Note from the webmaster: Because of the recent changes at bandhammer.com, the site has become inaccessible to many of you. So, we've decided to offer Bobby's full-length interview with BandHammer's John Bonham Jovi right here. Enjoy!
BandHammer:
Before you broke into the big time with Vinnie Vincent, you worked with
Rare Earth?
BR: Yes, for about two minutes.
How long? (Was it just road stuff? How old were
you then?)
Yeah, just some live shows. I guess I was 21.
You studied at Berklee in Boston? (What year?)
For a couple years in the early 80's.
Weren't you in Texas in the late 70's? (Maybe that's
Dana Strum I'm thinking of?)
I was in Texas throughout the 70's and into the 80's.
It seems that drummers in Houston that I knew were
hip to you before the Vinnie Vincent time?
I played out a lot and taught locally, as well.
After the VVI era, you started doing lots of studio
work on about a zillion records? (Could you name some stuff that maybe
ain't on your web site?)
Uh...if it's not on my web site, that means I might
have forgotten about it! Seriously...I did a number of records, but I
was always more apt to be touring.
AND you played with Nelson?
Yes, I did.
Were there ever any girls left over for the band
at those gigs?
There were only two of them (Nelson brothers) so,
hell yes; girls were never a problem on that tour!
Last summer you did a Slaughter tour?
Yes.
How'd that go? (How many dates? How was attendance?
Any funny shit that those guys wouldn't want us to know happened, etc?)
It was an absolute blast. We played arenas and amphitheaters
to mostly decent crowds and just laughed all summer. Dana, Mark and I
go way back and have always gotten along great. As for talking about things
that the guys wouldn't want you to know about, c'mon, Holmes...you know
the cardinal rule of touring: "What happens on the road, stays on
the road!"
That's basically the Invasion band but without Vinnie,
right?
Exactly.
Was Vinnie that big of a pain in the ass to work
with?
There were some strained times, no doubt. But overall,
I would say we got along really well and found our stride.
What specifically was so hard to deal with?
He was just a very, very complex character. At times,
he could be unpredictable and indecisive. Other times, he was a lot of
fun to hang with. There were many dimensions to him, so it would be hard
and, ultimately, inaccurate to make any real blanket statements about
him. Plus, I'm sure he has his side of the story.
Is there any chance in hell of that original Invasion
band getting back together?
I can't see it happening.
Or do you just refuse to wear pink anymore?
Hey, pink is a great color! Some of the most important
things in the world are pink!
:-)
Last VV question: Did he speed up all his guitar
solos on that first record?
Actually, Vinnie could really play. He had this
unorthodox, multi-finger picking thing he would do that enabled him to
crank out a barrage of notes, seemingly at once. He was a bad motherfucker.
You're also a road hawg master drum clinician. What
drum companies sponsor that?
I did the most for Peavey drums, but Sabian cymbals
has had a hand in many of them through the years, as well.
How many pieces are in the big kit right now?
Currently, we're looking at 10 foot pedals, 25 drums,
25 cymbals and a shitload of hardware to hold it all together. But that's
just my primary, solo project/clinic kit. If I play or record with another
band, this kit is usually logistically and musically inappropriate, so
I use one of my other scaled-down kits.
How many dates a year do you travel to do clinics?
I have done as many as 140 dates on some of my busier
years.
And somehow you find the time to tour and record
with Gary Hoey?
Yeah, I've been playin' with Hoey for five years
now.
How do you manage to budget your time so well?
Actually, I don't think I do. I think I try to do
too much shit at one time. Then when you add in all of the unavoidable
day-to-day stuff; lifting weights, martial arts, practicing drums, writing...there's
a lot of other stuff that either doesn't get done or takes forever to
finish. Too few in hours in the day...that's been the bane of my existence.
Name some of your favorite drummers in rock and
otherwise (with some drummer's insight about each).
Buddy Rich - The granddaddy of all drummers
Billy Cobham - One of my all-time biggest influences
Terry Bozzio - Pure genius...a one-of-a-kind artistic force
Vinnie Colaiuta - Extraordinarily versatile, limitless
Neil Peart - One of rock's most influential drummers
Tommy Aldridge - The consummate, ageless, double-bass rock drumming pioneer
Dave Weckl - Smooth, effortless, innovative; a magician behind the drums
Dennis Chambers - A prolific bad-ass drumming machine
Steve Smith - Always pushing the envelope...one of the best in the world,
no doubt
I could go on and on...and if you saw my CD/tape/video/DVD/record collection,
you would know why!
You're a big
health/exercise guy, you're a vegetarian, and you've got a whole section
of your web site devoted to that. (Please discuss...)
There are really two main sites to check out. One
is www.veggiezone.com. This is
a very detailed site I created dedicated to veganism, which is a lifestyle
philosophy built around strict vegetarianism. There's a lot to it, so
this site covers its many facets. The other site is www.rocksolidfitness.net.
This one is centered around my new health and fitness book called, "Rock-Solid
Fitness" and all that the ultimate high-energy fitness lifestyle
entails: exercise, nutrition and the mind/body connection. Again, I've
been studying, living and breathing this stuff for years and my philosophies
on optimal health and compassionate living are pretty dense. Check out
the sites for more info...
