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Interviews archive - D
Interview with:
Rob Paris, lead guitarist of DANGER
Interviewer: Tawny Khat
Interview date: January 11, 2009
Photo by: Lizzie Brams Used with permission Courtesy: Danger
I want to thank Rob for taking the time to do this interview, especially as it was on kind of short notice! I also want to thank Marjo Verdooren of Metal Revelation (Danger's management and promotions agent) for her assistance in making the interview happen, and for providing us with all the great info about and photos of DANGER. Due to the large distance between us, this interview was conducted by email. Now without further ado, please enjoy the interview!
Rob Paris (guitars) Photo by: Lizzie Brams
Used with permission Courtesy: Danger
1. Danger has been a very busy and hard working band. I love seeing that kind of determination. You released four demos within one year and about six months ago, in July 2008, you released your first EP, "First Touch". What is the band's next step? Will we see another EP or are you planning a full-blown album?
Rob Paris, lead guitarist of DANGER
Interviewer: Tawny Khat
Interview date: January 11, 2009
Photo by: Lizzie Brams Used with permission Courtesy: Danger
I want to thank Rob for taking the time to do this interview, especially as it was on kind of short notice! I also want to thank Marjo Verdooren of Metal Revelation (Danger's management and promotions agent) for her assistance in making the interview happen, and for providing us with all the great info about and photos of DANGER. Due to the large distance between us, this interview was conducted by email. Now without further ado, please enjoy the interview!
Rob Paris (guitars) Photo by: Lizzie Brams
Used with permission Courtesy: Danger
1. Danger has been a very busy and hard working band. I love seeing that kind of determination. You released four demos within one year and about six months ago, in July 2008, you released your first EP, "First Touch". What is the band's next step? Will we see another EP or are you planning a full-blown album?We really hope that the next step is a full-blown album. That's what we (sic) currently working on. If not there will be a new EP better than ever.
2. Danger has performed in a number of other countries already, including Norway, The Netherlands, Germany, and the U.K. Is the band planning to perform in any other, different countries this year?
Yes, we are planning gigs now and it will be in Sweden and hopefully the rest of Europe, don't know so much about where yet but yeah, we really want out now so that's how it's gonna be. Being out on the road is what DANGER likes the most!!!
3. Will the band be making any music videos in the near future?
We have talked a lot about that and we really want that.. but I think the best is to wait for the (sic) a full-length album to be released. Then do music videos, with songs from the album.
Jesse Kid (vocals) Photo by: Lizzie Brams
Used with permission Courtesy: Danger4. On July 25, 2008 you guys performed at Sala Festivalen with The Poodles and Hardcore Superstar. Could you tell me more about that experience?
Yes, it was real cool. The biggest gig for Danger ever at that point and it was quite a challenge! All the other bands had roadies of course and didn't had (sic) to fix their drums, amps and stuff, just play you know, but we in DANGER did everything ourselves and that of course put the focus away from the show thing. Like "do I have everything right now" haha but it turned out cool anyways.. AND you learn from it. Just to rock on.
5. Are there any plans for Danger to play any large festivals this year?
Yes it is, we are working on that now and it is a voting thing on one of the festivals here in Sweden, the second biggest called Hultsfreds Festivalen. So make sure all now to vote for DANGER ;) here: http://www.snarthultsfredsfestival.net/onska_band.php
6. If you could choose just one place to perform this year, where would it be?
More and more I want to get overseas to the U.S.A, to Las Vegas and The Strip and so on, so I say no specific venue just the States. BUT my dream is of course also JAPAN! They are crazy over there and I really am a big fan of that Asian stuff.
Togge Rock (bass) Photo by: Lizzie Brams
Used with permission Courtesy: Danger
7. Which bands are Danger's biggest influences?Hmm.. that's always a hard one, I am really into all kind of music, heavy metal, death metal, black metal, thrash metal, grind metal and of course glam sleaze rock, hard rock and even ABBA and stuff. But there are so many bands, to (sic) many to mention them all, but TWISTED SISTER and EUROPE have been with me my whole life and those I also LOVE the most. Even MOTLEY CRUE and DIRE STRATES (sic).
8. Who do you consider to be the best rock guitarist of all time?
I have to mention two here, "Mick fukkin' Mars" is a mean basterd (sic) when it comes to play the strings! Then we have John Norum of course, not mean but so good in the more technical way, but I think he does it in a dirty way :D haha
9. And, who would you consider to be the best rock vocalist of all time?
I have to mention three here JOEY TEMPEST (sitting and listening on EUROPE during this interview), DEE SNIDER and of course my man JESSE KID!!!
Danny Crash (drums) Photo by: Lizzie Brams
Used with permission. Courtesy: Danger10. If you could choose any band in existence today to go on a world tour with, which band would it be?
MOTLEY CRUE, as simple as that! Or METALLICA
11. I imagine Danger already has its share of groupies. Could you provide me with a good groupie story?
Lets keep the details quiet for the moment ;) but it can really get wild, specially (sic) when we have hotel rooms! Crazy!!!
Lets keep the details quiet for the moment ;) but it can really get wild, specially (sic) when we have hotel rooms! Crazy!!!
12. Finally, what special message would you like to send fans, and soon to be fans?
Always be yourself, always do what you feel like! Go your own way! Don't follow the norm/standard, if that's not what you want of course.. if people don't like what you do or what you think or dress like or whatever they complain about, let them SHOVE IT UP THEIR AZZ!!! YOU are the winner if you go on strong!!!!!!!!!
Go to our MySpace or website to check us out: www.myspace.com/bestdanger or www.danger.se , and drop us a note. We love to be in contact with our fans!
Thank you Electric Pussycat, You ROCK!!!!
Rob Paris
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Always be yourself, always do what you feel like! Go your own way! Don't follow the norm/standard, if that's not what you want of course.. if people don't like what you do or what you think or dress like or whatever they complain about, let them SHOVE IT UP THEIR AZZ!!! YOU are the winner if you go on strong!!!!!!!!!
