Articles/Interviews - The ANR Exclusives

[Hokahey]

For those of you that weren't around for the old ANR, or for anyone interested in revisiting them - I have finally finished bringing over all of the old articles and interviews from the old ANR.

Articles/articlesandinterviews.htm

There's a lot in there that wasn't exclusive, so feel free to explore. However, I'll highlight the exclusive stuff in this thread - a handful of interviews and a PDF of the Ritual press release that to this day I've still never seen anywhere else unless those bastards stole it from me. There's a few other things in there that probably isn't anywhere else but aren't especially notable.

[Hokahey]

2003

No Prostitution, No Tricks, No Crimes...Just Drugs

A Q&A with Jane Bainter

By David Ames (hokahey)

The name Jane's Addiction has for years been considered one of the greatest band names in modern rock. In the same vein as Alice in Chains and Guns 'n Roses, the name provides a mix of femininity and masculinity, and in this case especially, is reflective of the sound of the band. For years people pondered the exact origin of the name, and if the bands signature song, Jane Says, was fact or fiction. Beginning in 2001, Jane Bainter broke her silence and divulged many of the details regarding the band name and the song that had raised so many questions. In honor of the first new Jane's Addiction album in thirteen years, and the revival of the Lollapalooza festival (in which Jane Says has been a staple in the bands set), AintNoRight has revisited the woman who helped birth one of the greatest band names and songs in modern rock history.

The following Q&A took place between Jane Bainter and Aiprll Patino in the final days of July 2003:


Do you ever get tired of being known as Jane from Jane’s Addiction?

Actually the old punk rockers from the 80's here in LA are the only people that usually recognized me. Others know me but probably do not know that I am the muse of JA. All the time people say why didn't you tell me - well it just didn't come up. Sometimes if it comes up first thing (like when someone grabs me and pulls me to the front of a line and then tells the doorman I'm Jane and need to get in) well then it's terrible and extremely awkward. It is also still uncomfortable for my family members and for those who are close to me. Myself, I am just me and do not deny my history, I do embrace it. But since being Jane has never been beneficial or helpful to me in any way, I have never been given cause to bring it forward.

Do you tell people now that you're that Jane?

Only if it's appropriate, which is practically never.

How did you and Perry meet?

Perry was the one in charge of collecting money and dealing with the landlords of the Wilton house which I moved into in January 1985. Stuart Sweezy who runs AMOK had moved out and I moved into his room which was upstairs and shared a bathroom and outdoor porch with Perry. The other 5 guys lived downstairs.

Who were you closest to in the band?

Since I lived with Perry for quite a while we became very close friends during that period. Before I moved into that house I was crashing with Eric Avery, Chris Brinkman and Carla Bozulich in a roach infested studio apt. in Westwood. I love and respect Eric and his family. We are of like Spirit.

Are you dating/single/do you have/want kids?

I'm currently in relationship that (hopefully) is headed for marriage soon. I am so ready for a wedding, my life was such a mess before that I never had a chance to do things right. Now I still want it all. I do not yet have children but also hope to have within the coming year......keep posted for upcoming romantic details!

How different was Perry when you met him compared to how he is now?

You know I haven't had a conversation with Perry in over 10 years. I know because that is how long I've been sober and the last time we were together he treated me like a cheap prostitute because that is all he had been hanging around with. I hear that Perry has gotten clean occasionally but if he has he sure hasn't made any amends or even extended an apology to me. I think Perry surrounds himself his own people know and really doesn't want to talk to or support any people from that period of time. In essence he's the same guy, it is just that his motives have taken him to a different place.

When is the last time you had contact with the band?

I do call up and ask to be guest listed. They wouldn't put me on at the Wiltern on New Year's Eve, they did for the KROQ rehearsal show but denied me any guests (my sister was in town). I've never been to a Lollapalooza show. At the KROQ show and also at Coachella I ran into Steven and his lovely wife Cindy who come to think of it, I am the closest to in the band now because they always greet me with good will and kisses. Those two are some great people. I am holding out hope that I will be comped into Lollapalooza this time.

How do you feel now about the band's name?

It was destiny.

How did you feel when they first told you about it?

I didn't like it at all but I didn't think the band would go anywhere.

Do people still recognize you?

Only if they already know me. Actually a guy recognized me in a restaurant last year from my laugh (I was in silhouette) on the intro to one of their videos. I always love fans who would love to meet me.

Did you ever date anyone in the band?

Nope. I just heard some British accented rock critic on NPR the other day doing a very nice plug for the band (played The Riches - also my favorite new song) saying I'd been romantically linked with all the members. There was a lot of stuff going on but the romance was elsewhere.

Did you approve your pictures being used on the early flyers?

I have never been compensated for the use of my image, signature or anything else by XXX, Warner Bros. or the band directly. It was always unstated that the reward would come later (there was no money back then). But when the money flowed none ever came my way.

Were you ever a fan of Jane's Addiction? If so, what is/was your favorite song?

I love Summertime Rolls and Had a Dad. I also love Jane Says although it is not my favorite Jane song, it was written just for me.

What is your all time favorite Jane's Addiction song?

That would change with my mood.

Do you still talk to Casey?

I need to talk to Casey more. I love Casey.

What did you think of Porno for Pyros?

I love the song Tahitian Moon. I thought they were extremely unproductive and when I first met the band they were sitting around singing CSN&Y songs and I thought they were really off track.

Do you still have contact with anyone from the band or related to the band?

I call their management. I was not invited to Perry and Etty's wedding. If we bump into each other we will hang out but we’re not in immediate social circles at the moment.

What are you working on now in your life, and where do you work?

I'm broke and unemployed. Currently I'm selling the last 30 album inserts from XXX autographed on e-bay and looking for gainful employment.

Where do you live?

West Hollywood

Is there anything people don't know about you that you'd like them to know?

I was never a prostitute. I didn't think I'd have to write my story because I was just a working white collar junkie - but maybe I do just to tell everyone how boring it is to be strung out. No prostitution, no tricks, no crimes just drugs.... thanks again.

love jane

[Hokahey]

2003

Ask Jane

You submitted the questions, and now she's answered them.

Thank you very much to Jane Bainter for taking time out of her life to do this.


Q: What do you think of their new album Strays?

A: I like it. It seems natural and sort of spontaneous. I actually wish it was a little more thought out.

Q: What is your favorite song on Strays?

A: The Riches

Q: What do you think that the future holds for Jane's Addiction?

A: More cars, more houses, God willing, more children. I think they are all lifetime committed musicians.

Q: What was your fondest memory of living in the wilton house?

A: The parachute hanging from my ceiling and billowing out with the wind. I like the custom decorated porch on the 2nd floor (as well as the front porch - good times!) and I especially loved our garden.

Q: What is the craziest thing you can ever personally remember Perry doing?

A: Censored!

Q: If you were a tree what kind of tree would you be?

A: I would love to be a great tropical hardwood or fruit tree like a mango, avocado or even apple. But realistically I am a coconut palm, easily topple by the wind and I drop giant coconuts on people's heads. It's a good time though.

Q: I heard you haven't talked to the guys in the band in a while, but have have you seen Eric recently? If not, when was the last time you saw him?

A: I ran into Eric at a restaurant near my house about 3 years ago.

Q: When Perry sings, "She pulls her dinner from her pocket" in Jane Says, what is he referring to?

A: Heroin

Q: How does Sergio feel about his bad behavior being immortalized in the song?

A: I haven't heard from Sergio since he escaped from the Hollywood police department - walked right out of custody, right out the front door when they had him for beating a man almost to death. Had him tied to a chair and tortured him for 3 days. I hadn't seen him in about six months but was unfortunately still happy to have him get me high. He came in when I was home from work for lunch and he was with his little brother. After They left I realized they had taken my keys and car. I'm sure they headed straight for the border and I never reported the car stolen. I'm sure Sergio has never heard about the band or their success.

Q: Have you learned to hit well since the song was written?

A: No. Actually my anger is a lot more under control now.

Q: Did you ever think the band Jane's Addiction would outlast your own addiction?

