Ring in 2010 with Marky Ramone, special guest DJ of the night at the Hudson Hotel in NYC on West 58th St. Marky will be spinning tunes in the Ramones fashion from 11:00pm to 1:00 am EST.

Marky Ramones Blitzkrieg’s first new song with Michale Graves (ex-Misfits) “When We Were Angels” made its debut on Matt Pinfield and Leslie Fram’s morning show in NYC last week. Marky has also been playing the song on his radio show Marky Ramone’s Punk Rock Blitzkrieg. 2010 marks his 5th year as on Sirius/XM Radio. “When We Were Angels” will be available through iTunes in January 2010.

Marky’s radio show on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio was rated the #2 show on the Faction channel in 2009. Also appearing on various T.V. shows (including Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations’ and IFC’s ZROCK). Marky shows no signs of slowing down as he continues to tour the world with his new band Marky Ramones Blitzkrieg, with friends Michale Graves (ex-Misfits) on vocals, Alex Kane (guitar), Clare B (bass). The band plays all the classics that lead to Marky’s induction into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame!

Marky Ramone is best known for the 15 years he spent drumming for the legendary Ramones. Marky appeared in the cult classic film “Rock n Roll High School” in 1979, performed over 1700 shows and recorded over 15 albums (studio, live) with the Ramones. In 2002, Marky and his band-mates became the first punk rock ensemble to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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

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!

- -

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!

A new post from his official website, confirms that Glenn Danzig is currently being in the studio working on a brand new DANZIG album. The album is tentatively due before the end of 2009. The legendary rocker will also be releasing a lyric book for his works. Check out the full post below:

“We can confirm that Simon Bisley has completed his final Illustration for the Danzig Lyric Book. We have pictured it (left) and it is for the Danzig song ‘When Death Had No Name’. Will post an actual release date here once we have it.

Meanwhile Danzig has been in the studio, hard at work, on the next Danzig record. We know that both Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative) and Tommy Victor (Prong) will be on most of the tracks. Although Johnny Kelly has been playing Live in Danzig off and on since 2002, this will be the 1st time he has recorded with Danzig. Tommy Victor, of course, played Guitars on 2004’s Circle Of Snakes.”

According to Amctv.com, with Satanika, Danzig teamed with artist Simon Bisley (Batman, Heavy Metal) for an extreme adults-only horror comic reminiscent of the work of fantasy great Frank Frazetta. A release date has yet to be set for the movie.

Glenn Danzig has recently issued the following movie update, via his official site:

“Didn’t want to say anything until it was official but we can announce here that the Satanika live action movie is indeed a go! It will be directed by Thomas Mignone whose critically acclaimed film On The Doll drew rave reactions all over the globe and will be based on the Verotik comic series written by Glenn Danzig.”

Source: Bravewords.com

Courtesy of Screaming Crow Records, footage of former Misfits vocalist Michale Graves performing ‘The Best Of Me’ live acoustic at the Smiling Moose in Pittsburgh is available below. It is a pro-shot three camera clip.

Michale Graves “The Best of Me”

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Michale Graves - Illusions Live/Viretta Park

By STEVE JOHNSON

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Michale Graves, former lead singer of The Misfits and staunch supporter of the West Memphis Three, has led a storied career and is definitely not content with artistic mediocrity. Graves has historically been recognized as a aggressive punk rock artist, but has recently evolved into a phenomenal acoustic artist. This transition first manifested itself on Graves’ previous effort Illusions, which included tracks written by Damien Echols, one of the West Memphis Three. Illusions is an amazing album and one of Graves’ best, but his new live album Illusions Live/Viretta Park stands as the pinnacle of his career musically and may be one of the best live albums in recent memory.

Illusions Live/Viretta Park features 23 tracks, 17 of which were recorded live on April 24th, 2008 at Club Bourbon in New Port Ritchie, Florida during Graves’ Illusions tour. The 6 remaining tracks are demos that Graves recorded in Bucarest, Romania, where he was filming scenes for the upcoming film Perkins 14. While the demos are much more polished, the live recordings are exceptional and capture the true essence of being at a live show.

