It’s a bill that fans of horror and hard rock could only dream of until now! Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper have finally joined forces for a tour!

For the first time ever, the “gruesome twosome” will play an exclusive limited run of North American tour dates beginning April 26th at the MTS Center in Winnipeg, MB.

Rob Zombie commented, “The dream or nightmare comes true! Me and The Coop have been talking about touring together for about 15 years and finally the moment is here. This will be without a doubt a Rock ‘N’ Roll Spooktacular for all the Cool Ghouls”.

Alice Cooper added, “I’m looking forward to these concerts with Rob. It’s sort of like Dracula vs. Frankenstein, we’re like this generation’s classic monsters. When we’re not onstage frightening audiences, we’ll be backstage trying to scare each other.”

Following the dates with Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie and longtime bandmates guitarist John 5, bassist Piggy D and drummer Tommy Clufetos will hit the road for an extensive North American trek to co-headline this year’s Mayhem Festival (visit: www.robzombie.com or www.myspace.com/robzombie or please see below for all tour dates).

It’s been a busy year for multi-platinum hard rock artist and filmmaker Rob Zombie. Zombie’s brand new album HELLBILLY DELUXE 2 just debuted at #8 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart, marking his second Top Ten debut in 6 months. The Zombie-helmed Halloween 2 landed at #3 at the box office in August, 2009 and went on to become one of the biggest horror movies of the year, grossing more than $37 million to date. Zombie will make his television directorial debut with an episode of CBS’ highly-rated show CSI: Miami set to air on Monday, March 1st at 10:00PM, EST.

With more than 15 million albums sold, 7 Grammy nominations, the helming of 5 major motion pictures and dozens of music videos under his belt, Rob Zombie is a force to be reckoned with in today’s entertainment landscape. Zombie’s unique meld of horror and hard rock has influenced his sound as a musician, and more recently his vision as a director and writer.
Alice Cooper, the rock innovator generally credited with pioneering theatrics and bringing stagecraft to the rock idiom, has been a huge influence on successive generations of artists. On tour with Rob Zombie, he will be performing his Theatre of Death production that he will subsequently take it on the road in North America and Europe throughout 2010. He is backed in concert by longtime band members Damon Johnson and Keri Kelli (guitars), bassist Chuck Garric, and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso. Alice is preparing to release a live Theatre of Death DVD, filmed in London late last year, and is currently in pre-production on a new album.
Alice Cooper is the host of Nights with Alice Cooper, produced and distributed by the United Stations Radio Networks. Alice anchors 30 hours per week of original Classic Rock programming. Alice’s time slot reaches 1.1 million listeners (12+) each week, and his affiliates have a weekly reach of over 6 million listeners. For more facts, figures, fans, features and fun go to www.nightswithalicecooper.com.

ROB ZOMBIE/ALICE COOPER – The Gruesome Twosome Tour

APRIL
26 – Winnipeg, MB – MTS Centre
27 – Saskatoon, SK – Credit Union
28 – Edmonton, AB (1) – Rexall Place
29 – Calgary, AB (2) – Corral

MAY
1 – Vancouver, BC (3) – Pacific Coliseum
2 – Kennewick, WA – Toyota Center
4 – Casper, WY (4) – Casper Events Center

(1) – Nights With Alice Cooper heard on CIRK/97.3FM
(2) – Nights With Alice Cooper heard on CFGQ/107/3FM
(3) – Nights With Alice Cooper heard on CFMI/101FM
(4) – Nights With Alice Cooper heard on KRNK/96.7FM

ROB ZOMBIE co-headlining Mayhem Festival

JULY
10 – San Bernadino, CA – San Manuel Ampitheater
11 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Ampitheatre
13 – Southeast Auburn, WA – White River Ampitheater
14 – Nampa, ID – Idaho Center Ampitheater
16 – Phoenix, AZ – Cricket Wireless Pavilion
17 – Albuquerque, NM – Journal Pavilion
18 – Englewood, CO – Comfort Dental Ampitheatre
20 – Maryland Heights, MO – Verizon Wireless Ampitheater
21 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
23 – Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center
24 – Hartford, CT – The Comcast Center
25 – Montreal, QC – Parc Jean Drapeau
27 – Mansfield, MA – Comcast Center
28 – Holmdel, NJ – P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
30 – Tinley Park, IL – First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre
31 – Noblesville, IN – Verizon Wireless Music Center

