For those that were there at Rocklahoma back in the day when it all began there was a constant, a band that initially sneaked onto the bill and the came back every year to become a cult favourite. That band was ‘Gypsy Pistoleros’ and lockdown in the UK has produced a new album in ‘The Mescalito Vampires’ an album that Lee recently told us was the album he always wanted to make with the band. So after a ten year break from music in which he became an actor, we caught up with Lee Pistolero to talk about the glory days of Rocklahoma, the origins of the band’s sound and a hundred other stories. With the album out in June The Pistoleros have a new lockdown-induced lease of life and this time the stars seem to be aligned – are you ready for The Greatest flamenco sleaze glam band ever?
Mark: How are you Lee?
Lee: Good thanks mate.
Mark: So sorry for calling late I slept in, it’s 5.40am here at the minute!
Lee: Oh mate! You’re mad!
Mark: But why not? It’s been quite some time! Going all teh way back the first time I saw you was in a muddy field in Oklahoma!
Lee: Oh man! How long ago is that now! Was it 2010?
Mark: Well the first time I went was 2007.
Lee: That was our debut!
Mark: And then 2008 was the first time I bumped into you and then I went back in 2009. I don’t know why I kept going back to Oklahoma! (laughs)
Lee: (laughs) Oh mate! None of us did!
Mark: I defected in 2010 to go and see Rock In America down in Oklahoma City, and by the time I went back and took a band over there – in 2012 you weren’t there!
Lee: No I’d gone! I’d decided to become an actor at that point! (laughs)
Mark: Great days though, I remember at the shows in The Garden of Evil, which for those not familiar with Rocklahoma were the shows outside the main event in the Camp Grounds themselves, and it was there that I think you gave me my introduction to Patron!
Lee: Yes! Oh an! The classic! The rappers favourite and we were there first! (laughs)
Mark: It was a great Festival and arguably a better party back in those days!
Lee: It was great until it got taken over and it just became the same carnival of American bands that they just put on at every fricking Festival! It then just became the same as everything else. It was funny I just remember the last time we played was 2011 and Pop Evil were on before us and this guy was doing all these press-ups and I though “OH God he must be the drummer” he was doing all these bends and everything and he said to me “Hey man, what do you do for your voice? How do you keep in shape?” At this point I was hardly able to stand up, they were on before us and I just said “(laughs) “Oh it’s a strict regime” and I stumbled along. He was the singer! Oh bless him! They were just so corporate and so together. And we just went on and did our thing. But they seem to survive those sort of bands in America and they make a living out of it.
Mark: And they’re still going strong.
Lee: It’s like Nickelback have spawned loads of weird degenerate US bands!
Mark: (laughs) So I guess we should take it back just a little bit further – an underground UK band playing and becoming a huge part of such a big US Festival, how did that first happen for you?
Lee: It’s a short story! It’s Tracii Guns. We were backstage at the Underworld (Camden UK) and we’d just finished a European Tour with LA Guns after Faster Pussycat. So we were on that tour at the Underworld, we were all drunk backstage and ther press were in there and they were asking Tracii about Rocklahoma, he was describing it as this big Glam Festival in the middle of nowhere (Check out Pryor Creek Oklahoma) and he turned to me and said “Hey you should try and get on, you should do it” and I thought alright then, “Are you offering?” and he said “Oh I don’t know” So I said “OK then we’ll come over and we’ll play during your set – we’ll do one song” and he said “Yeah if you can get there” so I made him shake my hand on film, as the interview was being filmed. So I said “There you go we’re doing it!” So I just got in touch with the promoter and said “Yeah, we’re coming over, Tracii’s invited us (laughs) and they knew nothing! So first of all they were going to let us do one song during LA Gun’s set, they were going to invite us on. So we paid to get over the first time and they were just so pissed off with us they gave us a slot! (laughs) They just said – “Look just do your set and piss off!”
Mark: Fantastic.
Lee: But for some unknown reason they loved us in Oklahoma!
Mark: They did. The first time I caught you I was there with a bunch of guys from Texas, Oklahoma… and Melbourne (Australia not Florida) of all places and you guys had become the ‘must see’ band.
Lee: We were the band that went round everybody’s trailer! (The campgrounds were a sea of RV’s from all over the country in those early days)
Mark: (laughs)
Lee: You know how many people there were there! And at every trailer we had like a little shot of something that they’d been brewing! “Hey we’ve got this homebrew!” I don’t know how we lived through it, let alone played! Though I must admit I don’t remember playing some of them! But there was something really interesting though, I don’t know if you noticed it – when we played the first few years at the end of our set we used to walk off stage into the audience. And the first couple of years the security went absolutely mental! And said “You do not do that, you do not walk into the audience off the stage” And we thought why not? But it was never ever done in America, due to things like they’ve got guns and there’s nutters around. But afterwards we noticed that all of the American bands were watching us walk off that way and the crowd were going wild. And suddenly LA Guns started to copy us and go down to the barrier. There was always this taboo between – this is the band and that is the audience and you’re a million miles away. But we just used to walk right into it – they were just like us dude, just piss-heads together in a field!
