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MSG and Kottak w/ Rev - added - January 11th, 2007
Interviewer: Sixxswine

 

Rev thank you for taking the opportunity to answer some questions, I’m glad to finally get a chance to ask some questions and get some answers. I’ve been a fan since hearing you with MSG. You’re a real breath of fresh air, a ball of energy on stage and an innovative bassist, much like another one of my favorites Billy Sheehan. And you are very underrated if you ask me.

Thank you very much.


You recently recorded with James Kottak for a side project called Kottak. How where you approached to be a part in this?

James came by the house to work on the album with my roommate Rick Plester (Black Symphony), and he mentioned he needed a bassist and seeing that it is a side project it sounded worth checking out. So I actually went the next day with them to do the photo shoot that was their way of making sure I was in, it worked. Shortly after that we started jamming and played a few shows around L.A., then I took off to do the MSG tour and James took off to do the Scorpions tour. But now we are both back and we are doing Kottak shows again to support the new album Therupy.

Rev how much of Therupy did you play on?

I don’t know 3 or 4 songs I think. Some of it was done long before I was in the band. I would have to listen to it to tell you which songs I played and that would take the fun out of it. (laughs)

What’s your favorite song on the record and why?

I dig them all. I think the 2 cover songs “Money Changes Everything” and “Holiday” came out great, but my favorite would be “Ripped” great song great lyrics great fun.

I happen to agree the covers are outstanding. And “Ripped” is catchy as hell. If the opportunity came up to do some live gigs with Kottak would we see Rev Jones playing bass?

Well unlike MSG where I am a hired musician, in Kottak I am a member of the band so as long as I am available you will see me playing the shows. Every now and then I will not be able to do some shows, but I have my buddy Price Vernon (ex-Ugly Stick) sit in for me, he does a great job. I even had Pawel from the Scorpions sit in on a show while I was in Japan. Most of the time you will see me playing with Kottak.

I know you’re also a member of a band called Black Symphony that also features Pete Holmes on drums, how is that going? And how would you describe that particular band to someone that hasn’t ever heard Black Symphony?

Well after auditioning about 400 singers we have finally filed the vocalist spot and we are now shopping the new double album. It is a combination of the 3rd album that was never released and a new one that we started writing for another project but decided it sounded like Black Symphony. I would describe Black Symphony like a 70’s rock band with a more modern sound. Like Deep Purple or Queen with a Rammstein mix, there is the occasional odd prog riff here and there, but to me it’s just a hard rock band.

How did you first meet Pete Holmes? And were you a fan of Black n’ Blue?

I met Pete in either 1999 or 2000 when he joined Black Symphony, we have been playing together ever since, he’s a great drummer and a great friend. I love getting to jam with him, it’s always amazing. Yes I was a Black N’ Blue fan, I actually seen them a couple times back then. I’m friends with all of them now. I see Jaimie all the time with Warrant and I see Tommy with KISS, It’s funny because I think the first time I saw Black N’ Blue they opened for KISS.

Who have been your influences? When I say that I mean musically and also outside of the musical realm?

I have many musical influences, too many to name all of them, here is a couple of them; Tony Levin, Trey Gunn, Jaco and James Jamerson, Sly Stone, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Jim Croce, Prince, Buck Owens, The Beatles, Buddy Holly and the king Stevie Wonder. Other than musicians I’m influenced by anyone that is not scared to create outside of the box, like Andy Kaufman, Bill Hicks, Dali, Will Ferrell, and Ben Stiller.

Where are you originally from? What kind of kid were you growing up?
You seem very energetic and outgoing.

I grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma or as we call it the musical wasteland. I was pretty much a mean little trouble maker when I was a kid. I didn’t really break the law or anything like that, but I was always getting in fights and being an asshole to everyone. A lot has changed since then, I don’t get in as many fights now. I was an athlete from the age of 4 until 16 then I started playing music and changed my focus all toward my music career.

How did you get the gig playing for Michael Schenker? I’m sure you’ve told the story many, many times before, but I haven’t heard it myself.

He was working on Be Aware of Scorpions in 2001 and the drummer was Jeff Martin who was the first drummer in Black Symphony. So he asked Jeff who he wanted to play bass and he suggested me. So they had me send a video of me playing and they dug what they heard and seen so they hired me to do the album and the tour.

