Belladonna
Recently, former Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna, hot on the heels of the release of his stunning third solo effort (simply titled ‘03’), was kind enough to take a break from his decidedly hectic schedule to speak with us regarding the much-lauded past, the ever-changing present and the opportunity-filled future...
Todd: Initially, how did you become involved with Anthrax?
Joey Belladonna: “...I don’t know all of the details from the point before they called me, but...I was working with some of the guys from Elf...(Ronnie James) Dio’s first band...and Carl Kennedy, the drummer from The Rods was producing Anthrax and knew the people I was working with. My name filtered over...and it got around that I would probably be a good bet...they offered to fly me up...I was still doing a club thing at the time, too. From that point, once I was there, they asked me if I wanted to join. I was in good company in the area...they could have asked a lot of different guys to join, but they just happened to have my name laying around. I know they were getting tapes and packages from other guys...they may even have had someone else before me...after Neil but before me...”
Todd: Once and for all, for the record...did you quit or were you asked to leave?
Joey: “It was their choice all the way. ...It was their call on their ship. They own all the interests in the band...they were friends for a very long time and I was always kinda the outside guy. For eight years, I did a really good job with those guys. I did everything original I could, but at the same time, with all of the changes in the music, for some reason, they had their eyes set on something a little more gritty...I don’t know...if you listen to what they have right now, it’s a lot different form what I do. ...I think they felt that a change would get them a little bit farther...I don’t know if that happened, but in the end, they asked me to part ways with the group. When you have a majority on something like that, that’s cool... I hope I did well for them and helped to take them where they needed to be.”
Todd: Since you were dismissed just prior to the group signing a multi-million dollar deal with Elektra Records, I always got that feeling that you being asked to leave was a label-motivated maneuver...
Joey: “Yeah...(laughs)...someone got fired over that one...something happened (laughs). I tell ya, there probably wasn’t a clean sweep after the end of that one. (Laughs)...to make a long story short...imagine going to a dealership to buy a car, finding one that you liked and leaving to go get the money...but when you come back to pay for it, it's a totally different car...I just don’t know how that whole situation got turned from me to that without even having done anything yet...without even trying to convince anyone that it was a smart move... ...At this point, I still don’t think anything is really all that much better...it’s good, but it’s nothing explosive...”
Todd: Any truth to the rumors that your again working with (former Anthrax guitarist) Danny Spitz?
Joey: “Danny and I were together for a little while...I think it was two years ago...I don’t even remember how we ended up together. He had some music that was a little off...a little different and we just got together. I think he was just overwhelmed that I even had any gear and was still working...I mean, I’ve been doing this a long time...long before I ever met those guys...back when I was still in high school. He’s a little different these days...he’s been out of it for a while so, we just had some fun putting together some stuff. We put a lot of songs together and I don’t know if they’ll ever see the light of day...I don’t know...it’s different. It’s just Danny and I...I was doing the drums... It was definitely fun, but it's sad when you put stuff together like that and your in the middle of it and it just doesn’t go anywhere... ...We talked about doing it, but things just weren’t right...”
Todd: Since the release of your last album (Spells Of Fear, 1998, DeRock Records), have you recorded anything new?
Joey: “Yeah...I’ve been singing all day, every day for the past week and a half. I’ve got eleven songs...I’ve got a lot more songs...probably at least forty, but a lot of times, people come and go and I won’t release stuff it they’re not around... If I wanna keep the songs, I have to bring other people in and to bring other people in...a lot of times, that’s really hard... The point of writing with one person is to do it together...it’s weird when you being people in. ...So you end up writing new songs...I just wrote another eleven in two weeks...it’s different stuff...I don’t even know how to describe it, but it’s on it’s finishing stages...all I have to do is fix my vocals...a lot of them, I just got them on there and now I’m looking at them and making sure there isn’t any tweaks or turns I can make. After that, all I have to do is mix it...I think I’ll be releasing it through my website.”
Todd: At this point, are you affiliated with a label?
Joey: “No...none. Both labels I was on (Mausoleum and DeRock) both disintegrated early on. That’s another reason why it takes me so long to get my music out. You could go for years and years sending stuff around. A lot of times, it’s just now a shoe-in, ya know? People are all worried...they don’t know if it’s right or if it’s what they’re looking for, even if it’s good and it’s going to sell...it might just be that the person I’m talking to might not want to go for it...it’s just strange...I could send stuff around for years and they could go and sign a group next week. Now, I can get stuff out earlier if I do it on the internet. Maybe it won’t be as big of a deal, but...it’s all so weird...I’d like to be signed, but I don't have any offers and I haven’t even looked...”
