John 5 of Rob Zombie
Miranda: Tell me about the new album “Hellbilly Deluxe 2”
John5: the new album Hellbilly Deluxe 2 is great. I had a lot of fun making it, we explored with a lot cool sounds and a lot of cool different styles. Were having a blast playing the stuff live. We just finished up the Gruesome Twosome tour with Alice Cooper and were playing like “Sick Bubblegum”,” Werewolf Women of the SS”, and “What”, and “Mars needs Women”. So we have been having a lot of fun playing the new songs.
Miranda: The first single released from the album is the track called “Sick Bubblegum”
John5: Yes.
Miranda: I heard that on the radio and was like what the hell is that?
John5: yeah
Miranda: it was enough it was a Rob Zombie song, it just screamed him all the way through.
John5: yes yes yes (smiles) it’s totally rockin Rob Zombie music.
Miranda: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
John5: I think you know it all up to Rob. Rob gives me a vision of what he’s looking for and what he wants to hear, and hopefully I been giving it to him. Because he wants to experiment with this and that and the other thing. So it’s a lot of fun for me because we have a lot of fun recording and writing together, and it’s the best band I have ever been in. I would never leave him.
Miranda: You look good together.
John5: thanks!
Miranda: Is it hard to get used to playing the different styles of music that he has done with the various bands?
John5: No it’s a pleasure because it like if you eat the same kind of food you get sick that food, so it’s great to play all these different styles, and um, do those kinds of because it keeps it very interesting, you never know what’s gonna happen, it’s a lot of fun for me. I really enjoy it.
Miranda: How did he actually get to join with Rob Zombie?
John5: There was a Tsunami Benefit and Dave Navarro was putting it on and he gave me a call to say “Hey would you like to take place in this benefit?” and I said “well who’s playing?” and Dave listed a
bunch of people and he said Rob Zombie. I said I will do it if I can play with Rob Zombie, and he said sure okay. So after that I said hey Rob if you need a guitar player let me know and 5 years later
here I am.
Miranda: Good Job Good Job!
Miranda: Who influenced you to play the guitar?
John5: I loved T.V. and I loved that show Hee-Haw, the Monkeys. So I would watch T.V. and I would see that a lot. Then like Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, and all that stuff. So it was a lot of T.V. stuff that influenced me people with guitars visually and things like that so that’s kinda of what made me want to get started playing and taking lessons.
Miranda: How often do you replace their strings
John5: Well! I never do, but my tech does. So I would say like every other day
Miranda: to keep you from breaking one.
John5: yeah, but luckly I don’t hit really hard, I’m not a real heavy hitter. So I rarely break a string. But if I break one tonight I’m blaming it on you.
Miranda: Ooohh
John5: because you just brought it up
Miranda: and there is a lot of people out there that would want to hurt me.
Miranda: Do you have any messages for your fans?
John5: I want to say “Thank you!” first of all because of all support I’ve gotten from my instrumental records and everybody has been so kind and come see us on the Mayhem tour and check out the Hellbilly Deluxe 2 album, and my instrumental album The Art of Malice.
I would like to take the time to thank John 5 for sitting down with me and answering a few questions. I look forward to catching him on tour with Rob Zombie and Solo in the future!-Miranda