Plus you've created sort of a "side" gig
with your book on the subject? Please discuss. (Do you have more than
one book/videos about this?)
Yes, "Rock-Solid Fitness" will no doubt
spawn several key support products. But I'm reluctant to say what they'll
be or when they'll be ready. I have a bad habit of talking about projects
before they're finished...
You're a prolific writer, touching on lots of different
topics, musical instruction, health issues, your own general musings,
and something called Zen. (Please discuss theory/concept and application
of this to one's life and drumming or anything...)
Do you have a few hours? Seriously, Zen is really
a way of life that has to do with "flow"...with effortlessly
tapping into that Channel of Energy that is available to us all...if we
can get beyond our personal blockages to it. At the same time, Zen, by
its very nature, sort of defies definition because, once you try to set
up a rigid definition of what it is, you've missed the point. That's why
so many of these wise Zen-master sages seem to be talking around in circles
about it. I used to get so frustrated reading this stuff and hearing all
of these "encrypted" explanations about Zen, and I would be
like, "C'mon motherfucker, just tell me what it means!" So,
it's more about the experience. And most everyone has had a Zen experience
in their life at one time or another. The goal, I think, is to allow them
to happen more often!
So when you
perform, all that energy you're putting out there, all that sweat, and
you're totally relaxed?
That's the objective, and it's absolute bliss when
it goes down like that. Many artists, athletes, actors, musicians, etc.,
have had the experience of being in that "zone" where it's all
just flowing. The energy level is incredible, and yet, it's effortless...as
if you're a witness to this Force expressing itself through you. That,
to me, is the name of the game in any artistic endeavor. So in my DVD,
"The Zen of Drumming," I explain how accessing this state consistently
is about cultivating a balanced development between mind, body and spirit.
Tell us a little about "Hypothetical Erotica":
This is a side project that has taken on a life
of its own. It's probably best described as a conversation-evoking party
book. I wrote it back in 97/98. It features 25 different hypothetical
scenarios, or "hypos," each with an erotic undertone and some
kind of a predicament. Ultimately, each hypo asks "What would you
do if YOU were in this situation?" Then, as you and your friends
set out to discuss what each of you would do, it taps into each person's
ethical, philosophical and even spiritual make-up and it's very insightful.
But the coolest thing about the book is that, for all the depth it has,
it's really just a whole lot of fun. Also, an idea for a cable TV show
based on the book has been in the works for awhile now.
(Can you maybe give us an example?)
Here is a quick example of one of the tamer hypos:
Doin' Time in Turkey: You find yourself forced to serve time in a Turkish
prison cell, but you can choose one of two ways to serve it. A) 12 months
of absolute solitary confinement with no human contact whatsoever, or
B) 18 months of the same, but - once a week, for a three-hour block of
time, a very attractive, disease-free European massage therapist (of the
opposite sex) will visit you and do ANYTHING you want. (And I do mean
anything!) Will you take the 12 months of isolation and leave earlier
or will you opt for some "quality time" with your weekly visitor
and stay an additional six months? How about if you had a mate or a family
back home? Would that affect your decision?
The site (www.hypos.com) usually has
a revolving "Hypo of the Week" on it if you want to read more.
What
else have you got up your sleeve for the next six months or so?
Six months? I would be lucky to know what's up in
the next six days! Seriously...let's see. Well, musically speaking, I
just played on guitarist Michael Angelo's solo CD, and that should be
out real soon. I also have a studio effort in the works with Neil Zaza
and more live dates with Gary Hoey.
Then there's my latest solo endeavor called Bobby Rock's Bio-Tribe. This is a fun side project that I'll be doing a few select live dates with and then some recording at some point. It's the familiar guitar/bass/drums power trio format, but, I'm using my full kit and I have two additional percussionists on board with me. It's like a wall of drums, and the grooves are a mile wide.
There
are a few other interesting things on the front-burner, but none far enough
along (or confirmed) to really talk about.
Writing-wise, I'm mainly focused on the '05 release of the "Rock-Solid
Fitness" book. Plus, I have a few other titles I'm working on so...writing
is a daily thing for me.
Advice for folks trying to achieve success in the
music biz:
Yeah...find another more reliable vocation! Just
kidding. Let's see...where do I begin? How about a little stream-of-consciousness
on the subject?
Do what you love...play the music you love and believe in, not what you
think will be most popular. And always play like it's the last show of
your life and give it the best you've got, every night, no matter how
big or small the crowd is.
Avoid drugs, weed and alcohol as much as you can. Being sober and lucid
in this business will give you a front row seat to one of the most incredible
lifestyles in the world, and some of the most outrageous life experiences...and
you will remember them all!
What else? Be smart with money; live below your means and invest your
money in things that will earn you more money, rather than blow it on
things that will only depreciate.
Be good to people. Don't talk shit behind people's backs. Conduct yourself
honorably in business; there's no need to scam or handle things dishonestly.
"The Universe has a thousand eyes." Keep your karma clean.
Okay, the lecture's over.
Bobby, thanks for doing the interview, any last
comments?
Thanks for having me...
Thanks again, Bobby.