Type O Negative released “Dead Again” which is their sixth studio album in total (seventh if you count Origin of The Feces—of course and we’re not counting compilations here) and their first with SPV. One is getting the impression that Type O Negative and SPV are getting along well, and the German label have made Type O one of their priorities. Diehard fans welcome the attention the Drab Four are receiving from SPV and many feel that Roadrunner simply began to lose appreciation for one of it’s first bands they ever signed when they were still a small label looking for “alternative” acts.

 

Roadrunner and Type O Negative have officially parted ways. Roadrunner has become a rather successful label and “alternative” rock is just not what they’re about anymore. Peter Steele, Josh Silver, Johnny Kelly and Kenny Hickey on the other hand—have always remained true to their roots, and “Dead Again” is proof of that!

 

From the days of Carnivore when people were coming to see Peter Steele and his blood stained crew, to the Summer of 2007 when people were chanting “you suck, you suck” at the four Doom Hippies on stage in European cities—one thing is certain: Type O Negative has never sold out! They’ve remained true to the insanity they’ve been committed to from day one, and Peter Steele keeps bringing to the “fold” his unique sonic therapy! The response is always one of loyalty by fans who have a profound respect for the kind of honesty that is found in the Gothadelic Quartet from Brooklyn!

 

“Dead Again” may not have put Peter Steele and his band mates on the Top of The Pops, and they won’t be showing up at them boring award shows—but make no mistake about it: Dead Again is right on! It’s Type O Negative!

Peter Steele reveals many facets of his life struggles, including a return of the lamentations similar to those found in “World Coming Down” about substance abuse to begin with, and then brings us through a world of apocalyptic warnings and a new found faith in Jesus Christ. Mr. Steele has been telling the fan base in interviews that he considers himself a devout Roman Catholic and in some ways, the death of his mother has sparked an inner journey for Steele that has brought him full circle—back to the day of his baptism.

It matters little what you personally believe about Peter Steele’s convictions, but the fact remains that he has decided to share his own “Mein Kampf” (my struggle) with the world and once again, it’s that ability to present his life in such an honest fashion to an audience that makes Peter Steele and Type O Negative so unique.

 

Type O have just finished another short tour after a Spring and Summer of touring both the US and Europe. The tour was a “Halloween” celebration of sorts and the reviews of these shows have been very encouraging! Also, a new video has been or will be released (sort of) for “September Sun.” Those who have seen it have really not seen it officially! (that humor is a reflection of the fact that the video was leaked prematurely by VH1, a fact that has the band wondering)

 

The video for  “Prophet of Doom” was well received by the fans, and I’m certain that this new video, which will be available soon (officially sort of) will also be well received.

 

I’ve been able to catch up with Johnny Kelly, and I’m really grateful once again for his time!

As well, included as a sort of bonus is an interview I did with Hank Hell of “Seventh Void” and a very much anticipated interview with “Marc Piovanetti”, one of the original members of “Carnivore”. Peter Steele is on the road as we speak with the present incarnation of “Carnivore” which is Peter Steele, Paul Bento, Steve Tobin, and Joey Z, and are bleeding all over Western Europe with a mini-tour which will end in mid-December.

 

This article is a sort of “documentary” of sorts, and even though it was never planned that way, I am very pleased with the outcome! I hope you are as well, because what you have here is a chunk of the history of Rock & Roll as it pertains to a rather unique metal scene in Brooklyn, New York! I am honored to have had the chance to interview “Johnny Kelly” of Type O Negative and Seventh Void, Marc Piovanetti of “Carnivore” past, and Hank Hell of “Seventh Void”!

 

You will enjoy!

Dean Mason of The Lonely Ghost Project

 

First off, Johnny Kelly.

 

Dean Mason- It’s been  a while since we last did an interview and a lot has happened since then, but I believe it’s important for us to set priorities: “The Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, by virtue of a 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators” …what does Johnny Kelly say about this? Were you following the games?

