Back-4-More with Stevie Rachelle, 8/2/04

 

BACK-4-MORE with…

Tuff / Motley Priest singer STEVIE RACHELLE!

 

What can we say that hasn’t already been said about Stevie Rachelle? Well, probably a lot, but we’re going to hold back on that one for now. Anyhow, Stevie has been a fan and friend of the page since its inception, is a frequent gossip board poster, and is a veteran of Metal Sludge interviews, having gone through a 20 Questions, Rewind, and 3-Wind in the past. Plus he appears with Tuff on our Hey! That’s What I Call Sludge! Vol. I CD, so you know he’s down. It’s been a few years since we’ve chatted with Stevie, But instead of us doing all the talking, we’ll let Stevie tell us what’s been going on in his rather, uh, enlightening Back-4-More.

1. What are you currently up to? Please plug your new DVDs, tribute bands, side projects, and all the other shit you have to promote so we can get it out of the way and get down to business.

Photos, CDs, DVDs, T-shirts, Drugs, Nude Chicks, & Free Money are all available @ www.Tuffcds.com

2. What time did you wake up today, and can you please describe the first 3 hours of your day for us? Let us have a peek into the exciting and glamorous daily life of Stevie Rachelle.

How about more than 3 hours? I usually wake up between 6:AM and 8:AM depending on what time I went to bed. Mind you there could be a possible break or two in the middle of the night for tending to an infant. Speaking of, my daughter is the single most important detail of my life. She is looked after, and enjoyed throughout nearly every waking hour of every day. Unless of course I?m on stage playing Axl Halford for the night! Anyway, the coffee pot is the first stop in the morning following a trip to the john of course. Then it?s turning on the TV (LA local news with that fuckin? nut Jillian Barberie ? God I love her) & Howard Stern on the stereo. This is all done before I sit at my desk for a few hours. I have an office at my house that I work out of daily. That first few hours entails Internet related stuff like; e-mail, checking my sites, online stores for sales, surfing for news, gossip and more. Then I head to one of my PO Boxes around 10-11:AM. Then to the bank to make deposits, maybe pay a bill or two, hit my favorite 99cent store and then back home by noon-ish. Then it?s back onto the net for a few hours, make some calls related to bands, merchandise, etc? Then a few days a week I try to workout (usually at night) or skate (morning or night). In addition I have chores for the home, like cutting the lawn, trimming bushes, cleaning my pool, keeping a 3 bedroom house, with 2 dogs, 2 cats, in-laws (screams) and so on all kept in shape is work! Anyone with a ?real? family already knows this. It?s no TUFF MUFF mansion anymore. Then I have 1-2 days a week that I spend doing inventory, packaging up orders, and straightening out the warehouse (garage). This does not include eating, drinking, showering, and grocery shopping. Oh yeah, I do 90% of the shopping and have become a master with coupons. Here is a list of my recent trips to Ralphs. The first number was the total grocery bill, the 2nd number is with the Ralphs Club discount, the 3rd is the final bill after my double coupons. I do this usually on Monday or Tuesday nights and run into many celebs (like Carlos from Quiet Riot, the infamous guitar God Howie Simon and Playmate Brandy Roderick)

$ 69.55 / $ 49.03 / $ 26.78 is what I paid on 6-6-04
$ 87.88 / $ 69.77 / $ 38.90 is what I paid on 5-25-05
$ 105.59 / $ 76.64 / $ 50.75 is what I paid on 5-18-04
$ 126.73 / $ 91.32 / $ 59.46 is what I paid on 5-11-04

4 trips = $ 389.75 for groceries that I paid $ 175.89.
I saved $ 213.86 for the month or roughly 55%!

Yay I win!

3. If you could sing any one song in the world beautifully and perfectly, which song would it be and why?

?Away in the Manger? to my beautiful daughter Cerasela.

4. You’re a well-known skating enthusiast. Alright, so rank the following skateboarders on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being someone who has no business setting foot on a deck, and 10 being a tubular skate-pro master.

Tubular, who the fuck wrote that? Tubular is not a ?hip? word to use in skating.