AUGUST
1 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Ampitheatre
4 – Virginia Beach, VA – Virginia Beach Ampitheatre
6 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
7 – Pittsburgh, PA – Post Gazette Pavilion At Star Lake
8 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
10 – Tampa, FL – Ford Ampitheatre
11 – West Palm Beach, FL – Cruzan Ampitheater
13 – Dallas, TX – SuperPages.com Center
14 – Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Ampitheatre

Multi-platinum hard rock artist and filmmaker Rob Zombie’s album HELLBILLY DELUXE 2, his first for new label home Roadrunner/Loud & Proud Records, has debuted at #8 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart with upwards of 48,500 units sold in its first week of release. The album also takes the top spot on the Hard Music chart, arriving at #1. HELLBILLY DELUXE 2 has been winning praise from press and fans alike. The Los Angeles Times declared “HELLBILLY DELUXE 2 is Zombie’s most consistently tuneful record to date,” while USA Today referred to the album as “masterfully crafted.”

This marks Zombie’s second Top Ten debut in 6 months…the Zombie-helmed Halloween 2 landed at #3 at the box office in August, 2009 and went on to become one of the biggest horror movies of the year, grossing more than $37 million to date. Zombie’s sinister directorial vision is responsible for reviving the Halloween franchise: the first installment of Halloween debuted at #1 at the box office in 2007, breaking all Labor Day Weekend 2007 records and has since grossed an estimated $80 million worldwide.

HELLBILLY DELUXE 2 hits streets more than a dozen years after its predecessor HELLBILLY DELUXE, which established Rob Zombie as a solo artist after the demise of his cutting edge band White Zombie. The album features all the demonic stylings for which Rob Zombie and his longtime bandmates guitarist John 5, bassist Piggy D and drummer Tommy Clufetos have come to be known. Rob Zombie and crew will soon be hitting the road to co-headline this year’s Mayhem Festival kicking off in San Bernadino, CA at the San Manuel Ampitheater on Saturday, July 10th (please see below for tour dates).

In other Rob Zombie news, the accomplished filmmaker will make his television directorial debut with an episode of CBS’ highly-rated show CSI: Miami set to air on Monday, March 1st at 10:00PM, EST. With more than 15 million albums sold, 7 Grammy nominations, the helming of 4 major motion pictures and dozens of music videos under his belt, Rob Zombie is a force to be reckoned with in today’s entertainment landscape. Zombie’s unique meld of horror and hard rock has influenced his sound as a musician, and more recently his vision as a director and writer.

ROB ZOMBIE co-headlining Mayhem Festival

JULY
10 – San Bernadino, CA – San Manuel Ampitheater
11 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Ampitheatre
13 – Southeast Auburn, WA – White River Ampitheater
14 – Nampa, ID – Idaho Center Ampitheater
16 – Phoenix, AZ – Cricket Wireless Pavilion
17 – Albuquerque, NM – Journal Pavilion
18 – Englewood, CO – Comfort Dental Ampitheatre
20 – Maryland Heights, MO – Verizon Wireless Ampitheater
21 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
23 – Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center
24 – Hartford, CT – The Comcast Center
25 – Montreal, QC – Parc Jean Drapeau
27 – Mansfield, MA – Comcast Center
28 – Holmdel, NJ – P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
30 – Tinley Park, IL – First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre
31 – Noblesville, IN – Verizon Wireless Music Center

AUGUST
1 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Ampitheatre
4 – Virginia Beach, VA – Virginia Beach Ampitheatre
6 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
7 – Pittsburgh, PA – Post Gazette Pavilion At Star Lake
8 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
10 – Tampa, FL – Ford Ampitheatre
11 – West Palm Beach, FL – Cruzan Ampitheater
13 – Dallas, TX – SuperPages.com Center
14 – Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Ampitheatre

For more information, please visit www.robzombie.com

Rob Zombie has unveiled the video for the track ‘Sick Bubblegum’ off of his upcoming album, ‘Hellbilly Deluxe 2′ is now available. Check it out below.

This latest album marks the follow-up to 1998’s triple platinum Hellbilly Deluxe. Zombie is slated to release his new solo album, Hellbilly Deluxe 2, on February 2, 2010.

The track listing is as follows:
‘Jesus Frankenstein’
‘Sick Bubblegum’
‘What?’
‘Mars Needs Women’
‘Werewolf, Baby!’
‘Virgin Witch’
‘Death And Destiny Inside The Dream Factory’
‘Burn’
‘Cease To Exist’
‘Werewolf Women Of The SS’
‘The Man Who Laughs’

Rob Zombie will make his television directorial debut on an upcoming episode of “CSI: Miami” reports The Associated Press.