 

Johnny Kelly- I’m sure that there are many pissed off Canadians that a team from California beat Ottawa to win the cup. I think that it’s great that people are into the sport in places with palm trees. The NY Rangers made some big acquisitions over the summer. I think that they have a good shot at winning this year.

 

DM - Here’s a more pressing question: “Johnny Kelly’s ‘KISS’ corner”? What is that all about? Like a KISS shrine on the tour bus? Gene Simmons would be proud.

 

JK - After a show, the Crown Royal comes out and everyone screams KISS songs at the top of their lungs. I’d hang my KISS Destroyer flag and the combined elements attracted quite a few people.

 

DM-  Alright, now let’s get more serious: “Dead Again” is a really, really excellent album Johnny, and I am being truthful when I say that! Seriously–I didn’t think I’d be saying that, but “Dead Again” ranks up there with “World Coming Down” and “Bloody Kisses”! Now, how do you feel about it? Is it one of YOUR favorite albums?

 

JK- I think that it’s a pretty solid Type O CD. I think that it’s a really good record for a band that’s been at it for 18 years and it definitely has its place in our catalog. I was happy with the way it came out. We worked really hard on it and that’s what was important to me.

 

DM-  The video for “September Sun”- why that song and can you tell us “something” about the video? Is any of the footage that you filmed on tour in there?

 

JK-We filmed it last Summer in Serbia and I like the way it looks. There’s quite a bit of computer generated graphics in it and the production company we worked with did a great job. For the most part, the story is based on the lyrics. We didn’t use any of the footage that was shot on tour in the video.

 

DM- I don’t believe this has ever been answered yet, but is, Sal in the video for “Prophet of Doom”?

 

JK- Sal isn’t in the video. Where did you hear that?

 

DM- Well, I need new glasses. (laughs) I thought I saw Sal in that video. Ooops. But anyway,  is it Kenny that wrote the ’script’ for the video for “September Sun”?

 

JK- Kenny didn’t write it. I believe the person that wrote that one was Scott Sisti.

 

DM- Is there another video and single in store for the future? I seem to recall something about three videos for this album (Dead Again) yes?

 

JK- There was initial talk about doing a third video but that’s up in the air at the moment. If September Sun gets a good response and picks things up, there may be a chance of another single and video from Dead Again.

 

DM- I hope so. One last item related to the videos: you guys, especially Kenny who wrote the script for the “I Don’t Wanna Be Me”, video must be somewhat proud of what you’ve accomplished with Dan Fogler who stars in a new comedy “Balls of Fury”. Let’s face it, one of his first gigs was a Type O Negative video. Not bad.

 

JK- I don’t think that Dan being in one of our videos is what put him where he is now. I’m very happy for him and glad to see that he’s getting his shot. He’s a really funny guy and I’m glad that other people are getting a chance to see it.

 

DM- Too bad about Hilly Kristal. Did you know him on a more personal level or more professional? CBGB’s was an alternative rock “institution” I think, yeah?

 

JK- Anytime someone passes away, it’s a sad thing. I may have met him once so but I can’t say for certain. I missed the whole CBGB’s thing. I was too young to go there when it was making history and I wasn’t a part of the NYC Hardcore scene that was happening in the late 80’s. The only time I played there was when Life Is Killing Me was released. I got turned off to the place when they started charging Times Square prices for drinks.

 

DM- Back to “Dead Again”: lyrically, this album is quite heavy for sure. The themes are Apocalyptic, and religious and also in many ways, well—“doom” like—which is probably nothing new, but the apparent conversion of Peter Steele back to Catholicism is new. Any comments?

 

JK- I wouldn’t say that it’s anything new. Since his mother passed away two years ago, he reconnected with his faith which I don’t have a problem with. Lyrically, Peter has always had some kind of references to his faith.

 

DM- He seems to set himself up as a spokesperson for God—is this an image thing or is he convinced he really is on a mission?

 

JK-You would have to ask him that but everything he has always done, he’s amplified for better and worse.

 

DM- Now, you guys just finished a “Halloween Tour” beginning in October: was this the return of an old tradition?

