Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com It’s been a roller-coaster year for Lamb of God , who released their latest album, ‘Resolution,’ in January, but spent much of the summer dealing with the very serious allegations against frontman Randy Blythe . The vocalist spent five weeks in prison after being accused of manslaughter stemming from an alleged incident at a 2010 show in the Czech Republic. While that case is not over yet, as Blythe will likely have to go back to face trial, Lamb of God are back on the road headlining a U.S. tour with support from In Flames, Hatebreed and Sylosis. We recently caught up with Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler, who discussed a wide range of topics concerning the band. In part 1 of our interview, Adler talks about the band’s current U.S. trek, their experience in the Czech Republic and Europe in the days following Blythe’s arrest and how the situation compared to the Dimebag Darrell tragedy of 2004. You’re headlining a U.S. tour with In Flames, Hatebreed and Sylosis, which is an impressive bill. Can you talk about your relationships and experiences with those bands? With Hatebreed and In Flames, we’ve toured the world with those guys two or three times and become good friends and there’s poker buddies among us. We really have become on good terms with a lot of those guys so it’s a lot of fun to catch up with them again, and Sylosis is a band from England that got off in 2008 and they’re such a huge band. I think they are a good band that’s kind of modern day thrash and I thought they’d be a great add-on to the bill. Lamb of God played Knotfest shortly after Randy Blythe’s release from a Czech prison, but after all the band and Randy went through this past summer, do you think this headlining tour serves as a cathartic experience of sorts? Knotfest was almost therapeutic in a way. There was so much frustration and just general questions about what was going to happen for so long, so it made us all certainly anxious. At least for me, I felt very energized and awakened to the idea that what we do is very fragile and it could be gone very, very quickly, and every night that we play onstage, where we do the thing that we love to do, is special. Sometimes when you do these kind of things for a long time, you just get caught up in the day job aspect of it and while it’s a great job, it becomes a job. To have something happen like what happened with Randy to derail us so violently; it was a wake-up call for me to really get back to that energy that brought us together to begin with, and that definitely came out at Knotfest from the band and the crowd. It was crazy to hear the crowd chanting, “Randy is free, Randy is free, Randy is free,” over and over again. That energy mixed with the kind of renewed sense of, I don’t want to call it ‘innocence,’ but the idea that we somehow bring out that initial motivation and that initial drive that makes us do this, and we had the opportunity to do it. Going forward, I’m looking at every night on [this] tour as a very special night. We’ve heard a lot about Randy’s experiences during the five weeks he was incarcerated, but what was that time like for you and the other band members? It was frustrating. I’d think that would be the closest descriptive term. We were of course primarily concerned about our friend and our bandmate’s well being and getting him out of there, and we all believed that kind of sense would prevail and he would be out any second. We just couldn’t believe what was going on and on and on. We weren’t allowed to speak with him, more or less see him, so it was only though his lawyers that we found out that he was doing well and he told them specifically to tell us not to worry. We did what we could to help and so we knew that he was doing well. Of course, then the question is, “Is this guy, who’s 41 years old … when he gets out of prison is he going to want to get back onstage and be in a band even if they don’t convict him for this?” And he definitely let us know that he wants to keep going and he wants to be back onstage soon as possible. And then of course we kept jumping through hoops to do our best to respect their system and to come through with their requests. It seemed like every time we jumped through a hoop, there was another delay and another hoop in front of us so it was very frustrating to try and piece together how this could have happened and what it could lead to, especially because there was no reserved time as to when he could get out. It’s still a very difficult situation; he’s slated to go back in January for the trial. It’s not over and it’s still very scary as to how this all happened and I think back here we were just trying to pool our resources and make sure we had the best people we could working on the case