God, because when Paul said that, my brother, was like, did you

like it?

36

He's like, I loved it.

37

was great.

38

So yeah, it was very cool.

39

it's been catching a lot of wind too, like not just from fans, but all the work that you

guys have been doing have been catching the eye of wrestlers all across the industry too.

40

And it's so cool to see that, you you have people like yourselves that put together really

awesome renditions of these songs that we've loved for years and really resonate with just

41

an audience, but also resonate with the talent too.

42

How's the reception been to what you've been putting out with the wrestlers across the

ecosystem?

43

Yeah the reception's been amazing to be honest as we say like we've been doing music for a

number of years now different things different people but there's not really been a

44

community like this that are just so supportive and it doesn't matter if they're big small

ten million dollars sort of thing everyone sort of helps everyone so it's such a nice

45

thing to see those sort of reactions whether they're big or small it's awesome to be

honest.

46

It's so cool and like before Will started doing it with me because at first I started on

my own

47

and then it was like the workload is intense.

48

was like I'd love to do this with someone else to share the experiences.

49

And just before I started with Will, did, Zelina Vega's theme.

50

And then she commented on it, liked it, followed me on Instagram.

51

And I was like, this is crazy.

52

Then we did one for Naomi.

53

She liked it, followed, commented, said about meeting up and stuff.

54

who else was it?

55

the rascals.

56

Yeah, we did the rascals theme.

57

they both shared it.

58

Trey actually tagged TNA and said, can we get this live and stuff?

59

So yeah, it's, you know, it's, it's very cool to see that.

60

And as fans from like a young age to see people.

61

we've watched saying nice things and following you and sharing it is absolutely unreal.

62

like now we have R-Truth, like every time we post a video he likes our videos and it's

like, it's trying to get used to that every single time, my god that's R-Truth liking our

63

videos.

64

It's now kind of like a thing we'll be watching Raw or Smackdown and we're like, they

follow us, they follow us, they've liked it, they've seen it and it's mental.

65

It's absolutely crazy, it's really really cool, really cool.

66

love the fact that with wrestlers in WWE and AEW and all these different companies and

TNA, it's become this thing where you have not just the community of fans being like, this

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is great, but I think a lot of the wrestlers get it too, because now you're having this

younger crop of wrestlers come up who I think they see how cool social media can be.

68

Like social media can be crazy guys, obviously.

69

Welcome to the show.

70

But you know, we.

71

see so many people nowadays who are doing lots of collaborations, lots of tagging, people

are searching up what other people are doing and being like, okay, cool.

72

What else is out there?

73

And I think that this crop of wrestlers across the wrestling landscape are a little bit

more like, Hey, there's a lot of really cool stuff going on.

74

There's a lot of really cool stuff for even just like my brand.

75

And then they see the work that you guys do and they're just like, dude, this is it.

76

And I will say too, like you guys said, you've been doing music for a while, same here.

77

You know, I've, love the music community.

78

Obviously we wouldn't be here if there's not a music community, but I've said this on

different podcasts before I've talked to it lives at breeds and talk to all these

79

different people about it.

80

I think that the wrestling community, both inside of the industry and out is just

incredibly supportive when it comes to that.

81

Anytime I work on a theme with somebody, they're always just like, this is great.

82

Like it's if there's any sort of criticism towards something that you're working on, it's

usually

83

I'm looking for it to be like this, you know, or something like that.

84

But there's less of like, okay, you didn't play this minor chord here, here and here.

85

It's a little bit more like, okay, cool.

86

Like, did it make me feel something?

87

Am I resonating with it?

88

Is it bringing me back to Shawn Michaels kicking Bret Hart in the face and that Iron Man

match kind of thing?

89

You know, it's a, it's a different dynamic altogether.

90

I will say we haven't had, we've done a few themes for independent wrestlers and we'll

send like a rough version and we're like, what do you want changed?

91

And so far it's always been, this is perfect, cool.

92

I'll take it.

93

And we're like, no, we haven't mixed it.

94

haven't mastered it.

95

We're like, no, no, let's please mix and master it first.

96

So we've actually had really cool reception for the stuff we've sent these people.

97

It's nice to see like when we put a certain theme up, all the different comments where

people are reminded of, oh, I remember when this happened on this.

98

or I remember this from years and years ago.

99

So it's cool to see how people can sort of connect with each other over something we've

put up.