A: I never thought about it but thank goodness they have. I never would have made it to a show!

Q: How would you feel if they wrote another song about you?

A: I'd love it I was sort of insulted that I wasn't there for the creation of their new album. I was introduced to Bob Ezrin as we picked up our tickets at Lollapalooza this year and I honestly don't think he ever even knew that there was a Jane. It probably just never even came up!?

Q: Was Spain all you anticipated?

A: I just wanted to travel; to not be chained down. I would still like to travel.

[Hokahey]

2003

Casey Niccoli: The Other Side of Musedom


Where do muses go when they retire from the coveted throne of inspiration? For the tragic kind it can mean death. But if you’re Casey Niccoli you go to the unmuselike town of Bakersfield, California and raise two kids, Poppy, four-and-a-half; and Sonny Rey, one.

As I talk to the woman who once tied a telephone cord around her forearm to simulate shooting up heroin, I can’t help but notice the voice that sounds more like a 14-year-old than a 40-year-old. There is a childlike quality about it that can only be described as a sweetness, and it is then that I get a sense of the charm she must have wielded over Perry Farrell. Throughout the interview, Niccoli keeps with her countenance and even her rebuffs for a monthly Q & A are marked with geniality, as she explains, "I don’t want to be the kind of woman who lives in the past." She then mocks her exasperation at the unceasing requests for even a scintilla of information on her time with Farrell, the man she dated over a decade ago: "So you want to talk about Perry, well what about me?!"

Talking to Niccoli, it turns out, is a painless navigation into the thoughts of a woman who lived out her heyday as the muse of one of rock’s most talked about performers. It is clear her lifestyle no longer reflects the chaos, intensity and indulgence that once consumed her earlier years. In the background I hear her tell her daughter something like, ‘No, Poppy, you already had two ice creams today!’ and listen to her divulge her last paycheck (what Farrell probably spends on a nice coat), and suddenly I am endeared by this insouciant creature who shrouds little in secrecy, including her sentiments on Farrell.

"I’m at a painful point in my life ten years later," Niccoli admits. A natural reaction, one can guess, to seeing an ex’s image epoxyed to countless magazine covers and TV screens across America. "I have to just process this thing one more time," Niccoli says. "For a long time I was okay but then they came back," she says, referring to the Jane’s Addiction reconciliation. "Now it’s in my face all the time," she says with a laugh, "and here they are releasing not one album but two."

Throughout her eight-year relationship with Farrell, Niccoli was not only his girlfriend but artistic counterpart (a term Farrell would probably argue). She directed the videos for "Stop" and "Been Caught Stealing"—the only Jane’s Addiction video to win an MTV award—as well as "The Fan’s Video - Soul Kiss" and the surrealist movie "Gift." Her image can also be found on the covers of "Nothing’s Shocking" and "Ritual de lo Habitual" as well as the videos for "Classic Girl" and "Mountain Song." Throughout it all, Niccoli says she never received a dime; which would be a non-issue were it not for Farrell’s early vows to support his girlfriend. "Where I’m coming from it kind of sucks," says Niccoli. "I put 1000% of myself into some man who f*ked me. Here this guy is who’s floating on clouds and I can barely pay my phone bill."

Niccoli says that during their relationship Farrell used to say he would give her a point of all his record sales. "He said I would never want for anything, that he would make sure I was taken care of." Instead, she says, "I don’t have anything to show for those days when I was ‘so important.’ " (Throughout the interview, Niccoli may take issue with Farrell, but she is careful never to place blame solely on him.)

As for Niccoli’s early contributions to Jane’s Addiction, Farrell takes a different view. He was once quoted in an interview saying, "I had a secondary partner for art. But she began to feel that she had to be part of everything that we did. It's not that she didn't have good ideas, but first and foremost, she was my girlfriend."

Looking back, Niccoli says she feels like she invested more than she got back. "I should have a home or something to show for it," the high-pitched, girlish voice says jokingly. There is no house, no car, no palimony check, no royalty check, no savings account for her children’s future. The only thing she has to show for it is a sort of faded glory that still follows her, as confirmed by my request for this interview.

"We’re barely getting by and he’s some superstar," Niccoli concedes with some frustration. "I work full-time; I do everything I can to let these kids have a life." Noting the media’s current ‘can-do-no-wrong’ attitude toward Perry Farrell, Niccoli’s perspective is more grounded. "He can spew good words," she says, "but he’s not a f*ing saint. I mean I adore him, so I’m not going to say anything bad but…," her voice trails off.

Niccoli says even the Santerian wedding featured in Gift was a way to placate her while allowing Farrell matrimonial freedom (the wedding had no legal merit in the United States). "We got married in Mexico," she relates, "and then because of money, he says, ‘She was just my girlfriend.’ "

Though the memories are bittersweet—she no longer has any photos Farell, or their friend Xiola Bleu for that matter—Niccoli reveals she still thinks of the Jane’s Addiction frontman as a soul mate. "My heart was never with my children’s fathers. Ultimately I just wanted to be a mom," Niccoli says. The closest she and Farrell ever came to parenthood were two turtles, Lenny and Honey, and Graciella and Pedro, the roosters who made their acting debut in "Gift."

For now, the creator of Lonely Girl jewelry is returning to her creative roots and starting work on a clothing line (since this interview she quit her day job). But more important to her, the single-mother busies herself with the thing that means most to her in life, her two children.

(Poppy, who is home with "a really hot fever" and donning meticulously applied blue eye shadow and eggplant lipstick, does not lack in the social skills department, it turns out. During our conversation, which she carries, I find out that she is not only an accomplished artist—think pictures of "glamour girls" with pink paper, lace and lots of glitter—but she also informs me that she is "going to be five when Santa Claus comes.")

Despite everything, Niccoli says she hopes Farrell has finally reached a state in his life where he is fulfilled. Coming from someone else it might sound like the polite thing to say, but with Niccoli there is an unmistakable sincerity.

In the end, Farrell may have his Ettys and his Christine Cagels, and he may sing about his Kimberly Austins, but it is Casey Niccoli we will always remember because, quite simply, they never can be, not like a girl, such a classic girl.

[Hokahey]

2003

An Interview with Kevin Ford


Kevin Ford is the second half of the Three Days equation. In my ongoing interviews with the creators of the movie, I chatted with Kevin extensively regarding all aspects of the film, it's soundtrack, the accompanying book and more. The results are as follows:

DA: = David Ames (aintnoright)

KF = Kevin Ford

DA: Let me start by asking you how you got involved in making a Jane's Addiction documentary.

KF: Cinque Lee. He was kind of the reason we got the green light. When Perry saw our footage of Cinque breaking in to the show he was laughing really really hard. Perry didn’t want us to make a Madonna Truth or Dare type film, so when we hit him with Cinque, it really hit him in the gut. He really liked it. That’s when Perry was like, "You know, you guys got the job." I don’t think a lot of people realize that. It's such a shame Cinque's parts got so reduced. The real meaning of his part was that he was supposed to be a vessel to the real world, from the band, and there are still some elements of that in the film. Perry would say go tell fans this or that, because Perry couldn’t. Higher up corporate producer types didn't understand. "What the hell is this guy even doing here?" It's a shame too because Cinque is such a genius, and it's not allowed to shine through in the film. Cinque also makes these really great independent films, and people really should check them out. In regards to keeping him in the film though, as a young man I didn’t know how to sell people on the concept. I didn’t understand I had to get people excited. When you're young you're still close to your own perspective instead of an omni perspective.

DA: So tell me about when you met the band. I hear so many conflicting stories about all of them, especially Dave. How did they treat you?