Mark: I guess the acting equivalent of breaking the fourth wall?
Lee: Yeah, totally. I just remember the absolute disbelief when the American bands first saw that one.
Mark: A groundbreaking band we all loved!
Lee: (laughs)
Mark: Thanks for sending the album through I see it’s the Australian version as briefly you were on a label with the likes of Rose Tattoo, one of the versions of LA Guns, Gilby Clark, Jefferson Starship and so many others.
Lee: We were but we’ve left them, and now we’ve signed to Off Yer Rocker Records. We split from Golden Robot and I’m not supposed to say anything about it!
Mark: OK I’ll not say anything then! (laughs) Let’s do that again – so you’re on a label with the likes of The Quireboys…
Lee: Yeah The Quireboys, Gin Alley, Black Aces and others, we’re basically in great company and we’re doing all their Festivals. Sleaze Rock we do – Mike Monroe is headlining that, The Quireboys, Love/Hate, LA Guns! (laughs) It’s funny I’ve been away from the Rock scene for 10 years and I go back and there’s fricking LA Guns on the bill! (Laughs)
Mark: (laughs) Well half of them anyway, it’s like that never-ending saga – how many versions of LA Guns will there be this week?
Lee: In 2010 we were the only band to support the real LA Guns because we supported Tracii’s and then a few weeks later we supported Phil’s in London! (laughs) So we actually supported the real LA Guns over a few weeks! (laughs)
Mark: (laughs) So even though you’ve been away from music for a decade now you must in a way think that nothing’s really changed, they’ve all just been waiting for you to come back?
Lee: (laughs) No, though I don’t drink now which is a massive difference! Because let’s face it I was a complete and utter alcoholic nutter. But the only difference is now is that I wear Day of the Dead make-up and I suppose we’ve gone even more into the Latin. We hinted at it before and people used to say “Oh is it a gimmick?” are you just playing with this for a few songs. And you know Iggie (Gypsy Pistoleros guitarist back in the day) he always wanted to be Motley Crue, and that was all he wanted to do, whilst I wanted to do this as our sort of sound and it was always a compromise, it used to cross over and wasn’t right. And we were a shambles on stage, we were just drunks and this time I wanted something more like what I’d wanted. It all came about due to lockdown when I got together with Mark Westwood who was in Clive Nolan’s band and a few Prog Rocky things. But years ago he was with me in a band called White Trash back in ’96 when we supported Motorhead – we toured with them. Mark is brilliant – he’s a session guitarist and can play everything. And during lockdown I just said to him “Let’s do this album, I’ve got this deal with this Australian label, which I had at the time.” Because no one could do anything so I got together some great musicians – the best – we got Jan Vincent on drums who’s the drummer in Pendragon, he was also the drummer in Ghost, which is funny because I’ve been mentioning that in all the interviews and you’re not supposed to say who’s been in Ghost! (laughs) So there’s an exclusive! He was in Ghost, but I didn’t say that obviously!
Mark: I didn’t hear that (laughs)
Lee: Yeah I was in Ghost as well! (laughs)
Mark: I think I was at some point… (laughs)
Lee: (laughing) And then we got Gaz on double-bass, he’s like a Rockabilly legend! And we added a classical trumpet-player who we had to tell to play Mariachi! We kept saying “Dude that sounds too good!” And together we got together an album I always wanted to make. And that for me was almost it, I didn’t give a shit about anything else, I just wanted to nail it on this one album. It’s what we always set out to do, way back in 2005. And since then it’s all really snowballed and everyone’s really got into the Day of the Dead look. It’s a cracking album though, I’m too old to bullshit! Someone said to me the other night it’s like the Latin Rock equivalent of Appetite for Destruction. And I thought yeah… now if we could only hit the Latin market on the same level that would be fantastic! (laughs)
Mark: Now that would be something!
Lee: I mean people have always said we should have been the house band for Tarantino’s Dusk Till Dawn.
Mark: It is that kind of cool, and with the Day of the Dead look in at the minute it just seems like the time is right.
Lee: It’s funny isn’t it how sometimes everything just hits and feels right. The funny thing is though I’ve had a lot of people asking me to do the video interviews and video links in full make-up! (laughs)
Mark: (laughs) I thought you were?
