Most of you know that I grew up in the Midwest, I am an only child and was encouraged at an early age to be what ever I wanted to be. My parents supported everything I ever did...and when I wanted to go to school wearing 3 inch lime green creepers and matching eyeshadow all my dad would tell me is "if you want to look that way and it makes you comfortable then we support you..however you have to learn to defend yourself because out there the world is full of people who will not understand you in the way that we do and they will do everything in their power to hurt you, call you names, or simply bring you down". My parents taught me that our home was a "bubble" meaning that no matter what happened to any of us in our day to day lives..when we all came home and were a family NOTHING could effect us within the context of that "bubble". This very notion is what shaped my concept for BVB, I wanted to create a world wide "bubble" for those who felt like me...an outcast..so that when you listen to our record or come to one of our shows you feel just as safe and loved as I did at 13 sitting in my bed room listening to the Misfits and dreaming of the day I'd be on stage.
This brings me to what I wanted to share with you all...one shining example among many of our families strength and love outside of our "bubble"
My mother works for the childrens hospital in Cincinnati Ohio and as a part of her job she is required to (like in many jobs) attend yearly training seminars that take place outside of the office and are meant to help shape the employees work skills, social skills, etc.
One of the main draws of these seminars are the "key note speakers" people that are supposed "experts" in their field and are there to share their knowledge over the course of an hour long speech and power point presentation (sound familiar? haha)
Anyway, one day my mother attended one of these speeches that was being done by a middle aged man. He was your typical Midwestern 50 something year old man..lots of rhetoric...plenty of bias, you know haha
His speech was on dealing with people in the workplace in a kind and respectful manner regardless of the situation.
He began to tell a story about he and his wife having dinner with a few friends in an applebees, the story went as follows:
"and my wife and I were sitting there and suddenly this kid walks in and I started to bust out laughing, I mean he had the spikey pink and black hair..the makeup, piercings...tattoos, just so silly...and my dear wife..she is more kind than I..she hushed me and said "honey you shouldn't laugh...don't you know that boy is just some mothers heart break? I mean LOOK at him".
Not another word had passed before my other stood up and firmly said "That boy was my son"
"what? Oh I had no idea...I'm sorry" the speaker said.
My mother then replied
"No you don't understand, that boy may not have been my son, but what you just described..that boy represents my son, my beautiful son whom I am so very proud of.
He is the furthest thing from "heartbreak" he is kind and talented and loving. He has a dream that he will follow and I will support him every step of the way. He may not want to dress like you or your wife sir, but I promise you that my boy and every other child who is a "freak" to you is the apple of their mothers eye"
She then walked away.
She called me and told me everything that had happened, and I (as I am now) began to tear up and have a overwhelming rush of happiness and love come over me.
I was loved in a way I could never describe and even though I has always known my parents loved me...I was hearing proof that no matter what...I was safe.
The reason I wanted to share this with you is I feel as if sometimes the outside world (and even for some of you your OWN families) try to convince you that you are not loved..that you are not special. This is simply untrue.
Each and every one of us has a flame inside of us, a flame that no one else could ever extinguish, and if you ever feel alone I want you to remember this...as my mother and father did for me...Black Veil Brides will stand strong for you, we will take on the worlds hatred so that you don't have to.
Live your life..listen to your music way too loud, be as crazy and as "different" as you want to be and always remember you're not alone.
Thanks for reading my little story...I hope it helped some of you
above all else I hope maybe now you have a little greater understanding of why this band..and it's message means so much to me.
to my parents Chris (Brock) and Amy, thank you for teaching me what love truly is.
Never Give In,
Andy 6
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