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METAL PULP AND PAPER: Hello Tom. So glad to be catching up with you. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us here at Metal Pulp And Paper. We appreciate it. How are you doing?
TOM HOOKS: Pretty damn good. Happy to get to do this.
MPAP: Now give us a little run down about you and what we need to know.
TOM: I'm an Indie Label owner with a few different imprints, RIND Records (Rock), Rotted Brain Records (Metal), as well as I own RIND (Rock Is Not Dead) Entertainment. There is so much going on that it's easier to visit our pages on Facebook to keep up.
MPAP: Very nice. So, for anyone new to this, we changed things up and are doing something different. We've pulled some recent headlines from the Metal Injection website and get reactions and comments on them from bands all over the world. We did this last month, with different headlines, of course, and it was fun to read each group's different answers. So, please place your seat backs and tray tables in the upright position, and hang on, here we go again.
1. Granny Caught Rocking Out To Slipknot
MPAP: At a recent Knotfest show an elderly woman, even with her cane in hand, is caught on video rocking out to Slipknot. The story doesn’t mention her age, but I would say she’s in the prime of at least her 70s. What do you think of granny rocking out to Slipknot? Have you ever seen any older folks rocking out at any of your shows before? And bonus points, if we were keeping score, have you had any of your grandparents at any of your shows before?
TOM: It's frikin awesome! I'm almost 50 myself and I only hope in 25 years I am still jamming at a Knot show. Doing the promoter thing, I have seen quite a few older folks jammin out and it always makes me happy to see when they bring younger ones with 'em. Unfortunately, my Grands were gone when I was young so a big no to them ever coming out.
2. Metal Guitarist Too Young To Play Bar Plays Outside With Wireless System Instead
MPAP: The band Ancient Burials had a bit of a dilemma when they played a show at the Hawthorne Theatre in Portland, Oregon. Their guitarist was underage and not allowed into the bar to play. Some places will mark your hand with an 'X' identifying you’re a minor and let you play. Not the Hawthorne Theatre with Oregon’s liquor laws. So, instead of them canceling the show, fellow bandmates Paradigm Shift hooked him up with a wireless pack, and he went outside and played. The bar had an open window so you could see the band playing inside and he was outside shredding it out on the street. It’s a great video to watch.
TOM: Ok, this one made me laugh when it hit the metal mags because one of my label partners Kenxi was on tour last year and had the same thing happen to her. She jammed from outside, and a good friend shared it online and crickets from any media then. I will say that it's time to loosen up the laws in some states and allow younger musicians to be able to play as employee/sub-contractors, otherwise we are going to see less and less of our young talent out there.
3. Comedian Gilbert Gottfried Reveals Himself As Slipknot’s Tortilla Man
MPAP: Obviously, someone brilliant out there got him to announce that, probably on one of those Celebrity Cameos or something. In all seriousness, does it even matter who Tortilla Man is? And why do you think Slipknot is so strict on revealing who new band members are? They had this previous issue when Paul Gray passed away and was replaced by Alessandro Venturella, and also when Jay Weinberg replaced Joey Jordison.
TOM: First, to whoever got Gilbert to do that, please give me a call, I need you on my team. Fucking brilliant. As to Slipknot being strict, I honestly think it's more about keeping the new guy in check in a way as well as adding to the mystery, great marketing.
4. These Post Malone Fans Are Just Hearing About Ozzy For The First Time Thanks To New Collaboration
MPAP: Recently Post Malone recorded a song called "Take What You Want," and it featured Ozzy Osbourne. Honestly, it’s not a lousy collaboration between the two. Wasn’t expecting it to be a good song. Anyways, what gets me is some people, mainly his fans were saying thanks to Post Malone he just gave this Ozzy guy a career. They obviously have no idea! Even back in 2015, it was almost the same thing, Kayne West did a song with Paul McCartney, and Kayne’s fans were saying Kayne just gave Paul a career in the music business. Really c’mon? So, my question is, should the history of music be taught in school or something? Shouldn’t the younger generation know who Ozzy Osbourne and Paul McCartney are?
TOM: I mean, I had no idea who Post Malone was, so I guess it goes both ways. In all seriousness, I think we are the school for the history of music and class should be in all the time. We need to share the past and influencers to the new generation. If we don't no one else will and then what?
5. Sabaton Involved In 'Serious Traffic Accident' In Tunisia, Cancel Tonight’s Show
MPAP: Luckily everyone is ok now, but do you have any scary tour bus accident stories that you can share with us? Or, if no accidents, any close calls where you thought you might die?
TOM: As a show promoter in the Midwest, winter sucks and a few years back we did in fact have someone total out their rig in an accident because they were trying to make their show in crappy weather. The following year, I pulled two shows because I couldn't be responsible for that. We got the bands rooms and bucks for food, so don't hate me for cancelling.
6. Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg: The Effects of Climate Change Are Undeniable
MPAP: Some say there is no such thing as climate change, or some say it is getting better. Both sides of the party point fingers at each other. Even back in February of this year, Ocasio-Cortez, the 29-year-old democratic socialist, wanted us to get to the point of where air travel would stop becoming necessary, and believes farting cows are responsible for the climate change and we need to get rid of them. What are your thoughts on climate change?
TOM: I'm from Wisconsin, so I am pro farting cows. I think bovine flatulence is not something our government should get involved in, so keep your hands off my cows anus. Seriously though, anyone who denies climate change, needs to walk off the end of the flat earth.
7. Nicole Kidman Attended An Iron Maiden Show with Her Husband, Keith Urban
MPAP: Never would have expected that couple to be into Iron Maiden, but still cool either way. It’s good to know that music can reach anyone. So, have you ever had anyone famous that you know of attend one of your shows? If not, who would you like to leave a ticket for at will call to come to your next show?
TOM: I actually had Morgan Riley from Blackwater Drowning at a show. Oh, and Megan Orvold from Casket Robbery, does that count? And I don't know about a will call ticket, but I would like to think if I listed Annie Way (Blind Ivy) as my emergency contact, that I could count on her.
8. Yellowstone Police Are Using AC/DC To Clear Bison Off The Road
MPAP: In our previous headlines feature Metallica was blasted to scare away a cougar, and now bison are being blasted by AC/DC. It makes you think, what animal is next, and then how long until the animal kingdom doesn’t put up with this anymore and revolts against humans?
TOM: It's funny that Metallica was used to scare away a cougar, cause now you blast them to attract all the cougers. I like to think the animals are secretly into all this Rock and Metal being blasted at them, I mean my cat wears headphones, so they aren't fooling me for a second.
9. Vinyl On Pace To Outsell CDs in 2019
MPAP: Buying albums seems to be the trendy hip thing it looks like again. Since streaming services are the popular norm, it’s good that records are making a comeback, but sad in a way, because CDs will become extinct.
TOM: I don't see us going the progression route we did when vinyl became CDs. I think that it is going to actually be a point where cds and vinyl are selling at the same pace. Once people start to understand that all your digital services are licensing your music and you can lose it just as fast as you download it, people will see the value more in owning physical music again.
10. Dude Who Tried To Swim Back Into Slayer Show After Being Ejected Immortalized on Beer Can
MPAP: The guy that tried to swim back into a Slayer show is from 2018, but him being immortalized on a beer can is new. This is a two-part question. Which beer can would you like your face on, and while out on tour, what is the craziest thing a fan has done that you have seen?
TOM: I could only have my face on a local IPA bro. Kidding, I wouldn't recommend putting this ugly face on anything you want someone to buy. As far as the craziest thing someone has done at one of my shows... what happens at the show, stays at the show.
11. Former Five Finger Death Punch Drummer’s New Gig: A Horror Porn Anthology Series
MPAP: Yep, you read it right, former Five Finger Death Punch drummer’s new gig is in the porn business. Not only is Jeremy Spencer a part-time cop in Indiana now, but now he writes, directs, and even stars in his pornos. Crazy. So, my question is, what is your dream job if you weren’t performing in a band? If you had to hang things up in the music business, what would you rather be doing?
TOM: I am doing my dream job. Helping the artist get the recognition they deserve is all I will ever want to do. So, the only way I hang this up is when they find me dead, in front of my computer or in the studio.
12. Flaw Accused of Plagiarizing You Tuber’s Song, Vocalist Said He Had No Idea
MPAP: This isn’t really a question about that headline, but it made me think and want to ask, is there one song out there that some band has recorded, and it’s so good that you wish you could claim it as your own song?
TOM: That's an easy one for me. "Fade To Black," I mean, c'mon.
13. Metallica Named 'World’s Biggest Touring Act' According to New Study
MPAP: Even though they’ve released a few records that some fans can’t stand, that still hasn’t stopped them by selling over 22 million tickets and grossed $1.4 billion in touring since 1982. That’s very impressive. So, I guess the question would be, lets rain on their parade for a moment, what’s your least favorite Metallica song that you must turn off or turn down when it’s on the radio? And by no means, this is no disrespect to Metallica at all. I think they are man enough to handle hearing which songs or albums are not fan favorites. It's just for fun and games, until we shot our eye out.
TOM: How much space do I get here... again, I'm joking. So, everyone get your triggered fingers off your keyboard, I would say 100% for sure, that damn "Turn The Page" cover.
MPAP: On behalf of Metal Pulp And Paper, I’d like to thank you, Tom, for taking the time to answer these questions. We look forward to what you do to finish out 2019 and beyond. Any last words for all your fans out there?
TOM: I wish I had fans, but I will say this: go rnjoy live music, and then buy the shirt, Cd, button, whatever to help an artist get down the road.
Tom Hooks~ Rotted Brain Records/ October th, 2019/ Headlines 2 #24