Billy Morrison | Interview with Lyndsey Parker (LPTV)

Hi, I'm Lindseay Parker here at the studios at Licorice Pizza Records and I'm here to ask the question that is on everybody's lips. Who the [ __ ] is Billy Morrison? That is actually we all know actually that is the title though Billy of your little mini documentary that came out to promote your new album Hollow that comes out August 7th. I feel that's a a a question no one needs to ask. I mean, I look at the track list, the guests that are on this record, it seems like everybody knows who you are and you know everybody. So, why do you think you're some kind of like zelig, some kind of behind thescenes guy? Like, why did you put out that documentary?

Well, I think uh one of the reasons would be exactly what you just said in your introduction is everybody knows all the guests on your album and that's what they are are guests. I write the songs, I produce the album, I play 85 90% of all the instruments.

Yet human nature um human nature is everyone will talk or Aussie Osborne or Dexter Holland. That's just human nature. And so that little mini dock was tongue and cheek to a certain extent. My PR company said to me, "We are very surprised at the amount of people who say who the [ __ ] is Billy Morrison when we try and pitch them stories." And I said, "Uh, they said you should do a little mini dock." And and they were they were laughing. But that is obviously the wrong thing to say to me because I will actually go ahead and call Duff McCagan and Be Real and Nuno and Al and we'll make a little tongue-in-cheek mini documentary. So that's that's really what it was. Um,

yes, I know a lot of famous people. If I worked in the bank, I could probably introduce you to the CEO of Chase.

I don't work in a bank. I work in the music business. So, uh, naturally, the people in my rolodex are the people that everyone wants to talk about.

Well, you know, spoiler alert, I will get into some of the people on on your record. Uh, but I do also want to talk about for people who don't know who the [ __ ] you are. I imagine most people watching this will, but obviously you have worked uh I think it's been 16 years that you've been playing with Billy Idol who has actually come to Lru Pizza. Um, you've obviously worked with the cult camp Freddy. I used to listen to you also in Indie 103.1. I miss that station so much. Royal Machines, obviously you had a longstanding personal and professional relationship with Azie Osborne. So, it kind of surprises me that you said when your publicist is trying to pitch the album Hollow or anything else, the art you're doing, we can get into the fine art you do, that you still would get that reaction because I I feel you're a household name to be honest.

Well, well, I appreciate it and thank you, but the but the thing is what we are all yourself included fighting against is mainstream because you know clearly, you know, pink hair and Adam the Ants t-shirt, you're into rock and roll. I understand that in the rock circles people may know who Billy Morrison is. Uh but just to articulate that further, all you've got to do is look at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or the Grammys or anything like that to understand just how minimal rock and roll rock heavy rock metal is represented. And so I

don't think they were struggling against um you know uh any of those heavy metal

blogs that we know and love. Uh they all know who Billy Morrison is. I think perhaps they were talking to GQ or Esquire or uh mainstream media. And you

know I don't think it's just me that could make a documentary. Who the [ __ ] is I think most people in rock bands, ask Corey Taylor who makes a living wearing a mask.

If in certain circles he would need to make a documentary entitled, "Who the [ __ ] is Cory Taylor?" I think he would also say, "Yeah, I could do with that."

Well, a lot, like I said, a lot of people know who you are. And people watching this, if they don't already know, they're going to know by the end of this interview because there's so much to talk about because like I said, you you know, you've played with all these different people. You also have a new album, solo album, Hollow, coming out August 7th. You do fine art. You are incl. And uh I mean, basically, you're a workaholic. You say that actually in the dock that you never take a day off. You don't like to rest. And I thought it was interesting that you said something to the effect of the reason for your workcoholism is you're making up for lost time because for many years um and I don't know how you want to get into it but when you were uh struggling with addiction or maybe some other things in your life you weren't being as productive and you feel like you're trying to make up for that. Is do you still feel that way?