KF: I hear those stories about Dave too. It's hard though. I can understand how the fans, they want this moment from you and you don’t have the energy to give it. Sometimes the energy just isn't right for people you know? When I first met Dave we repelled like oil and water. I Felt from Dave that he was like, "Who are you guys, and what do you want?" I kept my distance because he seemed to fit the rock star persona. Perry was more like "Hey guys! Cool whatever man. Lets do this thing!" It was different with Dave. I didn’t break the ice with him until half way through the tour. It was this weird period where Carter [Smith] went to New York to edit the "Jane Says" video, and I was left on the road alone with only my equipment and socks and underwear. One day we're all on the bus and it's just boring. Everyone was just keeping to themselves. So I see Dave playing video games in back. So I went back and was playing this racing games with Dave and I was just horrible. He smoked me. Dave thought this was really funny. So we get to laughing and somehow started talking about Woody Allen. Dave it turns out, is a huge fan. What Dave didn't know was that I owned every Woody Allen film ever made. So the whole thing turned into a Woody dialogue standoff. Dave would bust out a line from one movie, and I’d respond with a line from another. We were just cracking up. So that's how we made a connection.

DA: And you see elements of that whole Woody Allen thing from Dave in the film right?

KF: Yeah, while we were shooting later on, Dave was joking around and starts quoting Woody. There's lots more footage of that that didn't make it. But yeah, that’s where that came from. It was funny because later we were in this Texas town and were trying to find Woody movies for the bus, but we couldn't find any. So instead we wound up buying Simpson's episodes and NBA videos. Dave is amazing though. Throughout the tour and into editing he was nothing but an encouraging supporter. He also really helped financially. There were times when Dave didn’t have to obviously, but he made sure I had money for rent and to eat, even well after were done editing. Dave said "This movie could take years to come out Kevin." And at the time it was incomprehensible. But Dave knew about politics and labels and deal making. I had no comprehension. Dave said, "Don't just sit around and wait for an opportunity. Continue moving forward, follow you heart, and make as many independent films as possible." It was really scary. I just wanted the Jane's film to be a hit, because it would take care of everything. But Dave let me know it may not happen. So to help me keep the ball rolling Dave threw down $2,500 to help me start making a film. I could barely eat but I needed to make a film. Dave said, "When I was your age I had to decide to either pay bills or buy a new guitar. I got a guitar. Buy equipment and use it to make your future." I felt officially sent out of the nest. So as I was working on new projects I'd call Dave and tell him about the movie, and he’d be very encouraging. Gradually though as he went into AA and got clean, which was very important, we lost contact for awhile. To this day though, what he did means a lot to me. He inspired me as an artist. He really didn’t have to do that. After he was clean I ran into him again, and said "Don’t think I forgot to pay you back." But he said "No, that wasn’t a loan . It was a gift." I look at Dave's advice as what saved my indy film career.

DA: Very cool. I'm sure many people would be interested to know how well Dave took care of you. Getting back to the movie though, are there any Easter eggs on the DVD?

KF: I Don’t think are any eggs. We talked about it but it didn’t happen. Everything was last second when the DVD was coming together. We had five years and then it was last second. I literally had to scramble just to get the out takes in there. That was the treat. But now that you mention it I am like, "Damn!" I wasn’t there when they made the DVD. I also Wanted them to put in the "Jane Says" video. All I can say is definitely on a future release. The budget for the DVD wasn’t super high, because the budget of the movie was so high. When it came time for release, the DVD company wanted to recoup as much money as possible. I also wanted to put in 90 minutes of out takes. It was almost a whole other movie. They told me they could only fit 40 minutes. I said, "Cant you like extra compress!" And they said "No, 40 minutes!" Cutting down the out takes to 40 minutes felt like cutting my fingers off.

DA: Speaking of extra footage, will we see any of it soon?

KF: Carter and I both want to get it out. And not just for sales or for more money. But right now they’re testing the waters. If the film sells well, we'll have more opportunities to release more footage. We want to do a 2nd disk of 12-13 Jane's songs you didn’t see. The best of which is a 12 minute "Then She Did" from New York. It's all awesome stuff to see though. We want to crack it all back open and edit it. Right now it's just sitting on a shelf somewhere. If we cross our fingers and are good though, the universe will allow us to release more. Fans really need to have it. It's ridiculous you're all deprived of such beautiful stuff.

DA: So how would you feel about releasing full shows? Do you have full shows?

KF: The main shows shot were New York, San Francisco and Seattle. Those were the ones we brought out all the guns. But we only had X amount of money, and there was a lot to organize to film a show. You had to pay the venues. Certain venues forbid us to to film at all. Then the rates for others were astronomical. One wanted $200,000 just to film. A lot of times we snuck in our own digital.

DA: So what about Seattle specifically? I know someone dying to get their hands on the full show.

KF: In Seattle we had filmed an 8 angle digital video of the full show. We were actually going to make a TV special. It was supposed to be the full concert, and it was going to run on TV. I don't think we ever even edited it though. I would hope if people got together and stood outside sanctuary and chanted “Release the full concert,” that they'd understand the demand! I don’t know personally though. If I share it I run the risk of being called a bootlegger. Unfortunately I wont even let my best friends borrow the tapes. Things have a way of getting out. It'd wind up on Ebay, and I'd get phone call, like, "Kevin what the hell?" But you can't stop bootlegging. We had to take the film to a transfer house after shooting. They're all around NY and Hollywood. It's well known that at 3am there are guys at these places bootlegging people's shit they left there. That’s how stuff gets out. Everything from "Three Days" to Spielberg's new film. But your hands are tied and you have to go these places. I'm sure that's how "Three Days" got out there. Someone at a transfer house released it. I Couldn’t believe one bootleg DVD I saw of our movie. It even had fucking menu pages. Someone put a lot of work into it. My friend paid like $18.95 and the quality was horrid. I Had to turn volume all the way up it and it had TV hiss. Plus the colors were all murky. It was a total Bastardization of our work.

DA: Funny thing is, I can tell you who made it.

KF: Really? Hmm. Well, if someone saw it they'd think our movie was low production quality. That's what irked me the most. But I understand bootlegging. That is how I saw "Gift" in like 1993. Someone I knew had gotten it on a website or something and that’s how I saw it. At that time it didn’t bother me it was a boot. In that sense I would say it's positive that people saw the movie. Some fans deserved it. Corporations didn’t have the right to hold it. I can see things from both sides.

DA: So what was it like it being on the infamous "Relapse" tour, around all of the relapsing?

KF: The reason I didn't come out a drug addict was because Dave and Perry, and specific things they made known to me. They'd tell me why I shouldn’t do this or that with my life, like an older brother or uncle would. They'd say, "This will destroy you." I guess they saw this young kid wanting to film and make a movie, and curious about so many things, and I wouldn't say they scolded me, but they pulled me aside and said," This is not your way, you have a different path. Don’t get stuck here. This is not your world. You want to come out of this with your heart still." What a gift you know? If I hadn't crossed paths with Jane's Addiction I don't know what would have happened. The ironic thing is my roommate became a junkie and I found him in my bedroom watching the dailies from the film and shooting up. Then the next thing I know the dailies are missing. I would hear things from his junkie friends that they were all tripping out and watching them. It was really messed up. After all I had learned from the band, and then to see a friend using my footage for inspiration was really fucked up. Perry had a talk with me about karmic retribution for him putting out the vibe that heroin is ok. He said there was a point where he realized he had inspired people to take heroin and coke, and how now he wanted to help people understand the evils of these drugs. He felt like, "Oh my god what did I do? People shot up and over dosed because of me." Perry even told me once that in hindsight Been Caught Stealing was brazen serpentry. He was concerned that he had made a song saying stealing is cool. Then later my friend, who was a junkie, said to me, "I stole this book dude, happy birthday!" And I told him I didn't think that was very cool. He said, "I'm stealing cause it's cool! Fuck the man and rip off the establishment. You know, Been Caught Stealing!" Then I better understood what Perry was saying. It was so hard for me to see my best friend on drugs and using Jane's as inspiration, when they had kept me off them. To open people's minds about how that band really felt about the issue of drugs is important to me. I think people would be fascinated to find out that not only did they tell me not to do drugs, but even to do other things, like follow my heart. I ran into Dave right after 9/11, and he was clean then. And I felt it was important to put out to him, that even when he was harming himself he went out of his way to help me out, even if he didn't remember. Even though he was messed up he saved my life and heart, or at least helped inspire me to do that. I said that to Dave, and was even crying a little, and he was like, "Shit, I did that?" Perry himself is trying to reverse some of that now. Perry became aware and that’s what inspired him to release his solo record.

