TWISTED SISTER’S JAY JAY FRENCH ON THE BAND LOSING THEIR STAGE MAKEUP “I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE A CLUSTERF-K “

Ruben Mosqueda of Sleaze Roxx spoke with Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French. Highlights from the interview appear below.

Sleaze Roxx: Twisted Sister is coming to an end. You have a new DVD coming out on July 22nd, titled Metal Meltdown. It’s beautifully shot, if I can say that. I know there were other bands that performed in Las Vegas that same night.

Jay Jay French: Yeah, we were approached by a producer that wanted to know if we wanted to shoot a state of the art concert. We actually thought that last year was going to be our last year. Dee [Snider] and I were having a conversation about this DVD being a good way to go out. This was before A.J. [Pero] passed away. I have to add that the title of the DVD in the initial press kit was incorrect. It will be titled Twisted Sister: Live in Vegas — In Memory of A.J. Pero. So we agreed to do that DVD and then A.J. died and we were faced with a number of choices. The first was not to go on at all. The second was to use this performance as some sort of closure. We elected to push forward with the recording of the DVD.

There’s a lot of stuff out this year on Twisted Sister. We have the number one documentary on Netflix right with We Are Twisted F–king Sister. We have live stuff from the club days and up next is this beautifully shot DVD, which will be issued by Loud & Proud [Records]. We’ll likely have something else on shelves at the end of this year since this is our last year.

Sleaze Roxx: Jay Jay, you’re in “street clothes” on the new DVD and you’ve been performing like that for a bit. What inspired you to drop the costumes and make-up?

Jay Jay French: We’ve been performing without costumes and make-up for about eight years now. The story behind that is a comical actually. We had no intention to do that. We were on a huge festival in Europe. We were actually on a festival with KISS. We were looking forward to going “mano a mano” with KISS. They’re a New York band and we’re a New York band but we’ve never crossed paths. We were really looking forward to it.

Dee was flying in and his flight was running very late. He arrived in Amsterdam about an hour before show time and there was no way to get him to the venue. We were on the other side of Holland. We were sitting around in our t-shirts and jeans and we figured the show isn’t going to happen. It was a crazy bill. I recall it was REO Speedwagon, KISS, Motorhead, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Twisted Sister and Journey all on one bill.

So we’re sitting around figuring we’re not doing the show. We’re supposed to be on stage in 15 minutes and the promoter comes in and says “We’d better be on stage in 15 minutes.” I hadn’t been spoken to like that since the club days when I was dealing with a mob club owner. Just then, Dee shows up. Our tour manager rented a helicopter to get Dee to the show. The only problem was that the helicopter wasn’t big enough to fit Dee, the pilot and Dee’s suitcase. So Dee is in t-shirt and jeans, so we all went on stage in t-shirts and jeans [laughs] The next day the local newspaper is quoted as saying that Twisted Sister delivered a “near religious experience.” So, it was at that moment that we stopped wearing make-up and costumes. I was waiting for the influx of emails to roll in. I thought it was going to be a clusterf-k and a year later, I received an email saying “I thought you guys wore make-up?” One. One email, that was it.

Sleaze Roxx: I have to ask as a fan. When you were wearing the make-up and the costumes. How long did it take you to get ready for a show?

Jay Jay French: Oh, I’d say we’d be ready within like 20 minutes. I could do it in 10 minutes if I had to. Dee would need 30 minutes if he had to. I mean it’s like a hooker. I mean how long does it take a hooker to get ready for the next trick? [laughs] Pretty fast! [laughs].

Sleaze Roxx: You’re a founding member, songwriter, leader and at one point, lead singer of the band. You bring Dee on board. Dee showcases his skills as a songwriter. He’s a charismatic performer and evolves into the face of the band. Was that a hard transition for you?

Jay Jay French: I had it with singers at one point, so I sang myself. [laughs] I didn’t have a hard time with that. I was the last guy to join the original line-up. I wasn’t brought in to sing. The band already had a lead singer. I didn’t write songs. Those pieces were already in there. I had a role to be the guitar player in a “glitter” band. That’s all. I was pretty content in that role. I had no idea that I would later evolve into a manager. I knew my limitations and I always knew I needed a singer. A smart business person knows what they can do and knows what they can’t do.

Sleaze Roxx: Stay Hungry is your signature record. In 2004, you recut the entire record and retitled it Still Hungry. There’s stories that the band was unhappy with the production. Was it that or was it a licensing thing?

