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00:00The real magic was Vince Neil. What he went through and his struggles and how he performed
00:07and how he sang, I'll never forget it for the rest of my life. He did such a great job
00:13and I was so proud of him because I knew what hell he went through.
00:18Rock, metal, frog, and everything in between. Welcome to this episode of Talkin' Rock with Meltdown.
00:25Don't forget to follow the audio-only Talkin' Rock podcast on all podcast platforms.
00:30And now, it's time for today's conversation. Here's Meltdown.
00:34It's funny the things we talk about. Rock star and 35-year radio veteran before we start the conversation.
00:41We talk about all sorts of crazy stuff.
00:44Yeah. How are you, dude?
00:48I'm doing well, man. You just commented on the weather behind me.
00:51Have you been keeping tabs on the Detroit sports teams, the Tigers, the Red Wings kicking off tonight and everything?
00:58No, I don't really keep up with sports and I know I should, but I'm always just picking and doing all that stuff.
01:08But, so yeah, fill me in. What's going on?
01:11Well, the Tigers are, as we record this now, the Tigers are going into game five tomorrow.
01:15It's do or die against Seattle. That's at eight o'clock. So five o'clock your time tomorrow.
01:20Now, aren't the Dodgers doing really well, too?
01:24Perhaps. Yeah, I think so. I think they're still in it, too.
01:27I'm not a huge baseball fan myself, but, you know, this time of year, I try to keep tabs on them a little bit.
01:31Yeah, I think the Dodgers are doing really well. I mean, so it's exciting.
01:35It's the only thing I could do other than play guitar was hit a ball and throw a ball.
01:41No joke. It's the only other thing I can do.
01:45Well, have you hit or thrown a ball lately?
01:48Yes. And it's so weird. Like, it's just one of those things.
01:53I can go to the batting cages and hit, like, a super fast ball with no problem.
02:02I just go, boop, boop, boop, every time.
02:06They're like, what the hell?
02:07You know, and there's the guys that are practicing every day.
02:10And I, for some reason, I don't know what it is.
02:13I could just hit a ball and throw a ball.
02:15Well, I'll tell you what, we'll have to get you to some batting practice and maybe to throw out the opening pitch for the Tigers.
02:21Yeah, that'd be great. Can you imagine?
02:24But no joke, the other person that can do, like, that can throw and has incredible aim, I'm not joking, you would never guess, is Marilyn Manson.
02:37But his aim, his aim is unbelievable.
02:44As the only other person I've met that can, like, really, really has incredible, perfect aim, I was like, that's hilarious.
02:51Wait a second.
02:52Did you guys play catch on tour or something?
02:54How do you know this?
02:55No, he would, what would it, what would he, what would he do?
03:00I forget what he would do, like, like, we'd be somewhere and he would have a water bottle and I would say, oh, watch, you know, watch me.
03:10I'll hit that tree from, like, you know, the next town over or something.
03:15And he said, oh, I can do that, too.
03:18And he's got perfect aim.
03:20Like, it's just hilarious.
03:22All right, we got to work on this.
03:23You know, it's funny.
03:24It's like I celebrate my 30th anniversary here at Riff in three weeks, okay?
03:29That's incredible.
03:30Congratulations.
03:32I have never gotten asked or had gotten to throw out the opening pitch.
03:36None of this stuff, right?
03:37Nothing.
03:37I don't win awards.
03:38I don't do any of that stuff.
03:40Zach Myers from Shinedown, they asked him to throw out the opening pitch.
03:43And he kind of said, okay, fine.
03:46But then he gave it to his kids.
03:47So his nine-year-old kid's thrown out an opening pitch in Detroit before I have.
03:52The world ain't fair, five.
03:54I'm telling you.
03:55Life is not fair.
03:57I'm telling you.
03:57It's just not fair.
04:00All right.
04:00Let's talk about this.
04:02Let's make this happen.
04:04Let's start a thing.
04:06Let's make this happen.
04:07You're going to throw out that pitch.
04:08Yeah, maybe you and I next year, we can each have, like, a catcher behind the plate.
04:12Both of us would just zing with it.
04:14Yeah, there you go.
