Bob Dee with Petro
Interview conducted on May 23, 2020
By Dan Locke
Bob Dee with Petro New York City’s premier rock band with a sound reminiscent of Cheap Trick, has developed a significant worldwide fan base, as well as selling CDs & Video’s on all major internet sites worldwide. Bob Dee’s New York City band consists of Bob Dee (singer/guitarist), TJ Jordan (guitar) Alison Jones (bass), and Scott Campbell (drums). The band never sleeps with their tireless touring schedule worldwide. Bob Dee billed as “The International Pop-Star”, has toured Japan, Europe, Canada, and several east and west coast tours including the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas. Bob Dee just completed a rocking West Coast Tour support for “Enuff Z’Nuff “playing the World Famous “Whisky A Go-Go” with Ronny North (Guitar) Liza Sanchez(bass) and Jason Russo (drums). Bob Dee’s UK tour from Newcastle to London playing support for former Wasp guitarist “Chris Holmes” with his UK band Ade Fisher (guitar) Norm Appleby (bass)and Paul AT Kinson (drums) the band’s hard-driven melodic pop resonates well with fans worldwide.
Band Members
Bob Dee: vocals, guitars
TJ Jordan:guitars
Alison Jones: bass
Scott Campbell: drums
Do you remember how you got your first guitar?
Hi, Unrated. Great to be talking with you! Yes, I was actually 7 years old with my Uncle Al. My family drove down to New York City to see him in Brooklyn. he took us on a walk through the Bowery NYC and I saw a guitar hanging in the window!!
I pointed to it and he bought it for me!!
And do you still have it?
I wish I still had it; I gave it to my ex-girlfriend when I was in high school
How the band did gets its name, Petro?
I was on tour in the UK and I saw that all the fuel was called Petrol, so I took off the L and the rest is history.
How was SXSW? Tell me something that you saw there?
It was amazing!! We had a blast playing. the crowds were largely ready to rock. on the way home I was in the van going to the airport and a kid sitting next to me in the van starts telling me he was a director and had a new movie coming out so I gave him my pick card and told him to keep in touch turns out he won an Oscar for his film doc “Searching For Sugarman” his name was Johar Bendjelloul. I hit him up to congratulate him and he wrote back I won the Oscar with your pick card in my wallet!! Unfortunately, he committed suicide after that
You played at the Kansai Music Festival in Osaka Japan. How crazy was it to play in Japan?
OMG, It was amazing The Japanese fans are amazing I loved every minute of it! I even met some fans at The Tokyo Station to say hello. Half of my sales are in Asia and the other in Europe. I have been back to Japan 5 times and every time is more exciting! I had an insole made for my shoes in the USA, but when I got to Japan, I was having trouble with my feet so my manager hooked me up with the number one shoe guy in Japan. we took a train an hour to see this guy and he made me by hand insoles for my shoes He took photos with me and his staff and I signed a few autographs. I still wear them today. the other crazy thing is I took a bus when I was in Osaka and every single person on the bus turned around and stared at me the whole time, they never saw a white long-haired rocker in their hometown!!
Tell me about the making of the album Stun Gun, which came out on January 24, 2020?
I had the most amazing experience. when I came back from my West Coast tour with Enuff Z. Nuff I was totally inspired by all the 80’s rock guitar-driven rock going on the west coast So I decided my next album was going to be heavier and darker with some cool guitar riffs I wrote “Down” our first single on the plane coming back home to NYC.. I recorded up in my hometown in Upstate NY and stayed at my parents’ house I pulled out all my old guitars from storage and called my local musician friends to record with me up there Kelly Yacco on drums and Scott Henderson on bass guitar. I then called Lou Giordano (Goo Goo Dolls) to mix it and Alex Saltz (Vampire Weekend, Stryper) to master it. I am happy the way it sounds
The album has some of the same tones to Cheap Trick. Do you have a large guitar collection like Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick? And what is your favorite guitar (Make, model, and year)?
Yes, great that you say that! Perfect for this album I did pull out all the old vintage guitars I have an awesome collection. the guitar I ended up using is a 1976 Black Gibson Les Paul Custom It sounded amazing
I have heard you talked about your 1976 Gibson Les Paul. Have you done anything customized to it at all?
No, it was actually in storage for many years I put my new DR strings on it and it stayed in tune perfect and it just sounded amazing!! So, I leave it alone it’s like a Ferrari!! It’s built for speed
What is your favorite track on the album?
I love playing “Monkey On my Back” Live it’s a fan favorite we end the night with it. I get emails and text saying we sang that song all night going home form your show! We could not get the chorus out of our heads!! The great story about that song is when I was on tour in the UK my guitar player Ade Fisher says “Mate I lost 10 stones for the tour”? I was like what are ten stones? Mate, they are pounds! So, the song states ten stones of alcohol will get him off my back!!
