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- Mikkamakka
- Rep: 217
Re: Dizzy interview for a Hungarian music site
'The piano ballads pissed off some members'
It is not easy to be a Guns N 'Roses fan when you have to wait 17 years for a new studio album. It is not easy to be a Guns N 'Roses fan, when you have to wait hours for a Guns concert to start. It's also hard to be a journalist and trying to do az interview with a Guns N 'Roses member, but for third time we have managed to get Dizzy Reed (born Darren Arthur Reed, 1963), the last remaining musician from the classic era.
The band is a bit ore active since Chinese Democracy came out in 2008, and although this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame entry didn't bring the much-aniticipated reunion, people will get the chance to see Guns N' Roses in this year's Exit festival in Novi Sad on July 15. After all, we had the chance to ask one of the longest members of one of the best 80s and 90s band, so we took the chance and tried to make the most out of it.
Who was your idol who inspired to play the piano? A family member or a well-known keyboard player?
- It was mostly a self-reinforcing process. I realized early on that I want to be a musician. My grandmother taught me organ, and then I started to play the piano when I was a teenager and played in bands. My first inspiration was Elton John, but then I started listening to harder music: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, songs that had strong keyboard presence.
You had played in a lot of LA bands before you joined Guns N' Roses. The Wild, Johnny Crash, to name a few. And in 1986, Axl dedicated a song to you. How did you meet?
We met in Hollywood, we had our rehearsals in the same buildind. I spent most of my days there, I was almost living there, so we met very often and then became friends. Don't forget that Guns N' Roses wasn't world famous back then, they were only a popular local band at the time.
You were the first new member who joined the Guns N 'Roses' classic lineup in 1990. How hard it was to integrate into the world's biggest rock band?
Of course, joining them was a tremendous honor. Undoubtedly, Guns were the biggest band of the moment. But then all of a sudden so many things happened at once that I had no time to think about it. We were right in the studio, we rehearsed, toured, and appeared in the media. In the very beginning I was on a trial period. They went out to play some shows without me, then when they came back Axl called me that "I hope that you have some spare time, because we need you!" Yeah, of yourse, dude!
The Use Your Illusion twins in 1991 meant a logical evolution in the band's career. But it was a new direction, too, since piano and keybaord had a much stronger role in the music. Was it hard for the others to accept your ideas?
- Everyone except Axl was a bit resistant in the beginning, no doubt. It wasn't only about me, but the direction the piano ballads pissed off the other members. I felt that I could add even more to the sound, but the band majority wasn't behind me at that time. Of course, Axl wrote the piano-driven songs and he played on the majority of them, I only completed them and did some tricks here and there. My role was more to play them live. that. I still think that the UYIs didn't mean a drastic change in the band's music, it was a logical step.
- You are not credited as a writer on the Use Your Illusion albums. You have not added anything to the recordings?
About all the songs were written by then, when I joined the band, although we were working on some stuff even in studio. I added some things, but didn't have an active part in songwriting.
- Why did you decide to continue your career with a cover album? Which were the songs you chose on "The Spaghetti Incident?"
- There isn't any. Cause most of the album was recorded during the UYI sessions, just for fun. The album grew out from this idea, and I think actually it was a very good album. We got a lot of negative criticism, but I think it kicks ass (laughs).
- But then more and more members left, or disappeared from Guns. How did it feel to see that successful band falling apart?
- We took this situation as "easy come, easy go." I think that if someone is not happy in a situation and there is no good solution, then you need to leave. They went on their way, but we didn't have regrets about it.
- Is there any ex-member you still meet sometimes?
None
- But you stayed loyal to Axl Rose, and you're the only one remining musician from the classic era. During the long hiatus, did you think about leaving?
- I've never thought about quitting. I see the band's history as evolution - those who didn't fit, left. I like to play in Guns N 'Roses, I like to play music like rock'n'roll, why would I stepped out?
- Chinese Democracy is the most expensive album of all time, according to different sources it cost at least 14 million dollars. How does it feel to spend so much money on one album?
