This afternoon (7/21/08) at 2:30 I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Leisha Hailey and Camila Grey, collectively known as the pop rock duo Uh Huh Her! And for those who are into the TV thing, uh huh, that is her…Leisha is also an actress, well known for her role in The 'L' Word. But I'm sitting in the San Fernando Valley offices of MSO, the powerful and hugely successful PR firm owned by Mitch Schneider. And, I'm VERY proud to say, the PR firm in which my lovely daughter, Angie, is a proud Associate Publicist! I've interviewed many a rock star over the past 20 years in the very same conference room where I'm setting up my microphone and recording gear in anticipation of my conversation with Uh Huh Her. I've worked with the good people of MSO (Mitch, Todd, Marcee, Kristine, Libby, et all) for almost 20 years. Some of their clients include David Bowie, Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, George Thorogood, the Allman Brothers Band, etc, etc, etc, all I've had the pleasure of meeting and working with through the years. Oh, but wait, we're here to talk about me talking to Uh Huh Her. I got sidetracked because the MSO office is very special to me, indeed!
OK, so Uh Huh Her has a new album called Common Reaction. I direct my first question to Leisha and ask, "You were born in Okinawa and grew up in Nebraska, the heartland of America. How do one or both of those experiences affect your songwriting today?" The very first word out of Leisha's mouth is – very ironically, "Huh," quickly followed by, "Wow, nobody's ever asked me that question." I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! People, that to me is the BIGGEST compliment anyone I'm speaking with can pay me!! That and, at the end of our conversation, "That was a great interview" or "I really enjoyed that." So, though I must confess, the album is not really my cup of tea, we had a very good conversation, though, at times, a bit of a struggle to pull answers out of each, only because both are very soft spoken and were a bit uncomfortable dissecting their lyrics and songwriting. But, hey, that's OK. I'm not a critic – I'll NEVER – be a critic…I'm a reporter, yes, an "interviewer," and so I get what I can out of the artist and the music. Sometimes they are very open, other times much more reserved. In either case, I always go in prepared with what I hope THEY will find as interesting and educated questions about their work, their art, and then it's up to them how they decide to answer…or NOT answer.
I said my goodbyes to the MSO staffers, including my daughter, and on my way out, was handed a fantastic 9-CD box set of hard rock classics called Hard + Heavy, available through Time Life. I'm a happy camper, life is good and it's time for me to race back home, finish writing my daily Pop, Rock and Classic Rock Music News columns and prepare to head out to the Viper Room on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood for an album release party/concert celebrating the release of Candlebox's new…FANTASTIC…album, Into the Sun, which comes out tomorrow! So, I'll tell you all about that……next!
Peace
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THE METAL GOD!
The problem with having so much to write about is that I have so little time to write! Ok, enough about my decidedly great problem to have…let's rock…HARD!!
To Judas Priest, Fight, Halford and, for a tiny brief time, Black Sabbath fans, he is simply known as "The Metal God!" I interviewed (and by the way, that will be the last time you hear (read?) me say (write?) that I "interviewed" someone – I like to call them "conversations," so from now on, that's what they'll be) Rob Halford today (July 18) at the Hollywood "studios" of www.knac.com…or so I thought. The "studio" turned out to be so small we LITERALLY sat on the floor in the hallway of a Hollywood office building to talk about Fight's recently released 3-CD/1/DVD box set, Into the Pit. I've known Rob for years, going back to my days as producer of Rockline, starting in 1992. Despite the angst he displays on stage and the well, heaviness of his music, he is a wonderful guy, happy to, as he told me Friday, be able to sit and talk…anywhere. Sadly, I did not have a camera with me or I would have had someone take a picture of me and one of the biggest names in heavy metal music (Ozzy, perhaps, being the biggest) sitting on the floor talking about his decision in the early 90's to walk away from Priest to form Fight, to his recent reunion with Priest for the Nostrdamus album (in stores now…plug, plug, plug), and lots and lots of things in between. I tell you guys, and I cannot emphasize this enough, Rob Halford is a wonderful gentleman, very well spoken, very bright and just a joy to be around. And, in the interest of full disclosure (and more six degrees of separation in this tiny community we call the music business), one of my best friends in life, Mike Davis, or simply MD to me, plays bass in Halford's solo band, the aptly named Halford!! By the way, MD also plays bass in Dramarama, alongside another very good buddy – and amazing human being – John Easdale.
