Klaus Eichstadt (Ugly Kid Joe) - podcast episode cover

Klaus Eichstadt (Ugly Kid Joe)

Jun 01, 20231 hr 2 minSeason 4Ep. 349
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Episode description

Klaus Eichstadt is the guitarist and founding member of the rock band Ugly Kid Joe. They had two massive hits with “Everything About You” & “Cat’s in the Cradle.”  They also have shared the stage with Def Leppard, Guns ‘n Roses, Van Halen, Judas Priest, Bon Jovi and more. The band has a new album out now called “Rad Wings of Destiny” and a U.S. tour with Fozzy & Pistols at Dawn. We discuss the band’s history, new songs, live shows, & more!

0:00:00 - Intro
0:00:40 - Ugly Kid Joe Tour
0:01:53 - Whit's Vocals
0:04:45 - Ugly Kid Joe Early Days
0:05:31 - Playing Songs Live & Aging
0:09:13 - AC/DC Singers
0:12:27 - Aerosmith & Steven Tyler
0:13:20 - Playing with Big Bands
0:15:28 - Reception of Current Tour
0:17:01 - New Songs & Set List
0:18:40 - Guitarist Dave Fortman
0:19:25 - Cordell Crockett & Mike Squires
0:20:35 - Drummer/Singer Cam Greenwood
0:22:06 - God Damn Devil, Demo & Eric Valentine
0:23:32 - Everything About You Song & Video
0:26:25 - Original Members Roger Lahr & Mark Davis
0:28:15 - Band Hiatus & Other Projects
0:32:27 - Creative Direction & Artwork 
0:35:32 - Skating, Surfing & Snowboarding
0:36:55 - Ugly Kid Joe & Skid Row Tour
0:37:55 - Playing Music & Stepping Away
0:42:35 - Wanting To Be Cool & Accepted
0:46:05 - Motley Crue
0:46:56 - Touring with Fozzy & Pistols At Dawn
0:48:10 - Exercising
0:49:26 - Possible Live Album
0:51:15 - Panhandlin' Prince & Trump
0:52:15 - Hits & Album Tracks
0:53:50 - Adding Tour Dates & Meet n Greets
0:55:36 - Trans People
0:57:30 - Thrash Metal & Metallica
0:59:05 - Phoenix, Rob Halford & Alice Cooper
1:01:27 - Outro

📸 Photo by Voltage Junkie- https://instagram.com/voltage__junkie?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Ugly Kid Joe website:
https://uglykidjoe.net/

Chuck Shute website:
https://chuckshute.com/

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Thanks for Listening & Shute for the Moon!

Transcript

Chuck Shute

All right, very excited to announce my guest today, Klaus Ike stat guitars for ugly kid Joe, one of my all time favorite bands, finally got to see them live and they absolutely crushed it. They're on tour now with Fozzie and pistols at dawn. It's a great package. I highly recommend it. ugly kid. Joe also has a new album out now called Red Wings of destiny. And we're going to talk about the tour, the new album, some old stuff, lineup changes and so much more. Stay right there.

Yes, I've got the same map. Oh, you had a show recently? Yeah, I was at the Vegas show. It was amazing. Oh, okay. Yeah, I've only waited. What is it? 31 years to see you guys. I couldn't see you as a kid because I think you came to us. I lived in Seattle, and you came to like rock candy, but it was like 21 and over, right. I didn't go to that one. You might have played with like opening for somebody but I might have been too

Klaus Eichstadt

scatterbrained. Maybe or, yeah.

Chuck Shute

By the time that I like really got into you guys. I think it was that summer. And I saw I don't know if the Aussie tour comes through that one.

Klaus Eichstadt

The Ozzy tour. Yeah, Seattle. I think I thought Seattle was our first show on Ozzy tour. Okay, in 1992. It would have been summer of 92. Like August, maybe?

Chuck Shute

I might have just missed that. Because that would have been a good show. Looking at the line. It was like you and Ozzy and slaughter maybe. Yeah, yeah. That would have been fun. But yeah, I finally got to see you guys. It was amazing. I couldn't believe I just had to ask, like, how does wit keep his voice in shape so well, because it's hard as a singer. I mean, drummer maybe too, but, I mean,

you can play guitar bass. That doesn't really affect with age, I wouldn't think as much but singing I mean, what can you do with your voice? Like, is he just get lucky? Or does he have some sort of crazy vocal?

Klaus Eichstadt

It's kind of a he is kind of a freak of nature. Honestly. For instance, he doesn't like to like strenuous vocal exercise he does, but he does take care of his voice, you know, and, you know, you just can't live too fast. You know, to keep your voice up. But yeah, I mean, like, if he's smoking he's not going to sing as good you know, if we go out one night and have a few drinks and do cigarettes. Next day, it's gonna be harder but yeah,

you're right. You do have to as a singer, you have to kind of be careful. And but it is also like I said, the kind of a freak of nature like he his voice is just, he never even early on. I remember when he was a teenager just like he'd like I can sing and we're like, No, you can't and kind of can like he's actually kind of has a cool voice just kind of makes it's kind of sounds like David the raw you know. That's crazy. Yeah. Because like he had to

work on it though. Right? It didn't I mean, it took Yeah, it was before we get Joe the band he was in was actually became ugly kid Joe his first band really? So and then after a good yo yo Of course he played in medication he played in life of agony which was a really great learning experience for him trying to emulate someone else's singing a different style to and then he played in of course another animal so over the years he's had practice

Unknown

Yeah,

Chuck Shute

didn't you say this in the story that you you gave him a Judas Priest record and you say you told him all right, if you learn how to sing like this, you can be in the you can be in a band with me and he did right figured it out.

Klaus Eichstadt

See, he likes to say it's in a band with him. I think it's more like I said, if you can sing like this, you can sing in any bands. Yeah, you can say like Judas Priest, Rob Helford, you are gonna get a gig. And I think at the time my friend who turned me on and guitar was really into priest and was like, classes is the best singer in metal right here Rob however, tell wit you know, and I turned with basically onto

a paladin priest in general. And but she never has looked back with probably knows every lyric to every priest song ever recorded. I mean, he's a massive priests fan.

Chuck Shute

Even does he like the Tim Ripper Owens stuff? That's not Helford or Oh, that's

Klaus Eichstadt

Rob. Probably. You know, I'm gonna go back every vocal record about Rob Helfrich.

Chuck Shute

However, Okay, fair enough. So because you guys were the band was was a band, the band originally called overdrive? Yeah. For a short time was it actually called suburban white alcoholic trash? for like a split second? Yeah, it's kind of it was a song we had. And I had made like a T shirt with a logo and I was kind of pushing

Klaus Eichstadt

for that name, and then a good show the show came up with Pretty Boy Floyd and it kind of just stuck.

Chuck Shute

Would it have been like Swat? Would it be like an

Klaus Eichstadt

acronym? acronym? Right?

Chuck Shute

Yeah, acronym.

Klaus Eichstadt

Yeah, cuz that's the Wasp at the time. And I thought their logo was so cool. And I was like, I want to do it. So I was really into that show slot the show. And I thought what could I What could that anagram be and I came up with silver and white alcoholic trash. And it was pretty accurate, actually.

Chuck Shute

So then did that lyric make it into the whiplash? Liquor song?

Klaus Eichstadt

Exactly, exactly. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

Chuck Shute

I love that. That one. And Matt, that's my only gripe about the concert is I didn't get to hear whiplash, or Mad Men. Those two are two of my favorite songs. actually be?