100

It's quite amazing to see to be honest.

101

And like the video we did, was it yesterday or the day before?

102

Yes, at Paul's.

103

Yeah.

104

So we went to my brother's studio and just did the video for an original we wrote.

105

which wrestler with this suit and the amount of people tag, like putting all these people

and some tagging the actual wrestlers and stuff.

106

And it's an original when it got, I think 30,000 views on TikTok so far, which for an

original, we're like, this is crazy.

107

We're like, whoa.

108

This is really cool for us.

109

The covers were sort of going well, weren't they?

110

Yeah.

111

now the original seemed to be like matching the covers.

112

it's quite surreal.

113

Yeah, it really is.

114

And for especially people that are writing original music too, you're just like, I want

those things to do just as well as the covers.

115

And the fact that you're having everybody go, my God, this would match here and here,

dude, that's, man, I'm so happy for you guys.

116

Now we got to talk a little bit about early wrestling memories too, cause we're talking

about it.

117

We're talking about, it reminds me of this and this for both of you guys.

118

What are some of your earliest wrestling memories getting you into the world of pro

wrestling?

119

I grew up with my cousins, they were massively interested in the early 2000s stuff and

that was what got me into it and seeing the likes of Stone Cold, Kane, The Rock, all the

120

Attitude era sort of wrestling, that really kicked it off for me and that was it, I was

hooked from there on.

121

And in sort of later years, I got really into TNA, sort of 2009, 2010 and I was taken by

TNA.

122

The storyline then was just incredible for me, the likes of Beer Money, AJ, Mr Anderson.

123

all those it was just an amazing time I think for TNA.

124

My one I started actually watching with my dad and I think one of the first pay-per-views

I saw luckily for me was Shawn Michaels versus The Undertaker.

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You know the match that everyone talks about and we watched that pay-per-view and

obviously it's harder to watch it in England.

126

So I'd only really get to see the pay-per-views, but that was the first one I saw him from

then on I was absolutely obsessed Absolutely assessed and then obviously the Smackdown vs.

127

Raw games Yeah, comes the pain ones some of that stuff also like really got me into it But

I think I started playing the games before I actually watched it and after watching it I

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was like, oh yeah, I can get into this.

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This is cool.

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Yeah, it's my cousin so into it So they sort of used to scorpion def lock me at any

opportunity they get Yeah, very much growing up with the wrestling

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love hearing too that it was like through family too.

132

Like, my dad was watching it because that was how it was with me.

133

My dad wasn't as into it when I was young as he was when he was young.

134

He was very much a Bruno San Martino guy, all that.

135

But my brother was really into it.

136

for, I forget how old I was at the time, but watching Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart,

WrestleMania 12, doing the Iron Man match, a lot of people go back and they're like, that

137

match is boring as piss.

138

I'm like, I don't know, man.

139

Shawn Michaels is great coming down from the rafters and everything.

140

For me, I had totally gotten into that match and then everything else, like you guys said,

attitude era and going forward, it was just like, I was hooked.

141

And there was a certain time when I was in college where, or actually it was when I was in

high school and I started really getting into music, I became really fanatic about, you

142

know, guitar and getting really into like metal and things like that then.

143

And wrestling had kind of gone the wayside.

144

But then when I was in college, the college I was in, they were like, you have to take a

semester of summer classes.

145

So we're like, all right.

146

So was rooming with a buddy of mine and we had bought WrestleMania 2000 for Nintendo 64,

which was a good one.

147

And he was just like, oh man, I haven't seen wrestling in a while.

148

And all of a sudden he clicks on this one person.

149

He's like, who's this?

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I'm like, oh, it's the Undertaker.

151

you should watch this match.

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Oh, this is Shawn Michaels.

153

did this.

154

You should watch this match.

155

And then that was it.

156

Back into it.

157

To be fair, on one of the later games, it last year's 2K that had the WrestleMania

showcase?

158

That's what got my stepkids into all the old matches, like Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and

then like...

159

And then they'd go back and watch Undertaker vs Mankind, obviously the famous throwing off

the cage and everything.

160

So they got into all the old stuff as well.

161

But they'd only started watching maybe three years ago and they're finding it all so cool

seeing the people interacting with us and stuff.

162

completely hooked on yeah, completely.

163

Completely.

164

They want to do it.

165

That's where it starts.

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It starts from the covers, then doing the entrance seams.

