interview

INTERVIEW WITH GARY SCHUTT
By JEE JACQUET – ROCK HARD MAGAZINE (FRANCE)

INTERVIEW– Part.1

1. You started playing drums at an early age but when did you start the guitar, bass, keyboards ? What was your motivation ?
two things inspired me to play guitar. when i was real young playing drums i used to jam with a guitar player friend of mine, I think his name was Steve Cohen. So long ago i don't remember. i remember him bringing a distortion pedal to jam once and i heard it for the first time and exclaimed something like "that's how they get that sound, wow!" and the other thing that triggered my guitar infatuation was hearing the intro to Van Halen "Mean Street" on the radio at my Grandma's house. i had no idea how he was playing that, so when i heard it i said to myself, "wow! i want to know how he does that!" and it wans't until my first year at Berklee that i saw a guy actually play it.
i think i started guitar lessons when i was about 8 or 9. i took lessons before when i was about 6, but that was before the distortion incident, so i completely lost interest. my first teacher was teaching me how to read songs like "Three Blind Mice" and "Do Re Mi". Boring. My second teacher was showing me songs like "Walk This Way", "Jane" and "Taking Care Of Business". about a year into lessons with him, my ear developed so fast that i was hearing things that he figured out wrong, so i quit and was teaching myself by ear for a long time.
when i was growing up we had a piano in the house. every night i would go downstairs and experiment on it. once i got the knack for guitar, i figured bass was the same thing only the bottom four string down an octave and only single notes, no chords. this was my common sence theory of playing bass at age 12 or so. i tested my theory when i borrowed my schools Fender Jazz bass and found out i was right. i learned the bass lines to most of Rush "Moving Pictures" that week.
2. Did you want to try everything in order to see which instrument would be the best for you or was it just the desire to play all instruments for the love of music ?
what ever happend to be around i tried. my father, who was a music teacher at my junior high, had a drum set in the house. that's how i started on drums. but he also had a xylophone and a tenor sax. so i would experiment on those too. i never followed through with the sax, although i wish i did. i'm sure if there was a harp around i would have learned that too! i was a musical sponge! in the high school band i was the lead snare drummer but i also played tympani, bass drum, xylophone and all the other little percussion stuff.
3. What's the most interesting instrument for you to play ? Guitar ?
i had a passion for both guitar and drums. one day i'd come home from school, run down stairs to my kit, put on Rush "Exit Stage Left" and pretend i was Neil Peart for two hours. the next day i'd go to my room and play along to Ozzy "Speak Of The Devil" and pretend i was Brad Gillis for two hours.
4. Which guitar players did you admire and inspired you at the time ?
at the time it was George Lynch, Brad Gillis, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, Randy Rhodes and Pat Travers.
5. What have been your first musical experiences ?
um... singing in the chorus in 6th grade and passing out on stage (HA!). Playing a Go-Go's song in a band at my friends birthday party. My first time playing outside to a crowd with a band called Distorted Personality, We had a cheezy song we wrote called Mr. Jaws. oh yeah, HA! that same band tried out for a High School talent show doing Ozzy's "Mr Crowley" and i broke a string right at the beginning of the guitar solo. we didn't get in.
6. Some comments about In The Pink, please ?
Wow, you've done your homework Jee! In The Pink was my first professional original band. I lived across the hall from thier original singer, Ira, at Berklee. something happed to thier bass player or he quit or something so i offered to fill in until they got a bass player. That position lasted for about a year or so. We opened up for Extreme before they got signed. I have pictures of that show!! Later as band members changed i was still a big fan. I still keep in touch with the keyboard player.
7. When did you decide to become a professional musician ? Is it what you always wanted to be ?
i didnt really have to decide. it's what i always did so the decision was kinda already there. i regret nothing!
8. When did you start to write your own songs ?
my first completed song i wrote was in 1985. it was a cheezy pop rock tune called "Angie", and about no one in particular, the name just happen fit rythmically. i still have my old four track demo of it and and, oh man are the vocals awful!!
9. How many songs and what kind of music did you record on the demos you were selling ?
those tapes had about 10 songs on them, each. the first one was all instrumental, kinda Steve Vai, Satriani-ish with my own little style.   the other tapes were like pop metal, chunky riffs, good melodies, big catchy vocal choruses, shredding guitar solos... stuff like that. some of those songs later appeared on various GS albums.