Todd: You only recorded one album with (former Anthrax guitarist) Paul Crook. Did the two of you part on bad terms?
Joey: “No...I just talked to Paul the other day...he’s playing with Meatloaf now. Paul and I used to work together in Anthrax...he used to be Danny’s guitar tech...we always used to hang out together...we used to always say that we were gonna do something together... ...He ended up moving into my house...he lived with me for about a year...I probably have thirty or thirty-five songs that I did with him for the from the first album’s (Belladonna, 1995, Mausoleum Records) sessions... A lot of it’s eight track stuff, too...really kick-ass stuff. Again, it’s different...it’s a little more Heavy Metal, but it’s still really good. I love Pauly, he’s a really good guitar player...”
Todd: Once you’ve put the finishing touches on everything, do you have any confirmed plans to tour?
Joey: “Yeah...I’ve already got some dates...I’m working on putting another group together. I had done some dates already with a tribute band out of Illinois...they did Anthrax stuff and I just kinda caught them on the internet...I had never met them before, but I asked them to come out...and we did thirteen shows together...to New York, California and back. I’m putting a new group together because those guys all had pretty good day jobs it’s pretty hard, financially, to commit to something so small... ...I do have some dates on the table already...Detroit, Cleveland...in October... I’m just working on getting an agency attached so I can get some more gigs. I probably won’t end up with anything more than full month of shows out of it...I mean, people are probably going to look at this and say ‘...oh, man, what can we do with this thing...’ ...It’s not easy for anyone...I’m sure that even Anthrax has some shows where there are some smaller crowds... ...I’m cool with it, though...I’ll take a weekend here and a weekend there...as long as I can keep going... The shows are great, man...people have been going apeshit...”
Todd: What is your least favorite aspect of touring?
Joey: “...I think it’s just really hard for the vocalist...it’s just a really heavy day...not that it’s any easier for anyone else. It seems like your never really resting. I try to do it as much as I can. ...Your up all day and your just so active doing a lot of shit... I mean, I love all that shit...my least favorite part is that I just can’t slow down (laughs). I wanna go all day. I don’t wanna stop even after I’m done playin’. I just wanna stay up all night because I’m so excited...but I know I gotta cool out...I gotta go to sleep. That's the hardest part....that part sucks...that’s probably my least favorite part. Ya gotta wind down and I don’t really want to.”
Todd: How do you prepare yourself for a show?
Joey: “I just chill out, man...whether I listen to so cool music and sing along with that music or just try not to have any conversation so I can have every bit of my voice for that particular day to deliver for the show...that’s what really makes it better for me. ...I’ve seen so many guys that just don’t care that they drove twelve hours to get to the gig...I mean I’ve been there...I’ve partied before. If I see anyone getting crazy, I tell them that they have to take it easy and pace themselves, do whatever you gotta do to make it happen. When we show up, people just wanna see a good show, they don’t wanna be let down. If you can do that, then go do it... Some people, even if they are willing, just don’t want to...
Todd: Musically, what are your influences?
Joey: “I like everything, man. I’m into so much shit...I go form listening to Staind one day to (Judas) Priest and Fear Factory the next. I really like vocalists, though...old vocalists. I’ve always loved Paul Rodgers (Bad Company), Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Steve Perry (Journey), Steve Walsh (Kansas), Ian Gillian (Deep Purple), Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin), Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)...there’s a lot of cool, old vocalists out there that I’m really into. ...That’s my whole inspiration, what I really like... A lot of that even carried over into Anthrax even though I never really emulated any of them...I really just did my own thing. For me to like it, it really has to have a tenor type sound to it. I don’t really have a low voice, ya know? It’s not really overly high...it’s gotta be like that kinda thing...it has to have harmony, too...I have a bunch of stuff out there harmony wise, too...”
Todd: What backing musicians are you currently working with?
Joey: “I only have a guitar player right now...he’s from Virginia. Before, he was warming up in a club. He was playing bass but now he’s switched to guitar. That’s one of those things that’s kinda odd, but when you get people who are sincerely inspired and don’t really have any hang-ups...no days jobs or anything like that... Right now, I’ve got a couple of different drummers that have been sending me tapes...I’m waiting to figure out who is going to be the most available and the best suited for what I want... I really hate to turn some people down, because they have so much desire to play, but I have a hard time finding the right people that I can draw energy from...”
Todd: Well, you do have a reputation to live up to...
