Michael Des Barres: In March, I spoke to the English-born showbusiness veteran and former husband of groupie-turned-writer, Pamela Des Barres. Fans of ’80s TV will remember him as the villainous Murdoc in MacGyver. Others will recall his stints with various bands over the years, including Detective (signed to Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label) and The Power Station (he fronted the now-defunct rock supergroup, taking over from previous vocalist Robert Palmer, at Live Aid in 1985). His latest album is a “minimalistic rock ‘n’ roll record” entitled The Key to the Universe and the extensive interview I did with him can be seen here.
Laurence Juber: Interestingly, this phenomenally talented guitarist, a two time Grammy Award-winner best known for the three years he spent in Paul McCartney‘s post-Beatles band Wings, read my piece on the above-mentioned Michael Des Barres and contacted me about the possibility of an interview. We discussed his new album, Fingerboard Road (his 23rd to date), LJ’s Guitaristics: Rhythm (his online guitar tutorial), how he got the gig with Wings and Guitar With Wings, the photograph-laden memoir he published in 2014. The full article can be read here.
Paul Mahon: Following the release of their fifth studio album Raise A Little Hell, that went straight in at number one on the UK Rock Charts, I caught up with The Answer’s guitarist in Brighton on the British leg of their European tour. He opened up about the album, the solid relationship between the four members of the group (the Northern Irish rockers have been together now for nearly 16 years) and the state of rock music today. The full article can be viewed here.
V2: V2 (pronounced “V Squared”) are 12-year-old twins from California, vocalist/drummer Vincenzo and vocalist/guitarist Vittorio (their former guitar teacher wears a Frankenstein mask and helps them out on bass). The hard rocking trio’s debut album We are V2, produced by renowned industry figure Ron Nevison, consists of nine originals and a cover of AC/DC’s “High Voltage.” I talked to the boys about how they first got started on their chosen instruments, their musical heroes and their plans for the future. The full piece can be accessed here.
Tom Hamilton: In July, I spoke to Aerosmith’s bass player and occasional songwriter for the second time in a year. The main topics of discussion this time were the band’s 2015 Blue Army Tour, their new live DVD, Aerosmith Rocks Donington 2014, Steven Tyler’s solo career and whether or not we can expect a new Aerosmith album – a follow-up to 2012’s Music from Another Dimension! – any time soon. The full interview is available here.
Derek Sherinian: One of rock’s most revered keyboard players, who has previously worked with the likes of Kiss, Eddie Van Halen, Dream Theater, Alice Cooper and Billy Idol, was a willing interviewee in August. He chatted to me about a brand new concept he had been working on with other stalwarts of the L.A. music scene: a fusion of live rock music and ballet entitled Heart of Storm. We also talked about Black Country Communion (the fairly short-lived supergroup he was in with Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa and Jason Bonham) and the possibility of a reunion. The resulting piece can be viewed here.
Richard Jones: A founding member of award-winning Welsh quartet, The Stereophonics, Jones was preparing to release Keep the Village Alive, the band’s ninth studio album, when we communicated via telephone in August. He explained the meaning behind the title of the LP and reflected on the group’s longevity, among other things. Our interview can be read here.
Billy Morrison: The rhythm guitarist in Billy Idol’s band – and a veteran of many others – was an entertaining interview in October. We had a long conversation about his second solo LP, God Shaped Hole, during which the London-born resident of Los Angeles also revealed that the title was the brainchild of his friend and fellow Englishman, Ozzy Osbourne. The piece in its entirety can be accessed here.
Dave Kushner: The 49-year-old Californian, formerly a member of Slash, Duff and Matt Sorum’s post-G’N’R project, Velvet Revolver, talked to me in October, a little less than two months before the death of VR’s lead singer Scott Weiland. Our main focus was on the then-upcoming charity event Rhonda’s Kiss, although we did have time to discuss Velvet Revolver and the new series he’s been working on for Netflix. The full article is here.
Well, that’s all from me for 2015. Thank you all for reading and Happy New Year!
