REWIND WITH...

Warrant's Jani Lane

Here we go again!

It was almost exactly a year ago since we first did 20 Questions with Jani Lane. In fact, our 20 Questions went up on January 2nd.
A year later, it's January 3rd and we have a Rewind with Jani Lane! Who would have thought?

Like last time, the ever so trusty Jim Bob Dwarf conducted this interview on December 14th, 2001, which was the same day that Jim Bob interviewed Jani before! He did Jani's 20 Questions on December 14, 2000. So I guess December 14th is Metal Sludge's Official Jani Lane Interivew day. Maybe on December 14, 2002, we'll have a 3-Wind with Jani. Here is Jim Bob's report:

"Jani was the man again! He was into the interview and took everything
seriously. He was very laid back and seemed to actually enjoy the
questions. I went to see Warrant at Sammy K's in Elgin and took along my
old pal Jeff Overstreet (from the Sidetracked Club - see the Enuff
Z'Nuff Rewinds). When we got there, we met some other random
Sludgeaholics, including Kyle (Random Sludgeaholic #1) and Derrick
(Random Sludgeaholic #2). They asked if they could watch the interview
if Jani did it and I said it was cool if it was OK with Jani. And it
was. Not only did they watch, but since they're die-hard Warrant fans,
they also were able to construct some of their own intelligent follow-up
questions on the fly! We did the interview in their van.

Afterwards, Billy Morris and Jani invited me to their New Years party in
Cleveland, but that's another story...

So sit back and enjoy our Rewind with Jani Lane!

1. What's cookin? Tell us what you are currently doing.
JANI LANE: Right now, just pretty much finished writing the new Warrant record. We start recording it in January.

2. If you could achieve absolute success in only one area of your life, what would you want it to be?
Being a wonderful father.

3. An article recently came out that said you were running the kitchen at Billy Morris' new club. What exactly are you doing there?
Well, yes, Billy's got 2 clubs, and I opened the restaurant in one of the clubs. Obviously I don't sit there and cook. But I opened it and alot of the entrees are my own recipies.
Jim-Bob: Last time we talked to you, you called yourself a 'good cook.'
Yeah, you know, I've been cooking my whole life...

4. Is Warrant going to put out a new CD anytime soon or are you guys basically done?
We start in January.
Jim-Bob: Is it going to be on your own label?
Right now, we're trying to decide who to go with.
Jim-Bob: You're shopping it?
It's not a matter of shopping it. It's more like a matter of, their are a couple different people who want the record, so I guess it comes to a paycheck at the end of the day. What ends up being the most profitable.

5. Rate following Warrant albums on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being something that blows goats and 10 being a perfect record:
THEY ALL SUCK!
(Crowd laughs)
They all suck. If I gotta sing "Cherry Pie" one more fucking time in my life I'm going to fucking throw up!
Random Sludgeaholic #1: Are you serious?
Yes. They ALL SUCK! (pauses) The new record's great though. The new record is great. I stepped outside, and hopefully people will get an real fucking idea of what I like to do.
D.R.F.S.R. =
Cherry Pie =
Dog Eat Dog =
Ultraphobic =
Belly To Belly =
Live 86-96 =
Latest & Greatest =
Under The Influence =

Jani wearing a Metal Sludge shirt on stage last year.

6. Since your original 20 Questions with Metal Sludge back in January, has there been a different reaction to you personally & Warrant since? And would you say that last year Metal Sludge actually helped your stage show? (Long pause) I can't honestly say that Metal Sludge has helped... anything!! (Crowd laughs) Oh my God, I'll get blasted for that, but I don't give a fuck! (Looks at Jim-Bob square in the eye) Some people have too much time on their hands. (Crowd laughs as if that was funny)

7. What's the dumbest purchase you've ever made?
(long pause) Well, let's see, I never purchased a prostitute, otherwise I'd say that. I don't know, I'd have to think about that. I don't know, I think I purchased a 'Vette once, and I hated it. I don't know.