167

And then they're just like, I want to do moon salt.

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You're like not off the couch.

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You won't, but

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I think I'd let them.

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I'd be like, do it, do a nice one, it's gotta look good.

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I wanna see a Jacob for two one, I want you to jump up and then do it and it'll be good.

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go.

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If you're, if you're going to do it, do it like him.

175

There you go.

176

It's funny too.

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Cause

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always wanted to do wrestling because when I was like 16, I actually started doing pro

wrestling and then unfortunately had to stop for a while.

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But yeah, I still would love to do like one of the indie wrestlers we've written a theme

for.

180

I would love to play them out and then get put through a table.

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I'd be like, yeah, I'll take that.

182

100 percent.

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I feel like a lot of people are just like, I'd love to go through a table.

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And then when they go through a table, they're just like, why did I have to do this?

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I think I still do it.

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I just down a monster beforehand and be like, right, I've got the entraining now, let's

go.

187

I'm ready for it.

188

Yeah, yeah.

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So for any wrestlers listening, you got to ask them, do a theme for me and I'll put you

through a table.

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Yes, please.

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% 100 % We're ready for it.

192

Yeah.

193

Put a guitar over my head.

194

It's so funny too, cause we mentioned the kids and for me, I'm starting to, my son's

starting to like lightly start getting into wrestling.

195

Dragon Lee is a friend of the family's.

196

had done his theme before he had went to WWE.

197

Yeah.

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And he's been really great to my son.

199

He's just that my son loves Dragon Lee and you know, great guy, love him to death.

200

But Anthony's my son is like, Hey, go ahead and can you show me something Dragon Lee does?

201

And I'm like, yeah, totally.

202

And then he's literally diving over the top rope into the audience.

203

And my son's like, that's super cool.

204

I'm like, I don't know, man.

205

I love it.

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thought you meant he wanted you to demonstrate what he does.

207

I was like, if you're pulling out all that stuff, that's crazy.

208

man, imagine.

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But then like, see, it's the thing.

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Like he sees Dragon Lee do it.

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Then I'm texting Dragon Lee.

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I'm like, are you dead?

213

And he's like, no, it's okay.

214

He's like, I live for this stuff.

215

I'm like, but you're not dead.

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Like that's the point I'm asking you.

217

He was like, I'm fine.

218

We love all the Lucha stuff.

219

All the Lucha stuff is so good.

220

it's great, isn't it?

221

That Worlds Collide was brilliant.

222

Chad's like fair play to...

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Well, not Chad.

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yeah, no, Chad and then into El Grande.

225

Sorry.

226

Not the same person, but like...

227

Well, you know, over here, we still don't know who Grande Americano is.

228

You know, it's a mystery.

229

Some of us think it's Omos.

230

think there's some, I'm like, yeah.

231

But no, Worlds Collide was awesome.

232

And I'm so happy that all those guys are getting the platform to do it.

233

Now, obviously, AAA has had a platform for years.

234

But like, when you're working with WWE and you're working within that ecosystem,

235

to see that everybody's super about it.

236

And Mr.

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Iguana, like, let's just talk about Mr.

238

Iguana.

239

he's been brought up.

240

We were literally saying before, he's like, what are we going to say if you ask favourite

wrestler?

241

He's like, Mr.

242

Eduardo.

243

my God, he's so good.

244

And the thing is, like, you don't know what people are going to resonate with until they

get to the stage to do it.

245

And I don't even think Mr.

246

Iguana thought, when we do this show, I'm going to be like so over here.

247

But you could tell people were just so jazzed about what he was doing.

248

And then Linseye just destroying the Iguana.

249

And Mr.

250

Iguana is just like, not in my Christian Minecraft server.

251

Yeah, no.

252

I think the best thing is like the comments saying out of all of that the most impressive

thing is he can kick that thing up in the air and land it on his shoulder.

253

I'm like forget the moon souls forget the hurricane runners that's sick that's the best.

254

I think that's the thing I love about the wrestling like something it's not you know it's

not overly serious but it's not too much and it just brings everyone together with

255

something so quite simple and people can sort of reconnect with that thing and it blows up

again.

256

the other absolute goat Joe Hendry.

257

He went to download was it last

258

week and there were like Joe Hendry flags and they're like doing it in DJ sets and stuff.

259

were in one the DJ booths and they started doing the Mass Joe Hendry chant and the whole

tent's just erupted.

