I covered the MusiCares Benefit and show for my magazine and interviewed Jerry on the red carpet. Jerry spoke to me and three other reporters at the same time, so their questions are included in this as well. If I knew who they were I would credit them, but I don't, so don't sue me please :) Enjoy!
Tellus about tonight.
It’scool, man. MAP is a great thing. It’ helped a lot of people I know. I’ve been abig supporter of the cause for the past five years. I think the only one Imissed was last year. It’s important; people get lost in life and drugs andalcohol are no joke. They [MAP] provide a lot of help. Also, I should say I’m alarge fan of people that have gone through it. It’s always nice to haveexamples of people who have gone through addiction… [inaudible because of a busgoing by]. Plenty of life later. We’re going to have fun tonight, lookingforward to playing with my friends.
Anywords of wisdom for those who are still suffering?
Yeah:stop. (Devilish laugh). There is help available and MusiCares and MAP has beenhelping musicians for a long time, and like I said I’m happy to be a part ofit.
Ispoke to Mike at NAMM and he said you guys are just about ready to go intopre-production. Where are you at?
It’sgoing to take a while. For me to even comment on where we’re at; we’re in themiddle of it. We’ll be done with it when it’s done (devilish laugh).
Isit true you won’t shave the beard until it’s done?
(Smiling)It is true. It is true. I made a little bit of a pact with myself and I gotSean on board, which is amazing to me because he never keeps a beard for verylong. But he and I and William are doing it. Mike won’t grow one. He reallycan’t, he can only grow, like, goatees. We got [inaudible] beards going andwe’ll see how long that lasts. I think I’ll make it through the album process.I’m not so sure about Sean (seriously devilish laugh).
Itstarted when?
Istarted growing this at our last show with Velvet Revolver.
Areyou guys still writing music?
Yeah,yeah. We’re actually- this is our first week off. We’ve been working for aboutthe last four months. We have to take some time off and get zoned out. It’s agood bulk of music and it’s a good vibe going on. We’re having fun and we’retaking our time and trying to figure out where William fits in and where weneed to step up. I have all the confidence in the world that the guys- the mostimportant thing to me is that we’re all together and walking through. Losingsomeone as important as Layne, and uh, it’s been a tough and painfulexperience, but these times have just been very rewarding and sad at the sametime, so [it’s important] to be able to have your family and walk through toughsituations in life.
Whatdo you think about the Get Born Again movie?
Yes.It’s fucking horseshit. The woman responsible for writing those books andmaking that movie never talked to Layne, she never met Layne, and kind ofpreyed on his mom when she was in a bad way after losing her son and that’s howthat book got made. And now they’re making this movie and I have no idea howthey’re going to make it because they can’t use us, they can’t use our music.They do not have our permission to do that, nor [do they have the persmissionof] Layne’s family’s as well. It’s really sad because I’m sure they’ll focus onall the bad stuff and there was a whole lot more to Layne than that.Unfortunately, we all know the story of how he died and nobody knows thatdeeper than us and his family. There was so much more to him than that and ifsomething ever got made, it would be nice if maybe the people that knew him mostwere involved. It would probably be a better quality production, I guess.That’s all I have to say about that.
Willyou guys be playing any more shows this year?
Idon’t think so. I mean, we might. We might do one or two. If the right thinghappened, we might do it, but we’re really focused on making new music, youknow? And in the past, everything we ever created musically as a band, I canstill stand behind it completely and we did it because we loved it and we spentthe time to make sure that it was kick ass and this is no different. Of course,the dynamic has shifted. There’s three of us left- Sean, Mike, and myself- andwe miss Layne tremendously, but we were a big part of that band as well and wefeel that we still have something to offer, like I said. But it’s really nicebeing together and to have the courage to take those steps and see where we cango. Just take a shot, you know? Continue living.
Isthere a producer called yet?
No,not yet. We’ve talked to a couple of guys. We’ve always had a pretty stronghand in how we sound. We don’t really need a whole lot of help. But we probablywill get a guy in at some point.
You’vebeen playing with Camp Freddy a lot.
Yeah,I’m pretty much a member (devilish laugh). If I can get up on the stage and havea laugh with Duff [McKagan] and Slash and Billy Duffy and [Dave] Navarro and[Matt] Sorum and others. Come on, it’s fun. It’s like being in a garage bandwith all your best buddies who you are like, guys you look up to and guys youadmire. It’s fun. It’s just a fun thing. And usually half the time we’re doingthese things it’s for a benefit anyways.
Doyou think when you guys do eventually put out an album, do you think you’d wantto go the route a lot of people are going now, like Trent Reznor and Radioheadand skipping the whole major label continuum and all that?
Youdon’t have to have it anymore, man. You really don’t. There’s still maybe oneor two benefits to being with a major, but that’s about all it ever used to be(devilish laugh). There’s a lot more aveneues open to artists so I’m not surewhat we will do but it is exciting that there are a lot of options out thereand we’re exploring those and will be exploring those to try to make it thebest record we can.
Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves.
-Dorothy Parker
In this life, I must confess, the search for love and happiness is unrequited.
-Charles Aznavour