Klaus Eichstadt

We've been playing BeoPlay we actually played with Les liqueur the other night, but we didn't really know it. So we kind of played half of it. Through it, but madmen, we played on and off for the last 10 years for sure. You know, it's been kind of a staple in and out of the set.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, I mean, every song was so good. Like, just that opening riff of neighbor. Oh, my God, that was so cool. Because that was one of my favorite songs as a kid and getting to hear that live. And like I said, You guys killed it, especially with voc because that's the thing you always worry about with bands singers as they age and like, they're not gonna be able to sing this. And he killed it. It was amazing. I couldn't believe it.

Klaus Eichstadt

Yeah, I mean, like I said, he's kind of a freak of nature. But you do have to take care of it. Yeah, it's like we you know, we're all obviously, in our 50s now, so we can't do what we used to do, obviously. And like, for instance, this has been a dry tour, California sober tour.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, but you're welcome. He sounded good that the whole band is sounding good. You're jumping around out there running around. You guys are having fun. I mean, it looks like you're like kids. It's crazy.

Klaus Eichstadt

Well, part of it is, you know, we are living a much healthier lifestyle, especially at this age. But also, it is fun. It totally is fun. And it's weird. Like, some days I'm tired. And I'm like, even starting to think like, Man, am I too old for this. And then as soon as like, it's time to get up and play. It's like, you have this adrenaline rush. And it does really, honestly feel like you do feel young again, it's as stupid as that sounds like we do feel like a

kid. It doesn't feel much different now than it did when I was 23 is all I'm saying. It doesn't feel much different, you know? And you know, knock on wood, like, physically, obviously, that's the main thing. I have had issues with my fingers. I've had a pinched nerve, and it was messing up my fingers. Possible arthritis. So there are things for you know, guitar players, of course, with throat thing, you know, he's been sick before and lost his

voice very rarely. But you know, he's been close to it a couple times. So, you know, barring those things, you know, you it's it, you really do get this adrenaline rush. And it really feels. I mean, I it feels like it was 30 years ago, it doesn't feel much different. You know?

Chuck Shute

That's amazing. Did you feel it more with certain songs like, either newer songs are just songs that are more rockin songs? Or is it just a full adrenaline the whole show throughout?

Klaus Eichstadt

It's pretty much the whole show. I mean, sure, we've always had, you've always had your kind of favorites. And it's usually a group thing, or it's a really fun riff to play. Or it's in a partially to the crowd favorites help because they sing along and that kind of gives you an extra little like, oh, shit, they actually like this, you know? Enough to really be into it. So yeah, it's a little bit of

everything. But for the most part, I think, yeah, the whole show sometimes, like, you know, when you hear the lights go down, and you hear that kind of initial sound from the crowd, it totally like the adrenaline just goes and then all of a sudden you just energy like, you could be taking a nap and you'd hear it be like, Well, okay, let's do this, you know? Yeah. And we've been doing like an hour and 20 hour 25 or 15, something like that. And I don't really ever feel called to tired after I

mean afterwards. You're kind of like wood I'm tired. But during the set your adrenaline through an hour and a half is pretty solid.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, no, that's really cool. I love you guys have such a larger catalog now. And the new album is is great. So I had a question because there's definitely with the new stuff. There's definitely like some AC DC vibes. But I correct me if I'm wrong. You guys are more of the fans of the bond Scott AC DC than the Brian Johnson AC DC.

Klaus Eichstadt

Honestly, I love them both. I love both wood. Okay, yes, bond. Scott is probably in rock and roll my favorite lyricist of all time. I used to study his lyrics and be like, Wow, this guy writes some really clever, funny. Awesome. I mean, just the fact that he has two versions of the jack and one's about playing cards. It's like genius you know, and then of course big balls is freaking

hilarious. And just I mean, what the hell maybe the greatest rock and roll song ever written like just the everything about it, but then you You listen to back and black and you I would step back and say that's the greatest rock album ever recorded in the history of rock and roll. So they both are just insanely good.

Chuck Shute

That's a good point. Never thought of that. You're right, though. It's like the old stuff definitely had that sense of humor more so bond with newer. Yeah, they'd like a whole lot of rosy and like you said big balls. And like, I mean, yeah, totally have that with Brian Johnson. No, yeah,

Klaus Eichstadt

it's, I would say, maybe not quite as original as Bond Scots, but his voice is incredible. And, of course, the band had, you know, I guess you could say, that come into their own. They were always they are always the greatest but, you know, with blank producing, and it was packed bugs. The second record, I believe, with Mutt Lange, that were just went to another stratosphere of what a great rock patch sound like they, they completely nailed it.

And for several records after that, too, so it's, you know, they're both brilliant. Saying the great.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, I just remember as a kid, like I it was Brian Johnson was like my era. And then I kind of had to go back and listen to Scott. I was like, oh, okay, this stuff's very good, too, obviously. But yeah, I'm kind of with you. I like both. So

Klaus Eichstadt

well, my sister is actually who turned me on to AC DC, and probably inadvertently went to because we were kind of friends at the time and my sister was really getting into rock. She had all the first AC DC records before back in black even came out. So she had already totally schooled me on AC DC and power age and high voltage. And if you want bled, you got it and all those risks. You had all the records. So I was already like, just starting to guitar and learning the

arrangements of AC DC. And so I really only knew AC DC has been Scott until he died. And it was like we were my sister was devastated. And I was like no way and I was pretty young. And and then when the new record came out, I told I still remember it like it was yesterday, we were at my parents friend's house and the son who was like 16 He could drive and he had bought back a black and he played it for us. And he my sister were like, No way. This is the new singer and he's all

Yep. And we were like just, I remember just so big, so blown away. Because we were all sad, you know, like it ACDC is never going to be the same, you know? And we loved AC DC so much. And we're like, wow, they're they're just as good. And the record is is insane.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, no, they definitely put a lot of good music Simpson with Brian Johnson. He's great. He's another one of those guys that can continue to sing at a high level like Stephen Tolley.

Klaus Eichstadt

That's, yeah, that well, you just pretty much said the two guys that, like the fact that they're still insane. Like that is incredible. Because even doing it into their 40s was amazing and 50s now they're like, 70 and they're fucking just insanely rad.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, I've never seen Aerosmith and they're gonna retire, but I can't afford tickets for that one. So it's probably a zillion dollars, right? It's a lot. Yeah, it was like a few 100 Just for the nose. So played with

Klaus Eichstadt

Aerosmith and Brazil. And I remember being just blown away by Steven Tyler in particular, his energy, his voice, everything was perfect. His screams his whole thing. His presence, His moves. I mean, he was just the quintessential amazing frontman and not just frontman. I mean, his singing ability was incredible. Like, what a badass voice?

Chuck Shute

Yeah, for sure. So the only one you haven't played with is AC DC, right? Because you've done yeah, the Ozzy and Judas Priest and all these other guys,

Klaus Eichstadt

scorpions, Motorhead, we've done so many great things. It's been able to play with so many amazing bands, Guns and Roses, the cold like all the bands manhandling Van Halen. flappers. Yeah, definitely. I mean, it's it's been. So we've been so blessed that we actually got to play with, you know, open for. I mean, that's honestly, starting out. You don't really dream of yourself, you kind of dream of

like, Will headlining arena. But you really kind of realistic, like, I just want to open for the bands that I love, we can get to open for Van Halen, or Ozzy. I mean, that's, that would be the top of the mountain. And we did it, which is pretty rad. We got I mean, those two particular it's a Van Halen, Ozzy, we're, you know, just so big. And of course, priest. So does it after like, 30 years, we got to treat those off. Yeah.

