Al Pitrelli
This week on The Double Stop Podcast is Al Pitrelli (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Savatage, Alice Cooper, Megadeth).
Al Pitrelli (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Megadeth, Savatage, Alice Cooper, Randy Coven) discusses his life and career. He touches upon his early days with guitar and early bands, as well as early opportunities with Michael Bolton, what he learned as musical director for Alice Cooper, as well as discusses bands such as Savatage, Megadeth and TSO. He also talks about some of his more obscure works with Randy Coven and TM Stevens.
http://thedoublestop.com/ep-77-al-pitrelli-trans-siberian-orchestra-megadeth-savatage-alice-cooper/
https://soundcloud.com/thedoublestop/ep-77-al-pitrelli-trans-siberian-orchestra-alice-cooper-megadeth
On his first professional gig – playing with Michael Bolton 13:00 “I got my laminate and I wore it to the Denny’s in my neighborhood for about two years!”
On the surprising success of Trans-Siberian Orchestra 35:30 “It shouldn’t work, but I’m does and I’m so glad. There’s an old story - everyone know that the bumblebee shouldn’t fly aerodynamically it’ss impossible for those little wings to support the body size. Everyone knows the bumblebee can’t fly just don’t tell the bumbblebee”
On his leaving Megadeth to rejoin TSO 54:30 “I don’t know if he (Dave Mustaine) was really happy with me at the end, and I wasn’t really happy with the situation. And by 2000, TSO had cut itself into two touring companies because people all over America wanted shows. And I’d been watching one of my children (TSO) basically grow up now, and I was kinda getting homesick. And Paul O’Neil said ‘listen, this is your world. Whenever you want to come home, you come home’. And I was like, you know what – I’m gonna come home now it’s time. And I finished the last show with Megadeth, and we filmed a DVD. I said ‘whatever the last show is, don’t worry I’m there..’ But after that, it’s time to go boys.”
