tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42998868431346375862024-02-19T09:16:39.945-08:00DETROIT ROCK BLOGGod Help Us!M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-33784560929039011942012-05-03T19:35:00.000-07:002012-05-03T20:19:46.023-07:00I HAVE FORGIVEN STRYPER: Revisiting Soldiers Under Command and rebellious christian youth<span style="background-color: yellow;"><br /></span><br />
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Jesus!! What an awful name for a band. </span></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Qd90_Ky5KEnehbHu3RN8H6Gycmq-vlhqaqHnwPLvEkEfynUHONcPgnsMK164kwqZ0ds7NVNTYuD6sXOLGwVMhkcC_GRRkCnui-PNJqlDWxbGrLCBs8rLHARDC9RUkfKm0SeyCoD2nWSE/s1600/stryperSTRYPER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Qd90_Ky5KEnehbHu3RN8H6Gycmq-vlhqaqHnwPLvEkEfynUHONcPgnsMK164kwqZ0ds7NVNTYuD6sXOLGwVMhkcC_GRRkCnui-PNJqlDWxbGrLCBs8rLHARDC9RUkfKm0SeyCoD2nWSE/s320/stryperSTRYPER.jpg" width="310" /></a><strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> By His Stripes We Are Healed. Yeah, right. So you choose a name that sounds like the neighbors dachshund ? Heeerrrree Stryper!! 'Hey, George! You seen our dog, Stryper?' Or, worse, could be misread as 'Strypper' (pronounced 'stripper' for all you dimwits).</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yes, I know. Picking on Stryper is a bit like tripping blind people. It's too easy, and more than a bit unsatisfying. But I've earned the right. Scott McMain, the misguided soul, played this album for me in 1985 and somehow took advantage of my childhood innocence by convinced me they were actually cool. I don't know whats more sad. The fact I bought into it all, the flowing feminine locks, the satin strech-pants, or the staggeringly disturbing truth, that for about 36 months, Stryper likely posessed the talent to create some truly amazing music.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You have to give them credit. They had to know going in the entire world was going to fall down from laughing so hard when they heard lyrics like 'He's the rock that makes me roll!'</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Stryper have always been a trade off, as you rarely get the honest rock. It's always a give and take.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yes, we can rock when we want to, but you have to endure lyrics like 'JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSS, makes me wanna singgggggg! YEAHH!!' You want to rock out, you want to cut loose and bang your head against the stage like you never did before. But then you hear the lyrics and fall down on the floor. Crying. Usually from laughing so hard. It's an enormous challenge to work the Almighty into metal. Kind of like mixing baby formula with sand. You get the great musicianship, and make no mistake, regardless of how you feel towards their spiritual beliefs, all four members of Stryper, are AMAZING musicians. It's not even up for discussion. But those yellow and black outfits. The interviews where one member had the audacity to say 'We prayed for a limo and God sent us a limo'. What the hell was that supposed to be about ?</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Stryper played Ann Arbor Pioneer High School's auditorium on April 3<sup>rd</sup>, 1986. On March 4<sup>th</sup>, 1987, in the heart of the mindless madness that gripped our country after 'Honestly' was released as a single, they played Devos Hall in Grand Rapids. March 28<sup>th</sup>, 1987 they played Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor. And, the real heart breaker, Pine Knob, August 23<sup>rd</sup>, 1987, the end of summer. I begged, yes I use the word 'beg', my parents to let me attend each of these shows. And each time the answer was a resounding 'no'.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In 1988, I was a year older and the answer, of course, was still 'no'. No, I could not drive to the L.C. Walker arena in Muskegon. And finally, the worst of them all. A sell out show at the Palace of Auburn Hills, December 3<sup>rd</sup>, 1988, that actually made ABC news. Throw in one more sold-out show, December 6<sup>th</sup>, at the Saginaw Civic Center and you have six Stryper concerts in two years that I was strictly forbidden to attend. Looking back at what a hellion I turned out to be, in spite of rigid moral upbringing, it was probably a smart move on mom and dads part. After all, I might have run away and joined the heavenly metal circus.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I was raised Baptist and when you're brought up in that backward strictness, you identify with what speaks to you. Stryper had the Jackson guitars, they had earrings, they played 'heavy metal' music, and more importantly, they had a cause. Converting we nasty sinners to a higher plane of moral and spiritual existence.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Soldiers Under Command really doesn't get the proper credit for being a very bold and risky, though calculated undertaking. Certainly it wasn't even close to being the first 'christian metal' album released, but it may have been the best in terms of commercial appeal to that point. The went big, they bold, and they went for broke. How else do you explain the inclusion of the 'Battle Hymn of the Republican a heavy metal album? And their results paid off with a gold album, the gospel industry's best selling for that time. </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Stryper had cleverly written their lyrics for the softer tracks to embrace, what we in our little circle of youth group dufuses would refer to as, 'God or girlfriend'. Thus mainstream appeal was always within reach, while at the same time, so was The Cross.</span></strong></span></span></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It was nasty enough to annoy our holier-than-thou parents, but they tolerated it.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Lets be honest, the most successful 'spiritual' music, if often that where the artist lets the listener lead the song where they want it to go: </span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“We are the soldiers under gods command, we hold his two-edged sword within our hands.” </span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Man, you aren't kidding Michael. It really is a two-edged sword.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">'First Love' my introduction to sensitive sad bastard music ballads, who's only purpose at our age was to charm naive girlfriends into going one step further and removing their bra. </span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“And were fighting ohhhhhhhh the sin! And the good book, it sez we'll winnnwinnn!!'” Hee. Hee. Hee.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Years, later, I'm still rolling my eyes. How does Michael Sweet still sing these songs with a straight face. It's like Sunday School for meat heads. </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I'm almost embarrassed to admit I attached so much meaning to this record, for so many years.</span></strong></span></span></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I was trying to think of a sensitive way to write about this landmark album that held a significant meaning for me at a highly influential time in my life. But looking back, there is absolutely no way to justify the obsessive devotion that I exalted up Soldiers Under Command. I must have been out of my mind. Or 15. Or both.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The long hair teased up to look as effeminate as possible. The hideous yellow and black outfits, that resembled something the Killer B's would wear to Wrestlemania 256. Michael Sweet on stage in Tokyo shouting in most sensitive sing-song voice 'Stry-puh.Rawks.For. JEE-ZUSSS!!”</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">'Christian Metal' is a morbidly ridiculous sub genre of heavy metal. Devoting entire albums to obsessive spiritual beliefs, whether they be christian, pagan, or charlatan simply isn't art. It's propaganda. You're furthering the cause.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You may find this hard to believe, but I was once impossibly lame.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>I spent my Monday Nights rollerskating furiously at the “Christian Rock POWER HOUR!' in Utica, Michigan. What made these endeavor more complicated was my complete inability to know HOW to roller skate. </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Laugh all you want, but that's what happens when your parents are Baptist do-gooder fanatics, Hell-bent on preventing you from having any ability to relate to the real world. Your only friends are fellow youth group nuts, all reaching out for some kind of natural rebellion. Also, the fact I know what a roller skate is, in this age of the MP3, qualifies me for VIP entry to The Dirty Old Bastard Retirement Village. Anyway, t</strong><strong>he roller-DJ got his hands on a vinyl copy of Soldiers and when he fired that disc up, you should have seen the look on the faces of these shut-ins and wenises. They'd all wave their hands in the air, get moving at top speed, and you'd have thought Joshua himself was leading a roller skate charge around Jericho.</strong></span></span><strong> </strong><span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And that's where Stryper were marketing geniuses. They knew a captive audience, i.e. 'church kids', 'youth group kids', 'Monday-nighters', whatever category or label you throw on the christian youth of that decade, would happily tune into the lyrics saccharine enough to earn space in every Dickson and Family Christian bookstore, but with a sound heavy enough to land on the shelves of Blockbuster Music and Harmony House.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Nostalgia is a powerful compulsion. </span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And that's what drew me to Rock of Ages in Garden City for an autograph session with the band. Now, fans, being a platinum-selling, #1 most requested video on MTV, Grammy nominated musician means several things. First, everywhere you go, where fans recognize you, they will address you by your first name. Almost no one said, Mr. Sweet, Mr. Fox, Mr. Gaines. It's TIM!, OZ! ROBERT!, MICHAEL!! To their credit, despite being an hour late, the band signed at least one item for every single person who had been waiting in line, they chatted (albeit, briefly) with every fan, and allowed pictures to be taken. Though they refused to pose or shake hands (colds).</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And that's what drew me to Harpos on </span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My in depth discuss of the deterioration of the once great ghetto fabulous Harpos is a altogether different story, but with all the venues available in Detroit, I have to question why Stryper would choose to play the one venue that's surrounded by some of the most 'economically challenged' neighborhoods in the motor city. Neighborhoods, several anonymous Harpos employees explained politely, where nearby residents enjoyed driving by the entrance and taking random shots at whoever was unfortunate enough to be on security duty standing out front.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But that's where the show was.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And it was good. It really was. For the 80-90 people in the room. Some fathers, mothers and surprisingly, a lot of teenagers. And it was good for me. They rolled through the hits and shrewdly avoided too many tracks from their latest tepid effort, 'The Covering', to recapture past glory. They played with an energy and enthusiasm of nineteen year old garage rock, Jack White fanatics.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So to summarize this nostalgic-laden tripe, it comes down to this:</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I forgive Stryper. I forgive them for not taking a few classes in business management. For being a bit short with their shrinking legion of manner less and obsessive fans. For making a 'career' on solid music soaked in religious double-entendres. For 'praying for a limo' which allowed the creation of a ridiculous YouTube video featuring Anthrax's Scott Ian.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I forgive you guys.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And, I'm proud of you.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sincerely,</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Dominic Hendryx</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">P.S. </span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Oz. Listen, I can sympathize with your aggravation. Not too many of us have married a reformed prostitute, and the flack for that must be overwhelming. But, come on man. You snapped at fans in Rock of Ages, you snapped at people while getting on the tour bus . .. and backstage. That was just lame. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But I forgive you. ;-)</span></strong><br />
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</div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-54728089626338858022011-05-03T18:47:00.000-07:002011-05-03T20:49:58.239-07:00THE DRB TUESDAY INTERVIEW: JASON STOLLSTEIMER<strong><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Times;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvOMqTIzBZc7fAMZ_o1-Yxx5sqei8pBNZRXfzKIKYU3gctx73rJEj4onJPCkEb4EhBrH0qgG-XQOMVcMCYdLcC8R9aQuwEHT2F1mdEUb9kzOSYYVQPKoWQlbZshqlDA-fd4Oj3rrXBxEQ/s1600/Jason11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvOMqTIzBZc7fAMZ_o1-Yxx5sqei8pBNZRXfzKIKYU3gctx73rJEj4onJPCkEb4EhBrH0qgG-XQOMVcMCYdLcC8R9aQuwEHT2F1mdEUb9kzOSYYVQPKoWQlbZshqlDA-fd4Oj3rrXBxEQ/s400/Jason11.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jason Stollsteimer is one of those well known Michigan music cats where the myth, i.e. a rock star jerk who's difficult to work with in and out of the studio, an egomaniac, a mean street brawler who publicly 'disagreed' with former White Striper Jack White, far outshines the reality. In fact, the reality is much less exciting and far less surprising than many of us have been led to believe by the Detroit media machine. Catch him on a good day, and you may have wound up believing Josef Stalin to be a misunderstood, happy-go-lucky fellow, who happened upon unfortunate circumstances. But if you know him personally, or have ever met Jason, I'll venture a guess you found him to be the same way I did: disarmingly charming. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> He dresses like one would expect a successful lead singer to dress, with white cuffs, a jacket with rolled sleeves, tight rock pants, and shoes that would make Jim Morrison green with furious envy. But the rock star fashion cloaks an intriguing and charismatic personality. I found him to be forthright, honest, friendly, and most surprisingly, humble, even in the face of some difficult and endlessly tiresome questions. Imagine remaining calm,You don't often see that in this industry, not in this age of douchebags who mistakenly believe they've 'arrived' after playing one show at the Hayloft. But here's a Plymouth/Canton kid, who obtained national success, toured the world, yet found his way back to his home state just to start the process over on his own terms.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> After spending a few hours with him, I believe what people have either missed, refused to acknowledge, or just plain ignored out of spite, is Jason's precise discipline. In seconds, he can make difficult choices most of us would agonize over for weeks. He can recognize whether a musician's personality, whether it be synchronous or grating, will help complete a single, record, or tour. He has a consistent vision for his creative work, and either you're a copacetic fit, or you aren't. In fact, watching him interact with the restaurant staff, the other patrons sitting nearby who recognized him from The Von, it reminded me of the television promos currently running for the movie 'Limitless'. Because Jason can truly see, not only the larger picture, but the necessary moves two steps ahead. The different parts of the machine must be able to work congruently or what's the point ? </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> We spent the better part of a Royal Oak afternoon, dining and discussing the life and times of a musician who is nothing less than 'Pure Detroit'.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></strong></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">Let's start with Paris.</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> It sounds crazy, but The Von Bondies have gone to Paris eleven times and I've personally still never seen the Eiffel Tower.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">You've been to Paris eleven times and have never taken the time to visit the Eiffel Tower ?</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> No, It was about playing the music I was writing at that time in my life. That's it. No other reason.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">How's your relationship currently with the media ?</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> A lot of band's careers have been ruined by the media. Now with blogs, who knows what anything is doing. It was obvious that a bad article in Rolling Stone in the 1980's killed your band.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">It's like the wild west now.</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Now, it's like the wild west. But, it's people with pellet guns, not actual bullets. Blogs aren't real. Not in the same way as Rolling Stone. (Back in the day) they only had few major music magazines. If one of the major music magazines said something bad, you were dead. Nowadays, there are thousands of blogs, so they're bee-bees. They have no impact, not in the same way. But a hundred of those blogs equals a bullet. That's the difference. And together they're meaningful, but not as obvious of an impact as the large music magazines back in the day.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;"> Compare the work you're doing now with what you achieved with The Von Bondies.</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> The Von Bondies were effortless. When I was young (pre 17), I grew up disliking blues. I grew up disliking garage rock. I grew up disliking guitars. I liked Pavement when I was a kid. I liked The Make Up. I liked Fugazi because of their vocal styles. I liked Minor Threat's cover of 'Stepping Stone', though I didn't even know it was a Monkees song, because I didn't really care about 60's music. I was not a big sixties rock fan, but I liked Motown. I wasn't a big fan of psychedelic. Growing up, I had a very small minded idea of what music was because I didn't play music until I was nineteen. I didn't really care. It wasn't part of my life before that. I went to shows, but it was mostly shows with my friend's ska or emo band. </span></strong><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Bondies and what I do with The Hounds Below, is I know what I want now. Back then, I didn't know how to tune my guitar very well. I could only play three chords, and that's the best I could come up with. I was young and I was energetic. I was very angry at the world, like every teen is. That's why emo and hardcore music is so popular lately. That's today's rock and roll. It's not my cup of tea, but I get it.</span></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> For me the big difference between The Von </span></strong></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I don't ever need to play music again to pay my bills, to have a house, and have a family. But I still need to play, just because it's in my heart. Maybe I'll do it til I'm 35, or maybe until the day I die. There's 3 or 4 things that I want to achieve still that I haven't achieved before, just to prove that I'm not a one trick pony. To prove to myself, not to anybody else. Now, I'm singing the way I always could've sang, but I was too much of a pussy to try . . During The Von Bondies it was very difficult for me to put my vibrato out there with quiet music. When you're a loud band you don't have to be a good singer. You fuckin' bury yourself in loud guitars and drums. These bands that say 'We've got the world's loudest guitar player', well that probably means that you have a bad singer. Or else, you wouldn't want a loud guitar player because you'd want to hear the singing. There's no point. Black Sabbath was loud but never louder then their singer's vocals, Ozzy had a good voice. He had a crazy weird voice. It was loud rock, but it was never louder than the vocals. Nowadays loud rock and metal bands are so loud, there's basically no vocals. It's like when you see a metal band poster and the name of the band you can't even read it. That's how 'Metal' they are: so metal they don't give a fuck. But then nobody cares who you are.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">How do you respond to accusations that you're difficult to work with ?</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Oh it's totally true. It's totally true. I am very difficult to work with. Why? Some people in Detroit have an unfound ego or confidence because the city is very rough. It can be hard to get your band heard. Then your car gets broken into and you have this attitude of 'FUCK YOU', but there's no reason for that. In the early days of The Hounds Below we'd play Seattle and have three hundred kids show up. Then we'd play in Michigan and there'd be a hundred. And the people in Seattle literally don't (realize) I was in the Von Bondies. Which is great. Not one interviewer from the early tours mentioned my old band until they realized my last name, which would happen in the middle of the interview. So I would ask them 'do you want to talk about The Von Bondies now?' They replied 'No the reason were doing this interview is because we want to talk about The Hounds Below. And That's all I want. In Michigan, I'll never get a true fair shake at any new band I do. Because I already did a band. I'll never get an unbiased opinion about The Hounds Below without people thinking about The Von Bondies.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">So no musician or band can get two shot's in Detroit ?</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNgImCCTXGqvX6CG4-oDIHBgqi-6OVgEntRz-4cXBwpvLHG4n94FhWyi81LUNUsl2Pmy23SpaShyaxht-6HOPJZRG5QPpg0_IVZMBkeR7F68gzUQE48BvJvlTBM7xLuf-rTzo3ffFC6W0/s1600/Jason22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNgImCCTXGqvX6CG4-oDIHBgqi-6OVgEntRz-4cXBwpvLHG4n94FhWyi81LUNUsl2Pmy23SpaShyaxht-6HOPJZRG5QPpg0_IVZMBkeR7F68gzUQE48BvJvlTBM7xLuf-rTzo3ffFC6W0/s400/Jason22.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> No, I can't. Because I already had success with one. And I feel very lucky to have had any success in that band. Besides our drummer being extremely sound at his instrument, the rest of us were really pushing what we could get away with technically. There were songs in our set list called 'Song in A' because we never changed keys. Why? Because we weren't good enough. We wanted to know where to go next. We didn't know how! And that's kind of a beautiful thing. The Stooges were like that. Ron Asheton, their guitar player, was really good, but the rest of them were holdin' on by a thread when they probably first started the band. Asheton was amazing, but in the beginning, The Stooges were knuckle-dragging simple. Which to The Von Bondies was badass, but The Stooges didn't do that on purpose. They didn't have an option, that's as good as they were. It would have been crazy for Iggy Pop to go solo years later and do the same thing. That's probably why 'Nightclubbing' was so different. Because you're a one trick pony if you keep writing the same album over and over again. And, if I did garage rock right now instead of what I'm currently doing, I would be ripping people off. Maybe one day I'll have the urge to play dirty rock and roll again, but not right now.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">Tell me about the personal nature of the lyrics on 'All My Fault' off the 'new' EP.</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> All My Fault is a reference to an old keyboard player. There were a bunch of them. No one will ever be able to figure out who exactly it's about because they're locally all in the same boat. They're all amazing songwriters in their own bands and they have all helped us out time and time again. They're all our friends. One of them who stopped playing with us, became very bitter towards our band. He stopped coming to our shows and he stopped being friends with us. He complained about any success of The Hounds Below had. And, it became crutch for him, as two of his band members quit during this time. He said it was 'all my fault'. The song is very simple and to the point. 'You say you're better than me', that's him talking. I never said I was better than you. Just because I'm touring doesn't mean I'm better than any other band. I just believe it's worthwhile to tour and not play in front of fifty friends every night.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">Has your career in music progressed the way you imagined it would ?</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> When I was first started playing music, I didn't want to be in a band. I didn't want to play shows, I just wanted to hang out with my friends and make noise. It wasn't until I was 24 years old I realized that my life had become playing in a band. When I was 19 or 20 and we went to Europe for the first time, I felt 'this is going to end TOMORROW!' This is totally going to end tomorrow, I want to go back to college, I'm drinking too much, I have no idea where we are. I don't know where Wales is ? I'm in Wales . . I think ? That's what was actually going through my head. I don't know whats going on. Marcie and Don, those two want to be musicians in a band and tour. Carrie, the bass player and I on the other hand were different, Carrie had a masters degree. 'This is just fun!' and for me? My friends talked me into doing that band, because I was hyper and could entertain a crowd. But, I had no guitar or singing ability. I was forced into The Babykillers which turned into The Von Bondies. I had no goal of being a musician, ever, in my life. So I was 24, and 'Oh shit, I don't have a job!' 'I'm the luckiest guy in the fucking world. I'm in a band and I had no intentions of ever picking up a guitar, EVER. Or singing or writing a song. at that time I didn't look up to songwriters, I didn't look up to guitar players, I didn't look up to garage rock guys. I tripped and fell in to this. That's what made me humble. Because at the time I didn't want any of it. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Like when our label sent a limo to pick us up at the airport in 2003, I said 'I'm gonna' take a taxi'. They asked me why ? I told them I didn't want to ride sitting sideways while drinking free whiskey, ha-ha. It was stupid. Then I found out later that the limo cost the band $400 that they took out of our recording budget. But I didn't order the limo. So all the rock star stuff, the buses and fancy hotels? I didn't want any of that. I liked playing music and honestly, connecting with an audience. It sounds cheesy, but that's why I like playing live shows. If somebody is playing a huge stadium there's no connection. Of course every band would like to reach that point, but I'd rather play three nights at a smaller venue then one show at a large one. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">How much did you receive in compensation for selling 'C'mon, C'mon' ?</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Money-wise ? </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">Yes.</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> On paper, a lot. But after your lawyer takes 10% and your manager takes 20% and you pay 50% in taxes, you get about 20% of what it was worth. It's not a million dollars. When The Von Bondies got signed, Brian Smith of the Metro Times wrote that the band signed for one million dollars. We didn't get signed for a fucking million dollars!?! I personally got fifty grand. That's it. That's what we got paid when we signed to Warner Brothers. But he wrote that we recieved one million dollars. Within a week half of my acquaintances, not my friends, stopped talking to me. Because of what that media guy put in the paper. At no point did any of us ever get a million dollars. Nobody gets a million dollars. But people I know as well as I know you started asking 'When are you buyin' me a drink ? You're rich!!'. Everybody in the band got fifty grand over the course of four years. Four years. We each made about twelve thousand dollars per year. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">But you're not washing dishes either.</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> No, because I write songs. Record deals are different. I did a few commercials for TV ads outside of being in bands. I write songs for a living and play music because it's what I want to do.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> If Jack White walked in here right now . ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> He'd have to leave.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">Would it be cordial ?</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> No. No. No, no. In 2002, he blew a hissy fit and didn't get his way for the first time in his life. I got the out come of that. That's basically what happened. He's the youngest of ten children. His parents are probably in their seventies. His oldest sister could've been his mom in age range. So when you're the youngest of ten, you get your way on everything. I think he's a great musician, amazing songwriter, great guitar player. I simply never liked him on a personal level, even when we were on tour together, which was only for a few weeks. Our shows after those tours were bigger than the shows we did with them, because the Stripes were still small at the time. And they immediately blew up right after we got off tour with them. And we also started doing well, we were selling out The Magic Stick size venues in Boston, with no big support label, and nobody even knew who the White Stripes were on a global scale yet. So we started succeeding without them. But, once they got big, we all got thrown into it. Just like every Swedish band at the time got thrown in with the Hives. 'The Sounds, from Sweden, when they came out sounded nothing like The Hives. But, they got compared to them all the time. It screwed them. But like all good bands they shed the shadows of being from an area with one big band and became their own dominant force. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;"> You have to be sick to death of discussing White ?</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> People want me to say something negative towards the guy. I'm not saying anything negative towards him, I just don't like the guy. Isn't that OK ? I can dislike somebody, especially for a real reason. People dislike me, though they've never met me, just because they liked him. And I say that to 90% of the local haters out there.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">Your sound has evolved considerably.</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> This new music isn't as brash and I like the smoothness and the wholesomeness of it. I'm singing from the heart instead of from the gut. I feel that I need to dress the part of what I'm singing.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;"> So you've matured from the ripped jeans, garage rock persona.</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Well, it's been 13 years since the birth ofThe Von Bondies and I'm happy now. And normally when musician's get happy they write really poppy/sappy songs. I'm still writing sad songs. It's weird, that song 'Cumberland's Crumbling', that song is the only one that gets any play on the indie radio stations across the U.S. In our live show, it's our crowd stopper, because they expect to hear garage rock. When they hear me singing that and they hear how pretty it is, to an extent, people aren't cheering, they are just standing their listening, wondering what is going on, ha-ha.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We have videos of the audience and it's pretty funny, because we want to see their reactions to see when we should put songs in the set. I believe in studying the audience and I sing with my eyes closed, so I can't really watch. I've already done the loud and fast stuff. The Von Bondies had basically ten songs an album, 8 were fast, two were slow. This band is 8 slow songs, two fast songs. I'm just not as angry anymore. It's not on purpose. We realized that most of our songs are structure oriented as opposed to energy oriented.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">Do you think that writing and releasing a song like Pale Bride when you did contributed to your divorce ?</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Funny enough, No. There's a song called Modern Saints on that last Von Bondies record, too, and Pawne Shop Heart.. They all talk about divorce in the middle of me being in a not happy marriage. I was unhappy. . . You could say I wanted a future with someone, but I was just being honest in the lyrics instead of with myself. Which is what I believe I keep doing. 'Cumberland' is about a family falling apart, before I had one. I don't want it to fall apart. When I wrote Cumberland, I wasn't ready to have a family or date somebody with a child . Now I am, but at the time I was dating a girl from Ireland who had a 9 year old. And they were great, I'd go to Ireland and stay there for a month at a time and they'd come here. Things were getting serious, but I wasn't mentally prepared to have a family. And I wrote Cumberland at that time. Ironically, I'm not with her anymore, I'm with somebody else. </span></strong></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> What's different ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvh5aa-QOPkgxWo7lwOq0AQAuk_8sGJei1NdoweFlXAsACvKBvgdV2oWZU97GRUoPzGnwLQqchuYWn226Ys2c7akIXtctz03o93Ta0MlmWkzi63F3bmeaA0sGZKgl8nJfhXu0-ss8I81F/s1600/Jason_koln_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvh5aa-QOPkgxWo7lwOq0AQAuk_8sGJei1NdoweFlXAsACvKBvgdV2oWZU97GRUoPzGnwLQqchuYWn226Ys2c7akIXtctz03o93Ta0MlmWkzi63F3bmeaA0sGZKgl8nJfhXu0-ss8I81F/s640/Jason_koln_1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I'm confident in my faults. I totally know what is wrong with me. All of us have tons of faults. I know what mine are. I avoid being in situations where they'll come up.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">What kind of faults do you posses ?</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"><strong> I've always had anxiety, ever since I was a kid. I was always the class clown in school. I would make jokes when I got nervous. And I never realized that. I've calmed down a little bit. I was awkward. I was six feet tall in seventh grade. I was one of the tallest kid. You go through that awkward stage. I always thought that people would like me more if I made jokes. I realized now that's not important, but I still randomly do it. Class clowns can be some of the most depressed kids. They think that making the world laugh will make them feel better. You run into that with a lot of comedians offstage. A lot of those people seem very depressed when they're not acting, when they're not doing comedy. Same thing for class clowns. And now I have no reason to be sad. I never had girlfriends when i was younger. I have confidence now, to an extent. But there was a long period where I hadn't kissed a girl. I didn't have a girlfriend. I didn't have girlfriends until I was older. Girls probably didn't talk to me because I was such a jackass. </strong><strong>Part of the reason I'm so anti-putting-anything-funny-in-the-song. I don't put any schtick. Dick Valentine is hilarious, but I couldn't do that. When I play music it's to get all the feelings out I cant get out in real life.</strong></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> And now I can do both at the same time. Because I'm surrounded by people that love me, and I love them. Not just my girlfriend, but in general. I've weeded out the leeches, man, and there are a fucking lot of leeches.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">And I'm one of 'em!</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> No, no. People that are like . this happened two nights ago. I was at a party and talked to this guy for an hour. As soon as he found out I use to be in the Von Bondies he asked me 'How do you become famous?'. And, that was all he talked about. We ended up leaving five minutes after that. But he just kept talking about it 'Do You have a number', 'can you get me signed?'. That's not how it works. You have to be good on your own. It's not about 'who you know'. It's about going out and being in a place where, possibly, someone can see you that will help you. But if you play in one area for the rest of your life, nobody's coming there to find you. You've got to go out there and bump into them by accident. You shouldn't have to force a good product, it should sell itself. You have to go out there, though. Just because you've got the greatest idea for something, and you (keep) it to yourself, you're going to live a bitter life. 'Oh, I had the greatest idea for a "something". If you didn't go and put it out there, that's you're fault. That's how I looked at music for a long time. I feel like I have something that people seem to enjoy enough that it makes me enjoy it even more. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">Why not re-sign with Warner Brothers ?</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It's funny. We got signed by Sire, which is a subsidiary of Warner Brothers. We got signed by Seymour Stein direct. He isn't a traditional A&R person. He 'discovers' talent. And then that's it. You have to pass things by him from time to time and another A&R guy gets assigned to you. The guy that got assigned to us was great, but even if we sold millions of records, he would never get any credit. Because he didn't 'discover' us. So they don't seem work as hard as if it's their own band they had discovered. So that was from day one, that was 2002. So we put out a record and it sold 200,000 copies, worldwide, which is good for a band that didn't sound like the Foo Fighters. So when we went to do our next record in 2006, that A&R guy was gone and Stein disappeared. A new guy took over Sire. We were one of the smallest bands on the label, but I think we raised enough red flags that somebody else looked at what was going on. So I went in to start recording the next record in 2005, 'Love, Hate, and Then There's You'. Finished it, turned it in. The new guy at SIRE said 'Nooo, there's a lot of good album tracks, but no singles'. So I went back and recorded it again. Another forty grand, fucking crazy shit. This is Warner Brothers money, not mine at this point. Recorded it. He says, 'Ahh I just don't hear a single' That was 2006. 2007 rolls around, I recorded it again. All new songs, not the same songs. There's thirty songs at this point, at least I turned it in and he says 'I just don't hear it, I don't know what to tell you'. The reason why he was saying that was, reason one, in our record deal they had to put that record out no matter what. We had a two record firm, not options. They had to put it out. As soon as they accepted it, it had to come out within a certain amount of months. So, he wasn't accepting it and he had taken over our record contract. The other reason is when I asked him what was wrong with it, his response was 'It's not emo enough'. My response was 'I want off the label then, because we're not an emo band' When Seymore signed us, we were a blues-rock band. Singing non-chorusey songs. We didn't have 'C'mon, C'mon' or anything. So he says 'Well, I'm sorry you feel that way.'</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I had just spent three years of my life, went through a divorce with all this stress, and all you have to say is 'You don't sound emo enough'? A week after we got off the label, that guy didn't work there any more and at the time he was the boss of that version of Sire Records.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He ruined three years of my life. In that time the Von Bondies went from selling out 1500 seat venues to not playing any show basically for three fucking years. That guy, in a way, killed the band. I'm not mad they didn't want to put out the record. I'm mad that guy didn't have the balls to tell us for 3 years. And Ironically after that happened we went to another label and some people from Warner Brothers told us 'we really like your new record'. But when we were turning it in over and over again, they never got to hear it because that guy never let anybody hear it. The rest of the label would've put it out. He wouldn't</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> So you sued Warner Brothers ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I hired a lawyer to get back my record. To get them to give me back 'Love, Hate, and Then There's You', which, funny enough if I had sold a hundred thousand copies of it, I would never have gotten back how much my lawyer fees were. It was just a matter of principal. I wanted my art back. I don't hate Warner Brothers at all. But if I went back there and it happened again. . . I'd be a fool.