11302022 - TTTO GUEST LES WARNER (FORMER DRUMMER OF THE CULT) DISCUSSES HIS EXIT FROM THE BAND; "GREED"

THIS THAT AND THE OTHER RADIO SHOW
GUEST LES WARNER 11/30/2022
06:31
WE DISCUSS THE SUCCESS OF THE CULT’S “ELECTRIC” AND THE RICK
RUBEN PROCESS OF RECORDING AS TO COMPARED OF THE ORGINAL “PEACE
SESSIONS” WITH PRODUCER STEVE BROWN (WHO HAD PRODUCED THE CULT’S
“LOVE” ALBUM).


ESSENTIALLY RUBIN GOT RID OF VERB AND OTHER EFFECTS TO DELIVER A
RAW LIVE BAND RECORDING WITH MINIMAL PRODUCTION.


08:00
WE DISCUSS THE IDENTITY OF THE CULT AND WHAT GENRE THEY STARTED
OFF IN AND WHERE THEY WENT WITH DIFFERENT PRODUCERS SUCH AS RICK
RUBIN AND BOB ROCK.

09:37 LES GOES BACK TO THE RECORDING OF THE “PEACE
SESSIONS” WITH STEVE BROWN AND HOW HE WAS REPLACED WITH RICK
RUBIN AND MORE DETAILS ON HOW THEY CHANGED THE SONGS, RECORDING
PROCESS AND MORE.  HE WEIGHS IN ON THE NOTABLE DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL SESSIONS VS. WHAT WOULD BECOME
“ELECTRIC”.  “THE PRESSURE WAS ON, IF I MESSED UP A
DRUM FILL, IT WAS ON THE RECORD”!


12:00 WE DICUSS THE DIFFERENCES OF DOING A RAW LIVE
ALBUM IN THE MID 80’S TO MODERN DAY TECHNOLOGY OF PRO TOOLS
ETC.
LES MENTIONS A “DROP IN” (OVERDUB”) THAT ULTIMATELY MADE THE
ALBUM WITHOUT RUBIN’S KNOWLEDGE.


14:00
LES DISCUSSES DOING A SONG FOR HOOKERS N BLOW (ALEX
GROSSI – QUIET RIOT & DIZZY REED – GUNS N ROSES) AND HOW
THE DRUMS WERE QUANTIZED TOO MUCH AND RUINED THE FEEL OF THE
SONG. (THE ELTON JOHN COVER OF SATURDAY NIGHTS ALRIGHT FOR
FIGHTIN’)


15:47
WE DISCUSS PROS AND CONS OF RECORDING TO A CLICK TRACK AND
REFERENCE MANY ALBUMS AND DRUMMERS THAT MIGHT NOT WORK IF
RECORDED TO CLICK AND A GRID.  LES MENTIONS THAT DRUMMERS
CAN PLAY “AROUND A CLICK” VS. “TO THE CLICK”.  “YOU CAN
STILL SWING TO A CLICK”.

18:33 WE GO BACK TO RE-RECORDING THE PEACE
SESSIONS (WHICH WOULD BE “ELECTRIC”) AND DISCUSS HOW RICK
RUBIN RE-WROTE THE SONGS ESSENTIALLY IN ADDITION TO THE VAST
PRODUCTION CHANGES.  LES DISCUSS ASPECTS OF THE ALBUM THAT
HE FELT DIDN’T WORK.

21:19 LES DISCUSSES HOW HE BEAT “160
DRUMMERS” FOR THE CULT AUDITION IN LATE 1985. IT WAS A
“DEFIANT” MOMENT WHERE HE CHANGED A SIGNATURE FILL IN
“SHE SELLS SANCTUARY”.
WE DISCUSS HIS PRIOR WORK (TO THE CULT) WITH JULIAN LENNON, RANDY
CALIFORNIA OF SPIRIT, LOCAL BANDS IN THE UK, PAUL KILMISTER
(LEMMY’S ON), ETC.

HE ALSO DISCUSSES A FAILED AUDITION FOR AC/DC TO A LED ZEPPELIN
TRACK (BLACK DOG), BUT NEVER PERFORMED WITH THE BAND.  HE
MADE THE TOP 5.