8. Did you talk to Bret Michaels as all during the Summer tour?
Never spoke to him once.
Random Sludgeaholic #1: Mind if I ask why?
Random Sludgeaholic #2: Yeah.
I have no idea. We never crossed paths. I talked to Bobby a lot, talked to C.C. a lot. Talked to Rikki occasionally. But, never spoke to Bret.
Random Sludgeaholic #2: Are there any bad feelings there or did you just not talk to him?
I have no idea. As far as we were concerned, we were just out to do a job. And put on the best show we could.
Random Sludgeaholic #1: I remember you were pretty cool to them on stage. You thanked them on stage.
We really appreciated the opportunity to go out and play in front of some big crowds again, so it was fun for us.

9. Tell us how you felt about the restrictions that Poison put on you guys for this Summer's tour. Tell us about that and how it affected you and the band?
I don't think it affected us at all. You know, I kind of liked it. As far as, getting there an hour before showtime, go on and do your show, and get the fuck out. That was cool to me.
Jim-Bob: That's kind of the way to do it, actually. When you think about it.
Yeah! Absolutely. You hang around, you only get in trouble.

10. What do you remember about writing or recording the following songs:
Fatal Attraction = don't remember.
Game Of War = don't remember.
Down Boys = (Long pause) The only thing I remember about that is everybody asking me, "what the FUCK does 'Down Boys' mean?!"
Jim-Bob: Where do they go?!
I don't know!!!
(Crowd laughs)
Random Sludgeaholic #1: Someone said it was about roadies.
It rhymed. (Addresses Sludgeaholics) Now everybody's like, "oh, I know what 'Down Boys' means." But actually, it rhymed.
Song And Dance Man = I like that song. I wear that tattoo on my arm.
(Shows Jim-Bob his tattoo.)
Jim-Bob: Cool, man.
That was just an attempt at writing hopefully a little more cerebral song than all the "oh, I wanna fuck you baby" songs I normally write.
Medicine Man = don't remember.
Machine Gun = Machine Gun?
Random Sludgeaholic #1: That's your best song, man.
Random Sludgeaholic #2: Yeah.
Actually, at the time we wrote Machine Gun, I was only hoping it would see the light of day because Seattle was so, you know, such a huge thing at the time. I was terrified. So I only hoped it would see the light of day, which it didn't.
Can't Help Myself = don't remember that.
Ultraphobic = (long pause) I don't know. Just a cool song.
Letter To A Friend = (pause) How does that go?
Random Sludgeaholic #1: (sings) dah-dah-dah dat dat dah...
Random Sludgeaholic #2: Yeah.
Belly To Belly, you know, was a very personal record for me. I got a lot of demons out. I was... exorcising my demons at the time, so I don't know what it really meant. But I'm sure it was... you know...
Face = Face I really like. I really like that song. Normally, we play it in the set, but we took it out tonight to do "Surrender," you know, being in Illinois, Cheap Trick..... But I really like Face. Face is just, about, you know, connecting with somebody.
Jeff Overstreet: Are you and Keri Kelly writing any other tunes?
Not at the moment. I haven't talked to Keri in awhile. I don't know exactly what's going on.
Overstreet: Slash's Snakepit broke up.
That's what I've heard. I don't know what's going on with Keri. But we wrote really well together. A lot of people really like the tunes we came up with. Hopefully we'll have a chance to hookup and write again.

11. Have you heard our "Heaven" parody called "7-11 (Isn't Too Far Away)" yet?
I did not. I'll have to check that out.
Jim-Bob: Hats off to Jamie Rowe for recording it.
I heard New Found Glory's version of Heaven and that fucking rocked!

12. If you could unknow one thing you know, what would it be?
What?!
Jim-Bob: I know...
(long pause) That's a fuck off question. That's, like, way too cerebral for me. I'm no Socrates.

