YAYO- ON TOUR!

Yayo Sanchez swerved into the fast lane before he could legally drive. An energetic on-stage dynamo and a slashing fleet-fingered frontman, Yayo was already a rising star by the (under)age of 14. Perhaps even more impressive was the fact he was making his name in the highly competitive, world-renowned music scene of his hometown turf in Austin, Texas. “I was 9 when my Dad bought me my first Kiss CD,” Yayo says, while also citing such influences as Thin Lizzy, Van Halen, Black Sabbath and Motley Crue. “I was immediately obsessed. My first guitar was a blue Fender Stratocaster. I got it when I was about 9 and I used to practice until my fingers bled.” Eventually finding a preference for Gibson Les Pauls, the six-string singer of the Austin band Rubber Monster was soon impressing veteran local rockers as well as national headliners, including Quiet Riot, L.A. Guns and Dirty Penny. Yayo’s schoolwork was still encouraged by his parents, of course, but somehow it was not nearly as fun as rocking out and impressing the girls. Once a rocker, always a rocker. By the summer of 2007, Yayo landed in England and hammered with the gods at an all-star, rock-n-roll fantasy camp. To date, the Austin axe grinder has jammed with such rock-n-roll heavyweights as Paul Stanley, Slash, Scott Ian and Jack Bruce, to name only a few. Britain’s Classic Rock magazine went so far as to liken young Yayo to a surefire rock-star prodigy. “At first glance, people think I’m just some young punk,” Yayo says. “Once they get a taste of the riffs, they seem to dig it and forget my age.” The long list of short-order achievements continued further with the 2008 release of Yayo’s solo collection of demos featuring former longtime Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick as collaborator and bassist. Also joining the recording sessions were additional bassist Jeremy Rubolino and drummer Brent Fitz, who had previously kept time for Vince Neil, Theory of a Deadman, Union and Alice Cooper. “Don’t be fooled by Yayo’s age or size,” Kulick says. “This powerhouse of an artist has the chops, the energy, the talent and the balls of a man. This young monster plays from the heart and will blow up your brain with his catchy songs and playing. Yayo rules!” For a kid who has yet to take the wheel, Yayo’s ride has been wonderfully wild … and the road ahead remains wide open.
-- David Glessner Music Journalist
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