Welcome back to The Metal Circus…
When we first started, the very first interview that I [Finster – Stefan was doing The Electric Circus back then…] did for The Metal Edge was for the band House Of Lords, for their debut 1988 release. I remember it well, as it was the one of the most fun experiences I have ever had doing this thing. Stefan can attest as he was backstage with me trying to keep up with these guys. I was thoroughly convinced that every single one of these guys was crazy. I did the interview standing up…as I couldn’t get any of them to slow down enough to sit. All of the band members [Gregg Giuffria, Lanny Cordola, Ken Mary, Chuck Wright and particularly singer James Christian] were gracious, funny and candid. Lead singer James Christian hails from Milford, CT so this was a hometown show with a hometown crowd and they did not disappoint. We played the hell out of that first record [Sahara too!...] I wish I knew where the tape went for that interview.
Move forward 23 years…and you’ve got a brand new record from House Of Lords called “Big Money” [just out on September 27th from Frontiers Records] and with the advent of all this technology…a brand new interview with one of the members of House Of Lords…
A Brief History…
To get you quickly caught up…it goes like this… Keyboardist Gregg Giuffria left the band Angel and started a band under his own name Giuffria.
They released 2 records. The first was self titled and came out in 1984, and featured Giuffria, guitarist Craig Goldy, drummer Alan Krigger, bassist Chuck Wright, and lead singer David Glen Eisley. They released the track “Call To The Heart” which hit #15 on the charts. The second record “Silk And Steel” came out in ‘86. Goldy left to join Dio and was replaced by Lanny Cordola, and Chuck Wright left to join Quiet Riot for QR III. He was replaced by David Sikes [who would go on to join Boston]. The second album failed to chart as expected and they were dropped from their label, but not before a third record was recorded under the moniker Giuffria, and some of those tracks would become parts of the House Of Lords debut. Giuffria then changed the name to House Of Lords and were signed as the first band to Gene Simmons’ $immons Records label. Simmons then fired Eisley in favor of James Christian. Giuffria guitarist Lanny Cordola was on board and bass player Chuck Wright returned to the fold. Fifth Angel/Alice Cooper drummer Ken Mary replaced Alan Krigger for the House Of Lords debut. So… having almost as many lineup changes as Whitesnake or Yes [particularly for the Sahara record…]…HOL kept on going and over the last 23 years produced 9 studio and 1 live record. So there you have it… 23 years in one paragraph… but as we all know it was never that simple…
So as we move forward with them…we’ve got bassist Chris McCarvill, who was gracious enough to take time out of his very busy schedule to talk to us, and we wanted to thank him for that.
We talked to Chris about HOL, his own band Samurai Cab Company, as well as other projects he has been involved with over the years. We’ll keep up with Chris throughout the HOL tour which will begin in Europe and hopefully come this way through North America.
Diving Right In….
The Metal Circus:
Was Big Money recorded in the same fashion as Cartesian Dreams, i.e. were all the band members together for the recording sessions? If so tell us a little about the camaraderie and how it played into the final output of Big Money.
Chris:
Well, HOL doesn’t record like say, Van Halen used to [with everyone playing together in the studio at the same time]. In fact, we’re not even in the same state most of the time. James works with a few incredible writers, then BJ and Jimi get their paws on it. Jimi writes a lot also, BJ arranges a lot, I have pretty hair. They send me the bass tracks to record after it’s 90% finished. James is also an amazing bass player, so it’s usually mapped out pretty precisely what he wants. The camaraderie mainly happens because we all get along pretty well, and we’ve done quite a few shows together, so we may not be in the same room at the time of recording, but by the time it’s done, it comes through that we’re actually a band, not just four studio hacks.
Did you write or co-write any of the tunes on Big Money? If so, which ones?
I wrote all of them. 100% Hahaha. Nope, this time none of my stuff made the cut. I don’t get upset about that stuff. It’s cool to be involved at all.
Was Jeff Cannata involved in Big Money?
Know what? Other than directing our video, I’m not sure. Might have to ask James about that.
