S1: E8: Steve Blaze (Lillian Axe) - The World Stopped Turning

Steve Blaze Master

Fri, 12/31 8:03PM • 1:58:41

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

band, record, guitar, song, great, play, write, music, called, day, started, Lillian, rat, remember, steve, alice cooper, mca, album, Lillian Axe, Interview, Backstage Pass Radio, Backstage Pass Radio Podcast, Podcast, Randy Hulsey, Randy Hulsey Music, Randy Hulsey Podcast, Steve Blaze, MTV, Stevie Blaze, Cardi’s, New Orleans, Louisiana

SPEAKERS

Randy Hulsey, Steve Blaze, Adam Gordon

Randy Hulsey  00:00

Hey everybody, welcome to today's episode I have a special guest today who is a multifaceted musician, whose many talents include songwriting producing engineering, and he's also a multi-instrumentalist. He is the co host of a podcast called Love and War, where no stone gets unturned. And this podcast is done with co-host, Todd Schmidt. He's also part of a show coming up about ghost hunting and guitars called the veil. So sit back, enjoy, because we'll be talking it up with Steve blaze of the successful rock band Lilian X right after this.

Adam Gordon  00:38

This is backstage pass radio, the podcast that's designed for the music junkie with a thirst for musical knowledge. Hi, this is Adam Gordon. And I want to thank you all for joining us today. Make sure you like, subscribe, and turn alerts on for this and all upcoming podcasts. And now, here's your host of backstage pass radio, Randy Halsey.

Randy Hulsey  01:07

Hey, Steve, welcome to the show. Good to see you, man.

Steve Blaze  01:10

Good to see you. Thank you very much for having me on, man. It's an honor.

Randy Hulsey  01:13

I'm honored first and foremost, to have you on the show. Because there's been a lot of interviews that you've done over the years with such great publications as Peredur, creme kurang, the list kind of goes on and on and on. And if the listeners haven't heard of these publications, then they were the ones to be interviewed back in the day. So thanks again for being on backstage pass radio.

Steve Blaze  01:37

It's an honor man, I appreciate it.

Randy Hulsey  01:39

So as a multi instrumentalist, when did you get into music? And what was the instrument that you picked up first,

Steve Blaze  01:46

I can actually remember it pretty clearly. You know, when you think back about your past life, you see things and images in I do, at least in snapshots. And I can see the snapshot of the on my sixth birthday. walking outside in the backyard. And sitting on this picnic bench was this cardboard Weir box. It wasn't it was kind of a weird guy. Rhombus shape or whatever. I opened it up and there was my first classical acoustic guitar. I think my folks paid about 20 bucks for it in time, which is probably about two 300 bucks now. And, you know, it was a big important thing. And I was like, Okay, great. So I got into it. And it fortunately for me, it was one of the talents that God blessed me with, you know, there's a lot of things I can't do work crap, but you know, he gave me the gift. But a lot of us have gifts we never ever even know about unless we put the time into it. Right. So I enjoyed it. Xander started taking private lessons. I was first taking that school I was in first grade. So you know, it was that all the kids whose whose parents had kind of forced them to go play guitar or whatever. And about three months into it, the teacher came and told my parents that you need to get him out of this class. And he's got the knack for this, go get in private lessons. So I did that, and started taking classical flamenco guitar for about 10 years or so. And then I was in high school. And you know, I was doing a lot of sports in school and whatnot. So playing guitar and getting into music and whatnot. But we you know, it's like around the time where we were all starting to get into Sabbath and Zeppelin and Queen, etc. But I was the only one playing classical guitar wasn't even playing rock guitar, right? Then I had a friend of mine. And he he taught me how to play the ocean by Led Zeppelin is one of the first songs I learned. And he was a big Zepplin guy. So I was like, wow, you know, there's more to it than just hand reading and playing classical guitar with her us. Anthem is a guitar pick, you got to use now to and there's a whole different world. So in there, when I started getting all this heavy stuff. I was blessed because I had the training of classical and flamenco music, that I really had my melodic sense of my sense of creativity and the songwriting and structure and creative aspect more than just being technically good at the instrument. So that's when I started. So you know, immediately I have my own bands, and I'm starting bands with my friends who don't even play instruments just so we can dress up like kiss and play the clock, right? And weird tights and playing guitar. And I'm the only one that really plays so. But that was kind of all the other instruments that I dabble in, you know, if you're a guitar player, you technically you can play bass, but bass playing is a different mindset. So I do that on average on keyboards, but good enough to at least get through, you know, and playing pads and stuff on stuff we need to do in the studio. But uh, that's it. That's how I got started to and then you know, I've been playing guitar since I was six. Yeah, that's been my passion and my gift. Was there a band that really influenced you? As a musician? You're like talking to Randy Jackson the other day, the Beatles.

Randy Hulsey  05:00

We're at for him, right? What is the one that really sticks out and Steve's mind as the one that said, Man, I saw those guys, I, this is it for me, I got to do this.

Steve Blaze  05:11

If I had to pin it down, there's about 10, I could send it down to but I would have to say, number one would be Alice Cooper, cuz I started getting into Dallas, right around the time where School's out and billion dollar babies came out. And then you know, of course, you know, with my personality, I get into it, I got to have all of it right away. So, back in that time, you know, you go to the local door, what was like a Woolworths there, they call it like a local department, and record selection. And once in a while, you'd find one or two copies of vinyl of artists that you like. So if I saw an Allison, I go back there just to go stare at the album. Yeah, because you don't have the money. I'm there. My dad got me School's out. With the first album, he got me on vinyl. And when we opened it up, and a pair of ladies panties around the album itself. And I remember space when she saw that. And I was like, you know, gosh, how old was I had been about 10 or 11. I could care less about women's panties. At that time. I was just like, put this record on right now. And if I'm the mom, yeah.

Randy Hulsey  06:17

Were you the guy that bought the record? Or I should rephrase that. So are you a guy like me that bought the record? And before you even put the vinyl or the CD, and you read the liner notes and got into like, who played on the record and where it was recorded? Did any of that appeal to you? Or was it just the music? I wanted to pictures? That's what I wanted. Yeah, because we couldn't see we didn't have YouTube and stuff back then. Right?

Steve Blaze  06:43

I kind of joke about that. Because nowadays, you know, if I want to know what Gene Simmons had for breakfast this morning, I can find out, you know, lately back, I was in a store and I saw like one magazine and had a picture of Alice are kissing it. I gotta have this kind of have this. So I was looking for the pictures. I mean, I started reading liner notes later, like the lyrics, etc. But I really didn't care who engineered it or really, it was in the band. So it was like, I didn't have to know who played the Congress on the fifth track. You know? Yeah, I wanted to see the pic, put it on there and just stare at him listen to music. And we did that for Sabbath and Queen and Van Halen, and Aerosmith and Zeppelin and, and all the great early bands. Yeah. And that's, that was important thing to me. So I would have to say Alice Cooper, but in my top five is going to be Zeplin kiss queen, Sabbath, you know, and then I do the Aerosmith a lot of other Scorpio early scorpions, I got into a lot of bands like scorpions and Judas Priest before they were major label kings, you know. And I was into the scorpions, and in the early records virgin killers and taken by force and in trance and all the early stuff, which I was what I really loved the best from bands like that. So and but but then I was listening to stuff like Elton John and in bread. And he was in cross and all of the great things and all that good stuff. So I was happy because I got into and that's why I became a songwriter. I realized, you know what? There's a million great talents out there. There's a lot of great players and singers this and that. But what stands the test of time is the song. Yeah, that's the most to me is the actual piece. Yep. And you're one small part of it, Steve, you got to have this guy. You got to have this guy, you got to have the great song, the team, the unit that magic you can take the best guitar player, best singer, best drum bass player, if there is such thing in the world, put them all together. And if they're not, they don't have a song. This guy's just gonna walk away with anything. indelible print in your head about this amazing. More nanny. Yeah.

Randy Hulsey  09:03

And do you think for Alice Cooper, not to derail too far on Alice Cooper. But do you think it was the theatrics that you were drawn to? Or was it the musicianship or combination of both?

Steve Blaze  09:13

I think it was a combination because even as a young child, I was always into horror, the paranormal. Anything unknown. It intrigued me. And Alice just had this the whole band. It wasn't just him. The whole band just had this really unique visual and you know if I wouldn't you know if they were come out or you know, they were doing you know, Gloria Gaynor song there probably would have been like, they look cool, but but, but the music, the music and the visual together. Yeah, it's just like a movie. What makes a movie Great. Without soundtrack without music in the background. Most movies. Boring. They. It's okay. All right. It's a good movie. And the visual together. That is a That's a team right there. That's unreplaceable music. And the visual working together, cohesively is what really makes that impression and what makes that experience so unique. Yes, though, when you happen with Kiss, I think without, I guess with, I don't know, it's kind of all together without the visual. You'd like the music, because I love the music. I love Alice Cooper and Sam. But they all had this scariness about them this like, unusual thing that Do you fear them in a certain way, but it added all experience. So I would say I'd still love the music. But I might not have given it as much of a chance or taken it to heart as much if it hadn't been for this extravagant visual going along with it.

Randy Hulsey  10:47

I agree. Well, besides Lilian, is there a group out there that you're listening to or you're into today that maybe the listeners of the show should know about or hear about, you know, like, like me, my, my taste has changed over the years. And I, you know, I'm into things now that I never thought I would be into 30 years ago being the Black Sabbath and Aerosmith guy in the hall that right but it's a different kind of music. So I didn't know if there's one in your mind that pops up that says, Man, I love these guys. And they're really not my my type of music that people know me for maybe their country. Maybe they're Americana, maybe there's something but I didn't know if one popped up for you are not.