and trying to do what we could to get him out. The day that he got out we had no idea; we were told the day before he got out that it was going to at least be another week because his paperwork had to get through his guy or something like that, which is what we were told for four weeks straight. But the day that he got out, it was a surprise call saying they let him out. So even though it was good news, it was unexpected. What was your personal experience like in the Czech Republic during the initial hours of the detainment? Confusing. We got off the plane and we were corralled together. Our band and crew were taken into a side room off of the jet way and told that what was about to happen would scare the shit out of the other passengers on the plane. They put us in a room basically with a SWAT team. I mean guys with machine guns, knives, full out body armor. It was like these guys were ready for the apocalypse and right away we knew something was very, very wrong. At that point, I didn’t know it had anything to do with us. I thought we were going to be questioned for something or somebody that did something wrong. We knew somebody did something wrong and we’ve found out about all these spectacles that were done in Europe and maybe they are questioning everybody, maybe they saw something. We weren’t even sure about what happened and then they gave us this piece of paper that explains what the charge was and where it came from and they explained to us that they were keeping us all for questioning and that they needed to go through the entire crew and the entire band. They were taking Randy to jail immediately and it was just shocking. Two things were kind of added to the mindset. One was that it was the first time that we heard that someone was brutally injured at one of our shows, so there was immediately a sense of sympathy for that person’s family. It was a very depressing feeling comes over you; “Oh my god, I can’t believe this happened; it’s the very last thing we would ever want to happen at one of our shows.” We play in this band because we love doing it and the people that come and see us, hopefully they have a good time and they have a good story to tell when they leave. This is the last thing we would ever want to have happen, so we’re kind of caught up with that and then to add to that, they’re arresting Randy now, so of course we’re forced to be somewhat defensive and say, “Hell no, how could you possibly arrest our friend and how can you stop our business? How can you do this? This doesn’t make any sense!” And so, those two things don’t really mix well together; sympathy and being defensive about it at the same time. We were heartbroken about the situation so it was very confusing. The following day was an entire day of interrogation with the police, which took hours. We had a band and crew of about 12 people, so it took the entire day and that to me felt somewhat routine and you know, this person’s doing a job that needs to be done and I’m sure we’re all going to get out of here and they are going to let Randy go after they piece things together, but this was obviously a random accident and they didn’t let him go. Then the next morning, they didn’t let him go and we started getting a message from our legal representative there in the U.S. saying, “It might be smart for you guys to cross a border, just in case the situation gets worse or extends to other members of the band.” We drove to the German border and stayed there for two days thinking that they’ve got to come to their senses soon and let him out and we could come back and pick him up. We had tour dates planned but at that point we were just confused on how they could be holding him for this, especially after the testimony everybody had given. I think most of us thought we would continue the next couple of shows only, and it got to be the second day in Munich when we were sitting in Germany where we heard it was going to be a week, if not more before anything was going to happen. There was going to be no official statement about anything and they had complete capability of keeping him at least until any sort of charge or orders. So at that point, we were just hemorrhaging money to sit there for a week, so we sent everybody home early and from there and just tried to pull our resources and get him out of there. We interviewed Vinnie Paul from Hellyeah and Pantera, and a lot of people liken this situation the Dimebag situation. This is what Vinnie Paul told us: “After this happened to my brother, none of us thought there was an evil bone in that guy’s skin when he came up onstage. He looked like a security guard or a cop, and 10 seconds later, four people are dead. You don’t know whether it’s going to be a high five or a loose cannon with a knife.” And he went on to say, “If Randy