THIS THAT AND THE OTHER RADIO SHOW
GUEST LES WARNER 11/30/2022
26:41
WE TALK FIRST TOURS WITH THE CULT, AS HE TOURED ON THE “LOVE”
ALBUM, TO THEN WORK ON THE “ELECTRIC” ALBUM WITH STEVE BROWN.


DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF TOURING, A YOUNG GUNS N ROSES WOULD BE
AN OPENER, AS WELL AS ZODIAC MINDWARP IN ADDITION TO OPENING FOR
DAVID BOWIE.


28:36
THE INTERVIEWER “TPF” ASKS LES ABOUT HIS DYNAMIC WITH “THE CULT”
AND WHAT HIS SALARY WOULD BE AND IF HE WAS A “BAND MEMBER” OR
HIRED GUN.  WARNER ANSWERS “UNFORTUNATELY, THERE’S AN
AWFUL WORD ON THIS PLANET, AND IT’S CALLED “GREED”, AND THAT’S
WHY I’M NOT LIVING IN A MANSION” AND GOES ON TO SAY HE’S HAPPY
DOING WHAT HE DOES; “I’M BLESSED”.


“THEY TREATED ME LIKE A MEMBER OF THE BAND, BUT WHEN WE
PARTED WAYS, I WAS JUST A HIRED GUN”


HE DISCLOSES HE WAS ON A “WAGE” WITH SOME BONUSES, BUT NEVER GOT
MERCHANDISING, PUBLISHING ETC, “IT WASN’T A VERY FAIR
SITUATION”. 31:31 LES DISCUSSES HIS CURRENT
PROJECTS AND RECENT FALL 2022 TOURS IN ADDITION TO EARLY 2023
TOUR PLANS.  LES IS PLAYING BASS FOR “THE DEAD BOYS” (A 70’S
PUNK BAND), FILLING IN FOR BLAS ELIAS (SLAUGHTER/TSO) AT “RAIDING
THE ROCK VAULT”.


32:55 LES IS ASKED EXACTLY WHY HE LEFT “THE CULT”
DURING THE START OF THEIR HEY DAY AND HESITATES TO
ANSWER.  HE ESSENTIALLY HINTS TO WANTING TO BEING
“TAKEN CARE OF” AND “THEY DECIDED TO NOT DEAL WITH IT”. 
IT WAS EITHER “TAKE CARE OF ME AND BE FAIR OR GET RID OF
ME”.  “AGAIN, IT’S THAT AWFUL WORD (GREED)”. 
“IT WAS A PRETTY UNFAIR SITUATION”.


34:00 LES DISCUSSES HIS POST “CULT” BAND
“HELLFIRE CLUB” WITH PAUL RAVEN (KILLING JOKE) &
BRIAN ROBERTSON (THIN LIZZY) AND AFTER 1 ALBUM AND SUBSEQUENT
VIDEOS AND TOURING, LES WOULD THEN MOVE TO NEW YORK CITY.


*NOTE:  I WAS UNABLE TO SOURCE ANY CONNECTION ONLINE OF
BRIAN ROBERTSON AND HELLFIRE CLUB OR PAUL RAVEN HOWEVER LES NOTED
IT “WAS A SHORT STINT”.


34:56 LES NOTES THAT HE HAS NO CONTACT FROM
BILLY DUFFY OR IAN ASTBURY HOWEVER HE HAS HAD CONTACT WITH
BASSIST JAIME STEWART AND LATEST DRUMMER JOHN TEMPESTA.  HE
MENTIONS JOHN HAS EXTENDED AN INVITE TO COME AND PERFORM WHEN THE
CULT WAS IN LAS VEGAS HOWEVER DOUBTS BILLY DUFFY WOULD ENTERTAIN
THAT.

35:41 LES DISCUSSES THE “NEW YORK YEARS”
WHERE HE OPENED A JINGLE HOUSE (SCORING AND RECORDING/PRODUCING
MUSIC FOR FILM AND COMMERCIALS), BUT AFTER 9/11, HE AND HIS
(THEN) WIFE WOULD MOVE TO LAS VEGAS.


THE VEGAS CHAPTER:
RON MANCUSO (BASSIST BEGGAR AND THIEVES, RED DRAGON CARTEL (JAKE
E LEE), RESTAURANTEUR & OWNER OF STUDIO 77) WAS THE ONE THAT
ENCOURAGED THE MOVE TO LAS VEGAS IN 2001.

