By: Justin Beckner, Rock Concerts Correspondent

Jethro Tull has tiptoed behind the scenes of mainstream rock music for almost 50 years. They brought an element of class and sophistication to popular music and won over their audiences with witty lyrics and an original sound that blended elements of nearly every style of music. Throughout the years they dared to be different and became something great. The following is an interview with charismatic frontman, Ian Anderson.

Melodic Rock Concerts: Hello Ian, it’s good to talk to you again. Last time we spoke you were in the midst of some traveling issues due to the volcano. I suppose that is somewhat common with all of the traveling you do over there.

Ian Anderson: Yes, there’s no hopping on the tour bus from Detroit to Chicago for me. Things are a little more complicated where I live. It makes things a bit more interesting. Normally I wouldn’t travel on a bus. I’ll leave that to the Lords of The Trident, or the Michelin Street Block Party, or Buckcherry. They probably love the tour bus – they’re probably younger than me and don’t need to shower that often.

MRC: Let’s start from the beginning. What was your first instrument and how did that evolve into a career and you taking an interest in so many different instruments?

IA: Well, first of all I’m not really very proficient at anything other than the flute and the guitar. When you don’t have the technical skills in an instrument it allows you or forces you rather to work in more simple and direct terms, which is a good thing if you’re writing songs. It forces you to keep things simple. My first instrument was an Elvis Presley plastic ukulele which I received in the post at the age of about 10. And it was, I believe the last mail order I received, because in the advertisement in the newspaper, the Elvis Presley ukulele looked like a full sized guitar and it was being strummed by someone who looked uncannily like Elvis. However when it arrived it was about a foot and a half long, was made out of really flimsy plastic, it wouldn’t stay in tune, and it broke after the first couple of weeks. But it gave me the opportunity to tune something up and learn some chords. And then when I was 11 I got a Spanish guitar – a nylon string guitar which I put steel string on which caused it to break after a short while too. And it wasn’t until age 15 that I started to play guitar a little more seriously and started playing the blues.

MRC: Did you have an infatuation with music before getting that Elvis ukulele at age 10?

IA: I quite liked music when I was about 7 or 8 because my father would listen to big band jazz, he had some 75 rpm records of Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington and Glenn Miller – that kind of stuff. And I didn’t think about it at the time but I think the reason I liked it was that it was very intricate music. It had a lot of forms and accents to it which was fun and being big band jazz, it would often incorporated the flattened fifth from the blues scale. And that was new to me because up until then all I knew was church music and some folk music. So that blues scale really caught my attention and the next time I really heard someone use it was on the first record I heard from Elvis Presley which I think may have been Heartbreak Hotel. I was never an Elvis Presley fan, I always thought he was rather silly and I still do frankly. Not as silly as his many imitators but pretty silly none the less. I didn’t really go for American rock and roll. It wasn’t until I heard Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf and Bo Diddley and stuff like that when I really got into American music – particularly black American folk blues – the acoustic blues.

MRC: I can sense that in your music. There seems to be some blues roots there.

IA: Yes, along with a strong dislike of Elvis Presley. I think that Elvis Presley was very important in the formation of American music because he was the guy who brought together parts of black American blues and country western music. Much more than Bill Haley and the Comets who were more a rockabilly, innocent, white act to where Elvis had a bit of a theatrical menace to him which was moderately amusing for a very short while. He was very important but certainly didn’t fit my taste in music at the time. Then of course, he went on from being a rock and roll guy to being an extremely cheesy movie star. In his latter days on the casino circuit he wore a rhinestone studded white jumpsuit which was terribly regrettable.

I once went to see Elvis in Las Vegas when he played this big casino. We all got cocked up in some borrowed tuxedos which we were obliged to wear to see Elvis perform. And at the end of the performance some guy came to us and said “Elvis will see you now, he would like to meet you.” And I said, “Actually we’ve got to go. We have an early bedtime because we’ve got a show tomorrow, but thank you very much.” We’re probably the only band to ever decline being ushered in to Elvis’ dressing room to shake his hand. But he seemed like he was barely competent mentally on stage, he could hardly speak and he was falling all over the place, obviously under the influence of a lot of drink or quite a few drugs and possibly too many hamburgers. So he didn’t seem like the type of person you’d want to attempt to have a meaningful conversation with. So rather sadly, we left – it seemed he had turned the corner into some dark cul-de-sac of his life which as we know, it remained so until his death – he never regained proper consciousness after that.

MRC: It’s always sad to see people like that, who have been placed on a pedestal at their strangest and darkest times.

IA: But that was in 1971 and by then, a couple of years into Jethro Tull, we had already seen quite a few people dying with their boots on due to drug and drink and so on. It was a pretty common occurrence that people were beginning to feel the consequences of excessive lifestyles. But that goes back to the 1920s even when jazz musicians used to harm themselves with same excess that would take the lives of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Keith Moon and all of those people who were dropping like flies all around you. It was a sobering lesson about the rock and roll lifestyle and particularly the inviting of a lot of drugs and chemicals, which never seemed like a good idea to me. So I tended to avoid all of that from the start. When I was in art school I came across drugs for the first time and I was a bit scared off so I didn’t go down that route – yet. I suppose there’s still time but I don’t think it’s likely. I don’t rule out gay sex either but that’s also relatively unlikely. I am 62 years of age and I am saggy of buttocks and no longer firm of thigh or flat of stomach so I don’t think I’d make a good catch. Maybe someone out there would have a soft spot for me but hopefully it would remain so. Anyways, moving on…

MRC: Indeed. Though you have had some mainstream success your sound has been very original and it appears to me that you never changed your sound to fit anyone else’s tastes. It almost seemed that you were a mainstream band that was oblivious to what every other mainstream band was doing at the time.

IA: No, we never tried to consciously change our sound but we did try to evolve our sound over the years. I was just listening to Thick As A Brick, which we recorded in 1972, and that contained one of the earliest synthesizers which was made in the UK. It was called the ANS at the time. But we linked that up to a pitch to voltage inverter and I played my flute through this device which made the flute sound like some weird electronic instrument. It sounded quite horrible but nonetheless it was experimental use of new technology. Technology has always moved us to try new things – with the emergence of better guitars and amps to the 1980s where we saw the beginning of sequencing and sampling and the early computers in music. We’ve always kept up with new technology and used it on our records. But with the exception of a period in 83-84 when we brought the electronic stuff to the forefront for a bit but for the most part, we’ve tried to keep it in the background without letting it dominate the music. And I think that would hold true today with the tools we use like our sound reinforcement and mixing boards and wireless systems – those things are part of what we do everyday. But nonetheless as an acoustic musician I would like to think that what the audience see and hear is pretty much instruments being played as if you were in the same room with me.

I’m the acoustic guy in the band and I’m always a little hesitant about going down the road of electronics myself. But the electric guitar, electric bass and so on are just a part of what we’ve become. I am more comfortable with the sound of acoustic instruments and orchestral instruments, because it’s easier to humanize then and put a personal touch on them. It’s easier to create the nuances and subtleties and expressions to where sticking a finger on a keyboard or sampler, it would sound exactly the same whether you do it or I do it. But if James Burway plays a note on the flute and I play a note on the flute it will sound considerably different, he will sound much better than I do. So I find it much easier to express myself musically with acoustic instruments.

MRC: Do you think that technology has a tendency to make musicians lazier and lose the skills to play acoustic instruments?

