Rewind With Perry Richardson, 2/1/01

 

METAL SLUDGE REWIND WITH…

Ex-Firehouse Bass Player Perry Richardson

We last talked to Perry Richardson back on June 8th, 1999.  At that time he was the bass player for Firehouse. But over the Summer of 2000, Perry and Firehouse parted ways. Nobody has really heard from Perry since he left Firehouse, so we thought it was time to find out what was up. Lucky for us, Perry felt like spilling the beans and exposing a lot of sludge!  Jackpot!  
This is Perry’s first interview he’s done since he left Firehouse and he had a lot to say.  This is good stuff!

1. What are you up to now?  What’s do you have going on?

Right now I am taking it easy with my new girlfriend Ashley. We have been remodeling our condo here at the beach….very tedious! As far as what I have goin on at the moment are just the hopes of moving to Nashville, TN so I can make a new start–I have a lot of friends out there and there is a lot of opportunity for me there, so we’ll see!

2.  What was the real reason that Bill Leverty and CJ Snare wanted you out of Firehouse?  What’s the real scoop?  Also, how did you find out you were no longer a part of the band? How did that go down?
A lot of the reason Bill and CJ wanted me gone was personal differences, and then again, a lot of it was that they were tired of having someone around with some balls to stand up to their paranoid beliefs which they thought were always right.
I found out I was no longer in the band over the phone with a conference call with our lawyer. They didn’t even have the balls to tell me at the gig we played a few days prior.

3.  Rumor has it you have/had a drug problem and that?s why you are no longer in Firehouse. Care to fill us in on that?

The only time I have a drug problem is when I can’t find any……just kidding!! Anyone who knows me knows that’s a bunch of bull. This was absolutely not the reason I was “dismissed.” We just got to the point where we couldn’t stand to be in the same room with one another. That’s the truth!

4.  After being in the band for 12 years, how much money did CJ & Bill give you after you left the band?  Do they owe you any more or dick you out of anything?

As far as money….in the beginning, what they offered was literally laughable…..I had to threaten to take them to court to even get a percentage of what I THINK I was owed. They’ve put a down payment on what I was forced to settle on, therefore, they still owe me quite a bit, so I will have to bite my tongue on some of these questions. 

5.  Rate the following bass players on a scale of 1 to 10.  1 being a hack and 10 being somebody who rules.

Bruce Waibel = n/a
Nikki Sixx = 6
Dana Strum = 7
Bobby Dall = 5
Jerry Dixon = 6
Rudy Sarzo = 8
Bill Sheehan = 9
Chip Z’Nuff = 5
Michael Anthony = 8
Rachel Bolan = 6
and of course on this rating system, I’d have to give Steve Bailey a 100!!!…lol…

6.  Have you heard Firehouse’s new album “O2″ and what are your thoughts on it?

I haven’t heard O2, haven’t even seen it!

7.  What’s the status of the record label you had with Michael Foster? Do you still talk to him and is it awkward working with him since he’s still in the band?

The record label Mike Foster and I started is on hold at the moment. Mike and I are still friends, we are just trying to work out a few things.

8.  What are your 3 Best & Worst memories of Firehouse?

Best memories of Firehouse: winning the American Music Award and that hour and a half on stage every night.
Worst memories of Firehouse: a couple of separate instances that went down between CJ, Bill, and I, and that hour and a half on stage every night!!…lol

9.  You tried to post a message on Firehouse’s message board to your fans, but that didn?t exactly work out.  Please tell us that story.  Was that the reason why they pulled their message board down for a time?

I tried to post a message to my FANS regarding my status at this moment. I said nothing about the band—didn’t even mention any names—I just wanted to let all my fans know that I was alive and well. Come to find out, shortly after I posted, they–(CJ or Bill)–yanked my post off the board just because it was me who put it there. I cannot understand why they would do something so immature….what are they trying to hide?…!! One day they’ll learn they will have to face the consequences of their actions! This was not the reason they closed to board down for a while….that happened way before I posted my message. However, I do believe the reason they closed it down back then was because people started asking questions on it regarding me……can’t have that!..lol

10.  Rate the following Firehouse albums on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being a piece of shit and 10 being great.
Firehouse = 7
Reach For The Sky = 7
3 = 8
Good Acoustics = 4
Category 5 = 9
Bring ‘Em Out Live = 3
O2 = n/a

11.  When did things start to go bad between you and Firehouse?  When did you know it was over?
Things started going bad a long time ago…probably about 3 or 4 years ago. There was just so much animosity between CJ, Bill, and I….I got to the point where I was not going to agree with everything they said and that’s when it went bad. I pretty much knew it was over by the end of 99′.

