Papa Roach Pledges Their Rock Allegiance

The Rock Allegiance Tour is a new tour package this year featuring a bunch of old
friends and touring mates. It also features quite a bit of familiar “radio
hits” for a rock show. Papa Roach is one band responsible many of them. Jacoby
and the boys are co-headlining the tour with Buckcherry. I was fortunate to
catch lead guitarist Jerry Horton in between a meet and greet with fans and
dinner at a show in Winston Salem, NC recently. Jerry caught me up to speed
with the goings on in the world of Papa Roach.

Hey Jerry, thanks again for taking the time this afternoon to talk to us. I know things have been a little hectic with the meet and greet and sound check and
everything. I am sure that not every day on the tour is this hectic. How have
things been so far?

Yeah, today has been a little hectic! I just met someone at the meet and greet who is coming to see us seven shows in a row. That’s amazing! The tour has been going really well and we have been playing to about 5000-6000 fans each night. We’re good
friends with all the bands on the tour and it’s been a lot of fun. This is the
first time that we have actually been able to have a set on stage too. The
feedback is that overall; it’s a really good show.

You guys are still touring off of Time for Annihilation. Have you begun to look forward to the next album?

Oh yeah,this is the last tour for this record cycle and we are going to take a month
off and start writing for the new record. We will probably take about six
months to write and record this time. We usually take about three months for
the entire process, but we’re going to take our time and make sure everything
is right.


Do you have a time frame that you are shooting for as far as a release goes?

We are hoping to have it out by fall of next year. That’s what we are shooting for.

This tour is a new package deal this year. Do you have any say so on a package like this or do you just go where the suits tell you to?

We have a little say so on something like this. There are the people who own the rights to the name of the tour and they did approach us and asked for our input on who should be on it. I think this tour is an amazing package; there are a ton of
radio hits up and down the entire package.

You guys are alternating with Buckcherry on closing the show each night, so you guys both get an hour. How tough is it to pick a set list when you only have that short of an amount of time?

It’s basically all of the radio songs; that’s what it ends up being with a short set
like that. Obviously, it’s a lot better when we have time to do a full set, but
it is what it is.

You guys tour like crazy when you release an album and you seem to stay on the road forever. What are the best and worst parts of being on the road?

The best part is the show and the worst part is being away from family.

What about the food? You guys seem to be in great shape and that has to be tough with eating on the road.

Yeah, the food can be quite treacherous at times. You have to try and be choosey, but
it’s not always an easy thing to do. I have a weakness for cheesecake and
Reeses peanut butter cookies. I definitely need to stay away from the dessert
table!

You have been out with Buckcherry several times in the past and there seems to be a great family type atmosphere to things. What’s it like being out with those guys?

We’re all really good friends and get along great. It’s funny because we keep saying that we all wouldn’t mind not seeing each other for a while. We do love being on the
road with them, but it would be nice to tour with someone else (laughs) for a
while.

I have a few questions that the fans sent me to ask you. What’s your favorite 80s metal/rock album?

That’s a really tough one. I would probably have to go with Metallica And Justice for All. That’s the album that got me into playing guitar.

Favorite guitarist?

I can’t name just one. If I had to pick a couple it would have to be James Hetfield and Jimi Hendrix.

Favorite drummer?

I would have to go with Abe (Cunningham) from the Deftones.

Most underrated band of any era?

Kings X, without a doubt. I have a funny story about Doug (Pinnick) from Kings X. We played at this place called Warehouse Live in Houston and our tour manager was outside where everyone was lined up. He did like a double take and saw Doug in line for the show. They know each other and he yelled at him and asked him what he was doing and Doug said, ‘I’m going to a rock show!’ Then our manager jerked him out of line and let him in. He was just going to buy a ticket like an average Joe and see us play. That was a huge honor for us!

What about any guilty pleasures that you can share?

I am obsessed with cars to the point that it’s like porn for me. I can tell you just
about anything about the. I’m a gear head because my dad did drag racing when I
was younger and it just worked its way into my brain.

If the band gave you the chance to cover any song on the next album, what would you choose to do?

We have talked about this before. We have tossed around the idea of covering “Thunder
and Lightning” by Thin Lizzy. I think I need to learn that solo in order for
that to happen. John Sykes is a force to be reckoned with.

Wow, that would definitely be awesome to hear. I hope you get that solo nailed so that it sees the light of day. I guess we should wrap this up now so that you guys can get ready. Thanks again for your time Jerry. I can’t wait to see you guys tear it up tonight!

Josh Todd of Buckcherry Talks Rock and Roll and Fried Chicken

The Rock Allegiance Tour rolled out onto America recently with a lineup worthy of a very long night of maximum rock. Buckcherry is co-headlining the tour with Papa
Roach. The tatted bad boys from L.A. have been bringing their style of slick
and sometimes raunchy rock each and every night and exciting crowds across the
US on this tour. I caught up with front man Josh Todd before their set in
Winston Salem, NC recently. We talked about AC/DC, opening for KISS and fried
chicken.