So, my 25 minutes and change conversation with Rob ends, I press stop on the recorder and Rob and I both walk over to the cool guy (mid-20's, I'd say) in one of the offices who I had asked prior to pressing record if we could close his door for a bit more quiet and thank him for giving us some peace and quiet. Rob and I exchange handshakes and hugs, he bolts down the hall to head directly to the airport, where he jumped on a plane headed for Seattle where Judas Priest performed in concert last night (Monday, July 21). I've just spent a well, heavenly half hour with The Metal GOD!!" It's time to start my weekend!!
Peace
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To Judas Priest, Fight, Halford and, for a tiny brief time, Black Sabbath fans, he is simply known as "The Metal God!" I interviewed (and by the way, that will be the last time you hear (read?) me say (write?) that I "interviewed" someone – I like to call them "conversations," so from now on, that's what they'll be) Rob Halford today (July 18) at the Hollywood "studios" of www.knac.com…or so I thought. The "studio" turned out to be so small we LITERALLY sat on the floor in the hallway of a Hollywood office building to talk about Fight's recently released 3-CD/1/DVD box set, Into the Pit. I've known Rob for years, going back to my days as producer of Rockline, starting in 1992. Despite the angst he displays on stage and the well, heaviness of his music, he is a wonderful guy, happy to, as he told me Friday, be able to sit and talk…anywhere. Sadly, I did not have a camera with me or I would have had someone take a picture of me and one of the biggest names in heavy metal music (Ozzy, perhaps, being the biggest) sitting on the floor talking about his decision in the early 90's to walk away from Priest to form Fight, to his recent reunion with Priest for the Nostrdamus album (in stores now…plug, plug, plug), and lots and lots of things in between. I tell you guys, and I cannot emphasize this enough, Rob Halford is a wonderful gentleman, very well spoken, very bright and just a joy to be around. And, in the interest of full disclosure (and more six degrees of separation in this tiny community we call the music business), one of my best friends in life, Mike Davis, or simply MD to me, plays bass in Halford's solo band, the aptly named Halford!! By the way, MD also plays bass in Dramarama, alongside another very good buddy – and amazing human being – John Easdale.
So, my 25 minutes and change conversation with Rob ends, I press stop on the recorder and Rob and I both walk over to the cool guy (mid-20's, I'd say) in one of the offices who I had asked prior to pressing record if we could close his door for a bit more quiet and thank him for giving us some peace and quiet. Rob and I exchange handshakes and hugs, he bolts down the hall to head directly to the airport, where he jumped on a plane headed for Seattle where Judas Priest performed in concert last night (Monday, July 21). I've just spent a well, heavenly half hour with The Metal GOD!!" It's time to start my weekend!!
Peace
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BACKSTAGE WITH COLLECTIVE SOUL!
Quoting directly the first thing Cheap Trick frontman Robin Zander sings on the band's Live at Budokan album: "Hello there ladies and gentlemen/Hello there ladies and gents/ Are you ready to rock/Are you ready to rock?" Here goes, my first official blog post/entry/rant/story thingy. But before I take you backstage to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and introduce you to Collective Soul leader Ed Roland, I need you all to join me in a HUGE thank you to Cindy Whittaker, the brains and beauty behind this blog and the reason why we're all here gathered around the communal computer campfire!
