{"id":1285,"date":"2011-09-14T17:20:14","date_gmt":"2011-09-14T07:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=1285"},"modified":"2011-09-14T17:28:48","modified_gmt":"2011-09-14T07:28:48","slug":"joe-trohman-of-the-damned-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2011\/09\/joe-trohman-of-the-damned-things\/","title":{"rendered":"Joe Trohman of The Damned Things"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u201cI know there’s a lot of people bummed out about my former band (Fall Out Boy) not doing anything right now, but hopefully they are happy that everybody is going out and getting all the shit out of their heads so to speak and feeling better and making cool stuff.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In music, the term “supergroup” can be used quite loosely, but when you are talking about a band that features members of Fall Out Boy, Anthrax and Every Time I Die, I think as far as The Damned Things go, the term super group is well justified.\u00a0 Featuring Anthrax members Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano, Fall Out Boy members Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley and rounded out with vocalist Keith Buckley from Every Time I Die, that’s what who make up The Damned Things.\u00a0 Releasing their album Ironiclast<\/em> late in 2010, the album saw the band fuse their love of classic rock with heavy riffs and the type of intensity you would expect from the level of performers involved.<\/p>\n

Not just simply a studio or one off project, Australia will get to witness The Damned Things when they take the stage at Counter Revolution later this month.\u00a0 We chatted with The Damned Things guitarist Joe Trohman of Fall Out Boy fame about their upcoming Aussie tour, the key to the band gelling together so seamlessly, as well as the musical opportunities the band has allowed him.<\/p>\n

Hey Joe, thanks for taking the time to chat today!\u00a0 So after a bit of uncertainty there for a few weeks, you guys are heading to Australia which you must be pretty excited about?
\n<\/strong>Yeah we are really thrilled.\u00a0 We were super bummed to hear about what was happening and we were trying at least to see if we could get a tour going.\u00a0 We were trying to maybe put together a tour with Every Time I Die and then Counter Revolution came up and we were really, really thrilled.\u00a0 It’s kind of how we are going to end the year for the band.<\/p>\n

You have obviously been out here with Fall Out Boy previously, but what of your expectations of your shows with The Damned Things?
\n<\/strong>As far as I know from Fall Out Boy and what I have discussed with any other band that has been to Australia, is that it’s always a pretty amazing crowd.\u00a0 It doesn’t necessarily need to be a huge crowd, but just energetic crowds that are really into it.\u00a0 Australia really seems to appreciate when a band from another country stops by for some shows.\u00a0 I’m expecting people to be really into it, that’s all I ask.\u00a0 Don’t come to the show and cross your arms!<\/p>\n

Have you had much of a gauge of the level of interest in The Damned Things out here?
\n<\/strong>I am a disconnected son of a bitch!\u00a0 You know I have my Twitter account and a lot of kids hit me up on Twitter and it seems like there’s a lot of excitement about us coming.\u00a0 I really don’t know who is going to know us, it’s kind of still like a festival environment so people will come to see the bands anyway.\u00a0 I honestly really don’t know what people know about us, or if they even do.<\/p>\n

You guys just did a headline tour in the USA.\u00a0 How was that?
\n<\/strong>That went great man.\u00a0 I think it’s really cool to get a chance to go on tour with some bands that you dig on.\u00a0 That’s been really fun, I liked being on tour with Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster and Fair To Midland.\u00a0 It went great, it was a lot of fun and we really enjoyed ourselves and I think the other bands did as well.<\/p>\n

So what was it like playing the smaller venues and no doubt playing to smaller crowds than what you would have been used to, in saying that I am assuming both of those things!
\n<\/strong>Yes it was the type of venue we were playing.\u00a0 You know I often get asked this question of what it’s was like to go from Fall Out Boy to small clubs, well you know Fall Out Boy started out in small clubs.\u00a0 So I’ve been used to be playing small venues and clubs.\u00a0 There’s been a place in Chicago for a long time called The Fireside Bowl, it’s still there but they don’t really hold shows there anymore.\u00a0 That was like the CBGB’s of Chicago, punk rock, hardcore, metal, indie rock bands, they all played there.\u00a0 That’s what I grew up on, so going back to it just feels natural.\u00a0 It’s also very appropriate for The Damned Things right now, we shouldn’t be trying to headline and small clubs are the way to go for us right now.<\/p>\n

