Dale: The Dead Daisies formed in 2012 and are currently up to 11 albums. That is very impressive.

Who does the writing? It seems like it must come easy with so much material.

 

John: We all contribute to the music in The Dead Daisies. It’s crazy because we do write well together and it’s really usually pretty fast as well. Between David, Doug, Michael, myself and our producer Marti Frederiksen (who’s also a great songwriter) there’s never a shortage of ideas.

 

Dale: Do you have an album or song you are most proud of?

 

John: That’s tough, because all of our albums are a blueprint of a time for the band. It’s like picking a favourite child or finger…I think they’re all really great representations of where we were in that moment in time.

 

Dale: For those going to Stonedead who are not familiar with The Dead Daisies can you introduce the band?

 

John: David Lowy is our Guitarist and founder of the band; Doug Aldrich (Lead Guitar); Michael Devin (Bass Guitar and Vocals); Tommy Clufetos (Drums) and Yours Truly (Vocals and Acoustic Guitar).

 

Dale: Motley Crue fans will obviously be familiar with you. You are like the Blaze Bailey of Iron Maiden because nobody really accepted you as a replacement but liked your work after the fact. Does it get a bit annoying of being known for that and not your (in my opinion) better work with the Daisies?

 

John: I’ve learned to not get caught up in the bullsh*t opinions of others. And I can’t change my past. So it is what it is. I have a tattoo on my neck that reads in Italian “Life is as it should be!!!”

I’m an open book, so I’ll usually answer any questions anybody asks, but I’m not afraid to politely ask to focus on my current music if the interviewer is focused just on Motley...

 

Dale: I am totally geeking out at the prospect of meeting David from an aviation point of view. I am a massive aviation geek and it is hard for me to do an interview about music where I have a million Plane related questions. So, I will narrow it down to one, Bruce Dickinson famously fly's big Boeing's and a Fokker DR1. Has David ever thought about getting together for a chat and a fly around with him?

 

John: David is friends with Bruce and has in fact flown and chatted with him about aviation. He also knows quite a few other fellow flyers like Tom Cruise and John Travolta. It’s definitely a bit of an exclusive club… lol!

 

Dale: Also, at Stonedead if you have time I would love an aviation related chat or some promo shots, the Stonedead Festival is located next to the Newark Aviation Museum: www.newarkairmuseum.org. The prospect of taking The Dead Daisies photos in front of the Vulcan Bomber is very enticing for me. My two passions music and aviation.

 

John: That’s something you would need to set up with our management and probably David. He’s the one and only pilot in this band!!! I’m not even allowed to use 'Power Tools' let alone fly an aeroplane…hahahaha

 

Dale: Right, moving on. Your new album, 'Lookin' For Trouble' is out now on Vinyl, CD and Download. A good old fashioned Rock and Blues album. You cover 'Black Betty', a notoriously difficult song to do, did you have a lot of fun making that?

 

John: Doing this blues record was beyond enlightening and fun!!! We had a blast researching the songs and their history, as well as the history of the artists that wrote these songs we covered. If you Google search the songs there’s a treasure trove of information that’s quite fascinating…So yes, we had a BLAST!!!

 

Dale: 'The Thrill Is Gone' is a beautiful bluesy song and really highlights all your musical abilities. The song is reminiscent of a bygone Gary Moore era. What song is your favourite on the album, to sing and play?

 

John: Again, it’s hard to pick a favourite. I really LOVE the whole record. But when I’m riding my motorcycle, I usually put on 'Black Betty' really loud and annoy the hell out of everybody in earshot of my bike…LOL

 

Dale: How did you end up with Sarah in The Dead Daisies?

 

John: Sarah is a great friend of Marti’s and she’s in his solo band, 'Loving Mary'. That was Steven Tyler’s backup band for his solo record and tour. So when we needed a drummer for the record we asked Sarah with Marti’s recommendation to play. I think she killed it…What do you think?

 

Dale: I 100% agree with you, she is awesome. I see you are playing at KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton. A wonderful venue, not far is The Gifford Arms, a proper Rock bar with Coffin shaped tables and a Throne! I highly recommend you go for pre-drinks and after party drinks.

 

John: If we have time after the show, I’d love to check that pub out. We’ve played K.K.’s before and we had such a great time. So we’re all looking forward to it again!!!!

 

Dale: The band has had many members, some really famous rockers thrown in. Do you tour with the excessive partying associated with bands you have played and toured with or is it a coffee and a good book? How do you pass the time?

 

John: We’ve slowed down a bit considerably…But we’re not milk and cookies yet!!! We love what we do, so personally I don’t drink anything but tea before a show…BUT after we’re all usually at the hotel bar having a bit of a laugh, some conversation and a few drinks.

 

Dale: Michael Devin was with that British Rock band Whitesnake for 10 years and now here with this 'Supergroup'. Does he have much input in the music and writing?

 

John: Well 'Light Em’ Up' and 'Lookin’ For Trouble' are the first records Michael has done with the band. But he was definitely involved in the songwriting process for both albums...

 

Dale: What and who made David pick up the guitar?

 

John: Honestly I’m not quite sure. He’s always been into guitar and writing songs but obviously he was in the business world heavily and got really into being serious about bands the last 15 years or so. He said he saw a guitar in a music store window and just kind of had a 'revelation …and here we are 12 years later...

 

Dale: You are all from different areas of the globe. How did you all get together for a band that started in Australia?

 

John: David actually started this circus in Australia with a singer named Jon Stevens, who is actually an amazing singer, songwriter and performer. They wrote a record, and then started looking for players.

 

They eventually hired Richard Fortus, Dizzy Reed, Marco Mendoza, and Brian Tichy…They had a trip to Cuba planned to do a few shows and for some reason Jon couldn’t go due to scheduling issues with his solo career, so they called me. I got involved in 2015.

 

Richard and Dizzy left later that year to re-join Guns N’ Roses, and that’s when we grabbed Doug. The music industry is quite HUGE but also quite small at the same time. We’ve all known each other for many years so it’s just a matter of friends calling other friends when somebody has to step down for a bit… It’s like the music biz….complicated, but easy at the same time…LOL

 

Dale: You have many tour dates in the UK, do you like playing here?

 

John: I can only speak for myself but I love coming to the U.K.!!!! I love the pub food. I love a good pint, my whiskey of choice is Jameson but I also love the Scotch from 'The Highlands' of Scotland…The only thing I don’t like is 'BLOOD PUDDING' and looking the other way when I’m crossing the street….lol

 

Dale: What are we to expect from a live show?

 

John: Just a good time. We wanna have fun. We want the audience to forget all the bullsh*t their bombarded with on the news, at work, just in life, and have a great time for 3 hours and sing, dance and laugh!!!!

 

Dale: Thank You for your time. I am serious about the photo in front of the Vulcan Bomber! Haha!

Really look forward to meeting you all at Stonedead.