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;"> There's a stunning amount of misconceptions about you. If you wanted to make one blanket statement to the the local haters, what is it ?</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Well, because some haters exist it helps me write better songs. I write better songs when they deal with issues. If my life was perfect, I don't know what I'd sing about. I would seriously say thank you to all of them. That's it. I just say thanks. Am I going to be inviting any of them to my birthday party? Probably not.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Times;"> THE HOUNDS BELOW ARE PLAYING THE MAGIC STICK MAY 21st.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-79543051327504302382011-04-12T19:43:00.000-07:002011-04-12T20:02:49.593-07:00RADIOHEAD EMBRACE THE NEXT STEP IN ROCK'S EVOLUTION: 'THE KING OF LIMBS'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeG0pJPREhkIAC4jHdI8J1fgP25NPxon_83W_pr-muhvlbOIp7za4glTpnijPTYC3wpmHEGrXwVJ9dNn5Q_zGSdqFErD5uGrFtj5iCC07YaUgu0sPbWZjyULUesMmYLhlcBdpz_JDMvvP/s1600/Rhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeG0pJPREhkIAC4jHdI8J1fgP25NPxon_83W_pr-muhvlbOIp7za4glTpnijPTYC3wpmHEGrXwVJ9dNn5Q_zGSdqFErD5uGrFtj5iCC07YaUgu0sPbWZjyULUesMmYLhlcBdpz_JDMvvP/s320/Rhead.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> <span style="color: #e06666;"> </span><span style="color: yellow;">Accept the bitter truth: </span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Radiohead, whether your a Kid Rock-style detractor or alterna-fan, have been the future of rock for going on nineteen years. Not hard rock, not metal, or punk, but the slow fusion over those two decades of all rock sub-genres, including the so-called Alternative-Rock movement and Electronica. They may have started off as your typical alt-rockers in the key of Sponge, loved and worshipped by we followers of 89X. But a uncommon willingness to experiment with the "traditional roles" of each member of the group, has allowed these Abingdon musicians to effortlessly transcend the traditional limitations of the modern recording era. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: yellow;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Think about it. </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Giving the songs and album art for 'In Rainbows' away online for whatever amount fans were WILLING to pay ? Effectively letting 92% of us ungrateful downloading criminals have it for free ! Fusing Maxinqyuae loops and 'Blue Lines' beats with diffused guitars and chronic drums, that have us breathlessly searching for the next sonic fix? How many bands can embrace a monumental change in sound with that level of comfort, and still create a record that doesnt sound forced ?</span></strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Radiohead chose to let their sound evolve naturally instead of clutching desperately to the clever hooks and depressing lyrics that made 'Creep' such a disturbingly fun listen.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">'King of Limbs', their newest and possibly most epic musical jewel yet, finds Radiohead happily easing out of the Alternative Music stalwart mode. Yet, they are still fearlessly pushing the boundaries closer to the next evolutionary leap in music: the human Ipod. They've recognized we're all but a breath away from the end of music purchase and ownership in any format, but digital computerized files. And, these files will eventually be downloaded into our nervous systems as we become the 'record player'. The only choice for a band who wishes to stay relevant is no choice at all: evolve.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Yes, Limbs is clearly the '1984' of 2011 rock albums, with far more in common with Daft Punk's Tron:Legacy soundtrack than 'The Bends'. (Yes, my dear readers, that is a literary reference, not a Van Halen acknowledgement) Yorke and company have long since declared 'Rock Is Dead', and were smart enough to embrace change, unlike most of us nostalgic types, who hold records in our arms like estranged children. You witness the fulfillment of this creed, on songs like 'Little By Little', where traditional British pissing and moaning is successfully filtered until it becomes as easy to swallow as Bell's Winter White in the middle of a Royal Oak Blizzard.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> For all you shut-ins typing furiously in Mom's basement, I get it. Calling a new Radiohead album 'experimental' and 'a mesmerizing work of unsane genius' in light of all their years of critical acclaim, would normally sound like oblivious jackassery. But, on 'Limbs', Radiohead have clearly drank ALL the kool-aid, and signed up for Amway. They've left 'Knives Out' and (incredibly!) 'There, There' so far behind in their career rear view mirror, it's hard to believe this is the same group of musicians. Examine the track 'Feral', which is as much Zero 7, as it is Oasis. Even on their landmark 'OK Computer' record, firm degree of 'rock music' were visible within each track. Subtly buried, under layer after layer of keyboard and studio-created gimmickry, but present. Now the anger and fury, the spit and grit, is barely discernible on tracks like 'Give Up The Ghost' which sounds like as the Aeon Flux woman abandoned the revolution to stay home smoking cannabis. Sure, distant shades of 'Fake Plastic Trees' and 'Talk Show Host' emanate, but they are across the river.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Still, this is the real world. And I cannot ignore one glaringly obvious point. Radiohead's success remains their downfall. 'Limbs' maybe be a near-perfect example of Thom Yorke's dream world genius, but it's also an excellent case for why the band has so many critics. 'Limbs' is even less accessible than 'In Rainbows', which was less accessible than Hail To The Thief, which was light years away from it's cousin 'Kid A', and so forth and so on. I'm not going to pretend this record is a Bob Seger fan's lesbian fantasy album, nor will I anoint it the second coming of 'Raw Power'. In fact, Limbs took about six complete listens before it FINALLY began to sink in at all, via 'Give Up The Ghost'. But when it does gets a foot hold, it spreads like Captain Trips through your immune system. You find yourself pushing repeat, as these tracks are more daydreams than songs, allow your mind to travel places few of us ever visit. It's a deeper, rich, and altogether more vivid listening experience. So, what will you take away from it ? </span></strong></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAMRtEb6r15cCrbQHhU1vTGq8_DLHeRfik57sm4JOBGDqHNS4Eg7amvro1oJCS3fF3hv2NpadwVzvt1BFXZWbRVi5JhPf2eyZvKZ2UrqWd_U3_G8wsZdfxDskewRLuSPhVvQ1jz-xvfG2/s1600/VanGogh1887-Detroit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAMRtEb6r15cCrbQHhU1vTGq8_DLHeRfik57sm4JOBGDqHNS4Eg7amvro1oJCS3fF3hv2NpadwVzvt1BFXZWbRVi5JhPf2eyZvKZ2UrqWd_U3_G8wsZdfxDskewRLuSPhVvQ1jz-xvfG2/s320/VanGogh1887-Detroit.jpg" width="247" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAMRtEb6r15cCrbQHhU1vTGq8_DLHeRfik57sm4JOBGDqHNS4Eg7amvro1oJCS3fF3hv2NpadwVzvt1BFXZWbRVi5JhPf2eyZvKZ2UrqWd_U3_G8wsZdfxDskewRLuSPhVvQ1jz-xvfG2/s1600/VanGogh1887-Detroit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: yellow;"></span></a><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> For my brothers and sisters of music who consider Journey to be the pinnacle, . . nothing. And there's isn't a single thing wrong with that. Radiohead, as a band, simply isn't everyone's cup of tea.</span></strong></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> But, if you're the type to spend three hours wandering the DIA, in search of inspiration, 'The King of Limbs is the equivalent of listening to Van Gogh's 'self-portrait'.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Four Stars out of Five</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Listen to: 'Codex' 'Give Up The Ghost'</span></strong></div><strong><span style="color: yellow;"></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">-St.Aubin</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">for the DRB</span></strong></div><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8A9bMTh9rdQ" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-12376266470810982872011-04-03T13:35:00.000-07:002011-04-03T14:22:33.956-07:00The Strokes 'ANGLES' Review: Parts 1 and 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvMBLFJJzGbH1ihZdVoGHK20GTrpTsYsKd5Qbg8XAlwVgX0hlFnxKle9835oS1o8P8xmg72SVS_W2NlpGylNVN2OsTmqFy_JpHN9AKhLPox-6U6d1O4Ug5sDy_vJIwgo99EE6G3yGZ83C/s1600/Angles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvMBLFJJzGbH1ihZdVoGHK20GTrpTsYsKd5Qbg8XAlwVgX0hlFnxKle9835oS1o8P8xmg72SVS_W2NlpGylNVN2OsTmqFy_JpHN9AKhLPox-6U6d1O4Ug5sDy_vJIwgo99EE6G3yGZ83C/s320/Angles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Part 1: The Strokes perform a Christmas miracle.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> The Strokes really had their work cut out for them. It isn't very often a 'first' album ushers in a entire change of musical culture, but 'Is This It?', was literally a force of nature. A musical monument to cities, skinny ties, rock and roll, drugs, and women in push up bras with low self esteem. Unfortunately, what fell to The Strokes at the end of two years of awards, fame, constant adulation, was the unenviable task of trying to follow up a masterpiece with anything that remotely resembled original brilliance. For a decade, we've been watching The Strokes flailing about, furiously trying to write and record 'Is This It: Part 2'. For the first time in a decade it feels like the The Strokes have been able to let go of the yoke that 'Is This It?' became. More importantly, it sound like they've finally stopped trying to top themselves and refocused back on simply writing a decent collection of songs. There's absolutely no doubt, this was a make or break record. If 'Angles' proved to be a failure, another 'Juicebox', it was time to quit. Don't get me wrong, 'Juicebox' is a decent track. But, it's a step-brother of a song, consistently wishing mom and step-dad would love it as much as they love the older brother 'Hard To Explain'. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Fortunately for both the band and fans, 'Angles' is a thorough and solid success. Every track is a unique thrill, selfishly requiring you absorb each song like your children: equally, but differently.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: Courier New;"> But 'Angles' is also a work of art deeply inspiring and curious, much like the monolith from 2001:A Space Odyssey. It's a Midwest cityscape, capturing a era where, amidst a billion tons of concrete, you were a human can of Red Bull. It's a 1982 new wave dream, where Squeeze and the Thompson Twins sold their souls to Satan and joined forces for one truly great album.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> So much so, have I been impressed with 'Angles', that I've devoted part 2 of this review to a dream I had regarding the album.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> <u>Part 2:</u> The Stroke's 'Angles' as several fleeting moments from a vivid windy city Friday night, that to this day, lingers pleasantly in your memory. .</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Upon tearing the cellophane off the cover and brutishly thrusting the CD into the tray, you clumsily press play. The first sweet notes confirm the wild rumors published in The Herald: 'Angles' is indeed a time machine. You close your eyes from the first notes of 'Machu Picchu' (with it's chorus so chocolaty addictive, it's like a musical Kit Kat) and when they reopen, it's July of 2001. Like Marty McFly, you've been transported back to naive glory days where the phrase 'anything is possible' had just barely began to sound like total nonsense. Square toe black lugs are in vogue again. Arthur Andersen seems like a promising company to be employed at, and George Bush, Jr, just became president of the United States.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">You are running down the street, struggling to remove your tie and desperate to catch the 6:15 Red Line after a long day of arbitrating consumer complaints for Hershey, Inc. 'Machu Picchu' has your feet moving at top speed, six blocks to the elevated train platform. On this particular Friday, everyone in your social circle of roommates, girlfriends, coworkers, and dipshits is heading to The Metro after work to see that word-of-mouth New York band with the unbearably handsome lead singer. The economy, despite some setbacks, is still humming resolutely, so there's enough money to afford tickets, dinner at the FlatTop Grille, the cab rides, a t-shirt, three beers, and a couple of condoms.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 'Under Cover of Darkness' is a beautiful woman with copper streaks in her short blonde hair, wearing a Blondie -shirt, and an arresting smile, standing nearby at the concert. You're bedazzled by her as she seems to know every song and offers the occasional glance in your direction. Like 'Darkness', she's a mystery with her enigmatic melody, her hook, and the depth of her musical knowledge. She sings along with the band's Duran Duran 'Rio' cover, and forever imprisons you with her deep brown eyes.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 'Two Kinds of Happiness' is the perfect make out song with it's changes in tempo and distilled, subtle back beat. It's playing at the after party in some asshole lawyer's overpriced Wrigleyville condo where you notice (what incredible luck!) the very same blonde. You approach her and exchange words of wit and wisdom. Ultimately, her hand glides up your neck to bristle the hairs on the back your head. The entire party is raging all around, but you're oblivious to obnoxious investment bankers, spilt beer, uninvited guests just off work from the corner 24 hour deli, and voyeuristic Baptist neighbors. All you care about is, in that moment, 'Happiness' is on repeat, and her lips are like a cherry wine picnic at lighthouse point.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> The party shows no signs of clearing out, despite certain guests passing out shamelessly in assorted bedrooms, in the cramped stairway, or right on the puke-green shag rug in the living room. The owner/lawyer is downing tequila shots, two at a time and wearing a antique lampshade. Your dream woman beckons you up to the roof, with her gaze, a cassette copy of 'Angles', and a Sanyo tape deck. Under Chicago stars you make love to 'You're So Right', with it's pulsating tempo that matches the peaks and valleys of your intoxicated passion. 'Right' is wicked indulgence, mixed with allure and two parts passion fruit. In the perfect moment, your only desire in the world is for this night and this song to last forever.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> The sun wakes you. Alone. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> She left neither a name or a number. 'Taken For A Fool' with it's appropriate title and exquisite Sunday morning 'walk of shame' ambiance, prods you up from that worn out, borrowed mattress, and you stumble downstairs to face the sidewalks.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">You arrive home to the ridicule of your roommates and a phone message from your mother. You put 'Angles' back into the player, and fast forward to 'Games'. You crash land on the couch, recovering with the Cubs, and a Goose Island Lager. 'Games' is the very memory of her. The track seems to convey even the slightest details of her dress, her drink, and her expression. No one seems to know who she was, but they all noticed her.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">On the red line Monday, you play 'Call Me Back' on your first edition Ipod. As the train embarks and buildings gain speed while racing by, you search the empty stares of the other passengers for her face. 'Call Me Back' respects your sadness, it enhances the romance of your chance encounter, and reinforces your hope she'll reappear.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> She never does. She was from Seattle.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: yellow;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> When you finally get home from a late Monday night at the office, you collapse on the couch and click on ESPN. </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">You contemplate how one woman's smile could light up all of Wicker Park. Exhaustion overtakes you, and you descend into a dream within a dream. She's a Shark, you're a Jet, and you hip-hop dance up and down Clark Street to the slightly theatrical 'Gratisfaction'. The only track on 'Angles', where The Strokes take any chances. But, the risk pays in this version of North Side Story, so you and your Shark girlfriend hijack a yellow cab and drive to Milwaukee. There, you're married in a ceremony presided over by Arthur Fonzarelli. Upon</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> pronounces you 'man and wife, heyyyyyyyy!', the wedding band begins to play. Of course, it's The fucking Strokes and after congratulating the newlyweds, they launch into 'Metabolism' and completely bewitch the room. The staff is utterly spellbound. They don't dance, nor do they stand still while caught in the spell of this magnificent ending track. Instead, they sway towards the precipice with a religious devotion because this track captivates and seduces and rightfully expects their attention.</span></strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> In the midst of it all, you kiss your new bride on the lips.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: Courier New;"> Then it all goes black.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2p_C0-z57biqbuXa_zOWdGGjbs4SfzB28ZIIrwkgiXhFtXkTnJWRs-uOQ5le313vTebItF4G8dr9HQ40ge3qgpw8cVpCmBw3X94aab_HSUu6gdvzg7sEz5ioWrgTF8nX1L6PEizb2jyc/s1600/Is+This+It+Original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2p_C0-z57biqbuXa_zOWdGGjbs4SfzB28ZIIrwkgiXhFtXkTnJWRs-uOQ5le313vTebItF4G8dr9HQ40ge3qgpw8cVpCmBw3X94aab_HSUu6gdvzg7sEz5ioWrgTF8nX1L6PEizb2jyc/s320/Is+This+It+Original.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: yellow;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> You wake up from the dream, not in Chicago, not single. Nope, y</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">ou're married, 42, your wife is overweight and loves 'One Life To Live' far more than she loves sex, and the kids are upstairs screaming for another episode of Dora the Explorer. In other words, you're dreams have been crucified. Better to just accept it, and spend your days growing dumber and fatter on that comfy couch, drowning the growing ache with bingo and sitcom revelry.</span></strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> But in the dark, when everyone else is asleep; in the car on the way to the office; anywhere there's a CD player or Ipod during infrequent moments of solitude, you have The Strokes second masterpiece. And 'Angles' will continue to resurrect the memories of what turned out to be the best time in your life with a powerful and faithful affection.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: yellow; font-size: x-large;">A-</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: yellow;">-St.Aubin</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: yellow;">for the DRB-</span> </span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_l09H-3zzgA" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-79128967572228377592011-03-23T20:06:00.000-07:002011-03-23T20:54:10.223-07:00THE DRB WEDNESDAY INTERVIEW: STRYPER's OZ FOX<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Z_GiNOa-rm-PMJIwlWniRHN7y0829XYbH8BMZ5yceIosoIe9iabITnbPhzTUnkQV7bGgNa8Alcyu-BSy3IpWrViTUUmWWutaWaVPx37xMfwWkNsnw-JphXOlz76nHxlmx7Gr7kEcxNhN/s1600/oz-fox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Z_GiNOa-rm-PMJIwlWniRHN7y0829XYbH8BMZ5yceIosoIe9iabITnbPhzTUnkQV7bGgNa8Alcyu-BSy3IpWrViTUUmWWutaWaVPx37xMfwWkNsnw-JphXOlz76nHxlmx7Gr7kEcxNhN/s320/oz-fox.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"> <span style="color: yellow;"> Laugh all you want, haters. But, it takes brass balls to dress up in yellow and black from head to toe, grow your hair long, and use heavy metal as your vehicle to spread whatever message you're passionate about. Oz Fox, born Richard Alfonso Martinez, has played with two of the most influential bands in the 'christian metal' genre: Stryper and, lesser known, but critically acclaimed Seattle band Bloodgood. The end result: 'To Hell With The Devil', the bestselling album in the history of christian metal, the number one spot on Dial MTV (The precursor to TRL for you young hipsters!) and a permanent place in music history. Stryper are the example of a 'spiritual' group achieving what was once thought impossible, crossing over to mainstream success on radio and MTV. Whether you consider Stryper to be genuine artists or musical curiosities, no one can deny Oz Fox's talent on guitar. He's the sonic force behind tracks like 'To Hell With The Devil' and 'Surrender', which showcase the melodic, guitar-heavy appeal of Stryper's music. And don't pretend you didn't get all misty listening to the lyrics of Honestly while you were slow dancing with some bridesmaid at some wedding in 1987. The Blog was fortunate to catch up with Oz when Stryper recently played at Detroit's historic Harpos venue on their 2011 World Tour.</span></span></span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Oz, does it feel like fifty ?</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Of course it feels like I'm 50. Actually I became a grandpa in December. My oldest daughter just had a little girl, so I'm really excited about that.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Congrats!</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Thank you.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> It's been said the Sweet brothers 'recruited' you to join their pre-Stryper project. Were you friends at the time, or were your considered a 'hired gun' ?</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> No, we were all friends. Michael, Robert, and myself all went to high school together. We ended up hooking up after they started playing the club circuit. Tim Gaines left the band he was playing in, and he was someone they'd been admiring for a long time. When he left his band they got a hold of him.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Who's idea was the yellow and black costumes ?</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5VfydKh4rsiRu5OWxePs67dUqDs7b4m7wwfeyJKkFGyVXciJ3IiQYyk_8zuBojlFjX-JDECq_zw731VeyCb4hb0erUhBoQQfUFFwc3j1kg0RDOz9edYGaZ39v7DHwZ0yapW3EjNuc1Hj/s1600/stryper-club-nokia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5VfydKh4rsiRu5OWxePs67dUqDs7b4m7wwfeyJKkFGyVXciJ3IiQYyk_8zuBojlFjX-JDECq_zw731VeyCb4hb0erUhBoQQfUFFwc3j1kg0RDOz9edYGaZ39v7DHwZ0yapW3EjNuc1Hj/s320/stryper-club-nokia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Yellow and black started with Robert. He painted his drum kit yellow and black and it crept out into the rest of the band. Eventually it turned into stripes. By the time I got into the band, they were already all striped up yellow and black.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> When you look back at pictures from that era, particularly those of the skin tight spandex pants, what kind of emotions resurface within you ?</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I don't know if it's emotions or if it's just, uh . . .well, it is what it is. In one respect, you have to say, wow, that was an amazing time when bands were doing their best to look the best and have something different. And we certainly had a different look and different way of dressing than anyone else, which was pretty unique.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Was Stryper more or less successful than you imagined from when you first joined ?</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I would say more successful. When I joined the band, and when Timmy got in it, we definitely had a Chemistry that worked better than anything else they'd had. I'm speaking of Michael and Robert because they had been playing together as a band for a long long time. Definitely a lot more successful at that point.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Your style of playing has been compared to Jake E Lee and Mick Mars.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> First of all I have to say, Jake is an awesome guitar player. Mick is a very, very emotional type of player. These guys have been on the forefront of melodic metal for years. I basically just learned my style from a mix mashhh of being influenced by guys like Van Halen, Michael Schenker, Uli Roth from the Scorpions, Mathias Jabs from the Scorpions, Jeff Beck. Rhandy Rhoads, that's pretty much what I learned and cut my teeth on. Learning those guy's licks. And it wasn't really until later in my career that I started learning theory. Nowadays, some of my favorite guitar players are Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. It's funny how later on in my years I really got into Hendrix and Clapton and started to appreciate them more. In the beginning, that wasn't the case. Tony Iommi was a huge influence and Carlos Santana. Like I said, a mish mash of layers kind of got me going and influence me. I don't necessarily feel like I fit in any one particular mold. To compare me to Jake E Lee or Mick Mars, I have no idea what their influences were. Even being compared to George Lynch, and George blows my mind.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Randy Jackson was a session bass player on Stryper's 1990 release 'Against The Law'. Is it odd to watch him on American Idol ?</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> No. It's great to see that he's on American Idol. Randy's an icon. I was sick the day he came in to do that so I was bummed that I missed it. But Tim got a big kick out of it.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> What's been the high point ?</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I don't know. Hard to say when the high point was. Ultimately there's so many different high points, so its very difficult to give you that answer. Playing Budokan in Japan was awesome. Playing Cornerstone Festival in Illinois was a pretty amazing thing. Making it to the number one most requested video on MTV was really a great experience to see that happen.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Was it overwhelming for you had to suddenly take over lead vocals after Michael Sweet quit the band in 1992 ?</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> The show must go on. That's my attitude. And I was just trying to pay the bills. I could never replace Michael. Never. The guy is incredible. I could never sing like him and I can only sing like me. And I personally would not want to replace Michael in anyway. But you do what you have to do. My attitude at that point was 'well lets make this work and put some food on the table'.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #f1c232;">Do you ever wish the band's career had evolved in a different direction ?</span></span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> No. I'm glad it went the way it went. The coolest thing about Stryper is that no one else can say, they were a faith based band that crossed over to MTV for the first time. And led the way for a lot of other artists like us to do the same.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #f1c232;">Jerry Falwell once compared Stryper's practice of throwing Bibles (with the Stryper logo on the cover) into the audience as 'casting pearls before swine'. Did the band feed off that negative press or was it demoralizing ?</span></span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> That kind of stuff you let slip off. Your heart becomes like silicon. People are blind to the fact God can use any situation to reach people. He can use rock (music) if he wants to. The problem with these people is they get caught up in a spiritual bubble. They can't see past the church doors, which is very sad. God confounds the wise by using simple things to spread his gospel. If these guys are considered the heads of theological knowledge, I don't want to follow them, because they're ridiculous.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #f1c232;">You were divorced in 2006 and you're now remarried to an ex-prostitute who has calling to minister to streetwalkers in Las Vegas under the title 'Hookers For Jesus'. You played guitar in Stryper. Has it been challenging for either of you to accept the other's past ?</span></span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnZjuCnlMctJ0Vs5DJ3GnvuLF9djigcf6QxFwBtSHnrrjELUJ63YSxqYHd2XCqNqpfR3CkAJOBQ2MudP6z2J1DFB1R8C4DSbBIuyAX55GMUrbO-ONu4by0cPzsqBE-n1Uol-SslMHdRN1/s1600/up-OzFoxLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><img border="0" height="303" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnZjuCnlMctJ0Vs5DJ3GnvuLF9djigcf6QxFwBtSHnrrjELUJ63YSxqYHd2XCqNqpfR3CkAJOBQ2MudP6z2J1DFB1R8C4DSbBIuyAX55GMUrbO-ONu4by0cPzsqBE-n1Uol-SslMHdRN1/s400/up-OzFoxLG.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Absolutely not. Annie loves what I do and supports me way more than I have ever been supported in the past. And as far as her past goes, she is who she is, because of her past. It's a miracle she came out of it, and she has an amazing story. And she uses that story to help other women. And I'm blown away by the fact that she chose me as someone she would trust and be married to. It's an honor. She's an amazing woman, she has an amazing ministry. I'm so happy to be apart of it. Some of these women started when they were twelve to fourteen years old being prostitutes. It's a joy to be an example to them and show them what a true marriage, and what a man is supposed to do with his wife. How a man is supposed to love his wife and protect her. And that's what they see.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> How do you deal with the 'stripper for Stryper' jokes ?</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Sometimes I join in on them, you know ? You got to admit it is a funny situation. You got these guys who started out in yellow and black spandex pants and hair up to heaven. There are some funny things you can say about it, but it's all in good fun. Anyone who's serious about hating Stryper or mocking us, . .whatever.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #f1c232;">If there is any band in the christian metal genre that can be considered one of your peers, it's Bloodgood. What's your experience been like playing guitar with them ?</span> </span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Those guys are just incredibly talented. I am sorry they got missed. If anybody should have been watched and had the same success as Styper, it's Bloodgood. Those guys are amazing Christians and have amazing hearts, and amazing talents. Their music was awesome and touched a lot of people. I would love for that band to be recognized, which they already have in the christian world. They got inducted into the Christians hall of fame. They are an incredible bunch of guys. We have a good time when we're out playing together and they're some of my closest friends.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><strong></strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span><br />
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<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">-St.Aubin</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">for the DRB</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">*EDITED FOR CLARITY AND CONTENT*</span></strong></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sK5HG_WMqKU" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-40060429992096865302011-03-13T19:45:00.001-07:002012-03-17T20:29:57.652-07:00DRB SUNDAY INTERVIEW: THE FABULOUS MISS WENDY ON THE CRIMSON ASCENT OF A CALIFORNIA GUITAR GODDESS!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4m5FCgbbB2S6RWQ0oHRWMQF8qnmVKDE10TvhdscxbvU266OV3iZux5n9AT3Bjq9l8JvzzOZmV4yIOQVreqi7sm7DPTVCaw6f9pJKZEqdaRcXhrZ-ZaHl_Q98InhbG6fpimjVJ1bL2Mtk/s1600/Tsunami2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4m5FCgbbB2S6RWQ0oHRWMQF8qnmVKDE10TvhdscxbvU266OV3iZux5n9AT3Bjq9l8JvzzOZmV4yIOQVreqi7sm7DPTVCaw6f9pJKZEqdaRcXhrZ-ZaHl_Q98InhbG6fpimjVJ1bL2Mtk/s320/Tsunami2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, how are you spending this endlessly miserable Detroit winter ? </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The Fabulous Miss Wendy spent it opening for Slash on what could be the least commercial, but possibly coolest tour of 2010-2011. Work continues on her 'debut' album, but this adopted Daughter Of Detroit's promotional disc has already garnered plenty of attention for pop gems like 'I Like Boys' and 'Crazy Fucked Up Bitch'. Imagine each of The Runaways, brother Wayne Kramer, and one member of The Stooges (take your pick) consolidated into Lita Ford, with triple the guitar prowess. If you enjoy straightforward, guitar driven rock from every facet of a woman's perspective, you'll want to catch this crimson haired, guitar-slinging, firecracker's next performance in your town. But is it all just airplanes, tour buses, rock and roll, sex, and shots of Jim Beam ? Or is there a deeper meaning to the life and lyrics of San Fernando Valley, California's most promising musical export to the Midwest ? We caught up with The Fabulous Miss Wendy recently to have her reflect on a successful 2010, what motivates her, and where she'll be hanging her hat in 2011.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Why Guitar ? Why not drums, or keyboards, or kitchen spoons ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I wanted to play drums, but my parents wouldn't let me. They gave me this old beat up guitar that was in my mom's closet. At first I protested and banged on it like a drum. Then I began to like playing </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the guitar. I was a really rebellious teenager and got into trouble often. I was grounded for two years of my four year high school career. My mom took pity on me and found a guitar teacher that </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">would come to the house. I played guitar every day all day long, even waking up at 6am to play before I left for school. I am obsessed with everything guitar from the time I was 10 years old and </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">still am!</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Summarize for us the highlights of touring with Slash.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In one sentence, a dream come true!</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It started in El Paso in front of four thousand people in utter chaos over the sound system, which resulted in me sound checking in front of five hundred people since the venue had already opened the doors. Although I had never been there before they were screaming my name, shouting out song titles and pleading with me to keep playing. I finally finished the sound check and went back stage to get ready. I usually sound check in my freaking pajamas so It was pretty weird sound checking in front of the crowd and by the end of it, a thousand people were staring at me in my pajamas holding a guitar. My dressing room was a ladies bathroom in a roped off area with a security guard standing in front. I had about 5 minutes to warm up and get dressed into my stage clothes. There was a lot of tension in the air as I hit the stage in total darkness, faced my amp and started my </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">intro. As the band kicked in at the start of "Just My Type" the lights came on and I played in awe and inspired as the largest crowd I've ever played in front of shook their heads to my music. The band was </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">totally on fire that night and I'll never forget the sound of a thousand girls screaming when I dedicated "Crazy Fucked Up Bitch" to all the ladies in the house. I attempted to go out in the crowd after the show to sell merchandise but it turned into a frenzy and a bunch of security had to rescue me and bring me backstage explaining it wasn't safe for me out in the crowd. That kind of enthusiasm is incredibly exciting but I don't want my hair to get pulled out and clothes ripped off by over enthusiastic fans. I can't wait to play arenas and stadiums after this glimpse of bigger venues!</span></strong></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Although I had met Slash briefly at an Adele concert and we talked guitars, and he ran into me on the Sunset Strip once and I gave him my CD, I didn't see him on the tour until Salt Lake City. I was setting </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">up my merchandise booth during his sound check and suddenly I heard him shout "Wendyyyy"! I walked toward him as he figured out how to get around the barrier. His sound check was fuckin' awesome. He seemed as excited to see me as I was to finally see him on the tour. The first thing he said to me was "I saw your entire set in El Paso and it was great"! I then thanked him for giving me the tour as I was crawling out of my skin with excitement over the fact that one of my heroes liked my performance and had watched the entire hour long set. He then went backstage and I did my sound check.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOCVTySRHPmRfS8-7-aVoIUDiZVg-NpXftb9u76ZZTLzRwjJpMoBc81gjl8w6jC1qIDOs1WT4GP-lPkHfjS0Q6_1qnzwinHhFX0gPLD2BMsrqj2WcTKPKG2R9rQxaWcteDSX1d1ZC0ncr/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOCVTySRHPmRfS8-7-aVoIUDiZVg-NpXftb9u76ZZTLzRwjJpMoBc81gjl8w6jC1qIDOs1WT4GP-lPkHfjS0Q6_1qnzwinHhFX0gPLD2BMsrqj2WcTKPKG2R9rQxaWcteDSX1d1ZC0ncr/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Slash is truly one of our national treasures and a cultural icon. It really dawned on me when about 20 minutes before my set my manager got a text to stop by Slash's dressing room. The venue was sold out so we </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">had to leave our dressing room go down in an elevator and walk down these endless hallways with dozens of unmarked doors. It really started to feel like the scene from spinal tap with a security guard posted every 100 feet. Finally after clearance by half a dozen security guys and a few left and right jogs down alternate corridors </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">we got to a door with a sign on it that said Slash. As my manager opened the door, a big guy jumped in front to halt our entry. Then he recognized us and jumped out of the way to let us in. So here I was </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with my guitar strapped on facing Slash who had his guitar strapped on too. He told me he had been working on a new song, showed me his traveling recording set up, and said he had "Twittered" me earlier. I don't think he knew that I was due to start in 5 minutes as we continued to talk guitar stuff. He said he really liked my songs...it was really zen like down there, quiet and peaceful with just him and his guitar. He asked me if I ever got nervous before a show and said he needed the quiet room to warm up and get himself ready for the </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">show. People probably don't realize this but us guitar shredders are like Olympic athletes in that we have to practice every day and warm up for every show to give you our best. </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a return to spinal tap after going thru a few wrong doors after leaving Slash's inner sanctum, a security guy finally walked us to a big freight elevator. About every 30 seconds I heard all this chatter on the security guys walkie talkies that the stage guys were looking for me as I should have been on stage already. The door to the freight elevator opened and before I knew it a bunch of guys had whisked me on stage before I could even blink. So I blazed into my intro and the show started. I started my set late(because of the detour to Slash's dressing room) and before my last song my manager was franticly waving his arms at me. I found out after the set that I had gone 10 minutes over and the stage manager had been hitting his two big fingers across my managers shoulders because I was 10 minutes late. It's amazing how precise the timing has to be in such a chaotic rock and roll environment. They also cut my set from an hour to 30 minutes. It's really hard for me to play for 30 minutes as I'm just getting into the zone at that point. </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few years ago John Vitale, the artist rep for Parker, Washburn, and Hagstrom guitars gave me a backstage tour of the House Of Blues in Chicago where he is based. So here I am, opening for Slash in this</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkywHuY5JWskTxUEQrqqkoQcXcvUKkiG4az1mZk3dV2qQ87fIqqzRMmGBvSZ2aJ7eFs0pYwTG6-JKfNEjGHLy7i9dgELoAXLp1_K97Uw1oDGLkji3ebsNGWI0mqIXX_qFJOWcsRcmagNb/s1600/tsunami3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">incredible place that I had dreamed of playing a few years earlier. I strapped on a Hagstrom for my last number so they could shoot pics of me as I walked along the barrier "Kickin' Out The Jams". It was a great </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">night in Chicago and a lot of my friends turned up there.