How have your respective fans accepted the band, have you got a sense of them coming to the shows, or are The Damned Things appealing to a new core of fans that dig your music?
\n<\/strong>Well it’s a combo.\u00a0 I think what’s bittersweet about ending the year out in Australia and not do another US tour and keep pounding the pavement is we did see a remarkable amount of The Damned Things fans building up which is really, really cool.\u00a0 It wasn’t just like people came to see us based on our other bands. It’s nice, we’ve definitely been doing support tours this year and making a record that I like to think came out quite well and helped a little bit to build our own fan base.<\/p>\n

How have you guys settled in as a live band, did you hit the groove almost instantly, or did it take a little bit of settling in?
\n<\/strong>The groove was really good straight off the bat, things fell into place really quickly. After the first show it was pretty much just tweaking.\u00a0 It helps to play in a band with a bunch of professional musicians that just know what they are doing and don’t question their confidence.<\/p>\n

Was there anything else specifically that you think helped you guys settle together as a band, such as common personality traits?
\n<\/strong>Absolutely, confidence and professionalism are obviously two key things, but personality is key as well.\u00a0 We were lucky, there’s sometimes six, sometimes five guys in this band and that’s enough to create some serious horseshit!\u00a0 But that hasn’t happened, it came out all right.<\/p>\n

In terms of the set list what have you guys been doing on tour? Are you going to be playing the whole album?
\n<\/strong>Yes it’s pretty much the album in its entirety!\u00a0 I’m hoping that we can also play the song we have recorded for the Batman soundtrack, which would be really cool.\u00a0 We have also been doing a Quicksand cover that we will definitely be bringing but I am sure nobody will know because nobody knows Quicksand really well!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Just further on the track for the Batman game soundtrack, that must have been a cool thing for you guys given your interest in comics and stuff?\u00a0 How did it come about?
\n<\/strong>We are definitely thrilled about it, no doubt.\u00a0 I know how it came about, they basically hit up out management expressing a liking of the band and asked if we had anything unreleased.\u00a0\u00a0 We had some stuff we had started recording at the same time as the record, but we didn’t get around to finishing.\u00a0 We took it on the road with us and set up a little studio in the back lounge and sent it in to them.\u00a0 It came out really cool, I’m excited for people to hear it.<\/p>\n

Now you personally were a pretty big Scott Ian fan growing up weren’t you?<\/strong>\u00a0 How has this been as an experience to be writing, recording, playing with him?
\n<\/strong>It’s been a great experience!\u00a0 When we met for the first time it was definitely a little nerve wracking and playing him my music and playing guitar in front of him and with him, which kind of all happened at the same time pretty soon after we met each other, was also very nerve wracking.\u00a0 I think overall, it went well and turned out OK!\u00a0 I am glad I didn\u2019t just cower in fear, as a lot of people probably would and rightfully so.\u00a0 It’s kind of frightening to hook up with someone you grew up admiring and show them your ability.\u00a0 It’s kind of like “hey man, look at me naked, look what’s inside my asshole!”.\u00a0 I don’t see a lot of people going around doing that, not even crazy people, it takes a lot of guts and you need to push yourself to do something like that.<\/p>\n

So I guess then Scott Ian was one of a handful of guitar players you admired the most…
\n<\/strong>He was definitely somebody I admired as a guitar player and I love Anthrax.\u00a0 There are many handfuls of guitars I admire, because I admire so many, but he is definitely one that I did admire and I still admire.<\/p>\n