10. Did you send your demos to record companies ? If yes, any positive answer ?
i didnt know how to send my material to record labels then, i mean - yeah, in the mail - but where and to who. it seemed so out of reach, i didnt know how to go about finding that information out. until years later when i realized most albums have the record companies address printed on it! that, and i got a copy of the musicians guide to record promotion or something like that. it's an annual release of record label addess', contact phone numbers and people. now, thanks to the internet you can look up anything and get more info with an e-mail request. i saved every record label rejection i ever got. even a letter from Sharron Osbourne back in 1994-ish when Ozzy whas looking for a bass player.
11. In august 1992, you join Slam, one of JSS several projects. Did you know Jeff before ? How did you meet him ?
i had moved back home to NY after 2 uneventful years in Boston after graduating Berklee. i suddenly get a call from Jeff's drummer, Mark. He knew one of my teachers at Berklee, Jon Finn.   Slam was looking for a second lead guitar player. Mark called Jon and Jon recommended me. I talked to Jeff on the phone a few times, we swaped tapes, i loved they're stuff, they saw that i was capable and i made arrangement to move to L.A.
12. George Bernhardt was playing guitar in this band. What was your part ? guitar or bass player ?
i was the "other" guitar player (HAHAHA!). i was second lead guitar. George was the prominent one, and rightfully so.
13. Slam has worked on several demos on a 3 year period. Did you stay with the band during all of this time ? Did you write songs with them ?
i collaborated with Jeff on one song that didn't turn into anything. i think later he used those lyrics for another song. i contributed 2 of my songs to the band, "Dirty Mind" and "Mental Ward".   i was with them until about the last 8 months of the band, i was let go due to musical differences i guess. there was no hard feelings, i was still writing songs for me.
14. Meanwhile, you jammed with Gregg & Matt Bissonette too. How did it happen ? Give me some details about that please.
i dont remember exactly, i thing George knew Matt and that Matt and Gregg were forming a new band and that they were looking for a guitar player and George recommended me. I spoke with Matt, got a copy of thier tape and loved thier songs. it was another instance, as with Slam, that i loved the music, knew i could play it perfectly but couldnt write that kinda style. The jam with Gregg and Matt was en experience i'll never forget. they were two of the nicest guys i've ever met and two of the greatest musicians i've ever jammed with. at that time i was heavily into bands like Dream Theater, and that's the kind of music i was writing. i stupidly turned them down because i wanted to be in a progressinve band. whan an idiot i am!!!
15. You joined Takara for their 1st album "Eternal Faith" (1992). Was it your 1st professional experience?
i think that was it. that was the first time i got paid to play for something.
16. Why did you quit after this 1st album ?
it was geographically impossible! i moved to Florida after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
17. Then, we have "Sentimetal" with Jeff on vocals. Is it a collection of songs written in the past or new material ?
it was a collection of both. like i said earlier some of my old "tape" songs later showed up on CD's. "She's Letting Go" , "I Guess I'm Still In Love", "In Some Other Lifetime", "The Imperial March" and "No Man's Land" were on Sentimetal. "Faultline" was the newest one for that record, obviously written about my experience in the earthquake.
18. How did you get this contract with Zero Corp. and Long Island Records ?
That's Jeff's fault, HA! He was working with Zero at the time and told them about me and played them some of my stuff. Long Island came in later for European distribution.
19. You did an amazing cover of Star Wars' Imperial March. Why that particular theme ? I guess it took some time to retranscribe the score ?
i was, and still am a huge Star Wars fan. Especially John Williams. He's a genius! "The Imperial March" was a theme that alot of people are familiar with, it's dark, catchy, and i transcribed it one day out of boredom. The original demo was mostly keyboards.
20. On tour, the JSS Band play "Stranded". Why this song and not some other ?
that was Jeff's call. i was surprised he did any of my songs at all. i guess that was the only single in Europe when the album was out.