Andy MacDonald = Technically 10, Style 7.
Tony Alva = Technically 1978 (10), Today 5, Style throughout 10. Was a guest at the Skate Camp that I teach at, and we hung out. I was the only guy over 25 there, he had no choice. Laid back guy, and a true legend to the sport of skateboarding.
PJ Ladd = know the name, but nothing else, I?m sure he?s pro and therefore he probably rips!
Bob Burnquist = Technically 10, Style 9+. Skated with him once in Ventura 1997. Insane!
Bucky Lasek = Technically 10, Style 8+. Skated with him at the Vans OC Combi, chatted a bit and a cool guy for sure. Also, worked along side him on the set of the ?Grind.?
Lance Mountain = Technically 1982 (10), today 6, Style 8+. Skated with him a few days ago, and a few dozen sessions over the last several years. A Super great guy.
Mark Appleyard = Don?t know enough about him to rate him, I know he?s a pro and probably shreds but he?s not really a very skater. That?s more my thing.
Andrew Reynolds = More of a street skater. I skate mainly vert. I?d say he?s probably a 9+.
Riki Rachtman = Technically not much, Style same. But a cool guy, and he?s just cruisin? not a former pro or competition level skater by any means. Nicer to me now than he was in 1989!
Tracii Guns = I think Tracii is sub par on a skate board, but I am beyond sub par on guitar, so we?re kind of even in that sense. Tracii don?t go for it, cause if he breaks a wrist, there will be no ass kickin? on the axe. He told me that himself. Super great guy as well.

5. Exactly how many versions of “American Hair Band” have been recorded, remixed, repurposed and released? And do you plan on milking that freaking song any more
than you already have?

There are 2 versions, the radio mix and the slang mix. It appears on TUFF ?The History of?? on RLS Records (2001). It was also added to a Universal Music Compilation CD titled ?Mullet Years-Rockers? with Skid Row, Ratt, Kiss, Cinderella, Whitesnake and others. That came out in 2003. I?ve also had several other offers from labels to use the song but none have come to light yet. It?s my song and I will use it as long and as much as I see fit.

6. In your 3-Wind you did with us a few years ago, you bluntly admitted you’ve had hair transplants. For those of us who are fortunate enough not to know any better, what exactly does that process entail? Is it expensive, is it painful, etc.? Please tell us what is involved, and were you ultimately happy with the results?

Pre-op @ Bosley Medical Group 5:00 AM “Hey Doc, can you fill this in a bit?”

Expensive = Yes, but more affordable today than a decade ago. I did it little by little and started in 1990 and lastly in 1997. I?ve probably dropped upwards of 20k and my hair still sucks. Oh well, my cock is a perfectly huge gem or so I?m told! Painful = yes, did you think it was like a massage? I think I have a high tolerance for pain, but for others it might be worse! The Process = out patient procedure. You go in early AM, they jack your head full of needles to numb your scalp, and then they start slicing and dicing grafts (follicles) of hair. Then 3-4 months later you got some new shag coming in. Not like Bon Jovi or Bach, but 1,000 pieces of yellow yarn on a bowling ball looks better than NO yarn on a bowling ball. Right? Imagine Jani Lane with no hair. You?d have Butterbean singing Heaven. Scary shit huh!

7. What do you remember about writing or recording the following songs:

Ain’t Worth A Dime = We demoed it in 1989 with Warren Croyle, and again for the debut with Howard Benson. Fun both times. Warren is Evil, Howard is Jewish. I like Warren?s version better.
So Many Seasons = Wrote the lyrics at a laundry mat off Sherman Way in North Hollywood in 1990 with my then girlfriend Annie folding clothes next to me.
I Hate Kissing You Goodbye = Wrote the earliest version in Wisconsin 1985-ish with my friend Jason Giordano. I brought it to the band TUFF in 1989 or 90. It went through its share of changes. Todd Meagher helped co-write some additional lyrics once we got into the recording phase & it really brought it to life.
Tied To The Bells = Wrote & recorded this with Michael Lean, Randy Cantor and Michael Carusso on the East coast in Randy?s garage in 1992-ish. Did it ? in about 2-3 days and it was a lot of fun. Cantor & Carusso rule. I love both of these guys dearly!
In Dogs We Trust = Wrote that riff from a Country song I heard. I sped it up and wrote the lyrics with then girlfriend Annie again. She even came up with some lines like ?chained to my wooden desk, who is he to say what?s best?? I was listening to the country because of her. She even turned me onto Garth Brooks.
Wedge of Allegiance = I can?t remember, but I know it was meant to be the Cheeseheads ?Pledge of Allegiance.?
I Love Eating Cheese = Making a filler track for a CWA CD by parodying my very own ?I?m just being me.?
Can’t Take It Any More = Written with Michael Raphael (Jailhouse/NEVE). It was one of the very first solo songs I ever worked on or recorded. It?s off ?Who the Hell am I?? Michael also rules, a very brutally honest guy, but talented beyond words.
Two Peanuts on the Floor = Walked into the living room to find Midawg (Doberman) staring at me with a guilty look on her face. As I looked a little closer I saw 2 peanuts on the floor by her front paws. Then I notice the dish on the coffee table was about 1/3 gone. Busted her, grabbed the acoustic guitar, and started strumming chords and singing; ?2 peanuts on the floor, there may have been much more?? and next thing you know.
Don?t Complain = Demo?d this in 1993-ish in Van Nuys somewhere. We co-wrote it with Michael Carusso as well. The 2nd version I did on my second solo CD with Gilby Clarke. Not enough space to say how cool of a guy Gilby is, no offense to him either, but his wife is hotter than fuck. And he has an adorable little girl.
Not telling the truth = Written by Nick Nolan. I heard the song and said I got to sing this. He changed the key and I tracked the vocals. He is beyond a freak when it comes to music. He is a bit like Butch Walker only he too, gets less than his share of respect and is yet to make a real mark.
American Hair Band = Recorded it with Matt Thor (Rough Cutt/Jailhouse) who is another maniac sound and music guy. Again, a super great guy. Tracked the drums with Brian ?Dogboy? Burwells, and then Brian Saunders and Darrell Roberts laid down the heavy Metallica-ish riffs from hell. I then spent a few days trying different variations of the vocals & lyrics.

