By: Robert Cavuoto
Zakk Wylde, the man who turned heavy metal touring into a journey of fantasy excess, shares what really goes on behind bus windows and stage doors in his book Bring Metal to The Children: The Complete Berserker’s Guide to World Tour Domination.
Originally released spring of 2012, Bring Metal to The Children, was a New York Times best seller and has just been released as a paperback this summer.
To promote its release, Zakk has been out playing acoustic shows on a Book Tour of Doom. Think metal storyteller on steroids!
At the Iridium in New York, I had the chance to catch up with Zakk to talk about the inspiration behind the Book Tour of Doom, sobriety, and, of course, some Ozzy Osbourne antics.
******
Robert Cavuoto: I enjoyed the show at the Iridium in NYC. It was part guitar, part piano and part comedy hour. How did the idea of a storyteller type of show come about?
Zakk Wylde: Originally, I was going to promote the paperback release with some signings. Instead, I said “Why don’t I go out with Nick Catanese and jam”. It will be like a spoken-word-gone-wrong with our own twist.
A Black Label fucking twist. When we did the West Coast shows, it was a huge success. It was pretty much no different than if we were jamming in my living room. Everybody’s just kicking back, havin’ some cocktails.
We’re Black Label, we don’t have fans; it’s more “fams,”. Like the Grateful Dead on fucking steroids. You know everybody throughout the years. I’ve even got to know everybody’s kids.
Robert: I read that it was being filmed for a PBS special. Do you know when it will be released.
Zakk Wylde: As far as the release date goes, I’m not sure. I still have to approve all the footage.
Robert: I enjoyed hearing you share your insights behind some of the songs. When you write songs, whether for Ozzy or BLS, do you typically frame them out on piano or guitar?
Zakk Wylde: Songs like “Mama, I’m Comin’ Home” was on the piano. It was me and Ozzy just sitting in our old apartment at the time. When we got a studio, was when I picked up a 12-string guitar and started playing. Oh, man, that sounds cool on guitar.
Sometimes I’ll write on the guitar acoustically and then start jamming it on piano. It’s like “Oh, dude, let’s do a piano version of it.” Most of the time when we do piano songs it’s in the morning when I first wake up. I start singing a melody and start putting some chords behind it. And then I have another idea for a song. That’s pretty much how it comes about.
You could be in the truck going to the store and hear “A Whole Lotta Love” on classic rock radio. Just a riff that inspires you to write a cool Zeppelin or a Zappa-type riff. It’s something real basic and simple, like a five-note riff. Then you can drive it into the ground.
As far as inspiration, it depends on what mood you’re in. Obviously, when you’re sitting behind a piano or an acoustic guitar, it’s going to be more reflective like “Heart of Gold” or “Desperado”.
Robert: Tell me about the three acoustic guitars you were using at the show. Looked like you had one nylon guitar and two steel strings.
Zakk Wylde: The nylon string guitar is a Chet Atkins model when Gibson was making them. I think, it’s an ’89. I originally got it when I first joined Oz and bought another one off eBay, just as a backup.
They’re pretty amazing guitars. They really knock it out of the park and play amazing, like a Les Paul. The action – you can riff on it like an electric guitar. Same thing with those two Epiphones acoustics.
They are Masterbilts and probably only cost about $400. We’re not looking at a $4,000 or $3,200 acoustic. They play amazing, and I got EMG pickups in those guys. I also used the Roland Jazz Chorus, JC120s, which are insane. I got four of those suckers. They’re the standard for clean guitar tones.
Robert: The Masterbilts looked like they had fast necks, not to mention they sounded phenomenal?
Zakk Wylde: Yeah, I also got my pedal board up there. That sound was an accident, when we were sitting and messing around. I just turned it on going, “Oh, yeah.” I was hearing all this distortion coming through on acoustic guitar. “Dude, that sounds badass.”
It sounded like a Strat gone completely out of control with all the distortion. It’s phenomenal through that rig.
Robert: I was really impressed with the acoustics in the Iridium. Everything was audible without being deafening.
