Metal Sludge The Power and the Glory
20 Questions with Y&T drummer Leonard Haze!
Leonard Haze recording in the studio 1970-something!
We had been in communication with the Y&T camp and had originally planned to do this 20?s with Dave Meniketti. However, when they were sent back it seems that a certain drummer named Leonard Haze was gung-ho and thensome to take on the Sludge! We said fine, he tweaked some of the questions himself and we accepted.
1. Plug your website, CDs, tours, swag & more?
2. The band formed in 1974, what possibly can make you say I want to do this 30+ years later on a daily basis?
When you’re not doing it you find out you miss it.
Y&T does sound check in 1981 while opening for Alice Cooper!
3. From your Bio: "In 1997 after Dave finished a sold out Bay Area gig, a fan asked him if the original Y&T would get together. Though at the time, he thought it would be a long shot, he said, "I’ll never say never to anything. It could be fun." That day is here." What was the final link in making this happen again. A phone call? A by chance meeting with the guys at a barbeque? What really prompted a full on re-union, shows, etc…?
We were contacted to do a radio station (107.7 The Bone in SF) co-promoted show. Our former manager at the time contacted us all to see if we were interested. So we said yes we would do that 1 show and see what happens. Well the worst thing happened. We had fun and got along great. So we decided to do a few more. The camaraderie was there and we had a lot of fun so we are still doing it. If it sucked and wasn’t fun it would be over.
4. Give us your take on the industry today compared to the 70s & 80s. The Internet, down loading music, rap, Y&T stuff on eBay, Mtv reality shows/no videos and so on? Let it all out Leonard?
It’s totally different. It’s more disposable now, along with instant gratification. You see a lot more bands whose 1st recording sells a lot and #2 anb 3 (if they do a #3) do nothing. I also see a lot of bands that don’t know how to jam. They’ve only played their songs and really don’t have any roots. In our era, whenever anyone’s new album came out all the local musicians learned songs from them and we would jam them at parties and other bands’ rehearsal studios or in garages.
As for as eBay, I can’t believe the crap people buy. I shoulda sold my kidney stones. As for rap, like anything else some sucks, some don’t. I like some of it and I see its value.
And reality TV is just a lack of new ideas and people are tired of the same crap.
5. Rate a guitarist & rate a vocalist 1-10. 1 being a hack, and 10 being the shizznit!
This is great! Drummers never get the chance to rate guitarists and singers!
Zakk Wylde = 7
Eddie Van Halen = 9
Mick Mars = 7
George Lynch = 6
Warren DeMartini = 8
Eddie Van Halen = 9
Mick Mars = 7
George Lynch = 6
Warren DeMartini = 8
Sebastian Bach = 5
Jani Lane = 5
Kevin DuBrow = 7
Dee Snider = 7
Eric Martin = 9
Jani Lane = 5
Kevin DuBrow = 7
Dee Snider = 7
Eric Martin = 9
We asked Dave to rate a guitarist & singer since he does both!
Leonard sings as well, and gave us his opinion! But Baz a 5?
6. What rock star deserves a big smack in the mouth and why?
Madonna deserves a big smack from my lips, because I think she’s sexy.
7. American Idol & reality TV shows in general. Give us your thoughts since many are based upon talent, entertaining and so on?
They are the ultimate short cuts. Even if you don’t win you’ve been exposed to millions of people. To get to the TV parts you’ve got to have talent. There’s lots of people out there with talent who don’t know how to get exposed in any other way. It even has made someone with no talent a star.
8. Kill-Fuck-Marry. {Kill someone, Fuck someone, Marry someone} (Paula Abdul, Paris Hilton, Pauly Shore)
Bin Laden, Madonna, Bill Gates
9. Of all the bands you’ve shared a stage with, who were the biggest dicks to deal with and who was the coolest?
Biggest dicks – us. Usually it’s the crew that are dicks. Most bands are cool.
Coolest – 3 way tie: AC/DC, Motley Crue, Twisted Sister
Coolest – 3 way tie: AC/DC, Motley Crue, Twisted Sister
Y&T are the biggest dicks to tour with according to Leonard!
10. Memory Lane:
1972 = Junior in high school. First met Dave and year we put the band together.
1976 = Lifelong dream-got to make an album. First tour, Yesterday & Today came out. Also heard Ramones first time.
1980 = Got A&M deal after 2 years without a label. Disco & punk were kind of dying out, rock was trendy again.
1983 = Lots of touring, life is a blur, lots of self-medication (on my part).
1987 = I’d left Y&T in ’86 (August) & was just buggerin’ around playing local shows with friends.
1991 = Did the rock opera Rock Justice again, then joined Ian Gillan’s solo band after recording his Toolbox LP.
1994 = Ian rejoined Deep Purple & I got divorced.
1998 = Local gigs & some studio work, mostly jingles.
2001 = Got married a 2nd time & was working for local promoter. Decided to do Y&T again.
2005 = More gigs for Y&T. Went to Europe again & played a lot. Tons of fun. There is no better job. Like I say all the time: "The worst gig we ever will play is better than the best day of work for anyone else."
11. What are your favorite and least favorite Y&T songs to play live. Songs that the fans might demand but your not that fond of?
I enjoy playing all of them, but I really enjoy playing the stuff that they did after I had left. Those are like new songs for me. The song I least like to do (but I don’t mind doing it) is Alcohol. I hate to hear my voice. Obviously some songs we don’t do live & one of them is my least favorite Y&T song, All American Boy. I really don’t like that tune.
12. Name the 3 high points and the 3 low points of your Y&T career in
music to date?
