The Summit Interview with Bruce Kulick, Steve Whiteman, Brian Wheat, David Ellefson & more

THE SUMMIT INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE KULICK, RON YOUNG, STEVE WHITEMAN, BRIAN WHEAT, DAVID ELLEFSON, JEFF BUEHNER, ALAN NIVEN AND JOHN REGAN
Date: December 2020
Interviewer: Ruben Mosqueda
Photos: Joe Schaeffer Photography (second, fifth, sixth and eighth photos), Christopher Carroll ROCK Photography (fourth photo)

Last year, Sleaze Roxx did a year end round table Q&A, so we tried it again in 2020. This time around we asked a series of COVID-19 pandemic themed questions and our guests delivered.

JEFF BUEHNER FROM ROUGH CUTT AND THE LOYAL ORDER

First up is Jeff Buehner who plays bass in Rough Cutt and is the lead vocalist in The Loyal Order. Rough Cutt will have some new tunes in 2021 and the band shot a video in L.A. a few weeks ago. The Loyal Order where Buehner sings issued their debut album in the summer of 2020. If you’re a fan of contemporary hard rock, The Loyal Order is for you.

Sleaze Roxx: What was the last show that you caught?

Jeff Buehner: I was invited to go along on the Mega Cruise by Thom Hazaert [Ellefson]. Unfortunately, some business got in the way and I wasn’t able to make it. They had a great kickoff party that I did attend! I watched UFO and Armored Saint play in LA.

Sleaze Roxx: What’s something that you tried for the first time during the lockdown?

Jeff Buehner: Live Streaming — that was something new to me.

Sleaze Roxx: We lost some big names in 2020. Which of those losses impacted you the most and why?

Jeff Buehner: Neil Peart and Eddie Van Halen, both of whom were huge standouts in my youth. Neil, not only because of his drumming, but also his lyrics. He was ‘the’ wordsmith. “Emotional feedback on a timeless wavelength, bearing a gift beyond price, almost free.” I love his lyrics. Eddie, because he was such a game changer on almost every level. I can remember first hearing “Eruption” on a school bus and watching half the kids air guitar to it. Some people’s greatness is revealed in subtle ways, [but] not with Eddie. It’s immediately jaw dropping!  Yes, his subtleties are soon discovered, but the initial impact of his undeniable talent was instantaneous.

Sleaze Roxx: What did you learn about the music business in 2020, that you didn’t already know before?

Jeff Buehner: I’m always learning because everything is always changing. We’ve all had to get creative just to stay in the game and be a part of the conversation. Without live music, I’ve learned new ways of promoting and interacting. The Loyal Order was just launching when this all happened, so it became crucial to lean hard into teamwork and technology. I’m very thankful to the amazing people that we work with. As they say, “it takes a village.”

Sleaze Roxx:  What do you think about streaming concert performances?

Jeff Buehner: I think they are great from time to time, but sterile for the most part. The beautiful exchange of energy between a band and the crowd is such a crucial part of the experience. It feeds the performance just as much as the music feeds the audience. Without it, from a performance standpoint, you have to find the energy that inspires the musical moments within yourself, when a crowd would just pull it out of you naturally.

Sleaze Roxx: How will the pandemic change how you interact with the fans from here going forward? Will it ever be the same again?

Jeff Buehner: It will never be the same now that we have all learned how to communicate differently. Digitally, our new connectedness provides opportunity to make announcements and share moments without having to do an e-mail blast. It also compensates for the distance I think people will physically keep at live performances as we climb out of this mess.

The Loyal Order‘s “Hellfire” video:

RON YOUNG FROM LITTLE CAESAR

Little Caesar’s debut ‘self-titled’ album celebrated its 30th Year Anniversary in 2020. The album has gone to become an underground classic with Sleaze Roxx readers. Ron Young has been the mainstay in the band and he continues to push forward with new music. In 2018, Little Caesar released a killer album titled ‘Eight’ on Golden Robot Records that I swear by. Little Caesar took part in a live stream this summer for the Monsters of Rock Facebook page and they are set to do another on their own where they will perform the entire debut album top to bottom sponsored by Blackstar Amplification and BraveWords.com. Check out the band’s Facebook page for more details. The event takes place on December 26th at 12:00 pm PST and they’ll be taking donations for a good cause. Ron will give us some details.

Sleaze Roxx: What was the last show that you caught?

Ron Young: It’s been so long since being at a show! I think the last show was going to see Derek St Holmes in Nashville to see him and my buddy Gary Corbett play… Good times!

