Interview with Maxine Petrucci

Guitarist Maxine Petrucci has played Madam X and other acts. I recently got to check in with to find more about her past and what she is currently up to.


MM-So what are you currently working on?


MP-I'm currently rehearsing with my band to do live shows here in the Metro Detroit area to promote my new record entitled 'Don't Hate Me'.

MM-How old were you when you started playing guitar? What or who motivated you to want to play?



MP-I was 12 years old. My father bought me a guitar for my birthday and I started taking guitar lessons. My dad loved classical guitar and the famous country guitar player 'Roy Clark', and he hoped that I would play like that. Growing up in Detroit Rock City, I was exposed to serious rock music and I knew that was my destiny!



MM-Now I believe you come from a musical family, right? Did you play any other instruments when you were growing up?



MP-I started playing flute first in 5th grade. I was performing symphonic music through out my school years.



MM-Did you and your sister Roxy start playing in bands together as soon as you started playing instruments?



MP-We played in the symphonic bands during the day and had our rock band stuff at night.



MM-So were you any bands before Madam X? If so then what were the band names and what was the music like?


MP-We were in an all girl band with 2 other jammin' sisters Denise and Laura LaTourelle in a band called 'Pantagruel' a name that came from a band we loved called 'Gentle Giant'. At that time we did covers from Queen, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath etc. After that we formed a band called 'Black Lace' with 2 guys and we played rock covers too and started to write originals.


MM-How and when did Madam X form?


MP-We formed Madam X in 1982 with Chris Doliber on bass and Jamie Groesjian on lead vocals and we decided to do some dates on the east coast and while we were in playing a club in Long Island a band called Cheetah opened for us and we were so blown away hearing Bret Kaiser sing and perform and we knew he was our match and he felt the same about us and the rest is history.

MM-What do you remember about writing and recording “We reserve the right”?

MP-It was really exciting cuz we were signed by Jet Records who also had Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Lita, and ELO. So we figured we really made it, we were so young and dumb and listened to everything they told us to do, which they rushed us recording that album and told us what kind of songs they wanted us to write, that's called artist control. If we were able to do what we wanted, it would have been heavier and not rushed. I did all that guitar work in three days, Roxy did her drums in 2 days.



MM-Now in Madam X all of you had huge hair and the wild glam look. Did each of you just form your own look or did you discuss how the band should look as a whole?


MP-We all naturally had tons of hair and by the way we all still do, only Bret cut his but he's still got a full head of hair. Only Roxy and I did the glam thing cuz that's what girls do, Chris looked monstery and Bret was forced by Jet to die his hair half black and half blond and dress glam, and Bret was pissed and really fought that but Jet got there way. We liked Bret's new look though he didn't.



MM-What was it like being in a band with your sister? What were the best parts about it and were the most difficult aspects about that kind of situation?



MP-It wasn't anything new to us cuz we always played together like school band, duets, trios,etc., so it felt natural. The most difficult parts are when we would get mad at each for whatever the reason was and we would fight like I punched her once on stage, and verbal fights cuz we knew we could do that to each other and still be sisters forever.



MM-How did you meet Sebastian Bach and how did you come to get him in Madam X? What was he like to work with?



MP-After Madam X with Bret Kaiser and my sister Roxy broke up, The bass player Chris and I decided to reform the band and a agent friend of ours from Toronto told us about a potential great singer and sent us his promo pak and we thought he definitely looked great but we needed to hear him live so we went to Toronto and picked him up, brought him to Detroit and started trying to mold him into a great singer and performer which that put us through serious hell with his personality and attitude, and I don't even know where we as a band got anything positive from that experience, maybe Skid Row can tell you more about that trippie experience. Sebastian seems to have humbled some in his older years and we've exchanged some emails and he's been real cool to me, so I don't have any hard feelings and wish him the best.

MM-Madam X was on Jet records for your one album. Were you dropped by Jet or was it just a one album deal?

MP-It was a 5 album deal, again how dumb of us to sign a 5 album deal. Jet went out of business do to some kind of tax crap that Don Arden was going through.



MM-Did you ever get any other label interest after? If so then who and why were you not able to get signed?



MP-We had broken up shortly after, and that's when Sebastian joined the band and we were trying to get our shit together before we were to showcase the band to any label.

MM-What were you doing in the 1990’s?

MP-We did a Madam X reunion with original members at the Roxy in Hollywood, we were great but nobody really cared, The Seattle scene was breaking at that time.



MM-You came into a scene that was hugely dominated by men. Is it easier for women to break into today as compared to when you were starting out? If so then why do you think that is?



MP-It's easier if you crotch pop like Madonna, Britney, and Aguelera. As far as metal and hard rock go, girls have to really be able to play and be believable at what they do cuz rockers are hard core and unforgiving and don't care about gender. You got to be real and believable!



MM-What have you not accomplished in your music career that you still hope to achieve?


MP-I just want to make great music. I don't even know the definition of 'making it' anymore, all these bands I talk to are obsessed with getting a record deal. Now with technology as it is, you can cut a killer record in your own basement. Who needs an advance for making a record, they forget you have to pay that back. I gave myself my own record deal and I think I have a great record now and I'll make sure my next one will be at another level of greatness.

MM-What kind of music are you listening to these days?



MP-Been listening to 60's and 70's music cuz the bands were all different from one another and had talent and great songs! Also they don't have that covered up digital hissy sound on there mixes.

MM-Is there anything else that you would like to say about your band or your music?

MP-Please be patient about my playing live cuz it took me some time to find the right bassist to play my music. We're rehearsing and will be playing shows here in the metro Detroit area real soon. I don't have any wild tour support so I have to stay local. Check out my new killer CD entitled 'Don't Hate Me' and you can buy it at http://www.maxattacks.com/, http://cdbaby.com/, and http://www.amazon.com/ and check me out at http://www.myspace.com/maxinepetrucci

Thanx for your support and keepin metal alive!