Jesus freak Hideout: How would you describe your sound & why did you choose it for
Bride?
Dale Thompson: God has continued to mold our sound and style evolving
Bride into what we are today. We personally have no preferences
as to the style we play as long as it is ordained of the Lord and
He is reaching young people through it.
JfH: What bands have influenced your sound?
Dale: Not too many... everyone in the band listens to different
artists, and in doing that it, brings many different influences to
the writing table. We try to stay current so as not to alienate
our audience of young listeners whom this ministry is designed
to reach.
JfH: Would you ever consider going into the mainstream market if
you didn't have to compromise your message?
Dale: It's wherever Bride can be the most use to the Kingdom of
God. I believe there are enough lost kids in the church that the
biggest part of our ministry is trying to bring them in
completely. Just because a person goes to church and
participates in church plays, choruses and events doesn't mean their saved.
Our message is salvation and we do minister to the house of God.
JfH: Where do you get the ideas for writing your songs?
Dale: Lyrical ideas come from many different sources.
Sometimes it may be one sentence that comes to me and I write it
down among many more words, phrases or sentences that I have
compiled over the months. When God says to write, then I sit
down and look at the puzzle that He has delivered. In trying to
put it all together, it is amazing to watch the Holy Spirit work.
Words that I had written that seemed of no importance take a key role
in the development of a song. Seldom do I ever sit down and just
write a song. It is through much prayer and trust in the Lord. I
would not want to write a song on my own. I would feel helpless.
JfH: Your new album, The Jesus Experience is fantastic! What
goals did you have in mind when you were making this album? And where did you
get the title?
Dale: Our goal was to record a record that would bring glory to
God, and if we were faithful in what He commissioned us to do, then
He would be able to perform a great work through this piece of
music. I believe we achieved that goal. The title, The Jesus
Experience, came to me one day like the lyrics of a song. I
thought they would end up in a song but that was not God's
purpose for those words. Then I got confirmation after a show in
Indiana. A fellow walked up to me and asked me what he would
have to do to be saved. Of course I began a lengthy explanation
into sin and salvation. He patiently listened and at the end of
my explanation, he told me that he had been sent by God to tell
me one thing. He looked me dead in the eyes and said, "Take on
the name of Jesus". I took that as a direct confirmation of the
three words "The Jesus Experience" which had been given to me
previously from the Lord.
JfH: What prompted you to write "The Worm?" & what is it about?
Dale: Saying that this song is unambiguously lucid because it
was taken from Psalm 22 practically verbatim may provoke even
more discussion than if I were to say it is a perplexing song
with an even more inextricable video. The song originally was written
about a man that was preparing to take his own life. In the midst of
his sorrow and loss of hope he reached out one final time to the only One that can
promise hope. This is a song about Jesus revealing Himself to a
man who had been moments away from ending his own life.
It does get a bit confusing as I jump from the cross to this man.
But it also represents that no matter how low we get no matter
how badly we hurt, Christ has hurt that much and has absorbed
the pain for us. He knows what it feels like to be empty and He
has drunk the cup of suffering for each individual. So there is
nothing that we can go through in this life that Jesus Himself
had not experienced while upon the cross.
JfH: What is the meaning behind "Cosmic Christ?"
Dale: "Cosmic Christ" is a satirical look at different beliefs and even
christianity, for who feel they need scientific proof in order to
believe that which only comes by faith. There are those out
there now still waiting for a Messiah to come. Some are waiting for a miracle and a sign to materialize
so that they will be made believers. Jesus said that a wicked
and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. I believe Jesus is
who He said He was and I believe He is returning, not because of
scientific proof or the discoveries made in history, but because I
am just foolish enough to have faith in God and believe in the
invisible things.
JfH: My parents are in their forties, and Bride is their favorite
band. Has Bride's appeal to an older crowd ever surprised you?
Dale: Not at all because the music is not the important thing about
what we do. There is a spirit behind what we do that transcends
age. I am 33 years old and I grew up listening to bands out of
the 70's. I feel that the older crowd which enjoys this music is
just a reflection and a product of the same music which I had
been exposed to. It just proves we're all pretty much alike.
JfH: How important do you think it is for fans of Christian music
to attend Christian concerts?
Dale: If the fans stop going to concerts then we will see less and less
bands on the road. The reason for Bride's lack of touring has
been fan support at the shows in recent years. We are taking a
big leap of faith in the next couple of months as we go out on
tour. We have not toured regularly since 1992. We have been
doing only weekend dates and that has kept Bride going; however,
it is our desire to meet those people who support us, so touring
is necessary. The body of believers must come together for
strength, and a concert atmosphere like we present is perfect for
that. You can be assured that not only will you see one of the
best shows in rock n' roll, but the Word will be preached. We
must have Christian support in order to reach the lost and help
us pray for those who have given their lives to Christ at the end
of the night.
JfH: My friends, family, & I have been to many Christian concerts
& we all agree that a Bride show is a must-see for everyone. How do you
guys achieve such high quality live performances?
Dale: Prayer and being ready to be used by God.
JfH: We've all personally felt the life-changing power of Bride's
music & preaching, so we always try to bring others along to your shows.
We also agree that your preaching is dynamic, uncompromising, and some
of the best we've ever heard. Why do you think your preaching has such a
uniquely profound effect on people?
Dale: Not just preaching, but the person who is delivering the Word
must be allowing himself to be used of God. This means stirring
up the Holy Spirit within him. The Holy Spirit is not only our
comforter but our helper. We cannot worship God without the Holy
Spirit. He is there for us and many times people do not
completely surrender to the will of God. God said it would be
through the foolishness of preaching that people may be saved.
Being compelled to preach is a great feeling because you know
that if you get out of the way God will use you as an
instrument to speak through.
JfH: I believe that your type of music can be a valuable
witnessing tool. Besides prayer, is there anything else we can do to encourage
critics of this kind of music to see its value and effectiveness as an
outreach to a lost world?
Dale: I am not interested in trying to convince anyone of the
legitimate use of rock 'n roll music. I am not preaching rock
music. There are enough people receptive to rock music who will
listen to God when he speaks that we have plenty of work ahead of
us. We want only to serve God and be good stewards of that which
He has left us to do.
JfH: The Jesus freak Hideout site was started out of appreciation
for good Christian music. We've set a goal to try to use the site to
spread Christian music, as well as God's Word, & show others how great
Christian music can be. Do you listen to Christian music? If so, what
bands?
Dale: I listen to Guardian, Whitecross, RocketBoy, Nailed, The Newsboys
etc....
JfH: I really appreciate you taking time out of your busy
schedule to answer some questions for us. Are there any last comments you'd
like to make?
Dale: If you have read this interview and want to know more about Jesus
Christ please feel free to visit our web-site for information on
salvation and on Bride at http://www.bridepub.com
