Talkin' Rock With Meltdown Podcast

Full disclosure: I love John Waite! When he was making the rounds promoting his documentary "John Waite: The Hard Way" I jumped at the chance to speak with the legend. Not only is he super talented, he's also a very nice guy....which I speak of at the beginning. We didn't have a whole lot of time, so we pretty much stuck to the basics, along with the documentary producer, Mike J. Nichols. Since he's loves the intimacy of playing on stage, I asked him how this ranked releasing a video of his life. You can watch his answer below, as he also talks about how this project came to be, and more. The band Tempt you may not have heard of, but you will. 2023 is going to bust these guys open. First, they covered a Christmas classic and the reason they did this particular song is very unique. -Meltdown- http://www.johnwaiteworldwide.com/ https://wrif.com/2022/12/16/john-waite-on-the-lockdown-all-of-us-were-going-through-our-personal-hell-meltdown/ https://wrif.com/2022/12/16/the-band-tempt-covers-a-billy-squire-christmas-classic-meltdown/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Grunge legend Stone Gossard joins me on Talkin' Rock. We discuss his record label, Loosegroove Records and the band Tigercub, which he's pushing. He tells me about starting the label and some of the many bands that he's signed over the years. Of course we talk about Pearl Jam. He tells me where they are as far as new music is concerned, and a loose timetable of when to expect it. We talk some Rock Hall, Chris Cornell, Duff McKagen and more.  Dorothy checked in for her 2022 exit interview. Ha! She looks back on Gifts From The Holy Ghost, the TV show Top Ten Revealed, Plans for 2023 including some collaborations, and that's just for starters.  -Meltdown- https://wrif.com/2022/12/13/stone-gossard-gives-pearl-jam-update-talks-about-loosegroove-records-the-rock-hall-duff-mckagen-more/ https://wrif.com/2022/12/12/dorothy-talks-about-2022-and-looks-forward-to-next-year-meltdown/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd is up first on Talkin' Rock. Of course we talk about the 25th anniversary of his landmark album, Trouble Is. We talk about the re-recording of it, whether it produced any new songs and more. He tells me about playing David Gilmore's famous Black Stratocaster covering Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb, which is an unreal story. We talk a little about the Pantera shows, John 5, and of course, Dodge muscle cars! Eric Boatright of Shallow side joins me to talk about his band, the currant single and possible plans for next year. He also tells a killer story of a legendary band heaping praise on Shallow Side for covering one of their classic songs.  -Meltdown- https://kennywayneshepherd.net/ https://shallowside.net/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jason joins me on this episode of Talkin' Rock to tell me about singing for Accept and Armored Saint, all in the space of a month or so. He talks about the crazy route it took to hop on stage with Accept, which may have led to his getting called up to front A.S.. We also talk about his podcast, his current touring situation and more. Jason is a really good guy and was more than happy to Talk Rock with me! -Meltdown- https://talklouderpodcast.com/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I've never had a chance to talk with Ronnie, so I didn't know what to expect. What I got was a very candid guy who sticks to his beliefs no matter if you like or not.  We talked about 2022, what he's working on, the singles for Zombified and Voices In My Head, the lyrical content of VIMH, and wearing his heart on his sleeve. We did talk about his online spat with former Skid Row singer, Sebastian Bach. Over the summer, it came out that Falling In Reverse cancelled some shows because their lap top was misplaced. That led to a lot of online chatter about their live performance. Ronnie was more than happy to clear up any confusion and give his side of the story.  I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did doing it.  -Meltdown- https://firmerch.com/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Frank Bello is up first. He talks about his solo LP - Then I'm Gone...why do a solo effort, why he didn't play the drums, and more. He tells me what people think it sounds like, and how writing and recording these tracks was similar to putting out his book. We discussed his uncle, and Anthrax drummer, Charlie Benante's role in the upcoming Pantera shows. He tells me about side project that Joey Belladonna is working on, the great voice that is John Bush...and lots more! Jeff Plate rounds out the show as the Trans Siberian Orchestra come to a town near you. We talk about rehearsals, spending time on the road away from family during the holidays, what he does the other ten months of the year, all while be distracted by something that's never happened to me in any interview I've ever done....but Jeff powers through.  -Meltdown- https://www.thefrankbello.com/ https://www.trans-siberian.com/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What. A. Show! The new Nickelback album drops on Friday, the 18th. It's called Get Rolling. We talk about the album and a few certain songs. Chad tells me about Tommy Lee's 60th birthday party, a very funny story from when they recorded their first album, and a Stanley Cup prediction. He also talks about Pantera, the hysterical Funny or Die video they shot a decade ago, and more.  Bryan Kuznitz from Fame On Fire is up next. Their new album is called Welcome to the Chaos...and that's what it's about. It's their Pandemic record. He talks about the upcoming tour, a cruise they'll be playing on, a Nickelback cover they did, and that's just for starters.  I talked with metal legend, Tom G. Warrior earlier this week. What a fun talk. The new Celtic Frost boxset drops on the 25th, and it's massive. We talk about his career, influences and LOTS more.  -Meltdown-See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I had the chance to sit down with Troy Van Leeuwen at Echopark guitars in Detroit. More on that in a few. Troy and I talked about his current gig, filling in for Dave Navaro as he recovers from long Covid, and playing with Jane's Addiction. We discussed the multitude of quality musicians he's played with in his various projects, including Jane's, A Perfect Circle, Queens of the Stoneage and more. I asked where "hired gun" ends and "band member" begins. He told me the legend who inspired him to pick up the guitar, and a great story about meeting him, and lots more.   We did the interview in Echopark guitars shop where all the instruments are made. You can learn more about them below. A big Thank You to Gabriel Currie and his staff. Also, Thank You to Robert Bruce for setting up the interview.  -Meltdown- https://wrif.com/2022/11/04/guitarist-troy-van-leeuwen-talks-about-touring-with-janes-addiction-all-his-other-projects-meltdown/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Deadmen and Dragons tour is making it's way through the country, with a stop here in Detroit at the Fillmore on the 23rd of October.  Matt Heafy joins me to discuss everything that's going on in the Trivium world. He talks about the tour, how they warm up before they take to the stage...a ritual that garnered a compliment from a metal legend. He tells me about how they stream their live shows, and all the work that goes into it. Matt is really engrained in the streaming and tech world, and he brings it to the fans. He's also doing work in the gaming world, which he explains.  As far as new music is concerned, he told me about that....sorta. He talks about the live show, the set every night, the band relationship and their connection with the fans.  We talk about horror movies and series', and more.  Enjoy! -Meltdown- https://www.trivium.org/?frontpage=true https://wrif.com/2022/10/14/singer-matt-heafy-of-trivium-updates-us-on-the-band-meltdown/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lots covered in a short amount of time on this episode of Talkin' Rock.  The Smashing Pumpkins are on tour with Janes Addiction. Billy talks about what it's like to be back out and playing in front of the fans again. We talk about the upcoming three album, three rock opera ATUM records. He explains the process and vision of that project. Plus, a little wrestling talk to round it out.  The new Skid Row album drops on October 14th, so Snake was making the rounds and gave me a few minutes to talk about The Gang's All Here. I also enlisted some "fan" questions from a guy named Rachel Bolan, Rob Hammersmith and a couple other guys, Scott Ian and Frank Bello....wink, wink. Enjoy! https://smashingpumpkins.com/ https://www.skidrow.com/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.