SVH is coming home

After all these years, Mr. Sandusky — better known as Scott Von Heldt, or more simply, SVH — is coming home. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, that’s likely because he’s been pretty busy with his musical career, playing shows around the world and juggling several impressive projects at once — like serving as ex-Korn member Brian “Head” Welch’s touring guitarist.

What: Brian “Head” Welch
When: 7 p.m. July 2
Where: The Underground, 224 E. Water St., Sandusky
Cost: $10 presale, $15 at door
Info: scottvonheldt.com, myspace.com/sandusky_underground

After all these years, Mr. Sandusky — better known as Scott Von Heldt, or more simply, SVH — is coming home. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, that’s likely because he’s been pretty busy with his musical career, playing shows around the world and juggling several impressive projects at once — like serving as ex-Korn member Brian “Head” Welch’s touring guitarist.

What’s obvious is that the Sandusky native still has lots of love for his hometown, and is as humble as they come. This born-and-raised boy has been playing guitar since the age of 12, landing a spot in legendary local metal band Vatican by the age of 17. After a cross-country haul to L.A. and various tours across the world, SVH’s circle seems as though it will reach a sense of completion this July 2 at The Underground, where he will play with Welch. 

Below, Funcoast.com got an exclusive interview with Von Heldt, talking about what he does, how he got there, what inspirational advice he has for dreamers and how he got his nickname. 

Funcoast.com: Okay, I’ve got to ask: how did you land your current gig as the touring guitarist for ex-Korn member Brian “Head” Welch?
Scott Von Heldt: To me, I feel it was divine intervention, and I was placed here to help fulfill my purpose in life. How it came about started with a phone call I got from Head’s manager, saying an agent that I’d done a few auditions for in the past had referred me as a good candidate for lead guitar. So I submitted an audition video, said my prayers and waited. About three weeks went by and as I did my daily follow-up on his MySpace page, I saw the announcement, “Congrats to the new band members,” and right at the top, “lead guitar from Sandusky, Ohio…Andrew Gerald!” And I was like, what? I know every musician back there — who’s this guy taking my spot?

So yeah, he grew up in Sandusky as well, had been in Phoenix (where the band is based), and got the gig. I was happy for a fellow Sandtown boy, but I was really crushed because I really believed I was meant to get this gig. Well, being a spiritual man, I sat down and wrote a letter to God, and I really poured my heart and soul into it. I stuck it in a drawer and then two or three days later, Head’s manager called back and asked if I was still interested (Gerald decided he didn’t want the gig after all, and he’s now the bassist for Marilyn Manson). So I really felt blessed and in the end, it just worked out that I was the right fit for him.

FC: You’re a native, born and raised in Sandusky. When did you start making music? What kind of music scene were you into when you lived here? And finally, what made you decide to pick up and move?
SVH: I started really young, but didn’t start on guitar till I was about 12. By the time I was 17, I was a little shredder. I did a solo guitar demo, and within a few months, landed a spot in the legendary local metal band Vatican. Those guys and their manager Craig Voltz really showed me the ropes and educated me about building a scene. The drummer Shawn Lowery (Huron), our buddy Matt Bennett (Toledo) and I went on to start a new band, Theater of Madness, and we chugged along for about 10 years just building and building, opening for bands like Quiet Riot, Overkill, Slaughter and many others down at the old Bourbon Street Bar, but we never really built it big enough to break out on a national level, which had always been my goal.

So we regrouped, changed our name to Kurai, and I started a small record label in hopes of propelling us out there. But all that did was lose money, getting me in a lot of trouble personally and financially. We all started thinking about doing other things, and I knew it was time to go somewhere else and start fresh. By that time, many friends had nicknamed me Mr. Sandusky because I was a dude everybody knew that had been woven into the local music scene. So I struggled with moving away, but my heart is still here with all the musicians, young and old, that get out there and do their thing for the love of their art.