Zakk Wylde: Yeah, I know what you’re saying. The shows I’ve seen there like Jeff Beck and Allan Holdsworth, it’s loud but it’s not paralyzing.
Robert: One of the interesting aspects that came across in your book, as well as during your storytelling, was that you’re a “regular guy” dealing with celebrities’ inflated ego, tirades, and insane logic. How do you stay so grounded when you see all this silliness?
Zakk Wylde: Yeah, like I said, in the beginning of the book, you gotta thank God and Jesus Christ for creating my existence and for creating the cast of characters that make up the music business. Every day it’s just another Seinfeld episode on steroids. It’s not like you have to look for material.
You come out on the road with Black Label and the shit that you’re dealing with like the promoters and how they’re trying to scam you. I’m like, “Are you for fucking real?” Do they think were that fucking stupid?
Robert: You could write a couple of books with all the crap that goes on.
Zakk Wylde: Without a doubt. You know, dude, if we go out on the road for another month and a half; I’ll have another book.
Robert: The book has been out for a little over a year. Did you know if Ozzy Osbourne has ever read it or has he ever commented on it?
Zakk Wylde: I don’t know if Ozzy has ever read the book. Oz said “to write a book about my life”. It would be a little premature of me to write a fucking autobiography. I said, “I’d rather write a George Carlin books right now.” You know taking a fucking piss on the fucking music business and life in general.
Robert: The funniest story of night was when you said Ozzy didn’t know who Aleister Crowley was after you showed him a photo.
Zakk Wylde: Has no idea who the fuck he is, has never read any of his books. Has never read The Book of the Law, fucking Magick. Nothing [Laughter] I mean, “Just give me the fucking lyrics, and let me sing this fucking thing.”
Robert: I really enjoyed watching you play piano too. Do you consider your style of playing more like Liberace or Elton John?
Zakk Wylde: Actually, you have to figure, you’ve have the trickle-down effect, because without Robert Johnson, there’d be no Led Zeppelin. So without Liberace, there’d be no Elton. You gotta love them both. [Laughter].
Robert: So, you’re the trickle-down from Elton.
Zakk Wylde: Yeah, without a doubt. Exactly, it’s just watered-down. It’s getting weaker and weaker as it goes down. [Laughter].
Robert: Ozzy was in town promoting Black Sabbath’s new album, 13 when you were doing your Iridium gigs. Did you guys ever get a chance to connect?
Zakk Wylde: No, I actually saw mom right before we came out to New York for the Iridium gigs. So, I went down to the Sabbath release in LA. I brought Ozzy’s godsons. We had finger foods, booze and drinks and then cranking it in the lobby and then went inside. They played the two videos on the movie screen.
Then Oz and Geezer came out and did a Q & A. Right after it got done, we ended up splitting. I had to get the little guys home, but I congratulated Oz on their album. It was fucking awesome.
Oz was like, “Thanks.” “We were all kind of fucking shocked that the press actually fucking liked it, because we’ve never gotten positive reviews, ever.” That shit always made me fucking laugh. I always thought it was funny how Jimmy Page would always get bent out of shape because Rolling Stone didn’t like Led Zeppelin or said the fucking album sucked, or whatever.
If you and me were working with Zeppelin back then, “I would say, Jimmy, do you realize there’s like 73,000 people out in that stadium that don’t give a fuck what this guy says? You’re the biggest band in the world. Who gives a shit? ”
It’s like Ozzy goes, “I’m in shock here. I still don’t’ know how to take it – they actually like us.” [Laughter]
Robert: Everybody loves Ozzy. He can’t do wrong. Being an intimate show with the audience right on top of you, is there any one person that would make you nervous if they were sitting in the front row watching your every move?
Zakk Wylde: It’s funny that you would mention that. I went down and saw Allan Holdsworth for the first time. He said, “Hi, Zakk, how you doing?” I was shocked that he knew who the fuck I was.
I said, “Me, along with every other fucking guitar player, fucking loves your guitar playing. He goes, “Thanks, Zakk, do me favor. Don’t sit up front, please, you’ll make me nervous.” [Laughter] “I’ll make sure I don’t”. I sat way in the back.
