03-09-10

STAN BUSH "DREAM THE DREAM"

Here for you one of my latest interview for Frontiers Records Melody Rock Fanzine.

Today we chat with the melodic rock legend and Emmy award winner Stan Bush!!

Hi Stan,
It’s good to hear again your music after the great success of “In This Life”, what’s new in this latest album, “Dream the Dream”, and what could be considered a follow up from previous work?
We worked on the album for a year and a half, and I’m very happy with it. The last album, “In This Life” got great reviews and though we had to work really hard, I think we’ve got ourselves another amazing album. Holger and I worked on building up the songs in his home studio with vocals, guitars, and keyboards, and later brought the tracks to a big studio to overdub the final bass and drums. After some final tweaking we mixed there as well.

You wrote with a lot of very talented artists and musicians, who’s your favourite?

Probably my favorite songwriter I ever worked with is Jonathan Cain from Journey. We wrote together after Journey broke up and we discussed starting a band together.
Back in the 90ies you wrote songs with Paul Stanley and Curt Cuomo. How you got to work with Paul?
I was working with producer Curt Cuomo, and he asked me to come in and do a vocal track for something he and Paul Stanley wrote together.  The song was "I Was Wrong".
Out of those sessions you published "I we ever" and "I was wrong". Did you wrote other materials with him? Have you ever worked with him again and/or have you some plan to write with him again?
No, those were the only two songs. I haven't worked with him again, and there are no plans to.  I would be open to it if the opportunity came up.
You are an Emmy award winner, what this represented for you and how did change your career?
Winning the Emmy Award for song of the year for television was amazing! It added credibility to me as a songwriter and an artist. It was big accomplishment and something to be proud of.
Most of your songs have a cool dynamic and cinematic feel, is that a natural characteristic of your way to write tunes or in some way you go technically for it?
Thanks for the kind words. I try songs that have an interesting melodic twist, and especially like a big dramatic chorus. The anthemic style of the eighties kind of stuck with me I guess. For me, a songs works best when the melody sticks with you.
Do you normally first lay down the basic lines of your songs or do you start form the text?
I generally start with the chords and melody, and the lyrics come later. Once I have a chorus melody, I think a title and work backwards. Once I have the chorus nailed, the verse lyric comes together easily.
Together with your long time friend Holger Fath, you got to have two amazing musicians on the rhythm section, Matt Bissonette on bass and Matt Laug on drums.
Could you tell us something about their contribution to the album?
Holger Fath did an amazing job with the song arrangements as well as guitars, keys, etc... He had the rough bass and drum tracks first while we built up the songs, and then we brought in Matt Bissonette and Matt Laug to lay down the final bass and drums. They did a great job!
You performed really great concerts in Europe in the past. Have you any defined plan to Tour Europe in the coming months?
Nothing definite at this point, but I would love to perform there again. Possibly another festival like the one in '07 in Germany. I really appreciate the fan support and for information, tours, etc., they can check out stanbush.com.
Thanks!! Keep in touch!!

For full Frontiers reviews, news and infos please check them out at www.frontiers.it

31-05-10

FRONTIERS RECORDS DEUCE'S INTERVIEWS: VINCE NEIL

MRF Issue #38 sees a cool interview conducted by me with the man himself, Vince Neil!

