Metal Sludge The Power and the Glory
3-WIND WITH…
ex-WARRANT guitarist BILLY MORRIS!
Who doesn’t like Billy Morris?
Wait, before you answer that, keep in mind that Billy has survived both a 20 Questions and a Rewind. Now he’s back again for a 3rd time! He used to be in Warrant, and now he’s not, but that’s OK because now he’s got his own band, appropriately named the Billy Morris Band. How creative! But he’s been a fan and friend of Sludge for years and years and if you don’t like Billy Morris, then fuck off, because we happen to think he rules.
Billy Morris is about to join the roster of the MSX II – Midwest Tour in Detroit and will continue through to the end. So get off your ass and go see Billy! But before you do, check out his 3-Wind. He’s even included an MP3 of a brand new song he’ll be playing on the tour! So read it, check out the tune, and enjoy.
1. Please plug your shit, and update the Sludge faithful?
Well other than gearing up for this summer?s Metal Sludge tour, I have been writing songs for a new CD that we will record this fall. I?m really stoked about the songs for this release. We?ll be playing some of the new songs on the tour and I will be selling a CD of the demos so you can hear the songs as they were written. I?ve been working in my studio www.lavaroomrecording.com full time and trying to help out at the HI-FI Club as much as I can. I?ve also been playing almost every night in my cover band Sunset Strip. We have some cool house gigs down town and I?m making great money doing it.(more then I made in some other bands I was in). As well as racing my dirt bike every week. I?m in great dirt bike shape and ready to SHRED on this tour coming up!
Note: Here’s that new song Billy wants people to hear! It’s called Hard To Find, but it’s not hard to find because you can download it RIGHT HERE!
2. Tell us all about the long waited (sarcasm mode turned off) release of your debut Billy Morris CD?
Well here?s how it goes?. I recorded the CD between touring with Warrant and having time off to do it. I basically did in my spare time and it was a fun project. When you work full time in a studio the last thing you want to do is jump back in and be excited about recording some more music. But having the LavaRoom at my disposal it really turns you on to work and make a great record. The girls in Sugar just spent a few months with Jani Lane as producer and made a great record. So lets hope this new Cd dosen?t take me a year to do.
3. Last time we talked with you in 2002, you had a club called ?Revolution? but that is no longer. What happened, and please tell us more about your new club the ?Hi-Fi? in Cleveland?
We owned the Revolution and the HI-FI Club at the same time. One club is too much to handle let alone two. So we dumped the Revolution and put all our efforts into the HI-FI Club. We being my partner Jimmy Maler. Check out his band at www.viewfromeverest.com The HI-FI is much better situation for us. Better area, better stage and all around way cooler. Any bands wanting to play contact us at www.HIFICONCERTCLUB.com
4. While you?re bragging, tell us about your recording studio and some of your other projects since you?re a slave to your guitar?
Studio is killing right now. Biggest baddest Protools HD3 studio in Cleveland. Like I said before Jani has produced some stuff in there as well as Velvet Revolver tracking some stuff in there too. When I get back from the tour I start tracking the new project from Tim ?The Ripper? Owens. I?ve worked with Tim for a while now. He?s a mind blowing singer. If anybodys looking to make a pro record call me?
5. Rate some more Guitar players 1-10. 1 being a whack ass hack and 10 being the God of all Guitar Gods.
Eddie Van Halen = FREAKIN 10! Changed my life?.The guitar tone from Van Halen still gives me chills
Bruce Kulick = 5 Being in Kiss stands for something.. But never was one of my favs??..
Ingwie Malmsteen = 10 people think because he shreds that he has no feeling, but if you listen hes got some killer feeling and a lot of soul?
Paul Gilbert =10 by far the most well rounded guitar players of the bunch. Can play any style. My favorite shredder!
Warren DeMartini =10!! My favorite guitarist of all the guys coming out of LA back in the day, and a super cool guy as well. Warren you RULE!!!!!!
Alex Grossi = 8 Havent heard much of him but if Kevin likes him he must be great. Kevin always has great guitarists.
Traci Guns = 10 Traci is a BADASS on the guitar. Love watching him play..
Dj Ashba = 8 Havent heard much of him either but the Beautiful Creatures record rocked.
Steve Vai = 10 Not from this world guitar player??
Tommy Thayer = 10 Very underrated. Black ‘N Blue was by far in my top 3 bands to come out of LA. And if he played with the Saint, He rocked??.
Mike Szuter = 10.5 He can hang with anyone on guitar. Best song writer I know. If you don?t believe me check out his band at www.magna-fi.com
6. Since we?re talking guitarists, in your re-wind for Rate a Guitarist, you gave Erik Turner a 9 and said: ?love ya bro!? and then gave Joey Allen a 4. Why would you give Erik (more of a rythym player) more than double the score of Joey (the lead player)?