Jay Jay French: And don’t forget we added nine new songs! [laughs] So it was two fold. The record contracts we signed were horrible as were the record contracts for 99% of the bands. The labels will try to screw you in anyway that they can. The one thing is that you can re-record your music after five years. So by recutting the songs, we could license things ourselves and keep the money. So with most music that you hear in commercials, when you hear a song, the band went back and re-recorded it to license the song. We just went and did the whole record because so much of that material was turning up on TV ads, television shows and movies. And the band didn’t like the way we sounded on the original album. It sounded weak, wimpy and just not heavy enough. So having said that, it certainly didn’t stop the record from becoming a hit worldwide.

Read more at Sleaze Roxx.

source: sleazeroxx.com

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DRUMMER MIKE PORTNOY TO PERFORM DREAM THEATER’S “12 STEP SUITE” FOR THE FIRST TIME ON “CRUISE TO THE EDGE” AS PART OF 50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Prog-rock fans are in for a treat on this February’s Cruise To The Edge music vacation: iconic drummer and former member of Dream Theater, Mike Portnoy will–for the first time ever–perform the band’s 12 Step Suite in its entirety on the cruise. The music documents the musician’s battle with alcoholism, and is an ensemble of five songs recorded by the band from 2002 to 2009, with titles that reflect his struggles, The Glass Prison, This Dying Soul, The Root of all Evil, Repentance and The Shattered Fortress.

Portnoy, who is also celebrating his 50th birthday on Cruise To The Edge with an all-star career retrospective concert, says, “When I came up with the idea of writing a multi-part suite that spanned 5 DT albums, (which ended up taking 8 years to complete), it was always part of my master plan to perform it in its entirely, live on stage. Unfortunately, after completing the final piece of my conceptual puzzle, I was never able to perform this creation with Dream Theater. Now I’ve decided that I owe it to the fans to finally bring my 12 Step Suite to life on stage as I always had dreamed. Cruise To The Edge passengers will be the FIRST TO EVER SEE THIS PERFORMED LIVE. Joining me for this very special performance will be some great friends and amazing musicians, (yes, it’s a surprise,) that I know will kick ass in helping me with my unfinished business of bringing this piece of music to life on stage!”

Sailing out of Tampa, FL February 7th, 2017, Cruise To The Edge hits Cozumel, Mexico with a who’s-who of prog-rock prodigies. Headliners YES, Kansas, Steve Hackett and John Wetton join Portnoy on the deluxe music vacation package. Over a dozen other bands are slated to perform.

Other esteemed performers confirmed include: Patrick Moraz, Bad Dreams, Neal Morse Band, IO Earth, Spock’s Beard, Alex Machacek, Änglagrd, Stick Men, Haken, Pain of Salvation, Curved Air, Electric Asturias, District 97, Scott Henderson and Focus, with more bands to be announced. In addition, famous YES album design artist Roger Dean will be aboard to talk about the back story of his unique designs and the cruise will be hosted by UK journalist and preeminent YES expert, Jon Kirkman.

Beyond the once-in-a-lifetime intimate music experiences with iconic artists, the guests will get to partake in a wide array of activities. Beyond the sun, fun and exquisite dining, there will be Artist/Cruiser Photo Experience, Q&A Sessions, Late-Night Surprise Performances and more. This year will also feature the unprecedented CTTE Late Night Live, where fans can sign up to showcase their own musical talents in four different performance scenarios: Late Night Live Pro Jam, where you could be invited to play with a with a headline act; Artist’s Choice, featuring fans and Prog legends performing together; The Main Event, where it’s your choice to shine with fellow Late Night Live musicians and Overtime Jam, where a song of your choosing could be featured in a late-night jam.

Cabins are still available aboard the full-charter cruise starting at $999 per person (double occupancy). Children 11 and under at the time of sailing are free when sharing a cabin with 2 full fare paying adults. Government fees, taxes, and gratuities are mandatory for all passengers regardless of age. For booking and more info, visit CruiseToTheEdge.com and connect on Facebook and Twitter.

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STYX GUITARIST RICKY PHILLIPS DISCUSSES HIS WORK WITH RONNIE MONTROSE, HOPES TO GET UNRELEASED MATERIAL OUT BY THE BEGINNING OF 2017

Ruben Mosqueda of Sleaze Roxx spoke with Styx guitarist Ricky Phillips. Excerpts from the interview appear below.

Sleaze Roxx: …And There’s Coverdale/Page which you were a part of. I was looking at the RIAA page and the album achieved platinum status [1 million copies sold] in the United States. At the time, it was considered a “flop,” but it sold a million copies. It’s a good record.