Sleaze Roxx: What’s something that you tried for the first time during the lockdown?

Ron Young: Baking sourdough bread… It didn’t go so well!!

Sleaze Roxx: We lost some big names in 2020. Which of those losses impacted you the most and why?

Ron Young: Little Richard was one. Clay [Anthony] from Junkyard just died in a car accident and I remember doing some great shows with him and the boys back in the day. We used to get into A LOT of trouble with them. Ivan Kral from Patti Smith Group, I used to do shows with him in New York City and of course Neil Peart and Eddie Van Halen who were part of the soundtrack of my life.

Sleaze Roxx: What did you learn about the music business in 2020, that you didn’t already know before?

Ron Young: Just how bad the royalties were for streaming. When I saw how little the artists made and the ‘billions’ that are going to the labels, it made me really angry.

Sleaze Roxx:  What do you think about streaming concert performances?

Ron Young: There is still nothing to compare to being in a room together with fans. The immediate energy exchange is so powerful and vital to a performance. I’m grateful for streaming shows, but the volume, the crowd…. All of that is missing so it can’t compare!

Sleaze Roxx: How will the pandemic change how you interact with the fans from here going forward? Will it ever be the same again?

Ron Young: I plan on getting the vaccine so that when things ‘open up’ again, I can feel protected when I interact personally with our fans. It’s vital to us as we have developed long and deep relationships with so many folks at shows around the world. I don’t want to miss out on that. I’m hoping by the spring, it will be a lot better then. There are so many venues going under right now. We are doing a live stream celebrating the 30th [Year] Anniversary of releasing our debut album on December 26th. We are asking folks to donate to ‘Save Our Stages’ to try and help these places out. Without these venues, fans and bands will suffer greatly.

Little Caesar‘s “Chain of Fools” video:

STEVE WHITEMAN OF KIX

We just spoke with Steve Whiteman in December as he was promoting the newly remixed 35th Anniversary of ‘Midnite Dynamite’ as ‘Midnite Dynamite Re-Lit.’ Steve spoke to us about the remixed album and mentioned that he’s currently working on a solo album. It didn’t make the final cut but he mentioned that the solo material is in the vein of his work with his post KIX band, Funny Money. So we have a Steve Whiteman album to look forward to in 2021 and hopefully KIX gets a chance to hit the stage sooner rather than later. We know Whiteman is ready to go.

Sleaze Roxx: What was the last show that you caught?

Steve Whiteman: It was Halestorm and Alice Cooper. I was Lzzy’s vocal teacher for a few years during the early part of her career and we’ve kept in touch. Whenever Halestorm are out this way, I make a point to go see them and I’ve been an Alice Cooper fan since I was 12 years old. Lzzy was able to get me backstage and I got totally tongue tied when I met Alice. I was so starstruck [laughs]! I couldn’t say a damn thing to him [laughs]!

Sleaze Roxx: What’s something that you tried for the first time during the lockdown?

Steve Whiteman: [Long pause] Not really. Maybe this? I call this ‘practice retirement!’ During the summer time, it really wasn’t too bad. I have a pool and I can spend time there relaxing. Now that it’s fall going into wintertime, I’m locked in the house. I keep my sanity by working on my solo record. It’s given me purpose. It’s given me something to do and it feels really good. Outside of that, it’s just boring as hell [laughs]!

Sleaze Roxx: We lost some big names in 2020. Which of those losses impacted you the most and why?

Steve Whiteman: I have to go with Eddie Van Halen. He was a pioneer and an innovator. He was also a part of one of the world’s greatest bands. There are so many that have passed this year that I honestly can’t remember them all. I do think that Eddie Van Halen impacted more people than anybody else.

Sleaze Roxx: What did you learn about the music business in 2020, that you didn’t already know before?

Steve Whiteman: That it sucks [bursts into laughter]! The music business sucks but music is the most wonderful thing to be a part of. I’m fortunate to be part of a band with four of the greatest people that I know. We love going out to play shows and we love the fans. We’re not ‘spring chickens’ anymore and the fact that we can go out and put on a quality show and people wanting us back year after year, that’s a huge accomplishment. I’m grateful to be able to make a living playing music. I’ve never considered myself a ‘rockstar,’ but I have been able to make a living performing. That’s a success.

Sleaze Roxx:  What do you think about streaming concert performances?

