Music News Headline Answers With The Midnight Devils'
Sam Spade
January/February 2020 • 4th Edition #89
Metal Pulp And Paper: Hello Sam. How are you, and are you ready for this new decade?
Sam Spade: Hello, and thank you so much for taking the time to do this wild interview. Yes, absolutely I am ready to see what the next 10 years brings. So far, it has been an amazing year and we are just getting started. It’s very weird to think about this as the dawning of a new decade. There is so much positivity and I really think things are going to be moving forward for The Midnight Devils.
MPAP: That's great to hear. Before we get started though, tell us a little about your band and what we might need to know. And, of course, if you’ve got new music, or new music coming out soon, please tell us about it so we can pummel our eardrums!
Sam: The Midnight Devils are a national touring glam slam boogie woogie glitter drenched party rock n roll band from Omaha, NE and Chicago, IL. I am the lead singer and bass player, Chris 'Sniper' Hineline is on lead guitar and vocals, and the indestructible Jimmy Mess handles himself and the drums. We are still relatively new to the world, but in 2018 we released our debut album Something Bigger. Last year we toured coast to coast in support of the new album with shows in over 30 states and performances at high profile places like The Viper Room in LA, The Dive Bar in Vegas, The M-Pre Party in Columbia, MD, and the Rocklahoma Music Festival in Pryor, OK. Just a few weeks ago we released our debut music video for the single "Pink Halo," which has been getting glowing reviews. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40yEhjWfRsI. In 20 days we are embarking on our first tour of the year and it’s a big one. We are joining legendary UK sleaze rockers The Quireboys on the last leg of their US tour. We are doing 15 dates across the country from St. Louis to Boston. After wrapping up that tour we will take off on a headlining tour destined for the east coast and back. Most importantly, The Midnight Devils are a uniquely beautiful and charismatic rock n roll machine combines sleazy punk with lip stick-smeared party rock n roll.
MPAP: Very nice. So, just in case you or the reader are new to this, this is how it all works, it won’t sting a bit. We here at the Metal Pulp And Paper headquarters pulled some recent music news headlines from the Metal Injection website and turned them into questions. Pretty simple, just like putting on your pants one leg at a time. So, once again, please place seat backs and tray tables in the upright position, hang on, here we go. Putting on your seat belt is totally up to you…
1. Hardcore Show In A Denny's Restaurant Results In Hundreds of Dollars In Damages
MPAP: So, this 17-year-old kid, Bryson Del Valle, booked his first DIY show at a Denny’s restaurant for the punk band Wacko. Obviously, Denny’s is not the ideal spot to play a hardcore music show, or is it? Still, somehow Bryson pulled it off at the Santa Anna restaurant other than the damages done to the establishment. First off, I guess the show sold out, so maybe Bryson is onto something here. Can’t imagine why Denny’s agreed to it, what were they thinking? So, I guess the question is, where would you like your band to perform that is not the ordinary place to play, and maybe get a bit wild and wreak havoc on some table and chairs? And since the story has gone viral, Green Day donated $2,000 to help pay for the damages.
Sam: Last year we put together a run of shows down to New Orleans and back to be a part of a No Ring Death Match Wrestling match. The show got moved from a venue to a warehouse, and finally happened in between the railroad tracks and the interstate on a slab of cement somewhere in the city of New Orleans. It was chaos and people showed up and loved every minute of the mayhem. There was a generator supplying power, a bonfire for lights, a makeshift bar, and a guy grilling tacos. So, for us a show at a Denny’s seems a little out of the ordinary, but we all grew up playing in punk rock bands. As a touring band most of the time you play where the promoter tells you and make the best of it. Almost every time it happens shows that are thrown in unusual places turn out to be the best shows of the tour and I guarantee this was no exception. I would love to play inside of a department store or old gas station. That would be a cool place for a wild rock n roll party. You know one right off the interstate. The only thing weird about this is that Green Day tossed in a bunch of cash to help. That’s ridiculous. They should’ve given the bands that played the money to keep making music and putting on shows.
2. Meth Recounts Hilariously Crazy Story Of Missing Their Gathering Of The Juggalos Set
MPAP: Every year Insane Clown Posse puts on a music festival called Gathering Of The Juggalos, and let’s just say it’s not a music fest you’d want to take your parents to or go there on your first date. Shit, what do I know, maybe you would want to take them there? Either way, you’re going to see some fucked up shit happening there. Anyways, one of the members of Meth told a crazy story about trying to get there to play but was unable to find the right stage they were to play on that day. Now, what about you, any crazy band stories about missing a show, or about almost missing a show that is memorable?
Sam: First of all, The Gathering of the Juggalos sounds like an amazing festival to be a part of. We already have the ridiculous makeup, we just need that invite to come to the party. Fucked up shit and ridiculous situations are exactly what we live for. Our drummer Jimmy Mess is right at home surrounded by the most insane people doing the most insane things. He just sparks up a joint and let’s the magic fly around him. He really has the best stories. We generally don’t miss shows, but last year we played this incredibly wild show in Chicago at a rock n roll club called Exit. The place is notorious for the decadent behavior and we totally destroyed the place. It was incredible and afterward we felt like kings of Chicago which is very tough to do in a mega city like that. We loaded up our gear feeling like a million bucks and our bus wouldn’t start. We tried for hours and it wouldn’t turn over. The next day we asked the mechanic next door to the club and he said, "Hell no, that thing is way to big to work on." After a few hours we called a tow truck from a service station and he agreed to come pick us up. We didn’t realize the station was 2 hours away in another state going the wrong direction. We had no choice but to load up the bus on this tow truck and head to the station to get it repaired. Now the tow truck wasn't big enough to haul our tour bus, but the guy did it anyways and drove all the way through Chicago going 15 MPH to Indiana. It took us 5 hours, but we made it and had to wait another day just to get it fixed. It ended up costing us a grand but we got back on the road and made the next stop just barely.