Yeah. Yeah, I do. Um, you know, firstly, I want to clarify, I'm not trying to be Taylor Swift here. I'm not trying to carve out a huge solo career for myself. I am making music and putting out solo records because I love making music and I am able, luckily, to put them out. I have a I have a record deal that doesn't force me to be someone I'm not. And I am able to make music in whatever genre I want to make it in. that turns me on and that leads to an honest, authentic album. And if any one person other than me likes that album, I'm a success. I'm not trying to be a huge solo artist. Having said that, I

clearly am a creative person that had

his or not had his creativity stifled, but chose to stifle his creativity for a couple of decades with heroin and cocaine. And so, just for me, I am playing catchup. I am

making up for lost time. I am exercising the creative demons that most people exercise when they're 25.

Well, I understand that when you got into drugs, you were quite young, 14, right? So, I guess the plus side would be you were still pretty young once you got past that. You still had plenty of productive, good career years in front of you. You know, you were still in your 20s or maybe early early 30s at that point. Yes and no. Most people, most of my peers, and you can take any of them that have written a book, you can take Nikki 6, Dave Navaro, Anthony Kadis, they've all written a book. And all of them, all of them without exception, formed a band in high school, wrote some songs, got signed, sold a few million records, bought the house, put some money in the bank, and then started shooting heroin or smoking cocaine or whatever they did. I'm not minimizing that trauma. That trauma is exactly the same. But the difference when you come out the other side is that you still have a house and some money in the bank at most people. And I couldn't even get that right. I started and did all that and woke up uh in, you know, late 20s

with nothing, not a dime to my name. So there is a slight difference in that. That is why I'm playing catchup. I'm playing catchup with life. I am trying to create intellectual property that will provide me with not that intellectual property really provides anyone with much money these days but there is a retirement to think of. There is forget all the finance there is a there is a creative fire that burns inside any creative person that needs to be extinguished. And I just woke up later the most and had this fire burning. And so here's the product I guess of that late bloom

and the the title track of Hollow an opening track. Is it about kind of your that epiphany or that rock bottom moment? I believe you were homeless.

Maybe it's referring to that time or

it's a song about being homeless. It's a song about uh very very personal. Um I I

have look I I was homeless for a long long time. A long time. couple of years.

Um, and I have experienced people stepping over my body on the sidewalk and looking at me with disgust and judgment. I have experienced that. I have experienced begging for dimes.

Okay? And so, you know, [clears throat]

and not not not on the odd occasion I I spent years of my life like that, hand out, begging on the streets and people stepping over me and crossing the roads, crossing the street so they didn't have to walk past me and

judging me and criticizing me. So, that is a song very specific about that experience. I had no idea. Or maybe I hope this doesn't sound flip, but maybe I took homeless to mean sleeping on people's couches, crashing crashing with people, couch surfing, not like actually on the pavement. I like to use the term Hollywood homeless when when since living in Hollywood there are many people listen and again I'm not detracting from the trauma that that does produce but homelessness uh often [snorts] means you're sleeping on a friend's couch

and my homelessness was slightly different in that I was sleeping under a piece of uh metal uh it was sheet metal

that I'd propped up on on the sidewalk on 8th and Burlington in uh the Alvarado district of Los Angeles.

Oh wow.

And um my only source of income was begging for money

on freeway offramps mainly. So

you know there's no there's no let homeless is homeless. You don't have a home. But that's the sort that's what the the song Hollow is about. That kind of homelessness, being judged and being criticized and people stepping over you to get away from you.

Well, how did obviously I we started this interview with me talking about how you have such an established career, having done so many amazing things that most people could only dream of. How how on earth did you get out of that hole you were in to be where you're at now? Um, well, the details don't matter, but I did. And, uh, what I can tell you is there's a reason why in that little mini documentary I say I'm a workaholic.

