Friday, December 26, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Galvatrons: 'We Are A Cinematic, Uplifting Rock And Roll Band'
The Galvatrons: 'We Are A Cinematic, Uplifting Rock And Roll Band'
From the very first time The Galvatrons performed live on a stage in their hometown of Melbourne, Australia last year, they immediately looked and sounded like it was meant to be. Within months of that first show, at the tail end of that same year – 2007 - The Galvatrons found themselves performing in front of 10,000 people at the annual Meredith Music Festival. That night, they sent the crowd and local critics into a tail spin. It led some to call The Galvatrons, the synth-rock act one needed to watch in 2008, and as predicted, The Galvatrons have already had a huge 2008. Highlights have included a buzz-stealing gig at this year’s Big Day Out festival, a national Australian tour, plus showcase shows in London, winning over the UK industry and fans a like. In June of this year, they also performed at Hyde Park as one of the opening acts on the final UK concert by The Police.
Their debut EP, released earlier this year, and spearheaded by an anthemic, instantly classic track called When We Were Kids, has met with much success and seen the band’s profile rise even more considerably. As 2009 approaches, The Galvatrons are set to release their debut album and poised to take on the rest of the world. It won’t be long before those outside of Australia and the UK will also be singing the praises of this talented young band. Though The Galvatrons are here to put some fun back into rock, there’s also a serious level of musical nous at work with their hook-laden productions. To cap off a successful year, The Galvatrons will also be ringing in 2009 in style when they play one of Australia’s most prestigious events, the Pyramid Rock Festival at Philip Island. Joe Matera recently ventured into The Galvatrons’ world to speak to singer/songwriter/guitarist Johnny Galvatron and bass player Condor for this interview for Ultimate-Guitar.
UG: Though the band were signed after only four gigs and had been together in a short time, you had already spent time prior, doing session work and writing songs for other acts, DJs and pop acts?
Johnny: Yeah that was where I really learned all about keyboards in relation to this band. And in regards to getting synths to work with guitars, and synths to work with song arrangements, and getting electronic bass to work with guitars, which is really important to us as a band. And it helped me immensely to hone my songwriting craft. It was a pretty good job for a kid just out of high school, and getting these gigs writing songs for DJs and pop acts. Aside from being really good to me in a creative sense, it was also good in a business sense as it got to show me how it all works. Usually, when you’re in high school and you’re in a rock band, you tend to see getting signed as the end product of what you are, wanting to achieve. But the closer you get to finally achieving that goal, and you finally get that record deal, you realize it’s not the end. It is just the beginning.
Condor: A lot of people tend go to music courses and learn about this and that…
Johnny: Like I did at one stage, but I learned nothing. I learned zero, zero, zero. So I dropped out. I just decided to gig and learn things that way.
Condor: And that’s a great way to learn because if you’re in a band and you know how to book a gig, it is going to be way more of a learning curve than it is sitting in a class room all day.
Johnny: I think what I have learned about the music industry from having gone this path early on, is that if you have a good idea and you work hard on it, it will come to fruition. And obviously the band also needs to hone its craft and have all the right elements in place musically as well.
"We’re a very different kind of band."
When We Were Kids is very ‘80s sounding even the central keyboard riff is Van Halen-esque, Jump era sounding. Obviously you’re heavily influenced by ‘80s music and culture in general. What provided the impetus for you to pursue this musical direction?
Johnny: It comes from when I was writing for other artists especially for this one rock band that was very keyboard oriented. After I had done that, I was looking for a new direction and so I was heading down a Radiohead kind of path as I used to write very extravagant classical type, orchestral dark rock and roll. But I realized I wasn’t really that angry. Things were really good with my life and my family. So I wanted to move down the road of stuff that was more me and more honest and which really affected me. Later on, somebody gave a copy of the 1986 animated film called The Transformers, which was my favorite movie as a kid and had the best soundtrack ever. And it made me realize that I wanted to go down that sci-fi, triumphant, mega electronic rock route. So this band is a lot more inspired by soundtracks than specific bands in general. And it is a very visual band too. And usually the first time people hear our music, they tend to have a mental image of what a film clip should be for it. So we are a very cinematic, uplifting rock and roll band.
The EP was produced by Lindsay Gravina and mixed by Tim Palmer (David Bowie, Pearl Jam, U2, The Cure). What did Tim bring to the process?
Condor: He was the real hero of the project.
Johnny: We weren’t happy how it [the recording] initially turned out until Tim worked on it. Prior to that, the songs seemed stale. I mean it was recorded and engineered well, and some songs didn’t change from their demoed original structure and form aside from added guitars. But it was the way Tim approached the vocals, the way he lifted the guitars in the mix and the way he brought up the electronics more prominently into the picture that really made the songs they are today. The mix we had done with Lindsay was very rock based and not really us. But that wasn’t Lindsay’s fault in any way. The record company wanted it to be more rock based for the Australian audience. But the original demos were extremely electronic, with very ‘80s produced live cymbals and electronic drums straight down the line. I had written the first four songs for The Galvatrons and had recorded them as demos in a studio with Josh Abrahams, who as you know, is an Australian dance producer. [Not to be confused with Josh Abraham, the US music producer who worked with Limp Bizkit and Staind] And I used all my “Eruption” settings on my POD as I love those saturated POD sounds. Yet when it took it overseas, they all said, ‘what happened to all the electronica of the demos?’ They told us we had lost our little edge. So Tim brought all those elements back into the picture, like the synth bass lines and electronic drums.
You initially were brought to the attention of international and local labels through your My Space page?
Condor: That is how things happen these days for bands. There is no two ways about it. And we’re one of a handful of bands in the past few years that have got a big hype and exposure from the internet and in particularly MySpace. I think it’s the easiest way to communicate with your fans directly. It’s great that we can do a show and the very next day, fans will write in and say ‘it was a sweet show last night’. It makes things more personal. It’s like writing something to your favorite band and when they respond, you’ll be stoked.
One of your early supporters and fans was Justin Hawkins from The Darkness and because of that association, some people are lumping you into the same category?
Condor: Yeah we’ve been called “Darkness clones”. But you know, if we could actually play like that I’ll be stoked.
Johnny: We’re a very different kind of band. I think when you’ve got a band that people either love or hate, it is great because you become a band that can polarize people. And I think that is great. Otherwise, you’ll never achieve any success in what you want to do.
In June of this year you performed as opening act for The Police at Hyde Park in London. I heard that after The Galvatrons had performed their set, they were evicted from their dressing room because apparently you guys were singing Metallica songs too loudly next to Sting’s room?
Condor: Yeah we were in our dressing room after having just performed our set and KT Tunstall had just gone stage to play her set. And since I am a big metal fan, we started singing Metallica songs and going crazy. Then suddenly there was this knock on the door. And the door opened and this guy informed us, ‘you guys have to go as you’re being too loud’. And we said, ‘we’re not doing anything wrong, we’re in our band room having a bit of a fun sing-a-long’. And the guy said, ‘The Police have complained’. And we said, ‘The Police? You mean the cops right?’ ‘No’ he replied, ‘I mean Sting and the boys!’
Johnny: So they took our laminates off us and escorted us out of the venue and booted us out. But we’ve been lucky to have been playing large stages but at that time, that was by far, until our recent Def Leppard and Cheap Trick Australian tour support, the biggest stage we had played.
"I wanted to move down the road of stuff that was more me and more honest and which really affected me."
I just want to discuss the gear you used for EP and what you’re currently using live?
Johnny: Well I have just bought a new rig recently. I’ve got a couple of Gibson Explorers and I have got this new “mirror” Explorer. It was funny you know, we were shooting our film clip for When We Were Kids which features a lot of lasers and I had ordered just another black and white Explorer for the shoot but they sent me this “mirror” one instead. And when I looked at it for the first time upon opening of the case, I went ‘they’ve sent me the wrong one...but hey this one is awesome’. And so I kept it and used it for the clip. And we had lasers shooting from it and all and it was great. And I just bought a new TC Electronic G-system multi-effects pedal. I couldn’t find any pedals that could give me the type of distortion that I was getting from my POD. And the TC was the only one that I liked. So I will end up running a loop from my TC Electronic unit through to the POD. That way I can just select a loop and on the TC you can choose the distortion and so I have it running through my effects board and out into a Marshall Vintage Modern amp. On the When We Were Kids EP, I used an Echo Park Line 6 pedal, a Boss DS-1 Distortion and that same Marshall amp. And that was the sound.
Condor: I used and use an Ampeg and Gibson Thunderbird. At the moment I’m looking at maybe also getting a Schecter bass as a couple months ago we did some recordings and I used one and it seemed to sit really well with the live drums, digital bass and guitar.
You have a fully fledged debut album scheduled for release in early 2009?
Johnny: We’re finishing the mixing of the album in February and then we head out on a national tour. Prior to the album, February will see the release of our next single called Cassandra.
Any plans for a US jaunt next year?
Johnny: Well Seymour Stein came to see us play at Splendor In The Grass recently and was very impressed and so has become a big fan. Hopefully something will come from that next year.