Go to our MySpace or website to check us out: www.myspace.com/bestdanger or www.danger.se , and drop us a note. We love to be in contact with our fans!
Thank you Electric Pussycat, You ROCK!!!!
Rob Paris
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Interview with:
Barry Sparks of Dokken
Interviewer: Tawny Khat
Interview date: March 30, 2009
I want to start off by thanking Barry very much for taking the time out of his busy schedule to complete this interview. I really appreciate it! Because of his busy schedule, this interview was completed by email. We're still working on getting back interviews from the other members of Dokken, and will publish those if and when we get them. Now to the interview:
EP (Electric Pussycat): You've been very fortunate in your career to have performed with some phenomenal musicians, including Yngwie Malmsteen and Michael Schenker. It was while playing with Yngwie that you started playing a 6-string bass. Can you tell me about why you switched to the 6-string, and why you continue with it to this day?
EP: What kind of feedback have you been receiving from fans regarding Dokken's most recent album, "Lightning Strikes Again"?
BS: Everything I have heard so far has been very positive. It's my favorite Dokken CD that I have been a part of. The production is great, and for the fans I think its a return to the classic Dokken sound.
EP: There's been a growing resurgence of 80s style glam and sleaze rock, especially in Europe and Scandinavia. Have you noticed more younger fans at Dokken shows, the all ages shows that is?
BS: Yes, I have noticed a lot more young people at the shows, and I think it's really cool. A lot of these younger people are discovering that bands like Dokken have great guitar playing, great vocals, and harmonies. Wow, what a concept! hahahaha
EP: You've listed some great influences, such as Chris Squire, Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, Stanley Clarke, and Michael Schenker. In addition to the old school rockers, are there any new bass players that you find impressive?
BS: Well, there are of course a lot of great new players out there, but I still think as far as bass players go, young bass students should check out John Entwhistle, John Paul Jones, Geddy Lee and Chris Squire of Yes, Stanley Clarke, and of course Paul McCartney for some inspiration. Those guys were the founding fathers of rock bass.
EP: You grew up in Tucson. I'm a fellow Arizonan, born and raised in Mesa. I visited L.A. and Hollywood many times in the late 80s and early 90s, right in the middle of the heyday of glam and sleaze hair metal. I always had a wild time there! You moved to L.A. in 1989 and you've said that it was a real shock at first. Can you describe what that culture shock was like, for those who never got to experience L.A. or Hollywood back then?
BS: Yes, moving to L.A. when I was 21 was an eye opener for sure. It was on one hand very exciting to see all these great bands and players, and on the other hand it was discouraging because it felt like there were so many players that I wasn't sure if I would fit in somewhere. But, I worked very hard and played with as many people as I could and eventually it paid off for me.
EP: What was it like recording "Lightning Strikes Again" in a style reminiscent of Dokken's sound in the mid 80s?
BS: It was a very enjoyable experience and I knew as we were laying down the tracks that this was gonna be a great CD. Don really did an amazing job.
EP: Would you like to see Dokken do more records like this most recent offering, or would you rather like to see Dokken to do something more progressive?
BS: I think this direction really worked this time, but next time you never know how it will end up. Every CD we do we put our "all" into it and play our very best, so that I know will never change.
Thanks again Barry! I want to let readers know that Barry also has a solo project, the Barry Sparks Band, which includes his brother, Kevin. For more info you can check out his MySpace page.
For more info about Dokken you can visit their MySpace page and/or website. Also, check out my article about Dokken and my review of their recent show in Tempe, Arizona.
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Barry Sparks of Dokken
Interviewer: Tawny Khat
Interview date: March 30, 2009
I want to start off by thanking Barry very much for taking the time out of his busy schedule to complete this interview. I really appreciate it! Because of his busy schedule, this interview was completed by email. We're still working on getting back interviews from the other members of Dokken, and will publish those if and when we get them. Now to the interview:
EP (Electric Pussycat): You've been very fortunate in your career to have performed with some phenomenal musicians, including Yngwie Malmsteen and Michael Schenker. It was while playing with Yngwie that you started playing a 6-string bass. Can you tell me about why you switched to the 6-string, and why you continue with it to this day?
BS (Barry Sparks): Yes, I started playing the 6 string bass around 1994... I had been playing 5 string already for quite awhile but with Yngwie's music having a higher [ ] 6 string worked great to play those fast licks! I originally tuned the high string to "b" but found out it made much more sense on a bass to tune it to "C". It worked great in his band, "more was more", and it was also lots of fun for me.
EP: As with your fellow musicians in Dokken, I'd like to ask you to tell me about your equipment, for all of my readers who are musicians.
BS: As for amps, I generally like to use Ampeg, the Ampeg classic head is my fave with 8 x 10 cabinets, and for guitars I have been using my brother Kevin Sparks' custom made basses, I absolutely love these, they are kind of a mix between a Thunderbird and an Explorer. I got the idea after touring with UFO and using a Thunderbird... they look real cool, but they don't sound all that great, so my brother came up with this design. It's perfectly balanced and the tone is great, too. To find out more go to sparksguitars.com. I also love Yamaha and Carvin guitars as well, I have been using them for years.
EP: As with your fellow musicians in Dokken, I'd like to ask you to tell me about your equipment, for all of my readers who are musicians.
BS: As for amps, I generally like to use Ampeg, the Ampeg classic head is my fave with 8 x 10 cabinets, and for guitars I have been using my brother Kevin Sparks' custom made basses, I absolutely love these, they are kind of a mix between a Thunderbird and an Explorer. I got the idea after touring with UFO and using a Thunderbird... they look real cool, but they don't sound all that great, so my brother came up with this design. It's perfectly balanced and the tone is great, too. To find out more go to sparksguitars.com. I also love Yamaha and Carvin guitars as well, I have been using them for years.
EP: What kind of feedback have you been receiving from fans regarding Dokken's most recent album, "Lightning Strikes Again"?
