Theatre of Hate , been on the TV , and got fired . And I was back to not working and signing up for unemployment , so I had that kind of fear of like , “ Weren ’ t you the guy on TV ?” And I was like , “ Well , yeah , I WAS .” It was very fleeting , so I think deep down , I was a little worried , so I was bound and determined with Ian , and I kind of probably dragged Ian along with that . He was a willing participant , but I think I was really determined . But using Rick Rubin was more Ian ’ s idea than mine — he really gravitated towards Rick and that stripped-down sound . That was really Ian ’ s passion , ‘ cause
I was like , “ Hold on a minute — I can ’ t use the Gretsch ? I can ’ t use delay ? I can ’ t use the Roland amp I ’ ve been using ? Didn ’ t we just release the Love album ? Didn ’ t we just have hits in England ? Why would we start changing ?” But I went along with it , and it was very much like Rick was the Pol Pot of rock and roll — it was like Year Zero . So I went along with it , but it was a bit traumatic for me because I literally went from just having got success with a style — and just having hit singles with “ Sanctuary ” and “ Rain ” and stuff , particularly in the UK , like proper chart hits — to Rick going , “ Nah , just play Les Paul into a Marshall !” And what would Malcolm Young do at that point ?” But I like the ( Brown ) album , and I think there are moments on it . And it ended up being released as The Manna Sessions ; then it ended up being released more recently as Peace or something . So that ’ s the
same thing ; they ’ re essentially the same songs . But I knew we ’ d lose fans , you know ? But we were kind of trying to tear ourselves away from that post-punk Gothic thing that was going on . And I ’ m not a hater , but I didn ’ t wanna get pigeonholed as a Goth band because we didn ’ t feel particularly Gothic . So that ’ s why we took Death off the name .
IE : People probably forget that Guns ’ N Roses ’ first national tour for Appetite For Destruction was opening for The Cult . That show was insane .
07 • 2021
BD : Yeah , and that was actually at Ian ’ s request . Ian Astbury has really good ears — he would have made a great A & R man . And he found them . He said , “ Billy , you ’ ve gotta check this band out from L . A . — they ’ re called Guns ’ N Roses , and they ’ re the real deal . They ’ re a proper rock and roll band , less in love with Johnny Thunders and more in love with just being themselves .” And that ’ s what I think really appealed to us — there was a grit and a reality to Guns ’ N Roses that appealed to Ian and me . It was a fun tour , and they ’ re friends to this day . And it turned out well for both of us — possibly better for them .
IE : You probably subscribe to this theory also . But , growing up in the Midwest , we didn ’ t understand why — when punk rock came along — you had to give up on the heavy metal you loved the day before .
July 2
At the Gates The Nightmare Of Being Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth Utopian Ashes Cub Scout Bowling Pins Clang Clang Ho ! Desperate Journalist Maximum Sorrow ! Lana Del Rey Blue Bannisters Laura Mvula Pink Noise The Go ! Team Get Up Sequences Part One
July 9
Half Waif Mythopoetics Museum of Love Life Of Mammals The Goon Sax Mirror II The Wallflowers Exit Wounds
July 16
Barenaked Ladies Detour de Force John Mayer Sob Rock K . D . A . P . Influences Moon King The Audition The Zolas Come Back To Life Wavves Hideaway
July 23
Darkside Spiral David Crosby For Free Descendents 9th & Walnut Jackson Browne Downhill From Everywhere Leon Bridges Gold-Diggers Sound
July 30
Billie Eilish Happier Than Ever Leela James See Me Los Lobos Native Sons LUMP Animal Prince Welcome 2 America Yola Stand For Myself
Bobby Gillespie & Jehnny Beth
Los Lobos
10 illinoisentertainer . com july 2021