20 QUESTIONS WITH...
Danger Danger Bassist Bruno Ravel
This week’s interview is with Bruno Ravel, without a doubt the world’s greatest bass player!! Bruno was the first "rock star" to actually send us some pictures to go along with his 20 Questions, so we thank him for that since we didn’t actually have to hunt for pictures of him. The less work we have to do, the better. See, we are easy to deal with just so long as you don’t make us work too hard. So enjoy this quality interview along with some quality photos.
1. What are you currently up to? This is your only chance to plug what shit you wanna plug.
BRUNO: I got my hands full these days…I’m a studio rat, doing everything from engineering to producing, writing for other artists (Steve West and I have a very lucrative publishing deal and we’re writing all the time. All styles of music too, hopefully it’ll pan out and it’ll be our main gig in the future..we’ll see) and playing with anyone and everyone that’ll have me.
As for Danger Danger?, We’ve finished our sixth album "The Return Of The Great Gildersleeves" which will be released in November worldwide. You can read all about it on our site @ www.dangerdanger.com. It’s a shame it isn’t 1990 cause this record would’a been a big one for us. It rocks hard and is one of the best we’ve ever done.
I also play with this band called Westworld "(Tony Harnell (TNT) and Mark Reale (Riot) John O’Reilly (Rainbow)). We released the debut CD last year and it did really well in Japan and Europe. There’ll be another one next year…
2. Let’s get right to it…Why did you guys fire Ted Poley and how come you sent him a letter telling him he was canned instead of telling him to his face? We fired Ted cause we were tired of dealing with the bullshit. He pushed us way too far. You could say that he basically fired himself. He was very difficult to deal with and was constantly threatning us with quitting or not showing up etc if we didn’t pay him more and more money. It was the last thing we wanted to do ’cause we know what happens when a band loses the lead singer..Game, Set, Match…but there was no other choice at that moment. It was either fire him and continue with another singer, or break up. We would have told him to his face, but we were advised by our lawyers to send him the letter first, and knowing that Ted’s family is filled with lawyers (Dad, Mom, Bro), we followed the plan….Of course after he received it, there was no need to meet with him. The shit had hit the fan. |
3. What?s up with all the double songs titles, such as ?Bang Bang?, ?Naughty Naughty?? The new album even has a song called ?Cherry Cherry.? Do you have a stuttering problem or something?
Yuh, Yuh…YESSSS!..Nah….In the beginning "Bang Bang" and "Naughty Naughty" were just songs that we had written. We didn’t even have the name of the band yet!. It was only after the first album was released and we got so much shit for the double titles that we realized that coincidence…Who knew huh?…whatever.
As for "Cherry Cherry?"..Now that was totally calculated….We wanted to give people something to talk about…Heaven knows, we need something for people to talk about!
4. Other than Danger Danger, what hard rock/heavy metal band should give it up and call it a day?
Now THAT is fuckin’ funny!..Yeah, we know that our 15 minutes…err….I mean 15 SECONDS were up a long time ago, but we’re really stubborn so we still do it…Other than us?….Probably 90% of ’em should…
5. What lead singer of a band sings out of key the most? Be honest!
Anthony Kiedis (Chili Peppers)… "I don’t ever wanna FeEEEeEeEeeEL..Take me
to the place I LOOOOOVE"……OUCH!
6. We’ve seen a lot of photos of your drummer looking all skinny and shit. Like a tweaker on speed or coke. Does he have a problem?
You’d look like that too if all you ate all day was..Puh..Puh..Pussy!
7. What is ?The Return of the Great Gildersleeve?? What the fuck does that
mean??
It’s Gildersleeves dude!….In the late ’70’s, early ’80’s there was this really cool rock scene going on in NYC, and there was a club called "The Great Gildersleeves" that I practically lived in when I was a budding teen…Bands like Kiss and Angel, Starz hung there all the time and it gave us the bug to become the Metal Edge has beens that we are today!, so on this new Cd, we kinda re-visit those days…
8. Memory Lane – What do you remember from these years?
1978 = I was totally engulfed in Rock music..nothing else mattered, including school….Kiss Alive II tour..bombastic, |
9. Tell us why Danger Danger is still worth listening to?
Cause we still rock hard and write memorable catchy songs that most other bands can’t write, and in my opinion, that’s worth more than anything else that a band has to offer.
