August 4, 2002
Tommy Lee interview from www.noizepollution.com
6/29/02
"The week of June 23rd could not have been any better! I am a diehard Tommy Lee fan. My obsession
began in the first grade when my Mom bought me Motley Crue's Theatre of Pain. I listened to that
record all day and night. I had my old school headphones (that I now realize looked something out
of a sci-fi movie- they were that huge!) attached to my head blaring ALL the songs on that record
over and over. Then, Mom bought me, Shout at the Devil (yes, I went out of Motley chronological
order) and I was in awe. Amazement. I love this band! The precise combination of those four
musicians concocting the most monstrous, ear splitting, enthralling music - was just heaven to my
ears. Listening and watching Tommy Lee overpower his drums like an ingenious maniac was rousing.
So tremendously talented. He's a bad ass. Plain and simple.
So, when Wednesday, June 26th came around and it was officially confirmed that I was to interview
Tommy Lee in Vegas on Saturday- I was dumb founded. Flabbergasted. This is a dream come true!
I am going to meet an icon of my music appreciation. I have also never been so nervous in my
life.
Tommy Lee has a solo record out. Never A Dull Moment is a tribute to his longevity in music. He
is a chameleon of sorts and this album proves it. Writing mellow, melancholy songs like, "Blue"
and "Ashamed," that are lyrically so personal, make you almost understand him. Watching the
demise of his father, he really extended a hand to the world into seeing a vulnerability that
he and we all feel at one time or the other. But, don't think for a second he was gonna leave
you down in the dumps! Oh no! Songs like, "Higher," "Sunday," and my personal favorite, "Afterglow"
really brings it vigorously like the Tommy Lee we know! Music that reeks of mayhem and
undisputable melodies that distinguish a new, polished sound. Tommy wrote, co-produced, and
played all guitars and drums on all the tracks of this record. This is his project. This is a
new beginning to a real solo career that will be quite meaningful but definitely, not dull.
Noize Pollution: So, lets just start off with how the tour is going so far?
Tommy Lee: Awesome! We're at the seventh show and it's fucking awesome! I'm having such
a great time! The guys in the band are playing their asses off. We've been rehearsing for a
month and it's just so cool to see it all come together. I've been sitting in this dark fucking
room programming all the moving lights in sync with the music and all the video footage. I sat
there putting in all that work and all that rehearsal time in and to be able to get it all
together and finally leave and go do this … I have been home for like two years. I just wanted
to go on tour and get the fuck out of here- I just wanted to go away!
NP: Do you prefer the smaller venues like the House of Blues better than the huge arenas?
TL: I think I do. I've played stadiums and little shit holes way smaller than this. As a
matter of fact, tomorrow we're in San Diego at Cane's …
NP: Oh, that place is SO small!!
TL: Yeah, so, that will be interesting! No, it's cool! I dig it- but for some reason … not
saying that playing giant places aren't fun … those are fun, too but everyone is so spread out
and the barricades are nine miles away. You just feel like you're in this big building all
alone sometimes. Where here, everyone is fucking smashed in together and it's all your hardcore
fans- I dunno I think it rips!
NP: Yeah, last night you were going crazy! (I went to the Friday night show at the House of
Blues in LA) Jumping around- both you and you're band never stood still - it was awesome!
TL: Yeah, that was fun!
NP: I loved the zoot suit during "Fame 02" by the way! That was bad ass!
TL: Nice!! Thanks … coming out- you gotta be a pimp for a minute!
NP: Do you miss playing the drums, especially during a live show?
TL: It's weird because … like today, out there at sound check I'll get up there and fucking go
crazy for a minute! Yeah, sometimes I miss it- miss playing the drums. I played on the record … I
played all the drums- the guitars- I played everything so it's not like I don't play anymore.
I still play but for some reason, I am having so much fun playing guitar and singing that I don't
really miss it because I've done it for so long like twenty-something years with Motley. That's
a long time! So, to me this is new, fun, and exciting and I just feel that it is like a new
beginning or a rebirth of some kind. I have been playing guitar forever- like a lot of the
Motley songs like, "Girls Girls Girls," "Wild Side," and "Home Sweet Home, " I wrote a lot of
stuff playing guitar, so I have been playing for a long time. To go out and sing and play the
shit is fucking awesome! I fucking love it so much!
NP: So, for the band … I know Marty was in Methods of Mayhem with you and Will is from
Skrape - how did you get everybody together?
TL: I had drummer and guitar player auditions. That was interesting! Umm… yeah, it was
crazy! So, the drummer auditions were first - nope second … we went through guitar players, J3,
we all call him 3- it's like John Allen III but everyone calls him 3. He was a friend of my
production manager- the big guy out there- bald dude. We went through a bunch of guitar players
and he was like, "I know this guy from New Jersey, he's a fucking bad ass guitar player- he
sings great!" I was really looking for someone who could sing cuz of all the vocals on the
record. So, J3 fucking sent me two cds of him doing three Methods of Mayhem songs and three
new ones and he totally re-recorded them. He played the drums, guitar and sang on them and
I was like, "Whoa!" It was awesome! That guy wants this gig! If anybody would go to that
length and that much work - that is a lot of work- he deserves it. He came down and basically
kicked everyone's ass- playing wise… singing wise- nobody else came close. That was the same
with Will. Marty knew Will from Skrape and he was like, "You gotta see this guy play! We should
have him come down!" Will walked in and basically- kicked everyone's ass! He crushes! I was
looking for somebody who plays a lot like I do because I played on the record, so stylistically,
you cant have somebody that can't play at all like you- it won't sound right. Will came in and
he kicked ass! He's a maniac.