IA: I’m sure some musicians have become lazy but it’s probably because they are playing a kind of music where that reliance on technology is just part of the music. And the programs that are written for performing recording music have made it easier for people who maybe don’t have the traditional skills to enter the world of music and find some creative outlet, and that has to be a good thing. I don’t think we all need to be technical wiz kids in order to make good music. But it certainly helps if you can play your instrument tolerably well. But as I said earlier, not being able to play your instrument terribly well can produce some special and striking music. For example Paul McCartney who had a very simple plip-plop bass technique and along with some very limited skills on the piano and acoustic guitar, he didn’t need to progress his proficiency over the years. It allowed him to write great songs, he didn’t have to be a great musician he just had to play well enough to realize his musical vision in terms of writing very good pop songs. But rather like Elvis, I’m not a Paul McCartney fan, I really don’t like his music but I think what he does he does it very well. And though it’s not what I like to listen to, I can still greatly admire and respect his abilities.

On the flip side, there are a lot of incredibly gifted guitar players, especially in America. People like Steve Vai and others like him, maybe their skill is more of a limiting factor when it comes to writing marketable popular music. And of course Stevie Vai is not in the business of writing peppy pop music, thank goodness. He writes for people who like more adventurous and technically excellent music. But he is less well know than a lot of guitar players from a lot of rock bands that only know six chords.

Going back now to Tony Iaomi, he wrote the book on writing very simple riffs with a limited technique which was partially due to the physical injury to his fingers from when he was a teenager working in a sheetmetal factory. So that set him on the path of having to make the best of what he had which fit his simple and direct form of writing and performing music which everybody loves. Even I do for ten or fifteen minuets.

MRC: You worked with Tony back in the early days didn’t you?

IA: Yes, briefly. We knew him indeed before the time when Black Sabbath was born out of a Birmingham band that used to support the early Jethro Tull back in 1968. And Tony came on and played or rather mimed on a film – we performed on the Rolling Stones rock and Roll Circus which was a show that never aired until many years later when it came out on VHS. But that was the only time that Tony got together with us. And then shortly after his band went on to change their name to Black Sabbath and got themselves an image that caught the fancy of particularly the Americans. And around the time that they were making it big in the USA, we bumped into them somewhere and split the bill with Black Sabbath. This was around ’69 or something like that. But on that night Ozzy Osbourne wasn’t feeling so well and he had the great courtesy to come to me personally and tell me that he wouldn’t be able to do the show. I honestly can’t remember if we did the show without Black Sabbath or if the audience got their money back. But I do recall his respectful manner.

MRC: You seem to have a very good bond with your current guitarist, Martin Barre.

IA: Yes, well Martin joined the band in 1968, I believe it was almost Christmas Day. He played with the band a couple of dates in late January 1969 and then went in to record an album which was Martin’s first time in a studio and he and I were really learning as we went along. He was quite an uninformed guitar player – he had a great deal of technical skill but he didn’t have any particular interest in any special type of music, he was very open to new ideas and the songs that I was writing. And I would give him some of my limited knowledge on guitar playing and how to approach something. He responded to that rather uniquely, most other guitar players already had definite ideas and definite styles and such. It was good that Martin’s natural ability and his awareness were rather limited at the time. He was more of an open book that could be written on by an aspiring songwriter. I don’t think he really developed a definite style until around the time before we went in to record the Aqualung album. He was settling down a bit by that point and developing his own style.

MRC: Do you have any new material in the works?

IA: Well we always have some new stuff that we play on stage and there are a lot of songs we mean to record which are in various stages of completion. But it’s a matter of getting everyone together and doing it. But it’s not a priority of mine to spend months in rooms with no windows to make a record which frankly isn’t going to be listened to by that many people in this day and age because there are so few physical records out there left. It’s mostly iTunes at this point. And given the amount of records that are selling these days, recording one is not really a priority. I would much rather spend a month playing 20 shows in interesting places to lots of nice people than spending a month in a windowless room to make a record. But we have the opportunity to play those new songs on stage and we do it quite often. It’s pretty common that we do a couple of new songs each show. Even our older repertoire can be subject to changes from time to time to keep things interesting.

By: Justin R. Beckner, Rock Concerts Correspondent

The Bangles are back! After a rough breakup at the peak of their popularity, they have reformed with new life. The band is well under way in the recoding of a new album and playing shows across the country. The Bangles broke new ground for women in the music industry in the 1980s and continue to inspire while treading forward in an often difficult and frustrating business. We chatted with Debbi Peterson to get the latest on the group.

Melodic Rock Concerts: How is the vibe within the band right now. How does it feel to be back together?

Debbie: It’s actually better than it was because we all have kids – our priorities have changed. So instead of everything being Bangle, we’ve struck a better balance now. Its also a little more challenging as far as trying to schedule things around our lives. Its working out great, we all communicate better and I think that’s a real important point.

We’ve all matured and after the break we all had a chance to work with other people and experience different things, which was good because it got us out of this little world we had made for ourselves in the ’80s. And with touring, it’s hard to leave the kids at home and it’s kind of hard to take them with as well, especially with younger kids. Plus we don’t want to pull them out of school. But they do come out to some local shows and hang out backstage, which is fun for them.

MRC: What can you tell me about this new album you’ve got going on?

Debbie: We’re still working away on it. It’s been a lot of fun and it’s been very different because were working with Matthew Sweet and he’s a wonderful guy, fun to work with, and has a lot of good ideas. Also Susan and Vikki have home studios and so we’re working at their places a lot and my sister Vikki is learning how to be an engineer. So it’s taken a bit more time to get it together because of children and school and things but it’s been really fun. It’s been a steep learning curve on this album and I think what we’ve got so far is a little bit more rock than were had in the past. We’re rocking out on this new album a bit more and sort of returning to our Bangle roots.

MRC: Was that the idea going in to making this alum?

Debbie: It’s just something that happened naturally. I think were all willing to try new things and trying new sounds and different ways of recording. We’ve done a lot of experimenting on this album. But its been a blast.

MRC: Do you have a release date or title or anything like that yet?

Debbie: Oh man, I wish we did. We’re hoping to have it out toward the end of the year. We don’t have a title yet either – on the Doll Revolution album we had a big white board where we brainstormed different names and I think we’re about ready to do that now.

MRC: Does the absence of a deadline help your creative process at all?

Debbie: Well, us Bangles tend to try a lot of different things plus we have so much going on in other parts of our lives that it makes it difficult to make deadlines. We try to keep some structure, like scheduling recording dates and sticking to them. So the absence of structure has been a bit challenging to us but it does help to make it less stressful.

MRC: Have you discussed any long term plans for the band or are you just playing things by ear?

Debbie: We’re just playing it by ear right now. We don’t plan on breaking up anytime soon. Were going to continue because we like working together and we’re coming up with some good material. So as long as that happens, we’re going to continue to record and do shows. We’ve had thoughts of doing a book. There’s a lot of ideas floating around out there to keep us busy for a long time.

MRC: The music industry has undergone a lot of changes since The Bangles broke up. What are some key differences that you’ve noticed between the industry now and the industry in the 1980s?

Debbie: Well, you have to do things very differently with the internet and things like that. Its good and bad, things like YouTube and MySpace and mediums like that are great for getting exposure. Unfortunately they don’t always pay. It’s so different now because back then, record labels used to be everything and now they don’t seem as important because you can record an album in your living room now. I think that’s an amazing thing and we’re finding that tool very useful. So we can put a record out by ourselves, we can license it to another company, you have a lot more options now as far as putting records out which I think is a good thing.

MRC: How was your relationship with your record label back before the breakup?

Debbie: Well, we felt compromised slightly by having the record company. We knew that we had to do it to get our foot in the door so people could hear our music. They had so much control in those days because they had the money to put out your record and promote it. It became frustrating because they were shaping the band into something that we were not. That wasn’t how we wanted to be seen, so it was frustrating but we knew that we had to let it happen to some degree so that we could get our music out there. It wasn’t the best experience and I think that’s why now we would rather not work with a record company or if we do, we will do things on our own terms.

MRC: Did you ever feel as though you were writing songs for the record company and not for yourself?