04:16You're going to be in town at District 142 coming up on November 19th and Machine Shop November 20th.
04:21You've got a new record dropping tomorrow.
04:22We'll talk about that here in just a minute as well.
04:24But first of all, your tour with Richie Cotsen.
04:27And I've only had the chance to see Richie Cotsen a few times.
04:30But I was just telling someone earlier, that dude is insanely talented.
04:34Oh, yeah.
04:36It's incredible.
04:37Like, I love, like, a great singer.
04:43Because I can't sing at all.
04:46I'm good with a couple of hey-hays and girls-girls and, like, whoa, yeah.
04:52I'm okay.
04:53I can do that.
04:54But to have, like, a great singer, and he's got such a phenomenal voice on top of being a great guitar player, it's, like, wow.
05:06You know?
05:06And his voice is really amazing.
05:10Really amazing.
05:11Yeah, he's, like, Chris Cornell-like.
05:15Yes, exactly.
05:16Yeah.
05:17You're absolutely right.
05:18He's, like, Chris Cornell-like.
05:21And obviously, you know him well enough to go out and tour with.
05:23I might have known him for a few years.
05:24Oh, yeah.
05:25Oh, yeah.
05:26So it's going to be wonderful.
05:29And, you know, it's going to be a great tour.
05:32We're heading out very soon.
05:35And we're going to start in San Diego and then go all across these great United States.
05:42Yeah.
05:43So Ghost Drops tomorrow.
05:44So tell me about this record.
05:47Well, what I wanted to do, you know, it's named after the guitar.
05:53Oh, the actual one I'm holding here.
05:55And it was, there's a lot that went into this record.
06:02You know, I always think, I know this sounds crazy and people are going to roll their eyes,
06:07but, you know, I believe that I'm living with ghosts and there's so many, you know, ghosts around all of us.
06:13But, you know, I just feel like it's that kind of thing.
06:19And I read, I did a lot of research, like in your dreams, like if you have dreams about friends or family that have passed and they don't talk to you, they're coming to visit you.
06:29You know, so there's no words.
06:31You just communicate at a different way.
06:36I know it's hard to explain.
06:37Um, and that's kind of what this record is about.
06:41It's, it's, there's no words, obviously.
06:43It's just, um, it's just my, uh, love of music.
06:49And I took a long time with this record and I released all these singles and put all these videos out and just took my time with it.
06:59And I would, like, if I wrote a certain song, I would play it for like two weeks straight and then go into the studio and record it that way.
07:07And if I messed up, I would start over at the top because I didn't want any, uh, punch in.
07:14So I just wanted to do it as a performance.
07:16So I just love this record.
07:20Um, there's so many, I, and I love Steely Dan and I love how they took all these different musicians for certain songs.
07:28And, and that's kind of like what I did as well.
07:31You know, it's really cool.
07:32What other musicians are on there?
07:34So I have Steven Perkins, um, who's Chains Addiction fame and he is on Deviant.
07:43I have Kenny Arnoff who is on Fiend and we all know Kenny Arnoff.
07:50I have Greg Bissonette who is absolutely incredible.
07:54David Lee Roth.
07:55I think he plays with Ringo right now, which he does.
07:59Um, he's on the album.
08:01I have Marco Miniman, who's one of my favorites from the Aristocrats.
08:05I have Matt Bissonette playing bass on Moonglow.
08:10I have, of course, my drummer, Alex Mercado is absolutely incredible.
08:16And I have Tommy Lee, um, on there too.
08:20So I have all these different musicians and it's so great.
08:23It just, cause I really thought about each song and I go, who would be great for this?
08:27Who would be great for that?
08:28And, and, uh, you know, thanks to Steely Dan for the perfectionist.
08:32I, I just love perfection and it's, it came out wonderful.
08:38Yeah.
08:38I love Steely Dan.
08:39Um, you know, so you, you've obviously played with some big bands, you know, zombie, a man
08:43said now you've been with Motley Crue and stuff.
08:45Does that afford you the chance to go off and just do your own thing and just like kind
08:49of get your yaya's out and kind of create other things besides playing home sweet home
08:54every day or whatever.