BS: Everything I have heard so far has been very positive. It's my favorite Dokken CD that I have been a part of. The production is great, and for the fans I think its a return to the classic Dokken sound.
EP: There's been a growing resurgence of 80s style glam and sleaze rock, especially in Europe and Scandinavia. Have you noticed more younger fans at Dokken shows, the all ages shows that is?
BS: Yes, I have noticed a lot more young people at the shows, and I think it's really cool. A lot of these younger people are discovering that bands like Dokken have great guitar playing, great vocals, and harmonies. Wow, what a concept! hahahaha
EP: You've listed some great influences, such as Chris Squire, Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, Stanley Clarke, and Michael Schenker. In addition to the old school rockers, are there any new bass players that you find impressive?
BS: Well, there are of course a lot of great new players out there, but I still think as far as bass players go, young bass students should check out John Entwhistle, John Paul Jones, Geddy Lee and Chris Squire of Yes, Stanley Clarke, and of course Paul McCartney for some inspiration. Those guys were the founding fathers of rock bass.
EP: You grew up in Tucson. I'm a fellow Arizonan, born and raised in Mesa. I visited L.A. and Hollywood many times in the late 80s and early 90s, right in the middle of the heyday of glam and sleaze hair metal. I always had a wild time there! You moved to L.A. in 1989 and you've said that it was a real shock at first. Can you describe what that culture shock was like, for those who never got to experience L.A. or Hollywood back then?
BS: Yes, moving to L.A. when I was 21 was an eye opener for sure. It was on one hand very exciting to see all these great bands and players, and on the other hand it was discouraging because it felt like there were so many players that I wasn't sure if I would fit in somewhere. But, I worked very hard and played with as many people as I could and eventually it paid off for me.
EP: What was it like recording "Lightning Strikes Again" in a style reminiscent of Dokken's sound in the mid 80s?
BS: It was a very enjoyable experience and I knew as we were laying down the tracks that this was gonna be a great CD. Don really did an amazing job.
EP: Would you like to see Dokken do more records like this most recent offering, or would you rather like to see Dokken to do something more progressive?
BS: I think this direction really worked this time, but next time you never know how it will end up. Every CD we do we put our "all" into it and play our very best, so that I know will never change.
Thanks again Barry! I want to let readers know that Barry also has a solo project, the Barry Sparks Band, which includes his brother, Kevin. For more info you can check out his MySpace page.
For more info about Dokken you can visit their MySpace page and/or website. Also, check out my article about Dokken and my review of their recent show in Tempe, Arizona.
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Interview with:
Downtown Gunz
All photos used with permission. Courtesy: Downtown Gunz
This week we were very pleased to bring you the first winner in our "Favorite New Bands" contest. The big winner for January was Downtown Gunz (I apologize to my Scandinavian friends for the fact that my computer doesn't allow me to type some of the alphabetical characters correctly). The Gunz won by a very large margin over some stiff competition by some other great bands, so we want to congratulate them! This is a very new band, but they already have a strong and loyal following. They're in a transition phase at this point, having recently fired their lead vocalist, but we're sure they'll be back on track soon, and we're look forward to hearing their first demo! Here is an interview I conducted with the band members by email (edited only for spelling, punctuation, and clarity). After a few computer glitches, we finally got it done!
To participate in our monthly contest to choose your favorite band, with the winner being featured right here, go to our blog on MySpace. Support your favorite band today!!
Cpt. Tim Lizzy - Bassist
EP (Electric Pussycat): I want to thank you guys for doing this interview with me. OK, here are the questions.
EP: Have you found a new vocalist yet?
DG (Downtown Gunz): No, we have not yet found a singer. But, we are talking to this Swedish guy who might be the one for the job. We are a serious band and need someone that will commit 100% and has a great voice, and stage presence. We will keep searchin' 'til we find the best guy possible! If [anyone is] interested, send a demo to, downtown_gunz@hotmail.com.
EP: When did Downtown Gunz form?
DG: Döwntown Gunz was formed in late 2008. Cpt. Tim Lïzzy wanted to start a kick ass band with the name Döwntown Gunz. So, he posted an ad on some music pages and the search [began]. He soon met Nicky, who said he could sing. Soon after, they found the ass kickin' drummer, Steven Strange, who was all in! The search continued 'til they finally found a crazy fuck of [a] guitar player, Rikki Reckless. The band was complete.
When we all met for the first time in Oslo, it was perfect. We fit so fuckin' good together. And, we stood out [in] the crowd, like aliens in the middle of Oslo City.
Then, of course, Nicky was kicked [out], 'cause of [a] lack of musical abilities.
EP: What bands are you influenced by?
DG: [For] all of [us], our favourite band is Mötley Crüe. They are the one band that influences us the most.
Other than them, all of us are influenced by different bands.
Tim is very influenced by Nasty Idols, Crashdïet (with Dave Lepard), Old Mötley Crüe, Loud And Nasty, [and] Britny Fox. All that heavy glam metal shit, and also some country rock n' roll, like Cinderella.
Steven Strange is our 70s rock n' roll dude. He is influenced by The Rolling Stones, Hanoi Rocks, Vain, and Mötley Crüe, of course. But he is also influenced by newer music, like Hardcore Superstar, Backyard Babies, and The Hellacopters.
Rikki is influenced by Mötley Crüe, Hanoi Rocks, Crashdïet, Vains Of Jenna, and he is actually the only one who LOVES and is heavily inspired by Guns N' Roses!
EP: Have you recorded any demos yet, or is that something you'll do after finding a new vocalist?
DG: Nah.. As you know, we kicked [out] our former vocalist because of [a] lack of musical skills. So, we are waiting for our new singer, then it's straight into the studio. But, we have this fuckin' amazing demo deal waiting for us. So, as soon as we find our guy you can expect a bad ass demo!
Rikki Reckless - Lead Guitarist
EP: You already have some gigs set up. Can you tell me about them?
DG: Yeah! It's the Halden Heavy Metal Festival. This is two days filled with metal bands.