CBS says the rocker/filmmaker will bring the Miami crime-solving team to Los Angeles in a story that involves secret tape recordings and evidence tampering.

Production began Wednesday on the episode slated to air March 1, 2010.

Zombie past works behind the camera include the horror films “Halloween,” “Halloween II,” “The Devil’s Rejects” and “House of 1000 Corpses.”

Zombie is slated to release his new solo album, “Hellbilly Deluxe 2″, on February 2, 2010.

Legendary rock Rob Zombie has released a brand new track entitled “Burn” that is available for fans to download for free!

Check it out at this location (free e-mail sign-up required) >

The song comes off the singer’s new album, “Hellbilly Deluxe 2″, which is scheduled for release on February 2, 2010 via Roadrunner Records’ Loud & Proud imprint.

“Hellbilly Deluxe 2″ track listing:

1. Jesus Frankenstein
2. Sick Bubblegum
3. What?
4. Mars Needs Women
5. Werewolf, Baby!
6. Virgin Witch
7. Death and Destiny Inside The Dream Factory
8. Burn
9. Cease to Exist
10. Werewolf Women of the SS
11. The Man Who Laughs

Source: Roadrunner Records

In a sudden and unexpected move, multi-platinum hard rock artist Rob Zombie has inked has a new worldwide deal with leading rock label Roadrunner Records through its Loud & Proud imprint.

This shocking announcement comes as Zombie exits his former label and of eighteen years, where he sold fifteen million records as a solo artist and with his former band White Zombie. Zombie’s new album, Hellbilly Deluxe 2, previously set for release on November 17 will now be released by Roadrunner/Loud & Proud Records in early 2010.

“It certainly wasn’t an easy decision to make after all this time, but it had to be done,” states Zombie. “I love this new record and wanted to surround myself with an excited new group of people who can reignite my enthusiasm for working within a hard rock record label. Roadrunner seems to be the perfect place.”

“Roadrunner is thrilled to be involved with Rob Zombie on a worldwide basis as he is a multiple-threat artist whom we’ve admired for many years,” said Roadrunner president Jonas Nachsin.

Tom Lipsky, founder and president of Loud & Proud echoed Nachsin’s sentiment, “Rob Zombie hits hard on Hellbilly Deluxe 2 and the fans expect nothing less. We are excited about the monster mayhem that he is certain to create!”

The first single from the new album, “What?” recently launched at all rock radio formats and is quickly climbing the charts. This latest album marks the follow-up to 1998’s triple platinum Hellbilly Deluxe.

The track listing is as follows:
‘Jesus Frankenstein’
‘Sick Bubblegum’
‘What?’
‘Mars Needs Women’
‘Werewolf, Baby!’
‘Virgin Witch’
‘Death And Destiny Inside The Dream Factory’
‘Burn’
‘Cease To Exist’
‘Werewolf Women Of The SS’
‘The Man Who Laughs’

In support of this release Zombie, will kick off his first headline tour since 2007 in Phoenix, AZ on October 29th. Shows in Las Vegas, NV on the 30th, and a very special Halloween event on October 31st in Hollywood, CA are set to follow. Zombie will be accompanied by his longtime band mates – guitarist John 5, bassist Piggy D and drummer Tommy Clufetos.

Visit www.RobZombie.com for Hellbilly Deluxe 2 World Tour updates.

The Hellbilly Returns and has partnered with I Love All Access to provide “Ultimate Fan Packages” on his upcoming tour. These “Ultimate Fan Packages” are selling out so check for your concert city by going to www.iloveallaccess.com.

Each Rob Zombie Ultimate Fan package includes:

· One general admission ticket, with priority access*
· A meet & greet with Rob Zombie
· A pre-show party
· Exclusive Rob Zombie gift bag
· Crowd-free merchandise shopping
· Ultimate Fan souvenir laminate
· Parking**

***If you already have your tickets there is an upgrade option to still get the same experience without purchasing another ticket.

This will be Zombie’s first headline tour since 2007 and will have other ghoulish delights in tow including openers Nekromantix and Captain Clegg & the Night Creatures last seen rocking Haddonfield and Michael Myers in Zombie’s new film HALLOWEEN 2. “I am bouncing off the walls like a mental patient”, says Zombie “That tells me it’s time to take it to the stage and let the demons loose.”

