3/18: NEW TMS W/BUSH, VERA, JASTA, BATIO, BECKER. DEE SNIDER/KISS, ALICE COOPER
Episode 5 of the new season of That Metal Show was shot last night. As I said many times this season is no doubt our most diverse and has many first time guests. That theme continues this Saturday with John Bush and Joey Vera of Armored Saint joining us for the first time (both were also in Anthrax) and Jamey Jasta returning to the show. Also via the Metal Modem Jason Becker joins us. As you may know Jason has ALS and had a film made about his life called “Not Dead Yet” that was amazing. Jason now speaks with his eyes and we connect with him through an interpreter. Incredible talent and story and he is still making music against all odds. See the film if you can. Also playing in the show is Michael Angelo Batio, another first time guest and insane shredder on two necks at the same time! Be sure to catch it 9P ET this Saturday on VH1C with a replay at 11P.
My podcast for the week posts tomorrow and features an interview with Alice Cooper. Free worldwide on Itunes or at www.podcastone.com Be sure to vote for me at the Podcast Awards via www.podcastawards.com . Thanks!
My recent interview with Dee Snider made some news when the portion of him talking about Kiss was posted on some websites including Ultimate Classic Rock. I recorded an in depth interview with Dee about his recent comments about Doug Aldrich and rock in general, and we also discussed Kiss, Foreigner and much more. Next Thursday I will post the Doug Aldrich interview and the following week the complete Dee interview for my podcast. So you can hear it completely. As you will hear in the full interview I don’t agree with him on some stuff and do on others. Dee reflects the same opinion I do about Kiss dressing Tommy & Eric as Ace and Peter. Here’s the truth, MANY people feel this way, including some members of bands Kiss has actually toured with in recent years. I hear about it constantly off the record. But hardly any will say it in a public setting or to the media. It’s just another byproduct of the super PC world we live in where so few will give an honest opinion on anything because to some you aren’t allowed to have an opinion and it will be distorted and attacked on social media. I have always respected people who speak honestly how they feel if I agree or not. As I have said so many times I love Bill Maher and Bill O’Reilly and watch both of their shows. I do NOT agree with every position they both have, but respect the hell out of their willingness to speak their mind. It’s no coincidence they are both massively successful. So props to Dee for being open about his feelings about Kiss and others. I have weighed in countless times on my position on Kiss so no need to revisit all that again. But it is so refreshing to find others in the public forum who speak openly. Trust me, there are many that feel one way but will never say it openly for fear of public backlash and that just sucks on all levels and makes things really boring I think. I’ll discuss this more in my podcast when I post Dee’s interview, which was a response to his comments on Doug Aldrich and we just started talking about other stuff along the way.
I’ll be in Falls Church VA and Willmington DE this weekend for shows with Don & Jim. Info on the home page!
Terrific, terrific interview with Alice Cooper. The guy is a true icon.
In my opinion, Dee Snider’s best album was actually the first Widowmaker album. Dee’s biography is a fun read as well.
We don’t get caught up in the KISS controversies out here on the West Coast, but it was funny when Dee broke his finger during a Medieval Times segment of Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice. He showed up in the boardroom with a big bandage on his finger, and Trump felt enough sympathy to hold off firing his ass for one week.
This all started off so weird for me in that Dee just picked such an obscure, left field choice as his example in Doug Aldrich. A super nice guy, awesome guitarist, and a genuine contributor to some great Whitesnake albums. I think Dee might have some anger issues over the music business in general and was thinking of any excuse to rant. He could have picked about 5.432 better choices though. Made him look old and bitter. I hate to say this man but a LOT of my 70’s/80’s rock star “heroes” of my youth are becoming angry old men shaking their fists at kids on the lawn. Channel some of that anger into your new music and maybe you got something!!!