We actually got the gig pretty easily. We had just started out, and Tim and Nicky had a photoshoot. It turned out that the photographer was the organizer of this festival, and he needed a band to kick off the whole thing. He liked our style and attitude, and asked us to be the opening act. So, of course, we answered «HELL YEAH!»
EP: You guys already have a strong and loyal following. They were instrumental in you winning our contest! How did you get such a loyal following so quickly?
DG: Yeah.. It's amazing, isn't it?
I guess it's because we are sexy, and people like us in general.
Also, some have heard some of our previous bands and know what we are capable of!
EP: Tell me something that people may not know about Tim.
DG: Well, I gotta tell you the truth. Tim is a she-male.
EP: Now, tell me something people don't know about Rikki.
DG: Rikki's sick.. Really sick.. He's got AIDS!
EP: And, of course, tell me something about Steven.
DG: Steven likes to watch his own asshole when he wanks.
EP: After hiring a new singer, what will be the next step for Downtown Gunz? What are your plans for the near future?
DG: Of course, we're focusing on the gig at Halden Heavy Metal Festival, first of all. After that we're goin' into [the] studio with our new singer to record the baddest, nastiest, dirtiest fuckin' kikk azz (sic)Rock N' Roll demo of all time!
We are also planning a Norway/Sweden tour, which we're goin' on with two Swedish sleaze bands. This will be one hell of a tour!
At the same time, we have some bad ass gig offers here in Norway this summer. But, it remains to be seen if we get the gigs, so we will keep the details a secret 'til we know if we get the gigs. All I'm gonna say is that they are one hell of an opportunity!
Steven Strange - Drummer
EP: Finally, is there anything else that maybe we haven't covered that you'd like to tell fans and future fans?
DG: Yeah! We would like to thank: Tim's parents for letting us rehearse as loud as we want every weekend; Rikki's parents for traveling money; Tim's neighbors for not calling the cops on Tim and Rikki for throwing snowballs on their bedroom window all night. Marthe Lïzzy for running our girl support site, www.myspace.com/officialdowntowngirlz; and Axident Avenue for a lot of inspiration.
Also, we wanna thank all of you who have supported us in any way. For PR, voting for us in this great competition, etc.
And last but not least we wanna thank you, Tawny, for giving us this awesome opportunity! Thanks for the interview. And, we would love to do another one as soon as we find our singer or after you review our demo. Haha! That is if you wanna review it.
EP: (Of course, I'd love to review your demo, and do another interview in the future!!)
Stay tuned everybody. Hot tunes will be up soon! And, new live dates as well.
Cheers,
//Lïzzy, Reckless & Strange!
Thanks again guys for the interview. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!! Fans, and future fans, can go to the Downtown Gunz MySpace page for more info.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Downtown Gunz
All photos used with permission. Courtesy: Downtown Gunz
This week we were very pleased to bring you the first winner in our "Favorite New Bands" contest. The big winner for January was Downtown Gunz (I apologize to my Scandinavian friends for the fact that my computer doesn't allow me to type some of the alphabetical characters correctly). The Gunz won by a very large margin over some stiff competition by some other great bands, so we want to congratulate them! This is a very new band, but they already have a strong and loyal following. They're in a transition phase at this point, having recently fired their lead vocalist, but we're sure they'll be back on track soon, and we're look forward to hearing their first demo! Here is an interview I conducted with the band members by email (edited only for spelling, punctuation, and clarity). After a few computer glitches, we finally got it done!
To participate in our monthly contest to choose your favorite band, with the winner being featured right here, go to our blog on MySpace. Support your favorite band today!!
Cpt. Tim Lizzy - Bassist
EP (Electric Pussycat): I want to thank you guys for doing this interview with me. OK, here are the questions.EP: Have you found a new vocalist yet?
DG (Downtown Gunz): No, we have not yet found a singer. But, we are talking to this Swedish guy who might be the one for the job. We are a serious band and need someone that will commit 100% and has a great voice, and stage presence. We will keep searchin' 'til we find the best guy possible! If [anyone is] interested, send a demo to, downtown_gunz@hotmail.com.
EP: When did Downtown Gunz form?
DG: Döwntown Gunz was formed in late 2008. Cpt. Tim Lïzzy wanted to start a kick ass band with the name Döwntown Gunz. So, he posted an ad on some music pages and the search [began]. He soon met Nicky, who said he could sing. Soon after, they found the ass kickin' drummer, Steven Strange, who was all in! The search continued 'til they finally found a crazy fuck of [a] guitar player, Rikki Reckless. The band was complete.
When we all met for the first time in Oslo, it was perfect. We fit so fuckin' good together. And, we stood out [in] the crowd, like aliens in the middle of Oslo City.
Then, of course, Nicky was kicked [out], 'cause of [a] lack of musical abilities.
EP: What bands are you influenced by?
DG: [For] all of [us], our favourite band is Mötley Crüe. They are the one band that influences us the most.
Other than them, all of us are influenced by different bands.
Tim is very influenced by Nasty Idols, Crashdïet (with Dave Lepard), Old Mötley Crüe, Loud And Nasty, [and] Britny Fox. All that heavy glam metal shit, and also some country rock n' roll, like Cinderella.
Steven Strange is our 70s rock n' roll dude. He is influenced by The Rolling Stones, Hanoi Rocks, Vain, and Mötley Crüe, of course. But he is also influenced by newer music, like Hardcore Superstar, Backyard Babies, and The Hellacopters.
Rikki is influenced by Mötley Crüe, Hanoi Rocks, Crashdïet, Vains Of Jenna, and he is actually the only one who LOVES and is heavily inspired by Guns N' Roses!
EP: Have you recorded any demos yet, or is that something you'll do after finding a new vocalist?
DG: Nah.. As you know, we kicked [out] our former vocalist because of [a] lack of musical skills. So, we are waiting for our new singer, then it's straight into the studio. But, we have this fuckin' amazing demo deal waiting for us. So, as soon as we find our guy you can expect a bad ass demo!
