\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n They only come out at night, and this Friday night, The Hollywood Vampires <\/a>kick off their summer North American tour swooping into The Sands Event Center in Bethlehem<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Hollywood Vampires are Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry, Matt Sorum, Tommy Henriksen (Alice Cooper Band), and Bruce Witkin (whose musical roots trace back to Johnny Depp\u2019s first band, \u2018The Kydz\u2019).\u00a0 While the novice may assume this is just a trite, edgy band name combining rock\u2019s elite members, there\u2019s more of a story behind it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We flash back to the early seventies to California.\u00a0 The \u2018Summer of Love\u2019 ended a few years prior, and the movement and vibe shifted to partying to excess, with Hollywood set as party central. The Rainbow Room in Los Angeles is where The Hollywood Vampires drinking club was born.\u00a0 The vision behind The Hollywood Vampires band is to pay tribute to these musicians who passed away due to their own excesses and addictions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Recently, The Valley Ledger had the opportunity to speak with Matt Sorum, drummer of The Hollywood Vampires, sharing the history, and what to expect in concert.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n MS:\u00a0 \u201cI was growing up in California at the time, but too young to be a part of this going on.\u00a0 Alice was a member of The Hollywood Vampires, he was the one drinking with Keith Moon (drummer, The Who), Jim Morrison (The Doors), and Marc Bolan (T. Rex).\u00a0 These legends were his friends.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n TVL: Also going on at that time was John Lennon\u2019s\u00a0 \u2018Lost Weekend\u2019, which spanned over a year and a half.\u00a0 Was he also a member ?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n MS:\u00a0 \u201cYes, John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Mikey Dolenz (The Monkees), Ringo Starr, and Bernie Taupin were members.\u00a0 There were a few sub groups going around, and this was one of the sub groups.\u00a0 During the\u00a0 set, you\u2019ll hear Alice talk about all the different people and the stories of The Hollywood Vampires.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n TVL:\u00a0 What was the determining factor that made you jump on board with this band?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n MS:\u00a0 \u201cI first found out about this band on social media, and it looked like it was a lot of fun, something I would want to do.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t see a drummer.\u00a0 So I called up Shep Gordon, who is Alice\u2019s manager, and asked, who\u2019s the drummer? \u00a0He said,\u00a0 they don\u2019t have one.\u00a0 I said, you do now, I\u2019m the drummer, I\u2019m the drummer!\u00a0 And that was that.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t any lawyers or bullsh*t involved.\u00a0 I joined the band over a phone call.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n TVL:\u00a0 Can you tell us a little about what it\u2019s like performing with Johnny Depp and Joe Perry?<\/span><\/p>\n MS:\u00a0 \u201cYou have to remember that when Johnny Depp came to California, he had rock star in his eyes, not acting.\u00a0 He\u2019s an incredible musician, who knows the history.\u00a0 He\u2019s not onstage performing any character.\u00a0 What you see onstage is the real Johnny.\u00a0 His style is like Keith Richards, no, more like Marc Bolan.\u00a0 He\u2019s got great swagger, and the clothes, and he plays dirty.<\/span><\/p>\n With Joe, you\u2019re never know what you\u2019re going to get.\u00a0 He\u2019s like a lost art form and his performance is always in the moment.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n TVL:\u00a0 Your set list is pure classic rock and roll.\u00a0 I noticed that you sing lead vocals on \u201cAce of Spades\u201d (Motorhead).\u00a0 What has that experience been like for you?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n MS:\u00a0 \u201cDoing the Lemmy song is real special to me because I had the direct connection to Lemmy.\u00a0 At first, I don\u2019t know what got into me, but I offered to sing it (he laughed), \u00a0and they didn\u2019t know if I could sing it.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got a voice if I want to.\u00a0 Before I start that song, I think about Lemmy and I think about everything he meant to rock and roll.\u00a0 I ask him to help me through it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I had that experience before, that if I can just sort of feel it, and look for it.\u00a0 I played on this album called \u2018Burning for Buddy\u2019, for Buddy Rich, and Neil Peart (Rush) was producing it. I had been on tour, and I remember I hadn\u2019t slept.\u00a0 I got there and all these great drummers were there and fear struck me for a second.\u00a0 There was a poster of Buddy Rich on the wall, and I looked over and I just said to him, Hey Buddy, I need you right now, I need you.\u00a0 I went in, played the song, \u201cBurning for Buddy\u201d in one take.\u00a0 Neil Peart came out and said, what just happened?\u00a0 I said , well, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I felt that.\u00a0 I try and do that when I get onstage.\u00a0 I try to look over and I feel this incredible joy in the music and I try to summon the greats.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n TVL:\u00a0 Over a short period of time, we\u2019ve lost a good deal of great musicians.\u00a0 Scott Weiland, David Bowie,\u00a0 Glenn Frey, and Prince.\u00a0 Are there plans to add some of their songs to your performance?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n MS:\u00a0 \u201cWe did throw out an idea about Prince, but it wasn\u2019t directly connected to us.\u00a0 There\u2019s a lot of greats.\u00a0 We tried to do something for Scott, but we weren\u2019t able to put the music together to pay homage to it respectfully.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n TLV:\u00a0 Is it the band\u2019s mission to recreate these songs while also incorporating your own sound?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n MS:\u00a0 \u201cEven with the \u2018Ace of Spades\u2019 song, I really try to keep up with the guys and learn it as close to the original as possible.\u00a0 There are certain songs you don\u2019t want to go up and hack from.\u00a0 I still have that direct link to the band and still talk to the guitar player, Phil Campbell, and he\u2019s like, I don\u2019t like the way you guys played that (laughing), so in a\u00a0 lot of ways, you have to respect the music.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n TVL:\u00a0 What are some of your thoughts for the fans to take away from the Bethlehem show?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n MS:\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re all revved up to play this show, it\u2019s the first one for the summer tour and we\u2019re all ready to blow the roof off! Alice Cooper has the connection to these guys, and when we\u2019re on stage, we\u2019re paying homage. I hear Alice\u2019s stories, and I\u2019m fascinated.\u00a0 His life, and everything he\u2019s been through.\u00a0 I gauge myself throughout the day, and think about Alice Cooper, because I see a guy who survived it all, and that is cool.\u00a0 \u00a0Alice, Joe, all the guys, they\u2019re special guys, that aren\u2019t going to be here forever.\u00a0 I hope they live a long time, but these greats that we pay homage to, they\u2019re gone now.\u00a0 This is important, because it\u2019s a real celebration of what they\u2019ve given us.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On the band\u2019s facebook page the excitement and countdown continues as this sold out concert is just five days away.\u00a0 Whether you\u2019re a fan of the music from this slice of rock and roll history, or a fan of the band members themselves,\u00a0 this is one of the hottest concerts this summer you don\u2019t want to miss!\u00a0 Friday won\u2019t come soon enough, here in the Lehigh Valley, we\u2019re ready to welcome The Hollywood Vampires!<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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