10 QUESTIONS WITH...

Ratchet

We thought we'd do something different this week. We're going to give you two interviews for the price of one!

In honor of our Metal Sludge Extravaganza this Saturday at Paladino's in Tarzana, CA, we're doing 10 Questions with Metal Shop guitarist Ratchet! Back in May of 2001, we did 20 Questions with Metal Shop singer Michael Diamond, so we thought it would only be fair to interview Ratchet as well. Ratchet deserves a little bit of love too!

Then below that, we have 10 Questions with Russ Parrish, Ratchet's alter ego. At one time, Russ was the guitar player for Rob Halford's Fight and as well as playing with Jeff Pilson in War & Peace.

Enjoy!

1. Who are you and what are you currently up to?
I am the lead guitarist for Metal Shop and besides bringing Heavy Metal back, which takes up a lot of my time, I've been working on a rock opera about a fucking awesome guitarist who totally shreds but never realizes his dream of being on the cover of Hit Parader because he's being held back by this totally self-absorbed ego-maniac lead singer who won't hand out flyers on the strip anymore because he's tired from delivering pizzas all day. It's based on Me and Michael Diamond.

2. Tell us about the Chicago bottle incident with Michael Diamond. And do you have any other related stories from Metal Shops road trips?
Michael got hit right in the eye. That guy was a great shot. You gotta figure he probably had a few in him. If he was sober, he probably would've knocked out some of Michaels' teeth. That would've sucked for Michael, but it would've been fucking funny to see.
I think Ginger got a blow job from a transvestite once. He told me not to tell anyone, but he keeps telling people I'm uncircumsized. Besides, I don't think he knows how to read.

3. Being the legendary guitarist that you are, what are the key elements to a proper 80s guitar solo?
Lots of distortion. And a Floyd Rose. And hammer-ons. And delay. And fucking...long hair.

4. What are some of the harshest things you have said to a packed club and did you ever get confronted by that 'star' after the fact?
I said Vince Neil was getting a little too hefty to be wearing Spandex, but I don't think that gives him the right to throw bottles at Michael.

5. Rate these following guitar players on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being a hack and 10 being a virtuoso.
C.C. DeVille = Awesome-9
Mick Mars = great wig!-10
Kirk Hammett = like the wah-wah-8
Dave "Snake" Sabo = I like snakes-5
George Lynch = Looks like George Hamilton-3 1/2
Eddie Van Halen = I heard he didn't play on the records.-3
Joey Allen = good vibrato for a white boy-7
Bruno Ravel = who?
Eddie "Fastway" Clarke =Is he a blues guy?
Yngwie Malmsteen = before or after the accident?
Slash = bitchin' hat-9

6. Of all the tribute & cover bands Metal Shop has shared the stage with, who was the coolest and ho were the biggest dicks to deal with & why?
There was a Ratt tribute that was really good, but the singer was kind of a dick. I think that's because it was Stephen Pearcy.

7. Which do you prefer and why?
The Whisky-A-Go-Go or The Roxy =the Teazer - no hassle
Crazy Girls or The Body Shop = internet porn- no hassle
Sunset Grill or Pink's Hot Dogs = Pinkys, cause I hate being anywhere near theGuitar Center
Guitar Center or Mars Music = I'd rather go to fucking Mars than the Guitar Center
Head bands or Hairspray = Both
Spandex tights or Leather pants = The feel of Spandex, the smell of leather
Vons or Ralphs = I like the name Ralph, especially when you draw it out- Raaalph..
Vagina or Viagra =Can't I have both?
Les Paul or Warlock = The sound of Les Paul, the price of Warlock
Cheetah print or Zebra stripes = How can one really choose?
Tower Records or Virgin Records = Whoever signs us first.

8. What 80s band was way over rated and which band was was underated & why?
the Smiths -fucking overrated-what is that shit- where's the distortion?
Britney Fox were way better dressers than they ever got credit for.