The live tracks are a collection of songs spanning Graves’ entire career. Classic Misfits songs that have been reworked acoustically and Graves’ newer material have been intertwined throughout the album, giving something for new and old fans alike. Vocally, Graves’ voice is superb and absolutely haunting. The acoustic guitar work on the album is top notch and is delivered beautifully by Graves and JV Bastard. While Graves’ performance is the heart and soul of the live tracks, the way in which it was recorded is amazing and is the best aspect of the album. The live performance was recorded directly from the sound board and includes all of the ambient sounds of a typical rock show. Included are sounds of people talking in the background, crowd reaction, and even the sounds of bottles being thrown into the trash. Listening to this album is the closest you can get to being at a live show without being there. While all of the live tracks are worthy of high praise, be sure to check out “Blackbird,” “Fiend Club,” “Ophelia,” and “Frost Bite.”

The demos featured on the end of the album are just as fantastic as the live tracks. These demos showcase Graves’ continued evolution into a musical style that fits him very well. The most notable demo is “Viretta Park,” Graves’ opus to his fallen hero Kurt Cobain. The song was written after Graves visited Viretta Park in Seattle, a refuge for heartbroken Cobain fans worldwide that is adjacent to Cobain’s former home. The track captures all of the sadness and happiness that Graves felt that rainy day he visited the park in Seattle. While “Viretta Park” is the best demo featured on the album, be sure to also check out the demos of “Blackbird” and “The Best of Me.”

Illusions Live/Viretta Park is a fantastic live album that showcases the talent of a highly underrated singer/songwriter. The album is highly recommended for all long-time Michale Graves fans. If you should happen to be new to the music of Michale Graves, this is a good place to start your collection.

THE VERDICT: 5/5

Michale Graves

Singer/Songwriter Michale Graves has lead quite a storied life for a young man. Whether it’s replacing Glenn Danzig as Misfits’ frontman in the late 90’s, his turbulent departure from the band followed by his enlistment in the Marines, helping to found conservativepunk.com, or his involvement with the West Memphis Three, he has continued to show the Punk Rock elite and any naysayers who he is and what he stands for. In 2007, Graves released Illusions, which showcases his evolution from the aggressive punk rock style to the haunting stripped-down sound of acoustic guitar. Some of the tracks featured on Illusions were co-written by death row inmate Damien Echols. Echols has spent the past 15 plus years incarcerated and has become a figurehead of intolerance and injustice in modern day America. The HBO documentaries Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills and the sequel Paradise Lost 2: Revelations have brought the struggles of the West Memphis Three to the forefront. Graves has spent the past several years touring in support of the WM3 and raising awareness of the group’s plight. There is no doubt that he is a man with a lot on his mind and is not content to settle when it comes to his artistic endeavors. Jason Price of Live-Metal.Net recently sat down with Michale Graves for an in-depth interview. There they discuss Graves’ past, his songwriting, the upcoming release of Illusions Live/Viretta Park, making the jump to the silver screen with his role in Perkins 14, the possibilites of Misfit’s reunion, and much more.

Live-Metal.Net: How did music first come into your life?

Michale Graves: Music first came into my life from my mother, who always seemed to have a radio on and was listening to music. Anytime I was going to sleep at night, my mom always put a radio on My mom is the answer. [laughs]

What drove you to make music your career?

I fell in love with music when I was young and I discovered the power of music from being exposed to it so much. It moved me. I was able to feel music in much the same way that I do today. The difference is that now, I understand it much more. When I was young, it would move me and make me feel a different way and to me that was magic. I wanted to be able to do that and to be able to write a song. For whatever reason, I felt compelled to do that. I always knew that I wanted to do something creative, be an artist, and be a musician, always.

Who and what were some of the musical influences that help to shape the artist we know today?

Lots of stuff. All the way back to the beginning there was the influence of the music of the 50’s, 60’s and the 70’s that my Mom and my Dad listened to. My uncle Billy lived in the house with my family for a lot of years and he was older. A lot of the music that he listened to was pop music, the current music of the time. That was the late 70’s. As I got older there was David Bowie, Metallica, and all the bands of the 80’s and 90’s. I love a wide range of music. I guess it is hard to nail down a particular group of artists.

Is there anything that is sort of off-the-wall that people may be surprised that you were into?