Steve Blaze  11:31

I have to tell you, I listen to some really off the wall stuff. But I always go back to the basics. You know, I always go back to the sabots and the purple and Van Halen, all the great ones. In every time I get asked this question. As soon as I get off the phone, and I look at my playlist. Oh, I didn't mention them. I would have missed them. I'll try to remember a few. I really like Alter Bridge a lot. Okay. And I like auntie and he has a band called Tremonti that I think is great. That he he's a really underrated player. And I like the waist sings his songs are good. I really liked them. There's a band from Europe called Avatar, okay, which is I think they opened up for maiden on one of their last tours. They're, they're pretty well known over there. But their songs are great. The vocalist does some of the cookie monster, but he sings well, too. And they have just this really cool onstage look, it's almost like a dark circus. Like they look like they're really dressed up and stuff. But they're, they're unique. There's some of their stuff. There's almost a tongue in cheek humor to some of their music. But they're really good players and really cool. But I listen to everything like music is a big favorite of mine, Muse. And worldwide, I don't really, I buy every one of their records. Even artists that I don't like their music, where they've gone recently, like Marilyn Manson, I still go out and buy their music anyway to support them, and to support the music. And because I'm hoping that they will come up with something that is reminiscent of what I really liked about them in the first place. And that's nothing against people that say the same thing about Lilian, well, I like the first three or four records, but you guys are different. And that's fine. But give it a chance. You know what I'm saying? Absolutely. They just a lot of people associate music with times in their life, right. That's why a lot. They cling on to certain music, they cling on to certain rosters of bands, for example. I mean, bands are going to change over time, guys, it's life part of it. But if you keep the songwriting and you keep the crux of that band together, you should still give it a chance. And a lot of you I've gone through that, because we've had several member changes, but that's life. Yes, but I still write all and I'm still the founder of the bands. So just give it a shot. Everybody's got opinions, but back to my original point is that you know, Muse is an amazing band, and they're huge, but I don't really like the direction that musically had gone. I still buy it and they still are great, fantastic band. I love them. But I have a lot of bands like that that I got into a certain time and I like but they've changed a little bit, which rightfully so, but even though I might I may not. I may prefer the older stuff, I still will buy it and support. Avatars run my chemical romance as another great band. Still in the scorpions is out but I listen to a lot of soundtracks to there's some singers like out of the 50s and 60s, Guy named Glenn Yarborough. James Taylor, Elton John, seals and cross. I like bad music. I like it for whatever reason I like melancholy, sad, beautiful music. You know, I'm

Randy Hulsey  14:55

drawn to that as well and my wife often tells me when I'm making a setlist or whatever For my shows, she's right. You're really going to play that song tonight. I'm like, Yeah, I really am going to play that song tonight, because that's what I feel as the artist, right? And if the artist doesn't, you know, show that feeling or that emotion, how are you touching a crowd? Whether it's whether it's melancholy, whether it's happy, upbeat, sad, or whatever? How can I deliver a song if I'm not feeling it, right? It's kind of a are, we always agree to disagree on that, because she's not the musician, and I am. And we just go back and forth. But it's interesting that you say that, because the whole idea behind the show is to expose new people to new music, like, you know, you guys have a lot of fans worldwide. But at the end of the day, the reality is, there are just some people that haven't heard of you and haven't heard of me and other players. And if we can get that music into five more hands, that's five more fans that you had. And, you know, that's what I'm hoping to get out of this. And for myself, too, you know, you say muse, and some of these other bands, I'll go back just because you said it and listened to those because I'm a creature of habit. And I like what I like, and I don't I don't deviate from that too much like i The joke is I turned off the radio in 1989. And I never turned it on again. So I don't know what's new, right? So by you telling me these bands and My other guest telling me these bands, it forces me to go out and kind of broaden my taste, I guess, if you'd say, so.

Steve Blaze  16:38

What? I want new music so bad that I will buy something just cuz I think an album cover looks good or something. And I'm just unfortunately, I just and it may be because we're just not knowing about this. But where are the where are their sabots in the Queen's and the Van Halen in this afternoon. So they're probably out there. But the music business is so different right now that first of all, we're all known to everything because there's so much back in the day, a record company would have one or two artists. And they even if that album, they were tanking and not making money on they believed in them, and they stuck with them, in many cases, wound up having supergroups and um, yes, you know, huge thing was, you don't get that anymore. You don't get that dedication and everything because it's all about the bikinis. Oh, yeah, I'll tell you you know, it's kind of funny we're talking about that because in Lilian, you know, I look at you know, always pay attention to what people say or their favorite songs and it goes down to like, we have like one of our like, softest, most beautiful ballads is the day I met you and another one called the needle in your pain. And that is like top of the list and then so is crucified misery loves company and Deep Freeze, which are our some of our heaviest salts, you know. So I people like to be moved, and people were creatures will be with many different emotions. Absolutely, though, right there that that makes me want to cry and turn around, listen to something that makes me want to get to the gym and work.

Randy Hulsey  18:13

Exactly. Exactly. What does the current line? I know the lineup has certainly changed over the years. And you know, changes. The only constant, right? I mean, that there's always going to be change. What does the current lineup look like for Lillian?

Steve Blaze  18:30

Well, it's, we have a brand new singer named Brent Graham. And Brent has been the band's we've been in a band for a year, but we only be able to do one online show, like a streaming show. Since then, we have a brand new drummer named Wayne Stokely from Dallas. He was drummer in a band called infidel rising in Millennium rain, and sample events still playing guitar with me. He's been in the band 22 years, which is the longest standing member of the band next to myself. And then Michael Max playing based on Michael was the original bass player for the band, we first started and he just got back in like, three, four years ago back with me after being out for a while. And you know, we've had several roster changes, you know, but we've also been around since 83. So when you start thinking about, you know, it's like, more than 38 years since I started the band. Easy, but would it be amazing to keep the same lineup? Yeah, other than rush, who has in you know, Rush had a different drummer, the first record so it's in zebra, you know, the three piece bands, you got three guys, it's easier to keep three,

Randy Hulsey  19:40

there's a better chance of cohesity there. And if you have four or five, right,

Steve Blaze  19:45

so but the whole here's the deal, everybody that's ever been in the band is always a part of the family. When we got inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. All the members got inducted. They were all invited. They you know if you're a man piece of it, you're part of it, period. So that's the way I looked at it. So we have a new drummer and a new singer. But Sam has been, like I said, 22 years, he's been in the band. And then Michael was in, he was the bass player when we first started. And when we went and got signed, he didn't move on with me. He was going through some personal things at the time. But he got back together years later with me. So he and I are back together again. That's three, four years ago. He's been, you know, back in Lillian, so he's the original bass player for the band. I am just thrilled about it. You know, it's, and this is a funny thing, because, you know, people like, you know, yeah, a lot of changes. And I'm like, Yeah, but if you really look into the history of other bands, we've all had a lot of change, absolutely life. Look at your own individual life of being in a band is like a brotherhood, right? It's like how many friends have come and gone in your life, for whatever reasons, part of life, it's part of the changes that that go on, but you keep, it's like keeping the family name, you know, you keeping the brand. Fortunately, because of the fact that I write all the material, that essence of the songwriting is always going to be there. And you know, I'm never going to be involved with anybody that isn't like, I'm not going to ever have anybody come in and as like, you're going to come in and be a higher guy. No, the people that that joined have come in Lilian, like, like Brent and Wayne. They've been fans for years. Yeah, you know, Wayne, was 10 years old, Brian Jones, our ex singer, who is still our agent, so he's still part of the family. He was a fan since he was a kid, I got pictures of me and him before he was too old to get into clubs, sneaking in with his dad, you know, and he became the singer. So it's people that have a love for the band and love for the music. And they're always a part of what aspect even if they're not able to move on as a band member, they're always part of the family.

Randy Hulsey  21:49

Yeah. And it's funny that you said that because I was interviewing my buddy Joey C. Jones, the other day, and it was a surprise because his his guitarist Antonio, Brazil was was on the video with him. And I certainly wanted to include him and the conversations and it was kind of the same thing. Antonio's much younger than Joey. Right. And he said, I was always a fan. And I love Joey C. Jones. I love sweet savage. I loved all this. And then next thing you know, I'm playing with these guys. So it's kind of like a surreal thing for him. And kind of it sounds like kind of the same thing with with your guys, right that they were fans and then all of a sudden they're playing with you, which is probably very cool to them.

Steve Blaze  22:32

Oh, absolutely. On a side note, I think Joey is going to be doing our show with us in in Dallas at trees. Okay. either adapt. In Houston it's Scout bar think Joey's going to be support x. So I love it. Joey's great, I love Joe. He's a great talent. And he and I used to always have like a running sitting at one of these days, we're gonna do something together.

Randy Hulsey  22:54

You know, he's been through. He's been through a lot lately. I don't know if you know the backstory there. But if you if you don't, we can talk about it offline. But anyway, back to Lilian real quick. So the discography is extensive. And we could probably talk all day about that alone. But I'd like to cherry pick some stuff from various releases if that's okay with you. Is it is it fair to say that the album poetic justice, which was I think released in 92, was probably the record that put you guys on the map? Is that a fair assumption?

Steve Blaze  23:28

Yeah, that is a fair assumption. The first two records were on MCA. And it's kind of funny because they put us on the map, but it was almost like this cult thing. And then all of a sudden love and war got this. Tons of great reviews on that. And then it's like, Okay, now we're not an MCA anymore. What? What happened was and MCA dropped the ball, not just on us, but on many Akhmat Alice Cooper on the label, Alice was on that label at same time. And when we toured with Alice, he told me that MCA just treated him horribly. They actually basically told him, they didn't want to see him anymore. And you know, one of the greatest talents of all time, and his label doesn't, for Elton John was on the label. But we had us cold sweats, sweet FA, a bunch of bands rock bands at the time. And that's where the nickname music cemeteries America came in. Because we had momentum going and we were out in the road and people love the album's and they weren't doing a thing for us. So we switched over we got to deal with Grand Slam IRS, which was under the capital umbrella. And poetic justice did did well force matter of fact that they would have stayed on that it was on there was really on target to go gold. They drop the ball through believer. Yeah, we were selling. I don't know how many we SoundScan but I know we saw several 100,000 records of that. We were the member of Columbia House. They use that send the Mac Yes, we were the the month. Okay. All right. We got a lot of radio play. To top 40 with true believer it was on. I remember the guys in Panthera telling us that they were in Taco Bell one night, and that they heard true believer coming on over and they said we knew the record was going to do something when you hear true believer in Taco Bell, you know, so it was on the music this you know, thing they play in elevators. And so we were like, we had all this momentum going, then all of a sudden, why aren't we doing a video from TV? This was right, the height of MC Well, we're gonna go to the next track. No, no, no, we're still, you know, they, it was almost like math, you know, they can look it up in numbers. And if the went up, great went up. Okay, we're rising. Now. Let's do the video now to coincide with it. Oh, it went down one number this week. Okay, well, so what? We got to keep pushing, we're on the road, we're pushing that we get people like the song. So they go, Oh, we're gonna go to the next track. And they decide what to do no matter what, which is one of two covers that we've done in 13 albums. You know, next single, there were plenty of other tracks and boy justice that should have been next. So in hindsight, you know, all right, we do this video that they told us what we're going to do in the video. So it was almost like, you know, you want to put faith in their decisions. But when decisions when you know, in your gut that that's probably not the right way. But you still have to do it anyway. So it gets to be a little, you know, hindsight is a wonderful thing, right? So, but that was the one that really put us out there. And once again, moving too quick, instead of staying on it and continue to push course. Cut the next record, you know, and that's when we did like a schizophrenic. But we were talking earlier about the funny part about I got a bunch of emails this week from people and there was a site on YouTube that did the top five most overlooked hard rock bands. In the decade of the 90s after 92 and psycho schizophrenia was number three. Okay, now, and that list was kiss extreme. Skid Row and gosh, Guns and Roses maybe or something one of these other bands on like,

Randy Hulsey  27:09

somebody writes, yeah, some of the greats. Right.