did anything to protect himself, he had the right to as far as I’m concerned.” Obviously you guys didn’t know what happened until this summer, even though the alleged event occurred two years ago. But now that you’ve heard about the incident, can it be compared to the Dimebag Darrell case? I think a lot of things changed that day [that Dimebag was slain]. I think that the way performers now look at the stage itself and the idea of people coming on it has changed because of that date. Since I was a kid, I don’t remember ever going to show, you know my very first shows, as a kid, where I didn’t see people jumping on and jumping off. It’s just such a normal part of the hard rock culture to have that involved. For us as a band, what happened to Dimebag certainly made us take a step back and take note that maybe, it obviously doesn’t reign as a thing that happens, but it certainly is a wake up call that it could happen and that you need to be careful of. The rules we have are in place just to protect ourselves. I think for the most part, it wasn’t that bands were deciding, “Okay if you’re going to be onstage you’re going to be attacked,” or something like that. So at this particular [2010 Lamb of God] show, and I’m only speaking for myself, I don’t remember that specific show. I’ve seen videos of that night and I’ve seen kids jumping off the stage and that is totally not unusual of any other Lamb of God show in the last 16 years that I’ve been the drummer for the band. So there was nothing at all that stuck out that night that was unusual, so it’s kind of the other way around, but to have any sort of altercations or fights or some sort of threat; that would have stuck out. I would have remembered an act of violence whether it was a kid or Randy or something and it’s just people doing what people normally doing at our rock show and it was just such random series of events that I don’t think that we would have had a 10-foot high barricade or chicken wire on the stage or a rule that’s in place that nobody was allowed on. I don’t think there was anything we could have done to change this scenario and it was just so random. It wasn’t something that we came there to do, obviously. We’re trying to have fun so I don’t know what we could have done differently. Is the band taking any special security measures on this current tour? Well, everything that we had in the past is staying in tact, which is that in all of our contracts and all of the paperwork that goes out for management and booking agents, to the clubs, and to the promoters and it calls for security that ensures the safety of all those in attendance. There’s not much more we can do. I don’t know that if we made everybody sign a wavier when they walked in the door, or put the band in bubble suits … I don’t know if that would have saved anybody’s life. I really think this was a random set of circumstances. Of course, you won’t want this to happen again and we’re certainly going to be working with the crew and having security maybe every night at the venues. Certain things are not allowed, and that kind of thing that we’ve always done, but I don’t think people should be more or less concerned whether certain things are enforced. They can do whatever they want to have fun. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Chris Adler interview, in which the Lamb of God drummer discusses the album ‘Resolution,’ the band’s plans for a follow-up disc, his favorite all-time drummers and more. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/lamb-of-god-philadelphia-show-to-be-broadcast-live-on-axs-tv/” title=”Next: Lamb of God Concert to Be Broadcast Live” align=”center”] ?
Facebook: Chuck Shaffer Picture Show Remember the name Chuck Shaffer Picture Show, because the group just emerged as the winner of the 2012 Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands. As a result of besting acts from 28 other markets, the group just earned a slot on the 2013 Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival. In addition, the band will have the opportunity to record an EP with acclaimed producer Jay Baumgardner (Papa Roach, Seether, Drowning Pool, P.O.D.) at NRG Recording Studios in Hollywood and are walking away with $10,000 worth of music gear and other prizes. Music lovers can check out the up-and-comers in the latest episode of UPROAR TV, where the band performs at the Bristow, Va stop of the UPROAR festival. Watch the episode below. “The Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival is the ultimate summer rock tour and we are so honored to be a part of the 2013 experience,” says Chuck Shaffer Picture Show’s Ryan Johnson. “We’d like to thank Ernie Ball, Imagen Records, Rockstar Energy Drink and all of the judges for believing in us and welcoming us into the family.” In addition to the aforementioned festival slot, music gear and EP, the band’s grand prize package includes coverage right here on Loudwire as well as a feature in Revolver, a professional photo shot with rock photographer Lisa Johnson, a music video created by director Strait Hovartos, a one year supply of Ernie Ball strings, a one-year supply of Rockstar Energy Drink, free website design and two years of free hosting from Lunarpages. Chuck Shaffer Picture Show Win 2012 Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands [button href=”http://loudwire.com/2012-uproar-festival-overdose-rock-riches-massachusetts-show/” title=”Next: Check out a 2012 Uproar Festival Review + Gallery” align=”center”]