Debbie: I suppose there was an element of that back in the 80’s just because they had so much control. We were writing the songs that we wanted to write but a lot of them wouldn’t make it onto the album or they wouldn’t get promoted because it wasn’t something they pictured as what our music should be. As for right now, we write songs because we love to write songs and we write songs for ourselves and hope that the fans like it. And we don’t have a record company looking over us and telling us that it doesn’t work. We have a lot more freedom now.

MRC: Now you’re all very beautiful women and you’re also very talented musicians. It seems that lately there has been a trend of beautiful musicians whose looks and fashion sense often overshadows their musical abilities.

Debbie: Right, a lot of mainstream music now seems very manufactured in the Disney sense. Some of those girls do have a lot of talent but they tend to find pretty people and make them into singers. And that’s been going on for a long time but there are really not a lot of female musicians who play instruments very well and there should be more. I get frustrated when I see someone who is made into an idol – like on American Idol where people get manufactured because that’s not how women should be seen. There’s a load of talented women out there who don’t get half the attention that they should because of some kind of company that is not interested in them for whatever reason. It’s a very familiar story of having this manufactured artist out there. Especially with these female “bands” out there which are really just four or five singers who aren’t playing instruments. I’d love to see more female musicians, real musicians, out there.

MRC: The Bangles have inspired a whole generation of female artists to pick up instruments and its really a shame that they are not given the credit they are due. But I’m wondering who inspired you to start drumming.

Debbie: Well funny enough it was really more male inspirations. There weren’t a lot of female drummers around when I was young. I mean Karen Carpenter was an inspiration, Moe Tucker from Velvet Underground. But mostly it was males like Ringo Starr, Johnny Watts, Keith Moon – the classic 60s drummers.

MRC: Whats the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Debbie: Be positive. Whatever you want to do in life, go for it and don’t let anyone tell you not to.

Catch up with the latest on the Bangles at their official website, and watch for the band on tour this summer.

By: Tony Conley of Rock Guitar Daily

“Joe and I were looking at each other going, what in the world is going on? Joe and I have NEVER had a problem.”

Black Country Communion were almost relegated to the scrap heap before the echoes of recording had ended in Kevin Shirley’s home studio, The Cave, in Malibu, California. Rumors had managers, and lawyers killing off the band before they ever had a chance to even consider logos, album covers, press junkets and tours.

“We’re getting on famously,” says the legendary Glenn Hughes, speaking from his Southern California home, waiting to begin a two month extended press tour that will see the singer/bassist chatting up journalists across the globe in expectation of the September 21st release of Black Country Communion, the new super-group’s first record. Black Country Communion is comprised of Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian.

Hughes continues, “All that crap you saw on the internet about two months ago was something so silly. And let me tell you, it smacks of very early Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, or The Black Crowes, what with all the in-fighting. ‘They’re fighting!’ Well, that sells magazines….I’ve gone through that my whole career, ‘Is he too heavy, is he on crack, is he gonna jump off the building naked?’ It’s all the controversial stuff, I’m not mad that they put that out, it does sell magazines – rock and roll is not always pretty and sweet. Let’s just say that at the time there were too many cooks in the kitchen. Look….J and R Adventures [Bonamassa's management company] is gonna run this, and I certainly don’t mind, they’ve done a great job for Joe. J and R, my manager, and I, we’re all on the same page.”

Glenn goes on, “You need to know this, Tony. Everybody’s great pals, everybody loves each other, and we’re just dying for the next thing. I’m going to be everywhere, talking up a storm, and the most important thing is that on September 21 this thing is gonna jump out.”

Hughes is the point man for BCC press campaign, and it’s hard to imagine a better man for the job. The singer explains, “I’ve been kind of the unofficial spokesman for the band, for the obvious reason that I’m the one who’s available to do it. I’m from the rock side, and I’m naturally a media person. I keep saying that there’s no mistakes in God’s world, but there’s no mistake why I’m doing this.”

Hughes’s enthusiasm for the project has been typical of the great passion and energy he exudes. In our first discussion of the band in February, he spent almost two hours discussing the group’s potential, when only a few backing tracks had been laid down. His desire to return to his rock and roll roots was undeniable, roots which were born in the Black Country of England, home to himself and an old friend named John Bonham, the late drummer of Led Zeppelin, whose son Jason mans the drum throne for this super-group. Hughes was adamant that this was a calling, a place in time in which his mission seemed clear.

Hughes goes on, “There was no doubt about it when Kevin Shirley suggested Jason Bonham, y’know? I’m supposed to be playing with Jason Bonham. His dad was a great mate of mine, and Jason all these years later has become a huge fan of that music. There’s this big connection between the Bonhams and the Hugheses, and I’m privileged and honored to be part now because Jason has become a close, close friend to me. We get along famously.”

Almost eerily, at this point in our discussion the phone rings. It’s Bonham. “Oh hang on….It’s Jason, now. Jason, hey, let me call you right back, I’m talking to a friend but I need to talk to you – yeah, I’m doing the interview. I’ll me call you back in 15 minutes, all right?

“Jason is just amazing on this record, Tony. I’ve waited for him to make a great record, and he has too, mate, he has too. I’ll say it ten times over that this is by far the best playing he has done. One of his best friends told him, when he heard the tracks a few months ago, ‘This is what waiting for 25 years for the great drum track has amounted to’.

“Y’know, I told him right after we cut the tracks, I said, ‘Jason, this is the best you’ve played, mate. Yeah….really man, this is the shit!”

Truer words were never spoken, indeed, Bonham’s playing on Black Country Communion is spectacular, elevating his playing to the levels of the Moons and elder Bonhams of the world. He plays brilliantly throughout the record, driving the band like a tank commander.

I asked Glenn about touring, given that he was about to embark on a long press junket that would seem to indicate more than just a one-off vanity record project. Instead of stating with any sense of certainty whether Black Country Communion would or wouldn’t be going out on the road (though some web sites are stating this as fact, I have yet to hear it from any BCC insider), he spoke of touring America in a more general sense.

“It’s a little embarrassing to say this, but I haven’t really toured in America since ’94 when I did 15 dates with Trapeze. America’s a big, big animal. America is a place where I want to do it right, I want to play America appropriately. The right album, the right band, the right agent, and organization. It’s too big an animal otherwise. I have an amazing hunger for playing live and always reinventing myself. I was never the guy to get comfortable, just kicking back and making albums. I’m the guy to be totally ensconced in working on brand new material.

“My manager gets it, and I’m sure that Joe does too, ‘Can Glenn come play a session, can Joe do a session? – and it’s great to know that I can do a session any day of the week, but I don’t want to do that now. I want to be investing my time in this band.”

I asked Glenn about the sensational title track, “Black Country“. The song is an instant classic, the kind of song people will know from now until the end of rock.

He laughed a bit, then said, “That track….and when you hear that track in it’s entirety – and this is difficult to tell you until you hear it – that’s the best rock track I have ever written. It’s a Glenn and Joe track, but it is the best thing I have ever been involved with. That’s our Immigrant Song, that’s our Burn, our Highway Star, that’s our Start Me Up, it’s our, ‘Hello. This is a rock band.’

“Tony, we’re all super happy, we’re all very excited. This is difficult because you two haven’t heard it (I was assisted in this interview by Libby Sokolowski), but you’ve gotta get it tonight if possible, contact Rachael now and see if you can still get it this evening. You’ve gotta hear this to get what I’m saying.”

Glenn’s final thoughts. “It’s awesome. There are certain things in life that are givens. I was telling Joe. I told Joe Bonamassa, I said, ‘Joe, let me tell ya, buddy – this is a sure fucking thing. Trust me when I tell you this – you’re young. This is a sure thing.”

He wasn’t lying.

Visit Rock Guitar Daily for the full chat with Hughes.

By: Justin Beckner, Rock Concerts Correspondent

A modern rock favorite, The Goo Goo Dolls have returned in full force with a new album due out in July. The Dolls have remained a staple of alternative rock since they first emerged from the streets of Buffalo, NY in 1986. In the following interview with bassist Robby Takac, we discuss the new album and explore what has made them so perseverant over the years.

