Donnie Vie – Uber Rock Interview Exclusive
Written by Rob Watkins
Sunday, 04 August 2013 03:00
As of right now, Donnie Vie has just completed a successful solo acoustic tour of the UK whilst his band of many decades Enuff Z’Nuff is touring the US with Johnny Monaco once again returning on guitar and vocals. So what exactly has caused this split this time around, and more importantly will we ever see Donnie and Chip back in a band together? I caught up with Donnie after his show at the EVI in my adopted hometown of Ebbw Vale to find out the answers to these questions and much much more. So if you were ever wondering what music makes Donnie fly high or what he does in his spare time on the road you’ve certainly come to the right place.
Hey Donnie, thank you for taking the time out after your show to chat with me. So let’s start with a nice simple question. Who is Donnie Vie?
Ha Ha…Why would you ask something like that? Donnie Vie…. umm Donnie Vie had two different names and neither of those names really suited me because the name I was born with, my father kinda took offwhen I was little, and the other name, that guy was only around for a short period, he passed away, and there were 3 Donnies in our crowd that we hang out with. There was fat Donnie Marchbanks there was Donnie Hollinger and there was me and nobody could pronounce my last name, so I became Donnie Vie and that`s what they always called me, and I was this shy, believe it or not, shy little intimidated kid that kinda came from an abusive home and I spent a lot of time in my own little imaginary world like writing and creating songs. Like not writing songs yet, just in the mirror and stuff like a lot of musicians do, and creating a little world where everybody loves me and all that, and then it became a reality for a while and it happened overnight. So I went from one person to another overnight and it`s a hard transition to go to the extremes I went to from going from total obscurity to knowing nobody and only having a couple of friends to all of a sudden everybody is my friend, and I guess I really don`t have that insecurity problem anymore you know. Maybe a little bit but I’m outgoing now, and Donnie Vie I guess is the old man you see sitting in front of you at this moment. Ha Ha.
So I’ll not skirt around the question everyone wants to ask right now, what’s the current situation with Enuff Z’Nuff?
Enuff Z’Nuff at the moment, I think there’s a difference in, how would you say, erm…let me start again. Basically what`s left of Enuff Z’Nuff is Chip and myself, and Chip has got the other guys touring right now, Tory, Randi and now Johnny Monaco. And I think if I’m not singing then Johnny Monaco is the next best guy to sing with them. You know Johnny sings really well and he’s a good writer, but you know I hope they don`t make another Enuff Z’Nuff record. I mean I’ve written and sung on all the Enuff Z’Nuff records along with Chip and I hope they don`t do that because I think that`d be a mistake. But as far as Enuff Z’Nuff goes right now, they`ve got something they wanna do and I have something I wanna do, so I think we had a good run. We had a good tour, the last English tour I think it went well, and it was cool but at the end of the tour everybody seemed to not like me, and I didn`t like them, and they went their way and I went mine. But like and love are two different words you know, I love Chip I’ll always love Chip, he’s a brother and sometimes he’s not a brother, but I guess I cannot be a brother too at times. You know it’s a two way street and he’s doing something at the moment that I don`t wanna do so let them do that, and I just wanted to come round Europe and do my thing and play some songs for people and mellow out, and then go and chill out with my girl. So I’ll let them do their thing and I wanna do my thing and I doubt very highly that Chip and I will never play together again I’m sure we will you know, of course we will you know, something will come along, an opportunity you know, I actually misshim already but I don’t. Ha Ha.
So how would you describe your relationship with Chip? I think you`ve already answered this question but….
Well I think I needed a brother growing up, and I wanted a brother so badly, and I’ve done some cheeky stuff to Chip it`s a two way street man.
Maybe it’s just like the Lennon/McCartney thing, a love/hate relationship?
Well I don`t know if you`d say it like that, as Lennon and McCartney each gave a big contribution, but you know Chip gave a huge contribution in a different way man, he’s the billboard, he`s the logo, he`s the bucket on the KFC, the golden arches of McDonalds. I mean I would have loved a guy like that, but I never really had a guy like that, you know trying to do both jobs at the same time but you know I’ve done some fucked up shit to him, he`s done some fucked up shit to me, and when this last Enuff tour ended there was a lot of bitterness, but it`s fading fast and I now kinda have fond memories and I hope he feels the same way, he`s looked out for me you know.
Okay Donnie, so it’s all about you now, you as a songwriter…do you think you can get any higher?
Can I get any higher, you know there’s been times in my life when I don`t think you can get any higher. Ha Ha But seriously yeah as a songwriter of course I still think I can get better with each record and when I hit a point that the next batch of songs that I’m writing are not as good as the last batch, in that I’m not jazzed on as the last batch, then maybe I’ll call it a day. This new batch I still think is better than the last one and you`ll have to be the judge when you hear them. But yeah you can always get higher, I mean we got pretty full of ourselves there for a while, you get wrapped up in yourself, but I mean I’m not even the songwriter, it`s just God channeling through me the same way he goes through other artists, and some of the songs I write I hear them in my head already like you hear them like on the recording. So how can you say you even wrote that you know?
