Neon Dragon Interview 18/08/2026

MM: Tell us about your band .. your influences and what took you down this genre of music
Neon Dragon is basically old school heavy metal. My influences are bands like Thin Lizzy, Deep
Purple, Van Halen. I pretty much just play what inspires me. I play for myself, that’s how I ended
up playing the genre of music.
 

MM:Are there any themes or messages you aim to convey through your music?
A big aspect of our music is the artwork that I paint to complement the songs. The music inspires the art
and art inspires the music. It's wors back and forth. There’s a lot of themes but the main theme is without
the dark, you can’t have the light.
 

MM: What can fans expect from you in the near future—new music, tours, collaborations?
We’ve been working on our debut album for the past year and that’s almost finished. Our plan is to get
that done and then focus on the live stuff. We also just put out an Anvil cover with Vinny Appice, Neil
Turbin and Becky Baldwin as guests, it’s pretty cool!
 

MM: Are there any dream venues or festivals you’d love to play?
I pretty much did all that stuff but it’s been a dream of mine to go back to Japan and play some
shows over there. The last time I was there was 2011 so I really need to get back. That’s a goal
of mine.

MM: What’s been your most memorable live performance so far, and why?
I just played Keep It True festival in Germany to about 3000 people, it was a really good show. I really
enjoyed opening for Jake E Lee at the Whisky A GoGo in 2013, that was a cool show!
 

MM: How do you prepare for a show, both mentally and physically?
There’s usually so much going on I don’t have time to get nervous or anything like that. I prepare by
making sure my guitar is setup properly and my gear is working like it should, then I’m ready to rock!
 

MM:What emotions do you hope to evoke in fans when they watch your band live
I hope I can convey some sort of positive energy. If they can feel what I feel when I play, that
would be cool.
 

MM: Do you have any favourite pre-show rituals?
Not really, I’m so low down in the food chain that I don’t get too many luxuries that I can indulge myself
before a show. One thing I do is just play a few favourite blues licks to warm up my hands.
 

MM: How do you handle criticism or comparisons to other bands in the scene?
I just don’t read stuff online. I purposely limit the amount of time I spend on social media because I can’t
get into reading comments and that stuff. If I see something negative then I feel like I have to respond, so
I try to avoid looking at it.
 

MM: What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a band, and how did you overcome it?
Well, to be honest, within the first months of starting we already had members come and go. Keeping a
lineup together is the biggest challenge.
 

MM: Where do you see the band in five years, and what’s the ultimate goal for your music?

This main goal of this band was for me to have something I can express myself through. We’re gonna
writing, recording, touring and just exploring different musical ideas that inspire us. I’ll keep going as
long as it's fun.
 

MM: Last song you listened to?
I’ve been listening to a lot of different stuff, I just listened to the soundtrack to 90’s anime
Berserk by Susumu Hirasawa. I heard lots of cool stuff that hopeful I can steal ha!
 

MM:Tell us why we should check out your band
We’re making honest music with no AI or digital bs. It’s old school music recorded with Les
Pauls through cranked Marshalls. Its legit.
 

MM:Final Words for your fans our readers
Even though we’re just getting started, give us a chance! Cheers!
Please add your social media links!!
 

Neon Dragon:
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/neondragonband
Instagram: https://instagram.com/neondragonband
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neondragonband
My personal pages:
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/WillWallner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/will_wallner
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willwallner
X: https://x.com/willwallner