Artist: Tattooed Millionaires  

Date:  24 June 2006 

After a blistering set tonight at Bradford Rios and with the music pounding in the club, we drag lead singer and all round rock star Johnny Jetson out into the cool night air for an interview. 

MM - How do you think the fans over here in the UK differ from those in the States?
JJ - Well, I mean the kids in America are a little fickle.  They like what's hot now and their attention span gets less and less each year.  The fans here in Europe are a little more loyal to the bands.  Hell Twisted Sister are still packing them in there!  It just goes to show you, because over there in the United States people would say ... 'Twisted what?' ... It's good to see rock n roll alive and well.  Hell if we could bring as many kids as this down to this god forsaken wasteland in Bradford then rock n roll isn't dead yet. 

Through MySpace we've made a lot of great fans who cross between rockers, goths, punks, emo kids.  I think what drew them in first with Tattooed Millionaires was the look.  People should be sexy, but what's kept them there is that we've taken the time to reach out to each and every one of them.  We try to make them all feel like they have a vested interest in the bands success and they do.  We're only here because our MySpace fans bought enough records so that we could afford to come over here. 

The wonders of the internet ... yeh it does have it's downfall because my girlfriend in LA has already been sent a message through MySpace telling her what I've been up to.  But are the rumours true though, that's the big question?  Yes all the rumours are true.  All that's fit to print that is (laughs).  

MM - I'm really disappointed because not only has my favourite song by the band has been removed from MySpace, but also it didn't appear in your set tonight.
JJ - Which song was that honey?  Was it removed because of parental advisory or something?  I don't think, it was 'Show Some Respect'.  Well you know that song is usually our closer.  Tonight they cut us down a little bit because they have the night club going on afterwards so we had to fit in the rock where we could.  In a longer set though we would include 'Show Some Respect'.  It's a song that means a lot to us. 

We found out about the Charv's you have out here.  The football kids that can't give the rockers a break.  They're torturing these kids who are fighting for their right to party.  We had a girl show up at a meet and greet and she had half a sneaker on because she had been chased through the cemetery by these guys. 

In America it is a freer country for rock n roll.  We don't get hunted down because you like rock n roll.  The jocks we have go to their games and they play bands like AC/DC at the stadiums.  Rock cuts across all social classes in America more to an extent than out here.  The more it's segregated the more people are drawn into isolation.  The more kids there are searching for an identity, the more wages they get the more piercings they need, the more bizarre they look and they feel more of a need to stand out.  It kinda sucks.  People love rock n roll though. 

One thing that's different over here in the UK than over in America is that our shows are a little more inclusive.  We've got punks there and rockers and people into sports, it brings people together, whereas over here it's more segregated and we're still seeking out places to play where we can perform to a wider audience.    

Hey, hey yeh! Our album's called 'The Band With No Fear', 13 tracks to better sex.  It features a lot of the songs you can hear on MySpace along with some new material.

'Star Spangled Hammer' is not on that record but it will be on the second record.  We held out a lot of the good stuff for the second record, which is tentatively entitled 'Armed And Dangerous' or 'Armed And Hammered', which is perhaps more appropriate for right now.  Yeh, I think we should call the next album 'Armed And Hammered' and then we could include songs such as 'All I Want Is You ... And Another Drink', Star Spangled Hammer', 'Freedom To Rock', so that's something for you to look forward to. 

In the mean time kids pick up our debut album 'The Band With No Fear' which includes great songs like 'Rock n Roll Babies', and of course your own personal favourite 'Show Some Respect', which everyone should show each other a little more respect in the world.    

MM - Where was the album recorded?
JJ - Oh we recorded the album ourselves in our loft in Hollywood, which stands in the shadow of the famous Hollywood sign along historic Route 66.  We have a little wild place where the band get to play, live, rehearse and just get tight as people.  We recorded the record there on a laptop with what mics we had and we just did the best we could with what we had to offer.  We did it all ourselves and it's an honest reputation of what the bands capable of doing.  Hopefully with the next record we'll bring in some people to produce it as we'll have a little more of a budget, a little more of a bigger sound.  We're proud of the record, after all it brought us here.       