It’s great to see Frontiers bringing hard rock and metal back to the forefront… truly supporting the bands they believe in. The band filmed a video for “Someday When” to support the release of Big Money… where was it filmed? Will there be another single/video released following the European tour?
“Someday When” was filmed at the Lockwood mansion in Norwalk, CT., which is supposed to be haunted. It seems like an old mansion to me, sort of like the ones in Newport, RI. Vanderbilt era. Very nice place. Makes me wonder what happened there in it’s heyday.
Like I said, Jeff Cannata directed the video, and I like working with him, cause he’s flexible and doesn’t waste time.
It was about 700 degrees in there when we filmed, and we all had to do makeup, which none of us are used to. Our directions were to show up at 10am in full makeup and costume, we would have a makeup artist touch us up. Ok, so picture yourself and 3 buddies having to do that. Hahaha. BJ doesn’t wear sleeves on stage usually, and the foundation makeup he had was darker than his actual skin, so his face was Jersey Shore orange and his arms were white. I told him he’d have to do his arms to match his face, but he ran out of makeup, so he looked like a demented tiger. Hahaha. Thank God the makeup artist showed up and told him to get rid of it all, it was the wrong color, etc.
I have no idea what single will be next, or what kind of video would happen. It’d be really cool to do really quick clips of live stuff, cause the shows are usually CRAZY!
You were not on the previous record, Cartesian Dreams…did you have a prior commitment or was there some other reason?
Might want to check the inside of that CD again…
I didn’t do one HOL tour because I was out playing with Dokken. We were on Poison’s/Brett Michaels’ Rock Of Love tour. Yes, the TV show was filming the whole time. 30,000 people a night in all the big outdoor music sheds in the USA doesn’t suck. [For the record…Stefan takes the hit for that one…his question…lol!...]
After the European tour, what’s next for The Samurai Cab Company?
We’re putting out a full length record, and going after a deal. We’re halfway done right now. We’re handing out business cards on the HOL tour that have a link to two of our new SCC songs for free. Really, we just want everyone to hear the band. Perhaps some of why I didn’t end up writing with HOL was because I’ve been writing like crazy for SCC. I wrote about 30 songs over the summer. I don’t mean 30 are great, but it really helped me to figure out what I wanted to put across and how. I’m really excited about it. BJ is in SCC as well, and he’s got a great ear for making sure things make sense. It’s definitely a rock record, but not in the way HOL is. SCC has more of a Queen/Cheap Trick vibe but with current production values. [We can’t wait to hear it!]
We’ll also need to do another video w/ SCC. Our first one was an hysterical experience.
Do you and Andre [Vanchot] have any plans to revive X Factor X in the future?
Who’s Andre? Hahaha…
Seriously, we try to get XFX going again every so often, but for some reason it just seems like it’s not meant to be. We had a lot of fun with it back in the day, but speaking for myself, I’ve sort of grown out of it. I think we all have. Who knows? I think if there was a lot more demand for XFX, we’d want to revive it more.
When we first talked you joked about being a high school kid listening to HOL…and now you’re in the band. Kind of like Rock Star… Does that make you Chuck Wright, Sean McNabb, or Matt McKenna for that matter?...
Sometimes, yes, I sign autographs “Chuck Wrong”. Seriously though, Chuck was one of my idols when I was learning to play. I had all the original HOL records in high school, and I learned the whole thing, along with a Quiet Riot album Chuck is on [QR III]. I was really into the Stand In Line record by Impelliteri in high school, which Chuck is also on. I guess it’s pretty natural to be playing for HOL it you think about it that way. It’s a pretty cool situation to be playing for a band you really like. Not everyone is so lucky.
Getting back to Samurai Cab Company, fellow HOL member BJ [Zampa – drummer] is also your drummer in SCC. How different is the vibe when playing HOL vs. SCC?