Upcoming Tour Dates
10/29/2009 – Phoenix, AZ – Dodge Theatre
10/30/2009 – Las Vegas, NV – The Pearl
10/31/2009 – Hollywood, CA – Palladium
11/1/2009 – Anaheim, CA – The Grove
11/3/2009 – San Jose, CA – Event Center
11/5/2009 – Salt Lake City, UT – Salt Air
11/6/2009 – Denver, CO – The Fillmore
11/8/2009 – Tulsa, OK – Brady Theater
11/10/2009 – Austin, TX – Austin City Music Hall
11/11/2009 – Houston, TX – Verizon Wireless
11/13/2009 – Dallas, TX – Palladium Ballroom
11/14/2009 – Kansas City, MO – The Uptown
11/15/2009 – St. Louis, MO – The Pagent
11/16/2009 – Indianapolis, IN – Murrat
11/17/2009 – Akron, OH – Civic Center
11/19/2009 – Milwaukee, WI – Eagles Auditorium
11/20/2009 – Minneapolis, MN – Wilkins
11/21/2009 – Des Moines, IL – Val Air Ballroom
11/22/2009 – Chicago, IL – Aragon
11/24/2009 – Louisville, KY – Broadbent Arena
11/25/2009 – Columbus, OH – Lifestyles Pavilion
11/27/2009 – Detroit, MI – Fillmore
11/28/2009 – Toronto, ON – Sound Academy
11/29/2009 – Montreal, PQ – Metropolis
12/01/2009 – New York, NY – Hammerstein
12/02/2009 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
12/03/2009 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
12/04/2009 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
12/05/2009 – Washington, DC – 9:30

For more information go to www.robzombie.com or www.myspace.com/robzombie

The album that all have been waiting for, HELLBILLY DELUXE 2 on Geffen Records will hit the street November 17th at a store near you! The first single WHAT? takes over the airwaves in the next week unleashing the monster Zombie has created. This latest masterpiece is the follow-up of his super smash triple platinum HELLBILLY DELUXE in 1998.

In support of this release Zombie will blasts off on tour in Phoenix, AZ on October 29th, Las Vegas, NV on the 30th, and a very special Halloween event on the 31st in Hollywood, CA hosted by Uncle Seymour Coffins also seen recently in HALLOWEEN 2. Zombie will be accompanied by his longtime band mates -guitarist John 5, bassist Piggy D, and drummer Tommy Clufetos.

This is the first headline tour since 2007 and will have other ghoulish delights in tow including openers Nekromantix and Captain Clegg & the Night Creatures last seen rocking Haddonfield and Michael Myers in Zombie’s new film HALLOWEEN 2. The tour will usher in Zombie’s forthcoming album HELLBILLY DELUXE 2 – Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool (Geffen), a companion to 1998 original.

“I am bouncing off the walls like a mental patient”, says Zombie “That tells me it’s time to take it to the stage and let the demons loose.”

TRACK LISTING:

1. Jesus Frankenstein
2. Sick Bubblegum
3. What?
4. Mars Needs Women
5. Werewolf, Baby!
6. Virgin Witch
7. Death and Destiny Inside The Dream Factory
8. Burn
9. Cease to Exist
10. Werewolf Women of the SS
11. The Man Who Laughs

Selling over fifteen million albums worldwide, Zombie is one of Geffen Record’s top selling and the longest running artists on the label. He has written and directed five feature length films, directed dozens of high profile music videos, contributed recordings to multiple soundtracks, and authored several comic books. HALLOWEEN 2 (2009) took hold of the box office recently, following-up his record breaking blockbuster re-imagining of HALLOWEEN in 2007. In 2005, Zombie assaulted the film world with the critically-acclaimed THE DEVIL’S REJECTS (Lionsgate), the follow-up to his already cult classic HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES (Lionsgate 2004).

