Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Interview with Guitarist Joey Metcalf from The Adoring Heirs and Casinos for Madmen

Guitarist Joey Metcalf

Carl Hose: It's great to be able to talk to you, Joey. Our history goes back a ways, to a band called Storm Warning. Not much to say there except we were fresh out of the box and had some fun. What I remember most is jamming all night in the storage shed and then going for killer Mexican breakfast burritos at some dive when the sun came up. That, and our wall decor, of course.

Joey Metcalf: God, so many memories flash when thinking of those days! "Chris The Curious Drummer," the plain old feeling of just playing to have fun and hang with friends till all hours with no thought of time or limitations. The weight of the world felt like a feather in hindsight.

CH: What impressed me most about you then was your ear. Did you ever pursue reading music or have you just continued to develop the ear. You could listen to anything and play it back. That's something I have developed a little over the years, but for you, it never seemed to be someting you had to develop. It was second nature to you.

JM: Yeah, it's still the way I do things. Never pursued learning to read music. It is still something that is second nature that I don't fully appreciate, I suppose, until someone brings it to my attention. It's just something I do that feels as natural as breathing, so it seems like everyone should be able to do it. Now I use my ear more to write or to accompany someone else in the writing process. I rarely sit down to learn a song anymore. Time budgeting and all that good stuff.

CH: Do you remember who some of your earliest musical influences were?

JM: My earliest memories of music are sitting down with my Sesame Street portable record player and playing side A "Hound Dog" and side B "Don't be Cruel" by Elvis and "She's a Lady" by Tom Jones, both of which were 7" 45's! But as I got older, KISS became my cornerstone to the world of music and picking up a guitar to be a "Rockstar"! I may have been quiet and a bit shy, but hand me a guitar and turn it up and that didn't matter. Some things never change . . .

CH: What was the first guitar you ever owned?

JM: My first guitar was a cheap guitar from a local St. Louis pawn shop that was  a 3 pick up Les Paul copy, black with white binding. I had no idea it was a cheap knockoff guitar. All I cared about was that it was nearly identical to Ace Frehley's! I wish I still had that one. I never have sold any other guitars that hold a sentimental value since . . .

CH: What guitars have you played over the years and which is your favorite?

JM: My second guitar was a real deal Ibanez Iceman like Paul Stanley's. This guitar is still with me and I'll never part with it. Over the years I tried Charvel and some homemade guitars. One of my faves was a guitar named "Happiness" because of a sticker that was on it. The sticker read, "Happiness is a . . ." Well, I'll let your imagination fill in the rest because it was pretty raunchy. I have 2 Paul Reed Smiths, 1 24 fret and 1 22 fret, an early 70s Gibson Ripper bass like Gene Simmons, another bass that I can't remember the make and model that I call 444, and my new love, "White Chocolate," my Les Paul Trad Pro II Gold Top, which is the best guitar I've ever owned or played. 

(Carl's NOTE: I remember the Ibanez Iceman because it's what Joey played in Storm Warning)

CH: What have you been involved with since those days when we were young and full of, well, whatever it is you're full of at that age? I know you have a beautiful family that you adore spending time with, but what about musically? What were you doing before you settled down with a family and what about now?

JM: First of all, I have to say that my wife Ashley is so understanding and supportive of all my musical endeavors, which makes things much easier for me and for her. I am much easier to be around when I am playing.

Whew, well, in the early nineties I played in a cover band Flat Stanley, That was a great experience because of the sheer volume of material that we had to learn brought my chops up and expanded my pallet of music. I quit that band and told them that I wanted to pursue being in all an original band and play opening for touring bands and maybe play regional shows, having no clue on where to begin!
  
1993-1995
So one day in 1993, by total chance, I happened to notice a tabbed flier at Vintage Vinyl that caught my attention because of the detail in hand drawn artwork for a band "Sun Region." They were looking for a "second guitarist," not a lead guitarist! That was a cool idea to me so I pulled a tab and gave them a call, set up a jam, and before I knew what was happening, I was in the band, and within weeks was recording in the studio and playing shows with regional, local, and touring bands! WTH!! This was a fateful union because every other band that I have been in since has involved at least one person from Sun Region, whose members were Brian Merry-guitarist, Brian "Badger" Vandegriffe-bassist, Ed Zimmerle-drummer, and Dave Funk-vocalist.
  
1995
After that came a short lived project with Mike Lake on vocals called Six Degree Drop. We recorded a handful of songs that never went anywhere, then we joined forces with singer/songwriter Kristen Cobos to form the band Superfiction, and that band recorded one song, and poof, it was over. We were basically a revolving door of vocalists trying to avoid going to the genre of music that we all loved, hardcore/metal music.
  
1996-2000
Finally we found the right vocalist in Kyle Bova to form FUSE 12. This was the band that was, at the time, the closest I had come to getting on the major record label, Century Media, but many of us were too uninformed and afraid to sign on the dotted line. They wanted all publishing for all future recordings up to like 5 records or something. What we didn't know was that we could sign and renegotiate at a later date if this became successful . . . IDIOT!!! Although for me that ended up being a blessing, because had I signed, I would have been out on the road and missed some quality time with my late wife. In hindsight it was the best choice for me. But there's always a small tick of regret and that "what if "?
  
