Gordon

Steve (Note: Steve declined to get his picture taken for the site, so his questions will be in pink)

Not only is Life in These Living '80s (and Night of the Living '80s) about the '80s, they're also about keeping the '80s alive. It's kind of like the History Channel's crusade to keep historical sites intact, all except my work is stuff like trying to keep chicks from dressing all stupid and trendy and instead dressing like it's the '80s. Also, I try to make sure that my '80s appliances stay in good shape. Well, Iced Earth is a band that takes a lot of influences from '80s metal warriors like Iron Maiden, Helloween, and Judas Priest, keeping that style of metal alive. The best part is that it just may be working. For some reason, I get the feeling that metal like Iced Earth is going to get huge as soon as nu-metal dies (special note: nu-metal has just surpassed Muzak as the most made fun-of form of music in history). I also predict a stoner metal explosion. Either that or shit like the Backstreet Boys will stay popular for 40 more years and they will become the Backstreet Geriatrics. Hopefully, it will be former so that we don't have to hear "Baby, I Would Give Up my Depends 4 U" coming out of every Buick. Let's roll.

Steve: We're here with Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth. What's going on, man? How is the tour going?

Jon Schaffer: It's been very well. I mean, it's been very successful. Every show since Indianapolis has been sold out, and that one was a lot better than I thought it would be. Starting out on a Monday night in a town we've never really worked before, I would have expected a lot less, but it was a good show.

S: Even though that's where you're from, you've never played there before?

JS: The only time we've ever played there before was with Megadeth. It's one of those markets that we haven't really focused on.  Everywhere has been phenomenal since we toured in '99. There's a huge difference; the numbers have tripled.

S: Do you think that that's because of the Horror Show album or the tour with Megadeth?

JS: Well, I think the tour with Megadeth helped a little bit, but I think it's more because of the awareness of the band and the word-of-mouth thing that's been going around since we really started to focus on America.  But, since Alive in Athens came out, that did a lot for us in America and there's just a lot more awareness of the band than there was three years ago.

S: Just to do things different, we took a bunch of questions off of the Internet, so some of these are going to be questions you don't get a lot, I'm sure.

JS: Okay.

S: What are your feelings about nu-metal?

JS: It's not my thing at all. I think it's going to be pretty short lived, I'm sure. (laughter) Rap and metal just don't go together.

S: My philosophy is that if it's rapping, it's not a-rocking. Somebody wants to know what kind of guitar pickups you use.

JS: I use stock pickups in every one of my guitars, except for when I used to used to play B.C. Riches I'd always have them put EMG 81s in there. But basically, it's stock Gibson pickups, whatever guitar I'm playing. 

S: (Steve says something inaudible here. Bogus.)

JS: Well, that's [Gibson] all I've actually ever played in the studio. I've never recorded a record with B.C. Rich. The only album I ever did [with a B.C. Rich] was Alive in Athens. Because I used them on tour, they were giving me guitars and we worked out a deal. But at the end of the day, I really don't like their guitars as well as I like Gibsons. They don't have the right tone. That's why I never used them in the studio. For that really fast, low-end chunk, you've got to have a Les Paul, man. That's THE guitar for my style, anyway. All these younger kids were starting to buy B.C. Riches and stuff, and I felt kind of hypocritical, actually. I'm thinking, "These kids are getting inspired by my playing, or whatever, and they're going out and buying these guitars and it's not really what I use." I used them on tour, but live is a whole different world than when you're in the studio. Another thing is the weight. I'd be playing a Les Paul every night. I used to play them every tour up until Dark Saga, after Dark Saga, let's put it that way. I was using a Les Paul Studio live.  I recorded albums with that guitar but I retired it from the road 'cause it's beat all to hell and I don't want to tear it up. Any more, anyway (laughter). And then I got the deal with B.C. Rich and I started using them live, but they just don't have that kind of tone. I even told them, "Build them like a Les Paul." I told the guys at the shop to do that. It's just one of those things. I felt bad that all of theses kids were buying B.C. Riches and I really play Gibsons. And with my neck, the problems that I have with that and the weight of a Les Paul I can't play that any more.

S: So, how's your neck feeling?

JS: It's okay. There's permanent nerve damage and I have to live with it for the rest of my life. It's way better than before the surgery, so it's a step in the right direction, but it's never going to be the same. So it's a big adjustment.

S: And you've adjusted to it now?

JS: I'm getting used to it. It's still hard live; I have to be very careful. Because if I'm not, basically I can rupture that other disc. There's already another ruptured disc that's not nearly as bad. They took out the worst one. If it goes to a point that I screw it up bad from headbanging and shit again, then I could end up losing the use of my right hand and 30 percent of mobility in my neck. So I have to be very careful. It's kind of hard. In the old days, I was a maniac on stage, I didn't have to think about anything, and now I really have to be careful. We're talking about career stuff, here. It's not worth it. But, it's a very natural thing that happens on stage, and then when you fuckin' can't do it anymore you have to think about, "This never happens". It's awkward.