3. Destruction Vocalist on Metallica: "Once You're A Billionaire, What Should You Be Pissed Off About?"
MPAP: I don’t think Lars or James are billionaires just yet, but maybe in another year or two, who knows? Schmier, Destruction’s vocalist, said in an interview that Metallica's lack of heaviness and anger over the years has to do with the fact that Metallica got rich. Do you think that’s a fair assumption that if you’re no longer pissed off about anything in the world, or whatever it will reflect in your music?
Sam: I absolutely find that to be a true statement. It’s tough to write like you did when you are hungry and looking to make your mark on the world. Right now, we just released our first album and now the pressure is on for the sophomore release. We are by no means rich, and everything we make goes back into the band, but I will tell you that we have worked our asses of to get this far. Nobody is going to give you anything for free, so we go out there and hustle like drug dealers and make things happen. I think when you are young and ready to go it’s reflected in your performance and in your writing. How many great first albums are there? How many great second albums? When you lose the edge the audience can tell.
4. Airline Forces Woman Wearing "Hail Satan" Shirt To Either Change or Get Off The Plane
MPAP: Satanism is officially recognized as a religion in the United States now. Still, it was far too much for one American Airlines crew to handle, who forced a passenger to change her shirt if she wanted to remain on board the plane. She was escorted up to the front of the aircraft and told to remover her shirt or get kicked off the plane. She eventually covered up the 'so-called offensive' shirt with one of her husbands. What are your thoughts on this? If her shirt had said 'Hail Jesus', no one would probably have even have batted an eye. So, should you be allowed to wear anything you want out in public? What if your favorite shirt could be offensive to one person, but not to others, what do you do? Ever had someone report you to someone or just glare at you for what you were wearing at an airport, or anywhere in public before?
Sam: As a very fruity and out-there glam rock band people stare at us all the time. We love it though and it never gets old. People are either going to love us and want to party with us our they are going to want to fight us. I have seen Jimmy standing toe to toe with a guy minutes before we took the stage because the guy was talking shit about the way we looked. We know exactly what we are getting into when we slap that makeup on, but we have the goods to back it up. I feel that people should be able to wear whatever the hell they want. The shirt wasn’t as offensive as the airline crew asking her to take it off. If she isn’t hurting anyone then what does it matter what she wears?
5. Lars Ulrich Can See Metallica Going For Another 20 Years
MPAP: Metallica formed as a band in 1981, so, in the year 2020, that would put them at touring the World for 38 years. So, add another 20 more years, that would then put them at touring just under six decades. Is that even fathomable to think about? But check this out, Dame Vera is the UK's best-selling female artist. She began performing publicly at the age of seven and is still performing to this day. Her first radio broadcast was with the Joe Loss Orchestra in 1935. That’s 85 years so far. So, try and beat that Metallica! Now how far ahead do you see yourself going? Do you still want to be performing five, ten, or even 20 years from now?
Sam: The long term goal is to continue to tour and create music for as long as we possibly can. I tell people I love touring and we are getting very good at it. Traveling for that long is tough and drains your body, but in the end I really think that’s the part that makes a band successful. You can’t just stay in one place; you have to take the show on the road to the people. I don’t think of The Midnight Devils as a local band, we are a national touring rock n roll band. We push boundaries, but still know how to throw a great rock n roll party that is going to get asses shaking. It makes you feel alive and I want to do everything I can so when I look back 50 years from now I know I put it all on the line. I want to hold nothing back. Check back with me in 20 years and I will still be wearing pink lipstick and prancing around on stage like a fruit cake.
6. New Study Says Listening To 78 Minutes Of Music Daily Is Important To Your Health
MPAP: Well, first off, are you listening to the recommended amount? And then, what do you do at home vs. out on the road to stay healthy or keep in shape? Do you worry about your health while out on the road? After a while, the same truck stop corn dog and burrito has to get old eating all the time, right? What are some of the main obstacles you have to deal with?
Sam: Yes. Absolutely yes. During our down time I DJ at a few clubs in Omaha. So every night of the week is filled with loud music. I will be 10 years sober this year so no drinking happens anymore which really helped me lose a ton of weight. Since becoming sober I found out that I love jogging. Not just any jogging but I love late night urban running through the streets. Any given night I will get out there and run 4 to 5 miles. I don’t really worry about my physical health because we are such an energetic live band. The collective mental health of the guys in the band and I is the biggest worry. Is everyone resting enough? Is anyone stressed or angry? That stuff can ruin a tour. Food on the road is so tough and that is something I want to get better at. You end up eating pizza and hot dogs every night of the week. We love the greasy truck stop food but it does get old. You just try and stick with stuff that isn’t going to make you sick and drink tons and tons of water.
