{"id":3790,"date":"2013-08-02T14:42:57","date_gmt":"2013-08-02T13:42:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/?p=3790"},"modified":"2013-08-02T14:42:57","modified_gmt":"2013-08-02T13:42:57","slug":"its-great-to-be-on-the-left-side-of-rob-zombie-playing-these-amazing-songs-that-i-grew-up-listening-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/2013\/08\/02\/its-great-to-be-on-the-left-side-of-rob-zombie-playing-these-amazing-songs-that-i-grew-up-listening-to\/","title":{"rendered":"“It\u2019s great to be on the left side of Rob Zombie playing these amazing songs that I grew up listening to”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"j5-interview\"<\/p>\n

BloodyGoodHorror<\/a> speaks to Rob Zombies axe-man John 5 where he chats about working with Rod Stewart, the latest Zombie record Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor, what touring with the Mayhem Festival is like and much more.<\/p>\n

Check out the full tour schedule:\u00a0john-5.com\/main\/tour<\/a><\/p>\n

Read the interview\u00a0<\/p>\n

Music Soothes the Savage Superbeast – A Conversation with John 5<\/strong><\/p>\n

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by\u00a0M. Drew<\/div>\n
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John 5 is one of those rare talents on guitar who manages to stand tall, outside the shadow of the hugely popular frontman of whatever band he’s playing in. Much the same as Dave Navarro shines equally to Perry Farrell, Zakk Wylde was equal to Ozzy and Slash overcame the overbearing Axl Rose, John 5 has done the same in both Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. Disarmingly polite and soft-spoken in person, we sat down with John 5 to find out what makes him tick, what music he loves, and naturally, to talk about the new Rob Zombie record.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> I\u2019ll start with the question everyone wants to know the answer to: how do you write a song for Rob Zombie and Rod Stewart in the same year, as you have?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> [Laughs] You know, I\u2019m a fan of music, I love music. I really study how music is written and how music is played and it really is two completely different things going on but I really do enjoy music in general. I\u2019m such a fan of really well-written music and well executed guitar and things like that. So, I just have always studied that my whole life.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> I know some of your roots are in country music. As you\u2019re sitting down to help write a record like \u201cVenomous Rat Regeneration Vendor,\u201d do you ever want to bleed that country into it?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> Not unless it\u2019s requested. Sometimes I\u2019ll put it in my solos to be different, just to not make it sounds like everybody else. Only if it calls for it, because if it doesn\u2019t call for it, then it\u2019s not gonna work.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> Tell me a little bit about this new record you have with Rob Zombie \u2013 how do you feel about it, what\u2019s its central theme?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> It was done at Rob\u2019s house, it was very live, aggressive. I stayed in one of his houses, did the album in another house, and I would just walk over in my pajamas and we had not distractions, because he lives pretty much in the middle of nowhere. We were very focused and really came out with some great stuff in the end.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> When you\u2019re writing something like that, what\u2019s the headspace you have to put yourself in?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> That\u2019s a good question. I was very stressed, I didn\u2019t hardly sleep during the making of that record because I wanted it to be great. So I was pretty stressed out for it. That was my headspace.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> Do you have to go watch \u201cThe Exorcist\u201d like, eight times before you\u2019re ready to write it?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> No, you just really try to dig deep inside and come up with great stuff.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> There\u2019s a perception for this album and in general that Rob Zombie the man is not as dedicated to music as he used to be, because he has so much else going on. Can you speak to the level of dedication and work that went into this album?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> I think he does have as much dedication because he\u2019s out here and we\u2019re touring and making records. Doing it just like how we used to do it. But he\u2019s taking advantage of time to do other things as well.<\/div>\n