Interview by Joe Matera
Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2008
From the very first time The Galvatrons performed live on a stage in their hometown of Melbourne, Australia last year, they immediately looked and sounded like it was meant to be. Within months of that first show, at the tail end of that same year – 2007 - The Galvatrons found themselves performing in front of 10,000 people at the annual Meredith Music Festival. That night, they sent the crowd and local critics into a tail spin. It led some to call The Galvatrons, the synth-rock act one needed to watch in 2008, and as predicted, The Galvatrons have already had a huge 2008. Highlights have included a buzz-stealing gig at this year’s Big Day Out festival, a national Australian tour, plus showcase shows in London, winning over the UK industry and fans a like. In June of this year, they also performed at Hyde Park as one of the opening acts on the final UK concert by The Police.
Their debut EP, released earlier this year, and spearheaded by an anthemic, instantly classic track called When We Were Kids, has met with much success and seen the band’s profile rise even more considerably. As 2009 approaches, The Galvatrons are set to release their debut album and poised to take on the rest of the world. It won’t be long before those outside of Australia and the UK will also be singing the praises of this talented young band. Though The Galvatrons are here to put some fun back into rock, there’s also a serious level of musical nous at work with their hook-laden productions. To cap off a successful year, The Galvatrons will also be ringing in 2009 in style when they play one of Australia’s most prestigious events, the Pyramid Rock Festival at Philip Island. Joe Matera recently ventured into The Galvatrons’ world to speak to singer/songwriter/guitarist Johnny Galvatron and bass player Condor for this interview for Ultimate-Guitar.
UG: Though the band were signed after only four gigs and had been together in a short time, you had already spent time prior, doing session work and writing songs for other acts, DJs and pop acts?
Johnny: Yeah that was where I really learned all about keyboards in relation to this band. And in regards to getting synths to work with guitars, and synths to work with song arrangements, and getting electronic bass to work with guitars, which is really important to us as a band. And it helped me immensely to hone my songwriting craft. It was a pretty good job for a kid just out of high school, and getting these gigs writing songs for DJs and pop acts. Aside from being really good to me in a creative sense, it was also good in a business sense as it got to show me how it all works. Usually, when you’re in high school and you’re in a rock band, you tend to see getting signed as the end product of what you are, wanting to achieve. But the closer you get to finally achieving that goal, and you finally get that record deal, you realize it’s not the end. It is just the beginning.
Condor: A lot of people tend go to music courses and learn about this and that…
Johnny: Like I did at one stage, but I learned nothing. I learned zero, zero, zero. So I dropped out. I just decided to gig and learn things that way.
Condor: And that’s a great way to learn because if you’re in a band and you know how to book a gig, it is going to be way more of a learning curve than it is sitting in a class room all day.
Johnny: I think what I have learned about the music industry from having gone this path early on, is that if you have a good idea and you work hard on it, it will come to fruition. And obviously the band also needs to hone its craft and have all the right elements in place musically as well.
"We’re a very different kind of band."
When We Were Kids is very ‘80s sounding even the central keyboard riff is Van Halen-esque, Jump era sounding. Obviously you’re heavily influenced by ‘80s music and culture in general. What provided the impetus for you to pursue this musical direction?
Johnny: It comes from when I was writing for other artists especially for this one rock band that was very keyboard oriented. After I had done that, I was looking for a new direction and so I was heading down a Radiohead kind of path as I used to write very extravagant classical type, orchestral dark rock and roll. But I realized I wasn’t really that angry. Things were really good with my life and my family. So I wanted to move down the road of stuff that was more me and more honest and which really affected me. Later on, somebody gave a copy of the 1986 animated film called The Transformers, which was my favorite movie as a kid and had the best soundtrack ever. And it made me realize that I wanted to go down that sci-fi, triumphant, mega electronic rock route. So this band is a lot more inspired by soundtracks than specific bands in general. And it is a very visual band too. And usually the first time people hear our music, they tend to have a mental image of what a film clip should be for it. So we are a very cinematic, uplifting rock and roll band.
The EP was produced by Lindsay Gravina and mixed by Tim Palmer (David Bowie, Pearl Jam, U2, The Cure). What did Tim bring to the process?
Condor: He was the real hero of the project.
Johnny: We weren’t happy how it [the recording] initially turned out until Tim worked on it. Prior to that, the songs seemed stale. I mean it was recorded and engineered well, and some songs didn’t change from their demoed original structure and form aside from added guitars. But it was the way Tim approached the vocals, the way he lifted the guitars in the mix and the way he brought up the electronics more prominently into the picture that really made the songs they are today. The mix we had done with Lindsay was very rock based and not really us. But that wasn’t Lindsay’s fault in any way. The record company wanted it to be more rock based for the Australian audience. But the original demos were extremely electronic, with very ‘80s produced live cymbals and electronic drums straight down the line. I had written the first four songs for The Galvatrons and had recorded them as demos in a studio with Josh Abrahams, who as you know, is an Australian dance producer. [Not to be confused with Josh Abraham, the US music producer who worked with Limp Bizkit and Staind] And I used all my “Eruption” settings on my POD as I love those saturated POD sounds. Yet when it took it overseas, they all said, ‘what happened to all the electronica of the demos?’ They told us we had lost our little edge. So Tim brought all those elements back into the picture, like the synth bass lines and electronic drums.
You initially were brought to the attention of international and local labels through your My Space page?
Condor: That is how things happen these days for bands. There is no two ways about it. And we’re one of a handful of bands in the past few years that have got a big hype and exposure from the internet and in particularly MySpace. I think it’s the easiest way to communicate with your fans directly. It’s great that we can do a show and the very next day, fans will write in and say ‘it was a sweet show last night’. It makes things more personal. It’s like writing something to your favorite band and when they respond, you’ll be stoked.
One of your early supporters and fans was Justin Hawkins from The Darkness and because of that association, some people are lumping you into the same category?
Condor: Yeah we’ve been called “Darkness clones”. But you know, if we could actually play like that I’ll be stoked.
Johnny: We’re a very different kind of band. I think when you’ve got a band that people either love or hate, it is great because you become a band that can polarize people. And I think that is great. Otherwise, you’ll never achieve any success in what you want to do.
In June of this year you performed as opening act for The Police at Hyde Park in London. I heard that after The Galvatrons had performed their set, they were evicted from their dressing room because apparently you guys were singing Metallica songs too loudly next to Sting’s room?
Condor: Yeah we were in our dressing room after having just performed our set and KT Tunstall had just gone stage to play her set. And since I am a big metal fan, we started singing Metallica songs and going crazy. Then suddenly there was this knock on the door. And the door opened and this guy informed us, ‘you guys have to go as you’re being too loud’. And we said, ‘we’re not doing anything wrong, we’re in our band room having a bit of a fun sing-a-long’. And the guy said, ‘The Police have complained’. And we said, ‘The Police? You mean the cops right?’ ‘No’ he replied, ‘I mean Sting and the boys!’
Johnny: So they took our laminates off us and escorted us out of the venue and booted us out. But we’ve been lucky to have been playing large stages but at that time, that was by far, until our recent Def Leppard and Cheap Trick Australian tour support, the biggest stage we had played.
"I wanted to move down the road of stuff that was more me and more honest and which really affected me."
I just want to discuss the gear you used for EP and what you’re currently using live?
Johnny: Well I have just bought a new rig recently. I’ve got a couple of Gibson Explorers and I have got this new “mirror” Explorer. It was funny you know, we were shooting our film clip for When We Were Kids which features a lot of lasers and I had ordered just another black and white Explorer for the shoot but they sent me this “mirror” one instead. And when I looked at it for the first time upon opening of the case, I went ‘they’ve sent me the wrong one...but hey this one is awesome’. And so I kept it and used it for the clip. And we had lasers shooting from it and all and it was great. And I just bought a new TC Electronic G-system multi-effects pedal. I couldn’t find any pedals that could give me the type of distortion that I was getting from my POD. And the TC was the only one that I liked. So I will end up running a loop from my TC Electronic unit through to the POD. That way I can just select a loop and on the TC you can choose the distortion and so I have it running through my effects board and out into a Marshall Vintage Modern amp. On the When We Were Kids EP, I used an Echo Park Line 6 pedal, a Boss DS-1 Distortion and that same Marshall amp. And that was the sound.
Condor: I used and use an Ampeg and Gibson Thunderbird. At the moment I’m looking at maybe also getting a Schecter bass as a couple months ago we did some recordings and I used one and it seemed to sit really well with the live drums, digital bass and guitar.
You have a fully fledged debut album scheduled for release in early 2009?
Johnny: We’re finishing the mixing of the album in February and then we head out on a national tour. Prior to the album, February will see the release of our next single called Cassandra.
Any plans for a US jaunt next year?
Johnny: Well Seymour Stein came to see us play at Splendor In The Grass recently and was very impressed and so has become a big fan. Hopefully something will come from that next year.
Interview by Joe Matera
Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
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Thursday, October 30, 2008
interviews Motley Crue's
Motley Crue's Mick Mars: 'I've Always Been About Melody And Tone'
Mick Mars came into this world as Robert Alan Deal. He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, on May 4, 1951. His family relocated to California where the young musician played in a series of blues bands; none of them were very good and none of them ever did anything. He finally changed his name to Mick Mars, changed his hair color to jet black, and after placing an ad in a local newspaper, he ran into Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee and with the band name in his back pocket, this new group became Motley Crue.