OK, so last Sunday (07/14/08) at 6p L.A. time, my daughter, Angie, herself a publicist in the music biz (you'll be hearing lots about her in the future as well) and I arrive at the Greek Theatre, nestled in the hills overlooking Hollywood, to meet up with Alison Taylor, a member of Collective Soul's new management team – who I'm meeting for the very first time – and who will escort us backstage, downstairs into the inner sanctum of the historic and beautiful outdoor amphitheatre, eventually ending up in the quiet – for now – of Collective Soul's spacious and luxurious dressing room. Alison leaves to go grab Ed, who by the way has been a dear friend of mine since the mid-90's when many, many times I booked the band on the nationally syndicated radio Rockline show I produced for 5 years. So there my daughter and I are, sitting on a beautiful couch surrounded by more water, soda, beer, wine, crackers, fruit, veggies, peanut butter, bread, etc, etc, etc any band could eat and drink in a week, let alone one night…actually a few hours, in L.A. After about 15 minutes, Ed arrives, flowing long blonde hair and a massive smile in tow, and we exchange a giant hug. For the record, Ed Roland is one of the nicest guys in rock and roll I've ever had the pleasure to work with and befriend. I introduce Ed to Angie for the first time and we sit down, I plug my microphone into a mini-disc recorder, pop on my headphones and we begin our all-too brief conversation (the road manager was hovering over us, constantly looking at his watch). I press record and say to Ed: "Since the last time you and I had a meaningful conversation, we've each experienced death – your dad, my mom – divorce, and now personal and professional redemption. Before we move to the musical epilogue that is Afterwords (the title of the band's current album), I never got the chance to thank you for Youth (the title of the band's previous album), an album I felt you wrote especially for me because songs like "Home" literally hit home on so many levels." And away we went on a 15-minute conversation (I refuse to call them "interviews") covering specific songs on Afterwords that deal with the death of his father, his remarriage, his 9-year old son, the glitz of "Hollywood," the power of music to move people, our mutual love of The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen as a songwriter, etc, etc until I press "stop" on my recorder (after ignoring 3 previous signs from the tour manager to wrap up). Once again, Ed and I exchange not one but two heartfelt hugs, agree how wonderful it is to see each other again after 2 years and promise to see each other again later that night, right after the band's great 1-hour, hits-filled set concludes, again, backstage, this time in the woodsy outdoor very exclusive V.I.P. hospitality area. Just before he's whisked away, my daughter snaps the photo that you see of Ed and I, minutes before he hits the stage.
The Greek, by the way, is one of my favorite venues in L.A…nothing like seeing a great band there on a beautiful star-filled summer Southern California night! Oh yeah…THE PARKING SUCKS!!!!!!! But I digress. As promised, after Collective Soul's set, Angie and I make our way back to the Hospitality area, where we once again meet up with Ed and also his brother, guitarist Dean Roland and bassist Will Turpin, each of whom are incredible people and I'm blessed to say, dear friends as well! A couple of cocktails and brief conversations with each later, Angie and me, and my friend Cheri, who I ran into at the concert and managed to sneak back into Hospitality after the show (shhh, don't tell) walked back to our, by now, lonely cars (the parking lots were completely emptied by then) and drove home with the ringing of Collective Soul, Live and Blues Traveler music in our ears.
OK, OK, I know I was long-winded…I promise to be more concise in the future, but hey, it's my first blog/post/entry/rant/story thingy…I wanted to give you guys your money's worth!!! Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Complaints? Recipes?
ON TAP: This week I'm interviewing the Metal God himself, Rob Halford; next week, Candlebox, The Alarm and Brett Dennen.