Lee: (laughs) It’s just late! We had a real make-up artist for the video and we were going to get the in to do the Festivals, but I tried putting it on for this live link and it looked like I’d had it done at a kid’s party! I can’t do this myself! (laughs) We’re gonna have to get her on the payroll! I can’t do this again!
Mark: Or you could do the Peter Kay thing and get it done permanently! Then you could have it on for weeks!
Lee: (laughs)
Mark: So it’s all come together and funnily enough all because of Covid which must have been a massive pain in the arse for everyone over there.
Lee: Oh mate it still is, but you guys have done great.
Mark: Well no one comes to see us anyway so it’s almost business as usual!
Lee: Well the Conservatives run this place so it is just money no one gives a shit about us, as long as big Business runs and not that many are dying and the hospitals can handle it, they were alright with it. They’re just inept.
Mark: You should come over and play for us, The Quireboys your label-mates were over last year just before everything kicked off.
Lee: Funny you say that I think we’re going out on tour with them next year.
Mark: So let’s get down to it. Where does the love of this sound come from? Spain must have grabbed you in some sort of way?
Lee: Well I lived in Zaragoza between Madrid and Barcelona just up North. It’s about the equivalent of Liverpool from a British perspective. I lived there for three years. I had a girlfriend that I lived with in London and we went back to Spain as I was just pissed off. We supported Kill City Dragons, Dogs D’Amour in London, but the scene was just the same old circuit so we moved to Zaragoza like everyone does! (laughs) The bands there practice in these little huts, these breeze-block built places in the middle of nowhere in the desert and we had one and we’d go down there and we’d meet everybody. All the bands were there, all the bands got drunk there and just played music with each other. The first time it came about I was with this guy called Juan Valdivia he was the guitarist in this band called Heroes Del Silencio, who were also from Zaragoza – they were one of the biggest Rock bands in Spain ever now. And he used to be really into us as he thought we were real Rock and Roll because we came from London and we’d supported Lords of the New Church! So we were the real deal, you know. God bless him! But we got in there and we used to jam – we used to play Anarchy in the UK and this Flamenco group joined us! Ketama who were one of the top Spanish Flamenco groups. And so they started jamming along to Anarchy in the UK and it sounded really killing! And then I discovered Los Chochitos and Los Chichos who were like 1970’s Rhumba Pop bands and I loved that stuff! So for the Ramones tour I was saying “I love that stuff can we do it” and the Spanish guys were saying “You don’t play that you will die – you do not play Flamenco in Spain! The gypsies will rip you apart” So I thought, OK we’ll do it then! So we played two of the songs ‘Ay Que Dolor’ and ‘Loco Loquito’ and the first time we played them was supporting the Ramones in ’93 on their Spanish Tour.
Mark: Wow!
Lee: First of all there was laughter, then there was complete hysteria and then there was like double-clapping from al the crowd – and they loved it! And in retrospect I should have carried on with it but when we came back I joined Mark who’s now in the band and we became this awful Rage Against the Machine like Metal band called White Trash again! And long story but we nearly signed to Noise Records but that all fell through at the last moment. And then I forgot about it up till about 2005 and we sort of put it together-ish apart from Iggie who wanted to be Motley Crue. We kept saying to him “Look Iggs Motley Crue don’t want to be Motley Crue anymore! Give it up!” (laughs) Bless him!
Mark: I often wonder how he is and if he’ll be doing anything himself?
Lee: No he’s got married. We signed to Heavy Metal Records in 2011 or 12, 2011 I think and they signed the name for the duration of the licensing deal so when I left my own band on the eve of the album launch… Log story, but I can do a short one. I set up this gig at the St. Moritz in London (the legendary Soho venue not the Cheese Fondue restaurant) for the launch part with all the press and everything. And two of the band said “Oh I don’t know whether I can make it” (laughs) and I was like “Fuck off! That’s it I’m finished!” so I just walked. But the gig went ahead and they got in a couple of singers and they did a few Festivals which were awful. But I lost the use of my own bands name for three years. But I got it back so there’ll be no two versions of the Gypsy Pistoleros.
Mark: That’s scuppered my plans for an Australian version!
Lee: (laughs) You could call it ‘The’ Gypsy Pistoleros. I think Iggs was going to start the Gypsy Gunslingers, but I don’t now, he’s married now.
Mark: So hopefully you’ll come out of lockdown properly and things will get pretty much back to normal and you have some dates. When’s the first one and what’s it going to be like getting back on stage as a musician again?
Lee: We pay the Sheffield O2 Arena – and that’s the Hard Rock Hell Sleaze Fest. Mike Monroe is headlining, as I said LA Guns are on, Quireboys, Love/Hate, Pretty Boy Floyd (laughs) all the ones we played with before! We’re on obviously but there’s all the new bands from Off Yer Rocker – the whole gamut of them. So it’s going to be great – I think the capacity there’s about 6000 and it’s a two day event so that will be out first! A nice little gig to warm up with!