That’s how Mick first met his future bandmates back in 1981. Now, 27 years later, he is still with the band. But it hasn’t been easy. The band has gone through drug-addicted members, car accidents, management changes, record label changes, and a whole lot more. And the guitarist has seen his fair share of suffering. When he was just 19 years old, Mars suffered from a terrible arthritic disease. As someone who slaps a piece of wood across his shoulders every day, this wasn’t the best thing that could happen to him. Additionally, in 2004, he had to undergo hip replacement surgery, In order to keep the pain at bay, he was forced to swallow huge amounts of pain killers.
After his surgery, Mick was able to rejoin the band on the road in 2005. And now he is back on stage for the upcoming Cruefest Tour, a monster caravan across the US that will include support by Buckcherry, Sixx:A.M. (Nikki’s side project), Papa Roach, and Trapt. In support of their new album, Saints Of Los Angeles, the tour will begin in June and run for several months.
The new record is typical Crue, loud thrashing guitars that thunder around Vince Neil’s epileptic vocals. Tommy Lee and Nikki Nixx pound out big rock rhythms that are reminiscent of the Dr. Feelgood era songs. Mick talked about the new album and the new tour in pretty hushed tones. His voice was barely louder than a whisper and even over the phone, he sounded weak and fragile. But he did seem upbeat and was really looking forward to the upcoming tour.
UG: It’s been a long time since the original Motley Crue were together in the studio writing and recording together since the Generation Swine album in 1997. What was the experience like this time with Saints Of Los Angeles? Was there a feeling-out period? Did you come in with guitar ideas?
Mick Mars: Mostly what we did was, I would come in with some riffs and things like that. We would record them, I would record them on Pro Tools because everybody was kind of doing their thing, you know? Like Tommy and Vince already had their schedules already pre-planned so we had to kind of plan around that because they had already committed to doing that before. Doing what they needed to do, that is. And so what we did was, Nikki and I would record some things, put them down on ProTools, cut ‘em up, splice ‘em together, put ‘em together, however you want to call it. And had Tommy and Vince do their parts when they had time to do it. And it worked out pretty well.
Didn’t it feel a little disjointed?
I like more like live off the floor kind of thing? But we didn’t really have the choice but to do it this way this time and I think it turned out really, really well.
You had been doing some writing on your own, Mick? Putting ideas down on Pro Tools and saving them for a rainy day kind of thing?
Always, yeah. Because what’s good for Motley is cool, but there’s a lot of things that I write that’s outside the realm of Motley, you know. Say, like I’ll write some riffs and say, “Ah, you know what? This’ll be a good thing for a band called Emery.” So, I wrote with them for a bit and I wrote with Machina and DMC, a lot of different people, because I like to do a lot of different styles of music. Not just one. That’s the reason for Motley but you know what I mean? But I like to express myself in different ways; not only as like a guitar player but as a songwriter as well.
What is it that innately tells you, “This is a Motley Crue riff?” Of course it’s going to be big and loud but some of these other bands you mentioned writing for are also big and loud.
Umm, a Motley song is umm, I can feel them; I can pretty much tell right away. Umm, when I write a song for Motley Crue, about two-thirds of it is Motley and then I kind of put a part in that pieces it together, so you can hear the parts together. Usually that part gets re-written by Nikki and I and we’ll put it together that way. Then I have another piece of song to take out and play around with, to do something else with it.
Mick, I haven’t heard these tracks but can you tell us what’s involved with some of the songs? What about the opening cut titled “LAMF?”
“LAMF” is the first track on the thing and it’s about 1:21, right? It’s the very first track and it isn’t really a song; it’s kind of an introduction to “Face Down in the Dirt.” I don’t know them all in chronological order. It’s like an introductory thing where we do like pretty much on a lot of songs. Like we did on “Dr. Feelgood” (the intro was a 0:42 piece called “T.N.T. [Terror ‘N Tinseltown])” and “In the Beginning” like on “Shout at the Devil” and things like that. It’s kind of an instrumental, kind of an eerie dark piece that’s like I said, is about 1:20 long and is an introduction and has that crescendo that goes into like “Face Down in the Dirt.”
And what’s going on with “Face Down in the Dirt?”
A lot of the songs are kind of hard for me and I’m not going to try and explain them because I didn’t write lyrics on them.
No problem. Certainly you can run down the type of guitars you’re using.
The (Fender) Strat is about all I used.
What is it about the Strat that covers all the bases for you?
You know, that’s a good question. It’s a great sounding guitar, first off, and it’s one of the best guitars that I’ve heard acoustically without an amp and with an amp. The tone of it, the ring of it, it seems to be very balanced with the wood and the … this sounds boring.
No, Mick, not at all. We’re doing this interview for serious guitar freaks. So please continue.
Well, the way that the wood rings? The way it’s set up, the neck; I’ve had three different necks on it; I’ve worn it out.
Is it a newer guitar or an older one? It looks beat to hell.
It’s a ’96; it’s a custom shop. When I was rehearsing with my ‘burst, my old one; it was a pieced-together one from a ’66, ’64, and ’65 or ’63, somewhere in those years. It was three guitars pieced into one when I bought it and it was pretty beat up and I liked it. But the pickups were kinda broken; they only put out about three ohms or something and some of the pots were like stuck and stuff but I didn’t care. And I bought it anyway and I pieced it together and put some humbuckers on it and put some new pots on it and stuff and made it like this guitar that screamed. One of the guys from Fender and saw us rehearsing and liked the idea of that and built me three (of them). I call ‘em stressed; beat out, they look like they’re 100 years old and have been on the road for many years and that kind of stuff. New guitars to me are cool but when they have some character to them, they’re better.
"I can't use the same tone all the way through an album."
Were there any physical reasons for changing to a Stratocaster? Certainly a Fender is a lot lighter than the Gibsons were.
Yeah, the guitars, especially the Pauls, started getting a bit heavy. And the Strats were much lighter. It was this stupid inconvenience crap that I own, my AS (ankylosing spondylitis),
So this truly is a custom Fender guitar?
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Back in the day, though, it was the Charvel?
Yeah, I actually have quite a few of them left. You know that Fender bought Charvel?
That’s right.
Yeah, the guy that came out that built my guitars for me? I gave him a really nice, pristine Charvel. And he goes, “What? You really want me to have this?” And I go, “Yeah, I want you to have it.” He did me like a huge favor so I just gave him a really nice Charvel; one of my best Charvels.
Do you think that the sound of the Strat is a little more modern sounding than the Charvels?
Some songs are, yes. Some songs are heavier but it’s like I can’t use the same tone all the way through an album; it would get kind of like redundant and monotonous and so on and so forth. Live I can, I can get away with it and do stuff because it’s live and you want to hear that raw, in your face thing. But on a record I feel like I can experiment more; I mean I feel limited as to what I can but tone-wise I like to play with tones and stuff and make the songs sound different from each other. So I can go, “Let’s do this like a little lighter than the verse.” Sometimes I do things like that; like “Don’t Go Away Mad” and “Dr. Feelgood” and that kind of a deal. They’re two different sounding songs. Like “Face Down in the Dirt” and “White Trash Circus (from Saints of Los Angeles).” Do you know what I mean?
I do. So, the Strat has been the main guitar on the album; what about amps?
I always use Marshall and Soldano; I use Rivera, I use VHT; I use Crest. But on the album I was using a (Pro Tools) plug in called Eleven (Eleven LE provides amplifer tones at your fingertips and includes classic Fender, Vox, Mesa/Boogie, Soldano, and Marshall tones). And I would take pretty much what I use live like a Soldano and a Marshall and there’s an amp in there called Eleven and a tread plate. And so James Michael (producer of the Saints of Los Angeles album and the lead singer for Nikki Sixx’s side project Sixx:A.M.) took those because he heard my sound live so many times that he knew what I sounded like, what my sound it. And he duplicated it as best that you can on Eleven; you can never capture the live sound really but he got pretty close with using just a plug in.
Those guitar tones are coming from a plug in? Very cool.
Yeah, I love it; I’ve got the same thing (at his home studio). It’s not as good as like real amps but you know what I mean? For like, I can stack as many amps as I want: AC30s or Hi Watts or old plexis and JCM800s and Soldanos and tread plates and all sorts of stuff. Plus you can change different mikes on different speaker boxes and different speaker cabinets and all sorts of stuff; it’s very versatile.
What about the album’s title song?
Yeah, the “Saints of Los Angeles” is about us signing our record deal with Elektra and it’s kinda like, the words, “It doesn’t matter what you say/I’m gonna do it anyway.” It’s one of those kinds of things and it’s about that; about the signing of our first record contract.
How does it feel rehearsing for the Cruefest tour? I’m assuming there will be some of the songs from the new album in the set so you have to learn those in order to perform them live. On top of that, you have to make sure all the gear is in order and go through that sort of pre-production. And because all the other support bands are younger (Buckcherry; Sixx:A.M.; Papa Roach; and Trapt) and having the mantle of elder statesmen dropped on the band, there is also that sort of pressure.
