Danzig
By:
"I know that eventually I want to do this blues album that I’ve been talking about doing for a while too. I’m hoping to work with Alice In Chains’ guitarist Jerry Cantrell [who guested on "Danzig 5—Blackacidevil") on that album when he gets back from tour. If that doesn’t work out, then I’ll talk to Hank Williams III about doing it with him. I just did a show with him, and we recorded the rehearsal at my friend's recording studio live, and it came out really good. We were both kind of really happy. Perhaps that’s maybe the way I’ll end up going. We’ll just have to see what happens.”
Of course, the whole point of this conversation is Danzig’s impending return to Australia after 13 years, which is something the man in black and fans both agree is long overdue.
“I think the reason for me being away so long was a combination of timing and promoters. I had a management company back in 1996 that received an offer for us to come back over there, but I didn’t know that until I fired them and got all the files back from them. That offer they turned down was for a tour of seven cities. That did piss me off a little. It would have been nice for us to have gone back down there after three years away, and especially with the prospect of playing seven different cities. I mean, last time I was there I had a good time. I mean, I don’t have any bad memories of the place. [laughs] There were a lot of old bookshops there, and I managed to find a couple to add to my collection. [Danzig is a keen book collector.] But besides that, since then I don’t know that we’ve actually had any real offers that made sense in the timing, or at least not that I’m aware of. I’m pretty much the one who OK’s the touring side of things for the band.”
Danzig confirmed the rumor that following his visit to Australia, he plans to retire from the road and focus solely on his creative output.
“This Australian tour means that I’ll be able to do these three shows and be back home in five days. That way I don’t have to bounce around on the bus. The only other plans I have at this stage is one more show in London, where I’ll be playing on my own festival, Blackest of the Black. So that’s it. I’ll stop touring after the Blackest of the Black show.
"If I can hop on a plane and be somewhere and be home that night, or the next morning, then sure, I’ll do that. I’m just not going to do the long endless tours of the U.S. or Europe anymore. I’ve been doing that my whole life, and I’m just tired of doing it. It’s just the traveling. It’s not the shows onstage, because that’s what I love. But that’s only two hours of every night. The problem is the other 22 hours of the day when you’re not at home but on some bus somewhere. It’s fucked. I just don’t enjoy it anymore. There was a time when I was a kid and I enjoyed it, but I have always said that when I stop enjoying it, that’s when I’ll stop doing it. I stopped enjoying being on the bus. I enjoy being onstage, but I just don’t enjoy being on the bus.”
Prior to his touring retirement, Danzig will do three shows in Australia, which he promises will make up for his absence.
“I guess last time we were there you only saw songs being performed up to ‘Danzig III—How The Gods Kill’ and ‘Thrall—Demonsweatlive.’ So we really only had three-and-a-half albums' worth of material to showcase from. Fans haven’t seen anything from ‘4P,’ ‘Danzig 5—Blackacidevil,’ ‘Danzig 6:66 Satan's Child,’ ‘Danzig 7—I Luciferi’ and ‘Circle Of Snakes.' I mean, that’s a lot of albums to choose from. We’ll put together a set list that’s a combination of everything from the first Danzig album right up until now. We’ll try to add a bit of everything so that way people get to hear all sides of Danzig.”
He is also bringing down former Misfits guitarist Von Frankenstein, which Danzig claims will be the closest fans will get to a re-formation of his old band.
“Well, I know that the original Misfits never played down in Australia. Fuck, Danzig has only played down there once. [laughs]. So fans will get to see Doyle come out, and the pair of us will do around seven or eight Misfits tracks together. We generally split the show into quarters, and Doyle will [come] in around the three-quarter mark. The set builds up to that, and then when he comes out, everybody just goes crazy.
"I’ve always had a good relationship with Doyle. Even during that weird period where it was just himself and his brother [where the pair formed Kryst The Conqueror], we talked every now and then. I guess he doesn’t even speak to his brother now. It’s weird from the other end, if you know what I mean. But we get along.”
Danzig says of helping Von Frankenstein out on his own project, Gorgeous Frankenstein:
“I’m going to be producing his upcoming solo album. He’s got a band called Gorgeous Frankenstein with his wife, Gorgeous George, who’s an ex-pro wrestler. [laughs] They also have a bassist named Argyle Goolsby, who is also in Blitzkid. So I’m producing their album. We’ve already hired Steve Bisley to do the cover artwork. So right now he has his band together, but they’re just trying to find a vocalist, and he’s really picky. The sound is kind of a cross between Danzig and Marilyn Manson for the lack of a better description. It’s really heavy. But it does have its own style. There’s no other way I can explain it. It’s pretty cool. I think people will be shocked at just how musical it is. When the album is finally finished, it’ll be released through my own label [Evilive]. That is, if he ever finds a vocalist, of course," he laughs. [END]
|