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The last Slash gig was in Charlotte North Carolina. I had never been there before so I wasn't sure whether they'd like me there or not. My primary amp was on the fritz so I had to use my back up. For whatever </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">reason I couldn't seem to get my usual high gain lots of feedback. I could tell that some of the crowd was getting into it, but I still felt awful after the set because of the amp and tone issues. I didn't even want to go to the merchandise booth after a performance minus my usual tone. I knew I had to go because I didn't want to disappoint the people waiting in line at the booth and my band needed the money to cover the cost of the tour. I was completely blown away by the response of the crowd at the merchandise booth. I had my biggest merchandise night ever and sold over 50 Cd's. </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note to self, don't judge yourself too harshly and miss out on good vibes. So now Charlotte is </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">officially part of TFMW.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I did get to say goodby to Slash after the show when he asked for us just before we were heading out. He was wearing a "Debby does Dallas" t-shirt, so I asked him if it was the first porn movie. He corrected </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">me replying, "no that was Deep Throat". He's such a gentleman, the porn talk got a little awkward so we quickly moved on to his upcoming tour of Australia, music, songwriting and said our goodbyes. Ran into </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Myles Kennedy, another awesome nice person and a great singer too. He had introduced himself in Salt Lake City and we shared some vocal warm up tips. The last thing I remember about the tour was going into a diner across the street from The Fillmore on our way-out to get some after gig food. Before the food arrived I looked around the diner and everyone was staring at me. I felt like an animal in a zoo until it dawned on me that these folks had seen me perform across the street and were surprised to find me snacking with them after the show. They all wanted pictures and autographs. Now I know why it's hard for Slash to </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">go to the 7-11 for a slurppee!</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You present a very confident, very sensual appearance. Is that an extension of your personality or is that management's influence ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoF4OSmjmUpHXGkZ5NXRHfn19gJD85C-Ck5Ygrg7xFiXNWCtH-CpqaB5h6F9151vruWYG_9kKdIySBrMk-fab8FAvY9KbhbZZGVfxxhxHeLpsP8FoXBw2ZcIWpwakef8MdBB_gCqL4ueV/s1600/peopleCFUB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoF4OSmjmUpHXGkZ5NXRHfn19gJD85C-Ck5Ygrg7xFiXNWCtH-CpqaB5h6F9151vruWYG_9kKdIySBrMk-fab8FAvY9KbhbZZGVfxxhxHeLpsP8FoXBw2ZcIWpwakef8MdBB_gCqL4ueV/s320/peopleCFUB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I don't try to be sexy, I'm just me. As a teenager I was an awkward looking geek with a back brace. I still see myself that way. I'm always surprised at being called 'hot', 'beautiful', a 'guitar goddess', etc. I feel that my talent on the guitar, my songwriting, and my voice are way more important than being beautiful. I am glad that others find me attractive but I don't want that to get in the way of being accepted as a truly great artist. My sexiness on stage can be more of a hindrance than an asset because people think I'm yet just another pop diva. When people meet me first before seeing me play they never take me seriously as a guitar player until they actually see me play. I used to wear dresses and skirts on stage. I was called a novelty artist back then. Yet, here I am playing the same songs in jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, and the occasional nice top, making new friends who take my music seriously! Now in jeans, people are starting notice that I'm shredding on the guitar and fronting a great 3-piece rock band that is on a mission to make a difference. </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being this attractive hot person(according to others) is new to me so I'm trying it on for size and experimenting with it on stage, photo shoots, clothes, friends and such. Most girl clothing is made to look </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hot, but not to endure a hard-hitting rock and roll performance. Guys don't know it but, girls spend a fair amount of time pulling their jeans up, and making sure their boobs and panties are not hanging out. While onstage both of my hands are occupied playing guitar and I can't do regular female modesty adjustments. Whoops. My manager doesn't have much to do with it, except he has run on stage a couple of times and </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pulled up my pants up when my butt-hole was in serious danger of poking out.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> At The Ritz show in Detroit you were surrounded by male fans interested in helping you 'further your career'. How do you deal with the onslaught Male groupies ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The same way I deal with female groupies... Very well. Why, do you know some? Are they cute? I'd like to meet them:). Seriously, I'm interested in meeting everyone and anyone who likes my music and would like to get to know me. Music is a very emotional and personal experience for each and every one of us. The relationship between me and each person listening to my music is unique. Bonding with all my new friends after a concert is one of my favorite times. That is why I always go to the merchandise booth after the show. I want to "mind fuck"(my favorite P-Diddy line from "Get Him to the Greek) or do the Vulcan mind meld(from "Star Trek") with everyone who was inspired by my performance that wants to say hello. Occasionally someone gets carried away by my lyrics and will flat out whisper something naughty to me after a show. I'll leave the rest to your imagination! Let's just say that nine times out of ten I wake up with my candy apple red 57 Les Paul next to me.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Describe your feelings towards the city of Detroit ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I played 170 shows all across the USA since March 15th of last year(2010). Name a city or state and I've probably been there. My first gig in Michigan ever was at The Machine Shop. I was sick as a dog and felt like shit but the people still loved me and treated me like rock royalty after the show. Most of them said they were from Detroit so I assumed the Machine Shop was part of Detroit even though I now know it's Michael Moore's infamous Flint Michigan! I then performed in St. Joseph on Lake Michigan and up in Bay City at The Vault. I went on the radio in Saginaw the day of the Vault show and lots of people turned up that night. The enthusiasm and energy of the crowd at these Michigan gigs was better than anything else I'd seen. I played New York New York out in Chesterfield Township, same excitement. As a kid I loved Sponge and Rotting Piñata was the 3rd CD I ever bought. I wanted Vinnie and Tim(who produced that record and now plays bass with Sponge) to work with me. They're from Detroit and Ann Arbor just like The Stooges and MC5 were from Ann Arbor and Detroit respectively. In terms of authentic American Rock and Roll it started in Detroit with those two bands on Elektra Records. There is nothing more real than that! And I have been working on new songs with Vin and Tim out at The Loft near Ann Arbor and like Rotting Piñata, the new music kicks ass. No Ramones, no Sex Pistols, and no Misfits without those two bands out of Detroit in the late 60's. The free spirit of punk rock starts and ends there. Detroiters have great affinity for real music made by real artists and they support it with their presence and their money. In fact all of Michigan that I've seen thus far has a greater passion for artists and music than the entire state of California where I'm from.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm not going to take anything away from Chicago, Des Moines, or Erie, or Indianapolis and Muncie for that matter, because the entire Midwest has been great to me. But Michigan and Detroit, you guys got the </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fuckin' fever and it's infectious. How do I know? Because I caught it the night I played the WRIF Christmas party and decided to play "Search and Destroy" and "Kick Out The Jams" and Mr. Detroit guitar hero himself Kenny Olsen got up and jammed with me onstage. Before starting my show that night I found out that Screamin' Scott had seen my set at the Hayloft 2 weeks prior, loved my music and wanted to introduce my band. After he pronounced me an "adopted daughter of the city of Detroit", I felt born again and I played the </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">best show of my life. It raised my guitar playing to a new level and there I was holding my own dueling with Kenny playing the songs that made Detroit and Rock and Roll famous for eternity. Earlier that night my manager who was born in Pontiac asked me if I was sure I wanted to play these Detroit born songs in the belly of the beast. He said there is no compromise in Detroit. They're either gonna love it or boo you off the stage. Thank God you loved it! So many Detroiters came up to me after the show that night and raved </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">about my version of those songs, my entire performance, and went on and on about how they were the best versions they had heard since the originals! The next day I realized my spiritual home is in Detroit and I went out and got a Detroit phone number. I've spent so much time in Detroit, it is home to me!</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So Yes, I love Detroit. I got tears in my eyes when I saw that commercial with Eminem during the Superbowl. Made in Detroit makes me as an "adopted daughter" feel proud and hope that the rest of America buys lots of Chrysler 200's! In other cities I have been criticized for speaking what's on my mind. Detroit would tear me apart if I spoke anything less than the whole truth. I love that honesty.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #c27ba0; font-family: Arial;">-St.Aubin</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #c27ba0; font-family: Arial;">for the DRB</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #c27ba0; font-family: Arial;">*EDITED FOR CLARITY AND CONTENT*</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: #c27ba0; font-family: Arial;">Special Photography credit: Michael Spleet</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DkwqVLUUWRM" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-9828726105079617152011-03-05T21:18:00.000-08:002011-03-05T21:51:39.241-08:00R.E.M. IS BACK AND THIS TIME THEY'RE AFTER YOUR BALLS!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPfy2lDuNXvhwB3L-OSDAQPVNFJwt6GCdatT9HlyeC5UuQebf9R6si51K_0Ijh05uhelsj7xOGMtgXQg5g0Hu0xdIml1xXq1NzugrrwglSqvPv2e9Fpg3zNzOP_VHFiHseWudQPUD3NJl/s1600/REMcin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPfy2lDuNXvhwB3L-OSDAQPVNFJwt6GCdatT9HlyeC5UuQebf9R6si51K_0Ijh05uhelsj7xOGMtgXQg5g0Hu0xdIml1xXq1NzugrrwglSqvPv2e9Fpg3zNzOP_VHFiHseWudQPUD3NJl/s320/REMcin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <strong><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I'm dating myself by admitting this, but I can remember coming home, in 1988, from high school and waiting for MTV to play 'Orange Crush', the first single off R.E.M.'s landmark 'Green' album. 'Automatic For The People' was the soundtrack of my solitary year at Olivet College. And 'Monster', that orange covered disaster, still yielded the singles necessary for me to navigate the end of my tenure at Western Michigan University. Particularly, 'Bang and Blame'.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Has any other band blown as far off course as R.E.M.? Beginning with 1996's New Adventures in Hi-Fi and complicated with Bill Berry's departure, REM has repeatedly and miserably failed to capture the guitar driven appeal of their middle eighties, early nineties catalog. Although unlikely gems such as 'All The Way To Reno' off 2001's curiously cohesive, yet nearly unlistenable, 'Reveal' album, have occasionally bubbled to the surface, R.E.M.'s output from the 'Hi-Fi' forward has been 75% awful. Mindless babble issued by three men who feel like they should continue making records, because . . . otherwise one of them has to venture into the kitchen and actually wash the goddamn dishes. And that reason, frankly, has not been good enough to justify a one mediocre, uninspired effort after the other.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> That all changes with 'Collapse Into Now', REM's fifteenth album. This R.E.M. will remind you of the Obama administration if the President actually grabbed a chainsaw and stormed Congress while shouting 'The HELL if we're going to take this shit anymore!' </span></strong><strong><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I hesitate to overuse the phrase 'return to form', but it's startlingly appropriate. Instead of trying to write an album of songs faithful to one particular muse, 'Collapse' acts as a sort of relationship time machine returning us to the bygone eras of 1987 and 1991. On songs like 'Mine Smell Like Honey' there are faint flourishes of the I.R.S. Label punkish/new wave R.E.M., before Warner Brothers and history-making record contracts, who hailed from a dream town known as mandolin, Georgia. Yet, with the same stubborn authenticity, they turn and rattle off machine gun, punk influenced, tracks like 'It's The End of the world as we know it'. Yes, the band who attempted to relate the suffering of the human experience with the1993, 'everyone out of your cars, because we are all going to walk the horrible highway of life together', anthem 'Everybody Hurts'. The pop radio allure of Losing My Religion, before it became the most overplayed radio track of 1991. All of the bright spots, but with a guitar heavy kick that speaks volumes.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Collapse's triumph is that, after all these years, REM has succeeded in forging an album that reminds us, in bits and pieces, of their finest moments.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> The first chords of Discoverer indicate, the band was determined to come out swinging. Against disappointed critics, turncoat fans, and father time. The track hesitates for the briefest instance before Stipe howls 'Discovererrrrr'. Suddenly it's November, 1988, and you're back at that frat party, where you heard 'Turn You Inside Out' for the first time. 'It Happened Today', is the first great success on the album, with a chorus that will remind you of sitting in the fourth row when the 'Monster Tour' came to the Palace of Auburn Hills. It ends with Stipe singing along with a simple ahhhhhhhhh ahh ahh chorus, but that chorus is full of bittersweet nineties memories.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I say, congratulations are in order. This is a band back from the brink. Regardless of whether the public will ever again recognize R.E.M. as the shining beacon of alternative music, their place in rock history is secure. More importantly, they have redeemed the twilight years of their career with a determined, brilliant record.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">A-</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: cyan; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">-St.Aubin</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: cyan; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">for the DRB</span></strong></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZITh-XIikgI" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-51708351165514428242011-02-28T16:43:00.000-08:002011-04-30T22:33:17.265-07:00MONDAY INTERVIEW: JAY JAY FRENCH OF TWISTED SISTER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJwVBR4atAQgL_RSMeQHLbOmEEzVmFbTkep-A4M-WlPITdbZKT6Tgm1zKfgVnfZsdbUnPbhtr2SB-ypJwOGo_o5cf1pnTpFvU5gFRMY3byuX-4OJd_UG0Q-x4QAez4v8LToDjQ2EE1eAp/s1600/JayJayFrench_268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJwVBR4atAQgL_RSMeQHLbOmEEzVmFbTkep-A4M-WlPITdbZKT6Tgm1zKfgVnfZsdbUnPbhtr2SB-ypJwOGo_o5cf1pnTpFvU5gFRMY3byuX-4OJd_UG0Q-x4QAez4v8LToDjQ2EE1eAp/s1600/JayJayFrench_268.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> The name Twisted Sister <u>still</u> evokes vivid images of Dee Snider testifying in a black tank top at the U.S. Senate's 1985 McCarthy-esque PRMC hearings, the video for heavy metal's universal political theme song 'Were Not Gonna Take It', and legions of concerned parents misguided effort to protect us youngsters from the dangers of hair metal open-mindedness. Snider has always held the highest visibility with his stage presence and showstopping charisma, but the business touchstone holding this notorious band together the past forty years, is guitarist and original member, John 'Jay Jay' French. It's French's business savvy, negotiation skills, and a uncommon bluntness, that have ensured continued behind the scenes success for a group who's Gotham creativity spawned songs like 'Burn In Hell' and 'Love is for Suckers'.</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Surprisingly humble, yet unmistakably confident, French exudes a well-deserved pride when discussing the band's history, particularly 2010, where they are coming off their most successfully year as a touring group. </strong></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>But underneath the makeup, French has embraced new challenges. He's worked extensively with the band Sevendust, guiding their early career and producing their first four albums. But his most personal project may be spearheading a foundation to bring attention the debilitating ocular disease Uveitis. The Blog was</strong></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> fortunate to catch up with Jay Jay French in New York to discuss the past, present, and future fortunes of rock icons Twisted Sister.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> There is, perhaps, nothing less exciting that doing interviews.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Well you know these are necessary evils in this business.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Dee Snider, in an interview, once described Twisted Sister as Slade meets the Sex pistols. In another interview, you described the band as a New Jersey version of the New York Dolls. How would you describe the evolution of the band's sound ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObG45NZJvHrzpi_mB9_PNXnicqMS3nhEf5Jzrv8-PMbXyEAKoVWsOwJipc2eb2sn9uuN10d5MT68abh7KHL8-bZYsJaP9pQSdH4KMqf9Y0cj4cC9lPvRfjLVE7Pt_T_y6t3cDc8lx91US/s1600/ts+old.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObG45NZJvHrzpi_mB9_PNXnicqMS3nhEf5Jzrv8-PMbXyEAKoVWsOwJipc2eb2sn9uuN10d5MT68abh7KHL8-bZYsJaP9pQSdH4KMqf9Y0cj4cC9lPvRfjLVE7Pt_T_y6t3cDc8lx91US/s320/ts+old.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">It started as a New Jersey version of the New York Dolls, but it didn't sound like that. I think the Dolls were an original band making original music, Twisted Sister were not. It was a cover band. Now the songs we covered were musically sophisticated. The Dolls were not sophisticated, they were punk, and pretty bad actually. Twisted was a bar band that dressed like that and we were playing the new music at the time. David Bowie, Lou Reed, Mott The Hoople, that kind of stuff. Later on, as an original act, we became much more of what Dee described. So that's the evolution. As time went on, we assimilated AC/DC and Judas Priest and became a much more mainstream eighties metal band. So, I would say our direct lineage these days is a bit of Slade and Alice Cooper, and a lot of AC/DC and Judas Priest.</span></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Was there a specific moment where, personally, you realized 'Hey, this band is actually going to achieve some level of national recognition' ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">I wish I could tell you there was a moment, where time froze and stood still. But, the reality of it is that, in every band, and every person who's has ever been in band would probably say what I'm about to say: You struggle on a daily basis, for success, for validation from someone, your peers, your lover, your family. Whatever gets you through that day, whatever occurrence happens in a day that gives you justification and validation for your dream, you use that to keep going when all else fails. So when the demos were being turned down, when we were being rejected all over the place, and clubs didn't want us. Wherever the rejection levels come in, there's your validation. So there were certain instances along the way, where validation points occurred, that said 'keep going, keep going'. But there were very dark times. And those dark times exposed the weaknesses in the band, and those dark times dictated changes. Which is why if you go to the website and you read the history of the band, the group that started it, and the group that finished it were all different, except for me. Because the people could not adapt to the changes. Its a tough, tough, businesses. And how you respond to rejection is the key.</span></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Up until recently, the band's popularity seemed to peak in 1985.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGvRx2N8W-xaE_zU2vP-YEnE6Mvbsg0xRsGz0CtHV83WOoReugSfP7_V54p-dW2k80Hl9z6sSsx7hF6mqyMMXGr_vyE8emDaUE4zMRTY82dRUr2hBiiOG_MVcQO56VbiEN404vrDZVktY/s1600/twisted_sistermodern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGvRx2N8W-xaE_zU2vP-YEnE6Mvbsg0xRsGz0CtHV83WOoReugSfP7_V54p-dW2k80Hl9z6sSsx7hF6mqyMMXGr_vyE8emDaUE4zMRTY82dRUr2hBiiOG_MVcQO56VbiEN404vrDZVktY/s400/twisted_sistermodern.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">We're more popular now than we've ever been worldwide. While we experienced a bump in popular in 1984 and 1985, because of 'Were Not Gonna Take it' and I wanna' Rock', here we are in 2011. Our last year, we had our most successful tour ever. I think were good, that's all I can say. The band is arguably the best live band in the world. I would put us up against anybody. AC/DC, U2, whoever. It wouldn't matter, we can take anybody. And we do this every year, were always on these festivals and we always get the best reviews at these shows. I could say it and sound like a jerk for saying it. Or I can read you the quotes from the articles, magazine, and websites saying when we play these festival and you can see for yourself. We wound up playing a festival in Holland a couple of years ago, with Whitesnake, Journey, KISS, Def Leppard, and Motorhead. We had to go on at 3 in the afternoon. Well, Dee's flight was late so they dropped us off in a helicopter behind the stage, and we came right out from behind the stage and played. Here you got all these amazing bands, and the only band who's picture appeared in the straight press the next day was ours. They said you've got all these amazing bands, but Twisted Sister was the best one. And it helped us last year. We played at the biggest festival in France last year and the reviews were exactly the same, so we obviously do what we do well. And I have a great pride in it. And the day that we can no longer do it at that level is the day we hang it up.</span></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> What was the experience like being a glam band signed to a punk label ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">We never looked at ourselves as a glam band anyway. We looked the way we did as more or less of a political statement. We weren't Poison, we weren't Motley Crue. We started out as glam band, but evolved into a performance artist band like Alice Cooper. These 'pure' glam bands were a little different. It didn't surprise me that we were signed to a label like Secret Records, because if you listen to the music purely in it's aggressive form, it was of a similar type. There was an aspect of that in the early stages of the bands original music. We played thrash we played very very quick fast stuff.</span></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> What circumstances led you into management ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">Well, early on in the band I noticed the manager was incompetent, and I could do a better job. My sense of business was better, my negotiation skills were better, my understanding and take on how to approach people is better, so it evolved from that. You either know it or you don't. You have an instinct, or you don't. So I'm from New York, I'm pretty much a social guy and it made sense.</span></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Is the production work you've done with Sevendust as satisfying as performing ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">Performing trumps it all. I am not a fan of the studio. I am a fan of doing deals. I liked working with Sevendust and developing them, a great deal. That was a great thing to watch that succeed. I loved it. But I think the performance on stage speaks for itself. And that's where my reputation really stands out.</span></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Given that you're a New York City guy, was it ever difficult for you to get up on stage wearing make up ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">Never. I was told from day one, this is the way to get girls. So the first time we did it, I thought 'that's kind of crazy' but after a couple of weeks . . It was sold to me by the drummer of the band that contacted me, Silverstar, which became Twisted Sister. He told me 'Man, the girls love it'. </span></strong></span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>I was twenty years old and a Grateful Dead freak. But, I retired from the Grateful Dead world, thankfully. I stopped doing drugs and realized they weren't as good as I thought they were. I'd spent four years following the Dead everywhere and saw them 26 times. I saw them 'open' for bands, that's how far I go back with the Grateful Dead. I mean can you imagine the Dead opening for people? I watched them open for Janis Joplin and Country Joe and the Fish. When they opened, the played thirty minutes. So they tuned up, played one song, that's what they set was, and went home. They were great for awhile, then I just evolved and moved on. I fell in love with Bowie and Lou Reed and I wanted to do that. So it was a perfect mating of my hormones and my urge to become a rock star in the time. Perfectly matched.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnQnl7Sjw0W6KZGdBKiEOGwU_8Ns276FzDhBepQLk81W7XbHme9cURA-nwPrd7-755p6EbdyQ_YpWsdxiLjk5Hgu8VjmjegRvrDG_1EEb6bG5GTMrq0hw1bHLI2iz3_8R6Xqzr_g4gDko/s1600/Dee1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnQnl7Sjw0W6KZGdBKiEOGwU_8Ns276FzDhBepQLk81W7XbHme9cURA-nwPrd7-755p6EbdyQ_YpWsdxiLjk5Hgu8VjmjegRvrDG_1EEb6bG5GTMrq0hw1bHLI2iz3_8R6Xqzr_g4gDko/s320/Dee1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> By comparison, your onstage appearance was fairly tame. But, was there every a point where you wanted to approach Dee and say 'Hey, your wardrobe is getting a little out of control?'</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">I have no idea what you mean by that ? If I look back at the band's evolution, we were ALL wearing the same type of clothing. I don't perceive it that way. You may, but I don't look at it and go 'Huh, that's crazier than anything else!' I would disagree.</span></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Is it frustrating having this great wealth of material ? Do you ever wish fans would get excited over lesser known, but quality tracks such as 'The Price'?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">We just finished playing South America. If you watch the video posted on our website, there's this little snippet, the fans knew every song, sang every word, they even sang the guitar solos. They were obsessed and crazy. I love playing 'Were not Gonna take it'. I think people who bitch about playing songs that are (their) hits, are assholes. And anyone who doesn't appreciate that's where their strength comes from, are assholes. And, anyone who doesn't play those songs for their fans, are assholes. </span></strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>There's a quote from Ray Davies from years and years ago, when a reporter asked him “Are you sick of playing 'You really got me'?”. He said 'Let me tell you something: here's my choices: play you really got me or flip hamburgers. I'll take playing you really got me, anytime'. I'll play 'Under The Blade', I'll play 'You can't stop rock and roll', I'll play 'I wanna rock' everyday. It makes people happy. I think if you take your fans for granted, you're an asshole. It's as simple as that. I don't respect bands that don't understand that. The fans don't want you to get cute, they don't want you to reinvent it. They don't want you to fuck around. They want you to play the damn song, just the way it is. That's what they want. That's what they are paying for. So you're either a performer or you're not. You're a performer or an asshole. I prefer to be a performer.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Given the relationship between band members, do you feel that Twisted Sister would've reformed at some point, even without the World Trade Center attack benefit concert ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">Probably not. I mean, probably not. Three weeks prior to that, the VH1 Behind The Music special came out, and it was so negatively cut and it was so damaging to the band on a personal level, I thought any dream I had would've gone down the tubes at that moment. So, no, I don't think the band would've performed together again.</span></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> What does the future hold for you in terms of more production work ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">No idea. If someone wants me to produce a record and I love the music, I'll be involved, but I don't actively seek anything. If you seek me out, and I love it, then maybe. But I don't actively seek it. I'm into These days, the Pinkburst Project is really my life.</span></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Can you tell us a little bit about the Pinkburst Project and why you're passionate about it ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">It's at www.pinkbrushproject.org. I'm doing a benefit to raise money for the their foundation that does research into Uveties, which my daughter has. Uveitis is the leading cause of blindness among American girls. It's a frustrating disease to deal with, there's no cure, only treatment. That's my focus, to raise awareness and money for a cure. And help save people's sight. Once you get involved with a project like that, everything else seems to pale in comparison. There's an auction taking place on May 1<sup>st</sup> in which these guitars and amplifiers I designed, one of a kind guitars and amps will be auctioned off and the proceeds go to the foundation. All of it's on the website and Twisted Sisters is doing a show in New York City on April 29<sup>th</sup> where the proceeds from that show will go to the foundation. Only about ten thousand people are you get this disease where as ten million suffer from heart disease. The bottom line is that if you can educate young families to get their kids checked, you may save your kids sight. There's one less person who's quality of life wont be destroyed. One less family who won't go bankrupt due to the health care system. One less person who won't go on the rolls of the Federal government supporting them because they are of limited productivity to society. I want to preserve the quality of life for these kids.</span></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>-St.Aubin</strong></span> <br />
<strong>for the DRB</strong><br />
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</div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-22797788377062121952011-02-23T16:10:00.000-08:002011-02-23T18:12:15.285-08:00BREAKING UP WITH LIZ PHAIR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgid9uOkNGHh5qxttTaH6cfcOgfXJ9yeFsttXAiYO19p8wnEgI94fqIT0j4I1KQDbx8Dd2-6hfUaKMj1RtdStyiFj057fo1YVqoHW27dFqvDe_sv-k5ufENmoKSEQ0Du1roSUaksP6JhJO/s1600/ugh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgid9uOkNGHh5qxttTaH6cfcOgfXJ9yeFsttXAiYO19p8wnEgI94fqIT0j4I1KQDbx8Dd2-6hfUaKMj1RtdStyiFj057fo1YVqoHW27dFqvDe_sv-k5ufENmoKSEQ0Du1roSUaksP6JhJO/s320/ugh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Dearest Liz,</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Ours was always an open relationship. At the time we first met, you were passionately involved with Matador Records. However it had been a few years since I'd heard you're voice, either on the radio, CD player, or in the Itunes library on the laptop. So you can understand why I was somewhat shocked to find a copy of your new album 'Funstyle' waiting in my mailbox like a undiscovered Egyptian relic. Thank you, by the way, for the courtesy.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Some blogger knob posted some of the new promotional pics. You're looking good for 44 (I, on the other hand, am totally bald). I took a couple of days and gave your new record an unbiased, honest listen, in spite of our inglorious past. Before I convey my thoughts on 'Funstyle', there's some two decade old, pent up emotion I feel obligated to get off my chest.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> On that night where we first met, back in Fall of 1994, we made a solemn vow. You swore to always inspire me, and I vowed to always support your career. It might be difficult to believe, especially after the curious twists and turns of your career, but I swear I kept my word for as long as humanly possible.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I still smile when reminiscing of those early days in Harrison Hall over on Western's West Campus. Our world was young, vibrant, and we were both passionate about life. You were easily one of the most influential artists I'd ever heard, flawed and personable, channeling a pre-Alanis quiet annoyance. 'Exile In Guyville', was instantly timeless, so brilliant in fact, I couldn't help but fall in love with you as an artist. I'd openly gush about you, like a cliche music nerd, to anyone willing to listen I'd play tracks like 'Never Said' for other kids around the dorm, or include it on mix CDs with Morrissey and Siouxie, for girls I wanted to sleep with. Some kids would get it instantly, but most would only shake their heads and ask the meaning of your infamous 'because I'm a little cunt in spring' lyric. Yet it always felt like membership in a secret organization staffed solely by those who could recognize and accept the hipster cool of Liz Phair's girly rock. </span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I distinctly remember listening to your follow up, suggestively titled 'Whip-Smart', with an enormous sense of alt-rock pride. Great reviews poured in, again, from Rolling Stone, The Reader, etc. 'Chopsticks' was such a cute little track to start things off, and then . . 'Supernova'. My heart sank while standing in line at the University bookstore, as I heard it for the first time, playing over the local radio station airwaves. It was my first inkling of how this familiar fairytale was going to climax. I wanted to believe with all my heart, this time, the story would have a happy end where love conquered all. But, deep down, I knew you preferred fame to critical acclaim. It's only in retrospect, I can admit to blindly ignoring our friend's advice when they tried to warn me.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> But you put on the happy face and pretended for as long as you could. Your third album, with it's can't-miss title 'Whitechocolatespaceegg', wasn't quite the masterpiece you'd hoped for, and all of us, your biggest fans, could sense your growing disillusionment with the autonomy of being 'indie rock'. Even though 'Polyester Bride' received modest airplay, the track 'Shitloads of Money' said what we we're all thinking. As a whole, the album was stale and uninspired, and it was obvious, you were unhappy.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> In the end, as fan and artist, we simply grew apart. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDK4F0SsQB_ZJ0at2J9o-rXn4DiQXgIV8_3yOyErUTjI1fBe3LxZ9jon0AZhG28c_UW4pe-HUO8z1l8E3uToexiwjntQyFdCdo80IulNfj2h5lltub3d7FN29DiaQ3gMp-eBUpBjd1c1B/s1600/Liz_Phair_-_Liz_Phair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDK4F0SsQB_ZJ0at2J9o-rXn4DiQXgIV8_3yOyErUTjI1fBe3LxZ9jon0AZhG28c_UW4pe-HUO8z1l8E3uToexiwjntQyFdCdo80IulNfj2h5lltub3d7FN29DiaQ3gMp-eBUpBjd1c1B/s1600/Liz_Phair_-_Liz_Phair.jpg" /></a></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Eventually, I graduated, and moved to your hometown, Chicago. You moved to Nashville to begin recording what should have been your next masterpiece. </span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I'll never forget where I was, when I caught you in the act. It was in Tower Records off Clark Street, while searching through the bins for a copy of the Smashing Pumpkins 'Gish', when I heard your voice. I looked up and noticed you playing guitar all across a row of television monitors. For the briefest moment, the simple sound of your voice transported me back in time, to carefree, happier days. But the abysmal lyrics “We're already wet, and we're gonna' go swimming” brought me right back to the Autotune Hell of 2003. It was as if a zombified version of the Liz I loved, escaped from a parallel comic book universe and attempted to assume your identity. The pap single, 'Why Can't I?', had more in common with a rabid monk slaughtering a 78' Camaro with a dull butter knife, than actual music. And that's how I found out the hard way, you were sleeping with Capitol Records.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Maybe you felt like you had something to prove. Or maybe you were trying to get back at me for not properly appreciating the 'genius' of a title like 'Whitechocolatespaceegg'. Either way, I can't remember ever being more disappointed in a musician of your caliber. The merit of all your hard work, the critical achievement, destroyed in three minutes and twenty-eight seconds. You were always a bit risque with the lyrics, but just enough to keep it edgy, never too far over the top. However, the tart on the cover of 'Liz Phair' is just another housewife trying to prove she can still pull off the wayward catholic schoolgirl look. I felt like a musical pervert just for buying it, but a promise is a promise.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> That was the day you truly broke my heart. </span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Prior to that day, I'd staunchly defended you. Even after you explained to the indie press that 'growth' as an artist is a natural and necessary evolution. Now at parties where your name came up in conversation, it resulted in nothing but laughter and eye rolling. The low point arrived in the form of Pitchfork media assigning the album a 0.0 rating. I talked to some of our old friends over dinner at Renalli's pizza one night, and they gently explained how you were tired of being recognized and not compensated. You were exhausted from the endless touring, of consistently playing smaller venues, and most of all, your efforts not being appreciated on a larger scale. Being a popular indie starlet, when mediocre artists with far less talent, like Jessica Simpleton were raking in the cash, was a bitter pill. </span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">That was when I finally realized, it was time to let go.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> So I made the conscious decision to completely ignore your artistic output. I needed space, to absorb your horrifying career choices. I suppose you must have been happy at the time, what with the money, the attention. 'Why Can't I' made it to number 32 on Billboard. But from the outside looking in, the entire charade felt forced. Recently, I heard you've finally admitted those years with Capitol were rougher waters to navigate than expected.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> So when 'Somebody's Miracle' was released in 2005, it barely registered on my radar. A friend who worked at Rollingstone.com left a copy on my desk at the 55 W. Wacker office. I recall listening to it and predicting an extraordinarily difficult time lay ahead for you. Capitol gave the impression you weren't what they had bargained for, at all, and the album lacked spark and promotion. Upon discovering my copy of 'Somebody's Miracle' on the kitchen table, a drunk roommate removed the inlay and wrote 'Smell My Toot!' on the cover, before replacing it in my the CD cabinet. </span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I didn't notice for two years. </span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Eventually you became a ghost in conversations with our old friends. About once a year, they would ask 'Hey, whatever happened to _____' and I'd just shrug and return my attention to whatever P.J. Harvey had released. You became less to me, than three dusty CDs taking up residence on a bookshelf out of reach.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Still, it's only fair to include that night in 2002 where I was drunk on Late Harvest Riesling. The massive flirting that resulted from your background vocals on Sheryl Crow's 'Soak Up The Sun', which gave way to the full blown one night stand of your theme music to the CBS seventies sex drama 'Swingtown'. </span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">And then, the show was promptly canceled</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">More time passed, the way the years seem to drift as we realize were approaching 40. Honestly, I hadn't thought about you in eons, despite the occasional email: “Liz leaves Capitol Records', 'Liz signs with ATO label', 'Liz raps'.”</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The same friend emailed me the article about how you asked ATO to 'release you'. I thought about writing a letter or sending an email, but to say what ? Good luck ? I'm sorry ?</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> So that brings me to today and why I wrote you. I'm not surprised at your last ditch effort to reach out to all of us, old fans, true fans, there from the beginning. But, this latest effort to win back my affection, 'Funstyle' ? Liz, this desperate attempt to regain credibility is so fucking horrible it makes your self-titled album Grammy eligible. For the love of God, Liz, you're actually rapping on one of the tracks!! I'm telling you this as your friend: it's depressing to watch you humiliate yourself, trying to recapture your indie past. There's just too much water under this bridge. </span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> You're probably asking yourself 'How do you know for sure, asshole!?! Well, because, I was one of your earliest, biggest supporters when no one knew your name. And, never, ever, would I have paid one dime for 'Funstyle'. Hell, I would never have listened to it, if you hadn't mailed me a copy (thanks again!). Not even with the miracle of digital piracy . Not even if I found it in the bargain bin of a Salvation Army resale shop for a penny.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Courier New;"> You cashed the check. It's over. It has been since 2003, and you should accept it.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div align="justify" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zvd9VBXqxLHJy6YaWQaVdzeBKZaKtREqu9o3yZrP646ERjPIXDyVpRIZu9tUqfmcfjjBrQXu4Xq1OtYNA2IZL_9OyMDoaVdTqmkiopgDtdbObmkKQ1PuIHANwOFpXmvFG8LhnLC0K2TW/s1600/23119_lg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zvd9VBXqxLHJy6YaWQaVdzeBKZaKtREqu9o3yZrP646ERjPIXDyVpRIZu9tUqfmcfjjBrQXu4Xq1OtYNA2IZL_9OyMDoaVdTqmkiopgDtdbObmkKQ1PuIHANwOFpXmvFG8LhnLC0K2TW/s400/23119_lg.png" width="315" /></a><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> And you should also know, I was cheating on you with Courtney Love back at Western. There was just something pleasingly dark and satisfying about the 'Live Through This' record. I really don't care if Kurt Cobain did write all the songs!</span></div><div align="justify" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> But, Liz, try not to be too sad. Let's end this musical relationship on a positive note. We had our time, and it was glorious. It's a select few indie artists who have graced the cover of Rolling Stone, and no matter what kind of unforgivable musical sins were committed, you remain a member of that exclusive club. One of the intrinsic theme's in your early music is that life is a bittersweet journey. I honestly hope one day you find the artistic peace that continues to elude you. </span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">We'll always have 'Exile' . . even though I still can't stand to listen to it.</span></div><div align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Love,</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The Blog.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b>*For you idiots who don't understand satire, this letter is complete fiction. In other words, The Blog has never met Liz Phair. However, on her new album, 'Funstyle', Liz <u>does</u> rap, and it is unlistenable!</b>*<br />