12.  When we asked CJ about why you were no longer in the band, he said, “I know that this is soooo clich?’ sounding , but we really were going in different directions …both musically, and personally.” What does that mean?

I certainly hope that I am going in a different direction personally as well as musically than CJ Snare!!!

13.  Bill Leverty told his lawyer something about fearing for his life because of you.  What the hell was that all about?  What did he say?

Yeah, I heard a rumor that Bill was actually scared that I was gonna kill him! Then, (this is not a rumor) he actually told our lawyer that he feared for his life and didn’t want any contact with me at all. (laughing)….They actually canceled a gig here at Myrtle Beach and one in North Carolina because they were scared I was gonna show up. Like I would drive out of my way to go see them!!  HA HA!! I never threatened Bill or anyone for that matter, so I don’t know why he would say such a thing.

14.  What do you remember about the following years?
1986 = Maxx Warrior broke up
1989 = Firehouse got a record deal
1991 = won American Music Award and our first album went double platinum.
1994 = seems really foggy for some reason!!??!!
1997 = put out the record I was most proud of: Category 5
2000 =

the ending of a really wild ride with this band and the beginning of a wonderful relationship with Ashley.

15.  If you saw a dog locked in a car in 100 degree weather with the windows rolled up, or Bill Levery locked in a car in 100 degree weather with the windows rolled up, who would you save first?

I would save the dog because I think Bill may still have enough sense to save himself….I could be wrong though!

16.  Give us a good touring memory about the following cities:
Atlanta = going back and playing to 15,000 people after playing little clubs there when I first started playing.
Tampa = had a party in the room after a gig one night and we actually got 3 girls to throw up in one night!..LOL
Chicago = everytime I think of Chicago, I think of my buddy Steve….thanks for your hospitality….!
Minneapolis = hanging out with Brent Griffith who played with the Vikings.
Philadelphia = it was really cold there…oh..and our ex-management team was based there, so any memories I do have aren’t good ones!
Dallas = been a Cowboys fan since I was 3, so seeing them win at Texas Stadium was unbelievable!
Las Vegas = making a porn with my girlfriend!
Pittsburgh = the first show we ever canceled: CJ lost his voice 10 minutes before we were supposed to go on.
Milwaukee =

checking out the Harley Davidson factory.

17.  Does Michael have any say whatsoever in Firehouse?

I don’t think Michael Foster WANTS any say so as to what goes on in Firehouse.

18.  Who’s the most overrated band today?

In my opinion the most overrated band would be CREED. 

19. Your girlfriend Ashley has called Firehouse “a bunch of lying, conniving, backstabbing, two-faced pussy’s.” Would you agree with her comments?

I’ll answer whether or not I agree with Ash’s perception of Firehouse when I get the rest of my money! 

20. What are your current thoughts on CJ Snare and Bill Leverty?

I try not to have any current thoughts on CJ and Bill!

21.  What should the fans know about Firehouse that they probably don’t know?

The fans should know: Don’t believe when they say everything they do, they do for their fans,…..they aren’t quite as noble as you think!

22.  Time for Metal Sludge’s Word Association.  We mention a name and you give us your thoughts.

CJ Snare = wuss
Bill Leverty = two-faced
Michael Foster = helpless
Jon Bon Jovi = jerk
David Lee Roth = even bigger jerk
Jani Lane = thinks he’s responsible for our success–we almost came to blows one night, but he’s getting better!
Kevin DuBrow = I used to hear that Kevin was a pain in the butt to be around….however, I think he’s a good guy and I had a great time when we toured with those guys!
Limp Bizkit = don’t know em’, don’t care to know em’!
Lars Ulrich = I heard Metallica needs a bass player……so I think he’s the greatest guy in the world!
Bruce Waibel =

never met him, but he must be hard up for a job taking that gig!..lol

Lets summarize, shall we:
Firehouse cancelled a gig in Myrtle Beach and North Carolina because they were afraid of Perry! Brutal.
Firehouse owes him some money.
Firehouse yanked Perry’s message off their message board.
Perry doesn’t have a drug problem.
Perry almost got into a fight with Jani Lane one night.
Perry isn’t a fan of David Lee Roth and Jon Bon Jovi.
Firehouse isn’t very nobel.

Now that’s good shit!

We don’t have a website to plug because Perry doesn’t have one, but if he gets one, we’ll let you know.