Jetboy interview

Hard rock outfit Jetboy formed in the 80's in the San Francisco area. They later relocated to LA and released a few albums. They are back together again and have been touring, released the Glam Years DVD/CD last year and they are set to play Rocklahoma this summer. I recently got to interview guitarist Billy Rowe to find out more about their history and their plans for the future.

MM-What are you currently working on?
Billy: Right now we just got done doing quite a few shows In California as well as a tour with Stephen Pearcy which was the end of last year. We are working up more songs from our catalog as well as writing new songs for a new album. We will be doing some shows In May & June one of which Is the Haight Street fair here In San Francisco. Starting In early July we will tour our way out to Oklahoma for the big Rocklahoma festival & then tour back. After that we will start to record a new album and get back out on the road again.

MM-Why did you decide to get back together?
Billy: It was In mid 2005 when we were asked to be the headliner for the release party for the Hollywood Rocks Cd box set. After playing to a sold out crowd at the Key Club In Hollywood we new there was something going on. We booked two more shows the following year In our hometown San Francisco and another show In Hollywood at the Whisky. After that Is where we new It felt right to be a band again, we all commited to going for It and get Jetboy back out on the road & release something new.

MM-You did some touring in recent months. How did it go? Was it easy to get back into things and play songs live that you hadn’t played in years?
Billy: Yeah, we did a two week run supporting Stephen Pearcy last November-December 07, It went great. First tour for JETBOY In 17 years or so, It cold as shit going through the mid west & upper east. From the first time we got back together It was pretty easy to get back Into It & play those old songs again, and super fun !!

MM-You released The Glam Years DVD/CD set not long ago. What has been the response to that so far?
Billy: We released the Glam Years Movie And Cd In November of 2007 and the response so far has been great. It seems as the Interview/story of JETBOY Is a big hit. The whole Dvd/Cd package Is really cool and loaded with some classic material, a must have for fans from the early cub years.

MM-On your DVD the band gets to tell the whole Jetboy story. Whose ideas was that? Was that easy to do, just opening up and sharing all the highs and lows of the band?
Billy: We did a kind of behind the music thing, we went In to re-record 'Feel The Shake' as one of the bonus tracks for the release & I had the Idea to document It and do an Interview with each member and tell the story of JETBOY. It was easy and fun to open up and tell all the stories, we all have memories of different thing's so It was cool to hear stuff I had forgotten about, that's my favorite part of the Dvd.

MM-You are playing Rocklahoma this year. What are your expectations about that show? Are you going to have time to watch any of the other bands during the day you play? If so then who are you looking forward to seeing?
Billy: Rocklahoma Is gonna be a blast ! we are all excited to play this festival and really have no expectations at all ! just go and play our style of Rock N' Roll and rock the fuck out. We are touring out there and back so we can only see the bands on the day we're on. And the ones I'd like to see are all on the other days like KIX, UFO, Cinderella & Triumph, not to Interested In many any other bands really.

MM-You started out in San Francisco and worked up a following there before moving to LA. How were the two scenes different from one another?
Billy: We are from San Francisco, about two years Into the band we moved to LA. At that point we were just about to sign with Elektra Records and It seemed like the right thing to do, and It was. As for the difference In SF vs LA ??? SF Is much more of a city like New York, so It's a bit more dirty & punk I'd say, alot more of a street edge. And La, It's deffinetly more of a glitsy, glammy town with a suburb feel, they both have there good points and I love both cities.

MM-What were the biggest adjustments you had to make when you moved to LA?
Billy: Biggest adjustments ??? I'd say the weather, SF does not get as many hot sunny days all year round, and I love the summer weather so I loved that part. Other than that ??? nothing really to adjust to, we had spent so much time In LA by then It felt like home already.

MM-You signed to Elektra in late 1986 and were unfortunately dropped in early 1988 shortly before your debut was set to be released. How devastated were you by that and did you deal with it? Did you immediately get back out there playing gigs again or was there some downtime in between?
Billy: We signed with Elektra In November of 1986, and moved down there the following month, Halloween which Is Mickey's birthday. After we finished 'Feel The Shake' we did a few shows In LA & SF then right before Christmas of 1987 we were dropped from the label. It was a shocker for sure ! advance tapes had gone out the release date was set and blam !!! everything came to a hault. It sucked big time, luckly our manager was on It and the next day Michael Goldstone who was at MCA wanted to sign the band right after the news was out that we were let go. Soon after we new we would go with MCA (who basicaly bought the masters from Elektra) we did a few more shows to keep things rolling and the album was finally released In October of 1988.



MM-Then you signed with MCA and they had to work through some red tape just to get you and get “Feel the shake” out. Before the Sony buyout were you ever beginning to think that things were going to work out for you guys or were you on edge the whole time because of what happened with Elektra?
Billy: Yes, we then signed with MCA In late 1987. MCA bought the masters from Elektra, we re-shot the album cover and did a video and got ready to hit the road. Things went pretty good right after the album came out, then half way Into the next year (1989) the label wanted us to come home and start writting for the second album. At this point things still seemed good and moving along, even though we all felt like we coulda worked FTS more, yet we were ready to write and record a new album. That's what really sucked In a way, by the time FTS was out the band had really evolved In our writing and more. We had to work FTS yet musically were ahead of those songs by then. I think once we hit the road for the second album Damnednation we felt things getting weird again, Sam had quite by then and you can tell the label was changing and so was music. The seattle scene came along and before you knew It grunge was the new thing, and It was time for a change.