<br />
</div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qUALb0sGdto" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-87151014618363063522011-02-15T15:28:00.000-08:002011-02-15T15:28:25.815-08:00REVISITING 'ULTRAGLIDE IN BLACK' BY THE DIRTBOMBS (2001)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPRU174Wa8nRxPOqUBkcTOeLaZktZTvrJOmkxGtwDJYOF4i2-N8KrRIoqKZgphGNX6VL8spkzXCy-zkql0zJxgL9Sb9Rx2UQqvdAyJjSauPIDc5p1UqXNvlMrhk12wIlivSFDCJkQeuw7/s1600/DB+UINB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPRU174Wa8nRxPOqUBkcTOeLaZktZTvrJOmkxGtwDJYOF4i2-N8KrRIoqKZgphGNX6VL8spkzXCy-zkql0zJxgL9Sb9Rx2UQqvdAyJjSauPIDc5p1UqXNvlMrhk12wIlivSFDCJkQeuw7/s320/DB+UINB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I have a well-publicized and notorious aversion to covers and, in particular, cover albums. Blame Joan Jett who poisoned me forever when in 1990 she released a musical felony commonly referred to as 'The Hit List'. Let me clarify, why, I not only give 'Ultraglide in Black' a pass on the album of covers tag, but how this Detroit classic manages to succeed on three separate levels. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>First, the retro cover, paying homage to Stevie Wonder's 1967 cover for 'I Was Made To Love Her'. The art is spot on and evokes an appreciative nostalgia for the influence and magic Motown weaved through, not only Michigan, but the country. </strong><strong>Second, the brazen audacity for garage rock revivalists to jump into the Rn B/soul swimming pool. This type of outing can't be described as original, but damn if it isn't 90% of the way to clever. Distant cousins rock and soul, are thrown together in a fruit and vegetable salad that, for most of 'Ultraglide', is as tasty as the chicken shawarma at Bucharest Grill. </strong><strong>Third, the songs are actually re-crafted in a spirit that is at the, same time, respectfully faithful to the vision of the original artists AND breathes a modern revolutionary air into tracks like Stevie Wonder's 'Living For The City'. If you're one of the many who have suffered through Detroit's reversal of fortune, this garage-version of 'City' will strike a particularly sensitive chord. It's difficult to imagine the track being grittier and dirtier than it was in 1973 when Wonder released his landmark Innervisions LP. Yet, somehow, Mick Collins and his revolving group of eclectic artists found a way to infuse a deft touch of Motor City sorrow.</strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> In May of 2001, our country was still living in pre-911 attacks naivety. Sure, the economy was sputtering, but nationally we still felt invincible. Thanks to the White Stripes, the nation's musical elite had focused their attention on a full-blown garage rock revival that had simmered underground in Detroit for more than a decade via bands like the The Von Bondies and The Detroit Cobras. It may have been premature to say this in 2001, but this is an album surprisingly reflective of that time. There's an unmistakable 'anything is possible' energy and 'can-do' enthusiasm on every track articulating how the idea of a garage rock band doing soul covers seemed plausible to Mick Collins. Start with 'I'm Qualified to Satisfy You', the track that best fulfills the original concept for this album. This take on 'Qualified' starts at a ten, dances all around the Fillmore stage like Barry White (R.I.P.) after three Red Bulls, and, by the chorus, finds a way to turn the volume one step higher. The one original on this collection is the stellar 'You're Love Belongs Under A Rock', which fits the album perfectly. It provides a vivid sonic image of what Jimi Hendrix could have achieved had he decided to record an album backed by the MC5. Smokey Robinson's 'If You Can Want' continues the spark, and you'll be tapping your feet while churning out those quarterly expense reports. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> And when you're standing in line at Kroger waiting to pay for that gallon milk, that song you're humming ? Yeah, that's Sly and The Family Stone's 'Underdog', translated for the fuzz guitar era. With it's 'unnndeeerrrrdooooooggg' chorus, that will annoyingly stick in your brain for weeks.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The only track where the flame simmers to a slow burn is George Clinton's wistful 'I'll Wait'. Here The Dirtbombs do the funk master proud with an album highlight marked by sincere angst in the vocals. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Looking back, I still would've preferred The Dirtbombs write more of their own soul or Rn B songs instead of taking the easy route and covering established records. But, given how high their interpretation of songs like 'Chains of Love' or 'Kung-Fu' soar, it's moderately ridiculous to criticize that choice in hindsight. 'Ultraglide In Black' was a unique, calculated risk that opened the ears of listeners to the DIY spirit that continues to carry Detroit through harrowing uncertainty. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> And the risk still pays off.</span></strong></div><strong><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br />
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</span></div></strong><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A-</span> </span></strong></div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-66598384444120775892011-02-05T21:09:00.000-08:002011-02-05T22:13:35.762-08:00FIVE MINUTE INTERVIEW: DAVID BLACK FROM SEDUCE AND CRUD<strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Sn6kI3qyy5MMT3lbHzYMaVLgQ8fKbjHtU-nEKf4WUxCr05HbkhNwwBnLHTPIEjF6PHGU6wQR4cfqVcZ2BNvl7OKlsFGAx8vX6xR4e9_SrZNC67mB1z_MhNcnJLSHyyB7PRQRgwetK_dk/s1600/seduce_too_much_flat_front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Sn6kI3qyy5MMT3lbHzYMaVLgQ8fKbjHtU-nEKf4WUxCr05HbkhNwwBnLHTPIEjF6PHGU6wQR4cfqVcZ2BNvl7OKlsFGAx8vX6xR4e9_SrZNC67mB1z_MhNcnJLSHyyB7PRQRgwetK_dk/s1600/seduce_too_much_flat_front.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Back in the cultural wasteland of 1988, David Black was somekind of musical superhero. Not in the Green Lantern sense, but in the sense of guitar empowerment. Together with Chuck Burns, David AndewBlack was (is) the acclaimed guitarist in some band called Seduce. In 1988, Seduce had a record deal with I.R.S. (REM's first label!), a pretty good album titled 'Too Much, Ain't Enough', and a catchy song 'Crash Landing'. Seduce showed up on the big screen in Penelopee Spheeris documentary The Decline of Western Civilization, Pt 2: The Metal Years'. Seduce had an established reputation for being a killer live act. But more importantly, and consistently overlooked outside of the Motor City, is this interesting little nugget:</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Seduce were from Detroit.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> At the time, metal bands of note, whether they be pop, hair, or thrash, ala' Motley Crue, Posion, Metallica, were all coming off the sunset strip or at least claimed California as home. Sure you had the occasional 'Europe', but anyone and everyone who was getting their faces on MTV cut their teeth in L.A or close by. Seduce, proved that you could get out, you could get attention in the Midwest, even in the snowbound heart of Detroit City. Our older sisters may have been absolutely smitten with Black's rock star looks, but my brother and I were smitten with Black's guitar work. Revisit 'Empty Arms' or 'The Mirror' and try to argue that Black isn't superior to many of his eighties era peers. These days Black is manning the guitar duties in another Detroit original, CRUD. But occiasionally he returns to the familiar. Such as Seduce's recent show at the Token Lounge in December.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> The DRB caught up with Dave Black in Warren, Michigan, where he commented on his three decade career in Detroit rock music.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DRB: Describe the feeling of playing onstage with CRUD. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DB: It's awesome.CRUD is a lot different than anything else I ever got to do. The more I play, the more I enjoy it and the better I get at it. The longer I do it, the more I enjoy it.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DRB: You have more experience than some of the musicians you're currently involved with. How does that affect the creative process with CRUD ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DB: Everybody contributes to a single idea and that idea is the song. So, whatever anyone member's part is to play with the song, we're all working towards one idea. With CRUD it's really abstract, so the common goal is really open. You can do anything you want within a certain framework. It's an interesting way to work and it's different. Compared to rock and roll bands, traditional bands that I've been in before it's a new take on it, well, for me anyway.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DRB: Are you the greatest guitar player to come out of Detroit ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DB: *loud laugher* NO! It's not true at all. There's several great guitar players in Detroit</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DRB: Where do you rank yourself ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DB: I don't know. Someone in there. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DRB: When people say 'all those years ago'. . </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DB: It seems like a hundred !</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DRB: Describe the sense of pride you feel regarding your longetivty with Seduce.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DB: For me, it was such a together thing. Seduce is like an old corvette stashed in a garage. Every once in a while you'll pull the cover off it, fire that fucker up, and take it for a ride. You blow the leaves off the street and scare everybody. Its something special, you just take it out once in a while on a nice day.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DRB: Seduce is well known for their appearance in the documentary 'The Decline of Western Civilization, part two, The Metal Years, where Seduce was featured performing both 'Colleen' and 'Crash Landing'. Were you disappointed that national exposure didn't translate into higher profile success ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DB: Yeah. I really was. But, that's the way it is. It is what it is. So you just do what you do. Playing guitar to me is the main thing. I cared and loved playing guitar before I ever got involved with bands. It's just something I love to do. So all those things were just (experiences) that happened in the process. Growing as a musician until I reach my peak and wind up in a wedding band.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DRB: Do you ever get tired of playing 'Crash Landing' ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DB: No, it's a hard song to play. The longer I play it, someday I'll be able to play it good!</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">-St.Aubin,</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">for the DRB</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6PRTR-6wXb0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-6365303657294238122011-01-30T09:17:00.000-08:002011-01-30T10:42:49.214-08:00DRB SUNDAY INTERVIEW: DANIELLE ARSENAULT OF CRUD AND BLOCKHEAD <br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2C8lp-Gyp_WjmEtfIlC7ocafkCzdyuLxYT8LGG8cidWP2XGsraZCW86VZaxfQDykG-5KyIMRjOh_JziVxo8QHTFaDl40lnz4wRpAr-Zfpg-r1lpwYiduun5RamJZl9sILjqYE5_zb3LI/s1600/devildani.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2C8lp-Gyp_WjmEtfIlC7ocafkCzdyuLxYT8LGG8cidWP2XGsraZCW86VZaxfQDykG-5KyIMRjOh_JziVxo8QHTFaDl40lnz4wRpAr-Zfpg-r1lpwYiduun5RamJZl9sILjqYE5_zb3LI/s320/devildani.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">She is one of the most captivating and recognizable faces within the Motor City's vibrant music scene. The fierce dark haired phoenix of Noir Leather's provocative ad campaigns. A uninhibited front woman whose stage presence alongside Vinnie Dombrowski for Motor City industrial icons CRUD, rivals that of Joan Jet and Wendy O. Williams. As unique as she is outspoken, Danielle Arsenault has gathered a treasure trove of experiences as diverse as her interests. Onstage, she may channel her inner rock chanteuse, and in the Noir ads, come across as Bettie Page's more forward, more imaginative cousin. But beyond the sensual image, that has at times outraced reality, is a deeply complex and sensitive lady of Detroit. The same confidence she demonstrates while wearing little more than a leopard print bikini on stage at The Ritz, is just as apparent, as she sits in a winter sweater and scarf, drinking hot tea, during an interview. She speaks with a genuine enthusiasm about her passion projects, such as energetic Devo tribute band 'Blockhead'. But there remains an element of caution, forged from years of constantly being recognized. An ever present, guarded concern in her eyes as we talked. On a snowy night in January, Danielle spoke intimately with the DRB about the foundation of growing up in a musical family, the personal struggles she faced as a teen, and her distinctive career as one of Detroit's most interesting and influential performers. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Does it feel like forty-one ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Not in the aspect that I feel like 'Old! My gawd I'm so old'. But, as far as experience, yeah, I packed a lot in there, too. It feels like sixty. No, I'm Just kidding. But when I get hurt now, it takes longer to heal. I know how old I am. People think I'm younger because of my energy. The way I look. The way I dress. Maybe act a little more juvenile. But, yeah, I know it's forty-one.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> How did you come to be involved with Noir Leather ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiRpyw-MQ6MuQkKf-L-AUXAmowUuO_-j5XHCZtEIcpYGsaAOVSV0xSpbgX12AdhTW4eKxL7yAlQ-Rrmgi8Lix6ti7JgFVz_E7Ah_EX0i5_4_B959WoqIIR8Og89Xi_fR5yzUoWunXfQ8n/s1600/crud+album+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiRpyw-MQ6MuQkKf-L-AUXAmowUuO_-j5XHCZtEIcpYGsaAOVSV0xSpbgX12AdhTW4eKxL7yAlQ-Rrmgi8Lix6ti7JgFVz_E7Ah_EX0i5_4_B959WoqIIR8Og89Xi_fR5yzUoWunXfQ8n/s320/crud+album+back.jpg" width="320" /></a><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I had an interest in the lifestyle quite young, like fifteen or sixteen. I would run to the Metro Times every week and search for the Noir ad. I would look at it, gaze at it, just kind of mesmerized by it. Study it. Touch it. Read everything on it. There was something about it that I loved. I think the first thing that drew me to it was the fashion. Leather. Shiny clothes, heels, stockings. So then I saw they were having a party. It was the third party they'd ever had, now they're up to something like seventy. This was sixteen years ago. So I went. I talked my ex-boyfriend into going with me. We got all dressed up. We wore masks to be incognito and we won 'Best Dressed Couple'. I had a great time. So I started going to the parties alone and having an even better time. And then they approached me and asked me if I wanted to model. And the shows it's not just a straight up runway show, it's little skits, and that's where I learned about the playing, the b/d and s/m scene. Bondage discipline, sadomasochism, and I kind of liked it. And in the shows I would play 'bottom', sub, some light stuff, whippings stuff like that. That's where I kind of learned the ropes of the play. I am kind of a bossy person already. Not in every situation, but in situations where I know what I'm doing or if it needs a leader. I'm definitely ready to step up, and take control if need be. The playing is uh . . .I don't think it's always exactly what people think. It's not about a lot of pain and anger. For me it's 'playing'. It's really like two sides of my own personality. I'm really really nice and I'm really, really mean. I love to tickle. I have an uncontrollable tickle fetish. I was tickle-tortured as a child. Held down and tickled.</span></strong></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
</strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Who did that to you ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> My brothers and sister tickled me with their nails.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> How does the your take charge personality mesh within CRUD, a group composed of musicians with very distinct personalities ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> In CRUD it's not so much a situation where I'm a take charge person. It's more of a role that needed to be filled, that I'm perfect for. It's a lot of direction by Vinnie. He gives me an explanation in a few words about what he wants here, what he wants there, and then I do it. It's a little bit of an acting role. Not acting so that it's phony, but just bringing out one of my personalities.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
</strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> How much of what occurs onstage with CRUD is acting and how much is really Danielle ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Well I did say acting, but it's not really acting. It's all me. And I know when they were looking for a female for CRUD, I know they did their first show with female vocals on a track. But Vinnie knew he wanted to have a live female there. And I think he went to, pretty sure it was Keith from Noir Leather and Vinnie said 'I want a girl who's been onstage with a band so that she's comfortable and knows what she's doing, can sing, and has the look of a Noir leather model'. Keith said 'What about Danielle ?' </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, Vinnie came over to my house and explained what he wanted. I told him 'I'm the girl for you!'</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
</strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> When did you realize that you wanted to be a musician ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5NlcWsnFJWmeZcr60iVB1atT99CiWjqDW_z-ji-EYJ73a16nxRuZ7OFDhQ7_d4lbOFnfHkZe3_SW32Qq1DAA1Ixa0yRLPijaUX08Yim5hCuuK9LiZLzwo2dgQ5FStfi-0cALoValQj32/s1600/CRUD223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5NlcWsnFJWmeZcr60iVB1atT99CiWjqDW_z-ji-EYJ73a16nxRuZ7OFDhQ7_d4lbOFnfHkZe3_SW32Qq1DAA1Ixa0yRLPijaUX08Yim5hCuuK9LiZLzwo2dgQ5FStfi-0cALoValQj32/s400/CRUD223.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I always sang when I was growing up. Everybody in my family was into music heavily. My mom sang and she brought me up on different types of music like blues, Zappa, I wasn't just influenced by music when I became a young adult, I was influenced from the day I was born. I love the seventies. Seventies rock, acid rock, stoner rock. I would start singing all the TV and radio jingles. I cut my teeth singing to the B-52s, cuz there's many voices there, and I knew I could mimic those sounds. I was just out of high school and dating this guy with a band where they would practice three nights a week. I was bored. What am I supposed to do three nights a week? I would watch them practice and knew I could do better. So I answered an ad. My first band was Mutant Press with Jerome Youngman who lived in Berkeley at the time. I think he was a one time member of the Motor City Mutants, now he's moved to Texas. He was a one man band and added me. So it was almost the same thing as CRUD. It was me and him singing together. I was dancing and singing a bit. Doing a stage performance, performing with the whole body. I wore an S&M kind of look then, too. Our claim to fame was we opened up for The Mentors at Todd's.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
</strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> How have you managed to age so gracefully ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Good genes and a 'young at heart' attitude. A playful attitude toward everything.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
</strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> What kind of impact has substance had on your life ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> About what you would expect from someone in my scene. It's around me. It's been around me. I started to experiment pretty young in high school. Experimented with . . not everything. ALMOST, everything. I think when I was young it was part peer pressure, part escapism. I had issues and problems in high school, like everybody does. I was looking for escape, acceptance. I wanted to be cool. I had a real chip on my shoulder in high school. They weren't like the glory days for me at all.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> They weren't ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I was mad. Now I realize that one problem was . . instead of trying to be liked and possibly failing, here I'm just going to make people not like me. I was kind of a bully. Kind of mean. I walked around with a dirty look on my face all the time, bumping into people in the hallways. Got in some fights, I was 'one of the guys'. Hung out with a lot of guys, skipped a lot. I was really bad in school.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was angry.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
</strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Why were you so angry ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I don't know. I'm not now. It's a difficult time for people, bodies changing, pressures. I wanted to rebel. And my mom wanted to try to keep me in line, but because I was her sixth child . . she was getting a little tired. Sometimes she would try really hard to keep me down and I protested. We had times where we fought really bad. Told her I hated her. Pushed her one time and my mom's really strong. She knocked me on my ass one time, but we got past that. We're great now. I'm not going to say friends, because you're never supposed to be friends with your parents. But I love my mom and dad. And I appreciate what mom tried to do.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
</strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> When you sing lyrics like 'Where's the Cocaine?' how does feel ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I didn't want to do that, but then I did. I guess at first I was a little uncomfortable. But on that same album, Vinnie also does a song where he says 'I did it without the drugs'. So I think those songs represent different times in his life. And they could also represent different times in many people's lives.</span></strong></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
</strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Do you feel like you've accomplished everything you wanted to in music since you began your career ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Yes. Back then, I thought I wanted to be 'a star'. Now, I'd be happy if it didn't grow much bigger. As long as I can always make money off of it, make a living. Getting a taste of fame, it's not exactly what it's cracked up to be. I love the performing, the attention on stage. But when I'm just walking around going to shows, I want to be a regular Joe. I don't want to be crowded or idolized, which has happened a few times. I want to be normal. I want to be huge in Japan, but unknown here.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
</strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> A hundred years from now, how would you like to be remembered ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> A cool chick with a hot ass. Smart. Funny. Very funny. </span></strong></div><br />
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<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Is it difficult, given your career choices, to maintain a romantic relationship ?</span></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> In the past it's been a little bit difficult for the men I've been involved with. But, I was never really interested in being with the person that I'd thought I'm was going to be with for the rest of my life. I'm kind of a serial monogamist, I just date someone for three or four years. It wasn't really an issue for me, but the guys had some difficulty with it sometimes. But I always tried to explain to them at the shows that people are going to check me out. They're going to look at my ass. But, that's because I am telling them too. But any other time, I try to give them attention. So yeah, it's been trouble for them.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> When you were 19, you were diagnosed with leukemia.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I had to have a bone marrow transplant and Chemotherapy. I was in the hospital for two months. Now they do it outpatient. It was kind of experimental at the time. In my wing at Harper hospital there were probably twenty of us all having transplants or different types of cancer. Two of my friends that I made in there, died. A six year old girl, and a forty year old woman. I was 19 so I was strong and I was able to heal. I actually had a really good time. I was kind of pretending I had my own place, since they gave us each a really large room. I brought music in there. I could see the Magic Stick from there. I smoked weed in there. I had sex with my boyfriend in there. There were really hard times, but when I look back I only remember the good times. But, I realized what chemotherapy is. It takes you as close to death as possible until the cancer dies and hopefully all your major organs make it back. I'd see the looks on people's faces when they came to visit me, and that was when I realized how bad I was.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> How did it affect you ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Most people think it would make you want to take care of yourself more, and be really really careful with your health. No. Some people are so full of themselves. They say 'there's always tomorrow. No, you don't know that. Life's precious. Something could happen at any moment at any time. </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don't mind dying, I just don't want it to be painful.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> A bone marrow transplant is pretty fucking painful. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> It was still kind of experimental at the time, too. I know they've gotten better, but yeah it was a big deal. Large needles stuck into my pelvic bone. I still have pain when it gets cold. My sister was a perfect match donor. Overall it took me a good two years to really come back from that.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Do you think you're addicted to attention ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Interesting question. Hmmmm. Yes, I guess it's safe to say that. When I'm not performing with a band I still have other things I do. The modeling. I'm still in the Hells Belle's Girly Revue, a burlesque troupe. Kind of a peripheral member, so I don't do every show. But when I'm not gigging heavily, I'll perform with them. </span></strong></div><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Do you think you're someone young women should look up to ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Yes. I do have some younger fans on Facebook. As a person, I don't think I'm overly crass. It's been pointed out to me I don't really swear. I think they see some of my photos, and some of those are really sexual images. I don't think that's really a shock or surprise to kids these days. As long as they realize that's a performance, not me walking around like that every day, then I don't think I'm a bad image for girls to look up to. And so many young people today want to be famous. And you ask 'for what?', but they don't have a reason. They just want to be famous to be famous.</span></strong></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> What is left for CRUD to achieve at this point ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Get out there this year, if we have the funding to tour and promote it heavily. Definitely try to get back to the UK, again, if we can secure the funding. Our second record is the last one we owed to the label, so I don't know how much they'll support our next tour or where the funding will come for that. But we definitely have to get back to the UK. We were really well received over there, really well loved. Tour. Tour. Make two videos. Play. Blow everybody's hair back. Turn them on.</span></strong></div><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> You've describe your role with CRUD as being on a 'need to know' basis . .</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> As far as the business, yeah. </span></strong></div><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Yet, you're the face on the t-shirts, the album covers, the posters. How do you balance that ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEing6uFPaQap5r70R4htkolEOFdBbm3_kbqE4PLUyc6-lgkke4HU3OvJ6ydOUaD74DL1-b8D7NZdRCIbcZ4cIMMYBqiAz-S68YnU2KREPmD622-1mfWzcnkE_lg_bgcIvs5hTJ5-cSGhkaZ/s1600/tshirt+crud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEing6uFPaQap5r70R4htkolEOFdBbm3_kbqE4PLUyc6-lgkke4HU3OvJ6ydOUaD74DL1-b8D7NZdRCIbcZ4cIMMYBqiAz-S68YnU2KREPmD622-1mfWzcnkE_lg_bgcIvs5hTJ5-cSGhkaZ/s200/tshirt+crud.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Yeah, It's fine. I'm fine with that. Now, with Blockhead it's the first band I started on my own, so I am starting to handle all that. Getting everyone together, booking the gigs, but before that I didn't have a lot of experience with that end of things. Dana (Forrester) is very driven and experienced. And, Vinnie too. So I'm fine with letting them handle that. I can learn from it and use what I'm learning for Blockhead.</span></strong></div><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Has CRUD been the most rewarding musical experience of your career ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Yes, because I like what we're doing. I'm a perfect fit for it. It's right up my alley, the music, the image the content. I've been in bands before where I was a little embarrassed. I didn't love it. I couldn't just put it on and go as Ms.Awesome. But I was gaining experience. One band I was in, got really popular, really fast and I was seduced by all the attention, so I stayed in it. But the guitar player was writing the lyrics and I was embarrassed to sing them. They were 'Wahhh! another boy shit on me. Boo hoo!' Mentally I was way beyond that. So I am definitely proud of CRUD. And David Black's in my band. I've been a fan of Seduce since I was fifteen.</span></strong></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> What does the future hold for you as an artist the next two years?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Well, I'm trying some instruments. I want to add to my repertoire. But I have trouble with anything I don't do well with off the bat, anything I have to practice. I have a bass, a guitar, a mini theramin. I made my own xylophone. I'd like to create a little more, on my own. Right now my baby is Blockhead, it's the first thing I built from the ground up. So right now that's the next thing.</span></strong></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> In regards to your tribute band 'Blockhead', why Devo ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> They've always been one of my favorite bands since I was young. I have four older brothers and one older sister and they were all into different kinds of music. And my mom also brought me up on music. So my brother was into punk and new wave, so it was just one of the things that was around me all the time. Everyday. I love them. And not just the two or three (mainstream) hits they have. Their deep cuts. They were, for their time, and even now, </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">experimental. I love them.</span></strong></div><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Can we expect a Blockhead album of Devo covers ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I don't know if we want to record, because I'm not sure if people want to buy that. But more shows, better shows, bigger shows.</span></strong></div><br />