Over recent years you’ve returned to the UK and Europe on an ever increasing frequency, so how does your European fan base compare to those in America and where would you say are your more dedicated followers?
Right now, you guys blow America away there`s no competition, America doesn`t even listen to R and R music any more. The whole world has changed as far as music goes over there, but you guys have always hung onto it and it’s always fun to come here. I love the whole UK vibe because you guys are funnier, you know a sarcastic sense of humour and just the irony and the realism of everything. Life’s tragedies are the greatest comedies and you guys wear it well, you know and I relate to all that and actually my humour doesn`t get over anywhere but here you know.
Finish this sentence. I am Donnie Vie and I …
Love Lisa Vie.
So thinking of what you are doing right now do you personally prefer solo or group performances?
Of course it’s the group The reason for this tour is I think we’d been doing the same thing for a lot of years and people are busy, and it’s not so easy to get together and rehearse and stuff like that, but I talk to friends, fans whatever and I’m a fan of the music, and I know what I would like to hear and I would feel a little disappointed if I hear the same set 20 years in a row, so that’s what this is all about, and I mean I bitched in vain to those guys about this for a good couple of years now, to the point where it became them against me, so I felt very alienated and very alone in that band. It`s them and it`s me, and that’s not a gang vibe, and I don`t wanna be in a gang that`s not a gang you know, and people weren’t watching my back anymore on that last tour.
So what would you say have been your career highlights?
Well one of my career highlights would have to be my 25th birthday where we played at the Marquee club in London, and it was sold out and at a famous place which has a lot of history there., I’ve had a few other career highlights too, like all the musicians that I’ve grown up loving like Kiss, Aerosmith and Cheap Trick. Robin Zander he’s a good friend of mine and he loves me and I love him, and that’s a highlight just there when those sort of people speak highly of you.
What new bands do you listen to in the comfort of your own home?
You know I’m embarrassed to say I don`t really listen to much music I’m more of a movie guy, you know. Right now I’m listening to what Baz is listening to on this tour, like these guys something Preachers.
Manic St Preachers?
Yeah those guys they sound like a under-developed Jellyfish, I mean my sister turned me onto some Avenged Sevenfold, I think that guy is really cool and there`s a lot of orchestration going on in those songs, you know but I’m the wrong guy to ask that question to as I don`t listen to much stuff but ask me something ‘bout any movies.
Okay so what movies are you into?
I’m looking forward to watching Leap Year that looks good, and I have a couple of other ones on my laptop, as I’m an avid downloader that I forget the names of. But I’ve seen all the big ones like World War Z and Man Of Steel, and I download everything, you know that`s what I do I watch movies. So if I can`t sleep I’ll always watch a movie but there`s so many shitty movies out there, there`s a new Tom Sizemore one that`s so bad believe me it`s called Visible Scars if you ever wanna watch a movie to hate a movie, that is the worst movie I’ve ever seen Visible Scars with Tom Sizemore.
Getting back to your career Donnie, what’s next for you on a professional level once this tour finishes?
Well I’m gonna be a professional husband and I’m moving to the most beautiful place in the world, and this time next month I’ll be lying in the most beautiful place in the world lying between the legs of the only thing more beautiful, that`s all I really care about right now.
So, have you achieved all your musical ambitions and dreams?
Erm…No it`s not that easy to do that now these days ,you know I’m a day late and a dollar short for the party, I mean we`ve played in front of 150 thousand people but sometimes that’s just not enough.
To finish things off then Donnie here a few quick-fire questions for you. First Lennon or McCartney?
Oh man it was always Paul McCartney in the beginning, but when John Lennon died….look there is nobody cooler than John Lennon mid 1965-66 there’s no cooler rock singer in the world than John Lennon period.
Okay with that in mind, you are topping the bill at a major outdoor festival, which five other bands, alive, dead or dysfunctional do you have on the bill?
Oh Jesus, so basically my five favourite bands on there? I`d have Aerosmith on there…Stone Temple Pilots…you gotta have The Beatles, Jellyfish and erm Johnny Monaco. He could go on when they are like setting up the chairs, no I’m actually a fan of Johnny I think he’s funny as fuck yeah, he`s a real funny guy.
And of course what would you have on the rider?
Money`s no object? Oh then white tube socks, cigarettes, lately no more tequila, tequila makes trouble, 7Up and if money is no object they used to stick an eight ball of cocaine in my rider. I’ve always been an advocate of respect the drug you know, but nobody seems to agree with me on that one especially my girlfriend. I guess bring in some Chicago food if money is no object and if it`s Enuff Z’Nuff bring in some good pot for Chip Z’Nuff cause if he’s not happy then nobody is happy.
Donnie thank you so much for your time, from all of us here at Uber Rock.
My pleasure.