Well I still stand behind giving Erik a 9. He?s a very underrated guitar player and a great friend. Back in the day I was trying to be cocky and have the ?ROCKSTAR? attitude so I gave Joey a 4. C?mon I was trying to fill his shoes and was trying to be ?cool?. So let me retract that rating and give him a 10. He?s always been super cool to me and he does shred on the guitar!
7. While playing in Warrant what were your favorite and your least favorite songs to play live and why?
My favorite?s were the heavy stuff like AYM, Uncle Toms Cabin, So Damn Pretty. I even liked Heaven and I Saw Red. Those songs are killer to play on guitar. I didn?t like playing some of the unknown stuff like Crawlspace and some of the later songs because people were just not familiar with it and the show would lose a little momentum.
8. Speaking of pussies? if you could be a tampon for any celebrity who would it be and why?
All of the bands that came out and denounced guitar solos! Just because you can?t play so good don?t come down on us real rockers! They know who they are!
9. Has Billy Morris ever?
Drove the Warrant tour bus (not the van) = Oh yes! I always drove in the morning. We didn?t even stop. Just took over at 65 miles per hour so our driver could piss. You shoulda seen the band member?s eyes when they would wake up to see me driving! Classic!!
Used a fog machine in your bedroom during sex = No
Got in a physical altercation with a member of Warrant = You know the Warrant bus?Never anything serious but Jani and I wrestled on a few occasions. I kinda missed the ?Octagon? period of the band.
Played Jacobs Field in Cleveland after an Indians game = HELL YA! 20 thousand people strong with all the Indian players behind the stage. Cant even begin to tell you how happy I was. I?m trying to be the ?house band at Jacobs Field!
Thought about sex with a Warrant wife = NO WAY??.I like my balls attached.
Let a fat chick blow your meat stick when no one was looking = No No NO!!!!!
Crank called Obi Steinman = NO WAY??.I like my balls attached!
Served a minor alcohol = I cannot admit to such a thing???
Used a hand gun = Oh yea!!!!!!
Defended Metal Sludge while other rock stars talked shit = Many years of Defending the almighty Sludge on the Warrant bus! YOU FUCKERS OWE ME!
10. If any 80s band has a chance in hell to re-unite and really make an impression who would it be and why? (please Exclude KISS, Poison & Motley
since they?ve all made there attempts and impressions over the last few years)
I would say Krokus!!!! Those Swiss fuckers ROCK!!!!
11. Who would win in a battle royal and why. (Note using all original members)
Warrant, Slaughter & Firehouse vs: The Go-Gos, Vixen & Bananrama
Warrant would be tough with that kick ass fire hose from the cherry pie video but I think the girls would win cause Roxy from Vixen could run them all over with that cool motorcycle drum kit!
Billy and his buddy Tank playing in the dirt!
12. The biggest misconception about the following is?
Playing in Warrant is = That they were finished cause the 80?s were over. Bullshit! Any band that can go out and play regularly and get that kind of money is far from finished.
The state of Ohio is = Has bad weather all the time. Fall in Ohio is my favorite!
Mike Fasano?s Ball sack is = Enough about his sack!!! Lets talk about the freaking telephone pole of a cock he has! Even Ron Jeremy was speechless!
Sex with a condom is = Is that you don?t need them. Its a new millennium here. Wrap that little fella!
Jani Lane is = The cook at the HI-FI Club. Let me set the record straight. HE NEVER WAS THE COOK THERE!!! Besides I view Jani as a chef!
Being on the road is = Fun all the time. Sure there are the moments but after sitting in a hotel in the middle of nowhere and watcing the same edition of CNN for the 10th time it gets a bit old?.
Having long hair is = That its outta style. BULLSHIT!! Long hair is rocknroll. I?d rather go into a fight with David Lee Roth and Sabastion Bach BY MY SIDE then have too rely on some alt rock pussys any day?.LONG HAIR RULES!
The band KISS is = Is that they?re rich. There broke like all they?re other rockers out there.
Being a hired gun is = Being a hired gun RULES! I got to play with all my rock heros!
Metal Sludge is = Is that Metal Sludge is out to get certain people. Don?t blame Sludge for printing the truth????
13. Kill, fuck, Merry! By way of Celebrity Fit Club (Jani Lane, Gary Busey, The Snapple Lady)
Way past the line of good taste here?..How do you expect my mom to react to any answer to that question? Although that Snapple lady is kinda hot!
14 . For $ 10.000.00 per minute in cash you have to walk into a rehearsal studio and once inside you must drop to your knees in front of a glory hole board. Hanging thru two holes are the dicks of Peter Steele & Tommy Lee. You must orally pleasure them for the pay day. What do you do?