7. Jason Newsted Told By Doctors To Stop Headbanging
MPAP: Recently Newsted, formerly of Flotsam & Jetsam and Metallica, said that 25 years of headbanging has finally caught up with him, and it’s time to, as doctors have told him over the years, it’s time to 'stop spinning the head.' Luckily, he doesn’t have to get surgery yet, but Slayer’s bassist Tom Araya was not as fortunate and had to have anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery done in 2010. So, what’s something if the doctor told you to do stop doing, you would stop doing. And then on the other side of the coin, what’s something if he told you to stop doing, you wouldn’t do because you like it so much?
Sam: Energy drinks are a huge one. We drink them like water to stay awake and not lose our minds on the grueling 11 am wake up calls at the hotels. I know they are poison, but they sure do the trick first thing in the morning, right before a show, late at night driving the bus; and anytime in between. I try not to drink too many in a day, but sometimes the days go on forever. I would never stop performing at a highly energetic level. The music really flows through me and when we start lighting up the stage I can’t control myself. It’s like a glittery rock n roll triathlon on stage every night. In the end though I think the doctors would love the amount of energy we exert during the course of a show. I lost 20lbs over the last tour just from playing night after night. It’s magic.
8. KNOTFEST Mexico Canceled After Fans Rush The Stage, Breaking Barricades.
MPAP: A security safety issue prevented fans from seeing the rest of Knotfest after the stage barricade broke during Behemoth's set, and it was impossible to fix it in time for the final two acts of the night, Evanescence and Slipknot, so, in the end, the rest of the show was canceled, and this did not sit well many. In pictures and video footage that surfaced, it shows many fans getting onto the stage and destroying some of Evanescence’s equipment, and set fire to Will Hunts drum set. Obviously, you don’t want this kind of shit to happen. The fans took it too far, music was more important than the safety of others. What’re your thoughts on this?
Sam: I think it’s pretty fucked up that the fans would burn the equipment of the band they paid money to see. On the other hand, in a crowd like that something should have been done to make sure the show could go on as planned. Somebody dropped the ball and they just pulled the plug. A huge crowd that was sitting in the sun all day drink and doing drugs needs a release. When that release never came they took matters into their own hands. I feel bad, but completely get when they went crazy. Somebody really should have stepped up to the plate and fixed an already fucked up situation.
9. Alice Cooper Says Lemmy's Idea Of Not Drinking Was "Maybe Just Five Or Six Drinks"
MPAP: Alice explained that one time that Lemmy from Motorhead told him he had quit drinking. Lemmy’s idea of not drinking was not drinking a bottle of whiskey each night. Maybe just five or six drinks. Are the days of excessive drinking and partying over with? What is life out on the road for you? Are you quiet when you’re not on tour, but look out, when the tour begins you can’t wait to hang out with the other bands and have a few drinks?
Sam: Yes, the days of drinking until blackout are long behind me. I was a maniac that nearly killed myself from drinking too much. I ended up in coma at 25, and that’s no way to go out. Hitting rock bottom like that really made me realize that I still loved to party, but there had to be something else. I loved my band, so I put all the energy I was using on getting wasted into rock n roll and I found out it worked. Now I have been shown the amazing value of marijuana and especially edibles, but I can’t really do anything in public yet. I get freaked out. Life on the road is great and I love every minute of it. We usually travel all day and play the show at night, then go off and look for an after party with people from the show. Jimmy and I usually love going to some crazy after party in a new town. We will stay up all night get back to the hotel by the time the breakfast starts, our one free meal of the day. Life back home is pretty quite, but like I said earlier, I DJ at a couple of clubs, so I am always surrounded by that wild party atmosphere. The coolest thing is that I get paid to party and hang out at bars with all the good looking people.
10. Kiss Played A Show For Great White Sharks But No Sharks Actually Showed Up
MPAP: I think this is the first music headline that I can’t think of anything to come up with for a question, but it just seemed so good not to talk about it. Let’s see what I can come up with in the end; either way, let’s continue. So, anyways, some Air-B-N-B company paid Kiss probably a butt load of money to perform live on a boat, like they needed it anyway, but it was for a good cause, and some fans got once in a lifetime performance. Hmmm, now that I’m thinking about it, is this Bryson’s second booking to have a band perform in a not so-usual-place? Knowing this outcome, I think he needs to stick with restaurants and book his next show at a Red Lobster. Don’t worry; it wasn’t him that booked it. But anyways, to get to the moral of the story, if anyone cares, Kiss set up and actually performed live on a boat off the coast of Port Lincoln in support of the Australian Marine Conservation Society in front of like eight special die-hard fans. The whole idea of the debacle was that Kiss would play some songs, and then sharks swimming in the area would show up because they 'love the low-frequency sounds of rock and roll.' Bassist Gene Simmons was very impressed with the whole ordeal and even said, "Guys, this is probably the most interesting gig I’ve ever done. I’d want my own autograph after this." Bam! I’ve got it! Let’s go with this, (fireworks and sirens wailing), let’s have the first-ever Metal Pulp And Paper Headline Questions three-part question. This is exciting. Mary, drum roll please…
10.1: What has been your most interesting gig so far?