21. This album is hard rock oriented but the songwriting and your guitar playing are more complex on songs like "In some other life", "No man's land", "Faultline" which are, musically, very interesting. Was it like a quest for something different ? A way to show that you can go further than just doing typical hard rock ? A matter of influences ?
yeah, i guess on my debut i wanted to really show off a bit. i wanted to show the Jeff and Takara fans that I'm much more than a bass player for 5 chord pop songs. Also like i said, I was a huge Dream theater fan around that time so they influenced my writting alot too. But at the same time i wanted the emphasis of the record to be on the writting. i wanted good, impressive chops within well written songs.
22. How experienced were you as producer at the time ?
Sentimetal was my first professional, and colaborative experience. everything i'd done since was on a four track. this album was eight track!!! oooohhh, big leap!! HA! But i knew how to get good sounds and i know what i wanted the album to sound like and how to get it.
23. You have written the songs, you play everything, you produce too. Are you doing everything by yourself because you know you can do it the way you want it or is it because you just can't find the right musicians to play with you ?
Yes! the answer to both questions is yes! Over the years i've had the pleasure to play with some great talent, but not all in one band at the same time. Doing it by myself i get the results i want and in less time for less money.
24. A distribution in Japan, in Europe, good responses…Don't you think it was the right time to form a real band and tour ?
Yep, and that's what i wanted to do. But I couldn't find the talent at that time to pull it off.
25. 10 years after the release of "Sentimetal", what's your opinion about the album ?
I haven't listened to it in 10 years. HA! I'm kidding. I'm still very proud to have written those songs. Jeff did a awsome job. I think now I would have done things a little different as far as production, but still think it's a very strong album. I love the opening out-of-tune horns and the un-enthusiastic "Horay" kicking right into "Warpaint".
26. You joined the West Palm Beach cover band Signal Zero in 1994 too. What kind of covers did you play ? How long did you stay with the band ?
That was a lot of fun and a great learning experience. We did bands like Wild Cherry, Spin Doctors, Stone Temple Pilots, Boston, Metallica, Green Day, Toadies, Alice In Chains, Offspring, Queen, Ozzy, Van Halen, Rage Against The Machine, Soundgarden, Gin Blossoms, Foo Fighters, Eddie Money, Deep Purple, White Zombie, Nirvana, Pearl Jam... I had to pull out the old tapes to remember!! I was with them from 1994 through 1996.
27. Why are you doing this kind of stuff ? A pleasure ? A way to earn money ? Both ? For fun too ?
I love to play music, i love to play in front of people, i love to get paid for it. playing in a cover band is much better for me than working a real day job. working in retail was a great growing experieince but i hope i never do it again. i want to play music, if it's mine or someone else's songs, till the day i die!!!!

Part.2

1. On Jeff "Love Parade" album you play some guitar & bass. Why didn't you play on ALL the songs ?
Cool guitars on that funky version of "Dragon Attack" ! Any particular thing to tell about that ?
Thank you. That album was Jeff's first solo album and i guess he wanted to show off a little bit by showing the world he was more than a singer, he could actually play some instruments. I was fine with just playing a few parts. if i remember correctly "Dragon Attack", like most of the others, was recorded at some silly hour in the middle of the night. we were always up very late. other than that i dont remember much.
2. What is your opinion about the album ?
Definately very different than what the fans expect of him. i liked alot of it. it's very diverse, which Jeff is a very diverse talent and that record deffinately shows that.
3. Dante Catt "Curiosity Kills" (US 1996). Never heard about that record. What was your part in it ?
I played guitar on most of the album. Dante was the bass player/singer for Signal Zero, which was the first cover band i got into when i moved to Florida. He had a bunch of tunes for a while that he never recorded that he wanted to do something with. So I think he maxed out a credit card to record it at a really nice recording studio in Ft. Lauderdale with the core of the band being Signal Zero.
4. Seminole Music & Sound "Tampa Bay Unsigned II". Does it feature a song from "Sentimetal" or another one ?
no, that has an early version of "Panic Fire" on it.
5. Did that lead to something ? A contract or whatever ?
nope
6. Cover bands : After Signal Zero, The Orphans, Disco Inferno in 97, M-80's in 98. Then you started your own rock cover band and now, it's Hunks Of Funk. (Tell me if I forget something !) You told me why you were doing this kind of stuff in the part.1 of the interview but I'd like to know more !