Steve Whiteman: I guess if that’s a way of bands keeping their name out there. Since March, we have played a wedding anniversary, we played on a cornfield, we played at some guy’s house and we played a drive-in. They were all super weird and God forbid we have to do any of that again. We were invited to do one of those virtual shows, but my rapport with the audience makes it my show. You take away the audience from me and I’m going to feel like a turd! I’ll be dancing around to a camera, which will make it feel like I’m making a music video. I hated making videos [laughs]!

Sleaze Roxx: How will the pandemic change how you interact with the fans from here going forward? Will it ever be the same again?

Steve Whiteman: Meet and greets are goofy and we know that it’s part of the business. Promoters ask that bands do them. We have never done a paid meet and greet unless the promoter charges, but we’ve never charged fans to take a picture or have something signed. I think meet and greets are going to be a thing of the past for the next several years to come. My biggest fear is that a lot of the venues and promoters that we have worked with will be in such financial trouble that they’ll be gone for good. We might have less work as a result. It’s going to take a lot of time to get to the point that we were before this pandemic.

KIX‘s “Midnite Dynamite” video:

BRIAN WHEAT OF TESLA

In the first quarter of 2020, Tesla released a CD and a Blu-Ray of their acoustic performance at Abbey Road Studios in June of 2019 under ‘Five Man London Jam.’ The audience was mostly press from the U.K. who didn’t appear to have a pulse. It was almost a precursor to the live stream which became the norm in 2020. Brian Wheat is currently promoting his autobiography titled ‘Son of A Milkman: My Crazy Life In Tesla.’ The book is intense. Wheat opens up about his struggles with his autoimmune disease, anxiety disorder, depression and Tesla. We got a few moments of his time and here he is.

Sleaze Roxx: What was the last show that you caught?

Brian Wheat: I saw Queen with Adam Lambert in Las Vegas. It was a great show. Adam was great performing all the classics.

Sleaze Roxx:  What’s something that you tried for the first time during the lockdown?

Brian Wheat: I tried DoorDash. It’s a food delivery service where they drop your order at your place quickly and there is no contact. They’re great and they’re timely.

Sleaze Roxx:: We lost some big names in 2020. Which of those losses impacted you the most and why?

Brian Wheat: My first thought is Pete Way from UFO because he had such a cool look and great stage presence. That was a childhood hero of mine. I can’t not mention Edde Van Halen either. What an innovator! Great songs and what an influential band. I’ll have to take those two — Pete Way and Eddie Van Halen.

Sleaze Roxx: What did you learn about the music business in 2020, that you didn’t already know before?

Brian Wheat: That there is no music business.

Sleaze Roxx:  What do you think about streaming concert performances?

Brian Wheat: I’ll tell you exactly what I think. I don’t like them. There’s nothing there that comes close to a traditional concert performance. You need to have artist and musician interaction and you don’t have that with these live streams.

Sleaze Roxx: How will the pandemic change how you interact with the fans from here going forward? Will it ever be the same again?

Brian Wheat: I hope we get to a point where we can get up and close with our fans because Tesla is a fan friendly band. I suppose when we do get back on the road or do live performances and we do meet up with some of our fans, we’ll be wearing masks, keeping a distance and sanitizing our hands. Will it ever be the same again? It doesn’t look like that at the moment.

Tesla‘s “We Can Work It Out” video (live at Abbey Road Studios on June 12, 2019):

DAVID ELLEFSON OF MEGADETH

2020 was the 30th [Year] Anniversary of Megadeth’s ‘Rust In Peace’ and that album got its fair share of love on Sleaze Roxx with an anniversary review and a review of the ‘Rust In Peace – The Inside Story of The Megadeth Masterpiece.’ Megadeth bassist David Ellefson released an album of cover tunes with his band Ellefson titled ‘No Cover’ on November 20th. We caught up with him in December and it was one of the biggest interviews of the year. David is like the bunny on the battery commercial, once he gets started he keeps going and going and going…

Sleaze Roxx: What was the last show that you caught?

David Ellefson: [Long pause] Gosh, I’m trying to think of what the hell it was [laughs]! It’s been a while. I mean, I haven’t been to a show in what seemed like forever. Back in February when we toured with Five Finger Death Punch, I caught a few of their sets, the last being in Bulgaria. Ellefson did some shows with Killer’s Confession, The Crown and Saliva. I’d have to go with The Crown. I saw their set in Green Bay.

Sleaze Roxx: What’s something that you tried for the first time during the lockdown?