Hi Vince and welcome aboard! First of all let me tell you I’m so impressed about the sound of this album. How is working with your solo band a different experience than working with Crüe?
Mainly because everything’s equal in Mötley Crüe. In my solo band I kind of have the last word on everything because it’s my band, but of course my guys have a huge say in everything else, too. But it’s fun. It’s looser. Mötley Crüe is not strict, but it is very structured, I guess that’s what I’m saying. With the production and all that stuff that goes on with Mötley Crüe, in my band we’re loose, man. We go out and have a good time.
I noticed some familiar names like bassist Dana Strum (Slaughter) and guitarist Jeff Blando (Warrant).
We’ve been together for about four years or something like that and I don’t really remember how we all got together (laughs). It seems to me before Blando was in the band we had a guy named Keri Kelli and he went to go play with Alice Cooper, then I think Jeff came in to replace him and stayed. I can’t remember who was playing bass, but then we brought Dana in and have been together ever since. The drummer we have now, Zoltan (Chaney), replaced Will Hunting who went to play with Evanescence. With solo bands, it’s just kind of tough because I’m with Mötley Crüe and that’s my band and so sometimes these guys get offers from other people and they can’t say no. They have to make a living, too. So some people leave and people come and we’ve been together for about four years or so and just have a great time.
In addition to your music career, you’re also an accomplished businessman at Vince Neil Ink and restaurateur of Feelgood’s Bar And Grill. Did those interests develop from being involved in the entertainment industry?
You can’t just do Mötley Crüe your whole life. Well, I mean you can, but you have to have other interests, too, at least II do. The tattoo shops were just an extension of something that I love. I’ve been getting tattooed my whole life. Living in Las
Vegas, this is just a great opportunity to put a couple of tattoo shops here. We have one right on the Strip—I’m the only tattoo shop on the Strip—and one in the Rio Casino. And then with the nightclubs, it’s the same thing, too. ‘Hey, let’s go out to a cool rock ‘n’ roll bar.’ I have one that just opened up in West Palm Beach and one just opened up in Vegas, and some coming in San Diego and Phoenix and New York City very soon. That all goes along with my tequila. I own a tequila company so…I think if you have all of the vices, you’re set. I have rock ‘n’ roll; I have gambling in Vegas (you can actually sit and play Blackjack at my tables while you’re waiting for a tattoo); I have the tattoos; I have liquor. You know, just stay with the vices. Now I just need pornography and cigarettes and I’m all set.
Would you like to tell us also about The Skylar Neil Memorial Foundation (www.skylarneil.org) and the charity work you’re doing in your daughter’s memory?
On Nov. 8 [we had] our fifth annual poker tournament. It’s been at the Hard Rock for the last four years and I’ve changed it over to The Rio Casino because, as you know, The Rio has been hosting the World Series Of Poker. So what we’ve done is to put the Skylar Neil Foundation tournament in conjunction with the World Series Of Poker tournament and ESPN.
The final table is coming up so a lot of the pros play in my tournament. We have a big prize and the winner, just like any other poker tournament, gets a $10,000 bracelet. It’s a big-time tournament and raises a lot of money for the Skylar Neil Foundation. And we have our golf tournament set for the 14th year. That’s been sold out every single year for 13 years and this one shouldn’t be any different. It’s just nice to, at the end of the year, to be able to sit down and write a  check to different organizations that we feel deserve money.
Charitable work speaks volumes and is so, so important. What you do with the Skylar Neil Foundation is really  commendable. Of course it came out of a tragedy, though. Do you think being a member of such an iconic,  espected band has helped you through some tough times?
Yeah, that’s one great thing about music. You can express yourself in things like that where a lot of people who don’t find different outlets like that, whether it be painting or writing or things like that, anything that goes wrong in your life can come out in ways that are not good We’re lucky, being musicians, to be able to put our feelings in song and let other people experience it along with us. We’re very, very fortunate.
Back in the band's wildest days, did you ever look at yourself in the mirror and say, "I'm pushing things too hard?"
I tried to be sober back then, but it was tough because there was no support system. After I got into the accident in '84 (which left a passenger in Neil's car dead) and I did some jail time, I was ordered by the court to be sober. . . . You have to stop when you want to stop, and back then, I didn't want to stop. I wasn't ever really a drug guy; I just like to drink.
What do you think about touring solo?

It's looser. It's a lot of fun because it's not so structured ... But my band, we just go out and we don't have a set list or anything. We just go out that night and we sit down and we go, "Well, what do we  want to play tonight?" And we throw down some songs and just go and play. It's everything from tons of cool cover songs and classic Mötley stuff and stuff from solo records and everything in between. You can't do that in Mötley. I just go out and have a lot of fun. It's fun being in Mötley, but this is a lot of fun too. I enjoy playing the smaller places too. You never get achance to do that in a band like Mötley Crüe. So I get kind of the best of both worlds.

How was life in the old days?

Back in the old days, in the 80s and 90s, we were living like animals. But it doesn’t happen that way anymore. We were excessive when we were younger, because we could get away with it and that’s what the times were like. But these days, we have our fun on the stage and that’s about it.
Thanks so much for sharing your time with us and keep on Rockin’
Fabio “Deuce” Mainardi

For full Frontiers reviews, news and infos please check them out at www.frontiers.it

EXTREME

Hey guys, what a come back I must say, “Saudades de Rock” release, a huge world tourand now this live recording,unstoppable!!! Better to record a new album or playing live?
Thanks. They are both 2 total- ly different experiences for us. I love writing, creating and recording but get- ting the opportunity to play the songs live has always been my preference. Making a record is a tedious process. Playing the songs live capture a whole other element of what Extreme is about and what we are capable of doing on a performance level.
Time passed from the old club days but the energy and the participation of your fans is still there, what are your feeling about?
Well actually, after the “old club days,” we graduated to theatres and arenas so now it’s the “old arena days!!!” I was really surprised to see all the great support from the Extreme fans as well as all the new fans that recently discovered the band. Before we officially got back together, I was in Europe touring with Satellite Party and all these fans were showing up wearing Extreme shirts. They really expressed how much the band meant to them and I called Gary with some fans from Europe and told him, “You have to see what’s going on here!” When Extreme returned to Europe for the first time in 13 years, we didn’t know what to expect as we have been absent so long, but we were shocked by the fans response. We are so grateful to have this level of support from our friends and fans.
Some times bands release live albums picking up the best performances all over a tour, while you went straight to this one shot goal, any fears about, while performing?
Ha, actually this was the last night of the tour and it was in front of our hometown so we had no choice but to deliver. The band was really consistent on this tour so we didn’t have any reservations about pulling this off. Gary was really on top of his game vocally and the guys were all in peak form.
It’s so evident how all of you enjoy playing together and what a chemistry is there on stage, is it the same out of the stage or you prefer to have most of your time separate lives?
Extreme has always been a family. We have all known each other since we were kids and all grew up in Massachusetts. So the circle always remained tight. Even Figg comes from my hometown so as newcomer, it was an easy fit. As far as our chemistry goes, it just comes natural from playing together so long. Before we decided to make Saudades, we went into a rehearsal space to see if there was still that chemistry you mention… and it immediately just felt like home to us. I think we all compliment each other well.
Well, thanks so much for your time talking with us and…what’s next for Extreme? New album and tour?
Yes, both. I have been working on a really interesting concept for the next Extreme record that I think the fans are really going to appreciate. Gary and I are going to write together while I am on the road with Rihanna. We have some amazing ideas and can’t wait to start putting this all together.