Chuck Shute

Does it still feel cool to still play? Or does it feel like you you can't ever achieve that feeling again? Or is it just like, it's the same feeling over and over again, when you just like

Klaus Eichstadt

a few a couple of years ago at Virginia Beach, and I cried. After the show, when I went out and realize what had just happened that week just because of during COVID. It was really no it was going to happen. And we just kind of got there and it was kind of a nightmare because of all the logistics. And when we played the show and the show was over

our show was over. You take a deep breath and you went out walked out into the crowd and priest comes on and we're like, we just opened for priest and I just swelled up and started calling my sister and all my friends that you know who back when we were 1415 would listen to priests with and like, we're just open for Judas Priest in America, you know, direct support like This is

Chuck Shute

crazy. I thought of going to that show wasn't an in Florida or something. It was in Virginia, or Virginia. It was on the East Coast. I remember I was thinking I was like, oh, man, I really because it was the first time you guys had played in America in a long time.

Klaus Eichstadt

Yeah, exactly. Years and years. And we played like three shows. Within the last 12 years in the US, that was the fourth and then we hadn't played here since like, 1995. I think. So how

Chuck Shute

is the reception from the tour in the US now because like, like I said, when I was the Vegas show, at least, I mean, you guys killed it, I can't imagine anyone didn't think that was one of the best shows they've ever been to is that kind of been the reaction to every show.

Klaus Eichstadt

It's been really great. We, you know, we didn't know what to expect. We haven't been here in a long time. And every show has been great. You know, some better than others. But, uh, but for, for in general, it's been really, really great. Like, really great fans, like really into it, kind of like, and I get it, there's people that are older that were fans, they grew up, but people were bringing their kids, kids, people in their 30s and 20s and 30s are

showing up. And it's kind of a nice mix of, of age groups, I guess you could say, you know, and, and people are, you know, some of the real true fans are really singing the new stuff, which is, you know, we don't know if it's just going to be a nostalgia thing for people that are like, Oh, I had you know, those two years in high school and a GI Joe was popular. And I remember those couple of songs, you know, I'll go see this for fun. But we're, you know, people are singing the new stuff as

well for the last 10 years. And it's like, oh, this is these are like people that actually really liked the band. That just, you know, that it wasn't just a short period of their time. They're actually really fans. That's pretty cool. Refreshing. No, absolutely.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, for me, it's both because like that there is like a nostalgic time. But then also like yeah, once you guys came back with the stairway to hell, EPL, I was like, Oh, my jaw dropped. I was like, Oh, this is so good. I'm so glad you guys are back and then like, it's been a couple of different there's that one and then there was the uglier than they used. And then this this latest one rad Wings of destiny is great. That ain't livin catchy song. Not like the other catchy song.

Dead friends play great song. That's an homage to all the heroes of past Eddie Van Halen. Let

Klaus Eichstadt

me Oh, yeah, yeah. Did you write that one? No, wait, wrote that one. And he really like, you know, wit. Wit definitely, like had been kind of like Lily. It was like line by line over like a few months. And it just finally came together. And we have pretty much finished the record. And he's like, I've got a new song. And he basically went to hang out with Dave Fortman, who is a great producer. And the two of them just sat around for like a week and recorded two more songs

and that was one of them. And was the other one up in the city. Okay. Anyway, yeah. So yeah, that was that made the record at the end. That was we played every night.

Chuck Shute

Which song was you had like at least one song on the record though, right. That was just yours that you wrote.

Klaus Eichstadt

Yeah, failure.

Chuck Shute

Okay. Yeah, that's cool it because he definitely different sounds with different songwriters. Like I know. It's kind of went into the heavier riffs and stuff and then Fortman writes some of the erupts writes most not mostly but some of the slower songs like busy be off, right right. And you guys played that in Vegas, which was awesome. Because that's not normal setlist right.

Klaus Eichstadt

Okay. No, it is it you know, what our band is kind of we have sort of a different lineup, almost every tour slightly, ever so slightly here and there. So we kind of like, you know, customize the setlist a little bit to who's in the band and who's playing and who's good at what, like, Oh, you've seen that harmony really good. Let's do that song. A little bit like that, you know? Oh, yeah.

Chuck Shute

Explain that. Because I thought when I had Dave Fortman on my show couple years ago, he said, he's like, No, I can't tour anymore because of hearing loss. And the Vegas show was like, Oh, sweet. He actually is here. So he just does occasional shows then is that what it is?

Klaus Eichstadt

He pretty much was the mainstay for probably from 2000. Was that what year was that? I'm sorry, for like five years. He was he was pretty much doing everything. And then. And then yeah, he had some major hearing issues. And he was wanted to back off, and then we had like a two and a half year break during COVID where we didn't play anyway. So when we got back together, he's like, I think I can do this tour. So

Chuck Shute

all right. So and then what happened to Cordell Croc and a bunch of fans have been asking about I know he had some legal issues. Is he out of the band? Or is he just temporarily

Klaus Eichstadt

right now, you know, it's some stuff going on? I'll just be honest with you. It's kind of personal. So I don't want to say much but yeah, you know, we hope everything's going well. And, you know, we'll see what happens.

Chuck Shute

Okay, so then Mike squires is filling out

Klaus Eichstadt

was actually who actually played guitar he actually initially filled in for for Dave. And then when he finished that tour, he went and played bass for another band. And then when when we came back We're like, well, Dave's plan, but we need a bass player. And he's like, Well, I know all your songs, and I just did a whole tour playing bass. This will it'll give me a week, you know,

give me a couple of weeks. And I'll have a doubt and he does and yeah, so I mean, this this bands, there's a lot of weird little lineup things and, you know, we, yeah, it goes. It gets weird, but it's it's really fun. I mean, everybody gets along and it's like I said, that's why the setlist kind of changes due to like, who's in the band, like, ooh, so and so is really good at so it's such and such. We should probably try that song. You know, okay. Yeah,

Chuck Shute

cuz so now what happened to Zack Morris was the drummer. Yeah, yeah, album. And then now we've got Kent. Is it cam Greenwood? Is that everyone? Yeah. And he does the backup for goddamn double

Klaus Eichstadt

duty. It's so funny. We, we didn't really know he could sing. We had no idea actually. And we're in rehearsal. And we'd had we'd had his flight when we were in Leeds, England, and was for whatever, a couple tours ago, and we're rehearsing and I knew I wasn't scheduled to fly in until the next day. So we were rehearsing just as a four piece band, no vocals, and we play Africa with songs. I think it may have been that ain't living and all of a sudden, I'm just

kind of playing the riff. And I'm looking down and all of a sudden, I'm like, wait, start singing. I'm like, Oh, wait, what's here? How does he? He's early and I look up and it's cam singing. And it sounds like weird. And you know, because it's all loud. So everything's a little bit distorted. Yeah. I was like, so after the song, I'm like, Dude, that sounded really good. Yeah, I didn't know you could see he's like, Yeah, I'm a

singer. I sing in a band. I front event, as a drummer and singer like Phil, Colin, you know, he plays drums and with a mic and sings the entire set with his with his one of his other bands that were like, damn, and again, utilize it. And then when we it was like, I was talking to him, like, how good are you, you know, and he's like, I can sing that part. And I can sing that part. So we just started, like, sometimes he just would chime in and start singing a part. That's obviously what's

part. And it's like, damn, and like, just let's go with it. So.