MM-What are some of the most memorable shows you have ever played?
Billy: Some of the most memorable shows would be opening for Johnny Thunders, The Lords Of The New Church and cool underground leaders of that era. And later on when we hit the road for real I would have to say the month we did with Cheap Trick was hands down the BEST !

MM-Is playing live now any different than say twenty years ago? Do you get ready the same way as you did back then or not?
Billy: Hmmm, yeah kind of. I think now It's easier and less preasure. We are all better players and veterans of this Rock N' Roll world.

MM-Do you have an album of new material in the works or plans to do one? Do you have any new songs written?
Billy: We do have a new song we reorded and quite a bit more song Ideas In the works. That's the next thing we are planning to do Is write a NEW album ! And we are really excited about that.

MM-Looking back is there anything that you wish you had done differently in your music career?
Billy: well, kind of ?? we did what we felt was the right thing to do then, so yes and no. If anything we spent to much money like pretty much all the bands did.

MM-Pick the band from the following pair that you prefer and tell why you picked that band.
Billy-
-Guns and Roses or Poison
Billy: this one Is tough, I'd rather not pick either. Both are peers and frinds as well, well one of the bands here we were really good friends with but then It went sour and still Is, I think you know which one I'm talking about ! LOL

-LA Guns or Ratt
Billy: LA GUNS, good friends then and good friends now. Tracii has been very supportive of JETBOY and has helped us out alot the last few months !!! Mick Cripps Is a good friend who I hang out with all thie time.

-Hanoi Rocks or New York Dolls
Billy: BOTH !! that's a tie breaker !

-KISS or Van Halen
Billy: Shit, that's to tough as well ! another tie breaker !

MM-Is there anything else that you want to say about your band or your music?
Billy: I just wanna say thank you to all the friends, family and fans out there who have supported the band In the good ol' days and now ! It's great to be back together again and we look forward to a succesful future.
See ya on the road !

http://www.myspace.com/jetboyrocks

***Thanks to Billy for doing the interview.

Interview with Sami Yaffa

Sami Yaffa is currently a member of both the New York Dolls and Mad Juana. He has also played with Hanoi Rocks, Jetboy, Joan Jett, Murphy's Law and others. He has mainly played bass, but has played guitar in some projects as well. I recently got to check in with him and ask him about his past, present and future.

MM-What are you currently up to?
SY- Trying to clear my head....Preparing for the release of my band Mad Juana's new album "Bruja On The Corner" in June.

MM-What have been some of the biggest highs and the biggest lows of your music career?
SY-It's all a rollercoaster ride with pure exhalation and manic depression, but it's all good...highs are many, but the lowest was Razzle's passing.

MM-What were your thoughts when you first joined the New York Dolls?
SY-Foggy, confusion, what the fuck, holy shit etc...

MM-What is your favorite Hanoi Rocks album and why?
SY-Day late Dollar Short, they sound like the Scorpions!.....actually "Back to Mystery City". That record is out there...

MM-The albums you did with Hanoi Rocks in the early to mid 1980’s still seem to be influencing young bands even today. Why do you think that is and does it surprise you that those albums are so influential?
SY-No, they were shining ,brilliant albums and we were young and gorgeous,who can resist..I don't really know the reason for that. It was just pure fuckin' fun, people can feel it, it was honest, no bullshit, this is who we are, if you don't like it you can shove it where the sun don't shine attitude that was contagious..

MM-What do you remember most about your time in Jetboy?
SY-Nothing at all, I lived in fuckin' Hollywood,didn't I.....a swimming pool, somebody had a pet hamster.....lot of silicon.......ugh...fog....

MM-Do you approach writing and playing any differently now than you did say 25 years ago?
SY-Yes, I can write and play now.

MM-You have been in a lot of projects over the years, some for short periods and some for longer stints. Was there ever a time where you thought about giving up on music and just going and doing something else as a career?
SY- Yes, when I played w Joan Jett, just kidding...after Razzle's passing I was pretty burnt out , we had been on the road for solid 5 years, I was pretty much sick of it all....took a break, raised my son etc...



MM-You have played in bands, recorded a lot of albums and toured all over. What have you not done in your music career that you would still love to do? SY-Fuck a chicken, strangle a lawyer, set a manager on fire, give the roadies a raise, play on the moon...

MM-Is the music business easier or difficult for you now than it was in the 1980’s?
SY-It's the same quicksand...keeps eating perfectly good musicians...it just keeps changing, you as a musician have to now do more that just play. Every motherfucker is downloading music for free so us musicians starve, almost makes me not wanna come up with any new music anymore, makes me puke.

MM-What would be your advice for a young band just starting out?
SY-Kill you manager,you'll get notoriety and worldwide fame, hopefully you'll do time for manslaughter, with good behaviour you'll be out in 5 years. You will be the biggest sensation when you return on the stage.

MM-What do you hope to accomplish by the end of 2008?
Finish painting my fence...have world tour with Mad Juana and New York Dolls, learn to drive a car....

MM-Do you have any regrets in your music career?
Njet

MM-If you could only listen to three albums over the next month then what would they be?
Llilliana Butler"Queen of Gypsy Soul, Lee Scratch Perry "Return of the SuperApe" and Iggy &The Stooges"FunHouse"

MM-Is there anything else that you want to say about any of the bands you are in or your music?
SY-Yes, I would like to thank Shiva,the Kali-Bitch and the most high for New York Dolls and Mad Juana,Karmen Guy,Sylvain Sylvain,David Johansen,Danny Ray,Steve Conti,Nico Camargo,Marni Rice,Brian Delaney,Steve Rodriquez,Paul Garisto,Dustin Luna and my dog Elvi

http://www.myspace.com/samiyaffa

***Thanks to Sami for doing the interview.