***BANDWIDTH ROCK MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE***
Bandwidth Rock Magazine got the privilege to sit down with 3 of the 5 reuniting members of SURGICAL STEEL from the upcoming ARIZONA ALL-STARS ROCK REUNION shows coming up on June 7th and 8th!!!***
A reunion of long time Phoenix iconic band, Surgical Steel, will happen June 7 and 8th 2008 at the Venue of Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona.
What does that mean for you? What does that mean for the person living in Phoenix in 1981-1989? If you were part of the music scene, you know what it means, unforgettable shows from incredible bands.
The clubs were filled to capacity every night of the week with local bands playing their establishment, not just one show, every show. The bands coming from this scene were hot; they were pros and sold anything they touched. Surgical Steel was no exception. The band members were cocky, impressive and champions at delivering what the fans wanted; in your face heavy metal.
Surgical Steel played desert parties and hundreds of people showed up with countless kegs of beer and screaming fans waiting for the moment the music started. The band played a bingo hall, tore it up, literally. The band consistently filled Rockers with faithful fans and it was one of the largest music clubs in the valley. This wasn't screeching heavy metal as we all have heard; it was melodic rock-n-roll with the edge of a freight train.
Original members of Surgical Steel Jim Keeler, Paul Kosanovich, and Mark Lehman sat down with us at Bandwidth Rock Magazine and gave us some insight to the upcoming show and some history in their lives. These three guys are brilliant musicians with countless features on their resume. I think you will enjoy this interview just as much as we did.
Thanks Surgical Steel, you rock!!
BRM:
We have 3 of 5 original members of Surgical Steel:
Jim Keeler (lead guitar), Mark Lehman (Bass guitar), Paul Kosanovich (Lead guitar and vocals) who is not here tonight?
Paul:
Jeff Martin (Vocals) and Bob Milan (Drums).
Bob can't make the show and Randi Scott will fill in at the reunion show. Randi Scott is former Risqué drummer (late 80's Phoenix band) and his current band The Black Mollys in Chicago, Illinois. I'm ecstatic about Randy playing with us.
*Side bar with Paul: Arizona Hall of Fame would like to induct Surgical Steel.*
BRM:
Thanks for giving Bandwidth Rock Magazine the opportunity to sit down with you, there's a lot of excitement in the air about Surgical Steel.
On June 7-8th there is a benefit show featuring some of the best bands from Phoenix in the late 80's-90's with Surgical Steel as the headline band. How did this show come about, whose brainchild was it?
Paul:
It wasn't our idea. Heather Cream as she is fondly known was an old fan of ours and was such a fan that she once had a hamburger with Jim, Mark and I at Jack in the Box and she saved the straw and napkin. It was her idea to do a benefit for the animals (ASPCA, Arizona Welfare League and others). She's a sweetheart and she is friends with Barb from Whiskey Blu, they contacted us and got it rolling. I thought it was a very cool idea.
BRM:
Do you (band members) interact in the same circles now?
Jim:
It's been awhile. I just live at work, let's put it this way we don't hang out as much as we should but we do talk all the time.
Paul:
We do keep in touch.
BRM:
To what extent did you stay in touch during the off years?
Paul:
I was in Chicago and L.A. for awhile, Bob is in another state which makes it difficult to hang out like we once did. I had some great bands like the Drift in Chicago who I toured with for over a year.
Jim: I stayed in Arizona played with George Lynch 1992-1993 and also ran magazines for 10 years.
BRM:
How long was SS the band together?
Paul: 1981-1989, started on Jim Keeler's birthday July 23.
BRM:
Do you think Jeff Martin will come out on stage in his bad cop uniform?
Mark:
Jeff is "Officer Steel". (all laugh) Once he came out with a double barrel shotgun, caused some antics that involved blowing a hole in Rockers (music venue at the time) and we still have never admitted to doing it.
Paul:
At the end of our show, Jeff had shells packed with some powder blanks …
Jim:
… then (makes gun shooting sound) all of a sudden blows into the mic and blew off the top end (Rockers)…
Paul:
… it cost like $1200.00 we worked for free that week. We have mixed emotions about him coming out at this show as Officer Steel.
BRM:
Talking about those times it's hard to imagine not having them on film, no archives. So many cell phones and pocket cameras now, someone would have it.
Paul:
I know I had one of those brick style cell phones back then. (all laugh)
BRM:
Are there any surprises in store for the audience you want to let us in on?
Jim:
That we are there.
BRM:
What will the wardrobe be? Shiny vinyl or leather pants? Any surprises there?
Paul: I have no idea even where those are anymore. I know we will definitely be rocked out.
BRM:
You know Kaiser wore the tight spandex pants while you were in leathers?
Jim:
(sarcastically) I just can't stop thinking about it. (all laugh) Well actually, I don't want to think about that anymore.
BRM:
During the 80's and into the early 90's there were very talented bands and players on the Phoenix scene. Once the scene died down that left many amazing players putting together different projects, what were you involved in after Surgical Steel?
Mark:
I am currently in the Cradle Robbers. I played with Alice Cooper and Dave Henzerling. I collaborated on an album. Jeff and I wrote with Paul Gilbert for Racer X. I just kept playing.
BRM:
What are your day jobs?
Mark:
I'm a research and design engineer. Right now I design plasma reactors and have worked with pace maker projects and stuff for the military.
Jim:
I got the cure for cancer, nah kidding. I'm playing still, talking about a record deal at the moment. I wrote a scary movie. I became a local photographer. I started "Where It's Hot" magazine and a couple others. I have 4-5 inventions that I am going to pitch. I own a club also.
