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October
Issue
In this issue we
have an interview recently done with John Monaco his
recent bios and a report from the Z-Rock Festival at Mannheim Germany
by Mike Bendixen as features.
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A closer look at Enuff Z'nuff' John Monaco…
Chris: Hi John how are
you doing these daze?
John:
I give it a 4…
Chris: First off. Was
the Glam Slam tour the longest continues tour you
have done thus far since joining Enuff Z'nuff?
John:
I suppose it was. Although we have been on past club tours for like
2-3 months at a time.
Chris: Do you enjoy
touring in general? Any drawbacks?
John: I do like it. It's not easy
but if you're out there for a good reason w/ a good message it's worth it.
(and of course you have to make money doing it)… A few drawbacks including,
keeping a girlfriend, keeping things at home together, living out of truck stops
& a suitcase, looking pretty every night, sluts, etc.. it's not all bad
though.
Chris: Any bands or musician
on the most recent tour impress you?
John: No. Although the lead
guitar player in Warrant, Billy Morris, is real good. Good solos.. :)
Chris: On your influences,
besides Paul Gilbert who are some of the players that you like and any bands
that you listen to most frequently?
John:
The guitar players I've listened to greatly differ from the bands I like.
Guitar players: Eddie, Alan Holdsworth, Randy Rhodes, Warren DeMartini, Schenker,
Uli John Roth, Yngwie, Jason Becker, Gregg Howe, Russ Parrish, Scott Henderson..
people like that. But I don't reallylisten to guitar players so much anymore. As far as bands go... I guess
most of the 70's, 80's & 90's hard rock bands. Too many favorites,
Beatles, Elvis Costello, Rush, Zeppelin, Ozzy... Nirvana, Radio Head, Manson,
Fiona Apple.... anything that's pop but still heavy. I also listen to a
lot of trance, drum & bass & techno.
Chris: I'd like to talk about
Low-Tek a bit. Anything new in the works for your band since Donnie is working
on a solo project? More gigs in the future?
John: Right now I'm finishing
a new CD on my "Pro-Tools" rig at home. (I've written & recorded
over 100 songs.) Constantly writing new tunes and playing live shows w/
"Low-tek" a few times a month as well as with my poppier band
"Johnny Monaco". I also have a Beatle, E. Costello,
Bowie, Queen, etc. cover band "Sadie". Play out as often as we
can. Always have upcoming shows. I don't know anything about Donnie
doing a "solo project".
Chris: Does Ricky play drums
for you at some or all of your shows?
John: No he does not.
I've had the same drummer for over a year now...Erik 7.
Chris: I know you have a good
vocal range and sing all of your bands songs. Is it true that you front only and
have a lead guitarist or do you play lead guitar with your band as well?
John: I play some
guitar but I do have another guitar player that I went to GIT with.
Michael Ray Garrett. He's really good. (there aren't hardly any
solos in these songs, just little melody things & noise... simple stuff.
Chris: Do you hope to get
Low-Tek up and running full-time or do you view it as a way of expressing
yourself outside of Enuff Z'nuff on a part-time basis?
John: I do intend to do
that. Low-tek is more of what I want to do and have been building since
before EZN asked me to join. I'm more of a "hired hand" w/ EZN.
I like playing in both bands; it's just different enuff.
Chris: Are you currently
shopping your present CD to any labels? If so what are some of the responses if
I may ask?
John: I haven't really
shopped it aggressively yet. (My lawyer says probably in January)
I'm waiting till I finish the "real thing" with the Pro tools stuff...
digital recording is a whole new world for me and I'm still learning it as I go.
(the tour slowed me down just a little...) What I have now are basically
demos, but they still sound pretty cool...very organic w/ some good takes.
Chris: Back to the band. You
haven't played lead guitar on that much of Enuff Z'nuff's records in the past.
Will you be more involved in the studio process then the past couple of releases
with a new disc in the works? More lead guitar work maybe?
John: I do what they
ask me to do. If they don't ask or if the part doesn't need a solo or a
2nd guitar part I leave it alone. "If it ain't broken don't fix
it"… Sometimes it sounds better the way it
originally comes out w/ Donnie playing the guitar parts. He has a real
loose feel that gives their songs a distinct sound that I've grown to hear....