<strong> </strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> So Blockhead is strictly a performance vehicle?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0WFcjnbCpk_v2WWJJHxb7nYjX3vDp8PN8Hj82cGUU9Q7VuABwExVkf3fDExGZ-TAI2vXhxdJ5j9KEOgGMXIzY3-8Ky-UiyeYlK_VBoM-pP0xavmd1WoZ87BMyL9iGqmDoF8q1rXQz2_R/s1600/Blockhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0WFcjnbCpk_v2WWJJHxb7nYjX3vDp8PN8Hj82cGUU9Q7VuABwExVkf3fDExGZ-TAI2vXhxdJ5j9KEOgGMXIzY3-8Ky-UiyeYlK_VBoM-pP0xavmd1WoZ87BMyL9iGqmDoF8q1rXQz2_R/s400/Blockhead.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Yeah, I think. Not exactly sure. That was a dream of mine for about four or five years. And finally I was talking to a few people to be in it. “Do you want to be in this when I do it. I don't know what's going to happen”. I called them up every few months. “Blockheads gonna happen!” And now it's happening. I can't believe I got all the people so easily. And, I made sure it was people that didn't just like Devo, but loved Devo. And, as I was putting it together, it suddenly occurred to me 'Wait a minute. Are people going to want to see this?' and they do. I didn't plan this one, but it kind of fell on me. </span></strong></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Do you ever consider a solo career?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> It's not super-duper important to me. But maybe. I'm not too interested in sharing too much of what's in my head. But I'll speak in a lot of metaphors. I don't want to be too figured out. I want people to get me but not think 'Aw Shit, she's crazy!' I don't think I would ever have a project 100% directed by me. I'll always collaborate.</span></strong></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> If you could go back to that 19 year old Danielle in the hospital fighting leukemia,what would you say to her ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Keep on, keeping on. Even the bad things that happened was all a good lesson learned. Do what you do!</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-St.Aubin</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for the DRB</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*EDITED FOR CLARITY AND CONTENT*</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial;">SPECIAL THANKS TO MICHAEL SPLEET PHOTOGRAPHY</span></strong></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F3DdowVfAK0" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="480"></iframe></div><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-39724056830874235022011-01-17T14:25:00.000-08:002011-01-17T14:28:38.140-08:00DRB INTERVIEW: RUDY SARZO ON THE DEATH OF RANDY RHOADS, FINDING SUCCESS, AND JOINING BLUE OYSTER CULT<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYdjf2dq-wM0HDyvoSmMQB9lNlUR5tM-Bi4AhElz1haaK7IyGjTWmq44u7ZA-kwIzL2U57P0BTzVb5_IrlaDBglgsrceFqvFhYbmhccpqCgM7irYpeV_C3ttA0385iH8o5uvyDSHCBlrv/s1600/sarzo222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYdjf2dq-wM0HDyvoSmMQB9lNlUR5tM-Bi4AhElz1haaK7IyGjTWmq44u7ZA-kwIzL2U57P0BTzVb5_IrlaDBglgsrceFqvFhYbmhccpqCgM7irYpeV_C3ttA0385iH8o5uvyDSHCBlrv/s320/sarzo222.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> <span style="background-color: black; color: cyan;">Ozzy Osbourne. Quiet Riot. Whitesnake. Ygnwie Malmsteen. DIO. Blue Oyster Cult. A virtual who's who of heavy metal, hard rock luminaries and bass legend Rudy Sarzo has played for ALL of them. </span></strong></span><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>But, the first quality you'll notice in talking with this bass legend is, despite his storied career as a vital, albeit subtle, participant in Heavy Metal history, he's unusually slow to criticize. Perhaps this is a developed survival mechanism ? After all, interviewer after interviewer has requested Sarzo unveil his emotions in raw detail, after he witnessed close friend and peer, guitar legend Randy Rhoads perish in a brutal and controversial plane crash. It's comes as no surprise that in the past decade Sarzo has refused to discuss the painful memories further, even writing a book, 'Off The Rails', to publicly provide his version of events. And, possibly quell more of the same questions he's been answering since March 25<sup>th</sup>, 1982. Perhaps its years touring, living, and performing with names like David Coverdale, Ygnwie Malmsteen, and Ozzy Osbourne that have taught him a patience and respect for fame and fortunate circumstance. (And, for the record, not the kind, lovable dufus 'Dad Ozzy' we all got to see on the MTV heresy 'The Osbourne's'. No, this was the early eighties drunken rampaging Ozzy)</strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Either way, Rudy Sarzo comes across as one of the most well-balanced rock musicians you will ever meet. He's understandably reserved when referencing the Rhoads death, having accepted that he will forever be linked with the loss. But, he's also surprisingly frank when discussing his current role as bassist for classic rock legends Blue Oyster Cult, and his interests outside the realm of music.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Describe the frustration of being so closely associated with one of rock's great tragedies and having to continuously answer questions surrounding Randy Rhoads death ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> I wrote a book about it called 'Off The Rails'. Every time I do an interview and have to relive it again in order for me to give you a proper answer, it's very painful. A very painful process to go back to that place again. These are really good questions, but they're very painful questions. Everybody connected with Randy, and I have never been the same.</strong></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: orange;"></span><strong></strong></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> You were a member of Quiet Riot at the peak of their success. You were also a member of Whitesnake at the peak of their success. How were the two experiences different ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfj-R6aZa5Beo9M34i59CWr-WPpR-3Sfch180HJhKN5WJ2mqgiFXRTkw2wdVVc1uH6C-GjM_WOQT_pHPzCQLEt_R2OKHkdFV0tYdmSHo-ooRWsu88oivCepmcMF4JQ6vffToIT-S4NpXY/s1600/MENTALHEALTH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfj-R6aZa5Beo9M34i59CWr-WPpR-3Sfch180HJhKN5WJ2mqgiFXRTkw2wdVVc1uH6C-GjM_WOQT_pHPzCQLEt_R2OKHkdFV0tYdmSHo-ooRWsu88oivCepmcMF4JQ6vffToIT-S4NpXY/s320/MENTALHEALTH.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Good question. Very, very different. Quiet Riot was a band I was a member of from the very beginning. I was member through the Randy Rhoads era and through the 'Mental Health' era. And both (versions of) Quiet Riot struggled to make it to the very very top. Were talking about rejection from record companies even after the album 'Mental Health' was completed we saw rejection from the industry in Los Angeles because nobody thought that record or even that genre of music was going to do anything. We're talking 1982-83. We had that record done in 82' and it was ready to hit the streets in March of 1983. From the moment we finished the record to the moment it was ready to be released by the label, we couldn't find management. So we had to beg our old manager to come back and manage us. Nobody thought the band was going to do anything. So they were different situations, coming from the very, VERY bottom with Quiet Riot to the very top. Whereas with Whitesnake we went to the peak in the US, Whitesnake was a very popular band already in Europe, South America, and Asia all the other major markets except for the United States. Matter of fact, Whitesnake was the opening act for Quiet Riot in 1984, which was the last tour that I did with Quiet Riot, the Condition Critical Tour.</strong></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>With Whitesnake it was different because all of the members had previously tasted success. Tommy with Ozzy, then Pat Travers, and Black Oak Arkansas. Vivian Campbell with DIO. Adrien Vandenberg with his own band Vandenberg. And myself. We knew how blessed we were to be in the incredible situation to be playing in Whitesnake, because we were all refugees from other situations.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Are you the most skilled artist to play Bass in a Heavy Metal group?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> No! But definitely one of the most blessed men to play bass. Blessed with all the incredible bands I've been apart of and all the incredible people. Incredible experiences. The way I look at music, whether it's playing Bass or playing drums, it isn't a competition. It's not about who can play the fastest or the loudest. Music is a language. Different musicians have different stories to tell with their instrument. </strong></span><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Different statements, or opinions with their songs. And I just happen to have played with the most talented, most efficient people that have really beautiful things to say, like Randy Rhoads with his guitar, or Ronnie James Dio with his voice. I've been very, very blessed to have shared the stage and studio with such people.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Who was more difficult to work for: David Coverdale, Yngwie Malmsteen, or Ozzy Osbourne ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Oh Wow. None of the above. They were all a pleasure to work with. It's funny, because Ygnwie had the worst reputation, but he was a sweetheart. Truly professional, truly inspiring. Ozzy was great. David was great.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> In response to that, several of the people you've played with have reputations for being substance abusing egomaniacs. How is it possible that you have been so successfully working with such a variety of people with 'difficult' reputations ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Maybe by the time I got to play with Yngwie he had changed his attitude. When I was working with him, it was the 'Attack Tour 2004. His wife April, she manages him. She was on the road with us. She was taking care of all the business. And, his son Antonio was on the tour with us. He was a happy, fulfilled man. He had his family with him on the road. And his band and he was playing his music every night. I can't think of a more rewarding experience than that. He was great.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Did Tawny Kitaen ruin Whitesnake ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> No. I don't think any woman can actually ruin a band. I think the man himself has to be influenced. Look, women are not the only ones that ruin bands. Male influences that can influence a band or certain people. But it's up to the individual whether or not to allow influences from people outside of the band. I didn't think that Tawny or anybody can break up a band. </strong></span><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>It's like the old saying Guns don't kill people, people kill people</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Ozzy has been referenced in interviews claiming he punched you in the face.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Actually I don't know if I've ever read that anywhere. I've never read an interview where he said that, but I do write about it in my book. So there you go, you're getting it from me. The source.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Who influenced you to choose the bass guitar ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Paul McCartney</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> If you hadn't played music what career path would you have chosen ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> I wanted to be a movie director, which is telling a story through the visual. And, that's something I do now with my animation. In addition to being a musician, I am a 3d animator. Right now we have the tools with software and hardware that we can actually utilize to tell a story.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Who will play you in the film version of 'Off The Rails' ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> If it's animated, I will say Mickey Mouse.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> With all the bands you've played with over your storied career, which experience has been the most rewarding ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> They're so different. They all have different meanings. Playing with Ozzy, Randy and Tommy. And Sharon (Osbourne), I learned a lot from her. That was the most incredibly significant because it was the first time. I went from sleeping on a floor to playing with Ozzy Osbourne\e. It was that journey from the bottom to the very top. Sometimes it's the journey that you remember the most. It's how you got to the top that was the most rewarding. And, again with Quiet Riot, another journey to the top. Going from opening up for a bunch of bands in 1983 to seeing 'Mental Health' go to number one on Billboard. </strong></span><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>With Whitesnake it was different because all of the members had previously tasted success. Tommy with Ozzy, then Pat Ravers, Black Oak Arkansas. Vivian Campbell with DIO. Adrien Vandenberg with his own band Vandenberg. And myself. We knew how blessed we were to be in the incredible situation to be playing in Whitesnake, because we were all refugees from other situations.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> You're sixty years old. . .</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Hang on, I have to change my pampers.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Does it feel like sixty ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> You know what, I hate to be crude, but as long as I can still get it up, I'm fine. It all comes down to that.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Do you feel like an actual member of Blue Oyster Cult, or do you feel like a session musician ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> When you join a band as legendary Blue Oyster Cult you have to respect their legacy and their trajectory. They have been around for such a long time, that unless you've been there from day one. There's is no way that I could ever feel like I am an equal in contribution as Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma. It's impossible. They've been doing it for 35 years! One of the reasons I've been successful is because I always join a band, the band doesn't join me. </strong></span><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>In a case like Blue Oyster Cult, it's they don't make me feel like a sideman, it's just the reality of the situation. I have to look at it like 'this is their band and I'm here to do the best job I can as their bass player to help continue the legacy of the band. Very simple.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Other than the obvious, if you could go back to 1979, what would you change ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> I would tell myself to buy shares in Microsoft and Apple. That's it. </strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> What advice would you give yourself musically ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Listen, it's kind of like the butterfly effect. If I changed just one increment of whatever I did in my life, I wouldn't be where I'm at right now. To be honest with you, I am very happy with where I've been, where I'm at and where I am going.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> What do the next few years hold for you ?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> I have a strategy set up for the next one year, two years, five years, ten years.</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUs8ENCzsqlb6YkCf9RfibV3S0HLyVBcuNUOUGtVUoACE9ScpVj8ssaytFuoLH8G1YwfqYI3mHigA4jfq7JubR3sbQCUCKnHAYjlE17MzO66_5Ens7xrtYa_gFAQkmBuWRUVp1JO_2vl4/s1600/sarzo6.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUs8ENCzsqlb6YkCf9RfibV3S0HLyVBcuNUOUGtVUoACE9ScpVj8ssaytFuoLH8G1YwfqYI3mHigA4jfq7JubR3sbQCUCKnHAYjlE17MzO66_5Ens7xrtYa_gFAQkmBuWRUVp1JO_2vl4/s400/sarzo6.bmp" width="400" /></a><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I'm looking forward to making a couple of records. A lot of people don't make records anymore. And I think it's so important to create new music. Musicians were creative creatures, if we keep doing the same thing over and over again we don't grow. And what doesn't grow dies. I am really looking forward to making a couple of records this year. More touring. There's a couple of other projects, everything's being put together. Being put in place.. There's going to be some significant news announced in the next two to three weeks. It's going to be a very busy year for me and that's all I can say right now.</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>-St.Aubin</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>for the DRB</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime;">*Edited for clarity and content*</span></strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></div><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aW3iNS0jxNg?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aW3iNS0jxNg?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> </strong></span>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-78548787699541379902011-01-09T19:26:00.000-08:002011-01-17T14:33:29.092-08:00THE DRB INTERVIEW: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SOPHIE B HAWKINS ?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMz2s7ykc_YdY0XmHBthOOd7uDocEyUehF9K6i_3htyrTj-2FCUUy6mDqvK2INA59Iz4H_7mW4uWufk54UtzvqMoZ2je_qVkeSXOwoWS0UqATOvhHD3JwuNOiBt1kKY8kz0ZFTu_UqKAR/s1600/SBH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMz2s7ykc_YdY0XmHBthOOd7uDocEyUehF9K6i_3htyrTj-2FCUUy6mDqvK2INA59Iz4H_7mW4uWufk54UtzvqMoZ2je_qVkeSXOwoWS0UqATOvhHD3JwuNOiBt1kKY8kz0ZFTu_UqKAR/s320/SBH.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> It's rare that for a single moment the universe stops and focuses on one song. But that's exactly what happened when a clever little single entitled 'Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover' started getting noticed. In fact, it reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and MTV found the original version of the video to be a bit too racy. (This was the age before The Real World and those conservative New Jersey artisans currently being portrayed on another Music Television project that has nothing to do with music.) For that single moment, Sophie B. Hawkins had the ear of the music world. In fairness, her first album is well crafted and well-deserved of the critical praise it received including a Grammy for Best New Artist. She went on to repeat her success with her second album, 1994's uneven 'Whaler' which featured AOR radio staple 'As I Lay Me Down'. 'Down' was a pop hit, but lacked the unique fire and passion that made 'Damn' timeless. 1998 proved to be a pivotal year for Hawkins as a documentary by her longtime partner Gigi Gaston entitled 'The Cream Will Rise' was released covering in depth Hawkins deeply complex relationship with her family. That yeah, she was drawn into a contentious and bitter dispute with her label Sony Music over the production of third album 'Timbre', including a bizarre argument concerning the removal of a banjo track from one of the songs. 'Timbre' was eventually released in 1999, but without any promotional support from Sony.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The DRB recently talked with Sophie about her views on the world, her career, and what should be considered the greatest horror film of all time.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: cyan;">Has your career progressed in the way, as a younger artist, you imagined it would ?</span></span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> My career has not progressed the way I'd thought it would, because I never thought I'd have a career! I always knew I'd write songs and be an avid musician, and paint, but I've become more than I imagined, and now I am much less than I imagine I will be.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: cyan;">What has been the most disappointing aspect of your career as a professional musician?</span></span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I had so little confidence as a performer, and I've come to realize that performing is one of my strongest and most creative states. Had I pushed myself to tour more earlier on, with the first single, and perform more in general, I would have a bigger reach today. I still build my audience, but the crucial building time was my first album and Sony saw me as a radio singles artist. I could have done more out of the box. Damn it!</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: cyan;"> Does Christmas hold a special meaning for you ? What's your favorite Christmas song ?</span></span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No reply.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> What experience from your years of touring has taught you the most about yourself ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Touring has taught me that my most vital and creative self is the unconscious and unselfconscious Sophie B. Hawkins who lets it all out in front of a curious audience. I am at my best when I'm raw, scared and tired.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: cyan;">What can we expect from SBH in the next two years as a musician ?</span></span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Right now, I am figuring out how best to get my new material out. I'm studying the internet market as we speak and will definitely get a song and video out soon. I am the lyricist and composer on a musical Gigi Gaston brought me in on, it's a totally original work and we've had the first reading in NYC with a stellar cast, including Kristin Chenoweth. I am very passionate about this project. Also, I've begun a book, and I hope to finish it by the end of this year.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> What challenges are left for you to overcome ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The feeling that I can't get my work out there the way I'd like to, I have no problem creating the stuff, and so I'm working hard on myself, my mind, my attitude to break those barriers down. </span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Of which of your works are you the most proud of and why ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 'As I Lay Me Down' because it seems to have affected so many people in a positive way, as if it's a song from everyone's child self. I think that song came through me like an angel, and I am so blessed to have been open to it and given voice to it. It's the purity within everyone that came through me. It happened a second time, in the form of my son, Dashiell.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: cyan;">Is our country headed on the right course ?</span></span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I feel our country is headed in the correct direction now, because the people of America have realized that materialism, politicism and narcissism are self destructive. I feel we are taking responsibility and not looking to Washington to take care of us and even represent us, we are holding those we elect accountable. If our economy gets worse I believe the people can take the bull by the horns, be mentally strong and resourceful. In a way, we've grown spiritually through the challenges. Each American has to take care of their own business and when we do, we raise the bar for those we empower to make the laws. We are awake now, as a country, and are putting our families, our neighbors and our country ahead of party ideology.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: cyan;">What's the best horror movie ever made ?</span></span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Scary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: cyan;">If it all ended tomorrow would you feel that you accomplished everything you wanted to in music ?</span></span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> If it all ended tomorrow I'd be so pissed, I haven't nearly done what I think I can now do, even with this musical. Please God don't let it end tomorrow!</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">-St.Aubin</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for the DRB</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Verdana;">*edited for clarity and content</span></strong></div><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-25130604137279777472011-01-06T22:03:00.000-08:002011-01-06T23:08:21.619-08:00THE DETROIT ROCK BLOG PRESENTS: OUR CHOICES FOR THE TOP 6 ALBUMS OF 2010 (WITH BIG FAT JUICY SURPRISES)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XGyp6YdI_CadjFgScu_gsuI6a_QN5z8sBZJeYno_Ixnaq0DD6k9qPn0l0K-zfWzHWLcI2jxKJeP4J2sRroOvtCOwUXHhPpvdZ6kLEyu7Ed067ino13swPYRHqKRlNJFo-tYPf_Gp_bvP/s1600/kw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XGyp6YdI_CadjFgScu_gsuI6a_QN5z8sBZJeYno_Ixnaq0DD6k9qPn0l0K-zfWzHWLcI2jxKJeP4J2sRroOvtCOwUXHhPpvdZ6kLEyu7Ed067ino13swPYRHqKRlNJFo-tYPf_Gp_bvP/s320/kw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong> <span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently all the popping noises we keep hearing over at Rolling Stone is the pleasant sound of every RS music critic pulling their head out of Kanye West's ass. It's a disappointing truth that West is a nothing more than desperately sensational pick. It's what a print media icon does when they're catering to advertisers and 8th graders in an effort to stay relevant. Here at the DRB, we actually take the time to <u>listen</u> to these records, repeatedly, so the subtle nuances that are often lost in the Ipod shuffle have more time to sink in. Don't cry and wail because the list isn't completely comprised of Detroit area acts, Indie rock heartthrobs, or national megastars. We go with what makes an impression, what sticks in our souls, and the music we firmly believe deserves praise. In other words, we do what the hell we want and recommend what we please. So, without further adulation or pontification, the DETROIT ROCK BLOG presents: Our heavily researched, heavily debated, and battle tested BEST OF 2010 (and 2009) LIST:</span></span></strong></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKoYIPnV7e8uQDJzNwVg6A55lxqaHk8kk45FpE2ozrlYpAYhCiYNYXoTeuwd9k-GTb7B8J7utRiOJZUztXsZ65m2gY3va0MsNsmtWuGc2QUhCxCq3Xp-JzNQorrHXFw5q6apjFc8A3pmw/s1600/LCD.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKoYIPnV7e8uQDJzNwVg6A55lxqaHk8kk45FpE2ozrlYpAYhCiYNYXoTeuwd9k-GTb7B8J7utRiOJZUztXsZ65m2gY3va0MsNsmtWuGc2QUhCxCq3Xp-JzNQorrHXFw5q6apjFc8A3pmw/s320/LCD.bmp" width="320" /></strong></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> I tried hard to purposely not like this band. Even in my sleep, I fought it, imagining myself in a brawl with Hunter S. Thompson or whether this classifies as 'music'. However, after, we here at the Blogs headquarters saw a copy of the video for 'Drunk Girls', there was no turning back. Sigh. This is a record that gets under your skin from the first listen. It's so fucking irritating that I almost chose to not include it. But the truth is, it's nearly the best national release of 2010.</strong></span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5R689fP-oUULEfer9-FQI9zb4jv4x-kBnRag0cm_0qanYtyCojgl9K-pwYIwC8lvfrnt3jt6Ctx-NjWCl9FBEdWVpOp0FS_BBJBs5CWfuJKbmLOzlMQkWBgCWCDrFmKBSkjAM0wHt4-H/s1600/BK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5R689fP-oUULEfer9-FQI9zb4jv4x-kBnRag0cm_0qanYtyCojgl9K-pwYIwC8lvfrnt3jt6Ctx-NjWCl9FBEdWVpOp0FS_BBJBs5CWfuJKbmLOzlMQkWBgCWCDrFmKBSkjAM0wHt4-H/s320/BK.jpg" width="320" /></strong></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Each of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney's albums age like a Chateau Chantal Merlot (that's red wine, you savages!), although on a song for song comparison, nothing yet has matched the sheer crotch rock audacity of earlier single 'Your Touch'. This album, as a constructive whole, certainly comes close, and many critics seem to agree with the DRB for once.</strong></span></div><br />
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</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo63IOmJIbU992BFa-kSRHrCQoNV9UVgX1fwfWvN8gzXPmMsT1KdQU_bf8ydk6Xnv9FV7A6hQWGmObCqL79nojcVZQLnZ9F00u509UG5FH4_tbYoZxwj45oZ1NGzqSlSdoUF_90GrVmYiH/s1600/Ripka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo63IOmJIbU992BFa-kSRHrCQoNV9UVgX1fwfWvN8gzXPmMsT1KdQU_bf8ydk6Xnv9FV7A6hQWGmObCqL79nojcVZQLnZ9F00u509UG5FH4_tbYoZxwj45oZ1NGzqSlSdoUF_90GrVmYiH/s320/Ripka.jpg" width="320" /></strong></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> A torrent of angry emails from my hard rock/punk rock/anger rock minions will result from this selection. Yes, I know it's Mcglachlan-esqe pop. But two things: One, sometimes you have to step outside your comfort zone. Jessica has a White Stripes garage rock streak hidden underneath all the charm. Two, listen to the gentle harmonies and lush majesty (typical adjectives for this type of DIY daydream pop album) and you will be irretrievably hooked.</strong></span></div><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Some contentious office debate rose up over the inclusion of this album. However, the DRB's chief department of fist fighting simpletons were able to agree on one thing: this is the album Ruiners fans have been waiting for. With Bitch, Rick Ruiner and his rock and roll family have successfully captured their ferocious live energy on record. Just listen to fun they're have with 'Sugar Buzz' and 'Broken Halo', and I truly believe that's what's so enjoyable about bitch. The fun arrives nonstop across this record. It may not be U2, but on Friday, at 5pm, when the good times are about to go napalm, it's the first, best choice for the CD player or Ipod.</strong></span></div><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>Best EP:</u> The Eeks – The Ladykill Award EP</strong></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwaPM4zUtYcUF40j7fuW2WpBWbi1tSNewOLqH1qn9kX4iQao6wZ4_R-tTw8OF4RibRPPCjmJWSkCy_o8kIRGd5HBE7Kb3lb6ULBffyzZCzl2H2F1FmT-pq9-Qg8nxwZVg3dsJtnu_qsnR/s1600/EEKSHCR15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><img border="0" height="317" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwaPM4zUtYcUF40j7fuW2WpBWbi1tSNewOLqH1qn9kX4iQao6wZ4_R-tTw8OF4RibRPPCjmJWSkCy_o8kIRGd5HBE7Kb3lb6ULBffyzZCzl2H2F1FmT-pq9-Qg8nxwZVg3dsJtnu_qsnR/s320/EEKSHCR15.jpg" width="320" /></strong></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> This band has yet to get the attention they deserve, but it will come. 'She Screams' was narrowly beaten out for best song by ONE VOTE!! Were anxiously awaiting the release of their upcoming full length album.</strong></span></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><strong>Nominees:</strong></u></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Joe Hertler – Sleeping Giant EP</strong></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Glitter Trash – Glitter Trash</strong></span></div><br />
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</strong> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-size: large;"><u>Best Song:</u> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Glitter Trash – "I Need Sex!"</span> </span></strong></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oIQ3GoSKiHkiImYJyK3v3Jyl1plcj-F_mVlNfYCVZ7UKvmbgK2gtmv0AV4zBnjvz7Goh_0OMGRTq0S205ffvhsVOkwPwB_0X5GpLmbBWC7AbgytshZFNDDLJJ-XFi5R87J2uf5qF4P05/s1600/GtotheT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oIQ3GoSKiHkiImYJyK3v3Jyl1plcj-F_mVlNfYCVZ7UKvmbgK2gtmv0AV4zBnjvz7Goh_0OMGRTq0S205ffvhsVOkwPwB_0X5GpLmbBWC7AbgytshZFNDDLJJ-XFi5R87J2uf5qF4P05/s320/GtotheT.jpg" width="320" /></strong></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> There's an entire punk rock revolution going on this very moment in Detroit, that the masses are missing out on. The spirit of that revolution, is contained within the flawed brilliance of this jagged piece of iron. Those of us fortunate enough to document the forefront, will look back and remember with sensual affection these furious days and furious singles.</strong></span></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><strong>Nominees:</strong></u></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Eeks – 'She Screams'</strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Ruiners – 'Fix That Broken Halo'</strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>CRUD – 'We'll Not Be Broken'</strong></span></div><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>These albums were released in 2009, but we stumbled upon them (drunkenly) in 2010:</strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> The Black Ryder - Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride</strong></span><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Shoegaze masterpiece. When our kid's kids are talking about music, the discussions will include Austrailia's sexiest musical export: The Black Ryder. Imagine your grandchildren discovering 'Gone Without Feeling' for the first time, as they light up their first . . cigarette.</span></strong></div><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span></div><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span></div><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> The Joy Formidable - A Balloon Called Moaning</strong></span></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Whatever the hell the title means, The Joy Formidable will win you over with their half-shoe gaze, half-drone heartache anthems. Their sadness is saved from approaching The Cure's level of wallowing self pity by the ethereal vocals of Ritzy Brian </strong></span></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way To Blue</strong></span></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> I was the biggest skeptic of this album that could exist. How can it be Alice with Layne? Well, in all honesty, it is and it isn't. I'm still not pleased with Cantrell's lack of originality. Tribute or not, how difficult is it finding a Staley-sound alike ? However, lyrically and musically, this album is head of the class for 2009.</strong></span></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> The Hard Lessons – Arms Forest</strong></span></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> In one unlikely album, The Hard Lessons summarize what it means to be Detroit. They demonstrate how a pop rock daffodil can grow from grit, desolation and despair. </strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Best Detroit Album of 2009.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Arial;"><strong>-Staff</strong></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Arial;"><strong>for the DRB</strong></span></div></div><br />
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</div></div></div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-26017031461267837812011-01-01T09:48:00.000-08:002011-01-17T14:35:18.825-08:00DRB 5 MINUTE INTERVIEW: KENNY OLSON ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH SOME GUY NAMED KID ROCK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKfSL5c7nsK4bIxdT9W0ePTg7SuKDMzrUfBBKjI-5AWG75thg1qXKxe2QN5cD8UkmdzAXW42s6M8-P0z1nsV4biBFe88L4q1yyuk1JYaHTDOaOvqqZzqf4JbOVWd7zjiPQe9Hy609Z_yl/s1600/Kenny_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKfSL5c7nsK4bIxdT9W0ePTg7SuKDMzrUfBBKjI-5AWG75thg1qXKxe2QN5cD8UkmdzAXW42s6M8-P0z1nsV4biBFe88L4q1yyuk1JYaHTDOaOvqqZzqf4JbOVWd7zjiPQe9Hy609Z_yl/s320/Kenny_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We all know him as Rock and Roll Jesus' ex-powerhouse lead guitarist of eleven years. But Kenny Olson has been crafted several notable side projects since his departure from The Twisted Brown Trucker Band. He's played with 'Pack of Wolves', 'The Flask', and even played with Chaka Khan on a version of 'Little Wing' for the Power of Soul Jimi Hendrix tribute. Currently he's tearing up Nashville stages with his promising new band 7dayBinge.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Kenny recently graced the stage at The Ritz in Warrern, Michigan, during The Fabulous Miss Wendy's eye-opening performance, and the blistering duo treated the audience to a guitar duel for the ages. Afterwards, The DRB spoke with Kenny regarding his complicated friendship with the artist formerly known as Robert Ritchie.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There have been rumors you feel Kid Rock has sold out. Whats your opinion of his latest work ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I don't know if I ever said <em>that</em>. I haven't heard the whole record, to be honest with you. Its one of those things, where if you came to my house and all the record plaques I have from the five albums we did together, the millions of albums we sold Well, I don't have one plaque on the wall. And all those songs I played on with all the Kid Rock stuff, (that) I have to hear in grocery stores and wherever I go and think 'Oh, hey that's me!!'. Where's the royalty check ? I think Bob is . . I've heard a few of the songs, and they're good songs. I think it's just a little different.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It certainly isn't 'Devil Without A Cause'.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It's totally different. Bob and I are like two brothers who have their horns locked over the years. I admire what he's trying to do and as we get older we have to find our niche and reinvent ourselves. But whatever the future has alive for that, I wish the best for both of us and I'm taking the high road. But, I'm still rocking. I been down to Nashville, but I ain't 'countrified'. Country music for me doesn't have a 'o' in it.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Are you disappointed with the way Kid's career has progressed ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Its one of those things where I've had to accept it. Its It's the typical story where the lead guitar player and singer have a falling out. Like I've said, we've known each other forever so it's more like two brothers locking horns.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Is that how you would describe your relationship currently ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We hang when were in Nashville, here and there. But we went awhile without speaking, obviously. When I quit, he was mad at me for quitting. I was mad at him for the reasons I quit, but we've managed to talk. On a spiritual level, you cant hold a grudge. I've been on many tours with my peers and people I looked up to and have learned that. I've been on a bus rolling down the road with some of the most amazing musicians over the years from eighty years old to twenty and everyone has their disagreements. Shit happens. Its the music industry. It's creativity. It can be like a bad divorce.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> What do the next two years hold for you ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 2011. Eleven's my lucky number. I've spread myself so thin, something's about to give. I'm on a boat right now and got a lot of fishing lines in the water. It's going to be a good year. I've been playing on a lot of people's records. Putting my name out there as a cameo appearance thing and I've got several projects of my own. But, the music industry is so up and down, it's like a football game. With a bunch of people who know what they're doing, but the field is still cluttered with a bunch of people who don't know what they're doing. So its kind of hard to pass the ball and make a reception with all that shit going on.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If you could go back and give yourself career advice in the year 2000, what would you say?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was having to much fun in 2000 to take advice from myself or anyone. It's all a blur.</span></strong></div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-76903768711982460322010-12-28T22:33:00.000-08:002010-12-28T22:34:35.250-08:00DRB RECORD REVIEW: THE FABULOUS MISS WENDY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUC19qhyphenhyphenMizDWW9KdgMHGaVnRWGUp9htXZZ8ca0XCZUxdCzMmFysP6kj_qUY914drA0Si594NicdwR3sQ-A8FKVczGW1T1lFsKCxxsdChPcYe7_zQXWMOEp4Dc0gBi7Vi6rKPT_q9tSd2/s1600/zmisswendy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUC19qhyphenhyphenMizDWW9KdgMHGaVnRWGUp9htXZZ8ca0XCZUxdCzMmFysP6kj_qUY914drA0Si594NicdwR3sQ-A8FKVczGW1T1lFsKCxxsdChPcYe7_zQXWMOEp4Dc0gBi7Vi6rKPT_q9tSd2/s320/zmisswendy.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I had the good fortune recently to not only see the 'Fabulous' Miss Wendy perform live at The Ritz in Warren, Michigan, but to speak with her after the show where she opened for local music legends Sponge. Separate from any critical views on her music, I was pleased to discover this gifted musician is also a humble, and extremely patient young woman. She spoke openly with each and every gushing fan that approached, but more revealing, was her painstaking pleasantness with several 'overly appreciative' and intoxicated male admirers.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> So I find myself in the difficult quandary of having to heap both praise and criticism upon her.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Miss Wendy's Ritz set was jaw-dropping impressive in how her stage presence demands your attention, and refuses to surrender it until she's good and ready. She turned on the octane for the Detroit crowd, and demonstrated how her brand of Southern California pop/punk is not only seductive, it's powerfully addictive. This L.A. fireball can flat out play, holding her own on stage in a guitar 'duel' against a fired up Kenny Olsen. And Detroiters will admit, a girl with the confidence to show the entire crowd she's wearing ruby red panties, while playing the most spirited covers of the MC5's 'Kick Out The Jams' and Iggy and the Stooge's 'Search And Destroy' we've heard in years, is a fucking rock star. These songs have been played to death, but Miss Wendy literally brought both tracks back to electric, shrieking life with a raw, sexy, and high energy approach.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> But that same seductive approach to her music is part of the two edged sword that initially tempered my expectations towards her self-titled disc. Sex may always sell, in music, in art, in life, but at what point does the image begin to detract from the art ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The bad news is often an emerging artist will bet all her $5 dollar chips on an overly risque musical alter-ego, particularly when her level of raw talent is being under-served and under-noticed. And certain tracks on this album do run together with a common thread of hyper charged sexuality. In the same breath, Wendy announces, via song titles, that she is 'Jailbait', your 'Mistress', and a 'Crazy Fucked Up Bitch', and that when she seduces you, please 'Call Me Fabulous'. Though in reality these songs are likely not autobiographical, her vocal delivery is pregnant with authenticity. Call it sex rock, call it sleaze rock, call it whatever you want, the album is soaked in tease, the way a porn star's face is usually covered with . . make up. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The good news, is that this album is conversely, the rare exception. Even the overtly sexual tracks are refreshingly, annoyingly original, and The Fabulous Miss Wendy defied my expectations by delivering an imaginative musical viciousness. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Where the music truly succeeds is when Miss Wendy tones down the nearly overwhelming tart factor, and lets her lyricism take center stage. On pop ditty 'I Like Boys', which despite the obvious title, is actually one of the more pedestrian tracks, Miss Wendy's gift as a songwriter shines like the Savannah moon at midnight:</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> 'I like boys from Africa, South America, and Asia. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I like boys from so many places, how could I not?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I like boys, with long hair, big eyes, pretty faces. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I like them all over the place, how could I not?' </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> To this day, Veruca Salt wishes they could write something this clever. Album oriented radio should be going buck wild with this track. It's the perfect radio single on par with anything Alanis Morissette or Joan Jett ever concocted. Brilliant in it's simplicity, less is clearly more.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Tracks like 'Love Song' and 'How Could You' continue showcasing the depth of Miss Wendy creativity as a pop rock poet. But 'It Hurts' is a triumph as sharp as a knife edge, that blends brutally honest songwriting ('He treated me like shit, and I didn't mind because I thought I couldn't do better'), subtle melody, and raw heartache into a boiling ball of female fury that will remind you of Bikini Kill's brighter moments. 'Scumbag' is the only exception where Miss Wendy reaches boldly for a Raw Power-esque feel, but the track falls short of Iggy's grit. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Gerald V. Casale's production and Paul David Hager's mixing highlights this ten song triumph that's over far too quickly. They've successfully molded tracks that were once little more than ideas, into two to three minute sex drenched pop rockets, without sacrificing intensity. And, beneath the occasionally lurid lap dance lyrics, there's the foundation of a tremendously talented performer, who is destined for a successful career in rock.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">A-</span></strong></div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-79999513165758890942010-12-17T21:03:00.000-08:002010-12-20T16:35:21.744-08:00THE DRB INTERVIEW: JB FRANK ON HEROIN, PAUL REVERE, AND THE RISE AND FALL OF KINGDOM COME<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFX_YxyE_ZZSBinQ6vCHIYGfFD-BAcHWvcKIGoOl8JgkAY8vFffSNDgHWHe13fCikCvSLahWSibVtfz9XRAf2NymwtSLV5NP28BSMnPSXiqmIu28jdbtBRWl8U2vxxKaMjjk-YYVlqi7T8/s1600/ZB3.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFX_YxyE_ZZSBinQ6vCHIYGfFD-BAcHWvcKIGoOl8JgkAY8vFffSNDgHWHe13fCikCvSLahWSibVtfz9XRAf2NymwtSLV5NP28BSMnPSXiqmIu28jdbtBRWl8U2vxxKaMjjk-YYVlqi7T8/s320/ZB3.bmp" width="242" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: black;">JB Frank was on the front lines of Heavy Metal's late 80's pinnacle with the equally famous (and infamous) Led Zeppelin-esque, Kingdom Come. But in the two decades since Kingdom Come's stunning debut and subsequent breakup, Frank has overcome the heartache of divorce, a devastating addiction, and the fickle tastes of music fans. He's found clarity, embraced a deep rooted faith, and now shares an insight into life and forgiveness that's nothing less than inspiring. His firsthand experience with the seductive temptations that accompany L.A. rock stardom provide a startling glimpse into the seamier side of the sunset strip glory days. And yet he's not only lived to tell the proverbial tale, he's managed to channel his suffering into music and art. His brutal honesty regarding drug addiction and recovery, is refreshing, and his roots in metal run deep. Deeper than even die hard metal fans can imagine. Did you know he was the voice behind Solid Gold ? </span></span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Neither did we.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Describe your musical experience prior to Kingdom come.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I was in a band four years before that which had a number one song. I was working with Diane Warren as her producer, so I was pretty plugged in to the music business. I already had several gold and platinum records on my wall from singing on stuff like Beverly Hills cop. I was the voice on Solid Gold. SOLID GOLLLLD!! Played twice on Saturday mornings! So I was already doing pretty well when I got in Kingdom Come. I was playing bass locally for fun with a couple of bands called Johnny Crash and World War III in the local circuit. David Geffen wrote in 1986 that he was going to sign a hundred bands off the streets of L.A., so at the time L.A. was jam packed with everybody and their brother trying to get a record deal. The Rock City News looked like War and Peace. Three years later, it couldn't hardly get an advertiser.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> You've described in previous interviews, the difficulty working with Kingdom Come lead vocalist Lenny Wolf. Was there a specific moment where you realized it was completely over ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> We were in Tennessee playing this poor man's Woodstock. Some farmer had turned his farm into a place that hosted concerts and was pretty successful. They let some people in while we were sound checking. </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Lenny was such a jerk he told them “Nobody sees us sound check! We quit!” The entire band quit at that point. The farmer pulled a shotgun on us, so Lenny told him “I'm not afraid of guns, I'm German!” Lenny has some serious psychological problems. But, he's a very talented guy. He could sing those high notes, was a really good musician, and a decent songwriter.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Have those feelings subsided over the years? Do you keep in touch ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Once in a while I see him. The whole band, aside from Danny Stag, got together at one James Kottak's shows when James was still married to Tommy Lee's sister Athena. They had a band called Kottak so we all went to see him at some L.A. Club. There was four out of five of us that night and it was the first time in fifteen years we'd played together. It went pretty good and we've gotten together several times and discussed doing a reunion tour in between James touring with The Scorpions and everybody else working. But it's never come together. Lenny's kind of a greedy person, too. They put Axl Rose down for the 'Axl Rose Agreement' where he took fifty percent and the rest of (Gun's and Roses) split the remaining fifty percent. Well in Kingdom Come, Lenny took seventy percent and the rest of us split thirty percent. We still made pretty good money, but the guy was really greedy. There was a lot of shady shit going on with the management hooking us with accountants that charged us $600 a month that we didn't know we were being charged. I had screen actors guild insurance and he let that let go. Just stuff I can never get back. To be candid, when Kingdom Come broke up I had several offers to play. They all came in to Marty Wolf's office and were never forwarded to me. Alice Cooper wanted me to play bass for him, but I never even found that out until a year and half later. Everybody was out for themselves. The management was on drugs. And Lenny should have been on drugs.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> How did drug use affect the band ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Me and Lenny were semi-sober. We weren't using hard drugs, just the occasional beer, occasional joint, and Lenny wasn't even into that. The other three members of our band were pretty drugged out, and out management was drugged out. The majority of the Monsters Of Rock Tour was using drugs. Don Dokken and maybe Klaus Meine were sober. But everybody else on the tour was fucked up out of their minds. We had a limousine follow us with the cocaine in it.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> If you could go back what would you do differently ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> It would be a whole different ballgame. This might sound weird, but I've evolved to a higher level of consciousness. I'm more into unification, seeing people deeply with compassion, love, and forgiveness. I would have tried to be more loving to Lenny, because that's all he really needed was somebody to love him. People who need love the most in this world, seem to push it away the fastest. And Lenny was definitely that, he definitely had anger issues. </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I was the oldest guy in the band and already had the most success. I would've taken more of a role in working with the insanity, the drug addiction. Maybe try and help the three guys that were on drugs to look at their lives. Bring a little more love to Lenny, because Lenny was a really disturbed person. Most people that are angry and act out like he does, they just need love. And I think Lenny didn't have any love in his life at the time. He was one of those people that isolated and treated everybody like shit when he just needed someone to be kind with him. Now, I would have tried to bring more love to Lenny, tried to help him. Maybe help him realize there's more to life than paying attention to the part of your mind that just wants and needs and hates. I have no doubt the suffering I had as a child made me rise to be a rock star, because I needed to prove to all those kids in school that I could read. I was dyslexic when I was a kid. Lenny had a rough life and I believe he could have used somebody to be on his side. And that could have been me if I hadn't been so worried about my own problems. People say to me “JB, your like having a dog around, you calm people down”. I wish I could have brought that to Kingdom Come.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><strong><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: yellow;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> You've were quoted in previous interview as saying '$12,000 a gig wasn't enough to work with Lenny Wolf'?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> That's right. It wasn't.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> How much money makes it worthwhile ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I don't know. That's a tough one. It's hard to be around people with that bad energy. He even took separate planes, separate cars and separate buses sometimes to spare us all his insanity. It's hard to put a dollar figure on it. I'd do it now for twenty grand. He called me about ten years ago and offered me a Russian tour for $375 a week to go play Russia in the middle of the winter. Are you kidding? Guess some Russian women would've kept me warm, but I couldn't take it. Little story about Lenny Wolf, you could play anything on guitar and he would tell you “That's great!” and turn it into a song. He's one of those megalomaniac, divine inspiration types. I predicted this guy's gonna take a shit some night and put it in a box and declare it god. And then when we were in Japan and he comes into my room “Johnny you have to come over to my room and see this!” so I come over to his room. And he shows me this giant shit he took in the toilet. “Is that the biggest turd you've ever seen !?!” That's what an egomaniac he was. He'd take a shit and think it was great.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Which Kingdom Song are you the most proud of?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Probably 'What Love Can Be'. When I auditioned for the band, I didn't know he was the guy, although I had seen him before in Stone Fury. He was sitting in the other room when I set up my equipment. I played a 12 bar blues, and he came out and told me 'You have the gig, I'm very impressed'. The fact is they were looking for someone who knew the John Paul Jones riffs, and that was kind of the school I came out of. He never auditioned any other bass players besides me. James Kottak was about the tenth drummer that came in. We hired him and never looked at another drummer. We looked at probably 150-200 guitar players and decided on my best friend since high school, Danny Stag, who is a brilliant guitar player, into Hendrix and fit the bill. They were looking for a Jimmy Page type. So yeah, 'What Love Can Be'. Every time I went to a strip club, some stripper would tell me 'Oh yeah, I strip to your song'. It's always rewarding when someone strips to your song. I was pretty proud of the whole thing. We spent six months up in Vancouver with Bob Rock. He was a quarter million dollar engineer on Bon Jovi and Cinderella's albums, but this was his first one where he was the main producer. Everything Bob Rock touched was the biggest albums anybody had. Motley Crue, Metallica . .</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Tell us about you're painting.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6iq4utQdxoofxcEesOoa4PnluENXNAObv0U7JXc4k63gzBvv-ufQzlx6OrVOcpHYDBpTCWegHsH86aK32kwtZfI52luTw0iN0zPmKcu4qkLUcR_LR8vs73y5BLpH23xt9KNmklmxplrB/s1600/jb+art.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6iq4utQdxoofxcEesOoa4PnluENXNAObv0U7JXc4k63gzBvv-ufQzlx6OrVOcpHYDBpTCWegHsH86aK32kwtZfI52luTw0iN0zPmKcu4qkLUcR_LR8vs73y5BLpH23xt9KNmklmxplrB/s320/jb+art.bmp" width="240" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> It's pretty crazy. I started painting back in college. When I got a divorce, my wife threw paint all over my paintings. I thought “that's fucked up those were my masterpieces!' But then I painted over a lot of them. I've done a hundred paintings in the last five years and sold nine. Not near as much as Lars Ulrich sold his paintings for. I saw he got $5.1 million for twelve paintings. They were huge and they were pretty good. My shit's a little more original, maybe. I do acrylics. I have been diagnosed, I'm a savant. Everything comes out of me in math, music, and art. My work is like surrealistic land and seascapes from other planets. I have like fifteen mile mountains and weird stuff in my paintings that doesn't exist on earth.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> What inspires you ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I'm not sure. I'm a pretty cosmic dude these days. I've opened my third eye. I do third eye meditations where I just visualize whats in my head. I've had a few bouts with drugs after Kingdom Come. I got in a car wreck in 1993 and they put me on percosets. Next thing I knew, I was 'chasing the dragon' with every L.A. loser there was. Did a seven year bout on heroin addiction and pain pills. In the year 2000, I made a commitment to stay off all that stuff and managed to stay sober for about four years. Then I did a three year bout with crack cocaine. Now I got three years of sobriety again, and things are looking good for the first time in my life. I realized I didn't need all that stuff to evolve out of my ego and find my higher self and that's where I'm at right now. And I feel pretty good about it.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Do you have an addictive personality ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I think human beings, all mammals have addictive personalities. We're herd animals. One horse jumps off a cliff, the other horses follow him. It's kind of the way the world is set up, were all addicted. We need to evolve. Were all caught up in false self, and our ego, and our identity. We forget there's a lot of life in between good and bad. We have binary minds that put everything into a good or bad character. Good or evil. There's a lot of life in between that. I'm trying to anchor those beliefs. There's more to life than just getting a paycheck.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> How did dyslexia affect you growing up ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> It made me gravitate to the things I could do. If you have dyslexia, you have to find something you're good at. Just like bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia, if you pay too much attention to your mind. Highly intelligent people that pay attention to their minds become schizophrenic. Like in a beautiful mind, the guy was so intelligent and paid so much attention to his mind, he actually saw people that weren't there. Dyslexia is a lack of focus on what you have to do. For me now, I realize that most of my education was bullshit. I must have realized it then but didn't have the balls or individuality to say it then. Most of the people who taught me were heroes in school? Those people weren't heroes. They were people they ran up the flagpole. George Washington? He was really serving the queen. Paul Revere? He was a no hero, he was a Thirty-Three Degree Free Mason with an agenda to take people's right away from them, become rich, and serve the queen. What about the nine presidents before George Washington? All that math I had to take? All that English? Why cant I spell proportion with an 'f', and lots of stuff that didn't make sense to me. I find when I can accept who I am in life, I get a lot of gifts out of it. If I can accept that I'm not the greatest reader in the world. And I can accept that I don't know everything, then I do learn stuff. But if I sit there and put all my focus into the confusion of life, and the things I don't know, then I stay right there in that insanity. If I can step out of that, that insanity and accept the way I am, then I intuitively know things in life that come me. You have to get rid of your ignorance to be brilliant. A lot of us are walking around with a lot of ignorance. We walk around judging, taking things personal. You put all your energy into assumptions and things you don't know, that's a really crazy lifestyle. </span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> <span style="color: red;">What was the highlight of your time with Kingdom Come ?</span></span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I'd have to say my birthday, July 18<sup>th</sup>, 1988. I was playing Candlestick Park for 85,00 people, and fifty people came up from Los Angeles to see me. It was towards the end of the Monsters of Rock tour. We often went on at 1:30pm and Van Halen didn't go on until 10pm. So a lot of the shows were about half full when we went on. But this show was on a Saturday and their were 85,000 people there to see <i>us</i> play and it felt really good. The wind was blowing 35 miles per hour, it was my birthday, and it was just amazing. I almost got in a fight with Sammy Hagar that day because he needed our dressing room to put his family in. So, I got into this little tiff with Sammy. But, ended up about a year later being in a celebrity golf tournament with him and giving him the finger. He's a decent singer, but I just hate it when people say 'he's a good ol' boy'. No, he's a whiny, fucking brat. Plus I was really good friends with Dave Roth. I had a lot of good times with Dave Roth back in the Starwood days. I was looking forward to doing a tour with him, then Sammy showed up. I love Van Halen. Michael Anthony was an awesome guy to hang out with. He bought all the bass players dinner. We had 'Bass Players Dinners.' I liked getting my paycheck.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: red;"> If we sum up all of the money you made, strictly from being involved with Kingdom Come, what amount would we arrive at ?</span> </span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Maybe $500,000 over two and a half years. They kept raising our salaries to put up with Lenny's bullshit. Toward the end they offered a lot more money to stay, but nobody would. No amount of money could have kept anybody in that band. We'd all had offers and I was dying to do my own project. </span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> You describe Danny Stag as being your best friend growing up. What's he up to these days ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> He lives back in Pittsburgh. He was one of the guys that did a lot of drugs, lived a hard life, drank a lot. That was his identity. He was a hard drinking, hard drugging' kind of guy. Brilliant guitar player, though.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Are you still close ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I brought him out here (California) for a project in 2000 with my wife who was a brilliant singer. We worked as a songwriting team, and got some work for some movie soundtracks like 'The Hillside Strangler'. After I got sober, he started dating my ex-wife. We had gotten divorced, but were still working together. Her and Danny got strung out on heroin, and Danny ended up stealing all my shit. I had a 24 track recording studio, some vintage guitars. I forgave him though though. I love the guy, and I wouldn't be who I am if it wasn't for him. He's one of the biggest influences on my life, has a IQ of 155,and he was abducted by aliens when he was nine years old. This guy was reading Carlos Castaneda in 1980. He's kind of like a wizard who lost his power. He talked me into coming to Hollywood, so I came out here kicking and screaming. Once we got out here, he said “We have to create success. We can become rock stars, we can create our own reality!” So we did was create a rock star realm for ourselves, and it actually worked. The problem was you can find a lot of spirituality in this world, but drugs take it away from you too. It takes away that freedom of higher self and the ability to create your own reality.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Why is heroin so attractive to musicians ?</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> For me, I needed to try it because Miles Davis had done it, John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix. All my heroes did it. And, when I tried it, I became the greatest musician in the world. All of a sudden, I would have better groove than anybody. Heroin is just like alcohol or any other drug. It anesthetizes your fears, so that you can be fearless. When you liberate yourself from fear, that's a miracle. If you can liberate yourself from fear, people your around are automatically liberated from their fear. It's a pretty amazing thing but there's a way to do that without drugs. Evolving into a higher consciousness will get you out of fear or at least let you recognize it and separate it. There's only two emotions in the universe: love and fear. And if your in one, you're not in the other. The only way life really works is if you can get rid of fear. Because nothing works in your body, your DNA doesn't pick up light protons, you can't dream, fear keeps you from everything. If we can stay out of fear and find love for our brothers we improve our immune systems our brains work better.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> <span style="color: red;">Who will play you in the film version of 'Get It On: The Story of Kingdom Come' ?</span></span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I don't know. Brad Pitt maybe. Adrien Brody?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-72106892604395902262010-12-09T22:44:00.000-08:002010-12-09T22:44:09.991-08:00DRB GUILTY PLEASURES: ON ALARM CLOCKS, KINGDOM CLONE, AND THE 'ZEPPELIN PHASE'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9Jw_kGwU0cW8JSX9qsVPP_JISqOn-aoZ9E705Ps__udoN_O-9ITk6Wh1TPXc2uq8az6nMaNSjjf7J3-MTUnd-trM1_0izBG3Plwkv7JaFAyRRZ_ENLUgJH1JDJabpNvyCdPHikXYlULI/s1600/KC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9Jw_kGwU0cW8JSX9qsVPP_JISqOn-aoZ9E705Ps__udoN_O-9ITk6Wh1TPXc2uq8az6nMaNSjjf7J3-MTUnd-trM1_0izBG3Plwkv7JaFAyRRZ_ENLUgJH1JDJabpNvyCdPHikXYlULI/s320/KC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> As human beings, we often associate music, particularly influential albums that touch us in inexplicable ways, with specific moments or time's of great upheaval in our lives. A classic example from my own experience was my comical introduction to heavy metal overachievers Kingdom Come.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> It was September of 1988 and I was sound asleep, trying to avoid facing another day of public high school. In the room next door, my brother Rick was also peacefully unaware of his approaching workday down at the gas station garage.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Suddenly his alarm clock, the most deafening, annoying, electronic device ever constructed, announced via the excited voice of a 98.7 WLLZ DJ that it was time to get up.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> “FOLKS!” This DJ exalted at the top of his lungs. “WE HAVE FOUND A BAND THAT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE LED ZEPPELIN. I MEAN, EXACTLY LIKE LED ZEPPELIN !!”</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Rick was in his party all night, work all day heyday, which meant he often slept right through the Guinness Book of World's Record winner for world's loudest alarm clock.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> “THIS IS AN AMAZING NEW BAND CALLED KINGDOM COME WITH THEIR SINGLE 'GET IT ON!”</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> A riff that sounded suspiciously like Jimmy Page's cousin or roadie had videotaped him drunk in the studio, then modified Kashmir's main riff by altering two notes, now BLARED full blast out of the alarm clock's twin speakers. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> My eyes opened.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> “RICHARD!!” Our mother bellowed so loud we could actually hear her <i>over</i> the radio, despite her location in the upstairs bedroom. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> The song, a orgiastic sexcapade, dragged me forcibly out of deep slumber. Who the hell was this?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> The track had been purposely leaked to several radio stations across the states to fuel anticipation, and the ploy worked like a charm. Rumors spread like wildfire. Could the impossible have happened ? Had the highlight of my musical life, arrived so early? Zeppelin reformed ?</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> No.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> “RICHARD!!”</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Suddenly mom's voice was much closer. In fact it was screaming down the stairs at parental speed.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> “RICHARD TURN OFF THAT #*&$)*#& ALARM CLOCK AND GET OUT BED!! YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE FOR WORK!!” </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> “OK! MOM!!” Rick ignored mom's sincere threats to smash that radio with a hammer, and pulled a pillow over his head, promptly returning to dreamland. </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I, on the other hand, had to be up and out, standing at the end of the driveway to catch 'the twinkie'.</span></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutKBzENjNXy1OcQn1SKHfbD6LvW3fBsMczv1DlrjEAdedvyTUIoiuvJNyP976W8wG9dfLa9D55VX8Byl1_lAQXJODedZiCb40WzdA-um2pbr-Vz4B5mckb3CMbnTKsMee3uW3rQf5Weku/s1600/KINGDOM_COME_BAND.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutKBzENjNXy1OcQn1SKHfbD6LvW3fBsMczv1DlrjEAdedvyTUIoiuvJNyP976W8wG9dfLa9D55VX8Byl1_lAQXJODedZiCb40WzdA-um2pbr-Vz4B5mckb3CMbnTKsMee3uW3rQf5Weku/s1600/KINGDOM_COME_BAND.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> This was the age before Internet web browsers. B.G. 'Before Google'. Nowadays, if you hear even the most obscure track, sooner or later, you can locate the band, the song, and their thoughts on Stacey Keach online. Our Internet in 1988 was word of mouth, MTV, and 'Harmony House'. On the bus I conferenced with the other music nerds to determine if anyone else heard this intriguing band that so closely resembled Zep. Some had and were firmly 'Kingdom Come' was a name Robert and Jimmy had created to appear overly clever.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Before everything went to hell, and big box retailers like Best Buy and douchebag-friendly Circuit City embarked on a campaign to bankrupt every privately-owned record store in Michigan, we had Harmony House. While admittedly still a chain, Harmony House was a smaller, friendlier version of Circuit City's CD racks. It may have employed the snobbiest music industry know-it-all's in Michigan: case in point the volcanic eruption of hysterical laughter from a sales clerk after I pleasantly inquired on where to find Rush's 'Signals' album. But, you could find just about anything there, and for a time they even devoted some space to local bands. Try finding that at Best Buy.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Back then, our idea of pirating music was called a tape deck. The sound was lesser quality, and was, quite frankly, a time consuming pain in the ass. So I actually used $10 birthday money, got a ride from a older cousin to the Harmony House in Pontiac, and bought (GASP!) a cassette of Kingdom Come's debut ! </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> The other day, one of my younger coworkers in the corporate world asked me what a cassette was ? </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I cried.</span></strong></div><strong><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
<span style="color: red;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Let's get the obvious out of the way. Yes, they were purposely trying to sound like Zed Zeppelin. Yes, from the very first opportunity afforded to them, they behaved like a bunch of coked up, hair metal douchebags. Yes, they deserved the nickname 'Kingdom Clone', and received one of the worst career backlashes since Jerry Lee Lewis decided his thirteen year-old cousin was marriage material. But upon revisiting this blistering gem, one must also admit, it's time for Kingdom Come to receive credit due:</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> It was the right album for the right time, and that time was <u>high school</u>. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> High school is where most of us discover 'Whole LottaLove' for the first time and we all wonder exactly the same thing: why is that horny motherfucker singing an orgasm? Thus begins the so called 'Zeppelin Phase' where for a good three months, all you talk about is how beautiful it was the Page and Plant went acoustic on LZ III, how all you want to listen to is 'When The Leave Breaks' on Zoso over and over again, how 'In Through The Out Door' is Zepp's sell out album but 'In The Evening' is still a pretty good song, etc. You alienate every one of your friends by constantly referencing how amazing Zepp' are. They, of course, experienced this phase two full years earlier, and can only shake their heads now and sigh, while hiding their copy of the first Door's album. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Whether the stars aligned, or whether a younger Bob Rock instinctively knew how to bring out the best in vocalist Lenny Wolf, lead guitarist Danny Stage, and drummer James Kottak, there's a significant bit of cock rock magic in Kingdom Come's first album. </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">German born Wolf is hardly a superb vocalist and one of my all-time candidates for worst hair in heavy metal. But he hits every note perfectly, without the assistance of auto-tune. Kottak channels the spirit of John Bonham, without overdoing it. Jason my have his Dad's spirit and genetics, but Kottak was suitable for mimicking the elder Bonham's majestic flourishes behind the kit. Lead guitarist Danny Stag reveals a fiery ability only hinted at in earlier work. </span></strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> From the first riffs of 'Living Out of Touch', to the last echoes of 'Shout It Out', KC's self-titled debut will carry you through your workday song by song. Critics continue to scoff so I point to the album highlight 'The Shuffle' for evidence. This tracks kicks off with a seductive riff that seems to fold in on itself like a collapsing black hole, then escape mysteriously as Kottak's drumming enters at just the right moment.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> 'Get It On'was not only the first single and the band's introduction, it was a tribute to backstage orgies, an announcement that we are Kingdom Come and we intend to fuck everybody in this room. Stag makes the solo rise and fall like the waves of an angry Lake Superior. And just when you think Kottak can't possibly carry the song any further, he pulls back from the edge and let's Wolf roar 'Get Itttttttt Onnnnn' one last time for good measure.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Certain songs were pure gold for stoking the flames of romance. Many a white trash bride conceived our current trailer park population with sappy ballad 'What Love Can Be' playing on the Sanyo they shoplifted from Kmart. The earnestness in Lenny's voice seemed destined to melt panties. (p.s. Ashley Jones, wherever you are in the world, I apologize!) </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> 'Loving You' is the tour bus anthem. An examination of the nomad life out on the road playing music and seeing the country. Like kissing the back of an adoring fan's neck in the dark of the top bunk while the lead guitarist takes pictures, this bittersweet nugget of Bon Jovi-esque introspection is a shot of whiskey on a February morning in Detroit.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Only on 'Pushin' Hard' does the band break away from the Zep-worship format. The track locomotives front and back at a speed Zep rarely cared to reach, and only during the bridge does Wolf pretend he's onstage at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 1975.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> There really isn't a throwaway track on the album, thanks to producer Bob Rock's focus on highlighting the skills of each musician such as Stag's gifted soloing. While at the same time low, lighting their limitations, such as lyricism. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> So they wanted to be Zeppelin in stead of just being Kingdom Come. I was never as concerned with that point as the rest of the world. These guys managed to create what should be considered a stellar tribute to the first truly great hard rock band ever. Fans of Vanilla Fudge and Cream, keep it to yourselves.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> The Kingdom Come story eventually played out in typical hair metal fashion. Drugs, egos, and money split the band two two years later. They were kicked off the Scorpions 1989 tour for publicly confirming to the world that 'press conference food fights' and repeatedly 'borrowing' Klause Meine's stage are not good ideas when you're the opener. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Still you cant blame Wolf and company for recognizing an opportunity and seizing the moment. Look at the enormous popularity of Zeppelin's recent O2 reunion. It's 2010, Robert Plant is sixty-two (!!), and the band STILL enthralls fans and historians alike, as we continue to debate, decode, and decipher how Zeppelin were able to construct masterpieces like Physical Graffiti and Zoso. In 1987, it was no different, in fact we were likely more rabid for any kind of Zeppelin-like music. The 'No Quarter' collaborative efforts were still seven years away. The post Zeppelin sandwiches fans had to swallow in the eighties consisted of mediocre meat like Plant's 'Big Log' and Page's disappointing 'Outrider'. So you can imagine why Kingdom Come invited such attention and derision. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Who were these clever young upstarts to blatantly and boldly attempt to supplant Plant's lemon squeezing throne of rock wickedness? Simply the sum of the parts was capable of creating melodic hard rock, where the individuals floundered. They took advantage of their fifteen minutes, of their summer in the Sun, much the same as any of us would have. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Further works, such as the disappoint follow up (the childishly titled 'Kingdom Come - In Your Face') began to spiral inevitably downward as a lust for cocaine and internal friction took their toll. Their second album had perhaps two songs that achieved mediocrity and the rest were on par with Satan's toilet paper. Everyone quit, but Lenny conned enough suits over at Polygram Records to allow him the money for one more try. He used his last chance to release the staggeringly GODAWFUL 'Hands of Time' album in1991, a record so mind-numbingly terrible it makes John and Yoko's The Wedding Album look like Sgt.Pepper. The party was over. In the states, at least. Germany and Russia welcomed Wolf back with open arms. Against all sense and logic, he was able to score a German record deal and continue releasing musical crimes against humanity in the form of albums deceptively utilizing the Kingdom Come moniker.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> But, it was never the same.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Hannah Bickson summarized it best when she dumped me, right outside algebra class, before strolling away hand in hand with senior football lineman Robert Bronfre.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> “Blog," She said. "Whenever I hear 'What Love Can Be', I'll think of those afternoons on my parent's living room couch, while they were at work. You and all your weird notebooks. Why do you write so much ? It's really fucking weird.”</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> High School.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><strong><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