The only hard part about rehearsing for the tour is re-learning the new songs. Because when you put them down and by the time that they’re pieced together, not pieced together but arranged properly and stuff, it comes in a few days. We have full songs but it’s like sometimes it changes. “It sounds better if we put the verse here and the chorus here.” Re-learning them is the hardest part and rehearsing those and just brushing up on our songs that we usually do is fairly easy. So, it’s mostly the first part and also like the meetings … that’s just stupid! It’s like, “Here’s a meeting; here’s another meeting.” It’s like, “C’mon, we’ve gotta rehearse and get this stuff! OK this is the last one” but the next day another meeting, you know? So it’s like, “Dammit, c’mon, we gotta start rehearsing.” So that’s probably the most difficult part.
It is the business of music; sometimes business does get in the way.
Sometimes it does, yeah.
On a similar note is the fact that the band has weathered all that business all these years. You’re going out on another huge tour despite all of those meetings. Does the music still hold that energy and danger it did back in the day?
Oh, yeah; I mean, of course. That will never leave because it is new and fresh when I go out on stage. This sounds stupid but it’s what I do and I really enjoy my job and I enjoy getting to see the world and getting paid for it. So, it’s fun. I feel a lot more comfortable than I did in the early days.
You do?
Oh, yeah. Going out there, I feel more at ease, which allows me, even on stage, to experiment more because I know where I’m going and what I’m doing more than I was. I suppose that being clean helps a lot, too (much laughter).
Do you listen to any of these modern players out there? Do you listen to any of the players in the bands supporting you on this tour? Have you heard any new styles or tones that grab you and make you want to sit down and sort of learn them? Or is it more a feeling of, “Let them listen to me.” Do you know what I mean?
Yeah, I know what you mean. Umm, yes, sometimes I listen to different guitar players and hear what they’re doing and so on and so forth. But I don’t listen to the point of where I all of a sudden I subconsciously get that in my mind and all of a sudden I go like, “Hey, check out this!” And it’s somebody else’s lick. You know what I mean? It’s like, there’s a fine line in there but there are lots of good guitar players now. In the ‘80s it was all shred and no melody and nowadays guitar players are playing more melody and more melodic than they have before; getting back to real rock and roll roots I guess you would call it. Which is really good for me because I’ve always been about melody and tone and memorable solos and things like that. It’s good to hear that again.
"The only hard part about rehearsing for the tour is re-learning the new songs."
Are there any solos from the new album that grab you when you listen to them?
Yeah; on the “Saints of Los Angeles,” I had two solos already done for it. The first one that I wrote was kind of, it had two or three notes that didn’t quite exactly sound the way that I wanted ‘em to and so I rewrote it again. And it turned out the way that it did, of course. And it was fairly easy to do that one. “White Trash Circus” was a really fun one because it was trashy, so I tried a trashy solo on it. And it’s like a messy, trashy kind of thing but it’s still memorable, you know what I mean? There’s some parts that I wished was mixed a little louder but it’s done now so it’s all good. But it’s like when you put on earphones (headphones) it’s like, “Oh, man, I didn’t hear that part before!” So it works out well.
I work on scales and things; but I try and keep it melodic for a solo. A lot of things I work out, then there are some that whatever comes off, that’s what I use. But then when you do it live, it’s different; you have to do it the same way you played it on the record and you can’t remember what you were doing.
Jumping subjects here, the band has a film coming out in 2009 based on the band’s book, The Dirt?
Umm; we’ve been working on that for a while. I’m not sure when it will be starting production. As far as I know, I don’t know if we have a director in mind yet; I mean we’ve had several but it’s a matter of getting the right director to understand what music is.
I don’t know if you ever saw that movie they made on Jimi Hendrix that was on HBO? It was so bad; that isn’t what Jimi Hendrix was like at all. And it’s like when they do the movie, I want it to be true to what we are about. And if it has to be rated X then so be it; but it won’t be. But you know what I mean, more true to us. The right director will be able to do it. And I guess that I read a couple scripts that weren’t that; it wasn’t good. And I think that probably at least Nikki and I would be there to go like, to the director, “Uh, dude, that ain’t the way it was!” You know what I mean? Direct the director.
You touched on it earlier, Mick, the fact that you’re clean and I’m guessing the entire band is clean. Do you think that is reflected in the music? In terms of performance and technique? Could these songs have been played by the band back in the ‘80s when everybody was sort of out of control?
Yeah, I know what you mean. But, here’s the thing – the band was all the way clean when we did Feelgood; that’s the only time. There are a couple of us that are clean now, and a couple of us that are kinda – not me – but there are a couple of other guys in the band that still like to dabble (laughter). Drink and that kind of stuff.
Would you have been able to play these songs if you were still getting high?
As far as me being able to pull this off? Probably not. ‘Cause my brain was so clouded up with … drugs were my choice. I drank for a while but it didn’t really, I didn’t like it that much. When I went to drugs, not hard drugs but prescription drugs, they nearly killed me. I would never be able to do what I do now on that stuff.
Mick Mars and Motley Crue truly occupy a unique place in music history. You’ve survived band breakups and overdoses and the business itself and changing music styles. Can you describe what that feels like now in 2007? Or, when they close the books on Motley and write the final page, what would you like to see written there?
Umm, I would like to be remembered as umm, I’m not really doing anything really different than lots of guitar players have before. But I think I would like to be remembered more like in the vein of like a Clapton or a Beck or a Hendrix or those guys. Which is setting my standards high and that means I still got a long way to go.
I really do appreciate your time and honesty, Mick. I hope that you take care of you and my hat is off to you for surviving that terrible back ordeal and for getting past all the drugs. That’s a huge accomplishment – maybe even bigger than the music itself.
That’s all good. Thank you, Steven. Bye …
Interview by Steven Rosen
interviews:Yngwie Malmsteen: Perpetual Flame Album 'Was Made In A Different Way'
Yngwie Malmsteen: Perpetual Flame Album 'Was Made In A Different Way'
Yngwie Malmsteen: Perpetual Flame Album 'Was Made In A Different Way'
Yngwie Malmsteen is one of rock's most respected and admired virtuoso guitarists. His jaw-dropping technique of lightning fast harmonic minor scalar riffing and soloing first came to attention of the music world at large when Malmsteen was just 21 years of age. Via his 1984 debut Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force, a neo-classical melodic workout in itself, he ushered in the golden age of shredding. Malmsteen soon became the new king of neo-classical hard rock a crown that was previously worn by Ritchie Blackmore, who himself had been an influence on Malmsteen’s guitar playing.
Malmsteen’s style and technique went on to become a hugely influential force upon countless guitarists that soon followed in his wake. So it is with much anticipation that the rock guitar community will undoubtedly be looking forward to October when Yngwie Malmsteen issues his latest studio opus, Perpetual Flame. The album will also mark the debut on an Yngwie album by ex-Judas Priest and Iced Earth frontman, Tim "Ripper" Owens. Joe Matera recently sat down with Yngwie Malmsteen to discuss the new album, recording and his much documented reputation for being a difficult artist.
UG: You’ve mentioned previously that you had written some 29 songs and had those readied before recording began for Perpetual Flame?
Yngwie Malmsteen: Yeah usually I have a lot of songs written. But for this one, it was extremely a lot because what I do is, I get a lot of songs done and then I narrow them down as I go along. One of the reasons why this new record in particularly had a lot more songs written, was the fact that this record was made in a different way than any of my other albums. Traditionally, the way it would go would be that I start writing the songs then demo them and show them to the band. Then we’ll record them, mix the album then begin rehearsing and go do a world tour. Then when we get back, I’ll start writing songs again. And the cycle would continue. This time though, I started writing songs but without any sort of time frame or pressure. I’ll just write songs and eventually I had all these songs. So I went to my drummer Patrick [Johansson] and asked him to come into a big sound stage room in one of my two studios to put down the drums live. And he and I recorded something like 34 songs. But then after that was done, we went out on tour again. And again after we got back, I went back into the studio and recorded some more songs and put down some bass and some guitars and then went out on tour again. I came back again and I put down some keyboards. As the songs progressed, it became more and more evident of what they were going to be. I write the lyrics, the music, produce and arrange everything. And because I’m very particular about that, I realized the singer I had [Dougie White] wasn’t going to be able to carry what I was hearing in my head.
"I just always play and from that I can come up with a great melody or something."
Having a new singer - Ripper Owens - onboard now did you have to change your style or songwriting to adapt?
No, I wrote all the songs before he came in. As I was writing the songs I realized, like I just mentioned, that Dougie wasn’t going to cut it. And as I never decide on the direction anything goes, when Ripper came in, I just showed him the songs and they seemed to just come out very easily with him. As far styles go, I think we’re perfect for each other. The chemistry also turned out to be really good.
You’re big on improvising so in the song writing process, do many of the songs come from your improvisations?