- (Laughs) I try not to think about this aspect of the record. I'm glad that it finally came out, and anyway I am very proud of it, I think it's a strong album.
- How did it feel to tour after all these years, when the record came out?
- We played the majority of songs live before the release, so I did not notice the difference. We play the new songs with the same energy and dedication as the old ones. We hope that the audience will notice this as well.
- You formed your own cover band, Hookers N 'Blow in the late 90s. You didn't want more side projects?
- The Hookers N 'Blow was only about having fun, it was not a real band, it was a hobby. We entertained us and entertained a few people, that's it. I do not think that there will be another gig in the foreseeable future.
- You played with Alice Cooper, Motörhead band Backyard Babies in the 2000s. Is there someone else you'd like to play with? Is there a dream collaboration?
- Not really, Guns N 'Roses are more than enough for me (laughs).
- You've had a few minor roles in movies. This inspired you to write music for movies?
- Yes, this is exactly the thing that started to interest me a lot. Something that I'd surely enjoy, so hopefully I will manage to do it somehow.
- Not long after that you became a member of Guns N 'Rose, you married, had a wife and your kids were born. How hard was it to live the sex, drugs and rock'n'roll lifestyle as a married man?
- In fact I got married in 1990, but then I divorced. Although I am now married again, since last October. It's not so easy to live the rock star life. This lifestyle is not for family men. If you have a family, then you have to be strong. I will not be younger, what happened is the part of my past, I don't care about it.
- In April, Guns N 'Roses' classic line-up including you were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Many believed that this was the last chance to see the classic line-up together. This did not happen. Why?
- We had a little disagreement with the others, which we do not want to talk about, and Axl chose not to participate in the ceremony, and I decided that I will not go.
- How do you see Guns N 'Roses' future? There are plans for a next album?
- We have just started to talk about, we have touched the subject, we are moving towards (laughs). Now we want to finish the tour and then hopefully we will begin to write new songs as well. But you never know what the future brings.
http://recorder.blog.hu/2012/06/21/_a_z … ns_n_roses
Sorry, I lost my patience with trying to correct all the google mistakes, but will answer any question about what he meant here and there.
- Me_Wise_Magic
- Rep: 70
Re: Dizzy interview for a Hungarian music site
Cool interview! Dizzy seems like a nice guy and very loyal to Guns after all this time. It's great that he was able to clear up some things about the history even though we all wanted to hear more on future plans.
- Intercourse
- Rep: 212
Re: Dizzy interview for a Hungarian music site
We have just started to talk about, we have touched the subject, we are moving towards (laughs)
- Chris Piss
- Rep: 1
Re: Dizzy interview for a Hungarian music site
Ultimately pointless, like all other Dizzy interviews through the years.
Re: Dizzy interview for a Hungarian music site
^ lol
Sadly I somewhat agree. The only guy Im interested in hearing from now is Axl. I don't care about the other guys side projects or background or thoughts on other shit anymore - been there done that! I just wanna hear about Guns. But sadly these guys don't know any more than we do most often or when they do they are too scared to say anything.
- Mikkamakka
- Rep: 217
Re: Dizzy interview for a Hungarian music site
I don't get the part where he says he has no contact with forum members. Did he mean to say "None. Except of course when Izzy, Duff and Robin have played with us here and there"?
That was in the interview. They asked him about the ex-members and he answered with one word. But I believe the interview happened before Izzy joined them in the UK, and I think that meeting once or twice in a year at a GN'R show doesn't mean having any real contact (for him).
Re: Dizzy interview for a Hungarian music site
I just wanna hear about Guns. But sadly these guys don't know any more than we do most often or when they do they are too scared to say anything.
i think they don't know anything because there isn't anything to know.
just the same shit as always.
still seemingly at war w/the label (& the usual suspects).
holding the world to ransom over diddly-dick.
they've nothing new to say cause nothing ever changes. or happens.