260

It's incredible, it's absolutely incredible.

261

And Joe Hendry talks about like even his entrance theme.

262

He's just like, man, it was a joke.

263

And like now he's made it into something so much bigger.

264

And I think he talked to Chris van Vliet about this.

265

He's just like, I just analyzed all the things that worked in music and then I made that

my thing.

266

And it's just such a dope theme and I'm so happy for him too.

267

Like, yeah.

268

about him is that the group that do all the Mexican versions of stuff, all the Hispanic

versions, and he came out to their version and I think they're amazing.

269

They've actually commented and liked some of our videos before but I thought that was so

cool that he came out to it.

270

That was a really really cool moment.

271

I love that, yeah.

272

And, you know, again, Joe Hendry, like we're talking about with like this younger

generation of wrestlers, I think they were really in tune with everything going on.

273

And if they see a remix like that and they're going to be performing over there, they're

just like, Hey, let's go ahead and get this there because it's, it's going to be awesome.

274

And people probably are just like, it, sounds crazy, but like you're doing something

that's of the culture that you're there of.

275

And it's just really cool to kind of show that.

276

And then you're giving other people the rub too.

277

And I'm like, man, that's just, that's awesome.

278

So, so far you guys have put out a lot of different music.

279

I had just looked up your discography the last couple of days and I didn't know that you

280

It looks like you guys have a lot of music that you've put out.

281

So far out of the themes that you've done covers of, which ones have been your favorite

and which ones have gotten the most reception?

282

So with the wrestling stuff, actually, because like I said, I started doing it on my own.

283

And that was actually like three months into this year that I started doing that.

284

I was doing just normal covers of bands like Motionless and White, Bad O-

285

and stuff and then I had a cover of Kingdom that I did and I wasn't gonna put it out

because I listened to it I like it's a bit it's a bit shit really I'm not a massive fan of

286

it and my wife was like no just put it out because you don't know and then it blew up and

it's like in my top three highest viewed on TikTok I think it's 700,000 or something and

287

then I was like oh this really stuck so then I did the

288

Jeyuso one, the heavy version of Jeyuso's and that got a load of views.

289

And then I did the rear Ripley normal one and then I did the cinematic one.

290

And then I was like, okay, this is where I should be going.

291

the path we're going down.

292

Yeah.

293

And it was like, I found a niche here and also I love wrestling.

294

So I have no issue doing it.

295

I know all the themes.

296

Like I love wrestling.

297

I might as well go and do this.

298

And like I said, trying to do it every day because TikTok is quite demanding for the

algorithm.

299

So I said to Will, because I knew he liked wrestling, was like, I know you've got back

into it.

300

Do you want to do it with me?

301

And he jumped in and we did like the Miz's one that's on 200 or 1000 or something.

302

Yeah, it's been great, hasn't it?

303

Yeah.

304

I don't know what the favourite one would be though.

305

Me personally, I think one of my favourites at the moment was the Bray Wyatt one because I

learnt to play piano for it.

306

So it was quite a bit of a bigger thing for me.

307

it's obviously it's a maths one because it's Bray, exactly.

308

So it was really nice.

309

We were a bit hesitant about it at first as well.

310

were like, we had

311

people commenting saying to do Bray's theme we were like we don't know we don't know how

people are gonna react to it how they're gonna take it and we wrote it recorded it before

312

it's actually does sound it wasn't just piano it's the guitar so literally I said to Will

I was like do you know how to play piano because I do a bit I was like but do you want to

313

do more than just bass and he was like oh I can get a piano and he got it and literally it

was 20 minutes practicing he's literally then FaceTiming me while playing the chords

314

one-handed going something like this and I'm like all right I was like do you want to do

the guitar as well I was like yeah I'll gets a guitar

315

and then again about 20 minutes he's like yeah I think I've got it and did the guitar as

well and I'm just like you're insane.

316

Literally there are people like learning their whole life and Will's just like yeah I got

this.

317

that was because it's like some people have a thing with bass and so we wanted to show

that Will can do other things he's also going to start doing vocals at some point as well

318

which will be really cool so we're just trying to do as much as we can because it also

makes the workload easier.

319

Yeah I feel a bit guilty as well because obviously I wanted to bring a bit of that load

off David so we could just sort of share the parts and you know it's half and half.

