2012.06.24 - RockNLive - Interview with Richard at Hellfest

Transcript:

Richard: Hi, this is Richard Fortus from Guns N' Roses and you're watching RockNLive.

[cut to Axl introducing Richard live]

Q: You're in the Compulsions. What this band means for you?

Richard: As far as the Compulsions, for me, are...it's fun. It was a way for us to have an excuse to have fun together, play with friends and... It's not anything new, you know, we're not trying to break any new ground or do anything nobody's done before, but to do something that was familiar and felt good to us, you know.

Q: Where did you record 'Beat The Devil'?

Richard: It was recorded in Brooklyn at a studio where we've worked before, a friend of ours owns the studio and it's just a big room, one big room, and yeah, it was a lot of fun. It's the way rock and roll record should be made. You know, just everybody in a room going for it [?].

Q: How did you write the lyrics & music?

Richard: This is mainly, it's Rob's project, you know, this is like his baby. So he wrote all the songs and we sort of came in and made them...took his ideas and made them songs.

Q: What are your inspiration in the Compulsions?

Richard: I think it varies from song to song, you know. I think there's a lot of Rolling Stones in there, Motorhead, AC/DC. It's the bands we grew up on, grew up listening to.

Q: With the Compulsions you play in clubs-

Richard: I love playing clubs. When you live in New York you always play clubs, I mean, it doesn't matter how big you are, it's like that's what you do, you know. You carry your own gear, you get in a cab and you go, you know. New York is very... it has a way of keeping everybody very humble because you have to deal with people, you have to get out and...that's what people do there. LA is very different, in LA you can hide in the hills, you live in your own world, it's very easy, but in New York you have to deal with people all the time. So people aren't afraid to play clubs, you know, it's different. It's a very New York way of being a musician.

Q: Would you love to make a 2nd Compulsions's record?

Richard: Yeah, sure, well, actually now there's labels that want to put the record out, we just have to figure out a way to tour because we are all busy with... you know, Sami [Yaffa]'s doing Michael [Monroe] and... you know, it's funny, because originally this band was going to be Michael Monroe's band because Michael contacted me and wanted to write some songs together so we got together and he was going to have Sami play bass and I was going to bring Frank in to play drums and Todd Youth was going to be the guitar player with Michael Monroe singing. And actually Todd and Michael and I wrote a few songs together that ended up on his record but then I had to go back to do Guns and Todd had to go off to do Ace Frehley so they ended up putting the band together with Ginger and Steve Conte. But that would have been a fun band. We're very good friend, you know, I've known Sami for a long time, one of my favorite bass players to play with. Great bass player.

Q: Would you love to make an other music project?

Richard: Uhm, another project? I am pretty much focused on GN'R right now. We are getting ready to go back in the studio. So that's where my head's at right now. That's all I want to think about till the end of the year, pretty much.

Q: You were at the Hellfest last year with Thin Lizzy. What memories did you keep?

Richard: Ah, I remember being in this room with [?]. You know, it was great, I remember the furniture backstage was very fun, but it was just... I like festivals, everybody hang out, it's good to see old friends. You know, I ran into Zakk today, Zakk Wylde, on the street, talked for hours in the street. It's good, I love running into people.

Q: What is the best gig that you saw?

Richard: I remember seeing Ted Nugent when I was a kid, I was really little, and thinking, he was rock and roll personified to me, just the personification of rock and roll. It just embodied every thing that... just that mayhem, just craziness. It's probably one of the defining moments for me, to see Ted Nugent.

Q: Do you have a message for your french fans?

Richard: I have French fans? Oh, well, then my message is ,"Thanks!" You know, actually, this has been, with GN'R, a really fun run in France. We've never spent this much time in France before. Last year I was here but we played all the same cities with Thin Lizzy and ZZ Top while we [?] and it's great. Such a beautiful country and Guns usually only came to Paris, you know, so it's been a lot of fun this time. Really, the fans are fantastic.

Richard: Hi, this is Richard Fortus from the Compulsions and you're watching RockNLive.

Great to hear Richard interviewed, and he mentions AGAIN GNR going into the studio. I believe him. They may be intending to knock oout a clump of demos to pick and choose from. Whatever - something is afoot. That makes be happy.

Transcribed this.