David Ellefson: [Pause] Well, I’d have to go with binge watching Netflix! I watched ‘Mad Men.’ It’s funny because most of my viewing of movies and TV shows take place on airplanes while on tour, thousands of miles about the earth! So, I watched ‘Man Men,’ ‘House of Cards,’ ‘Designated Survivor’ and a lot of movies.

Sleaze Roxx: We lost some big names in 2020. Which of those losses impacted you the most and why? I see in the liners you mentioned Eddie Van Halen’s passing.

David Ellefson: We did. It was a last minute thing. I’m glad we got him mentioned in there along with all of the rest of our fallen heroes. Pete Way, Steve Priest and Eddie Van Halen — those three losses really impacted me. I think Eddie had the single most impact on me across the board. What a player — his attitude, his songs, his band, his constant desire to invent new things. I can’t say enough about the guy, and I’m a bass player! When ‘Van Halen’ was released, that was just the coolest record ever. It still is. I started off as a KISS fan, then I discovered the first Boston record, but Van Halen was the next band after KISS that I really latched onto. The first three records, that’s my Van Halen! As I said Pete Way, what a player. I just read his memoir. Steve Priest was an iconic player. That cover of ‘Desolation Boulevard’, that is what I saw in Hollywood when I moved there in 1983. It’s funny that they took that picture ten years earlier in 1972 and I landed there in 1983 and The Strip looks exactly the same [laughs]! There they are standing in jean jackets, sunglasses and looking like a fucking badass rock band! I said, “I want to be those guys! That’s fucking cool” [laughs]!

Sleaze Roxx: What did you learn about the music business in 2020, that you didn’t already know before?

David Ellefson: What was a really rude awakening for us was the ‘trickle down’ effect of when the live concert business came to a halt. You stop and take note of how many people were impacted, not just the bands and their crews, but the bus drivers, the hotdog and beer vendors, the concert promoters, the people who sell the t-shirts and merchandise, the people who clean the venues after the shows. Everyone is out of work. It makes you realize just how vital that industry is. That’s a real wake-up call. I think as things open up again, there will be a bigger appreciation from all of us to all of us of how many people it takes to get four-five of us on stage just to sing and perform our songs.

Sleaze Roxx:  What do you think about streaming concert performances?

David Ellefson: We were part of that back when we did ‘The Big Four’ live from Sophia, Bulgaria. We played the show in front of the 80,000 people there that night. It was simulcasted around the world and also in a time delay in some instances but it was in several thousand movie theatres. That’s huge. It’s interesting that you can do one concert and have it go everywhere at once. There have been many years since the late ’90s that I have been flying in planes and then we land in a new city. I’ve said to myself, “You know this is a lot of work to move this many people and move these speaker cabinets around the globe, then set them up and tear them down to just play our songs to these several thousand people in this town tonight.” It’s always been in the back of my mind, that there’s got to be a bigger platform that connects us. It’s weird that in 2020, out of necessity, this has started to become a reality. Crisis alway provides opportunity. I think this has opened our eyes to a new way to thrive in the music business.

Sleaze Roxx: How will the pandemic change how you interact with the fans from here going forward? Will it ever be the same again?

David Ellefson: Well, we’re all wearing masks and we’re all using hand sanitizer religiously. It sure makes you wonder what we were touching before we used to do that [laughs]! The viruses, the germs, especially at like the NAMM show meet and greets — we go on tour and I get sick all of the time. Now I know why. Not that it was a mystery, but now I really know why. We’re told to lockdown and mask up, lather up with sanitizer. Quite honestly, we have been doing a lot of this stuff anyway, but no handshakes, no skin contact, fist bumps, keeping a distance from the artist. That’s not us trying to be snobs. It’s us trying to stay healthy so we can take the show to the next town for the next group of fans. I think more than anything, there will be a greater awareness. If you’re sick, stay home! Maybe that will also provide a little bit more flexibility in concert ticketing. It’s been kind of like the airlines. If you have to suddenly have to change your plans, there’s no changing it. That’s changing, thank God. That was a shitty thing to do to us in the first place! The reality is that life can change as we know it day to day now. I think most of us have a full understanding and acceptance of that. Maybe, if someone buys a ticket and then they get sick and can’t come, maybe they’ll get a refund too. Right now, if people come down sick and have strep throat, they’ve bought these tickets and they feel like they have to go and then they get everybody sick. Maybe a humanitarian experience could come out of this that could make a concert a better place to be.