Steve Blaze  27:11

And, like, you know, I think one of them was slave to the grind. I think these are overlooked. No, that's psycho schizophrenia was, in my opinion. Probably somebody said what is the your favorite and the most iconic of your records? I would probably say that. It hit a nerve somewhere. But there's a whole lot of uniqueness in that record. And I'm like, wait, a hottie, you know, kiss, you know, these all these guys. I mean, I was very honored. And people were like, Yeah, we agree with all these with your, your psycho being overlooked for these other guys. They weren't overlooked. You guys were and I am. If I had a nickel for every time in my career that I have had somebody called me the most underrated guitar player are Lilian x the most underrated bands, or underlooked band, I could buy a house, we wouldn't be under looked over. Underrated, right. So I think it's bittersweet because it makes me aggravated to the point where I just want everybody to at least be able to hear, because I know that the people that hear our music that like it, it means something to them, and it makes them feel better. And it makes them feel like I can they can be and they can relate to the band. And if it, that's the gift. Yeah, it's like, Hey, man, cook it, I can't dance, and I can't fix a car. But I can maybe make you happy or give you some insight in your life by this song. This is what I wrote that the band is put together, that maybe is going to do something as a gift. Right? So you want as many people as you want to get something out of it, and to be loved by it. And when you constantly hear how, wow, I just found out about you, you know, 30 years ago, really, you know, you're just hearing the name of the band after this after all these records and things. And it's kind of it's a little they used to get me more in the past. But now I'm like, you know, what, if I look at it macro cosmically, and it's like, you know what, I look, it's okay to be a cult. be appreciated. Your fans tend to, in a lot of cases, pants, fans tend to cling on to you and appreciate you more, if they feel like they're part of a smaller club. Yeah, you know, and everybody knows about them. Well, you know what, this is something you don't know about this as mine

Randy Hulsey  29:34

person. Yep. Well, I was fortunate enough to be exposed to you guys years and years and years ago, in the 80s. I think you played maybe cardies and in Houston, and you know, that's where I drew a love for Joey and the guys of sweet savage. Of course, Panthera was playing at cardies back then before they were even Panthera I mean, they were paying Tara but they weren't paying Terry Like the world renowned Panthera and same with Lilian right? That's where I saw you guys and in the impression was made back then. But, you know, some people weren't fortunate enough to see you alive. So and that's and that's too bad. But on the poetic justice record, did you have a favorite track? That's like saying, Do you have a favorite kid if you have multiple kids, right? And in and I get it, but I mean, sometimes a song jumps out and says, That's the song like that. I'm really, really proud of that song than I am. Maybe some of the other ones. Was there one on poetic justice. That was that song for you?

Steve Blaze  30:39

I think is dying the live Dinah live, I actually, it was written in one of the first songs I wrote for that album, like right after, after the MCA debacle. You know, we were like, you know, I never stopped writing. So I'm like, let's get back into this. And move on, go find a new home, find a new label. And so I wrote down the live right away. And I don't know, there was just something about it. That was because it was kind of a, you know, between every record I, I guess I have a little bit of a metamorphosis. Internally way I grow a little bit. And then I started looking at things and maybe in a different way than I did before. So my writing will be a little different. And the things I write about will come out a little different. And dying to live was one of the first ones that I wrote. And that I think that's the one that if I had to have one that like had this unique, special thing about it, that would be it.

Randy Hulsey  31:36

Yeah. And I wanted to switch gears for a bit and I wanted to treat the listeners to a clip off of the fields of yesterday effort. This is one of my favorites off the record. So we'll we'll take a quick listen to that clip and then come back and chat a bit Okay. I wanted to make sure that I held the solo in that clip there to treat the listeners to some of the fretboard mastery of Steve Blaze there.

Steve Blaze  33:27

That album of the beside record. Okay, we got interest from a label in Japan called Tony Canyon. And they said, Look, do you have anything at all to put out you have any records? And that's when we were in the middle of taking a hiatus, right? So I said no. But I can muster up a bunch of demos. Everything on that album is demo quality. It is just stuff we did in the studio to demo to see if we were going to put it on new records and things that didn't make the records for whatever reason. And so that's what those are. So we'll talk about both. I think that's awesome. Is that the one that says, I want to hold you and I'm bad at pulling the rats out. Okay. Okay. Myth title. Spotify. Okay. On the rats out, let's talk about that phone. One of my my guitar tech at the time, Randall carpenter used to use that term food person at all. But I thought it was funny because his definition of pulling the rats out was a crude thing having to do with with women and and groupies. Like we pull interests out or whatever. But that was his thing. Right? So there was a side back then in the early days that and I think it came in when Ron and John and Rob came in from stiff because Lillian was a little different band at the time, but they brought in this kind of like sleaze rock, la guns Aerosmith will add an attitude about it. So I wrote fallen rats out and I said I wrote this song like 10 minutes outside but let's just write something real like that. Down to Earth and kind of a little, little base in a little on the 30 level something. Say that so many times hold on to rats that I'm going to write one of these, you know, songs that, you know, I won't ever let my mom hear or anything like

Randy Hulsey  35:15

that, or at least tell her what it's about right?

Steve Blaze  35:20

write some songs that were fun. And that was one of them. But that's how that came about pulling her at that. And that's the demo. We never put it on any records, but it is on the live album. We played it live on the 2002 live album. So funny that you pick.

Randy Hulsey  35:34

Yeah, and thanks for setting that straight. So that probably screws up my whole show. Because, you know, but but we're gonna we're gonna like we're gonna figure out how much of my show is fucked up now. Right. So thanks, Spotify. We appreciate it.

Steve Blaze  35:49

Fun that that was misnamed. I don't know why nobody ever seemed to correct them. Or if they tried to correct them. They just ignored it. But yeah, that's pulling the rug

Randy Hulsey  36:00

when I saw that look on your face when I said, calm before the storm. And you looked at me like I had seven eyes on my head. I'm like, oh, did I not do my homework? Oh, shit. That's all I have to ask too. And this just jogged my mind back in the day back in those cardies days in the 80s. When I saw Lilian there, there was a band that I used to see at parties called stiff. Is this. Is this the same band stiff the band that your guys came from? Or is this just ironic that it's an okay, so I saw them at parties before too. And they were I remember them very well.

Steve Blaze  36:38

There was a group of bands that were doing the cardi circuit cardies. For those of you who don't know anything about it probably held about 1000 Maybe, probably good 1200 People now if you jam them in there, it was the premier rock club in Houston. Nationals came through there. They had bands there five days a week and and the unsigned bands would come through and do like a four or five days since we played like three four sets at night. And it was the epitome of the rock and roll lifestyle at that place. I mean, I saw I can tell you, it was always packed. It was great. Lilian X, Panthera sweet Savage. I'm trying to think of the other bands are there a few others? I'm probably missing but

Randy Hulsey  37:19

maybe miss. Does mystic crawl sound familiar to you?

Steve Blaze  37:23

Yep. And we all made the circuit, we would be there like once every six, seven weeks. There were four or three other cards that went to San Antonio, one in Dallas, one in Beaumont. But that was the most well known. And I remember Eddie Oh, Jada and twisted getting up and playing Rick Derringer, getting up with some clients. And you know that I saw Mad Max there for the first time right after they got time. But there was all axacon Shaw there. There was tons of bands that would come in it was a great, fantastic venue in Houston. But that's that's the one that you're talking about. Right there.

Randy Hulsey  37:57

Yes, there was another favorite of you're gonna correct me if I'm wrong. Off the 92 release poetic justice. And it's called Living in the gray. Am I? Am I good? There? Okay, great. What What was that song? Actually? You said you write all the songs? Was this a song that you wrote solely? Or was? Was there any CO writing that went on? On that song that you remember? Or Were any of the songs? Did you guys share writing responsibilities at all? Or was it always the blaze writing the songs?

Steve Blaze  38:32

The way that it came out was, I am like, I guess the only way I can really try to relate this is to a painter, for example, if you took a painter, anybody, if you took Vango, and you put them in a room, and you said, go do a painting, oh, by the way, before you get finished, we're going to bring this guy in here, he's going to come in, and he's going to, he's going to do the trees, you're going to do this and that thing goes gonna, or whoever the painter is, I just use him as an example. Because people know his name. And he's like, one of the, but the visual, the image at the end of the day is going to be different. It's going to be liberal. That's not how I pictured it to be. And I work like that. I'm not saying I'm not a good collaborator, collaborator. Because I'm doing vocals and writing vocals and melodies for another band right now. And they just bring the music to me. I'm not even playing guitar on it. I'm not writing anything but the vocals and melodies and lyrics, right? So I can do that. But I prefer for Lilian, since it's my baby, that I take the ideas and what happened and I don't remember living in the grass. I think I wrote that by myself. But there's a few songs where you see some co writing things. And what I did was I took some lyrical ideas from anybody that wanted to throw them to me, and I incorporated them in there. Did I need to do that? It needs to do that. But I did it because I wanted to be A little more of a team player, but I'm gonna be honest with I always asked for ideas. Yeah, I always. And then when the band kind of became solidified, one of the attributes of the band was the songwriting style. So, you know, I had to along with people, the powers that be make the decision on what are the best songs for the record, what sounds like Lilian stuff. And I got a couple of ideas from guys here and there, you know, mostly just primitive stuff, because the other guys in the band never been like real avid songwriters that, you know, wrote lots of songs or put their attention they were, they pay attention to their unique talents in the band. I was writing 1012 hours a night recording constantly going on and on. That's why we got the deals due to the songs that had been written. So it was most that 95% of it came from my writing and I did incorporate lyric things here and there when you see them notated on the record, I think living in the gray was one that I wrote by myself completely.

Randy Hulsey  41:08

Okay, this is a clip of the song living in the gray last. angels must descend from the times are changing. I love the hook in that song, on average, like, how long does it take to write a song? It's a little hypothetical question, I guess. But was this particular song a quick write for you? Or is it one that took years to put together talk to me about living in the grace specifically,

Steve Blaze  42:36

I remember writing the main riff and then wrote that early, like back in mid 80s or so. And then it went to a different place. So, around that time, when I was writing for this record, I always liked that riff, but I wasn't really fully on with where I'd gone with it. So I rewrote around the riff songs take anywhere from five minutes to five weeks, the day I met you, I wrote in about five or 10 minutes, I was watching a movie. And something about a particular song was a song by The Beatles called in my life. And it was a movie as the actress on there was singing the song and I said, What a great song just stripped down vocal and a guitar, that's all I want. And I went out in the studio and wrote it took a few minutes, it really came quickly, then I have songs that the pieces are in my head for weeks. And I don't write necessarily with a guitar in my hand or right in my head. So I may come up with some things when I'm constantly listening back. And, and I'll write the next piece, where it goes with me emotionally. So I find that I can hear something better when I'm not playing, like I'm humming are listening. And then

Randy Hulsey  43:58

you hear the melody in your head, right? You hear the melody and the

Steve Blaze  44:02

melody of the vocal, to me is the most important aspect of the song. The vocals more important to me than anything, unless it's instrumental piece. Obviously, there is more to it. But the vocal is so vital. And I hear, you know, like when you have a composer, he's not just listening to just what the cellos are doing. He's hearing the violins. He's hearing all the counter melodies and what the flute is doing in this and what the different pieces are. I hear it all at one time, which makes it that much more difficult for me to be a collaborator, because I hear everything at the same time. And the vision is strong, you know, and so I'll write most of the stuff in my head. And then as soon as it's arranged, I go right to the studio and demo it out. And just and then I presented to the band. I'm in the middle of doing the next track for the new album right now just like that. I've got everything in my head. Now I've finally then I go sift and I hear the melodies I always do. Lyrics last, because I let the music fairly dictate where I'm going lyrics at, I always the it's kind of like, I know basically what I want to write about in my head, but the music, the details of the music will help me and it allows me to also just live with I like to drive the car and listen to music and write while I'm driving. Yes, you know, because I brought him into my body for being on the road, and then everything just start it kind of takes place. It's, it's a hard thing, because it's, it's not like a regimented schedule that I have. Alright, first thing I'm gonna do, is this, this just, it just all just kind of it's an emotional, it happens. Yep, it's right.