When I get up there, you really just tune everything out. You’re doing your thing, and you’re in the moment. That’s really not in the back of my head cause I tell everybody, “Remember when we were doing a show at Budokan, and I remember that father Tom was down there. He was part of the whole production crew.
He goes, “Tonight’s the night.” and I go, “Tom, every night’s the night.” You play to fucking win every day, whether you play in Madison Square Garden or you play at the Iridium in front of 18 people. If me and you were on a football team and we were playing the Super Bowl, and you’d say, “Are you nervous?” I’d say, “No, I don’t give a shit if we’re playing the last fucking place team or we’re playing the 1970 Steel Curtain. We are going to fucking cave somebody’s fucking head in, and that’s the way it’s going to be.”
Robert: That’s a great analogy. Many of your earlier Black Label CDs were written and recorded when you were battling your demons. Looking back on those songs and the CDs, do you feel you’re a better writer sober or under the influence?
Zakk Wylde: With all the Black Label records I was never fucking smashed when we were making the fucking record. Yeah, we’re drinking beer while we’re making a record, but I’m not fucking smashed. I’m drinking beer like I’m drinking coffee. Take a swig and then you’re back to playing, then jam for a while.
We’re hanging out, we’re listening, we’re recording, we’re writing, I pick it up and take another swig, I’m not fucking blasted. The only way we’d ever get blasted is towards the end of the night we’d have our friends over, and we wanted to play them some shit. And then there’s a big party in there, and then get fucking hammered and falling sleep on the couch. Not driving anywhere.
We sleep on the couch, wake up in the morning, have some java or another cold one and start recording again. Then I’ll drive home; we’re not going to get fucking smashed
I remember my mother, years ago when we were playing the Hendrix stuff, she said, “Just imagine how good he could have been if he didn’t do all those drugs.” Now that we’re older, I can say, “Mom, if it wasn’t for those drugs, he wouldn’t have been who he was.”
And me with the booze, drinking, I would just sit and watch a Yankee game or I’d be practicing scales or going over shit I wanted to learn. For me it was like, “Man, it doesn’t get any better than this.” Then going to the pubs and meeting some really cool people, talking about politics, religion, sports or music. You’re just fucking hanging out, having a great time. I love that.
There was this one psychiatrist who asked, “Well, why is it you think you drink?” I go, “Dude, I enjoy it. I enjoy the euphoria. I get off on the buzz. I get off on the beer and hanging out with my friends. I don’t drink because I’m depressed; I drink because these guys go get a little action. We chill. We talk after meeting some cool people. Like at the end of the night, we really get fucking blitzkrieged, and beyond fucking blasted.
We’re all laughing our asses off. And the next day, we’d wake up laughing our balls off talking about what we did when we were at the bar. Even Ozzy said one day, “All the times with Sabbath, I’d be getting fucking smashed in rehearsals, and Tony would be writing the riffs.”
And he goes, “Well, it gives you a sort of launching pad for creativity.” I go, “You’re feeling good; everything’s fucking cool and you’re into it.” So, it’s like someone saying, if it wasn’t for the booze, I’d have never met your mother, because I’m a shy guy, and then I got the liquid courage.
I’m not speaking anything that isn’t the truth.
Robert: I get it; many of the stories in your book were alcohol related, so without the booze you wouldn’t have the book.
Zakk Wylde: Exactly, and with all the fucking cast of characters that make up the music business there would be no book.
Robert: Tell me a little about your upcoming DVD, Unblackened.
Zakk Wylde: It was just a one-off thing. Just a chance to do a shitload of tunes. Almost kind of like how we did the book tour. Usually, when we do the heavy show, it’s like we’ll throw in two mellow tunes, pepper them in the middle of the set, just break from the heavy stuff.
It’s just like when we did Hangover Music or the Book of Shadows record. When you put it in, it’s like Neil Young’s Harvest Moon. It’s mellow from the beginning to the end of the record. You know, you don’t have to change the record or skip or anything like this. It’s a fucking killer record.
Or if you made a compilation of all the great Eagle shit, just all the mellow stuff. Like that type of thing. That’s where it all comes about. It will probably be out in September.