8. You seem to enjoy telling people how big your cock is, exclaiming tales of its length and girth to anyone who will listen. Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you? Not everyone wants to hear about it, especially other guys. Don’t you think that freaks some people out? Most people who really are well-endowed generally keep that information private, not feeling the need to overcompensate by letting the world know about the size of their genitalia. Now that we’ve got you on the spot, what do you have to say for yourself?

I?m not ashamed; I also poke fun at myself for being less than lucky in the hair department. I?ve never been a shy person. I remember being at a party once and some chick made some remark about me and I said: ?suck it!? she replied with some ?pinky? reference. I opened my pants and dropped out a 7? softie for her and all her friends to see. They all stood their gasping and embarrassed. I walked away laughing and swinging it around like a flesh nunchaku.

9. You don?t actually have any ambitions of recording a CD of Motley Priest originals, do you? Maybe, but not all originals. If anything, it would be mixed originals and some covers. I guess like Fozzy did. Funny thing is they do a lot of the same tunes we do. Chris Jercho was at a show I did with Vince Neil at the HOB a few years back. Gargano brought him down, and he was a super cool guy. 10. Yes or no, has Stevie Rachelle ever: Barfed in your pool = No. Jacked off in an elevator = No. Been stalked by a fan = Yes. Considered armed robbery for financial gain = No. Had sordid thoughts about Josie Pearl = No. Had sordid thoughts about Jizzy Pearl = Yes. (oops, did I switch those) Shaved your nutsack = Yes. Still do?. Put a cock in your mouth = Just my own. Cut an umbilical cord = Once on January 8th 2004 at about 11:PM. Used a Motley Priest shirt as a spooge rag = No. Tasted breast milk = Yes. It was spraying everywhere and it fuckin? ruled!

Motley Priest’s W. Axl Halford

11. If you could go back in time and re-live any one year of your life, which year would it be and why?

First, 1973 because that was the last year my Father was alive. I?d like to have a chance to see and meet him again. Then 1977 as that was the last year my brother was alive. Same goes for him. Also, 1993 to be with my Grandpa for all the same reasons. Then band wise, 1991 ? because we were signed to a major, touring in a bus, on MTV, in the mags, flying around, and having a blast!

12. Who?s the most overrated band today?

Off the top of my head, I?d say NickelSack!

Stevie from 1986 in his pre-Tuff band X-Iter!

13. Wednesday 13 from the Murderdolls admits to having once been a member of the Tuff fan club. Are there any other famous, semi-famous, or soon-to-be-famous people out there who also once held an exclusive Tuff Fan Club membership card? Feel free to incriminate anyone you?d like.

The guys in Killingbird were huge TUFF fans, now they?re my buddies. I get people coming up to me all the time saying how they were Tuff fans. Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray came up to me at the Roxy a few years ago and said, ?Hi I?m Mark, I?m a fan from way back.? I?m looking at him going, ?Dude, I know who you are, you don?t have to use Mark with me.? Super cool guy for sure. He?s old school with the pussy as well. I think we crossed paths there a few times when he was in Shrinky Dinx!

