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* When you see the career of Slayer (who appeared on same
volume Metal Massacre as you), what that inspire to you? Have
you some regrets ? missed opportunities?
I SAY TO MYSELF, "HEY, I KNOW THOSE GUYS"! I SAY
THAT ABOUT METALLICA AS WELL, WHO ACTUALLY OPENED UP FOR US
IN SAN FRANCISCO CIRCA 1983. I HAVE NO REGRETS AND AM NOT
REMISS ABOUT THEIR SUCCESS. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE FOR US
TO ACHIEVE THE KIND OF SUCCESS THAT THEY DID, BUT THINGS JUST
GO THE WAY THEY GO, RIGHT? AT LEAST I'M STILL OUT THERE TRYING.
ALOT OF PEOPLE KNOW WHO WE ARE BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY,
AND THAT'S ALOT MORE THAN MANY BANDS CAN CLAIM. SO IT'S ALL
GOOD!
* Who
had the idea of the name of your band and your look SadoMasochist
? It was just for the fun or you were in the trip SM?
THE S&M IMAGE JUST
SORT OF EVOLVED FROM OUR ORIGINAL LEATHER AND STUDS LOOK.
IT WAS ALL ROCK AND ROLL THEATRE AND WAS, AND STILL IS, DONE
TONGUE-IN-CHEEK...MEANING, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A SENSE OF HUMOR
ABOUT IT. IF I WAS REALLY INTO BONDAGE THEN IT WOULDN'T BE
A PERFORMANCE, RIGHT?
* Bitch
started very extremely while leaving a MLP and a LP in hardly
more than one year, why there was then 4 years old of waiting
to the second album?
WE GOT HOOKED UP WITH
SOME MANAGEMENT THAT HAD DIFFERENT IDEAS FOR US AND THOUGHT
WE SHOULD GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION...THEY SORT OF HELD
US UP FOR ALL THOSE YEARS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO
WITH US. WE SOON SEVERED TIES WITH THEM AND GOT THINGS GOING
AGAIN ON OUR OWN.
* What
justified the resumption of "Bitch is back" of Elton
John?
HOW PERFECT WAS IT FOR
US TO COVER "THE BITCH IS BACK" AFTER RETURNING
TO THE PUBLIC EYE?!. IT WAS TOO PERFECT FOR US NOT TO DO IT.
WE OPEN OUR LIVE SHOW WITH THAT SONG THESE DAYS.
* Why to have changed the name of Bitch into Betsy whereas
the line up was the same one?
WE JUST WANTED TO SEE
IF THE NAME "BITCH" WAS HOLDING US BACK COMMERCIALLY,
SO WE EXPERIMENTED WITH THE NAME CHANGED TO "BETSY",
BUT WE WENT BACK TO THE ORIGNIAL - AND MUCH BETTER BAND NAME
- OF "BITCH" THE VERY NEXT ALBUM WE DID.
* Following
the excellent album « Betsy », less heavy and
general public (regarding to music and image), which were
the commercial and critical repercussions?
THE "BETSY"
ALBUM IS ACTUALLY MY FAVORITE RELEASE OF OURS IN TERMS OF
SONGS AND PRODUCTION. I REALLY ENJOY LISTENING TO THAT RELEASE,
BUT SOME FANS WERE DISAPPOINTED THAT IT WAS A BIT ON THE COMMERCIAL
SIDE, AND NOT AS HEAVY AS THEY WERE USED TO. BUT I PERSONALLY
LIKE THAT ALBUM ALOT.
* Is there unreleased tracks or live
tracks of Bitch what one can hope to see leaving one day?
I THINK AS FAR AS FUTURE
RECORDINGS, WE MAY RE-DO SOME OLD SONGS WITH OUR BETTER LINE-UP,
BUT I THINK WE'LL CONCENTRATE MORE ON NEW AND FRESH MATERIAL.
ONE OF OUR GUITAR PLAYERS HAS SOME AWESOME SONGS ALREADY WRITTEN
THAT JUST NEED VOCALS. SO YOU'LL MAYBE HEAR SOME RE-RELEASES,
BUT WE'LL FOCUS ON WRITING NEW SONGS.