Rikki Reckless - Lead Guitarist
EP: You already have some gigs set up. Can you tell me about them?
DG: Yeah! It's the Halden Heavy Metal Festival. This is two days filled with metal bands.
We actually got the gig pretty easily. We had just started out, and Tim and Nicky had a photoshoot. It turned out that the photographer was the organizer of this festival, and he needed a band to kick off the whole thing. He liked our style and attitude, and asked us to be the opening act. So, of course, we answered «HELL YEAH!»
EP: You guys already have a strong and loyal following. They were instrumental in you winning our contest! How did you get such a loyal following so quickly?
DG: Yeah.. It's amazing, isn't it?
I guess it's because we are sexy, and people like us in general.
Also, some have heard some of our previous bands and know what we are capable of!
EP: Tell me something that people may not know about Tim.
DG: Well, I gotta tell you the truth. Tim is a she-male.
EP: Now, tell me something people don't know about Rikki.
DG: Rikki's sick.. Really sick.. He's got AIDS!
EP: And, of course, tell me something about Steven.
DG: Steven likes to watch his own asshole when he wanks.
EP: After hiring a new singer, what will be the next step for Downtown Gunz? What are your plans for the near future?
DG: Of course, we're focusing on the gig at Halden Heavy Metal Festival, first of all. After that we're goin' into [the] studio with our new singer to record the baddest, nastiest, dirtiest fuckin' kikk azz (sic)Rock N' Roll demo of all time!
We are also planning a Norway/Sweden tour, which we're goin' on with two Swedish sleaze bands. This will be one hell of a tour!
At the same time, we have some bad ass gig offers here in Norway this summer. But, it remains to be seen if we get the gigs, so we will keep the details a secret 'til we know if we get the gigs. All I'm gonna say is that they are one hell of an opportunity!
Steven Strange - Drummer
EP: Finally, is there anything else that maybe we haven't covered that you'd like to tell fans and future fans?DG: Yeah! We would like to thank: Tim's parents for letting us rehearse as loud as we want every weekend; Rikki's parents for traveling money; Tim's neighbors for not calling the cops on Tim and Rikki for throwing snowballs on their bedroom window all night. Marthe Lïzzy for running our girl support site, www.myspace.com/officialdowntowngirlz; and Axident Avenue for a lot of inspiration.
Also, we wanna thank all of you who have supported us in any way. For PR, voting for us in this great competition, etc.
And last but not least we wanna thank you, Tawny, for giving us this awesome opportunity! Thanks for the interview. And, we would love to do another one as soon as we find our singer or after you review our demo. Haha! That is if you wanna review it.
EP: (Of course, I'd love to review your demo, and do another interview in the future!!)
Stay tuned everybody. Hot tunes will be up soon! And, new live dates as well.
Cheers,
//Lïzzy, Reckless & Strange!
Thanks again guys for the interview. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!! Fans, and future fans, can go to the Downtown Gunz MySpace page for more info.
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Interview with:
Nadir D'Priest of D'Priest/London
Interviewer: Tawny Khat
Interview date: July 28, 2009
Photos by Tawny Khat. Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Nadir has a very busy schedule these days, but was kind enough to take some time out to complete this interview, and I thank him for that. I'm sure fans of D'Priest and London will be happy to have this opportunity to find out a little more about Nadir and what's going on with D'Priest these days. So, without further ado, here we go.
Nadir D'Priest
EP (Electric Pussycat): I’m going to start in the past and work forward to the present. Lizzie Grey has said that the reason he would not consider working with you again is that, although you’re a nice person, “the violence and turbulence endured during his (your) time in London was more than enough for me.” So, what do you think he meant by that, and what do you feel really happened between you and Lizzie?
ND (Nadir D'Priest): Sorry to hear that Lizzie. Tim Yasui, the bass player and myself got together after what! 20+ years. This was just a few months ago we had an interest in getting together so! we decided to jam and work on tunes for the upcoming gig in the valley. Sean Lewis would be part of this, but would come in few day before the London show. Sean basically would come in and blow some doors down. We rehearsed for three days for the reunion with plans to put on a great show! Three days before the gig I was informed that Mr. Grey would not be attending the London reunion. Then! we received a call from Tim informing us that Mr.Grey had a change of heart and decided to do it after all. Unfortunately, we could not lose focus on what we have on calendar so! we moved on. The End.
Sean Lewis
EP: Okay, now with the unpleasant question out of the way let’s have some fun. Back in the day you guys used to hang out and party at Larry and Althea Flynt’s mansion. What was that like and could you share an interesting story or two from those experiences?
ND: Lots of Fun… Great times with good friends. I smoked a joint with Tom Hanks at the Flynt Mansion before he was a big movie star. I believe we both were making cracks on a porno that was on TV which showed the girl getting slammed from behind and her ass was covered with bright red pimples. Ahhh! The good old days.
Darin "The Kid"
EP: I once read a story about you punching Izzy Stradlin because he slept with your then girlfriend, Valerie Kendall. I also read that Axl Rose once slept with one of you girlfriends, one that is tattooed on your shoulder. Was that the same girlfriend?
ND: How did you come up with this question? Wow!! How do I answer this one? I am usually brutally honest and can offend people, but this question is good. Maybe you should ask Izzy and Axl directly, since the stories can change quite a bit for sure, and I would like to know myself. No, it was not the same girl, it was a different girlfriend. Great question, though. Thank you!
Billy "The Fist"
EP: I love the documentary, “The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years”, of which London played a part in. I visited Hollywood many times during the late 80s and early 90s, and had a wild time each visit! The film gives a great glimpse into Hollywood at that time. What are three of your favorite memories from back then?
ND: No sense of responsibility, Sex and the freedom to be able to do as you please. Lots of music, parties, the drugs were just a way to shield a lot of the demons that I had playing with me. The most important has always been my family, since I had a daughter at the age of 17 years old. She was my sanity as a young father and I believe she! her image, kept me alive during my dark days and endless nights of madness.