Well, yeah! Like I said, when I was younger and my mom was playing music, Barry Manilow, Billy Joel, The Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel were always on the radio. Michael Jackson was awesome when I was a kid. Who else? Huey Lewis and The News. [laughs] I am gonna eat eggs thrown at me next time I go up on stage! [laughs] I am always amazed when I listen to something and it moves me, so regardless of the genre, if it touches me, I dig it.

A lot of people are familiar with you work with the Misfits.

Yeah.

For those who aren’t or are just discovering you, how did that opportunity originally present itself?

I was at the right place at the right time. I had a band that I was playing in, just a local band. I literally picked out the studio that had the nicest looking ad and that was close enough to my house that we could all get to. It happened to be the studio in Lodi, New Jersey that the Misfits were working at. They were putting together a project called Christmas at Max’s Kansas City. It was an old, old recording, like a tape of one of the first couple times that the Misfits played. They were actually overdubbing the guitar, the drums, and the bass and just keeping Glenn Danzig’s vocals. I was recording a demo with my band there. The guy that was producing the music when I was doing vocals one day said that there was a band called the Misfits and they were looking for a singer and that I should get in touch with them. I called up Jerry (Only) for an audition and he told me to learn as much of the music that I could. So I went out and bought a CD and became a fan of the music. I really loved the music. It was great. Then I learned the music, went down, auditioned, and hung around. I pretty much became the singer because they ran out of options at the end of the day to be totally honest with you and to make a long story short! [laughs]

How did your departure from the Misfits come about?

My departure came about from a series of events that took about a year or two. The first sign, if you go back into the Misfits history, the first sign of trouble was when I left when the band went to South America. I left mostly because I was championing the causes of Dr. Chud and Doyle (Wolfgang von Frankenstein). My problem with the situation was that I wasn’t being given the respect that I felt that I deserved, nor the ability to have the input on decisions involving art or direction. I was always told, just as all of us were, that “If you don’t like the way things were, you can go home and we will find somebody better.” My answer was always, “You can’t.” The planets aligned when we all came together and I was a major part of why the Misfits resurrected from where they were. It went from this underground thing, to this then relevant, powerful musical force. I wrote the majority of those songs that are one those records. I wrote the songs that you most associate with those records. “Dig Up Her Bones,” “Crying On A Saturday Night,” “Scream!,” “American Psycho,” and “Shining,” those came out of me.

I was always vocal. Jerry and I, the same problems exist today as they did back then. Jerry knows that if Chud and Doyle would pull there heads out of their asses, we could get the Misfits back together. It’s not on me and it is certainly not Jerry. It has always been mostly Doyle and then Chud. I left because there was just so much disfunction, so much unhappiness, and so much stupid shit.

I think the main thing that many of your fans are interested in is whether or not the door is closed for good on a Misfits reunion.

Jerry and I do not have a dysfunctional working relationship. Him and I both know and I know he knows that I am on board. It is a phone call away. I won’t step back into what I walked away from, but the problem isn’t with Jerry and I. The problem is with Doyle and with Chud. I just read an interview with Doyle where he is bashing Jerry about some type of Misfits reunion with Danzig, basically saying how Jerry threw a monkey wrench into it. (Read the interview at this location)

I saw that.

Well, what fans don’t know is how close a Misfits reunion came because he was having talks about that. After the first situation fell through, the next round of talks that was happening was “Hey, let’s get Jerry, Michale, Doyle…” Jerry didn’t want Chud, but I was fighting for Chud. The plan was to get us four back together. Like I said before, I was on board. The sticking point on why that fell apart was that Doyle wanted to bring his wife out on tour and wouldn’t bend from it because Gorgeous George or Gorgeous Frankenstein or whatever she is called had to be a part of the Misfits. Jerry didn’t even want Chud in the band. Chud is a waste of human life, BUT, he certainly deserved to be a part of situation that was being put together. I was the one that was sticking up for him even though he really doesn’t deserved to be stuck up for. Doyle says, “So let all the Misfits fans put that in their pipe and smoke it.” Well, you guys have to tell the whole story. They only give you half-truths and they don’t want to talk about me. You’re not allowed to bring up my name in front of them because they can’t hash their stories because they are on the fuckin’ losing end of it.

Looking back on that period, is there anything you would do again differently if you had the chance?

