MySpace Contest Winner: Interview of a Lifetime with Sparta

It all started when I entered a Myspace contest online for the Invisible movie contest. My husband even teases me about entering contests online, but this time it paid off. I happened to see an advertisement for a movie entitled, The Invisible, and it immediately caught my eye. A contest was featured on Myspace for this movie. The catch was...you had to write an essay on the idea of being or feeling invisbile. Well, that was an easy thing for me to do...because I have always blended into the background. I do my talking with a pen or a keyboard, otherwise you will find me to be a very quiet individual. So to make a long story short, I was contacted by Disney and Buena Vista Pictures on a Monday. They said I had been chosen as the winner of the contest. So what did I win? Well...I won a trip for up to five people all expenses paid to Vancouver, BC to be the VIP guests of the band Sparta. After arriving in Vancouver I would be interviewing the band for the Myspace promotion of the movie, The Invisible. Sparta is the featured band in the movie. Their song "Taking Back Control" is one of the title songs on the soundtrack for the movie.

So little ole me...quiet, shy, and terrified of meeting people had to break out her shell and do an acutal interview with a BAND on CAMERA to be posted on the INTERNET!!! Talk about stepping out of your comfort zone! So...I packed my bags and flew out on a Friday morning. I arrived in Vancouver eleven hours later, exhausted, with only fifteen minutes to get ready for showtime. I litterally only had enough time to brush my teeth, brush my hair and head out the door. But it was ALL worth it!

When I arrived at the Commodore in downtown Vancouver, all of the band members of Sparta were waiting to meet me. The place was completely empty except for the other bands practicing for sound check and the film crew. We had the place all to ourselves. Let me tell you...walking up the stairs to meet the band had my nerves completely shot. I was terrified. As soon as I walked through the door and we greeted each other, I was stoked. My nerves completely faded away.

Sparta's band members include Matt Miller, Jim Ward, Keeley Davis, and Tony Hajjar. Three of the members are from El Paso Texas. They currently have a featured song on The Invisible Soundtrack. The movie comes out in theaters on April 27th. The band is an alternative rock band/punk band.

The interview was short and informative. I had a list of questions that I was suggested to ask(for the Myspace page) and then I had the opportunity to ask a few questions of my own. This is the gist of the interview...

Me: What is like being on the road all of the time? And do you have any favorite cities that you have toured in?

Matt Miller: We are on the road so much that we are in a different city every day. We tour nine months out of the year and have over 200 tours booked this year alone. We have fun everywhere we go.

Me: Does it bother you guys to be in cramped quarters with each other day in and day out?

Matt Miller: We are all good friends, so if one of us is having a bad day, we pretty much know it and we just leave each other alone.

Me: Do you guys use myspace avidly?

Jim Ward: Our band has a myspace page and I use Myspace every once in awhile. We are on the road so much that we really don't get time to do things like that. But Myspace is a great tool for publicity and it keeps us connected to our fans.

Me: Your title song "Taking Back Control" for the Invisible movie, where did you come up with the idea for that song and what would you like for your fans to be able to take away from that song?

Jim Ward: The song is really a political song. Our country is really just getting out of control and the people really don't have any control. It's all about taking back that control and standing up for what you believe in. That is the message I was trying to send but the song also fit the premise of the movie in other ways.

Keeley Davis: So, Heidi what made you enter the contest?

Me: I really wanted to send a message to teenagers and kids that they don't have to feel invisible. People need to know that they are all unique and special. Everyone has something about themselves that is important. Its just a matter of allowing yourself to shine.

Sparta is definitely a band you ought to know. These guys were so down to earth and very friendly. The lead singer was terribly ill and still pulled out all of the stops for his fans. I was very impressed with their eagerness to please the fans and their dedication to playing music. The complete interview will be posted on The Myspace Invisible movie link soon. If you want to see the full interview check out the Myspace Invisible Movie profile. Or check into my page at www.myspace.com/harleyquinzelle after April 16th, 2007