Chuck Shute

Wow, that's awesome to have that. And that song originally was that that was the song that was on a demo, right before you guys even did as ugly as they want to be.

Klaus Eichstadt

Yeah, it was part of our four song demo that we were chopping the labels. And yeah, and that demo actually is Eric Valentine. Who was with him famous producer Yeah, Eric Dodd it was his original name and we went to high school with them and after high school was when we did the demo because you know, we word of mouth there.

Valentine is just legendary, you know, and from where we're from the Bay Area and but we all knew him we were friends with him and I had a rehearsal room literally half a block from where a studio was. So I remember like, picking up his drums and taking them to my rehearsal room, learning the songs and three days and then taking the jobs back and recording it in his studio. And we're driving up from Santa Barbara and then we did those two songs and that was kind of the beginning of the band

Chuck Shute

it was which god damn devil in which was the madman Mad

Klaus Eichstadt

Men and god damn devil don't go and funky fresh. Okay, it was gonna was it was still calling on it. I think it was we thought maybe don't go because it has a time and we're like well, maybe we will give them a little poppy song you know, kind of a more of a pop love song and then funky fresh madman and got them double were kind of more of like, what we wanted the band to be. I think that was the four it was two on each side of the tape, I think is how it was something like that. I don't know.

Chuck Shute

So everything about you was a hit everything about what's going on there. That song was written like years before I heard on a piano was a joke

Klaus Eichstadt

written on the piano, you know, kind of like just the the melody and the basic verses. And I probably did it on a Tascam four track and I didn't do it on a pat Tascam four track but it was kind of like backburner type song. You know, it's like, because I was writing you know, stuff like panhandling and god damn devil, a madman, kind of fast rock heavy riffs, more rock, and everything about you. It's just kind of a joke song really, and

for fun. And then, you know, when we were sort of, you know, obviously, when we started getting a lot of trying to put together longer sets, it was just an extra song I had, that we started playing it and like immediately, I have to say, after the first time we played it, we go down. People really liked that song. Like it was kind of, you know, pleasantly surprised. Like, wow, by the end of the song, everybody's singing along with us like, wow, this maybe there's something to this.

Chuck Shute

And it was about, like some sort of cynical childhood friend that would kind of

Klaus Eichstadt

Gerald T. Smith is still a great friend of ours. Like my best friend or friend we've known since 1985. And he was just always kind of like, yeah, very cynical. I guess you could say funny. good sense of humor, but talk to a lot of shit about everything.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, everyone's got a friend like that. Right. So is that true though? The music video for that one. I read this on Wikipedia. So I don't know. Truth is that you guys have the sextiles and you put here and that the the Aviation Administration authorities had to come down

Klaus Eichstadt

because there's an airport right there where we filmed a beach called, I forget the name of the beach, the Isla Vista Beach, whatever right in Isla Vista which is where UCSB is the college there. And it's an there's an airport right there. And the Santa Barbara airport and yeah, they actually flew really frickin high those things. They actually had put balloons tied helium balloons to the actual blowup dolls. We were

hoping that they will. We weren't the Tom, you know, that video producer was hoping that he could just fill them with helium, but it didn't work. So they had to. So if you look, if you pan the camera back, you'd see like for these giant balloons actually holding the the actual dollar, they must have done it with fishing lines or something because everything was kind of rigged up right then and there. And I guess one of them broke off and it flew away.

And he was again tied to like three other big balloons probably like someone who said something I don't I don't really remember the whole logistics of that moment. Because it was more like we didn't really know what was going on. Everything was just, you know, I don't even know we had cell phones back then. So pessoal is it's like, yeah, there's some report of the thing. And that was 91. You know, 9090 91? Yeah, yeah.

Chuck Shute

Wow, that's great. So then like before you get the Ozzy is it before you get the Aussie tour, that Roger leaves the band. And I never, I never understood the story said musical differences. But was it more like personality difference? That's what seemed that seemed to be what Dave foreman was hinting at with that one.

Klaus Eichstadt

Now, it was musical differences. Honestly, it really wasn't a personality thing. I think you can say musical difference could be personal differences, because you're saying this person, maybe this direction, or, but it was it was musical. Yeah, for sure. It wasn't like, Oh, he's a dick. He's really great guy. So he was 100%, based on the music and what we were doing as a band. You know, Dave probably has heard, you know, he joined after, so he's probably heard different convoluted versions of

what happened. But you know, we just wanted to move on. And so we didn't talk much about it. But no, we saw Roger actually came to our show, San Diego, four weeks ago, and I hadn't seen him since. And it was great. He's a great guy and hung out, met his kids and his daughter, I should say, and her husband and it was great. It was really great seeing him and Eric Phillips, the other guitar player before Roger was even the man there was another guitar player. He came to the show and

mature. I was like really cool, you know, kind of a full circle of everybody. That was Mark Davis came to our show in the casino and St. Croix up and I

Chuck Shute

saw that Yeah, yeah. Well, that's another one. That's interesting, because he, he was with the band during, you know, a lot of those big jumps and stuff. Yeah, whatever you want to call it. But he you know, he decided he's just that he took a step back to focus on his family, I think as well. Yeah.

Klaus Eichstadt

It's really admirable. He just was like, You know what, you guys it's going to be a lot of touring. It's a lot of stuff that I can't commit to, you know, I'm really committed to being a husband and a father. And, you know, wish you all the best. And we've been friends ever since, you know.

Chuck Shute

Yeah. And you took a break to when the band broke up, you had a hiatus, and you were kind of just you were doing musical projects, and just a bunch of random

Klaus Eichstadt

random stuff. Yeah, a little bit of this, a little bit of that, you know, trying different things and trying to start other little, whatever companies and whatnot, recording bands, and also still writing and kind of been wasn't a couple of little bands too. So. Yeah. Oh,

Chuck Shute

so you still got to play music and stuff got to go

Klaus Eichstadt

with that? No, no, I only played two gigs. Oh, that's it. And then a few just for fun, like two gigs officially with a band that I was in. And then I played like a few gigs for fun with wit with a with another band, we'd go up and just kind of guest with them, like every year up in Tahoe.

Chuck Shute

If you miss it during that time, like,

Klaus Eichstadt

I'm not really know. Yeah, it was weird. It was like I said, you get to do it every couple of times a year or whatever. And no, I never really missed it to the point of I think it was when the opportunity came to read to do it again. That's when the reality kicked in. Like, wow, I could do it again. Yes, I'd like to do it again. Maybe I did miss it. And I didn't realize I missed it. You know, I mean, I think it was just because the the reality of it was more like, it's not that I missed being on

stage playing. It's that, you know, I wasn't in a situation where I really wanted to do it. Like I wasn't in a band where I was really excited about it. And of course, I was always really excited about being in this band. Back in the day. It's just when we broke up, we broke up and everybody's trying different things and nothing really made me want to go yes, I want to tour with this band. Are we Yes, this is it. Until we reunited and I'm like oh yeah, we can do

this. Again, and you know, after three shows you're like, oh, yeah, maybe I didn't miss it. But you didn't miss it. I don't know. Explain it. Really?

Chuck Shute

That's interesting. Did you like helping out other bands like producing and stuff like that? Was that fun?

Klaus Eichstadt

Yes. And no, it was, it was fun, but I don't think I could. I don't know, I don't put my I didn't have the patience to do it, you know, full time kind of thing. You know, it was like it producing hard, you got to deal with a lot of personalities. And being in a band, you have to deal with a lot of personalities, but to producing you're like, kinda like, you got to do everybody's personality coming from all different sides. And you've to deal with their internal stuff.