Melodic Rock Concerts: Tell me about this new album, “Something for the Rest of Us”.

Robby Takac: It’s certainly been a labor of love man, we’ve been working on it for what seems like 80 years. We did the basic tracking in a studio in Buffalo, NY which is were Johnny and I grew up. It was at a place called track master back when we were kids, we cut our first few records there. We went back this time and basically redesigned the whole studio and remodeled and put in some amazing gear. That took a couple months and then we did some writing and recording, then we went out to LA to finish the record.

We worked out there with a guy named Tim Palmer. Then we had a little bit of time to sit around and listen to the record because the release date for it got pushed back. So that was a luxury we never had before. Usually you turn your masters in and it goes right to the stores and you run around kicking yourself in the ass because you didn’t have time to change some things you want to change. But we had some time, so we went back in and fixed some things up before the record came out. And it turned out that we got a lot deeper than we thought we’d have to and we ended up doing some work with Butch Vig who actually worked with Soul Asylum for a little bit, and we ended up mixing it with our live sound guy who’s out on the road with us right now.

It was a lot different making this record. We used a lot of the folks who’ve been traveling with us in the past 4 years, so it’s pretty much our live band that you’re hearing on this record which is something we’ve never really done before. We usually just do a record and then get some friends or musicians by reference to learn the songs and go out on the road with us. We’re really proud of this record, it should be out in July.

MRC: How did having those other musicians in the studio with you change the dynamics of your traditional writing process?

RT: Well, our guitar player Brad was there through the whole process, from the concession of the songs and through the whole process of pulling them all together. So if we wanted to try something in rehearsals, he was right there and could just play right along. It was a bit different of a process than what we were used to, in the past it was a lot of recording crap demos in hotel rooms or whatever and this time we had a grade A studio and a guitar player along with us. And Tim Palmer is different from other producers in that you don’t just hand your record off to him, he came down to the practice space and jumped in the stoop with us for a while and that, along with having our whole live band made it sound more true to what the band actually sounds like. It was a pretty organic process this time.

MRC: I’m told that you are quite proficient in different recording methods; it must be a benefit to have that knowledge these days – just to be able to make a studio and record in your old hometown.

RT: I’ve actually taken over the studio in Buffalo now as a commercial enterprise. I’ve been in that field for a long time. But in this day and age you really have no choice but to at least learn Garage Band or something like Pro Tools. There are a lot of great recording platforms out there. But we are fortunate enough to afford to have people around who make sure stuff gets done right. With this record we made the mistake of walking into a recording studio with no songs thinking we were just going to go all Van Halen style and just jam out some songs. But it didn’t turn out that way; it took some time to write these songs. We had been living in LA prior 14 years, so coming to Buffalo was great for us and having our own studio made it to where we could just sit and listen to different microphones for hours without having to pay somebody.

MRC: The industry is in a very strange state of flux right now it seems. How have you been getting along in this harsh economical climate?

RT: Well, I think we were pretty lucky to have slid in when we did. We still have an old school record deal which most bands now don’t have the benefit of having. So the process for us hasn’t changed as much as it has for a lot of bands. Were still on a major label with a recording budget and things like that. Some smaller labels can’t function like that because they don’t have Madonna catalogues to fall back on so they are less likely to take risks. The whole business model of coming up in the music industry has changed dramatically. I see a lot of newer bands trying to make it through the process and I don’t envy them. It’s a brave new world and that often leads to interesting things because bands are forced to experiment and forced to do things differently. It’s definitely an exciting time.

MRC: It’s odd to think of music in business terms. On one side there’s the art that dares you to express yourself and be creative without limits and on the other side you’ve got this business where you need to conform to certain ideas in order to sell your product. Have you ever found yourself in a place where you’ve had to choose between being free and being creative?

RT: Well, I think those opportunities present themselves everyday. We’ve been very careful – were in our 24th year of being a band right now and I think one of the reasons we’ve been able to do that is because we’re able to look at what we are and see how far we can reach without losing everybody. And I’ve got a stack of reviews from 24 years saying that we put out the same record over and over again. But if you listen to us as a band in 1986 and then listen to us now, its obvious we’re not putting out the same record over and over again, were just trying to grow at our own pace without falling prey to experimenting with hip hop or having Lil Wayne on our records or whatever might be the trend of the moment – those things are just the obvious things to do at the moment. And that will look about like the leg warmers the metal bands in the 80s wore in a few years. You wanna stay away from that stuff.

Right now we’re in a situation where we have out first single together and its being released to pop radio as well as rock radio. And somebody came to us and told us that Kings of Leon did this thing where they put a high hat – kick drum beat under one of their rock songs and released it as a dance song for Top 40 Radio. We’re still thinking about whether that would be good for us and where we want to go musically. Those are the types of options that present themselves everyday. We just need to take those options and make sure we are making the right decisions.

MRC: It seems that everyone has their own idea of what rock and roll is or what rock and roll should be. What does rock and roll mean to you?

RT: I think rock and roll is sort of a temporary term. To me, its always been about rebellion rather than sound. Bread is rock and roll, Metallica is rock and roll, NWA is rock and roll. It’s an ever shifting concept and some people lose track. Take the Allman Brothers for example, somewhere in the ’80s they just lost track and rock and roll is just what they did. I remember watching an interview with Greg Allman and he was talking about that and he said, “Man, I just don’t get it.” And that’s when you stop and when you look at the Allman Brothers now, they’re still awesome but they haven’t done much growing since 1972 or whatever. For us, we listen to new music and we try to keep growing and remain relevant. I think you’ve just got to keep your ear to the ground and understand whats out there and try to find that new version of rock and roll.

“It’s definitely glam.” That’s what Adam Lambert has to say about the stage show for his newly launched Glam Nation tour. The American Idol album hit the road earlier this month on his first major solo tour, and he’s not skimping on the extras. Last Friday, Melodic Rock Concerts asked Lambert for some more details about the setup at his upcoming concerts.

“[The show] definitely has a lot of theatrical sensibilities to it. I have four dancers on stage for a handful of numbers and my band’s on stage all the time and there’s some costume changes. Lot’s of fashion to look at.”

Lambert is hitting the road for over 60 shows across the United States in support his 2009 album For Your Entertainment.

We asked the singer about the challenges he’s encountered in bridging the gap between his two distinct groups of followers: 1970s glam fans and modern pop fans.

“I tried to mix [the style] up as much as I could on the album for that reason, but I think at the end of the day even though the album is titled “For Your Entertainment” and it’s done for the fans and for the audience, when it really comes down to it I just have to trust my own instincts and if I like the song then I’m going to sing it,” Lambert said.

“I think that I have heard some, you know, some support and some criticism about my choices as far as genre goes and I think the whole concept of genre is kind of passé anyway,” he continued.

“I kind of think that we’re living in the post-modern age and it’s – I think that the key to music right now is mixing it all up. And I think that for me I’m doing a lot of pop music with a lot of guitars. So it has it’s rock edge and it has it’s pop edge.”

All in all, Lambert has constructed a rather rigorous schedule of touring for the year. The singer will be on the road without rest until well into September, and may even go global after finishing up in the states. “We have dates in Asia and in Europe that we have yet to announce but they are being worked on. I’m really excited about that,” Lambert added. For tickets and other information, visit the official website.

By: Justin Beckner, Rock Concerts Correspondent

They’re back. The seven piece ensemble has been packing venues full of Irish traditionalists and punk rockers all over the world. And now Flogging Molly are setting off across the United Sates on their annual Guinness Green 17 Tour. I had a chance to talk with my old friend Dennis Casey (guitarist) about the new CD/DVD and Tour.

