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Jizzy Pearl is one of those rare performers that can take a song and make every word reflective of his own experiences. His career has spanned over two decades, during which he has fronted such bands as Love/Hate, L.A. Guns, Ratt and currently the ultimate party band-Hookers n' Blow. But, no matter who he is performing with, Jizzy's stage presence is always intense and exhilarating
Last year, Jizzy Pearl released his first solo album "VEGAS MUST DIE" on Shrapnel Records and it is clearly his best work to date. Jizzy wrote the entire album in three weeks in Vegas, where he spent a lost weekend and ended up staying there for a year.
In addition, to his rock career Jizzy is also an aspiring author. He has just released his third book, "Unhappy Endings." The novel is a series of short twisted stories inspired by the cast of characters and circumstances revolving around the singer's life.
In this exclusive interview for Glam-Metal.com TM , dynamic front man Jizzy Pearl discusses his latest projects, his near death experience with the HNB accident, his book "Unhappy Endings" and the upcoming Hookers n' Blow tour which is slated to begin on May 25. So sit back and let's get Jizzy.
Jizzy, last time we spoke you were getting ready to release your new book,"Unhappy Endings." Tell me about the book, what is it about?
It is sort of a continuation of the other two books. It is a collection of short stories, fiction, non-fiction and wry commentary.
How did you come up with the title "Unhappy Endings?" What inspired you to write the book?
Well, the name comes from a story in the book in which I murder three of my best friends. I write books because I am a writer and I dig it.
You are a very good writer I might add. You have a very interesting life. On your solo album, "Vegas Must Die" each song was sort of like a short story, so is that what the book is kind of like, would you say?
I don't know. The Vegas record was written in a three week period, so I call it a captured moment in time rather that a collection of my best songs. It is funny, after putting out that record and calling it that I am now moving back to Vegas.
No, really?
Yes, I have re-thought the whole "Vegas Must Die" and I've decided it must live. A few people that live there can die, but the town as a whole can survive.
What drew you back to Vegas?
It's cheaper to live, L.A. is too expensive. Plus there is no music scene in L.A.. The biggest thing in L.A.. right now as far as music scene goes is Metal Skool, which is a parody of our music scene. So what does that tell ya?
You have lived so long in Hollywood. How has the music scene changed since back in the heyday of Love/Hate?
Back in the day it was cool and and a community but now it's just gay, people trying to hold on to the past, doing blow, fucking strippers, nobody writing anything good. Other than seeing Lemmy at the Rainbow there is no scene anymore, too bad.
So there are no new metal bands? Don't you think the Motley Crue re-union has helped metal at all?
I really don't listen to new bands. I am not 20 years old anymore and I don't really have any interest in any of these new band, not to say that any of them aren't good, I just like what I like.
That is cool. Would you say "Unhappy Endings" is an autobiography? Is it about people that you know?
Some stories are about real people but the names are changed, some stories are fictional, some autobiographical...Some people have written me and said they can't even read some of the stories because they are so disgusting, which is kind of cool actually. I would rather get a reaction from people saying they loved it or hated it than just sort of glance thru it and not care at all.
How long did it take you to write this book?
I wrote the first half maybe a year and half ago, between tours. I wrote the other half the last couple of months of 05.
Is it just available through your website? Can the fans get it at Borders?
Basically at the website and gigs, personal appearances. www.jizzypearl.com
I would love to see one of your short stories in a movie? Have you ever thought about bringing these stories to life on the big screen?
I am working on a script for a movie right now, coincidentally enough.
That would be awesome. Are you into reality TV at all? Would it be on TV or movie?
That is a two part question. First part, I hate reality TV in all forms. Second, the movie would be loosely based on my life as a teenager, a stoner kid in the San Fernando Valley.
Now you have been busy you recently joined the ultimate party band. Hooker's n'Blow they're good friends of mine.I will be your show June 1 in Worcester. What can the fans expect to see?
Yes, they are the ultimate party band. I am filling in for Dizzy. He is out with GNR. Hopefully GNR will be able to sustain a tour longer than a week and a half. I am really just filling in for Dizzy, it is his gig.We'll do GnR and AC/DC, you know, the usual jam band stuff.
Let's talk a little about the car crash you were in with the other members of HNB. I was shocked to hear about the incident. I just saw HNB the week before in Ct, and I could not believe the news. I am so happy you are OK. Tell me about your near death experience? What happened that night in Danvers?
Oh yeah, the car accident. It just goes to show you that shit like this can happen to anybody at anytime. We had literally just pulled out of the parking lot of the gig when we got smacked into by a drunk driver. I am still dealing with health issues. I was extremely lucky, I held on to the seat for dear life as we were flying through the air. We did this Love/Hate tour recently and we had to cut it short, one of the major reasons being that Alex and I both were still fucked up physically from the accident. We got hit and then we had to go on the road two weeks later, we didn't have enough healing time.
Yes, I remember hearing you had to cancel the Love/Hate tour in Germany and Sweden. Tell me about that.
There were some mitigating circumstances also with the tour, but definitely one of the main reasons that I wanted to go home was the pain. My last show was in Birmingham, England and I had to put a shirt on and duct-tape my ribs under it to keep them from popping out. It was painful as fuck. It is probably safer to fly, strangely enough. I was always afraid of flying, but having been in a few van accidents over the years, it is probably safer to fly. >
What was going through your head at the time of the accident?
My impending death...I was holding on to the seat wondering what or who we were going to run into. My biggest fear was that I was going to go thru the windshield. Naked Beggars, who are friends of mine, the Cinderella guys they skidded on some ice not long ago, same thing, you are very helpless in that van. It could be minor cuts and bruises or it could be your arm that gets cut off or worse. It is very dangerous. I got a lot of emails from friends of mine, LA Guns, and other bands who do the same thing, travel in vans. We all know when you are cutting corners and racing to the next gig, and driving at night you take a lot of chances, just so you can get to the next show. Man all it takes is just one idiot on the road, there goes your whole so called career.