And like Dave said, once, it's like, kind of like babysitting.

Chuck Shute

I was gonna say, it's, that's what it sounds like. Yeah, you're kind of in charge. Yeah. Yeah. So did you? Did you have to work during that time? Like, I always hear different things from bands when they interview? Like, I mean, you can't just live off but you have you guys have two massive songs. Can you just live off the royalties?

Klaus Eichstadt

You've always got to like, like I said, you little this little bit, you always got to think of something. Because the income just all of a sudden, it just really starts to go down. And all of a sudden, you're Damn, you're like, you know, yeah, you can't live off of one hit that you wrote pretty much unless it's of course. Alright, carry. All I want for Christmas is you?

Chuck Shute

Fucking song, man. You make so much money off that I'm sure but she has a ton of other hits, too.

Klaus Eichstadt

Yeah. But no, you can't. And we didn't. And we all had to do other things. Whether it be odd jobs, or you know, you know, yeah, you always had to figure out a way to make ends meet for sure you couldn't live off of it.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, cuz Dave foreman, obviously, people don't know. I mean, he's produced like Godsmack and Evanescence, all these other bands. And then wit just did a bunch of other bands to use a bunch of like, just interesting. Random things wasn't one of the things you did you'd like you made these bonds or something. Football Helmets. I actually like for my brother wanted to get my brother wanted.

Klaus Eichstadt

They're pretty rad. I don't make them anymore. In fact, I write what I thought the business is going to take off is when the NFL was like, nope.

Chuck Shute

But you only made like 60 or something. It ended up being

Klaus Eichstadt

more it was like 140 made okay. But I got the number wrong. And when I talked to Mike about it, I kind of reviewed, but it had been so long. I was like, all right. Like I even was like, oh, yeah, I didn't used to do that.

Chuck Shute

That's funny. Yeah. Know, whose idea? You Are you a lot of the creative influence of the band in terms of like, the artwork and stuff like that. Do you have a lot of? Is that a lot of coming from you? Or is it from the band?

Klaus Eichstadt

We would do everything together? But I would say I would probably if there was an art director would probably me. Yeah.

Chuck Shute

Okay. Yeah. I always wondered like, because the first two albums are the EP, and then the album, it was that, you know, had the mascot. And then the minister sobriety and motel California, they just you guys just dropped that altogether. It was always like wondered why,

Klaus Eichstadt

you know, in a lot of ways we were there was a lot of I say this, you know, there was a little bit of dysfunction, I would say a little bit as to what direction we're gonna go in what we're going to do, you know, we got a lot of backlash for being overexposed. So we, you know, partly some people were like, maybe we should kind of change things up a bit in terms of the

logo or whatnot. And, you know, but luckily, we still kept the idea of naming the records, keeping that in line and then when we reunited we're like, this is bringing bring back all this old stuff, you know, moistu sadly passed away about five, six years ago, he was the artist. And you know, he did great work for us. And then we we found in the meantime, a couple other great artists that have been sort of taking this stuff and re re you know, doing new stuffs with it with the kid

and whatnot. And of course, you know, as a kid I always dreamed of having a logo you know, and that's our logo let's let's go with it. You know? Yeah, every band is like they always would priests would have the same logo. I mean, sometimes you know, ACDC took a while till they finally got the one we had it we kind of veered away you know, it's what happens in art

right? You want to try new things you know, all sudden you're starting to get like, new way not that we went new wave but you know, I mean, yeah, it was it.

Chuck Shute

Was it sort of based I just realized this thing. I'm looking at it, I go, No, this is kind of like Garbage Pail Kids. Was it kind of based on Garbage Pail Kids a little bit.

Klaus Eichstadt

You know, it does remind me of that a little bit to the newer stuff reminds me of wacky Pax a little bit. And I don't know what that might have been at your time, but it was or before your time. Sorry. It was like these take off stickers on stuff, but it was always really skulls and things like that. But I was still kids. Yeah, I know. We didn't consciously do it. Forgot. You know, we were actually what we're influenced by was the skate artists in Santa Barbara

in Southern California. Moishe was an artist For Powell Peralta, which is based in Santa Barbara. And you know, you go to skate shop and the bottom of skateboards always had the rad stuff. And that probably was like, Oh, we want something kind of like that bottom that skateboard, you know, like this and that. And then, you know, and he actually worked for Powell and Santa Cruz, and did

art for skateboards. And we just love the skate art and the stickers, the bottom of the boards, the T shirts, the whatever. And so that's what we were going for. It was more of that kind of the skate art. And whatever the early 90s, you could say,

Chuck Shute

Yeah, were you Are you into like, I know you guys did that snowboard excuse to snowboard too. Are you into all that stuff? Skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing.

Klaus Eichstadt

I don't skate at all Dave's a really good skater when I skated when we were kids together. But I'm just like, No, thanks. I mean, I don't want to break my arm. On Tour. You're the Hetfield story, right? Wouldn't be which one? He was skateboarding like for fun at a Riverina and he breaks his arm. Is that recent? Or was it back in the day like in the 90s? And I like that is we actually were stupid deemed the snowboard tour, but we thought oh, it's no you're not gonna break a leg.

And sure enough, our drum tech totally fucked up his leg. And we had to have a friend who happened to be with us just for fun became the drum tech by default. So yeah, but yeah, we've we've all we're all avid snowboarders. Dave's a great skater. I wouldn't say I'm an avid surfer. I'm more of a just a longboarder I just go surf

every now and then for fun. So yeah, we all snowboarding, something we all kind of bonded with because we all learned together in basically on that tour, I think is when we all learned how to snowboard. We'd already knew but he you know, he put together too with a friend of his and we started like Colorado and the guy was a badass snowboard instructor and he taught me and Dave how to snowboard like right then and there. And we've been we've been doing it ever since.

Chuck Shute

Oh, that sounds fun. What about like, you guys toured with one of my favorite another one of my favorite bands Skid Row, which would have been an amazing tour. Of course, it didn't hit the US but those guys are one of the funniest bands based on their home videos that I've seen in interviews and things of plenty do and then you guys are hilarious. From what I've seen, like, was there a lot was it just like a nonstop laugh riot on that tour? What?

Klaus Eichstadt

It was fun. It was super fun. It was. Yeah, I mean, we had great shows. We had some great times. And yeah, I mean, Dave is hilarious snakes. The comedian. And the rest of the guys are great, guys. You know, it was really fun.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, Rachel too. Have you ever seen like videos where he? He goes out? He lays on the baggage carousel at the airport.

Klaus Eichstadt

Yes. I have seen a couple of those. Yeah.

Chuck Shute

I don't know how he doesn't get in trouble for that. I think he said he did. But

Klaus Eichstadt

yeah, I would pick someone at the airport be like, hey, all right.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, no, that's that's fun. So kind of so many so many great tours and and albums that you guys have done. Is there? Is there going to be more music to have after this? I mean, I know you just released rad wings. I'm already wanting another album.

Klaus Eichstadt

You know, you were always, in particular is always thinking of melodies and lyrics. And I definitely have some riffs. And I've said this a million times in the past well waves and riffs and he's got some lyrics. And Dave's always got a song floating around. It's like, so yeah, there's always something you know.

Chuck Shute

And so Zack, would Zack Morris be back on the studio album? Or is cam now kind of a fully fledged member of the band? For drums?

