John Corabi has long been one of the musicians I’ve felt a real resonance with and when we set up The Rockpit ten years ago in 2009 he was one of the artists I most wanted to speak to as he was at yet another interesting point in his career. At the time John had parted ways with Ratt to pursue his solo career the previous year and had lined up some solo dates. We spoke for the first time the next year in 2010 when later in the year I saw him play for the second time at the Rock In America Festival in Oklahoma City. It was a great Festival and even better at the after-parties. I remember sharing a Patron or two with him and us both wondering why the hotel where the the after-party was held ‘smelt of bacon’ (I found the answer when I stumbled upon the huge wall of that very meat in the kitchen later that night)…
The first time I heard John was when he fronted a band called Angora and even though Angora were never to release an album somehow a mate had managed to track down their demo tape and we played it constantly – in those early days John both sang and played some wicked harmonica! John surfaced next in the pages of Kerrang where he fronted a band called ‘Saints Or Sinners’ that later became ‘The Scream.’ As far as I know I saw The Scream’s only date outside of the US when they played The Astoria in London in December 1991. Their first album is one of my favourites of that decade and their unreleased second album Takin’ It To The Next Level is well worth a listen if you can get hold of a copy.
By 1993 John was of course fronting Motley Crue and remained in the band until 1996 recording that eponymous album so beloved of fans. ‘Union’ with Bruce Kulick started up the next year before ending in 2000 (and briefly flickering into life again in 2005)
Stints followed with ‘ESP’ which included Australian dates in 2006, then a longer run with Ratt followed in 2000 and lasted until 2008 during which time John toured Australia for the second time in 2007. In amongst that in 2004 Corabi was again working with Nikki Sixx in Brides of Destruction and played (not sang) on their second album ‘Here Come the Brides’; he also joined Jerry Cantrell’s covers band ‘Cardboard Vampyres’ the same year.
Other Projects and solo work took up John’s time till 2015 when of course ‘The Dead Daisies’ came knocking. Several albums and tours later the band who are on hiatus in 2019, are still going strong. But it’s that break which has allowed John to already undertake an extensive 2019 European Tour, dates in the US and then the important bit for us down-under – the March Australian Tour.
That brings us nicely to this morning’s chat with the man I’ve actually spoken to more than anyone now at The Rockpit – John Corabi who is quite possibly one of the nicest, most genuine and laid back guys in Rock. Here we go for the seventh time…
Mark: Hi John thanks for talking to The Rockpit today. This year marks our tenth anniversary and over those ten years we’ve actually talked to you more times than anyone so it’s great to have you on the phone again.
John: Really? Wow, I knew we’d caught up a few times now (laughs).
Mark: So welcome back again, I was just thinking this morning it’s now 25 years since Motley Crue released their greatest album.
John: (laughs) Trust me I stand in front of the mirror every day and wonder, man what happened? Where did that time go? (laughs)
Mark: I know how you feel John. And in that time so much has happened to us all, including the one thing I just had to bring up briefly as I forgot to last time we talked – the mighty Philadelphia eagles finally won the Superbowl in 2017.
John: Yes that was very unexpected, but I gotta be honest with you it was a bit bittersweet. Just on a sidenote they played this team the Minnesota Vikings to get into the Superbowl and it was crazy! But it’s been a lifelong thing, my Dad was into The Eagles, my whole family, and so my brother and I were texting each other and calling each other when they beat the Vikings and then unfortunately the following morning my brother was getting up to go to work, he was in the shower getting ready to go in, and he had a massive heart attack and he passed away. Literally like ten hours after I talked to him. So watching the Superbowl was difficult. I was very pleased but I was just a bit bittersweet that my Dad who had passed away in 2014 and then my brother weren’t there to see it.
Mark: It’s horrible how life throws things like that at us. You wait so long for things to happen and there’s always a twist life gives you.
John: Yeah, and it’s weird because I’m on tour right now doing my acoustic shows and there’s a song I did on my unplugged record and it’s called ’If I Never Get to Say Goodbye’ which I basically dedicate it nightly to my brother and too my old manager who was a victim of gun violence here in America, he was shot and his wife was shot and he survived and she didn’t. It’s just weird man, life is just very fragile and every day I leave the house I just tell the audience, I’m not trying to be too preachy but when you leave the house if you have any loved ones, whoever they may be, you gotta let them know you love them because we don’t know what the Universe’s plan is for us. But it is what it is, and you move forward and you try to be the best person you can be but it us very fragile.
Mark: It is, and I saw that you had that in the setlist. You’ve been pretty busy already so far this year!
John: (laughs) It’s funny The Dead Daisies took a year off and my wife is just sitting there saying “I thought you were on vacation?” But you know what, I’m working really hard till April 15th. I bought a new motor home to travel America in, and I told my wife, then I told my manager and everyone in my camp to not call me for two weeks as I was taking my wife and our dog to Key West Florida in the RV and I’m just gonna sit by a beach somewhere and just decompress for those two weeks and celebrate my 60th birthday. And then I’m coming back to Nashville and then hopefully in May I can actually finish writing and at least start recording a new solo record.