13. Which do you prefer:
Potato Skins or Chicken Fingers = depends on if I want deep-fried or baked. Namely, I prefer baked.
Strippers or porn stars = Stippers or porns stars? What the fuck is the difference!
Guitar players named Josh or guitar players named Joey = What the fuck is the difference!
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure or Last Action Hero = Hmm, oh boy. Bill & Ted are pretty cool.
Jim-Bob: You know I cried at the end of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. You know, where Abe Lincoln's giving that speech...
Oh, you're fucking scary. Now, I hope they fucking print that.
"Billy-Bob said..."
Random Sludgeaholic #1: It's Jim-Bob...
Random Sludgeaholic #2: Yeah.
Err... "Jim-Bob said...." aw, fuck it.
Performing on stage or writing = Writing. Abso-fucking-lutely. Going back to what I said earlier, if I have to sing Cherry Pie one more fucking time I'm going to slit my wrists. I know a lot of people don't want to hear that...
Random Sludgeaholic #1: Can I ask what you think about performing your other popular songs like Heaven?
Depends on the song. Some songs like Uncle Tom's Cabin I look forward to playing. I really enjoy playing that song. Then there are others, namely Cherry Pie, mostly 'cause I get sick of people saying, "Hey! It's the Cherry Pie guy."
Random Sludgeaholic #1: I read somewhere that the record company made you do the song Cherry Pie and name the album that.
Cherry Pie was definitely not my idea.
Random Sludgeaholic #1: What would you have called the album if you had your choice?
Uncle Tom's Cabin. And that would've been the single. I wanted to do with that record what we did with Dog Eat Dog which was come across a little more what I was into. A little more heavier vibe, a little more Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath kind of stuff that I love. I love the whole British Invasion of Heavy Metal.
Random Sludgeaholic #1: I think that's your best album...
Yeah... you know... whatever.
Cleveland or Ft. Lauderdale = Cleveland. Ft Lauderdale doesn't even have a fucking football team!
Paul Gargano or Gerri Miller = Who?!
Random Sludgeaholic #1: He's the editor of Metal-Edge.
Who!?
(Crowd laughs)
Actually I like Paul and I like Gerri. However, I don't ever want to see a child that they have together!
(Crowd laughs)
Random Sludgeaholic #1: When was the last time you talked to Gerri?
Probably been a couple of years. I talked to Paul more recently than her.
Disturbed or Sevendust = What?! 6 in one end, a half dozen in the other.
Motel 6 or Red Roof Inn = What?! (pause) They both suck.
Bobbie Brown or Rowanne = Rowanne. Absolutely, hands-down.

14. It's well known that you are a good songwriter and have a million songs laying around. Why don't you just put out your own solo CDs and make all the money instead of worrying about getting a record deal? You should be on your 3rd or 4th solo CD by now! What's up?
Uh....I don't know, you know. I guess I always thought that if I were going to put out a solo CD, it would have to be really special. So I don't really think I have the group of songs together to do that, although I may!
Mike Fasano comes rapping on the window: Jim-Bob! Jim-Bob! Remember me!?
Jim-Bob: Fuck off!
Fasano: I just wanted to get a blurb in there.
You know I never want to put shit out to put it out. I mean, if I ever put a solo record out, it's going to be really good.
Jim Bob: Would it be different than Warrant?
Yeah.

15. Give us a touring memory about the following cities:
Atlanta = Fightin' Charlie McGruegers
Baltimore = (pause) Hammerjack's
Myrtle Beach = (pause) Myrtle Beach... I don't know.
Detroit = Oh Harpo's.
Chicago = We played so many different places in Chicago, and Schaumburg, and out here... My biggest memory was on the Blood Sweat & Beers tour when we played The World. That was the biggest show we had on the entire tour. And it was......pretty fucking scary for me. But I liked it. By about halfway through the show I got the groove going. There was about 25,000 people. Sold out. It was just insane.
St. Louis = TWA Airlines SUCK! Glad they went out of business.
Dallas = Dallas. (pause) I like Dallas. It's a cool place to go. It's not really as big as people think it is. (Yawns.) Good barbeque.
Denver = Almost dying on a plane. The hydraulic system went out 45 minutes into the flight. We had to come back, circle around, lose fuel, they had the runway all foamed, emergency vehicles off to the sides. I was looking out at the sunset, saying to myself, it's a nice day to die, at least they'll be able recognize the body from my tattoos. The lady next to me is bawling, her husband won't talk to her. I give her this little bottle of Gin and we drink it. But the scariest thing about Denver was just the fact that you'd think people would freak out, but the plane was dead silent. We just sat there and waited. Everyone was just resigned to whatever was going to happen, and we actually landed safely. And they, of course, like an airline, ushered us into the bar and told us "drinks on the house! We'll put you on a new plane in a few minutes!" But that was incredibly scary. I've had a few scary flights. I guess you can't do this without flying.
San Diego = Getting booed off the stage, opening for Queensryche, and then having Geoff Tate, who is one of the coolest motherfuckers on the planet, go onstage and say, "don't you FUCKING DARE boo a band that's opening for us, because we wouldn't have them with us if we didn't like them."
Boston = We just hardly ever play there. We used to play the Channel Club all the time. I don't know what's happening to Boston. (Yawns.) We used to have fun there. It was a great place to play. But now it's not really on our itinerary.