Mark: I’d love to come back but I’m not sure I’d risk coming back to a land ruled by Boris and his mates. I still remember when he was a running joke on ‘Have I Got News For You!’ now he’s in charge, it’s surreal!
Lee: That Muppet! We’ve been able to have haircuts today in England, yeah, Boris had one and he looks like he’s been attacked by a lawn mower! You can take the buffoonery, but dude have a decent haircut you’re in charge!
Mark: So the album is out now! And I think over the years I have pretty much everything you’ve put out, maybe missing an EP, but for the uninitiated why check you out?
Lee: Well let’s start from Dusk Till Dawn – if you picture what should have been the house band there – if you like Tarantino, Ennio Morricone, some Sleaze and Glam, there’s Rock, Rock and Roll in there, there’s some Punk elements to it – it’s difficult to describe isn’t it?
Mark: It is. On paper you might think ‘no’ but when you hear it that turns to ‘oh yes!’
Lee: Yeah, someone reviewed it and said “They dress like Day of the Dead then the Mexican Rhumba Guitar comes in then the crashing chords from a Punk band but when the Mariachi trumpet comes in – Fuck yeah! You know it’s on! (laughs)
Mark: I like that! It’s like a party for your ears in Spanish climes!
Lee: It shouldn’t work but it does! (laughs)
Mark: It’s what music should be – it’s all about a good time and the timing is right for that coming out of lockdown!
Lee: I hope so, and we’re happy with the album and I think we’re contracted for another two. You’ve got a collector’s item there because all the packaging has to be changed since we switched labels, they only made about 70. It’s crazy – our first album is going for about forty quid on e-bay!
Mark: I’ve got that, in fact I think I had it signed at a pre-party you did in Tulsa at a little bar called the Backyard Bar it must have been in 2009. I’m not even sure who the two other guys were with you and Iggie.
Lee: I remember – Bai Bang supported us! That’s right – Denny and Josh! The Bad Reputation days.
Mark: That was an interesting evening with beer I think at 49c a bottle – I was tipping more than the cost of the beer!
Lee: It was a bit mental wasn’t it. (laughs) And we used to have to play during those sort of things as well! You’d be at the bar and someone would shout “You’re on now!” (laughs)
Mark: Good times!
Mark: We’ll just do a bit now for the Podcast when hopefully this month you’ll be joined by none other than ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons.
Lee: (laughs) I remember him watching us at the side of the stage in Rocklahoma one year looking on in disbelief! I looked to the side of me and there was Billy Gibbons, Tracii Guns and a load of other stars and you know when you look and you’re thinking “I was out all night I slept two hours and I can’t sing a note” so I proceeded to croak my way through a set! It was shocking!
Mark: I bet he was stroking his beard thinking maybe not these guys for that next big support slot!
Lee: (laughs) I think we blew it!
Mark: Well thank you so much for your time mate, I’ll get to work and you can get to bed! We’d love to get you over here to play once the craziness ends!
Lee: We’d love to come too I think we’ve picked up a few fans thanks to Golden Robot!
Mark: Imagine an outback tour with this kind of music!
Lee: Oh wow that would be surreal, we’d add a couple of didgeridoos either side!
Mark: It was great to talk to you after so long, I definitely won’t leave it so long next time.
Lee: Good to see you too, you’re looking well I must say. You know what it’s like when you see people after ten years – you often go “Oh fuck” but you’re actually looking really well.
Mark: Well thank you mate, you’re not looking too bad yourself despite the lockdown. Anything we can do mate, just give me a bell!
Lee: No, what you do is priceless for bands like us, so I’ll keep in touch until we’re massive then I’ll ignore you! (laughs)
Mark: (laughs) That’s life!
Lee: I’ll send you out a vinyl when it comes out – they come out on August 14th and it’s going to be moon coloured! Moon coloured vinyl – I said that and then I had to explain what it was! I wanted it splatter – but you can’t do that so it’s got to be marbled – you have to start with the blue then I wanted white on it which they don’t normally do. I started to sound like Axl “I want moon colored vinyl! It has to match the cover!”
Mark: (laughs)
Lee: Then I thought bugger it – just do it in white, a full moon! Whatever!
Mark: (laughing) They would have been pretty disappointed with a half-moon! That would have been crazily difficult to play!
Lee: (laughs) the needle would keep slipping off!
Mark: You keep yourself safe mate, it’s been a pleasure to talk to you again.
Lee: You too mate.
http://www.gypsypistoleros.com