Mark: That’s the best news, the thing I most wanted to ask was about how the record was coming along. Last time we spoke we were talking about songs that had inspired you
John: Um, I would have to say that it was either, and I’m going out on a limb as I can’t remember what I said, but certainly one of the songs I wish I could write anything close to would be ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’…
Mark: What a song, that has everything and the kitchen sink in there, it’s like stepping into someone’s mind…
John: Yeah it’s just so genius and it’s weird as obviously now we’ve seen a million Queen Interviews and more since the movie came out. Freddie came into that thing and he has every part of that song mapped out in his head and you think, God what other plane was that guy on, it’s just so brilliant.
Mark: I think if you have that huge vision it’s all about the ability not to give up and not stop till you get there. There are so many creative people out in the world but the other past that you need is that tenacity, that single mindedness not to think ‘this is too hard’ or think for a minute that you could fail. That’s how you pull off genius like that.
John: And it’s funny because the last interview that I just did the girl just asked me what did I learn from being in Motley Crue? And that was one of the things – I would make suggestions in that band and I just assumed that because of the success that they had, I should suggest then just back off as they obviously knew what they were doing. But now in hindsight I realise that maybe I should have pushed a little harder. Diplomatically and democratically just pushed a little harder. But that’s definitely one of the things I learnt Mark, if you truly believe in your heart you have a point or you have a vision for something, sometimes you have to push to the point where maybe you’re being a little abrasive to other people. But it’s what you hear and you see in your head you need to make it happen.
Mark: You’re absolutely right and that’s a beautiful point and a great way of putting it.
Mark: How was Europe at this time of year? You’ve been everywhere from Norway to Spain already? Pretty cold in Europe in the winter?
John: No because I actually had a ‘faux’, not real fur coat that was warm as hell. I knew that I was going to be in Norway and Finland and all these places in January so I went out and I bought myself a couple of those coats and I was prepared. The only time it got a little warm was when I was in Italy and Spain but I brought a lighter coat I could swap out. I was prepared! (laughs)
Mark: (laughs) The importance of the right coat for the travelling Rock Star is often under-appreciated!
John: (laughs)
Mark: Last time you were Down-under would have been the time that The Dead Daisies supported Kiss and I actually caught your Motley Crue set twice back in 2015 on the Monsters of Rock Cruise so I know exactly what the guys over here have got coming at the end of March! It’s great to see you out and taking in all our major cities except Perth, but you’ve plenty of fans here too and we’re sending at least 50 of them to catch your East Coast dates!
John: I really appreciate that and just for the record and for the fans I just want them to know you sadly can’t visit everywhere. It’s really funny I get these people who write to me all the time and they’re like “Dude, why are you not coming to … and they mention a City, and I laugh and sometimes I write back – I mean it’s not like I spend my time driving around in a tour bus and I think “Wow that looks like a good place, I think I’ll go play there”
Mark: (laughs)
John: (laughs) I have to be invited to play. So if you know any of your local promoters call them on the phone, harass them, get your friends to, and say “We want John Corabi” and then I’ll be more than happy to play your town. I mean if it wasn’t for Danny at Silverback Touring I wouldn’t be coming at all, because it’s very difficult with Visas and travel and backline gear and all these things; and he’s the one that’s putting it all together. If he’d come to me and said hey, we’re gonna take another day off and then play another show in Perth I would have been all about it, but it’s unfortunate, Australia is even bigger than the United States and it’s this huge country and you have all these people on the East Coast and then this one city on the other side.
Mark: We’re the California of Australia, without the people.
John: (laughs) And it’s beautiful there, I loved it, we did that one show with Kiss and I’d never been there so when we were there I got to get out a bit and see you with Marco. And I don’t know if it was with your rugby team or your soccer team, but you had a team that was in the playoffs that day – The Eagles.
Mark: Yeah, that was the AFL. The Australian Football, after we interviewed you in the morning.
John: Yeah, and someone gave me an Eagles scarf to wear, which by the way I caught a lot of flak for! (laughs)
Mark: (laughs)
John: You guys did not turn up for that game, and was it the Melbourne Team you were playing. They were a giving me shit and I was like “Hey I was just wearing it because it reminded me of my Team from Philadelphia!” (laughs)
Mark: (laughs) I love sport, it brings us together and divides us at the same time! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today John. As always I could have chatted for ages, hopefully I will be over East for at least the second date – the Melbourne show.
John: I would love that, come back and meet the guys.
Mark: I will. You take care of yourself until then.
John: Alright Mark thank you, bye bye.
John Corbai March 2019 Australian Tour Dates
Thu 28 March – Sydney – Crow Bar
Fri 29 March – Melbourne – The Prince
Sat 30 March – Brisbane – Crow Bar Black
Sun 31 March – Adelaide – Enigma Bar
Tickets On sale – NOW From: silverbacktouring.com