Signal Zero broke up because we were burnt on each other and gigs started to get thin, and Nat (drummer) had gotten a day job. The Orphans was Zero's old keyboard players new band. He heard Zero had split and immediately offered me the position in the Orphans, so i took it. the Orphans was a big growing step for me musically, we were doing more classic rock, r&b and funk/dance stuff. At this time Jeff got into the Boogie Knights in California and was bragging to me what they were making a night so i expressed an interest if they had an opening that i would like to try out for it. about a year later, Jeff calls me and says that they have a subsidiary disco band in Tampa that thier guitar player was being moved to the Chicago disco band. i was living in Miami then, so i tried out and got the gig, moved to Tampa. Disco Inferno and the M-80's are the same band, just different characters and genre. sometime during this i wanted to do a 80's hair metal band version of what Inferno was doing, so I formed METAL HEDZ, with the drummer of Inferno (Alex Papa) and the bass player and guitar player (who sang) of Inferno's rival disco band The Hunks Of Funk. I had happened to be friends with those guys. We did 2 shows and i disbanded the idea. The guys in the Hunks worked alot and had kids and the bass player owned a day business so they didn't a lot of time, and for what i wanted to do with that project they couldnt comit enough time for rehearsals.
so this past year celebrated Disco Inferno's 8th year in Tampa. and me and Alex were very burnt out on the disco band. We lost our Saturday night of 7 years, gigs were thin, Alex annouced he was moving back to L.A. and I was ready for a change. At this same time the Hunks Of Funk fired thier singer, and Chris, the guitar player that sang for Metal Hedz, called me to ask if i would play guitar while he sang until they figured out what they were gonna do about a new lead singer. within the week of playing with them, i picked up all thier tunes on the fly and even thier dance moves and found some vocal harmonies. so they offered me the gig. i took some time to think about it and i accepted.
The Hunks Of Funk isnt limited to only disco tunes or a background tracks, like Inferno. My playing breathes much more, they give me freedom. Me and the keyboard player extend solos, we do some current rock tunes, even some hip-hop. It's a much more versitile outfit.
Do you play every weekend or just once in a while ?
The Hunks schedule right now is every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Schudules are posted at www.hunksoffunk.com.
7. Do you work on these songs on your side (at home) or do you meet meet all together to rehearse ?
we havent had a full rehearsal yet. i picked up on thier versions of the songs so fast there was no need for rehearsal. and anything else new that we've picked up was on the fly. someone would yell a song from the crowd and if at least 2 guys in the band know it we fake our way through it. and if there's no train-wreck, we keep it, and it get's better every time we play it.
8. How long does it take for you to learn a song ?
it depends on the songs. if im familiar with it by listening to it i can play through it in one shot. if its a complicated tune like a Dream Theater song or something, i'll need much more time to go note-by-note through some sections. i remember once driving to a Signal Zero rehearsal and i learned Guns N Roses' "Mr Brownstone" in my head in the car.
9. What's the reason of this "special" (let's say unusual) version of Motley Crue "Live Wire" for the "Kickstart My Heart" tribute ?
I was very honored to be a part of that. I wanted to do something different than just cover the song like every band does on a tribute, do i decided to do a mimi-medley.
10. How did you get involved in that Tribute and did you get some good response about your version of "Live Wire" ?
I was talking to Pulse Records at the time about releasing my Playthngs CD and he told me that they were working on a Motley tribute, so i politely asked if i could be a part of it. My "Live Wire" is one of the top 2 voted favorites track from that album.
11. And now the pretty good "Playthings" on which we can hear your voice for the 1st time ! Too hard to find a singer or a huge desire to sing your own songs ?
both. (HA!) since i'm very picky about singers i sing on all my demos and i'm very used to hearing my voice on the songs. Jeff wasn't around to sing on it and I couldn't afford him so i took my time and tryed my best to sing really well on it and hope that people would accept me as a singer.
12. I'd say that we can feel a kind of Van Halen influence on some songs ("In The Middle", "Don't Come Crying To Me") and a more complex musical approach on some others ("Act Of Sympathy", "Traumatized" and the funny "Playthings") This is one of the things I love about your music, the non-conventional aspect of some of the songs. Any comments about these particular tracks ?
i was very proud of that album and really wish a bigger record label would have picked it up and done some more with it. i love the whole sound and feel of it.