 

JK- Type O and Halloween have always walked hand in hand. It’s usually a fun time and fans seem to turn it up at those shows. The show was a little bit different than what we usually do.

DM-  More on a personal note: when you look at the future, what do you see for Johnny Kelly and for Type O Negative? Are you an optimist?

 

JK- I am the optimist of the band. I do have a cynical side though. It’s just not as bad as the other three. There’s been a number of times where I thought that Type O had run its course. Every time I think that though, something has stepped in for whatever reason and has kept us going. I think that Type O is a really good band that still has a lot of potential but it’s really up to us. As for myself, I still love playing and hope that I can continue to do it for a long time. Whatever it is that I’m doing or working towards, I just want to be happy doing it.

 

DM- Has your relationship with SPV been a good one thus far?

 

JK- SPV has been really supportive and working with them has been a nice change. I hope the relationship continues for quite a while.

 

DM- “Seventh Void”: when will we see a new release from this new band?

JK- We’re finishing up another bunch of songs now that Type O has been on a break. We need to get everything to Vinnie Paul so that he can finish the mixes and finally get this thing released. Both ours and Vinnie’s schedules have been really busy this year and this is one of those things that had to be put on hold. I’m hoping that it will be released early 2008.

 

DM- I have to say, I’m really looking forward to the first release from “Seventh Void” and I’m seriously not just saying that because of the Type O Negative connection—I really like what I’ve heard so far! I know there are a lot of people who feel like I do and are anxiously awaiting the release of your debut CD—what’s the vibe you’ve been getting? Are YOU excited about it as well?

 

JK- I’m very excited about it. SV has been in the making for over 4 years now and it’s great to see that the response has been pretty positive so far. There’s still a lot of work to be done but I’m anxious to have it released.

 

DM-Do you see a situation where say, you and Kenny were on the road as “Type O Negative” but maybe here and there opened up as “Seventh Void”? I mean, I don’t know if that’s actually beneficial, but I know this sort of thing has been done before.

 

JK- I would be fine doing things like that as long as the logistics worked out.

 

DM- I want to get to the songs you have posted on the MySpace page: (link) “Heaven is Gone”, “Shadow on Me” and “The End of All Time”. I have to say, that there is a real “classic metal” sound to the songs. For me that’s great news and a real breath of fresh air. (so to speak) Is there a conscious decision to go in a certain direction? There’s a real early “Sabbath” feel to the music—would you agree?

 

JK-We’re just trying to do something that’s really heavy but also has strong melody to it. I wouldn’t call it a conscious decision to go in the direction we have but there’s no denying the Sabbath influence. It’s also a reflection of other bands that were big influences on us like Soundgarden and Alice In Chains.

 

DM- The official website: when can we see this “activated”? (Was I dreaming or did I see Sal’s name involved with the development of this site? Maybe another site? Maybe I’m dreaming?)

 

JK- We’re still gathering content to eventually have on the site. When all that’s together, we’ll launch the site. Yes, Sal Abruscato helped us out with the artwork for the site. He helped with the band’s logo also. Our friend Dave Burger is also helping us with the site also.

 

DM- Hank Hell has joined us here as well, yo “Hank”! “Hank Hell” that’s your real name of course? (ok, lame attempt at humor) Seriously though, tell me a bit about yourself. I know a little bit from your MySpace page, namely that you are/were with an outfit called INHUMAN and that you’re a graduate of School Of Visual Arts, New York in “designing”,that right? You’re also now the bassist for “Seventh Void”. Without telling me all about grammar school, tell me a bit about YOU.

 

Hank Hell- I was raised on Metal. I’ve been playin in bands since I was 16. Never willing to let the dream die, for the last 6 years I’ve been playing bass for a hardcore band called INHUMAN.  And now I’m in Seventh Void as well. I’m ready to fucking rock. I don’t give a fuck. What?!?

DM-      If I’m not mistaken, you’re the latest addition to “Seventh Void”, how did this come to be? Auditions, or word of mouth or just being a part of the Brooklyn scene?

