A Dirty Dozen with JOHN DIVA – February 2019

According to a recent press release: “The flashy band in the style of the eighties has been blessed with the talent of bringing a breath of fresh air to classic rock music. They are the rightful heirs of an era in which Van Halen, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Scorpions, Guns N` Roses or Mötley Crüe roved around all over the planet and took apart anything they could get their hands on. John Diva is charged US entertainment at its very best. Equipped visually and musically with all the key ingredients that this form of music entails, John Diva and his Rockets embody smooth riffs, racy guitar solos bordering on supersonic, anthem like choruses and graphic texts filled with the stories of life, not always completely G-rated. Their debut album, named Mama Said Rock Is Dead with tongue-in-cheek humour, tells stories from the life of Rock’N’Roll James Bond John Diva in full sound.” We get John to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

MAMA SAID is a simple record, a perfect soundtrack either for speeding or parking with your date in the eye of a tornado. It surely will make you smile a lot. And yes, there are some rare moments to be discovered. I’d recommend “FIRE EYES” for impossible guitar parts, “JUST A NIGHT AWAY” for a beautiful heartache and “ROCKET OF LOVE” for your next spaceship trip.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

My mum was a hard working, hard rocking single mum. On weekends, our condo turned into a backstage party. I loved it all, RNR was like mother’s milk to me.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

David Lee Roth was a big influence – if you look up “Natural born front man” you should find his picture in every dictionary in the world. Bowie was important and as a seven year old I must have listened to Abbey Road for 365 days straight.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

The holy (Van) Halens, Dave Coverdale, Ray Davies, John Lennon and Miles Davis.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Phil Lynott. His phrasing, timbre and coolness are unique. He was the one and real connection between soul and rock, a genius RNR gypsy. His voice still deeply touches me.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

There’s nothing wrong with comparing the music of MAMA SAID to the likes of acts such as Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Van Halen, early Bon Jovi, Mötley Crue, some Foreigner and Journey maybe. So far hardly anything made me cringe. On the opposite: somebody just said that MAMA SAID might as well be added to the catalogue of the big albums we all refer to when it comes to Hair Metal. I don’t know about that, but the genre definitely needs some fresh blood and new anthems. That’s where we come in.

7. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

To live in between worlds and to be with the ones who also don’t feel that they really belong. To be adventurous and believe in something bigger then your pay cheque. To have the gift connecting with people. And on top of all that: isn’t it great to realize, that everything you own comes from music? That makes me very proud.

8. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

We call for room service. And once we start to drink, you rather do not want to hand out instruments to us 😉

9. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

Nick Cave at Waldbühne Berlin, Germany, last summer.

10. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

Lamborghini Engineer

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

The good thing about being a party maniac like me: by now I forgot most of it anyway. No regrets left, except: I should have been on time for piano lessons more often 😉

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

That’s easy: St. Pepper’s. John, Paul, George and Ringo on the verge of creative eternity. I mean, come on! George Martin was a genius – I would have loved to see him work.

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Category: Interviews