Sometimes I don't think my playing fits in anymore on what they're doing.
Maybe I'm too technical or Jazzy. It almost sticks out too much over a
sweet pop tune. And I could try to just play a melody/ nicy nice solo, I.e.:
"Jellyfish", or
Chip could sit there and sing the notes to me that he wants to hear but...that
gets on me nerves real quick. I can do it and have it done but what's the
point of that. (he plays guitar, he could just play it himself) I'd be
forcing myself. I would like to play on whatever I could. Plus "
I'm a lazy, lazy man..." Krusty the Clown," Simpson's.
Chris: Can you tell me if the
next disc will be a departure of sorts? hear it's supposed to have more of
a thematic approach. Is this true?
John: To tell you the
truth I haven't heard much of it so I really can't say. But from what I'm
told & from the little heard... I guess it sorta does. Just like a
"Donna Summers" record or "Grease"... lol.
Chris: Your playing has grown
over the years. You regularly use arpeggios in your soloing. Do you think your
playing is more in tune with the band now or do you think it's progressed to a
different level?
John: I don't know?
I just try to play the solos as they appeared on the albums cause I like to keep
it as close to original as possible, I like the original solos... and I think we
all like to hear THOSE SOLOS too. And then I of course I add stuff,
embellish/ improvise on certain notes
and solo outros. But I do try to keep in the main theme/notes of the solo
intact. Not cause I can't make up my own solos, but just cause I think it fits
the song the best. As far as my playing goes, technically I think I'm
playing as good if not better then I always have. (probably the latter...)
Chris: Do you submit songs to
the band or do you primarily leave it up to Donnie and Chip and save your music
for your band?
John: Chip & Donnie have
sooooo many good songs it's amazing! There are tons that no one has even
heard yet. They hardly need me to offer up anything. I sometimes
come up with little guitar parts, ebow, harmonies, etc. Lately Donnie has
asked me to sit down & write some tunes with him, we'll see what happens
with that "Poseidon adventure." ha ha...
Chris: Now a personal
question. Being a guitar player myself for 27 years I have always played in two
guitar man bands. How is your relationship with Donnie theses daze if I may ask?
John: It's ok. We
get along most of the time. It's like anything else. We're a lot alike in
some ways and way different in others. (Our guitar playing though is completely
different) It's either I go along with it or I kill him. lol
Chris: I have found that
because bands have one bass player, one drummer and singer that guitar players
are put in a difficult position. You have to learn to share duties and sometimes
things can get blown out of proportion. Do you feel that is the case with the
two of you?
John: All the time.
Chris: I get lots of email
from fans about how they can't believe how you shine live as a player! Knowing
that you haven't been featured on previous recordings do you tend to lay back
when you do a solo in the studio? If so, is this by design or do you follow what
the producer wants to a
degree?
John: "Guilty by
design.." I try to make everyone happy. I would like to rip
more on the cd's though so those people shut the hell up but it sometimes
doesn't fit the song. It's like you must prove yourself to everyone all
the time. They burn you on line or to other people then they
see you play and they're like "wow you're really cool/good..." but
still kind of standoffish to me. I dunno.. "Let them eat
cake.."
Chris: Finally. Do you have
any message you would like to send out to all of the fans of you personally and
the band that have followed you and the band through the years?
John: Well what can I
say? I'm an EZN fan too!! And I'll continue to play in the band until my
parent's kick me out of their big house and I need to get a real job... or if
Chip Z'nuff fires me for insubordination/ "not playing well with the other
children". Thank you for enjoying our pain.
Chris: Thanks for the
interview John and we all look forward to seeing you on the road and hearing you
on disc soon!
John: Thank you...
"Goodnight Cleveland!!"
Monaco
www.Low-tek.com
www.JohnnyMonaco.com
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JFYI, John provided me with several bios below that are up on the website as
well as in this newsletter. There are pictures that accompany the bios but they
do not show up in the newsletter because yahoo groups only supports text unless
it's an ad banner. Go to: www.eznexpress.com and there is a "band
info" page that has all the bios on it.
