Del James Interview With Fatally Yours

[FunkyMonkey]

Here is just some of the interview...

September 15th, 2008

Interview With Horror Writer Del James

By Dana R. Davidson

Go buy his book, The Language of Fear, a collection of beautifully grotesque, based in reality, short horror stories at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, Amazon.com, and BarnsandNoble.com

One of the most interesting and loyal people I have ever had the pleasure to meet and keep, I give you an interview with, Del James, writer, Guns N? Roses road manager, music producer, father, and friend.

Dana: Will you share that rad haunted house story on the road?

Del: Last year, GN?R were in Auckland, New Zealand and I found out about this haunted house called Spookers.  Spookers? Of course I wanna go to some place called Spookers but unfortunately it was only running on the same night as the show. There were three bands on the bill: Rose Tattoo, Sebastian Bach, and Guns N? Roses. As road manager, part of my job is to get every band members to and from the venue and make sure everything is all sussed out. Well, the last van going to the venue took a slight detour so that we could go to Spookers. I had one of the guitar players with me. I also had one of my best friends, Hernan, who?s part of the Guns N? Roses crew, onboard. We had some family and friends and we all went through the mazes and got chased by monsters and did everything your supposed to do at a spook house and still got to the venue in time to do the gig. Now, someone else might have a moral conflict with hijacking a van to go to a spook house on a show night but I don?t.

Dana: How did you end up becoming the road manager for Guns N? Roses?

Del: I?ve been around for twenty some odd years and I?ve worn many different hats. I was in charge of the documentary crew for a while that was on the Use Your Illusions tour. I?ve co-written songs. I?ve been a roommate. I?ve been a dealer, songwriter, and video director?I?ve done a lot of different things. When I get my shit together and finally get off all the drugs and the drink, management made me an offer I couldn?t refuse. They basically said ?when you are clean you are part of the solution, you are an asset. When you are wasted you are one of these animals and we?ve got enough animals and the animals are performing. So, you know, so as long a you keep your shit together you will always have a job with Guns N? Roses.? So far still sober and that?s how I lucked into becoming a road manager.

Dana: What are you doing on Dizzy Reed, keyboardist from Guns N? Roses?, record?

Del: Dizzy is in the process of recording his solo album. Dizzy is a great songwriter but not very many people know this. I?ve known Dizzy has a record in him for a real long time. I co-wrote some of those songs but they were already great ideas before I ever got involved. He?s fucking good. And the list of people who have jumped on board to help Dizzy, to play on his solo record, cause it?s not a case of five guys in a band who have rehearsed these songs inside out. So some of the GN?R guys, like Frank Ferrer on drums, Richard Fortus on guitar, Tommy Stinson on bass, they?ve all come down. Frankie Banelli from Quiet Riot played some drums. Adrian from No Doubt played drums on a song. Mike Dupke from W.A.S.P., Mike Duda from W.A.S.P. played some bass, Greg Coates from The Bangkok 5 played bass, Chuck Wright, guitarists include Todd Youth from Danzig, Murphy?s Law and D-Generation. Alex Grossi. Whitey Kryst from Iggy Pop. Ricky Warwick from The Almighty?Bobby fucking Hamble.  Oh man, Bobby from Biohazard comes down to the studio say hello to me, right? I ain?t seen this guy in like 8 years. We hug and going on tour the next day.  I?m like, ?hey Bobby, so what are you doing right now?? and I?m holding the guitar. He knows that I can?t play the fucking guitar so Bobby wound up playing a killer solo on a song called ?Cheers To Oblivion.? And that?s how it?s been. There?s been a bunch of talented friends getting involved because every one is supportive and believes in Dizzy Reed the musician, the songwriter with a phenomenal voice. His voice is the secret weapon to the whole project.  Dizzy & I are producing it.

Dana: Any GN?R stories you can dish?