 

HH- Yeah, so I’ve known Matt Brown (the Seventh Void guitar player) forever, actually I went on my first tour with him. He called me and told me that 7V was lookin for a bass player. I’ve been asked by a lot of bands to join them and the answer’s always been “NO”. But then Matt told me that we’d be playing some shows with Carnivore, so I was like, “I’ll do it, as long as I can get into the Carnivore shows for free.”

 

DM- Can you take me through an average day in the studio? (obviously in reference to the new material to be released)

 

HH- Well, we were in the studio recording some new material that we’ve been working on. (We’ve been jamming on these songs before we went in, to make sure we know what each of us are doing and to be certain that all the parts are right. ) So, as I’m sitting there watching Matt record Kenny’s guitar tracks, the both of these dudes start going off. Suddenly they’re spontaneously coming up with all these cool ideas, sick guitar stuff like. We all thought we knew how this stuff was gonna be recorded, but then its just like an explosion of ideas that came outta these dudes that sounded so right and so much better than we had originally planned it to. I can’t wait to fucking hear the end result of this, bro. It’s totally gonna kick my ass. And yours too!

 

DM-  So far, you’ve done a handful of gigs as “Seventh Void”, what was it like? I mean, here you are, a part of something new and at the same time, there is a history, some “roots” if you will—because in some ways Seventh Void is part of a certain “family tree” (reference to the Type O connection) what went through your mind when this new and highly anticipated band hit the limelight for the first time?

 

HH- I had just joined the band like a week and a half proir to the shows, so The main thing on my mind when we hit the stage for the first time was, “shit, how the hell do these songs go again?”

 

Half the guys in this band just happen to be in one of my most favorite bands EVER, so I mean, it was fucking so damn cool to be on stage with a bunch of motherfuckers whom I’ve looked up to for so long. And pretty nerve wracking knowing that the last song was a Type O cover and Pete was gonna sing while I played his bass line.

 

But when we were finally up there, none of that even mattered. It was all about the fucking music, bro. I fucking felt it, man. It was like it suddenly started running through my blood. It was just automatic, like. As I was playing, I looked out into the crowd and I totally felt that energy, man. It was like it was emitting from the stage onto them, and like they would give it right back to us. You could feel it. You know it’s right when you can feel that, man.

 

DM- You look like a typical, kick ass metal bassist if I do say so myself. I mean, I wouldn’t want to meet you in a dark alley somewhere, I mean (laughs) seriously, I think what I’m trying to say is you strike me as the type of dude that has this artist/rocker vibe pumping through your veins like you were born with it—are you in fact living out your dream?

 

HH- Yeah! I do feel like I’m livin my dream, man. All I’ve ever wanted to do was be in a band and rock out. And that’s what I’m doing, bro. and this shit has just begun, dude. I totally see this thing blowing the fuck up and getting better as it goes.

and don’t be scared if you do run into me in a dark alley, I’m just there cause I’m smoking a blunt, wanna hit it ?

 

DM-Who are your influences musically?

 

HH- Slayer. Type O Negative. Gwar. Napalm Death. Sex Pistols. Public Enemy. The Misfits.

 

DM-What does an ideal future hold for Hank Hell?

 

HH- World peace and a big ass tour bus, with like 8 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms, and room service, and a cocktail lounge, and waitresses with vodka martinis. And the bus would have wings, so we could tour the newly peaceful world in it.

 

 

DM-Thanks a million sir for your valuable time and I wish you the best man!

 

HH- Hell yeah!!!!

 

We’re grateful to have had a chance to catch up with Hank Hell of Seventh Void, now back to Johnny Kelly.

 

DM- Let’s deviate for a minute. Are you feeling devious? (laughs) Seriously though, just to talk a bit about the Danzig tour las year, how did Kenny finally get involved with this? Was Glenn eyeing him for a while, thinking he’d like to have him on board for a bit or was it really all just “one thing led to the other” type deal. Being in the right place at the wrong, I mean, right time? (laughs)

 

JK- It was a little of both. Glenn had asked Kenny when he was looking for a replacement for Tommy Victor last year but Kenny couldn’t do it. Glenn offered the position to Kenny again for the upcoming dates and Kenny took him up on the offer this time.

