Intervju och Recension: John Corabi På Biff, Grill & Bar i Eskilstuna

Den 25 januari 2019 spelade John Corabi, känd från band som The Scream, Mötley Crüe, RATT, Union och The Dead Daisies på Biff, Grill & Bar i Eskilstuna. Jag åkte dit av tre orsaker. Den första var ett 20 års jubileum då jag för 20 år sedan träffade Corabi i samma lokaler, då under annat namn, med Union för första gången. Den andra var för att se den akustiska show Corabi turnerar med och den tredje men långt ifrån minsta anledningen var för att intervjua Mr Corabi.

Nicolas som är med John på turnén och som jag haft kontakt med inför intervjun mötte mig och sa att det kunde dröja lite. Jag blev visad till ett avskilt rum där jag skulle få möta John. Efter stund kom en trött men glad John in och hälsade glatt och vänligt innan vi satte oss ner för vårt samtal.

I started out asking John what the new Crabicana was like. And he said: Would you believe that it´s already in the shop?

For those of you who don´t know what that is, it´s his new motorhome.

Pauline: You’re going to play by yourself tonight`?

John: Yes

Pauline: I saw clips from yesterday and it looked like you had a lot of fun.

John: You know what with the acoustic thing that I´m doing, it´s like, actually a lot of people saying that they like the stories, and you know when I first started doing them when my acoustic record came out in 2014 or 12 or whatever it was, I was thinking “Ah man you got to do like some Scream some Union and some Mötley and some new material and you know covers” and I had a set list that was like this long you know, and I would go and I would play the shows and when I’m done I always just kind of go hang at the bar or near where he´s selling the merch (pekar mot sin kollega, reds anmärkning) you know? And people were going “What in that song, what made you write that song, what are the lyrics about or why that cover song?” and so I sat there and I went “Man I was thinking I was giving people a good show with more songs”, but actually they like it better with less songs and explaining why I do, you know “this Beatles song” or “that Aerosmith song” or you know, whatever. And, uhm, so its been really loose and I tell like funny little stories I do a toast and cheer and it´s really awful and you know some really inappropriate jokes and I just make it fun you know, let´s just have fun! There´s never a setlist I just kind of go “Oh I haven´t played that in a while! Let me try this” and half the time I fuck it up and whatever but everybody´s cool and we have a good time. And whatever…

Pauline: I was actually thinking about the song Set Me Free. Because you always said, before when you played with the Daisies “Are we gonna play the soft song on the album? There are no soft songs!” And now you can´t do that joke anymore!

John: Well that was in ah… Well actually when we did Make some Noise. For some reason it just kinda went that way, we didn’t plan it, or whatever, but Make Some Noise, there isn’t one ballad on the record it was just full board the whole time. And then, you know, we got a lot of great press on Make Some Noise, me personally I like a little diversity on the records. If you really look at my scream album there was some funk stuff, a couple of acoustic songs, different instruments: horns, keys. Same even with the Mötley record. I mean there was acoustics, there was an orchestra, there was keyboards, you know, harmonica, you know and then on the first Daisies record same thing we had keys, a little bit of everything. And then am… For some reason on Make Some Noise we just went full tilt with everything and then we kind of got back to what we all originally, you know when we were putting material together we just started experimenting and playing it and actually Set Me Free was an idea that Marco had but it was on piano, it was a little piano bit. So, ah, you know it’s a, I like diversity man, so I’m totally fine with it, you know what I mean? I Love that song.

Pauline: I think Set Me Free and Song and A Prayer are my two absolute favourites. Because they fit your voice so perfectly, both of them.

John: You know and its weird, because there’s some that I’ve, you know I’ve done songs in the studio before, where I went back and I listened to it after I sang and you know “aarghh” and I just don’t like how my voice sounds so its like “lets move that one over here and lets work on these” whatever. You know it’s hard being a singer because you don’t know, you write a song, or a riff and you go “Fuck this is good and it’s going to be a great thing” and then when you sing it its just not suitable for the type of voice that you have. So…

Pauline: So, I heard a rumour listening to Rockklassiker and Janne Innanfors, the sweet boy, that you are actually working on new materials?