<span style="color: red;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">-St.Aubin</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">for the DRB</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-8248957306736226572010-12-05T12:50:00.000-08:002010-12-05T13:45:20.231-08:00THE DRB INTERVIEW: IAN ASTBURY OF THE CULT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflqVlGZEV7RQ1bprQeRboieNuMl-ZzNvNnb3kYcpbIeyXC8ap8JEMxXT4GMqikG766jQpWTjHGEzCBX1If63Pyr2sxF1zYgDsa0NaSBQ0tKb0GUOyIc3LfWTOBJC0iMtG9Z7K3Yn6nVTH/s1600/Ian1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflqVlGZEV7RQ1bprQeRboieNuMl-ZzNvNnb3kYcpbIeyXC8ap8JEMxXT4GMqikG766jQpWTjHGEzCBX1If63Pyr2sxF1zYgDsa0NaSBQ0tKb0GUOyIc3LfWTOBJC0iMtG9Z7K3Yn6nVTH/s320/Ian1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">You may find this shocking. But I began my high school career with a Sony Walkman and cassette copy of The Cult's seminal 1987 release 'Electric'. My escape from the cultural hillbilly hell of rural public education was to listen to Ian Astbury screaming 'Bay-bay-abay-bay-a-bay-bay' on 'Peace Dog'. I drove to my graduation ceremony listening to 'Automatic Blues' off 'Sonic Temple' on a Sony Discman. Two decades later, with their capsule release of new songs 'Every Man And Woman Is A Star' and the poignant 'Embers' via </span></span></strong><a href="http://www.thecult.us/"><strong><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.thecult.us</span></strong></a><strong><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">, lead vocalist, Ian Astbury and The Cult have embraced the cutting edge of digital media delivery. The week prior to their third Detroit show in the last four years, the DRB had an opportunity to talk with Ian and discuss social networking, the rapidly changing technology of the music industry, and one of the biggest challenges he personally faced as lead vocalist for The Cult.</span></strong></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: cyan;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: yellow;">You've been performing with The Cult for most of the last twenty five years. If you had the opportunity to go back and speak to the Ian Astbury from 1984, what advice would you provide ?</span></span></strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong> Get a lawyer! Get a decent lawyer. When I was a kid I signed some bad deals, and still haven't received the royalties from my first record label. This industry is filled with people whose background is to exploit talented young artists in many ways. Unless you have a good manager, a good lawyer who's astute enough to watch your ass. It's a business. And, the business is about making money</strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="color: cyan;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: yellow;"> Has it make you cynical ?</span></span></strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: yellow;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> No. Generally, I'm optimistic person. It's just a human nature, to go with the self imposed middle man. And they're trying to sell you something or give you advice that ultimately they benefit from. It's amazing to see that an industry came out of what was really a forum of a talented young people, creative young minds. You know, the expression 'America eats it's young' ? Yeah, it's very much like that. If you wanna make it your business to be the critic or the guy in the middle who is benefiting from raw talent and raw vision, then, obviously you're gonna become an expert with that. I didn't start out in music to be a business man. So, it's cost me. It's cost me at times. Over the years, I've gotten a lot wiser. But, I'm driven by the music. The music comes first. Always has. Maybe to a fault.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="color: cyan;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: yellow;">Do you consider yourself an idealist ?</span></span></strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: cyan;"> An idealist? When I think of an 'idealist', I think of someone like the Dalai Lama. Somebody who's whole life and goal is about a higher ultimate where everybody is becoming enlightened and human sufferings ceases. </span></strong><strong><span style="color: cyan;"><i>That</i> to me is idealism. In many ways, I'm more of a realist. I deal with what, immediately, is in my field of vision. And, I try and do that with integrity and compassion. Obviously, over the years you learn to make better choices. So from that perspective, I'm definitely a romantic. I always look for the silver lining. I always believe that in any situation, no matter how difficult, there is a way through. But I'm guessing in that way I <i>am</i></span></strong><strong><span style="color: cyan;"> an idealist. </span></strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong> This is your third visit to Detroit in four years. How long can the band continue touring at this pace?</strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> How long can we sustain it ? *Laughter* Well, coming to Detroit makes it easier because, I grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, so I feel a connection to Detroit. The two most important American cities to me as a kid growing up in Canada were Detroit and Buffalo. And New York City. I grew up directly influenced by music on the radio and what was happening in those cities. So I feel a real affinity with a city like Detroit, a steel city, an industrial city, a city that was built on industry. I kinda' grew up in that environment. So going to places where I feel I have some kind of roots, it's sustainable in that way. It's kinda of like going home. In some ways, I'm a nomadic person, I don't really have a home. I haven't had a home for many years, a real home. I've been really traveling a lot and I think right now we're in a cycle. It's likely a virtue of the band's desire to perform. We have a great live band and we really started out as a live band. Recording was secondary, to this band, to The Cult, Billy and I. It was almost like something you had to learn, but the live experience was the more immediate experience. We really grew out of live performing and I think it's taken us years to learn about the recording experience. But I think right now we're getting to a cycle of spending more time in the studio, more time recording. The capsule format that we've visualized has really setup a lamplight for more focus on recording and really getting inside that animal. You see a lot of guys who've been around for decades, where their work kind of gets weaker as they get older. I'd like to think we're actually breaking into stronger, deeper, more layered, and more textured music. So we've actually learned something over twenty years. We've become comfortable with that process.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: cyan;"><strong> <span style="color: yellow;">Does the advent of the Capsule format mean an end to Cult albums? Going forward, will The Cult only release singles ?</span></strong></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong> I think those formats, those terms, 'single', 'album', 'EP' really belong in the 20th century. They describe a specific arcane format, and the industry is still holding on to some of that 20th century pre-internet communication, really traditional way of doing things. It's up for debate if there's still an audience who are quite happy to indulge in those formats. But having said that, the idea of Capsule as a 21st century format. . essentially with the capsule you can make it whatever you wanna make it. You can make it 20 songs, we can make it 1 song or a film, we can make 4 songs and a book. . I mean, were gonna see the Capsule application as being the new format for release of a body of a work. Maybe the word album will go away and we'll just say, 'have you got a new app by so and so ?'. Applications are coming, no question, and artists will (eventually) release their music through an app format. Apple is pushing that app format heavily. And who knows where that's going to lead ? A subscription module ? Maybe you buy the band's app and then you update it with new material or new products. I think websites will probably go away or probably go to applications again, whereby you have to sign up. You have to pay a fee just to be a member of the fan club. Or, you at least have to give up your e-mail address. That's really what people are interested in, getting your e-mail, personal details. So then they can inundate you with requests to buy the wonderful things that we create.</strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: cyan;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: yellow;">I actually enjoy being inundated with Cult requests on Facebook.</span></span></strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong> Facebook! We were late bloomers, we really didn't embrace the social network. I think individually we may have embraced it. I certainly did, but as a band we really didn't jump on it. Ultimately at the very core of this band is punk rock ethos, even though we've been through so many incarnations. We came out of punk rock. We had The Ramones and The Clash in the 70's, they were our blues artists. In the same way that Mick and Keith had Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, we had Joe Strummer, Joey Ramone, and Johnny Rotten, and even Bowie and Iggy to an extent. So it's very much DIY. I mean, being bad at your instrument was a badge of honor! We came over with the generation where being a musician wasn't important. It's really interesting to see Keith Richards biography come out recently and Mick Jagger's response. The way they talked about what they came out of and how they had to make their stand. We didn't come out of that. We came out of something very different. We came out of a generation that was neglected by those kind of artists. Those artists weren't interested in what younger artists were doing. They were only interested in what <i>they</i> were doing. They're were only interested in taking as much as they possibly could for themselves. </strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: cyan;"><strong> <span style="color: yellow;">When you hear the back and forth banter between Keith and Mick, after all those years together, does it give you a good feeling in regards to the kind of relationship you have with Billy?</span></strong></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Well, ultimately at the end of the day we're very different people, but we have a mutual respect. There's a underlying respect and we're able to travel and work in the same environment. If we've got something to say to each other we say it. Even though we may have completely different perspectives, under The Cult umbrella, we work it out. Sometimes that can be very uncomfortable, it can be very heated, but there's no lack of passion there. Over the past a few years we've been making the best possible music we can make and whether or not we're (achieving) that, it's definitely our intention. That's what we're going for, and sometimes, you end up doing your dirty laundry in public. But, I'd like to think were both mature enough to have the balls to get in the room and have it out with each other. It's not high school. High school finished a long time ago for us. This is our life, I mean <i>for life</i>, and we're fully invested in it. I'm under no delusion that we're a brand like the Rolling Stones or even U2. We come from a completely different ethic, ethos, where at the end of the day it's blue collar punk rock. There's a real grounding in that. Were under no dilutions that anybody's gonna give us anything, we're gonna have to fight. We're not the kind of band to go looking for accolades either, and we're not great self promoters. We usually call it like we see it and that's the generation we came out of. I think maybe when we were younger and we went through the 'Sonic Temple period', it was a very intensely commercial period, it grew into that. It was like, we keep making choices until we were in a culdesac, and then we broke out of that again. We broke out on that with the self-titled album in '94. . . When you sign to a major record label and there's always a set of conditions that revolve around that. It was a high investment and high expectation and a high return. So we end up being in the studio with . . there's always the outside influence of the A&R guy who's monitoring your progress and really does affect ecosystem of a band. I guess we also kind of grew out of a different thing. We grew out of more of a single ethos as opposed to an album ethos. We grew up with the 7 inch single as the resident product in the market place. Because we didn't have any idea there's any longevity in this. It's about making one song at a time, but then you get in the business of making albums, getting that more commercial element. It becomes a very different animal to contend with on a daily basis, when going out and doing 200 dates a year and releasing an album. Coming off the road, then going right back in the studio. If you do that for 12 years and you've only buried about 5 or 6 people, you've done okay. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: cyan;"><strong> <span style="color: yellow;">Speaking of that more commercial time, was the law suit over the photograph (on the cover of the Ceremony album) the low point ?</span></strong></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPWwQz-537vRO0UA8rUh7y3iFFQuuYnM2ZgjDvgjMGP9ogmRsBWtYfAzGLHzLvklqqywdyyUN7JQycEmVALJTCBpXkasI4vcNdvMn1BTqLnCu9E7Ou4qTIuTnN5YAp0dl2rxWcoNwoWKa/s1600/The_Cult_Ceremony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPWwQz-537vRO0UA8rUh7y3iFFQuuYnM2ZgjDvgjMGP9ogmRsBWtYfAzGLHzLvklqqywdyyUN7JQycEmVALJTCBpXkasI4vcNdvMn1BTqLnCu9E7Ou4qTIuTnN5YAp0dl2rxWcoNwoWKa/s1600/The_Cult_Ceremony.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong> Yeah, that was a witch hunt! That was a very low point, that was a witch hunt. You have to understand that broke my heart. That nearly finished me off, because since I was 11 years old, I had a love affair with Native American culture. The whole intention of that image on the (Ceremony) album was to show solidarity with the indigenous North American people. We chose the image of a young person because we wanted to pay homage and respect and indication for future generations that indigenous natives are still alive on this continent and their culture is rich and vibrant. And also there is so much we can learn from them. I mean that came out in 1992, it was to reflect 500 years of native resistance. But we acquired the rights through a photographer and we were given a guarantee that he retained the rights to those images and that actual image was already used on Coors beer calendar. So if you're talking about taken to task in terms of integrity, the fact that the actual image was already used in a Coors beer calendar, which we found out later. Coors beer actually sponsored the rodeo circuit and you know the problems Native Americans have had with alcoholism. But again, I'd like to think it wasn't maybe so much the family, it was outside influences in the community that were, you know, on a witch hunt and we were an obvious target. There was just never any dialogue between the community and the band about what our intention was. We made it very clear what our intention was, in fact we played the International Native American Treaty Council event in San Francisco which was probably one of the only major musical events to even recognize Native American rights, Native Americans spirituality. Also in 1990, I created 'Gathering Of The Tribes', and the first group that I invited was the North American Indian Dance Theater. My philosophy was, if were going do a major cultural festival in the United States, we should at least invite the indigenous representatives of the community, out of sheer respect! Those wounds have since been healed, but at the end of the day it cost Billy and myself hundreds of thousands of dollars in defense fees. Far more! The American legal system is crazy!! And who got the money ? The lawyers got the money. So it was an awful experience and it was a very low point. I think between me and Billy, it was a difficult time as well. You say, maybe there IS an example there, of me being an idealist. But I still push for that, I still push. Maybe it's because of what I went through with my family when I was growing up. I lost both of my parents to cancer. Both of my parents died because of the pollution in Lake Ontario. They contracted cancer because of the steel works in Hamilton, Ontario, one of the most toxic environments in North America.</strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="color: cyan;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: yellow;">Would that be the catalyst of why you don't consider Hamilton, Ontario home? Or why you describe yourself as a nomad ?</span></span></strong></span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong> No, it's not my home. A lot of people say 'Well, you're from the UK?'. Well, yes and no. I go back there, but I don't identify with the UK. I left when I turned 11 years of age. I've spent more time in North America than I have in the UK. In 1973, I moved to Canada and came back to North America in 1984, after about 4 years spent in the UK. I feel very connected to North America, but the one place I feel <i>very</i> comfortable is when I go to the Himalayas. I feel really at home with Tibetans. And I feel really at home when I travel through the plains of Canada and United States. I feel really at home in the mountains and I feel really at home with the indigenous people. I mean, I've been working on a documentary recently, that's taken me to South Dakota on several occasions now. And I've spent some time there in Yankton, South Dakota, and Pine Ridge and Rapid City. And, you know, it's still a love affair of native culture and a recognition within the matriarchal foundation of the culture. There's this incredible resource that we haven't exploited in our society. I really do think there's some great information and some great wisdom that we can incorporate into our social structure. As long as we have greedy male lawyers and politicians, we're going nowhere. We're going nowhere but down. So I think we need to change the whole gender and the whole philosophy of how government is structured, of how our spiritual lives are structured. I watched my parents both die a very slow, painful death through cancer. That was directly because of an industrial, material society. That was a real source of fuel for an angry young man, and that's why I was so self destructive and driven as a kid, as a performer. I never once asked to look at my bank account balances, I wasn't interested. I was interested in getting on stage and performing, in getting in the studio and making a noise, in getting better as a writer. I think my earnestness is one thing that's gotten me in the room with people like Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger, Rick Ruben or Trent Reznor. But, I think there was an assumption certainly from the media. I'm not saying everybody, but when people saw the Fire Woman video and the way I looked, they just sort of pinned me off as fluff.</strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: cyan;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: yellow;">Not everyone in the media.</span></span></strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: yellow;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Yeah, but there was definitely a lot. I'd walk into some rooms with my peers and you could cut the atmosphere with a knife.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="color: cyan;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <span style="color: yellow;">At the time, The Cult had been lumped in with the hair metal movement.</span></span></strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I think everybody had long hair, but the thing was, I had the best long hair. Nobody had better hair than me. And they were all try to mimic it. I mean, Axl Road was wearing MY bandana that my girlfriend at the time put on him. Straightened his hair out, put my bandana on him for a Queen photo shoot, that was MY look.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: cyan;"> <span style="color: yellow;">What about the famous skull and crossbones cowboy hat ?</span></span></strong><strong><span style="color: cyan;"></span></strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Jim Morrison. Someone threw that hat on stage in Miami, in 1970, and he wore it. I saw that hat when I was kid in 'No One Here Gets Out Alive', and was struck with that powerful image. It was an old World War I, nineteenth century skull that was worn by German horse troops. There are a number around because veterans would bring them back as trophies. It wasn't aNazi image, it was a pre-Wiemar republic military image. It's also symbolic. For me it was a Buddhist concept. The Buddhists incorporate death in their philosophy and the illustration that life is finite. The truth is that we will all split this mortal coil at some point and the time of death is unknown. So using that iconography wasn't so much a morbid or negative context. I took it as a positive remembrance. And I actually found one of those skulls. In fact it was really cheap, I found it in antique market in England. I could't believe it was something like two dollars. I put it on the front of my hat,and now that hat is somewhere crashed. I don't know where it is.</span></strong><strong><span style="color: cyan;"></span></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>-St.Aubin</strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>for the DRB</strong></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>EDITED FOR CLARITY AND CONTENT</strong></span></div></div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-91259968528947424032010-12-03T21:51:00.000-08:002010-12-03T21:51:34.517-08:00Glitter Trash: Part I, "On Fire At The Old Miami" 10/29/10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjouYIN8_NvsZ_4per3ODYZ0Om-fruWf8SROSkcwNDBwVp-dmPD4lvInmhwG1ujHnRqm7FclEG3d3xX2dsjfcIgn4hv5X-CdfcNW7H7CQDt7IrTY7qVoKadUAp96_OT_LJZ6nA6c9QxdP/s1600/GT11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjouYIN8_NvsZ_4per3ODYZ0Om-fruWf8SROSkcwNDBwVp-dmPD4lvInmhwG1ujHnRqm7FclEG3d3xX2dsjfcIgn4hv5X-CdfcNW7H7CQDt7IrTY7qVoKadUAp96_OT_LJZ6nA6c9QxdP/s320/GT11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Few bands can effortlessly defy categorization, depiction, and definition. </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Fewer still, set themselves apart from the desperate, the damned, and those who refuse to let go of the past.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> After two tumultuous years of brutally grinding out set after furious set, Glitter Trash have provided Detroit with a startling new definition for the words 'brazenly intense live performance'. There hasn't been such a cohesive blend of raw power and originality, frankly, since Rob Tyner first instructed us Grande Ballroom motherfuckers to kick out the jams. Yes, this is bold praise that, no doubt, will be met with snickers from aging music critics across the state. Those same scholars we read monthly, who scoff at anything groundbreaking, and lay claim, loudly and proudly, to have already seen it all. </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> They haven't.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The Old Miami, for those of you who have never been there, is a stunning tribute to America's servicemen and women, hipsters, alcohol and good times, dropped right in the middle of a section of Detroit that closely resembles Zombieland. Like so many of the Motor City's hidden gems, including Glitter Trash lead vocalist Jenna Talia, this subtle nightspot shines bright amidst filth. It's unique history and décor, make the surrounding empty streets and vacant buildings seem even more desolate, but tonight it's the perfect classic bar/garage/living room to birth a revolution. Tonight, Glitter Trash is playing a Halloween themed support role to headliners Circus Boy, but word has gotten around and fans arrive early. This crowd is an odd mix of devotees, curious enthusiasts, fellow musicians, and those who just don't know what the hell to make of this whole affair. A good number of Detroit's underground rock and roll scenesters, such as stunning pin up model/musician Meredith Lorde are present.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The moment transsexual lead vocalist Jenna Talia steps through the front door, anticipation begins to build with a calm but steady momentum. She's dressed as a Roman Centurion, a cross between the Russell Crowe of 'Gladiator' and the Gerard Butler of '300', only prettier. Tall, decorated with tattoos and magic marker, she's built like a brick tree house with biceps that resemble a young Henry Rollins (around 1991, 'The End of Silence' period, before he got all nutty). I learn quickly, that she is painfully honest, articulate, clever, and beautiful. Beautiful in the same way one might describe getting punched in the face by Alexander Graham Bell as beautiful. Tonight she's loaded up with two bags filled with grocery store performance props designed specifically to instigate. Although warmly greeted by the Old Miami bartenders, passionate fans and hustling amateur photographers, it's also clear from moment one, Jenna is focusing. Cinder blocks may be involved, and she must emotionally, physically, and mentally prepare for the unforgiving rigors of punk rock showcasing. </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"> <u>Jenna:</u> <em>“People will see our band and consider us glam, but we're really quite the opposite. We're really rooted in that seventies punk scene such as the Dead Boys. A lot of people hear our guitars and think it sounds like Johnny Thunders or the New York Dolls, so that's kind of what were rooted in. But the influences go to the Sex Pistols and The Ramones. I'm what is deemed a transsexual. But I'm kind of a weird version of transsexual because I sit strangely in the middle on the fence. My brain tells me I'm a girl, my body says I'm a boy, and I was raised a boy, but I just kind of accepted myself for who I was. I've been this way since I was a little kid. Just most people are embarrassed by it, and I refuse to be embarrassed by what and who I am. So, I am, by definition, a transsexual, because I have breasts and take hormones. I won't get a complete surgery because that's NOT who I am. I like girls, I need that down there, you know what I mean ? So people are curious about that whole thing, but it's who I am. It's kind of complicated for most people to understand because it goes against society's norms, but of course, with punk rock, you really don't follow any rules. You just do it the way you want to do it. That's why I'm comfortable in this Detroit scene.”</em></span></span></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Bassist Sinderella follows carrying her guitar case, subtly guarding her wardrobe with a black trench coat. When the equipment is unloaded onto the stage, she removes her coat and the white leather space sex kitty is revealed. She's sporting platform boots, mini skirt, and fuzzy kitty ears, exactly the way you fantasized when you were in junior high. And, again when you turned 32, sold out, and accepted that promotion with Aetna Insurance. This statuesque beauty is more than the emotional foundation of Glitter Trash. She's been a figure in Detroit music for twenty years, an artist, and an actress, most recently portraying a sexy vampire in the Detroit-based Sigourney Weaver/Alicia Silverstone vehicle 'VAMPS'.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"> <u>Sinderella</u><u>:</u> <em>“I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I eat organic food. I'm like the 'band mom', I'm the one that goes on autopilot and just keeps everybody together and deals with the promoters and makes sure everything goes well. I'm the business person. I'm a person who believes in destiny.”</em></span></span></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Homeless, the guitarist arrives, and the reaction from the bar is instant. The women shamelessly adore his mature features, his Stray Cats style of hair and dress, and the honesty in his voice. He's one of the few who listens with a distinct sincerity (as well as one can, when going deaf in one ear), and the ladies find this an irresistible quality. He's acknowledged me with a friendly handshake, and after greeting some more of the enthusiastic diehards, we engaged in curious conversation at the bar.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Imagine you lived the rock and roll lifestyle, and entertained all the cliche excesses. The money, the drugs, the booze, the sex. OK, perhaps not the money. But, you sleepwalk through an imaginary musical existence most can only dream of.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Then imagine, out of nowhere, you're suddenly falling. </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> An unreliable handrail finally gives way while you're on the job and for two seconds you're hurdling towards the cement headfirst. Just long enough to realize this is going to really fucking hurt. </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"> <u>Homeless:</u> <em>“First, I am a terrible interview. I knew Jenna. I knew everybody. Danny (Allen), our drummer and I had played in a few Detroit bands together. And, we knew Sinderella for awhile. Eventually, it just seemed like the songs were there and everyone had the right attitude, the right approach, as in being from the heart. It felt right and felt that it would work, so I stopped working with the other bands. Jenna really knows her punk history, she's firm in that background. And the songs, were interesting and different. With the right tweaking, I thought 'there's something really special here.' When we started writing songs together, it just clicked. I can really put a twist on the songs, bring them to life and season them. She's a really cool person with a really good heart. There's so much bullshit in this industry. You hang around long enough, you learn how many people are full of shit. But there are a lot of cool people also.”</em></span></span></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> While you're mangled body is recovering, there's plenty of time to contemplate your life choices. Why you turned left instead of right off Woodward and hit that telephone pole. Why you left her waiting in that hotel room in Boise instead of just admitting you didn't love her anymore.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> In that regard, Homeless is the same as any of us. </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Complex with many facets that don't immediately reveal themselves. As is the case with many veterans I've interviewed, he could be guarded. And, at the same time, surprisingly open when discussing his life experiences. He's also a christian. A christian who needed the blood of Christ to wash away regrets, misdeeds, and bad choices. He needed redemption. Faith. But in our conversation, it slowly became apparent he's still haunted, still carrying some of the scars of choices made long ago.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <u>Homeless:</u> <em>“I think that when you do something musically and people "get it" or respond to it in some way it's gratifying on some level. However, whether they respond to it positively or not should be irrelevant to the process.”</em> </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> This isn't arena rock. This is bastard music. </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> And the hour arrives, where Glitter Trash must deliver on the unspoken promise all musicians make with the crowd. Jenna shoots silly string at unsuspecting patrons and ceremoniously hands out roses to some of the eager ladies in attendance. Homeless can barely move in the direction of his amplifiers, without being engaged in conversation by anxious fans, but manages to plug in and tune. Sinderella politely excuses herself, removes her black bass from it's case, and as quick as you can utter 'punk rock butterfly', transforms from socializing friend to professional musician. One look at her expression, as she tests the strings and you know this means something vital to her. Danny displays the fire that earned him his place behind the Pacific drum kit, loosening up with ruthless machine gun crescendos.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Cables are connected and amps are tested, as the crowd gathers, eager to feed off the energy from this throbbing, gyrating typhoon of rage and angst.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Then, in a split-second, it begins.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Like a single match dropped into a lake of gasoline, Jenna ignites. As the band launches into peak and valley anthem 'Adult Superstore', a whirlwind of self-deprecation, and self-destruction, the ghost of Darby Crash spreads like a virus throughout the room. This may be Detroit in October, 2010, but Glitter Trash invoke all the spirit and venom of New York City, suffocating in the summer of 1978. Their stage performance defies written description: each song is an event, a nuclear explosion of sound and vision. A chance to decimate your traditional concert expectations, as Jenna challenges the audience to interact. </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On the attractively abrasive 'Beauty Queen' and 'Punk Love' her eyes search out the frightened, the amused, the disgusted, the horrified, and she approaches each one. Particularly the horrified. She's a sleek six foot, body building beauty and you may easily find yourself flat on your back, from the concussive force of Lady Bulldozer as she hurtles into the audience.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Jaws drop as she disappears and reappears, proudly displaying the evening's sacrifice: a gigantic ripe pumpkin. Vegetable rights activists howl in righteous indignation, as Jenna leaps from the stage with hurricane force and crushes the innocent gourd into the cement floor.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Homeless, when his mojo kicks in on the stellar 'Wreckage', utilizes his Les Paul to weave and wail an orchestration of supernova solos that kick in teeth. Sinderella, her face a blanket of total concentration, grips her bass as if she is all that's left to hold Hell itself from crumbling. Jenna may be the battery, but Sinderella is the frame, and Homeless is the compass, continuously pointing this musical bullet train in the proper direction. As with any group, at any performance, this train occasionally, veers off track. Whether it be bloody fingers trying to strum the correct bass chords on 'Wake Up', swallowing trashy glitter (literally), or the occasional missed note, the band is lightning quick to adapt.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> “What do you want, Jenna ?!?!!” Danny yells out with complete sincerity from behind the drum kit, attempting to lead into the next song. Jenna responds to the inquiry with a large section of sacrificial pumpkin, missing Danny's face but viciously connecting with a nearby cymbal.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Barely missing a beat, the band turns the wheel back to forward and launches full blast into DRB favorite and show highlight 'I Need Sex'. They grit their teeth, swallow the seeds, and return the ship to, what can only be guessed, is the 'right' direction. This isn't reinterpretation of what punk was in the late seventies and early eighties. This is modern despair. </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Glitter Trash have, uncompromisingly, forced Detroit punk in a new direction, forged their own path, and could give a fuck if you understand it, accept it, embrace it, or run screaming down Woodward towards the nearest Republican Party office.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> A cinder block is threatened with extinction. A houseplant is also mercilessly sacrificed in the name of all that defies convention. Then it's entrails become prop, flung everywhere, but largely covering Jenna's centurion armor as she writhes and rolls on the floor like an orgiastic Wendy O. Williams. Matter of fact, it's quite possible that Jenna spent as much time horizontal, rolling in glitter, rose petals, and saliva, while performing 'Liberty', as she did vertically covering The Dead Boy's 'Sonic Reducer'.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's a requirement that the bizarre antics are encouraged and sometimes ignored. Jenna is the show. Jenna is the draw. The curious are coming in the door now on word of mouth about the fiery self-destructive shows, and the front woman who wields a short sword straight out of the Hobbit.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> As Jenna lands flat on her back for the seventeenth time, effectively destroying the last remaining antique chair left over from the '1984 Old Miami Wayne State Computer Lab Furniture Raid' she yells “Uh oh, bill the record company for that one!”</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Yes, indeed, bill the record company for the chair, but who do I bill for the years of therapy ahead? </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> After the set, the stage is a curious mixture of broken chairs, seasoned musical equipment, strewn toilet paper, disconnected cables, bud light bottles draining on their sides, and of course, pumpkin corpse. Fans mill about, talking, drinking, cleaning seeds out of their hair, but most importantly, discussing what they have witnessed. How, in the midst of all the on and off stage fury, for a moment darkness truly seemed to bleed daylight.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> In the same way, that our city has returned to the dark and depressing days of the late seventies, stagnating with unemployment, bitterness, blight, and apathy, Glitter Trash have resurrected the pillars of 70's punk ethos. We have blatantly ignored history in this industrial state, and now we are fulfilling our destiny to repeat it, economically and musically. However, this time the fans are listening with their minds and their ears. When Jenna is performing, beneath stage presence, beneath lyrics, beneath the pumpkin destruction, a much larger message is on display: </span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> 'I'm just like you, people. I'm frustrated, I'm depressed, and I'm angry. I'm wearing a leather skirt, and I'm going to rage. And fuck you, you're going to listen. Not because you're obligated, but because you identify with these emotions, with this dissatisfaction, with the depression, the (at times) overwhelming sadness of our existence, the inability to find decent work at a living wage, about the embarrassing collapse of our city, about the way Dad never wanted to spend any time with us, and how Mom got swallowed up by the bottle trying to cope with it all.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Staggering numbers of Detroit bands spend their weekends singing about pussy and beer. For them it's a gallows party, a few short hours where they aren't required to type marketing letters or sell Nautica neckties, and nothing more. Integrity and creativity are absent. Few have the insight or, if we are being completely truthful, the guts, to deviate from the road to excess. Fewer still, use their art as influence to improve our lot here in the rust belt.</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> This is where Glitter Trash have broken away from the pack . . .</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">-St.Aubin,</span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;">for the DRB</span></span></span></strong></div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-6388922622976423642010-11-26T18:26:00.000-08:002010-11-26T18:26:27.189-08:00DRB INTERVIEW: GUITAR LEGEND VERNON REID OF LIVING COLOUR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWP6UU3_u3QSyJK7dGvhH-9r5_n5jIavzs3HYjZxu95vZq9a2QDpOQ78Jc5YDeGiwbJs2sKYp-vVWUNWKmn83aEF-RP8UQ5FLSEghasdBtsT_Er7i2K5rujAESK53-axlRI31DuwzfAIQT/s1600/VernonReid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWP6UU3_u3QSyJK7dGvhH-9r5_n5jIavzs3HYjZxu95vZq9a2QDpOQ78Jc5YDeGiwbJs2sKYp-vVWUNWKmn83aEF-RP8UQ5FLSEghasdBtsT_Er7i2K5rujAESK53-axlRI31DuwzfAIQT/s320/VernonReid.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Quick ! Name the first guitarist that comes to mind who can play jazz, metal, funk, and punk, with equal, and unprecedented skill ? </strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Well of course, you said Vernon Reid. </strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Mainstream fans will eternally recall Reid as the fiery guitarist of Living Colour. Yet throughout his career, Reid has worked with every genre of artist, from the Mariah Carey to DJ Spooky. Rolling Stone may have anointed him a curious #66 on their list of the 100 Best Guitarists Of All Time. But, here at the DRB, we have Vernon firmly entrenched at number #7, just a half step behind Adrien Vandenberg. Regardless of rank, Reid is a renaissance musician, a diverse blend of countless musical influences. In the twenty-two years since 'Vivid' was released to great critical acclaim, Reid has composed a film score. Produced records. Released his first solo album back in 1996. Become a husband and father. And, he can now add Podcaster, to the list.</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> We caught up with Vernon backstage at The Fox Theater as Living Colour prepared to mesmerize the masses on the 'Experience: Hendrix' Detroit tour stop.</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>If you had the chance to go back and speak with the Vernon Reid of 1989, what would you say ?</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><strong> What would I say to myself ? Well, if there's anything I would say it's 'Don't be afraid to be even more creative”. Success, the way it came for us, was kind of traumatizing in the sense that, you're struggling, you're struggling, and I think this happened with a lot of band from my 'era' like Soul Asylum, a band like Anthrax, bands that were playing different things, then suddenly you're in the mix and it's like 'whattt ??'. </strong></span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><strong>The other thing, if I was going to talk to my younger self is, 'Man you should start to play piano, NOW!!' Because ten years evaporate and then twenty. But, if you start, soon enough, two and three years pass and you're able to at least passably do it. I've been threatening to sit down at the keyboard, but that's what I would tell myself: “Practice more!” Even more than I did</strong></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> If tonight was the last show you ever played, have you accomplished all you wanted to ?</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><strong> Everything ? If it all ended tomorrow ? I managed to do a fair amount. There are very few lives that feel complete. Because life is a process, an ongoing process. And one of the things for young people to understand is that you are always you. Its not like the older you is going to be radically different. You're still going to be you. You may leave certain things alone, but your essential personality is the same. I look at my seven year old's (behavior) and I say 'That is a feature!' 'THAT is not a phase!' She's going to be like that when she's twenty-one. There's so many people I would love to have a chance to sit down and talk to, or play with. I feel very fortunate in just the people I've gotten to meet. I've met a lot of my heroes, I've played with a lot of my heroes. From where I came from, my family is not a musician family. I went to a technical high school. I didn't go to a performing arts high school. </strong></span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><strong>I was guy who listened to Carlos Santana and then found himself standing next to Carlos Santana. I was a guy listening to the sex pistols, then I met Johnny Lydon. I was a guy listening to the Bad Brains, and I now consider that band to be amongst my really good friends in rock. So, a lot has happened. Still, there's are people I would have liked to have met and played with. I played on Public Enemy's first record. I played on Mariah Carey's first record. I toured with Jack Bruce as his guitar player. I've had a lot of varied experiences.</strong></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> How has Fatherhood change you as a musician ?</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> It made everything real in a fundamental way. Like witnessing my daughter being born. I was struck by two things. It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen, and this is an every day, every second occurrence. The first month with her I didn't even pick up the guitar. But, when I picked it up again, I felt great. It makes everything better. Some people take it as 'oh it's a pressure thing' the key to it is. Every kind of person has screwed it up as a parent. And every kind of person has made it work. People in the military people or in other dangerous professions have worked out as great parents. People who have little means have done a good job. Then, again, you have people who have done a terrible job of it. They stayed incredibly self centered or selfish. The economics of it are incidental. You have rich people who have done a terrible job. You have poor people who have done a terrible job. And vice versa. Hopefully, I'm doing a good job. I'm very lucky, that my wife is an extraordinary woman. My wife is also an artist. A choreographer and filmmaker, and active in her profession. That's a great thing for a kid to experience. And, I think were good parents.</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Is it challenging to find a balance in being a musican, father, and husband ?</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> I think that's the modern question. Yes, it is from time to time. But the one thing is everyone is in the same mix. In the economy today, the kind of 1950's sitcom scenario is not realistic. You have two income, two career families, almost by necessity. There are people with regular jobs who aren't able to balance it. As I've said before, every kind of person has done well with it, and every kind of person has messed it up, or had a difficult time. Balancing it is key. I think the most important thing is that it's possible to have a great family life while being engaged in whatever profession or career or vocation calls out to you.