 

DM- That’s quite an experience though, working with Danzig, because that guy is certainly one of the “seasoned veterans” of metal yeah? Is there one “highlight” you can share with us from your touring days with Danzig?

 

JK- Calling Danzig a seasoned veteran is an understatement. Playing in Danzig is a blast. I really enjoy working with him. Some of the highlights for me have been going to places like Greece and Australia Another highlight was doing the shows with Doyle. When Doyle would come out on stage, the people would just go ballistic. I had never seen pits like I did when we played Misfits songs. People were just trying to kill each other.

 

DM-Have you been asked into the studio with Danzig? Will you be asked in the future?

 

JK-He initially wanted me to do the Circle Of Snakes record with him but wound up getting a permanent drummer and he did the record. After the record was released, he wanted to have me do the touring. Right now, he doesn’t have any immediate plans to record new music but I would totally be into recording with him.

 

DM-Let’s talk about the “Seventh Void” gigs from over a year ago opening for Carnivore. That must have been a riot! Seriously, it must have been one of those hallmark moments though.

 

JK-Playing with Carnivore was a lot of fun. Peter went out of his way to accommodate us in every way possible. It didn’t really feel like we were a support act. The band and the crew were great. The Carnivore fans were great to us and it was a lot of fun when Peter came up during our set to sing Kill All the White People. It was weird looking at Peter singing without his bass during that song. Both nights felt like friends hanging out having fun which is exactly what it was.

 

Dean Mason- Speaking of Carnivore, Marc Piovanetti is joining us here at The Lonely Ghost Project as we continue our series called “Brooklyn Blues”. Ok, I’m joking with that title, but either way, here’s a man who was a part of the scene moons ago, when he replaced Keith Alexander and in 1987 was the guitarist for “Retaliation”, Carnivore’s second and last release.

 

DM- marc, welcome! Actually, we’ll go backwards or begin with the ending first, that is, what is Marc Piovanetti doing now both musically and otherwise?

 

Marc Piovanetti- Currently, I am enjoying music only as a listener on the sidelines, not as  a writer, performer or producer. FYI: Bad experiences with my last several projects soured some of my good feelings about approaching rock as a "participation sport". But these feelings come and go. Right now I am 100% pre-occupied with getting another job and managing my financial debts. However, once I’m "back on track", I definitely plan on doing "something" musically. Whether that will find me playing guitar in a heavy metal band (perhaps something like "The Eagles of Death Metal" or "Wolfmother"?) or assembling another girl fronted pop-rock project, is impossible to predict at this time.

First things first: a) get a job, b) settle debts, c) jam to old Black Sabbath records d) seek career guidance from Satan.

DM-       What band(s) are you affiliated with now?  You mentioned that you do some producing? Give me some details.

 

MP- At the present time I am not affiliated with any active musical projects. However, I personally produced recordings for several post-Carnivore projects, among them Lava Baby, Ornamental & Daisychain (all girl-fronted pop-rock bands with me on guitar) and Psychic Orgy (90-ish hard rock w/Parris from The Cro-Mags and Chuck Lenihan from The Crumbsuckers.)

 

DM- Right then. Carnivore. That is, Carnivore 2006-were you approached at all forconsideration?

 

MP- No. I have not spoken with Peter since 2001.

 

DM- Did it bother you that you were not a part of this reunion? Would it have been  possible for you if Peter did approach you to tour  for those few gigs?

 

MP - It bothered me a little bit. Seemed somewhat, "disrespectful", but I would not have been able to participate anyway because of my career as a Paralegal. It’s kind of hard to explain to your employers that you can’t prepare the reports for them because you have to bathe in cow’s blood while performing "Suck My Dick".

 

DM-(laughs) There is some ‘vague’ talk about new Carnivore material-do you think that a "New Carnivore" will appeal to the new metal heads of the 21st Century or do you think that this is in some ways a bit of a fantasy?