Randy Hulsey  45:44

Would you say that a lot? Or most? Or what percentage of songs that you write are? Fact versus fiction? Are you more of a fictional writer or a fact, like, I've lived this? I've been through it, it was a bad relationship. It was a trip I took, you know, whatever the subject may be, are you more of a factual writer than a fictional writer? Would you say? Or is it a combination of both?

Steve Blaze  46:10

It's probably a combination. Because there I'm not like a storyteller guy. For the most part, although there are some songs that I have written about specific things. Movies inspire me a lot. But it's not the actual movie. It's the human element of the movie. So I write more or less about the human side spiritual side of things. I'm not like, you know, Joey worked on the docks. And you know, he didn't get paid this week. So we went out and gather, I'm not that like story guy like going, you know, tell you a story about a dog or something like that. A more or less like about the lessons learned, and the ideas and in like, little stabs of things that I've seen, learned, felt watched other people go through. And I think all of those different emotional and spiritual elements are common with everybody. Yeah. So if I'm writing, what it feels like to lose somebody, yeah, it might be I might have a certain way of describing it. But every single one of you guys out there has been through that you've all lost something. You've lost somebody. We've all been through? Well, let me see if I can. This is how I felt. And what I can gather from it moving forward, how do you deal with it? How do I look at it? Is there things that I'm hoping people relate to, and like, in, you know, the day I met you how many people have said all I got married at that time, I was my wedding song. Yeah, but how many people have asked me to come play it and sing it at their weddings, and I got married. And it's, it's kind of fun, because it's actually kind of a, it's a reminiscent melancholy song about, you know, somebody that you're not with any longer, but that there's hope at the end of it, but people, you know, they interpret it a certain way. And, and that's a thing. But I think it's more of a, of a spiritual, emotional type of message that I'm trying to go. Now there are some things that are like picturesque, so to speak, like, the great divide is about the end times, inspired by revelation with I pictured the earth splitting in half, and the fight between angels and demons. So that as a physical thing going on to as well, and almost a snapshot of a painting of Angels and Demons fighting, but it's also about Angels and Demons, demons fighting inside of us, and in our planet, in our society. So, so it's real broad base, and a lot of Yeah.

Randy Hulsey  48:39

So Steve, I'll have to tell you that of all the records in the discography, which I love all of them love and war, which hit some time around 89, I believe, is probably my favorite release. And this is an album that is top the bottom full of great songs on Mac. You know, usually you find that one track or two on a record that you're just like, Yeah, not really in love with it. I can live without it. But this this one is this one's good. Talk about what your thoughts are around the Love and War records specifically?

Steve Blaze  49:16

Well, you know, when we did the first record, those were songs that we had had it maybe about 4050 songs I'd written out live as obviously, you know, your first record is a combination of things that you've written for several years. And the first things that you've written and you've road tested them. Because Lilian started off the cover band, and we just started we were one of the few bands that were thrown in originals and there before long, it became like, you know, 7030 originals heavy. So, you know, the first album was we had a lot to pick from so going into love and war. I had a few of the songs that didn't make the first record that that were still, you know, favorites that I kind of revamped a little bit But I went into a studio, and in Jackson, Mississippi with a friend of mine, and I demo, like six songs five of which made love and war record. And we were using, like the drums on a, on a keyboard, like, you know, hitting the keys, and content. And that's what we're using a program, the drums and I just wrote all the songs and and Ron came in, and then we just started but I had, you know, it's like, I had a lot of these ideas, but you know, I don't know, it's kind of like, every time when, when I sit down to start writing, like I do it, like, you know, like I write and then we do the first record, and then it's like, okay, I want to write fresh now, and I'll pull from the past, but I like to write fresh. And a lot of times, I'll take just some of the, the ideas before and revamp them and whatnot. And in this case, it was a lot of just brand new stuff that I hadn't, you know, ever mess with. And sometimes that works out to the best for me, if I just like, right as I go, similar to how, what I'm kind of what I'm doing right now with this new Lilian record. So we went in and knock the songs out. And I just really felt like I was starting to be able to broaden my horizons, you know, you look at things differently, look at what you think people will like, you also realize, you know what, I'm starting to establish myself in this band right now. So don't worry so much about making sure that you fall into the niche, or whatever you start worrying about getting developing who this band is going to be in 10 or 20 years. And so that's when songs like ghost of winter, and we're turning the ones that I I'm a big fan of epic songs, I like the big app, I like the light, dark I like, you know, the dramatic changes in songs, not just I like to keep them multi dimensional. It's like a story within a story, you know. And so that's kind of I felt like that was kind of a start of me starting to really open up. And, you know, at first of doing the first record, and we had Robin producing with me on first. You know, a lot of people were like, oh, it's kind of like rat, even though it didn't really sound like rat, they were some things that were maybe guitar tone might have been similar. And because it was Robin, people started looking like that. And Robin, you know, some of the inclinations that he had on some of the producing were a little leaning towards what he had learned in rat, so I could understand that. But, you know, I realized I'm moving to the next record, we have another guy, Tony Platt was going to co produce with me on the next record. So I realized like now he had no relationship with us in the past at all. So this is where you get the opportunity, he's just going to come in and, and work with you on making the songs as good as possible, get the best performances out of the band. So at that point, I started really feeling like okay, now I can start really kind of molding and developing and just follow the path speed, it'll take you where you need to be true and honesty. So that was kind of like the start to me, were really started to branch out in my writing.

Randy Hulsey  53:12

It sounded like when you did the little simulated the drum beat when you were telling me about doing that on the keyboard. It sounds like the open and beat to she likes it on top. I don't know if you were thinking that when you did it or not, but just the rhythm that you did made me immediately go to that song I pick up on, I guess dumb stuff like that. But anyway, that's neither here nor there. Now there was there was a song off of that. That record called show a little love that was prominently featured on VHS Juan's headbangers ball, I believe, can you talk a little bit about the video where it was shot and that type of thing?

Steve Blaze  53:54

Remember the head of a&r, the head of radio for MCA taking us into the office right after they put that thing out. And telling me how much they gotten a few big stations around the US, including one in Dallas, that it additive, and this is going to be an immense hit is huge, blah, blah, blah, we want to get a video for it. Which we shot the video in the desert in California, in the same area where they were filming China Beach, that old TV show. And so every now and then we have to stop because helicopters were flying overhead. And they'd have to stop filming. Come to find out a week later. You know, we spent this whole like noon till eight in the morning, let's say filming this thing with a whole crew. I remember pulling up with the band and seeing 50 or 60 people out in the desert with tracks and campers and Kraft Foods was out there and you know, when you get Kraft Foods you you know you hit the big time and so we we must have had to do the song 3040 times all night long. And it was very, it was physically exhausting. So About a week later, we get a call from our manager and he says, Guess what, guys, you're staying out in LA another couple of days because there was a faulty lens on one of the cameras and we've got to shoot the whole thing over again. So, to the tune of about 60 $80,000 More, we had to reshoot the show little love video. And this time we shot it out where they filmed a lot of that close encounters a third time footage out in the desert. So but you know, it was it's still crowd favorite. We got a lot of video airplay on the h1 and a little bit on MTV too, as well. And it was a well done video. And, you know, and Assad did fairly well at radio and you know, it's one of our staple cuts. So

Randy Hulsey  55:46

for sure it was funny when you mentioned about having to do retakes or whatever because of helicopters or whatever flying over over the set. I was reading a book years and years ago, I think it was called here on Gilligan's Island and I know you probably remember the old Show Gilligan's Island, but when but but when they recorded it or when they were shooting episodes of it out in LA, they had to keep stopping the production because the airplanes that were coming in to Ontario, the airport were flying right over the set and they're supposed to be stranded on a on a desert islands and it's like well we can't have airplanes in the shot so they had to keep refilling that so it made me go back to that book a little bit. What I want to do is go and treat the listeners to a clip of the song we were talking about. show a little love for those that haven't heard the track guys make sure that you treat yourself go out to you know the iTunes and the Spotify of the world and take a listen to the record and all the records for that matter. But we're going to listen to a clip of show a little love that was prominently featured again on VH Juan's headbangers ball

Adam Gordon  57:09

let's save denied and

Randy Hulsey  57:14

wow please

Adam Gordon  57:20

tell me tell me now think so

Randy Hulsey  58:23

were there other songs on the love and war record specifically that receive the same amount of attention that that show a little love? Did I think you're muted

Steve Blaze  58:36

action? Give me an example. Like up until this time right now. I think ghost of winter has become like the crowd all time favorite. And I think it's probably the song that if anyone ever asked me, What is the if people had to listen to one Liliana song, what do you think is the most quintessential Lilian song and I would think it might be ghosted winner. So but I mean, we never really got to a great fair shot at radio, you know, I mean, honestly, you could have taken that you could have taken any song in that record pretty much and given it a good shot at Radio, and it would have probably done well. You know,

Randy Hulsey  59:15

I would agree. I would agree with that. For sure. Now, that that you spoke of ghost of winter, is that song about a dream, a lucid dream? What can you tell me about the song itself ghost of winter?