Danger Danger
10. Rate the following chicks on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being a ugly as fuck, and 10 being hot as fuck.
Britney Spears – 6
Pamela Anderson – 8
Gerri Miller – 3
Gwen Stefani – 5
Courtney Love – 7
Robin Quivers – 3
Jenna Jameson – 8
Gina Lee Nolin – 7
Lauren Hill – 5
Mariah Carey – 4
11. How was your 15 minutes of fame? Too short, and very sweet……Looking back on it all, I should have taken the time to stop and smell the roses a little more than I did. 12. For $500,000: Would you attend a hard-core prison for one month with no special protection or provisions. There will be nothing on your criminal record when you are released. You?ll get an extra $2 million if you share a cell with a man who was jailed for brutally raping 30 guys who look just like you. What will it be? Hmmm….would they have to wear a rubber? =]…..NO FUCKIN’ WAY!!…Not for all the money in the world! |
13. Has there ever been a member of D2 who?s shown homosexual tendencies besides Steve West?
Nope!, Steve’s the only one…..(That was a JOKE btw) I wonder who started that rumor about Steve?…he gets more trim than the Backstreet Boys!
….hmm..now that I think about it…Kasey had a thing for Ted’s Pomeranians….WOOF!
14. Who would win in a battle royal?
Team #1 Warrant, Winger & Whitesnake. or
Team #2 Pantera, Puya & Powerman 5000.
Team #1 of course!….Between Kip Winger’s flying ballet kicks to the head and the one two punch of Eric Turner & Jerry Dixon?….Team #2 doesn’t stand a chance!
15. Do you think you?ll ever see the inside of a tour bus again? 16. What rock star deserves a smack in the mouth and why? 17. Have you or Steve West talked to Ted Poley since your breakup? |
18. Compare these bands or singers and tell us who?s better:
Tesla Vs. Union – I’d have to say Tesla…..Haven’t heard enough Union..Tesla’s first CD is a classic.
Spice Girls Vs. Backstreet Boys – Backstreet Boys – I hate to say it, but they’re actually good at what they do.
Marvelous 3 Vs. Lit – Marvelous 3!, Love that "Producers" Flava!
Axl Rose Vs. Sebastian Bach – Tough One…I’ll say Axl cause GnR was one of the greatest bands ever..
Ted Poley Vs. Paul Laine – Can’t Compare…..two different animals….
Slaughter Vs. Cinderella – Cinderella
Orgy Vs. Culture Club – Culture Club….
19. What was the deal with that big Cindy Crawford looking mole on your
keyboard Casey?s face? That was gnarly!
Yeah it was!..We tried to get Kasey to get it burned off for years….It took his now ex-wife Lisa to suggest it before he agreed…
20. Time for Metal Sludge’s Word Association. Give us your thoughts on the following individuals.
Ted Poley – Unique voice…It’s a shame things went down the way they did….Loves "Da Bones"..like me! Andy Timmons – Amazing Guitarist, Close Friend. Gene Simmons – He knows me…..Thinks I’m handsome. Limp Bizkit – Cutting Edge…Full of themselves. Paul Gargano – Funny as hell, Great guy..brutally honest. Jani Lane – Excellent songwriter..one of the premier frontmen of the whole ’80’s rock scene. Alice Cooper – Love him….another legend, great guy too! Mick Mars – Highly Underrated…Excellent rhythm guitarist. Eric Brittingham – Really nice guy….good bassist. Dana Strum – The Gene Simmons of Slaughter. |
Danger Danger is also doing some tour dates this Fall, so to find out that shit or anything else about them, go to www.dangerdanger.com.
Steve West, you’re next!