In this interview with our friends at KNAC, John talks about his solo tour, the musicians who make up the band with him (Rodger Carter and Ian Ross) and what he looked for in terms of a career when he was first starting out.
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Careful With That Life: An Exclusive Interview With Guitarist Extraordinaire JOHN 5
Read the interview in full: http://knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=14542#sthash.cTG0TPAc.dpuf
By Geoff Ketler
Since the late eighties, guitar phenom John Lowery, better known as JOHN 5 has been overwhelmingly productive both in the studio and on the touring path. In the past decade he has released seven solo albums, but has been unable to support them on the road…until now. With his first-ever solo tour about to kick off, I got on the horn with JOHN 5 to talk about his solo career, inspiration, the new Rob Zombie album and his recently-booked gig at Ripper’s Rock House.
KNAC.COM: I was skimming my facebook news feed the other day and saw that you added a couple dates to your solo tour, one of which is at Ripper’s Rock House in Akron, Ohio – I immediately reached out to your publicist because I knew that I had to do something for this. Ripper’s Rock House is owned by Tim “Ripper” Owens, so we all know that you worked previously with Rob Halford, but have you ever crossed paths with Tim?
JOHN 5: Um…just by saying, “hello, how are you?”, just if I see him out and about or at an awards show or something like that.
KNAC.COM: I see, so no sessions work or collaborations or anything like that.
JOHN 5: No, no, nothing like that.
KNAC.COM: So this is your first-ever solo tour, right?
JOHN 5: Yeah, First. Ever. Like I’ve been doing instrumental records for ten years and I have never done a live show, I’ve just always been so busy. Not where it’s so busy that I can’t go do a show, but you have to put a band together, you have to rehearse – it takes a very, very, long time. It was just really exciting though, really exciting. My first show is actually tomorrow (2/8/15) in San Diego.
KNAC.COM: Tell me how this came together, because it seems like you’ve been a pretty busy dude lately, with the announcement of a new Rob Zombie album coming up and whatnot. Who is in your touring band? Anyone we may know?
JOHN 5: The band is this guy, Roger Carter, whom I’ve known most of my life, he is playing drums. He has played on a lot of my instrumental records. And he’s just a phenomenal drummer, great drummer, and really smart guy, too. The guy that played on the album, Careful With That Axe, his name is Matt Bissonnette, but he is playing with Elton John. He’s touring with Elton John, so I knew I needed a bass player and the bass is really difficult on Careful With That Axe and stuff like that, so. So I went to M.I. and just auditioned all of these bass players and there was one kid there that could, you know, cut the mustard. His name is Ian Ross, so, I am really, really happy to have him.
KNAC.COM: That has to be a dream come true for him.
JOHN 5: Yeah, I mean, ‘cause that’s like the thing, if you listen to someone – you always have a chance to make it. Just practice and sometimes opportunity will show up and there ya go.
Read the interview in full: http://knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=14542#sthash.cTG0TPAc.dpuf