S: I read somewhere that MuchMusic tried to contact the band to do an interview. Have you heard about that?

JS: MuchMusic?

S: The Canadian version of MTV.

JS: Oh, yeah. Well, actually, I hosted a show last night in Toronto.

S: Oh, really? When's that going to air?

JS: They said in a couple of weeks, I guess.

S: Is it their "loud" show or whatever?

JS: I guess, I don't know. I was in the venue and I did an interview and introduced a couple of videos or whatever. Is that big? I guess it is, huh?

S: Yeah! What do you think of Blind Guardian's new album?

JS: I think that there's some really cool parts, but it's definitely not my direction of songwriting style or where I would ever want this band to go. I think it's a little over the top, personally. But it's good, and there's no doubt that those guys are great musicians and everything. My personal feeling is that they should go back to the days of Tales and just get to the point: cool riffing, cool parts and big choruses. That's what Hansi's the best at, that's what the Guardians are the best at and that's actually what I like best about them.

S: Has there ever been any talk about you appearing on an album?

JS: On one of theirs?

S: Yeah.

JS: No, we've never talked about it, but anything is possible, I guess. It's one of those things where we'll just have to see what happens.

S: Somebody on the Internet wondered what the last concert you attended was that you weren't playing at.

JS: (long pause) AC/DC, maybe. I don't go to concerts very often, man. Maybe it was Alice Cooper over in Paris. We're on the same record label there and we went out and had dinner and stuff afterwards. That might have been it. It might have been an Alice show. It's kind of hard to remember, man.

S: Something I've always wondered: I mean, you'll probably do a second Something Wicked album. Is the trilogy going to be be on that album at all, any of the same music/lyrics?

JS: There will be some parts, yeah. There will be familiar melodies for sure. The whole trilogy is just a teaser to the whole [I can't tell what he said here] thing, so there will be definite elements from that.

[At this part, Gordon zips in with his questions]

Gordon: What do you think about Megadeth's breakup and Dave Mustaine's injury? Were there any signs that possibly if something were to happen, then Megadeth would maybe not continue? During your tour with them did you see any kind of "things" happening?

JS: Yeah. We had a little one-on-one chat, a little heart-to-heart, and he told me that he was really burnt out. His hands were hurting. I didn't ask him why. I said, "Dude, you just need to take a rest." It's very easy to get fed up with this business. He's been doing it a long time. But, I tell you what, he'll be back. I know he will be. Cause he's got the curse, and once you've got it, you're in. You're stuck. I don't know how serious the hand thing is, because when he told me that his hands were hurting it was in a long sentence of things that he was bitching about. We didn't know that if something is really wrong, maybe he can't come back physically. But I'd say spiritually, he will because he can't live without it. He's got the curse, man. If you've got the curse, you're stuck, you're doomed. It's there for the rest of your life. He'll rest for a couple of years. He'll get it back together I'm sure.

G: What I seemed to get from the news articles from him is that he's not going to be able to play for a year because of the hand injury.

JS: Is it carpel tunnel or what is it?

G: I don't know. It kind of has a cloud around it. We kind of don't really know. He just said, "I've hurt my hands very badly and it's going to be probably a year before I can play guitar again."

S: Yeah, he'll be back.

JS: I think he will. Just from talking to him, I think it just that he was on the road and working for a year and a half straight. It'll kill you, it really will.

G: What are your favorite '80s bands?

JS: (Laughs) Well, definitely Maiden, Priest even though they go from the late '70s actually from their start. Those were the bands that I listened to. I liked the Scorpions some when I was growing up. The '80s was just a very cool time for music, man. There was a lot of great shit back then. There was a lot of cheese, too. (Laughs) But, what was cool about the '80s is that you knew who to hate. You know what I mean? (Laughs) The guys wearing makeup with the hair poofed up. Those were the guys that you beat the shit out of at the bar when you got drunk. That was cool about the '80s. Now you don't really know who to hate. They're kind of everywhere. But I don't know; there were tons of bands. W.A.S.P. was cool. There was a lot of cool stuff back then.

G: What kinds of cars, motorcycles and other toys do you have?

JS: Well, I have seven Harleys right now. Two of them are projects that I'm going to restore. One of them actually already is. [pointing at his shirt] It looks like this a lot but it's the civilian model. It's a 1946 WL Solo and I'm going to restore it. And I've got a 1978 Cafe Racer that's a disaster right now; I'm going to restore that through the wintertime. This one [the Solo] has already been restored, but I want to do it my way. It was done in red and stuff. I'm going to do it in black, powdercoat the engine and everything, make it really cool. I've got one Buell which is kind of a racing bike for when I feel like tearing up the twisties and stuff.

G: The Lightning?

