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Rock My Monkey: Hello, you are listening to the Rock My Monkey netcast on RockMyMonkey.com. Today we are speaking with Megadeth bassist James Lomenzo. I hope I didn’t butcher your last name.
James Lomenzo: James Lomenzo, my buddy.
Rock My Monkey: Ah, I did get it right. I like it when that happens. Now, what was the reason for Megadeth playing such small clubs when the demand was enough to sell out venues at least twice the size?
James Lomenzo: That’s a really good question, and one that I can’t answer completely, but I can tell you this. For the most part Megadeth is a band of the people. I know this sounds like I’m going to sit on my pedestal here, but the truth of the matter is we really had to fill so many of these secondary markets that we could not hit during Gigantour. So around this time a year we’re coming out of the season, it comes down to making everyone happy. Promoters, etcetera, etcetera, and booking agents and all that. So we put this together with getting to the fans in mind, as close and personal as we possibly can. It makes all the other people who set these things up feel relatively comfortable if you know what I mean. So it was kind of a win/win for us. Maybe not a win/win for all of our fans, because we would have liked to squeeze some more in, or played a bigger place. But the master plan is to come around with a fantastic Gigantour concert. This was kind of a good way to kind of warm ourselves and everybody else up and get that flavor, you know, that really classic flavor of 80’s metal face to face, right in the grind of the pit. So it’s been really, really, really beneficial and encouraging to the band members and the audience has been completely off the hook. That’s the short answer. (laughs)
Rock My Monkey: I know that from talking with several promoter friends of mine, that the general rule is that whatever you sell 24 hours before the stage time, whatever you sell 24 hours before stage time, that’s half of the ticket selling potential. And I know that the Seattle date, and actually several of the dates, sold out at least two, three days before the day of show. So that means, like I said, you guys could sell at least twice the size.
James Lomenzo: Methinks they may have underplayed us, Mark. (laughs)
Rock My Monkey: Well, do you think that that means that Seattle will get, the Northwest, will the Pacific Northwest finally get a Gigantour date-the only Gigantour date we’ve ever had was the first year. Have we proven to Megadeth that we deserve a Gigantour?
James Lomenzo: (laughs) I’ll tell you what, that show was great. You know what? Yeah, I believe that we can do this. We’ve restructured our whole organization since last year’s Gigantour, from the manager down to the road crew, right up to the people booking us. So with the fans in mind, we’re trying to be as exponential as possible, and get to the people we need to get to. So I see that as being the reality. Can I say, yes, right now we’ve got a date set up? No, not just yet. We’ve still have the rest of the world to run over, for a few months. And we’re already looking way into the future and trying to figure out what’s the best way to bring the Gigantour to the people in America.
Rock My Monkey: Okay, cool. Now, although you started out with White Lion, you played with David Lee Roth, the past two bands I believe, correct me if I’m wrong, but the past two bands you’ve played with have actually been way more heavy. What would you say is the biggest difference between the live crowds?
James Lomenzo: The live crowds for, you mean the earlier bands that I played with, with David Lee Roth and White Lion and compared to Megadeth and Black Label Society?
Rock My Monkey: Exactly.
James Lomenzo: Alright. The difference is, through my eyes, is a lot less alcohol. (both laugh) That’s first off the bat. Secondly, honestly, you know what, man? Audiences are audiences. Looking back to the 80’s, everybody was a little more well behaved in means to the bigger shows. And even if Ozzy Osbourne got onstage, which would be considered I guess back then a heavy act, people were kind of just buying their tickets and watching the big spectacle in front of them. I notice that bands like Black Label Society and Megadeth, it’s more blue collar. It’s more to the grind. It’s more, I think it has more of a street feel to it. And I think we connect with fans on a more base level. Not bass guitar, as much as I like that, but you know what I mean. On a more basic level where people can actually feel the music and respond to it. So I think that’s the only difference, really. For the most part, people want to see good music. I’ve been fortunate to play with some really iconic musicians throughout the years. So you know people are always going to find what they want to see, what they think is quality. I don’t think you can really make that much of a division.
Rock My Monkey: Would you say that your personal tastes go more to the hard rock stylings that you started out with?
