In episode 558 of the Iron Metropolis Rocks podcast, POISON drummer Rikki Rockett spoke about his new band THE ROCKETT MAFIA by which he’s joined by Brandon Gibbs (DEVIL CITY ANGELS) on vocals and guitar, Mick Sweda (BULLETBOYS) on guitar and backing vocals, and Bryan Kimes on bass and backing vocals. This previous February, THE ROCKETT MAFIA launched its first single, a canopy of “I Suppose I Love You”, a 1970 music by Tony Romeo, written because the debut single for fictional musical TV household “The Partridge Household”. Requested if he and the opposite members of THE ROCKETT MAFIA have talked about writing and recording unique music, Rockett stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Sure, we have now. Actually, Mick and I performed yesterday and we have been speaking about stuff. And we received a few issues underneath our hat now. We’re simply making an attempt to do it one step at a time and put all of the items collectively. So, if we do one thing, we will really make a very first rate effort out of it and never — pardon the French, however half-ass it. I do not wanna do this.”
Relating to his want to maintain THE ROCKETT MAFIA lineup the identical going ahead, if doable, Rikki stated: “Properly, I hope so. Bryan is doing a few different issues and stuff like that, however we’re not large enough at this level for everyone simply to be on payroll and hang around. So, I am simply form of taking it one step at a time.”
On the subject of which POISON songs THE ROCKETT MAFIA will carry out throughout its stay reveals, Rikki stated: “What I am gonna do, and I used to be gonna do it right now, really, and perhaps I nonetheless will, I used to be gonna take a ballot on some social media platforms and actually ask followers, ‘What songs do you wanna hear?’ and select ’em that manner. I wanna give the folks what they need, actually, as a result of I really like all our songs. I really like our physique of labor. I like some songs higher than different ones, after all, however there’s nothing I hate. So if the followers actually wanna hear one thing, I’ve received no drawback taking part in it.”
As for what different covers THE ROCKETT MAFIA is planning to play at its upcoming gigs, Rikki stated: “We do a FACES music. We do a Billy Joel music. We do an Elton John music. We have taken some of these things and simply form of reimagined it in a tough rock format. And that is the thought of it, slightly than take one thing that was already a rock music and compete with it. I do not wanna redo a BLACK SABBATH music. I am not gonna do a greater job than Invoice Ward; I am simply not. To me, that is the top of BLACK SABBATH. And FACES arguably… However again then, I really feel like a few of these recordings have been rushed… [FACES‘] ‘Keep With Me’, by the use of instance, I’ve heard so many variations of that — funky variations and quick variations and slower variations — and it is okay to do our personal model. I do not wanna do ‘Conflict Pigs’ my manner.”
Requested if he and the opposite members of THE ROCKETT MAFIA plan on mixing up the setlist evening after evening, Rikki stated: “Sure, we are going to. It relies upon. If we’re doing like, as an instance, a company gig the place folks need an enormous number of stuff, we’ll do an even bigger number of stuff. I feel at sure rock reveals, like Summerfest, by the use of instance, individuals are gonna need extra of the POISON stuff, they’re gonna need extra of the straight-ahead rock and roll, so we’ll most likely do this. However, actually, the entire set rocks. We’ve got no ballads at this level — not one. It by no means slows down. And I used to be considering, ‘Man, is {that a} unhealthy thought?’ After which so many individuals got here as much as me after the present and went, ‘Oh, no. It was enjoyable. I really like that you simply guys by no means stopped.’ There was solely a pair occasions the place Brandon talked. It was nearly like a punk band, just like the RAMONES. 1, 2, 3, 4 — bam — proper into the following factor.”
Final month, Sweda informed the Nothing Stunning podcast about his involvement with THE ROCKETT MAFIA: “It was actually fascinating the way it happened. My buddy Bryan [Kimes], who’s taking part in with me in THE HOT SUMMERS, bumped into Rikki, and Rikki was on the lookout for some guys to flesh out this concept that he had for this band. And my buddy beneficial me for the guitar spot, and Rikki and I received collectively and hit it off fairly nicely and had a good time taking part in. And it has been progressing ever since. We have got some gigs in early July within the Midwest and across the Pennsylvania space, and we hope we’ll have many extra to come back.”
Relating to the opposite musicians who’re concerned within the peoject, Mick stated: “Properly, Brandon Gibbs, the singer, I feel he is fairly well-known for touring just a little bit with Joel Hoekstra. I feel they’ve an acoustic factor that they do. I assume it typically goes electrical. So he and Rikki have been mates for a very long time, and he is a really gifted cat, an important guitar participant. And at this level, we have not completely fleshed out the bass half. We’re going by way of some guys proper now. And hopefully we’ll decide on somebody on a everlasting foundation.”