Because in order to get out of a situation like that, you have to ask for help, which I did. It's not it's not a sign of weakness to ask for help. And if you are given that sliver of hope, that sliver of help, you better grasp it with both hands and work your ass off for a second chance. And that's what I did. And uh you know, I laughed. I read I

made the mistake of looking at Reddit the other day and I never I don't have Reddit. I don't think it's something you have or you don't have, but I went on there and there was someone who was discussing where does Billy Morrison get his money from cuz he wears gold and diamonds and uh you know drives expensive cars and literally there was a theory on there in Europe there is a Morrison supermarket [laughter] and this person was saying clearly he is the heir to the Morrison supermarket chain. because he has nice jewelry and a nice car. I mean, it it doesn't warrant the energy. But I really wanted to go on there and go, "Yeah, God forbid it's about hard work and writing good music and painting good paintings and and work, you know, working hard. God forbid." So, I'm not the heir to the Morrison supermarket chain. Just just

We have cleared that up. We have debunked that rumor. Now they're I mean it's kind of flattering that people are devoting that much energy to you.

Obviously they do know who the [ __ ] you are that they're actually on Reddit theorizing about you.

100% I totally agree with you.

So um are you I you said you how you got out of that whole, you know, don't want to discuss it. I respect that. But are you saving it for your book? You would have an amazing book.

I I Okay, it's so funny. You are not the first person to mention that doing a book is something I would love to do, but it has to be

I mean it has to be worth it. I would need a publisher to want to do it. I'm not going to write my own book and self-publish it. That is just narcissistic to the max. But if a publisher thought that I had a story worth telling and you know made it some intellectual property for me, I would do it.

Well, if any publishers are watching this, I think you have a story worth telling. That's why we're doing this interview. But um yeah, we

Thank you very much.

So, we talked about Hollow, the title track, which is obviously about, you know, a a a very dark time in your life.

But I also want to I mean there's many songs I want to ask about but of course I want to ask about becoming this is you know now we are going to talk about a couple of the allstars that are on it. You wrote this co-wrote this with uh Sully God smack Brett Scallions of Fuel and also Circus Diablo one of your bands and Nuno Bettincourt who just won his first Grammy for working uh for playing at the Aussie uh Birmingham thing with uh Young Bloodood. he plays guitar on this and um so obviously all-star situation but this one seems um much more positive. It's about becoming a person with a happier life coming out of the darkness. So tell me about this song.

It it is and I mean Sully wrote those words. Um and I'm very lucky that the guests I look I don't just randomly pick famous people. I pick my friends and usually my friends have had a similar experience in life or we think in the same way. That's why I, you know, I I'm

not going to name names, but there's many artists who I wouldn't want to do a collaboration with because they just wouldn't understand my journey or my destination.

And Dexter and Duff, they all get me. We all get each other similar stories. And so Sully came along and he wrote those. I I'd finished the music. The music came from a riff that Brett Scallions had played me and I was like, "That's a great riff. Let me make it into a song." Which I did. And uh by the time Sully got hold of it, it was a it was clearly that kind of song. It had a Godm type riff, but there was also something unique about it. Sully loved it, and his lyrics are positive. They are about

becoming he sings it becoming strong becoming light meaning the light in the room not the darkness and uh that is purely because Sull's lived a life as well we we understand each other.

Yeah. I mean like you said a lot of people whether they've written a book or not can relate to this. I did mention Azie. Um sorry for your loss by the way. Um I mean it was it was the world's loss. It was, but particularly you and Aussie were super close. Um, and I mentioned the Birmingham concert that happened, which is, you know, if someone has to go, get your flowers now. I was so happy he got his flowers at that event. Um, did he ever, you know, he had his own struggles with sobriety and addiction and his demons, whatever you want to call them. Um, and he seems like he was maybe a bit of a father figure to you. Did he ever um did you guys ever talk or did he give you advice about you know your journey?

Um yeah. [clears throat] Yeah. A lot of which will remain in my own head. But I can tell you that the greatest piece of advice he he ever gave me was do it for yourself. Don't worry about what other people think. And uh I I've stuck to that. That that's why I would hope, Lindsay, I would hope the reason we're talking is because I have produced another album that I did for myself, not for other people. And that gives it an authenticity and an honesty that Aussie taught me about.

