This is an interview that I did with Eerie Von (Misfits, Samhain, Danzig) a couple years ago, around the time he did the cover art for the hardcover limited edition of my first novel, The Dead Parade. The interview was originally posted on my publishing blog, Books of the Dead Press. I figured it made sense to repost it here. Enjoy...
James Roy Daley ~ Many people figure playing live is the best part about being a musician, but some players enjoy the creative process more than the stage time. What do you enjoy most about being a musician?
Eerie Von ~ I love it all. The songwriting and recording becomes more rewarding as time goes by. As you get better at it, it becomes easier to achieve the sounds you hear in your head. That can be very satisfying. The live performance is the validation of that hard work and lets you see that you are reaching people thru the songs, giving people a little pleasure. That's what it's really all about for me.
JRD ~ What do you consider the best/most enjoyable gig you’ve ever played?
EV ~ Too many to name just one. I've never had a bad time on stage. I've had terrific gigs, in a room of 100 people, and I've had wonderful experiences in front of 100,000. Playing to a small crowd is much harder than a big one.
JRD ~ How about the worst gig?
EV ~ Besides technical problems, I don't remember any bad ones. There must have been a few but when you're a pro you do what you have to; you make every show a good one. I mostly worked with guys that knew how to do that. I'm sure I have a bad show in my future, but I'd rather not think about it.
JRD ~ What song are you most proud of?
EV ~ From the past, (Danzig, Samhain) I was more proud of whole records, rather than any one song. I didn't contribute to the compositions much, so I tended to take pride in the performances of the songs on record, and Live. I'm not sure if I've written my best songs yet. I hope not. I am proud of the songs on the "Kinda Country" record. This is my best work to date.
JRD ~ Studio time can be exciting, amazing, jaw dropping, boring, frustrating, tiring, repetitive, nerve-wracking and on occasion it can lead to a full-on fistfights. Good or bad, what studio experience is most memorable for you?
EV ~ With Danzig we worked hard before going into the studio––lots of rehearsal and pre-production. When we got into the studio we knocked the stuff out. Basics never took more than a week or so. We never had any fights or big blow-ups. In Samhain we just went in and did the whole record in one or two days. As long as we got it right, that was it. No Drama. I've been lucky.
JRD ~ What’s the best song you’ve ever recorded?
EV ~ I don't know that I've gotten there yet. Like I said, I'm very proud of all the records I've made.
JRD ~ Most players have recorded a pocket full of songs they never want to hear again. Assuming you have a few songs in this category, what are they?
EV ~ I don't like "Girl" from the Danzig II Lucifuge, album. Never liked it, only played it once Live I think, can't remember. Don't care if I ever play "Mother" again.
JRD ~ Who is your favorite band?
EV ~ The Stones, Beatles, The Doors… Allman Brothers. Soundgarden was a great band.
JRD ~ Which three horror movies are your favorites?
EV ~ I like old stuff, mostly the 30's-50's stuff. Hard to say, I like Monsters, so all the Universal Stuff. I like The Shining, and Angel Heart a lot, not too into slasher-flicks much. Some of the stuff coming out of Japan is really awesome. I like when it's more of a suspense thing. What's inside your head is more frightening to me than some guy running around hacking people up.
JRD ~ What’s next for Eerie Von?
EV ~ Gotta get this record out, and go on the road for it. It's all up in the air right now. I have many irons in the fire, so who knows? I'm just gonna keep doing what I do, and things will reveal themselves to me. I don't make plans, I just live, and change with the changes.
JRD ~ Thanks Eerie. You’re the best.
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