20 QUESTIONS WITH...

Enuff Z'Nuff Singer/Guitarist Johnny Monaco

Fresh off the Metal Sludge Xtravaganza Tour is this week's 20 Questions victim, Johnny Monaco! We've been trying to get Monaco to do 20 Questions with us for years now and today is the day it finally happened! Enjoy!

1. What are you up to?
I'm worKing on my other 2-bands, writing & recording New tuNes. Doing some unrelated Studio worK too. I also need to buy a cAr. I drove that 87 civic iNto the grouNd.. :)

2. Let's not beat around the bush. We originally hit you up for 20 Questions on March 12, 2000, and 2 days later you replied, "Send send send... However be prepared for the TRUTH only!" So we sent out your questions, then we got a message via Nick Shivers which read, "Monaco wanted me to late you know that he is not interested in answering the questions you posed to him. He found them to be unimportant, immature and amateurish." This gained you an FU Award on March 30, 2000 in which we basically ripped you a new one. Then on February 10, 2001, we sent young Jim Bob Dwarf out to Lemont, IL to do a Rewind with Donnie Vie. During the taped interview, one of your crew guys can be heard saying, "Monaco's totally disturbed about the Metal Sludge interview taking place!" Since then, we've made repeated attempts to make peace and give you another shot at doing 20 Questions with us, but you've consistently refused our virtual olive branches. Finally, we heard on that you told Jim Bob Dwarf at the MSX show in Elgin, IL, "Fine, I'll do 20 Questions, but don't make them stupid!" Well, this is Metal Sludge, not Rolling Stone. Of course they're going to be stupid! Which leads us to a 3-part stupid question:

a. What was the problem with the 20 Questions we sent you in the first place?
I wAs neVer "disturbed" about aNy MS interViews. I was unaware of MS and didn't get the huMor at the time. I felt they were all loaded questioNs making fun of me & the band iN a derogatory fAshioN. I like "Mad Magazine" and all but MS seemed more mean spirited to me than shocK humor. A lot of it's very funny & true stuff, that part I like, but it just seemed too condescending to me so I left it alone. But now I get it so....... whatever. :)

b. Why did it take you so long to come around and do an interview with us?
"I'm a lazy, lazy man..."

c. Do you really think we're going to take back the FU Award?
Yes.....yes i do. HAHAHA

3. What hard rock/heavy metal band should give it up and call it a day?|
Well... Who's to say? Definitely NOT Styx.

4. Now that you're pulling vocal and guitar duties for Z'Nuff, what are the chances of EZN recording a new album as a 3-piece? Will it ever happen, or hasn't Chip allowed you to hold your own opinion regarding that subject?
Chip & DOnnie have always let me "hOld my Own OpiniOn". They write sO many gOOd sOngs that I wasn't really needed in the writing prOcess. Plus a lOt Of the sOngs were written befOre I was invOlved. I'm nOt sure what's gOnna happen next but if Chip wants to try to write sOme sOngs tOgether I wOuld dO it.

5. Rate the following guitarists on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being someone who totally sucks, and 10 being somebody you hail.
Zakk Wylde = 7
Warren DeMartini = 9
Brent Muscat = 5
Tracii Guns = 6
Michael Angelo = 8.5
Billy Morris = 8
Gino Martino = 7
That Chad guy from Pretty Boy Floyd = - 4 (j/k Tchad... love ya!!) Mongolian BBQ RULES !!
Derek Frigo = 8
Donnie Vie = 3.65

6. What exactly went down at the Viper Room when Donnie showed up? It was reported that you guys didn?t want him inside. Was there talk at any time of Donnie getting up with Vikki, Derek, and Chip and all doing a song together, or were those guys all smoking crack?
First off, YES there probably was some CRACK SMOKING involved. We are NOT talking about the trauma surgeon team at Good Samaritan's Hospital. I didn't hear anything about them reuniting on stage. Although it does sound gay... It ain't like we're KISS. We did a whole tour as a 3-piece and we thought we deserved to finish it that way at the Viper Room for the last show on it's own merit. We wanted to take it serious and have it SOUND GREAT. We didn't tell them to keep Donnie out we just didn't want to chance it if he was gonna come up and wing it through the set with Foxx & Frigo. It could have been a huge train wreck, who knows. He actually played later that night with "Metal Shop" (those guys are soooo funny) And he proved my point. Wouldn't you try to be a little prepared knowing you haven't played with these guys (original members) for a while and you would want it to sound GREAT, GREAT, GREAT!!! In front of all those ppl. with their judging eyes & cool stares. I mean do SOMETHING! Just give my something new and ON!! The guy is great but I gave that performance a 3.... soRRy....(boy I just can't stop getting in trouble lately, I'm starting to feel like Muscat.. )

7. How has the MSX Tour been for you compared to the other tours you?ve been on with Enuff Z?Nuff?
I thought it was really good. Promotion was a little laGGing. It could have been much biGGer of an event. I keep looking for that big event every night but I only found PBF. j/k....... Some of the turn outs were great.... Some nOt. The bands were definitely biGGer than the bill and the fans really enjoyed themselves I think. I didn't but they did. haha.

8. You?ve been getting rave reviews on taking Donnie?s place. Do you hope he doesn?t come back to the band so you can keep on singing?
Yes, yes I do... (no I'm just kidding) Well aCtually I'm really not taking his plaCe, just taking his spaCe. I like the songs and I try to keep them in the truest form I can. It's more of a challenge for me so it makes it more interesting to play. It's just a slightly different approaCh to the tunes. Less spandex and more to the point. I think it's sounding pretty Ok.

9. Now that Enuff Z'Nuff is touring as a 3 piece, and you're basically the frontman, do you get any say at all in Enuff Z'Nuff's affairs?
I try not to. There's really not a whole lot to say. Chip says enough stupid stuff for the both of us.