Did he ever get I don't know when you completed this record or how long it took for you complete record. Did he ever hear any of it in any shape or form?

That's too bad. Well, you talked about advice that he gave you and aside from this album and all the music um that you do. Um you as I mentioned, you're a great fine artist. You know, there are some, you know, again, they shall remain nameless. I'm not going to mention them, but there are some musicians or rock stars or celebrities who paint who think they're well, they paint, you know, it's up, I guess, artist subjective, but they're not really acclaimed as artists and it's it's quite viewed as a a side hobby. they, you know, they're not taken seriously in the art world. You are. And I believe that it was Azie, your friend Aussie, who sort of planted that seed as well and was like, "Hey, you should try this." I don't think you even really considered that to be a career until

it absolutely was Aussie's fault that I became a proper fine artist. He pushed me into my first painting. Uh, I've always loved art. I'm just surrounded by art in my house. That's an Andy Warhol right there.

I have I have I have an amazing private

art collection. Um, but I never thought I could do it myself. Aussie saw something in me that I didn't even see in myself and pushed it and it came out.

And yes, I've fought long and hard. I think one of them one of the mistakes maybe musicians make when they're trying to be an artist as well is that they don't separate the two and uh you know you're never going to it's like John it's like John Bonjovi trying to be an actor.

It never quite stuck because he was always going to be Bon Joy and he's a he's a good actor. I mean I've seen some of the movies he was in. He was pretty good. Um, I I I've struggled and pushed and and made sure that as much as I can, my art is separate and I'm not doing all these shows where it's like artists that are musicians. The art shows that I do, I try really hard to make them fine art shows, not uh gigs.

Um, what was that first painting that you did? No, I uh we were in Argentina and I I I was having an argument with Aussie because he was driving me absolutely crazy saying, "You should paint. You should paint you." And I'm like, "Yeie, I you know, I can't even draw a stick figure." But we were in an we were in an art supply store and to shut him up. I bought four colors, one

brush, and a tiny little canvas, maybe 6 by 8 in. and I was out with him, hanging out with him on the Black Sabbath tour. So, I figured a skull seemed like a good thing to paint on a Black Sabbath tour.

And forget the painting itself. I mean, the family has that painting. They have that.

Oh, wow.

I gave it to them. But, uh, well, I gave it to Aussie. But the feeling

of putting paint to canvas and creating

visual art was exactly the it was as cathartic to me as learning to play God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols for the first time on guitar. It was absolutely the most incredible, energizing, creative, cathartic experience. And that was all I needed. here's another avenue to get the demons out,

express myself.

So, yeah, I guess that's probably one of Well, you alluded to that that that's at the root or one of the roots of your workcoholism, but it was interesting because when I was reading the lyrics to Hollow and I I wrote some I I have some songs. So, a recurring theme I saw was in Another Day, which features your Billy uh Bamate Steve Stevens, Forgive Me, No Suspects. And we're going to talk about No Suspects, by the way, cuz that's that's an epic situation there.

But um a recur I mean that the No Suspect song is like it should have been on the Judgment Night soundtrack. Do you get that reference? Okay, we'll talk about that one in a minute. But um so these songs that I just mentioned, they seem to all have this recurring theme of burnout or maybe like information overload. In a tech age, you have a lot of references to algorithms and phones and screen times. So, like, how do you avoid burnout? You're doing all these things and you have to be on screens, you know?

I don't avoid burnout. Uh, and not many people I know can because it's we all, you especially, look at what we're doing. We're talking over a computer. We all have embraced a lovehate relationship with technology and it's been forced on us. We didn't choose it.

None of us chose it, but we've embraced it because we have to. M

if you don't know how to log on to a Zoom in my business, in your business, well, you got an issue. There's an issue. You can't do the press. Have you any idea how many Zoom interviews I've done this week? It's mindblowing.

