HOOKERS & BLOW INTERVIEW
TM - Hi, this is Elizabeth and Amelia we are here with Alex from hookers and blow, thank you for having this interview with us today.
AG - Thanks for having me.
TM - How has everything been going for you?
AG - It has been great, the record came out a couple of weeks ago. We are very happy with everything and the fans response has been very good so far. It feels like a long time coming and we are glad it came out when it did.
TM - Awesome and why did you choose to do all covers for the record?
AG - Well that's all we have ever really done as a band. We have never written any music, it's always been a cover party band. We figured why not release a record and document the stuff that we have been playing live and that's what we did.
TM - For those who don't know can you tell us more about hookers and blow?
AG - well basically, if you haven't heard of us before it's myself and dizzy Reed from Guns and Roses, Johnny Kelly from Type O Negative, Mike Duda from W.A.S.P. and Nadja and it's a cover band Jam band. Dizzy and I started it and founded and it started about 18 years ago in Hollywood. It grew bigger than we thought it would and now here we are making records, touring outside of America and it's going great.
TM - I was reading your biography and it said you started the band to get free drinks on the strip, I laughed when I read it.
AG - Well, that's why we started the band originally and we kind of grew out of that. Originally we started it to get out of the house and drink for free in Hollywood pubs, which we did and next thing you know we are Turing or over the States and elsewhere.
TM - That's cool and you have so many iconic rock venues in LA The Roxy and The Rainbow.
AG - Yeah, we had a residency at the whiskey in 2013, it was pretty crazy and lots of fun. We did every Monday and Tuesday off and on it was an honour to do so at a pretty legendary place.
TM - Yeh, I will have to come and check you out sometime.
AG - Yeah, we are meant to play around Christmas time, but we will see about the whole covid thing.
TM - In a couple of Led Zeppelin songs you were able to feature Frankie Banali, how did this come about?
AG - He is no longer with us sadly, but when he got diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago he made it a point to record as much as he could including those songs and he did a killer job. He used to come down and jam Led Zeppelin when we were in Hollywood, so naturally, when we went into this studio and decided to record a couple of Led Zeppelin tracks he was the guy to play the drums on it. I'm very happy and I'm glad he was able to record a final song before he passed and we are very happy with how it came out, he nailed the job on it.
TM - You have done an Elton John song and a Rolling Stones song in your album, how did you pick what you are going to put on your albums?
AG - well some of these songs we have played live for years and other ones we have always wanted to cover. This album is a Mish Mash of everyone's suggestions, we picked about 15 or 20 songs and try and play all of them, then we pick the 12 best ones and we put them on the record.
TM - What's the story behind your name for Hookers and Blow?
AG - There is no story behind it, dizzy just said let's call it Hookers and Blow. It has a ring to it and there is a cool logo that goes with it. We trademarked that it in America, if you believe it or not that went through in 2008 so there's no big story or mystery, it is what it is, interpret it how you want.
TM - It is an awesome name, it's catchy.
TM - Do you have anything going on with Quiet Riot?
AG - I have a lot going on with Quiet Riot, I am flying to Indiana to start a little tour today. We are working on new music as well and it is going great. We have been very busy this summer, thankfully.
TM - what can fans expect from your tour?
AG - We just play all the hits, hopefully, we can get down to Australia at some point. I believe the band has never been there so hopefully, we can make it happen at some point.
TM - You said you had new music being written for Quiet Riot?
AG - Yes we are working on it right now. There is going to be some new stuff coming out probably next year. Frankie left behind a lot of drum tracks. We are working with them right now so he will still be there in spirit and on records. It has been a great process and a great album for us. I think the music is going to impress a lot of people when it comes out next year.
TM - Well, we can't wait to hear that album.
AG - Yeh, we can't wait to put it out.
TM - If you could have any band play one of your songs, what band would it be, what song would it be and would it be in your style or their style?
AG - Pantera in their prime. I would love to hear them play anything I composed. It would be an honour, I think those guys were brutal, they are great.
TM - What's your favourite memory of watching someone else perform live can you tell us a story?
AG - I've gotta say my first concert was very memorable because it was the first time I ever saw an Arena show, which was Poison in the late 80's early 90's. That's stuck with me because I was a kid that never sees that stuff before. I would say that would be my first one.
TM - What's your favourite song to play live?
AG - It depends on the crowd and what band I am playing with. For Hookers and Blow probably shaken by Eddie Money, it is a lot of fun to play live. when I am with Quiet Riot I like to play Metal Health, The Crowd Goes Nuts when we do it, I would say those two from those two bands.
TM - Like other rockers, you have a cameo, What's the craziest video you have been asked to do?
AG - Nothing too crazy, some of it doesn't make sense to me, you read what they tell you to do and kind of put your own spin on it. The best cameo I've seen though is when Charlie Sheen did one for hookers and blow for us, which was probably the best cameo of all time. He was so happy to say hookers and blow, which was great. It was hilarious to go on YouTube and type in Charlie Sheen hookers and blow it's up there it's got 2 1/2 million views already.
TM - What's your favourite memory on the road?
AG - What happens on the road stays on the road. One time in 2006 we went to the White House in Cincinnati Ohio and we had the FBI and CIA called on us and we got the hell out on town, that was with Hookers and blow of course.
TM - I want to ask more questions, it's so intriguing.
AG - ok go on YouTube and type in dizzy Reed Forgotten cases and there's a cartoon of it.
TM - I was watching another interview and someone asked you if you could be anyone for a day who would you be and you said Chip from Enuff Z Nuff that made me so happy I love Chip.
AG - Chip Z Nuff, yeh I want to get inside his head for a day and see how that works.
TM - He's a nice guy.
AG - Yeh he's great.
TM - Is there anything else you want to say to your fans?
AG - Thanks for supporting us for all these years and we look forward to getting down to Australia very soon, as soon as things clear up we will come down there and thank you for everything.
TM - Thank you so much and I hope you have a good flight.
AG - Thank You, I appreciate it.