Klaus Eichstadt

Again, that would be you know, Shannon plays on records with us now. So that's true. Yeah. So it, whoever's available, that's all I can say.

Chuck Shute

It's pretty laid back in terms of any of those three would be great. They're

Klaus Eichstadt

all very capable drummers, you know, and, and, and officially, they're all members of this band at some point. So whoever's available, that's what it comes down to, you know,

Chuck Shute

yeah, that's all and you don't have any sounds like it is playing don't have any aspirations to do any other side projects or other bands or anything.

Klaus Eichstadt

Right now we're, you know, we're doing pretty much the coolest thing you can do is we're touring in a band, playing our songs, you know, and so that's kind of the focus right now. But you know, everybody's always kind of dabbling in something, you know, I might start making bombs again.

Chuck Shute

Did you ever have any, like, offers to play in other bands? Like, especially during that hiatus time? Did other bands call you or

Klaus Eichstadt

I played in the band called, bro ham? Yeah. And they were signed to some label. And other than that, I mean, I had a few offers for auditions, but I wasn't. I just was like, I had just left the band or whatever, the band had just quit or broke up. Sorry. And so I was like, I don't want to get right back into it right now. I think it was. At the time I was really kind of over it not over. It was kind of more of like the bullshit of the business and some of the you know, No, it was

kind of a whirlwind. And it was a great run, you know, but it's like I needed to get away from it a little bit. Honestly, as you can imagine, there's a lot of, it's a wonderful thing to be an abandoned tour and to actually steal records and be able to see the world. It's the greatest thing that's ever happened to me really just about, but there's also a lot of bullshit that goes with it. And you kind of like, sometimes you just want to get step away from

it. And I think for me, like, I am not good at saying no, so I had to just literally just walk away for a while and just live a normal life, I guess you could say for a little while.

Chuck Shute

Gotcha. So do you think it's gotten the bullshit is better now than it was back then? Because back then you had the record labels, and there's like executives and people on your back, whereas now you're kind of it's more.

Klaus Eichstadt

It was way less, it's a way less money, but it's way less bullshit. kind of goes together.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, but you guys get more of the there's less people to split the money with, right, like with the merch? Yeah. Of course,

Klaus Eichstadt

yeah. There's that too. But I'm just saying, like, being with a major label and selling a million records, you know, it's, yeah, you there's gonna be more money because you're far, you know, you're everywhere. You're getting paid. But no, I'm not complaining, it's fine. You know, you were eking out a living, you know, sort of, but it's and so yeah, but the bullshit is way less because, and I'm not even saying it's the

record company's fault. It's just, there's just a lot of, there's a lot more people involved, like you just said, and so there's a lot more chances of there being friction, or somebody that maybe has a different idea of how things should be and then people throwing their weight around and all these other things. And like I said that the bullshit, you know, that, that it's never fun.

I mean, I'm sure it's an every line of work and everything we people do, you know, you work at a restaurant, you're gonna have to one cooks hates the other cook, or whatever it may be, you know, or or, you know, this busboy is doing this wrong, or any job, you know, there's always, I mean, I've had other jobs too. And there's always like, there's always some bullshit. So if it's more or less, I don't know. But there's less more now as the band's kind of a smaller entity than it was a big thing.

Chuck Shute

Now, that makes sense. Yeah, that you're right, because I think people forget about that, that they think is just all fun and parties, but there's a lot of business. There's a lot of work that goes along with that. And like you said, Any business there's going to be bullshit. So yeah, yeah, that's a good point. That's, but it's nice, that it's less now that you guys can hopefully just have more fun.

Klaus Eichstadt

Yeah. And you know, as we get older, too, it's like, you know, really, who cares? Sometimes you just say, Who cares?

Chuck Shute

Like with what, like other managers or something? I don't

Klaus Eichstadt

know. You know, I think when you're young, obviously, there's, there's, there's a little bit of this, like, you want to be cool, like you want to be accepted, you want to be cool. You want to be cutting edge, things like that. And you might take things much more to heart, like when you read a bad interview about your band, or a bad sorry, a bad review, or somebody from another band talk shit about your band member that was like That's such

a Yeah. And I'm sure it's a very much a young thing, you know, bands in their 20s they talk shit about each other. Like Hip Hop takes it to a whole nother level where they have the beef. But you know, let's admit it in the 80s and 90s. And even beyond, metal bands talk shit about each other. It was like this thing remember Guns and Roses and poison had that big thing where they dumped a cooler on the manager's head or something stupid like that. And you always have this back.

Remember when Vince the Axl Rose, we're gonna bite. It was like this. They're gonna like, punched out is he struggling? I think it's kind of like all these crazy things. And then you had Kid Rock and Tommy Lee get into it. And so that's the kind of bullshit we haven't encountered any of that. The second one is maybe because we're just all just older now. We're like, Dude, I don't care. Right? Like every band we've toured with the last 1012 years has been super cool. We've

gotten along. We've never, and even back then every band was great, but we'd hear it. We bands would talk shit about us, right? We probably talk shit about other bands. But back then.

Chuck Shute

What about you? I don't remember that.

Klaus Eichstadt

Everybody. Really? It was more like the alternative bands. Oh, they were too cool. Yeah. A garage. Yeah, all the metal bands were fucking cool shit to us. Like all our heroes like priest and Ozzy and Motorhead. They're like ello might come home and have a pint with us. You know, that was all great. So in a way but we cared we cared you when you're young. You care a lot about what let's just they never said I don't think they are. But let's say a Jane's Addiction or really cool

band that we idolize. Not that they did, but I'm saying let's just say you heard that they said some shit about you in an interview. You're like, it really hits you like fuck, I wanted them to like us and you get all bummed out. And now I'd be like, no, no, I

Chuck Shute

think that's just getting a water though.

Klaus Eichstadt

Yeah. Who cares what that person thinks Some of our band

Chuck Shute

I interviewed a lot of musicians. And so it seems like a lot of them are just happy to be able to tour and be able to make music and be able to do that on so they why would they talk shit about they just want to you know to be happy and they're happy for everyone else because I can't remember that to certain bands, even within the mental community. They're like, Oh, those guys are too soft, we're heavy. And now you see like, they're all touring with each other and it doesn't really matter.

Klaus Eichstadt

You notice that it's an age thing because it's like, you know, we would we were we would worry we would worry about oh, we don't know if we should toward them because they're considered this and we don't want to be considered that you know what I mean? And now we're like, we're we fill the rooms are they cool dudes? Are they cool girls or whatever? Like, you know, as long as we don't hear that they're completely mean of course we'll tour whoever you know. And so yeah, it's an age thing for

sure. I don't know if maybe the music's changed better for that like but you see it a lot of pop music a lot of shit talking you know?

Chuck Shute

Yeah, I know for sure. I think that's a You're right. That's like

Klaus Eichstadt

yeah, it's a young person's thing game. I guess that game that they pay.

Chuck Shute

Oh, although I will say Motley Crue seems to still partake in that shit talking here and there with I felt like that's how they build up their brand is by getting rid of the bad

Klaus Eichstadt

boys bad boys a rock right there. You know?

Chuck Shute

Did you ever do shows with them? No, never

Klaus Eichstadt

did. We did a show with Vince Neil when he you're very you're invited in your friend camp. But your friend can't come single. Well, that sorry. I know. Right after you got out a CREW Watch show with him. And he was super nice. And his band was super nice. And that's the only dude I've really we've really played the show. But we never did a show with Motley Crue. But I would love to got it loved it right now. Love crowd would be a fun

Chuck Shute

tour. And with John five to like, Yeah,

Klaus Eichstadt

I mean, you know,

Chuck Shute

that's another one because it's like the I remember I swear they've talked shit about poison and now they got poisoned opening up for them. So

Klaus Eichstadt

again, what you said nowadays, people like we're just happy to be here filling up fucking arena.