M.D:<\/strong> How goes the road on Mayhem Fest?<\/p>\n

J5:<\/strong> The road has been good, everything has been fine. Just playing these shows and having a good time, the shows have been great. I love the warm weather and big productions so I\u2019m having a blast.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> As you look around you at Mayhem Fest, who are some of the young guitarists you see that have, whatever the \u2018it\u2019 factor is, they have it?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> I think I can appreciate from all the guitar players here what they\u2019re doing and I can be inspired from each of the bands, so I look at it that way. I don\u2019t look at it as just one guy, each person has a special thing to them.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> Is there anybody who\u2019s especially impressed you, band or singular artist?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> I love everybody on this tour. I was just watching Butcher Babies, I love Machine Head and Amon Amarth, Five Finger [Death Punch] and all that stuff. It\u2019s a lot of bands that I really enjoy.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> Looking at Mayhem this year as a microcosm of the metal genre, there\u2019s a lot of European-influenced metal, there\u2019s a lot of American death metal. Yet, you and Five Finger are still making that straight ahead, blues, down and dirty metal. What is it about that style that\u2019s special to you?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> To me, it\u2019s just songs of people\u2019s lives. I was a White Zombie fan, I was a Rob Zombie fan before I got in the band so it\u2019s a part of my life, you know? And I think it\u2019s the same for a lot of people out there. People grew up listening to \u201cThunderkiss \u201865\u201d or \u201cMore Human [Than Human]\u201d just like I did. So it\u2019s exciting to hear those songs performed live.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> Do you ever feel like the Zakk Wylde to Rob\u2019s Ozzy? In the sense that you grew up with him and now you\u2019ve sort of rejuvenated his career?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know about \u2018rejuvenated,\u2019 but it\u2019s great to be on the left side of Rob Zombie playing these amazing songs that I grew up listening to, and I wouldn\u2019t change it for the world.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> You\u2019ve been on all sides of metal, rock and roll, everything. Where do you see the music industry now and what do you think its future is as a whole?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> Well, I know one thing for sure, it\u2019s not going to go backwards. Think about this: nothing has ever gone backwards. We had 45\u2019s, we had albums, we\u2019ve had cassettes, we\u2019ve had eight-tracks. Now we have downloads. CD\u2019s will never be \u2018the big thing\u2019 again. And we don\u2019t know what the future holds, but hopefully things will happen in a more positive way. Right now, I think the younger generation thinks \u2018why would I buy a CD? Why would I buy something on iTunes when I can get it for free?\u2019 That\u2019s the reality.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> What is the next step for you as a solo artist?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> I\u2019m working on another instrumental record. Each one I try to do something very different. I think I\u2019ll have a bunch of guest stars on this one, and some really crazy stuff. People love the instrumental stuff, so I just keep on doing it.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> What\u2019s the collaboration you\u2019ve done that makes you most proud?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know, that\u2019s a great question. [Pauses] You know, I have a bunch of record awards on my wall and everything I\u2019ve done is really rewarding, because they were all my heroes, including Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson. I love KISS, Paul Stanley, David Lee Roth, Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Even Sixx: A.M., Nikki Sixx\u2019s thing. All these bands, it\u2019s just been great.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> In general, I think metal fans look at metal as its own separate universe. What\u2019s the collaboration that you really want to do that most metal fans wouldn\u2019t expect?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> Prince.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> Really? He\u2019s fantastic.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> Yeah, oh my God, of course. I would love to do something with Prince.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> Have you made any inroads that way?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5: One time, his guitar tech told him about me and things like that. I talked to him once, but I just couldn\u2019t do it because I was working on another record, but I would love to work with Prince one day.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> What\u2019s the hardest session you\u2019ve ever done? I know in the past you\u2019ve said it was Asia, is that still the case?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> John Wetton, that was a tough one. That was weird. Let me think of some others. Working with Desmond Child was always a challenge. Things like that.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> You\u2019ve done so many collaborations, so many songs with so many different people. Do you ever see yourself transitioning into producing?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> No. Because I love playing guitar too much. I love playing guitar too much. I\u2019d see some guitar player and be like \u2018aw man, just give me that guitar.\u2019 I stick to what I know, you know?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> Who was your guitar idol as you were growing up? Who did you model your playing after, and how have you evolved since then?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> Let\u2019s see, I\u2019ve always had epiphanies. I love \u2018Hee-Haw\u2019 of course, and my guitar idol right now is this guy named Joe Maphis and he\u2019s a country guy from the \u201850s. So good, man, just so great. Oh, I love him. Of course, you have your Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, your Yngwie [Malmsteen], your Steve Vai. Paul Gilbert and all these people like that. So I\u2019ve always had epiphanies all through my life, but right now I love Joe Maphis and Jerry Reed.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> Can you speak about the difference writing and playing for Rob Zombie versus writing and playing for Marilyn Manson? You\u2019ve had great success with both.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> You know, with Rob, if we\u2019re gonna start at this time, we\u2019re gonna start at that time. We know exactly what we\u2019re gonna do and we know when we\u2019re gonna end. With Manson, it\u2019s very unpredictable. We could wait for six hours for him to show up. But I wouldn\u2019t change anything. I loved being in Manson, Manson gave me my name and it was a great time in my life, and this is an even better time.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> Is there a reason you keep the name even though you\u2019re no longer affiliated with Manson anymore?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> That\u2019s a great question. When Ace Frehley left KISS, his real name is Paul Frehley. So, he\u2019s not going to change his name to Paul Frehley after leaving KISS.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
M.D:<\/strong> Because everyone knows him as \u2018Ace\u2019 already.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