JB: Wow, this is my 5th interview with Flogging Molly. It seems like so long since you’ve toured through the Midwest. What have you been doing in the meantime?

DENNIS CASEY: We did our first ever full tour of Canada, from Halifax to Vancouver. We usually just play Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Took a month off, then we played a New Years show in LA. Took another month off. So I’ve been hanging out at home for a while.

JB: You’ve just recorded a new live CD/DVD set for us. I’ve heard that its due out in March. Can you tell us a bit about how this opportunity came about?

DC: We were doing a tour in September and were scheduled to play the Greek Theatre in LA. We thought it would be a great time to record and film the show because it’s a beautiful venue, a dream come true to play there and we started out in LA. We thought lets just go for it, one night only, see what happens. After mixing and editing we decided it would be great to put it out so our fans can share the experience. We like playing most everywhere but playing LA is like a homecoming.

JB: Have you been working on anything for a new studio album? When will we see another studio album?

DC: We haven’t worked collectively on any new material but individually we all have ideas and riffs. It just takes us setting time out to all get together in a room and do it. Having said that I believe this year will be the year we do that. Then I think at the end of this year or beginning of next year we will have a new CD out.

JB: It seemed on the Float album (which was great), there was a bit more of a classical Irish twist on the music. Was there a shift in influence away from the punk rock and towards the traditional Irish jams?

DC: That question has been asked ever since we put out our second record and it gets asked both ways (Why the move in direction from Irish to more punk or punk to more Irish) All I can say is that, to me there is no move in that way. We get in a room and make sounds and it comes out Flogging Molly, we don’t say well this record will be more Irish than that one… We have grown I believe as a band and are still evolving. We’ve been touring a lot and making records for 13 years, I think comes through the most on Float.

JB: You’ve done quite a lot of touring abroad. What has been the most memorable shows abroad?

DC: Many times it will be the first time you play somewhere. Last year we played Croatia for the first time and over 2000 people showed up. We never played there before! We walked off the bus and it was like Beatlemania, we needed security to escort us to the stage. Playing Japan is always memorable because the culture is so different. Fans there are really quiet in between songs and then really crazy as soon as you start playing.

JB: Do you remember that Warped Tour show in Minneapolis way back when that huge thunderstorm hit right at the end of your set? That was a great show.

DC: I sure do, and I often tell that story in interviews because it was such a crazy experience. A lot of equipment got ruined that day. The acoustic set afterwords was something I will not forget. I’ve always wanted to see footage of that show. If anyone reading this knows or has some please contact us. It would be really cool to see it. One thing I remember thinking as it was happening was, Am I going to get electrocuted?

JB: What is the worst venue you’ve ever played at?

DC: There have been some real shit holes over the years but I tend to forget the names of the bad ones and remember only the good ones.

Check out more Flogging Molly at their official website.

By: Justin R. Beckner, Rock Concerts Correspondent

Rich Williams is too modest to tell you himself, but he is one of the greatest and most enduring guitarists of his generation. Kansas has been together and touring for 40 years now and unlike most bands of that era who still tour, they still have the original core of the band. I remember the first time I saw Kansas, it was at a festival in Northern Minnesota and I was blown away by Rich’s guitar playing. I found myself wondering why they weren’t headlining the festival.

This summer Kansas is United in Rock with Styx and Foreigner for a rigorous nationwide tour. But that’s nothing new for a man who churns out 70-75 shows every year with his Kansas bandmates. But don’t worry, there’s some fun along the way too. Below is an interview with Guitar Legend, Rich Williams.

JB: What is your least favorite interview question?

RW: Well there are some. One we get is, “Where are you guys from?” but I think my least favorite is a question that they ask more over in Europe but we get it here too is, “What can we expect from you guys when you come to town?”. You know, what can you say to that, “I’m not gonna play that night. I’m going to put on a sausage making seminar.” It’s kinda obvious. But I don’t want to be a dick about it so I just tell them that were going to play a great show and blah blah blah. I guess maybe they’re looking for some cheap pro wrestling type bit.

JB: How is the vibe with the band right now, are you working on any new material?

RW: Things are going really well, today we were going over some old songs that we’re adding to the set this year to change things up a bit. We’re going to spend most of the summer promoting the new DVD we just put out. We do have some future plans although I cant really discuss them right now because not all of the parties have been spoken to yet. But its going to be a very busy year for us. We’re doing 50 – 70 dates with Foreigner and Styx this summer as well as a bunch of symphony gigs on our own. So we might hit 100 dates this year which is very busy for us. We work at a pretty casual pace most of the time. This year is going to be different but usually we leave on Friday and come home on Sunday all through the year. So we usually end up with 70-75 dates a year. This year we’ll be out for three months at a time doing four or five nights a week. So that’s something that will be different for us that we’re getting ready for.

JB: I wanted to ask you about how you feel the role of technology has changed the music industry. Particularly things like Guitar Hero, MySpace, iTunes, etc. Is it good or bad?

RW: Well, Guitar Hero has been great. I hear people complain all the time that its not really a guitar which its not, it’s a game. But it gets kids involved in classic rock music. The music is kind of a by product of the game. And I’m sure there been many a kid who has played the game and thought, ya know, I think I’d like to learn how to play a real guitar. And if the game can spark that, then I cant see any harm in it. As with the internet, you have to get on board and change with the times. You cant stop people from buying albums (or not buying albums) online. So might as well embrace it. Its just the way things are done now. I’ve seen where a band is on the radio and you buy an album for those two songs and the rest of it is crap. Well, now you can download the songs for 99 cents a pop. So why go into a studio and record 12 songs – run up a quarter of a million dollar bill in recording costs when you can just record four songs and put out an EP. It gets music out to the fans quicker, reduces recording costs. The people get more of what they want.

JB: Now, you’ve got some great looking PRS Guitars. Have you thought about getting some new guitars?

RW: My two main guitars are PRS and one of them is the first PRS guitar I bought, God, about 25 years ago. And I also have a Dragon PRS that I use more as a backup. I got that 18 years ago. I got that guitar the same year my daughter was born. I love those guitars.

JB: What does your practice regiment look like these days?

RW: We don’t get together that much in our off time anymore. I play everyday – some days more than others. It is very important to pick up a guitar everyday and fiddle with it.

JB: You’re playing a few dates in the Midwest this year. Do you have any memorable moments that come to mind when you think about the Midwest?

RW: The first one that comes to mind, we were playing at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, so it was a really big gig for us. I hadn’t thought about it much and we were working on a lot of new material at the time so we decided that we would try out some new songs at the show that night. I remember driving up to the stadium and you can see inside as you’re driving up and that place was jam packed. So, we decided not to unveil any new songs that night. We were too nervous. But we played a great show. The crowd was amazing and they brought in a huge sound system. I remember sitting in my dressing room before our set and hearing this amazing guitar playing. And I was like, who the fuck is that? Turns out it was Van Halen. They were just getting started.

JB: Who is the greatest guitar player of all time in your mind?

RW: Jeff Beck. Without a doubt. He’s not all flash but he can be if he wants to. Another one might be Eric Clapton. His Bluesbreakers album really opened my eyes. It was the first time I had heard a Les Paul plugged into a Marshall cranking out the blues. The Yardbirds had Jeff Beck, Clapton, and Page. That’s kinda the gold standard for guitar playing minus Jimi Hendrix.

JB: Are there any lessons you’d like to share that you had to learn the hard way?

RW: Yeah on a personal level, its never too early to get off the party wagon. I drank a little more than I should have. It went from a fun thing to being a problem. I’m glad I stopped. Best thing I ever did. I never played really too drunk. It was more off the stage stuff. Another thing people ask us is how we’ve stayed together so long. I was never the greatest guitar player in the world but I have a good attitude. You really have to surround yourself with good people with a common goal. Its hard to work with people with one foot out the door. It’s a lot harder to be in a band and be on the road in a van with a bunch of assholes.