FC: Tell us about your upcoming show at The Underground on July 2. What should people expect, and more importantly, what kind of significance does this show have for you?
SVH: Well, my dear friend Nick Woodruff informed me that he took over the club awhile back, and I contacted him to see if we could do a show there. I honestly think Head would have been great for Bike Week, or maybe we could’ve done a big show at the State Theatre, but I think his stories and the struggles he went through while in Korn will better serve the young and desperate souls that, from what I remember, anyway, usually can be found at The Underground. It’s awesome for me because the first band I ever played in played there every weekend when it was the Winery, and my first apartment was in that same building. 

The last show I played in town was there too, with Kurai, so it has a real sentimental history for me as well. And having been a fan of Korn, living the pain and issues that their music addressed alongside my friends there (like Nick), it’s exciting to be able to come back and not only be in a national act, but in one with a dude whose style influenced my output into the local scene. It’s really an honor. 

FC: Tell us a little bit about your musical projects. I know you’ve got some other solo works and various collaborations on the side — what are they?
SVH: Well, I moved to L.A. eight years ago, and joined Healer, with White Zombie drummer Ivan de Prume and an amazing violinist named Martin St. Pierre, who is with Cirque du Soliel. We all had a passion for metal, but a love for world music with its cultural beauty and tribal essence, so we really tried to combine those elements into our one and only album, “Awakening.” Eventually, everyone got involved in other things and moved to different places. Then I sang for a kind of System of a Down/Rage Against the Machine thrash-funk band called BVS (Baron Von Sloth) for a year or so, and was just writing new solo stuff up until joining with Head about a year and a half ago. I’m still dedicated to getting my own material out there again soon and may do a record myself or try and get a “side project” thing happening, but if I had my wish, I’d reunite the Kurai guys and go shake up the national metal scene a bit! But yeah, for now, I’m rockin’ it with Head and looking forward to getting in the studio with him for the new record. 

FC: Here’s a question that I have to ask any musician: what has been your craziest, strangest or most embarrassing moment on tour? 
SVH: Perfect timing for this question! We just got back from our first European tour, and the journey we made the other day from Poland to the Ukraine is an epic tale of crazy, strange and embarrassing! We played in Poland and were supposed to play in the Ukraine the next night, but the promoter was in an accident and cancelled. Well, he also cancelled our flights from Warsaw to Kiev that we had to make in order to get to our connecting flight home! We ended up renting a bus-like van and hiring these two rather elderly gentlemen to drive us across the border from Poland to the Ukraine and to the airport, who spoke zero English and drove like they were just cut loose from Nascar. A 13 hour drive became 16 hours after we were held up for two hours at the border, while the bus drivers bribed the border patrol not to hold and search us. Then they got lost about six times and got us pulled over twice, both times having to bribe the police to let us go again. To top it all off, we drove past a dead body in the road surrounded by policemen! In the end, the two crazy driver guys got us to the airport too late, and we missed our flight. They just dumped us off at the Kiev airport and left us there. That ride and the two days of getting home that followed is definitely my most memorable road moment! 

FC: Though Sandusky has a pretty strong base of metal fans, why should other folks (including those who haven’t really gotten into metal) come to your show? 
SVH: I’d encourage anyone to come regardless of what style they enjoy, because we really put on a fun show. It’s high energy and Brian’s story is really inspiring. He usually talks a little bit about what inspired his music and how he walked away from a life of luxury to save himself from the drug abuse and inner demons to find happiness and become a real father to his child. I think that can inspire a lot of people and hopefully encourage others to make changes to better their lives as well, if need be. I also think seeing a local boy make good on his promise to reach his dreams may put a smile on a few faces, too. I think just supporting the local music and arts scene is crucial to keeping the creative spirit of Sandusky alive. 

FC: Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers? 
SVH: I’d just like to encourage anyone reading this to follow your dreams, no matter what your age or circumstance. Two weeks before I landed this gig with Head, I was playing to four people in a Chinese restaurant in L.A. (one being my wife, and two were old roommates). After that, I was, for the first time, having thoughts about throwing in the towel. Last week I played to a sea of about 15,000 in Sweden at one of the largest metal festivals of the year, so needless to say, I’m glad I never quit! So never give up, hold on to what you want even to the last second, and if you truly believe in yourself, you’ll make that dream come true. Take it from me — Mr. Sandusky!