Well what comes first is the musical content but I don’t have any system at all. It is really bizarre as I always have a Marshall and some guitars near me even if I’m watching television or whatever. So to answer your question, I just always play and from that I can come up with a great melody or something and if it clicks, I go with the ride. And from there it will take me further. And once I have that riff, or chorus or melody line, I’ll put it together and will then think about it very carefully as what the song should be about. And the lyrics, I put in a lot of work on them. They’re probably what I put the most time and effort into. If you listen to the lyrics, you’ll notice that they’re always very, very deep and very symbolic. They’re not obnoxious lyrics that say, ‘come baby, let’s fuck tonight’. I don’t get into those sorts of lyrics. To me, all those lyrics are really meaningless. I get a lot of my inspiration from books and stuff like that.
Do you utilize a lot of digital technology when it comes to the recording process?
I’m extremely old school. I still have two inch tape recorders and things like that. I record to digital hard disk recorders like Alesis and stuff like that. I do have Pro Tools, Sonar, Cubase, Logic… I have everything but I never seem to get into them. What’s most important to me is using real live Marshall stacks, big, loud and lots of them. They’re very loud stacks that I mike up. I also use tube compressors and tube EQ so that the signal is very organic. The live drums are recorded in an extremely large sound stage with real live microphones and there are no triggers and no quantizing, no nothing. If I put down a song with Patrick and later decide that I need 16 bars somewhere, then I’ll put that into Pro Tools and will make the 16 bars that way from say eight bars rather than record it all over again. So in that sense Pro Tools is very handy. And as far as any sort of computerized mending goes, I don’t do that at all. It is all real.
Let’s switch to talking about guitars, what did you use for this new album?
I used a ’71 Fender Strat, a ’68 Strat, a ‘51 P-Bass, an Ovation acoustic guitar, a 12-string and even a fretless bass for a couple things. The Strats are all over the place and I can’t remember exactly all of the ones I used. And of course, there is the Malmsteen signature model guitar too on there, which is a really good guitar.
A new Fender-Yngwie Malmsteen custom shop guitar is going to unveiled come November?
Yeah and it is a great honor. I was in the custom shop a few weeks ago and they already had 60 of the 100 they’re producing, already made. And John Cruz is the master builder, the guy hand making these guitars. It is absolutely mind bending. This is my guitar man and it is unbelievable how they’re doing it. It’s going to cost a pretty penny but they’re making a really fantastic guitar.
"I’m like Pablo Picasso or Leonardo Di Vinci and people like that."
And what about when it came to amps what did you prefer to use?
I used old Marshall Plexis, 100 watts and Marshall Mark IIs, 50 watts. They’re really old Marshalls that don’t have a master volume on them. They have just the four inputs and you have to turn them all the way up. And in the studio I have something like 18 amp heads but I will pick one that is really amazing to use. I have the 100 watts for the harder stuff while the 50 watts I use for the softer things as it’s smoother and warmer. Marshalls are great and there is nothing like them.
How many guitars do you take out on the road with you?
It depends on what country I’m going to. If I am going to Australia, I will take four Strats and one acoustic with me. But if I’m going on the road in America, I will take 20 guitars. I take so many due to the fact I’m always traveling, like I’m either on the bus or flying.
Do you do any writing while on the road?
Every night is different and I play solos differently but I always have a little Pro Tools setup on my Laptop so if I happen to have an idea I will put it down for sure. And I try and keep a constant flow of it.
Over the years you’ve earned quite a reputation for being very difficult to work with?
Since I write everything and I pay the salary, somebody is benefiting a lot from being with me. But I’m no bad guy. We do have a lot of fun. It’s not like some boot camp or something. I came to the conclusion many years ago, even before I came to America that I can’t really work in a band situation. I’m like Pablo Picasso or Leonardo Di Vinci and people like that where I’m a creator and so don’t feel satisfied if I don’t create it and have total control over it. I suppose that attitude is very unusual in rock and roll where it traditionally is one big party. When I joined Steeler, I did what I was told. I was a hired guy for Ron Keel and if he asked me to do a solo, I would go, ‘great, I’ll take a solo’. I didn’t ever say ‘I want to do a solo now!’ It was his band. So that is something that people must understand when it comes to my particular position. I am the person in control. And because of that, it also leaves me with a lot more work and a lot more responsibility and a lot more to do. But that is what I choose to do and what I find more rewarding.
Finally do you listen to any current music that is out there?
Sorry I don’t listen to any other music really. I’m more of a movie fan. I love movies but unfortunately I haven’t seen a good one in quite a long time. The best performance I’ve seen most recently was Heath Ledger’s in Batman. The movie itself didn’t hold up but he was fantastic in it. I prefer older movies, things like Hellraiser. But if I have a CD in the car it’s usually something like Queen or Bach…
Interview by Joe Matera
Yngwie Malmsteen: Perpetual Flame Album 'Was Made In A Different Way'
Yngwie Malmsteen is one of rock's most respected and admired virtuoso guitarists. His jaw-dropping technique of lightning fast harmonic minor scalar riffing and soloing first came to attention of the music world at large when Malmsteen was just 21 years of age. Via his 1984 debut Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force, a neo-classical melodic workout in itself, he ushered in the golden age of shredding. Malmsteen soon became the new king of neo-classical hard rock a crown that was previously worn by Ritchie Blackmore, who himself had been an influence on Malmsteen’s guitar playing.
Malmsteen’s style and technique went on to become a hugely influential force upon countless guitarists that soon followed in his wake. So it is with much anticipation that the rock guitar community will undoubtedly be looking forward to October when Yngwie Malmsteen issues his latest studio opus, Perpetual Flame. The album will also mark the debut on an Yngwie album by ex-Judas Priest and Iced Earth frontman, Tim "Ripper" Owens. Joe Matera recently sat down with Yngwie Malmsteen to discuss the new album, recording and his much documented reputation for being a difficult artist.
UG: You’ve mentioned previously that you had written some 29 songs and had those readied before recording began for Perpetual Flame?
Yngwie Malmsteen: Yeah usually I have a lot of songs written. But for this one, it was extremely a lot because what I do is, I get a lot of songs done and then I narrow them down as I go along. One of the reasons why this new record in particularly had a lot more songs written, was the fact that this record was made in a different way than any of my other albums. Traditionally, the way it would go would be that I start writing the songs then demo them and show them to the band. Then we’ll record them, mix the album then begin rehearsing and go do a world tour. Then when we get back, I’ll start writing songs again. And the cycle would continue. This time though, I started writing songs but without any sort of time frame or pressure. I’ll just write songs and eventually I had all these songs. So I went to my drummer Patrick [Johansson] and asked him to come into a big sound stage room in one of my two studios to put down the drums live. And he and I recorded something like 34 songs. But then after that was done, we went out on tour again. And again after we got back, I went back into the studio and recorded some more songs and put down some bass and some guitars and then went out on tour again. I came back again and I put down some keyboards. As the songs progressed, it became more and more evident of what they were going to be. I write the lyrics, the music, produce and arrange everything. And because I’m very particular about that, I realized the singer I had [Dougie White] wasn’t going to be able to carry what I was hearing in my head.
"I just always play and from that I can come up with a great melody or something."
Having a new singer - Ripper Owens - onboard now did you have to change your style or songwriting to adapt?
No, I wrote all the songs before he came in. As I was writing the songs I realized, like I just mentioned, that Dougie wasn’t going to cut it. And as I never decide on the direction anything goes, when Ripper came in, I just showed him the songs and they seemed to just come out very easily with him. As far styles go, I think we’re perfect for each other. The chemistry also turned out to be really good.
You’re big on improvising so in the song writing process, do many of the songs come from your improvisations?
Well what comes first is the musical content but I don’t have any system at all. It is really bizarre as I always have a Marshall and some guitars near me even if I’m watching television or whatever. So to answer your question, I just always play and from that I can come up with a great melody or something and if it clicks, I go with the ride. And from there it will take me further. And once I have that riff, or chorus or melody line, I’ll put it together and will then think about it very carefully as what the song should be about. And the lyrics, I put in a lot of work on them. They’re probably what I put the most time and effort into. If you listen to the lyrics, you’ll notice that they’re always very, very deep and very symbolic. They’re not obnoxious lyrics that say, ‘come baby, let’s fuck tonight’. I don’t get into those sorts of lyrics. To me, all those lyrics are really meaningless. I get a lot of my inspiration from books and stuff like that.
Do you utilize a lot of digital technology when it comes to the recording process?
I’m extremely old school. I still have two inch tape recorders and things like that. I record to digital hard disk recorders like Alesis and stuff like that. I do have Pro Tools, Sonar, Cubase, Logic… I have everything but I never seem to get into them. What’s most important to me is using real live Marshall stacks, big, loud and lots of them. They’re very loud stacks that I mike up. I also use tube compressors and tube EQ so that the signal is very organic. The live drums are recorded in an extremely large sound stage with real live microphones and there are no triggers and no quantizing, no nothing. If I put down a song with Patrick and later decide that I need 16 bars somewhere, then I’ll put that into Pro Tools and will make the 16 bars that way from say eight bars rather than record it all over again. So in that sense Pro Tools is very handy. And as far as any sort of computerized mending goes, I don’t do that at all. It is all real.
Let’s switch to talking about guitars, what did you use for this new album?
I used a ’71 Fender Strat, a ’68 Strat, a ‘51 P-Bass, an Ovation acoustic guitar, a 12-string and even a fretless bass for a couple things. The Strats are all over the place and I can’t remember exactly all of the ones I used. And of course, there is the Malmsteen signature model guitar too on there, which is a really good guitar.