08:55Um, I've always done this, like, I guess I've been doing the instrumental thing for
09:02a long time.
09:03I don't know how many years now, but a long time, like ever since I, I guess I started,
09:09I did my first record in 2005 maybe, or 2004.
09:15So almost 20 years, you know, and, uh, it was right after I left Manson and, um, yeah,
09:22it was, uh, I've been doing it for a long time and I love it.
09:27I, I just love it so much because I just love pushing myself and making these crazy songs
09:37and going on these crazy tours.
09:38It's just so much fun.
09:41And I'm so thankful that I found this avenue and, and I can go out and play and do this.
09:49I mean, I'm so happy about it.
09:52Yeah.
09:52That's awesome.
09:52Yeah.
09:52The ghost drops, like I said, on October 10th, uh, as we record this tomorrow night.
09:56So, uh, I have to ask you about the, uh, the residency with Motley, you know, the thing
10:01that Nikki did with that golden guitar pick, I thought was ingenious.
10:04It's obviously not the most original idea, but I can't think of another guy who's done
10:08that before.
10:09Has that happened before?
10:11You know, I don't think so.
10:13Hold on.
10:13Did I lose you?
10:14There you are.
10:15Yeah.
10:15Hold on.
10:16Uh, I don't think, I don't know, but I thought that was such an incredible idea.
10:21Yeah.
10:21It was a really, really great idea.
10:24He, he threw so many picks out and his tech one night put the golden pick in there.
10:32So Nikki didn't even know when it was going out and he just has this cup full of picks
10:37and he would throw it up in the air and everybody would scamper for him.
10:41And, and, uh, but yeah, someone, someone got it, which is what a smart idea.
10:46No, it always reminded me of, uh, of course, you know, Charlie and chocolate factory, but
10:51it reminded me of the, do you ever see, you ever watch the office where they put their,
10:56they're putting the golden ticket for free paper and they all ended up at the same place.
11:01Yeah, exactly.
11:02Brilliant.
11:03That's so funny.
11:04No, but I thought that was such a great idea.
11:06And I was kind of watching a lot to see who was going to get this pick, but, uh, how'd
11:10the residency go?
11:11What do you think of doing shows like that?
11:12You're staying in the same place.
11:14Uh, you kind of, did you go through the same routine every day?
11:17So here's the thing.
11:18I was so excited for it.
11:20Cause I've never done a residency and I've always wanted to do a residency.
11:24I love Vegas.
11:25I love the desert and, um, I was, I was so excited.
11:32I was so excited and we get there and, you know, I have my hotel room and the guys were
11:41just after a show, they'd fly home and I just stayed and I enjoyed cause I love being on the
11:48road.
11:49I like the hotel.
11:50I like the room service.
11:51I like the whole thing, you know?
11:54So I, I mean, I came back a couple of times here and there, but the real magic was Vince
12:02Neal.
12:03He, what he went through and his struggles and how he performed and how he sang, I'll
12:12never forget it for the rest of my life.
12:14He did such a great job and I was so proud of him because I knew like what hell he went
12:22through and I was so happy for the guy.
12:27Yeah.
12:27That's great, man.
12:28It looked like he was, he sang great as well.
12:32And, uh, man, you know, and that was, that was less than a year ago that happened, right?
12:36Like, yeah, dude, bad.
12:39Like what he said, he even said it, he was like in a wheelchair and then he had to learn
12:44how to walk again.
12:46And I was like, Oh my God, the struggle and the, how terrifying that must've been, you know?
12:53So that was the real magic of that residency.
12:57And I'm telling you right now, every single show was amazing.
13:03There wasn't a bad show and I listen and I read those comments and I listen and I'm so
13:11focused in on every show and, uh, every show was awesome.
13:16I was so proud of him.
13:18Was, was there a point in your, in your mind when, when you found out what happened to Vince
13:21that you might never be able to play with Motley again?
13:23Um, well, I wasn't sure, you know, I, I was, nobody really knew anything.
13:32Right.
13:32And I would text with Vince and, you know, you would say, Oh, I'm doing good.
13:37I'm doing good.
13:38And, and things like that.
13:39But no one really knew what was going on.
13:43You heard rumblings.