Right below John's bio is a Z-Records show report from Germany by our own
Michael Bendixen so keep on scrolling…
Low-tek
Low-tek is a new high-energy rock band from Chicago. Formed by
singer/songwriter Johnny Monaco, Low-tek features: Johnny Monaco - lead vocals,
Michael Ray Garrett - guitar, Joey Del Real - bass and Erik 7 - drums. Combining
the aggression of post-modern rock with the pop craft of the British Invasion,
Low-tek plays hook-filled songs that deal with topics from lost love to alien
abduction. Low-tek's live shows incorporate recorded sequences using a variety
of
electronic dance beats i.e. house & techno. By thus integrating the
traditional guitar-driven pop song with an electronic back beat, Low-tek has
taken the musical tools of the past and present and used them to create a sound
that is thoroughly modern and original. In the past year, Low-tek has built a
growing following with successful performances at Chicago's top clubs including
the Metro and Double Door. In addition, Low-tek's four track demos have received
rave reviews in such regional publications as The Illinois Entertainer, Music
Showcase Magazine, and Backstage Pass. Ken Keenan of Music Showcase
Magazine called Low-tek's John Monaco "a master of the pop hook."
Several of Low-tek's songs, "It's So Right," "Kung-Fu," and
"Perverted Love," have been given airplay on Q101's Local Music
Showcase. The show's host, James Van Osdol, has called Low-tek's music
"brilliant."
CD Reviews:
Illinois Entertainer - T.R.
The three songs on the untitled Low-tek demo might seem sloppy, but they're not.
On "Dreams Of The Skin" distorted vocals sound like they are coming
from deep inside a locked closet, a feeling of claustrophobia intensified by a
drummer who's hitting every conceivable beat. The same industrial precision
drives "Abduction", with the addition of a repetitive riff that builds
like a quick whirlpool. And guitar sludge is made psychedelic with the infusion
of ethereal backing vocals on "Love Machine".
Q101 - James Van Osdol:
"Low-tek - Brilliant stuff cranked out on a four-track. Give them
production money and watch the bidding war begin."
Showcase Magazine - Ken Keenan:
When John Monaco isn't on the road in his role as lead guitarist for hard
hitting pop rockers Enuff Z'nuff, you can bet he's hard at work by himself,
writin' songs and layin' 'em down on the ole 8-track in his Northwest suburban
Chicago digs. He's got a slew of material, and has assembled six of his personal
faves on this brand new demo. Monaco doesn't necessarily wear his influences
(Cheap Trick, Off Broadway, Beatles) on his sleeve, but instead allows them to
be heard in his music without attempting to camouflage the fact that they exist.
That's not to say he lacks for originality. All it means is that he's not
ashamed to admit what he likes, and he uses what's comfortable as a basis to
build strong songs that, in the end, are unmistakable his own. In short,
this is some pretty cool shit. On this tape, Monaco - already a proven axe smith
- demonstrates that he's no slouch behind the microphone, either. He utilizes
distortion effects in just the right places to the tunes a down 'n' dirty feel,
punctuated by catchy, fuzzy, riff-heavy rhythms. A master of the pop hook,
Monaco makes music that'll get your feet tappin', but not
without making you want to get up and pump your fist, too. As a writer, Monaco
is either looking for love or trying to find out what went wrong the last time
around. The latter notion is best
exemplified on "Save Face", a slammin' John Lennon-ish ballad in which
the subject knows he's headed for more trouble if he sticks around, but he just
can't let her go. On the other hand, "All I Want" reduces that
sentiment to pure submission, and does so as balls-out, stompin' power rock
squeezed into a pure pop frame. "I Need To Tell You" is an acoustic,
melancholy little ditty that puts the vocals up front with no apologies - and
none needed. "Abduction" (the lead track), "It's So Right"
and "Kung Fu" (the last cut; a snarling rocker) finish off this
six-pack, but that last gulp leaves the listener thirsting for another round.
Word on the streets is that Monaco is close to getting a record deal, and once
that happens look out 'cuz Low-tek is here.