320

work right then so it's not all on David sort of thing or all on me so yeah but I've been

really enjoying it I've been enjoying learning new instruments it's been great yeah can't

321

fault anything so now it's like we'll do bass rhythm some keys and then I'll do lead

guitar keys with like orchestral stuff the production the mixing and mastering and then

322

vocals but we do want to start splitting the vocals as well because I think it'd be cool

for him to just try everything yeah

323

And it just gives you more range and dynamic too, you know, being able to just have more

people with different voices, no pun intended, but like different voices, different vision

324

on the instrumental parts too.

325

And you know, it's one of those things too.

326

You're like, do I play piano?

327

Not until now.

328

And then all of a sudden you have this song that inspires you to do that.

329

And anytime someone brings up Bray Wyatt, I'm always just like, man, like Bray Wyatt for

me is like top three wrestlers ever.

330

Um, yeah.

331

And anybody that does any one of his themes, whether it's live in fear, shatter, whatever

the case may be, I'm just like, you know, I don't think I've heard anybody do a bad

332

rendition of it.

333

And I think it really boils down to the fact on how much respect everybody has for Bray.

334

And I think everybody is kind of like, I don't want to do it because I want to make sure

it's good.

335

but I will tell you, we had Mark Crozer on the show.

336

We've had Rebi Hardy on the show and Mark Crozer is always just like, I never expected

this song to get where it did.

337

Yeah.

338

time I hear a new cover, I'm like, my God, that's crazy.

339

And he had never heard Reby's piano version before.

340

So on the show I had shown it to him and he's like, that's crazy.

341

So then he also knows obviously the code orange ones.

342

He's like, again, I don't know why people are covering it.

343

It's just a song that I wrote, but I'm so happy that they are.

344

And it's just, you know, it's so cool to see that his legacy continues there too.

345

And the fact that you guys did that killer cover, I'm glad you guys brought up Bray

because again, like Bray is very much a huge part of a lot of

346

even what I do.

347

Like, for people who've seen me perform, the person who does a lot of my stage clothing,

when I started performing a little bit more, I had them do pants that were very much in

348

the style of Bray Wyatt with the pants that had the birds on them and everything.

349

But there was like a specific version to use for like two weeks, where it was like the

black pants with the white birds instead of the white pants with the black birds.

350

that, coincidentally, was the one that he used when he gave Brock Lesnar to sister

Abigail.

351

And as we talked about, Brock Lesnar ruined the Universal Championship.

352

With Bray, he got me back into it because I'd stopped watching for a little bit because it

kind of gone downhill.

353

And then I saw this Fiend character and I was like, this is so cool.

354

was like the best thing since The Undertaker because no one had done that.

355

And then he came out with this and I actually went to see him for Halloween as well.

356

Like absolutely loved him thought he was the best and then they were doing like he got

released and then came back They're doing the teasers and then obviously when he passed I

357

think that hit just as hard as when Chester Bennington from Lincoln Park Passed away those

two are the biggest ones that have hit and when we did this thing We made it like a

358

tribute orchestral version because I didn't want to just go and do like the normal version

We'd like the hard vocals and everything, but we have someone

359

that we're friends with on TikTok call is bite-sized wrestling, isn't it?

360

And he made an edit using the song with Bray talking over it and stuff and genuinely

watching it, teared up.

361

It was such an amazing edit.

362

It sounds kind of arrogant, but when you see something you've done and you see it put to

his videos and his talking over it and stuff, yeah, it hit.

363

It really did.

364

I think with the Bray one for us as well, because as I say, were so hesitant of doing it,

when we put it out and see the response we saw, that really did sort of cement how

365

supportive the

366

community are because as you say going back to Lincoln Park people do cover their songs

still to now and you still have a lot of people that are not fond because obviously it's

367

not Chester but that really did show us how supportive this community is.

368

And also with that song we've said any money that comes from that will go to charity.

369

Yeah that's all charity.

370

It's one of those things where we don't want to take anything from that this is a tribute

to him we respect everything he did he's one of the best.

371

It's just for people like the wrestling fans of the community they can enjoy it take it

how they want it sort of thing but yeah that was something we

372

wanted to make anything off of.

373

That's awesome.

374

And it's, so.

375

Yeah, I don't meet many people that think of Bray Wyatt and have a crossword to say about

him either.