Steve Blaze  59:27

Well, my dreams are. I dream a lot. Matter of fact, it's funny because two nights ago, I had like four or five dreams that were very unique to me, because usually my dreams are more like snapshots that fit and lasts forever. These actually had like some linear movements of them like something happening and lasting and an event occurring over and over again, and they don't make any sense. They're very strange. And in addition to those kind of dreams, I daydream a lot like right when I'm going asleep and right when I wake up to the point where I wish I didn't, because it's just overwhelming, I have to always be thinking. And so, you know, this situation, I was just writing about all the things that I dream about and think about constantly. They're not like just simple things. For some reason, I guess I get haunted by the fact that I always have to dream about the things that require a whole hell of a lot of depth and thought, you know, big things. What are we all about? Why are we here? Why do we die? Why do we live? What are we supposed to do? How do we, you know, and they all these things. And being that my favorite season is winter, I correlate a lot of the way that I think with snow and ice and cold temperatures. And I'm, I think we had talked about this at one time that I feel like I have this congenital sadness that I was black caught, that's what I call it, like this melancholy underlying, underneath my soul all the time. And it's not a bad thing. It's not like depression of sadness, it's kind of just a melancholy for. You know, like, I'm very, very reminiscent, I'm very, a guy I live. Think about the past, I save everything. I love mementos. And, and I, you know, I've got like, the first pair of socks my kid ever wore, I keep everything he ever did, you know. And same thing, by my own personal stuff. I live in the past a lot as far as like, being reminiscent of my life. And I'm very, what's the word I'm looking for very sentimental about things. So all these things all seem to culminate if you heard that thunder, right there, yep. So but I'm very sentimental about things. And it's always in my thoughts. Yeah. So in my dreams are like that, too. I have my dream, I wake up from dreams and I feel melancholy and, and kind of sad, but like I said, it's not like a depression, sad, there are different elements, that it's more like a just, you know, like a beautiful melancholy, you know, just miss things and want things to be good and, and wanting to, you know,

Randy Hulsey  1:02:16

I agree. Well, and we talked, we talked a little bit offline about that very thing, not not wanting to sound weird on on the air. And you know, what, two guys talking but kindred spirits are kindred souls where you think a lot like somebody, and you have the same compassion and the same feelings that about things like I'm a very, very nostalgic person to things that, you know, I can remember from my childhood 30 years ago, just take me to a great place. Some of them are sad things. Some of them are happy things, but even hanging on to momentos. Like you said, some would call that, you know, get rid of the junk, throw the junk away. Well, that's not junk to some people, right? That's a place in time to some people. You're right. I do. And I did pick, you know, there's a line in the song ghost of winter, where you say, in a world, or in the world, darkness follows me hiding out in places I can't see. I think some might construe that or misconstrue that as somebody that singing about depression, when in fact, you may not be singing about depression at all. Can you talk a little bit about maybe that line or the song in general? Was it about depression? Was it a not not about depression? What What's your take on it?

Steve Blaze  1:03:37

No, it's not about depression. And, you know, once again, I think there are different types of depression. I have never really experienced the type of depression that made me got get to a point where I just didn't want to be around. I admit, I've had you know, plenty of obstacles to overcome and relationships and things and losing people. close to me, it's there. But that hasn't had hasn't put me into depression, where I just didn't want to move forward. Right? My was always wanting to figure out, you know, learn the secret, the secrets of life, why we're here, what are we doing? When in the winter things going to get better? What can I do to make things better? The darkness to me, is basically, the things that concern me that evil in this world, yes, evil are the things that I don't know about. It's always around no matter how happy I am, I can't fully be 1,000% happy because there are other people notice plants that aren't

Randy Hulsey  1:04:41

and there are a lot of things that you can't control sometimes right then, and that that's make it easy, that's even more discouraging and more depression are depressing, that you see all the wrongdoers and the evil and these things and people like you and I who are generally do gooders, right? We do read by people, it's hard to see those things. And yeah, I hear where

Steve Blaze  1:05:06

something is, you know, almost feel guilty if something goes well for me sometimes because I think, well, you know what, I know a lot of people that are having hard times right now. So that kind of what I really meant by darkness is the fact that there's always that underlying, well, things aren't perfect everywhere, you know. And I'm always kind of driven by that I'm always from kind of that.

Randy Hulsey  1:05:29

Well, we'll go to a quick clip of ghosts of winter the song off of the love and war record. And let's take a quick listen to that. A very well written and powerful song there, Steve. I really enjoy that it's a theatrical piece in my eyes. So kudos on writing such a powerful piece there. Now, at one time, you guys were managed by Marshall Berle, who is related to the great Milton Berle, Uncle Miltie. Right. And I didn't realize that he had been gone almost 20 years. What was the relationship with Marshall? And I think that discovery was made back in Dallas, Texas, right. Can you elaborate on that?

Steve Blaze  1:07:19

Sure. Actually, what happened is back in, I want to say 87. Maybe Lillian was on fire. We were playing everywhere we would be doing if we could play a Wednesday night and Lafayette, Louisiana and drove 500 people. And we got asked to open up for Rat Queens, right? And poison was on one of the dates on five rats shows to help ticket sales. And so we did so after the second show. One of the security guys for rat came up and said, Hey, look, I need your phone number Marshall bro wants to give you a call. So two days later on Monday morning, I'm sleeping back at home. I get woken up by call from Marshawn. He's like, Hey, Steve Marshall Berle you want to record deal. And that was kind of the beginning. He said Robin Crosby wants to produce your band. Everybody loves the band. And, you know, I can get you a deal. And I got, you know, connections with Irving A's off MCA Records and, and I was like, yep, boy do we sign. So then we did some more shows with rat. And it just escalated from there. But Marshall was our manager in kind of a name only didn't do much to help us out. I think he set the deals off. And he was kind of hands off. It's kind of a little bit of a sore subject with him because he didn't handle us the way a manager should. And I think a lot of that has to do with why rat probably got rid of him. Not long after that. He stayed with him for a little bit. But he didn't do much for us. He got us to deal. I don't know a lot of the details behind it. You know, I know it was very vague on what happened and how it went down. But it didn't work out long. He was with us maybe for the two records on MCA. And that relationship was gone. I don't even know whatever happened to Guy since then. I never hear word about him.

Randy Hulsey  1:09:11

You don't even know if he's still around, like still alive. I

Steve Blaze  1:09:14

think he's still alive because we were trying to get some information on royalties that had been due to me from back then. And we had somebody contacted me said yeah, you know, if you want to come and dig through all my garage and look for all the paperwork, and I was like, You know what, not worth it. Yeah. Wow. You know, put it aside but, you know, I wanted to like the guy. I wanted him to do a good job, you know, but in all truthfulness and honesty, he he didn't do much at all. Well that he was responsible. I do think you know, he wanted to get Robin really liked the band. He wanted to get involved with Robin and was supposed to see what happens. But you know, we got signed to MCA, which at the time was called the music cemetery of America. There are a lot of bands including Alice Cooper and Elton John. They were on the label, Alice actually told me in person when we toured with him, that they treated him horribly at MCA, and then they never wanted to see him again. This is an icon in the rock field. And yeah, they treated. So, you know, part of the business man,

Randy Hulsey  1:10:14

that's disheartening because like you said, you guys were on fire back then, you know, I remember you coming through Houston, multiple times and selling out shows there i The music was great. So it's, it's disheartening to have somebody that you think is gonna tee it up for you, and it just doesn't come, you know, to fruition now, wasn't there?

Steve Blaze  1:10:36

kurang magazine, which is like the Rolling Stone of Europe, as far as rock magazines go, David, five stars and they love, love more record, we got a lot of great use on that record. Some people you know, some purists will say that it's our best record that we ever did, you know, I can't tell you best worse, they're all the same in that category to me, but it is that stands out and, and, you know, we people love that record. You know, that one? Poetic Psycho and our latest one of the four I don't know, it's kind of hard to say, you know, it's just, you never know what what people like, but that album has a unique place in a lot of people's hearts. Yeah, and I'm very happy about that. But, you know, to see the the great response we got from it, and the lack of label support, you know, hey, we're not the only ones that have had that, that issue. So yeah, it is what it is. But yeah, we record that.

Randy Hulsey  1:11:31

So So for some of the listeners out there that aren't familiar, maybe their younger generation that aren't familiar with Robin Crosby was one of the lead guitarist for the 80s band rat, who became very successful had some hit songs out and what was there a was there a kinship between somebody and rat to to burrow, or did I read that wrong? No borough managed rat? Okay, maybe that's what it was. I was thinking that they were somebody in the band was kin to him somehow was how they got signed or what, okay.

Steve Blaze  1:12:09

No, actually, he managed them. He was actually the first manager I believe for Van Halen, too. And that relationship just went straight. Yup. Well, yeah, no, he was managing rats. So at the time, it was like crew and rat with the two big bands was like, bad you want Marshall burl, er, Doc Makita manage you met Biggie time. But anyway, so that was it. No, Robin was just a great guy. It's kind of funny and Milton Berle story though, when I flew to LA to meet Marshall for the first time he took me to lunch at the Friars Club So for all you guys that don't know what that is the Friars Club was where like all the LA old school great guys the Johnny Carson, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. You know all that the Rat Pack kind of older Hollywood people the Roadster remember? Yeah. ate lunch with Milton Berle having a cheeseburger with him there and then a few months later when we were doing our record went to the rainbow barn famous rainbow Bar and Grill and did a that was about a 10 person private birthday party for Milton Berle and Marshall took me and Ron Taylor to it at the rainbow and had a birthday party remember don't burn Willie at work kind of name is Bella you laughed at everything said was one of the iconic comedians of the time and he's actually in the round around video for rat so you can see him but yeah, he's a he's a classic. I

Randy Hulsey  1:13:34

was trying to remember back to that video wasn't was he not in drag or something in that video does my memory serves me correct?

Steve Blaze  1:13:42

I felt and then he played are a played a normal man. And then it was in drag as well. Back in one of his comedy things. I think he had done that a few times. But he was like a guy you'd see on Carol Burnett Show and Johnny Carson and all that kind of stuff. Yeah.

Randy Hulsey  1:13:59

I was trying to jog my memory back. That was what 3030 years ago probably when that when that song came out. Not that you guys were are probably one of the greatest and more popular bands that's ever surfaced out of the great state of Louisiana. I'm assuming home was New Orleans for Lillian Is that correct? You call that home? But yeah, for Lillian

Steve Blaze  1:14:21

Yeah, I started the man and 83 and 83 in New Orleans. Yeah.

Randy Hulsey  1:14:26

Okay. And then sometime later on, I think around maybe 2009 2010 You guys were inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. And to the best of my knowledge, you are the first act that were or the first rock act. I should clarify that. That was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Now I know later on zebra was introduced into that but tell me about that experience for Lillian.