Black Velvet Magazine, UK
Lead-off track "Where:U:Want 2B" sees a frantic dash towards machine
gun massacre heaven. The instantly addictive drumbeat and repetitive
riffage make a perfect bed for the Monaco's mutilated vocals. Its brother on
here would be the programmed "Drugs In The Mix" a
curiously warpish taste of power pop meets techno. It's the most brutal of
the seven tracks, giving off an agitated air of hostility. "Will You",
"You Win Me Over" and "Incubus" the more
alternative of the two but with a super sugary chorus. "Useless Just Like
You" is musically the most gutteral of the seven with Monaco's vocals
sliding into either the old school metal or AOR
category. "Mustang Ricky" brings the CD to a close with what sounds
like much moaning intertwined with another rapid industrial punk rock attack.
If you know Monaco as merely being Enuff Z'nuff's hired hand, you really don't
know what you're missing. Here's a guy who seems able to turn his hand to
anything and really come up trumps doing so.
Contact: 312-458-9794
Lowtek3@aol.com
www.Low-tek.com
SADIE
Sadie is a 4-piece Chicago based band playing songs from the Beatles, Elvis
Costello, David Bowie, Queen and more. With its focus ranging from the
more obscure song selections to the all time favorites, Sadie truly captures the
essence of each tune performed. Paying close
attention to detail & authenticity, Sadie continues to gain a growing
fan base throughout the city & suburbs with rave reviews. From
the Beatle "fanatic" to the general lover of live music, Sadie is sure
to please even the toughest of critics.
Johnny Monaco - Lead vocals, guitar, and piano
Mike Conrad - Bass & vocals
Brian Torosian - Guitar & vocals
Larry Meger - Drums & percussion
Contact (312) 458-9794
www.JohnnyMonaco.com
Johnny Monaco
JOHNNY
MONACO
BREATHE
This is the poppier of the two bands fronted by Monaco,
singer/song-writer/guitarist/pianist from Chicago, IL.. It's only a nine
track album but I'm sure you'll agree that it's always better to have nine
tracks of bliss than thirteen tracks of crap (which a lot of bands seem to pass
off on us these days). "Perverted Love" is one of the cutest,
catchiest, fun tunes to be heard in a long time. It sets the CD off to a
fine start and will win almost anyone over. Well, anyone with good taste,
let's put it that way. It's the kind of song that banishes clouds and
brings out the sun, with a smiling happy face on it. The whole album is
insistently summery. Even when the subject
matter is regarding lost love or suicide (as in the case of
"Massacre"), the melodies are still up there and happening. Some
of the tracks play ode to the Beatles, style-wise, and also possess
an EnuffZ'Nuff sound. Whether that's because Monaco's day job is playing
guitar for EnuffZ'nuff or whether they just share the same influences is open to
question. "India" could walk hand- in- hand with EnuffZ'Nuff's
"Innocence" while "It's So Right" and "Breathe"
are both very relaxing, gentle numbers. Monaco shows that he is a mature
and talented songwriter. Other highlights on the CD include "Chemical
Imbalance" and "All I Want" with its toppling down the stairs
kind of feel. The latter is probably the most animated of the nine tracks
and sparkles like fine wine. Monaco really rocks when he rocks. I
dare you to not walk around repeating 'la la la la la la la la la la la la
la' afterwards! Check out `Breathe' - you will pervertedly love it.
- Black Velvet Magazine, UK
"Simply put, Monaco is capable of crafting brilliant, hook laden, catchy,
blissful pop songs that combine the fury of punk, the power and grandeur of
heavy metal, the infectious technology of urban dance music and the irresistible
melodies that the Beatles made so popular. The talented band he has assembled is
definitely strong enough and heavy enough to play the songs with the ferocious
intensity that they require. All without coming off like the angry and pitiful,
hunched
over testosterone rock that is all too prevalent in today's rock radio. Johnny
Monaco offers hope for music lovers." - Jeff Saviano
Contact: 312-458-9794
JohnnyMonaco@aol.com
www.JohnnyMonaco.com
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The Z-Records Festival report from Mannheim Germany
by Michael
Bendixen.
For the second time this year the greatest rock band ever was to
visit
Europe. I felt very blessed...
