First of all, is that a legitimate Son of the Morning tattoo on your arm? I know that you have always been super supportive of Oh Sleeper – how do you feel about their new CD?
Yeah I went for it. That broken pentagram symbol means a lot and it looks killer. When they revealed the 8 foot broken pentagrams on the HM Mag stage at Cornerstone I was awed. I have supported Oh Sleeper from the beginning and I can’t really express how excited I am right now to see them get the bigger following and for more new fans to discover them or dig into what they are all about more.
I feel like Outlaw Video sort of just popped up out of nowhere… You’ve been putting huge amount of effort into this project. Where did it all start? Is this your full-time occupation or a side project? Tell us a little bit about the mission/motivation behind Outlaw, and exactly what it is/what your vision was/is/has become for it in the future.
I interview bands on video and edit together 10 minute entertaining video interviews. I live eat and poo-poo music so I know the right questions to ask to get creative answers. I also publish live songs from shows.
There are dreams and there is reality and sometimes dreams become reality. Music has been my passion all of my life. I jammed Zeppelin as a 7 year old and my first concert was March 10, 1978. I was 12 years old and the bands where Foghat, BTO and Judas Priest. I have always been in the publicity side of music on an underground level. I published my first magazine (fanzine) The Cut Throat Press when I was 16 years old. I published a magazine called The Skull Press that documented the early days of Pantera up to Cowboys From Hell in 1991 when I became a Christian. I also did a weekly Metal Show on local radio and managed a record store at the same time. I married and raised children and now I’ve decided to do what I love most which is music publicity.
After becoming a Christian, I published 5 copies of a magazine called Resurrection Thunder and booked shows for bands for free under the name True Charity Productions. I was booking Christian bands to play in the bars with secular bands. I booked Living Sacrifice with Solitude Aturnus at Joe’s Garage in Fort Worth, Texas. It was the first show that Living Sacrifice had played outside of their home town of Little Rock, ARK. One of my life’s highlights was Bruce telling me that show is what made them decide to tour and keep it going. A week later, Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter told the Cornerstone 08 crowd that they owed it all to Living Sacrifice. I know I’m part of doing the same things now for bands like Oh, Sleeper, Belle Epoque and all the great local Dallas Fort Worth and Texas bands.
I published 5 copies of a magazine called ChristianRockReport.com Printed Magazine starting 2005. I changed the name to Outlaw Music Magazine and then found my true niche in video. OutlawVideo.TV was birthed in late 2008, but has carried the momentum of my past and ChristianRockReport.com into it some.
I’m blessed with a house painting business that pays the bills and OutlawVideo.TV is my love and passion. I have learned a lot about the whole process of filming, editing and publishing so there might be another career there for me, but I plan to keep OutlawVideo.TV FREE and underground. God only really knows though, so I remain open to all possibilities, but I mostly appreciate Keith Green’s approach to the industry. I enjoy maximizing the enjoyment of the multitudes.
In the near future I hope to be able to have 2-3 interviewers, camera men and editors so that we can get the interviews out as quick as possible with the best quality editing. Rob Shameless has been interviewing some bands and as you have seen he is great.
You guys set up the Texas Stage at Cornerstone this last year. Is that the first time you’ve had a stage there? (I didn’t make it the year before.) It seemed really successful. How did it go for you guys?
Texas Stage was a blast – literally. The PA was great and mostly Texas bands played the stage. THE SHOWDOWN played and we had a grill off that Yogi Watts won. The coolest thing about all that for me is the attention that it brings to Texas bands. A Bullet For Pretty Boy had crowds of 300 which is huge for a generator stage. Before There Was Rosalyn had big crowds and they signed to Victory Records a few weeks later.
Bobby Harris and me did a generator stage in ‘08 so it was my second time. I learned from the first stage and that helped the second year along with the momentum of OutlawVideo.TV. Texas Stage 2010 is gonna be amazing. Bobby Harris will be there and plans to operate a hospitality area for all the bands and their friends that play the Texas Stage. Ultimately, life is about enjoying relationships and the Texas Stage at Cornerstone is an exceptional place for that.
When we spoke at Cornerstone, you said that you’ve been an avid fan of HM Mag for years now. When did you start reading HM?
Since it was black and white Heaven’s Metal. I was a fan of Lust Control also who was Doug Van Pelt’s band back in 93ish. They played at Footloose in the Dallas area and we hung out and talked music. I have so much appreciation for Doug. He is one of our heroes. I still subscribe to both HM and Heavens metal. The new website is awesome.
What do you enjoy most about what you do? Least?
I get so charged to see people actually connect with their dreams and the joy that brings. I mostly enjoy Jesus Christ in everything I do. It bums me out to see unmotivated people. I’m bothered for them, not me. I find the good in everything.
Who is your favorite band that you’ve had the opportunity to work with?
Right now I’m stoked about Oh Sleeper and Belle Epoque. I just published the new music video for Keeping The Innocent collaborating with Joshua Dixon Media. I’m a fan of all good music. The better the music the more of a fan I am. I’m very fortunate to be here now for these bands and I hope to be here for the next Pantera, Living Sacrifice and Oh Sleepers years from now.
Over email earlier, you said something about being mentioned in Dimebag Darrell’s autobiography? What’s that all about?
Chuck Peoples, who is tour manager for Since October, texted me 10 times yesterday freakin’ out about all my comments and quotes in the book. its a biography titled Black Tooth Grin about the life of Dimebag Darrell Abbott. Darrell was one of my closest friends and I was closely involved in everything Pantera up until after the Cowboy’s From Hell CD.
When you die, what do you want to be remembered for?
Love.
If you were given the opportunity to do anything in this life, what would it be?
I’m doing it. I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing. I appreciate the industry, but I have just never been about that. I enjoy being at the front of the stage more than standing on the stage to the side. I’m a participant, not a spectator.
Thanks so much for taking the time for this interview, Rick. It’s been a pleasure, and I hope to see you again soon.
(Check out OutlawVideo.TV at www.myspace.com/outlawmusicmagazine for great video interviews with bands like Belle Epoque, The Chariot, Oh Sleeper, The Showdown, Syrens, and many more!)
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