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M.I.: Hello there Johnny! Very tired, ha?
J.S. Yeah, I guess a little bit…We've done eleven shows in thirteen days so yes, we 're a little bit dizzy!
M.I.: What took you so long guys to come to Greece?
J.S. I have no idea! I know this is the first trip of SKID ROW to Greece and I'm in 8th year with the band…I guess, it's never been on the schedule, I' m not sure. I mean the band is huge in Japan, but I've never been to Japan either! Nor Australia! I've mostly done Europe, Mexico and Canada.
M.I.: Well, I know you 've joined the band back in 2000. How did the fans welcome you then and how are things now? What's your relation with them today?
J.S Well, it was never, ever an issue! Maybe the first tour back in 2000 opening up for Kiss…But, of course there are people who don 't like changes…In general, I was pretty much left alone. If ther was much of negativity I wouln't have done it! I had a choice you know! And now things are getting better and better…so…It's a long time eight years!
M.I.: In what ways was the songwriting influenced by your arrival in the band?
J.S. Oh I'm sure the songwriting was influenced…! In "Revolutions Per Minute", there's a song called "You Lie" that is realy "cow polk" and it starts up a little bit of country and ends up…thrash! That just had to be me! Them being a New Jersey band, me from Texas, you couln't get much further apart in the US! Do we influence each other a lot…
M.I.: Were you a fan of SKID ROW before joining the group? Did you had their cd's in your collection back at home?
J.S. I did not own a cd…But it would be impossible not knowing the awareness of the band! Back then, MTV actually played rock videos all day long. So you couln't miss it! I was a big fan of the songwriting and the guitar playin' back then…
M.I.: Do you remember your first live with the guys?
J.S. Yes I do! It was in early 2000, we were opening up for Kiss, somewhere in Arizona! It was big time, I was like…woohhh!!
M.I.: What can we expect to see from you guys tonight? Old stuff,new stuff? Some covers maybe?
J.S. We 'll play stuff from every single record that the band has ever done…As for covers, no there won't be any, except maybe something out from the "B-side" album…And since we 've never played here before we have no idea what to expect tonight! I mean we've played in places that had no idea what I was talking about! They sang the songs, I don't know if they knew what they were singing about!
M.I.: In which places did that actually happen?
J.S. Oh! All over man, it happened all over! It happened in Italy, in Spain, in Korea…Just clapping their hands "I have no idea what are you 're sayin'"!! Haha! As far as tonight I can't wait to see…this year alone we've played in lots of huge festivals. Sweden rock festival, Oklahoma ,with 40.000-50.000 people! So being able to come here to a place we we've never played before, in a small 400 seats club it's gonna be cool! The audience will be close, I don't realy care about the size, even if it was as large as this room! Haha! We'll see…
M.I.: What about a new album?
J.S. We already started some initial writing on it and hopefully sometime next year we'll record it and put it out…
M.I.: Is there a live SKID ROW album in your plans?
J.S. In the future yes of course. One more studio album -and that would be my third- and then we'll have a nice set of three records…cause SKID ROW 's never done a live album before! And I'm looking forward to doing that as well. I don't feel I have to do it just to sing the old hits, even though I have to do it every night. I mean I'm working with some realy, realy accomplished song writers so to make a new record is the reason I took the job!
M.I.: So will you participate in songwriting in the next album?
J.S. Yes! I've done it in the past so I'll do it again! Usually, the best idea wins and Snake and Rachel have been doing it together for so long ,you gotta get there and realy work. Everybody gets their own flavour to the songs. Even if it doesn't constitutes songwriting incredibely I 'll put a flavour in there obviously!
M.I.: In "Revolutions Per Minute", the album you released in 2006, Rachel was the one in most of the composing. How's that?
J.S. That s true. He was feeling a lot of writing. There's a lot of punk influence in there! He is a punk rocker!
M.I.: So your contribution will be on lyrics, music? Do you play any instrument, apart from your voice I mean…
J.S. No , I'm just a singer! The frontman!
M.I.: Have you watched "300", the movie?
J.S. Yes of course I have, I liked it! Leonidas rules!
M.I.: Can you relate to some of the heroes in the film?
J.S. Well. it's kind of like tonight! I mean we came here, have no idea what to expect! Haha! Cause, you understand ,some of the tours we've done this is way down! So to go in there and make it all happen…we're gonna feel like the " 300"!! We're not here to die!!! But it will be an experience for sure! Now as far as the greek heroes, what can I say? They 're larger than life! A spear, a shield and very little clothing!
M.I.: I guess you re in the land of gods!
J.S. I'm in the land of gods! Yeah! I'll use that tonight at the show!
M.I.: Your dreams and hopes for the future…
J.S. Just to be healthy, surrounded by my family and I guess being a musician…I'll be the "Youth gone wild" in my 60's!! As far as the band, I realy want us to do a live record!
M.I.: Thank you very much Johnny! Kick some ass tonight!
J.S. We 'll sure do that! See you tonight!
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