Myself and 8 other Enuff Z'Nuff fans from Denmark traveled to
Mannheim to
see them at the Z-Rock festival in Germany. Mannheim is only a 12-hour
train ride from our hometown. So Enuff Z'Nuff played almost in our
backyard
so to speak.
We arrived at the venue in the early afternoon just in time for the EZN
signing session at 3:15. The signing session was real chaotic.
Apparently
the Germans are not used to standing in line because when the band
arrived
everyone pushed to get their stuff signed. The result was that the
table
where Enuff Z'Nuff was located was filled with CD covers and posters.
It
was hard for the band to know whom they signed the stuff for. On top
of
that another band started to play on stage so it was quite impossible
to
talk to the band. Donnie gave the "real" fans a special treat. He was
making drawings for people who brought all ten EZN CD´s to the
signing. I
got Paraphernalia poster and some of my CD´s signed.
Soon after I got a hold on the band's manager Tom Feeley. We had a
long
talk about the Glam Slam Tour, lack of label support, the future of
the
music industry and what fans can do to support the band. Tom would
like us
all to write reviews on the big music internet-sites like CDNOW and
CdUniverse. Another way of supporting EZN is to request their songs
on the
radio. Furthermore Tom hoped that more bands would start playing some
Enuff
Z'Nuff covers. After a little while people found out who Tom was and
think he was the most popular man at the venue the whole afternoon.
There were 6 bands playing before Enuff Z'Nuff. I missed 5 of them.
All the
time I was walking around the bar-area and talking to other Enuff
Z'Nuff
fans. I had the time of my life talking to fans from Germany,
Switzerland,
France, England and I even met other Danish fans. All around the bar
there
was a "forest" of green peace signs. It was so cool to talk to other
people
who were (almost) as passionate about Enuff Z'Nuff as myself. The
closer we
got to "stage time" the more excited people got.
The boys were supposed to hit the stage at 10:15 but at that time the
band
"Jaded Heart" were still playing. Finally they got off stage and John
Monaco entered the stage and began to fine-tune his equipment. Monaco
was
in a great mood. He talked to the audience while tuning his guitar.
According to Monaco they didn't have a single guitar tuner on stage
so he
had to tune by ear. It took about fifteen minutes and we all thought
they
were ready to play but then he acted as guitar tech for Chip and
Donnie and
started to tune their guitars. It took almost 30 minutes before
someone
from the band "Contagious" got on stage and helped him out. Seemed a
bit
unprofessional that the stage crew didn't help Monaco out. All the
time
Monaco corresponded with us hard-core fans that stood in front. At 11
pm Monaco said "Fuck it ...let's play" and the band got on stage 45
minutes
delayed...
The crowd went crazy when Ricky, Chip and a barefooted Donnie entered
the
stage. Opening the show was the song "Z-Overture" which was familiar
to me
because it was the opening song at most of the England shows in May.
Perfect start! I love "Z-Overture" because it's really a strong
opening song even though most people didn't know the song. The response was
great
and the band kicked into their classic version of "Revolution". All
of us
Danish guys had blocked most of the front row and we went totally
crazy
along with our German friends and Linda, the drummer from "The
Tuesdays".
("The Tuesdays" has covered Wheels & Right By Your Side). Even
though
there
were only around 300 people the crowd made a lot of noise and the
response
was really good. Chip was smiling all the time and the band really
seemed
to enjoy this show. All of us in the audience loved it! You could
tell that
they had been on a long US tour because they were really tight. The
stage
was huge so it pushed Ricky a little in the background but he played great.
Donnie's voice was holding up just fine and I didn't notice any
problems.
Well, even with voice problems Donnie still has the best voice in
Rock
N´Roll. The guy next to me was in a total trance. You could really
see how
much he enjoyed Enuff Z'nuff's presence. All of a sudden he jumped on
stage, grabbed Donnie and gave him a big kiss. Security threw him off
stage
but Donnie got a good laugh. During the second verse of "For Now"
Donnie
pointed at himself and the audience while singing the line "People
like us
don't ever change". For the next line "They only get old and
rearranged" he
pointed the finger at Chip who lit up the venue with his warm smile.