I saw you and MSG live in Costa Mesa and the Galaxy in June of 2004. I happen to be on vacation and had bought a ticket in advance. Hell of a show! I was a little bit concerned that the show wouldn’t happen given Michael’s notorious reputation as of late for being a no show. You guys also had scheduled a North America Tour for the fall of 2006, when I saw the date I was geeked, I can’t recall the last time Schenker played in Portland, OR. I think its might have been in 1984. I was very disappointed that the tour didn’t happen. What really went down? I know the reason was something having to with Jari’s personal or family issues? Was Jari thrown under the bus?

Jari’s family had nothing to do with it, the tour canceled because Schenker couldn’t afford to pay us our weekly salaries without taking a cut in pay. We haggled over this for a month until it came to the point where I quit the band and the next day Jari quit, so they canceled the tour and put the blame on Jari. The thing is all you had to do was read his website to figure out the truth, he was hinting about canceling the tour for 2 weeks putting the blame on other people then he changed it to Jari. The truth is if he would have took a cut in his own pay he still would have made a fortune on merchandise and he would have done a great tour, but instead he just added another canceled tour to his list of stupid Schenker moments. The only reason that I’m telling you all these things is because everyone always lies and tries to make him out as the victim. He is not the victim, his fans are. Every time he does an interview he talks about all these things that happen to him but he always leaves out details of why things really happen. He talks about his wife leaving him and selling everything, but he leaves out the fact that he abandoned her and their kid and his whole band on tour in 2001. He just took off and left us and went with some crazy lady to Mexico, so why wouldn’t she sell every thing. He cares about no one, not even himself.

And you recently issued a statement which reads:
"I want to apologize to all the fans that wrote to me and all the fans in Japan and Thailand for the talent less guitar player that took place on stage next to me at the last three MSG shows. I myself could not believe how bad Schenker played. Although me, Pete (Holmes, drums), Jari (Tiura; vocals), and Wayne (Findley; guitar/keyboards) all gave 110%, in my eyes he gave less then 1% and that is so disrespectful not only to the band and the crew but also to the loyal MSG fans. So again I apologize for his actions because he would never apologize himself. We have two more shows and it is OVER." I know when I emailed you about setting an interview, “you had no idea” if and when there would be a U.S. Tour. That didn’t exactly sound too optimistic or that you’d be taking part in it. Just what went down on the Asian leg of the tour and are you still a member of MSG?

Well as I stated earlier I left the band because of the money thing with the USA tour. Well he realized that the Japan/Asia was very important, so he paid myself and Jari in advance to come back and do the tour, I had no plans to do anymore MSG dates after this, but to help him save what was left of his career, and for the pleasure of playing to all the Japanese fans, I agreed to do it. I figured that the importance of this tour would make him get his act together, because the last couple of shows we did he played pretty bad, in fact the Wacken Open Air show was going to be released on DVD but his performance was not good enough. But I figured that here we are going back to Japan after all these years, and it's a sold out tour that he would be in top form. I was so wrong. The first 3 shows were OK, but I noticed he was drinking a lot more then usual and I could hear it a bit in his playing. Well we come on stage for the 4th Japan show and right from the opening riff of the first song I knew the show would never end, he was so drunk he couldn't play these parts that he has been playing for so many years, so after the 2nd song he walked off stage. After about 5 minutes he returned and we started playing "let it roll", he made it to the 2nd verse and realized he couldn't play so he threw his guitar down and walked off stage leaving us to finish the song without him. So then we the band had to apologize to the fans for him, and then they started saying oh he is ill and he started making excuses to us, but never did he apologize to me. Then the next night he was drunk again but he made it through the show, barely. So then we went to Thailand and had 2 days off, we all thought it would get better, wishful thinking. We go onstage there are about 3,000 fans and MTV Asia is filming and it seems like it will be a great show, but then the truth set in. He was so drunk that he never played 1 note in key, it was hideous, me and Pete both wear in ear monitors so neither one of us could escape hearing his guitar. I am only being honest because no one else will, my little brother doesn't play guitar but he could have played just as good as Schenker that night. Amazingly we made it through the show, even though he yelled and cursed at the fans for no reason. Then we went to Hong Kong and to my amazement he played almost half way descent, or it at least it seemed that way after the last 3 shows. Then we start to head to Taiwan, 1 more show and it is over, all we talked about was how this was the longest 2 week tour of our lives. We thought nothing could get worse. Then we were checking in at the airport and they said that Schenker needed a special Visa to get into Taiwan, so after the promoter drug him all over Hong Kong and still had no guarantee that he would get into Taiwan, he finally flipped out and just left. So now we had to go to Taiwan anyway to fly home.

