(if you want to nip back, click here with no fear)
DID YOU EVER THINK THAT 'BV' WOULD EVER BECOME AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT HAS WHEN YOU PUBLISHED ITS VERY FIRST ISSUE?
I don�t think I ever really thought about it. I mean, I always wanted it become a mag like Kerrang! Or something like that. I�ve always wanted it to be a �proper rock mag�, but it wasn�t something I specifically thought about to that extent. I was just doing what I could at the time.
WHO IS THE NICEST PERSON OR BAND YOU HAVE INTERVIEWED AND WHY?
I�ve answered that already. Tyler Rann for caring so much about animals. I�ll also say Keri Kelli because he�s a super cool friend of mine. I remember the first time I interviewed him in 1995 after his band Big Bang Babies broke up. I saw them in LA in �93. They were one of the best unsigned LA bands out there. Since then we�ve pretty much kept in touch and I interviewed him a couple of times when he was playing with Slash�s Snakepit. He�s one of the friendliest, outgoing (but not loud or annoying) and most enthusiastic guys ever. And amazingly talented too. He really deserves a lot more credit and a lot more success. Visit www.kerikelli.com if you want to know more. He�s currently playing in both LA Guns (standing in for Tracii Guns) and Adler�s Appetite, Steven Adler of Guns N� Roses� band. Oh, and I can�t forget Marko 72 of Sugarcult. I did a telephone interview with him for issue 36 of Black Velvet and he is so into his band and has always done so much promotion for the bands he�s been in. Later when Sugarcult toured here I introduced myself and said 'Hi.' He�s really cool. Plus he used to run My Records with Joey Cape of Lagwagon. He loves great rock and punk music, he does thing like DJ when he�s not on tour, writes reviews� actually he�s now a Black Velvet contributor! Seriously! He offered to write for Black Velvet. So from issue 38 onwards every issue will have a Marko 72 column! I think he lives, breathes and eats rock and punk music � which is how it should be! But pretty much everyone I�ve interviewed has been really nice. I�ve not had any bad experiences.
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T ALREADY KNOW, HOW AND WHY SHOULD EVERYONE SUBSCRIBE TO 'BLACK VELVET' AS THOUGH THEIR LIVES DEPEND ON IT?...
Everyone should go to www.blackvelvetmagazine.com � all the info is there. You can find it in some HMVs and other independent stores (there�s a list on the Black velvet website) and I also sell via mail order. You can pay via paypal or send cash, cheque or postal orders through the mail. But make sure coins are taped to card and can�t be felt through the envelope as Mr. Postman might run away with it. If anyone hasn�t checked out Black Velvet, I think they should at least try one issue to see what it�s like, see what I do, see what I spend my whole life doing. It�s only a couple of pounds/few dollars� It won�t break the bank. We love great rock music and we love to promote the bands out there that deserve being promoted. I have some great contributors too who work so hard and put up with my moaning and fussiness! Check Black Velvet out and become inspired by the bands who inspire us.
You can't say fairer than that...
(questions by Steve Rudd)