I wouldn’t have championed Chud and Doyle’s causes if I knew then what I know now. I wouldn’t have stuck up for them the way that I did, always more so than helping myself. But that is the way that I am and that is the way I treat people and the way that I conduct business. Those guys are different or at least they have changed a lot.

What is the typical songwriting process like for you?

I usually start with lyrics somehow. Sometimes it starts by browsing through old books. I have tons of old notebooks with lyrics, stories, poems, and just ramblings. Sometimes I will come across something, ya know, like when you listen to a song for the first time and it just hits a chord inside of you. Sometimes when I read lyrics, it just reminds me of something and it starts with that. Then I transform those lyrics into melody. Then again, sometimes the songs come out when I hear a melody in my head for some reason. I will sit down with a guitar and feel compelled to sing that melody and then record it. It can be a process of making up ridiculous sounds or words and then later transforming into a tangible song in the English language. It depends really. The last batch of songs, I was just really so inspired from being in Europe that they just kind of flew out of me.

How did you make the transition from your earlier works to the more acoustic style that we hear on Illusions and Illusions Live/Viretta Park?

Most of my compositions start with an acoustic guitar, so I have always had a guitar in my hand at the beginning of things. It was a natural progression to get where I am at now. I started playing a lot more guitar at rehearsals, but I think the acoustic part of it came from spending so much time down south in the last couple years and being involved with the West Memphis Three, as well as the music of the South. It had a huge effect on me. Blues, folk, country, and bluegrass and the stories behind it. The truth and emotion behind it are just amazing to me. They ring true and seem very relevant to my soul. When I listen to old Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, all the old blues cats like that, and (Bob) Dylan, the soul in their voice, the cadence in their voice, and the words that they are speaking, singularly from a man, a guitar, and a microphone is amazing to me. I wanted my fans and audiences to have something that is from our generation, that they can feel like that, as well as incorporate something new into this genre that I am obviously stuck in! [laughs]

You mentioned the West Memphis Three. How did you first discover and get involved with the their cause?

The same way that a lot of people did. I watched Paradise Lost and experienced all the emotions that everyone else does. You get mad, you get sad, you can’t believe that it is true. You identify with Damien (Echols) and those guys and the things that they have been going through. It was just me wanting to do something to help them. It didn’t dawn on me until I saw that Damien had written a book. I was going out on tour and I put two and two together. I got in touch with his wife and said that I wanted to start a campaign to advocate for him. He is a gifted writer and it is something that he is very passionate about. It is also something that helps in his struggle to maintain what makes him human. They sent a bunch of his books and I took them out to introduce as many people as I could to the West Memphis Three. I really wanted to stoke the fires to spread the word, especially in the younger crowd. You know, all these kids start a band and they love the Misfits and Michale Graves and they want to be like us. Giving them something like the West Memphis Three, which is a good cause that they can grab onto and learn from, is really inspiring.

You created a really compelling short film called “The Blackness and The Forest” while you were on the “Almost Home Tour” in support of The West Memphis Three. Any plans for a DVD release for the film?

I would really like to and I am definitely working on making that happen. For anyone that wants to see it, they can go to my Myspace page and check it out there in the video section.

In your opinion, where does Illusions stack up in comparison to your previous work? Is it something that you hold a little closer to your heart?

I certainly do. There is no sense in comparing it to American Psycho or Famous Monsters or anything like that because it is just so different. It is a totally different part of the forest. But yeah, it is something that I hold very dear to my heart and if it only sold five copies, it would still be very near and dear to my heart. When you get the Illusions album and open it up to the back cover, there is a list of names. When I ran out of money, I reached out to the fans and they were able to donate and get their name and whatever message they wanted to. So the list of names is the people that sent in money to help to get that record made. The music and the whole project is so inspiring, the way that it was put together. Not only from Damien and I, but from a whole community of people that reached out and helped put it together. It is an amazing and inspirational thing for me.

You also have another exciting project in the works right now. What can you tell us about Perkins 14 and how that came about?

It’s a great story! There are no coincidences in life and karma is real! The Misfits and I, when I first got into the band back in 1995, somehow got hooked up with Craig Singer. Craig Singer wrote and directed a movie that is being re-released on DVD very soon that is called Animal Room. It has Matthew Lillard in it and I wanna call him “Doogie Howser.” [laughs] That’s terrible!