14. Of the following, which do you prefer and why?

The Whiskey or the Roxy = That?s a tie.
Ryder or U-Haul = Ryder, U-Haul sucks balls. Ryder anyday!
Baby shit or dog shit = Tie.
God Bless This Mess or Ruck-A-Pit Bridge = Ruck-a-Bless-Mess.
Howard Benson or Matt Thor = Hatt Menson.
A 180 Ollie or a 50-50 Grind = The grind, I can?t ollie for shit!
Circus of Power or Jetboy = COP, their singer was way cool a few years back we did vocals on a tribute CD. I was going and he was coming in. We shot the shit for a bit. Also, sang on a track recently that the COP guitarist played on. Also, cool guy. Don?t know anyone in Jetboy, but I?m sure they?re all good guys.
Mr. Zog’s Sex Wax or Greasy Beaver Skate Wax = I don?t do wax.
Beggin? Strips or Snausages = The dogs love both equally!
Huggies or Pampers = Huggies are on the kid right now!

15. Fuck, Kill & Marry: Which of the following people would you fuck, which one would you kill, and with which one would you want to enter into holy matrimony?

Bobbi Brown, Angela Grant, Jorge DeSaint

That?s simple, I?d fuck Bobbi (some more), marry Angela and throw DeSaint off a bridge. No offense lil? buddy, but I can?t fuck that guy. I could barely stand him in the band much less in the bedroom. As for Bobbi, she?s more likely to be a handful to work with long term ? Angela on the other hand is a total sweetie. Besides, if she gave me any shit I could always threaten to tell the world she was in love with Anthony Focx. Just kidding Ang, you know I love you and Anthony both! Tell Foggy to do a re-wind and clear the air.

16. The Last of Stevie Rachelle:

Last time you appeared on television = NBC ?Dog eat Dog? or some cable re-run of the ?Metal Years? or ?The Stoned Age?
Last time you visited Wisconsin = June 2004 for my 20th class re-union! What fun! Some guy from my class has 9 kids. Holy Brady Bunch and a half!
Last time you had a prostate exam = Never.
Last time you wore eyeliner = Early-Mid 90s?
Last time you wore a pair of Oshkosh B?Gosh overalls = Within a year or so, I have a few pair.
Last time you wore a pair of Billy Bob Teeth = Within the last few months.
Last time you wore a condom = Magnums, and I fill ?em up too!
Last time you wore a cheesehead = Wearing it right now.
Last time your kid shit herself = about 2 hours ago.
Last time you shit yourself = About a year and a half ago. I ate at Lidos in Van Nuys, and just couldn?t f**king make it home in time. Funny thing is, it?s like about a block and a half from my house. I am NOT kidding, that shit is like Chinese food to the tenth power.
Last time someone accused you of running Metal Sludge = Every day of my life for years?.so?with that said?..now you know! Yes, I am the guy, so love me or hate me, fight me or fuck me.

17. Well, we weren’t quite expecting that last answer! Umm… OK… So does that mean you?re doing EVERYTHING with Sludge? Are you masquerading as a whole bevy of Sludge staff writers, like Jani Bon Neil, Ozzy Stillbourne, Bastard Boy Floyd, etc? Or are there other people writing under those pseudonyms, and are you going to rat them all out as well?

No, there will be no ratting out of anyone. I will stand alone and accept my position as ?mob boss? but the under staff is too great to even begin to detail. There have been hundreds, maybe thousands of contributors throughout the years. The site has been up for over two-thousand days, now multiply that by several hundred+ e-mails per day. The information supplied has been monumental. As educated or connected as any one, two or three people could be there are still numerous others that have opened up the flood gates. There have been several informants who have come and gone. And some come back again. They are usually individuals who are very connected to the subject at hand. Weather they work at labels, in management, booking agencies, friends, family, and even direct band mates. We?ve had people call or e-mail us from sound check and tell us about what so and so is doing that very minute. No one person can be in LA, NY, London, Austin, Chicago, and Boston all at the same time. Or can they?

Metal Sludge has been going on for decades, it?s just that the Internet is (or was) new and it took someone (me) to put an idea like this into motion with ?pen to paper? so to speak. Groupies, band fights, drama, and all that stuff has been around forever. Metal Sludge is just a place for people to gather, trade info. tell gossip, and ultimately meet people with similar interests. Many friends and even relationships have been built from this thing. People buy, sell & trade on eBay globally, and in Metal Edge too. Well now fans of music buy, sell, and compare notes on music related subjects at Metal Sludge too. It?s not illegal to say Dokken sucked in concert, and it?s not illegal to say Don was a jerk at sound check either. Metal Sludge has just made some bands be more aware of themselves and what they do. Now any random person in any city, can relay information globally with electronics as fast as they can type. Back in 1983 you didn?t hear about Motley Crue doing this or that until Hit Parader printed it 3 months later. Now Metal Sludge prints it before the crew has even loaded the gear into the truck. And it?s also made some guys say, ?you f**king prick to their band mate!? and then they e-mail us with the good stuff cause they want to take out their singer or drummer for being a jack-off over the years. What?s that old saying: ?don?t shoot the messenger.?