This is going to be the best one though.

Yeah, I'm sure it's going to be the best one. But

but yeah, thank you for making the time. But you're right, I do most a lot of my work on on Zoom as well and and I'm on my phone all the time, on Instagram, whatever.

Things we're on these things all the time. and you know the pressure to post

to post on Instagram and Facebook and Twitter and all the rest of it. And you know I did put my foot down a couple of times like uh I I will not be on [ __ ]

Tik Tok. [laughter] I'm not 21 years old

and I don't want to be on Tik Tok. So I'm not on Tik Tok. I And my record label like you got to be on Tik Tok. You got to be on Tik Tok. Well, no I don't.

No, I don't. I

I have in my life the absolute maximum amount of technology that I can handle and it's still too much.

But I'm lucky that my day job takes me around the world to beautiful places where I can go stroll along the river in Prague or go stand out go and have oysters by the Sydney Opera House in Australia. That's my job. And so, you

know, some people in in other interviews were saying, "How how do you break free of the technology that you're singing about?" My job gets me out. Um,

sorry about that. Um, so I do sing about it a lot because

I think it needs to be sung about. I think we need to even though we all embrace it, I think we need to be aware that the algorithm is coming against us kind of thing.

Do you know what I mean?

I mean, there's medical studies or scientific studies about it, how it affects your brain, particularly young people at least. We grew up at a time where, you know, we didn't grow up with phones attached to our heads, attached to our faces. We came into it as adults or even it's not good physically. you get technic,

you know, we used to I I know this probably dates me, but um and I you I'm actually not talking from personal memory because I don't have the memories, but people will talk about how we used to go down to the river and throw logs into the stream for amusement and go for, you know, playing in the woods.

That's what kids used to do. Now it's a shocker if kids leave the house.

I mean that's a whole other thing we can go on sometimes when I you know tell young people like what I was you know what you were doing at 14 obviously you know you might have got into some things you shouldn't have. We have probably all

my my my stories of being 14 are not usual.

But, you know, just talking about even really, you know, the fact that I was going to clubs or concerts by myself as a teenager or, you know, walking to school as a kid or whatever. It's Yeah, it's a And obviously the pandemic didn't help things with a lot of young people

having to use technology even just to go to school, whatever. But yeah, it's a I thought it was an interesting thing that you you brought up as as a

I just I just really feel that um you can you can sing about something or write about something in a song from a subjective point of view, meaning I'm on the outside looking in. It doesn't necessarily mean that I'm losing my mind because of all the technology, even though it does get to me at times, but I can observe the world. I do watch the news. I do open my eyes when I'm out and about and I can see what technology is doing to us.

Well, speaking of watching the news, let's talk about No Suspects. Now, this is a standout track for me. Speaking of the news, um, first of all, I was mentioning that it reminded me, just sonically, it reminded me of the Judgment Night soundtrack. People watching this don't know what that is. It was this epic soundtrack in the 90s where they put hip-hop artists with alternative artists. And that might sound like, well, so what? Well, back then it was unusual to do that. And um it was a very EP it's one of my favorite soundtracks and also it has some kind of like Manchester vibes to it or like

really well you know I I see where you're going with that. There's a little Happy Mondays going on.

That's what Yeah.

Um you know I I tend to not think too great in in too great a detail about how the track's sounding in terms of is it Manchester or not. Do I listen to the Happy Mondays? Yeah, I love them. Do I listen to Oasis? I love them. So, I've got a bit of Manchester vibes in me.

Do I also listen to Public Sorry,

I didn't mean interrupt. What part of uh England are you from? Are you from the north?

No, from London.

Okay. I'm sorry. Go ahead.

But there was a hu But the whole Manchester scene was a huge scene and uh you know, but but I also am hugely influenced by early hip-hop, NWA, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, all of that. It was, you know, punk rock was not a haircut or a fashion statement. Punk rock was an attitude. And when NWA came out of the gate, it was just a bunch of disenfranchised youths screaming as loud as they could that they had something to say. Well, that is punk rock. So, you

know, I'm a huge fan. And just just to get, you know, I I like not to do things by halves. So, just to get Be real, Chuck D, and DMC on one track together.