Neil Patrick Harris.

Yeah! Neil Patrick Harris and Amanda Peete. The Misfits were in a scene in that movie. Craig and I hit it off and we had fun. He is a really cool guy. Shoot to 2007, last Fall I guess it was, and I was doing the Chiller Theater convention in Secaucus, New Jersey. Craig Singer rolls up to the booth. He is like “Hey, do you remember me?” and I was like “Of course I remember you, you’re Craig fucking Singer!” So, I started telling him about how I remembered the scene and how I remembered the line like it was yesterday. It blew his mind! So, we talked about that for a little while. I gave him a copy of some stuff that I was working on and a copy of “The Blackness and The Forest”. I told him that I was still very interested in doing some acting work. I never really had an opportunity to do any of that, although I have always wanted to and spent lots of time preparing for it. It just never worked out. I told him to keep me in mind and that if he heard of anything that might be good for me, to give me a call. Months go by and J.V. (Bastard) and I are out on the road, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, probably in crisis and something was probably breaking! [laughs] Craig singer calls me up and says to get in touch with the people who were doing casting for Perkins 14. There was a part that he thought I would be pretty good at and that he could see me doing. So I auditioned for the part via video and they gave it to me. The next thing that I know, I am in Bucharest, Romania shooting a movie called Perkins 14! In the film, I play a character called Eric Ross.

You did some demos there that ended up being on your upcoming release Illusions Live / Viretta Park.

Yeah. In the first scene that I am introduced in, I am playing “Blackbird” on an acoustic guitar. Having the guitar in my hands, being on set, playing for everybody, and the whole experience that I was having in Europe really triggered this whole chain of events that lead to a huge creative outburst. Being in that country, where their revolution took place in 1989 was an amazing experience. Actually, the guy who owned the studio was the only person in Romania who had film footage of the leader that was overthrown, Ceauescu. He was the only person with footage of his trial and execution. He sold the footage to the media and got millions of dollars and then bought the film studio. The whole experience over there was very inspirational.

Let’s talk about Illusions Live / Viretta Park, which you will be releasing in October. It is a great recording and it really captures the essence of your live show.

Thank you. The sound was taken directly from the board. When I listen to it, it is like I am sitting in the audience as well. It was a very cool and special night. It was the same night that I got the new “stitches” tattoo that I got down in Port Richey. The last time I got the stitches on my left arm, it was 2000 in Atlanta at the Dragon*Con Festival, which was a turning point for a lot of us in the Misfits. It stirred up a lot of memories and feelings. It definitely came out on stage that night.

I was most curious about the second part of the title “Viretta Park”. I would assume that is a reference to Kurt Cobain?

Yes.

How did that song come about?

I was a huge Nirvana fan. A HUGE Kurt Cobain fan. One of my dreams was to be able to collaborate with him. I always wanted to jam with him. Along the way, J.V. and I started to talk about tragic heroes and talking about whether or not or why Kurt Cobain would have killed himself or he didn’t kill himself. Regardless of the fact, he is dead. We talked about how tragic that was and the effect that it had on us. When we were on the West Coast, we sought out Viretta Park, when we made it to Seattle. It became this big, huge adventure. [laughs] I was in high school when Nirvana came out, so when I listen to those songs, I am seventeen again. So being there in Viretta Park, there was so much nostalgia, sadness, and happiness that it had a huge effect on both of us. That day in Viretta Park, the weather was so typically Seattle! It was rainy, misty, and miserable. We were sitting there and for a minute it was like the whole world just kinda paused in my life. It felt very much like nothing would ever really be the same again after this. It was almost the feeling of when you are almost at the top of a roller coaster. It was very calm, but very anxious and it had a huge effect on us. Especially me.

Gotham Road is a side project of yours and I must say that the Seasons of The Witch is a great piece of work. What is the status of that project?

Thank You. Everybody can definitely look forward to those songs being played live and electric. As far as new stuff, definitely. As soon as there is time for us to get together and write some Gotham Road stuff, which is coming soon! Coming Soon! It is going to happen. There is so much going on right now, but it is definitely going to happen for sure.