Sam: We played Mike Trash from The Erotics' birthday party in his home town of Schenectady, NY. The Erotics' and Mike are notorious partiers, and this promised to be one for the books. We played this tiny bar that actually used to be somebody’s house. We set up in the living room and the place was completely packed front to back with maybe 30 people max. It was a three band bill and the owner said we could stay upstairs after the show instead of getting a hotel. By the time The Erotics went on the owner was wasted doing blow and his wife found out. The show ended and he kicked everyone out the bar including us. He shut the lights off and everybody split. We were left sitting there in the parking lot thinking, "What just happened?" The Erotics just happened all over us. It was so much fun.
10.2: Is there a person out there walking this earth that you’d like to get an autograph from?
Sam: I hate asking for autographs and pictures, but I love putting up the autographs I somehow come across on my walls. It’s definitely really cool at times to have those memories preserved forever. I think I have an Elvis autograph and an Alice Cooper autograph, so I am pretty set.
10.3: And then, give a shout out to a local band from your home town out there that you think the sharks would have shown up to listen to instead of Kiss.
Sam: In Nebraska we have this unbelievable EDM group called Plack Blague. It’s very loud aggressive bondage music set to stobe lights. Leather masks, aviator sun glasses, and studded jock straps. I think the sharks would be down for that kind of party for sure.
11. Five Finger Death Punch Guitarist Talks Backstage Perks: Their Own Dressing Rooms, Masseuses & Personal Assistants
MPAP: Must be nice, I guess, right? I don’t know how true this one is, but alongside Haribo gummy bears in his dressing room, Marilyn Manson reportedly has asked for a 'bald-headed, toothless hooker' in his rider at one point in his music career. What have been some of your backstage perks that you’ve gotten or asked for before? Can you top Manson’s?
Sam: Haha, no but we will save the Manson run-in story for another interview. We are still at the level where we ask for a backstage rider and 25 percent of the clubs provide us with something like a cold pizza and a hose to drink out of if thirsty. It’s not that bad, but we still aren’t generally getting a three course meal or handy’s in the parking lot. Most of the time at the club’s there’s not even a backstage and we have to get pretty in our own tour bus. Now that thing though has all the comforts of home and then some. One night the promoter of a show did give us and the other bands a giant bottle of Jack. Since we didn’t drink we snagged it at the end along with all the food and traded it down the line for something even better, it was probably weed.
12. Pete Townshend Says The Who "Sort Of Invented Heavy Metal" In 1970
MPAP: Ya right! And this is coming from a guy that recently said in an interview he’s glad drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle are dead and gone and no longer in The Who. What a dick. Anyways, who do you think invented Heavy Metal music in your eyes. Some say Black Sabbath’s self-titled album in 1970 was the birth of Heavy Metal music. Others argue that Blue Cheer's 1968 record Vincebus Eruptum is the first heavy metal album, while others say Coven's 1969 album Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls is where it all started. Maybe you have a total different take on it?
Sam: Sabbath was pretty intense when I first got my hands on the Paranoid album. I don’t really know though who was the first to create the genre. I can tell you this though that Motorhead perfected it and they didn’t even consider themselves a 'metal band'. They were the working man’s bridge between metal, punk, and rock. It was loud and fast and fucking brilliant.
13. Metallica's 1991 Self-Titled Album Breaks New Billboard Record
MPAP: Yes, I know, I know. Not another Metallica question. What can I say they make a lot of news headlines. So, the Black album is approaching 17 million sales in the United States while cresting over 31 million worldwide and has sold so well that it's now become one of the only four albums in history, of any genre, to be on the Billboard 220 for 550 non-consecutive weeks. That’s over ten years? At one point I think I heard it sells like 5,000 copies a week. I wonder how many warehouses Lars has rented over the years to store them all? Anyways, blah, blah blah, either way, it’s quite the accomplishment, but more importantly, what about your band? What is something that you’re proud of that has happened, and why?
Sam: The worst part about that is the first four albums were so much better, especially Kill 'Em All. I am very proud of how far The Midnight Devils have come without any help from a booking agent, a record label, or an investor. We self financed our own debut album and two music videos. We funded all the tours we have done and we are about to hit the road in 20 days for another year of traveling. We have built something from the ground up that is unique and exciting and isn’t being done by another band over here in the States. We created our own website, published our own songs, designed and funded all of our merchandise, and still have time to get out and party with the best of them. We are taking a genre of music that may as well be dead and kicking it right in the balls. It’s dirty and dangerous and a hell of a lot of fun. We aren’t playing covers of Def Leppard songs to please 40 year old drunk librarians in sports bars. Really Sniper and Jimmy are the best friends I have ever had and they have really opened my eyes to the possibilities of taking this thing as far as we want to go. We are mixing drag queens, sex, drugs, and guitars all together to live our best possible musical lives. It’s fantastic.
MPAP: Well, that wraps up another edition of Metal Pulp And Paper’s Headline Questions, and those were some great answers. Now Mary, tell them what they’ve won. Mary? Hey Mary! Shit, we can’t find Mary, haha! Anyways, so, on behalf of Metal Pulp And Paper, we’d like to thank you, Sam, for taking the time to answer these recent music news headline questions. We look forward to what you or your band, The Midnight Devils, does in 2020 and beyond. Any last words for all your fans and all the Metal Pulp And Paper readers out there?
Sam: Thank you so much for an amazing interview. This by far has been one of my favorite Q&A’s. Keep up the amazing work and thanks for everything.