JS: No, it's an M2 Cyclone. It's a little easier on my neck because of the positioning. I'd like to get a Lighting because they're a little quicker, but the M2 is good and I had a lot of custom work done to the engine so it goes. So, when I feel like going out to the country and burning up the twisties, that's the bike I take. If I'm going to go on the bar hops, I'll take my Night Train, which is a little more of a chopper-type deal. I've done a lot of customizing to that. I have a Road King for the long trips and a Screamin' Eagle Road Glide for the cross-country trips. I did just buy a new V-Rod too, but that's more of just an investment because it's the first model year. One of my old girlfriends works for Harley and we went out to the dealer show last year and when they introduced the V-Rod I knew it was going to be a really hot bike. So, I ordered one the first day. It's bitchin'. It's got a lot of power. It's sitting in my living room right now. (Laughs) If it's in my garage, I'm too tempted to ride it so I need to get it in the house where it's not easy to have access to. As far as cars, I have a Jeep and the Iced Earth company car is a Dodge Durango.

G: Cool. (at this point I asked a question about their future possible record deals using information that I thought was fact but was actually a rumor, making an total ass out of myself in the process)

S: So, have you found a deal yet?

JS: Still negotiating.

G: Here's one from the Internet: How did you develop your unique picking style?

JS: It just happened, man. I didn't really think about developing it. It's just kind of what my spirit said to say. It just happened. I never worked at it. It just happened, I don't know how. I get asked that a lot by young guitar players and stuff. I don't even know what to tell them. I say try to find their own thing, their own inner thing to do. I think subconsciously my influence came from Steve Harris most likely more than anybody else. I never really cared about the "guitar hero" thing. I liked Randy Rhoads when I was young, but it doesn't mean anything to me to be the lead guitar guy or the rock star thing. I'm a songwriter. That's what I always loved about Steve and the fact that he always had an uncompromising vision for his band. He was the founder of the band, the main songwriter. Without him, there is no Maiden, that's a fact. He's just an excellent rhythm player, too. I think he was the one that inspired me more than anybody else. I don't really know where it came from though. I never practiced or played anybody else's music. Up until we did Tribute to the Gods, I'd only played like five or six cover tunes in my entire life. As soon as I learned a power chord, I started writing my own stuff, my own riffs. I never had any interest in playing anybody else's music. We used to get in arguments all the time with bands in the Tampa Bay scene, like back in the mid-'80s and stuff when we were first starting out and all of these guys were playing cover tunes then they would play like four or five of those originals in a night. We would only play out like once or twice a month in the area. And they were like, "Well, you guys are never going to get anywhere thinkin' you can just play all your own originals." And I'm like "Dude you're gonna fuckin' be a bar band the rest of your life!" (Laughs)  And they never went anywhere! What's the point of playing someone else's songs, man? Fuck that! I don't get it.

S: Well, that's what the bar owners want. (Laughs)

JS: We definitely built up a following when we were Purgatory by doing that. Those guys would play out every weekend and they made more money but we'd play out once or twice a month and we'd have a lot of people at the shows and they'd come there for a purpose: to see something new, something different. It's a longer, harder way to go, but I never looked at the music thing as making any money at it in the beginning, anyway. It was all about "Let's look at the ultimate goal and do what it takes to get there. Take small steps."

S: What's the best question you've ever been asked in an interview?

JS: I don't know. I have no idea, man. I've done 100,000 interviews in the past 12 years. I don't know.

S: Is there any question that you've wanted to be asked in an interview that nobody's ever asked?

JS: Nah.

S: Well, those were my two best questions. (Laughs) So, evidently that wasn't the best question you've ever been asked in an interview. Any plans to ever take any of your concept albums on the road and do them in their entirety?

JS: I would imagine that Something Wicked will happen. It could be the kind of thing that if where we get to the point in America where we are in Europe and we can do the three-hour set it may be really cool to do Stormrider, Dark Saga and Something Wicked in 2005, the whole thing, three different sets, each whole record. What we did in Europe was a pretty amazing show. It was very theatrical, and it was periods of entire stage set changes, what the band was wearing on stage. A ten-minute intermission and then everything changes. It was like a whole new show. That happened three times throughout the night. It was cool, people freaked big time. I hope we can do that here some day. I would much rather go out without support bands. It's a lot less of a hassle for the crew.

S: Speaking of support bands, any talk about Blind Guardian, bringing them over? I know you get asked that all the time, but people really want to know.

JS: I've tried and tried for years. I think you guys need to start pushing them to do it. That's really the best bet for Demons & Wizards to play too. We're all here and we can take some guys from their band, some guys from mine we can do a 40-minute set in the middle or something like that would be fun. We'll see man, I think they're waiting until we get the market big enough. It's getting bigger. This whole tour has been sold out except  Indy. Now tonight, I don't expect it. Columbus is kind of a shitty market, it has been.

S: I take it that it's not sold out.

JS: No, it's not. Every other one was like sold out in advance and this one is undersold, but I kind of expected it. I don't know why, but it's always been that way here.

Life in These Living '80s