Del: During the Use Your Illusions tour, GN?R were down in Australia for like three weeks to do three massive shows. Talk about an amazing time with a lot of days of. The band stayed in Cairns and the band members had these awesome bungalows. It was on this luxurious golf course that people fly in from all over the world to golf there. Swimming pools, tennis, spas, restaurants, clubs?Most of the musicians brought their wives out for this fun time but Dizzy Reed?s wife could not make it so I got to be his roomie! And naturally, our pad became the party pad. Constant complaints from our neighbors about the noise. Our refrigerator was like a bar. It was non-stop and we only had one rule: if someone dared you to do something and they chose not to, they had to leave the bungalow. That?s how we weeded out the weak from the worthy. Our dares were never cruel or mean spirited. Just goofy and, well, usually involving nudity.

Apparently, golfers take golfing really seriously. Like stupid serious so one of our favorite challenges became to dare some nubile bunny to take off all of her clothes and run out our back porch to go steal a recently hit golf ball! Now, if some naked hot chick stole my golf ball, I would laugh my ass off but golfers have like no sense of humor. They would get all bent out of shape and chase these streaking girls! Man, they?d get pissed off and we would watch, laughing like little kids. Funny shit, right?Then there was a knock at our door. Me and Diz slowly open it and standing there is the band?s biggest bodyguard. Big ?ol, ex-professional football player and he?s not looking too happy. He growls at us, ?I think you got my golf ball?.?

Dana: Axl seems to get a bad wrap. Any misconceptions you?d like to set straight about Axl?

Del: Almost everybody knows that Axl Rose and I have been gang tight for over twenty years. Earlier you asked me about loyalty. I?ve never met a more loyal person than Axl. He?s loyal to a fucking fault. That guy always shares the credit, always gives opportunities, and hell, is willing to take less of a cut in terms of money just to make sure that his band and crew are well taken care of. It?s unheard of. Every tour we?ve even done, members from other bands? crews are begging to jump on our crew. Treat people that way you want to be treated, right?

From a personal perspective, it fucking bothers me to no end when people with their own personal agendas or who don?t know what the fuck they?re talking about write books or give interviews about Axl. And let?s not forget that a lot of these journalists writing about him don?t necessarily like Axl. You could make a case that personally they hate him so you really think they?re going to go out of their way to present a fair story? I mean really, how can you objectively write about someone you have no contact with? How accurate can a biography be when all of your information comes from secondhand sources or is hearsay? One of these days, Axl is going to set straight a lot of the misconceptions about himself and the history of Guns N? Roses and people ain?t gonna know what hit ?em.


Read the entire interview here: http://www.fatally-yours.com/interviews/interview-with-horror-writer-del-james/

[jarmo]

Thanks for posting.

One of these days, Axl is going to set straight a lot of the misconceptions about himself and the history of Guns N? Roses and people ain?t gonna know what hit ?em.

 




/jarmo

[dont_damn_me]

wow    can't wait to see how axl gives his side of things! 

[IKnowWhereIAM]

Thanks for posting.

One of these days, Axl is going to set straight a lot of the misconceptions about himself and the history of Guns N? Roses and people ain?t gonna know what hit ?em.

 




/jarmo

Amen.  If the autobiography story is true, I will be on lockdown the day it comes out - until I finish reading it.  Hmmm...I just had a strange thought...what if he wants to piggyback the book with Chidem - and that is what is holding things up?  Maybe someday we'll know...

[marknroses]

Great Interview. Del is a great guy.

But how can he call Slash, Duff, Steven and Matt "second-hand sources" when they have attributed the fall of GNR on Axl. They give journalists plenty to write about because they are not on the level of seclusion that Axl is and are not demonstrating their commentary through massive concept musical projects that may or may not see the light of a record / online store.

Axl has delivered answers too of course, but he has to set those misconceptions straight about who he is, where he's been and where he's going. That would be appropriate with an album release.

MNW

[Limulus]

"One of these days, Axl is going to set straight a lot of the misconceptions about himself and the history of Guns N? Roses and people ain?t gonna know what hit ?em."

actually i would want that Axl version in form of a book much much more than cd.

[Lucky]

He growls at us, “I think you got my golf ball….”

rOTfL
!!!!

