Vinnie Paul – Hellyeah – Interview Exclusive.
Written by Tazz Stander
Tuesday, 13 July 2010 06:00
“We want it to feel like every night is a Friday night with Hellyeah”, proclaims Vinnie Paul, the band’s drummer and founding father. Well after seeing them live again at Download recently, and been booked in for an interview at their London show, which subsequently got cancelled as the beer drinkers had quite literally out partied themselves living every day like Friday night. I was now hooked up via telephone on a rare down day for the band. Being asked if I was ready for Mr Vinnie Paul by their management, what else was I expected to say back instead of, “Is Mr Vinnie Paul ready for me?” This got a lot of laughs, before I was immediately silenced by Vinnie’s amazing Texan accent and humble approach to some of my usual prying questions. Read on to find out how things played out.
Firstly, what a storming set at Download. It was awesome to hear one of your new tracks, ‘Cowboy Way’ played live. Your new album ‘Stampede’ is on its way to all your fans stereos. Take me through Hellyeah’s particular writing and recording process.
It’s pretty different from what anyone else does y’now. We actually set up my house as a recording studio, brought in the pro tools rig, took the drums down into my big living room, put all the guitar amps and rig up in the games room and turned one of my bedrooms into the control room. It’s kind of like how Rick Rubin likes to have all his records done. I built these things during the first album that we call the bungalows, where all the guys stay in, so there is no travelling to hotel rooms or anything like that, we’re all here together which really helps to get a tight vibe. We do a little barbecuing and a lot of drinking while we do it. There is no real rocket science to it or anything, I mean we all come together and maybe start with a guitar riff that one of the guys has, maybe a drum idea that I have kicking around, and we just go from there so that is kind of how we operate.
What happens to the songs that don’t make it onto the final cut?
With this band and really with the last couple of Pantera records we did, we always believed that quality was way better than quantity. Instead of having 15 or 20 songs and hopefully have 10 good ones, we just make sure we have 10 or 12 good ones and that’s it so there really isn’t extra material hanging around.
So we shouldn’t be expecting any B Sides one day?
Not as of right now, not unless I get in there and get digging and I know I’m not going to have time to do that because of being on tour for the rest of the year.
Being a massive Hellyeah fan, I got what can only be described as a “Hellyeah signature sound” from the opening chords of ‘Cowboy Way’ right through to the last strum of ‘Order the Sun’, yet somehow this new record sounds riff-ier and more in your face than your last one. What for you are the fundamental differences between the 2 albums?
I think for sure that the first album was almost like an experiment, we didn’t really know each other but we just happened to have this great killer thing where everybody wrote some amazing songs in the short period of time that we had together. On this record, after having the opportunity to tour for a year with each other, we knew we had a solid fan base and that the fans had embarrassed us. We came into it with a lot more confidence and we really knew what we wanted out of the Hellyeah sound and it made it a little easier for us.
What is your favourite track off each album and why?
That is tough man. I really love ‘Thank You’ off the first record. I love the message that Chad delivered on there. It holds a personal spot with me for my brother and on the new one, I really think that his deep-seated childhood problems that he had with his dad, he was really able to express himself in the song ‘Better Man’. He really got something out of his system that he really needed to.
That’s awesome. Music is therapy for a band as much as it is for fans really. For me, ‘Hellyeah’ and ‘Hell of a Time’ are the tracks that I’m going with at the moment.
That’s awesome. Thank you, I appreciate that.
Where did the idea come from in releasing a limited edition double coloured vinyl with a branded bulls head on it?
It just kind of fit the theme of the whole record, with the music business being as tough as it is these days. To have a limited edition or something special for the fans is really, really important. Also with the theme of the record, and it being called ‘Stampede’, it makes it pretty unique, and something that nobody else has done so that is why we did it.
Always the revolutionary band.
We try, we try.
As music reflects feelings, what for you is a better motivator? Anger or Joy.
I think that both are very motivating. Honestly, you couldn’t play aggressive music if you didn’t have any anger. It has to be fun though. That was the most important thing when we put this band together; it was for us, first and foremost to have fun. Songs like ‘Hell of a Time’, ‘Alcohaulin’ Ass’, it’s just like playing in a good old rock ‘n’ roll band in a bar, it’s fun music.
When you look back, after all the concerts, meeting your fans, recordings and albums, what would you describe as the greatest value of Hellyeah?
I think it’s just that people have a really good time when they come to our shows. We want it to feel like every night is a Friday night with Hellyeah, it doesn’t matter if it’s Sunday, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. We want you to watch our show, drink up and have a good time. That is probably the best value of what we do.
I’ve now seen you play twice at Download, and at a few other gigs and something stood out to me every time. You guys don’t seem to have a statement or scene with either political or self-serving messages that you’re trying to push. I find this quite refreshing. What is Hellyeah’s musical philosophy?
I think the simple version is that we don’t really give a shit. We want to enjoy ourselves and we’re not really worried about people who don’t really like the band. What we’re really worried about is the people that do you know? We want to make sure we give them a reason to enjoy being around. There is so much dark music and like you said, political messages and it all gets lost in the mix somehow and they forget that it’s supposed to be fun. So that is what we try to put back into it.
I often wonder where bands draw the line between their music and their political voice. It’s nice to know that you guys are just downright real.
Yeah, that’s it. Real, that is a good word.
Focusing on Damageplan for a second, it’s always been said that there is a lot of recorded music that had never been released. Are you still considering releasing any of it?
Not in the direct future. I do have a bunch of tracks that me and my brother laid down for Damageplan. Obviously its been a long road for me to get back to where I am at now, and I’m really focussed on the Hellyeah thing and enjoying my life doing this. At some point I will get onto the Damageplan thing and get it back out there for the people to hear but like I said, for right now, I’m really focussed on this.
I believe you’re planning on headlining an autumn tour? From playing in the UK once in 2006, to 3 times in one weekend in 2010, what can fans expect from a full tour?
We’re currently touring in the States and then were off to Australia. When we come back we’re playing the ‘Uproar and Mayhem tour’ all summer with Avenged Sevenfold and Disturbed and then we will be coming back to Europe in November and hopefully it will be the package with Disturbed and Avenged Sevenfold which will be a great package to have all 3 bands on that bill. We plan on touring for 2 solid years for this record. We want to take it to another level especially internationally.
Very exciting that you’re touring with Avenged and Disturbed but can’t you fit Alice in Chains in your suitcase?
(Laughing) HELLYEAH!
Just a completely random question before we end this off, do you always click your fingers before having a photo taken?
That is something that me and my brother started a long time ago. Actually Dime started it. (clicks his fingers) Give a little point to the person you’re next to, to let them know you see them.
(Laughing) I just heard the click.
(Laughing) You did. It’s just a fun way of saying hi I guess.
Finally, finish off this sentence for me. The biggest cliché in rock ‘n roll is ….
The biggest cliché is all rock stars are rich. It’s not what it used to be like back in the day and I feel sorry for all these bands that are just now trying to start. It’s so difficult so I guess that would be the only cliché thing I could think of.
Awesome, thank you so much Vinnie.
I appreciate it and look forward to seeing you in November.
Uber Rock would like to thank Adam and Dante for making this interview happen, and also Vinnie Paul and his management for being such great people. We wait for the Hellyeah Winter tour with baited breath.