For more information go to www.robzombie.com or www.myspace.com/robzombie

Often described as “the best kept secret in modern country music,” Jesse Dayton has achieved a level of success that most people can only dream about. Armed with an eclectic musical background and collaborations with artists such as Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and The Supersuckers, Jesse has truly made a name for himself in the music industry. The Austin, Texas-based guitar slinger has also found further musical success in the film and television industries. Directors and producers have been knocking on Jesse’s door for years, asking him to be a part their projects. Rob Zombie took notice of Dayton’s talent and recruited him for two of his films. Jesse is responsible for creating the music of Banjo & Sullivan in The Devil’s Rejects and most recently took on the role of bringing Captain Clegg to life in Rob Zombie’s Halloween II. Humbled by his success, Jesse believes that his career is the result of proper timing, a little bit of luck, and the support he has received from his cult following of fans. Steve Johnson of Icon vs Icon catches up with Jesse to discuss his long career, the current state of country music, the creation of Captain Clegg & The Night Creatures, his upcoming tour with Rob Zombie, and the fact he may be booked up solid for the rest of his life during the month of October! Are you phantom jammers ready to begin? Yes? Well then, I give you Jesse Dayton!

Where did you grow up?

I was born down in Beaumont, Texas. On the Texas, Louisiana border. A big Cajun music kind of scene down there. It was a great place to grow up. I have been coming to Austin all my life. So I live in Austin, Texas. That’s where I live because there’s such a burgeoning music scene. It’s kind of a liberal hub of the south, if you will.

How did music first come into your life?

Man, all kinds of stuff happened. My parents are big music fans. My whole family went to the University of Texas. They used to take me to these incredible concerts in Austin when I was a kid. It was very much like San Francisco was. We’d go to The Armadillo Palace when I was a little kid and see Willie, Waylon, Miles Davis, and Frank Zappa all on the same bill. I grew up on big doses of honky tonk music, Cajun music, and rhythm and blues. Stuff like that. Then when I got older, of course I got introduced to punk rock. I just had to immediately start rebelling against the family. [laughs]

How did you get your start in the music industry?

Man, I did all kinds of stuff. I got a record deal when I was pretty young. One thing that really helped me tremendously was a fluke. I was in Nashville and I was doing this TV interview that Kris Kristofferson was on. Waylon Jennings and his wife Jessi Colter were watching the show that I was on because they were watching for Kris. They were good friends with Kristofferson. They saw me on there and while they were watching the show, Waylon cut his finger in the kitchen while he was cooking. The next morning as I was leaving my hotel, I got a phone call saying Waylon Jennings saw me on the television show, would I come down and play guitar for him. So I started playing guitar for Waylon Jennings. That led to a whole bunch of stuff. The day that I got to the studio, Johnny Cash opened the door to the studio. He hung out with us all day, so I played with him. I played with Waylon. I got a job playing with Ray Price. I played on some Willie stuff. It just kind of snowballed after that. I was this young kid who played guitar, who was from Texas. I just got introduced to everybody in a real cool way.

Your music has been described as everything from honky tonk and rockabilly, to Americana and speed-country. For people who aren’t familiar with your music, what would you classify yourself as?

Aw man, I hate to classify. It’s really hard for me and always has been for me to put a label on it. It’s so many things from American music and I just kind of make them into hybrids. It’s just got a lot of different stuff. Honky tonk, blues, punk, psychobilly, and all kinds of stuff.

You are often referred to as “the best kept secret in modern country music.” What are your thoughts on that statement?

Well it’s kind of interesting. I never really tried to appeal to the mainstream country radio people. I think because of that, that’s where I kind of got that response. A lot of those people end up liking me after they hear me. To lump me in with whoever is on modern country radio would be a huge mistake. My music is just way more gritty and more hardcore. It kind of freaks me out when people call me country because people immediately think of who’s on country music today. I think modern country music today sucks. It’s Nashville factory. Real safe, middle of the road, pop music that has very, very little to do with country music.

What do you attribute the longevity of your career to?

Man I don’t know. I somehow built a cult following of fans and I really attribute my career to them. I could somehow go on tour and play and people show up. I’ve never had to do anything super mainstream. I think a lot of it is just me going out and playing for all of those years and building up that cult following. It was always something that no record company or radio station could ever take away from me.

Being in the music industry as long as you have, are there still surprises?

Yeah. The music business is about the most cutthroat business I can think of. The thing that surprises me is the lowest depths of misery that these labels will go to prefab some artist and put them out there, and then people buy it. That is what surprises me.

What do you consider the defining moment of your career so far?