 

MP- I have no idea, but I will say this: Peter’s writing direction in recent years seems (to me) to straddle the middle ground between "modern" rock and "retro" rock, without really succeeding in either direction. I think that he would do best by listening to his heart and rocking  "old school" style Sabbath metal instead.

DM- Ok. Now-Carnivore 1987. How did you eventually get the gig to replace Keith Alexander? Did you know Keith at all before or even later? Were you from the area as well - old time buds with Peter- or was it an add in the local music mag?

 

MP-My friend Chris had auditioned for the band, but he didn’t make the gig. So then it was "okay" for me to try out (you can’t compete against your "bud" in Brooklyn). I had been practicing a LOT during those years right before I auditioned…and thereby aced the tryout. Me and my friend Chris both learned about the audition from a classified ad that Carnivore placed in the Village Voice. Carnivore was well known on the NYC metal scene for several years before their first album was released. Their stage show and "Mad Max" style costumes received a lot of attention. I met Keith here and there over the years several times. I found him to be a very charismatic, but also a rather obnoxious and frankly unlikable character. I really hate disclosing that in light of his unfortunate demise, but I would be lying otherwise.

 

DM- That “not competing against your “bud” thing is interesting considering, well, just considering. Anyway, Retaliation! From the self titled album "Carnivore", "Retaliation" goes in a slightly different direction. Maybe a bit more thrash? Can you gives us a summary of how that album took shape?  More or less, was this a matter of Steele presenting you all with a clear idea or did he encourage active participation in the songwriting aspect?

 

MP- Peter wrote everything himself. He was influenced by his environment. At the time that the album was being written, Carnivore was managed by the same woman who managed NYC hardcore band Agnostic Front. They shared our rehearsal space (and our drummer) and Peter heard real NYC Hardcore at rehearsals and at CBGB’s, where Connie (Carnivore’s manager) did most of her business. Peter also frequented "Lamours", the legendary heavy metal nightclub in Brooklyn. He heard all kinds of new American and British metal there. I think that these exposures influenced Peter’s writing very directly. FYI: Peter absorbs music and art like a sponge, and then "strains" the whole of what he’s taken in to "capture" only the elements that he finds pleasurable or intriguing.

 

DM- Can you give us a quick "tour" of the studio experience for Retaliation?

 

MP- There was a lot of anti-record company sentiment from Peter and Louie, because of the lack of commercial success of "Carnivore". Roadrunner actually forced us to record a "demo" to illustrate what the record was going to sound like. Eventually a very small budget was approved to do the entire record, perhaps $12,000? I actually handled all of the finances by myself. I received the checks from the record company and then I paid the bills for the recording studios etc, which was really kind of bizarre considering the fact that I had never even signed the record contract. Louie was already working for the city as a bus driver at that time so we recorded the bass and drums in Brooklyn near his home. I think that all of the drums and bass were recorded in 2 days time. Some of his timing on the record actually sounds really sloppy to me, in a bad, "mistake", kind of way. For example, the end section of "Race War". Nevertheless, there were some pretty stunning and intense musical moments as well. The energy of "Sex and Violence" was unreal. The studio room seemed literally on the verge of exploding sky high…and "Race War was SOOOOOO incredibly heavy, like…indescribable. The guitars and vocals were overdubbed in Ithaca, NY…in producer Alex Periales’ studio. "Brooklyn goes to the suburbs". Peter overdubbed all of his vocals while holding a large hammer in his hands. Swinging it with menace along to the words. Large meals of meat and many beers were consumed after each session.

 

DM-A major “merci beaucoup” to Marc Piovanetti from bringing us some “history” and now back to Johnny Kelly to help us wrap up this session.

DM - Johnny, this may be totally off base, but just humor me: Danzig’s website is called “7th House” is there a connection? Whether there is or not, explain the meaning of the name “Seventh Void”. Why the change from “Black Water Rising”?

 

Johnny Kelly- There isn’t any connection but now that you’ve brought it to my attention maybe there is something going on that even I don’t know about! Basically, the name change came when we stopped playing with the first bass player we were working with, Rob Traynor. He came up with the name and he wanted to keep it.

