| CONTENTS: HOME PREVIOUS INTERVIEWS CONTACT US MESSAGE BOARD ABOUT BRIAN LUSH LINKS RELATED ARTICLES:  ROCKWIRED ON-LINE EXCLUSIVE: THE ATTRACTION RELATED LINKS: THEATTRACTION.NET | "AN APPRECIATION FOR LIFE" ROCKWIRED REMEMBERS A DYNAMIC FRONTMAN  LANCE
ERIC FAULK "LANCE ROMANCE" 1971-2007WRITTEN BY BRIAN LUSH (HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA) In doing ROCKWIRED, I try to get to know someone in the span of a 30 to 45 minute interview. After speaking with LANCE ROMANCE (real last name: FAULK) of THE ATTRACTION, I walked away feeling charged, just as I had after listening to the bands debut CD 'STEP RIGHT UP' with the stand out tracks, JOHNNY (the paean to a born-to-be-damned outcast), STILL BREATHING ( a song on the passing of his sister), and the hauntingly beautiful CHRISTMAS SONG. Despite the dark places that ROMANCE'S lyrics could take a listener, there always seemed as if there was a way out. There was always hope. "We don't want to be a somber band or a downer band at all but there are messages and appreciations that we have and we'd like to share them but not bring the world down. So, we like to keep the music up and going." It was the year 2006 and things were on the up and up for THE ATTRACTION. They had been awarded BEST PUNK BAND by both the ORANGE COUNTY MUSIC AWARDS and the SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MUSIC AWARDS. It was clear that peoples ears and eyes were opened to the bands spunky ska-based sound and the energetic stage presence of LANCE himself. Their album, 'STEP RIGHT UP' got spun on ROCKWIRED LIVE and the track 'JOHNNY' was nominated for a ROCKWIRED AWARD earlier this year. "It's like the tip of iceberg!" exclaimed LANCE confidently of the bands future. Sure, you would expect anyone to say that about a band that they were in, but coming from LANCE it was different. His optimism was hard won, following a series of tragedies. "I lost my sister due to a heart condition. She died on Thanksgiving three years ago* and my heart ended up failing a few weeks later prior to Christmas. It was pretty tragic but you move on. Unfortunately it cost her her life to have them find out that mine was on its way down. I was passing out alot around that time. I went her funeral and her husband said that she was passing out and I was like "I'm doing the same thing now!" I went to the doctor and I died on the test table and they brought me back after three and a half minutes." It seemed as if that brush with death was what fueled LANCE and his work with THE ATTRACTION. This was not music for the sake of a buck, The music of THE ATTRACTION was a celebration of life. On NOVEMBER 10, 2007 at the age of 36, LANCE FAULK's life ended and the music industry had lost a great frontman. In a place like Orange County were everyone is supposed to fit in, LANCE brought in some much needed personality and color to a scene that really hadn't had much of a pulse since the early days of NO DOUBT. LANCE's life was about overcoming obstacles, living your life the way you wanted to live it, and not compromising yourself. This was evidenced in the songs he had written with THE ATTRACTION."The way I've grown up and lived my life is to experience and explore every option. I try to live life to the fullest and my way of learning is by experiencing. I've done lots of that! Generally, I like to talk about it and write about it." Even in passing, LANCE has left us with more music. On October 25, 2007 THE ATTRACTION released "THE ATTRACTION PRESENTS:..." His sound and his presence have left their mark here at ROCKWIRED. When I asked him what he would like people to feel once they had listened to THE ATTRACTION, He had this to say "An appreciation for life. That's something that we want. In my opinion, the road can get pretty tough but you take it in stride and you move on." * It has been four years at press time. |