Man, I don’t know. I’ve had a lot of good things happen to me. When I made records with all of these legendary outlaw country guys, I think those will probably go down in history. Somebody will probably pick up that Jesse Dayton played guitar on that. That was a big deal. There’s been all kinds of deals. I played at the inaugural ball. I met the president. I don’t know… There’s been so many great things that have happened. Somehow people in the film industry have really taken to me. That has always given me kind of a leg up. I’ve had a lot of songs in a lot of films, TV shows, and stuff like that. One thing that happened with me is that I was one of the first artists seven or eight years ago to go to a major label and ask to be let off the label so I could start my own record label. They all thought I was crazy. Of course the house of cards totally fell and the record business went under. It helped me pin point who my audience was and who I wanted to play for. I think the defining thing of me and my career is probably when I took a hold of my career and started doing what I wanted, instead of doing what labels wanted me to do.

If someone were to go out and pick up just one of your albums, which one would you recommend and why?

‘The Country Soul Brother’ record is probably a pretty good starter kit. It’s got all of the stuff in it that I think appeals to different fans. We have a lot of rock n’ roll fans, in the same way that Waylon sold to a lot of rock n’ roll fans. We have such an edge to our music. ‘The Country Soul Brother’ record has that edge throughout the whole thing. It’s got some real aggressive guitar playing. I appeal to a lot of different people for different reasons. There are some people that come out just to listen to my guitar playing because they are guitar freaks. There are some people that come out who just want to hear that outlaw, crazy country, something different than what they hear on the radio. Then there’s the girls. [laughs]

You recently released a Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures album. How did that come about?

It was such a cool deal. I had done the Banjo & Sullivan record for ‘The Devil’s Rejects’ movie. It came about in a real wild way. Rob called me and said, “Hey, we’re making this crazy white trash horror movie called ‘The Devil’s Rejects’. We think your music would be perfect. Would you be interested in doing this fake CD for Banjo & Sullivan?” I was like, “Yeah! Sure!” So I flew out to L.A. and I wrote a bunch of songs. I took them to Rob. I went into his office, it was the first time I ever met him. He died laughing listening to all of the lyrics. He just thought it was really cool, so we put out that record. The record did pretty good. Then he calls me when I am playing with Social Distortion in a theater in Hollywood. He calls me and he’s like, “Are you in L.A. right now?” I’m like, “Yeah.” He goes, “Me and Sheri are going to come down.” I was like, “OK!” It was kind of a big deal. The show I was playing with Social Distortion was real cool. Everybody was kind of freaking out because Rob and Sheri were coming backstage. Rob and Sheri come backstage and we hang out for a while. He’s like, “Hey man, I’m doing this new movie and I think I want to put you in it.” I was like, “Great!” I was like, “Sign me up man!” He watches the show and when he saw that show, that must have been where he got the idea to do the Phantom Jam scene. It was a really cool show that night. We had tons of people there just freaking out and singing along to our stuff. It was a very edgy, kind of punk rock crowd. Anyway, he called me later and said, “Hey. I want you and your band to be in the movie. I want you to play this new character. The movie is going to be ‘Halloween II’.” I was like, “Holy shit!” I was like, “Right on man!” Immediately we started to email each other song ideas back and forth. Rob was very much the person who came up with all of this. He came up with the idea for the name of the band, which he took from an old English horror movie. We started talking about hybrid music ideas. What would it be like if Buck Owens did an Iggy Pop song? What would it be if we mixed The Misfits with The Cramps? There were all of these different ideas. I just wrote all of these ideas down and I got in the car and drove to New Orleans. I checked into this haunted hotel called the Lamothe House on Esplanade Avenue and I wrote all of these songs in like two days.

What has it been like working with Rob?

Rob is the greatest. He’s a sweetheart. He’s a real nice guy and he’s very much all about ideas and art. Things don’t really turn him on. What turns him on is ideas and art. You talk about somebody who’s got some integrity. When it comes to his vision, he won’t back down for anything. Working with him… He creates a really nice vibe on the set. We did two days that were over fifteen hours long when we filmed the Phantom Jam. We went and filmed other stuff besides that that didn’t make it in the movie, which will probably make it on the DVD. The two days we did the Phantom Jam, we’re out in the middle of Georgia in this super hot barn. He’s got it all decorated like it’s a club that’s in hell. It just looks unbelievable. There was me and like four hundred extras and the crew. I didn’t hear anyone bitch the whole time. That’s just unbelievable. That’s just unbelievable man! I mean we’re in there sweating our asses off dude. It is like one hundred and five degrees in the place. We’re all made up, perfectly coiffed, with these incredible costumes on. The vibe that Rob creates on the set, it’s like no one wants to let him down. He’s just a good dude. No one bitched the whole time. I thought about that afterward and I was like, “Wow! That’s unbelievable!”