Joey: “Yeah...when I look for someone, the first thing I look for is if they can play some of the old Anthrax stuff. If they can, then I ask them if they can play some of the newer stuff. Nine times out of ten, I loose out on people because of that. I run into that constantly. I’m really receptive to anyone willing to get up there and give it a serious shot. Whatever ya gotta do to get it right. ...Right now, there’s a couple of bass players, too...one of them is the guitar player’s friend from Virginia...he might be able to do it, too. On the record, (guitarist) Matt and I do the whole thing. It was a lot easier to do it that way. I played the drums, he played the guitar and bass and I sang all the shit...”
Todd: I would imagine, at this point, that it would be the easiest way to get things done...
Joey: “Yeah...it’s the most reasonable way for me to do it right now. Financially...I mean, he came up and in two weeks, we blew up eleven new songs from the ground up. I just don’t feel like waiting anymore. I get to the point that I realize that I could keep looking at things and keep writing and rewriting...after a while, I just wanna get things out. Whether it’s the best or whatever...I could sit and listen to stuff all day...I mean, I could make it an EP just to keep it form being spread out too much, but EP’s seem a little overdone as of late, so I figure I’ll put ’em all out at once... Packaging is another thing...should I do it myself or should I just get a whole bunch and send them out... I have no idea how may to unload...I can’t predict anything right now... ...As long as the music is decent and the mix is right on...”
Todd: I thought the packaging for your first two solo discs was really nice...
Joey: “Yeah, but I had other people putting up the money for that. I won’t have that this time. I came up with the artwork for the first one and had that submitted, but they still paid for all the booklets... Whether or not I prefer labeling to inking...at this pint, I may not have a choice... I know booklets are cool, but I have stuff here that has just one sleeve...as long as what’s inside really slams, who cares, ya know?”
Todd: This certainly isn't the first time reunion rumors have been circulating. How was your collaboration with Anthrax on “Ball Of Confusion” (for the Attack Of The Killer A’s greatest hits package) arranged? Was that whole situation as surreal as it seemed?
Joey: “That was so weird... ...I was eager to do it, but the only people there were (Anthrax rhythm guitarist) Scott (Ian) and (current Anthrax vocalist) John (Bush)...”
Todd: Really?
Joey: “Yeah...just Scott and John. (Anthrax bassist) Frankie (Bello) didn’t even play on it, (Anthrax drummer Charlie (Benante) wasn’t even there... ...I think (original Anthrax bassist) Dan Lilker played on that one...I don’t think Frank wanted anything to do with it... If you look at the credits...I don’t think he played on it. Walking in there...to have even gotten a call from Scott to do it... I mean, I had heard “Ball Of Confusion” before, back when I was in high school...I was a little shocked when I heard we were gonna do a cover of it. ...Ultimately, it would have been even cooler if we could have done a brand new song with me alone on it.”
Todd: You are not alone in sharing that sentiment.
Joey: “...It would have been even better if we could have brought Danny in, too. Even without Danny, like David Lee Roth did with Van Halen...just a couple of fresh new tunes... It just didn’t happen, though. They laid it all out...no nostalgic stuff. I would have loved to have done that stuff. In fact, even on the tour, when they were still planning on going out with both John and I singing...I almost would have rather gone out alone and did a whole night of old shit instead of having any conflicts...there could have been a lot of weird moments with that...”
Todd: It’s too bad it never happened...
Joey: “The negotiating was very late in the game and it wasn’t nearly...it wasn’t right...”
Todd: There were a lot of rumors circulating that they weren’t willing to pay you properly...
Joey: “(Pauses)...It wasn’t all that much money. Even it if was more money...look at it this way...I was probably gonna get paid just as much as anyone else that was working with the group. It was almost as if I had nothing else better to do... ...I didn’t wanna battle over that stuff. You wanna call me in, do me right...let’s fucking do it right...but they didn’t wanna do it that way... It’s too bad, really because out of all of the business dealings I had with the group over the years, that was probably the only thing ever that didn’t go well. Now, I’m probably liked even less than ever. It’ too bad, really...to me, it’s not really that big of a deal... I just think that it’s ironic that people still think I got sick of them and said ‘...the hell with you guys...’ and left. If I had my way, I’d still be in the group...”
Todd: True or false...‘Belladonna’ is actually a stage name...
Joey: “No...my name is Belladonna now...it’s officially Belladonna now. I’ve been Belladonna for so long now that...using an old name wouldn’t make any sense to me. ...I had a different name, but it‘s so damn close...Belladonna is equally as hard to pronounce as my old name. It‘s just something that came up...it‘s not like my name was Joey Star or something (laughs). I was never into any of that anyway...it just seemed to fall into place.”
Select Discography
Spells Of Fear (1998)
Belladonna (1995)
Attack Of The Killer B’s (1991)
State Of Euphoria (1988)
Among The Living (1987)
Spreading The Disease (1985)