NP: At what point during Methods of Mayhem did you feel I need to start over- I want my
music to be just Tommy Lee?
TL: When I got home from The Ozzfest in September 2000 with Methods… I just locked myself
in my house and I started writing. I wrote up until Christmastime, which was four months or so.
I played it for my producer and manager and said, "Check it out- here is some new stuff." They
were like, "It's fucking awesome! Why don't you call it what it is?! Why don't you call it
Tommy Lee?!?" I was like, "I dunno..." They thought I was being stupid. I was sitting there
while they were telling me this and I couldn't believe it! They were like, "You have been
doing this for twenty-something years. Pretty much everybody knows who the fuck you are, ok?
Whether they like you or dislike you or know you through your music or seen you on tv or
whatever- they pretty much know who Tommy Lee is. For you not to use your name - you're
basically throwing away all that time." I thought it just sounded egotistical as shit. I don't
dig that kinda thing and I hate being wrong! So, I sat there for weeks sitting there
thinking about what we had all been talking about and I was like, "Fuck, they're right! They're
totally right!" I am throwing away many many years of making a name for myself and then when
you break off on your own and go with some unknown name- Methods of Mayhem?! No one knew what
that was - it was a brand new thing. So … I just decided to call it what it is. It's my music
it's my stuff- it's fucking Tommy! (laughs) Made sense to me but at first I was like, no way - I
don't wanna do that. Then I started to think about guys like Lenny Kravitz and a lot of people
do that as well. So, I thought fine with me, I don't give a shit what it's called!
NP: What would you have named it? Had you come up with any names?
TL: Nah, I loved the name Methods of Mayhem and I wanna do - I'm gonna do another one of
those records. I will do that again with a shit load of guest stars! From hip hop shit to metal
shit to industrial to techno stuff!
NP: You gotta have Lil' Kim on there, again!!
TL: Yeah yeah! She is the shit! I'll do another one. What I wanna do with Methods is keep
that around as sorta my freak out, creative free for all- anything goes project.
NP: Let's just talk about the record … Never A Dull Moment …Would you say that is your
motto- especially for your WHOLE life not just with what is going on now?
TL: Yeah, when people ask me… a lot of people think it's just recently. That saying- I have
been walking around for most of my life going, "Damn dude- there is never a dull moment- EVER!"
When I sleep it's fun! (laughs!) It's never dull! I don't think I have ever sat there and
went, "I'm bored." Whether it's crazy, fun stuff or bad- my life has been really fun and really
exciting definitely never been dull. My production manager said, "You should call your record
that!" I was like, "That's it!" It's a perfect title, man. So appropriate!
NP: On a couple of songs from Never a Dull Moment, especially," Blue" and "Ashamed" with
your lyrics, "I feel so alone I feel like I could die." You're really presenting a sort of
private and personal side. How do you view your body of lyrics as a whole?
TL: Whenever I write, I only write about what I know or what I have experienced or feeling.
Also when I write, I try to write about stuff that everyone gets. It's not going to be good if
people listen to it and say, "I don't get it." A song like "Blue" … everybody has walked
around feeling blue at some point or another and they feel like they can relate to this. There
are times where I have been like- I feel blue and I don't know why- you're just walking around
feeling a little bummed out. At the time, my father was dying and I was just sitting at home
thinking what do I do? I gotta spend as much time with him before he dies and I just was like,
I gotta write about this. Not about my Dad- not about a girl- not about any of this. Just about
the feeling of feeling blue. I gotta write about this cuz I know people will be able to relate
to this because everyone has felt blue before. So, yeah, I just write about experience or about
a feeling.
NP: What is "Ashamed" about?
TL: "Ashamed" is also about a feeling. I have done some things in my past that I have been
ashamed of … that's pretty much what that is about. Just feeling sorry or feeling ashamed of
what you have done and it's ok to feel that way. It's not anyone in particular; it's just
about the feeling.
NP: What song would you feel best represents the direction of the album?
TL: Ahh … hmmm… Oh, man … that's a good question! I love all the songs on the record. That's
a tough one. That's really a tough question, I'm not really sure. All the songs are important to
the whole thing … that's a tough one cuz there is beautiful mellow music and there is the
heavy stuff … Oh, man I dunno. I really don't. You stumped me! Congratulations!