John: Yes! I don’t know what the Daisies are doing this year. David the manager he usually keeps his cards very close to his chest, and then we just get a call and he goes “Hey were going on tour in two months” whatever or were doing a record. So there’s been nothing at this point, so I’m just booking shows, I have a couple little things recorded but I’m going to try, I’m playing until April 15^th  acoustically and then I’m taking two weeks of because I turn 60 in April so I, like I don’t want to hear from anybody, I m taking my new motorhome and I’m going to Key West Florida with my wife and my dog and I don’t want to talk to anybody for two weeks. And then when I get back I’m taking of the whole month of May and I’m just going to focus on writing and recording. And having material for a brand-new electric John Corabi solo-band. My son is in America and as we say “chomping at the bit” you know? From the horse? He´s like “Fuck!” like he’s so jealous cus he’s like “I wanna go to Europe, fuck you I thought we were gonna…” You know. That’s the thing, I want to play acoustic guitar, I’m meeting a lot of promoters with Nicolas and I’m saying “I want to bring my solo band over later in the year”.

Pauline: I’ll be there.

John: Yeah, my son… You might have to help me control my son. Because he’s like… You know…

Pauline: I’ll bring a whip

John: Yeah! You do, exactly!

Pauline: I have one last question, a small one. Being a kid from Philadelphia and then you move on to The Scream, RATT, Mötley Crüe, does that kid ever stop screaming because you’re a fucking Rockstar now?

John: I don’t know, I… You know I don’t know how to define Rockstar. Do you know what I mean? Like to me, I take it as a compliment. You know what I mean? Somebody goes “You’re a Rockstar” and I go “Noooo, Steven Tyler is a Rockstar, Freddy Mercury is a Rockstar, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, David Bowie, Prince” You know what I mean? They’re rocking stars. Like I haven’t even scratched the surface of the success of what those guys have had. So, I don’t really look at myself that way. You know what I mean? But you know, there’s other people that do and its everybody’s perspective. When I go home I’m the most Non-Rockstar you would ever want to meet. Like I just go home I get the remote I have my tv shows that I watch Vikings like all the time. Cool, I take my dog for a walk I take out the trash and I like just hanging out watching American football, eating buffalo wings and drinking whiskey and you know, so I’m just like everybody else. But again it´s like, you may look at me that way, but I look at me and I go “I’m just like everybody else”. Steven Tyler… That’s like… You know… Ill tell a story later tonight. In my set. Its kind of a funny little thing, but it’s a story of when I met… No, I don’t want to give it away. Ill tell you later, but there’s a thing that’s relatable to the thing you just said.

Pauline: Ok, Ill keep my ears open for that, Ill be writing a review about the show.

John: Be Kind!

Pauline: I’m always Kind! (Laughing)   

Och här vill jag passa på att sända ett särskilt tack till Bosse ”Zinny Zan” Stagman och Stefan Ahr som hjälpte till att få till intervjun!

 Recension:

Corabi klev på scenen och log stort. Efter att ha spelat på Slaktkyrkan i Stockholm kvällen innan med bland annat Conny Bloom hade jag väntat mig en något tröttare artist men han klev upp med energi så det riktigt lyste om honom. Kvällen bjöd på allehanda låtar från banden han spelat med men också covers och solomaterial. Han skämtade och berättade bland annat om hur grabbarna i Mötley lurade honom när de var i studion. Corabi är ett stort Aerosmith fan. Hans kollegor berättade att det i andra änden av huset fanns en till studio där ett litet lokalt band spelade in. De sa att det skulle vara kul för dem och stort för det lilla bandet om Mötleys nya sångare sparkade in dörren och stormade in. Corabi tyckte det lät som en kul idé och marscherade genom huset och sparkade in dörren. Men i samma ögonblick som han kom in i rummet kändes något fel. ”Wait a minute. That guy sitting in that chair looks a lot like Joe Perry”. Mannen I stolen vände sig om. “OMG! The guy in that chair IS Joe Perry!” Perrys blick förmedlade något I stil med “Ja och du förstörde precis mitt solo”!

Detta var en av många anekdoter som berättades under kvällen. Dessvärre var publiken längst fram inte helt med på noterna så vid ett par tillfällen avbröt Corabi och försökte få dem att dämpa sig men det blev inte mycket bättre. Trots detta spelades fantastiska låtar som Maggie May, Misunderstood, Hooligans Holiday och Man in The Moon. Corabi tappade aldrig närvaron och för dem av oss som var där för hans framträdande var kvällen underbar. Det var proffsigt, det var intimt och det var framför allt roligt. Corabi stannade kvar och tog kort och signerade saker åt sina fans och yours truly passade på att ge honom en sista kram innan kvällen avslutades med en kylig promenad till bilen i ett mörkt Eskilstuna.

 /P. Pousár