A new Fender-Yngwie Malmsteen custom shop guitar is going to unveiled come November?
Yeah and it is a great honor. I was in the custom shop a few weeks ago and they already had 60 of the 100 they’re producing, already made. And John Cruz is the master builder, the guy hand making these guitars. It is absolutely mind bending. This is my guitar man and it is unbelievable how they’re doing it. It’s going to cost a pretty penny but they’re making a really fantastic guitar.
"I’m like Pablo Picasso or Leonardo Di Vinci and people like that."
And what about when it came to amps what did you prefer to use?
I used old Marshall Plexis, 100 watts and Marshall Mark IIs, 50 watts. They’re really old Marshalls that don’t have a master volume on them. They have just the four inputs and you have to turn them all the way up. And in the studio I have something like 18 amp heads but I will pick one that is really amazing to use. I have the 100 watts for the harder stuff while the 50 watts I use for the softer things as it’s smoother and warmer. Marshalls are great and there is nothing like them.
How many guitars do you take out on the road with you?
It depends on what country I’m going to. If I am going to Australia, I will take four Strats and one acoustic with me. But if I’m going on the road in America, I will take 20 guitars. I take so many due to the fact I’m always traveling, like I’m either on the bus or flying.
Do you do any writing while on the road?
Every night is different and I play solos differently but I always have a little Pro Tools setup on my Laptop so if I happen to have an idea I will put it down for sure. And I try and keep a constant flow of it.
Over the years you’ve earned quite a reputation for being very difficult to work with?
Since I write everything and I pay the salary, somebody is benefiting a lot from being with me. But I’m no bad guy. We do have a lot of fun. It’s not like some boot camp or something. I came to the conclusion many years ago, even before I came to America that I can’t really work in a band situation. I’m like Pablo Picasso or Leonardo Di Vinci and people like that where I’m a creator and so don’t feel satisfied if I don’t create it and have total control over it. I suppose that attitude is very unusual in rock and roll where it traditionally is one big party. When I joined Steeler, I did what I was told. I was a hired guy for Ron Keel and if he asked me to do a solo, I would go, ‘great, I’ll take a solo’. I didn’t ever say ‘I want to do a solo now!’ It was his band. So that is something that people must understand when it comes to my particular position. I am the person in control. And because of that, it also leaves me with a lot more work and a lot more responsibility and a lot more to do. But that is what I choose to do and what I find more rewarding.
Finally do you listen to any current music that is out there?
Sorry I don’t listen to any other music really. I’m more of a movie fan. I love movies but unfortunately I haven’t seen a good one in quite a long time. The best performance I’ve seen most recently was Heath Ledger’s in Batman. The movie itself didn’t hold up but he was fantastic in it. I prefer older movies, things like Hellraiser. But if I have a CD in the car it’s usually something like Queen or Bach…
Interview by Joe Matera
interview with slash
If Jimi Hendrix is recognized as the musician who put Fender on the map through his exquisite manipulation of a Stratocaster, then Slash has to be identified as the player who brought about the rebirth of the Gibson Les Paul. When his band of misfits, Guns N’ Roses, released Appetite For Destruction in July 1987, rock music was in the midst of the hair bands and most of those strummers were picking guitars with whammy bars. Slash changed all of that.
Since then, he went on to record several more records with GN’R before lead singer Axl Rose sort of imploded. He formed Velvet Revolver in 2004 and recorded a pair of albums, Contraband and Libertad, before that band also succumbed to the curse of LSD (Edward Van Halen’s designation for Lead Singer Disease).
Throughout both band’s recorded history, the man in the black hat played a Gibson Les Paul almost exclusively. Recently, he was recognized for his allegiance to the instrument when Gibson USA created the fourth Slash Model Les Paul, this time a Gold Top Standard.
Here, he talks a bit about the new instrument, an upcoming solo album, and about the unique world of six-strings as only Slash can see it.
UG: Can you talk about your upcoming solo album that you’ve been working on?
Slash: It’s not really much to say; I’m probably about 80 per cent done with demoes right now and probably going into the studio because it’s the holidays and all that stuff, I’ll probably start off the beginning of the year recording and doing vocals and all that kind of stuff. So that’s basically where that’s at.
So far, it’s going really great and I just have to hold the reins until it’s finished because it’s one of those kind of things where it always sounds best when it’s as simple as possible. And through the whole sort of recording process and working with engineers and this and that and the other and depending on what studio you’re working in, things are subject to change. So, it’s something I have to be very hands-on with throughout the whole process.
Though the recording is still in its early stages, this will be your first solo record as opposed to a solo band project? You want to bring in various singers with whom you’d like to work?
Yeah, that’s what I’m doing.
That could really be something truly revealing for you as a musician.
Yeah, it’s exciting; the whole prospect. And just even in the demo phase of just songwriting, it’s been really exciting and rewarding and all that kind of stuff. So, it’s been cool. And at the same time, a couple days a week we go down to Matt’s (Sorum, Velvet Revolver drummer) studio and do Velvet Revolver stuff and that’s very band-oriented. And then I come back and work on a new track for the solo record and it’s just basically myself and the guy who is engineering the recording (quiet laughter). Sitting there in the middle of the night, putting shit together, it’s been very, very cool.
As you are going through the writing process and putting the demos together, are you thinking, “This would be a great track for …”
We’re just now getting to that point where I’m starting to go, “OK, this song is,” as far as my ear is concerned, “perfect for so-and-so.” And that’s just starting to happen because when I originally started, it was just music. But now that I’ve actually completed a lot of material, I’m starting to see which people the songs are tailor-made for.
Can you talk about some of the singers and musicians, in a perfect world, with whom you’d like to work?
(Nervous laughter) No, I can’t; it would be a little presumptuous right now.
That is completely understandable. So, how is the approach different than writing for Velvet Revolver?
It’s a different process because with Velvet Revolver or even Snakepit or Guns N’ Roses or whatever, in a band situation you have this sort of collaborative effort. Where you bring in a couple ideas and everybody riffs around on that and it becomes something that is produced by the group and everybody has their mark on it and that’s the way it comes out. And that’s what makes band stuff so dynamic. For the solo stuff in this particular situation, where it’s just me by myself, the only judge is me, you know? If I can’t find a bridge, there’s no other guy to go and find a bridge so I have to come up with it. So, I’m trying to be a little bit more patient when I’m writing songs. I don’t like force a completed thing out in the span of a couple hours; sometimes I’ll leave it and come back to it in a couple of days and work on something else. It’s been working; it’s been moving at a good pace but it’s been relaxed enough so I’m not stressing out over it too much.
"I hear melodies in my head but I hate even singing under my breath."
You have always said that you are, first and foremost, a band guy; you love that camaraderie and the idea of other musicians in the room. Was this solo album merely a way to keep your sanity while Velvet Revolver found a new singer and other pieces fell into place?
I need different outlets every so often and I think having been working out sort of with the personalities within the confines of a group and the different dynamics and the different politics and all that kind of stuff for so long, sometimes you just need to come up for air. And just not have to listen to anybody for a minute. But I’ll always be a band guy and like I said, I’m still doing Velvet Revolver at the same time. Like I work in the afternoon and work with Matt and Duff (McKagen, bass) and Dave (Kirshner, guitar) and listen to singers and this and that and the other, and then that evening go in by myself and just start working on separate tracks for what I’m doing.
From what you’ve described of the solo record, it sounds like it could really be something truly different for you.
I have to say, without getting overly excited about it, but it does sound really, really cool.
Do you ever feel like a man without a country? For whatever reasons, the bands you’ve been part of tend to fall apart. Do you ever think about how some guys are able to find bands that just seem to go on? Aerosmith and the Stones and that type of thing?
It’s never been an issue with the band per se (lots of laughter). I mean, I’ve been playing with Duff for, you know, 25 years.
That is true.
But yeah, there are certain dynamics in the band that are a little more volatile than others. And, you know, I’ve tried to take some cues from some of the guys that I know that have been doing it with the same guys for a long time. But the individuals are different and one group’s sort of dysfunctionality is different than another group’s (more laughter), you know?
On your solo record, then, it’s you and your Les Paul just putting down song ideas at this point? Pro Tools and programmed drums?
Yeah, just for the demoes, it’s the simplest way to do it. Although when I go in to actually record, I’ll pretty much do it old-school style – live drums and recording to tape and all that. But I’ll probably still record to tape and go through Pro Tools ‘cause it’s great for editing and whatnot.
Are you playing bass parts and all the other instruments?
Sometimes; I’m pretty lazy when it comes to that. I have my bass and what you try not to do is, you know the term of “demo love?” Have you ever heard that? Try not to get so intricate with the demo; just try to keep with the basic ideas. So, sometimes I’ll feel like I really just want to complete the whole song and I’ll put bass on it. And other times, like last night, I’ll just leave the guitar bits. You want to play the song for somebody so it still has room for growth; you don’t want to make it so finished that nobody can come up with their own ideas.
See, that’s still group thinking, band thinking; band mentality.
Do you sing at all?
I hear melodies in my head but I hate even singing under my breath.