J5:<\/strong> Exactly.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BloodyGoodHorror speaks to Rob Zombies axe-man John 5 where he chats about working with Rod Stewart, the latest Zombie record Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor, what touring with the Mayhem Festival is like and much more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,1],"tags":[459,620,13,461,460,14,191],"class_list":["post-3790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interview","category-news","tag-bloody-good-horror","tag-interview","tag-john-5","tag-paul-stanley","tag-prince","tag-rob-zombie","tag-rod-stewart","tw-post-no-content"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1qFj4-Z8","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3814,"url":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/2013\/08\/17\/watch-on-tour-monthly-chats-with-john-5\/","url_meta":{"origin":3790,"position":0},"title":"[Watch] On Tour Monthly chats with John 5","author":"Dillon - Team John 5","date":"August 17, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"In this video interview taken before Rob Zombies headlining appearance at this years Mayhem Festival in Dallas, TX, On Tour Monthly sits with John 5 to talk about the new Rob Zombie album \u201cVenomous Rat Regeneration Vendor\u201c, Mayhem Festival, his friendship with Rob Zombie and and his favorite Mayhem moment.","rel":"","context":"In "Interview"","block_context":{"text":"Interview","link":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/category\/interview\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"On Tour Monthly interviews John 5","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/john-5-on-tour-with-interview.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/john-5-on-tour-with-interview.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/john-5-on-tour-with-interview.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3993,"url":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/2013\/11\/21\/watch-john-5-talks-to-metaltitans\/","url_meta":{"origin":3790,"position":1},"title":"[Watch] John 5 talks to MetalTitans","author":"Dillon - Team John 5","date":"November 21, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Watch this interview with John 5, conducted as Rob Zombie's Great American Nightmare wrapped up earlier this November. MetalTitan's Char Tupper speaks to John about GAN, tattoos, touring smaller venues, working on Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor and a lot more.","rel":"","context":"In "Interview"","block_context":{"text":"Interview","link":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/category\/interview\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Metaltitans John 5","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/metaltitans-j5.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/metaltitans-j5.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/metaltitans-j5.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3338,"url":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/2013\/03\/26\/john-5-speaks-to-noisecreep-about-scoring-rob-zombies-lords-of-salem-film-working-with-rod-stewart-on-his-new-album\/","url_meta":{"origin":3790,"position":2},"title":"John 5 speaks to noisecreep about Scoring Rob Zombie’s ‘Lords of Salem’ Film, Working With Rod Stewart on His New Album","author":"Dillon - Team John 5","date":"March 26, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Noisecreep sat with John 5 recently to talk about a multitude of subjects, including scoring the forthcoming The Lords of Salem soundtrack for Rob Zombie, giving his time to the Rock Against MS benefit concert and working with Rod Stewart.","rel":"","context":"In "Interview"","block_context":{"text":"Interview","link":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/category\/interview\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"John 5 Rob Zombie interview","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/j5-interview-noisecreep.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/j5-interview-noisecreep.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/j5-interview-noisecreep.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3712,"url":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/2013\/07\/09\/watch-metalholic-interviews-john-5-at-mayhem-2013\/","url_meta":{"origin":3790,"position":3},"title":"[Watch] Metalholic interviews John 5 at Mayhem 2013","author":"Dillon - Team John 5","date":"July 9, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Currently on tour with Rob Zombie for Mayhem 2013, John 5 sat down at their stop in Boise Idaho and chatted to Metalholic. In this video interview, John 5 speaks about \"Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor, working with the likes of Paul Stanley, Halestorm, and Skynyrd, as well as what he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Interview"","block_context":{"text":"Interview","link":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/category\/interview\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Metalholic John 5","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/j5-metalholic.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/j5-metalholic.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/j5-metalholic.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3769,"url":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/2013\/07\/29\/john-5-speaks-to-chicago-now-we-love-coming-to-chicago-because-we-always-do-our-shopping-at-the-alley\/","url_meta":{"origin":3790,"position":4},"title":"John 5 speaks to Chicago Now: ‘We love coming to Chicago because we always do our shopping at The Alley.’","author":"Dillon - Team John 5","date":"July 29, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This past weekend the Mayhem 2013 spectacular set up in Chicago for a kick-ass show. Before John 5 took his place as right hand man of headline act Rob Zombie, he spoke with Chicago Now about the influences that helped him, family, Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor and why the band\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Interview"","block_context":{"text":"Interview","link":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/category\/interview\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"john-5-interview-bandw","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/john-5-interview-bandw.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/john-5-interview-bandw.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/john-5-interview-bandw.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3188,"url":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/2013\/02\/22\/john-5-talks-scoring-the-lords-of-salem-and-new-zombie-album\/","url_meta":{"origin":3790,"position":5},"title":"John 5 talks scoring Lords of Salem and new Zombie album","author":"Dillon - Team John 5","date":"February 22, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Blabbermouth has reported on a new interview John 5 has made where he speaks about working on his first full film score - Rob Zombie's The Lords of Salem (out April 19 2013). and the forthcoming Rob Zombie studio album Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (out April 23, 2013)","rel":"","context":"In "Interview"","block_context":{"text":"Interview","link":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/category\/interview\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"john-5-score-tlos","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/john-5-score-tlos.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/john-5-score-tlos.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/john-5-score-tlos.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3790"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3790\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}