For more info on Kansas, check out their website.

By: Justin R. Beckner, Rock Concerts Contributor

The road is no stranger to Danko Jones, a power rock trio who have been relentlessly touring throughout the world for years. Rock Concerts Contributor Justin Beckner had a chance to catch up with the band’s frontman and namesake Danko Jones on opening night of the 2010 Guns N’ Roses Tour in Winnipeg, Canada where they played to a nearly sold out MTS Centre.

In a music business that on the surface appears to be built around commercialization, Jones has a refreshing approach. “As far as marketing a band and making a band famous, I don’t know how to do that. All we know how to do is play a good show,” he revealed. “We have no masterful marketing plan to make it in the music industry.”

The band consists of Jones on vocals and guitar, John “JC” Calabrese on bass, and drummer Dan Cornelius.

JB: Tell me a bit about your latest album.

Danko Jones: It’s a little confusing. Our newest album was released in March of 2008. Its called Never Too Loud. We toured for that for about a year, then we put out a B-Sides record and toured for that in Europe last year. And we just finished the new follow-up album this last December, so only a month ago. That’s gonna be out this year – hopefully around May. So, Never To Loud just got released in America, B Sides is our latest record in Europe, and in Canada Never Too Loud got released almost two years ago.

JB: Danko Jones is pretty notorious for being on the road a lot. Do you have any tips for staying sane on the road?

DJ: I’ve found that the internet is a good way to stay sane. It keeps your mind busy. Other than that, eating healthy is very important because there’s nothing worse than being sick on the road.

JB: Now aside from your career as a musician, you also write for several magazines and host a radio show. Do you ever get burnt out having music as your job and your hobby?

DJ: That’s what I wanted to do all my life so having music around me 24 hours a day is comfortable to me.

JB: Could you describe the worst gig you’ve ever played?

DJ: These been a few that were pretty bad. I suppose when the only person in the crowd is the sound guy. That happened once in Rhode Island. But we still played our full set.

JB: That’s dedication. Not playing for one guy but just the fact that you toured through Rhode Island is pretty crazy. What has been the biggest obstacle in your life as a musician and how do you overcome it?

DJ: The biggest obstacle I guess would have to be the lack of marketing money and the way to overcome that is just to tour a lot and get your name out there by doing interviews and any other way you can think of.

JB: These been a lot of talk lately with our crap economy that the music industry is collapsing. Do you see that being true in the US, Canada, and Europe?

DJ: The industry in Canada goes hand in hand with whatever is happening in the states. But I think it is collapsing and at the same time there’s great music being put out by great bands every week. So people say the industry is dying but the caliber of the music being put out hasn’t weaned at all. I’m not worried about the music, maybe the industry itself. As much as the infrastructure of the industry has helped bands, it has hurt a lot of bands too so maybe the industry collapsing isn’t such a bad thing. But we’ll just have to see what the next five years brings. It will be interesting.

JB: Could it be seen as a good thing if the industry were to collapse?

DJ: I see it as good and bad. Its bad that people at record labels have lost their jobs because there isn’t as much money floating around in the industry. On the other hand, its really bought the music onto a level playing field. Bands that didn’t have that marketing money can have a MySpace page and have the potential access to the same number of people that a Madonna or a Metallica would have. Today all you have to do is type in a address to where in the past you had to have these distribution arms find you. Everyone talks about how everyone is losing their jobs in the industry. But what no one talks about, and it’s a hard number to count, is the number of band that have been fucked over by labels. Majors and Indies – Indies aren’t above fucking over their bands. So if someone lost their job at a label, I’m sorry to hear it but for every one person who lost their job at a label, there’s about 10 bands who got fucked over.

JB: You had a bit of experience with record label sodomy. Apparently they didn’t like your views on illegal downloading. Is that correct?

DJ: Yeah, its funny the only time I get asked about that is in Canada. Its sad but that was the only issue that we ever really got any exposure in. It was never about the music. Illegal downloading is such and old issue and we still get asked about it a lot. It seems to be the only thing that people remember us by. I couldn’t honestly give a shit less if someone downloads an album for free. As long as they hear the music. That’s what’s important to me right now. We’ve been known as the band that lost their deal because we were too vocal about downloading. And I really don’t care about that whole deal anymore because the people who were at the label when they dropped us aren’t there. There’s only one guy still there and he’s such a cheesy douchebag that I wouldn’t want to be under his arm anyway. So, they’re all gone and we’re still here so we won and the fans won.

JB: That’s really all the questions I have, it really been fun talking to you. You seem to have been around the industry a long time and know what you’re talking about and I appreciate that kind of company.

DJ: Well its all relative. I don’t really know that much at all but compared to some of the people who have managed to weasel their way into the music industry – they know nothing. So they make us look good when it comes to that stuff. But the thing is, I don’t know too much about music. I cant read music. I just listen to music and play what we feel are good shows. As far as marketing a band and making a band famous, I don’t know how to do that. All we know how to do is play a good show. We’ve never payed for advertising like Limp Bizkit or anything like that. We have no masterful marketing plan to make it in the music industry. We listen to a lot of records – more than the average person, the cool thing is that even we haven’t listened to most of it. So I cant claim to be that knowledgeable.

JB: Any final thoughts comments or plugs?

DJ: Yeah: MySpace.com/dankojones, Facebook.com/dankojones, DankoJones.com, Twitter.com/dankojones

The band’s tour with Guns N’ Roses and Sebastian Bach wraps up in Halifax, Nova Scotia on February 4.

Sometimes in life, an opportunity arises that’s simply too good to pass up. Just ask Kelly Hansen, who landed the job that most people can only fantasize about – lead singer in a famous rock band. “It almost feels like we’re cheating,” his bandmate in Foreigner jokes. “We get to play all hit songs, there’s just too many great songs for every show,” adds Hansen.

And he’s right – the list of hits that includes smashes like “Hot Blooded“, “Urgent“, and “Cold As Ice” seems almost as endless as the parade of fans lining up all around the world to hear them played.

But don’t be fooled. The road to a life of sold-out shows, fun parties, and screaming fans wasn’t paved with gold for the vocalist. There were trials and struggles, but today those experiences have helped to shape Hansen into a better singer with a true dedication to his profession. “I operate on the philosophy that every show is important,” he says. “If I was going to a show, I wouldn’t want someone on stage thinking that tonight’s not important.”

In between it all, Hansen is even trying to do his part in helping out the environment. “I make a fraction of real garbage at home than I used to; you just have to make that choice of habit. I have a Prius here at home and I use fluorescent bulbs – it’s not only better for the planet but it saves money, too.”

He also takes his voice very seriously. “I don’t go out and party a lot, I just go back to my room and sleep as much as I can. I don’t go to a bar and drink beer and tell loud stories – that’s a killer.”

Foreigner is playing loud and proud in 2009, and with good reason. There’s a brand new album in stores titled Can’t Slow Down, and a world tour is planned for next year that will bring the band into American and European arenas alike. In this interview, Kelly Hansen recalls his very first experiences with the band and also gives insight into  his hectic lifestyle that at one point included keeping his voice in shape on a world tour while simultaneously writing and recording songs for the band’s then-forthcoming album. Much gratitude goes out to John Lappen for making the necessary arrangements, and to Kelly Hansen for this great conversation. Get the latest on Foreigner by visiting ForeignerOnline.com, and meet up with Kelly on his Twitter page.

You can listen below to the full interview:

What is it that makes a singer more than just a person behind a microphone? Maybe it’s the attitude, the delivery, or that audience connection. Whatever it is that separates the good from the great, one thing is clear: Don Dokken has it. His distinct singing and writing style, coupled with his on stage persona and off stage candor have long set him apart from other singers of the era and given him recognition today as a legendary rock vocalist. With 11 studio albums to his credit and thousands of live shows under his belt, Don has nothing to prove. Yet still the song ideas flow and the fans scream for more; it seems indeed there is no ‘off’ position on the genius switch.