James Lomenzo: Mark, I love it all, man. Mark, I love it all. I’ve got a band that spun off from the David Lee Roth band, the rhythm section, called The Hideous Sun Demons which is a jazz fusion band. I mean, I can’t get my grubbies on enough different styles of music. I still, I love the heavy stuff, because I’m kind of still the kid in the pit, you know? When I’m standing onstage I still feel like the guy with his fist in the air looking at it. So I love that delivery. I love that kind of power. I think that’s why Megadeth is such a good fit for me, which kind of surprised me. I didn’t really think that it would be the best choice for me, but after I got into it and started really bearing down and learning the music and going through the history of the band, I started realizing that this had a lot to offer me musically. A real richness to the arrangements, even though they come at you rapid fire, really loud, there’s a lot of room for dexterity and phonic application. It’s really cool.
Rock My Monkey: This cd does have a few songs on it with very strong political lyrics. Did you have any input in that at all?
James Lomenzo: Just occasionally standing up and applauding and sitting down and keeping my mouth shut. (both laugh) This is off the typewriter of Dave Mustaine, and I got to say, you know, interestingly enough, I listened to some of the lyrics, “Amerikhastan”, when he first wrote them, and my initial reaction was ‘You’re going to get yourself in a lot of trouble here.’ But then I started reading a little deeper into it, and I started to think, and I asked him this a few times, I said, ‘You’re not really sitting on one position here, are you? You’re just kind of weaving this tapestry of popular notion and ideas.’ He didn’t agree with me on that, either, but that’s kind of the way I interpreted it, anyway. So yeah, I mean, I felt very comfortable getting behind this stuff after I kind of read through it a few times and figured out exactly what was going on. For the most part I can’t imagine too many people who are that continually enchanted with the current administration across the board.
Rock My Monkey: Keeping in mind that you are not the one that wrote the lyrics, but you obviously have Dave’s ear a little bit more than the average fan, when Dave says ‘And tattooed is ‘Property of USA’, a subsidiary of Haliburton’, I’m left wondering, is he pointing out all the massive-is that a little bit of sarcasm, and he’s pointing out the massive amounts of corruption that happened with the Iraq war?
James Lomenzo: I can’t speak 100% for him, but I can tell you my reaction, and the snarl he gave me when I pointed that line out to him. I think he’s being sarcastic. I don’t think he’s running the administration’s flag with that one.
Rock My Monkey: Good, good, good.
James Lomenzo: I think we’re pointing out corruption in that case.
Rock My Monkey: Good, good, good. Now, also to say that there was no U.N. when America attacked Iraq is obviously correct factually. However, it doesn’t seem to bring up the reasons that the U.N. made very clear of why they actually spoke out against it, and said, ‘Yeah, we don’t think you should do this.’ And they actually tried to convince America not to do that. Is the song saying that the U.N. should jump every time an American president wants them to, or is again, is that pointing out the obvious ignorance of this administration?
James Lomenzo: I hear your question loud and clear, and I have my idea on it. You got to go to the source. You’re going to have to talk to Dave about that to see what he actually means. I would be speaking out of turn.
Rock My Monkey: Okay, so then, without your interpretation of the lyrics, how do you feel personally about that?
James Lomenzo: Well, personally I feel that, I think the administration tried to make the U.N. seem a little more irrelevant than they’ve been in the past. And maybe to a degree they are. Maybe it’s kind of hard to get the world’s attention these days, and run through an organization like that where there is some kind of base deals and corruptions being made. My opinion. That’s my opinion. That’s what I see. You know, the whole world is so globally, what’s the word? It’s all one big corporation after another kind of vying for their special interest. Nothing new here, but it’s so exponential these days, that it’s kind of hard to get down to the real story of who is actually benefiting from what. So this is again, man, I’m like you. I turn on the t.v. every once in a while and I see what’s going on, and I lift up the paper and I see what’s going on. And I’m trying to make sense of this just like everyone else is.
Rock My Monkey: Yeah, I’m a news addict. Now, I got to say that I do agree with the basic message of the song, that the U.N. is irrelevant. But it was like, there’s a couple things on there that seemed a little Fox News-ish, if you don’t mind.
James Lomenzo: Okay.
Rock My Monkey: Now, I know you can’t speak for Dave. But do you think that-what do you personally think is more important with this is that people agree with the lyrics, or that I guess people are talking about it?
