This is one of the first interviews I ever did in the radio business. Read up on it below! A piece of info here and there is obviously out of date but this is still a good read.
I had the pleasure of doing an interview with Mick Sweda via e-mail. Mick played guitar for the Bulletboys and King Kobra and had a lot to say about his past, present and future. Mick is best remembered for his Bulletboys stint playing on their first 3 albums (s/t, Freakshow,
Za-Za).
Mick left Bulletboys in 1993 to pursue other projects but reunited with his old bandmates for some tour dates and a greatest hits
album ("Burning cats and amputees") released in April of 2000 which featured remakes of the
Bulletboys greatest hits
and a new song with the original lineup. These days Mick is releasing
music on his own label (Monsters Making Music), check out the link below and buy some of his stuff.
Will Matson: What are you currently up to? Fill us in a little on the recording of the new Bulletboys cd "Burning cats and amputees."
Mick Sweda: I am currently
putting together a demo
with some friends at Cello
Studios in Hollywood. The
band consists of my old
friend Jon Winquist (bass)
and Karen Kreutzer (guitar)
and we are currently
looking for a drummer
while we finish up the
tracks.
The BBoys cd was a fun
opportunity to lay down the
tracks as they ended up
after years of touring
(albeit many years later)
so it was really a labor of
love and, aside from a few
shows we did after that,
added some closure to my
life in the band.
Will: Are you a member of Bulletboys as of today June 25, 2000 or did you just join in to do a few dates and record the new cd?
Mick: I am definitely not in BBoys so it's the latter.
Will: You appeared on the first 3 Bulletboys albums, everybody knows that but
fewer people know that
you were in King Kobra.
What King Kobra cd's did you play on and how many tours
did you do with them?
Mick: I played on the only two records we did for Capitol and a soundtrack for a movie (Capitol also) and some demos I played on
ended up becoming KK III. I did all of the tours with them...hmmm...I don't know. The states twice, Spain, Mexico, Canada and the country of Reseda many times!
Will: What is the coolest Bulletboys souveneir you still have from your days in the band, i.e. Bulletboys hat, Bulletboys tour jacket,
Bulletboys beer mug, etc......?
Mick: A BBoy beer mug. Where????? I have all the stuff that fell out of
my bunk after every tour
but the coolest is still
the t-shirts that got bootlegged, none of which I have.
Will: What is your favorite Bulletboys song and album?
Mick: Hell Yeah/Freakshow
Will: Who are some of your guitar influences?
Mick: Billy Gibbons, SRV (Stevie Ray Vaughn), Alex Lifeson, Jeff Beck
Will: Is there a favorite
guitar brand that you use?
i.e. Gibson, etc?
Mick: Gibson Les Paul Standards and Explorers
Will: On your website (monstersmakingmusic.com),
you sell music that you have recorded on the side. Fill
us in a little on these
"solo" releases.
Mick: After I quit BBoys in
'93 all I did was record
so by the time I got around
to playing out I realized
that I had a closet full
of music that nobody would
ever hear. Some friends of
mine persuaded me to "set
it free, imperfections and
all, and I'll be damned if
I didn't have a great time
putting it all together
with my friend Marty
Horenburg. It's pure,
unadulterated Mick Sweda,
the way it was always
meant to be heard: raw,
spontaneous and
unpredictable.
Will: Are any of the songs on your solo records songs that you have pitched for a Bulletboys record?
Mick: No, I was not tapping that well after `93.
Will: Have you ever listened to the "Acid Monkey" cd? (Note: "Acid Monkey" was the Bulletboys fourth cd, released in 1995, which Mick did not play guitar on)
Mick: A friend scanned the disc once in my presence but no, I can't say I've heard it!
Will: "Metal Edge" magazine mentioned that the new greatest hits cd was going to have a Kink's cover "All day and all of the night." This didn't appear on the new cd. Did the band ever record
this track in the studio?
Mick: Yeah, we did and it ended up a rocking track but I guess they left it off. Don't ask me!
Will: It's early yet but are there plans for a new Bulletboys cd?
Mick: There have been plans for a new CD for a long time but if it happens it
won't be me playing guitar.
Mick: Hey Will, so sorry about the delay. Craziness reigns supreme out here and I'm just happy to be a part. I hope you forgive me and stay in touch! Peace, Mick Sweda.
Notes from Will:
Mick Sweda is one of the
most underappreciated
guitarists in the rock
world today. His new solo
cd "Testy" rocks. For those of you who haven't heard Mick's playing, check out these cd's listed below.
Bulletboys: Bulletboys
Bulletboys: Freakshow
Bulletboys: Za-Za
Bulletboys: Burning cats and amputees
Mick Sweda: Testy
Mick Sweda: Baby
Mick Sweda: Concussion
bliss