Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon, from The Metal Voice, talk to Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes about him growing up with Eddie Van Halen in California, watch below.
Chris Holmes
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Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice spoke to ex W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes who is getting ready to do an extensive Canadian tour in April / May 2020.
In the interview Holmes talks about the song set list for his upcoming Canadian tour this April; his upcoming new studio album; plans to write an autobiography and details about his recently completed documentary.
On his song set list for his upcoming Canadian tour April / May 2020
“The show starts with ‘On your Knees'(W.A.S.P.), then ‘Get With it’, ‘Let it Roar’ (solo album), ‘Love Machine’, ‘Sleeping in the Fire’ (W.A.S.P.), ‘The Devil Made me do it’, ‘Had Enough’, ‘I am what I am’ (solo albums), Blind In Texas (W.A.S.P.), ‘Born Work Die’ (solo album), ‘Wild Child’ , ‘Animal’, ‘9 5 Nasty (W.A.S.P.) and at the end I play a few cover songs. ‘Born to be Wild’ (Steppenwolf), ‘War Pigs’ (Black Sabbath), ‘Fortunate Son’ (C.C.R.) and then end the night with ‘Rocking in the Free World’ (Neil Young). So nine songs from W.A.S.P. , about eight from my solo albums and some cover tunes.” My backing band is from Canada and they are called ‘Phoenix in Flames’, they will do good, it will be great.”
On details about his upcoming new solo album
“I got all the songs written, we just have to record them. The musical direction is hard to explain I don’t go towards some direction.There is a song like Black Sabbath in there it’s real heavy slow called ‘Touch Me and Die’ and there is a ballad called ‘It’s In God’s Hands’. The songs off the ‘Under The Influence’ E.P. (2018) that I just did will be part of the new album. My favorite song off the new E.P. album is ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’ because the song is written about me as a teenager. All the songs are on my computer all we have to do now is have the drummer play to them live. The album should be done before the end of this year. The album is heavier than the debut W.A.S.P. album.”
On details of his upcoming documentary
“The documentary is about me starting over in Europe. It goes back five years to the first band members I had and going out on the road. There are interviews with people at the shows and what goes on at the shows. The guy doing the documentary also went to Los Angeles and talked to a lot of my friends in the past, my sister is in there, he went and visited my mom. I think he talked to my uncle and a bunch of people I played with in LA over the years. He also interviewed some people I knew in high school that were roadies in W.A.S.P. A trailer should be released at the end of May 2020 and the documentary should be released before the end of the year.”
On his upcoming Autobiography
“I found out at about 36 years old that I had dyslexia, never knew it before. So I started writing a book a few years ago, in my own handwriting they way I write. One sentence is a whole paragraph to me the way I write. I started writing about the first time I ever heard of music as a child, nine or ten. What my influences were, what my mom listened to as a kid and how that influenced me. How I got my first guitar, going to high school, my bother taking me to concerts. I got up to 16 years old and I stopped. Now we are looking for someone to complete the book and publish.”
Growing up with Van Halen in Pasadena California
“If it wasn’t for Eddie Van Halen I wouldn’t play guitar the way I do, I would not have the sound that I have. We hung out back in the day. Eddie even borrowed a guitar of mine for the second (Van Halen) album. As for David Lee Roth he has always been the same. I have some friend who went to high school with him and they said he was the same in high school as he is today. Dave never had the best voice but it had charisma and it was unique and what he sang about you can’t beat it. Van Halen as a band was in a class of their own.”
Photo by Toni Edvardsen
Legendary ex-W.A.S.P. Guitarist Chris Holmes has launched a brand new video for the song “TFMF”, watch it below. “TFMF” is taken from his solo album “Shitting Bricks”.
In addition, 6 more dates have been added to the “BE SOMEBODY” European tour from his band Chris Holmes’ MEAN MAN. Check out all the tour dates on the flyer below.
Chris Holmes’ MEAN MAN toured Europe last year and with returning it will be even bigger and better ! Chris Holmes’ Mean Man play no less than seven W.A.S.P classics in their set to include a crowd invitation to three members of the audience to come and join in on “ I Wanna Be Somebody”, promising for a very memorable night. Free, Meet and Greets are organised at the end of each gig at the merch booth.
Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice spoke to ex-W.A.S.P. Guitarist Chris Holmes about his new solo album “Shitting Bricks”, current tour set list, his relationship with Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P., the famous pool scene in Decline of western civilization documentary p2 and his memories with Randy Rhoads, Kevin Dubrow, Eddie Van Halen and auditioning for Ozzy Osbourne.
On his new solo album Shitting Bricks which was released on May 2, 2015
“Shitting Bricks I did it all myself. From working on the first solo album with Phil Taylor (ex Motorhead) I learned how to program drums. I wrote the songs as I went, let it sit and work some more. Feedback has been good.”
On his opinion on Death metal
“I went out last night and saw some groups, there is this new thing called Death Metal. I couldn’t understand a dam word they sang. I had to ask all the singers are you singing in English or French. It tripped me out. They scream, real loud as hard as they can real low. I’ve never really seen it. I was in the washroom and the guitar player I play with came in and goes what are you doing, how you can sit there and watch this. I said, well I learn what not to do.”
On his time in W.A.S.P. in the beginning and relationship with Blackie Lawless
“It seemed like it was all for one, one for all, everybody worked to the same goals. But deep down inside Blackie had his means of controlling everything and being the only guy, so that’s what he always wanted to do. He doesn’t want to work with other people. It’s obvious on the second album, The Last Command, he’s on the cover. And it’s all about him him him. I never heard from Blackie, hey Chris you did a good job. I always heard about how terrible I played. You want to know the honest thing about it, Blackie he was jealous of me.”
Asked about the what pain he was covering up by drinking during, The Decline of western civilization pool interview
First I think I was drinking cause I was an alcoholic. And It was also being in W.A.S.P. Being treated the way I was being treated all the time. You got to understand if somebody uses reverse psychology on you to hold you down so you don’t shine like they do. I was always held down all the time, anything I did I was always in trouble and you get tired of that. Every bad thing that happened to W.A.S.P. was my fault, which most of the time it wasn’t.”
On his memories of Randy Rhoads and Ozzy Osbourne audition
“Randy wore poka dots and bow ties. He was always a cool guy. A lot of my friends were his students. Randy was good but once he hooked up with Ozzy, that was it . It was a good combination. I auditioned that night when Ozzy saw Quiet Riot play. I went down to the studio, Dana Strum was driving Ozzy around finding musiciens and I was one of them. And I audionted Friday night at 8 o clock up at the studio and as Ozzy came in I played some guitar, then he and Strum went to see Quiet Riot that night and Ozzy took him the next day.”
Watch the whole interview here
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Source: Bravewords.com
In the new video interview below, Madcap Music Review’s John Golden interviews former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes, who has been a special guest for the band STONEBREED.
Holmes discusses a new album and his plans for Europe. Carlos Cruz, lead singer for Stonebreed, also joins the interview.
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes was interviewed for the latest episode of “LA Rocks”. Check it out below.
Holmes‘ new solo album, “Nothing To Lose”, was released independently at the end of last year. The CD is now available through Artisthead Music. Holmes composed, performed, and produced the music and vocals, and teamed up with former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor to perform on and engineer the effort.
“Nothing To Lose” track listing:
01. Nothing To Lose
02. Loser
03. They All Lie And Cheat
04. All Fucked Up
05. Jazz Song
06. Way To Be
07. Down In The Hole
08. Heartbeat
09. Mormon Moron
10. A-Flat Minor
In a December 2012 interview, Holmes discussed the “Nothing To Lose” CD, exclaiming, “It’s not going to be on Capitol Records!” and flipping the camera the bird. He also spoke about his much-maligned video for the song “They All Lie And Cheat”, which has gotten nearly 100,000 views in the last four months. “It came out better than I hoped it would,” he said. “I wanted it to be real bad. It was done really cheap. In the last ten years, I haven’t had too much money to do an elaborate bunch of bullshit.”
As previously reported, Holmes will appear at this spring’s edition of the Chiller Theatre toy, model and film expo in Parsippany, New Jersey. The three-day event will take place April 26-28 at Sheraton Parsippany.
For more information, visit www.chillertheatre.com.
“LA Rocks” episode:
“Way To Be” video:
Click image to watch the video
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