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Not to mention your life. I know you were in pain, but otherwise how did the Love/Hate go? How was the fan reception?
I do Love/Hate for fun. The other original guys have other lives and aren't really interested in going on the road. It's just a paid vacation for me. I met Alex thru the Quiet Riot thing and asked him to join me and we get along really well. He has a good attitude, he is not as jaded as I am. He is getting there, but he is not quite as jaded. Give him a couple of years.
Do you think you will record any new music with Love/Hate?
I don't know. Anything is possible. I got to play with Jon again. That was a lot of fun, he really hasn't lost any of his chops. I am pursuing different things, and sometimes opportunities come up when you least expect it and you go out and make a record.
You are one of the few singers who can sing anything and make it sound good. You have such a diverse vocal style.
Except for Ratt that is! Laughs
No, I have seen you with Ratt, you were good. You had some pretty big shoes to fill, but you were good. Are you still in Ratt? What is going on with them?
Yeah, yeah. As I say to all of the Jizzy haters, as far as the Ratt re-union goes, better luck next year. I enjoy the Ratt gig, because I like the music, I like the people in the band. It is really a pleasure to play
with Warren. He is great to play with and an awesome person too, a really nice guy. As far as my involvement with that, I will do it as long as I am able. It is just a gig. Anybody can get fired from any job, at any time. Just ask the people at Enron. People attach such importance about my or any hired person's shelf life in a band. If Steve Perry decides he wants to come back to Journey, it doesn't matter how much you like the new guy, he is gone. That is just the way it is. That is just the way the ball bounces, and that's OK.
Well you have done a great job with Ratt, they wouldn't have found a better replacement for Stephen Pearcy than you. Did you watch Ratt- Behind the Music? What were your thoughts?
Ratt was a big band when I lived in LA, when I was still a struggling musician. They were huge then in 84.I was just some punk kid hanging out in clubs with my Sammy Hagar T-shirt trying to figure it all out. I have
always enjoyed their music. It is a pleasure to sing that stuff.
I bet you never thought you would be singing with them one day?
I never did. I went and got married a couple of years ago, and when I came back from my honeymoon I went on the Internet and it said Stephen Pearcy quit Ratt. I thought hmm...? and that is how it all happened.
What would you say the highlight of your career as been, singing with Ratt or Love/Hate?
Nothing really compares to when my band Love/Hate was on MTV, nothing compares to hearing your song on the radio for the first time, or touring with AC/DC or Ozzy.
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What was it like touring with Ozzy?
Great in a sense, the only bummer being that he was sober and I was a drunk and I was really looking forward to partying with the KING. I was already fucked up, and I figured he could teach me a couple of things. But he was sober, it was just odd. So we would end up drinking with Zakk. That was fun. Zakk is amazing.
Yes, Zakk is really an amazing guitar player. I am looking forward to Ozzfest this summer. How has the Internet changed the promoting of bands? What are your thoughts about the downloading situation, as an artist?
The Internet has its positives and negatives, I always say this. It is great in a sense that everyone can promote their own band, or in my case books and music. It is also bad in a sense because the downloading music thing has zapped the life out of a lot of musicians, who put their own money and blood into a record that they wrote and a week and half later it is available for free on the Internet. It is one thing when you are stealing songs from Metallica, who are multi millionaires. For example that whole Warrant thing that happened a couple of months ago. Somebody got a hold of their record and put it out on the Internet before it was suppose to come out. I was actually talking to them about this the other day, it was a bummer for them because they wanted to give their record a proper send off. It is lame if you sink 5,000 or 10,000 dollars of your own money into something and you can't make your money back. Not even talking about a profit, just being able to pay yourself back. At least there are no book CD burners, for now... Plus, on myspace.com there are a bunch of shitty bands that think they are going to be the next Van Halen. People think now with myspace you don't have to do gigs anymore, you just put your demo up and sit by the phone and wait for Warner Brothers to call. It is silly. I have 732 friends, and I probably know eight of them.
Any plans to release another solo album any time soon?
Right now, I am working on this movie script, and it has been a long process. I am learning a lot, like how many years it takes to get this shit off the ground. You can't freak out every other day when somebody doesn't get back to you, this shit takes time. That's why I don't talk about it much. It is a tough business. I got some really good people that think my writing is good, not that that guarantees anything. I have done music all of my life and I have written three books. Now I am doing something that basically involves both art forms and it is pretty cool. Hopefully I will be discovered before my death.
Well, you are doing well, I will do my best to promote your projects and get the word out take your career to the next dimension.
You are going to take it one step further. (Laughs) One step beyond.
Jizzy, Is their anything else you would like to say to your fans at GlamMetal.com TM? Are you doing any package tours this summer?
Other than the Poison tour, we are all doing fly outs. LA Guns and Warrant and us are just doing the weekend fly in thing. A lot of us are doing these casino gigs, which pay really good. The Indians have all of the money right now, it is pay back to America for 500 years of fucking them over. And everyone don't forget to check out my book, and website at www.jizzypearl.com . I encourage everyone to put down the video games and
read.
Jizzy, thank you so much for the great interview. I will be out to the Lucky Dog in Worcester to see you perform with Hookers n'Blow on June 1. The tour HNB tour begins May 25 in Florida. For complete tour listings, check out www.hookersnblowme.com We will have full coverage of the HNB tour. featuring Jizzy Pearl , Alex Grossi, Troy Patrick Farrell,and Scottie Griffin. |
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