This interview has been improvised on a chat, sailing through the web, in the middle of the night. I found myself facing this great man, the guitarist and singer Rhoades D'Ablo (ex-Rock City Morgue), whom I've been in contact with for a long time. The following lines are a piece of real life made of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, lead by a sincere person, a "bro'"! "The Rock Explosion" can assure all of you that Rhoades is just like a kick in the mouth with his EP "Truckerspeed And Other Vices", an amazing mix between rock'n'ìroll, punk e country. Check it out!

Rhoades tell me about your story, when did you start to play?
I was a high school fuck up with no future, I was turned on to The Ramones and The Dead Boys, one summer day and I got a guitar and started to annoy me parents.

And what did they think about ya?
My parents thought I was gay and sent me to a shrink! (laughs). I moved out and went to Hollywood. My parents were very religious and they were a thorn in my rock'n'roll side.

Now you're out with a cd, why don't you tell us something more about it, describing the songs for example…
It's a 6 song EP "Truckerspeed And Other Vices", avaliable at www.statuerecords.com. The songs are about my life. The failed marriages, my drinkin' problem, my drug problem, women who love to suck cock...you know the basics...(laughs)! Well..."Truckerspeed" is from a short story that I wrote and plan on publishing soon. It's about a serial killer. "Barstool Or The Floor", is about my first marriage, I was thrown out of my own house after a tour and I was drunk in a bar looking at the neon lights and a friend basically saved me from killin' myself. "Even Jesus" is basically about alcohol. "Gloryfountain" is about self discovery, spiritulism, and alcohol. "My Mysery" is about the demon...women! Umm, it's all pretty self evident if you listen to the lyrics. I forgot to mention "Don't Take Me For A Ride"...that was about an old band. yeah, I'd rather keep that on the down low... they'll figure it out...the band that is. It was a band I put alot of myself into and got nothing in return. Same ole rock'n'roll story... just a different storyteller! Yes, it was a band I thought would go places, but a couple of members had a bad trip with cocaine and fucked everything up. Lost a major record deal, tour, etc. The name of the band was Paradise Lost, but not the same Paradise Lost from the early 90's that Gene Simmons worked with another... we just had the same name. we were a goth band that Daniel Ash from Bauhaus was trying to help out... but like I said before, cocaine! Did you know the last band I was in was Rock City Morgue, and Sean Yseult, from White Zombie, was a member?

Yeah i remember about them. After that further experience would you say that rock'n'roll fucked your life or would you rather say that it set your life on fire?
It set my life on Hell-fire!!!

Ok Rhoades I can imagine. Let's introduce the other members of your today's band now.
The members of the band now are Eric Hemmens on bass, Jimmy Ford, on drums. The CD was recorded with a different band, that band was x-members of Cry Of Love and Whiskeytown. The guys who recorded the CD with me didn't want to tour and do the do, so I took my songs and they took theirs. The band was origanilly called Festus. Now the band is fuckin' Rawk!!! We sound more like a punked out Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Very garage rock and country... lots of insanity on stage!

And which have been the artists of the past that influenced the most your way to play and to sing?
Link Wray, Stooges, T-Rex, Alice Cooper, Steve Earle, Gram Parsons, The Cramps, Johnny Cash, Black Sabbath... the list goes on, I'm a rock'n'roll slut! And the first two Iron Maiden Cd's are the shit! They were the mad bomb!

Hey, I'm just coming back from the Stooges reunion gig in Turin, the only one in Italy, and I'm wondering what you think about all these reunions of the past artists...
Umm, my mother told me "If you don't have something nice to say about something... don't speak", I'll keep quiet. The Dictators reunion was kewl, but the Stooges and the MC5 thing and countless others, blah. Oh and don't get me started about the bogus Kiss reunion...