Ellefson‘s “Riff Raff” video:

ALAN NIVEN — FORMER MANAGER FOR GREAT WHITE AND GUNS N’ ROSES

Alan Niven is no stranger to Sleaze Roxx readers. You know his history as manager, songwriter, mentor and producer. When we need someone that knows the business, he’s the guy I reach out to and he never disappoints.

Sleaze Roxx: What was the last show that you caught?

Alan Niven: I live on a mountain in Arizona. I rarely come off it. It’s safe and clean and there haven’t been, in an eon, any compelling new bands supported and developed by the Engulf and Smother Universal label. Al Gore’s meddling with the tax code in 1993 gave the clear government message — unless it ‘dumbs down’ the populace we don’t yer rock ‘n’ roll. We don’t need no more artists speaking truth to power. No Lennon, no Dylan, no Marley, no Rage, no Floyd etc. I have friends come over. We play guitar live in the living room. Dodge ‘The Covid.’  Actual gigs?! It might have been 3Eighty3 at Gas Monkey in Dallas. Might have been Jack Russell at The Van Buren. Most likely it was Brierly Harris at Lonesome Valley.

Sleaze Roxx: What’s something that you tried for the first time during the lockdown?

Alan Niven: Living on my own. Aw, OK, I share with two cats.

Sleaze Roxx: We lost some big names in 2020. Which of those losses impacted you the most and why?

Alan Niven: When a name, or a legend dies, we feel sadness at their passing. More, we feel regret for the loss of our own youth and a pang at the thought of our own diminishing immortality. Most who go moving on have already developed a legacy within which we find timeless performances — Jimi still great, Muddy still great, Wolf still monumental. In the meantime, most old dogs don’t promise new brilliance. When Tom Petty died three years ago, I felt I had been robbed of a couple of unwritten and unrecorded albums. Otherwise, those I love, I love because their music is already timeless and their voices remain with me… until I kick.

Sleaze Roxx: What did you learn about the music business in 2020, that you didn’t already know before?

Alan Niven: Confirmation, merely confirmation, that the industry is utterly clueless and that algorithms and matrices are soul killers. Doc McGhee and I had a Zoom conversation a couple of days ago — both of us agreeing there would have been no ’80s music whatsoever if it had been up to contemporary geeks and interns with their clipboards and number analysis. The likes of Doc and I operated on personal instinct and personal taste. Not fucking numbers. Besides, geeks don’t know how to rock ‘n’ roll.

Sleaze Roxx:  What do you think about streaming concert performances?

Alan Niven: Would you rather fuck an amazing blonde or watch porn? I wanna feel the sound waves, hear the feedback, smell the sweat, and feel I am in the presence of something magnificent.

Sleaze Roxx: How will the pandemic change how you interact with the fans from here going forward? Will it ever be the same again?

Alan Niven: Once upon a time, the best selling vinyl album of the year would be some God awful soundtrack from a musical — ‘South Pacific,’ ‘The Sound of Music,’ ‘West Side Story.’ Sinatra was considered the apex of juicer cool. I don’t think we had a best seller of substance until 1970, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water.’ Elvis and Frank watched the Fab Four turn their world upside down. Then came Brit blues rock. Then came Zep. The Pistols. And yeah Guns N’ Roses. Every decade turned the last upside down. Until the ’90s went spinning off down Puget Sound. Since then, since 1993, it’s been fucking bleak. Thank you Tipper and Al!

You can never anticipate where something might come from, but what you can take into consideration is that there are now too many mediums of competition. If musical magic will capture a national consciousness again, I think it will come from a market small in size. Like England. One thing that has not changed is that breakthroughs, like Sun, Tamla, Chess, and Island, will be propelled by guerilla thinking, subversive tactics and driven by the passion of an individual, not a quorum of interns and geeks.

Great White‘s “Rock Me” video:

BRUCE KULICK

Sleaze Roxx caught up with Bruce Kulick this spring to talk about the resurgence of non-make-up KISS and it was one of the best interviews that I have been a part of, so we had to ask Bruce if he wanted to be part of the year end of the year piece. He agreed and here you are.

Sleaze Roxx: What was the last show that you caught either during or prior to the lockdown?

Bruce Kulick: It was Harry Connick Jr, at the Encore Theatre on the Strip in Las Vegas. My wife Lisa and I loved the show. My Grand Funk Railroad sound man was doing his tour which was based on Cole Porter’s music. So that Sinatra era music is something Lisa and I love. We dined at ‘Sinatra’ just prior, and that is in the Wynn Casino property. Amazing food, and great music.

Sleaze Roxx: What’s something that you tried for the first time during the lockdown?