DA: So what do you think of the bands work post Relapse?

KF: I really have enjoyed all of it. It was terrible though when Perry was gearing up for his solo disk, because the music industry treated him like a nut. They said, "You're Perry Farrell. You need to sell dark stuff." I thought "Song Yet to be Sung" was a treat. I was actually involved in filming the making of it. The film is called "Go Sound the Jubilee." I only have a few rough cuts now of what we were working on. It went even deeper than "Three Days" did with the stuff with the rabbis. Perry went back to them and was like, "Instead of talking, lets do stuff together." He wanted to make a film about god. Perry was so great at the time. I mean the guy's eyes were just so bright. It was amazing to me. But the recording industry turned their backs. They were just like, "Yeah yeah, whatever dude." It really broke my heart. He had so many dreams. He wanted to go to Israel and use music to heal tension. His mission was to have Palestinians and Jews come to a concert and let music heal them. The new record is really conducive to that stuff. When I heard "Strays," I got goose bumps and was so happy to hear him so positive. After seeing them in such bad shape, seeing them doing something new blew me away. first heard it when Dave was doing the overdubs. I was like "Whoa. Wow man!" It was just so optimistic.

DA: Some fans are so stuck in the past though. I guess they don't understand what it means to evolve.

KF: I have heard people have had violent reactions to the new stuff! It's a shame that Jane's fans wont let them turn the corner. I even have a friend that is just being so judgmental of the new stuff. She says, "No they don’t have freedom to change. They owe it to us. This is what I expect from Jane's!" Now, I'm a film maker, and I wouldn’t be happy not doing new things. When people don’t allow people to grow and change, that’s stifling people. If it's not your favorite that’s cool. But right now it's too easy to knock the band, and it's such a cheap shot. These guys have come so far personally.

DA: Alright, so what's going on with this Three Days book?

KF: I don’t know what to say. Its done and it's heartfelt. It was inspired by Philip Seymore Hoffman actually. We were walking down the street in Philly one day, and Philip said, "You know, 'Three Days' was good, but it could have been more honest." It was the first time someone didn’t say "I loved it!" He said, "You guys came out as artists, and Jane's let you in their world. Your job was to give a film representation of what the world did to you. I can see where it was softened. I can see where the band had input. The movie cool, and a great Jane's collection, but as artists you and carter weren't honest about the band. This was what you mean to us unfiltered." I said, "Phil, how do you know so much about this shit?" He said, "Well, I just finished a movie about a kid on the road with a band, and how it compromised his work by being friends with the band." It turns out the movie he was talking about was "Almost Famous." A year and a half later I saw it, and I'm watching the scene where Phil is walking down the street with the kid, and he tells him the same speech he gave me that day! I was like, "Was this guy feeding me lines from script he had done?" Some actors get really into the part you know? So after that I decided to go back through my journals and go through the process again honestly. What did I learn from band? What was the bus like? How was it getting to know the fans inside and out? The book is the full story. It was funny because I started realizing when I got to each day's journal entry, that we didn’t shoot anything we had planned. When I went back and faced the journal, I realized what a whirl wind we were in at the time. I can't believe we came out with footage to even make a movie. So I wrote and wrote the book and it took me year and a half. But it's how things were unfiltered. I had originally decided when I finished I wouldn’t try and sell it. I'd just give it to band. Show them for once how I really felt. Lessons they had taught me. The encouragement they gave me. I wanted to let them know all that. And even the disappointments too. So 350 pages of single spaced writing is a pretty heavy book. However, I recently gave it to the band members one by one. I also gave it to Carter, and we wound up not speaking for a long time afterwards. Carter was like, "What?" Back then I didn’t speak up and I didn’t bring anything to my partners attention. So it was shocking for Carter to get it in a 350 page dose. I was scared it maybe would cost us our friendship. But what was cool was that after space and time, I emailed Carter, and said "Look. I was a kid when I wrote that, and now I'm letting out those fears and frustrations." I felt left out back then and like I wasn't treated very seriously. Not that that's really right, it's just how I felt. At some point that communication would have to have occurred. We needed to get angry and then eventually forgive each other. I felt like he was my brother.

DA: So have you heard back from the band about the book yet?

KF: What was interesting was we got a response from most everyone but the band, so as of now it’s a mystery. Last time I talked to Perry, he said he was halfway through, and thought it was cool. He said, 'When I'm done I'll give you feedback." I said, "Listen, I do want you to feel good but I wanted to be honest." I have a feeling now it will all come full circle. When Dave first got the book, it was so heavy he was like, "Jesus man, it's like a stone tablet." I said, "This was my time spent with you, and it's important as an artist I give something back. The movie was more of a celebration, and this is Jane's. This book is more like what I learned from you." I haven't heard back but I know they’re so busy and crazy on the road right now. I of course understand what the tour is like. I did have a good talk with Steve's wife about it and she was like, "Wow. It took a lot of heart for you to put yourself into it." After I gave him the book, things between Steve and I got a lot more straight forward. Like, "Wow. This dude went through this and is still loving us." That’s when we started collaborating.

DA: So where does the book stand in terms of a release?

KF: Good question. Carter talked about doing the book with me. Carter is an amazing photographer. We thought it would be cool to put together all his photos and my journal entries. Carter got it all out as a photographer, and I got it all out as a journalist. I'll definitely send you some excerpts from the book for you to post though.

DA: Yeah, I know he's a good photographer. I stole one of his pictures for my site logo!

KF: That's what I'm talking about! So many of his photos from the tour are so artistic. If I put out the book now it's very one sided. But when you add the photos, it's Carter and Kevin combined.

DA: So what are you working on right now, and where can people check out your other shit?

KF: Right now I'm selling a film called Hollywould. It’s a comedy. It's really a good film for people to break the ice with. I have political ones though that I cant wait to put up. Plus there's the Perkins documentary that people are screaming for. I'm really pumped about it myself. He and I are getting together with releasing this thing independently. We want to figure out how can we give something straight to the fans that they can't find in the store. I feel that's the future. Giving straight to the fan base.

For more information about Kevin Ford, Three Days the Movie, Three Days the Book, and The Perkins Film, please visit www.mo-freek.com

[Hokahey]

2003

An Interview with Carter Smith


Carter Smith has directed music videos for many of today's leading musical acts, documented several recording artists during their studio sessions, recently finished his second feature length film called Love Rome, directed commercials, and is a widely published and skilled photographer. Most importantly though, he co-directed the Jane's Addiction docu-drama Three Days, which followed the band throughout their entire 1997 tour. Recently, I sat down with the man behind the camera to discuss the movie.

DA: = David Ames (aintnoright)

CS: = Carter Smith

DA: So how did you get involved in the Three Days project?

CS: I had known Jane's Addiction's manager Adam Schneider since he was with Porno for Pyros. I had done some photo work with them. Once I heard Jane's Addiction was going back on tour, I basically kicked and scratched my way into making the film. Basically, Adam gave me the opportunity. He gave the yellow light, and then Perry gave the green. I was actually pitching to go on road with Porno until Pete got sick.

DA: How involved was the band in the making of Three Days?

CS: Dave Navarro really saved us. Situations like when we had no money, Dave would pay for editing. It really helped. Creatively, Dave also checked edits and gave suggestions. Some of his suggestions were kind of out there though, as Dave has, you know, only recently changed.

DA: How did Cinque Lee become involved in the film?

CS: He's friends with Kevin Ford, the films other director. When we were planning the movie he said, "Why don't we put Cinque in? I thought, "Perfect, here's this crazy kid from Brooklyn running around with Jane's Addiction."

DA: I don't know that I was a big fan of some of Cinque's sequences in the movie.

CS: Well, you'll notice a lot of that wound up in the deleted scenes. Reaction to his role in the film seems 50/50 either way.

DA: I read about a Three Days book. Is it still coming?

CS: We are working on a book. Everything is ass backwards with this. First the movie then book. It'll be sort of a photo/journal entry kind of thing. I have no idea about a release date though.