16. Keri Kelli told us a story about you leaving a tour in the middle of the night without telling anybody and flying home on your own. What was that all about? Isn't that sort of fucked to do that to your band and crew?
Uh, no, we had actually discussed things before I left.
Jim-Bob: Was Keri out of the loop?
Probably. Probably. I was just, at a point where you know I said, we've got four shows to go, on an 8-week tour, and I did not want to do them. I wanted to get home to my family. You know, after God knows, 16 years of being on the road, I mean there are times where you literally snap. Anyone who doesn't do this would probably look at that as being weak, or not doing the right thing. But, you snap! You know. It's better to go home than to go psycho.
Jim-Bob: Exactly. Otherwise, you'd end up killing Keri Kelli, and Lord knows we'd miss him.
(Crowd & Jani laugh)

17. When we did 20 Questions with you, we asked you to rate Lit singer Ajay Popoff, but you didn't know who he was. How is it you sing the praises of Lit yet you have no idea who Ajay Popoff is?
Actually, I did, but you caught me off guard.
Jim-Bob: It's my fault?
Well you asked me about all these old-school singers and then you threw in A. Jay Popoff. I thought, fuck, that sounds like a bottom-of-the line well-vodka. (crowd laughs) No, A. Jay's, he's very good. I have no idea what those guys are doing but they're cool. Cool O.C. band. (Yawns)

18. Yes or no, has Jani Lane ever:
Had hair transplants = No
Talked to Steven Sweet in the last year = No
Wanted to beat the fuck out of Obi Steinman = Obi & I go back and forth
Not cheated on a girlfriend = I don't have a girlfriend, I have a wife
Wondered where all the money went = constantly
Gotten a Christmas card from Joey Allen in the last 2 years = no fucking way!
Felt embarrassed by the Warrant Street Team = (pause) geezz..... no comment! (crowd laughs)
Wished the internet didn't exist = (pause) I like the internet, except for Metal-Fucking-Sludge! (Crowd laughs)
Barfed during sex = No
Jacked off in a truckstop = I have to think about that one
Paid a hooker = Never
Worn a chef's outfit = Yes! Yes! Absolutely. When I do go in, occasionally, in restaurant, I do actually cook. They're all my recipies, and yes, I do wear a chef's coat.
Jim-Bob: Do you wear the hat?
No, no hat. Just a ball cap.
NOTE: Jani in his ballcap leaving the kitchen can be seen on your right.
Considered a career in country western music = No, I am not Ron Keel. (crowd laughs)

19. If you could have anyone locked in a room so that you could torment then for a day, who would you choose, and how would you torment them?
Man, that list is too long, and torment is too nice a word. How bout beat the fuck out of them! And there's must be a list of a hundred people that I would like to absolutely just beat the living shit out of. Starting with Bruce Bingerette.
Random Sludgeaholic #1: Who's that?
Random Sludgeaholic #2: Yeah.
That's a guy who ran our merchandising a long time ago and he screwed us out of over a million dollars. He was a gigantic asshole. As far as I'm concerned. But, anyway, that's not going to be fun for people to hear, so there's a
list of probably a hundred people that I would like to absolutely beat the living shit out of.
Random Sludgeaholic #1: Any well known names in the rock business that people would recognize?
Aren't you a Metal Sludge guy? (crowd laughs) There's a lot of 'em.

(Here the interview is interrupted by a fan who opens the door and starts exhalting Jani with praises and worship. The fan goes on and on.)
FAN: Have a good show in Appleton. Be safe!
Jani: Thanks, man. Playing with S-laughter, I mean, Slaughter!
(NOTE: Warrant was suppose to play a show with Slaughter the next night in Appleton, Wisconsin, but Slaughter canceled the show. But Jani did call them S-laughter!)