Diablo
EP: What are three of your worst memories from those times?
ND: The death of my grandmother, two of my cousins and my aunt, and a few more people. Death is always near and we don’t even know it, it's always rubbing up against you. I have felt it a couple of times during those days.
EP: You lived here in Phoenix in the early 90s. Actually, I talked with you on a couple of occasions back then at some local clubs. One of my favorite memories is when I was at one of the “Cathouse Arizona” shows at a club called The Electric Ballroom. (For those that don’t know, Ricky Rachtman of MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball and Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat used to co-own a notorious L.A. nightclub called The Cathouse, and they used to bring some of the best bands during that time to Arizona, and to Las Vegas, I believe, for Cathouse parties in these locations. I had some of the best times at those events!) Cinderella was playing at this particular show, and since you know Fred Coury you were, of course, invited to Cinderella’s after show party at their hotel. You invited me and my friend to the party, presumably because the band wanted hot girls to show up (I was pretty hot back then! lol), and I have a picture of you and I at that time. I had a great time at the party, too. Anyway, I digress. What prompted you to relocate to Phoenix then, and what made you return to L.A.?
ND: I made it to Phoenix after a grueling tour with D’Priest. Wow! We all had enough, it was a pretty volatile tour we had going. We had our bus taken, with all our belongings, in New Orleans. Stuck at The Landmark Hotel with NO MONEY! Our fucked up Tour Manager, Larry Morand, took off early in the morning to another state and left the band behind. NICE! Those are just a few things that happened. I won't bore you all with more than a few. LOL! We got detained by the FBI at the Mason Jar [. Some guy got on our bus and wanted to buy a T-Shirt from D’Priest. Of course we sold him one and that was that! Hours later tons of federal agents were looking for D’Priest. So that happens that they were looking for me. Guilty by association LOL. Anyway! They had a photo of a guy Robbing the bank a gunpoint wearing the D’Priest shirt we had sold him. How’s that story? I love Arizona…Always have.
EP: In 1993 you were the Project Manager for The Rolling Stones VooDoo Lounge CDROM and worked directly with the band. What was it like working with such legends as The Stones?
ND: Royalty, Baby! They are Real cool, they know what’s up and they are very talented. It was fun working on the VooDoo Lounge CD-Rom, it was ahead of its time for New Multimedia. Can’t get any better than that. After working for the Rolling Stones for 2 years I will never look at another band the same way at all. They have a great time doing it and that is why they have lasted for so long. I am on the cover of MultiMedia Producer Magazine with my good friend David Bellino and the rest of the team involved.
EP: Later, you worked with Matt Sorum (The Cult, GN’R, Velvet Revolver) on your solo Spanish language rock project, which you did under the name of Antonio Nadir. What was it like working with Matt, and how was your project received by audiences?
ND: Matt Sorum is a Scorpio like me! It was a blast recording at Viking Studios on the Hollywood Hills. Matt is a very gifted drummer and has the edge to any tune. He was fun to work with. I also had a chance to work with Lanny Cordola, Chuck Wright, Bernard Fowler, Russ Mckinon and Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis, just to mention a few. People everywhere received it with a great response. We performed at The Hard Rock Café in Mexico City, which was broadcasted live via Radio Orbita throughout Mexico. It was a great time working on this album and I would love to do it again real soon.
EP: I know you’ve been asked this question before, but are there any new developments regarding the CD re-releases of “Non-Stop Rock” (if you’ve obtained the rights to it, that is) and “Don’t Cry Wolf”?
ND: Mike Varney = ”Non-Stop Rock” To be continued?? Or not! NDPriest Music = ”Don’t Cry Wolf”.
EP: A few years ago you and Eddie St. James were working on some songs for a new D’Priest album. What happened?
ND: We did a few tunes together and exchanged some ideas, and did some home demos. Eddie is and old mate from Pasadena, California.
EP: I remember an interview where you answered a question by saying the answer would be found in your book. Are you writing a book, and if so can you tell us about it?
ND: Yes, I am! How did you hear about all this? I thought nobody knew about it. I am working in my mind on a story on how I got started, being that I was from another country and was very shy.
EP: What was the impetus behind the release of The Metal Years last year?
ND: We had found some unreleased demos which had been sitting in at our old drummer's home. He approached us and asked if we would be interested in releasing them through Cleopatra Records. Sean Lewis and myself said yes. They are real good quality, being that it was all done in one take, and no backup tracks. It was part of our producer's, Richie Podolor's, sessions at American Recording Studios. It's funny that you did not ask about our version of Motley’s song “Shout at The Devil”, which strangely I had a great time doing. Yup! I said it!! LOL
EP: It’s great that Sean Lewis is back on board with the band. How did the current lineup of D’Priest come together?
ND: Sean and I have always been a team, we have never really stopped that connection. Plus, we are both godfathers to each others' kids. I actually found the rest of the team/band. Let's just say it was not easy to put together, since we had to go through quite a few people. It seems that everyone is in it for money and not for the arts, or for fun. You want to get paid, then you need to earn your keep. Everyone has it all wrong nowadays, everyone is a fucking rock star now. Fuck that…
EP: The number one question I’ve been asked by D’Priest/London fans is when can we expect a new album?
ND: That is a good question, but right now we are working on this film/documentary, and to me the album is the easy part. The film is really what we are going to be working on for the next year or so. We are in no rush, unless we have some sort of interest by a label or an investor to bank the studio/production costs.
EP: Besides the recent show here in Tempe, D’Priest also did a show in California last month. Are there any shows planned elsewhere anytime soon?
ND: We are currently booked for a charity event that launches on August,16 2009 at the old X-Poseur 54 on Santa Monica Blvd. It's being coordinated by my old friends David and Renee Max, the original owners of X-Poseur 54. It's called The Tawn Mastrey Foundation, or TMF, which is focused on Hepatitis C ,which was the cause of my old friend's passing. The event will go on for five days or more, and will bring awareness to people about this deadly disease. We are really looking forward to this event and we hope we can help raise lots of money. Go here and check it out, OK! www.noblecommunicationsgroup.com/event Please help pass the word about this event… Thank you.