Peace
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OK, so last Sunday (07/14/08) at 6p L.A. time, my daughter, Angie, herself a publicist in the music biz (you'll be hearing lots about her in the future as well) and I arrive at the Greek Theatre, nestled in the hills overlooking Hollywood, to meet up with Alison Taylor, a member of Collective Soul's new management team – who I'm meeting for the very first time – and who will escort us backstage, downstairs into the inner sanctum of the historic and beautiful outdoor amphitheatre, eventually ending up in the quiet – for now – of Collective Soul's spacious and luxurious dressing room. Alison leaves to go grab Ed, who by the way has been a dear friend of mine since the mid-90's when many, many times I booked the band on the nationally syndicated radio Rockline show I produced for 5 years. So there my daughter and I are, sitting on a beautiful couch surrounded by more water, soda, beer, wine, crackers, fruit, veggies, peanut butter, bread, etc, etc, etc any band could eat and drink in a week, let alone one night…actually a few hours, in L.A. After about 15 minutes, Ed arrives, flowing long blonde hair and a massive smile in tow, and we exchange a giant hug. For the record, Ed Roland is one of the nicest guys in rock and roll I've ever had the pleasure to work with and befriend. I introduce Ed to Angie for the first time and we sit down, I plug my microphone into a mini-disc recorder, pop on my headphones and we begin our all-too brief conversation (the road manager was hovering over us, constantly looking at his watch). I press record and say to Ed: "Since the last time you and I had a meaningful conversation, we've each experienced death – your dad, my mom – divorce, and now personal and professional redemption. Before we move to the musical epilogue that is Afterwords (the title of the band's current album), I never got the chance to thank you for Youth (the title of the band's previous album), an album I felt you wrote especially for me because songs like "Home" literally hit home on so many levels." And away we went on a 15-minute conversation (I refuse to call them "interviews") covering specific songs on Afterwords that deal with the death of his father, his remarriage, his 9-year old son, the glitz of "Hollywood," the power of music to move people, our mutual love of The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen as a songwriter, etc, etc until I press "stop" on my recorder (after ignoring 3 previous signs from the tour manager to wrap up). Once again, Ed and I exchange not one but two heartfelt hugs, agree how wonderful it is to see each other again after 2 years and promise to see each other again later that night, right after the band's great 1-hour, hits-filled set concludes, again, backstage, this time in the woodsy outdoor very exclusive V.I.P. hospitality area. Just before he's whisked away, my daughter snaps the photo that you see of Ed and I, minutes before he hits the stage.
The Greek, by the way, is one of my favorite venues in L.A…nothing like seeing a great band there on a beautiful star-filled summer Southern California night! Oh yeah…THE PARKING SUCKS!!!!!!! But I digress. As promised, after Collective Soul's set, Angie and I make our way back to the Hospitality area, where we once again meet up with Ed and also his brother, guitarist Dean Roland and bassist Will Turpin, each of whom are incredible people and I'm blessed to say, dear friends as well! A couple of cocktails and brief conversations with each later, Angie and me, and my friend Cheri, who I ran into at the concert and managed to sneak back into Hospitality after the show (shhh, don't tell) walked back to our, by now, lonely cars (the parking lots were completely emptied by then) and drove home with the ringing of Collective Soul, Live and Blues Traveler music in our ears.
OK, OK, I know I was long-winded…I promise to be more concise in the future, but hey, it's my first blog/post/entry/rant/story thingy…I wanted to give you guys your money's worth!!! Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Complaints? Recipes?
ON TAP: This week I'm interviewing the Metal God himself, Rob Halford; next week, Candlebox, The Alarm and Brett Dennen.
Peace
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Collective Soul Coming to The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles
Are you familiar with the band Collective Soul (Shine, The World I Know, December, Gel, Run, Precious Declaration, Heavy, Better Now, Hollywood, etc, etc, etc)? I'm interviewing lead singer Ed Roland Sunday backstage at the Greek Theatre in well, HOLLYWOOD! And I'll be checking out a great triple bill that includes the band Live, Collective Soul and Blues Traveler! So watch for details right here after Monday. I'll give you a backstage pass and share my first "day in the life" story with you! Stay tuned...and join me in.."The World I Know!"
Peace
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Peace
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