Original SAIGON KICK drummer Phil Varone recently spoke with Hard Rock Haven about the band's upcoming reunion shows. An excerpt from the interview is available below:

HRH: I read in an interview with Jason (Bieler/guitars), that he didn’t want to get back together unless the band could take it a step higher. Do you agree?

Phil: "I agree with him. After 20 years now we have the experience to back those words up. You got to remember back in 1988 we were kids. We got signed at 23 years old. We didn’t know a thing about the industry. 20 years later we are older. I would say wiser for most of us. We are definitely better players. It is very important to us. This isn’t about money. It is about putting the band back together, having fun, and being better than we ever were."

HRH: Being apart for 20 years, you have done some different gigs. You were in Skid Row for a while. How has this made the band evolve? You have had different projects plus the other members have been doing other things. This really going to be the re-birth of the band.

Phil: "Yes, I agree. Kind of going back to what I said before all of playing all of the experience is under our belt. Walking into rehearsals we are kind of seasoned pros if you will call us that. We have both done a lot of great things. I have played with Skid Row and Vince Neil. I had such a great time. It really kind of turns you into musicians that you are today. Without playing together for 20 years, rehearsals were like WOW! OMG we can play. It sounds really good."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

As previously reported, the reunited Saigon Kick - Matt Kramer (vocals), Phil Varone (drums), Jason Bieler (guitar), Chris McLernon (guitar), and Tom Defile (bass) - have confirmed five reunion shows. The band's schedule is available below:

March

22 - St. Petersburg, FL - State Theater
23 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - The Green Room
29 - Las Vegas, NV - Vampd
30 - West Hollywood, CA - The Viper Room

April

11 - New York, NY - Webster Hall

Saigon Kick earlier issued the following update: "For those of you who are interested, we set up an email list so you can now get all the latest Kick news directly in your inbox. We will not spam or send tons of emails...just the big important stuff. You can sign up for the email list at SaigonKick.com."

Frontman Matt Kramer recently checked in with the following update:

"To a lot of people Saigon Kick was a one hit wonder. And since I left the band months after our first hit, that is a fact. The upside is there were two sides; we were also a very cool band with absolute belief from Atlantic Records, and a one hit wonder. That after all this time is, in a weird way, a plus.

Maybe Saigon Kick has finally come of age? Looking forward to jamming hard with the lads."

More on Saigon Kick at this location.