James Lomenzo: I think the most important thing, Mark, the most important thing is just that there’s still dialogue. That everybody’s thinking on their feet, and everybody’s considering Dave Mustaine’s viewpoint. Just consider it. Take it to their bank and see if they can gain interest on it, or if they feel they’re becoming bankrupt by it. I think any conversation, anything that points us back to our current reality and our responsibilities to have to look and kind of monitor what our governments are doing is a good thing. I don’t think everybody can get it right, because not everybody has all the dirt. Or all the cleanliness, if there’s anything out there. But yeah, I think that any dialogue based on popular music and art is a great opportunity for people to use their own minds and figure things out for themselves. And by all means stand up and disagree, because that’s part of the process, as well.
Rock My Monkey: I think that’s one of the great things about this album is that it actually has gotten a lot of people talking about this subject matter. It’s definitely an album that’s above and beyond the typical tits and beer stuff.
James Lomenzo: (laughs) There’s nothing wrong with tits and beer.
Rock My Monkey: Nothing wrong with tits and beer. I like tits and beer, but, yeah. Now, do you know why, do you know what the reason is for the release date on the War Chest box set being pushed back to October 9th?
James Lomenzo: Just a production thing. That’s all.
Rock My Monkey: Okay. Alright. Now, you guys have been kicking the night off with my favorite song on this cd, Sleepwalker. Now, anyone who reads the lyrics to that would see very clearly that the song screams for a video to be made. Is there any plans?
James Lomenzo: You know what, we’ve been up and down this with Road Runner for a while, and we’ve been taking their ideas and going with that, and sending back our ideas. I don’t know if we’re going to get to another video on this album. That would be-you know, if we could get a ground swell and a rally from our fans, and if they were as verbal as you are right now, and they said they really wanted that, of course we would supply that and would make that available. And you’re probably right. That probably is a good across the board indicator of a solid, classic Megadeth song. I think I agree with you on that.
Rock My Monkey: Cool. I’m almost wanting a video for that enough, to where if I had clearance to film some band footage, I’d almost make a fan video myself.
James Lomenzo: That’s what YouTube is all about. Have at it!
Rock My Monkey: Yeah, yeah. Now, the War Chest booklet was written by one of my favorite authors, Ian Christe, who also happens to have been one of the first to sign up to the brand new heavy music social networking site, HeavyAsHell.com. Ian’s first news story he submitted to the site was about Van Halen. What news story would be your first submission?
James Lomenzo: You know what? I probably would have followed him up with a Van Halen story, because to me, having played with Roth for about four years, he really wanted to do this Van Halen reunion thing in the worst way, because he thought it was right. He thought it was the right thing to do. He thought he was in shape for it. He thought the other guys were probably in shape for it. Obviously they weren’t, and it took a little while to get it all together. So that would have been my follow up story, just because I got a little background on it.
Rock My Monkey: Musically, this cd seems closer to the legendary Rust In Peace than the band has ever been. Sonically, do you think that this will continue with the next cd?
James Lomenzo: Yes, I think judging by some of the things we’ve been working up. You know, we go to the shows and do sound checks and then throw some riffs around. Dave’s got like a barrel full of monkeys when it comes to just moving his fingers around and coming up with new ideas. We’ve been throwing some stuff down and just mock recording so we can listen to it later on and see if we have anything. And a lot of the stuff is even getting more grindy and more fast and heavier. So we’ll see where that ends up. You know, the process always takes on a life of its own once you get in the studio and you start really thinking about what you’re doing.
Rock My Monkey: When I saw you guys play in Seattle, I saw the biggest smile on Dave’s face that I have seen him have in decades. Even more so when he came through with the Dover brothers on the first Gigantour. What do you think is causing all this elation?
James Lomenzo: Oh, I know exactly what’s causing it all. He’s feeling really charged about the band, about the situation, about the management, about the fans’ reaction to the album that we put together. He’s in a really great place. I mean, he’s in a positive charge. He really sees Megadeth as having a resurgence. I think that’s the best way to look at it. And we all feel that. There’s definitely a large audience that’s been with Megadeth for years. I realized it as soon as I joined the band. I guess I’m going on two years now. As soon as I went to the website and saw how many people were just so interested in every move this band makes, that’s classic fanaticism. That’s what fan base is all about. Dave is absolutely feeling that this thing is starting to walk on it’s own all over again.
Rock My Monkey: Yeah. The entire band seems to be-actually, I had a friend of mine who hasn’t been to a show in like ten years, and I took him to the Megadeth show. Now he’s actually, because of you guys, he’s actually excited about going to shows again.