Sam Spade
January/February 2020 • 4th Edition #89
Metal Pulp And Paper: Hello Sam. How are you, and are you ready for this new decade?
Sam Spade: Hello, and thank you so much for taking the time to do this wild interview. Yes, absolutely I am ready to see what the next 10 years brings. So far, it has been an amazing year and we are just getting started. It’s very weird to think about this as the dawning of a new decade. There is so much positivity and I really think things are going to be moving forward for The Midnight Devils.
MPAP: That's great to hear. Before we get started though, tell us a little about your band and what we might need to know. And, of course, if you’ve got new music, or new music coming out soon, please tell us about it so we can pummel our eardrums!
Sam: The Midnight Devils are a national touring glam slam boogie woogie glitter drenched party rock n roll band from Omaha, NE and Chicago, IL. I am the lead singer and bass player, Chris 'Sniper' Hineline is on lead guitar and vocals, and the indestructible Jimmy Mess handles himself and the drums. We are still relatively new to the world, but in 2018 we released our debut album Something Bigger. Last year we toured coast to coast in support of the new album with shows in over 30 states and performances at high profile places like The Viper Room in LA, The Dive Bar in Vegas, The M-Pre Party in Columbia, MD, and the Rocklahoma Music Festival in Pryor, OK. Just a few weeks ago we released our debut music video for the single "Pink Halo," which has been getting glowing reviews. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40yEhjWfRsI. In 20 days we are embarking on our first tour of the year and it’s a big one. We are joining legendary UK sleaze rockers The Quireboys on the last leg of their US tour. We are doing 15 dates across the country from St. Louis to Boston. After wrapping up that tour we will take off on a headlining tour destined for the east coast and back. Most importantly, The Midnight Devils are a uniquely beautiful and charismatic rock n roll machine combines sleazy punk with lip stick-smeared party rock n roll.
MPAP: Very nice. So, just in case you or the reader are new to this, this is how it all works, it won’t sting a bit. We here at the Metal Pulp And Paper headquarters pulled some recent music news headlines from the Metal Injection website and turned them into questions. Pretty simple, just like putting on your pants one leg at a time. So, once again, please place seat backs and tray tables in the upright position, hang on, here we go. Putting on your seat belt is totally up to you…
1. Hardcore Show In A Denny's Restaurant Results In Hundreds of Dollars In Damages
MPAP: So, this 17-year-old kid, Bryson Del Valle, booked his first DIY show at a Denny’s restaurant for the punk band Wacko. Obviously, Denny’s is not the ideal spot to play a hardcore music show, or is it? Still, somehow Bryson pulled it off at the Santa Anna restaurant other than the damages done to the establishment. First off, I guess the show sold out, so maybe Bryson is onto something here. Can’t imagine why Denny’s agreed to it, what were they thinking? So, I guess the question is, where would you like your band to perform that is not the ordinary place to play, and maybe get a bit wild and wreak havoc on some table and chairs? And since the story has gone viral, Green Day donated $2,000 to help pay for the damages.
Sam: Last year we put together a run of shows down to New Orleans and back to be a part of a No Ring Death Match Wrestling match. The show got moved from a venue to a warehouse, and finally happened in between the railroad tracks and the interstate on a slab of cement somewhere in the city of New Orleans. It was chaos and people showed up and loved every minute of the mayhem. There was a generator supplying power, a bonfire for lights, a makeshift bar, and a guy grilling tacos. So, for us a show at a Denny’s seems a little out of the ordinary, but we all grew up playing in punk rock bands. As a touring band most of the time you play where the promoter tells you and make the best of it. Almost every time it happens shows that are thrown in unusual places turn out to be the best shows of the tour and I guarantee this was no exception. I would love to play inside of a department store or old gas station. That would be a cool place for a wild rock n roll party. You know one right off the interstate. The only thing weird about this is that Green Day tossed in a bunch of cash to help. That’s ridiculous. They should’ve given the bands that played the money to keep making music and putting on shows.
2. Meth Recounts Hilariously Crazy Story Of Missing Their Gathering Of The Juggalos Set
MPAP: Every year Insane Clown Posse puts on a music festival called Gathering Of The Juggalos, and let’s just say it’s not a music fest you’d want to take your parents to or go there on your first date. Shit, what do I know, maybe you would want to take them there? Either way, you’re going to see some fucked up shit happening there. Anyways, one of the members of Meth told a crazy story about trying to get there to play but was unable to find the right stage they were to play on that day. Now, what about you, any crazy band stories about missing a show, or about almost missing a show that is memorable?
Sam: First of all, The Gathering of the Juggalos sounds like an amazing festival to be a part of. We already have the ridiculous makeup, we just need that invite to come to the party. Fucked up shit and ridiculous situations are exactly what we live for. Our drummer Jimmy Mess is right at home surrounded by the most insane people doing the most insane things. He just sparks up a joint and let’s the magic fly around him. He really has the best stories. We generally don’t miss shows, but last year we played this incredibly wild show in Chicago at a rock n roll club called Exit. The place is notorious for the decadent behavior and we totally destroyed the place. It was incredible and afterward we felt like kings of Chicago which is very tough to do in a mega city like that. We loaded up our gear feeling like a million bucks and our bus wouldn’t start. We tried for hours and it wouldn’t turn over. The next day we asked the mechanic next door to the club and he said, "Hell no, that thing is way to big to work on." After a few hours we called a tow truck from a service station and he agreed to come pick us up. We didn’t realize the station was 2 hours away in another state going the wrong direction. We had no choice but to load up the bus on this tow truck and head to the station to get it repaired. Now the tow truck wasn't big enough to haul our tour bus, but the guy did it anyways and drove all the way through Chicago going 15 MPH to Indiana. It took us 5 hours, but we made it and had to wait another day just to get it fixed. It ended up costing us a grand but we got back on the road and made the next stop just barely.