9. C.C. DeVille leaves his Hollywood hills mansion at Noon sharp and is driving at 100 mph in his Ferrari . He?s going to play a gig that is 350 miles away but stops for dinner at In' n' Out Burger for 15 minutes. He also stops once more to pick up some neon painted B.C. Rich Warlock guitars for the gig. He spends 30 minutes at B.C. Rich. What time does C.C. get to soundcheck?
A. 5:45 and Bobby Dall is mad because he forgot his Neon Green Warlock
B. 4:30 but Rikki is doing hair care so soundcheck is delayed another hour
C. 4:15 and Bret is wearing a headband, hat and some fake hair braids like always
D. 4:00 sharp but C.C. is mad because he forgot his sandwich board sign asking the fans to pay to meet him.

It's A, right?

10. Any chance of a Rikki Ratchet solo project?
I'm woking on a solo solo project. A solo album full of only solo's. No other instruments. Just me Shredding. I'm going to sell it at G.I.T.

10 QUESTIONS WITH...

Russ Parrish

1. Name the 3 high points and the 3 low points of Russ Parrish's career?
I think it's a lot to ask three high points in almost any musicians career. And all the low ones seem to blend togther.

2. Other than being in Fight, you also played with Jeff Pilson's "War & Peace." What other original projects have you been a part of. I played with a Genius named Kevin Gilbert who died a few years ago. There's an album called the Shaming of the True that is amazing. We did a live record at the Troubador that sounds really good, too. I've currently got my own band called the ducks which in which I sing and play guitar. www.theducks.tv is the website. 3. What rock star deserves a smack in the mouth and why? Yngwie and the singer from that band Creed. Do I need to explain? 4. You didn't you play on Fight's second record. Why did you leave the band and what was that all about? Just got bored with the music. Wasn't worth the money anymore.

Russ in Fight. He's on the right.

5. What do you remember about Atlanta = not much New York = A really fucked up Sebastian Bach Detroit = I got hit with a pitcher of beer. San Francisco = Rice a Roni Memphis = Did fight go to Memphis? Dallas = Hot Chicks Tampa = Bad drug experience Boston = Fucking cold. Cleveland =Some body tried to kick my ass for signing his chicks tits London =Hot chicks with accents

6. Did you ever see Rob frolicking with another "friend" and feel awkward?
No, he didn't seem to frolick much.

7. The Last of Russ Parish:
Last gig you played with Fight = Melbourne, Australia
Last rock star you shook hands with = Bobby Blotzer
Last 80s hairband CD you listened to = Look What the Cat Dragged In
Last fast food drive thru you went through = Taco Bell
Last person you punched in the face = My brother
Last time you barfed from drinking = year ago
Last time you talked to Rob Halford = 93
Last celebrity you saw in the crowd at a Metal Shop show = Christina Aquilera
Last time you got a speeding ticket = year ago
Last time you saw a vagina = 5 minutes ago

8. Most bands have a tour rider. Name 3 things that Rob had on the Fight tour rider?
He usually didn't hang out back stage, but I know we always had enough beer for the band to get drunk.

9. Who's been hit in the face with more balls...Yogi Berra or Rob Halford?
Who's pitchin' and who's catchin'?

10. Time for Metal Sludge's Word Association. We mention a name and you give us your thoughts.
Ginger Roxx = Foxy
Ray Luzier = Single and ready to mingle
Bret Michaels = Insulin
Jani Lane = the Cars
Nikki Sixx = girls, girls, girls
Judas Priest = the ripper rips
Jeff Pilson = talented fucking guy
Kid Rock = remember when he played the piano on the grammys? who let that happen?
Staind = sound like Creed
Creed = sound like Pearl Jam
Ricky Parent = great abs
Gene Simmons = is that a helmet?
Ralph Saenz = He's a very nice guy......for a punk.

Thanks to both Russ and Ratchet for doing 10 Questions each with us.

Russ and Ratchet will both be appearing at our Metal Sludge Extravaganza this Saturday, March 2nd, at Paladino's. For more info on our little shindig, you can go to http://www.metal-sludge.com/MetalSludgeExtravaganza4.htm.

For the latest on Russ' band The Ducks, you can go to www.theducks.tv
If you like the Marvelous 3, then you'll probably like The Ducks. It's that sort of vibe.