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ROCKNATION ISSUE 24
ROXY BLUE
Hello Roxy Blue and welcome to Rocknation . Hey this is Todd Poole from the band Roxy Blue . First of all I ’ d like to say thank you for having me on this interview , it is a pleasure to be here .
Your band has a connection with Jani Lane , please tell us about that . I remember the first time I met Jani Lane , I was playing a bar called Rascals in Memphis Tennessee , and after we got done playing the bar owner came up and said Jani Lane from Warrant would like to meet you and talk to you . Of course I didn ’ t believe him at first but then I went up and met Jani and he was super cool . He wanted to talk to me about helping the band with management . He said he loved the band ’ s performance and energy and thought that we could do something in the music world . I know we drank tons of tequila so it ’ s a miracle that I remember anything about that night . He invited all of us to go to the Warrant show the next night at the Mid South Coliseum . We met all the guys and from there we all developed a long lasting relationship . I remember we flew to LA and just hung out with Warrant for a week or so . I developed a really close relationship with Jani and would hang out with him at his house and play guitar and write songs . He was a great songwriter . Unfortunately we ended up going with Doug Thaler and Top Rock Management Motley Crue ’ s manager . Jani ’ s passing was very hard on me He was a great guy . The world has lost a great talent , I still stay in touch with my friends in Warrant .
The band hooked up with MÖTLEY CRÜE ’ s manager Doug Thaler how did he help the band ? After signing with Tom Zutaut ( GNR , Motley Crue , Tesla ) and Geffen Records , finding the right management was very important . Tom suggested Doug Thaler ( Motley Crue ) Doug and his Top Rock Management team came to see a Roxy Blue performance to a sold out show and we were immediately signed . Doug was an amazing person and an awesome manager . He was very hands on with our career decisions . After the Westwood One broadcast at the world famous Troubadour , Roxy was scheduled to hit the road with Motley but unfortunately that tour never happened . Being connected to Doug Thaler ( Top Rock ) and Tom Zutaut ( Geffen ) definitely had its perks . We were able to go to all the cool parties and hang with all the top Rockstars . We got VIP to all the cool clubs . Life was good !!!
You worked with a well known producer Mike Clink ( Guns N ’ Roses , Whitesnake , Triumph ) what did you learn with him in the studio and how well did he work with the band ? We met with a number of producers to record our record but in the end Mike Clink was the perfect match . Mike was super cool to work with . He was all about capturing the band ’ s live energy in the studio . Mike has a great ear for tones and a great sense of placement . Mike and the band really became close friends . I think it was important to Mike to know who we were and where we were coming from musically and emotionally . Mike did work us hard and pushed us to get the right performance but he always made sure the sessions were fun . He had a ping pong table brought in and set up at every studio we worked in except at Steve Vai ’ s studio . We would have tournaments in between sessions . Working with Mike also had its perks . We had allot of cool rockers drop by the studio to say hello ( KISS , Motley Crue , Warrant , Slaughter , Jimi Jamison , and Faster Pussycat to name a few ) Mike Clink will always hold a special place with Roxy Blue . I think what I learned most from Mike was to always stay true to the music . I still live by those words today .
Please tell us some cool stories about touring the USA with Babylon A . D . and Wildside . Stories of the road . There are just too many and I wouldn ’ t know where to start . I mean everyday was a new crazy adventure . We didn ’ t really hang too much with Babylon AD when we were out on tour with them but all the guys were really cool . It ’ s just by the time they hit the stage we were knee deep into something else . Rest time then meet and greet then party on the bus , and then off to the next show Lol . Pretty much how it went . And with our brothers in Wildside along for the ride it was double trouble . A full blown 24-7 Rollercoaster ride . Good times . Roxy Blue would often break from that tour and go open for other acts or do MTV . Seems like there was always something going on . Interviews , photo shoots & live radio performances . We stayed super busy all the time .
If you had to tell someone what your music sounded like , what bands would you mention ? I ’ m not really sure how to answer the question of who do I think our music sounded like . I think allot of people heard references to early VH . I know that we all had different influences but I don ’ t remember trying to sound like anyone . I do think we got caught up a little in the glam rock scene more than I would ’ ve liked . But I did f # cking dig the LA rock scene at the time . The music was cool and there was allot of energy , a great vibe going on . Our label Geffen also had big things going on so we were excited . New GNR and . new TESLA releases . But then soon , somewhere in the mix I heard a new band Geffen signed . NIRVANA . As much as I didn ’ t want to , I absolutely f # cking fell in love with the Nevermind cd . I noticed soon after that release that the scene on Sunset strip started to change . I mean it was kinda crazy how everything just sorta changed overnight , at least that ’ s how it felt . I think at that point allot of bands were questioning their future and even their own identity . It ’ s like the record labels just closed the book on that chapter of music . It ’ s as if they forgot about the people that made them millions of dollars . But with that said evolution is real . Things must change to grow and survive . Unfortunately we were with the group holding shovels .
What album was your favorite of your band and why ? Although Roxy Blue did write a new CD that was never released by Geffen that showed so much growth in the band ’ s writing . I thought it was a very cool CD . But I would have to say ‘ Want Some ’ just because my life completely changed in the making of that CD . We also have 3 CDs of demos , live and acoustic songs that are available now on FNA RECORDS . ( fnarecords . net ) I am really proud of that collection . There are some really cool songs on the studio cd that I dig . The live cd is reliving the moment and the acoustic cd is just something really cool to have because it ’ s off the cuff . REAL
Thank you for taking time for this interview , any last words to the fans ? Thanks so much for having me . Any advice I could give anyone would be the advice given to me STAY TRUE TO THE MUSIC !!!!! Thank you to all the ROXY BLUE FANS \ m / \ m /