 

DM- Danzig has a new line of “figurines” any “Kenny and Johnny” ones on the future menu? Hey how about some Type O Negative action figures? (laughs)

JK- I have a Johnny Kelly doll. Check my Myspace page! Seriously though, I’m not sure if it would be something that you’ll see Type O doing. I’ve learned to never say never though.

DM- Were you a comic book fan as a kid? Now?

 

JK- I did have some comic books but I wouldn’t consider myself a fanatic by any stretch. My favorite was Thor. I used to like the Avengers too. I still have some of those comic books and they’re still worthless. Instead of buying comics, I preferred Hot Rod and Car Craft instead of comic books.

 

DM- You know, Johnny, you really seem to enjoy your craft, your career, and you also seem to really be comfortable with people, especially being a bit of the “PR” man, is that an accurate observation?

 

JK-I like getting out and having fun. I love going to shows to see other bands. I consider myself to be a sociable person.

 

DM- If you were not a musician, what would you have chosen as a career? (don’t say that “welcome to Burger King thing, it’s already been used, by Kenny)

 

JK- I’m not really sure what I would’ve chosen. This is what I wanted to do from a very early age and I based all of my decisions on making concessions to be able to do this so it’s hard to say.

 

DM- “World Peace” is it possible?

 

JK-Not in our lifetime.

 

DM- We keep hoping and praying! Now, more in general with the music business: this is a rapidly changing industry and it seems no one is sure about what the future will bring. The impact of digital technology and the unfortunate reality of stealing illegally is making a lot of artists ‘anxious” about what the future holds for them—what’s your take on it?

JK- Thanks to illegal stealing, making music for a living has become even harder than it was in the first place. The technology is both a good and bad thing. It’s a great vehicle to get your music out to many people and you can do it on your own. It’s also stealing which is wrong. I don’t know why some people think that it’s ok to not pay for music.

 

DM- I asked this question back in 2002 and I’ll ask it again: are there legends in the making in this day and age in the music business? Are “rock legends” a thing of the past?

 

JK-I think that it’s a thing of the past. There are some that try to make attempt at it but they all fail. You hear a story every once in a while about something that could be legendary but it pales in comparison to what’s been done in the past. There isn’t anything out there now that can be considered legendary. There isn’t anyone with notoriety creating a stir.

 

DM Would you like to be a part of a reality show?

 

JK- I would love to have a Type O tour documented.

 

DM- That would be really excellent! (hint hint) Have you ever watched “Gene Simmons: Family Jewels”? 

JK- I’ve watched it a couple of times. I wouldn’t say it’s the best thing on TV but it does have some funny moments.

 

DM- One final question Johnny: if you were asked to summarize in a few words the “Johnny Kelly Philosophy of Life” what would that be? In other words, what would you tell your child about life, that you would want them to cherish in the future when they face life such as it is? (no limits here)

 

JK-I’ve always tried to be a fair person. I try to treat people as I would like them to treat me. I don’t expect anything to be given to me and that I’m going to have to work hard to accomplish anything. I just want my daughter to be happy in whatever she decides to do with her life.

 

DM- Take care Johnny and Kenny, and please remember that you always have a special place here at The LGP.

 

JK-Thanks for the support. See you soon!

Dean Mason-Well there you are folks! I’m very grateful to Johnny Kelly, Hank Hell, Marc Piovanetti and that mouse that keeps dashing across the baseboards here—this has been a major blast for me!

 

There’s a lot to look forward to soon—a new Seventh Void CD, some touring dates with them and a “Red” re-issue of Type O Negative’s  “Dead Again” sometime in the New Year, and maybe some new tour dates with Type O as well. Time will tell. Either way—the story isn’t over yet!

 

Thanks for dropping dead…I mean, dropping by!

 

Cheerio.

 

Dean Mason

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Check this out! An artist and TON Fan named "Joey" has done some real kick ass pieces and this is one of them. I have made it a B/W version so you have to go and see the original at his place.

Click on the pic.