3 high points: American Bandstand, Release of 1st album, Day on the Green (in Oakland).
13. Y&T was a solid decade into your career when the "hair band" era took off. What band came out and made a much bigger impact than you figured they would, who surprised you?
3 low points: London Records going out of business & losing our record deal, the letters of rejection from record companies, leaving Y&T.
13. Y&T was a solid decade into your career when the "hair band" era took off. What band came out and made a much bigger impact than you figured they would, who surprised you?
Poison. THEY didn’t even think their own record would sell that well! One of their first shows was opening for us, and they were all putting down their own record. Watching them on stage, though, you could tell they sure were enjoying themselves.
14. Why do you think festivals in Europe are still drawing tens of thousands with hard rock and shows in the US with those same bands are barely doing a few thousand?
14. Why do you think festivals in Europe are still drawing tens of thousands with hard rock and shows in the US with those same bands are barely doing a few thousand?
The festivals are an event. A happening. They are true festivals done in a field or race track, not a stadium or arena or shed?
Y&T rocking n’ rolling 20 years ago!
Note: If you blur this pic just a bit, you could call this
band Helix, Krokus or Keel and nobody would argue!
15. Pick your Poison:
Big fake boobs or Small firm titties = Either with a great walk & butt
White Lion or White Zombie = White Zombie
The 1970s or The 1980s = Don’t remember
Guns n’ Roses or Axl n’ Roses = Guns n’ Roses
Singing Lead Vocals or Playing Lead Guitar = Playing drums or lead guitar
Winger or Warrant = White Zombie
Hair Spray or Eye Liner = Eye Liner
Van Halen or Van Hagar = Van Halen
Blow Jobs or Hand Jobs = Blow Jobs
Yesterday or Today = Today
White Lion or White Zombie = White Zombie
The 1970s or The 1980s = Don’t remember
Guns n’ Roses or Axl n’ Roses = Guns n’ Roses
Singing Lead Vocals or Playing Lead Guitar = Playing drums or lead guitar
Winger or Warrant = White Zombie
Hair Spray or Eye Liner = Eye Liner
Van Halen or Van Hagar = Van Halen
Blow Jobs or Hand Jobs = Blow Jobs
Yesterday or Today = Today
16. Y&T is Bay Area (San Francisco) based and stayed true to that throughout your history. What Bay Area bands deserve more credit and who would you like to give a shout out to; past, present or future from your stomping grounds?
Montrose (they never got their due), The Tubes, The Nuns
17. What rock band should really pack it in and call it a day?
The Who, even though I saw the last tour & they were great. Without Moon & Entwistle I didn’t feel like it was the Who. It was Townsend & Daltry. The musicians they played with were great & it sounded, looked & was played great. I saw the Who in the ’70s & this wasn’t them.
18. Biggest check you ever received from music and what did you buy with it?
$100,000. Paid debts.
Dave & Leonard show the fans some love!
19. Word Association:
Dave Meniketti = One of the most talented people I know, very under-rated.
Lars Ulrich = Knows his niche, Metallica.
Gene Simmons = Photographic memory, great showman.
Phil Kennemore = First guy I got high with (thanks a lot Phil) & smoked a cigarette with, plays bass well too.
W. Axl Rose = Money may have gotten the best of him, has his own style.
Leonard Haze = No comment (Don’t know when to shut up!)
John Nymann = Keith Moon forever, excellent guitarist.
Kevin Beamish = Nice guy, good producer, good engineer.
Davy Vain = My buddy. Haven’t seen him in a while but we hung out together a few times. Funny dude (as in ha ha).
Joey Alves = Great rhythm guitarist, total perfectionist, monster tone.
Paul McCartney = If not fot the Beatles I wouldn’t have done this. Best harmony singer ever, bar none. Have nothing but respect & admiration for the man. If he, John Lennon, Ringo Starr & George Harrison didn’t invent the rock band, they defined it.
Lars Ulrich = Knows his niche, Metallica.
Gene Simmons = Photographic memory, great showman.
Phil Kennemore = First guy I got high with (thanks a lot Phil) & smoked a cigarette with, plays bass well too.
W. Axl Rose = Money may have gotten the best of him, has his own style.
Leonard Haze = No comment (Don’t know when to shut up!)
John Nymann = Keith Moon forever, excellent guitarist.
Kevin Beamish = Nice guy, good producer, good engineer.
Davy Vain = My buddy. Haven’t seen him in a while but we hung out together a few times. Funny dude (as in ha ha).
Joey Alves = Great rhythm guitarist, total perfectionist, monster tone.
Paul McCartney = If not fot the Beatles I wouldn’t have done this. Best harmony singer ever, bar none. Have nothing but respect & admiration for the man. If he, John Lennon, Ringo Starr & George Harrison didn’t invent the rock band, they defined it.
20. The Last of Leonard Haze…
Last time you broke a drum head live = 2 years ago
Last time you cried = when my grandmother died
Last time you puked from drinking = 1992 on Gillan tour drinking Irish tequila
Last concert you watched from the crowd = A Perfect Circle in San Jose
Last time you lost your voice = last year
Last 80s hairband CD you listened to = Motley Crue
Last fast food drive thru you hit = Taco Bell, today!
Last autograph you signed = March 22, 2006
Last rock star you shook hands with = Nico McBrain
Last time you visited Metal Sludge = 6 months ago, but I haven’t gone online in 3 months We’d like to extend thanks to Leonard, Dave, Jill, and all involved. Look for the band to play California dates soon. Visit www.YandTRocks.com for info. & dates! Also a shout out to www.yandt.net as well for use of some of these pics! Metal Sludge
M&S