3. Destruction Vocalist on Metallica: "Once You're A Billionaire, What Should You Be Pissed Off About?"
MPAP: I don’t think Lars or James are billionaires just yet, but maybe in another year or two, who knows? Schmier, Destruction’s vocalist, said in an interview that Metallica's lack of heaviness and anger over the years has to do with the fact that Metallica got rich. Do you think that’s a fair assumption that if you’re no longer pissed off about anything in the world, or whatever it will reflect in your music?
Sam: I absolutely find that to be a true statement. It’s tough to write like you did when you are hungry and looking to make your mark on the world. Right now, we just released our first album and now the pressure is on for the sophomore release. We are by no means rich, and everything we make goes back into the band, but I will tell you that we have worked our asses of to get this far. Nobody is going to give you anything for free, so we go out there and hustle like drug dealers and make things happen. I think when you are young and ready to go it’s reflected in your performance and in your writing. How many great first albums are there? How many great second albums? When you lose the edge the audience can tell.
4. Airline Forces Woman Wearing "Hail Satan" Shirt To Either Change or Get Off The Plane
MPAP: Satanism is officially recognized as a religion in the United States now. Still, it was far too much for one American Airlines crew to handle, who forced a passenger to change her shirt if she wanted to remain on board the plane. She was escorted up to the front of the aircraft and told to remover her shirt or get kicked off the plane. She eventually covered up the 'so-called offensive' shirt with one of her husbands. What are your thoughts on this? If her shirt had said 'Hail Jesus', no one would probably have even have batted an eye. So, should you be allowed to wear anything you want out in public? What if your favorite shirt could be offensive to one person, but not to others, what do you do? Ever had someone report you to someone or just glare at you for what you were wearing at an airport, or anywhere in public before?
Sam: As a very fruity and out-there glam rock band people stare at us all the time. We love it though and it never gets old. People are either going to love us and want to party with us our they are going to want to fight us. I have seen Jimmy standing toe to toe with a guy minutes before we took the stage because the guy was talking shit about the way we looked. We know exactly what we are getting into when we slap that makeup on, but we have the goods to back it up. I feel that people should be able to wear whatever the hell they want. The shirt wasn’t as offensive as the airline crew asking her to take it off. If she isn’t hurting anyone then what does it matter what she wears?
5. Lars Ulrich Can See Metallica Going For Another 20 Years
MPAP: Metallica formed as a band in 1981, so, in the year 2020, that would put them at touring the World for 38 years. So, add another 20 more years, that would then put them at touring just under six decades. Is that even fathomable to think about? But check this out, Dame Vera is the UK's best-selling female artist. She began performing publicly at the age of seven and is still performing to this day. Her first radio broadcast was with the Joe Loss Orchestra in 1935. That’s 85 years so far. So, try and beat that Metallica! Now how far ahead do you see yourself going? Do you still want to be performing five, ten, or even 20 years from now?
Sam: The long term goal is to continue to tour and create music for as long as we possibly can. I tell people I love touring and we are getting very good at it. Traveling for that long is tough and drains your body, but in the end I really think that’s the part that makes a band successful. You can’t just stay in one place; you have to take the show on the road to the people. I don’t think of The Midnight Devils as a local band, we are a national touring rock n roll band. We push boundaries, but still know how to throw a great rock n roll party that is going to get asses shaking. It makes you feel alive and I want to do everything I can so when I look back 50 years from now I know I put it all on the line. I want to hold nothing back. Check back with me in 20 years and I will still be wearing pink lipstick and prancing around on stage like a fruit cake.
6. New Study Says Listening To 78 Minutes Of Music Daily Is Important To Your Health
MPAP: Well, first off, are you listening to the recommended amount? And then, what do you do at home vs. out on the road to stay healthy or keep in shape? Do you worry about your health while out on the road? After a while, the same truck stop corn dog and burrito has to get old eating all the time, right? What are some of the main obstacles you have to deal with?
Sam: Yes. Absolutely yes. During our down time I DJ at a few clubs in Omaha. So every night of the week is filled with loud music. I will be 10 years sober this year so no drinking happens anymore which really helped me lose a ton of weight. Since becoming sober I found out that I love jogging. Not just any jogging but I love late night urban running through the streets. Any given night I will get out there and run 4 to 5 miles. I don’t really worry about my physical health because we are such an energetic live band. The collective mental health of the guys in the band and I is the biggest worry. Is everyone resting enough? Is anyone stressed or angry? That stuff can ruin a tour. Food on the road is so tough and that is something I want to get better at. You end up eating pizza and hot dogs every night of the week. We love the greasy truck stop food but it does get old. You just try and stick with stuff that isn’t going to make you sick and drink tons and tons of water.