DA: Why did the movie take 6 years to be released?

CS: California politics. It's crazy out there. The band had no label at first, then Perry was with Virgin and Dave with Capitol. Things really fell by the wayside until all the bands dealings with the labels and managers and lawyers were finished. Plus, we had no actual contract for the movie.

DA: What were the most memorable moments of the tour for you?

CS: Well, the best part was seeing Dave walk on stage every night and do Up the Beach. The song is such an explosion that it's just amazing. It was great to see them walk on stage and see the crowd go crazy. I got a good feeling of what it must be like to see that energy, to be in the bands shoes. It was so special though because it was Jane's too, as opposed to some other band. There's something in the air with them. I've been on the stage with a lot of bands and nothing is like a Jane's Addiction show. The best part was that every time they hit the stage it helped all the bull shit of making the movie be forgotten

DA: So what will become of all of the hours of extra footage not released from Three Days?

CS: I've actually threatened their manager with a XXX version for the ten year anniversary disk! There's definitely some fucked up stuff on there. But you gotta think about the kids. There were early cuts of the movie with just everything on it. Close ups of drugs, drug use, dildo antics on stage and all kinds of stuff. Back then Dave used to put that stuff on his old Spread site. He put that all out there. I'm sure someone has it somewhere.

DA: So how do I get my hands on this footage?

CS: I'd never work in this town again (laughs).

DA: So how do you feel about the bootleg copies of Three Days floating around?

CS: The quality of the bootleg DVD is shite. Goddammit! This is from directors mouth. It's low resolution butt. I thought it was cool though that it's been around so much, after all, it's not really my money. I have seen the bootleg though and was appalled by the quality. I would hope real fan would want the real shit.

DA: So, if you don't mind me asking, did you make your money off the film up front or are its sales going to help you?

CS: Basically, when it comes to pay outs, there are lot of people on the totem pole, and we're not high up there. I didn't do this film for the money though. I did it for love of the band. A lot of people that see the movie say it's the most expensive directors reel they've ever seen .

DA: Do you foresee any future projects with the band?

CS: They always threaten photo shoots. When we made the movie, it was the right time to make it. The aesthetics were right then. We're not real mainstream video guys.

DA: So how long were you into Jane's Addiction before this, if at all?

CS: I got into Jane's Addiction in the late eighties. I'm still a fan too. I'll hear one of their songs on the radio and remember, "That's why we love them."

DA: What do you think of Strays?

CS: I haven't heard the whole album. I've heard most of it live, although that's not a good way to judge. There a lot of great of great rock tunes on it from what I've heard.

DA: A lot of fans are bitching that they've lost their edge without the drugs.

CS: They're getting older. They're solidifying their rock stardom. I mean, they're in their 30's, and 40's. I know what you mean though. Most band's post clean record are like, ugh. It's like, stick to the classics.

DA: It's funny to me though, because if you look at Jane's Addiction like you look at the Chili Peppers, they're not really doing anything that RHCP don't get away with.

CS: Yeah, but the Chili Peppers slowly moved. You can see where they're growing. They've released so many albums and the progression can be seen. Jane's Addiction's legacy was almost cut off at the teen period, and then reborn back into mid adult land. All things aside though, keep in mind that it's hard [for Jane's Addiction] to be original when every alternative band tries to be you. For example, look at Limp Bizkit. On one of their recent tours all they watched on the tour bus was Three Days. You can see where what [Fred Durst] tries to do is pure Perry based. The whole going from hard to soft thing. I see 100% Jane's Addiction influence.

DA: I've noticed that. I know a lot of fans cringe when we read him talk about how the new record will be like Limp Bizkit's Nothing's Shocking. I've noticed subtle things too, like the strand of lights above the band in the new video look like the lights Jane's always had above the crowd at their shows.

CS: Definitely. That guy directs all his own stuff too, so the Jane's influence is obvious in what he does.

DA: So as a director/photographer, what do you think of the new videos and album art?

CS: I see they're just going with all the hip big name directors now. I'm pretty unimpressed with the new video [ Just Because]. Three minutes of the same shot!? They're called cutaways buddy, and not just shots of Dave's guitar solos.

DA: What about True Nature? Have you seen it? I think it's better than Just Because, but it's still not what I would hope for from Jane's Addiction.

CS: I haven't seen it. Where can I see it?

DA: www.janesaddiction.com

CS: Interesting. I like it better than Just Because, but still. I don't know. I see lots of Carmen and Etty shots (laughs). I think what's going on is they're [Jane's Addiction] getting lost in letting other people making decisions for them. People that are not really right for making the decisions, and that's all I'll say about that.

DA: So what about the album cover?

CS: There are people in their own camp even questioning the album cover. For example, when we were discussing what to do with the cover of the DVD [Three Days], someone from Capitol mentioned letting the same guy that did the Strays cover do it, and Dave stood up and said "No way."

DA: So what other projects are you working on right now?

CS: I'm currently directing a show for Fox /Fuel called Skate Maps, a show that follows pro skateboarders around the world, mapping skate spots in each city as they go.

DA: Where can people go to learn more about this and your other projects?

CS: You can read more about my stuff at www.metroflix.com

[Hokahey]

2005

An Interview with Martyn Lenoble

March 20th, 2005


Martyn Lenoble is the seminal bass player that played with such legendary bands as Thelonious Monster, Jane's Addiction, The Cult, and Porno for Pyros to name a few. Martyn (pronounced Mar-Tine) was kind enough to talk with me and discuss his current musical project, as well as what happened with his departure from Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros. Martyn currently has several snippets of new music on his website, which show his incredible talent as not only a bass player, but as a singer and songwriter as well.

Key:

DA = David Ames

ML = Martyn Lenoble



DA: Tell me about the material you’re currently working on. I listened to all of the snippets on your site and the music is really beautiful. Is that you singing?

ML: Thank you so much. That means a lot me. Yes I’m doing the singing. The interesting thing is the tracks on the site haven’t even been mixed yet.

DA: I never would have guessed. They sound great.

ML: It’s um, it’s very raw. I’ve been lucky. Here’s the thing, I tried to do all the stuff surrounded by people I like hanging out with. Three of the songs were recorded at Daniel Lanois studio. (U2, Bob Dylan). He let me use the studio for free for a couple days. It was really, really nice. Daniel wasn’t actually there, but his engineer Adam Samuels recorded 3 songs with me. After that Mark Howard recorded another six songs with me. I basically have had a lot of really nice people helping me out, and in turn I try to do nice stuff back.

DA: Are you playing all of the instruments on the songs?

ML: On some tracks I did them all myself, and on couple I have Josh Klinghoffer on guitar (PJ Harvey), Victor Indrizzo on drums (Macy Gray, Beck, Dave Gahan) and Zac Rae on keyboards (, Alanis Morisette, Jane’s Addiction).

DA: So what will become of this music? Do you have any plans on releasing it?

ML: I don’t know what to do with it. The climate in music business right now is so strange. I think I’m (more) interested in the DYI route more and more than a record company as it might get lost in the shuffle. The point was really just to have fun and keep the business aspect out of it, and it has worked out great so far.

DA: So who are your personal influences?

ML: I grew up listening to punk rock, and I was really very lucky because my parents listened to really great music like Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart, and really nice classical music. My dad actually got in to Sex Pistols and Ramones right when they came out, and that’s the music I listened to staring at the ceiling laying in bed. Today I listen to a lot of Classical, Jazz, Coltrane, Chet Baker, Velvet Underground and the Beatles.

DA: So how did you get involved with Porno for Pyros?

ML: Well, I was playing in L.A. with Thelonious Monster, and a bunch of other bands, and through that scene I had met Perry and Peter but separately. Basically, what happened one day was there was this ad in the L.A. Weekly that said something like “Jane’s Addiction Singer and Drummer Looking for Bass Player.” I can remember seeing that and telling the people I was hanging out with that “I’m going to be the bass player in that band.” The funny thing was, I never called or did anything. I never followed up on it. Then one night I was sitting at home and got call from a manager and he said they have been doing auditions all day and wanted me to come down. So I went down and played and got hired on spot.