Ethan Miller/Getty Images Hard rockers Hinder are back with a new album, ‘Welcome to the Freakshow,’ out Dec. 4 , and frontman Austin Winkler isn’t holding back when it comes to opening up about the inspiration behind the album’s heavy tracks. Winkler says most of the songs are a reflection of “a really, really dark drug binge,” which drove him to rehab after the band finished the album. “I was in a very, very, very dark addiction,” Winkler told Billboard . “I think you can definitely hear the turmoil in my voice. As soon as we got the record done I went into treatment to get help, and it’s interesting to go back and listen to it now. Coming back, I have a whole new look on all of them and they mean something completely different to me now, too, so it’s pretty cool. That’s the beauty of music.” Hinder’s first single off the album, “Save Me,” is currently No. 25 on the BDS Radio chart for active rock. Winkler says the song is certainly indicative of the dark place he was in at the time of recording the album. “I was kind of in the mind set of, ‘Get out of my face. I’m too far gone to be saved,’ kind of thing,” he says. “I had a really nasty attitude in that song, but I had a blast singing and recording it. I think it’s our heaviest single yet, and we’re getting a pretty good response.” Hinder are set to play a handful of U.S. shows with Nonpoint before 2012 is over. Hinder 2012 Tour Dates: Dec. 5 – Battlecreek, Mich. @ Planet Rock Dec. 7 – Kenosha, Wis. @ The Brat Shop Dec. 8 – Fort Wayne, Ind. @ Pieres Dec. 9 – Flint, Mich. Dec. 12 – Lancaster, Pa. @ Chameleon Club
Larry Busacca, Getty Images Jon Bon Jovi’s 19-year-old daughter Stephanie Bongiovi (Bon Jovi’s real last name) was recently arrested at her college campus in New York after police responded to a report of an unresponsive female that had allegedly overdosed on heroin. According to various news sources, Stephanie Bongiovi was arrested this morning (Nov. 14) at Hamilton College, where she and fellow student Ian Grant, 21, were booked after authorities discovered both marijuana and a small amount of heroin at the scene. Bongiovi is currently recovering at a hospital, and faces misdemeanor charges including possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and criminally using drug paraphernalia. She will appear in court at a later date. Hamilton College released the following statement : On Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012, members of the Kirkland Police Department arrested two Hamilton College students. One was charged with possession of a controlled substance, 7th degree, and the second was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, 7th degree and possession of drug paraphernalia. All are misdemeanors. In addition to violating state law, the actions alleged to have been committed by the students violate Hamilton College policy. The college is cooperating with the police investigation. Stephanie is Jon Bon Jovi’s only daughter, and the oldest of four children with wife Dorthea Hurley.
Razor & Tie Hatebreed have fired up a brand new track from their forthcoming sixth album ‘The Divinity of Purpose.’ The tune, ‘Put it to the Torch,’ is a compact, short and to the point song that we’ve come to expect from this Connecticut hardcore institution. The band released the song with an accompanying lyric video (watch below). The track is just two minutes and 12 seconds, so the ‘Breed get in and get out, making its point with chugga chugga, caveman riffs and Jamey Jasta’s fist-pumping, positive lyrical affirmations about putting all the BS to the torch and letting it burn, baby, burn! Jamey Jasta commented on the tune, saying, “I’m pumped for everyone to check out our new song. Thanks to all of our fans for the continuous support! We’re super excited to release new music and hit the road hard in 2013!” ‘The Divinity of Purpose’ drops on Jan. 29. But ‘Put it to the Torch’ is certainly a satisfying taste of what’s to come. It certainly heats up the cold winter months. Watch Hatebreed ‘Put it to the Torch’ Lyric Video [via Revolver] [button href=”http://loudwire.com/hatebreed-jamey-jasta-new-album-touring-with-lamb-of-god-rowdy-fans-more/” title=”Next: Read an Interview With Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta” align=”center”]
