JETBOY…Feel The Damn Shake !
Interview with Mickey Finn
1) Hello guys and welcome back,it’s been great to see you again. So now that you’re back, let’s make it clear for your fans and explain why did the band split back in the old daze. We really want the truth..
in 1990 Sony Music took over MCA records and cleaned house! They dropped bands that they were spending big money on while they reconfigured the label. After that we tried for a while to sign with a different company but “Grunge” came along and that was that. After a short break we reformed as Mindzone and moved toward the crushing metal sound that was emerging from the underground. We rose to the top of the local Northern California scene opening for many great bands like Biohazard, Motorhead, ect. But with times being tough in the music industry failed to secure another deal. We slowly self destructed due to over 10 years of non-stop work and struggling to survive. We all went our separate ways in 1996, and had very little contact with each other until 2006.
2) Please introduce the new Jetboy, any line up changes? What’s your goals as a band now ?
Jetboy’s current lineup is original members Billy Rowe –rhythm and slide guitar, Ferni Rod lead guitar, and Mickey Finn- vocals, Michael Butler- bass guitar who played in Minzone as well as Billy Rowe’s former band American Heartbreak, and many other great bands such as Exodus, and Stevie Stiletto. Our newest member is DP Hovan on drums who is and old friend of mine who was part of the San Francisco Glam/Punk scene back in the 80’s, also a great musician who has played in a ton of great underground bands. Currently we are writing songs for a new record, and hope to be in the studio recording within the next 2 months, with a release later this year. We are also booking our summer tour dates and have been confirmed for this years M3 festival in Maryland US with Twisted Sister, and Ratt headlining.
3) Jetboy received publicity lately due to Slash’s book and his sad story about Todd Crew. There are rumours around that you don’t agree with Slash’s story. I know that it’s boring for you repeating the same words but it’s very important for all of us to know how the band parted ways with Todd and if you agree with the facts at Slash’s book.
Todd was out of control, he needed help, I could hardly recognize my friend and we asked our bro’s in GnR for help, they were too fucked up to recognize the problem and us and Todd’s family tried in vain to help even putting him in rehab which he bailed on after 3 days and went straight to the GnR house, Our management, and record label urged us to make the decision that would seal Todd’s fate and we fired him. GnR dragged him around for a while as their roadie, and a couple months later he was dead. I don’t know why Slash even brought it up in his book other than to sound cool or compete with Nikki Sxix’s heroin diaries. I can tell you this heroine isn’t cool, my friend is dead and his memory hunts me still.
4) Is your comeback related to a new album? I’ve heard that you’re in studio right now. Would you like to let us know about nall the details.
We are currently in the writing and preproduction phase for our new album, and plan on being in the studio this summer. We currently have about 8 new songs, and are finishing a few more, and then we will pick the best to be on the album. We are also considering a couple of old songs which were written for our previous albums “Feel the Shake’ and “Damned Nation” which we will rework and rerecord. Since JETBOY does have a huge back catalog of songs we felt there are a few that deserve to be revisited!
5) What’s the smell of your new recordings, do you have any fresh music elements, oldschool sound ?
With the new album we will continue on our path of bluesy, boogie woogie, rock n roll, great party music filled with all our influences from Punk, to classic rock. Lots of Harmonica, slide guitar, crunchy straight forward rock riffs, and infectious catchy melodies, we have always been an alternative band, but have never been afraid of being pop, we love great songs that stick in your head!
6) Why do you think the band had an underground successs and not a mainstream one ? Is this related to your personal issues that you faced with alcohol or are there any information that you’d like to share with us and concerns the music industry back at the 80s?
I think we have always been a bit ahead of our time, different, but in a good way from the rest of the pack! Our sound and look was just a bit different, and we really didn’t fit in perfectly with other similar bands. I actually think the world has caught up and is now more ready to accept JETBOY! From the business end of things, major record label politics is really what held us back. Problems at Electra records, the first label we signed to resulted in the entire west coast US office from the president on down being fired just weeks before our release date when they had spent a few hundred thousand dollars on us. We then were signed to MCA records, but they wanted us to start all over and record a new album when we had just finished “Fell the Shake”, we said no way and so they agreed to release it, but did not really give it the push it deserved. After a few short months touring they pulled us off the road to begin working on our 2nd album. After the release of “Damned Nation” we were again cut short after only 3 months to find out Sony music had acquired MCA. They immediately cleaned house and restaffed the entire company dropping all the bands that they had spent large amounts of money on, keeping only lower ranking bands that were not costing them as much.
7) Your debut album reached No 135 at Billboard Top 200, do you remember this fact? How did you feel then and how now about it ?
I do not remember charting #135, but I’m sure I was aware of it back then, we were very involved and well informed by our management. I know we could have gotten to the top 10 if the records were promoted properly. And I do believe we can do it now, we are better then ever and I think the world is starved for good Rock N Roll!
8) Three songs from Jetboy were featured in the movie “The Burbs” with Tom Hanks . How did it happen? Did this publicity help the band’s image?
MCA records was owned by Universal Studios, and so they used bands from MCA in all there movies, I don’t think it had much affect on our image or record sales but it did and still does add up to a paycheck! We also had songs in a movie called “She’s Out of Control” staring Tony Danza.
9) What do you remember from your cooperation with Sam Yaffa?
When we contacted Sami with the offer to join JETBOY he had already heard of us, and pretty much accepted straight away. From the moment he arrived in LA we formed a bond like brothers that still exists, he is still one of my dearest friends in the world. Sami is an amazing musician and I feel honored to have been in a band with him, we worked great together and created 2 of the best most under rated rock n roll albums ever. Not to mention wild sleazy debaucherous time’s that I will never forget.
10) Are there any plans for touring ? Do you have any official proposals for festivals?
We are currently booking some summer dates but might opt to spend more time working towards finishing the new album. Confirmed dates as of now include the M3 festival in Baltimore Maryland featuring Twisted Sister, Extreme, Ratt, Kix, Dokken, and many more.
11) Is there any archive or new material available for a DVD?
Yes we have been filming a lot of new live footage from last years touring, and will befilming the entire recording of the new album, for our next DVD. Our first DVD “The Glam Years” has a full live show form 1986 at the Whiskey a Go Go in LA, as well as interviews, and a huge photo slide show with many previously unreleased photos. It also has a full music Cd, great deal from Cleopatra/Deadline records.
12) Have you heard the news about the controversy between torrent sites and RIA ? What’s your point of view?
I try not to get too wrapped up in that drama, times change and you have to figure out a way to roll with it. The music world as we new it will never be the same, where its headed……….i don’t really know, I JUST WANNA ROCK!!!!
MYSPACE PROFILE FOR JETBOY : http://www.myspace.com/jetboyrocks