A. Skip rehearsal and go home, besides, I have a bad gag reflex.
B. I got a spare ten minutes give me the hundred grand
C. Throw in an extra 5k and I?ll allow them to bukake me silly
D. Lie down on my stomach and be anally raped for hours at no charge
A. Those dudes are hung like Shetland ponys. I?m a little fella here. Besides I played in Warrant. I?m rich I don?t need the money!
15. Name the 3 high points and the 3 low points of your musical career to date?
1. Getting the call from Jani to join Warrant
2. Getting the call from Kevin Dubrow to play gigs with QR.
3. Getting the call from Paul Gilbert to tour Japan and Korea!
The Low points? Every fucking time I have to put on the disco wig to be Johnny Vegas in the SHAGADELICS!
16. How did the following musicians influence, or affect your musical life along the way? (RIP to our Metal Brothers)
John Bonham = I remember being in school when he died. Everyone was bummed.
Robin Crosby = I wanted to be Robin when I bought Out Of The Celler. Took the album to the salon and said I want that hair cut!
Cliff Burton = Didn?t know who he was when he died?.
Randy Castillo = Heard he was a super cool guy.
Dimebag Darrell = Dime and Damageplan did an interview in my studio before he was killed. He played my guitars and signed a Pantera print that Is hanging in the studio now?. I was playing the night the word got around. People were in shock. Unbelievable loss to metal.
Eric Carr = He was part of Kiss and Kiss influenced all of us. Saw him at the old Richfield Coliseum.
Nicholas ?Razzle? Dingley = I was I a band called Spoyld. We were glam before it was cool to be glam?..
Ray Gillen = Met him at the Cat Club in NYC. He was a cool dude to drink with?.
Bon Scott = ACDC is on the same level influence wise as Kiss. I always tried to sing his songs and actually got to on the Warrant ?Under The Influence? CD.
Randy Rhoades = I bought a Randy Rhoades Jackson guitar. Had the Randy Rhoades look and copped as many solos as I could. A huge influence.
Billy Morris and Damageplan. R.I.P. Dimebag
17. Name something good and something bad about rap music and/or the rap industry?
The good part about it is that it makes me good money every Tuesday night at the HI-FI and the bad part about it is the crowd tears up and graffiti?s the hell out of the club and parking lot???
18. What was your biggest ever musical related pay check for and what did you buy with it?
It was under 10 grand and put it towards buying the HI-FI???.
19. The Last of Billy Morris Part II?.
Last 80s band you listened to was = Spread Eagle
Last person you spoke to on the phone = Bobby Blotzer
Last concert you watched from the crowd = Transister featuring Marq from the Bullet Boys. Let me tell you that he is the real deal????
Last time you were in a plane = Flying back from Mexico after a QR gig.
Last fast food drive thru you hit = KFC. Sorry Paul McCartney.
Last time you wiped more than 5 times = anytime at the HI FI Club. We buy cheap TP!
Last gig you played with Warrant = New Years Eve in Jersey a few years back.We played a strip club called ?Double D?s? MMMMMMM???
Last time you cried = Had tears in my eyes when I dropped our Yorkie puppy Cleo off for major neck surgery. I had a talk with her and told her she had to pull through. She did and gives the stinkiest kisses ever! How I love the stinky kisses!
Last time you got a parking ticket = Some time ago when the rental van was in our tour managers name!!!! Sorry Ceasar!
Last time you visited Metal Sludge = Today
20. Word Association Part III
Bret Michaels = Guy that I will be in a band with together someday? Or at least do some motocross riding together.
Phil Varone = Long time friend. Makes great baked ziti!
Nikki Sixx = The real deal.
Cj Snare = Super nice guy with an amazing voice. Too bad his drummer is a Steelers fan??.
David Lee Roth = The original blonde frontman that everyone was influnced by. Dave and I watched a stripper light herself on fire one night. Didn?t smell so good.
Robbie Crane = Great friend and someone I could always talk to on tour.
Tim ?Ripper? Owens = Long time friend and the only one that could fill Robs shoes.
Jeff Pilson = Never met him but always thought he rocked.
Ted Nugent = WANG DANG SWEET POONTANG!!! Ted Nugent and Billy Morris August 26th. Sandusky Ohio
Riki Rachtmen = Headbanger!
Don’t forget: the inimitable Billy Morris joins the MSX II – Midwest Tour Friday, August 12 in Detroit, MI at the I-Roc and continues through the last night of the tour in Chicago on August 20th! Be there or you suck!
For more info on Billy and his various projects, check out his official site at www.BillyMorris.net.