* Do you have
memories of your duet with Lizzy Borden? How are you found
to you to make this duet?
IT WAS GREAT FUN RECORDING
THE TUBES' "DON'T TOUCH ME THERE" WITH LIZZY. IT
WAS THEIR IDEA, AND THEY INVITED ME TO DO IT. I WAS FLATTERED
THAT THEY WANTED ME TO RECORD WITH THEM. I THINK IT CAME OUT
PRETTY GOOD.
* Can one hope
to see one day a great re-issue of your cds with bonus tracks
or video?
SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA
TO ME! WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF THINGS ON THE STOVE...THEY JUST
HAVEN'T COME TO A BOIL YET!
*Have
you a project of dvd ?
OF COURSE, THAT'S ONE
OF THE THINGS WE HAVE COOKING. OUR PERFORMANCE OF "LIVE
FOR THE WHIP" WAS RECENTLY FEATURED ON THE "BEST
OF THE BANG YOUR HEAD FESTIVAL" DVD. I UNDERSTAND IT'S
DOING VERY WELL
* Why Bitch and Betsy ceased existing?
I NEVER CEASED TO EXIST,
MY FRIEND. HOW WOULD I BE ANSWERING THESE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
IF THAT WAS THE CASE?? WE LAID-LOW FOR A WHILE, BUT I NEVER
COMPLETELY WENT AWAY AND AM NOW ATTEMPTING TO BRING MY GREAT
BAND BACK INTO THE PUBLIC EYE. I'M SINGING AND LOOKING BETTER
THAN EVER, SO THE TIME IS RIGHT!
* What
became the other musicians? Are you always in contact with
them?
THE ORIGINAL GUITAR PLAYER
DAVID IS NOT ONLY MY EX-GUITAR PLAYER, BUT HE IS ALSO MY EX-BOYFRIEND.
TWO YEARS AGO, WE BROKE UP AFTER BEING TOGETHER FOR 24 YEARS
(!!). I OFFERED HIM THE OPPORTUNITY OF PUTTING BITCH BACK
TOGETHER WITH ROBBY AND I, BUT HE WASN'T INTERESTED. WE'RE
STILL FRIENDS AND I SEE HIM ALL THE TIME. WE'VE HAD SO MANY
BASS PLAYERS THAT IT'S HARD TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ALL OF THEM.
SOME OF THEM I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO, BUT I SEE
A FEW FROM TIME TO TIME.>
* After
the end of Bitch, which did you make?
CORRECTION: BITCH NEVER
ENDED.
* Is there possibilities of getting recordings on which you
would have worked? or you had moved away from the world of
the music?
WHY DO YOU KEEP REFERRING
TO THE NOTION THAT I HAVE GIVEN UP BITCH AND MUSIC ALTOGETHER??
THAT IS NOT NOW, NOR WAS IT EVER THE CASE. EVEN WHEN THE BAND
WASN'T TOTALLY ACTIVE, WE WERE ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING, WHETHER
IT BE PLAYING SOME GIGS, BEING ON THE METAL BLADE 20TH ANNIVERSARY
BOXED SET, DOING INTERVIEWS, PLAYING THE BANG YOUR HEAD FESTIVAL,
ETC. PLEASE GET IT OUT OF YOUR HEAD THAT I'M OUT OF THE MUSIC
BUSINESS. THAT IS NOT THE CASE AT ALL!
* You
always had a pretty voice, in the same style of Pat Benatar.
Do you work it particularly?
I'VE ALWAYS KEPT MY "VOCAL
CHOPS" UP, WHETHER IT BE JAMMING WITH COVER BANDS, PLAYING
AT PARTIES, SINGING IN MY CAR, WHATEVER. AND NOW THAT THE
BAND IS WORKING AGAIN, I'M SINGING BETTER THAN EVER. ALOT
OF PEOPLE HAVE COMPARED MY VOICE TO PAT BENATAR'S. WE SORT
OF HAVE THE SAME INTONATION. I GUESS IF I HAVE TO BE COMPARED
TO SOMEONE, IT'S NICE THAT I'M COMPARED TO SOMEONE WHO CAN
ACTUALLY SING WELL!