Ricky Phillips: It went platinum relatively quickly too. I learned a lot on that record from Jimmy [Page] and David [Coverdale] making that record about the business. John Kalodner, a behind the scenes record guy who has made a lot of careers happen, really believed in it. John knew it was a great combination. David [Coverdale] got a lot of flak for sounding like Robert Plant. You know when Jimmy [Page] starts playing, that’s what you do! [laughs] That’s what comes out of your voice. That’s what needs to be done! [laughs] That’s what David was doing. I think he did an incredible job. I have some recordings of us working on material. I think those are even better than the record because we’re fishing for ideas. That’s really honest, pure creation happening there and I happen to have those recorded.

As time went on, Jimmy bought a home in Florida and he was moving there. Then we moved the recording to Vancouver, BC, and people got sick… A lot of stuff started happening. We spent about five months working and putting that album together. I’m not making any excuses because I think we made a great record. When we were making the video [Pride And Joy] Jimmy pulled me aside and said “I’m getting back together with Robert [Plant].” You know, there will always be those rumors that he worked with David just to get Robert to work with him. [laughs] I don’t know that it’s true. It makes me wonder. That’s what I wondered at the time when he pulled me aside. That was the end of Coverdale/Page.

I had a blast hanging out with Jimmy. I was constantly asking him about The Yardbirds which is one of my favorite bands. Can you imagine a band that featured [Jeff] Beck, [Eric] Clapton and [Jimmy] Page at one time or another? He didn’t seem to mind telling the stories. [laughs] On many levels, it was an interesting and educational time.

Sleaze Roxx: One thing I had no idea about was your work with Ronnie Montrose. How did you get connected with him and what has been your extent of your work with Ronnie? I’ll be honest. The last Montrose record I heard was Mean back in the mid-’80s.

Ricky Phillips: I met Ronnie back in the early ’80s through a producer friend of mine. He and Ronnie had done a project where it was just he and Ronnie on stage. It was extraordinary. It was probably overshooting for the average Joe. It was aimed for a higher brow musically. Ronnie had done the Montrose thing with Sammy [Hagar] and he had done Gamma which was a bit more “proggy.” He wanted to do something new. If he had just stayed a rock guitarist, he have become a household name because he was so great at it. He is a guy that played those licks first and a lot of guys stole from him. I’ve been told this from guys I know that are in huge bands.

I went out to do shows with Ronnie along with Eric Singer [KISS, Alice Cooper, Badlands]. We had a few different singers. Ronnie loved the way we sounded and he was inspired to do another rock record. Eric, Ronnie and I went into the studio and laid down ten tracks. I started working with Styx and Eric resumed working with Alice and KISS back to back.

Right before I went on tour with Styx I received a call from Ronnie he said “Listen, I have an idea. I’m calling the record 10 by 10. We’ll get 10 different singers, one for each song and we’ll get this thing done.” I said “That’s a great idea Ronnie but we can’t even think of one singer we like! How are we going to find 10?!” [laughs] He replied “Listen I’ll call Sammy [Hagar] and ask if he can do one. I’ll call Edgar [Winter] and see if he can do another. I’ll call people I know.” I didn’t have the time to chase down people to sing on the album, but he did. He got them and then some. He got Mark Farner [Grand Funk Railroad], Gregg Rolie [Journey, Santana], Eric Martin [Mr. Big] and David Pattison [Gamma]. I got Tommy Shaw on one of the tracks. It became this cool project that had this really cool band.

The record sounds cohesive. It’s a very interesting record. We finally found a home for it. We’re having some meetings with a label about it getting released and I hope we have this album released by the beginning of 2017.

I jumped ahead a little bit. When I say that we recorded the album; drums, bass and rhythm guitars were done. Ronnie passed before he could lay down guitar solos. I mixed the record so that Ronnie was very big in the record. It was his concept so I wanted to ensure that he was represented on this record. I wanted to bring in guys that Ronnie was into to come in and record the solos for the album. I didn’t get everybody that I went after but I think all the right guys are on the record. There’s a great mix of singers and guitarists on there. I have Glenn Hughes on a track with Phil Collen from Def Leppard playing the solo, Sammy Hagar featuring Steve Lukather [Toto]… Eric Martin, I paired up with Dave Meniketti [Y&T] and on and on. We have Joe Bonamassa on there too. I also have Brad Whitford who is the unsung hero to both Ronnie and I in Aerosmith. He’s the dark horse in that band. I called him and he was honored to be a part of it. I can’t wait for you to hear the track with Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer. It sounds like it was lifted right out of the ’70s.

I’m excited for the album to come out. There’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears put into this album and a lot of love. I think Ronnie will be looking down on us smiling when it’s released. It’s pretty special.