Ever had a Spinal Tap moment on stage?

A Spinal Tap moment on stage? Hummm… like getting stuck in something? [laughs] I tell ya what! Yeah! My biggest fear was standing up on stage and having my pants blow open. That happened onstage at Asbury Park Convention Center with the Misfits. I was just rockin’ out and the whole crotch of my pants blew open! It was a nightmare! [laughs]

What do you think about the state of punk and rock music today?

It’s really bad. I don’t listen to a lot of punk rock music because it seems that punk rock has collided with emo and glam in a lot of ways. It is a lot like the way heavy metal did with glam in the 80’s, where they slammed into each other and morphed into this strange being. There is just so much unproductive angst, shallowness, and ignorance in those scenes, particularly punk. Not so much hardcore, well including hardcore or bands that think that they are hardcore and they’re not.

Rock. I guess there is some good stuff. Heavy stuff like Darkest Hour, Shadows Fall, and Lamb of God. Great bands. On the other end of things, we need some work. Especially in the horror scene. Ehhhhhh. It is bad. So bad! It is like a big dysfunctional family that doesn’t do anything.

What is the biggest misconception about yourself?

That I am some sort of some asshole or monster that doesn’t care and that has a lot of riches and monetary fortunes from the things that I do.

I think it is safe to say that you have had a lot of adventures in your years on the road and in your career… Do you think will we ever get an autobiography out of you to share these tales?

Absolutely. Definitely. Yes.

Any idea of what you might call it?

“I Turned Into A Martian”

What is the best piece of advice you could give to those who are just starting out and considering making a career in the music industry?

Learn about the structure of the business as it is today and what is happening currently with record companies, the internet, and distribution. Read about the way in which the industry has changed and adapt to it that way.

You are embarking on a Fall Tour, after that what’s next for you?

I am currently working on another project that is being developed for an Off-Broadway play. I am also going to be working on another feature film. I plan on putting together a full band to go out. Hopefully we will do a short run pretty soon after I get back from the acoustic tour. That will be leading up to the release of Perkins 14, which is January 2nd through the 7th. Like I said, I am going to do some acting stuff and I need to work on a new record, which I will hopefully release in the Spring of 2009. We’re going to go to Europe in March and all the way to Romania and back. We will also be working on the release of the record in Japan. So we are gonna hit Japan, Australia, and New Zealand in March and/or April, followed by another U.S. Tour with a full band.

Wow, you definitely have a lot mapped out!

Yeah! [laughs]

You have always been somewhat outspoken politically, what is your take on the upcoming election?

A lot of people know that I am a Republican and I lean to the right, but regardless, I really do think that the Republicans are going to win in a landslide. There is just so much cynicism, anger, and disfunction on the left. That has nothing to do with their ideas. There is a lot of stuff on the left that I am all for, but it seems that it is the leaders of the left that are just not leading. I make the prediction that Republicans are going to win by a landslide. I think it is amazing that I live in a day and age that my niece, whose father is black, can look up at the TV and see this man regardless of his experience or his ideas, who is running for President of The United States and has a lot of support behind him. It is really inspiring people. We live in a country where 50 years ago we couldn’t even share water fountains. We couldn’t get past segregation. Now we have Barack Obama and it is a great story. There are great stories on the other side as well, with Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin, two successful and powerful women who are really succeeding. Regardless of what you think on either side, our country is great.

And finally, when do you think Chinese Democracy will be released?

[laughs] I am gonna say that Chinese Democracy will be released in April. April 12th.

Next question. In what year?

Hahaha.. 2009!

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

The site is MichaleGraves.Net. We are developing and will soon be putting online a tour site that is solely for this tour. There will be a map where you can keep up with the tour. We are going to be developing and putting online both audio and video from different places around the country. There will be interviews and updates. There will be all sorts of really cool stuff. Keep checking the site!

Thanks for you time and we all look forward to seeing you on out on the road.

Thank You!

Related Links:
www.michalegraves.net – Official Site of Michale Graves
www.myspace.com/gravesmichale – Official Myspace Page of Michale Graves
www.myspace.com/officialgothamroad – Official Myspace Page of Gotham Road (Michale Graves’ side project)
www.wm3.org – The Official Site of The West Memphis Three