How have you found playing in The Damned Things from a guitar playing and song writing point of view, obviously a lot more freedom and opportunities to explore and try new things?
\n<\/strong>Absolutely, it’s been incredibly important for my development as a musician and a songwriter and as an artist so to speak.\u00a0 It’s been awesome man, it’s allowed me to go and work on other things and allowed me to feel more confident about my abilities and myself.\u00a0 That’s why you go out and try new things and do new bands.\u00a0 You may fall, but you pick yourself up and get better at it and become surer of yourself.\u00a0 It’s been huge and it’s been nice to have that freedom and get a bunch of shit that’s been in my head for a long time.\u00a0 It definitely sucks to have all this stuff, but never be able to get it out.\u00a0 I know there’s a lot of people bummed out about my former band not doing anything right now, but hopefully they are happy that everybody is going out and getting all the shit out of their heads so to speak and feeling better and making cool stuff.<\/p>\n

With the other guys soon to be busy with new albums for Anthrax and Every Time I Die, has there been any discussion about writing some more tracks for The Damned Things and you mentioned earlier how you are also working on some other things?
\n<\/strong>There is definitely talk of writing more stuff for a new record down the line.\u00a0 We are going to wait and see what happens next year and see what kind of shows or tours we might get offered, such as shows in Japan that might work out for everyone\u2019s schedules and stuff.\u00a0 So yeah, we still might be doing some touring on this first record.\u00a0 I personally have been working on some stuff for a new band that will be coming out in the next year.\u00a0 So I’m keeping myself musically busy and The Damned Things are just going to sleep for a little bit.\u00a0 But we definitely want to make another record, I think that’s the consensus, we want to keep doing it and we have a ton of fun.\u00a0 As I said earlier, it’s kind of bittersweet to end it so early whilst actually having a fan base.\u00a0 I actually want to make another record for people.\u00a0 People keep asking \u201cyou’re going to make another record right?, you’re going to keep doing it right?, it’s not just a one off thing?\u201d\u00a0 I don’t want it to be a one off thing, its way to easy to just stop.\u00a0 I don’t like doing anything the lazy way.<\/p>\n

Is your other musical project going to see you exploring another side of your musical personality?
\n<\/strong>I’m a rock music dude, so it’s still rock music in essence.\u00a0 But it doesn’t sound like either of the bands I’m in now.\u00a0 I don’t want to put out the same thing again anyway, that would be boring.<\/p>\n

So I can\u2019t finish up without asking what’s the latest with Fall Out Boy, obviously you guys are all busy with other projects, but has there been any talk about anything yet?
\n<\/strong>It’ll happen again, but it’s a long way off.\u00a0 It just has to be the appropriate amount of time and everybody has to feel good about it.\u00a0 I might be winding down with The Damned Things, but Patrick is still in the middle of doing his stuff, Pete\u2019s doing his stuff, Andy\u2019s working on some other hardcore and punk rock stuff, so everybody still has stuff they are working on. \u00a0I’ve actually been working on this other project whilst working on The Damned Things.\u00a0 That’s with some other really cool musicians that I am really excited to work with.\u00a0 So I feel like we’ve worked so long doing Fall Out Boy that we’ve built up so much other stuff that we’ve been waiting to pour out individually and separately. \u00a0So that has to happen first and I feel at the end of the day it’s going to be better for Fall Out Boy when we come back.<\/p>\n

Well Joe, it\u2019s been great chatting and hope you guys have a killer time out here in Australia in a few weeks!
\n<\/strong>Thank you so much Scott, I really appreciate it and thankyou for the interview.<\/p>\n


\n<\/a>Essential Information<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

From:<\/strong> USA<\/p>\n

Band members:<\/strong>\u00a0Keith Buckley, Scott Ian, Rob Caggiano, Joe Trohman, Andy Hurley<\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong> www.thedamnedthings.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Latest release:<\/strong> Ironiclast (2010)<\/p>\n

You can catch The Damned Things on the following Counter Revolution dates:<\/strong><\/p>\n

SATURDAY 24 \u2013 BRISBANE, THE RIVERSTAGE<\/p>\n

SUNDAY 25 \u2013 SYDNEY, BIG TOP LUNA PARK<\/p>\n

FRIDAY 30\u00a0 \u2013 MELBOURNE, FESTIVAL HALL<\/p>\n

SUNDAY 2\u00a0 \u2013 ADELAIDE, JUBILEE PAVILION, SHOWGROUNDS<\/p>\n

MONDAY 3 \u2013 PERTH, CHALLENGE STADIUM<\/p>\n

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