13:45And, uh, so it was wild.
13:48It was churro.
13:50Churro, say hi.
13:52All your animals don't have any hair.
13:54They must be cold.
13:56I know they are.
13:57And, um, but this guy's, this hair is naturally just sticks out of his head like that.
14:04That's awesome.
14:06What do you think churro?
14:08That's right.
14:10No, that's great.
14:11What was, what were the highlights of the show for you?
14:12Like, like each night or was it something different every single night?
14:15So they had this thing like a kiss alive too, where, you know, I would go up on these,
14:21these risers, you know, at the end of kickstart my heart or during the whole song, actually.
14:28So you go up on these two risers.
14:30I don't know if you saw it on my Instagram.
14:32Cause there's a lot of pictures of it, but you go up on these risers, just like in kiss
14:37and you're going up and up.
14:39And we were at the top of the venue, me and Nikki, Nikki was on one side.
14:43I was on the other.
14:44And, you know, we get up there during the song, but what other bands like kiss did,
14:53like they would get strapped in and get set up.
14:56And like, before the song start, Oh no, not us during the song, me and Nikki had to get
15:04up there while still playing, you know, and we'd have to get up on the risers while we
15:11were playing.
15:13And I was like, Hey, are we going to be strapped in?
15:16Like they're like, no, you're, you're not strapped in.
15:20I'm like, Oh, okay.
15:21So there was this little metal bar that kind of went around.
15:24And so I luckily just figured out, I'm going to put my arm around the metal bar and play
15:31so I could like, hold on if something happened, God forbid.
15:35So we're up there and, you know, we did it at rehearsal and we were like, ah, it's kind
15:41of, you know, it's, we just have to concentrate and hold on.
15:45So the first show I'm going up, going up, going up and I have my arm around and I'm like
15:50playing and all this stuff.
15:51Then the confetti cannons come and I, no one told me the confetti cannons are coming.
15:58So I'm playing at the time that you can watch this at the time the confetti cannons go, I'm
16:05playing the solo and kickstart my heart.
16:07So not only am I trying to balance, not fall and kill myself, play on time and in tune and
16:14confetti is in my, I mean, I am covered.
16:18I can't see my hand in front of my face and no safety harness or anything.
16:24And it was the greatest.
16:27It's awesome.
16:28Like a kiss moment.
16:30A total kiss moment.
16:31It was awesome.
16:33It was so fun.
16:34It was just a blast.
16:35Yeah, we had, I mean, me and Tommy, like we just had, dude, we had so much fun.
16:47Like his birthday was the last show.
16:49We had these, you know, for our birthdays, we're always together on our birthday.
16:57So like, it's, it's like a pact.
16:58We have to be together.
16:59But so it was a show day and I got them these, uh, we both had these, uh, penis squirt
17:07guns, which I think is so smart.
17:09Like, why aren't these like a thing, but I guess they are a thing.
17:15Cause I got them these penis squirt guns and it's like, you hold the balls and you just
17:20squeeze the trigger and it comes out of the penis.
17:22And so he loves this.
17:27So he's like just having so much fun and stuff and he takes it to the meet and greet.
17:33And so he's squirting everybody at the meet and greet.
17:36And it was just, we just, every, every day we had a blast.
17:40It was just so much fun.
17:42Well, I can tell we're going to use for the real, for the internet from this interview.
17:45Yeah.
17:46Yeah.
17:47No, that's great.
17:48So, uh, I, I asked your, uh, your brother-in-law and your sister, like what I should talk to
17:52you about a little while ago.
17:53And, uh, they said on one of the stops you're going to make on this tour, coming up with
17:56Richie Cotson, you're actually playing in New York at a place you played with Les Paul.
18:00Tell me about that night.
18:01Yeah.
18:02So, uh, a magical night.
18:05Um, I, well, it was the worst night of my life and the best night of my life.
18:11So my dad passed a few nights prior and I was like, just so down, you know, it was just
18:20like really, really bad.
18:22And a friend of mine said, Hey, Les Paul is playing at his club, the Iridium.
18:28And, uh, Jim Marshall is going to be there, the creator of Marshall amps.
18:32And they go, why don't you come down?