[willow]

As Del and the others always have said. Its all about the Loyalty!! And thats why I stick around!!
peace out
amyl

[ben9785]

Right on. That's why we are all here still after all these years too. We're just waiting for the right time for the man to deliver.

A future autobiography? I'll be very eager for that..

I know it would be of great interest to alot of fans to learn more about the process of Chinese Democracy over the last 15 years or so.. I think it will answer alot of questions.

Thanks for posting the interview.

[JAC185]

Dizzy's album sounds cool.

[FunkyMonkey]

Axl setting the record straight would be a great read.

And I thought that this part was cool. 

And the list of people who have jumped on board to help Dizzy, to play on his solo record, cause it?s not a case of five guys in a band who have rehearsed these songs inside out. So some of the GN?R guys, like Frank Ferrer on drums, Richard Fortus on guitar, Tommy Stinson on bass, they?ve all come down.

[Dead N' Bloated]

What Del said is so fucknig true. People that don't know or even met Axl are very fuckin quick to voice what they "know" about him or GN'R without really knowing shit. It happens to anyone with any real celeb status. A local former Rugby League player in my home town cops it all the time, and a bigish band form the same town gets the same shit from fuckers that have never evn seen or met these people. It's pretty gay to judge sowething out of nowhere.



 

[cyllan]

What Del said is so fucknig true. People that don't know or even met Axl are very fuckin quick to voice what they "know" about him or GN'R without really knowing shit.
 

You're right and what pisses me off more than anything is not so much journalists who do this (I've grown to expect it from them), but so-called fans who are so quick to condemn Axl with only hearsay and rumour to base their accusations on.

I'm glad that Axl has had good friends like Del (and Beta and her family) around him this past decade and more.  I've heard for years that his loyalty to his friends is steadfast and it's good to know that the people he currently has around him reciprocate this too.

[33]

Thanks for posting.

One of these days, Axl is going to set straight a lot of the misconceptions about himself and the history of Guns N? Roses and people ain?t gonna know what hit ?em.

 

/jarmo

You beat me to it mate! I love that quote! Its exactly the kind of comment I have wanted to see from someone inside the camp so that the negative people and doubters can just be quiet!!

Mike

[ppbebe]

good read.


I believe a proper journalist would go after the truth and try to be unbiased and accurate as possible.

those music writers are more like gossip mongers.
for instance, http://www.indy.com/posts/11875

the lies are wearing thin.

[GNRreunioneventually]

good post, nice read

[KIKO2K6]

Quote
One of these days, Axl is going to set straight a lot of the misconceptions about himself and the history of Guns N? Roses and people ain?t gonna know what hit ?em.


Bring on AXL !


Nice read indeed.

[russkwtx]

Cool interview. Wish there  was more on the album.

[FunkyMonkey]

^^

Ex-QUIET RIOT Guitarist Is 'Extremely Excited' About Playing On DIZZY REED's New Solo Album - Sep. 26, 2008

Former QUIET RIOT and current HOOKERS N' BLOW guitarist Alex Grossi has issued the following update:

"I am EXTREMELY excited about a project that I am currently involved in. Dizzy Reed [GUNS N' ROSES keyboardist] is doing a solo record that is being produced by Del James (If you have never heard of Del, do yourself a favor and Google him, trust me).

"This record is by far one of the coolest projects I have ever been involved in, in that it is not just a band, but a bunch of random musicians from a wide variety of genres who are collectively contibuting to the project.

"I am very proud to be playing along with the likes of Mike Duda and Mike Dupke of W.A.S.P., Adrian Young of NO DOUBT, Richard Fortus, Tommy Stinson and Frank Ferrer of GN'R, Bobby from BIOHAZARD.... and it has been especially meaningful to see my former QUIET RIOT bandmates Frankie Banali and Chuck Wright perform on a couple tracks.

"Del has an amazing ear and excellent musical instincts, and Dizzy's songs are top-notch and very unique. I feel this record is going to be one we are all proud of."

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=105665