DA: So obviously the first record is all you, but how much of Good God’s Urge did you actually play on and write?

ML: I played on (6) of the songs. I played on everything but Porpoise Head (David J), 100 Ways, Good god’s Urge (Mike Watt) and Freeway. (Flea)

DA: So what happened with Porno for Pyros? My understanding was that you left on your own to get clean.

ML: I came to conclusion was going to die if I didn’t change something and get clean. I tried while playing in the band but wasn’t having any luck.

DA: What are some of your better Porno for Pyros memories?

ML: You know what? I can remember laughing so hard at Peter Distefano. He’s one of the funniest guys ever. You know those times where you’re laughing until your belly hurts, and it’s so bad you want it to stop? There were a lot of those days. I’d also say the times where there was real tight camaraderie, like all very together. There were really so many good memories.

DA: Do you still talk to anyone from Porno for Pyros or Jane’s Addiction?

ML: I talk to Pete once in a while. I haven’t talked to Perry at all since he fired me from Jane’s. I have spoken to Stephen [Perkins] here and there but we don’t really talk. Dave and I call each other every once in a while.

DA: Speaking of Jane’s and getting fired, would you be willing to elaborate as to what happened?

ML: Okay, I got fired in Japan at the Fiji Festival. I was totally blindsided. I really had no idea it was about to happen. I think maybe even Perry only had a slight inclination he was going to do it until it happened. Ultimately, I can tell you it was not done in a nice way. I can tell you that. It sucked (laughs)! What hurt the most was losing some great friends. I can understand if things don’t work out but the friendships that got damaged because of the way it was done made it miserable.

DA: Can you say why you were fired exactly, or what they told you?

ML: I wish I could tell you but I have thought so much about it and still can’t figure it out.

DA: I read somewhere that drugs was a factor, but I didn’t think that was going on in 2002.

ML: Drugs weren’t a factor. I’ve been clean for 8 ½ years.

DA: I also read that Bob Ezrin had something to do with it.

ML: You know what, I don’t know. My guess is that Bob Ezrin had something to do with it but I really don’t know. I never talked to Perry again after that. I never got his version. Basically at the time he said something about there being nothing but feedback coming from my side of the stage every time we played a show. But I’m a bass player, and there is no feedback. I thought “Wait a second, that’s nonsense. That’s not true.”

DA: All in all though you don’t sound at all bitter about the experience.

ML: I’ve been bitter long enough. There must have been something not working.

DA: How much of Strays did you write?

ML: I wrote a lot of it, which is what bummed me out. I was fired because everything I came up with was shit, okay? But if most of what I came up with was shit, why didn’t the new bass player come up with new parts? It was all my stuff. You know, I think Eric Avery understood before anyone else did. I loved Eric. He was one of main ingredients, a huge part of what Jane’s was. I think that he understood that going back to the same band at a different time wasn’t going to work. I even talked to him when I was asked to do Jane’s, just to make sure he didn’t want to do it, and he said wasn’t interested.

DA: Most fans feel like Bob Ezrin did a really shitty job producing Strays.

ML: I would be one of the fans that agreed Bob fucked up the sound. At one point I had a talk with him, and said “Man I’m just trying to do Jane’s, and this doesn’t sound like Jane’s.” I asked him if he had ever even listened to Ritual, and he said “I can’t listen to that record because I hate the way it sounds.” He said “I want Jane’s to stop being an art metal band and be a world class rock band.”

DA: Ouch. And it’s funny you should mention that quote because I mentioned it on my site after reading him say the same thing in a magazine interview.

ML: Yeah, he fucked up the Jane’s sound, and I’d say that to his face.

DA: Do you think even before hearing it produced that the band felt it wouldn’t stand up to the previous works?

ML: It’s not very good compared to previous works, but that was almost a given. I had to let go of that idea, because those are three big records to try and match or one-up. I don’t think anyone felt that would happen. I think that was part of firing me. I think maybe they were trying to fix it or trying to do something, hoping that it would change.

DA: What gear did you use in Porno and Jane’s?

ML: In Porno for Pyros I used G&L basses only, and Trace Eliot amps. In Jane’s I used three SVT classics, Ampeg amplifiers and Fender basses.

DA: All in all, what is your favorite project you’ve worked on?

ML: Every single thing I’ve done. I’ve been really lucky. However, I’d say the nicest atmosphere was the Dave Gahan tour.

DA: How did you get involved with the Dave Gahan tour?

ML: I’ve known Dave for years, and uh, it’s really weird because there’s this old interview with Dave from back when I was in Porno and they asked him who he would want to play with and he mentioned my name.

DA: Well, I really like the songs on your site and have heard only positive stuff from other people that have heard it.

ML: Great, that gives me motivation to finish it up!

DA: Thank you so much for your time.

ML: It has been a pleasure

[Hokahey]

2005

The Truth Will Set us Free - A Discussion with Peter Distefano

By David Ames


With his new found affinity for playing live shows with a band comprised only of his fans, and the recent release of his 2nd solo album Soul Trigger, Peter Distefano is climbing further and further out of the shadow of Porno for Pyros and writing a legacy all his own. Peter was kind enough to discuss with me recently his plans for his very own revolution.

"Let the truth come out and and then you will be where you deserve to be."

These are the first words out of the mouth of Peter Distefano and his apparent motto for life. I am immediately struck by the openness, honesty and availability of the man that co-founded one of the greatest rock acts of our time, Porno for Pyros.

"The single most important person to me is the person who is there just for the music or wants to participate in playing music with me. Most bands and music artists always put the label first. "Oh we're playing a showcase for this label! Oh my god this guy or that guy's here!" That's so gay. It's pussy shit. its all about the fans first."

Peter sounds like a man inspired to change things. To fuck up the boundaries long established by an out of touch industry.

"The deepest, most honest, heartfelt fans can sleep in my room, sleep on my floors and play with me. Those are the people I want to be in a band with. Not fame, glamour, or money seekers. That is why the gig that killerlax22 and Ellis from Xiola.org set up, was my favorite three days in music yet. I cannot wait for whoever shows up from the cyber world to play with me after Lollapalooza. My hotel is your hotel. My priorities are to the fan first, myself second, and the people in the music business third. A lot of musicians bypass their fans because they're too busy trying to find the big fish, but the big fish wont put you in museum. Van Gogh sold one painting out of 2,000 when he was alive, and his fucking brother bought it to support him. But he had integrity, and he's in a museum now and his paintings sell for $1,000,000 a piece. Dave, between you and Sonny at Xiola, because to me you're both equal, I feel like you've given me $10,000 dollars worth of integrity. And because of that, anybody from the boards is my best friend. You are my best friend. Because if I go down the wrong path, you're all not paid to tell me what I wanna hear. You're there to let me know the truth and that's all I want. There's no better quality than loyalty, even if it means staying loyal is painful. God bless Perry Farrell."

Peter makes very clear throughout our conversation that his respect, admiration, and loyalty to Perry Farrell are unwavering. I find this especially intriguing considering the often buzzed about feuds between Perry Farrell and most of his other former band mates. I inquire as to why Peter has such great respect and loyalty for a man others have declared everything from an asshole to downright greedy.

"Have you seen what he did for the slaves in Sudan? That's really fucking heavy. He paid a million dollars to free them. I wouldn't fucking do that. He's lost millions of his own money putting on these wonderful festivals like ENIT and Lollapalooza so that people can have a good time. I wouldn't fucking do that either. Perry is a generous guy. He backed me when Warner Bros. wanted a different guitar player for Porno for Pyros. The president of Warner Bros. told him I wasn't right guy. When Perry told me it crushed me, but he insisted I was his man and he did not care what anyone else thought. I'll never forget that. When I got cancer and was strung out and couldn't play gigs he didn't replace me. He put Porno on the shelf. We never broke up, people should know that. Perry and I played an acoustic show a few weeks ago, and we were paid $5,000 for our performance. Perry had his check for $2,500 cancelled, and he and Etty insisted I take the full $5,000. Around the time I got cancer I wound up owed Perry $130,000. You know what he did? He said Fuck it Pete, don't worry about it. So Perry taught me about loyalty. The difference too between myself and other people was that I didn't rely on Perry for my bread and butter. If he wanted to focus on something unrelated to what we were doing, I was fine with it."