EP: Now a question about the music industry. There’s a whole underground movement in rock music because of the internet and independent record companies. People are sick of what’s being shoved down their throats by the big corporate record companies and mainstream radio. What do you think about this shift in the music industry and what do you think it means for rock music?
ND: Rock will always be alive and well, there is too much history for it to fade away. The problem I see is that they are shoving crap down people's throats, and bands nowadays are able to produce fat-free music. Everyone is a producer, singer, pimp and prostitute. It’s a real drag when you go see a band live and a guitar player is playing on a Pod or a fucking little combo amp with no balls at all. I guess its too much of a hassle to carry a Marshall stack, LOL! I am not happy with the business end, and the so-called new bands that sing about nothing at all. Just stealing from old albums, and taking parts, and creating their own so-called original songs. Hey! That’s what the new kids want I guess.
EP: Is there anything else you’d like to share with fans?
ND: Yes! Come to our shows and go to D’Priest.com and leave me a comment, or don’t! We love Music and I hope you do, since we are just passing through and want to leave you with great music.
EP: Thank you, Nadir, so much for taking time to do this interview. I appreciate it and I look forward to seeing you guys again soon. Take care!
ND: Thank you, Babe!
What a great interview! Don't miss my review of D'Priest's recent performance here in Arizona, too. We also have more photos I took at their show on our MySpace page.
Nadir D'Priest of D'Priest/London
Interviewer: Tawny Khat
Interview date: July 28, 2009
Photos by Tawny Khat. Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Nadir has a very busy schedule these days, but was kind enough to take some time out to complete this interview, and I thank him for that. I'm sure fans of D'Priest and London will be happy to have this opportunity to find out a little more about Nadir and what's going on with D'Priest these days. So, without further ado, here we go.
Nadir D'Priest
EP (Electric Pussycat): I’m going to start in the past and work forward to the present. Lizzie Grey has said that the reason he would not consider working with you again is that, although you’re a nice person, “the violence and turbulence endured during his (your) time in London was more than enough for me.” So, what do you think he meant by that, and what do you feel really happened between you and Lizzie?ND (Nadir D'Priest): Sorry to hear that Lizzie. Tim Yasui, the bass player and myself got together after what! 20+ years. This was just a few months ago we had an interest in getting together so! we decided to jam and work on tunes for the upcoming gig in the valley. Sean Lewis would be part of this, but would come in few day before the London show. Sean basically would come in and blow some doors down. We rehearsed for three days for the reunion with plans to put on a great show! Three days before the gig I was informed that Mr. Grey would not be attending the London reunion. Then! we received a call from Tim informing us that Mr.Grey had a change of heart and decided to do it after all. Unfortunately, we could not lose focus on what we have on calendar so! we moved on. The End.
Sean Lewis
EP: Okay, now with the unpleasant question out of the way let’s have some fun. Back in the day you guys used to hang out and party at Larry and Althea Flynt’s mansion. What was that like and could you share an interesting story or two from those experiences?
ND: Lots of Fun… Great times with good friends. I smoked a joint with Tom Hanks at the Flynt Mansion before he was a big movie star. I believe we both were making cracks on a porno that was on TV which showed the girl getting slammed from behind and her ass was covered with bright red pimples. Ahhh! The good old days.
Darin "The Kid"
EP: I once read a story about you punching Izzy Stradlin because he slept with your then girlfriend, Valerie Kendall. I also read that Axl Rose once slept with one of you girlfriends, one that is tattooed on your shoulder. Was that the same girlfriend?ND: How did you come up with this question? Wow!! How do I answer this one? I am usually brutally honest and can offend people, but this question is good. Maybe you should ask Izzy and Axl directly, since the stories can change quite a bit for sure, and I would like to know myself. No, it was not the same girl, it was a different girlfriend. Great question, though. Thank you!
Billy "The Fist"
EP: I love the documentary, “The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years”, of which London played a part in. I visited Hollywood many times during the late 80s and early 90s, and had a wild time each visit! The film gives a great glimpse into Hollywood at that time. What are three of your favorite memories from back then?
ND: No sense of responsibility, Sex and the freedom to be able to do as you please. Lots of music, parties, the drugs were just a way to shield a lot of the demons that I had playing with me. The most important has always been my family, since I had a daughter at the age of 17 years old. She was my sanity as a young father and I believe she! her image, kept me alive during my dark days and endless nights of madness.
Diablo
EP: What are three of your worst memories from those times?ND: The death of my grandmother, two of my cousins and my aunt, and a few more people. Death is always near and we don’t even know it, it's always rubbing up against you. I have felt it a couple of times during those days.
EP: You lived here in Phoenix in the early 90s. Actually, I talked with you on a couple of occasions back then at some local clubs. One of my favorite memories is when I was at one of the “Cathouse Arizona” shows at a club called The Electric Ballroom. (For those that don’t know, Ricky Rachtman of MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball and Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat used to co-own a notorious L.A. nightclub called The Cathouse, and they used to bring some of the best bands during that time to Arizona, and to Las Vegas, I believe, for Cathouse parties in these locations. I had some of the best times at those events!) Cinderella was playing at this particular show, and since you know Fred Coury you were, of course, invited to Cinderella’s after show party at their hotel. You invited me and my friend to the party, presumably because the band wanted hot girls to show up (I was pretty hot back then! lol), and I have a picture of you and I at that time. I had a great time at the party, too. Anyway, I digress. What prompted you to relocate to Phoenix then, and what made you return to L.A.?