NP: I thought the lyrics from "Body Architects" just sums up the feel of the whole record
with, "I'm starting from scratch- I'm putting the pieces together day by day … one by one." It
sounds like you're really starting over- a complete fresh start -especially with this album …
TL: Yes! That is so cool! That's cool you noticed that stuff! I read this book, The wisdom
of the Self and there was a reference to saying to yourself that you create all this. I wanted
to write about that thing where everybody is always searching and looking externally - whether
for religion or looking for sex … always trying to get things to make them happy externally.
When really, all you need to do is look in the mirror. At least for me, everything I need is
right inside here. I don't need anything. I am just trying to remind people- don't forget you
are control of you. Don't let those other things be in control of you- take it over. In the
chorus I sing that, "We all forget that we're the architects of the bodies we inhabit." "Body
Architects" is pretty strong- for me lyrically. I nailed that one- it's cool.
NP: Do you think compared to the past with Motley - there is a creative release …now you
can kinda write and grow on your own without having to change something or take something out?
TL: When I was with Motley … those guys are… they're sorta set in their way. They make a
certain of style of music. I remember this feeling so well - fucking music was changing… I was
changing- everything was going a million miles an hour. I was sitting there writing this stuff
and I remember bringing it to them and asking them to check this stuff out. They thought it was
fucking bad ass but to them it just wasn't Motley. I was like, "How can you guys say that? If
the four of us play it- it's fucking Motley!" They just weren't really into… I like my shit a
little bit funkier and they wanted to do a certain thing and at that point that's when I was
like I gotta break out and do my own shit cuz creatively I'm fucking dying here - I need to go
do something else really bad. I was freaking out.
This is the part where Tommy's tour manager comes in to let me know that I need to wrap it up.
I am SO bummed but I know I can't stay in there forever … so, I hurriedly and mumbling quite
audibly go through my questions to see which to ask next … when Tommy asks if he can take a
look at my questions … "Sure," I say, passing over my notebook … pissing in my pants… Yes, he
is a Bowie fan- Tommy did a version of Bowie's, "Fame" and made some changes to it morphing it
into his own calling it, "Fame 02." … Then there was some random scribbling I made on the
ride from LA to Vegas on how kick ass it would be if Tommy Lee did a song with Slipknot. He
laughed and said, "That's cool!" I felt like a ten year old girl who just wrote, "I love Tommy"
in her notebook and he just read the whole thing. I, of course, turned red thinking to
myself, "Uh oh- what else did I write on there?" So, we settled on- who exactly is Mr. Shitty?
If you have the record … Mr. Shitty is "song" number 12 - it is a machine message that just
rambles on and on in an obvious drunken stupor. It's funny as hell!
NP: Who exactly is Mr. Shitty?
TL: You wanna know who Mr. Shitty is?
NP: Yeah!
TL: Mr. Shitty … his name is Travis and he's a friend of mine. He gets extremely
intoxicated and leaves like ten minute fucking messages on my machine. When he's all drunk he's
like, "I'll fucking bust your ass motherfucker! I don't care if you're Tommy Lee or not!" He just
goes on for twenty minutes. That was one of his messages - I had a birthday party and he was
there and he was all fucked up and I left- it was like 3 am - I was like ok, that was fun and
I'm out. He was all mad cuz he flew in from Florida and he was like, "What the fuck man?! We came
down here to throw down, motherfucker!" Cuz I left - he was all bummed out and all shitty. That's
what we call people who are extremely intoxicated. It's like, "Dude, I got so shitty last night!"
So, he's Mr. Shitty!
Now in comes the caterer, "Dinner is ready whenever you want!" Uh oh … now I really need to get
moving … serving Jambalaya to a very stoked Tommy Lee - this woman informs him that he is the
reason she started to play drums. He graciously says, "Really? Well, thanks so much!" … we
continue on …time for one last question.
NP: Ok, I know we have to wrap it up… can I just do a fan question from one of your fans
on our street team?
TL: YEAH!
NP: This is from Trevor in Coeur D'Alene, ID …
TL: Yo, what up, Trev?!
NP: A few days ago, I e-mailed all our street teamers that listed Tommy Lee in their top
ten and I had them send me a question they would like to ask you. I have a few fan questions
for you. This question is from Trevor from Coeur D'Alene, ID asks: The new album seems to be a
different departure from Methods of Mayhem- is this the same direction that future Tommy Lee
projects will be?
TL: Yes … probably. If anything, it's probably gonna get… I would imagine a little bit
heavier now that I have a band in place. I'd like to get Will playing some drums … those guys
weren't around when I made the record so I'd like to get it to sound a little bit heavier even.
It is ALWAYS going to be melodic cuz I like melody- I like when you can sing to the songs … when
it's heavy for the sake of being heavy - I get bored too soon. I want to hear melody I want
people to sing to my music.
This interview was a blast! I could not have asked for a nicer, more down-to-earth individual.
My hands may have been shaking uncontrollably in the beginning but it all went away within
minutes. No matter what you hear about Tommy Lee … honestly, who gives a fuck? Just listen to the
music and have a good time because that is what it's all about … never being bored … and living
Never A Dull Moment.
Interview by: Suzy
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