18. What about all the people over the years, including acquaintances and close friends, who?ve asked you if you ran Sludge, to which you?ve answered ?no?? Basically, you?ve out-and-out lied to them all. Doesn?t that make you feel like a complete jackass? No not at all. Because in fact from the start I had taken a sort of oath with my immediate employees, and that was to stay anonymous for various reasons. As for the people who have asked me directly, God, that number is SUPER high. I don?t feel as though I have slighted anyone. The site started as a joke, but took on a life of its own. And in time, it just fucking blew up. There are husbands, wives and people in your neighborhood who have ?top secret? jobs and do not detail this to anyone or everyone who asks what they do. So, I did the same. Metal Sludge is not the FBI, but at times, it felt like it was.

The man who would one day conceive the idea of Metal Sludge. Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!

19. Don?t you realize that a big part of Metal Sludge success has been the mystique of not knowing who?s behind the site? Don?t you feel like you?re spoiling the fun of it all for some people? What do you have to say about that?

As for the mystique, oh well ? there has to be a beginning and an end to everything. This is the end of Metal Sludge Phase I and the start of Metal Sludge Phase II. Fans, friends, musicians, and the like will all have a choice. To like it or hate it, like me or hate me. I am willing to take that chance. The pressure of this has been immense and I no longer want that pressure. I want to be accessible to all, for any and all reasons ? good or bad. KISS took off their make-up and showed us what Vinnie Vincent really looked like, and Gene Simmons sure ain?t Mark McGrath. What about that mystique? It came, it went, and it came back again. Along with the original members. I am Gene when it comes to Metal Sludge, and if I have to blow fire up someone?s ass or use an axe on them I will! Ace is gone ? again, cause he?s a f**k up and a liability. KISS had a mystique in the 70s with that whole make-up trip. Now it?s 2004 and they?re doing big business and no gives a fuck about the mystique anymore.

20. Time once again for Metal Sludge?s Word Association. You of all people should know how this works.

Gilby Clarke = Great guy, great Father.
Nick Nolan = Great guy, very polite and cordial.
Chip Z’Nuff = Total jerk! Just kidding, Chip has been one of the coolest guys I have ever met in this business for nearly 20 years. To this day he is always an upstanding guy, nothing but up beat, positive, and a hard worker from hell. A true soldier in music. I love you Chip but the Bears still suck!
The Darkness = Stupid.
Jimmy D = Promoter.
John Corabi = First performer I saw in LA at the Troubadour. I talked to him last week, one of the coolest people on the musical planet. Deserves massive respect and more?
Ajay Popoff = I love their records, but wouldn?t give them 10 out of 10.
Jesse James = From Jackyl = Stuck up prick when we played with them in Wisconsin a few years ago. If you meant Jesse James the motor cycle guy = I?d say bike gangster who?s rollin? in the big bucks now. Good for him.
Rob Jones = Super jack-off! Again, just kidding. I?ve known Rob since 1987 when I moved here. He was our tour manager for a few runs back in the day, always straight up and honest. I think I was with him the night he fell outside of Spice and jacked up his grill. Nothing but the best to Mr. Jones and all related projects.
DJ Ashba = Sexy mother fucker. I?ve known Dj since he was in a group with Paul Chase back in the mid 90s. I also remember being in the Reseda post office and eye raping some hottie in line. Then Dj walks in and secures his prey. They walked out and I stared ? at her. Then I walked out to my car and he?s waiting for me and says: ?Hey ? are you Stevie Rachelle?? I said yes. He then gave me some info. for a show or something, very cool guy. Sorry Dj, I had to look!
Todd Meagher = Helped co-write some of the lyrics for ?I hate kissing you Goodbye.? Good guy, means well, but out for himself more than anything. A bit of a ?salesman? if you know what I mean.

21. Now that you?ve come clean and admitted you?re the boss, can we, the rest of the Sludge staff, finally have a raise? Please?

Sure, who wants what? Please put it in writing as a request per me, and I?ll make sure that everyone is treated fairly. Fans, friends, musicians, employees, labels, bands, websites, and even Paul Gargano!

 

Well, that was certainly informative! We’ve never quite had an interview on that level. You read it here first!

For more on Stevie Rachelle, Tuff, Motley Priest, Cheeseheads with Attitude and countless other endeavors, click on over to www.TuffCDs.com. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, why not drop Stevie a line and say hi? And don’t forget to check out Tuff’s “Dear Jani Lane” on our Hey! That’s What I Call Sludge! Vol. I CD. You can thank us later.