Hey man, I want to start off by saying thanks for taking the time to do this interview. The Rock Allegiance tour is a new package this year. How have things been so far?

It’s been going great! We’ve been touring for our record All Night Long since July of last year, so this is just a small leg of our tour for that album. We’re about 200shows deep. We’re a little tired, but other than that, the shows have been going awesome.

You guys are like a touring machine after you put an album out. You seem to have that old school mentality of hitting the road and staying on it seemingly forever after you have a new album drop.

Yeah, that’s how we built our fan base and our reputation off of the live show. That’s how real rock bands do it; you go out and play live.

So, after this tour end, you guys will be taking part in the Ship Rocked cruise. What can you tell us about that?

We’re doing like three shows or maybe more. I really don’t know that much about it other than it goes on annually and they have been doing it for a while now. They have
been after us to participate, but this is the first time that it actually
worked out with our schedule. It’s going to be a mess; people just hammered
24-7.

How did signing with 11-7 Music change you guys? Did it free you up and give you more creative control? What was behind the decision to go with them?

11-7 was actually created for Buckcherry. We were the first band to be on it so that we could put an album out. Our manager created it because at the time, nobody
would sign our record 15, which was our highest selling record of all that we have put out. It’s a great story because since we couldn’t get a proper record deal in the states, he started a record label for us. We were the first record and the rest is history. Now, there are all sorts of great bands on the label. It’s just so good to be independent. Basically, a major record label is really just a bank. If you are just starting out and don’t really have a fan base built up yet, a major label can get you on a bill and get tour support. Once you’ve established that base, the way to go is independent. You have more control over everything.

You mentioned All Night Long, which came out in 2010. Are you guys writing or working on any new material yet? With all of your touring, have you even had any time to do so?

We’re thinking about doing a concept record, so we have some ideas in the works.
We’ve been writing some songs, but we have to see how it’s all going to come
out. I think it’s going to be really cool.

Wow, a concept record? That definitely has my curiosity peaked. I can’t wait to hear that. Speaking of curious, I wanted to ask how it was opening up for KISS back in 2009.

It was amazing! That was actually the second KISS tour that we got to go on. We got to open up for them in Europe on our first record. We did a whole tour with them,
24 dates, when they decided to put their makeup back on. We were a brand new
band, we had never been on arena stages and we had never been to Europe. It was
very intimidating, but we had such a good time on that tour. KISS is really
cool because they support real rock and roll bands and they were very cool to
us. They took us under their wing back then and we really appreciated it. Then,
we got the privilege to do it again on here in the States.

I know you guys caught a lot grief for the language that you use during your shows on that tour. I mean, it’s a Buckcherry show and it’s expected. You guys stayed true to yourselves and didn’t change.

Yeah, we did have a lot of problems with the profanity issue on that tour. I mean, I get it because a KISS show now is a family affair. We did our best to clean it up
some, but some of our songs do have profanity in them. I guess it’s just not
acceptable for us to be using it.

You have an hour to play tonight. How tough is it to trim your set list down to fit that time frame?

It is pretty tough because we just finished up doing headlining shows in July and August. Now, we have to condense it down quite a bit because we can’t play as long as
we would like to. The first week or so it takes some getting used to, but now
we’re having a blast out there.

A fan sent me a question to ask you. Are you listening to anything music that may surprise your fans?

I listen to all sorts of stuff. I just like good songs. I like music that
will motivate me. I like Neil Diamond. I just went through a major 70s Bruce
Springsteen phase. I am addicted to his song “Rosalita” right now. I’m really
into Rival Suns. They have two or three records out and they sound like a young
Led Zeppelin and they are awesome.

Here are a few other questions for the fans; best 80s metal/rock album?

AC/DC’s Back in Black; that album changed my life!

Most underrated band?

Do you mean right now or ever? There was a band that came out called Love/Hate and they were amazing, but they never really got a shot. They put out a record called Blackout in the Red Room. For me that record is right up there with Back in
Black and Appetite for Destruction for me. That’s one if you really love rock, then you should really visit that record. They deliver that stuff live perfectly. Jizzy Pearl, the singer, was such an influence on me early on. I would go to LA and see shows when I was like 16 and I had never seen a rock band. I mean, I never really go the glam bands like Poison and all those kind of glammy hair bands I never really got. Then, I saw Love/Hate and I thought this stuff is amazing. Jizzy was rad and he
still is.

Favorite food while you’re out on the road?

I really love fried chicken and I know that it’s probably going to kill me at some
point, but if I can find some good fried chicken, I’m going to go get it. I ate
at Bojangles because it was close to here and I just had to do it. After I’m
done, I’m like man I shouldn’t have done that.

Favorite drink?

Jack and coke.

I can’t think of a better way to wrap up this interview than with a great drink! Thanks for the chance to talk with you and I can’t wait to see you guys out on the stage tonight putting on a show like only Buckcherry can do.