WARRANT Guitarist Talks About JANI LANE's Passing

WARRANT guitarist Joey Allen was interviewed on the August 15 edition of "Eddie Trunk Live" on SiriusXM satellite radio about the passing of the band's former frontman, Jani Lane. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On WARRANT's relationship with Jani Lane and how he feels about the singer's death:

"It's kind of like a band of brothers, and brothers love one another and brothers hate one another sometimes or brothers can get pissed off at one another sometimes, let's just put it that way.

"It's no secret that we did have our ups and downs with the guy and it's also no secret in some circles that we tried to do what we could do for him in our own way.

"We're not necessarily shocked, because he just was such a

"With talented people like that, I think there's peaks and valleys talented people like that, I think there's peaks and valleys I think it's the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. That's what makes for some great music, unfortunately.

"It's just tragic, man. It's tragic for his kids."

On whether WARRANT was always hoping that Jani would one day be able to conquer his demons:

"Outside of a few short press releases when he would get in trouble just 'cause we would get backlash from our side of the press, and it wasn't anything that we were doing but guilt by association Aside from a few of those things that we put out that weren't a hurtful thing, it was just kind of trying to protect what we were doing, we always wanted the guy to get well. We stuck through a few rehab stints with him during the reunion tour.

"There's so much stuff that a lot of people don't know, that's not necessarily for them to know, but it wasn't us not wanting him to be well ever! We're not that type of people; we're not those guys. I think the last time we [Eddie Trunk and Joey Allen] talked, which was a few months ago, I said 'We're rooting for the guy. Let him get out there. People wanna hear the music, people wanna hear him sing the music. Go for it. And do it well. And do it like you used to.' And it just wasn't meant to be for some reason.

"I think the main tragedy we've all gotta keep in mind here is that the guy is survived by two young daughters. I know one of them she's a great kid. And you've really just gotta wish them the best. And that's where it really stings the most."

On whether he remembers a time and place when he noticed that things were getting more serious for Jani in terms of his substance-abuse issues:

"I think when the whole Seattle thing came on and kind of took the wind out of the whole late-'80s hard rock, hair-metal scene whatever people wanna call it I think that it was hard for him to deal with that. And at the same time, I think he was going through some personal issues, maybe with an ex-wife, that was hard. And I just saw him turning to a place that was pretty dark. And we were all there and supportive, and we did what we could do. We kept on touring or took time off when he needed time off. Probably shortly after we started the 'Dog Eat Dog' tour, after he left the band and then when he came back, it just got a little dark. And that was about the time that I split, because I was in my own private hell, so to speak, and I didn't need any help being there. So that would have to be it for me personally when I saw it. But even when we got back together for the reunion and I saw him and I went and met him for the first time, and buried the hatchet on all the old stuff all the legal crap, all the personal stuff he looked great and he sounded great. And he was good. It just didn't last."

WARRANT announced in September 2008 that it was splitting with Lane six months after the band reunited with the troubled vocalist. He has since been replaced by Robert Mason (LYNCH MOB, CRY OF LOVE, BIG COCK).

Lane originally left WARRANT in March 1993 but rejoined the band in September 1994. The group went on to record the "Ultraphobic" (1995),"Belly To Belly" (1996) and "Greatest & Latest" (1999) albums and issued and collection of covers, "Under The Influence", in 2001. Jani quit WARRANT again in 2004 before reuniting with the group four years later.