Even on your own solo record, you wouldn’t commit to one track?
You’d have to twist my arm! I did it once with Guns N’ Roses, I sang on a T. Rex song (“Buick Mackane”) when we did that, what was it called, The Spaghetti Incident? record. That was because Axl was adamant that I should sing that particular song. I hid myself away behind iso booths and that’s the way I did it. So, yeah, I don’t have any plans on singing on this one. Maybe an instrumental ..
The new guitar, the Gold Top that is coming out right now, actually that’s what I’ve been using for all these demos for a month-and-a-half. It’s just a great sounding guitar. I had one in the 90s when I was touring with Guns N’ Roses and I used it for all the big ballad songs: “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “November Rain” and “Estranged,” “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and a couple of other ones. ‘Cause it has this amazing sustain; if you turn the tone down on the rhythm pickup and you just have these really sweet, creamy notes that just last for days. That guitar was ripped off, I think it was like ’98, out of my studio; I got robbed and I lost a bunch of guitars and I got them all back. And the only one that I didn’t get back was the Gold Top.
So recently I asked Gibson to put one together for me exactly in the specs of the 1991. And that’s what they built me and they thought it would be cool to put it out as a signature model. And given how cool the guitar sounds, it would be very cool. And it’s got a custom pot in the rhythm position so when you switch the tone down and put on the rhythm pickup, it keeps the same exact volume and presence. It doesn’t change at all; it sounds really amazing. This is definitely an exciting guitar for me.
"I’ll always be a band guy and like I said, I’m still doing Velvet Revolver at the same time."
If you sat down in a room with 25 Les Paul-type guitars, and some of them were from your own collection, could you tell them apart? Could you tell the difference between a real ’59, for instance, and one of your Slash models? Are your ears that finely tuned?
Only if I was playing it.
That’s really interesting. So, if somebody else was strumming these guitars, you probably couldn’t tell?
Unless it was a really obvious characteristic and I’m talking about something a guitar with soapbars in it compared to one with humbuckers. The thing with guitars and amps to some extent, is it’s really the person playing ‘em that makes it sound a certain way. A good sounding guitar proves a good foundation for whatever it is that individual guitar player will do but it’s really about the actual player. So you can have the same guitar played by four or five different people and it will sound different.
You bring up an essential point: You’ve absolutely earned the right to have your own signature model guitar. But the truth is, someone buying this Slash Model Gold Top is not going to sound like you.
To an extent. When I was a kid working in guitar stores growing up, there was guys coming in and Eddie Van Halen was the flavor of the decade at that point. And they all played like him and they all learned licks off of any number of Van Halen records and all sort of gearing up for the same kind of guitar. But they sounded like somebody else playing Van Halen licks.
A question most guitarists find incredibly difficult to answer is, “Can you describe why you sound like you when you pick up a guitar?” In other words, what is it about your touch and your picking technique and your finger vibrato that makes you identifiable as Slash? Can you step outside of yourself at all in analyzing this?
What I was gonna say when I was talking about Van Halen was, you can take the same guitar and close to the same amp or the same amp and learn somebody else’s playing or technique or whatever it is, and actually realize that at least you’re starting off with the right gear (laughs). You can do that. If you’re trying to do the sound of somebody, it helps to have similar kind of gear and then basically it’s all about technique and stuff. But for me personally, I don’t know what it is that I do. I don’t know if I could stand back from it. I know there are certain things I do that are very identifiable to me – I hit hard or I attack hard; the vibrato thing is something I don’t know anything about. I’m very keen on intonation and stuff like that; it’s something I learned early on because I really hate bad intonation in lead guitars; it drives me insane. But I don’t know too many different combinations of things that I do that I could really stand back and go, “Well, you have to do this and this and this.” I’m way too insecure a guitar player to even go there!
You’ve also remained pretty much of a purist in your approach: It’s still basically you and a Marshall. You don’t mess around with dropped tunings or 7- and 8-string guitars; and there aren’t a lot of pedals in your rack.
A lot of it really comes from the stuff I was turned onto; the direction that I went which was inspired by countless rock guitar players before me. And that combined with whatever I might have personally that’s uniquely mine. And that’s pretty much it. And the Les Paul and Marshall thing was something that I just, I didn’t even know that when I first started. I felt comfortable with a Les Paul so that was a start; I went through a bunch of different amps and realized that the Marshall was basically what a lot of these guys I was listening to were using but I couldn’t afford it. And once I managed to get a good-sounding Marshall and I had a functional Les Paul, the rest of it was just trying to get better; which is really what I’m still doing. I’m just on this journey to get from point A to point B to point C as a player.And that’s what they built me and they thought it would be cool to put it out as a signature model. And given how cool the guitar sounds, it would be very cool. And it’s got a custom pot in the rhythm position so when you switch the tone down and put on the rhythm pickup, it keeps the same exact volume and presence. It doesn’t change at all; it sounds really amazing. This is definitely an exciting guitar for me.
"I’ll always be a band guy and like I said, I’m still doing Velvet Revolver at the same time."
If you sat down in a room with 25 Les Paul-type guitars, and some of them were from your own collection, could you tell them apart? Could you tell the difference between a real ’59, for instance, and one of your Slash models? Are your ears that finely tuned?
Only if I was playing it.
That’s really interesting. So, if somebody else was strumming these guitars, you probably couldn’t tell?
Unless it was a really obvious characteristic and I’m talking about something a guitar with soapbars in it compared to one with humbuckers. The thing with guitars and amps to some extent, is it’s
Interview by Steven Rosen
Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2008
Since then, he went on to record several more records with GN’R before lead singer Axl Rose sort of imploded. He formed Velvet Revolver in 2004 and recorded a pair of albums, Contraband and Libertad, before that band also succumbed to the curse of LSD (Edward Van Halen’s designation for Lead Singer Disease).
Throughout both band’s recorded history, the man in the black hat played a Gibson Les Paul almost exclusively. Recently, he was recognized for his allegiance to the instrument when Gibson USA created the fourth Slash Model Les Paul, this time a Gold Top Standard.
Here, he talks a bit about the new instrument, an upcoming solo album, and about the unique world of six-strings as only Slash can see it.
UG: Can you talk about your upcoming solo album that you’ve been working on?
Slash: It’s not really much to say; I’m probably about 80 per cent done with demoes right now and probably going into the studio because it’s the holidays and all that stuff, I’ll probably start off the beginning of the year recording and doing vocals and all that kind of stuff. So that’s basically where that’s at.
So far, it’s going really great and I just have to hold the reins until it’s finished because it’s one of those kind of things where it always sounds best when it’s as simple as possible. And through the whole sort of recording process and working with engineers and this and that and the other and depending on what studio you’re working in, things are subject to change. So, it’s something I have to be very hands-on with throughout the whole process.
Though the recording is still in its early stages, this will be your first solo record as opposed to a solo band project? You want to bring in various singers with whom you’d like to work?
Yeah, that’s what I’m doing.
That could really be something truly revealing for you as a musician.
Yeah, it’s exciting; the whole prospect. And just even in the demo phase of just songwriting, it’s been really exciting and rewarding and all that kind of stuff. So, it’s been cool. And at the same time, a couple days a week we go down to Matt’s (Sorum, Velvet Revolver drummer) studio and do Velvet Revolver stuff and that’s very band-oriented. And then I come back and work on a new track for the solo record and it’s just basically myself and the guy who is engineering the recording (quiet laughter). Sitting there in the middle of the night, putting shit together, it’s been very, very cool.
As you are going through the writing process and putting the demos together, are you thinking, “This would be a great track for …”
We’re just now getting to that point where I’m starting to go, “OK, this song is,” as far as my ear is concerned, “perfect for so-and-so.” And that’s just starting to happen because when I originally started, it was just music. But now that I’ve actually completed a lot of material, I’m starting to see which people the songs are tailor-made for.
Can you talk about some of the singers and musicians, in a perfect world, with whom you’d like to work?
(Nervous laughter) No, I can’t; it would be a little presumptuous right now.
That is completely understandable. So, how is the approach different than writing for Velvet Revolver?
It’s a different process because with Velvet Revolver or even Snakepit or Guns N’ Roses or whatever, in a band situation you have this sort of collaborative effort. Where you bring in a couple ideas and everybody riffs around on that and it becomes something that is produced by the group and everybody has their mark on it and that’s the way it comes out. And that’s what makes band stuff so dynamic. For the solo stuff in this particular situation, where it’s just me by myself, the only judge is me, you know? If I can’t find a bridge, there’s no other guy to go and find a bridge so I have to come up with it. So, I’m trying to be a little bit more patient when I’m writing songs. I don’t like force a completed thing out in the span of a couple hours; sometimes I’ll leave it and come back to it in a couple of days and work on something else. It’s been working; it’s been moving at a good pace but it’s been relaxed enough so I’m not stressing out over it too much.
"I hear melodies in my head but I hate even singing under my breath."
You have always said that you are, first and foremost, a band guy; you love that camaraderie and the idea of other musicians in the room. Was this solo album merely a way to keep your sanity while Velvet Revolver found a new singer and other pieces fell into place?
