Epica Members Simone Simons and Mark Jansen Play ‘Would You Rather?’

In this installment of ‘Would You Rather?’ we put Epica vocalist Simone Simons and guitarist Mark Jansen to the test. It turns out both are very punctual, enjoy being on tour and would want drumsticks for hands instead of an accordion for legs. Check out our game of ‘Would You Rather?’ with Simone Simons and Mark Jansen of Epica below:

Would you rather be really late for a show or mess up onstage?  

Simone Simons: Mess up onstage. You can just laugh at it and the audience might like it and turn it into a joke. If you’re late to the show, I don’t know that would feel like -- a worst nightmare for me.

Mark Jansen: Yeah, I would not like to be late for a show. I also think a lot of other musicians have nightmares about being late. [Laughs]

SS: Or nightmares that they’re playing a completely new song that you don’t even know and you have to improvise onstage.

MJ: But then that’s like messing up onstage, it’s the lesser of two evils.

Would you rather be in the studio or on tour?  

SS: I like the spontaneous, one try, one version instead of playing it over and over again to perfect it. Onstage you have the adrenaline, the feelings are sincere and you live in the moment. I like the interaction, the energy, the fans. In the studio you have the mic and you have to do it again and again. It makes you feel like a robot.

MJ: I have nothing to add. [Laughs]

SS: I spoke for him. [Laughs]

Would you rather have an accordion for legs or a drum sticks for hands?

SS: Drum sticks for hands, you can at least pick your nose still. You can eat, use it as chopsticks for Asian food.

MJ: I pick drumsticks for hands, I could not play guitar but I could play drums or also keyboard. Accordion for legs, not my cup of tea I guess. [Laughs]

Would you rather have lunch with a music icon who has passed or a music icon who is currently alive? Who would it be?

MJ: I wouldn’t choose anyone who has passed away already because once somebody’s passed away you have to move on. I’m not a dreamer who dreams about meeting people who’re already gone. As a kid, Slash was my idol so I would pick him.

SS: I would choose one of the deceased icons, David Bowie probably. I like men who are caveman style, like Vikings, but I also have a fascination of the more androgynous guys and feminine. I like what he did as well as being an authentic singer and artist, he introduced makeup for guys and he revolutionized the beauty industry. I fell in love with him when I watched Labyrinth even though those tights were a little too feminine, you could see the whole package. [Laughs] I liked him for the whole package that he was, not just the tights.

Our thanks to Epica’s Simone Simons and Mark Jansen for playing ‘Would You Rather?’ find out more about upcoming Epica tour and festival dates here.