JOHN 5 Says Playing With ROB ZOMBIE Is 'Like Being With Your Best Friend On Tour'

March 31, 2012

Elliot Levin of the NY Hard Rock Music Examiner recently conducted an interview with guitarist John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, ex-MARILYN MANSON). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: What I really enjoyed about your last record was that it wasn't just instrumental metal, it hit all styles of music. Do you consider yourself a metal player first and foremost?

John: I consider myself a musician. I like to play everything. I really truly love all styles of music. A lot of people say that, but the first station they turn to when they get in the car is a rock station. I don't always do that. I really enjoy everything. But, of course, I'm a rock shred guitar player first.

NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: So you've been playing with Rob Zombie for a few years now, and it seems that your playing matches his style very well. Do you two get along personally?

John: He's like the brother I never had. We get along great and it's just unbelievable. It's a dream gig, it's like being with your best friend on tour.

NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: How does being in Rob Zombie compare to your time in Marilyn Manson?

John: Well, it feels more like a band. I can't explain how great it is being in this band. Of course Rob is the leader and he makes the decisions and we know that. But he doesn't treat us like that.

NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: The implication being that Manson was different.

John: Well, Manson was a little more separated. Here we're always walking around together, we're in the same dressing room, the same bus, we're just friends. We're knuckleheads. But Rob makes the decisions.

NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: What made you decide to keep the John 5 name even after you left Manson?

John: That's a good question. And I have a great answer. It's just like when Ace Frehley or Peter Criss left KISS. Peter's not going to change his name back to Peter Criscuola, or Ace isn't going to change his name back to Paul Frehley. You build up a reputation on those names.

NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: So this is a co-headlining tour, which I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about. On one hand, you get to see two great bands, but on the other hand, the setlists are usually shorter so you get less of a show from your favorite band. Do you feel strongly one way or another?

John: Well, I think that it's a lot harder for people to go to concerts nowadays, because it's expensive. Because it's expensive to tour. And so how are we going to get people in those seats? Let's have a really cool double bill, or maybe a triple bill. People are going to come out in droves, and they do. People don't buy music anymore, they're stealing it. But you can't steal a live show. There's no way to reproduce a real live show. So I think that when you put a great bill together, that people will come out for it.

Read the entire interview from NY Hard Rock Music Examiner.

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