20. What was the reason you were told that the Poison tour was cancelled this Summer?
Because Bobby was at a state fair with his son and he rolled a Go-Cart, and he reinjured his neck. I guess it was an old motorcycle accident or something like that, and he had to have like 2 cadaver vertabrae replaced through the front, it was just... gnarly, and so, you know, some bands would bring in someone to fill in. You know, like we had Quiet Riot out, I'm sure Rudy could've filled in for him, but they decided, you know, they wanted to be a unit, and so they cancelled the last 20 shows - the entire west coast run. I respect it to a degree. It also hurt me financially, but you can't hold something like that against somebody, I mean it's a terrible accident. I wouldn't want to go through that. So I just kind of let it go and chalked it up to experience.

21. Honestly, are you tired of being in Warrant? Is it still fun or are you over singing "Down Boys" and "Cherry Pie?"
Well you've already heard me go on about that. It's fun when I want it to be. It's not fun when we have to do things that, you know, supposedly somebody calls you and says, "you've really need to do this favor for a radio station" or whatever. You gotta do this, you gotta do that... that's not fun to me. I would like to go out and have fun. Play when we want to play. And I'd like to do my own thing too, you know, next week I'm playing in Pittsburg and in Baltimore and another place doing the Underdogs, which is FUN to me. I'll still do, you know, Down Boys and Uncle Tom and we'll do FUCKING Cherry Pie. I play a couple of Warrant songs but we get to play for 2 and a half hours, it's all covers, shit that I grew up on and I love to death and that's fun to me.
Random Sludgeaholic #1: Will you ever come to Chicago and do that?
How much money ya got? LOL. I'm sure we will at some point.
Jim-Bob: Is this the same kind of thing? (Jim-Bob holds up his prized copy of Under The Influence.)
Kind of. Kind of. That was definitely my idea.
Random Sludgeaholic #1: Who's in the Underdogs band?
Used to be Keri Kelli and Mike and we used to get Robbie Crane from Ratt to play bass (yawns), and I would say every once in awhile we'd get Tracii Guns or whoever to play. Now it's a bunch of guys from Cleveland who are relatively unknowns, but great musicians. Except for Billy, I mean everybody knows Billy.

22. Time for Metal Sludge's Word Association. We mention a name and you give us your thoughts.
Donnie Vie = I love that guy!
Anthony Focx = Who's Anthony Focx? (crowd laughs)
Jim Bob: Excellent answer.
Dave Mustaine = Dave Mustaine's gotta get over himself.
Alice Cooper = I love Elvis Cooper.
Creed = I'm not really up on the whole Creed thing, I cannot understand why they're so big, with just that one jingle. They're not even from Seattle. I gues, you know, they're hotter than a pistol, so God bless 'em.
Bobby Dall = I hope he's feelin' ok.
Jamie Rowe = Who's that? LOL
Jim Bob: He's that Guardian guy.
Random Sludgeaholic #1: He's the guy who wrote that "7-11 Isn't So Far Away" song.
I'll tell you what, he's a good guy. He does well in Brazil.
Rob Jones = Who's Rob Jones? Oh that photographer fuck?
Jim Bob: Is that him?
That is him. Fuck you Rob!
Julie Fitzwater = (zips lip)
Vince Neil = I like Vince. Vince is definitely a true rock star. I'm serious. That guy, he's like non-stop. Ya gotta give him credit.
Jim-Bob: He's kind of been through it all, he can do what he wants now.
Absolutely, and you know what, he's been through shit that none of us has been through, so I give Vince all the credit in the world.
Jizzy Pearl = I like Jizzy! He's a little off the beaten track. Jizzy's more of a poet than a singer. Which actually I kind of dig... he's a trippy guy to hang out with, but very interesting.
Billy Morris = Billy Morris is too pragmatic for his own good.

Now that was a quality Rewind to kick off the New Year!

Say what you want about Jani, and we have, but the guy does have some balls. We've slapped him around for years now, but he just gets back up and still talks to us. We've posted such things as Jani Lane's Cribs and the whole Jani cooking in the kitchen thing, but Jani doesn't care, he'll wear our shirt and do an interview regardless. He's like the Energizer Bunny, he just keeps going and going. That's something that a lot of so called "rock stars" wouldn't do, such as Sebitchian, Dana Strum, etc. Props to Lane for once again being able to hang, but try to work on your memory a bit, mkay?

For the latest on Warrant, you can go to their website at www.warrantweb.net