“Lyrically, the Toys were a mixed batch of rock and metal,” McMaster says. “’Sport’N A Woody’ is about my dick having a mind of its own, but ‘Bones in the Gutter’ is about a murder. So, yeah, the Toys were more about parties, but we also had room for the occasional psychopath.”
Not caring a Ratt’s ass about power ballads or stuffing their trousers, Junkyard played a tougher-than-denim blend of black-eyed blooze that snarled like Rose Tattoo getting wasted on Skynyrd’s moonshine. If Hollywood was a helium balloon filled with glammy guitar wankers and shirtless pretty boys, Junkyard was the dirty needle aiming to take it down.
From the do-it-yourself haircuts and crazy quilt of tattoos (guitarist Lars Frederiksen has the word “Beer” carved inside his lower lip) to the shout-along working-class anthems and high-energy stage presence, Rancid is punk rock’s genuine article.
With “Reconquista” serving as his latest calling card (following releases under the band names Los Gusanos and Bad Chopper – look ‘em up), CJ Ramone recently caught up with 2Fast2Die to plug his latest album and share his all-time favorite.
By Metal Dave With seven kids under one roof, there’s bound to be some commotion. When three of them decide to become professional bassists in hard-rock bands like Keel, Badlands and TUFF, it’s probably safe to assume the cops knew their way to the Chaisson home. “My parents were amazing people!” said TUFF bassist Todd…
By Metal Dave I first heard about The Mistakes while interviewing Poison singer Bret Michaels in 1999. Always quick with tons of fun stories, Bret was making the point that, despite Poison’s frilly image and blockbuster power ballads, the band still attracted its share of hard-ass freaks. “There’s a band out in L.A. called The…
Looking for some candy-ass rock star interview? Then run from the room screaming! Looking instead for some unscripted, brutally honest, always hilarious and fully intelligent insight from rock’s most enduring warhorse? Then stir up some Jack and Coke, and enjoy my 2002 Houston Press interview with Motorhead main man Lemmy Kilmister.
Prior to last week’s release of Aerosmith’s 15th album, “Music From Another Dimension,” Kramer phoned to discuss four decades of classic hard rock, toxic excess, hard-won sobriety and that prickly issue of singer Steven Tyler’s two-year stint on “America Idol.”
Just because Steven Tyler and Joe Perry pulled rank as Aerosmith’s “Toxic Twins,” that doesn’t mean the rest of the band was all cookies and chocolate milk. “Yeah, they get all the credit even though I worked so hard at fucking up my life,” said bassist Tom Hamilton during my 1999 interview.
Ian Anderson plays Jethro Tull’s classic “Thick as a Brick” at the Paramount Theatre in Austin TX, Oct. 28. Ticket info here. By Metal Dave Back when sending a letter meant finding a pen and licking a stamp, I mailed a shot in the dark to music journalist Anne Leighton in hopes of getting some…
Despite his best efforts to live fast, die young and leave a fabulous head of hair, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has buried his expiration date.
By Metal Dave Glessner It’s not without its thorns, but the life of Bret Michaels is rosier than most. As a solo artist and singer for glam-rock legends Poison, Michaels has survived diabetes, a spectacular car crash, a brain hemorrhage and a career of critical slings and arrows. Bruised but never beaten, Michaels also has…