Fascinated by the bond between Perry and Peter, I ask him how it all began.

"We met on a surf trip. I was playing classic guitar and Perry was fascinated because he said it was so rare to see finger picking in rock and roll. He told me that we should jam sometime. So when I came to jam it turned out that it was an audition, and there were all these guys there just ripping away playing fast to show off. So I just stood in the background playing notes, and Perry noticed I wasn't trying too hard, because he asked me to come back to the house and jam with him and Skatemaster Tate. We wrote three songs that night - Orgasm, Meija and Cursed Female. I was playing the riffs over these hip-hop beats and we just went for it. We were going for a more lo-fi sound. Like a one guitar track kind of thing, instead of 15 layers. Don't get me wrong, that can be beautiful, but we didn't want to copy Jane's. What we wanted to make was punk rock jazz with a hip-hop sampler dude. Something new instead of just plain rock and roll."

So what does the future hold for Peter Distefano? What are his predictions for Porno for Pyros?

"I'm going to do the Warped Tour from June 30th through July 7th. That'll be with Watt on bass and my brother Carl on drums. Then I'll probably take a week vacation in Florida, and then do Lollapalooza. When it comes to work though, everything I do is based around Perry. I'm very loyal to him. I'm his Sicilian soldier. It's in my blood. We'll do Porno for Pyros whenever Perry is ready. I hope that we can get Martyn and Perkins to join in. I know Watt would love to do it. I'll have to sit down with those guys though when the time is right and ask them to put everything aside and do the right thing for the fans. If not, it is Perry's band, and we'll do whatever we have to do. Right now though, I just released Soul Trigger, and I'm going to play more shows with my fans. That is the future to me. This will be the first time someone made music with the fans from the chat forums."

Peter is willing to sacrifice everything to give as much has he can to his fans, and has no plans to stop.

"I released my album a full month early from it was supposed to be. And if the label doesn't like what I'm doing, FUCK SANCTUARY. You can put that in big bold letters. I love them, but if they try to slow me down, fuck them. I'm not gonna slow down. I'm loyal and I'll be there and give them records, but as soon as they try to stop what I do for the fans, or put money and business first and try to put a pussy cuddly picture on my cover instead of me surfing, fuck it. I'm done working. I'll put out my own records. I have so much respect for Sanctuary though for letting me do what I want. Especially Corey Brennan for letting me go this route, and giving me freedom over my art work and music, and for making it so I can get CDs to people for $10 instead of $20. They sacrificed all the profits for me to be able to do this."

As our conversation begins to come to an end I feel as if Peter would talk to me all night. He would do anything for his fans, and I have become convinced that Peter will not stop until he has sung every song with every fan, and broken down the barriers of the typical artist fan relationship.

"At the end of the day, thank god for you and Sonny. In a perfect world, at my hotel room after Lollapalooza, we'll jam with Sonny on bass, me on guitars, and you on vocals."

To a man full of so much love and desire for us to all come together, I realize how silly we all must seem fighting our message board fights. To Peter, we're all in the same band, for the same reasons, and we're all best friends.

He is truly unique, and an inspiration. May his revolution come true.

[Hokahey]

2005

More from the Mind of Peter Distefano

By Dave Ames


I was once again blessed recently with the opportunity to chat with guitar guru Peter Distefano, the man responsible most notably for the impossibly good guitar work heard on both Porno for Pyros and the Peter Distefano solo records. I say the word blessed as most every interaction with Pete tends to be both memorable and inspirational. When talking to Pete I am always struck by his determination to maintain his integrity and honesty above all else. He seeks truth and refuses not to speak it. His words are inarguably both refreshing and inspiring, as anyone that has met the man can attest to. It is clear he is a man on a spiritual journey, and he wants nothing more for yours to be as bright as his has become.

My recent discussion with Pete came about as our discussions usually do; my humble request for a moment of the man’s time in the future, and his response to call him right away. Most anyone that wants to interact with Pete is quickly adopted as a friend, and he’ll never fail to make you feel as such.

As has likely become apparent to any Peter Distefano fan familiar with his recent interactions with his on-line fan base, Pete craves interaction with the common fan. He desires to learn from us and is always eager to take time to converse whenever possible. He is a man of many thoughts and many words, yet he will always take the time to listen to your thoughts and opinions, and in turn show his appreciation for compliments or offer his wisdom when solicited.

I immediately remember what I like so much about talking to Pete as our conversation begins. I always quickly forget I’m talking to the man who crafted the guitar sounds on some of my favorite records of all time. Yet at the same time, I feel like I’m talking to someone special. Pete is unique in that his humility crushes any notions of a potentially inflated ego, yet his perspective is his own unique brand that is inarguably compelling.

Knowing Pete’s willingness to share any and all information that we as fans might crave to know, I decide to see what outstanding questions I might be able to have answered.

I ask about Porno for Pyros first album cover, and what factors played in to changing it from the devil character with a swastika on his arm, to the same character in a rocket ship sans swastika that eventually became the album’s final cover art. “Warner Bros. (Porno for Pyros record label) was run primarily by Jewish people, and they were not gonna have it. Perry wanted to take the symbol back from what Hitler used it for. It is an ancient symbol that I believe represents unity. The 4 elements: earth, wind, fire, and water all together. Perry’s intention was beautiful, but Warner freaked. Ultimately, Perry decided it was for the best as he didn’t want to start off his new band on the wrong foot by offending his own people. At the end of the day though, it should be noted that Perry didn’t cave, he simply had no choice. Warner Bros. refused to allow it. Jane’s could have done it, but this was a new band. Unfortunately, people won’t hold back on making decisions prior to investigating. They’re too lazy. People don’t want to take the time. This is why so much popular music that is just terrible has so many fans. People are too lazy to challenge themselves to listen to something different. It’s the same with world leaders. Look what happened with Hitler. We must question authority. We have to question our movie stars, rock stars, doctors and politicians. Don’t follow blindly.”

As we discuss album art and compromises, I solicit from Pete any information he may have regarding the much discussed cover art for the Jane’s Addiction album Strays. Much like the first Porno for Pyros album, a more edgy and appropriate cover was to be used, but was changed to a more record store window friendly version. “The only thing I know about that album cover was that when Perry was co-hosting the Jimmy Kimmel show, Dave (Navarro) and Stephen (Perkins) were backstage looking at pictures from a photo shoot the band had done and I was back there with them. Stephen looked up and said that he wanted a picture of the band on the album cover. He and Dave agreed it was time for it. At the time I had no idea people were going to be so upset about the album cover. It didn’t even cross my mind. I did know when I listened to the album that it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t these four guys at The Roxy anymore. Perry was so poor back then. He was just this dirt poor artist that wanted to connect with people. That show at The Roxy, which they recorded for the first album, was the best I’ve ever seen. The bands first two albums really captured their vibe. Those two records can make you fall on the floor and listen to them for 72 hours straight with your head phones on. Ritual was great but a bit more commercial. The band was in costume by then. They had made it. It was still an incredible album though. Strays just didn’t have any of that. It was good, but not fall down on the floor good”

Looking towards the future I ask Pete what he knows of what’s coming for Porno for Pyros, and if Stephen Perkins will be included. “All I know is that it will happen if and when Perry decides for it to. The last time I hung with Perry was at Lollapalooza, but we’re going surfing this weekend. As far as who will be included, I certainly hope it’s the original line-up. However, Porno for Pyros is Perry’s band. He had the vision, selected the name, and selected the musicians to play in it. It’s his decision. Porno for Pyros was always about using various musicians in it anyway. We had four different guitar players, and just as many bass players. We had me on guitar, Matt Hyde, Dave Navarro and Daniel Ash. On bass we had Martyn Lenoble, Mike Watt, Flea and David J. It wasn’t like Jane’s Addiction where you have these four guys that are the core of the band, so we’ll see what happens. Perry may decide not to even do it, which is fine. I want to, but it’s his decision. Perry wrote the lyrics and sang those songs, which to me is 50% of the song. The lyrics and vocals are half the song. Especially with Perry and his unique voice and lyrics. When you hear Perry you know it’s him. He sounds like he does when he talks. He doesn’t put on a voice. Like when you’re listening to the radio and you’re wondering is this Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, or Scott Weiland? Nothing against those guys; they have great pipes but it’s hard to tell the difference sometimes. But Perry sings with his own voice. Just like Bob Dylan or Peter Murphy. When I call Peter Murphy and he answers the phone, he says (in Goth/Dracula voice) “Helllooo Peetah,” and you know it’s him. And when I call Perry (doing a spot on Perry Farrell voice) it’s “Hiii Pete!” He sings like he talks. Like a child.”