2005-Now
 Around late 2005, after some time of mourning the loss of some major people in my life, I realized that playing music was the only time that I felt somewhat normal again. So I reached out to Kyle Bova, who was in the band REND, and told him that I was ready to go again, and it just so happened that they needed a bassist. I told him that I had never played bass, but that I wanted to give it a shot. I eventually moved to guitar and still play with THE REND. We went on tour to the West Coast to play the Whiskey, which is a highlight of my music "career." The Rend recently changed our name to Casinos for Madmen due to copyright issues. During this time I was asked by Brian Merry to join him in a band called Murder Happens to be guitarist/vocalist. Again, I had never sung lead or been a front man, so I was like, "bring it!" The things in life that may scare the shit out of you don't seem so scary after going through life changing experiences like losing loved ones.

So, last but not least, in 2013 I caught wind of an opening in a band that Brian Merry is in along with Sir Ian Baird, Rob Wagoner, and Tim O'Saben. Tim was leaving the band The Adoring Heirs! So for the second time in my life, I actually auditioned for a band. I was so jacked to try and get in a band with some of the most talented people that I had been playing alongside/opening for nearly all of my music "career" that I actually was freaking nervous, but I got it! I am proud to say that I have played by, and continue playing alongside, some of my best friends in Casinos for Madmen and The Adoring Heirs. BTW, The Adoring Heirs are releasing a Split 7" 45 record along with a band from the UK, The Microdance, on Boxing Clever Records in 2014

(Carl's NOTE: This last part, the split 7" 45, has happened. Details Below)    

CH: What do you think of the state of the music industry? How have illegal downloads played a part in it, and do you think in the end the climate is better for indie musicians?

JM: I think the state of the music industry is in the toilet. I do, however, think that the opportunities for the inventive or innovative indie artist are much more available, but the effects of illegal downloading are mowing nearly everyone down in its path, from manufacturers to brick and mortar stores. It is such a snowball effect and most people don't realize how much damage is being done. A new/old way for the artist to get music out there is to release collectable vinyl so that the consumer is forced to hand over some $ to the artist. I think at some point artists will revolt or boycott and no longer make music to be released to the public until there is a viable way to sell it.

As far as recording at home, I think it is almost a necessity in this age of file sharing, because going into a studio and paying huge fees to record is nearly impossible. That being said, there is just something about being in a studio that is as appealing to me as going out and buying a record/CD, flipping it in your hands to see the artwork, credits, artwork, smelling that aroma of the cardboard and plastic or vinyl. The look and smell of being in the studio is a large portion of the experience, as well as having access to equipment that most home studios don't offer.
    
CH: Big KISS fan that you are, I have to ask this question. Eddie Trunk rams it home on That Metal Show all the time. His opinions are pretty definite. Do you think it's cool for Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer to wear Peter and Ace's make-up or should they do their own thing? I mean, for me, I was onboard with Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent because they had their own characters, but this Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer situation is a little off center to me.
JM: Well, as a longtime fan, I wish that they would have been able to introduce new characters into the band, but at this stage of their career, I don't think it makes good business sense. They want the KISS brand to live well beyond their lifespan and they can't do that without leaving the core "characters" in place. I think that the band would be a distant memory if they had tried to keep Ace and Peter. Had they decided to hang it up when they (Ace and Peter) quit, KISS would have only been a band approximately five years. I actually went to see them on their last tour and left the stadium a renewed KISS fan! Paul and Gene have been holding down the fort for 40 years now, and doing a pretty damn good job of it. I can only wish that I could be that active and relevant in my 60s. They get my respect, if for that reason alone . . .

CH: Which of Ace's solo albums is your favorite?

JM: Quick answer, the 1978 KISS solo album!

CH: You got to sit next to Ace, brother. Was it epic?

JM: I have never met any of those guys until that day, and I probably could have at one time or another. I have always just wanted them to stay the way they are in my mind and was fearful that they may be dicks and ruin it for me. So how was it sitting next to Ace? From my perspective, that is the only time in my life that just standing/sitting next to a person that isn't a loved one made me cry, so yes, it was EPIC! He was not a particularly friendly person, but I don't think I would be either if I were trapped in a room with random people coming to view me like an "Anomaly."   

CH: Do you get a chance to write your own material these days? What's your process?

JM: My favorite way to write is with other bandmates, It's more dimensional. When I write on my own it usually ends up being something very personal and would be of no use to any band that I am in unless it is some riffs that would work.

CH: Either of your girls showing signs of taking up the Metcalf musical legacy?

JM: Both of them are very musical. Lucy plays the piano and sings, and Emma has a very pretty voice and loves to play band with me while she plays the drums.

CH: I think I know the answer to this, but I might be wrong. If you could play onstage with one band one time, who would that band be?

JM: This will surprise you, but I would play with Dimebag Darrel in the early 90s version of Pantera! I know, left field right?!?!

(Carl's NOTE: I expected KISS, so this was definitely left field.)

The Adoring Heirs
A little bit indie, a little bit punk, a whole lot of hard rock is The Adoring Heirs’ modus operandi. Sometimes dark and brooding, at times uplifting and poetic, the solid tonal layers and experienced talent that comprise the band will amaze you.

Ian Baird-Drums
Brian Merry-Guitar
Joe Metcalf-Guitar
Rob Wagoner-Vocals and Bass

The Adoring Heirs












Check out their song Deep Red available on vinyl from Boxing Clever Records:

http://www.boxingcleverrecords.com/release5.html

Also available (digital download,) Bluebeam:  
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