What is the difference between this album and Killstar?
I think when Pretty Things was the biggest selling of all my albums, I was signed by Mark Berry Powerhouse ay AMG signed me to SONY. I tried to copy the success with “Killstar” the first single “Fight” was like my first single “Socially Awkward” so on “Stun Gun” I wanted to get away from it and make an album I wanted to be happy with guitar-driven rockin album. it’s a lot heavier, one of my best friends and biggest supporters said: “Stun Gun is like a collection of Bob Dee works. I have my pop-rock hits, a piano ballad and some riff-laden power rockers all in one”
How was it to tour with Enuff Z’Nuff?
We had an awesome West Coast tour set-up by Alison Masson at MBM. I have known Chip since the Cat Club NYC days he was awesome. took care of us. great guy!! Always there if we needed it. I got to talk with him at soundcheck at The Whisky A Go Go in North Hollywood CA talking about the old days
Did Chip show you any new incites to the music business?
The only thing I can say is that he is a total pro, all-around great guy! He is awesome to work with and hid band rocks
How do you stay healthy while touring?
One thing we all have to do is eat healthily I remember the first night of my UK tour I went wild I sat and closed the bar down drinking doing many bad things I can’t mention and the next day my voice was shot and I was hurting. it took me a few more shows to recover from drinking and eating some crazy food partying, so I have to eat good, get sleep when i can and try to excursive as much as I can. but that is often hard to do when we are traveling 4-5 hours a day to each show
You have got a publishing deal. And you now create songs for a show like American Idol. What is that like?
Currently, I have my own publishing deal and I submit songs all the time. I was signed in the ’90s to Famous/Paramount to a 6-figure publishing deal and we were unsigned, right now it feels great to write my own songs. I have signed many licensing deals with my songs
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
Well In the old days we made a lot of money streaming these days is not working I still sell a ton of CD’s and mostly my merch sales are through the roof!! Thank you to all my fans around the world for supporting me all these years
Digital vs. vinyl?
It’s funny you should say that. we are actually in the process of putting out vinyl. so, we will see what happens
Any plans to tour?
well we were ready to tour had a lot of cool gigs booked and one in NYC at the Bowery Electric in August is still a go so I guess we will have to wait and see
What song from the past is in your mind right now? And what is the meaning that song means to you?
I have been getting into all the old songs lately form David Bowie Spiders from Mars wow all the rockers I would say ‘Rebel Rebel” is how I feel right now just want to get back on stage and tear the house down
You were just about ready to play the Bowery Electric in NYC and then the virus hit. So, you had to postpone the show until 08/15/2020. At that time did you think that Covid-19 was going to be something that only lasts a couple of days?
Yes, we really did, it’s going on over two months the show is still on for August but we will have to wait and see. the good news is that I bought a brand new recording studio right before it all hit… so I took the last few months and really buckled down and worked on the home recording ..if I was touring I would not have had the time and luxury of two months chilling at home
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
So far, I have heard from promoters that nothing is happening this year so don’t plan on it. So, all I can tell you is when we are ready to go, we will kick ass our first show will be epic
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
I have been just recording every day for the last two months with no subways transportation it has been crazy but I have gotten a lot done so far and I am grateful to be alive and my bandmates are safe
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Yes, I have been writing a book. I outlined a ten-chapter book years ago that was always on hold I managed to hone in my writing skills I wrote two long chapters and an Introduction. I can’t disclose what it is about but let’s just say it’s a self-help book
Lots of people are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Are you planning to do something like that?
It’s funny you say that I tried a few recordings myself with an iPhone playing my songs and it did not come out so good So yes, I will get it together and buy some fancy lights and make it happen
Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?
Well right now I have an amazing fan base since the 1980s and they buy everything I put out. So, I have been okay so far and If I structure my concerts online on weekends, I think it will all workout
First, it was an article in the New York Times, then Rolling Stones talked about it and finally, Live Nation CEO said that concerts may not start again until the fall of 2021. Do you think this could happen?
I have talked to several NYC promoters and they are saying the same thing. just write and keep putting out product until we are able to tour again.
Social Distance being the norm. Do you feel that it may be the end of the music fest for the next couple of years?
Hopefully, we can play again next year and not a few years that would not be good but as I said before I make most of my money in publishing and my merch sales
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Not so into that, I don’t like the idea although I do have hologram Bob Dee album cover stickers that just came in to sell
How do you see yourself in the next five years?
I see my recording studio full up and running and my book sales through the roof, 2 more albums, and more singles. I am totally excited about the future. good things will happen
Anything you would like to say in closing?
Thank you for taking the time to interview me much appreciated and Thank you to all my fans around the world for supporting me in my music career! Rock On
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