Don led his band Dokken through trials and tribulations in the 1980s, recording metal anthems and passionate ballads all the while. In the ’90s he released a solo album before surprising fans and critics alike when he rejoined all of his former bandmates as Dokken once more. Members have come and gone since this 1995 reunion, but the band’s discography has more than doubled in those years. New record after new record, songs like “Sunless Days” and “Standing on the Outside” have proven than even 25 years later, no one can rock it quite like Dokken.

We are honored to present this revealing and entertaining interview – a glance into the life of Don Dokken. Endless studio, and even some auto work left Don understandably exhausted by the time he rang our line that evening, so the interview is somewhat brief. However, we promise that this will not be our last chat with the always entertaining frontman – many readers submitted questions that we were unable to get to. Our conversation ranged from the upcoming Greatest Hits re-recorded project to the status of future band and solo projects. A very special thanks to our good friend Neeley at the Classic Metal Show for making this interview happen, and to Don Dokken for his time and patience with those technical issues. We hope you enjoy this interview.

Melodic Rock Concerts (Matt Becker): It’s a true honor to have you on the line this evening Don. What’s happening with you?

Don Dokken: Well not much. I wish I could tell you a bunch of stuff but we’ve just been touring for 7 months and trying to wrap up this greatest hits album, going to Japan in a few weeks to play a big festival with Judas Priest and lots of bands like that – and Lynch Mob is playing. And that’s about it. Start a new record.

MRC: So I caught you in the studio tonight if I’m not mistaken?

DD: Yeah I just want to wrap it up because we’re so close. We’re 98% done. So between tonight, tomorrow, and Monday, we’ll hopefully be done.

MRC: Do you try to stay out of trouble and out of the L.A. scene?

DD: Yeah I always stay out of trouble, working on my cars every day. Me and my brother are car nuts so I’ve been under my XK all day, getting greasy. Of course I came to the studio, but working on my cars is the therapy.

MRC: Sure, there you go. Are you a car collector? Do you have a lot of classics?

DD: Not anymore. I used to have a lot of old Rolls Royces and Bentleys but now my brother has an SL Mercedes and I bought an XKE 66 Jaguar. It’s a piece of crap, I’ve been trying to make it NOT a piece of crap. But that’s the whole point. Anyone can go out to a car show and buy a mint condition one and it doesn’t mean anything.

MRC: What’s the strip like in 2009 vs. 1989?

DD: It’s rockin’, you know. It’s like the ‘80s – there’s a million clubs and a lot of bands. It’s all starting to look like it did in the ‘80s with long hair and the tats. It’s a revival, what can I say.

MRC: Now on this greatest hits album Don, it’s two covers and two new tracks?

DD: Yeah two covers and two new tracks. We have a cover song called “Lies” by the Knickerbockers and also “Bus Stop” by the Hollies. Mick sang live as a duet on that and it came out really cool. And then two new songs, one is called “Magic Man”, it’s about drug dealers.

MRC: Which label is handling the release? Is Rhino out of the picture?

DD: Cleopatra. Yeah, Rhino is out of the picture.

MRC: One question that we had from a reader was if there are any plans to go back to the earlier Dokken albums and remaster those.

DD: Everybody’s doing that – we’re not going to do that. Remaster why? Add some EQ, some bottom end? What’s the point. I don’t see the point.

MRC: Let’s talk a little bit about these new Norton Antivirus commercials.

DD: Alright – let’s talk about the dead chicken.

MRC: Right, of course we’re referring to these Norton commercials featuring Dokken. If I remember correctly these commercials were done in some sort a blimp hangar?

DD: Yeah it was at Long Beach Airport, they built it during the war. It’s the largest wooden structure in the world.

MRC: Dokken is not only the perfect name for a band, but also for a computer virus.

DD: Yeah, we just did it for fun. Why not.

MRC: There are a lot of rumors about a Dokken/Lynch Mob tour – do you know how those got started?

DD: It’s a possibility. I talked to George about it, they’re going to see if they can put dates together. I threw it out there, and we’ll know in 10 days.

MRC: Speaking of George Lynch, I heard that you recently had an encounter with his Souls of We project. You actually ended up on stage at one pont?

DD: Yeah I just walked up and told him to tune his guitar. I mean it’s the Souls of We – it’s a very strange band, you know, it’s dark music and he’s just doing his thing. George is doing a spin off and I get it, you know. But it’s not my style.

MRC: You’ve always had your own style, where as George has gone in so many different directions.

DD: A lot of different directions. If you take a look at his last four albums they’re all over the map. And that’s fine, that’s cool.

MRC: So I was at the Sturgis Bike Rally over the summer and was there when Steven Tyler fell off the stage.

DD: Oh you were there? Bummer.

MRC: Yeah and I was wondering if anything like that has ever happened to you over the years?

DD: Yeah, my first show with Dio in like ’84, our very first show I just walked off the end of the stage by accident and broke my foot. Since they didn’t have the tape down I couldn’t see and went over the edge into the pit. And, I broke my leg on the Poison tour in 2004. I did half of that tour on crutches with a broken leg. I broke my leg on a day off on a jet ski.

MRC: Really? I think I do remember hearing about that story somewhere.

DD: Yeah I did the tour with crutches. I would just walk out on crutches and sing on a stool.

MRC: You carry on, right?

DD: What are you gonna do? It didn’t affect my voice.

MRC: Well you’re a man of stage trademarks, and one that fans have noticed over the years is air drumming.

DD: Yeah I love to air drum.

MRC: Did that get started back in the ’80s?

DD: I don’t know, I don’t remember. I like to jam out with Mick, you know.

MRC: I have to tell you that one of my first ever concerts was you guys with Great White, and you came out on stage full clad leather and sunglasses, and I thought that was the coolest thing ever (laughs).

DD: (Laughs) I’m kinda going back to that.

MRC: The stage dress has changed a lot over the years though.

DD: Yeah well I just got older and fatter you know. I can’t wear that stuff anymore (both laugh).

MRC: So my question is when does the Don Dokken reality show start? Would you ever do something like that?

DD: Never. My life is private and I want to keep it that way.

MRC: You got a point, I mean Bret Michaels is out there…

DD: And he’s made millions God bless him. It was fun. But, to keep his private life private, he was in a rented house with a bunch of bimbos, so it wasn’t really his private life. But I’m not down with that, those aren’t the kind of girls I like. I’m not into strippers and I’m not into sluts, you know. I’m not into sport screwing.

MRC: Have you always steered clear of that stuff?

DD: Yeah I mean I had my day in the ’80s you know? I had my binge. It’s kind of hard to say no when a runway model walks up and says “All I’m wearing is a trenchcoat.” (both laugh)

MRC: What were the crowds like this summer on the tour? I noticed a lot of younger fans.

DD: They were great, and when they stop being great I’ll stop touring. I see younger fans, I see 12 year olds, I see 50 year olds. It’s a very eclectic crowd because you’ve got the moms and dads who grew up with Dokken in the ’80s and they’re bringing their 15 year old kids to the show. It’s a very eclectic audience.

MRC: Sure. Are there any bands that you haven’t toured with that you would like to? Over the years you’ve toured with Aerosmith, KISS, Judas Priest…

DD: Nope. Well, Led Zeppelin.

MRC: There you go. It seems like Robert Plant can’t really make up his mind.

DD: Well look, he’s not going to be able to sing that stuff like he did when he was 25 years old, it’s just a given. It would be tough to sing, I have a hard time singing my stuff too. So you know I haven’t toured with Zeppelin, haven’t toured with Deep Purple but I’ve played with them. I don’t think there are many bands I haven’t toured with – Motley Crue, haven’t toured with them. Played a show with them in 1982 at the Roxy but that was about it. I’ve toured with everybody.

MRC: Sure.

DD: It’s not really about who anymore. From KISS to Blue Oyster Cult I’ve done it all, but I’m more concerned with Dokken, you know. My band, having fun, playing the hits, and if people get nostalgia and are happy and it brings back fond memories, god bless ‘em.

MRC: Absolutely, that’s what it’s all about. Let me ask you a bit more about the greatest hits project. I know it’s been a very taxing one for you. Are you mixing the hits up or trying to stay true?

DD: Totally true. Except trying to make it more punchy, and less reverb, you know. Making it more modern – it is the year 2009.

MRC: Are there any crazy stories from the road over the last few years? You’ve been doing a lot of shows.

DD: No, things are mellow. All we do is hang out and go to the show, go the the movies. I’m over 50 now, things have slowed down. There is no craziness backstage. I’ll leave that for Bret Michaels.

MRC: I made a special note to touch on the solo album that you did last year – Solitary. Are there any plans to make that available again or are the copies all gone?

DD: Yeah I mean I haven’t released it yet, I just put it out privately. But I’m trying to get a record deal with people who seem to get it. The labels go “Oh, it’s not rockin’, it’s too mellow.” I’m like, tell that to Robert Plant who’s sold two million copies with Alison Krauss. I don’t know what to tell you. I like the album, I’m proud of it. Maybe Starbucks will pick it up, I don’t know.

MRC: I would say that it would be a good fit for Starbucks – laid back, drink some coffee and listen to music.

DD: We’ll see. You never know.

MRC: Looking back a little bit to the Back for the Attack era when the infighting reached a peak. Do you think that putting George on a separate tour bus would have solve the problem, or would that have been too little too late?

DD: Yes, looking back, if we would have put him on a different bus, we could have survived. But whatever, that’s coulda, woulda, shoulda. It’s like looking back at old girlfriends saying I should have done this. Look – Ghandi, Buddha, they all say don’t live in the past. Live in the future, because that’s where you’re going to spend the rest of your life. So I don’t dwell on that, it’s just a waste of time.

MRC: Well speaking of the future, today we’ve got Kanye West and Hannah Montana, who really don’t have the talent that was necessary back in the day.

DD: You got that right.

MRC: What are your thoughts on that? Is there any new stuff you see out there that you like?

DD: I like Nickelback, I like Avenged Sevenfold, I love Green Day. But all of this commercial, Disneyland stuff, come on. I mean Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus, give me a break. She’s got no talent, she’s crude. Just a little trailer trash girl they picked up and made a star, good for her. She’s making millions, but I’d love to hear her sing a cappella on acoustic guitar. Good luck.

MRC: Yeah, no kidding.

DD: With no autotune or effects on her voice. It’s all smoke and mirrors, man.

MRC: Why do you think it is that quality vocalists like yourself, Rob Halford, and David Coveradale are so hard to come by today?

DD: Because protools, and autotune, and all of these programs can make you in tune. It makes you lazy. We come from the days where an A was an A, an E was an E. You’re either flat or you’re sharp. We were trained to sing on key. But now it doesn’t matter if you’re flat, doesn’t matter if you’re sharp. You can sing, bark, and then walk out of the room and the engineer fixes it. You can come back and it’s all perfect.

MRC: You’ve talked before, and said a few different things about what will be next for Dokken. Because of the good sales figures on Lightning Strikes again, are you going to record another album, or was Lightning Strikes Again the curtain call?

DD: Yeah we’re going to do another studio album. I don’t care about sales figures. I don’t make records because of sales figures anymore – I make records because I love to do it, it’s fun. It’s art. People don’t create paintings to become millionaires – they do it because they love to paint. The great painters of the 1800s died poor, but they still painted. Monet, all of them. They were poor, living in little apartments in Paris. They didn’t paint because they had to, they painted because they had to because they loved it. That’s why I make music, I don’t care about record sales. 20 million records sold, who cares anymore.

MRC: That’s how you were living in the Breaking the Chains era, wasn’t it 20 dollars a week or something?

DD: 20 dollars a week, yeah. Lots of Top Ramen and hot dogs.

MRC: Top Ramen, can’t go wrong.

DD: Love that stuff, can’t go wrong. It’s tasty for 20 cents a pack. (both laugh)

MRC: Absolutely! Now I know that you also have talked about doing a “break all the rules” solo project.

DD: I would like to, but the record company wants another Lightning Strikes Again. They want it to be like Dokken. I said OK, fine. I’ll give you one more Dokken-esque album, and then I’m going to do a metal, no rules no boundaries album. But I gotta get this next album done first.

MRC: Ok. Do you know when…

DD: That’s a year from now, that’s down the road man. After Japan we will start writing. I can’t really explain it, it’s a spiritual thing and I don’t want to get into it. You wake up, you hear nothing. You wake up sometimes at 3 in the morning and have an idea come through your head. You jump out of bed, turn the tape recorder on, grab your guitar and you put it down. That’s how it is.

MRC: I think the quality of the albums has gotten stronger and stronger over the years.

DD: I’ve tried.

MRC: I mean, you look at Lightning Strikes Again. Every track on that album stands out in its own way.

DD: If that album had come out in the ’80s it would have sold millions.

MRC: Absolutely. What was it like working with Jeff Scott Soto during those recording sessions?

DD: He’s a great singer, he helped me out a lot with the background vocals. A nice guy. He actually came in a couple days ago to sing.

MRC: Is there a release date for this Greatest Hits package?

DD: Next week I’ll have that and I’ll know it. I’m not going to give a release date until I got the album covered. If I can deliver the album, then I’ll know. I’m a week away and that’s all I can really say. I wish I could be more informative, but I don’t want to say anything until it’s done. This album should have been done six months ago.

MRC: You’ve been working on it for four years, haven’t you?

DD: Yep, off and on. I’m picky, I can’t help it. I’m a perfectionist.

MRC: The fans love you for it though.

DD: Let’s hope so.

MRC: Ok, now I have a question from a reader in Brazil, and he is wondering if Dokken has ever had an offer to tour in South America.

DD: No, but we plan on going to South America next summer. Never been there, but signed to go.

MRC: Really? That’s great. You’ve got quite a few dates for 2010 lined up already.

DD: We’re working on it. It’s a recession, it’s hard times.

MRC: The last question I want to ask is about Dokken albums in general. The first track always seems to have a hook that really grabs you – its there a certain pressure in choosing that first song? A certain process you use?

DD: No. We just write all the songs, and when we’re all done we just pick the song that really jumps out and the chorus grabs you. Then you put that as the lead track to suck people in and get their ear and get their attention. Like Lightning Strikes Again – Standing on the Outside. It’s just a great song. There’s no like “Oh, this will be the first song”. To write like that is ridiculous. You just write the songs, get them all done, sit down and listen to it, get away for a week, then sequence it. I’m not a hit machine, I just write whatever God, this higher power dictates, and whatever comes out comes out. Sometimes it’s great and sometimes it’s not so great.

MRC: What is it about the Beatles that makes them such an influence for you?

DD: They were geniuses – they tapped into the universe and it showed on their records. I wish I could do that. Sometimes I feel tapped in, sometimes I don’t. It just happened to be four guys that were in the right place at the right time. They tapped into the right energy in the universe and they turned out eight years of incredible music. End of story.

MRC: Alright Don I don’t want to hold you on any longer, you’ve probably been holed up in the studio for a while.

DD: Yeah, well I worked on the car, and now I’m just exhausted. I gotta push forward two more hours and try to make it. Try not to crash.

MRC: Well I want to thank you so much for talking to me, it’s been a real treat.

DD: No problem man. I appreciate it, I hope you catch some shows in the spring.

MRC: Absolutely. Thanks again, take care.

DD: Take care, bye.

You can get all the latest on Dokken at www.Dokken.net, and read our recent Dokken concert review at this link.

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