13. How long did it take to put all the material together ? A mix of old and new songs ? What are your favorites ?
yes, once again a mix of old and new. Sentimetal took about 2 weeks to do because i only worked weekends with Signal Zero, but Playthings would have taken about the same (because i work that fast if i have the time) but that was when I was living in Miami. I had a full time day job at a music store, weekends with The Orphans and a live in girlfriend, who, of course, when we're both not working she wants time with me. So the Playthings record took about 9 or 10 months until i was happy with it.
i dont think there is one song that i dont like less than the others, honestly.
14. Good feedback from the press but no distribution in Europe and Japan this time. Why ?
i had no contacts in Japan because Zero Corp was gone years before. Escape Music offered me a deal but i turned it down for reasons unfair to me.
I guess it was frustrating for you ? No manager to deal with your career ?
the whole music business is very frustrating, especially when you have no connections and you have to build from nothing. You could be the most amazing talent in the world and not go anywhere because of that.
15. You work on the "Playthings" DVD which will feature some interesting stuff like 2 live videos from the final Gasoline Alley show with Jeff Scott Soto on vocals + tons of extras and hidden videos. That's pretty cool ! Where does this unreleased material come from ? Stuff you filmed yourself ?
yes, stuff acumulated since the making of the VHS. and i want to do it right. all the CD's i sell on my website are CD-R' s burned by me. DVD-R's aren't fully compatible in most DVD players yet so i dont want a lot of complaints from people saying they cant play it. when i get the funds to replicate a 1,000 or so then i'll release it. or what ever record company comes my way in the near future.
16. What's the reason of making a "Playthings" DVD now ?
because i can, also to experiment on some DVD creativeness. every DVD i do i try to experiment with some new way of doing it. ya know, transition movies, hidden tracks, multi angle videos, ect.
17. You started to produce DVDs in 2000. What made you become a DVD/video clip producer ? Did you learn by yourself ?
i'm pretty much self taught. around 1998, Apple came out with a fairly inexpensive video editing program. ever since i was a kid growing up, playing all the instruments on my 4-track I always dreamt how cool it would be someday to play everything on a video. this was the time for me to experiment with that. and i'm always learning tricks and getting better at it. and i can make money on the side doing it for other people, i.e. Jeff & Ken Tamplin.
18. How long does it take to make a DVD, a video clip ? A matter of inspiration maybe ?
it depends. for example both if Ken Tamplin's video were shot in one day. "Falling Houses" was edited and finished in 3 days, "Story Of Love" took 2 weeks to edit. My video for "Donut" which was the second i had ever done, took about 5 months because i was learning and experimenting and every shot was blue screen.
i can throw a quick DVD together in about a day or two. Jeff's Gods one took about a month and the Queen one was a rush job and took about a week and a half, i think. ya know, depending on how many problems my computers give me too!!
19. Do you have a total freedom when you work on a DVD or video clip for other artists and bands or do you have to follow their instructions ?
i like to do whatever i feel is best. then i present it to them for critisism. sometimes they're happy with it, sometimes i have to change something.
20. Is there a DVD or/and video clip you made that you're especially proud of ?
Jeff's "Eyes Of Love" and Ken's "Story Of Love" are my two favorites.
21. Except the "Playthings" and Talisman DVDs, are you working on something else ? (I'm talking about DVDs + video clips only)
not at the moment. I'm concentrating on the Talisman one now, and if another job comes along, i'll have to see....
22. Is there anything you can tell me about the Talisman DVD ?
it's gonna have a lot of stuff on it. that's all your getting for now.
Extra bonus question : What was this project with Mike Luciano and Chaz ? When was it ?
That was the Gary Schutt Project, my solo band. we played around town once in a while for about 2 year up until the last show which Jeff guest sang on, i think January 2001?

Part.3

1. With "Excruciating Pleasures" you really released yourself ! Your best work so far. It's hard to believe you can show so much aggressiveness 'cause you look so nice and kind !!! Please, tell me the story of this album. Songwriting, lyrics, inspiration, recording.
Oh, you don't want to know! (HAHA!) The bulk of the songs were written during a time where I went through a very, very dark and confusing time after a break up of a relationship that lasted for about three years. To sum it up, she was the best and worst girlfriend i ever had, and the bad out-weighed the good, so for my own sanity reasons i ended it knowing that i loved her but that in the long run it was the best thing for me. So, in helping to deal with the leftover emotions I find that writing about it is the best form of therapy for me.