Steve Blaze  1:14:54

Yeah, that was wonderful. I mean 2010 with first hardrock fan. I mean, you got Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis and I mean their rock, but, you know, as far as hard rock bands and and zebra was, was shortly thereafter, but, you know, it's like, you know, you get you hear people that talk about oh, I don't care about the internet. I don't care about award okay. Yeah. Yeah. And I don't mean it like I live for that I'm not saying that I'm saying when you're awarded with something if it's genuine, and you realize where it's coming from, and you put the hard work into it, and it means something to you, it's completely special. I agree. So when we formed that we were being inducted, I was, you know, it was one of those moments that I felt like, you know, what, all of the hard work and people don't know that. Look, I'm not whining or complaining. There's a lot of hard work, not just physical hard work, because I've been playing guitar since I'm six. I put lots of time into getting better and developing, I still do and I'm still not even halfway where I want to be. But, you know, you work hard. And you give up a lot. You know, it's not, you know, people to go, it must be just fun being out on the road. And, you know, even now, you don't know what fun is. Okay, I date and I like and I like all the things that go on. I like soundcheck, I like meeting the fans of it. But the hours of traveling, how many hours have sat in the car, or lay down in a bunk of a bus? Rockin for hours with nothing to do not being home not being with my wife or my kids? Or, or not being able to, you know, go hang out with my friends, those kinds of things. Do you give up a lot to do this, but at what you do, you don't complain about it. But when you get an award like that, for being recognized for having been accomplished something from your state? That's a big deal. Yeah. And I and so it was a great honor. When we got and I look, when I got inducted, it wasn't just me it was the band, it was the present line, it was the first lineup absolutely within, you know, we've had a few lineup changes, like every band has every single person that ever stepped in foot in this band, or worked on our crew, or even the fans, to me, that award was for all of them. So it's an all encompassing. Yep. So the, the emotional aspect because look, let me tell you something, I don't care if you Gene Simmons, or, you know, Gene Wilson, the 12 year old kid trying to become a rock star in his garage, whoever you are. And if anybody says differently, they're not really being honest with you. Everybody wants everybody to love their band, and their music, or they do. That's human nature. And there's nothing wrong with that, of course, you want everything you want to be able to, to make people feel good about what you created. There's nobody on the planet that doesn't that said, I'm going to put this out because I just want people to know, yeah, you run into this whole thing all the time of, can I be? Am I as good as I can be? Are these songs as good as they can be? And one, look, let me tell you something I'll be honest with, I'm always going to be honest, I can get 100 reviews, and 99 of them are great. And I get one guy that's like a and you focus on I get upset. Why didn't he? Why didn't he like, you know, because I feel like I let somebody down or something? Or, oh, they didn't really give it a chance or whatever. But and that's that's human nature. Yes. That's something on in your head all the time you want to move people, at least I did. I want people to be moved in appreciate. Not in a in a, you know, Oh, you're so great thing. No, but just like, wow, that, that really understand how you feel everybody wants everybody wants to be understood for what they think and what they feel. And as a songwriter and a musician. We all feel the same way. Hey, man, I want everybody to understand what I was talking about. Yeah, because maybe it's better, maybe you can relate to it. So that's another whole aspect of being a musician and for songwriters. Oh, my God, let me tell you something, being a songwriter is a blessing and a curse. I don't know how it is for other people. But when I'm writing a song, it doesn't leave my brain until it is finished. Yeah, I wake and I go to sleep thing and it I'm singing it in my dreams. I wake up, I'm walking around the house, humming it and so I haven't finished and demo and I can move on to the next one. It constantly like a fly bug in my ear. You know?

Randy Hulsey  1:19:29

It's interesting that you said that because I often ask people in general Hey, how did my sound you know, how was it at the show? You were listening. You were in the audience. And I think probably some people will misconstrue that as me trying to boost my ego and it's really not about that it's about am I delivering the best sound and the best show that I can deliver to my audience. It has nothing to do with self gratification. It has more to do with What kind of experience did you take away and you sound like you're a lot like that one review that shitty. You just hyper focus on that. And you forget about the 99 great reviews, but how do I make that one person love me like the other 99 did, right?

Steve Blaze  1:20:17

Oh, and I always think about it's like, you know what? And I've gotten better at this, honestly, because even now now, I don't let it bug me as much because I realized, you know, Steve, you'll never, ever, nobody has ever. Nope, the greatest man that ever lived was God sent His Son down, who was our Creator came down as a man. And more people treated him horribly and hated him than anything. So Jesus Christ. You know,

Randy Hulsey  1:20:48

if he can't do it, nobody can write.

Steve Blaze  1:20:51

You don't worry about that. Savior couldn't eat, you know, got treated so horribly bad by so many people. And you're worried about a review, Steve and grow up, you know,

Randy Hulsey  1:21:03

get with bombs, but

Steve Blaze  1:21:08

nobody ever is going to be fully accepted. People are going to say bad things. But you know what? The ones that say, and feel, move and appreciate you. That's the gift right there, man. Yeah.

Randy Hulsey  1:21:19

And you have to cater to the masses, you you hit it on, you hit the nail on the head, you will never please everybody, there will always be a hater out there. But you have to love what you're doing. And if you're making 99% of them happy, you're way ahead of the curve. Because I know some that aren't even probably making 25% of the people happy. And I see. I see things on, you know, YouTube, and people like covering songs. And I'm, I'm telling you, man, these, these people are covering this stuff spot on. Okay. And you see, like, 75 thumbs down for, you know, on the YouTube page. And I'm like, what, what in the hell were you guys listening to? And what makes you the authority on this? Because I'm telling you this was spot on. I like to say that I don't know much. But I do know my music. And I just I'm like, how could you not please those 75 people? Or how could you thumbs down that that's That's just insane.

Steve Blaze  1:22:20

Yeah. Think about that. Because, you know, for every one of those negative things, you don't know why that was even there. You don't know how legitimate that is. And you just have to, you just have to set aside just look. And I've said this before, if I really believe in something, and if I really think something is 100% from my heart, and I'll back it up, I can have a million people sitting there telling me you're wrong, wrong wrong. And I'm gonna stand up for what I believe period. No, I agree. Respectfully. So yeah,

Randy Hulsey  1:22:49

let's segue into you talked about you know, cutting your teeth on the guitar or you know, talking about all the behind the scenes time that you had to put into learning to play the guitar and the hardships of the road, that kind of thing, which, you know, I'm a believer, if you keep practicing your guitar, Steve, you'll be a great player like I am one of these days, you know, anyway, and in all seriousness, let's talk about gear real quick. Well, before we talk about the gear, it was funny, and I think you caught this on Facebook to somebody posted a Facebook post about who's the greatest Louisiana or greatest guitarist that's ever come out of Louisiana. And I saw your name and this of course I haven't looked at the thread lately, but your name was like Steve blaze the blaze the blaze the Blaze is like, like right in line there. So Steve has done his time people so those listening he probably is one of the greatest guitarist ever come out of the state of Louisiana and just in general, but as we segue into the gear, what's the guitar choice for you? And I know that's like how do you even pick one because they're all different? They all make different sounds and tones. But is there one in your possession that is your guitar choice?

Steve Blaze  1:24:08

I think the one that most recognized with and probably is maybe my if I had to say favorite and it is weird because I have a lot of guitars and even with amps guitars pedal system that I am never ever fully 100% satisfied. One guitar will feel one way on one day and the next day the same exact setup will feel different. Yeah. So I I realized that I'm never going to be completely satisfied. But my wife arvel my Sandy is Charvel is probably my ultimate. That's the one that most people normally buy. It was in the first video. I still I had it on the shelf for like 15 years. pulled it off. Had Josh, who's my other guitar player and sledge hammer my other my cover band is great with guitars he completely revamped it all new everything's Those same pickups, redid the neck, the electronics, the floyd rose everything and I play it out live and that's probably my top one. But I have several endorsements. I play guitars for a company called strictly seven. And I play guitars from a company called Guilford guitars. I have one of everything I've got strat, les Paul's floors I just got a new Ivan as I got a couple of vibe and as I've got a I've been a saber I've got a double neck Fender Strat about six acoustic guitars trying to think of all the different ones. I have a ton of different stuff and I like to mix them off by different things. Wolfgang, so So I just It depends on what kind of mood I'm in you know, I have a better setup for D tunes. So I just swap over for D tune and then amp wise I use PV JSX heads and I use the fractal axe effects floor unit and everything all my presets are standard. They are all set up all my effects are in that one unit I can go to China as long as they give me a good amp and a good tab. I can be consistent everywhere I go. Use Tremonti wah pedal. I use a MEL nine for drawings behind my guitar mainly on clean stuff or whatever. And you know I've got several good I've got a composite acoustic, which is owned by PV acoustic guitar. Got a tackle meanie I've got a couple of patients. Couple of webinars acoustic guitars. What else a tailor acoustic electric no Nana wooden body I got about I don't know I'm not like a big giant collector like 40 guitars or five it's not like some guys. I know some guys that have insane collections. 100 200 guitars Oh yeah, never touch

Randy Hulsey  1:26:44

right? Or don't know how to play them. But they like to like to collect them right

Steve Blaze  1:26:49

at that. It's like, it's like collecting furniture or whatever. Sure. Sure.

Randy Hulsey  1:26:53

Well, when you said Chevelle, I mean that that name to me, is synonymous in a couple of guys that just popped up like right off the top of my head. You know, we were talking about rat earlier. Warren de martini, I think was a big Charvel player at one time and Jakey Lee from you know, Ozzy, and you know, he had other projects, but those guys come to mind when you talk about Shar Belle was there. Did Charvel and Jackson merge were those one in the same company? I don't I don't remember. It seems like Charvel Jackson was a thing.

Steve Blaze  1:27:26

I think Jackson might have thought Charvel out after i i got my guitar from another guitar player, local guitar player, Warren Lauderdale. He was a guy that had been playing around for a while and he had the show right? My original. I bought the Eddie Van Halen Chevelle strat off of music Emporium for like 500 bucks. And I had a Floyd Rose put in it because that that was supposedly what Eddie had on his guitar was a Floyd Rose. Nobody else had him. I paid $300 for the floyd rose on my $500 guitar. And it was black and yellow. And that was I played that everywhere pictures floating around. I loved a guitar, that unfinished maple neck. And then I got the white Chevelle. And I did the same thing for that. And then while we were recording the first album, you know, I walked in one day, and I'm like, Wait, where's my Chevelle? And I saw the guitar. It looked just like it was just flat black painted. And Robin Crosby says, oh, yeah, I had your guitar painted overnight. Like What? What? Just took my guitar after last night sessions, and went and had somebody painted flat black to go. Yeah. Why did you do that? You didn't even ask me goes. Look, you're Steve Blaze. You're making a name for yourself. Go out there. You don't need to be playing Eddie Van Halen guitar any place he plays guitar. That's why I did that. And I was like, Yes, sir. Sorry. Yeah. Look back at that. I'm just saying I understand. Exactly. So it was it was very cool. And it was his way of giving me props.

Randy Hulsey  1:28:56

Absolutely. I was gonna say he's paying you a big Kudo, and I respect their by doing that. But I would have been like you at first, if you touch my guitar again. I'm gonna break your breaker. So I've listened to a few of your loving war shows. And you guys are covering just about everything you and Todd are covering just about anything and everything on the show. Tell the listeners about the vodcast if you will,

Steve Blaze  1:29:23

alright. As it's called the Love and War show. It's me. And one of my closest friends in the world. Todd Schmidt pay that award winning expert director producer, cinematographer filmer he's, he's amazing. So we just want to do a podcast and our Moran who was my stage manager, my my go to guy for everything is like our, our Ed McMahon, so to speak, and my son Jude is on the show. And we just like what do you want to do? I don't know. Let's just go talk. So we develop into this show that lasts about two hours, hour and a half with 40 episodes. You can see it on YouTube, or you can see it on my his Facebook page and we just act like idiots. I mean, we cut off, we laugh about everything. We have segments we haven't done in a couple of months because we're revamping, and we're working on our documentary. So probably in the summertime, we'll be back out. But we have 40 episodes. And like, for example, every episode owl dresses up, like one of his favorite singers like when we was Freddie Mercury, Alice Cooper, and then Daryl Hall. And every week, it's a different guy. And we do acoustic medleys of some of their hits. And I'm playing and he's dressed up and I can't keep straight face the whole time. And he's saying and and he's all getting into it. And now it's not like a professional thing or so. Right. It's just a funny. And when we do this, because I can barely keep from cracking up laughing and Todd's laughing. And, you know, we have a segment like Jude, my son to joke of the week and the weekend competition where he tries to stomp out with questions about trivia. Al has dollar every time he loses. And Jude has to give him a candy bar every time. And we have different segments like peace, love, and kittens. And we just talk about whatever we want. And we have a good solid listener base. And they they love the show.