Yes. I just to clarify for anyone who thinks they're on separate tracks. No, those three legends, Be Real, Chuck D, and DMC, Daryl from Run DMC, are all on the same track. No suspects. You were mentioning the news. I mean, is it safe to say it's the most political or socopolitical commentary type track on Hollow?

I I think it would be. Yeah. I mean, I try to stay away as much as I can from politics just because it's very divisive and music should be all-incclusive. Um, but I do I do think that is probably a socopolitical comment as you say and and let me be clear, I did not write those lyrics.

Whoa. Okay. Well, you had three people that

each of those guys wrote their own verses.

That is epic. Now, I wrote the chorus.

You know, there ain't no suspects. You can see we ain't no suspects. We are not suspects here. So, I wrote that and that was in there when I gave it to those guys. So, I guess that does kind of steer you in a direction, you know, when the producer has written the chorus that says we ain't no suspects. Uh, and I'm glad And I'm glad I did that. I'm glad I did that. It's um

What does that mean?

Well, when you walk out of your front door these days, we tend to be suspects. You know, innocent until proven guilty is a phrase that is getting watered down every day with what I see on the news, with what my friends go through, with what uh we are demonstrating against as a nation. And the concept of feeling

like a suspect when you are innocent is mindblowing. But that is becoming more and more the reality for so many people in this country

and and my guys on that song translated that perfectly.

Did you just give them cart blanc say hey write whatever you want and I'll put it on the track.

Yeah. Listen, you don't ask Chuck D or be real to be on a song and then go but I need you to say this, you know. Um, I'm asking I'm asking like you know Daryl DMC he's he's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I'm asking a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer to do something.

I let them do what they want. [laughter]

Yeah. And Chuck Chuck as well.

So I really I truly think that when you ask these people to be on your record, you are asking them for their experience and their journey and their voice. And you don't want to then sit and go, "No, no, no, no, no. You don't want to do that. You want to do this." I thank you for being on my track.

I like what you said about hip-hop being punk rock or having ties, similarities to punk rock because you mentioned the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Billy's getting in, uh, which is welld deserved.

And two of those hip-hop artists you mentioned are in. But there are some people that when Public Enemy or Run DMC or Outcast or Wuen Clan or whoever Missy Elliot gets into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they don't like that because they think it's they have a very limited idea of what rock is. I don't agree with that. I feel like it's the spirit of it and the fact that it all goes back to the blues at the end of the day for me.

Yeah. I mean, I would just I don't think it's about uh I I think what makes it a mockery is the people that aren't in it,

you know? I don't think it's a genre thing. I think people start asking questions or getting pissed off when they see so and so that's in it and so and so's not.

Yeah.

Like it the fact that it took Billy this long to get in. Are you [ __ ] kidding me? The guy's a legend, you know? and he's in and deservedly so. But there is a there's a lot of people that you look at and go what like sometimes the decision making process doesn't make sense. And I don't think it's a genre thing. I think it's that decision making process that's in question.

I absolutely agree. I voted for Billy both times and I absolutely agree that he should have not only got in on his first try on the ballot but many more year many years ago. I'm happy he's getting in. I did interview Steve Stevens recently um and I was asking him about what we could expect from Billy's induction in November and he you know obviously there's stuff he can't say or doesn't know but he did say it was very important that in the live performance that all of Billy's longtime band members would be part of the thing. That was very important. So I assume you're going to be there.

I will be there. Yeah. and and and that actually is that encapsulates everything that is wonderful about being in Billy Idol's band because Billy is an old punk rocker uh that comes from the concept of

a band. We are a band and for Steve to say that just reinforces why I've been in the band for 17 18 years. It's cuz it's a band and uh Billy takes that seriously and it is, you know, I'm super grateful. I don't I I don't take it for granted, but yeah, it looks like uh what they're saying is true that it is super important for the band to be there.