7. Jason Newsted Told By Doctors To Stop Headbanging
MPAP: Recently Newsted, formerly of Flotsam & Jetsam and Metallica, said that 25 years of headbanging has finally caught up with him, and it’s time to, as doctors have told him over the years, it’s time to 'stop spinning the head.' Luckily, he doesn’t have to get surgery yet, but Slayer’s bassist Tom Araya was not as fortunate and had to have anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery done in 2010. So, what’s something if the doctor told you to do stop doing, you would stop doing. And then on the other side of the coin, what’s something if he told you to stop doing, you wouldn’t do because you like it so much?
Sam: Energy drinks are a huge one. We drink them like water to stay awake and not lose our minds on the grueling 11 am wake up calls at the hotels. I know they are poison, but they sure do the trick first thing in the morning, right before a show, late at night driving the bus; and anytime in between. I try not to drink too many in a day, but sometimes the days go on forever. I would never stop performing at a highly energetic level. The music really flows through me and when we start lighting up the stage I can’t control myself. It’s like a glittery rock n roll triathlon on stage every night. In the end though I think the doctors would love the amount of energy we exert during the course of a show. I lost 20lbs over the last tour just from playing night after night. It’s magic.
8. KNOTFEST Mexico Canceled After Fans Rush The Stage, Breaking Barricades.
MPAP: A security safety issue prevented fans from seeing the rest of Knotfest after the stage barricade broke during Behemoth's set, and it was impossible to fix it in time for the final two acts of the night, Evanescence and Slipknot, so, in the end, the rest of the show was canceled, and this did not sit well many. In pictures and video footage that surfaced, it shows many fans getting onto the stage and destroying some of Evanescence’s equipment, and set fire to Will Hunts drum set. Obviously, you don’t want this kind of shit to happen. The fans took it too far, music was more important than the safety of others. What’re your thoughts on this?
Sam: I think it’s pretty fucked up that the fans would burn the equipment of the band they paid money to see. On the other hand, in a crowd like that something should have been done to make sure the show could go on as planned. Somebody dropped the ball and they just pulled the plug. A huge crowd that was sitting in the sun all day drink and doing drugs needs a release. When that release never came they took matters into their own hands. I feel bad, but completely get when they went crazy. Somebody really should have stepped up to the plate and fixed an already fucked up situation.
9. Alice Cooper Says Lemmy's Idea Of Not Drinking Was "Maybe Just Five Or Six Drinks"
MPAP: Alice explained that one time that Lemmy from Motorhead told him he had quit drinking. Lemmy’s idea of not drinking was not drinking a bottle of whiskey each night. Maybe just five or six drinks. Are the days of excessive drinking and partying over with? What is life out on the road for you? Are you quiet when you’re not on tour, but look out, when the tour begins you can’t wait to hang out with the other bands and have a few drinks?
Sam: Yes, the days of drinking until blackout are long behind me. I was a maniac that nearly killed myself from drinking too much. I ended up in coma at 25, and that’s no way to go out. Hitting rock bottom like that really made me realize that I still loved to party, but there had to be something else. I loved my band, so I put all the energy I was using on getting wasted into rock n roll and I found out it worked. Now I have been shown the amazing value of marijuana and especially edibles, but I can’t really do anything in public yet. I get freaked out. Life on the road is great and I love every minute of it. We usually travel all day and play the show at night, then go off and look for an after party with people from the show. Jimmy and I usually love going to some crazy after party in a new town. We will stay up all night get back to the hotel by the time the breakfast starts, our one free meal of the day. Life back home is pretty quite, but like I said earlier, I DJ at a couple of clubs, so I am always surrounded by that wild party atmosphere. The coolest thing is that I get paid to party and hang out at bars with all the good looking people.
10. Kiss Played A Show For Great White Sharks But No Sharks Actually Showed Up
MPAP: I think this is the first music headline that I can’t think of anything to come up with for a question, but it just seemed so good not to talk about it. Let’s see what I can come up with in the end; either way, let’s continue. So, anyways, some Air-B-N-B company paid Kiss probably a butt load of money to perform live on a boat, like they needed it anyway, but it was for a good cause, and some fans got once in a lifetime performance. Hmmm, now that I’m thinking about it, is this Bryson’s second booking to have a band perform in a not so-usual-place? Knowing this outcome, I think he needs to stick with restaurants and book his next show at a Red Lobster. Don’t worry; it wasn’t him that booked it. But anyways, to get to the moral of the story, if anyone cares, Kiss set up and actually performed live on a boat off the coast of Port Lincoln in support of the Australian Marine Conservation Society in front of like eight special die-hard fans. The whole idea of the debacle was that Kiss would play some songs, and then sharks swimming in the area would show up because they 'love the low-frequency sounds of rock and roll.' Bassist Gene Simmons was very impressed with the whole ordeal and even said, "Guys, this is probably the most interesting gig I’ve ever done. I’d want my own autograph after this." Bam! I’ve got it! Let’s go with this, (fireworks and sirens wailing), let’s have the first-ever Metal Pulp And Paper Headline Questions three-part question. This is exciting. Mary, drum roll please…
10.1: What has been your most interesting gig so far?
