GILBY CLARKE, former guitarist of GUNS N’ ROSES and HEART, currently involved in SUPERNOVA - the band searching for a singer on the CBS reality show Rock Star 2 - spoke exclusively to BW&BK; scribe Aaron Small and offered the following update:

On Rock Star 2, featuring drummer Tommy Lee (MOTLEY CRUE) and bassist Jason Newsted (ex-METALLICA/VOIVOD): “We knew that it would get a lot of attention, but I didn’t think that would happen until we started. It’s airing in June and it’ll run through the summer. We are a new band that is looking for a lead singer. They’ll narrow it down to a certain amount of people from all the auditions and put them on the show. It’ll be just like last year (which featured INXS). Myself, Tommy and Jason will be with Dave (Navarro, host) on the couch, judging the singers as they get eliminated week by week. Then at the very end, we’ll pick a singer who will join this band and make a record and go on tour.” Although Supernova is a brand new band, the three members are all well acquainted as Gilby explains. “I’ve jammed with Tommy before. We were pretty close a while ago, back in the days when both bands (Guns N’ Roses and Motley Crue) were happening. I’ve never jammed with Jason but we were on the road together for a whole tour (GN’R and Metallica in 1992). So everybody was familiar with each other. When it was put together, there were a lot of different names being thrown around, but when these three names came up, everybody just said yes. This is so new, all I can really say at this point is the three of us are a band and we are going to find a singer for this. I don’t want to use the word project ‘cause it’s not a project. I want to make this work and I want to make this happen. I have no idea what to expect until it happens. I think that’s the best part about it and that’s what makes it cool, watching it all unfold.”

Before filming of Rock Star 2 begins, Gilby will be embarking on a solo tour (see dates below) as well as releasing a live DVD. “I have a European tour coming up, just under a month of dates. All this year, I’ve been working on songs to make a new record, another solo record. When this tour came up, the record wasn’t going to be done in time. But I wanted some kind of new product out. I haven’t had a record out in quite a long time (Gilby’s last album, Swag, was released in 2002 on Spitfire Records). So we decided to film one of the shows that we did here in L.A. at The Malibu Inn. So I’m going to have a live DVD available for this tour (only sold at the merch booth at the venue). When the tour is over… I’ve never really sold stuff on my website, but I might try and get that up and going to make it available for everybody. This is actually completely self-financed. I didn’t sell it to a label or anything like that. Granted that might happen, we’ll just have to see. You’ve seen concert DVDs with lots of lighting where it looks so plush. This is punk rock. There’s like ten lights. It’s very dark. Five cameras were used, which is way too many for me. I wanted three. I didn’t want to make it too slick. Sometimes you see these things and it’s just no fun. It’s too clean and TV-like. It’s just us playing the tunes. Because we only filmed one show, I think there’s only eight tunes. We do a lot of covers when we play and we can’t put a lot of covers out (due to legal issues). The original idea when we did this live DVD was not to just do The Malibu Inn show but a couple more as well. Things just happened really fast so it’s only going to be the one show.”

Alongside Gilby (lead vocals/guitar) on the DVD is Muddy Dutton (bass) formerly of L.A. GUNS and Chad Stewart (drums) currently in FASTER PUSSYCAT. Songs performed include: ‘Cure Me Or Kill Me’, ‘Tijuana Jail’, ‘Monkey Chow’ (from the SNAKEPIT record, It’s Five O’ Clock Somewhere) ‘Under The Gun’, ‘Motorcycle Cowboy’ and ‘Black’. “I do a lot of blusier stuff,” says Clarke. “We’ll go into three or four tunes where I just go into open G and play some old blues stuff like ‘Mercedes Benz’ (by JANIS JOPLIN). We wanted to do a little session with just that, the down and dirty stuff, and have that as a part of it. So even though this part may just come out for the tour, it may end up becoming part of a bigger DVD that we’re going to do later that will include a couple of other performances.”

Elaborating upon his aforementioned new material, Gilby states, “I’m actually really happy with the new stuff. When I’m at my best with my solo stuff, it’s when I do the rock stuff. Even though I love the blues and I have a BEATLE-influenced pop side, this stuff is way more concentrated on rock. To me, one of the perfect rock bands is THIN LIZZY – great rock songs with some really good melody. Even early KISS – that was perfect rock! Simple guitars and catchy tunes, it’s kind of in that vein.” Unfortunately a release date is not yet in sight. “Everything’s on hold right now, waiting to see what’s going to happen ( with Supernova – the band from Rock Star 2 with Tommy Lee and Jason Newsted). So I really don’t know. I kind of just stopped. I’ve got a bunch of tunes that we’ve already recorded that are not finished. As soon as this came up, we had to finish the DVD and now I’ve got to put things off until at least next year.”

Gilby recently produced the new CRASH KELLY album, due out in May through Liquor & Poker Music, a record he is overly enthusiastic about. “Sean (Kelly, CK vocalist/guitarist) is such a great guy and I’ve got to tell you, it was just fun! It’s really great to have a guy like that in here ‘cause we’re doing the best we can with what we have. Also, he was learning – I think the record came out amazing! They didn’t have a big budget and being that I’ve heard Sean’s stuff before and I think he’s very, very talented… they got a big budget record for a very small budget. Sean’s an incredible guitar player and what was really great about it was letting him go wild in my studio with good guitars and good amps. Not a lot of musicians get a chance to do stuff like that. Being that the songs are rock songs with a pop appeal, everything works on these tunes. There isn’t a part that doesn’t work. My gig was to try and simplify – don’t put so many backgrounds, don’t do so many overdubs – let it breathe like a rock song. It was a great project, I’m really proud of the record. For me, when a record’s being made, it’s all in the moment when you’re working up the track and listening back. Since we didn’t have the budget to do pre-production, I told Sean to just bare with me. We’re going to play the song and I’m going to make some changes. Just flow with it, it’ll work out in the end. Sometimes I’ll just grab a guitar and say, check this part out. Then the guys will learn it and put it down. It’s a good record. They should be very, very proud of it. Their first record (Penny Pills) is good and this thing just smokes it!”

Finally, Gilby encourages his fans to check out his 11-year old daughter Frankie’s band, SWEET GONE SOUR. “It’s a three-piece. She plays guitar and sings; they’re pretty good. They’re all 11 and 12, just learning their instruments. They do great ‘70s stuff like THE RUNAWAYS, a lot of T REX, AC/DC. They’re pretty cool; they’re getting there.” Visit their official website at www.sweetgonesour.com

Gilby Clarke 2006 Tour Dates

April

21 - Vaxjo, SWE at Folkets Park
22 - Lubeck, GER at Riders Café
23 - Zurich, SWI at Rock City
24 - Budapest, HUN at A38
26 - Salzburg, AUT at Rockhouse
27 - Noordwijkerhout, NETH at Vandergeest
29 - Oslo, NOR at Rock The Boat Festival

May

1 - Glasgow, SCO at The Cathouse
3 - Milton Keynes, UK at Woughton Theater
4 - Bradford, UK at Bradford Rio
5 - Dublin, IRE at The Village
6 - Belfast, IRE at Rosetta Bar
8 - Dudley, UK at JB's
9 - London, UK at The Underworld
10 - Milan, ITA at Indian Saloon
12 - Greece - TBA
13 - Greece - TBA