376

You know, I think all of us are just like anyone that's ever been influenced by him,

anyone that's ever gotten the opportunity to do anything musical from him or anything like

377

that, or anyone who's ever seen him in wrestling.

378

They're like, he had such a personality and such a vision for the business.

379

And then on top of that, it's just like, man, he had some absolute bangers and everybody

has like.

380

that Bray Wyatt story, even if he wasn't your favorite wrestler, everybody's just like, I

have that thing about Bray and I'm glad that you guys had, I'm glad you guys did that

381

cover.

382

Cause I remember also like you guys do a lot of different styles and you guys have some

heavy stuff that you do obviously, which you know, your boy loves the heavy stuff.

383

But I love being able to see that you have the different direction that you can take it

to, because again, like you guys talk about with writing entrance themes, you have to be

384

versatile.

385

Like you can always have your sound.

386

And you know, I talk with this with the boys of downstate all the time.

387

Like they're like.

388

We have a sound, we have a style, but at the same time there's a lot of versatility.

389

The Miz's theme doesn't sound like Buddy Matthews, doesn't sound like Major Players and...

390

Again, they're the nicest guys ever because they've messaged and followed us.

391

Yeah, they are honestly such nice guys.

392

Again, like the community is just insane.

393

You think, these people are never going to know who we are, never going to but and then

they reach out and say something like really nice and say, love all your stuff and stuff.

394

it's like, yeah, it's just, it's so surreal all the time.

395

There's just something happens every day and we're like, I can't believe this is You can't

keep up with it, can you?

396

Yeah.

397

We were saying, cause that original we did, we got,

398

there were just so many comments and our thumbs were actually so low.

399

Cause we make a point of if you're going to take the time to look at our video, check it

out and comment, we are going to reply.

400

And we, and I actually got a ban from replying because I'd replied to too many and Tik Tok

were like, well, you need a break.

401

was like, oh, okay.

402

When we can, we try and reply to everything because these people, if it's not for them,

like if it's not them watching it and stuff.

403

We aren't anything, like they are literally giving us.

404

They're giving us the platform that we're trying to sort of work towards.

405

So we've never got an issue with applying to comments, helping people do a theme if they

want it sort of thing.

406

Just push them in the direction they want to be.

407

Unfortunately, we had to stop how many themes we were doing just because we had such like

a mass amount of requests and like all people paying and stuff, but we're like, we can't

408

physically do the demand right now.

409

So we're going to have to limit it for a bit.

410

And maybe when we've got all these out of the way, we'll do some more.

411

But yeah, it's just so nice.

412

And even like hate comments.

413

If you get hate comments, we'll just be like, look, everyone's got different tastes.

414

Still appreciate you taking the time, because you've still taken the time to comment.

415

Kill them the corner.

416

If everyone liked the same thing, you'd have one band.

417

Realistically, there'd be no diversity in the music industry and stuff.

418

So yeah, if they don't like it, that's cool.

419

But thank you for sharing your opinion.

420

I'm not going to...

421

like hate on you for it, that's your opinion.

422

I don't like everything I hear and I feel like like Deaf Rebel get a hell of a lot of hate

and I still think they've got some bangers.

423

really do.

424

They do, yeah.

425

And they had some big shoes to fill with like gym and stuff like that.

426

It's yeah, I do feel bad for them because you think Roman Reigns theme is like, you know,

you hear that start up because that that was Deaf Rebel thing, was it?

427

It was Deaf Rebel.

428

Yeah.

429

I think they've had some good ones.

430

Rhea Ripley's one with Chris Motionless.

431

I feel bad for the amount of hate they get.

432

I just think whoever takes over from them is probably going to be a similar thing because

you're always wanting the nostalgia of what you used to have and it's just kind of getting

433

used to the new wave of music coming through.

434

Yeah.

435

And I think also when it comes to writing music for wrestlers and it comes to, and this is

kind of the over-arc of not just for wrestlers, but music for TV or whatever, whatever

436

medium, right?

437

Whatever media.

438

There is a certain expectation of being able to flip around music fairly quickly.

439

And I think a lot of people don't always understand that, you know, Jim Johnson may have

flipped around songs fairly quickly, but Jim Johnson would also stay at HQ for 20 hours

440

firsthand to count people saying that, you know,

441

So at the same time, like you have a lot of people who will hear a lot of the entrance

themes and they may go, know, it's not really, you know, what I'm looking for.

442

And that may be true for a lot of people across like a roster of 200 people.