Are there any noticeable differences between Rob Zombie the musician and Rob Zombie the director?

You know, I don’t really see any differences. I think for him, it’s probably all just art. Rob’s a multi-level kind of guy. He does art and shit that’s incredible. He whipped out the artwork for the Banjo & Sullivan record himself, like it was nothing. I don’t think he sees a difference between making music, directing, drawing, and producing. The guy is a multi-talented guy and he just tries to go for what’s honest. That usually ends up being very cool. You know what I mean?

Definitely! I enjoy his movies a lot. I definitely liked this new one even though the so-called critics panned the hell out of it.

The thing is, it’s real easy to beat up on a horror movie guy. Let’s face it man, Rob’s movies are really about escapism. Rob doesn’t just make movies, he makes whole worlds. No director goes to the plane of being that elaborate to where you make your own fake TV commercials, fake TV shows, and you invent fans. Directors don’t think like that. The difference between Rob and most directors is that most directors are usually super geeky film guys, where as Rob Zombie is a cool guy that chicks are crazy about! [laughs] When people pan his movie, I think there’s got to be some kind of jealousy in there for that guy. He’s an animal man. He’s non-stop, constantly inventing and doing shit. I think people who pan his movies are just kind of jealous of him.

Did you have any input into the look of Captain Clegg and the rest of the band or did Rob have that laid out for you?

We talked about it. He had the idea. I was like, “Yeah, that’s cool man!” When we first came out with pictures of the band, a lot his crowd said, “You look like The Ghastly Ones.” Rob was like, “No! They look like The Damned!” Rob was like, “That’s where they got that look dude, The Damned. OK!” If anybody took the look from anybody, it was from The Damned. He just wanted something that was totally creepy and kind of like grave digger. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the background bio that he wrote for Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures. Rob Zombie actually sat down and wrote that shit out man. That’s just crazy. We’re four grave diggers from Sherman, Texas who decided to start a band. It’s crazy. I read it and I just busted out laughing. Everybody in his movie has these incredible back stories.

I do enjoy the fact that he takes these characters and gives them these huge back stories that you’ve never had before, especially in this new ‘Halloween.’

It’s cool. It helps actors. It helps people realize who they are. It gives you a sense of what he wants. There’s nothing worse than working with somebody who doesn’t know what they want.

Whose idea was it to come up with a full album of material and release it separate from the film’s soundtrack?

It was Rob’s idea. We didn’t know how we were going to do it. We didn’t know if we were going to get a big label to put it out. Universal put out Banjo & Sullivan. Rob was like, “How are you doing on your own label?” I said, “Man, my label is doing great!” He goes, “Why don’t we resurrect my label Zombie A Go-Go.” I didn’t know the name of it until after I wrote the song by the way. It was totally a fluke. So we made a deal. Rob let me put it out on my own label imprint with his label, which shows you how cool he is. He didn’t have to do that. He really gave me a piece of the album. If the record goes good, I’ll do really well. The record has been doing really well.

I actually downloaded it last week off of iTunes.

They’re playing it a lot on satellite radio. The buzz is spreading. Every day I jump on my Facebook or MySpace and somebody talks about how they just heard it on the radio.

Were there any challenges to making the music/album?

Yeah, there were. Like I said, it’s only difficult doing stuff like that when you don’t really know what your director wants. Rob gave me all these ideas. He would text message me. We made the video for Zombie A Go Go. Rob would text message me back, “Just saw some of the footage from the video. Needs more blood and gore! Ha Ha Ha!” Then he’d text message me later and he’d go, “What do you think about a bouncing skull, like a bouncing ball following the bouncing skull for the chorus?” Just hilarious stuff. I just made it happen man. I called some friends of mine here that are in the Austin film scene and said, “Hey! Rob Zombie wants a bouncing skull. Can you animate that for me?” It was just all fun man. The thing that you can see with Rob and his fans too, is that little inner kid inside of you gets to come out and really get mischievous and really have a good time. We’re hoping the record does that. The big news that we got and I can’t release any dates, is that Captain Clegg is going on tour with Rob Zombie. It’s going to be amazing bro. We are going to go out as Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures and play these big huge places every night and open up for him. It’s going to be amazing.

Speaking of your tour, are you going to have the go-go dancers up there with you?