LES DISCUSSES MORE ABOUT HIS DRUM STUDIO & GETS INTO FINDING
THE ENERGY AND INSPIRATION TO CONTINUE PERFORMING LIVE AND
TOURING ETC.
HE DEALS WITH THE WOES OF THE ROAD OVER HAVING A 9-5 JOB.
THIS THAT AND THE OTHER RADIO SHOW
GUEST LES WARNER 11/30/2022
40:41
LES DISCUSSES PAYING DUES AS A BASS PLAYER NOW AND HOW HE MADE
THE TRANSITION FROM DRUMS TO OCCASSIONALY BASS GUITAR IN A FEW
ACTS IN LAS VEGAS AS WELL AS DOING INTERNATIONAL TOURING (WITH
THE DEAD BOYS AND OTHERS).

41:53 LES TALKS ABOUT A SHOW WHERE TONY FRANKLIN
(THE FIRM, BLUE MURDER, LOU GRAMM) “BREAKS WIND” LIVE ON STAGE,
AND WALKED AWAY.  LES FINDS FREEDOM AND JOKINGLY SAYS HE’S
INSPIRED TO PLAY BASS BECAUSE HE CAN “BREAK WIND” AND WALK AWAY.



LES THEN FINDS OUT THAT HE PLAYED DRUMS ON A RECENTLY RELEASED
PHIL SOUSSON TRACK (OZZY OSBOURNE, LAST IN LINE) “NOBODY’S FOOL”
AS WE THEN TRANSITION INTO HIS TIME HANGING WITH THIN LIZZY’S
PHIL LYNOTT.


44:26 LES DISCUSSES PHIL LYNOTT WHERE HE WOULD HANG
AT A BAR PHIL SOUSSON WOULD WORK AT.  THEY HAD JAMMED AT
PARTIES BUT WANTED TO DO MORE JAMMING WHEN LES WOULD RETURN FROM
“THE CULT” TOUR, BUT ALAS, PHIL LYNOTT HAD PASSED. “I LOVE PHIL,
I LOVE HIS ENERGY”.

LES CONTINUES TALKING BRIAN DOWNY (THIN LIZZY DRUMMER) ABOUT HIS
R&B SWING AND HOW HE WAS A BIG INFLUENCE ON HIS
PLAYING.

48:51
WE DISCUSS THE NEW BAND “CUSTARD PIE” WITH ROWAN
ROBERTSON (DIO, RAIDING THE ROCK VAULT) WHICH WAS
PROMPTED DURING THE PANDEMIC WITH A SINGER FROM INDIA NAMED
GIRISH PRADHAN.  (FOOL IN LOVE IS THE FIRST VIDEO
AND AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE).


RAIDING THE ROCK VAULT:  LES IS FILLING IN FOR
BLAS ELIAS (SLAUGHTER, BLUE MAN GROUP, TSO) AND
GETS INTO A BIT OF THE HISTORY OF THE SHOW AND WHERE TO SEE IT
AT.  “IT’S A HARD SHOW, IT’S TRICKY”!


HE SPEAKS OF THE CHALLENGES OF “ROCK VAULT” AND WE GET INTO HIS
TIME TOURING WITH “BOW WOW WOW” (I WANT
CANDY).

54:56 AS WE WRAP UP, LES DISCUSSES A “BOSTON”
TRIBUTE AND HE ENJOYS DOING THE TRIBUTE GIGS, “I JUST GO WITH THE
FLOW AND I’M WORKING ON MY HEALTH”.  LES IS CURRENTLY DOING
SOME BOXING TO TRAIN AND WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE NEW GIGS AND STAY
ACTIVE IN HIS CURRENT ACTS.

LES ALSO REVEALS HE’S TAKING DRUM LESSONS, AS HE’S “CONSTANTLY
LEARNING”.  HE ALSO REVEALS THAT HE AND ROWAN ROBERTSON ARE
FINISHING UP THE TOUCHES ON A CHRISTMAS SONG.


YOU CAN FIND EVERYTHING “LES WARNER” AT WWW.LESWARNER.COM


 


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