10. The last of John Monaco:
Last time you talked to Donnie Vie = 2 weeKs Ago
Last CD you purchased = "WheN I Was CRuel"
Last movie you saw = "JaWs"
Last book you read = "GoNe For Good"
Last movie you saw in the theatre = "American WeDDing"
Last rock star you shook hands with = "DereK FriGo"
Last new song you heard on the radio that you liked = "Swing,Swing,Swing"
Last fast food drive-thru you hit = TAco Bell
Last person's hair you cut = RicKy PArent
Last person you saw getting a blow job = ewwwwwww
Last time you got into a fistfight = Years agO

11. We have to ask: What in the hell were you thinking when you tackled C.C. Banana on stage at the MSX show at Giants Stadium? Do you realize that Banana worked very hard on his material for weeks and weeks before the show, and when he was out there performing his ode to Sebastian Bach, you came out of nowhere and ruined everything for him. He didn't even get to finish his song! We hope you feel bad. What do you have to say for yourself?
Listen. Any time you tackle a banana it's funny. It was completely a comedic act. I was watching it from side stage and I said .."wouldn't it be funny if someone just ran out there and tackled him?" Everyone there, including MS, agreed and chipped in $30 for ME to do it. I thought he was done with his bit cause it was getting over like a fart in a diver's outfit. The whole time it was happening I was apologizing to him.. "I'm sorry about this", punch! punch! punch!... " I'm really sorry!!" Kick! Kick! Kick! ... " I'm not trying to hurt you", tackle, tackle, tackle!! "Just play along and go to sleep it will all be over sOOn..." chloroform, chloroform, chloroform.. etc. He's actually a real nice guy and I did feel bad about it at first cause his MOM was there but we talked and he's not mad at me anymore (I don't think). The last memory I have of that show was him being escorted out of the gated area driving in his car all pissed off, disheveled hair, bent glasses with a big banana suit smashed into the back seat.. good stuff.

12. You had a few solo projects you were working on not long ago. What?s the status of those right now?
Writing & recording tunes. Trying to find band members so i can play some shows here in Chicago.
www.johnnymonaco.com
www.Low-tek.com

13. What?s your outlook for Enuff Z?Nuff for the rest of the year into next year?
I think we have aNother small EuropeaN tour comiNg up in Nov. (UK, SpaiN, Italy) aNd we have some local & out of state shows over the Next few moNths. Probably just keep playiNg shows aNd start workiNg oN material for a New CD. Either that or watch TV. :)

14. What rock star deserves a smack in the mouth and why?
Donnie Vie in a banana suit... (Just Kidding !!) I don't know.

15. Yes or no, has Johnny Monaco ever done the following:
Bobbed for apples = yes
Broke a string on stage = yes, yes
Visited Monaco (the country) = no
Shared a hug with Vikki Foxx = yes (he's so hot)
Received a massage from Ricky Parent = no
Barfed in a drinking fountain = not yet
Admired a John Wayne Gacy painting = yes (he's a hometown boy !!)
Stolen a road cone = yes
Been arrested = nope
Thought about getting your own pad = Thinking about that right now.

16. In the past, you've stated in interviews that you're not real happy about touring with a lot of washed-up hair bands, yet Enuff Z'Nuff seems pigeonholed into that category and can only seem to land tours with other acts from that genre. OK, let's imagine you've been told to put together the perfect package tour, with Enuff Z'Nuff headlining. What 3 other bands would you put on the bill?
Most of the bands I like I would say don't fit into a tour package with EZN. Ppl would expect me to say Cheap Trick, Jellyfish, Redd Kross, etc... but I wouldn't. I guess... Elvis Costello, Fiona Apple, Weezer.

17. If Donnie Vie fell in the forest, and if no one were around to hear it, would he make a sound?
ummmm.... Yes, It would sound just like "New Thing".

18. We know you don't want any 'stupid questions,' but this is hypothetical, so play along for a minute. For an easy $1,000,000, there is a red button in front of you. If you push it, Steve "Sex" Summers will begin to have a severe, embarrassing twitch in the right side of his face for the rest of his life. People will stare and frequently make fun of him. Would you do it?
Sorry Steve but YES I WOULD $$$$...... I can totally move out of my parent's house with that kind of cash. And then I could go on the road with Steve's twitching freakish oversized head in a traveling sideshow freak festival. I would keep his head in a glass jar preserved in fluid with an air pump so he can still breathe OK and feed it fish fOOd. And if we had room for Jani Lane he could come along too. Again KIDDING !!

19. Is there such a thing as a "Monaco Groupie?"
So they say.

20. Time for Metal Sludge?s Word Association. We mention a name and you give us your thoughts.
Josie Pearl = Risky
Brent Muscat = Runs his home with an Iron fist.. haha..
Bill Aucoin = Tip Toe Through The Tulips...
Chip Z?Nuff = "Dood we're putting the band back together.."
Ricky Parent = Good thing for him he plays the drums great.
Donnie Vie = Green Eggs & Ham
David Lee Roth = Hair today gone tomorrow
Alex Kane = www.antiproduct.com
Matt Mercado = He's great ! www.mattmercado.com
Jani Lane = I like him, he's always been nice to me. (mon-thurs only)
Andrew Walker = Who's that?
Sebastian Bach = Cats
Joni Vie = A good soul
Chip Z'Nuff = "Dood we're STILL putting the band back together.."

We thought we'd throw in Chip twice in Word Association because he deserves it.

Thanks to Monaco for giving us an entertaining 20 Questions this week. For more info on him, you can visit the following websites:
www.EnuffZNuff.com
www.JohnnyMonaco.com
www.Low-Tek.com