443

But at the same time, it's a matter of how quickly can you turn something around?

444

What are the conditions with, you know, if we all have a month to write a song, it's going

to be a lot different than you being able to write it in an hour, you know?

445

So I think that anybody that does it.

446

The only thing we're proud of for ourselves is we, like the originals we're putting out,

we do tend to get them done in about an hour.

447

our writing process, getting rough takes and then maybe an hour mixing it and finalizing

it, which is why we can kind of do one a day for TikTok and try and keep up with that.

448

Just sort get as many out as possible.

449

Yeah, before he went to download, we had to literally get like six ready.

450

So it was what three in the morning, my time, eight your time.

451

We just went and did six straight away.

452

So we had them all get out ready.

453

We've got like a pattern where we can just go and smash them all out because we're aware

of what kind of like

454

workload you have to deal with for TikTok especially.

455

Not so much Instagram, but TikTok, if you slow down, they're gonna kind of penalize you

for it a bit with the algorithm.

456

And then indie wrestlers, we don't want them to be like, oh, it's taking too long.

457

So we try and get them done as quick as possible.

458

So we're glad we're doing that because it's getting us used to, right, we've got to get

this done.

459

quickly and it's the reason like we've had a lot of comments saying all these videos are

all lip-synced why don't you just and it's like well it's kind of like a music video we

460

get the song done and then lip-sync it so we have something interesting to watch instead

of just putting up a picture because if there's just a picture you're probably not going

461

to watch it and hear the song at end of the day

462

Yeah, absolutely.

463

And I love the fact that you guys are able to turn around that stuff so quickly too.

464

Cause like you said, we've got to feed the algorithm and also, you know, if you're working

with lots of different people, it's like, Hey, you want to be able to respect their time

465

value, their time.

466

And it's just so cool to see other people with that vision too.

467

And it's very interesting to me too, that you're bringing up download.

468

Cause I've wanted to go to download for years, bring it to the actually, no, I'll go

there.

469

Don't bring it to the States.

470

I'll go there.

471

Who are some of your favorites over at download that you saw?

472

Personal one for me was Green Day just because I grew up listening to Green Day so that

was like a big bucket list for me.

473

Spirit Box were incredible, they always put on an amazing show and Bullet for Valentine

played their first album which was just, that was it for me, that done my weekend.

474

Also Stank Dress, they're one of my favourite bands at the moment and I got up super early

to go and watch them because they were first set of the day on the Saturday.

475

I wasn't feeling the healthiest but I made it down and

476

It was a great show.

477

They also had wrestling there as well didn't Yeah they had the first night because we did

the five night camping.

478

The first two nights were just sort of like campers only, they put a few shows on and I'm

walking through the village and I turned to my left and I just see a ring and I was like

479

my god like I'm at home.

480

So was straight in, watched a bit of wrestling, bit of music.

481

Yeah it was brilliant.

482

Downloads are, it's a great laugh, it really is.

483

Great people there and...

484

Yeah, I can't say any better words about Downloads Monastery.

485

I was gutted I couldn't go.

486

was so, because it's literally before I came over to England.

487

So I was like, I so sad.

488

missed it.

489

I've never been.

490

The only festivals I've ever been to have been ones I've actually played when I'm drumming

for my brother.

491

So I haven't actually got to go to a festival yet.

492

Hopefully one day, but yeah.

493

man.

494

Yeah, I've wanted to go to download for years.

495

I got to make it over way you guys.

496

It's a downloads the one that we see here in the States and we're like we had Oz Fest, you

know, now we don't but we're just like, man download for me was always just through the

497

years like that's where all the bands go.

498

That's where all your favorites go everyone from Nightwish to bullet all those and the

fact that you said bullet I'm like, my god bullets like one of my favorites ever since the

499

poison even before that there was a show that like when the internet was starting to

really become a thing with like videos and people being able to

500

like do more independent stuff.

501

They had done music for like this emo version of the Power Rangers and they were just

using their music and I was like, my God, these guys are great.

502

And then they put out the poison and I'm like, that's it.

503

We're good.

504

signed and sealed.

505

that was, they are just so, they're amazing, honestly.

506

They're so tight, they perform it so well.

507

And when I heard the intro to the album, I was like, they're gonna play the whole thing.

508

And they did.

509

I was like, that's greatest thing ever.