2. If you have the courage to comment each song …..If not, don't do it.
oh, this could take a while. First off - Psycho Bitch, Crave, Night Terror, Therapy, Self Destruction, I'm In Love With The Girl That I Hate, Panic Fire and Lost Soul Mate are about the girlfriend mentioned in question 1. Lost Soul Mate was the last song to be written for this album.   Drama Queen is loosely based on a short relationship with a girl I had a few years ago. Someone New I wrote around 1994, not that I had someone new but that I knew I could do better than the trouble maker I was dating then. Mental Ward is the oldest song of the bunch. I wrote that back in 1992 and ended up being a song in a rock opera I wrote back then. But in compiling this album I though it would be the perfect song to bring in to fit with the rest of the songs. Wish You Dead was written for a girl i dated back in 1996.
3. On this album, your guitar playing is absolutely brilliant. More than ever. (bionic fingers ? Lol !) We have the feeling that your sources of inspiration and influences have changed since "Playthings". Right or wrong ?
I think my songwriting influences have grown up a bit. If you notice not all the songs on this record have solos, or if they do it might not be totally shred. On Playthings, every song had a near-shred solo. Alot of that album was older songs that I wrote in a time where guitar solos were in every song. Now they're not, so I write the best song I think possible. If it doesn't need a solo then the song doesn't get a solo. My writing influences in the past years have been bands like Lit, Foo Fighters and Matchbox 20. Recently I love Freak Kitchen so I think my next record might be alittle bit more proggressive. Maybe...
4. Again, no distribution deal. You just didn't find the right label or what ? Such a huge potential.
I haven't started to search for one yet. People like you that I meet, yes I tell them about the record and that I would like a label deal for it, but since it was concieved to shop as a "band" then i want to wait unlit the band line-up is complete. We're still looking for a drummer and possible another guitarist so I can concentrate on singing better, and not have to play guitar at the same time.
5. At last, you've formed your own band. No drummer at the moment, ok but what are your expectations with this band ?
WORLD DOMINATION!!!! Or something like that. Just to make my place in the rock n roll history books.
6. You know Chaz for a long time but how did you meet Tom McDyne ?
Tom used to come see the Gary Schutt solo band play, and we'd chat a bit afterwards about guitar players and stuff. I just figured he'd be someone I see around. I had no idea he was any good. So when the decision came for me to form this new band, and get another guitar player, my friend who worked at a local music store recommended Tom and gave me his number. I kinda put it off. Talent around here is pretty scarce so I assumed he was wasn't up to standards.   So I eventually called him and hooked up a jam date. When we jammed for the first time is was surreal, not only was he a great player, but he was a fan of my music and we had a lot of bands in common, bands that your average rocker wouldn't know, like King Diamond, Saigon Kick, Stryper, TNT. He started playing the riff for Stryper's "Soldiers Under Command" and I immediately started playing the harmony line and we both freaked out. So I new he was the guy for the job.
7. On your website, we can download humourous versions of some famous rock songs. Those ones are included on the "Spoofs Of Wrath" album which is not even mentioned in your discography. Why did you record these foolish songs ? Sometimes, I wonder if you're really sane !
Oh I'm sane but only on every other Thursday (LOL!!) I would go where my musical creativity took me. If i came up with a cool riff for an original tune then I wrote around that. If I started to sing silly lyrics to a popular song, then i would do that. I did the spoofs out of boredome and because I knew my friends would get a kick out of them. Ask Jeff about the time he played "Eating My BLT" for Marcel!!!!
8. Is it you playing all instruments ?
yes, i think one song there is a guest speaking voice.
9. And why is it not available, even on your site ?
becuase those songs were done on a whim with not the greatest productions. Sometime the vocals would be off key or a guitar solo would be a little sloppy, i didnt really care. I wanted to get the idea down on tape and didnt give it any mind about potentially releasing it.