Chuck Shute

Can't complain. So how how's the tour with with Fozzie going? You you knew that you know, those guys? Well, we knew

Klaus Eichstadt

Chris Jericho, because we will. I'm sorry. We've played with Fozzie at least once or twice over the last 10 years in England. And I just remember meeting him a couple of times. And Chris was really nice. And it was it's been really what do you call it smooth sailing? Pretty great tour. You know, great guys, we all hang out in our dressing rooms or I mean, we're playing sometimes we're playing clubs and it's just you're just there. Everybody gets along great.

Chuck Shute

He doesn't have any sort of it's got to be weird because he's such a big wrestler. He doesn't have any sort of pre Madonna thing like I'm the big storm the big wrestling

Klaus Eichstadt

or no I didn't feel we haven't felt anything like that. treating everybody has been treated well. Both on both sides. I think pistols at dawn is a great opening band is playing with is a great guys. Yeah, I had the drummer on my show. He's super nice, super sweet all of them. And Christian singer is like kind of helping me try to get in shape. He used to be like personal trainer like he totally knows his shit. He's like Did you do any squats all wrong. Look, you gotta go like

this like Oh, thanks. Like Yeah.

Chuck Shute

Oh, that's interesting because you seem like you're in pretty good shape like you're really thin you're not

Klaus Eichstadt

the it's working it's working

Chuck Shute

Yeah, I mean like I said you've seen along on stage okay, you're running around jumping having fun

Klaus Eichstadt

dude I'm like addicted to squats now and I hated them at this read the beginning of this tour. And my wife's like you got to do squats it's you know for is your squats too that's the they're actually kind of the worst. I'm getting them down I'm getting the more you do them the easier they get. And you can do them anywhere you can just I was sitting at a red light the other day across the street. I got in 15 squats. Again I will get with people no

Chuck Shute

wait you just because you gotta want to push it the awkward position you got to push your legs really goofy?

Klaus Eichstadt

Yes. Like I'm gonna start doing around the kids because it'll just embarrass the hell out of them

Chuck Shute

ya know it's not

Klaus Eichstadt

like it but again going back to the Getting older like I don't care I'm doing it for my own health and I don't care if the person ever be pointing and laughing at me. I don't care.

Chuck Shute

What about the upper body you do in the chest and the bicycles push ups

Klaus Eichstadt

push ups kind of hate him but sometimes I like him but seem to some days I just like don't want to do push ups.

Chuck Shute

What about ABS because that's my biggest thing is like I can get get ups

Klaus Eichstadt

do their fucking bunk good. Yeah, go sit downs.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, well, so is there going to somebody was asking about if there would be a possible live CD or I would prefer a live DVD or Blu ray or whatever. Would there be any? Because you guys have never had a live disc ever right?

Klaus Eichstadt

No, no, I think we've tried a couple times and it just didn't work out or there's some mess up with one microphone. Some bleed bled into it or we played like shit. I don't remember. But yeah, who knows? Yeah, I mean, that's, you know, that's, that's always the idea. Right?

Chuck Shute

Right. Yeah. Or any other future plans. Future like would you extend this current tour because I had to drive to Vegas. Yes, I'm actually in Phoenix.

Klaus Eichstadt

have, you know, because we've been doing like, we were doing, we just did a, we're finishing up one more week of the states tour. We've covered a lot of the country, but this country is so big man. There's so many places we didn't play, you know? And you could really, I mean, we used to back in the day, it'd be three months, you tour the states with devil every three months solid, just bang, bang, bang. We did just we're ending about five

weeks. So you could, yeah, we'd have talked about doing another leg for sure. That'd be sweet. Oh, it's been great, man. We just, we didn't know what to expect. Honestly, we we've been going to Europe every year practically for the last 10 years. And and Europe's been fantastic. We've been Australia a couple of times, South America, but we didn't know you know, and you come back here and you like, oh my god, this is where it all began. This is so cool. This is like, you know,

our people. This is where all this is what we are as Americans and I think a lot of our music is our music is very American. In terms of the lyrical content and some of maybe the US me some of the stuff we reference is very Americana, you know? Oh, absolutely.

Chuck Shute

Yeah. I mean, especially for me as a kid. He's like one of my favorite bands so American Yeah, just like that in the humor. I feel like that's an American. kind of

Klaus Eichstadt

talk shit about you know, it's funny that we had a some paneling that wit had the Trump line. I know I love that line. He got he picked that up from like, a homeless person that would call people hate Mr. Trump because all we knew Donald Trump as was a really rich dude. That's all we knew about it.

That's it. Super rich dude. So it was kind of a joke with this homeless dude like, Hey, yo, Mr. Trump, you got a spare change incorporated in the song and then now we're playing it we're like people are going to take this like, one way or the other the thing is is political is not it's just a lyric that was a joke. It was making fun of it was not making fun of it was referencing anybody that has anything as a rich person being Mr. Trump.

Chuck Shute

No, yeah, yeah. I love that song. And everybody, we all sing along and I think at the Vegas we're I did I don't know, I was singing. I love that one. That whole album is is amazing. In my opinion. I I think I think you guys are it's weird, because I feel like I know you have two massive hits. But in so many ways. I feel like guys are underrated.

Klaus Eichstadt

Well, thanks.

Chuck Shute

Don't you think that I mean, like, because so many of the album tracks are so good. And you're so good live. And yeah, you have those two songs. But that doesn't really define the band, in my opinion, and you've made such good records after that.

Klaus Eichstadt

But I mean, it doesn't ever, you know, you think about Judas Priest they had living after midnight, was their big Radiohead. And I love that song. I love it. But you know, you live in you go wild, but listen to this other stuff. Like it's, it's a whole nother thing. And, you know, you're you were so lucky to have hips. Trust me. It's like, wow. It's like someone just opened a door for you and said, Go play your songs on stage. All of them. You

know? And so, yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm trying to think of all the bands. Kind of look at the chili peppers, you know, under the bridge. It's nothing like what the pants really is. But it opened those doors like a motherfucker. Yeah. Van Halen first hit was you really got me a cover song? By the kegs. You know? Although that's they did a pretty fucking van. Hey, put their stamp on that one. Yeah, for sure. And Eddie, for sure. You know,

Chuck Shute

that's what's funny to me, though, like, and I get it. If you're just kind of a casual fan. You're like, Oh, I gotta hear cats in the cradle. But to me, I'm like, I'm like, okay, like, that's probably my least favorite song that you guys do live because I'm like, there's so many other album cuts that I'm like, I need to hear those

Klaus Eichstadt

90% of what we do. Yeah, it's like 10% of what we do is maybe an acoustic mellow song. And then the rest is like hardrock is what it is.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, the metal stuff is great. Well, thank you so much for doing this. I hope you guys had more dates

Klaus Eichstadt

in the US. Like I said, that's what we're hoping to do. And we are going to Europe in August, for a month and then maybe come back here. You know, it takes a little time but we'd love to come back. We've had such a great time. We've had such great response from from the fans from the

crowds, the fans, whatever. And you know, people have been really nice I mean the venue's the people working at venues, the promoters, the, you know, the club owners, whatnot, venue owners, runners, people that are in the place has been like really positive feedback and just really great experience for us because like I said, we didn't know what to expect and the USA has been great. It's

Chuck Shute

amazing. Like I said, like I bought I bought the shirt. I bought the poster. I've got the I got the hat, you know, I try to support because it's only $20 A ticket. I was like, I felt bad. I was like, I want to like about a lot of drinks too. So hopefully you got a little cut of that. Maybe

Klaus Eichstadt

we don't get a cut of that. But we definitely get a cut of that. So keep by the merch.