I need different outlets every so often and I think having been working out sort of with the personalities within the confines of a group and the different dynamics and the different politics and all that kind of stuff for so long, sometimes you just need to come up for air. And just not have to listen to anybody for a minute. But I’ll always be a band guy and like I said, I’m still doing Velvet Revolver at the same time. Like I work in the afternoon and work with Matt and Duff (McKagen, bass) and Dave (Kirshner, guitar) and listen to singers and this and that and the other, and then that evening go in by myself and just start working on separate tracks for what I’m doing.
From what you’ve described of the solo record, it sounds like it could really be something truly different for you.
I have to say, without getting overly excited about it, but it does sound really, really cool.
Do you ever feel like a man without a country? For whatever reasons, the bands you’ve been part of tend to fall apart. Do you ever think about how some guys are able to find bands that just seem to go on? Aerosmith and the Stones and that type of thing?
It’s never been an issue with the band per se (lots of laughter). I mean, I’ve been playing with Duff for, you know, 25 years.
That is true.
But yeah, there are certain dynamics in the band that are a little more volatile than others. And, you know, I’ve tried to take some cues from some of the guys that I know that have been doing it with the same guys for a long time. But the individuals are different and one group’s sort of dysfunctionality is different than another group’s (more laughter), you know?
On your solo record, then, it’s you and your Les Paul just putting down song ideas at this point? Pro Tools and programmed drums?
Yeah, just for the demoes, it’s the simplest way to do it. Although when I go in to actually record, I’ll pretty much do it old-school style – live drums and recording to tape and all that. But I’ll probably still record to tape and go through Pro Tools ‘cause it’s great for editing and whatnot.
Are you playing bass parts and all the other instruments?
Sometimes; I’m pretty lazy when it comes to that. I have my bass and what you try not to do is, you know the term of “demo love?” Have you ever heard that? Try not to get so intricate with the demo; just try to keep with the basic ideas. So, sometimes I’ll feel like I really just want to complete the whole song and I’ll put bass on it. And other times, like last night, I’ll just leave the guitar bits. You want to play the song for somebody so it still has room for growth; you don’t want to make it so finished that nobody can come up with their own ideas.
See, that’s still group thinking, band thinking; band mentality.
Do you sing at all?
I hear melodies in my head but I hate even singing under my breath.
Even on your own solo record, you wouldn’t commit to one track?
You’d have to twist my arm! I did it once with Guns N’ Roses, I sang on a T. Rex song (“Buick Mackane”) when we did that, what was it called, The Spaghetti Incident? record. That was because Axl was adamant that I should sing that particular song. I hid myself away behind iso booths and that’s the way I did it. So, yeah, I don’t have any plans on singing on this one. Maybe an instrumental ..
The new guitar, the Gold Top that is coming out right now, actually that’s what I’ve been using for all these demos for a month-and-a-half. It’s just a great sounding guitar. I had one in the 90s when I was touring with Guns N’ Roses and I used it for all the big ballad songs: “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “November Rain” and “Estranged,” “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and a couple of other ones. ‘Cause it has this amazing sustain; if you turn the tone down on the rhythm pickup and you just have these really sweet, creamy notes that just last for days. That guitar was ripped off, I think it was like ’98, out of my studio; I got robbed and I lost a bunch of guitars and I got them all back. And the only one that I didn’t get back was the Gold Top.
So recently I asked Gibson to put one together for me exactly in the specs of the 1991. And that’s what they built me and they thought it would be cool to put it out as a signature model. And given how cool the guitar sounds, it would be very cool. And it’s got a custom pot in the rhythm position so when you switch the tone down and put on the rhythm pickup, it keeps the same exact volume and presence. It doesn’t change at all; it sounds really amazing. This is definitely an exciting guitar for me.
"I’ll always be a band guy and like I said, I’m still doing Velvet Revolver at the same time."
If you sat down in a room with 25 Les Paul-type guitars, and some of them were from your own collection, could you tell them apart? Could you tell the difference between a real ’59, for instance, and one of your Slash models? Are your ears that finely tuned?
Only if I was playing it.
That’s really interesting. So, if somebody else was strumming these guitars, you probably couldn’t tell?
Unless it was a really obvious characteristic and I’m talking about something a guitar with soapbars in it compared to one with humbuckers. The thing with guitars and amps to some extent, is it’s really the person playing ‘em that makes it sound a certain way. A good sounding guitar proves a good foundation for whatever it is that individual guitar player will do but it’s really about the actual player. So you can have the same guitar played by four or five different people and it will sound different.
You bring up an essential point: You’ve absolutely earned the right to have your own signature model guitar. But the truth is, someone buying this Slash Model Gold Top is not going to sound like you.
To an extent. When I was a kid working in guitar stores growing up, there was guys coming in and Eddie Van Halen was the flavor of the decade at that point. And they all played like him and they all learned licks off of any number of Van Halen records and all sort of gearing up for the same kind of guitar. But they sounded like somebody else playing Van Halen licks.
A question most guitarists find incredibly difficult to answer is, “Can you describe why you sound like you when you pick up a guitar?” In other words, what is it about your touch and your picking technique and your finger vibrato that makes you identifiable as Slash? Can you step outside of yourself at all in analyzing this?
What I was gonna say when I was talking about Van Halen was, you can take the same guitar and close to the same amp or the same amp and learn somebody else’s playing or technique or whatever it is, and actually realize that at least you’re starting off with the right gear (laughs). You can do that. If you’re trying to do the sound of somebody, it helps to have similar kind of gear and then basically it’s all about technique and stuff. But for me personally, I don’t know what it is that I do. I don’t know if I could stand back from it. I know there are certain things I do that are very identifiable to me – I hit hard or I attack hard; the vibrato thing is something I don’t know anything about. I’m very keen on intonation and stuff like that; it’s something I learned early on because I really hate bad intonation in lead guitars; it drives me insane. But I don’t know too many different combinations of things that I do that I could really stand back and go, “Well, you have to do this and this and this.” I’m way too insecure a guitar player to even go there!
You’ve also remained pretty much of a purist in your approach: It’s still basically you and a Marshall. You don’t mess around with dropped tunings or 7- and 8-string guitars; and there aren’t a lot of pedals in your rack.
A lot of it really comes from the stuff I was turned onto; the direction that I went which was inspired by countless rock guitar players before me. And that combined with whatever I might have personally that’s uniquely mine. And that’s pretty much it. And the Les Paul and Marshall thing was something that I just, I didn’t even know that when I first started. I felt comfortable with a Les Paul so that was a start; I went through a bunch of different amps and realized that the Marshall was basically what a lot of these guys I was listening to were using but I couldn’t afford it. And once I managed to get a good-sounding Marshall and I had a functional Les Paul, the rest of it was just trying to get better; which is really what I’m still doing. I’m just on this journey to get from point A to point B to point C as a player.And that’s what they built me and they thought it would be cool to put it out as a signature model. And given how cool the guitar sounds, it would be very cool. And it’s got a custom pot in the rhythm position so when you switch the tone down and put on the rhythm pickup, it keeps the same exact volume and presence. It doesn’t change at all; it sounds really amazing. This is definitely an exciting guitar for me.
"I’ll always be a band guy and like I said, I’m still doing Velvet Revolver at the same time."
If you sat down in a room with 25 Les Paul-type guitars, and some of them were from your own collection, could you tell them apart? Could you tell the difference between a real ’59, for instance, and one of your Slash models? Are your ears that finely tuned?
Only if I was playing it.
That’s really interesting. So, if somebody else was strumming these guitars, you probably couldn’t tell?
Unless it was a really obvious characteristic and I’m talking about something a guitar with soapbars in it compared to one with humbuckers. The thing with guitars and amps to some extent, is it’s
Interview by Steven Rosen
Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
ROCK N ROLL
Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, with roots in mostly African American music genres, and quickly spread to the rest of the world.
Classic rock and roll is played with one or two electric guitars (one lead, one rhythm), a string bass or (after the mid-1950s) an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit. In the earliest rock and roll styles of the late 1940s and early 1950s, either the piano or saxophone was often the lead instrument, but these were generally replaced or supplemented by guitar in the middle to late 1950s. The beat is essentially a boogie woogie blues rhythm with an accentuated backbeat, the latter almost always provided by a snare drum.
The massive popularity and eventual worldwide view of rock and roll gave it an unique social impact. Far beyond simply a musical style, rock and roll, as seen in movies and in the new medium of television, influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. It went on to spawn various sub-genres, often without the characteristic backbeat, that are more properly called simply "rock music".
Classic rock and roll is played with one or two electric guitars (one lead, one rhythm), a string bass or (after the mid-1950s) an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit. In the earliest rock and roll styles of the late 1940s and early 1950s, either the piano or saxophone was often the lead instrument, but these were generally replaced or supplemented by guitar in the middle to late 1950s. The beat is essentially a boogie woogie blues rhythm with an accentuated backbeat, the latter almost always provided by a snare drum.
The massive popularity and eventual worldwide view of rock and roll gave it an unique social impact. Far beyond simply a musical style, rock and roll, as seen in movies and in the new medium of television, influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. It went on to spawn various sub-genres, often without the characteristic backbeat, that are more properly called simply "rock music".
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