510

Well, got two more questions for you guys before we go and I ask these questions to

everybody who comes on the show.

511

If you could put together one or two matches that are musicians only that would be in a

wrestling match, what would some of those matches be?

512

That's a good question.

513

I would have, oh can't do that, should I say that?

514

Yeah, no you can say it.

515

I'd have to have Ronnie Radke in I'd have to have Ronnie in the ring at some point.

516

Against Alex Terrible.

517

Yeah, I think that is a prime match-up.

518

Alex Terrible from Slaughter to Prevail and they're allowed to use weapons because he's

going to smash his own head in with a microphone.

519

Yeah, if they can go full out, no rules, that's it.

520

if they weren't allowed to, they would anyway.

521

they would, I remember saying that.

522

You're like the Sandman when he used to smash a beer can on his head.

523

That's what Alex would do.

524

my gosh, I love that.

525

So now, go ahead, what's up?

526

I said please don't come from me, Ronnie.

527

my gosh, and then I got one more question for you guys also.

528

So I asked this to everybody who comes on the show too.

529

If you had to put together a Spotify playlist of three songs that represent you, either

your music or you as people, what would those three songs be?

530

you go first for that.

531

I don't know, that's a tough one.

532

I think this fire, Kill Switching Gauge, to be, it has to be just because, you know,

that's what I heard with CM Punk when he was doing the whole ECW thing in WWE, and I love

533

Kill Switch.

534

It would be something by Avenged Sevenfold, because that got me into drumming.

535

I'm trying to think of a...

536

All I can think of is Bullet.

537

I'd go Room 409, Bullet for Valentine.

538

That's a tune.

539

I'd stick that in there if that was me.

540

I don't know if many people know them out in America, but McFly.

541

They're called McFly.

542

They started off as a boy band, they went a bit more rocky.

543

Have you heard Busted?

544

Yeah, yeah.

545

Kind of like that they were like the opposing thing there was like all this beef between

fans with them and stuff kind of like that because when I first grew up I wasn't into the

546

heavy heavy stuff and they kind of was something I grew up on so yeah probably McFly

Avenged Sevenfold Kill Switch and Gauge.

547

Yeah, I'm with that.

548

That's a good list to me.

549

I love that.

550

And the Avenged Sevenfold thing will always hit me because for me it was always like,

Bullet was not to say anything bad, but number two, Avenged Sevenfold was number one for

551

me when I was growing up.

552

And you know, I think that's how it is with most of us getting into Metal, Metal Core and

all that.

553

And then all of sudden they said, hey, you liked Waking the Fallen, let's do City of Evil.

554

And you're just like, what is this?

555

Me and my wife actually did a metalcore cover of A Little Piece of Heaven.

556

that's awesome.

557

Yeah, so we made it heavier, put more double kick screams in it and stuff and it actually

came out pretty well and it was well received as well.

558

So yeah, we've loved Avengers 7 Fold.

559

I actually went, when I went to download last year, they were the headliners last year and

they were probably one of the best fans I've ever watched live and when they were playing

560

Nightmare and towards the end of the song, the whole power went outward over the stage and

everyone just carried on singing.

561

It was if nothing had sort of stopped, it was such a surreal moment.

562

That's sick.

563

my gosh.

564

Yeah.

565

With, with Avenged, they make you very much feel like, and this was from early on too.

566

Like you're part of, like, we talked about the topic, the community, that family.

567

When, when the Rev passed away, Nightmare had come out and I think a lot of the people in

the music industry were kind of like, it's an okay record.

568

But everybody who was an Avenged fan was like, no, this is great.

569

And we're going to tell you it's great.

570

And like, was, it was one of those moments to me where you got to really feel like a part

of like the Avenged sevenfold like family.

571

And you were just like, man, we're all bringing this record with us together wherever and

however.

572

And they've just continued on there.

573

Can never say enough good about Avenged Sevenfold.

574

This is an Avenged Sevenfold Stan podcast, everybody.

575

That's basically what we are.

576

Well, you guys, it's been awesome having the conversation with you to be able to talk all

about wrestling themes, music, and everything you guys go got going on.

577

Where can people find you?

578

you can find us at, is it David James or David Bartolome music?

579

think it's just David Bartolome music on Instagram, WillScar on Instagram and on TikTok

the exact same.

580

Thank you for having us on.

581

Yeah thank you, was really good, I appreciate it.