Chuck Shute

Yeah. And then you guys don't do meet and greet. That's another thing or

Klaus Eichstadt

Well, you know, a little a lot of it post COVID We've been like, let's just calm down. We everybody was getting sick. We were doing meet and greets and everybody got sick and it was a frickin nightmare. Okay, So it's something we'd like to do, but man, it's like, we just, I swear you get sick because people just do like

Chuck Shute

the like kids when they have the

Klaus Eichstadt

Yeah.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, I don't know. That's a good point. Yeah, cuz it's like I my buddy said like after COVID He's like, I think we just need to get rid of handshakes. Like, what is the point of that? I'm like, I'm I'm, I think I'm good with x like, is it really worth? Yeah, fist bump or something different just because it's not worth getting sick for, you know,

Klaus Eichstadt

I know. That's the whole thing, right? It's your hands like, emanated?

Chuck Shute

Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you so much for doing this. I always end promoting a charity or a nonprofit, some of the causes are something that you have that's near and dear to your heart.

Klaus Eichstadt

Right now just, you know, support trans people, you know, and people have different opinions about it. But you know, I know some people that are just like, look, we just don't want to be villainized for a lifestyle choice. You know, it's not, I'm not trying to impede on your thing. I'm just like, I'm just want to live my life. You know, I went to a drag show recently, for the first time with my first Pride and I was like, This is so

much fun. This you know, there's nothing to hate here is just people being themselves and having fun with it. That no one's trying to push something on me. I went there willingly. And softplan drag show and it was a blast. So yeah,

Chuck Shute

I think we had I went to the rockin pod. And there's a there. Are you familiar with that event in Nashville? Yeah, it's like all these bands and all the music pot rock podcasters and, and one of the musicians is trans and nobody actually got up and played and nobody cared. It wasn't. And I was like, kind of surprised. I was kind of nervous. I was like, Nashville, like, Are people gonna throw stuff? Or you know, I don't know what to expect. And I was like, okay, good. Like, nobody cares.

Like, and I wish Yeah, people think we just need all of it. Just love everybody. That's always been my motto, I guess is just to kind of accept everyone and not hurting someone

Klaus Eichstadt

else. Exactly. Just don't make a big deal out of it. Just, you know, if it gets to a point where someone's really pissing you off, talk to him. But other than that, like, just let people be and do their thing. You know, they're not hurting anybody. Then nobody should even care.

Chuck Shute

Right now. That's that's what this country was founded on. It's religions and different people different different music. Like you said, you took music people talking shit to each

Klaus Eichstadt

area. And that's, you know, we're the whole hippie movement started. And then the gay community really started big in San Francisco, the Castro and stuff. And then thrash metal came about, that's what San Francisco's favorite shit that might freak other people out, but in the end, you're like, do it. You know? I mean, Metallica, you know that I lived there. And it was like thrash metal night,

every Monday and shit. And it was like, you know, the people in the neighborhood freak out all these metal people showing up but they're, they're all devil worshipers in this musics way too heavy, but it's like, it's kind of a little thing like that. It's like, people even if you're open minded. See the beauty in the difference? You know that that's what life is about, you know, especially art, like, you want art to be the same for 1000s of years. You want it to evolve, change and be

creative. And I think, you know, like everything from from a drag show to the Grateful Dead concert to a Metallica concert, you know? Like, very different things. Different strokes for different folks.

Chuck Shute

Absolutely. Yeah. You guys hung out with the Metallica people? A little bit, right?

Klaus Eichstadt

Oh, yeah, we've crossed paths. And then particularly with Kirk and of course, Robert Trujillo. He was in a band with with, you know, for a minute medication. Oh, those and of course, which plays in with the wedding band with them with Kirk and Rob. They've done a few shows. So yeah. And we've known Kirk since 1987 88. Just been a friend of ours, because Barry, you know, you just meet people. And it was before we even though we're an ugly kid, Joe, together, we met Kurt. And he was he's been one

of them. He's the nicest Rockstar I've ever met. Like I said, I've met him before we're even advanced. So he's always been a sweetheart.

Chuck Shute

Very cool. All right. Well, look forward to hopefully some new shows with ugly kid Joe. We'll see you again. I'll have to drive. Maybe if it's California or something or Vegas again, or maybe Phoenix.

Klaus Eichstadt

Yeah, hope dude. That's such a great Rocktown man. Right? We weren't playing it. You know, because we I remember back in the day playing with Ozzy and playing clubs there. It was always frickin Great.

Chuck Shute

Yeah, you did one. I saw there was before I moved here. I used to live in Seattle. But you guys I saw on like the history you guys played a show with like corn and like,

Klaus Eichstadt

yeah. Rob, I think and sang with us at that show. Because Rob lives in Phoenix. Right, right. Yeah, yeah.

Chuck Shute

That's a good another good reason to come here. I forgot. Hey, knows Cooper lives here too.

Klaus Eichstadt

That's right. We did a tour with Alice Cooper. Not that long ago. Yeah. Yeah, he treated us great. He had wit come out and sing with him. One of the songs and Alice Cooper was super nice. That's what everyone tells me. That a whole dude that still puts on a great show gives it 110 has all the power sings great and you know he wears the makeup so he just looks like he's always looked you know, right you'll have it

as being an old man. He's like a just a badass frontman, you know doing his thing and then a great singer, and great songs. Great frickin band. Always a great band.

Chuck Shute

Oh yeah, he's got Ryan, Roxy and Nita Strauss.

Klaus Eichstadt

Yeah, he gets the great players and they just put on a great show. It's been super fun All right,

Chuck Shute

well, everyone should check out the tour that if it's coming to their town or if you add dates because I really I love the one in Vegas it was a great show so and of course the new records out now Red Wings of Destiny it's on everywhere streaming and all that stuff. Can people get on vinyl?

Klaus Eichstadt

Yeah, we were selling vinyl all the time. We were selling with the shows of course but we could do.net That's tough because I know we we've shipped a bunch out here to sell we didn't make a ton obviously because it's vinyl was a billion vitals and then you get to the you're sitting there looking to new shed like I've got 600 vinyl records from the record we did six years ago. What are we gonna do with this shit? Well, there's still people collect them and they look really cool. Of course, they

open up with gospel art. You know, we'll probably be selling a bunch online you know, whatever. There going pretty quick, so we're still

Chuck Shute

cool and yeah, like, like I said, all the cool merch too. I love that stuff. So people should definitely buy merch. Yeah. All right. Thanks so much. There's a lot of fun. I appreciate you. Taking care. Okay, bye bye, Klaus is that he's the ugly kid Joe OG original guitarist, cm on tour in the US with Fonzie and pistols at dawn, or one of the other worldwide shows that they do. The new album rad Wings of destiny is available now along

with lots of cool merch. You can also support the band by sharing their stuff on social media. And sharing this episode on social media helps the band and my little show. So appreciate that. Make sure you're subscribed wherever you watch, or listen to show. We have a lot of great stuff coming up. appreciate all your support. Have a great rest of your day and shoot for the moon.

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