That sounds like a nightmare. MSG issued a 25th Anniversary album called Tales of Rock ‘n’ Roll, but Pete and you not are credited as playing on it. Instead it’s Pete Way, who I thought Schenker had a falling out with and Jeff Martin, did you or Holmes play on anything on that record? If not why? That seems very odd to me.

That is because he recorded the music in 2001 the same time we recorded MSG Be Aware of Scorpions and the same time they did the PLOT album. For some reason he thought he would save money by taking this instrumental album that he never released and turning it into a MSG album. But cutting and pasting a bunch of parts together is not how to make a great album and that is why it is not a great album. Aside from the singing the songs are very boring. Plus he spent so much more money then he would have starting from scratch, because who ever did all the editing was an idiot, and Rick Plester had a nightmare time trying fix all the mistakes in the mix, so Schenker would have been better off writing and recording a new one instead of trying to polish a turd. Pete and I actually recorded a drum & bass instrumental for the album, Schenker wanted it to brake up the pattern a little bit, add something new. But after we recorded it he got mad at us because he canceled a tour, so he pulled it off the album.

You’ve wrapped up the Asian tour with MSG, what does the future hold for Rev. Jones?

Everything, for starters I have some shows with Black Symphony and Kottak in January as well, as doing some playing and signings at the NAMM show. I’ll be at the Dean Guitars booth, Eden booth, LM booth and Kahler booth. There is also some talk of a Kottak tour but nothing is in stone yet. I’m also going to be recording a new album with my old band Forte it is kind of a reunion album with the original line up. Also I have an album coming with China Blue featuring Tony Mills (Shy and TNT) and Eric Ragno. I also have a couple other musical things brewing that I can’t talk about yet, so check my website soon for more details.

What are you currently listening to? Who are some new bands or artists that have blown your mind?

New bands that blow me away, I can’t think of any. There are a couple of new metal that are kind of cool, but they sound like every band I was in back in the late 80’s early 90’s. Really the only new stuff that I have been listening to would be Hank Williams III and Shooter Jennings and of course Rammstein.

I love Shooter and Hank III both of which I had the opportunity to see this past year. Who would you like to work with that you haven’t worked with yet and why?

I would love to work with Prince and Stevie Wonder, they are both musical geniuses and I would love to do an album with King Crimson my all time favorite band. Here’s what my all-star band look like:
Vocals – Stevie Wonder, Glenn Hughes, Tom Jones
Bass and Warrguitar – Rev Jones, Tony Levin
Guitar – Adrian Belew, Jeff Beck, Prince
Drums – Simon Phillips, Pete Holmes
Keyboards – Jon Lord
Just look at the names do I have to explain why?

What’s been one of your favorite memories of being on tour either in the states or abroad?

I would have to say Wacken Open Air 2006. It was amazing, during my bass solo there were close to a hundred thousand (100,000) people clapping their hands together keeping time for me as I played “Eleanor Rigby.” I’ll never forget that as long as I live.

What will the first line in your obituary say?

Rev Jones he was a funny motherfucker.

It's 11:00 PM a typical night, what are you doing?

Well if I’m on tour I’m probably getting ready to go to sleep, but if I’m at home I’m probably laying on the couch watching T.V.

In closing is there anything you’d like to plug or anything you’d like to say to the readers of Pivotal Rage?

Keep supporting music before it disappears into a distant memory. Check out my websites for more info on what projects I’m working on.
www.revjones.com
www.myspace.com/rev_jones

I Thank You Rev. for taking time from your busy schedule to answer some questions, I hope to get a face to face interview the next time.

Yes let’s do that. Thank you.


If you're in Anaheim, California on January 19th-21st 2007 and are able to get into NAMM drop by and say hello to Rev. He's an outstanding talent that will be sorely missed by the MSG fans, we wish him well. Also pick up Kottak's album Therupy on Escapi Music!
 

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