Slash/Reprise Records Guitarist Jim Martin left Faith No More back in 1993 after the band’s ‘Angel Dust’ album. After a decade of silence, Martin agreed to answer 15 questions submitted by readers of a UK fan site. “Some weeks ago, the FNM fan club guy was asking about how to contact me, he wanted to talk to me about the fan page,” Martin said. “After several exchanges via email, he and I decided to do a Q&A thing for the fans. My departure from FNM in 1993 was controversial; I left while the band was still at the peak of its success. I am proud of my contributions to the success and legacy of FNM. I appreciate the time and effort it took to put these questions together. Thank you for the opportunity.” In the Q&A, Martin discusses the ‘Angel Dust’ recording sessions, his current relationship with the band, whether he would consider a reunion and many other topics. Q: What do you consider the highlight of your career? A: Performing with Bo Diddly, Klaus Mein, Metallica, Gary Rossington, Pepper Keenan Sean Kinney Jerry Cantrell John Popper Jason Newstead, singing Misfits songs with Metallica live during our tour with them and GNR. Q: You are an influence to many younger guitarists today, but who were your biggest influences and what do you remember about how those people helped to craft your sound and play style? A: My influences to a greater extent were Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and David Gilmore. Mostly Page. His method of using a pick and his fingers at the same time and his way of squeezing the humanity out of a guitar. It’s funny how influences work. My influences were influenced by old blues men. Those legendary blues men were influenced by their tribal ancestors. The tribal ancestors are the link back to the beginning; they are the keepers of the essence. Through my influences I am connected to the roots of time and the music that elevates the primordial spirit of mankind. We do not truly compose anything genuinely new, the listeners and the presentation are what is new, and it is the perspective that varies. The ability of expression and improvisation, the stuff of creation that fascinates all life. Q: It was great seeing you play again during the Metallica event…also some very great words spoken about Cliff….it was great to see ya! Weird question, Big Jim…and I only just thought of it while scrolling through the last post on FNM Blog: What was the deal with you being the only clothed FNM member in the infamous “FNM underwear poster”? Did you just think the photo idea was dumb, or did you think it’d be better/funnier with one dude dressed to the nines in jeans, leather vest, etc. while everyone else was near nekkid. Thanks for doing this Q&A, man! Excited to see the responses! A: I remember it was one of the first big photo shoots for us set up by London Records. Ross Halfin, “Famous Rock Photographer”, was pretty aggressive, barking orders and abusing band members, particularly Puffy. He ordered everyone to strip down. I said “forget it” (I thought it was dumb). The other guys did, he snapped the picture and at that moment, I understood why he was famous… Q: I’m a crazy obsessed fan and have listened to just about all the bootlegs and read all the interviews…Despite “not being into” the music on ‘Angel Dust’ (so it is written in places), you played flawlessly all of 92-93 and I even caught you banging your head enthusiastically during the Phoenix Festival. Also, while others were bad-mouthing you, you always played it off with a joke and came off as the bigger person (you were hilarious in the Maida Vale interviews!)…something doesn’t add up. Were you really that unhappy? If so, how do you keep such a cool head and stay so professional? A: Thank you for the great compliment. My publicized “not being into” ‘Angel Dust’ was all about the way the whole process went down. There was a lot of weird pressure to follow up ‘The Real Thing,’ and as a consequence, the album AD was more contrived musically than I thought was necessary. I wanted more of the record to happen in the studio and Bill wanted every last tack nailed down before we went in. I wanted to spend time with it, management and the record company wanted to rush it out the door. There were a bunch of journalists in the studio. We were paying for a bunch of sampling that we could have created. Matt Wallace was calling me on the phone complaining about Mike Patton’s performance. Management and record company were calling me complaining about Mike Patton’s performance and desire for outside projects. The record company president came in the studio and said: “I hope nobody bought houses” All the air got sucked