18:34And I was so like, just in such a bad way.
18:37And I was like, okay, you know, I'm going to come down and just watch the great Les Paul
18:42and enjoy this music, you know, um, this was probably, uh, let's see.
18:55Um, I, I'm so, so many traumatic things have happened to me.
19:01I can't remember years, you know, cause it's like a mental block.
19:06But, um, it was when I was playing with zombie during Oz fest.
19:11So, um, so anyway, so I am there and I always travel with my guitar.
19:17It's like my whoopie or something.
19:19I always have my guitar and I meet Les and I said, Oh, can I keep my guitar back here?
19:24Um, you know, when I watch show and he was like, absolutely hang out.
19:28We enjoy.
19:29And, um, he's inviting these people up on stage.
19:34These great musicians, I mean, incredible musicians.
19:39And so he, he cuts on them after he's like, ah, keep practicing kid.
19:44You'll get somewhere.
19:45And these guys were incredible, you know, incredible.
19:49So I was like, Oh wow.
19:51You know, like these guys are so good.
19:54And then he goes, we got an odd looking fella here tonight.
19:58And I'm like, Oh no, you know, I don't, I don't want to get up there.
20:03And I don't know any of these songs.
20:04Like, and he goes, his name's John five.
20:07Let's hear it for him.
20:08And I was like, Oh no, I was so like, not in that place.
20:13And I get up there and I'm thinking he's going to like, just say the craziest things about
20:18me and all this stuff.
20:19And I get up there, I'm telling you, I'm being honest with you.
20:24I don't know what happened, but all the stars aligned and I just played and it was incredible.
20:33And after the song, you know, I got off the stage right away and thanked him.
20:40And, but he said, come back here, come back here.
20:42And he goes, son, I've seen a lot of guitar players and you impress me.
20:47I don't get impressed a lot and you impress me.
20:49I want you to play my Christmas special.
20:51And it was so emotional.
20:56This is a night I'll never forget.
20:58It was from the worst night and turned into the best night.
21:02It was an incredible time that happened in my life in insane.
21:08So I'm going to play that, um, the Iridium, I'm going to do two nights there and, uh, super
21:14excited about that.
21:15Yeah, it's great.
21:16You just mentioned, uh, Oz Fest and I haven't talked to you, uh, since the passing of Ozzy,
21:21but give me an Ozzy story or something, you know, that, that you remember about the,
21:26the Prince of Darkness.
21:27What, what, what do you, what do you recall about Oz?
21:29Um, you know, everybody has these Ozzy stories and they're crazy and they're fun and they're
21:35funny.
21:37Um, and, but it's, it's cause we did a lot of shows and a lot of tours with Ozzy, but what
21:46happened with Ozzy?
21:48We would have these conversations, like normal conversations.
21:55And it was wonderful because everybody, you know, it was like, Oh, you know, Ozzy and blah,
22:02blah, blah.
22:02But we would sit down and have these normal conversations.
22:07And it was wonderful.
22:09It wasn't like the crazy Ozzy.
22:13Um, and I think that's so different than everybody else's stories.
22:19Everybody else's stories were this and that and the madness and all this stuff.
22:23But we sat down and had such great conversations about music and, and health and, uh, life and
22:32all that stuff.
22:33And it was wonderful.
22:35It was so wonderful to, um, be in his presence.
22:40And I got a chance to play with him and we did some, um, like some, you know, jams and
22:46all that stuff.
22:47And we had a lot of fun and, um, you know, there will never be, people say this a lot,
22:56but they'll really, we'll never be another Ozzy because not only was he brilliant and his
23:05voice, but he created something that will live on forever.
23:12I mean, he's like, you know, they created heavy metal, you know, it's like, it's like
23:19Henry Ford, like creating the automobile or something like he was so important.
23:26To music and to us and how lucky are we that we got to spend time with him, listen to him,
23:41see him live because this is Ozzy will live on for so long.
23:49It's like, you know, Lincoln or something, you know, we got a chance to see him live and
23:57enjoy while it was happening because we're going to be talking, people will be talking
24:02that us will be gone, but people will be talking about Ozzy for hundreds of years.
