Pivotal Rage (webzine.pivotalalliance.com) has issued an interview with MSG/KOTTAK/BLACK SYMPHONY bassist Rev Jones, conducted by Ruben Mosqueda. The following is an excerpt:

Q: You recently issued a statement which reads: "I want to apologize to all the fans that wrote to me and all the fans in Japan and Thailand for the talent less guitar player that took place on stage next to me at the last three MSG shows. I myself could not believe how bad Schenker played. Although me, Pete (Holmes, drums), Jari (Tiura; vocals), and Wayne (Findley; guitar/keyboards) all gave 110%, in my eyes he gave less then 1% and that is so disrespectful not only to the band and the crew but also to the loyal MSG fans. So again I apologize for his actions because he would never apologize himself. We have two more shows and it is OVER." I know when I emailed you about setting an interview, “you had no idea” if and when there would be a US Tour. That didn’t exactly sound too optimistic or that you’d be taking part in it. Just what went down on the Asian leg of the tour and are you still a member of MSG?

A: Well as I stated earlier I left the band because of the money thing with the USA tour. Well he realized that the Japan/Asia was very important, so he paid myself and Jari in advance to come back and do the tour, I had no plans to do anymore MSG dates after this, but to help him save what was left of his career, and for the pleasure of playing to all the Japanese fans, I agreed to do it.

I figured that the importance of this tour would make him get his act together, because the last couple of shows we did he played pretty bad, in fact the Wacken Open Air show was going to be released on DVD but his performance was not good enough. But I figured that here we are going back to Japan after all these years, and it's a sold out tour that he would be in top form. I was so wrong.

The first 3 shows were OK, but I noticed he was drinking a lot more then usual and I could hear it a bit in his playing. Well we come on stage for the 4th Japan show and right from the opening riff of the first song I knew the show would never end, he was so drunk he couldn't play these parts that he has been playing for so many years, so after the 2nd song he walked off stage. After about 5 minutes he returned and we started playing 'Let It Roll', he made it to the 2nd verse and realized he couldn't play so he threw his guitar down and walked off stage leaving us to finish the song without him. So then we the band had to apologize to the fans for him, and then they started saying oh he is ill and he started making excuses to us, but never did he apologize to me.

Then the next night he was drunk again but he made it through the show, barely. So then we went to Thailand and had 2 days off, we all thought it would get better, wishful thinking. We go onstage there are about 3,000 fans and MTV Asia is filming and it seems like it will be a great show, but then the truth set in. He was so drunk that he never played 1 note in key, it was hideous, me and Pete both wear in ear monitors so neither one of us could escape hearing his guitar.

I am only being honest because no one else will, my little brother doesn't play guitar but he could have played just as good as Schenker that night.

Amazingly we made it through the show, even though he yelled and cursed at the fans for no reason. Then we went to Hong Kong and to my amazement he played almost half way descent, or it at least it seemed that way after the last 3 shows. Then we start to head to Taiwan, 1 more show and it is over, all we talked about was how this was the longest 2 week tour of our lives. We thought nothing could get worse. Then we were checking in at the airport and they said that Schenker needed a special Visa to get into Taiwan, so after the promoter drug him all over Hong Kong and still had no guarantee that he would get into Taiwan, he finally flipped out and just left. So now we had to go to Taiwan anyway to fly home."

Check out the full interview here.