Randy Hulsey  1:31:18

So it's really it's literally, it's literally not scripted, and set up in any way. It's just an hour or two of just randomness, right? It

Steve Blaze  1:31:28

really is. You know, but we try to, you know, we, we found out that when it's just when we're sitting around talking about stuff, we're just everybody's cracking up around us. And we're laughing at ourselves and acting like fools and stuff. So it's just fun. And then these people like man after My after my tough week at work, I just want to sit down and watch a show and all we do is laugh. Yeah, we just laugh. What? Keep it going? Yeah, I

Randy Hulsey  1:31:53

said that years ago to my brother, it was probably before I even really knew what a podcast was. And but I always told him, you know, because we're, I think we're funny together. Maybe other people don't think we're funny, but I think we are. But I said I think people really enjoyed listening to you and I rant and go off and talk about just life in general, just randomness. And that's sometimes the funniest. And the fun thing to listen to is things that aren't scripted that just happen. They just happen, right. Talk to me a little bit about ghost hunting, like how did you get into the whole ghost hunting thing?

Steve Blaze  1:32:30

Okay, I got asked, gosh, I don't know, maybe like seven, eight years ago now that a birthday party for one of my nephews and Skye came up. He said I have a production company and I read some of your interviews I heard you like you're into the paranormal and ghost hunting etc. And we want to do a reality show with a rock and roll guitar player, ghost hunter. I'm like, okay, so we started talking Long story short, spent about a year or so putting a reality show together doing a sizzle. I put a team together of Ghost Hunters meticulously to make the best team I could possibly find the show more production companies come and go we shot some things here and there and started to actually film like four or five episodes that have never been edited to sitting in the can. But I have a team called the veil, and it's myself and six other members who are all seasoned in different ways. And ghost hunting. I have a guy that's been ghost hunting for 40 years I have a very well respected medium. I have a NASA scientist. I have the Head of Product Development for PV electronics, my brother who's a alarm tech and security system tech key and owl. Moran was telling you about my stage manager are the gear guys setting up all the equipment. Okay, so except in our team, and we investigate everything in anywhere. So we're shooting a documentary now we spent three years shopping this two networks for a reality show. And we were on the doorstep. As a matter of fact, it was on Mark Cuban's desk and Mark Cuban told the producer was one of his top producers that he just didn't want paranormal or cooking shows on his network, so didn't even bother to really look into it. We had Jason Hawes from Ghost Hunters talk to him several times. He said he loved the show. He wanted to shop it and disappeared. We don't know what happened to him after several conversations. And we had a deal memo from Destination America to have his show to as well. And these things all fell apart. A lot of it had to do with COVID This past year, we decided to do a documentary. We've filmed one of our big investigations. And we're still in the process of filming and editing it right now. Hopefully, we're streaming for the end of the summer.

Randy Hulsey  1:34:45

So So real quick, so the to make sure I understand the team of Ghost Hunters is the veil that's not the actual name of the show the documentary. Can you say what the name of the documentary is called?

Steve Blaze  1:34:58

It's called through avail. And there's a subtitle, which I can't tell you because it'll give away bloke who wants to be a surprise, okay, when it's Oh, yeah, through the vein, the main name of the show. And the thing about our team is not only is it such a well rounded team, but we use music, as one of our as a catalyst for communicating with the other side, it's different in that we're very, very meticulous about our evidence. We don't just look at every time you know, your noise, all of a sudden, it's a ghost or whatever. And we have a lot of different unique, I think, ways that we look at ghost hunting. And, you know, our idea of the main mission statement is to give people hope that once you pass away, there's, you have just begun, you know what I'm saying? We are all born again, Christian people in, in the organization. And, you know, we believe in God, and we think that the whole thing with ghosts, you know, a lot of people that are How can you be a Christian and believe in ghosts, so Well, to be honest with you, I never pretend to know everything, and nobody on this planet knows exactly what happens when we pass away. We've got people that have variances and have died, comeback, etc. And they have different variances, but we don't know yet. But what I do know is that we pick things up in evidence that is not of this dimension in this planet. And I look at ghosts as being sold. Now, I do think there are demons, I think there are entities that are in a different dimension. I think all the other dimensions can easily pop over here, I don't think we've been able to figure out how to go into other dimensions. But the big picture is so huge and complicated. That we have no idea yet. See my famous statement to myself is I am smart enough to know that I'm not smart enough. And none of us are. Yeah, so we just tried to give evidence that there is hope in life in a different capacity once we pass away.

Randy Hulsey  1:36:56

Yeah. Now, if you are a ghost hunter, not you as a new but just in general. If you say I'm a ghost hunter, does this mean that you need to believe in them? Or is this more of a mission to see for yourself whether they are real or not,

Steve Blaze  1:37:12

you know, I guess if you say you're a hunter, if anything if I'm going fishing, I have to believe there's fish, right? Yeah, I guess you know, the definition could be either. I mean, look, I've got a couple of skeptics on my team Fred from Peavy. He's a big time skeptic now. Yeah. Okay. A whole heck of a lot lately. But he's the first one to say, you know, yeah, that a fire breathing demon that just flew out of the ceiling and, and burned my hair put me on fire. That could have been a giant mosquito. Yeah. But we've turned him around in many occasions. So but it's good to be skeptical. Yeah, reason. I'm the first one to say look, but I I don't know what the heck that where that voice came from. But I know it didn't come from in this room. Yeah. And I know, here without yours, but we picked it up in we okay. Yeah. You told me. You can't know.

Randy Hulsey  1:38:02

And I asked. Yeah. And I asked that question, because I'm probably right up there with him. Like, I'm one of the biggest skeptics in the world I'm a Seeing is believing or true believer. Right and Lillian terms. So I don't say that it's not real. I don't say that it's real. I just haven't, you know, in one way or another? I haven't been proven to that it's fact or fiction? I don't know. Right. But that's I was just curious if you have a team of people. Do you all have to believe that it's real? And apparently, the answer is no to that. Because you said you have some skeptics on your team that you're either gonna determine that it is or it isn't right. They'll see for themselves, I guess at the end of the day.

Steve Blaze  1:38:44

But the way it is, I mean, if you think about it, if I asked you right, and you believe in Bigfoot, you probably go I don't know. I don't know one way or the other. I don't I don't, I'm probably not different. But when you experience it, and you believe it, right? Yep. So the people on my team have experienced things that they've never some of them, they've never experienced anything before. So they know it's real. But they're skeptical about, you know, certain pieces of evidence, like, Okay, this thing that just happened, this thing that moved or whatever, could have been this or could have been that they're skeptical in that way. But everybody got to go love. That's what's so, you know, that's why we have the Word, faith. Yeah. Has anybody actually physically seen the face of God? No, not that I know. But our faith tells us and allows us, just like right now, you see my face, but if I move, am I still in existence? Because I'm not in the room with you. You know, that's, that's part of faith. In this particular scenario. Once you experience something, it changes you. Once you hear voice, you know, on your recorder, you like all of a sudden like it sends chills down your spine. That's why I got into it when I started listening to EVPs that people have picked up and then I started Picking up my own EVPs in like, wow, this is something being said, and nobody's near me. What the hell? Is that? Right? I know that it came from somewhere. Yep. What? Man? I don't know,

Randy Hulsey  1:40:15

how much of your time as a musician and a ghost hunter and filming documentaries and doing all the things you do what? How much of the ghost hunting or the paranormal? How much of your time I guess rephrasing the question, how much of your time percentage wise is consumed by ghost hunting and paranormal activity? Is it a small portion of your that a day in the life of Steve Blaze? Or is it is it consuming of days, like I know you have a full time job and a company that you own and whatnot. But you know, I didn't know what percentage if it was just a small percentage or a large percentage of what consumer run

Steve Blaze  1:40:55

a company that I run every day. But the good thing about it is since I own it, I'm in the office and I can multitask. And I'm a multitasking freak, because I also have an 11 year old son and I coach baseball with him. I'm married, so I have to get the wife time in, I take food with my son, I've been taking Kung Fu for 22 years, I have the ghost hunting, the podcast, to bands, and all these other things. But you learn how to manage your time. And then still have time to watch TV and cook dinner and grill and do all of it. Because I'm not good at not doing anything I have to be if I had one hour that I just really well that doesn't even exist that I actually because there's always something pressing. And I'm fine with that. Because that's how i That's just my personality. I like to be liked to be moving. If I'm not moving forward with something I'm going back.

Randy Hulsey  1:41:50

Yeah, well, you sound a lot like me, like, we don't know how to just wind down like I don't I always have to be going you know, podcast music shows full time job. And I'm told all the time, dude, you're gonna, you're gonna give yourself a heart attack. But it's just the way that I'm wired. And it sounds like the way you're wired.

Steve Blaze  1:42:10

And, you know, one of the things though, is like, I have a personal trainer, and I go to the gym four days a week to, but that I do that, like when I know most people take a lunch break, instead of going out eating, I go to the gym, so I make it happen the way that needs to in the mud. The reason I'm saying that is staying physically in shape is vitally important. You know, I don't frogs, I don't drink never have never got into that. And, you know, and that's what I think is keeps me my energy level high. So I would recommend that to all of you guys. Well, you're always and you got to have time for God, I gotta pray every day. Go to church on the weekend. So you just make it happen. Yeah, well, you're

Randy Hulsey  1:42:53

definitely an exception to the rule from a musician perspective, you know, the whole, the drinking the drugs thing, because they've always been synonymous with the rock star life. And it's interesting because I play a lot of microbreweries here in the Cypress, Texas area. And generally, you know, they're always saying, you know, I could drink off the tap all night during my show, and I just don't, I don't do it. And I think I think the big part of it for me is, I don't like feeling like shit for three days after I have like three or four beers. And it's not important to me, like it was when I was 25 or 30 years old. I just don't desire to do that anymore.