* Were you
already approached by some big records label who wanted to
change your image and to make you sing songs in a style more
commercial (dance, r'n b, soul...) ?
NO, BUT I HAVE BEEN TOLD
THAT I SHOULD BRANCH OUT AND SING MORE STYLES OF MUSIC, LIKE
BLUES, MORE MELLOW STUFF, ETC. I'M SURE I COULD DO IT, I JUST
HAVEN'T WANTED TO.
* How
are you found on the scene of Bang your Head festival in Germany,
two years ago, whereas nobody had any more news of you? How
was held this concert and which was the reaction of the audience?
HORST ODERMAT, WHO PUTS
ON THE FESTIVAL, APPROACHED BRIAN SLAGEL TO ASK HIM IF HE
THOUGHT WE'D BE INTERESTED IN PLAYING. OF COURSE WE WERE,
AND THEY FLEW US ALL OUT TO GERMANY - ALL EXPENSES PAID -
AND REALLY TREATED US EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. THE AUDIENCE REACTION
WAS OVERWHELMING. THAT WAS THE BEST PEROFMANCE EXPERIENCE
FOR ME IN THE HISTORY OF PLAYING WITH THIS BAND. WE PLAYED
TO ABOUT 12,000 PEOPLE. IT WAS AMAZING!
* Can one await some gigs and a forthcoming
recording?
THERE WOULD BE NOTHING
MORE I WOULD LIKE THAN TO TAKE THIS NEW LINE UP INTO THE STUDIO
AND OUT ON THE ROAD. THAT IS WHAT WE'RE AIMING FOR, HOPEFULLY,
IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
* Of all the bands with which you did turn, which were coolest
and which were the worst?
WE HAD NOTHING BUT GOOD
EXPERIENCES PLAYING WITH THE BANDS WE HAVE PLAYED WITH OVER
THE YEARS. TO NAME A FEW, RATT, METALLICA, SLAYER, ARMORED
SAINT, LIZZY BORDEN, W.A.S.P.. IT WAS ALL GOOD. THE ONLY BAD
EXPERIENCES WE HAD WERE PLAYING WITH LAME, LOCAL BANDS WHO
I CAN GUARANTEE NOBODY HAS EVER HEARD OF, SO THEY'RE NOT EVEN
WORTH MENTIONING.
* What do you
think of the musical evolution since the 80' S?
THERE HAVE BEEN VERY
FEW BANDS THAT HAVE COME OUT SINCE THAT TIME WHO I WAS TRULY
IMPRESSED WITH. "THE DARKNESS" WAS MY LAST FAVORITE
BAND TO EMERGE, AND THEY KIND OF FADED AWAY, DIDN'T THEY?
I WASN'T CRAZY ABOUT THE WHOLE "GRUNGE" THING THAT
WENT ON DIRECTLY AFTER THE 80'S METAL SCENE FADED, AND THEN
BANDS LIKE "GUNS AND ROSES" CAME OUT AND KIND OF
SAVED THE DAY. I ALSO USED TO REALLY LIKE "OASIS"'s
MUSIC.
* What
do you think of Internet, the mp3s, the remote loadings?
THIS NEW WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME. ALOT OF OUR MUSIC IS OUT THERE ON
THE INERNET...I LIKE THAT!
*How do you
see the future of musical industry?
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE
MUSIC...AND ROCK AND ROLL IS HERE TO STAY. NO MATTER WHAT
TRENDS AND FADS COME AND GO, ROCK HAS ALWAYS BEEN A MAINSTAY
AND ALWAYS SELLS THE MOST CONCERT TICKETS.
Now
a few quick hits:
- First concert you ever saw ?
"THE WHO" -
WHEN I WAS 14 YEARS OLD (AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO TELL
YOU HOW MANY YEARS AGO THAT WAS!)
-Last
concert you saw ?
ALICE COOPER AND CHEAP
TRICK TOGETHER HERE IN L.A. LAST SUMMER. OTHER THAN THAT,
I GO TO CLUBS AND SEE BANDS PLAY MOST EVERY WEEKEND, BUT IT
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BIG CONCERTS, THAT WAS THE LAST ONE I
SAW.
- Worst
concert you ever saw ?
"THE MOODY BLUES"...I
FELL ASLEEP
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