Requested if there’s “a sure period” he and his THE ROCKETT MAFIA bandmates are “making an attempt to stay to” with regards to selecting which songs to cowl, Mick stated: “Yeah, we undoubtedly needed to do the extra obscure stuff, and we tried a few issues out. There is a music referred to as ‘Child Blue’ that I’ve all the time beloved since I used to be a child, by BADFINGER. And we love taking part in that music. Nonetheless, it’s important to type of gauge how issues go over. Not all people is acquainted with materials like that. So though we’re making an attempt issues… For instance, we put collectively a observe referred to as ‘I Suppose I Love You’ [a 1970 song by Tony Romeo, written as the debut single for fictional musical TV family ‘The Partridge Family’], which was really the primary single I ever had as a child by ‘The Partridge Household’. And it is form of a difficult observe to cowl, no less than from the outset, however I feel we had lots of enjoyable with it. And it is on the market for folks to hearken to now.
“However the music checklist is form of evolving,” Mick defined. “We begin out with what’s in our hearts, between Rikki and I, which is the ’70s for that matter. So, it is form of branching out from there. And we’re simply ensuring that the tunes are enjoyable and energetic and entertaining.”
On the subject of whether or not THE ROCKETT MAFIA is “fairly style particular” to the “Nineteen Seventies traditional rock period” or if they’re “form of huge open so far as experimenting with completely different genres of music,” Sweda stated: “It is the latter. Actually, one of many issues that Rikki and I talked about doing was taking songs that you’d by no means anticipate to listen to and form of revamping them in a manner that permits us to interject our personalities into them. So, though we have not actually received to the stage of discovering too many songs to try this with, ‘trigger it is a problem — it is lots simpler to only decide up a music and play it because it’s written. So for us to search out one thing distinctive and thrilling and switch it into our personal, it takes just a little bit extra time, however that’s finally the purpose.”
THE ROCKETT MAFIA, with Bryan Kimes on bass and backing vocals, performed its first official present on February 21 on the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.
Relating to how THE ROCKETT MAFIA got here collectively, Rikki acknowledged throughout a February 19 look on SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”: “I all the time had Brandon Gibbs at the back of my thoughts for any mission that I do, which hasn’t been many. I imply, I did DEVIL CITY ANGELS [with him]. After I performed The Distinguished Gentleman’s Trip [motorcycle charity event], which I’m one of many metropolis co-hosts for — that is a worldwide journey that takes place in 300-some cities internationally — they did not have leisure. And I stated, ‘It is time to have leisure at this factor.’ And so they stated, ‘Properly, any strategies? Are you able to play?’ And I went, ‘Properly, I haven’t got a band.’ [Laughs] ‘So I am going to should put one collectively.’ I had achieved a few reveals with CHEVY METAL — me and Kenny Aronoff had achieved a pair reveals with them — so I reached out to these guys, and I simply principally had them come and play the present… So after that, I simply stated, ‘I want my very own band.’ First particular person I met was Bryan who was working at a salon that I used to be in, and we began speaking. And this man is from Maryland, and we have now the identical circle of mates, however did not know one another. He is performed all that tri-state space again there, the identical locations we performed, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, all that. And so we received alongside nice. And I stated, ‘Let’s get collectively. I’ve gotta discover a guitar participant.’ And he talked about Mick Sweda. and I used to be like, ‘Is he busy? Is he doing one thing? I imply, that man’s a monster. Is that this one thing that will curiosity him?’ And the very first thing Mick stated after I referred to as him up, he stated, ‘Look, if you happen to’re simply gonna have me for one or two gigs after which do away with me, I am not .’ I stated, ‘Properly, Mick, I do not know. I’ve by no means performed with you, however I feel we should always no less than get collectively and play.’ And we did. And we have been taking part in AEROSMITH songs, VAN HALEN, every little thing, and we’re simply sitting there going, ‘Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. We’re minimize from the identical material.’ And I used to be amazed at how good of a participant this man is. After which, after all, I introduced Brandon into the factor. And I stated the entire thought is one thing that Taylor Hawkins [late FOO FIGHTERS drummer] informed me that I ought to have been doing a very long time in the past. And I all the time received tremendous critical with a band, like, ‘I’ve gotta, instantly, write a report and do all-original materials.’ And he is, like, ‘No, simply go play for some time. Get used to all people. Ensure you wanna have a superb time. POISON‘s your child, identical to FOO FIGHTERS are mine.’ So I took his recommendation, God relaxation his soul, and a number of other years later, I am really doing this factor. It has been a lot enjoyable, simply within the rehearsal part.”