What's the songwriting process that you use the most to compose your songs? I think you're the main songwriter...
Yes, but now with the new lineup, I'm writing more music and Eric is writing lyrics... cuz he's "the Shit"...(laughs)! I have another CD almost fully recorded and it will be quite different from this one. It also has John Stirrat from Wilco on bass, but the rest of the recordings will be Eric on bass and some newer songs. The new stuff sounds like a country version of the New York Dolls. And don't ask about the Dolls reunion (laughs).

But why can't I ask you about that?
Remember what my mother told me... (laughs)!

We are two crazy men, do you agree?
Do you guys drink absinthe in Italy?

I don't drink, i'm always sober, i hate alcohol...
But absinthe is more than alcohol. But my hat is off to you my friend. I wish I had never had the taste of fuckin' booze. It has been the cause and solution to all my problems! (laughs) Yes we are crazy!I had some good absinthe in Barcelona last year...good times, I think!

My girlfriend really likes absinthe!
Your girlfriend and I will get loaded but I promise not to hit on her! (laughs). My girlfriend doesn't like absinthe... go figure!

I understand, but let's just try to be serious...
I think you and I are blessed men. The lady in my life has goten me off drugs, saved me from suicide, and helped me get this CD goin'. I'm sure your lady has done something monumental for your life as well. For the first time in my life, my girlfriend is the focus...everything else just falls into place. Know what I mean?

Yes, I love my girl, and she loves me, she helps me with the 'zine, we share the same dreams, and actually we're trying to realise them?
Seems to me, you're reachin' 'em. Would you be interested in my novel?

Of course, tell us about it...
It's called "Truckerspeed", like I mentioned earlier, it's about a twisted, junkie who goes on a very violent killing spree. It has a lot of Southern dialogues, so if you need help with some understanding... don't hesitate to contact me.

What do you usually do before going on stage? Do you have any particular usage or kind of spell against bad luck?
I usually sacrifice a vestal virgin, then I fuck her dead corpse and smoke some weed, spit on the sound guy, and demand whiskey shots for the boys. (laughs). Seriously, I have a few drinks, pray to Satan, pray to God, kiss my girl... and go rawk!

Can you spend few words telling us about your local scene, in Louisiana?
The scene here is kewl, lots of great bands, but not enough venues to support them. And people here are kinda apathetic, so you gotta bust your balls for attention. I love Supagroup, Rock City Morgue, Hazard County Girls, Detonations, Susan Cowsill, Bipolariod, and The Real Pretenders, Quintron, and Baby Rosebud... everyone else, suxs!! Cowboy Mouth and Better Than Ezra...suck!! Lots of white boy funk bullshit too... blah! Ah shit, my mother told me...

What kind of instrumentation do you prefer to use in studio and on stage? Is there some brand in particular you love the most?
I play Gibson SG's , Ibanez Flying V's and Hamer Explorers, I perfer Fender amps...old ones and Marsahll slant cabinets. The older the gear the better chance you have with sex in the rear!!

Which are the most singular, craziest things happened during your way to rock? Can you tell us about these mad experiences or can you tell us some anectode?
I was once pulled up on stage in L.A. to sing a Sex Pistols song with Steve Jones, Iggy grabbed me once to duet to "I Wanna Be Your Dog"... I played my favourite Dream Syndicate song with Steve Wynn once... that made my life! I met you on the fuckin' internet... the madness never stops!

So do ya know Iggy in person?
I knew Iggy's son Eric, in L.A. He was a fan of my band then. I actually turned Iggy on to Run DMC, I turned Iggy on to the "Raising Hell" Cd, and drank beer with him one night at English Acid.

Ok we've already finished. Thank you so much for this interview, but I suppose you've still something more to say something to The Rock Explosion readers.
Yes I would... Fuck George Bush! And don't blame America for the war! And stay true to Rock! Thanks Bruno, you are a friend, much love in my heart my brother! The language and the distance barrier will never let rock'n'roll die! Long live Rawk! Long live the decadence!

Intervista realizzata da Bruno Rossi
Traduzione e supervisione di Margherita Realmonte