MM - What musical influences do the band have?
JJ - Well we've got three guys in the band and all of them come from a little bit different background.  All of us meet in the middle, we've got influences from Brian the guitar player, he loves the New York Dolls, the Rolling Stones.  Justin comes from a Hollywood rock background.  He loves Guns n Roses, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, that's the Birmingham band.  We were so proud to play in Birmingham the home of Ozzy Osbourne.  I myself are into The Stooges, Alice Cooper, all the great 70's rock and punk rock.  We listen to everything though, as long as it's got a sexy beat you'll find us on the dance-floor.   

MM - How have you found the internet as a band, it can sometimes work both ways with promotion and stuff.
JJ - Yeh it is a double edged sword.  It's a great tool for bands.  In my wildest dreams I couldn't come up with anything better than something like MySpace.  But at the same time people expect more from you.  Now if you don't suddenly have 30,000 MySpace friends and a million comments a day there's something wrong with you.  There isn't something wrong with these bands though, there are great bands out there.  The internet audience is a little bit fickle.  You just need to yell that much louder to stand out from the crowd.  But it is a wonderful instrument and we've got to meet some great people because of it all over the world through MySpace and our website. 

I love the internet but it's good to give it a break sometimes and get back into the real world.  People spend too much time on the computer and it's exactly what the government wants you to be, segregated, isolated, staring into a video screen.  They definitely don't want us on the streets hanging out holding hands singing protest songs.  So yeh, the internet can be good and bad.  Like everything in moderation, it's just like a drug, too much and it's going to warp your mind.    

MM - How long have the band been together?
JJ - The band formed about a year ago.  At that time we had two other guys in the band and we did a porno in Hollywood.  We did a little porn thing where the band were playing and there was live sex going on.  Unfortunately the band brought their girlfriends to the set that day and the next day the other two guys had to resign.  I took a little time and found some new guys.  Not that we are doing porn any more but with this you just have to be willing to do anything.  Or at least give it a chance.  The porn was fun but moving on from that we went to Vegas and got the best movie sound track on a porno.  That was fun for the moment but we are moving on and hoping to reach more people than just those guys at home with their porn doing whatever it is they do with it. 

So the band have been together for about a year and a half total.  We had some medical issues, deaths in the family and stuff last year so that really took until the beginning of 2006 before our ship got stable and we were able to sail.  Just like anything it's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll, and we want to rock n roll and connect with as many people as we can, drink with as many people as we can, shake hands with them and look into peoples eyes and let them know that we're from America and we're going through the same things.  We've got to put up with the same shit.  We're all in this mess together so let's make the best of it.      
 
MM - What's the scene like in LA today, is it still healthy or has it run it's course a bit?
JJ - I'd say it's still a very healthy scene for rock n roll in LA today.  There's between 600 - 700 bands play live across the city each night.  We don't worry too much about being the big thing in LA.  We've all been in bands in the past that have been the big band in LA and sometimes you get a little tired. 

What's good for bands from LA is for bands from LA to get out of LA and travel the world and tour.  Although we're from LA we tend to like to keep a low profile.  We walk down the street like everyone else and we hussle and we do whatever it takes to make money and to stay alive.  Out of respect for my neighbourhood and the people around me we don't play it off like rock stars.  We live a comfortable lifestyle and we eat and drink and go out to clubs. 

People are nostalgic for 80's rock which they'll find on the Sunset Strip.  If they're looking for something new and exciting then it's there, you just got to probe around a little bit.  There's a lot of good people out in LA keeping the dream alive.  They keep creating and re-creating the rock scene and having a good time.  There's no shortage of rock n roll in Los Angeles, just like there's no shortage in the UK, or Italy or anywhere.  If you're willing to get out there. 