Sam: We played Mike Trash from The Erotics' birthday party in his home town of Schenectady, NY. The Erotics' and Mike are notorious partiers, and this promised to be one for the books. We played this tiny bar that actually used to be somebody’s house. We set up in the living room and the place was completely packed front to back with maybe 30 people max. It was a three band bill and the owner said we could stay upstairs after the show instead of getting a hotel. By the time The Erotics went on the owner was wasted doing blow and his wife found out. The show ended and he kicked everyone out the bar including us. He shut the lights off and everybody split. We were left sitting there in the parking lot thinking, "What just happened?" The Erotics just happened all over us. It was so much fun.
10.2: Is there a person out there walking this earth that you’d like to get an autograph from?
Sam: I hate asking for autographs and pictures, but I love putting up the autographs I somehow come across on my walls. It’s definitely really cool at times to have those memories preserved forever. I think I have an Elvis autograph and an Alice Cooper autograph, so I am pretty set.
10.3: And then, give a shout out to a local band from your home town out there that you think the sharks would have shown up to listen to instead of Kiss.
Sam: In Nebraska we have this unbelievable EDM group called Plack Blague. It’s very loud aggressive bondage music set to stobe lights. Leather masks, aviator sun glasses, and studded jock straps. I think the sharks would be down for that kind of party for sure.
11. Five Finger Death Punch Guitarist Talks Backstage Perks: Their Own Dressing Rooms, Masseuses & Personal Assistants
MPAP: Must be nice, I guess, right? I don’t know how true this one is, but alongside Haribo gummy bears in his dressing room, Marilyn Manson reportedly has asked for a 'bald-headed, toothless hooker' in his rider at one point in his music career. What have been some of your backstage perks that you’ve gotten or asked for before? Can you top Manson’s?
Sam: Haha, no but we will save the Manson run-in story for another interview. We are still at the level where we ask for a backstage rider and 25 percent of the clubs provide us with something like a cold pizza and a hose to drink out of if thirsty. It’s not that bad, but we still aren’t generally getting a three course meal or handy’s in the parking lot. Most of the time at the club’s there’s not even a backstage and we have to get pretty in our own tour bus. Now that thing though has all the comforts of home and then some. One night the promoter of a show did give us and the other bands a giant bottle of Jack. Since we didn’t drink we snagged it at the end along with all the food and traded it down the line for something even better, it was probably weed.
12. Pete Townshend Says The Who "Sort Of Invented Heavy Metal" In 1970
MPAP: Ya right! And this is coming from a guy that recently said in an interview he’s glad drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle are dead and gone and no longer in The Who. What a dick. Anyways, who do you think invented Heavy Metal music in your eyes. Some say Black Sabbath’s self-titled album in 1970 was the birth of Heavy Metal music. Others argue that Blue Cheer's 1968 record Vincebus Eruptum is the first heavy metal album, while others say Coven's 1969 album Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls is where it all started. Maybe you have a total different take on it?
Sam: Sabbath was pretty intense when I first got my hands on the Paranoid album. I don’t really know though who was the first to create the genre. I can tell you this though that Motorhead perfected it and they didn’t even consider themselves a 'metal band'. They were the working man’s bridge between metal, punk, and rock. It was loud and fast and fucking brilliant.
13. Metallica's 1991 Self-Titled Album Breaks New Billboard Record
MPAP: Yes, I know, I know. Not another Metallica question. What can I say they make a lot of news headlines. So, the Black album is approaching 17 million sales in the United States while cresting over 31 million worldwide and has sold so well that it's now become one of the only four albums in history, of any genre, to be on the Billboard 220 for 550 non-consecutive weeks. That’s over ten years? At one point I think I heard it sells like 5,000 copies a week. I wonder how many warehouses Lars has rented over the years to store them all? Anyways, blah, blah blah, either way, it’s quite the accomplishment, but more importantly, what about your band? What is something that you’re proud of that has happened, and why?
Sam: The worst part about that is the first four albums were so much better, especially Kill 'Em All. I am very proud of how far The Midnight Devils have come without any help from a booking agent, a record label, or an investor. We self financed our own debut album and two music videos. We funded all the tours we have done and we are about to hit the road in 20 days for another year of traveling. We have built something from the ground up that is unique and exciting and isn’t being done by another band over here in the States. We created our own website, published our own songs, designed and funded all of our merchandise, and still have time to get out and party with the best of them. We are taking a genre of music that may as well be dead and kicking it right in the balls. It’s dirty and dangerous and a hell of a lot of fun. We aren’t playing covers of Def Leppard songs to please 40 year old drunk librarians in sports bars. Really Sniper and Jimmy are the best friends I have ever had and they have really opened my eyes to the possibilities of taking this thing as far as we want to go. We are mixing drag queens, sex, drugs, and guitars all together to live our best possible musical lives. It’s fantastic.
MPAP: Well, that wraps up another edition of Metal Pulp And Paper’s Headline Questions, and those were some great answers. Now Mary, tell them what they’ve won. Mary? Hey Mary! Shit, we can’t find Mary, haha! Anyways, so, on behalf of Metal Pulp And Paper, we’d like to thank you, Sam, for taking the time to answer these recent music news headline questions. We look forward to what you or your band, The Midnight Devils, does in 2020 and beyond. Any last words for all your fans and all the Metal Pulp And Paper readers out there?
Sam: Thank you so much for an amazing interview. This by far has been one of my favorite Q&A’s. Keep up the amazing work and thanks for everything.
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