Well, SCC was built around fun, and playing the kind of songs we want. I guess you could say it’s a release from the pressure of playing certain ways for certain gigs. For example, HOL is a very regimented unit on stage musically. It’s got specific parts that need to be played a certain way, and it’s all about precise execution. I don’t mean that it’s not emotional or expressive, because James seriously is one of rock’s greatest singers. We make a polished platform for him to shine on. SCC is more like an old Van Halen record. We go for fire and that means it can get risky. Mistakes happen, tempos might fluctuate a little, we improvise, it’s a little dangerous because sometimes we’re on the edge of falling apart, but it makes for a good show, in my opinion. I sing lead and play bass, and I play a LOT of bass, so it’s fun that way too.
Do you have any plans to tour in North America [and can you please convince the powers that be to get you out here for Rocklahoma 2012…]?
You never know…I think the HOL team is working on that. A funny thing was having dinner at Rocklahoma in 2008 w/ HOL. I was there playing with Dokken. I went and saw HOL with w/ Matt on bass. It was pouring rain for them, like full on downpouring. I felt really bad, standing in the artist area, dry, comfortable, enjoying a drink…hahaha. But they didn’t stop. James went right out to the front row and let ‘em have it. That’s dedication. When Dokken went on it was later in the afternoon, and the sun was out. My face got totally sunburned. The whole message here is that you can’t win being a musician, either way…
What is your favorite HOL album, and what do you enjoy playing live?
I would have to say the first one is my favorite. I like the newer ones, of course, but the first one is what hooked me, and it’s a little more progressive, which I personally like. There’s lots of fun songs live. Ones that really stand out are “I’m Free” which is on World Upside Down. Great groove, great riff. I really dig the solo part live, the keys are monstrous. Off Cartesian Dreams I like the title track and a song called “Never Look Back”. Between the bass and the backing vocals that one’s like an obstacle course. Fun. Of course the big hit, “Can’t Find My Way Home”, I get chills when that kicks in.
How many songs from the new record will be played on tour?
Probably a couple. There’s an awful lot of material to choose from now. HOL puts out…records , I mean…
Both you and BJ also worked on the Obsession album “Carnival Of Lies”. How was working with [fellow local hero] Mike Vescera? And are there any plans in the future?
Mike’s great. He’s really easy in the studio. He’s another guy that totally knows what he’s doing. He lets us do our job, which is nice. We record like House Of Lords, we email tracks and work on things separately. Actually, Carnival Of Lies is basically House Of Lords w/a different singer, and different material. BJ, Jimi, Robert Marcello and myself are all in on it though. There’s a whole new Obsession album recorded, I just don’t know if/when it’s being released. We’re actually playing tonight [Sept. 28th] and then Friday in Chicago. I’ll have to ask Mike what’s up.
You are the bass guitar instructor for our dear friend Chrissy “Snow” Rowland [who graciously coordinated our interview], is she ready for the big time yet?
If you guys know her, then you’ll already know that she’s always been big time. Seriously though, she can play great for as long as she’s been at it. Just don’t tell the HOL guys, I don’t wanna lose my job!...
The comeback album “The Power And The Myth” [recorded with most of the original band, and with Gregg Giuffria on one track…] got a lot of mixed reviews, because everyone expected it to sound like the debut. What’s your take on that record, and are there any songs from that record you will play live? [Editor’s note – We love the Power And The Myth record…and anyone who thinks that a band that broke up in the early 90’s should sound exactly like they used to in 2004 is and idiot…just sayin’…]
Power And The Myth sucks. Even James says so. Hahaha. No, James doesn’t really say that. But, that was a tough decade for 80’s rockers. No one knew what to do. Looking back on it, I see it as a good thing. It forced everyone to diversify. Power And The Myth is at least an attempt to adapt to the times. Most HOL fans don’t like it as much as the other stuff, but you sort of have to appreciate a band willing to shake itself up and try something new. Doesn’t mean it’s always going to work. It seems that most HOL fans like the traditional HOL sound, which is what James bases his songwriting on. I wouldn’t expect to hear any of P&M live, but you never know. Maybe it will become a huge seller and we’ll have no choice…
House Of Lords was my [Finster’s] very first interview on the Metal Edge way back on the debut tour at Toad’s Place in New Haven, CT. I remember the band being a lot of fun, and James was just hysterical. It was a really great homecoming show for him. Does the band have that same attitude back stage and do you really feel like a band, and not just “James Christian from HOL and 3 new guys”… [Even though you’ve all been working with him longer than most of the original band]
Interesting question. HOL IS really fun on the road, and yes, it totally feels like a band. James makes sure we don’t end up dead in a ditch somewhere. We all have a bunch of inside jokes and silly stories from the other tours we’ve done that make the difficult times easier. You know, like when my passport got stolen, or an opening band getting sent to pick us up from the airport at 3am in full concert gear. Hahaha.