James Lomenzo: That’s great, man. Wow, what a great, what a consummate compliment that is. That’s great.
Rock My Monkey: I think the band’s excitement definitely is getting the fans excited, and I think Megadeth definitely has it’s best years ahead of us, if the Seattle show was any indication.
James Lomenzo: Yeah, well, we’re charged, man. Every day we get out there and we’re hitting as hard as we can. We’re really enjoying it. It’s not work to us. It’s kind of a path we’re just following. We’re just pushing it as hard as we can. There’s a big legacy to protect here, and that’s kind of what I’m personally going on. I’m looking at the importance of this band, in regard to the metal community and where it comes from, and where it’s going. You know, it’s really, really important to take this stuff seriously and do it justice, because there’s been so much great music before, that’s not only come from Megadeth, but has become derivative from Megadeth. A lot of the new bands that we’ve taken out with us have come around and said, ‘If it wasn’t for Megadeth, we wouldn’t have known where to start and where to go.’
Rock My Monkey: For those that don’t know about it yet, or may not quite understand it, what is SayNow
James Lomenzo: Oh, SayNow is terrific. When I was just kind of a little pup, and I was getting into Led Zeppelin and bands like that, I would have killed to be able to pick up a phone and leave a message and then hear Jimmie Paige call me back and go, ‘Hey, I got your message. Really nice to talk with you. Thanks for the compliment on my guitar.’ Whatever, you know?
Rock My Monkey: Excellent impression, by the way.
James Lomenzo: What’s that?
Rock My Monkey: Excellent impression, by the way.
James Lomenzo: (both laugh) He speaks a little higher pitched than that. Still early for me. So this is what happens. This is the craziest thing. We leave an overall message every day. Each one of us can do it individually. Sometimes we just kind of gang phone it together. And we say, ‘Hey, we’re traveling around. Tonight we’re playing Fort Lauderdale,’ which is what we’re doing right now. ‘Come on down and we’ll see you back at the club, we’ll sign some things for you.’ Or ‘Hey, what did you think of the show last night?’ So we set all these people up, and then we get all these replies. We get a hundred at a time, two hundred a time, eight thousand at a time. You know, they kind of spanner in. And we selectively kind of go through. I’ll answer anything anybody asks me that’s reasonable. I think, I can hear it in their voices when they call back, they get such a charge from that. And I think that’s such a great way in this day and age where you have to find different venues to contact the people and let them know what you’re doing, to let them know you’ve even got an album out. To go directly to them, back and forth. So it’s kind of neat to have this kind of fan dialogue back and forth.
Rock My Monkey: Now, say if a fan calls-now you have a number that is for you personally, right?
James Lomenzo: That’s right.
Rock My Monkey: Now say if a fan wants to ask you a question personally through that, how do you get the answer to them?
James Lomenzo: Oh, it’s very simple. I listen to the messages one at a time. I usually do it as I’m traveling, because god knows we have plenty of time to do that. And I’ll listen to what they say and who they are, and there’s a direct reply, there’s space right after you hear the message where you can reply to that person directly. So if I hit the little number two button, I get to say my piece back to them.
Rock My Monkey: So basically the fan has a SayNow account, as well, and then when they log into their account they hear their messages?
James Lomenzo: That’s right.
Rock My Monkey: Okay. Okay. Cool.
James Lomenzo: It’s a really cool thing, Mark. It really is. It’s definitely-I’m kind of excited about it because it’s just the weirdest thing to be able to, at a comfortable distance, be able to get to know what the people you’re playing for, and the people who listen to the records actually think.
Rock My Monkey: Cool. Now, just out of curiosity, how many messages do you personally get per day on the SayNow system?
James Lomenzo: Oh, you know what? I just got mine kicked up about a week or two ago, so I’m probably coming into about two hundred people a day.
Rock My Monkey: Wow.
James Lomenzo: It’s a lot to do, but it’s also, like I say, it’s very worthwhile. If I can’t get to twenty people today, I’ll get to twenty people tomorrow, or maybe later in the night, or I’ll pick up two here and there. So it’s a little bit of a job, but it’s promotion, as well, and I don’t see anything wrong with doing in this direct way, where fans are actually getting information direct.
Rock My Monkey: With Megadeth activities obviously going insane now, would you be forced to turn down a White Lion reunion at this time if you were asked?
