Mick: I’m here at the Rockstar Uproar Festival at DTE Energy Music Theatre with Billy Grey, one of the guitarists for Fozzy. Welcome to Detroit!
Billy: Yeah man! It’s great to be here!
Mick: You guys are really having some success with your third all original album.
Billy: Loving it, loving it, loving it, trying to keep the ball rolling!
Mick: How’s the tour going for you so far?
Billy: It’s going great! All the shows have been well received on Uproar; we’ve done couple of one off headlining shows that have done really well for the band. We’re just loving life out here.
Mick: Have you guys played any memorable cities that really stood out for you this tour?
Billy: Scranton, PA. was amazing! Lots of circle pits, stage divers, crowd surfing. I mean they’re all amazing to be in, but Scranton really stood out, it was really one of the crazier ones.
Mick: Those blue collar states, the hard working people, really bring it to the shows and let loose.
Billy: Those are the best markets for rock, the blue collar regions of the Midwest. Those are the most awesome fans to us.
Mick: What kind of guitars do you have with you on this tour?
Billy: On this tour I have a couple different ones. I always have my Gibson Les Pauls, but I also have a couple from a company called Michael Kelly that has been nice enough to bring us out a couple of guitars. I actually owned one before they even brought us so I was very familiar with them. And there’s another company called Halo and I’ve got a couple of those with me as well. A little bit of variety.
Mick: Listening to Sins and Bones, one of the tracks that really stands out to me is Storm the Beaches.
Billy: That one Chris already had the lyrics written for it and Rich and I sat on the bus on our last European tour we did and worked out the riffs for it, then put it all together with Rich doing the final production.
Mick: Sins and Bones is the first original album that you’ve had some creative input on. You must be loving that.
Billy: Oh man I love it so much. I want more and more. I think it made for a good chemistry on this album with everybody giving their input on it.
Mick:: Do you and Rich trade off a lot on the riffs?
Billy: Oh yes. He’ll send me some files and ask me to check them out and learn them, and I’ll work it out and get it dialed in.
Mick: Who inspired you to start playing? I know you’ve mentioned Dimebag Darrell and Eddie Van Halen in the past.
Billy: Yeah man, those are the ones! Eddie, Randy Rhodes, then after that Dimebag Darrell came out and changed the game. Those are pretty much my top three right there.
Mick: Any updates on the live DVD?
Billy: We’re still gathering a ton of footage from this tour, and hopefully we’ll get it out soon.
Mick: Any bands you’re digging on these days? Anything new that’s catching your ear?
Billy: I really love the dudes from Bullet For My Valentine, I’ve been a big fan of them for some time. I’ve always been a big fan of Shinedown and Adelitas Way that I’m really fond out here too. They’re really good.
Mick: What do you guys do on the road in your down time? I’ve seen one of your tweets that you like to mountain bike back home.
Billy: I love mountain biking and hiking. We just got a pit bike going on the road with us now, one of those little 20” BMX freestyle bikes. Just having fun riding around the parking lots and stuff. I love those things!
Mick: What’s the word on your other band, Dangerous New Machine? Any plans for that when you get back home?
Billy: Yes! We’ve got some shows booked when I get back home. We’ll be playing a place called Wild Bill’s Atlanta. We’re playing with a very good band called Almost Kings who draw a lot of folks on their own, so it should be great show.
Mick: How do you like living in Atlanta?
Billy: The traffic sucks but the people are great! It’s a great music scene, and there’s also so much to do around the area. Lots of mountain biking, you head 45 minutes north and you’re in the mountains, go hiking and camping. You go three or four hours east and your at the beach and the ocean.
Mick: Pick three bands of any era to go on tour with.
Billy: I’d really like Bullet For My Valentine, they’ve got a new record coming out. A run with Shinedown on the same stage would be nice. But there are so many bands out there, those are two for sure.
Mick: What’s your beverage of choice out on the road? Whiskey? Beer?
Billy: I love beer, but I’m trying to lay off it for the pound reasons, trying to watch the figure. We’ve been doing the Grey Goose and water thing, just a shot with some water, spritz of lime and you’re feeling good in a couple sips of that.
Mick: The alcohol diet drink.
Billy: (laughs) Exactly!
Mick: What songs on the Sins and Bones album are you really proud of? Ones that stand out that you want to impress upon people.
Billy: My personal favorite track on the record is Spider In My Mouth. We open up with that, I just love the riffs, the chorus, the melodies, and the power of the groove of it. I love the whole record but that one is my favorite. I want everyone to get out there and check it out and come out and see the band live.
Mick: How is the band coalescing as Fozzy, and not just that Chris Jericho band?
Billy: God bless Chris. You know when the crowd starts chanting Y2J he’ll get them to start chanting Fozzy. The past couple years have seen us become more of a band and it’s definitely a good family to be a part of.
Mick: Are you guys writing new material on the road?
Billy: Yeah man! We’ve got a studio setup on the bus right now. Hopefully we’ll have a new album out after this one really soon.
Mick: Excellent, thanks so much for you time. Enjoy the awesome weather today and rock out!
Billy: I’m good to go brother!
Catch Fozzy at these remaining dates:
Saturday,
9/15 - Houston, TX @ Woodlands Pavilion
Sunday,
9/16 - Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
Wednesday,
9/19 - Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
Friday,
9/21 - Spokane, WA @ Greyhound Park and Events
Center
Saturday,
9/22 - Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
Sunday,
9/23 - Portland, OR @ Sleep Country Amphitheater
Tuesday,
9/25 - Boise, ID @ Idaho Center Amphitheater
Thursday,
9/27 - West Hollywood, CA @ Roxy Theatre (FOZZY
HEADLINING SHOW)
Saturday,
9/29 - Phoenix, AZ @ Ashley Furniture HomeStore
Pavilion
Sunday, 9/30 - Albuquerque, NM @ Hard Rock Casino
Presents: The Pavilion
Slideshow photo credits: Tracy Mailhiot
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