ND: I made it to Phoenix after a grueling tour with D’Priest. Wow! We all had enough, it was a pretty volatile tour we had going. We had our bus taken, with all our belongings, in New Orleans. Stuck at The Landmark Hotel with NO MONEY! Our fucked up Tour Manager, Larry Morand, took off early in the morning to another state and left the band behind. NICE! Those are just a few things that happened. I won't bore you all with more than a few. LOL! We got detained by the FBI at the Mason Jar [. Some guy got on our bus and wanted to buy a T-Shirt from D’Priest. Of course we sold him one and that was that! Hours later tons of federal agents were looking for D’Priest. So that happens that they were looking for me. Guilty by association LOL. Anyway! They had a photo of a guy Robbing the bank a gunpoint wearing the D’Priest shirt we had sold him. How’s that story? I love Arizona…Always have.
EP: In 1993 you were the Project Manager for The Rolling Stones VooDoo Lounge CDROM and worked directly with the band. What was it like working with such legends as The Stones?ND: Royalty, Baby! They are Real cool, they know what’s up and they are very talented. It was fun working on the VooDoo Lounge CD-Rom, it was ahead of its time for New Multimedia. Can’t get any better than that. After working for the Rolling Stones for 2 years I will never look at another band the same way at all. They have a great time doing it and that is why they have lasted for so long. I am on the cover of MultiMedia Producer Magazine with my good friend David Bellino and the rest of the team involved.
EP: Later, you worked with Matt Sorum (The Cult, GN’R, Velvet Revolver) on your solo Spanish language rock project, which you did under the name of Antonio Nadir. What was it like working with Matt, and how was your project received by audiences?
ND: Matt Sorum is a Scorpio like me! It was a blast recording at Viking Studios on the Hollywood Hills. Matt is a very gifted drummer and has the edge to any tune. He was fun to work with. I also had a chance to work with Lanny Cordola, Chuck Wright, Bernard Fowler, Russ Mckinon and Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis, just to mention a few. People everywhere received it with a great response. We performed at The Hard Rock Café in Mexico City, which was broadcasted live via Radio Orbita throughout Mexico. It was a great time working on this album and I would love to do it again real soon.
EP: I know you’ve been asked this question before, but are there any new developments regarding the CD re-releases of “Non-Stop Rock” (if you’ve obtained the rights to it, that is) and “Don’t Cry Wolf”?ND: Mike Varney = ”Non-Stop Rock” To be continued?? Or not! NDPriest Music = ”Don’t Cry Wolf”.
EP: A few years ago you and Eddie St. James were working on some songs for a new D’Priest album. What happened?
ND: We did a few tunes together and exchanged some ideas, and did some home demos. Eddie is and old mate from Pasadena, California.
EP: I remember an interview where you answered a question by saying the answer would be found in your book. Are you writing a book, and if so can you tell us about it?ND: Yes, I am! How did you hear about all this? I thought nobody knew about it. I am working in my mind on a story on how I got started, being that I was from another country and was very shy.
EP: What was the impetus behind the release of The Metal Years last year?
ND: We had found some unreleased demos which had been sitting in at our old drummer's home. He approached us and asked if we would be interested in releasing them through Cleopatra Records. Sean Lewis and myself said yes. They are real good quality, being that it was all done in one take, and no backup tracks. It was part of our producer's, Richie Podolor's, sessions at American Recording Studios. It's funny that you did not ask about our version of Motley’s song “Shout at The Devil”, which strangely I had a great time doing. Yup! I said it!! LOL
EP: It’s great that Sean Lewis is back on board with the band. How did the current lineup of D’Priest come together?ND: Sean and I have always been a team, we have never really stopped that connection. Plus, we are both godfathers to each others' kids. I actually found the rest of the team/band. Let's just say it was not easy to put together, since we had to go through quite a few people. It seems that everyone is in it for money and not for the arts, or for fun. You want to get paid, then you need to earn your keep. Everyone has it all wrong nowadays, everyone is a fucking rock star now. Fuck that…
EP: The number one question I’ve been asked by D’Priest/London fans is when can we expect a new album?
ND: That is a good question, but right now we are working on this film/documentary, and to me the album is the easy part. The film is really what we are going to be working on for the next year or so. We are in no rush, unless we have some sort of interest by a label or an investor to bank the studio/production costs.
EP: Besides the recent show here in Tempe, D’Priest also did a show in California last month. Are there any shows planned elsewhere anytime soon?ND: We are currently booked for a charity event that launches on August,16 2009 at the old X-Poseur 54 on Santa Monica Blvd. It's being coordinated by my old friends David and Renee Max, the original owners of X-Poseur 54. It's called The Tawn Mastrey Foundation, or TMF, which is focused on Hepatitis C ,which was the cause of my old friend's passing. The event will go on for five days or more, and will bring awareness to people about this deadly disease. We are really looking forward to this event and we hope we can help raise lots of money. Go here and check it out, OK! www.noblecommunicationsgroup.com/event Please help pass the word about this event… Thank you.
EP: Now a question about the music industry. There’s a whole underground movement in rock music because of the internet and independent record companies. People are sick of what’s being shoved down their throats by the big corporate record companies and mainstream radio. What do you think about this shift in the music industry and what do you think it means for rock music?ND: Rock will always be alive and well, there is too much history for it to fade away. The problem I see is that they are shoving crap down people's throats, and bands nowadays are able to produce fat-free music. Everyone is a producer, singer, pimp and prostitute. It’s a real drag when you go see a band live and a guitar player is playing on a Pod or a fucking little combo amp with no balls at all. I guess its too much of a hassle to carry a Marshall stack, LOL! I am not happy with the business end, and the so-called new bands that sing about nothing at all. Just stealing from old albums, and taking parts, and creating their own so-called original songs. Hey! That’s what the new kids want I guess.
EP: Is there anything else you’d like to share with fans?
ND: Yes! Come to our shows and go to D’Priest.com and leave me a comment, or don’t! We love Music and I hope you do, since we are just passing through and want to leave you with great music.EP: Thank you, Nadir, so much for taking time to do this interview. I appreciate it and I look forward to seeing you guys again soon. Take care!
ND: Thank you, Babe!
What a great interview! Don't miss my review of D'Priest's recent performance here in Arizona, too. We also have more photos I took at their show on our MySpace page.
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