James Lomenzo: Well, I already did. I already turned down two of them. I’ve been championing, I’ve been trying to get Mike and Vito together. It seems like it’s like pouring gasoline on a fire. (both laugh) I don’t know how to get those two guys out there, because I think people really would love to see them play together again. And I think it would make a lot of sense as a White Lion band. I don’t know what the answer is. Maybe now that Van Halen has gone out, maybe that’s the catalyst.
Rock My Monkey: I got one question from the Rock My Monkey forums. Dave Anderson of Maryland wants to know what predicated your recent switch to Fender bass guitars?
James Lomenzo: That’s a great question. Just through happenstance, I actually hurt my hand, my right hand. Playing Megadeth music, there’s a lot of palm muting involved to get it right, to get it really tight, which means that you put your palm over the bridge area of the bass, which is really all the way in the back of it. You kind of lift it and apply it gently against the rhythms that you play. I was playing a big Stryker bass, which is like an Explorer shape. And because of that big wing in the back, I actually had to push my arm forward, which put pressure on the tendons on the top of my hand. I didn’t realize I was doing this. Eventually it just really got painful and I realized I had to do something quick. So I was at a guitar center, and I used to play a Fender bass years ago. I just pulled one off the wall that sounded pretty good, and that was it. I just took it out and said, okay, until my hand heals, let’s just keep going, and then I’ll get back to my favorite Warwick. I don’t know. I’m kind of digging the Fender though, now. So that’s the answer. That’s why I’m playing that thing now.
Rock My Monkey: I do have one final question. Every year we do choose one final question that we ask every single band from classic rock legends to the most extreme death metal bands. Partially to stump people, but also to see who wusses out and won’t answer.
James Lomenzo: Okay. Let’s see if I can wuss out. (both laugh)
Rock My Monkey: This year I’m asking people to look into their crystal ball and predict what political figure, world leader, musician, celebrity, anybody well known, anybody world wide famous. Who do you think might die before the end of the year?
James Lomenzo: Wow. Holy cow. That’s such a good question, and actually bears thinking. Because there’s all that subtext about who would you like to see die, and that’s just negative. (laughs)
Rock My Monkey: Well, yeah, you can ignore the negative subtext. I make it very clear that it’s predict and not wish. Hopefully you’re not too superstitious.
James Lomenzo: (laughs) Before the end of the year. You know what, the problem with that is, and the reason I’m going to wuss out. I’m going to take the wuss card. I don’t want to wish that on anybody, man. I think if you send that out into the air, somehow it might happen, and I don’t want to be in a Twilight Zone episode. (laughs)
Rock My Monkey: Alright. Alright.
James Lomenzo: Well, anyway, if it happens to anybody, I hope it’s me.
Rock My Monkey: Oh!
James Lomenzo: (laughs) Take everybody else off the hook, okay?
Rock My Monkey: Okay, cool. Now, in closing is there anything you’d like to say to the fans of Megadeth, or specifically the readers of RockMyMonkey.com?
James Lomenzo: I’ll tell you what, I’ve been on the website and I really like it. It’s very thorough, and I like the fact that you cover all the important bands. So that’s to RockMyMonkey.com, and to the Megadeth fans, just, man, I can’t tell you how much we appreciate the support. We’re not running for anything. I’m just saying it’s just like a time machine for me. When we get on that stage and we see all you guys coming out of the woodwork and slam dancing and raising your fists and singing along with the songs, it’s just heaven. So thank you to all of you. Call us on the SayNow and we can talk about all that stuff, too. And that’s what I got, Mark.
Rock My Monkey: Cool. I thank you very much for doing the interview. Anybody that’s listening to the audio version can go to RockMyMonkey.com for the full featured version with clickable links, readable text, and many more wonderful features. I really want all the Megadeth fans to go in on the Road Runner forums and demand that a video for Sleepwalker get made, just so I can sleep well at night. And all the Seattle fans, all the Seattle fans need to flood the Megadeth forums and demand that Gigantour hit the Northwest this time.
James Lomenzo: That’s the way to do it, Mark. Well done, man.
Rock My Monkey: We really miss-I think Gigantour is just an awesome tour package, and I want to make sure it comes to my area. So for my own selfish reasons, please do this.
James Lomenzo: Mine, too. I love Seattle. Let’s get this thing going.
Rock My Monkey: Cool. Thank you very much for your time. I hope we will talk more in the future.
James Lomenzo: Okay, man. I look forward to that. Thank you, Mark. See you out there, monkey guys!