I love looking for bands that are going to be the new thing before it breaks.  I like to be part of those early gigs.  A lot of people do and it's a special time to remember a band when you were there at the beginning.  That's what people should look for, rather than being just a face in the crowd in a big arena.  Which can be fun too but you should get out there and support these bands early on.     

MM - I've noticed you've got quite a few tattoo's about your body, would you like to tell us about some of them?
JJ - Well you know when I first started getting tattoo's it was to get in a gang as part of the initiation.  When everybody turned 18 we all went and got a tattoo.  Back then there weren't many places to get tattooed and so we went to the local biker shop and I picked my tattoo off the wall.  It was like I'll have a number 12 or a number 14 or something.  Back then the only guys with sleeves were those guys coming out of prison and Hells Angels.  So coming out to LA it was starting to get big and the guys who are playing in my band are all getting full sleeves.  I suddenly started to get this whole bunch of tattoo's although I've never been too concerned about what they were, I just wanted to fill in space.  The last couple I maybe thought out a little bit. 

We've got to pay off our debts when we get back.  We took some loans from some guys and they're going to fucking kill us if we don't come up with some payments soon.  We've got a bit of a gun to our head.  Doing it all yourself involves taking some risks, but they were risks worth taking.  Just being here 7,000 miles from home and from some people who maybe take you for granted in your home town, you can show them that you can get somewhere. 

People around the world appreciate it that it takes some time to come and play for them.  So what's in it for us is more the same.  We'll hussle and make some more money so we can come and play the tours we want to play.  We'll thumb our noses at the establishment and we're going to laugh at record companies until they take us seriously and until they are willing to do something more than bands can already do for themselves.  We'll see because it's all been a big experiment for us to see how far the fans want to take it and to see how much a band can do on their own. 

MM - Do you feel it's not important to have the support of a record label if you have the behind you?
JJ -  Well I would love to have a record label behind us to help us do the things we do because we get frustrated kicking out, but at the same time we're not about to give up any of our integrity for that.  When records companies come along and I throw out a number to them they walk away quietly.  This is a number I feel is fair and it's a liveable number, people have to eat and people need to go to the dentist and they need to be healthy.  Most record deals starve bands into submission.  We'll see if out of this a record label is inspired enough to come forward and do the band justice.  Not just us but there's loads of great bands out there, so many bands who do the work alone which is what a label needs a band to do, but I think they are just all confused. 

MySpace has got everyone back peddling and confused.  I've been told by some of the top label people in America, they say Johnny you've sold 10,000 records on MySpace to your friends, that's more than any record deal at a major can offer you, it's money in your pocket.  So I've been inspired by the people who we've met within LA and some of the top A & R people who have a big company presence and they say ... you guys are doing a good job on your own, we'll see how far you can take it ... maybe I have walked us out of a deal but at the same time they know about us.  I think that in their hearts they hope we can do something other than drive their wages down and put them out of work.   

MM - Is there anything you would like to say to all your fans out there to close of this interview?
JJ -  Yeh sure I would.  I'd just like to say that this has been a wonderful time for us being over here in the United Kingdom and the Tattooed Millionaires are honoured to be here.  Coming from America where people forget that we share a common history.  Up to a certain point our history is your history. 

For us it's been an eye opening experience to come here to the United Kingdom and I think we're seeing a glimpse of America in 10 years.  With CCTV cameras on every corner and a controlled grid.  I'm seeing a lot of oppression here and I'm starting to see it in the States. 

It's been good for us to come and let people know that we haven't forgotten about them and how the world is alive and kicking and welcoming anyone that can make it out with open arms.  The suns shines, there's drinks to be drank and there's rock n roll to be heard and so if you make us feel welcome then we're going to show you the same hospitality that you've shown us here.    

With that we leave Johnny to go back to meeting new friends and getting to meet his UK fans more closely on the clubs dance-floor.  Thanks again goes to Johnny for taking the time out this evening to chat to us and we wish him and the band the best of luck with the remainder of the future.

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