I find it fascinating that Pete can maintain such a great relationship with both Perry Farrell and all of those that have turned against him. I also find it compelling that he’s so willing to have the original Porno for Pyros line up in tact if the band begins again. I ask Pete how he juggles being friendly with both Perry and the people that have seemingly stabbed him in the back. “The tension between Perry and the rest of those guys is a personal thing. I’m not going to sit here and gossip. Like “Oh my god did you hear so-and-so is sleeping with so-and-so” or something like that. I still play with Perkins, I surf with Eric, and I even email with Dave Navarro from time to time. They forgave me for being a junkie and a thief, so I have no room to hold anything against them. We had to cancel tours of Europe and South America because of my drug addiction. But they forgave me. So when it comes to my personal life I will hang out with all of those guys because there is no reason to be bitter and judgmental. That’s why I can be off heroin. It sets you free. If I had to walk and get them donuts for their forgiveness I would. I hope that the rest of them will be able to find that with Perry. When it comes to my business life though, Perry is who I want to play with when it comes to singing. He is an artist that will be remembered in 200 years. That’s what I want to be associated with. I don’t want to be laughed at for the decisions I made like BoyzIIMen or something.”

Our conversation then strayed to a variety of topics. We discussed philosophy, hurricanes, music and movies and how ridiculous the industry is as whole. I learn about his disdain for award shows and that we both agree it’s ridiculous to give awards for which art is best. You wouldn’t put Dali against Van Gogh for art piece of the year, so why do it with music? I also learn that Pete is a big fan of the band Coldplay, how New Orleans was one of his absolute favorite cities and how heart breaking the hurricane situation has been. There is hardly a topic that Pete is incapable of discussing without an educated and unique perspective. He apologizes for straying too far off course from the discussion, and I quickly remind him that his perspective on all topics is interesting. Pete could discuss bugs and provide compelling comments and insight. I’d feel like I was simply boosting someone’s ego if I was speaking about anyone else, but when it comes to Pete one can’t help but find his fetish for truth contagious, and I am therefore honest in this observation. Much like his partner, mentor and muse Perry Farrell, when Pete speaks, you listen, for you know that failure to do so would inhibit you from seeing the world through a set of eyes unique from anyone else on the planet.

[Hokahey]

Ritual Press Release

Articles/Ritual%20Press%20Release.pdf

There's some really cool stuff in there.

[Eric B.]

Hey Hoka,

Thanx for making these available again. Some of it I missed the first time. Thanx!!

[Eric B.]

Audio files don't seem top work for me. Realplayer don't get them. What player should I use?

[JOEinPHX]

Peter Distefano

Like when you’re listening to the radio and you’re wondering is this Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, or Scott Weiland? Nothing against those guys; they have great pipes but it’s hard to tell the difference sometimes.

Good god, how much crack was he smoking when he gave this interview?

[Hokahey]

Peter Distefano

Like when you’re listening to the radio and you’re wondering is this Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, or Scott Weiland? Nothing against those guys; they have great pipes but it’s hard to tell the difference sometimes.

Good god, how much crack was he smoking when he gave this interview?

Dumb comment considering how hard Pete has worked to get clean.

Also, many, many people have said something similar. When Temple of the Dog came out and I had no idea who they were I remember thinking the two singers sounded a lot alike. And EVERYONE thought Weiland was copying Eddie on Plush.

[Pure Method]

Peter Distefano

Like when you’re listening to the radio and you’re wondering is this Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, or Scott Weiland? Nothing against those guys; they have great pipes but it’s hard to tell the difference sometimes.

Good god, how much crack was he smoking when he gave this interview?

really, sixer?

[Jasper]

There was a vocal style that popped up in the late 80s/early 90s, and a lot of people seemed to be leaning on this style in alternative rock. It was like a trademark of the new alt. rock style...I think someone recently compared it to the sound of a goat. It's silly to suggest that these guys weren't on some similar vocal trip a lot of the time, especially in the lower end of their range. It was like a rebellion against the shrieking hair metal sound, and eventually it became a little cliche. That's not a value judgment on any of the people named...well, except for Weiland.

Someone like Eddie Vedder obviously has a lot of integrity as an artist. It's just that vocal styles come and go, and that was a clearly identifiable style that was enjoying its day in the sun.

[JOEinPHX]

Peter Distefano

Like when you’re listening to the radio and you’re wondering is this Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, or Scott Weiland? Nothing against those guys; they have great pipes but it’s hard to tell the difference sometimes.

Good god, how much crack was he smoking when he gave this interview?

Dumb comment considering how hard Pete has worked to get clean.

i think that was kind of the point though. As a musician, he can't till the different between singers' vocal ranges?

Also, many, many people have said something similar. When Temple of the Dog came out and I had no idea who they were I remember thinking the two singers sounded a lot alike.

How much crack were YOU smoking?

And EVERYONE thought Weiland was copying Eddie on Plush.

Copying yes, but they still don't sound anything alike.

And Chris Cornell doesn't sound anything remotely like either of them.

I mean really? He could not have paired up 3 more different singers.

[Jasper]

Shut up.

[CaseyContrarian]

I've enjoyed going through these; many I've encountered, some are new. Like the Jay Babcock interview with Perry from '01 (I think). Here's a great line:

"Eric Avery--I wanna record with Eric Avery again. I wanna make up with him. I don’t know why it hasn’t happened yet, but... maybe I’ll have to try harder. I’m sure we can do it. There’s things that are deep in his heart, deep in my heart, I bet we that can get to the bottom of it. He’s a great musician. One of the greatest I’ve ever played with."

Depressing, really.

[Jasper]

I've enjoyed going through these; many I've encountered, some are new. Like the Jay Babcock interview with Perry from '01 (I think). Here's a great line:

"Eric Avery--I wanna record with Eric Avery again. I wanna make up with him. I don’t know why it hasn’t happened yet, but... maybe I’ll have to try harder. I’m sure we can do it. There’s things that are deep in his heart, deep in my heart, I bet we that can get to the bottom of it. He’s a great musician. One of the greatest I’ve ever played with."

Depressing, really.

:cona:

lol...that smiley is named cona.

[JOEinPHX]

I've enjoyed going through these; many I've encountered, some are new. Like the Jay Babcock interview with Perry from '01 (I think). Here's a great line:

"Eric Avery--I wanna record with Eric Avery again. I wanna make up with him. I don’t know why it hasn’t happened yet, but... maybe I’ll have to try harder. I’m sure we can do it. There’s things that are deep in his heart, deep in my heart, I bet we that can get to the bottom of it. He’s a great musician. One of the greatest I’ve ever played with."

Depressing, really.

It went from that to...

"Hey Eric, I brought my macbook with me with all the Satellite Party songs you're going to play on"



No wonder Trent was

[pandarve666]

Thanks for making this available again.

I had a great time reading them.

[Hokahey]

Man, it's a trip to read through these again. I barely remember conducting these interviews. That was a lifetime ago. I don't even really remember how I got access to anyone outside of Pete.

There were other people surrounding the band I talked to as well that weren't "famous" enough for interviews. Friends of the band.

The take away from everyone way back then even was that Etty was calling the shots (I avoided printing anything critical), Perry had screwed over Casey, and that Jane's was done being an "art rock" band and were ready to be more of a classic rock band; to take their place amongst the greats and be more mainstream.