out of the room. That was one of those great moments when reality slaps you in the face. Some of my associates (had) bought houses. The pressure was on, and everyone wanted to be in the studio with me while I recorded, endlessly tinkering and f—ing with me and f—ing with Matt, and Matt is a really f—ing wound up guy already. Prior to AD, I would work alone with Matt and his assistant engineer period. I had to kick everyone out and even though it was not a new concept it really pissed everyone off. Live performances were always very strong. From my perspective, we came across a lot heavier than the records. Over time, the chord progressions and the arrangements would morph in subtle ways that would make the set heavier than the studio version. As far as the bulls–t in the press, yeah, there was a lot of negativity, and I tried to avoid being part of it to the point of refusing interviews. Of course I was unhappy; individuals were making decisions which would prove to be damaging to FNM. However, despite these distractions, real people paid to see a show and we were able to deliver thanks to the support of a great crew and a great sound man, Greg Bess, who was used to working with the heavy bands. I actually really enjoyed those shows. Q: If you could collaborate for a single cover song with any musician, dead or alive, who would that be and what would the song be? A: I sure miss Cliff. Cliff Burton. We could do any song and twist it up horribly. I think if there were an opportunity to collaborate, we would write something new. Put Dave (Donato – Agents of Misfortune) in there on the drum kit and create something Cliff’s mother would call “Fu–ed Up Weirdos”. Q: I’ll get this one out…what is your relationship like now with the members of Faith No more? A: To be honest Matt, that is an emotional subject. There has been much negative rhetoric in the press, and it was my choice to either play their game, fight with them and let the press spin it, or leave them to play with themselves and allow you to make a decision based on the work I left behind. In an effort to avoid the negativity, I chose the latter. However, there are some points that I would like to address. I read a couple of interviews Matt Wallace did, and his simplified explanations can lead one to believe that I hate homosexuals, I did not contribute to ‘Angel Dust,’ and I did not play guitar on the record. Ouch. Something else is a little more accurate. The guitar parts are mine; that’s me playing guitar on all the tracks. I contributed much to the songwriting and arrangements. Bill added some fluff to ‘Midlife Crisis and ‘Midnite Cowboy’ and wrote everything for his song ‘Small Victory, Mike wrote everything for ‘Malpractice,’ I wrote everything and created the samples for ‘Jizzlobber;’ Bill contributed the keyboard outro. Mike wrote all of the lyrics for the album except Roddy wrote lyrics for ‘Be Aggressive.’ Matt’s commentary about Roddy seemed a little weird; we (band members) all knew Roddy was gay long before he “came out” and it was not an issue for anyone. Matt also forgot to mention that he and I spent a lot of time together on the production of TRT and AD improving the recording method and sonic profile in the studio. I insisted on the co-producer credit for FNM on those 2 records because of that work. Notice ‘The Real Thing’ and ‘Angel Dust’ are the only two FNM records co-produced by Matt Wallace and Faith No More. I saw something in Wiki where someone pulled a comment out of an old bucket: Jim Martin said “I don’t know why it’s called ‘Angel Dust,’ I had nothing to do with it” While that is true, it is not complete. The idea was Roddy’s, and nobody else had anything to do with it either. He came in with a basic concept of a bird front, meat locker back, and ‘Angel Dust’ for the title. The question was: “How do we get it (Roddy’s idea) to the record cover?” We lost control of the sleeve art on the last 2 releases. ‘The Real Thing’ and ‘Introduce Yourself’ were conceived and designed by “the record company” and we simply paid the bill. This was an opportunity of artistic expression and finally one of us had an idea everyone would go along with. I got in contact with Mark Leialoha to discuss the idea, he got Werner “Vern” Krutein involved because Werner ran a stock agency and was able to produce the necessary photographs allowing us to realize Roddy’s idea. I had the idea of the Russian army in the sleeve, inspired by The Pogues album ‘Rum Sodomy and The Lash,’ which I was really into at the time. I rode hard on that and made sure it happened the way WE wanted it to happen. There was a lot of squealing when it came time to pay the bill, but at the end of the day, we retained control of our resources, we were able to use our people, and we maintained creative control. Q: Jim! With