As for what followers can anticipate to listen to at THE ROCKETT MAFIA‘s stay reveals, Rikki stated: “They’re getting our unique variations of canopy songs for proper now. That means we’re taking songs that almost all rock bands sometimes do not do — a few of ’em we do, however lots of ’em most exhausting rock bands do not do — and we’re reimagining them. And you may see [when you hear ‘I Think I Love You’] what I imply by that. And it is one thing that Mick dubbed, I feel he referred to as it ‘satanic pop.’ [Laughs] You may see what I imply. So we’re reimagining a few of these songs that had nice choruses and actually catchy hooks, however have been by no means meant to be essentially exhausting rock songs. They have been simply crafted so nicely. And we’re performing some common FACES stuff and issues like that as nicely. However we have now determined now, and we began to idiot round with our personal stuff. So that’s undoubtedly forthcoming. However for this primary little run, you are gonna be listening to a bunch of stuff that you simply went, ‘Oh my God! That is that music. I do know that music. I do know that music.’ That is what we’re going for. And we preserve including [new songs] each day. I swear to God, we preserve altering the set. We’re, like, ‘Hey, have you ever ever considered doing this music?’ ‘Yeah, however how would we do this, do it THE ROCKETT MAFIA manner?’ So we’re having a blast with it. It is simply been actually, actually enjoyable.”
On the subject of how “I Suppose I Love You” was chosen to be one of many songs for THE ROCKETT MAFIA to cowl, Rikki stated: “I feel I [suggested that one]. I all the time thought it was an important music. I had a crush on [actress] Susan Dey rising up, so, after all. However I all the time thought it was such a well-written music. It was written by Tony Romeo, who I do not know, however he is written different issues. He handed away now. And I feel David Cassidy was making an attempt so exhausting at the moment to make folks understand that he was a very good participant and he was a very good author, and he could not lengthen previous that concept of ‘The Partridge Household’ publicly. And I met him a few years in the past at an award present — he was tremendous cool — and I informed him how a lot I appreciated all of the stuff that he actually did attain out and do this he did in a extra critical manner. And I really feel unhealthy for him as a result of he was by no means taken significantly. I feel it made him an alcoholic perhaps; I do not know. However I simply thought it was a cool music. It was, like, ‘This music wants a second spin.’ The chord constructions, every little thing could be very exhausting rock, however the way in which they did it, it wasn’t. So you will see how we did it.”
Rockett and Gibbs performed their first present as THE ROCKETT MAFIA in Could 2024 on the finish of the aforementioned The Distinguished Gentleman’s Trip motorbike charity occasion in Santa Monica, California. They have been joined on the gig by guitarist Brent Woods (SEBASTIAN BACH, CHEVY METAL) and bassist Wiley Hodgden.
Rockett and Gibbs beforehand performed collectively in a band referred to as DEVIL CITY ANGELS, additionally that includes guitarist Tracii Weapons (L.A. GUNS) and bassist Eric Brittingham (CINDERELLA). The band launched its self-titled debut album in September 2015. Following the recording of “Satan Metropolis Angels”, Brittingham determined to not proceed with the mission and his spot was taken by Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE). Round a 12 months later, Rockett, Gibbs and Brittingham joined forces with guitarist Joel Kosche (ex-COLLECTIVE SOUL) to kind the LORDS OF DEVIL CITY. Inside a number of months, Rockett, Gibbs and Brittingham relaunched DEVIL CITY ANGELS, just for Eric to exit the mission in the summertime of 2017 and get replaced by Topher Nelson. In July 2020, DEVIL CITY ANGELS launched a brand new single, “Testify”.
In early 2019, Gibbs and Rockett have been embroiled in a public disagreement after Gibbs indicated he was now not concerned with DEVIL CITY ANGELS as a consequence of the truth that the band was “inactive.” Rikki responded that DEVIL CITY ANGELS “went inactive” as a result of he was recognized with most cancers and urged presumably transferring on with out Brandon. This prompted Gibbs to fireplace again that he had “by no means seen somebody complain about cash, notion and 1st class tickets” as a lot as Rockett allegedly did, “to the purpose the place it will get in the way in which of doing something.” The 2 have since resolved their variations.
Again in 2015, Rockett informed Sleaze Roxx about Gibbs: “The factor about Brandon is that he is a younger man however he appears like he is from the ’70s. That is what is so interesting for guys like us. That is the explanation that I actually needed Brandon concerned with us. Brandon does not have any baggage, which is nice and he has lots of expertise. He is received an important pedigree.”
In 2015, Rockett and Gibbs joined forces with Rikki‘s POISON bandmates Bobby Dall (bass) and C.C. DeVille (guitar) to play a number of reveals as THE SPECIAL GUESTS in what was broadly perceived as a not-so-subtle message to POISON singer Bret Michaels that they weren’t prepared to stay fully inactive whereas he pursued a solo profession.
Photograph courtesy of The Rockett Mafia