I am! I’m bringing the go-go dancers with me. I’m bringing a pedal steel guitar player and The Night Creatures, the three guys backing me up. We’re doing all kinds of crazy shit. Since we only have one record of material, in the middle of certain songs we put in other people’s songs. In the middle of ‘Creeps For Cushing’ we bust into ‘War Pigs’ by Black Sabbath. Then on another song, in the middle of ‘Zombie A Go Go’ we break into ‘Hybrid Moments’ by The Misfits. It’s just a fun set. It’s like a whirlwind set. I’m excited.

You mentioned the ‘Zombie A Go Go’ video. Can we expect anymore videos from Captain Clegg?

I don’t know if you knew this, but before we did the Phantom Jam scene Rob flew us to Florida and we made videos for every song on the record in a civil war graveyard. Rob is telling me that he is going to have all of this footage of Clegg and the Night Creatures on the DVD. We’re talking about actually doing a Clegg and the Night Creatures Psychobilly EP for Christmas. Like the most fucked up Christmas album you’ve ever heard in your life. I think the world could use one right now. Really, just totally unchristian Christmas record.

Do you think you will have time to breathe for the rest of your life during the month of October?

Oh man! I know we’re playing with Rob on Halloween night. As soon as the movie came out the Halloween offers started pouring in. I hope I don’t man. I hope I am swamped every year in October with Captain Clegg stuff. The cool thing about the Clegg music and the record is that it’s such a party record. It is a record to just get down and dirty and drink and party. That’s what kind of record it is. I think we’re going to be pretty much booked on Halloween for the rest of my life bro. [laughs]

What do you hope that people come away with after listening to your music or seeing your live performance?

My favorite thing that happens is when people come up and they go, “You know I’m not really into country or rockabilly, but I like this guy because he was edgy and different and he put on a good show.” That’s the highest compliment I could ever get from anybody. Like somebody who wouldn’t necessarily be into that music, but saw us and just converted.

Ever had a “Spinal Tap Moment” on stage?

Oh yeah man! One time I was playing in Hollywood and I fell off the stage and I fell into a box that held a bunch of microphones and it got stuck perfectly on my ass. When I stood up I had this box on my ass. Quentin Tarantino and Warren G were in the crowd in the front row. A musician named Dave Alvin actually pulled the box off of my ass. It was one of those devastating moments. I was like, “Oh well! I can’t do anything about it! I guess I’ll have a shot and keep rocking out!” Dude when you play thousands of shows, when you play two hundred shows a year, there’s going to be shit that goes wrong. It’s all in good fun man.

Other than the tour with Rob, what’s next for you and your band?

I’ve got some more stuff coming out in Rob’s animated movie. Supposedly they animated me as Adam Banjo and I get to sing ‘Dick Soup’ in the movie. What we’re talking about doing is a Captain Clegg versus the Zombies grind-house b-movie in New Orleans. This will be a thing that me and a buddy of mine, who is a film guy here in Austin, are working on. I’m going to have another Jesse Dayton record coming out at some point. Right now I just need to focus on getting ready for this tour because it’s going to be a humongous tour.

Do you have an advice for anyone who would like to get involved in the music industry?

Yeah man! The best advice for people getting involved in the music industry is to just treat it like you treat anything else. Just be honest with yourself. If you work and you play a ton of gigs, all this other success stuff will come. I’ll tell you one thing, being in the music business, you’ve got to be a lifer. It ain’t for the weak of heart.

That’s good advice. That’s basically what I have been hearing from everyone that I have interviewed. You’ve got to go balls out or go home!

Yeah! Same thing with acting or anything. One of my best friends in the world is Lew Temple. He was the guy that puked on the bed in ‘The Devil’s Rejects’ and he was the guard that raped the girl in the last ‘Halloween’. Lew calls me the other day and goes, “Man, you’ll never guess what happened.” I said, “What?” He said, “I met Tony Scott. I just got cast in a big character actor part opposite Denzel Washington in the new Tony Scott thriller.” I was like, “Wow!” Lew’s been at it in acting as long as I have been at it in music. He just never gave up man. Now he finally got this big, huge part in this movie. It just pays off man.

Is there anything else you want to add or let your fans know?

Be sure to visit www.captainclegg.com. You can go on iTunes and get the record now. The record will be in stores any day now. It can be found at most of the independent music stores and Hot Topic.

Thanks for your time and best of luck!

You got it man! Thanks a lot!

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For all the latest information on Captain Clegg And The Night Creatures, be sure to swing on by the official site at www.captainclegg.com!