Focus on: EXTREME - Take Us Alive (Frontiers Records)
After 13 years in limbo, 2008 saw Extreme come back with their war cry “Saudades de Rock”, soon after the band embarked on the “Take Us Alive World Tour”, throughout US, UK, Europe and Asia. The Take Us Alive concert DVD/CD, was recorded at the House of Blues August 8th 2009 in Boston, MA. on the very last night of the tour. Without a doubt this release perfectly captures what Extreme is all about, four great musicians at their peak: Gary Cherone (vocals), Nuno Bettencourt (lead gui- tars and backing vocals), Pat Badger (bass, backing vocals) and Kevin Figueiredo (drums, backing vocals) excited the huge crowd with their trademarked and consolidated unbeatable stage per- formances. The stellar track listing will drive you with all sort of astonishing material both from their come back album as well with classics from their previous discography like the self titled debut album, Pornograffitti, III Sides to Every Story and Waiting For the Punchline. And if this wasn’t enough a mind blowing rendition of the Zeppelinsh “Comfortably Dumb” together with several other high moments will bring you in this a surreal live settings together the Extreme overwhelm- ing audience participation. Fabio “Deuce” Mainardi (95/100)

TESLA

Welcome back in the old Europe!! After crisscrossing our countries with your shows now here it is this cool live recording. Can we rightly say this album must be considered your first live electric album?

As far as Europe, yes it is our first live electric album. Because Replugged was our first live record in the United States.
What about the track listing? Is there a sort of “chronological order” or you preferred to replicate the concerts set list?

Yes we would like to follow the concert set list as much as possible because we try to make a live show flow. We like to follow that format as much as possible.
You come from the wide spaces of California, what about touring on the other side of the pond?

We love it! European audiances are second to none.
While touring last year did you set up differently your gears in order to get yourgo straight with your usual settings?
I am not so hip on the technical stuff but I do believe we try to just push into the red in the most natural setting possible.
During the last years Nikola Tesla's work and ideas were so re-valuated and brought to a new light, giving them a little bit of justice. Do you follow the scientific debate on his figure?
Absolutely he invented alliterat- ing current and wireless technology which everybody applies today in ever household and on every stage as well as he was always an under- dog and rock and roll has always been an underdog so his name represents us well.
Story tells us normally live albums are somehow doctored. Were you fully satisfied with the sound of your live recordings or you had to go back in the studio to do some fixing?
We absoultely kept it completely live as we feel that is what the audiance deserves as raw as it may be.
Where does the main inspiration for your songs come now? Do you take it form reality or fantasy?
Tesla is always been about reality and always will be and any effort coming from us is always from the heart.
What are the new bands you admire more today? Is there anybody you consider at the same level of the classic eighties-band?
Nickelback, Saliva, Papa Roach, and Staind. I believe those are some of the best that rock and roll has ever had to offer. They were all inspired from days of old.
After this amazing picture of you concerts, what’s next? Have you new material in the works?
New material is in the works as we speak. We are defenetely looking forward to a new record already, but there is still a lot of work to do to complete the project.

Focus on: TESLA - Live Across Europe (Frontiers Records)
Tesla, the multi-platinum-selling rock band formed in Sacramento, California, back in 2009, after the successful release of their latest studio effort “Forever More” yet on Frontiers Records, has massively toured Europe in the summer of 2009. Now you may grab what must be considered a very fond snapshot of where the band is at the moment in their electric live environment. Jeff Keith (vocals), Frank Hannon (guitars), Brian Wheat (bass), Troy Luccketta (drums) and Dave Rude (guitar) recorded live shows on various locations during the “Forever More” support tour. “Live Across Europe” displays the high energetic live performances of such classics in Tesla career like “Modern Day Cowboy”, “Signs”, "What You Give”, "Little Suzi" together with songs from the latest studio effort such as the title track “Forever More”, the single “I Wanna Live” and many other gems. This album is like a 25-year musical journey that will please the loyal hardcore fans and the newcomers in the fold; dig it and you’ll smell the vibe and energy of their live setting together with the excitement of their followers.