10. During your career, you have also performed with Joe Satriani, Robin Zander (Cheap Trick), Joe Travers (Duran Duran, Dweezil Zappa), Brian Tichy (Ozzy Osbourne), Paul Huesman (Michael Sweet) and some others. How did it happen ?
i think you worded this question wrong, i never even met Joe Satriani. I played with Gregg and Matt Bissonette who played with Joe Satriani. Did i explain that in a previous question?
Joe Travers is a fantastic drummer friend of mine from the Berklee days, so is Brian Tichy, Paul Huesman was the singer for my band Palisade at Berklee. I did an acoustic jam with Robin Zander in front of a class of 6th graders because his son was in the class and I was dating the teachers daughter, so she hooked it up. He was really cool!
11. Is there a particular musician you'd like to jam with ?
i would love to jam with Mike Portnoy, i think he'd be perfect for SHUT.
12. Did you ever recorded music for video games ? Is it something you'd like to do ?
I actually tried to get into doing that once, but nobody was hiring. I'd love to...
13. What about the "Loss 4 Words Vol. 1" cd + Dvd you are (were) supposed to release ?
I want to get a new recording system before i do that record. I'm still doing most everything analog now and I know my machine is getting old and little unreliable at certain things. Hopefully next year.
14. There's several guitar players who have been involved in the JSS "Prism" album. You did guitar solos but on which tracks ?
I did the middle solo on "Eyes Of Love" and all the solos on "How Long".
15. Gods festival 2002. 1st live show with the band ? A good souvenir ? Any particular thing to mention about the festival ?
I had the time of my life! We had a crunch rehearsal for three days then flew out and did the show. Yes it was out first live show. I met Howie for the first time on the first day of rehearsal.
And congratulations for the live DVD which is not bad at all !
Thank you very much!
16. Playing Queen stuff means learning their songs by heart. Easy job or hell ?
The Queen show is much harder than the JSS show. The bass lines are more intricate. Playing the JSS show I move around the stage alot more because the songs flow for me, i dont have to put much thought into it. Alot of the Queen songs, like "Killer Queen", "My Best Friend" and "Spread Your Wings" i almost stop moving on stage because i have to think. It's hard to explain but I would have an easier time playing a Dream Theater song (if I had those kind of chops).
17. Queen convention, several Tribute live shows. Lots of work ? Great time ? What means Queen for you ?
Jeff re-opened my eyes to some brilliant music. Before the Queen Convention I only knew of thier hits, I never heard a lot of the songs we did before I had to learn them. The only Queen CD's i have are A Night At The Opera and the soundtrack for Flash Gordon.
18. On tour, you are the bass player of the JSS band. Why not the guitar player ?
Because Howie would beat me up and steal my lunch money!! (HA!!) Howie is a little more suited for playing the variety of Jeff music. He's much better at the Yngwie stuff then me. I'm more of a Satriani/Vai player, he's the Yngwie/Paul Gilbert player. And that's fine, I loved playing bass on this tour.
19. Isn't it strange for you to see Howie playing your solos ?
I think it's cool.
20. Does it feel good to take guitar for a couple of songs ?! Was it an agreement with Howie ?
It's what Jeff wanted. I didn't want to do it because of the extra guitar to travel with. Not to mention re-stringing and bring more cables and another amp modeller.
21. What souvenirs do you keep from this european tour ?
A lot of photos!!!
22. You have now, something like 10 year of career. Are you rather satisfied with what you have achieved so far ?
Oh Yes!
23. Still lots of things you'd like doing or nothing at all ?
There's a lot of things planned, i hoped to do some of them this past year but didnt get around to. There's always something for me to do. I'm always 3 project behind.
24. What are you listening at the moment ?
Right now, silence, but when drive I have my MP3 player on The Darkness, the new Dream Theater, Freak Kitchen "Move".
25. Is there any guitar player who has impressed you recently ? Or a band ?
I saw Disturbed this past year and thought they kicked ass, also Green Day totally stole the show from Blink 182. I was also immensely impressed when i heard Mattias Eklundh for the first time on the Ken Tamplin CD.
26. What is the highest goal you'd like to reach as a musician and personnaly ?
an MTV moon man, American Music Award, Grammy and/or an Oscar!!! why not. Aim high, expect low!!!
27. Your next plans for the future ?
To get a deal for SHUT and get the band on the road.
28. Anything you'd like to add ?
yes, please no more questions!!!! My head will explode!!!