Steve Blaze  1:43:32

Well, I you know, like yourself, I'm also in control of everything. I'm always the team leader, for everything I'm involved in. So I have a lot of people that rely on me and respect me for making decisions of right mind, which I couldn't do if I was doing other things. Plus, you know, I always look at the best gift I have. And the greatest job that I have as being a dad, you know, I look at it, like, you know, I don't do anything that I would not be able to look my kid in the eye and say, hey, you know, you know, from everything from how I treat somebody else, you know, I couldn't look my son in the face and go hey, book, man, you know,

Randy Hulsey  1:44:13

that's an accolade to you because on the way home from the office this morning, I I was listening to a little bit of Eddie trunks interview with with Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee of Motley Crue and they had a couple of the actors that did the movie called The dirt. Right. And they said they were talking about the premiere of this thing in California and Nikki Sixx said, you know, my daughter was sitting right next to me during the premiere of this movie, and if anybody has ever followed Motley Crue they were not altar boys. Right? And they did some really, you know, some things that they probably don't want to have the discussion with in front of their kids and it's it's, it's something that of course they have to live with, but that's an accolade to you that and the thought process of don't do anything that you would have to explain to do later on. That's just easier to do it that way. So so moving right along. You guys have a tour coming up, let the listeners know where they can find the schedule for Lily and I know for sure you have a show in Memphis I think there's one at trees in Dallas. There's one at the scout bar here in Houston but where where would the listeners go find the schedule if they wanted to come out and support Lillian

Steve Blaze  1:45:28

anything Lillian acts related are related with a ghost hunting team, whatever. Go to my Facebook page under Steve Blaze. There's Lily enact Facebook pages Lily next website, Lillian x.com. You can look up Brent Graham or singer. Gosh, there's tons of them. Just trying to think I don't. The only thing that I really, really get totally involved with is my Facebook page. Okay. So but you know, the normal things are getting Instagram accounts, but they go to fake. Okay, and look on the or the blaze. And everything is pretty much there. And I'm you know, I go live a lot of my Facebook page too. And I like the correspondence I answer all my instant messages and stuff. So that's the best way to find out where we're going. We've got dates coming up in Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Memphis, North Carolina, Atlanta Jackson. And we work in we've got about maybe the festivals coming up too as well. One in Louisiana and Gonzales with night Ranger and well autograph firehouse night Ranger, I want to say is it striper winger are one of them, they were on, I'm not sure who else is on it. It was a great festival a few years ago before COVID. And it's been keeps getting pushed back. But it looks like it's going to happen this time. So we've got a lot of stuff coming up, we got a new record coming out the end of the year beginning of next year called from womb to tomb. And we're recording that right now. I'm very overly thrilled about this album too. So a lot of things going on. So that's awesome. That's also check out podcasts on my Facebook page. And on YouTube. We have a YouTube channel. But the love more she can watch all 40 episodes. It's pretty funny. I think once you watch it, you kind of get hooked on it. Yeah,

Randy Hulsey  1:47:16

I recommend that you guys make sure you check out love and war on on YouTube. And while I'm thinking about it I was talking to to Joey Jones yesterday, two days ago. And he asked me to pass along his phone number to you. So I will text you after the show of Joey's contact information. And then so we talked about where you guys could be found on social media. I thought we would wrap up with some quickfire questions. Steve, these are kind of meant to be fun. If you want to elaborate on any of them. You know, that's fine, but you know, one one word answers are certainly fine as well. And we'll wrap up so Beatles or the stones.

Steve Blaze  1:47:58

Both influential I lean towards stones.

Randy Hulsey  1:48:01

Okay, Van Halen, or Hendrix, Van Halen, summer or winter? I think you answered that earlier. But you still you stole my thunder. You still everybody wants to steal my thunder. So winter is that right? How about TV or radio? TV? Perfect vacation for the blaze family.

Steve Blaze  1:48:23

Wow. Two places, Gatlinburg, Disney.

Randy Hulsey  1:48:28

And you just recently came back from spending your life inheritance and, and this Yeah, right.

Steve Blaze  1:48:33

Yeah, it was amazing. Because last year we went we all got the disease open right before it happened. So I'm pretty sure when we had it was rough. So we had to go back and and make sure we had a good

Randy Hulsey  1:48:50

Yeah, well, I have to ask Did it help with the crowds that were just kind of, I wouldn't say we're coming out of I mean, who knows what COVID is and where it's gonna be and all that but did you see the crowds down like were you able to actually get on rides within a reasonable amount of time?

Steve Blaze  1:49:07

Got on rides like that? It was probably about half capacity beyond what he was still crying. Yeah. The people over there have good contacts. I was I don't think I waited in line at all in four days.

Randy Hulsey  1:49:18

While we went out to San Antonio years back and they had this deal called a speed pass and I'm sure they have something like this at Disney World where you pay extra money not I mean, you certainly pay the Park Admission but you buy this device. And you put in somehow like I want to ride XYZ at noon and your pager goes off and it's like the best $200 per head that I spent because we didn't wait on nothing which is amazing.

Steve Blaze  1:49:51

They have fast passes but you go to a certain ride and and you you sign in and they will text you what time especially when somebody's mainly on the bigger rods like Rise of the resistance, which there's everybody's trying to get on stuff like that. So it's some, but I never have to take care of that. Thank God so, because I'd be lost my friends,

Randy Hulsey  1:50:12

how about acoustic or electric?

Steve Blaze  1:50:16

I can't go either way. It's even, you know, the all my years of as a child it was, you know, 10 years of class going and flamenco acoustic so I can't

Randy Hulsey  1:50:27

stay in or go out. Oh, stay in. Yeah. Family Guy.

Steve Blaze  1:50:34

I'll tell you different. She's like my wife teaches college. So she has all these tests and you're an extrovert in me and Jude are introverts but on the extra, like, why? Just because I'm a musician, but I like to go let's put it this way. I like going out with my wife and son and sometimes with friends. I like to go eat and shop. That's it. Yeah, but party went out. Like that. And hang out. Oh, yeah,

Randy Hulsey  1:50:58

I agree with you there. Rocker country. Oh, rock. Do you love country at all? Are you a country guy at all?

Steve Blaze  1:51:06

I like some of the old stuff. I like somebody else. Back the new stuff. But it sounds to me just like, you know, like, there's so much rock influence in it. You know, they all have like Def Leppard drums in them now, you know, and say, Oh, I appreciate some I like some of the ballads. But you know to choose between the two would be rocked by a firewall,

Randy Hulsey  1:51:28

I and I was always a rock pig to from back in the day coming up through different bands, rock bands covering everything under the sun, right. But I think as a as a solo artist, I've mentioned it before that you have to be a little bit more diverse and not so much genre specific. Right? You have to branch outside of that. So how about early bird or night owl?

Steve Blaze  1:51:53

Night Owl?

Randy Hulsey  1:51:55

Yeah, we're opposites there. How about favorite place to play? So one place that sticks out in your mind and all the years of of touring and whatnot that that was your favorite place to play?

Steve Blaze  1:52:08

The marquee in London. Okay. Very famous club everybody. sabots Van Halen is that blend of stones played there?

Randy Hulsey  1:52:15

Did you guys headline something there? Were you supporting? Okay. Yeah.

Steve Blaze  1:52:19

1000 seater. And it was like we played in central London and it's like the premier club and everybody knows it was sold out and it was a great show for it. You can still see some of the footage from it on YouTube if you look it up. Yeah. Thanks

Randy Hulsey  1:52:34

for pointing that out. And is there a favorite Lilian song or just a favorite song to play in general live for for you.

Steve Blaze  1:52:42

Death comes tomorrow on the most recent album,

Randy Hulsey  1:52:45

okay. Is there is there a reason why that's your favorite to play live?

Steve Blaze  1:52:50

It's one of my favorite songs that I wrote just because of the song itself. But there's it's just one of those songs it's just flew into play and it's it's very powerful. And it's one of those light the dark songs so there's a lot of emotion in it when it you know a lot of powerful crescendoing so fun to play. It gets me roll in line. Yeah,

Randy Hulsey  1:53:15

that's awesome. And formal training or play by ear.

Steve Blaze  1:53:19

Well, I had formal training for a while and playing by ear so that's an even thing. I'm can't read like I did when I was a kid. But I have a very good ear. So I mean, I would say if I wanted to advise somebody learn to play by ear first.

Randy Hulsey  1:53:33

And what about number one influential musicians musician or band? Was there was there one that comes to mind that did it for Steve Blaze?

Steve Blaze  1:53:43

Band Alice Cooper, musician, Brian May. Okay,

Randy Hulsey  1:53:47

so Brian, may the guitars for Queen right. In Your Eyes greatest song of all time. Killing me. Besides goes to winter.

Steve Blaze  1:53:59

Besides go some winter. Oh, my gosh.

Randy Hulsey  1:54:02

I didn't say the questions would be easy. Like I just said that they were quick fire questions.

Steve Blaze  1:54:07

Okay. Thanks. Let's see. Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber. Okay. contemporary classical string piece. There was a theme song to platoon, The Elephant Man has been used.

Randy Hulsey  1:54:25

And what advice would you give a young up and coming guitar player? Somebody was just getting started with the guitar. What would you tell them?

Steve Blaze  1:54:35

First thing you need to get in line is yourself, your soul, your mind and your body. Get rid of all bad evil influences. Don't get into don't drink. Don't do drugs. Practice. Learn. Listen. Listen to everything. Pay attention to every kind of music. Listen, open your ears and your mind to different things even if you don't like You're gonna learn something, listen to people, even if you don't like what they have to say, Pray, get God in your life. Always strive for greatness, always tribe. And that's not just being the greatest guitar plus being the greatest person, all the other things will come and they will fall in the line. If you work on yourself as a human being first, treat other people with respect. And remember that there is not going to ever be another us you don't need to be another dis or that you are unique. You will never, there's never going to be another you or me or anybody else. Capitalize be the best that you can possibly be and all the other stuff will fall into place. People will be attracted to you and what you create, you don't have to be the player, the most bluesy. You don't have to be the best looking to be the biggest, smallest, greatest tallest or be the best that you individually can be. And that light will shine and people will be gravitated towards you.

Randy Hulsey  1:55:58

That's That's great advice and words of wisdom. And in coming from an aspiring guitarist, and a great guitarist like yourself. That's That's great advice to give the up and comers out there. I think so many of them quit too soon, because the strings start to blister the fingers and you know, they thought they wanted to play but maybe maybe I didn't want to play that bad after all right. So I know that a lot of people give it up first.

Steve Blaze  1:56:24

The fingers will still hurt. I still do sometimes if I don't play for several days. Come back and they hurt. Yeah, but I Robert. There.

Randy Hulsey  1:56:34

I can speak for that part up. Yep. Yeah. Yep. Yeah, the pain is just part of it. But it gets better. So continue after. And then the last question I was gonna ask, which I probably won't ask but I was gonna ask you the you know what you thought was the greatest podcast on the internet. But since you have your own show love and war I figured you were just gonna say Love and War anyway. So we'll just forego that question.

Steve Blaze  1:57:00

Are you okay with being close?

Randy Hulsey  1:57:03

There you go. I've been a close second all my life. You know, one more day of being a close second. Well, if you're not first, you're last is what they always say. All the listeners out there. I want to thank Steve Blaze for joining me on today's show. I asked that the listeners like, share and subscribe to the podcast. Please also do a review on the show. This would help us out tremendously. Also, don't forget to follow Steve and Lilian acts on all of their social media platforms. Make sure you check out the Love and War show on YouTube. You can find the show again on Facebook at backstage pass radio podcast on Instagram at backstage pass radio on Twitter at backstage pass PC. And of course, the easiest way to find the show is on the web at backstage pass. radio.com Steve, thanks again for taking your valuable time and sharing your story with myself and the listeners. It's much appreciated. Thanks again for tuning in to Backstage Pass radio.

Adam Gordon  1:58:04

Thanks so much for joining us. We hope you enjoy today's episode of backstage pass radio. Make sure to follow Randy on Facebook and Instagram at Randy Hulsey music and on Twitter at our Halsey music. Also make sure to like, subscribe and turn on alerts for upcoming podcasts. If you enjoyed the podcast, make sure to share the link with a friend and tell them backstage pass radio is the best show on the web for everything music. We'll see you next time right here on backstage pass radio