Dave Wyndorf (above) “probably would have made more money.”
I interviewed quite a few rockers last year. Here’s some of the things they said.
“To me stoner rock is just non-commercial rock that pulls from every great era… And as far as the stoner element, I mean, yeah, it’s always cool to smoke pot.” –Brant Bjork of Vista Chino
“Most people would probly be amazed at how easy it is to make weapons.” —Reverend Peyton on the “spud gun” used in the band’s video for “Mama’s Fried Potatoes”
“I think that the inventors can do anything they want, and nobody can say anything otherwise.” –Jason Newsted of Newsted on the current Black Sabbath
“Eventually somebody said, ‘You know, this guy’s actually been around for a long time! He’s not going away. He’s not dying of an overdose, he didn’t drive his car off a cliff.’ No, I wasn’t about that.” –blues legend Taj Mahal on himself
“My ceiling will never be as high as B.B. King’s, but he made me feel like it was that night.” —David Gogo on opening for B.B. King in his hometown of Nanaimo
“Tom Petty has the kind of music that just makes you want to turn it up loud… and that’s the kind of music I would really love to create.” –Vancouver singer-songwriter Dustin Bentall
“For us it’s not an easy process, because we already know the movie before the music is made, and yet we have to try and scare ourselves by pretending to be an audience that doesn’t know what’s going to happen.” —Goblin keyboardist Maurizio Guarini on whether he’s ever scared himself with his compositions
“Susan’s fearless [on guitar]. She would go toe-to-toe with anybody.” –Derek Trucks of the Tedeschi Trucks Band on his wife Susan Tedeschi
“He’s unbelievable, an absolute monster.” –South African guitarist Guy Buttery on Vancouver’s own Don Alder
“It was quite terrifying and wonderful all at the same time.” —Joanne Shaw Taylor on playing in front of Buckingham Palace to a TV audience of 17-million
“If you look at the album art, it’s all propaganda-type artwork, and the message behind that is ‘Everyone has a voice. It’s time to use it.’ ” –Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule on his band’s latest album Shout!
“The first time you see him play, there’s nobody like him… [He’s] almost terrifyingly good.” –14-year-old Quinn Sullivan on his mentor Buddy Guy
“Technique can go in any direction. It’s not really about that, it’s about the music, and where the music comes from. And when it comes from your heart and your soul, that’s the important thing.” —Sonny Landreth defending Joe Satriani on charges of wanksterism
“When I was at Ian [Hunter]’s house once I met Dennis Dunaway from Alice Cooper, so I was able to tell him how much I loved that band. You really can’t beat some of that stuff, like ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’.” —Marshall Crenshaw
“I probably would have made more money.” –Dave Wyndorf of Monster Magnet on whether, looking back, he would have done anything different during his band’s 25-year career