your publicized dislike of the content/direction of ‘Angel Dust’ – are you surprised by how, 20 years on, it is widely regarded as one of the most influential ‘metal’ albums of the past 30 years? A: Thanks for the opportunity Matt. As for my like or dislike of AD I touched on that a little, so please refer to question 4 above. I am happy AD is regarded in a positive way. It is an affirmation of the legacy we all worked to create. I am aware that some of the newer bands I actually like have referred to FNM as an influence. I am also aware AD was on the Kerrang! Most influential albums list of 2003. Is it an artist’s affirmation? That’s fine. Am I surprised? I don’t think anyone can be expected to anticipate something like this. Q: What kind of music are you listening to today? Is there anything that we might not generally expect that you like to listen to? A: I’ve been listening to Machine Head, a great metal band out of Oakland, Calif. I enjoy classic jazz, reminds me of weird times as a kid. I like the “Glorious lethal euphoria” of The Mermen It’s crazy hardcore psychedelic surf music and hits the mark hard. I’ll listen to any improv, at least for a few minutes. Q: Is it true that you were offered to perform at reunion tour dates – if it is true why did you decline? Fans would have been so happy to see on stage too! A: Thanks Bubbles. For some time during 2008, I had been receiving information with increasing frequency that “we” were booking a reunion tour, festivals, Europe. I was informed that yes, the promoters were selling it as the original line up. In February 2009, Roddy called and said they were just beginning to think of putting something together, and just now feeling out everyone, and what did I think? I said yes, I was interested. I also told him I knew the tour was already booked, they were on the eve of announcing it, and it was time to sign the deals. I told him to send over the contracts so I could review them and started pressing management for details. Several days later, I was able to get management on the phone who told me they decided to use someone else…I know it’s odd, no, you didn’t miss anything. It happened just like that. In an effort to preclude any sloppy misinformation, I made the announcement that I would not be participating in the rumored reunion dates several days before they made their announcement. Q: If Faith No More tours again and if they asked would you make an appearance, kind of like when Chuck did a couple of songs? Would love to watch you perform songs like ‘Malpractice’ or ‘Jizzlobber’ would be awesome! A: Thanks Sean. I know the fans want the real thing, and I was prepared to have a real dialogue about doing a run together. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. As for a random appearance, I do not feel that would do anyone justice. Q: If you could use Bill and Ted’s phone booth to go back in time to the ‘Angel Dust’ era, would you do anything differently to make sure you and FNM were heading in the same direction? If so, what? A: Number one thing: limit journalist access and impose more control over the interviews. Almost anyone could get an interview at that time. It was a free for all, and it hurt us. Q: Have you been jamming with anyone lately, and do you have any plans to make more music? A: No, I’m not working with anyone right now but I do have plans to publish more music. I released a record some time ago called ‘Milk and Blood;’ go to rotgrub.com and email the webmaster for details. Q: What do you think of the music FNM have created post you? And how do you feel when you see other guitarists belting out you licks? A: I remember hearing some of the music a long time ago but I didn’t really study it. I remember thinking it was heavily reliant on Mike. As for other persons playing my music, I don’t really believe anyone could book a show as FNM without playing my music. Q: Being one of the best shredders of your era/generation, and having rubbed shoulders with some awesome musicians in your time, have you never considered forming your own little “supergroup” to set the music word to rights!!?? A: Most of my associates have families and projects taking up their time, and I’m very consumed with the things I am doing. I hope I can get to a place where I’ll be able to do something pretty soon. There are no specific plans at this time. Thanks for a great compliment. Q: Hey Jim, thanks a bunch for doing this. So where did you get the moniker “big sick ugly” from and did you like it?? A: It was bestowed upon me by the filthy press. I am pretty sure Geoff Barton gets the credit. Steffan “Cheese Burger” Chirazi, “Krusher Joule” and Neil “Greasy Chester” Perry helped magnify and perpetuate it and it was ‘Kerrang!’ once again, who rolled that one out there. Thanks to them for some funny times.