</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> What does this tour with it's relation to Hendrix, mean for you personally.</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3k-2mT7ZpytQNAivYwwkbCL7BUJ2ZTOP2ZLGi6Je7NMmNIqUAkWcqSa89wg-1_a5DOvpWvhfsRizHb_ZIXi4MY4fsa4WgMOQ3T324wHFMVxBMFkr1FSzifQIHQmEJ4-XOouVglsXXp5i/s1600/VernonReid2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3k-2mT7ZpytQNAivYwwkbCL7BUJ2ZTOP2ZLGi6Je7NMmNIqUAkWcqSa89wg-1_a5DOvpWvhfsRizHb_ZIXi4MY4fsa4WgMOQ3T324wHFMVxBMFkr1FSzifQIHQmEJ4-XOouVglsXXp5i/s320/VernonReid2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><strong> It's funny. I actually became a podcaster with a stand up comedian W. Kamau Bell, we have a podcast called 'The Field Negro's Guide To Art's & Culture'. The fifth episode is me interviewing Ernie Isley. It was a incredible honor to talk to him about Jimi Hendrix, because Ernie Isley of the Isley brothers he was kind of post-Hendrix. He was one of the voices that kept the kind of idea of what Hendrix was doing, alive. H</strong></span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><strong>endrix is a figure that people projected a lot of things on to. Everybody has their own kind of relationship to what he did. I love his music. I love what he did as an improvisor. I love what he did as a songwriter. He created an extraordinary context for what he did on the instrument, and he's very influential. The thing that I'm always at odds with is there are people who are 'Hendrix aficionados', people who are 'Hendrix obsessives', and play everything like him. His life was so extraordinary that he calls out to everyone to live your own extraordinary life, you have to live your own extraordinary life. He died at 27, young and beautiful, and did an incredible amount in a short period of time. And he is a challenge. His music, his existence as a figure, is a challenge in terms of 'how free am I prepared to be?', 'How uncompromising am I prepared to be?', 'What do I really want to say ?', 'What context do I build for the kind of guitar playing that I do?', and to think about that not in a nostalgic way, but in the modern day, in the current day. And having been a person, in a band, playing lead guitar, I'm constantly challenged to rethink what the role is. I think about a cat like Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, and I think 'man this cat is so . . so .'</strong></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Such as on 'In Rainbows' ?</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><strong> Yeah! It's beautiful. What he's doing on the guitar, I go back and I hear bits of Wes Montgomery and bits of old jazz in there. So it's an ongoing dialogue for me, and it's a honor to play Jimi's music with such wonderful musicians. Every night I try to bring my own dialogue with it. I'm not so concerned with playing LIKE him. There's certain things (on the tour) that have been very positive. This year, the first half, I played a lot with Joe Satriani, trading licks with him. Today, I'm playing with Steve Vai and trading licks with him. And its awesome, it's completely awesome to be playing with one of the giants of modern day guitar. H</strong></span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><strong>endrix has been made into so much. I come back to, really, what a great creative force he was. He exists on a kind of superficial level, with the head band and the crazy hair, but he also exists on a very soul deep level. A lot of his music is not happy-go-lucky music, like 'The Wind Cries Mary', 'Spanish Castle Magic', 'Castles Made of Sand' . .”</strong></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Hear My Train A-Coming.</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><strong> Hear My Train A-Coming. He dealt with the same sorts of things that Robert Johnson dealt with in his own way. 'If Six Was Nine', he dealt with mortality in his music. He dealt with existential loneliness. He dealt with really the blues and heartache. But he also was like a pimp. He was a guitar pimp, too. </strong></span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"><strong>He was influenced by Bob Dylan and the living influence of Bob Dylan affected his music. Robert Fripp talks about how, at one of the earliest King Crimson gigs, this guy runs up to him and says 'Man, that was great!”. Turns out that was Jimi Hendrix. He was not just about what he was doing, he was listening to everything. And the spirit of what that is, that's what I look for in myself in the sense of being open. Challenging myself. But I'm looking for that in terms of what the next generations our doing. For example, Brad Whitford of Aerosmith, is on the tour, and his two young sons, Graham and Harrison are excellent guitar players.</strong></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>-St.Aubin</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>for the DRB</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>*Edited for clarity and content*</strong></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-36622991208345929082010-11-21T21:48:00.000-08:002010-11-21T21:48:36.739-08:00AFTERSHOW PASSES AND FAN BUFFOONERY: THE CULT WITH THE BLACK RYDER AT THE FILLMORE 11/19/2010<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQpDYTEsbkMF4gW6l_qzmrbjEVi3XBzIC3oER2m3UoGy4yopDZmyyxzYjceFpv5QrL43ORmbotYCCHaTMLWnev6fXQ0YnZLOzfu93ZRYcok5Rp9lJ4qUUyr7uSOrJwiJ2t0CqWJTAM4Sk/s1600/cultpass2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQpDYTEsbkMF4gW6l_qzmrbjEVi3XBzIC3oER2m3UoGy4yopDZmyyxzYjceFpv5QrL43ORmbotYCCHaTMLWnev6fXQ0YnZLOzfu93ZRYcok5Rp9lJ4qUUyr7uSOrJwiJ2t0CqWJTAM4Sk/s320/cultpass2.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span style="background-color: black; color: lime;">I arrived early to The Fillmore eager to witness this latest incarnation of The Cult on their 'Destroying L'America/Nomads' tour. Reviews of earlier dates had been mixed, particularly an unflattering description of their June 5<sup>th</sup> Luna Park show in Sydney, but I remained enthusiastic. This is a band I grew up with and their unique approach to hard rock struck a chord with me at an early age.</span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> But little throughout the evening went as anticipated. The band pass list did not arrive until 6:45pm, and doors opened at 7pm, so I killed time next door in the State Bar and Grill reading Brett Callwood's recent Metro Times article on 'Celldweller'.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The list eventually arrived. I was admitted, checked my briefcase and coat, and proceeded to secure a meaningful place directly in front of the stage. For most concerts at the Fillmore, I'm content to sit mezzanine, but not this one. I orchestrated a blood vow with the other die-hard standing next to me, that no one would get through us to the handrail. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Let me preface the remainder of this article by admitting, like Ian Astbury and fellow founding member guitarist Billy Duffy, I am aging. </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have less tolerance, less patience, for juvenile stupidity. Or perhaps I'm merely more conscious of it. In Europe, throwing a full beer at a guitar player in certain circumstances is actually a show of respect. Well in Detroit, it's a sign you're a dumb ass. Despite excellent aim, two nitwits hurling beer ($5 a cup!) managed to miss members of both bands.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> My obsession with being entrenched at the front rail resulted in a dubious honor. Some overly aggressive young woman, drunk and high on, what Ian referred to during the concert as 'jazz cigarettes', spent the first three Black Ryder songs humping me like I was her drug dealer in a largely pornographic effort to secure a spot at the front rail.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Two rows of bodies behind her, a near brawl broke out over someone touching someone else somewhere. . . you know how these things go. Some uppity jackass said something flattering about the size of the hooters on the other guys wife. Except this is The Cult and the median age in the front twenty rows was 45 and up, or my name is Captain Kangaroo. Most of us adults have outgrown our ass-kicking teenage years, and simply want to enjoy the show. At a My Chemical Romance concert, I can better understand today's restless youth, filled with Milwaukee's best and hallucinogenics, gently settling disagreements with beer and fists. But The Cult crowd more resembled parents who will be driving their kids to My Chemical Romance.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Australian support act The Black Ryder were a pleasant surprise. I wasn't familiar with Scott Von Ryper and the exquisite Aimee Nash's shoegaze music, but they easily won over The Fillmore crowd with their enthusiasm and the eerie Stone Roses meets The Cure approach to tempo and drone. Their subdued songs and dark melodies are thick with sex and haunting in a bizarrely addictive manner. Check out the track 'Gone Without Feeling' from their 2009 album 'Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride' for a clearer understanding. My only criticism of this group: You're on this tour to generate interest for your band, to win new fans. If a few of them are in the front row, howling for a pic, accommodate them. Small effort, large reward.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The Cult, or should I say Ian, Billy, and the current crew of backing musicians they have in place, did their best, despite several considerable factors working against them. One is age, they simply don't have the energy to push it like they used to and that's fine. Fan's will temper their expectations, as both Astbury and Duffy are nearing 50. Two, they haven't released a decent album since 2001. You obsessives that argue Born Into This is a 'great' album can kiss me on my pale white butt cheeks. It's mediocre, especially when held up to 'Beyond Good & Evil' or 'Electric'. Three, they're nearing the end of this leg of the tour, and it has been a grueling three years of touring for the band.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Still, it all contributed to a slightly uneven show, that alternated between satisfyingly energetic and tired.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Opener 'Every Man And Woman Is A Star' an excellent new track that could easily have been an outtake from their self-titled 1994 album. Sometimes unfamiliar tracks snuff out the fire before it gets a chance to smolder, but this track is accessible and got the crowd primed. They surprised everyone with an energetic revisit of 'New York City' from 'Sonic Temple' and, highlight of the evening, a stellar reworking of 'White' from 'Ceremony'. 'White', in my opinion, has never received the critical prominence it's due, and it was encouraging to see this forgotten chestnut back into the limelight. Also, their stirring new song 'Embers' showed nearly the same promise as “Every Man & Woman' and was performed with equal ferocity. New material seemed to genuinely reinvigorate the band, albeit temporarily.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> After some early heat, the show descended into the typical Greatest Hits template. 'Sweet Soul Sister' despite being one of the big four from Sonic Temple, falls flat. 'Lil Devil' is performed with what appears to be the minimal amount of effort possible. However, during 'She Sells Sanctuary', Billy excels and I became 11 again, sitting in an apartment in Union Lake, Michigan mesmerized by a cassette copy of 'Love'. 'Fire Woman' ignites the crowd and I am 15 again, roaming the hallways, a high school degenerate, with 'Sonic Temple' in the Sony Walkman. “Spiritwalker' makes the set list, but despite showcasing the talents of hired hand drummer John Tempesta, it's a stale effort overall.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> With 'Wildflower', a good portion of this crowd sang along word for word, and responded joyously as Aimee Nash joined the band onstage with a tambourine. But, one couldn't escape the obvious sense during 'Nirvana', that the energy was rapidly evaporating. Ian valiantly attempted to motivate the crowd, hurling tambourines into the audience, and offering the microphone to enthusiastic fans to sing along. He praised Detroit fans for our resilience in the face of economic turmoil, but everyone who still bothers to add Detroit to their tour does that. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Predictably, they encored with a standard performance of 'Love Removal Machine'. Mercifully, the overplayed 'Edie' was left off the set list.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The hard truth is Ian's voice was ragged and he missed or skipped lyrics, often appearing out of breath particularly on 'Rise'. He's gained weight, grown his beard and hair back out, and was in full latter years Jim Morrison parody. It certainly isn't Ian's fault that he happens to resemble James Douglas Morrison when sprouting the shaggy look. But when you tack on in the aviator sunglasses and the Native American dancing on stage straight out of Oliver Stone's The Door's movie, somewhere up in rock and roll heaven, Jim's rolling his eyes.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I do not exaggerate when I add Billy seemed completely disconnected from what was going on, almost the entire set. He went to great lengths to avoid making eye contact with anyone in the crowd, focusing on instrumentation, and consistently appearing as if he couldn't care less. </span></strong></div><strong><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: lime;"></span></span></div></strong><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Look folks, it's no secret I love The Cult and have since first hearing 'She Sells Sanctuary' in 1984. I love Detroit and have since 1973. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> But what happened after the concert ended, was the most unprofessional display by both artist AND concertgoers I've seen in some time. After waiting inside The Fillmore for forty-five minutes, only rhythm guitarist Mike Dimkich appeared. He spoke with some attractive locals he was well acquainted with and sourly ignored the rest. It was then explained to the remaining pass holders, the rest of the band would be 'making an appearance' over at the State Bar (where, conveniently, anyone with a driver's license could enter). What in the hell was the point of a backstage pass ? As we made our way to the bar, I hung close to one of Ian's local friends who was texting him directly, trying to get a straight answer amidst all the chaos.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> After another twenty minutes of confusion and waiting, with no one in the bar knowing what was happening, Ian made a abbreviated appearance. He was there long enough to hug the aforementioned friend, and then all hell seemed to break loose. Not everyone in the bar was there for The Cult, in fact a rather disturbing group of suburban idiots seemed convinced that Ian was actually John Mellencamp, who happened to be performing next door at the Fox. From there, the behavior of a majority of the Detroit fans in the State bar can only be described as fucking appalling. Few were patient, respectful, and waiting politely for a moment to interact with Ian. Most behaved like oversexed orangutans feuding over the last banana.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I was embarrassed to be there, embarrassed to be from Detroit. Even when Kwame Kilpatrick publicly melted down and we were the laughingstock of the world, I wasn't this embarrassed. After being patient enough to sign an autograph for a 9 year old girl who was required to wait with her parents outside the front doors to the State Bar (liquor control laws), overzealous admirers began grabbing Ian, yelling out that it was their birthday and to take pictures with him. Some didn't bother asking, they just threw one arm around him and snapped their cameraphones. It was utter chaos.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> It took five minutes for the breaking point to arrive, and Ian hustled out the back of The State bar with Billy's guitar tech, to the safety of the tour bus. Bassist Chris Wyse remained in the bar, but my impression was other than some female admirers, few realized or cared who he was. Those of us who had been polite and patient, who waited all evening for a moment to shake hands with one of our musical inspirations, got completely fucked. While I'm disgusted with the startling neanderthal behavior of some fans, it was completely unprofessional and inappropriate to move us out of the secured area inside the Fillmore, to a bar. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><strong><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: lime;"></span></span></div></strong><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Some of Ian's response, I can partially understand:</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> For him and Billy, two men who have platinum records, who once filled stadiums with the mainstream hordes clamoring to hear 'Fire Woman', the downside of rock has been a bumpy ride. No record label, financing your own tours, and belligerent concertgoers throwing beer at you. Anyone in those shoes, would be annoyed with their reversal of musical fortune, and frosty towards aftershow engagements.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> But, I simply expect more and better from a band charging $30 to download TWO new songs. </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I expect musicians who have already received (minimum) $2500 of my money over the last twenty years, in concert tickets, t-shirt, posters, record/CD/EP/CD singles/DVD sales, etc, to take a minute, shake my hand, sign a $25 t-shirt I just bought, and if there's enough reasonable time, pose for a picture. When you say 'Meet and Greet', guess what? I expect to meet and greet the artist. Particularly if said musicians are trying to slowly rebuild a disintegrating fan base, show by show. Otherwise don't make Aftershow passes available.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Why you may ask, do I have such high expectations ? </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Becasue people like me, make Ian Astbury rich. People like me, allow him to forgo a life washing dishes in a Hamilton, Ontario Tim Hortons, so he can tour the world pretending he's in The Doors.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The Fillmore was half empty for this concert. And, only about twelve us with Aftershow Passes remained waiting in a secured area. Hardly a mob. I don't expect musicians to endure an unsafe environment, or placate every nut job who demands an autograph. But, there's a right and wrong way to engage your true fans. This was a textbook example of how to half ass an after show meet and greet and alienate your well-meaning, lifelong supporters.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">-St.Aubin</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">for the DRB</span></strong></div>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-55362001961789220392010-11-15T22:00:00.000-08:002010-11-15T23:26:09.959-08:00"HELL CAN'T HOLD ME!!": CRUD LAND ON MONSTER ISLAND<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIFNOS9A5VayRsNauqRcJRwaXAJihZfZ9WhNZYu9FwjLHqRz4mAZcTMeBNRJple2S1SOfpSs_KLEPCyPENwInRUi3EL2n98nlTcilYDnZ8xMHcgkTZV3z1mJB7MmS4dlwx0CWfiqAT7Ly/s1600/CRUDalbumcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIFNOS9A5VayRsNauqRcJRwaXAJihZfZ9WhNZYu9FwjLHqRz4mAZcTMeBNRJple2S1SOfpSs_KLEPCyPENwInRUi3EL2n98nlTcilYDnZ8xMHcgkTZV3z1mJB7MmS4dlwx0CWfiqAT7Ly/s320/CRUDalbumcover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> <span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;">Mediocre bands litter the Detroit landscape like dog feces. It's to the point, that when some no-name outfit produces a record that's merely 'above average', it's hoisted in the air and paraded down Woodward like a Thanksgiving Day float. </span></span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">So it's fitting the combined musical forces of native son Vinnie Dombrowski, the provocative Danielle Arsenault, hometown guitar legend Dave Black, another local legend in bassist Dana Forrester, and mysterious drummer Leander Decordova, were expected to not only satisfy, but exceed the extremely high expectations on their second full release. The first Crud album was a sonic assault on the Detroit music scene, a musical traffic signal indicating that not only was the devil at the wheel, but Hell remains straight ahead for most of us. Few albums possess that raw authenticity to grab you by throat and shake you out of your everyday complacency. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> So we've all been wondering the same thing: What could possibly be next ? The anticipation for COMI has been building for months and has been fully justified given the talent level of these musicians. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow;"> Well, with their sophomore release, Vinnie and his partners in crime have successfully proven one absolute musical truth: </span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Rock is no longer dead. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It is now a zombie that Satan chained up in mom's basement.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPEZIwGznkPsXk0bFVy2dsVURBi0gGWD-r7VfGLeeAUELSj2Qi2d063cUy7cAzranLPQC-PEr4xbN_c_Vi5nQLIJMDbj6-nAIPngqx7oSNcxXrx0qkWJpAlXbN4Hmo-gKZJFRq_3YagrX/s1600/crud6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPEZIwGznkPsXk0bFVy2dsVURBi0gGWD-r7VfGLeeAUELSj2Qi2d063cUy7cAzranLPQC-PEr4xbN_c_Vi5nQLIJMDbj6-nAIPngqx7oSNcxXrx0qkWJpAlXbN4Hmo-gKZJFRq_3YagrX/s320/crud6.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 'Crud On Monster Island' is pure spectacle. It's underground theater, complete with lion headdress, blinding lights, and a tour de force of rabid musicianship. And, it's been a long time folks, since anyone around here has put out a record this good.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Not that COMD is going to appeal to everyone. It's still noisy, fetish, sex rock, no question. There's some NIN (intentional or not, the subtle influence of Reznor's enigmatic 'Gave Up' from the Broken EP is everywhere on this disc), some Front 242, and a deliciously sexy streak of early Blondie. If Blondie dressed in leopard skin, howled like a she-wolf, and challenged the Skull Ape to battle for musical dominance. But it's been blended in production to be a bit more ear friendly, than your typical industrial mishmash. Dombrowski and the Patalan brothers realize a record like this has to not only make a statement, it has to BE a statement. And CRUD have nearly perfected the difficult art of crafting an appealing song, without compromising their artistic vision. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> There's a distinct damnation theme prevalent. Song titles such as 'Die With The Sinners', The Devil Is A Patient Man', and 'I'll Be Damned' offer foreboding. This is a record about choosing the path of the damned and repeatedly reaping the consequences. Upon repeated listens, one senses this album is as much about therapeutically embracing the sinner within all of us, as it is about sin.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 'Bomb Bomb' leads off the album, and though it's a bit of 'Reality part 2', it's still sinks its hooks into you the minute you hear Vinnie singing the ridiculously flattering line 'she give me bomb bomb, when she boom boom'.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 'We'll Not Be Broken' quickly sets itself apart as the album highlight, and should become the next CRUD processional. The synergized energy of this track is flat out jaw dropping, as Crud turn down the grit and smooth out the rough edges. The end result is more than a solid rock song, it's a rock anthem, and a theme for our city in these dark days.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 'Balaam's Ass Speaks' draws it's deceptively crude title from an obscure Old testament story where a donkey was granted the power of speech. After getting slapped around by it's owner, Balaam, out of the blue the donkey suddenly asks, 'Whyare you beating me, man?” Leave it to Vinnie to take that story and transform the theme into a driving S & M classic.</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLaeOkfyFvdmSowuWVgGD54qMU7RSKBLwQWKH5_tIOC0PZZwlw74IGiNbOtV13ks-y1wIMbF7LkrIlykVplrB2bKKKY6ncjfgySVK35RA4XNl6xKPMwnTwXRuolbvgi6cBN3C567nO-9jD/s1600/crud+glow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLaeOkfyFvdmSowuWVgGD54qMU7RSKBLwQWKH5_tIOC0PZZwlw74IGiNbOtV13ks-y1wIMbF7LkrIlykVplrB2bKKKY6ncjfgySVK35RA4XNl6xKPMwnTwXRuolbvgi6cBN3C567nO-9jD/s320/crud+glow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 'I'll Be Damned', with it's 'Hell can't hold me' chorus is another victory, and listening to it, I couldn't help recalling the Alice and Chains I knew and loved back in 1992. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I'm purposely not mentioning every track, because 'CRUD On Monster Island' contains some startling changes of timing and instrumentation that readers and fans should discover on their own. However, </span></strong><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I will reveal this: be prepared for when CRUD decides to, unexpectedly, unleash the horns.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Yes, you read correctly, horns.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> My sole dislike of the record is the repetitive nature of some songs. The screaming, the riffing, and the machine gun drumming, could bleed certain tracks one into another without much notice, but this is petty consequence on a record of this nature.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Overall, a stellar achievement.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">-St.Aubin</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">for the DRB</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Photos by LUX Concert Photography </span></strong></div><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299886843134637586.post-36074470013310655262010-11-12T22:21:00.000-08:002010-11-12T22:22:25.830-08:00DRB VIP: ALYSSA BERNAL, KRIS ALLEN, & LIFEHOUSE AT THE FILLMORE 11/8/2010<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlTxbhVRujDRcpIvakOK3zdexrsLXgDU_EBR4SqHwUpwo1ygqJwiNE4UjCzG9hIgnAL4KNdbbCo_2q_XAj1g0kDgowMCNUHsIa3iKmkKNh3fHIGXEINchXuMs-5nmli9H6pgAkEBOtJUx/s1600/Jason+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlTxbhVRujDRcpIvakOK3zdexrsLXgDU_EBR4SqHwUpwo1ygqJwiNE4UjCzG9hIgnAL4KNdbbCo_2q_XAj1g0kDgowMCNUHsIa3iKmkKNh3fHIGXEINchXuMs-5nmli9H6pgAkEBOtJUx/s320/Jason+4.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Sometimes, in this unpredictable music business, you're required to cover an event that is less enjoyable than two root canals, regardless of how many free hot dogs, free Budweiser, and free tickets are thrown in your lap. With certain artists, no amount of musicianship, lyricism, or 'undiscovered rarities', is going to win you over. Such was the case with the Lifehouse 'Smoke and Mirrors Tour' landing at the Fillmore this past Monday. No offense to Lifehouse, a talented group for what they do, but I'd rather watch grass grow than hear 'Hanging By A Moment' one more time, from now until doomsday. Same for American Idol 'winner' Kris Allen, though I will confess SOME of Alyssa Bernal's material, turned out to be a pleasant surprise.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> That being said, I ventured down to The Fillmore to embrace the Detroit Rock Blog's second VIP experience over the last few months (see our recent article on The Palace). And I am proud to report, the Fillmore does not disappoint. It is an excellent live venue, not only for musicians traveling either a certain upward or downward level of fame, but for fans of live music. They do provide several seating choices: you can fight with the masses to see who can make it to the very front of the general admission floor area; or you can sit back in the mezzanine, the balconies, or the main floor area surrounding the main bar, sit back and take in the show. Though we prefer the spaciousness of the Fox, lets face it, not everybody can fill the Fox to capacity. The staff of the Fillmore was enthusiastic, articulate, and answered our never ending questions about seating and ticket availability with patient smiles. For that we are grateful.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Plus we got two free beers. And some decent quesadillas.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"> <u>Alyssa Bernal:</u></span></span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> We'd never heard of her and, at first, were more fascinated with her bassist. Bernal may be groomed for pop stardom, but her Bass player appeared as if his life dream is to join 'Rancid' with his Sex Pistols attire and pink & green every way mohawk. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;">Bernal's voice stubbornly drew our attention back to this gifted youngster, who originated her career on YouTube. But, she quickly separated herself from the pack via the attentive eye of legendary producer Pharrell Williams.</span></span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Despite a beautiful voice, her songs weren't overwhelmingly memorable, with the exception of the curiously catchy 'Stay'. The song possesses a rare quality, that when played live, it immediately grabs you. It's soft, melodic, and honest, and I like that in a single, regardless of who's singing it. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">No question, eventually she's going to be in league with the Sarah McGlachlan's of the pop world. Her voice is young magic, and could melt Jason Voorhee's heart with her saccharine melodies and roller skate choruses.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></strong></div><strong></strong><strong><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"> <u>Kris Allen:</u></span></span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Gawd, I feel sorry for this guy. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> He seems like such a nice fellow, in the TV interviews and when he rolls onstage, half-halfheartedly belting out 'How You DOING DETROIT!'. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I know what you're thinking . . how can I feel sorry for someone who's a millionaire musician, out on tour, amassing fans, doing what he loves ? </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Well, for one, the guy sold his soul to American Idol for that fame. He's got a certain level of talent and, on stage, performs with an earnestness forged in the fires of reality television Hell. But tonight he looked as though he'd rather be anywhere instead of Detroit. And anywhere but on stage.</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjY_7i5QdKMJlFcN-Lz0hkco1cB55nrIOqoYpMQ1hJdjBdXFLxys00DnDrXrd8xrZydLYC56ObSpK74FkNuYLXpzoo6EhDaoeYJEl1x0-Eh97QqNkTHK_Pvrw13TVmm7Vlriok2_Rlxaka/s1600/Kris+Allen3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjY_7i5QdKMJlFcN-Lz0hkco1cB55nrIOqoYpMQ1hJdjBdXFLxys00DnDrXrd8xrZydLYC56ObSpK74FkNuYLXpzoo6EhDaoeYJEl1x0-Eh97QqNkTHK_Pvrw13TVmm7Vlriok2_Rlxaka/s320/Kris+Allen3.jpg" width="246" /></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Not that his performance wasn't solid. The world's biggest karaoke contest winner of 2009 did a fair job given his 'aww shucks' personality and haggard energy. We all know Kris prospered from a Faustian bargain, to overcome the far superior Adam Lambert. And, now he's in the thick of it, carrying the Idol mark of Cain, and finding it doesn't wash off as easily without the golden pipes of a Carrie Underwood. While he may be painfully overrated, I feel, in light of his ability, he's also painfully (with help), overachieved.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Some of the material from his self-titled album showed spark. Red Guitar is a joyous, highlight that exhibited musicians finding a comfortable space, individually, while playing as different pieces of the same puzzle. It's the moment Kris comes across as the most sincere, and the most in tune with his fellow artists. 'Live Like Were Dyin' does borrow from Tim McGraw but drew the crowd right in with it's infection chorus. His cover of eighties pop gem 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' was actually spirited.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> But there were some unfortunate and undeniable gaffes. He possesses an albums worth of decent material, yet failed to play two of his most recognizable singles ('The Truth' and 'No Boundaries'). Furthermore, he devoted eleven minutes of the set to covering Tears For Fears AND The Beatles 'Come Together'. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">One cover is fine, two is karaoke. Unless you're Ann and Nancy Wilson.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Courier New;"> Someone needs to sit Kris down and gently explain that 'Come Together' has been officially retired and should never again be covered by anyone. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Ever. </span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"> <u>LIFEHOUSE:</u></span></span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Well the Detroit fans should be happy. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Ten years into it, Lifehouse has reached the point where they simply can't perform every song the fans are screaming for, at every concert or we'd all be there until the dawn's early light crept over the top of the Leland Hotel. So whenever a lead vocalist pulls out the trusty acoustic guitar for a 'medley', it's actually a feather in their cap of longevity. Though, the last time I had to sit through a 'medley' of hits was Kid Rock back in 2004 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">But for the songs Lifehouse did play in their entirety, they gave it their all, particularly guitarist Ben Carey. Ben possesses a unique talent for combining his seasoned skill playing guitar, with the showmanship of a veteran rock musician. Carey didn't appear as tired, or as occasionally bored by the fame, as the rest of the band. He jumps around on stage like a kid on Christmas morning. Singer Jason Wade and bassist Bryce Soderberg definitely had legitimate moments of excitement, where they seemed plugged into the performance, such as on the white hot 'Falling In' where Wade dueted with Alyssa Bernal. But also seemed resigned to phone brief sections of this one in.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Still, I can't be too hard on Lifehouse, and Wade in particular. It was a Monday night, on a long tour, and, frankly, the fans still got their moneys worth. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> The show opened with Wade singing a welcome to the crowd, an intro they titled 'Hello There' on the set list, as the band took the stage in typical rock star fashion. They bled the opening into the rousing song 'All In' from their latest album 'Smoke & Mirrors'. And for a moment, all seems promising. The band seems to be in top form as they roll through Spin, Nerve Damage, and 'You And Me' with equal fervor.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> There's nothing different or original about these takes on old favorites, but there's nothing necessarily negative about them either.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Their performance of 'Whatever It Takes', however, is as solemn as the song itself, and in the crowd, tears are flowing.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">But, when Soderberg takes over the vocals on 'Wrecking Ball' they flat lose the momentum and never quite regain it, until near the encore. Wade follows 'Wrecking Ball' with what could only be described as the 'LIFEHOUSE request hour'. The rest of the band takes a break, while Wade performs whatever song titles are screamed out to him by zealous fans. He begins with 'Breathing' from their first album 'No Name Face', then obliges the crowd with a few moments of 'Storm', 'Sick Cycle Carousel', and teases with a snippet of 'Everything'.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I understand that when your hits are bittersweet acoustic gems, and you have a fan base to satisfy, there's no way to keep the shine from being dimmed somewhere during the set. But, honestly, it felt like I was back at my high school prom, slow dancing to Taylor Dane. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> The fans, however, loved it.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> While 'Hanging By A Moment' is always good to get a mellowed crowd revved back up, in this case it could have been played by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the flock would have responded with the same energy, hopping up and down, and singing along. The band cleverly utilizes this energy to draw everyone back into the flow of the concert, though if you look beneath the surface, it's obvious they're getting tired. They coast through 'First Time' satisfactorily, but nothing more. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Broken is where Wade turns the emotional jet engine back on. Every meaningful note is sincere, sad, and perfect. This is the high point.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> They encored with the superb rocker 'Halfway Gone'. And, finally, mercifully, Lifehouse satisfies their devoted legion, with what a vocal majority have spent the entire concert howling drunkenly for: a full, heavenly, performance of fan favorite 'Everything'</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"> <u>A study of contrasts:</u></span></span></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Bernal is cute and has a beautiful voice, no question, but coming off the stage, when it's time to sell merchandise, pose, and make witty banter with new fans, she let her annoyance show. You see, this is the foundation, the time to build your audience, and to generate word of mouth interest in your upcoming album. Easiest way to achieve that when jumping on and off the tour bus, is with a little friendly interaction. It's also where it stops being glory and starts being work. She's young and it shows, lacking the patience an artist develops (or doesn't) after a few years on the road. She was tired, frustrated, and after multiple autographs, curt.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> The opposite must be said about Lifehouse' Jason Wade. Though Jason was tired, and obviously ready for a nap, he patiently explained to those of us waiting that he would load his guitar into the bus and be right out. Touch of class, this kid. He'd just played an blue-chip show, and the last thing anyone wants to do after rocking out for 16 songs is listen to fans blather about how, back in 2000, your first album changed their life. They've heard it before, likely in every major and minor city in the states. That's the influence a musician can have. But this is also the job, and after a decade in music, Wade clearly understands his greater responsibility to the masses.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Fans are fickle. And they age. But, they'll remember the five minutes a favorite rock star took to shake their hand or speak with them, well into their seventies.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> So Wade patiently signs the autographs, he poses for dozens of pictures, talks with his fans about whether or not he's sick, how many shows they've been to, favorite songs, “Hi, this is my mom!”, “Can you sing this?”, “When are you coming back to Michigan?”, and on and on.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> I was impressed. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> And that says a lot because deep down I believe Jason and his three band mates got together in a college dorm room ten years ago to sign a different kind of Faustian bargain. This one involved little more than agreeing to write nothing but sad bastard music, a little heavier than straight emo, but completely geared towards the heartstrings of women 15-40. This was how they would amass their popularity and rock and roll fortune.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> So be it.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> The guy talked to every fan who was waiting in the November cold. He signed an autograph for every request. And he spoke to fans with a respect that let them know their loyalty was appreciated.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Hell, he even answered an interview question for the Blog.</span></strong></div><strong></strong><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Well done, Jason Wade, from a non-fan. </span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Overall, it was a good performance, and you conducted yourself afterward with class.</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Take a cue, rock and rollers.</span></strong></div><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span>M. St Aubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724908011056962866noreply@blogger.com2