24:09And, uh, you know, so we're lucky and we're so lucky that we got the albums and the shows
24:15and the memories.
24:17Yeah.
24:17Was there a chance that, uh, that you could have gone to back to the beginning or were
24:20you watching at all?
24:21Did you see any of that?
24:23Um, yeah, I was, um, actually, yeah, I got a call from Murillo saying, Hey, there might
24:30be an open spot.
24:31You want to do this?
24:32And I said, of course, you know, I'm, I'm there just whatever you need.
24:39And he goes, okay, just hang tight, you know?
24:42And, and I was like, absolutely.
24:44I'm, you know, whatever you, you know, I'll, I'll be there.
24:48It doesn't matter.
24:48I'll, you know, I'll be there a hundred percent.
24:51So, um, but yeah, they didn't need me, but at least I got that call saying, Hey, we might
24:56need you.
24:57And I, um, I was, you know, of course there in one second, if I needed to be.
25:04And, uh, I just watched it and life is a funny thing because we can't explain what happens,
25:15you know, like, um, we've all had people that have passed.
25:20And when you go to the hospital and all the families around, but you always hear, Oh, well,
25:26that person, you know, we're waiting for that person to get to here to the hospital and,
25:32and they, you know, they sense their being or something like that in the hospital.
25:37And then that person passes.
25:40And I think that's, you know, what do I know?
25:43I don't know anything, but like with Ozzy and that send off, it was, you know, that's
25:51just proof that there is something so much bigger and so great out there that, uh, we
25:59can't even explain because Ozzy, that performance was chilling.
26:06It was incredible.
26:07He was incredible.
26:09I had tears in my eyes and, um, then he was gone.
26:15Um, and it was, that's, those are things we can't explain, you know, and he was so special.
26:24He was so special.
26:25I just, I'm, you know, I miss him every day and I don't think that, uh, will ever go away.
26:32Now, uh, rapid things up here.
26:34Uh, by the way, you talked about the ghost earlier and, uh, you do have a ghost story.
26:38You told me one time about where you saw somebody, a woman in the doorway of your room.
26:41And that's true.
26:43Do you have any other ones?
26:46No, that's the only time that's ever happened, but it's, and that absolutely happened.
26:52And I was so awake.
26:54I was like, okay, I'm awake and I'm telling myself I'm awake and I'm looking at that doorway
27:01and I'm like, I'm awake and I'm looking at that doorway and I'm looking at a ghost and
27:06I'm, I take my arm, not taking my eyes off of the image and I'm hitting my wife hard.
27:14I'm like, wake up and still staring, wake up, wake up.
27:18And you know, people's eyes take a minute to, she didn't understand, but yeah, it was
27:24really there.
27:25It was incredible.
27:27That's crazy.
27:28So, uh, what do you got coming up in a 2026?
27:30Can you, can you say anything about anything you have, you have lined up yet?
27:33Well, I have a, I'm doing a show with, um, at the NAMM show, I do this thing called the
27:39J5 NAMM jam and it's the fifth annual and this, uh, in January and this time we're having
27:48living color.
27:49So I saw that.
27:50Yeah.
27:51Yeah.
27:51So we're going to do that.
27:52I'm going to do a show in Northern California.
27:55And then this is really nuts.
28:00I'm going to do, um, 50 shows, 50 States in 50 days.
28:07So 50 shows in a row, starting Alaska, hit all these States every day, a different States.
28:16And I think I'm going to do over 50 cause we have Washington DC and things like that.
28:21And then I'm, we're going to finish in Hawaii.
28:24Wow.
28:25Yeah.
28:27Crazy.
28:28Can you take me with you a 30 year old, a 30 year veteran of WRIF?
28:32Yeah.
28:33Yeah.
28:33You know what?
28:34After show 16, you'd be like, I got to get out of here.
28:38I'm sure.
28:41Well, five, we're going to see you twice.
28:43District 144, November 19th and the machine shop, uh, uh, two of our favorite places, uh,
28:48coming up on November 20th.
28:49Uh, the ghost is out on October 10th.
28:52And of course, uh, uh, we'll see you soon.
28:54Thanks so much for the time.
28:55Thank you, dude.
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