The scene where you are [and where both of us are originally] from in CT has benefitted greatly from the social media like Facebook and MySpace. Do you feel that has helped the band specifically? [Both HOL and SCC]
I’d say the most important thing is that with both sites, is that you can stay in touch with a lot of great people that you might’ve never seen again. A lot of times people go way out of their way for us on tours, and it’s nice to be able to say thank you. Locally it’s pretty indispensable for getting the word out about our shows. Or to make fun of Andre.
You, BJ and guitarist Jimi Bell gel very well on the records. When you’re playing live, what’s the chemistry like? And do you try to play it exactly as say Chuck Wright or Sean McNabb played on the records?
Hmmm. I don’t think we play exactly like any of the records, even the ones we’re on, but it’s not a free for all either. We sort of develop into it after a few shows. Sometiimes things work better a certain way live, and we just try to keep our ears open for weak spots, which we’ll try to fix. That said, we don’t rehearse for hours and days. Might have before a tour. Most of the bass stuff in the studio is a 5-string, and I’m not a big 5-string guy so I use an octave pedal live. It adds an octave below everything I play, so that the sound is totally humongous. In the mix with everything it does a good job of not stepping on the guitars, vocals, or drums. I just have to alter my playing a little bit. Keeps things interesting. As far as chemistry goes, we’ve all done enough gigs together to be able to anticipate what we’ll do at any given moment. You know, like I know BJ will stand up and laugh if the lights suddenly let go and crash down on me, hahaha.
You’ve worked with Jeff Scott Soto in Slam [and toured with him to South America], and Eddie Ojeda from Twisted Sister in Eddie’s Band Of Steel, and toured with Dokken, along with your dutes with HOL. What’s next for you personally, after the HOL tour. Will you be working with anyone else of note, as well as SCC, and will HOL continue to record and tour? Have you discussed that? [There really is a question in there somewhere…]
These days I’m not so much persuing sideman gigs as I am writing and making bass guitars. I built a workshop and made a bass body over the winter. It ended up coming out so good that I’m hooked. Designing and building is sort of like a Zen thing for me. It’s relaxing. I don’t rush, there’s no deadlines, it’s fun.
Writing music has always been very interesting, and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to write a few songs recently that I really do like. I mainly sing and play piano to write. Like I said, SCC is after a deal, so I need to do a lot of work to prepare for that. That’s my focus outside of HOL…
Last question… In the video for “Someday When” you are playing chess with guitarist Jimi Bell. Do you really play chess? He looks like he’s kicking your ass!...lol…
My 9-year old son kicks my ass at chess. Plus, I don’t know if anyone in HOL actually knows how to play chess for real. Try BMX racing me, though. That’s something I’m good at for real. In fact, the track manager, Todd, is someone that helps out BJ on gigs with his drum setup and asked me to please not kill myself before the HOL video and tour…
Chris…thank you so much for your time. If you wouldn’t mind keeping up with us while you’re on tour that would be great, and send a set list when it’s all set….we’d love to post it as well. Anything to keep the word out.
No prob guys. Thanks very much. There will be a photo blog going up on my FB page as well as a few other places. I intend to show everyone what it’s really like out there on the road. Hahaha. Got a helmet?
Stefan & Finster
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