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Posted |
May 20th, 2010 |
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John
5: Malice
Man |
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PHOTO BY KEVIN SCANLON
 By
Diamond Bodine-Fischer
Thursday,
May 20 2010
It's dark out but
warmly lit inside. There is a
long, sturdy wooden table, at
the center of which lies a human
skull under glass surrounded by
a spread of mouthwatering food.
At the head of the table sits
John 5 in a sharp black suit
flanked by a half-dozen
staggeringly beautiful women.
The hall is lined with assorted
gold and platinum records,
Grammy certificates and other
awards. Guitar cases peek out of
every tucked-away corner, and a
slightly opened closet reveals
bits of sinister black fabrics.
The neighbors must love him.
John 5, best known for his
work with Rob Zombie and Marilyn
Manson, has a mind-boggling
résumé that includes Chrysalis
staff writer and stints with
Rick Springfield, Lynyrd
Skynyrd, k.d. lang, Lita Ford
and Salt-N-Pepa. Take a moment
to let his Salt-N-Pepa work sink
in. His unbelievable
shred-tastic talents, with
mechanical precision that would
make BMW blush and the ability
to maintain a hint of warmth in
his playing, make even the best
players drop jaw. His guitar
collection is killer; they come
from all over, but his favorite
shopping stop is Norm's Rare
Guitar Shop in Tarzana. "I love
Norm's. I love just going in
there!" When asked about his
favorite purchase, there's not a
hint of doubt: "I have one of
the first solid-body Fender
Broadcasters. Only 126 were
made." The worst gear decision
he ever made? "It was a 1977
Fender Strat, signed by Stevie
Ray Vaughan, and I sold it." A
smile, and then he adds, "I
still regret that."
His
new solo album, The Art of
Malice, is full of the
shreddy-shred deliciousness the
world has come to expect and
love from John 5, with flawless
bluegrass picking. He describes
the sound: "Like wearing a
cowboy hat to a Slayer show!"
John 5 doesn't have long to
revel in the high-speed glory of
his new release: He's heading
out with Rob Zombie in early
July.
Proud of all his
work, he cites his partnership
with Zombie. "This is, I am
completely serious, the best
band I've ever been in. I would
never leave them."
Leaving the comfort of a home in
affluent Gross Pointe, Michigan,
to live in a space never
intended for human inhabitants
is perhaps not wise. But, he
warmly claims, "My real dream
was that I just wanted to live
in L.A." Dinner at Swingers and
a movie at the ArcLight are part
of what made the early struggle
worth it. "When I'm on the road
and I feel depressed, I always
think of La Brea and Sunset, the
very first place I went when I
got to L.A. I love Los Angeles.
I would never leave. This is
where I'm going to die."
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