Read more at Sleaze Roxx.

source: sleazeroxx.com

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DRUMMER RIKKI ROCKETT DISCUSSES HIS BATTLE WITH TONGUE CANCER

Poison drummer Rikki Rockett has opened up on his battle with cancer.

Rockett developed a tumour on his tongue last summer and underwent nine rounds of chemotherapy followed by 35 radiotherapy sessions.

But with the situation showing no signs of improvement, and facing the possibility of the total removal of his tongue, the drummer chose an experimental immune therapy called immunotherapy – a treatment which stimulates the immune system to fight cancer. As a result, the tumour has almost been completely eradicated.

Rockett tells the San Diego Union-Tribune, “I just didn’t feel right. This should be getting better, not worse. I should be eating better, I should be swallowing better – what the hell’s going on?”

He underwent a scan which showed that the original tumour was still present. “The lymph nodes on my right side lit up, the lymph nodes on my left side lit up, and on the side of my tongue there was stuff,” Rockett says.

He then put his name forward to Dr. Ezra Cohen at the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center – and waited to hear if he’d be accepted for the trial.

Rocket continues, “I was doing everything I could to think positive and that I was going to get on the trial. My little girl’s getting her makeup done, and I get a call. I get looks from everybody like, I can’t believe you’re going to take this call. But it was Dr Cohen and I went, ‘No, this is Dr. Cohen, and I’m going to take this call.’ It was almost like God intervened, ‘For your daughter’s life, I’m going to make this happen.’”

Poison frontman Bret Michaels said in April that he and the band would wait for Rockett to fully recover before making future plans. And the drummer says a return to action next year could be a possibility.

He says, “My understanding is there is a possibility for a spring tour on the table. I don’t know the details, but that would be great to look forward to.”

For further details on immunotherapy, visit the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center’s website.

additional site: Classic Rock via teamrock.com

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CHRIS ADLER DEPARTS MEGADETH TO RETURN TO LAMB OF GOD

Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine has said that Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler’s time with Megadeth is over.

Adler acted as a session musician for 15th album Dystopia, and played a number of shows with the thrash icons over the past six months.

Although he was invited to join full-time, he insisted he’d remain with Lamb Of God, while trying to make as many appearances with Megadeth as possible.

Last month Dirk Verbeuren took over as he returned to duties with his own band, but it had been suggested that he’d return for further shows in July.

Speaking at a press conference in Israel, as reported by Machine Music, Mustaine said, “Chris Adler is not with Megadeth – he’s in Lamb Of God. He was a session guy. It was what you could call work for hire. He has nothing to do with us any more. I’m grateful for his contributions. I’m grateful for him introducing us to Dirk.”

Mustaine – who’d recently reported that he’d reveal a full-time drummer “real soon,” added, “We still haven’t announced who our new drummer is going to be. It won’t be Chris Adler, because he’s in Lamb Of God.”

Following up on Twitter, he wrote, “Every interview said he was a session drummer and that he was in LOG.” Replying to a fan’s comment that many had secretly hoped Adler would join full-time, he said, “I know. But as you say, I made it clear that he was not in Megadeth.” Later he emphasized, “We have not announced who the new drummer will be yet.”

Megadeth’s Dystopia tour continues.

additional source: Metal Hammer via teamrock.com/news

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TRIUMPH MEMBERS REUNITE FOR NEW RIK EMMETT ALBUM

Vocalist/guitarist Rik Emmett will reportedly release a new album at some point in 2016. His bandmates in Triumph, bassist Mike Levine and drummer Gil Moore, will appear on the future release. It will be the first new music from the original lineup since 1987’s Surveillance.

Last week, the band posted the picture used here on Facebook with the message, “Mike and Gil joined Rik in the studio for his new album!”

Melodic Rock has since confirmed that they will play on three songs. They also say that Rush‘s Alex Lifeson and James LaBrie, the lead singer of Dream Theater, have featured in the sessions. The project is being credited to RES9, which is short for Rik Emmett Resolution 9.

After releasing nine records between 1976 and 1987, Emmett left Triumph in 1988 for a solo career, while Levine and Moore recruited Phil Xenedis to take his place for one more record, 1993’s Edge of Excess. But, the band’s 2007 induction into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame paved the way for them to play two dates — the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma — the next year. The concert in Sweden was released as a DVD in 2012.

Beginning July 29th, Emmett, along with Dave Dunlop, will begin a headlining tour of North America. The acoustic duo, who call themselves the Strung-Out Troubadours, have released four albums since 2006. Their self-titled debut won Album of the Year and Group/Duo of the Year at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards in 2007. You can see the tour itinerary at rikemmett.com/shows.

additional source: ultimateclassicrock.com

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