Do you have any idea or if not ideas, hopes of what songs you'll perform? Because obviously you only get two or two to four.

I don't know. And I don't care. I'm just going to be there. I'm going to be there with with my friends and I'm going to support my friend. Billy and Steve are getting inducted. I don't give a [ __ ] what we're playing, you know.

Let's get back to you. Um, so we were talking about like sociopolitical songs. So, there's definitely one other one that raised uh my eyebrow that I wanted to ask about, which is Devil in Your Eyes. Who's that about? Who's the devil? Um, you know, I really think some things are best left unspoken. You [clears throat]

are a mystery Billy Morrison.

One of one of the things that is wonderful about music is that it can also be as subjective as visual art, which means there are many great rock songs where we have all gone for decades thinking it's about one thing and it's actually not. And uh I think Devil in Your Eyes is is just one of those one of those songs that we we all we all have

that person in our life. So why don't we apply that song to whoever yours is?

What are some songs you've done? It doesn't necessarily have to be songs. One of the understandings misunderstandings about you is that someone thinks you're like a supermarket air. We cleared that one up. But what are what are some other misunderstandings about what it could be about your own music or it could be about the mythology surrounding you?

I try I I try really hard not to hear them because it's just all [ __ ] But um uh

I don't really know that that would be the main one that's that I've heard. Um,

I guess I I I get accepted for the most part for who I am and what what I do. Um, certainly in this town and with my peers, I think it's safe to say that most people are cool with me, you know. Uh, uh,

normally when I ask someone to say something like that little mini movie, everyone says great things, everyone says nice things. Um, but I'm sure there are people who behind my back will tell you he's this, he's that, he's the other. But life is too short, you know. Uh, and I'm the one that that is enjoying painting and making music and supplying

the world with great rock songs. I think I know you're not on TikTok, but if you ever were to join it, I think it would be some excellent trolling if next time you're in um England or something, you uh you go visit one of those Morrison supermarkets and I don't know, take a little tour like you own the place and make, you know, if people are crying rumors about you, you're doing something right. Um, in terms of we started this interview sort of talking about you asking for help and getting out of the dark place you were in and I've seen some of the above ground shows that you and your friend Dave Navaro have done.

I've uh which if people don't know I could let you take the floor about it but it is actually helping people who are going through those sort of things and kind of uh getting the story out there that it is okay to ask for help. There is no stigma to saying that you're struggling whatever you're struggling with. I was wondering if you have any. It's an annual thing and you always do one album. It's one or two albums in their entirety. I know you did Kings of the Wild Frontier ones. That was amazing. I'm so curious. Do you have anyone planned and what other albums are on your short list of ones you would cover front to back?

Well, um I think that the above ground

charity is a wonderful thing that we have. We're not doing one this year. Um, we're just it's just with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Billy and uh, you know, Dave's on his own path and it's just it's not right for us to do it this year. But, uh, the concept is, as you say, we play two albums that you can't hear anymore played live in their entirety and we perform them. And we perform them not in a cover band way, but in a recreation way. We take great pride in playing them properly and we've done Never Mind the Bollocks. I mean to be honest that was the pinnacle for me.

I got to play Never Mind the Bollocks from front to back and it sounded exactly like the record. It was great. And so anything else is bonus. We did Ziggy Stardust. We did the Velvet Underground. We did Transformer. Um but hey, we can go to the Clash first album, you know. Uh we did the New York Dolls. We did an Iggy. It's been a good ride so far. But think of all those classic albums we

there's plenty for us to do if and when we get together again and do another

but to to wrap up with the above ground stuff like um how did that charity start or like if if you know or it doesn't have to necessarily be that but I know you like to give back and and you know because you're grateful for people helping you when you needed help.