Bruce Kulick: I learned how to do video production with iMovie. I also learned how to record myself in GarageBand on my iMac. They are both great for me to be creative with, and I have to admit, it’s been wonderful learning how to learn them well.

Sleaze Roxx: We lost some big names in 2020. Which of those losses impacted you the most and why?

Bruce Kulick: Besides my brother Bob [Kulick], I would say Eddie Van Halen. He was a guitar hero of mine. I was glad to see the outpouring that was expressed by many for both my brother and of course, Eddie Van Halen.

Sleaze Roxx:  What did you learn about the music business in 2020 that you didn’t already know before?

Bruce Kulick: I wasn’t convinced the fans love my era of KISS as much as they do!  So that was a great discovery in 2020!

Sleaze Roxx: What do you think about streaming concert performances?

Bruce Kulick: I consider myself still new to them, and I did get hired for one for a KISS Expo in Florida, just recently called KISSMAS 2020. I actually performed in my living room with Todd Kerns and my wife Lisa, and it was streamed worldwide and to the fans that were allowed to gather in Florida. It came off very natural and fun, and we all enjoyed the gig. I am working with a company called Meet Hook Live to do more things like that event.

Sleaze Roxx: How will the pandemic change how you interact with the fans from here going forward? Will it ever be the same again?

Bruce Kulick: In many ways, I got closer to my fans, by having that time for social media, and getting involved with some Facebook pages I would not typically have the time for. I think nothing has changed except I hope virtual meet and greets could be more possible. Most important is that fans really have supported activities online, and that’s great.

KISS‘ ‘Who Wants To Be Lonely” video:

JOHN REGAN

We close this thing out with the great John Regan who you all know from his work with Peter Frampton and the Space Ace and Four By Fate. He also plays bass on the new tune “The Catman and The Emperor” by Richie Scarlet which also features Peter Criss on drums!

Sleaze Roxx: What was the last show that you caught?

John Regan: Last show was Richie Scarlet at the legendary Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, New York. Richie was kind enough to invite me up for a number. As always, he tore the roof off of the place!

Sleaze Roxx: What’s something that you tried for the first time during the lockdown?

John Regan: Interesting question… I always wanted to reach out to the musicians in my local area that really inspired me as a young lad, and try and recapture the amazing days when we began our musical journeys. I was hesitant for so many years, but decided to reach out during these trying times. It’s an ongoing process, but I got hold of the Chaps [Reggie Ward, Tom Ayers, Tony De Paolo and newly recruited drummer extraordinaire Dave Goodrich] from a great club band I was in during the mid-’70s, and we put the ‘Easy Street Band’ back together. Best time I’ve had in a very long time, and we’re looking forward to hitting the stage as soon as clubs open back up! This was the band that really set me on the path to being a working musician.

Sleaze Roxx: We lost some big names in 2020. Which of those losses impacted you the most and why?

John Regan: Of course, top of the list was Eddie Van Halen to so many of us in the rock world. His innovation and huge presence will not be duplicated. Having said that, every musician lost is a piece of the soundtrack of our lives, and irreplaceable, but they all live on in the work they created… In that sense, they will always be with us.

Sleaze Roxx: What did you learn about the music business in 2020 that you didn’t already know before?

John Regan: I know we are a resilient bunch, but the way so many artists adapted to ‘virtual’ concerts, Zoom sessions, and staying connected with their supporters in so many different ways, was really a testament to the passion that runs deep in the creative community.

Sleaze Roxx:  What do you think about streaming concert performances?

John Regan: There’s something magical about being in a venue packed with people, all enjoying the camaraderie of supporting the same artist. [It’s] kind of like one big family [with] everyone feeding off of that energy. But without the option, I think that any way that keeps us connected is a good thing. It will never replace the feeling of the lights going down in a packed room, as the band walks onstage. And that feeing goes both ways, for the artist and the audience.

Sleaze Roxx: How will the pandemic change how you interact with the fans from here going forward? Will it ever be the same again?

John Regan: I do try to stay well connected through social media, even without the pandemic, so on that level nothing changes. I for one, am chomping at the bit to get back onstage again. Once that gets up and running, it will be great to see friends once again. Let the good times roll! I would be remiss if I did not take a few words to ‘thank’ everyone for supporting all that create the music that give us so much pleasure. May you and yours enjoy a happy, healthy new year! Now, let’s get back to rockin’ and rollin’ in 2021!

Ace Frehley‘s “Rock Soldiers” video: