Jimmy Kay from Canada's The Metal Voice (https://www.facebook.com/themetalvoice) recently spoke with Megadeth'sDave Mustaine about the upcoming Megacruise, Megadeth's new album, Mustaine Wine and A Tout Le Monde Beer and the possibilities of working with Jeff Waters of Annihilator and Michael Sweet of Styper sometime in the future.
When asked how he would differentiate the Megacruise compared to all the other Metal cruises out there
"As far as I know all the cruises in the USA that had happened are on the East Coast, we are the first metal cruise on the west coast, so we're pretty stoked about that. I've been to both sides of the nation and I think that California is probably the most famous State for the beach cities, though Florida is pretty close. The cruise leaves Los Angeles and goes to San Diego which has great weather all year long, then to Ensenada, Mexico which is really quaint small city, then we're going to u-turn and go back to Los Angeles. I'm just excited because we've got great bands and mostly every band on the tour are my friends that I've grown up. Some of the bands are new bands and I looked forward to getting to know them. The majority of the bands, Anthrax, Armored Saint, Overkill, etc.. are like my brothers that have carried the flag for American metal for 3 almost 4 decades. You can find the full list on our website but we still have a few more slots left. We're just trying to make this be one of those cruises that you know people say you know this was the one cruise you can't miss. I mean the cruise has been on sale for a couple weeks now and the sales have been phenomenal."
"In terms of activities there's a movie theater on the boat and we are discussing the movies we wanted to play and I was thinking maybe, some documentaries on some of the bands, maybe movies that I like, like 'The Good The Bad and the Ugly 'and 'Mad Max' stuff like that. We also have been talking about a Mega karaoke contest so we will have some Megadeth tribute bands on board to help. The contest will be the tribute bands plays and you have one of the fans on the cruise sign up and they sing with the band with lights, with the PA, with an audience and after they are done, we judge you. "
When asked about the wine tasting on board the Megacruise
"I think it's gonna be called wine guzzling when people get a grip on how good the stuff tastes but yeah we've got several varieties of Mustaine wines that we will be bringing with us. It's the end of these wines with very limited inventory so depending on how many people buy the wine before we get out on the cruise, we may not have any left. Our wine business is doing really well but a problem with alcohol businesses is that a lot of people in the alcohol business they see people like myself coming in and they think f**k this musician they come in and put their name on the wine bottle and then try and take money out of our business. That's not me. I'm in for a long haul, we did our vineyard at my house, I hand planted those vines I didn't pay someone to do it, I did it."
When asked about the musical direction of the new Megadeth album to be released in 2019
"I don't how to answer that because if you want me to say what record it sounds like, it sounds like a combination of everything. When I write a riff if I don't like it I don't record it, if I do record it, I save it and if I don't use it now I'll use it at some point. There is a complete finished song left over from Dystopia that I forgot we did . When were in the studio and you're doing 16 songs and you're working your ass off every day sometimes, somethings just slip through the cracks like this song. We've already got a huge head start on this new record. Kiko just came out to see me, Dirk was here before him and David Ellefson will be visiting me shortly to start playing some bass stuff. We're doing things a little bit differently this time we're kind of approaching the songs one riff at a time and just kind of focusing on the riff and if the riff doesn't sound good on its own and then why put it in a song? A lot of people when they write songs they'll put a part in section in the song just because they need something in there. For me I don't like doing that. I don't want that one part of the song where there's a weak spot. I've tried just about every way to write a song over my career and I found this way's probably the best way because if you have a riff and it's not it's not carrying its own weight and it doesn't sound cool , how can it possibly sound cool to good lyrics over it."
When asked if his lyrics on the new album will be politically inspired by the politics in USA today
"I've kind of toned it down a little bit with the political stuff to where it's more about being a one world kind of people, about the stuff that affects us as people not so much as citizens of any particular government or nation. Why I put an unnecessary walls up between us right."
When asked if he would ever work with Jeff Waters of Annihilator or Michael Sweet from Stryper
" Jeff Waters is an amazing talent and has had a really unfair run because of the same thing I suffered from lineup changes and and it's a bummer. You start off with one vision and then that vision changes over time from different members in the band and it's usually because of one of the four P's power, property, Prestige or Pussy For us every time you've ever had a breakup it's been over drugs money or women. So we yeah would be great to do something with those guys. I don't know how people would actually respond to me doing something Michael Sweet because of the Stryper but I I really care a lot about Mike he's been to my house for dinner several times."
“Feel good rock n’ roll - the music tells stories we can all relate to, but in a fun way” is how songwriter/guitarist Duane Morano describes his CD, Incognito. And on its first-ever release, ‘Incognito’ (whose pre sale begins on November 30th via Pledge Music (http://pmusic.co/lNL9xL), before its official release on February 8th, 2019), Duane has assembled a stellar supporting cast of names that are well-known to melodic rock fans worldwide - Tyketto’s Danny Vaughn, Extreme’s Pat Badger and Kevin Figueiredo, Firehouse’s Michael Foster and Bill Leverty, XYZ’s Terry Ilous, The Firm/Blue Murder’s Tony Franklin, and Alice Cooper’s Nita Strauss, among others.
As Duane explains, the CD ‘Incognito’ came together in a huge stroke of luck. “I had known Bill Leverty for a great many years so he was in from the beginning. Back in 2016, I was having dinner with Bill and was asked if I was ever going to unshelve a CD I started working on years ago. After some thought, I finished a few of the tracks in my studio and sent them to Bill to be mixed. As we listened to the mixes, it became clear to both of us I needed to get rid of the programmed drums, find a bass player instead of a guitar player trying to play bass, and get someone that could sing what I was struggling to attempt. Changes needed to be made. That was when Bill suggested his drummer Michael Foster, so I gave him a shout.”
“The next step was finding the right vocalists to fit the handful of songs that were ready. I had my MP3 player on shuffle and Great White's ‘Hard to Say Goodbye’ came on and thought, ‘Terry's voice would be a great fit for a song,’ so I reached out to him and he asked to hear it. I sent him an MP3 with Michael and Tony playing on it. Terry was a bit surprised that as a guitar player I hired a bass player and didn't do it myself which is typical in self-funded, small budget projects. After explaining, Terry saw I was willing to do what's best for the music and liked the song so he agreed to sing a song or two. As the project progressed and we got to know each other, we started trading ideas back and forth, writing and arraigning together, and ultimately ended up with 5 songs for consideration.”
“Pat coming on board was really a happy accident. For 20 years or so I've collected music memorabilia as hobby. Pat had a Pledge campaign going on at the time and I pledged for the Patocam. He sent me an email saying something like, ‘Dude you got the Patocam,’ so I replied with some smart-aleck funny comment. He laughed and we emailed back and forth for a few hours and went our separate ways. About a week went by and much to my surprise, I got a random email from him asking how I was doing.”
As the project’s leader explains, the album is loaded with rockin’ highlights. “Nita Strauss solo on ‘Manhattan’ was a pick up your jaw off the floor moment. Bryan Cole’s vocals on ‘Don’t Believe You’ grabs elements of rock and blues with a touch of soul, and delivers one of the best performances I’ve ever heard him do. The way Michael Foster and Pat Badger really cement and play with the groove on ‘Kid Gloves’ is really cool.”
And the guests sound equally enthusiastic about the disc. Terry Ilous - “If you want to listen to good rock and roll, good music, pledge for this CD. Duane is a wonderful guitar player and I’m looking forward to singing more songs for him.” Nita Strauss - “‘Manhattan’ is a GREAT song. Thank you for having me on it.” Bill Leverty - "Duane has an amazing CD, filled with tasty music and killer guitar work."
Duane is also confident that his brand of rock fits in well with the current musical climate. “With the interest people have in bands of my youth, I think Incognito gives people the opportunity to hear elements of what was great about that era of music - but in a fresh way. Incognito pays tribute to that time period, but leaves the listener feeling satisfied like you’ve got something new.
And if all goes according to plan, the CD will not merely be a studio project. “Shows could happen if we can get schedules coordinated. That's always the hardest part when trying to get people from several different active bands together in the same place at the same time. There is talk of a live version, and something Bryan, Danny, Terry, and I think could be a lot of fun.”
Lastly, what are Duane’s future plans? “Finish the CD and then spend some much-needed time with my wife and kids - while putting a live band together, for special events.”
CONFIRMED TRACKS/LINE-UPS FOR ‘INCOGNITO’:
After the Love- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster, Bryan Cole
Cookie Jar- Bryan Cole, Duane Morano, Tony Franklin, Michael Foster, Chris Lester
Sincerely Yours- Bryan Cole, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster, Shane French
Don't Believe You- Bryan Cole, Duane Morano, Keith Horne, Michael Foster
Face the Fire- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, Keith Horne, Bryan Cole, Kevin Figueiredo (K-Figg)
Giovanna- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, John Morano, Michael Foster
Kid Gloves- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster, John Surabian, Bryan Cole
Manhattan- Dan Michaels, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster, Nita Strauss
Hearts- Terry Ilous, Duane Morano, Tony Franklin, Michael Foster, Dan Michaels, Bryan Cole
Love is just a lie- Terry Ilous, Duane Morano, JK Northrup, Pat Badger, Michael Foster
Why- Terry Ilous, Duane Morano, Keith Horne, Bryan Cole, Michael Foster
Barely Breathing- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster
RICK SPRINGFIELD is currently in the studio working on an "orchestral album" that will feature his greatest hits (plus one brand enw track) accompanied by a full orchestra.
There is no scheduled completion date or release information as yet, but it promises to be huge, with Rick telling me "the orchestra sounds really great..." and promising more details soon.
Once that's completed, Rick plans to start writing his next all-new studio album, saying that there was no particular direction planned, but says "it will come out of writing...." once started.
Rick last week lost his back fence to the Malibu fires and last night took part in a charity show alongside Katy Perry to raise money for families affected.
TheRighttoRock.com has issued their latest podcast interview (episode #33), featuring The Guess Who bassist Rudy Sarzo. Rudy took time out of his busy schedule to discuss The Guess Who's first new album in over 20 years, The Future is What it Used to Be, as well as their upcoming tour plans. Interview lasts approx. 30 min
The boys recently caught up with The Guess WhobassistRudy Sarzo to discuss the band's recent release The Future Is What It Used to Be. Rudy discussed how he was recruited into the band and that he has made this band his top priority. Rudy also discusses many of his past bands.
In celebration of their 30th Anniversary, Thunder revisit and reinterpret of their finest songs in a way you’ve not heard before. Released in the U.S. on Friday, January 18th, 2019 through BMG, ‘Please Remain Seated’ is the sound of a band taking a strange journey into their own music, but also distilling thirty years of playing together in order to create something truly compelling, taking in flavors of rock, blues, jazz and soul along the way.
‘She’s So Fine’ was the album’s first single, and on this Friday, November 30th Thunder will be releasing the second single / video from ‘Please Remain Seated’ – ‘Miracle Man.’ This version of the track has been given a completely new slant and fully underlines the fresh, innovative and daring approach taken by the band during the ‘Please Remain Seated’ sessions. The video can be viewed here:
‘Please Remain Seated’ will be available in various formats: Standard 1CD, Deluxe 2CD (bonus tracks), 180g standard black, gatefold double vinyl, Limited edition transparent orange double vinyl (Indie store exclusive, limited to 500), Digital - HD, MFiT andd standard. The album has been mastered at half speed on vinyl for dynamic range. New single and video ‘Miracle Man’ is out on November 30th. Pre-orders available here: https://thunderband.lnk.to/PRS
Danny Bowes said, “We’ve never been the kind of band that wanted to make the same album over and over, and we’ve never been scared to try new things. In fact, making Thunder music over the past 30 years has taught us that the more we challenge ourselves, the better we get. Having re-imagined and re-recorded Love Walked In in 2017, we were very stimulated by the process, and wanted to try it on other songs. We made it as live as possible, jamming ideas until we found an arrangement that felt good. We set ourselves three rules: work fast, don’t aim for perfection, and make it different to the original. Some songs fell together spontaneously, and some took a series of strange left turns before ending up in a place none of us predicted.
By shaking up old tunes in this way, we forced ourselves to rethink how we felt about them. We think it’ll probably be the same for fans when they hear them. It’s not supposed to be a ‘Best Of’, and it’s not a change of direction, it’s just another brief stop along the journey to where we’re heading (wherever that is). We really like it, and we hope others will too”.
TRACKLISTING: Bigger Than Both Of Us / Future Train / Girl’s Going Out Of Her Head / I’m Dreaming Again / Fly On The Wall / Just Another Suicide / Empty City / Miracle Man / Blown Away / Loser / She’s So Fine / Low Life In High Places
Since forming in 1989, Thunder have notched up twenty Top Fifty singles, 2 gold albums, and cultivated a reputation as consummate live performers. Their last album - 2017’s ‘Rip It Up - hit number 3 in the UK album charts, giving the band theirr highest chart placing in 22 years. ‘Please Remain Seated’ is the result of all those miles on the clock and represents the sound of a band having fun. The smiles on their faces are almost audible, and the occasional bit of inter-band banter that made the final cut just underlines the d’esprit de corps that has always been there with Thunder. Half of the tracks feature additional musicians who’ve performed at the famed Christmas shows and there’s even a choir on one track!
‘Please Remain Seated’ may be a quieter album - thhe delicate sound of Thunder if you will! - but this collection undderlines the strength of the songwriting and musicianship, and it also proves that great [even unexpected] things can happen when a band is prepared to step out of its comfort zone and challenge itself, even after 30 years.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: thunderonline.com