100% 100%. I mean, I I think at some point in anyone's career, you have to stop and look around and go, I'm really lucky. Uh, and I want to I want to give back in some way. And uh, you know, my

story is my story. And I think I've been

put on this earth to try and help people not die. Uh, and if you can

if you can hear the message from someone like Navarro or myself that it is okay to ask for help, you're not, you know, we get led down this path and they use that expression, you're a [ __ ] you know, or or or ah, throw them in the army, that'll sort them out.

And it doesn't. It just kills people. It kills people because they just go inwards and they feel like they are not able to get the help that is out there. The help is available these days. So it started because we lost Chester and we lost Scott Wland and we lost Chris Cornell and like they were dropping like flies and Dave and I were enough's enough. We we we have to try and at least make a noise. You know, we're not trying to raise millions of dollars, although money is needed in that in those arenas.

We're just trying to use our voice to say it's okay. If you are feeling trauma,

PTSD, depression, anxiety, ADHD, all of

that, you're not alone. You're not a weirdo. And there are plenty of resources that we can help you with. um just let us help you. So that that that's what that charity is and hopefully we will be able to do one next year.

Did you um you said you know you're in the business or that charity is in the business of helping people not die. Did you, sorry this is a dark question, but like did you think did you think you'd be you know still not just alive but thriving and doing stuff or did you think you were going to die before you were 30 or you know that cliche or did you expect you'd have

of course I think I was going to be alive. I absolutely thought I'd be dead before I was 30%.

I mean I was shooting heroin in my neck. I've been shot. I've been stabbed. you know, I I of course I thought I was going to die and I didn't give a [ __ ]

I didn't care. Um or at least I thought I didn't care. And um there was absolutely no thought whatsoever of living, let alone having a career, let alone, God forbid, being somewhat happy. You know, there there's a whole other trick to life, which is be happy. We're not just existing. There is enough out there if we look for it and find it and work hard for it that actually makes life worth living.

But it's very hard to see that when you're shooting heroin in your neck and you're homeless and the cops are trying to lock you up every 5 seconds. It's not easy. But it is there. And so that's my my purpose is to try and not worry about talking about it in interviews. I'm not I'm not shy about it because I am living proof that it's possible.

Well, I'm so happy. I mean, your story is so inspiring. Um, and you're doing all these things. Uh,

I'm doing all these things.

All these things. You have the Holo album coming out. You're doing your art. You're going to be, you know, you're playing with all these people. You're going to be at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame playing We don't know what, but it's going to be great. Is there now that you have this well you've had this lease on life for a while but now you've had what you've called a second chance like what else do you want to do while you're with your life?

Oh, I would I would love to do a a major motion picture.

I'd I love acting. I've done a bunch of independent movies and it's fun. I love I love it. And again, I'm not trying to be Brad Pitt or or Johnny Depp, even though Johnny Depp's now a cool rock and roll guitar player as well. Like he he did it well. I would love to I I love I

love acting. It's another cathartic experience where you can let go, become someone else, get the demons out. And yeah, I've done a bunch. I've done a bunch, but I'd love to do a I'd love to do like a Mc G action movie or [laughter] something like that, you know? I'd love to do that. I was gonna ask if you wanted to combine the acting on the rock and do like some epic rock opera like make your own Tommy Wall.

No, no, no, no. I wanna I want to be in a in a in a Guy Richie Jason Staithm movie. One of those. They're great. They're my favorite titles.

Let's put it out there. Guy, if Jason, if you're watching, you never know. I mean,

Jason, give me a call, mate. I mean, you never know because your life has turned out in ways that you wonderful ways that you didn't probably imagine.

Jason Stathithm. That's all I'm going to say.

All right. Well, you got to start here with Licorice Pizza, but we'll we'll try to put it out there. And in the meantime, congratulations on the album, on your your just the fact that you're thriving, on your mental health, on your sobriety, on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and everything else. I'll see you at the hall. And um thank you for virtually joining me here at Licorice Pizza. pizza.

Thank you very much for having me, Lindsay, and thank you for supporting it.

Absolutely. You have yourself a great day.