The
next song was introduced as Donnie's life story and we all yelled
YEEAHH.
"The Beast" is one of my favorite tracks. It has an amazing melody
line and
the lyrics are really cool knowing what Donnie went through. An
excellent
version of that song. It was followed by a kick ass version of "Rock
N
World" with Monaco doing great axe-work. I think this was the best
gig I've
ever seen Monaco play. He seemed very motivated and was very
connected with
the audience. After the song I remember thinking to myself, this was
about
to be the best concert I've ever been to. Suddenly Tom Feeley went on
stage
and told the boys that they could only play 2 more songs. Donnie took the
mike and said that he couldn't believe that they could only play two
more songs. The audience wasn't satisfied at all. I couldn't believe it!
They had only been on stage for about 50 minutes, the crowd loved
them and now
the promoters wanted to cut their set short.
They played a killer version of "Fly High Michelle" and ended
with "New
Thing". I think that Donnie was disappointed that they weren't
allowed to
play their allotted time but he had not lost his sense of humor while
he
closed the show with: "We're Spinal Tap. Thank you and goodnight"!
The band
wasn't even off stage before the stage personnel turned off the
amplifiers
and unplugged their guitars. No chance for an encore.
After the show some of us got the set list which included a lot of
songs
that we didn't get to hear like: Time to Let You Go, Blue Island,
Takin´ A
Ride, Stoned, Baby Loves You, How Am I Supposed To Write A Love Song
and
Dear Prudence. Soon the rumors went around the venue that EZN had
planned
to play a lot more songs and the topic among everybody was that the
promoters sucked for cutting EZN's set short. It left all of us with
a
bittersweet feeling because we all wanted more. Especially since they
were
scheduled to play 75 minutes and a lot of us had traveled far to see
them.
However the band played excellent and seemed in a great mood.
I talked to some guys, which I met earlier. They all came because of
the
band "Jaded Heart" but went home as Enuff Z'Nuff fans. They described
the
concert as a total surprise and they fully understood why we traveled
from
Denmark only to see them.
Monaco was walking around the venue in a really good mood. He was
handing out flyers for Low Tek. Chip was the first to get out of the
dressing room.
At first I didn't see him because I was watching the last
band "Tygers of
Pan Tang" on stage. Chip poked me on the shoulder as he was walking
out. I
knew this was my cue to spend some time with the guy I admire most... I
followed him outside with a group of fans and got to talk with him
outside
the venue for a few minutes. I asked Chip about their future plans
and he
told me that they were going back to the studio to record more songs
for
their next album. They had already recorded 7 songs among them
"Z-Overture". Of course I had to ask him about the burning topic on
the EZN
message board. "Is How R U gonna be included on the next disc?". Chip
wasn't sure but he would like to see it on a future release as a
bonus
track or a B-side. Chip told us that he had an upcoming birthday
Monday, So
Happy Birthday brother. Donnie came out and he is always fun to be
around.
Donnie mentioned that he was also doing some recording for a solo
album.
Can't wait to hear that! That's all your humble reporter got because
a Van
arrived to take the band back to the hotel.
This was the first time for the band in Germany but hopefully not the
last.
The year 2001 has been a great year for European fans. Since the deal
with
Z-Records the band has played both England and Germany. According to
Tom
Feeley the band is trying to get back for a full-blown tour. I know
that I
will be there to support my all time favorite band. I can't get Enuff!
Set list (in order): Z-Overture/Revolution/Heaven Or Hell/Kiss The
Clown/We're All Alright/Fly Away/For Now/Invisible/The Beast//Rock
N´World/Fly High Michelle and New Thing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, that'll do it for this time and we will have more surprises for
you in the near future! Please feel free to check out our new "band
info" page, which has John's bios on it, and the others coming soon…
In light of the recent terrorist attacks we have picked a famous
quote from one of histories most important leaders.
"There must be a time to mourn, to console, to recover our national
sense of balance after so overwhelming a series of blows. But then,
we must go on. We must prove that we can take anything that comes our
way".
Winston Churchill
Till the next time…
Chris, Traci & Michael
The EZN Express
www.eznexpress.com
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