Paul:
I do custom stone and tile work. After touring for more than a year, band members having so much drama in the Drift, I just went on music hiatus for a long time.
BRM:
What was happening in your hiatus time?
Paul: Mark and I are going to start writing and recording, perhaps get a publishing deal.
(Referred to current)
BRM:
What's happened with Surgical just since this show has been in the works?
Paul:
Actually there are a couple of record labels who'd like us to do an album and some promoters in the UK who'd like us to tour over there.
BRM:
The bands from the 80's are touring and are the hot ticket this year. Judas Priest has a summer tour scheduled. What is Surgical Steel's relationship with Rob Halford, have you spoken?
Paul:
Jeff still talks to him a lot. I wanted to go commercial, I thought Rob would have gone that way too but we went different directions and haven't really been in touch.
Jim:
In 1988 I started a music magazine with Rob called Where It's Hot.
BRM:
When was the last Surgical Steel show?
Jim:
We did have a reunion show.
Paul:
Had to be our Celebrity show and it was sold out.
BRM:
What happened to or where are the original Surgical Steel songs. How many where there?
Mark:
We have like 30 or more originals.
Jim:
They are there, we have them. We just might redo some of them, update them,
BRM:
Are they archived in someone's basement?
Paul:
I had them all on tape. Mark has a studio, and we digitally transferred them all. In fact we just got the discs.
Mark:
Yes they are at my studio all on disc and archived.
BRM:
You had released one demo tape in the 80's, any thoughts about where that went or what you will do with that?
Paul:
Oh yea, we are going to re-release that at the show. We will have some t-shirts and merchandise for the fans.
Paul:
I have a bit of trivia for you. Barb from Whiskey Blu was on e-bay and she found one of our original demo tapes. The original bid was $4.99 and within 2 hours, the tape sold for $107.50.
BRM:
Speaking of merchandise, will there be any chance to get autographs?
Paul:
Yes, we plan to spend some time after the show in a meet and greet with people. We want to be there to say hi, sign and take pictures for the fans.
BRM:
L.A.Guns does that for their fans, seems to go over well.
Jim:
Tracii Guns is a great guitar player.
BRM:
What would you call the Surgical Steel sound?
Paul:
You know we are heavy metal but our songs have very melodic vocals.
BRM:
Jim has a tale for us.
Jim:
I had a guy at my house for business and he saw my guitars and said wow this is a great guitar and another one. He said "do you play?" I said "yea", he said "dude you should be in a rock band." He said "wait, I know your name you were in a rock band."
Mark:
Jim was just waiting for the guy to say "My mom thinks you are hot".
BRM:
Our conversation lead from mom's to children.
Mark:
My oldest son is the lead singer of Merciless Sin. He's got a scholarship to ASU; yes he's a brianiac like me. I go see him play all the time, he comes out to the studio and we play together.
Paul:
Randy Scott has 3 boys.
BRM:
What did you think about the music scene in Phoenix when you were playing it?
Jim:
I thought the scene was so cool I went out and started a music magazine. What I didn't realize is the scene was great because we were there, we were in it. One time someone said, what happened to the scene and I said we aren't in it anymore.
Paul:
The scene here was so different. We played for 4 hours, short little breaks and that's unheard of now. We changed the scene, we decided we were going to play 1 to 1 ½ hours and that's it. Bands followed our lead.
BRM:
Clubs like Rockers, Hammerheads and Boston's would book the same band for the entire week. We could see a band like Kaiser Tuesday –Saturday, no club does that now. Thoughts?
Jim:
It was the sound and what we played. We covered songs by Y&T and other obscure bands and the audience thought they were our songs. We then turned it around and did play our originals, they went over big. I like to give the roadies a hernia; I bring my big amps and have big sound. We'd play desert parties and they'd be huge, totally packed. People fell in love with us and we'd be so in demand that we could call all the shots at the clubs. There were a lot of hard to deal with club owners and managers and we just told them the way we had to have it and that's how it went down.
BRM:
There's a magic about Surgical Steel, the passion of the audience who were clamoring to get in the door, chanting for you to go on stage. Do you feel like you still have that magic as the show is approaching?
Paul:
In the beginning of this show, I was a little ho hum about it. You know benefit usually means not the most exciting thing, not that it's not a good thing to do, just not the most thrilling thought. We have band members out of town and not that we didn't want to do it, just wondered, can we pull it off. It took us 2-3 months with Marks help just to secure the venue. Now things are coming along and I think it could be one of the best shows of the year. The Venue of Scottsdale is a great place to play sound wise and for the audience. So, now I'm so into it I'm going to make it all I can.
BRM:
Side bar question before the final: Jim, were you really on Jerry Springer?
Jim:
Yes and Judge Judy. (Immediate laughter from everyone)
BRM:
The story is very exciting and funny but we won't repeat that at this time. Find Jim at the show and ask him if you want details.
BRM:
Final question what music are you listening to today?
Paul:
I like this guy 25 year old British jazz singer Jamie Cullum. He plays old standards like Sinatra and his own stuff. He's a really hip kid.
Mark:
Wide variety, hard rock old and new, I don't have any real favorites. There's so much new stuff coming out.
Jim:
I was actually into talk radio for awhile or just any radio station playing a cool song. I like Vayden, Shinedown, the Oleanders, and Audioslave. Lately I've just been writing tons of songs, my own songs. When I quit the magazine I had writers block for 10 years. I just recently picked up the guitar again. Time has passed and I've grown, loved and learned and felt pain. I'm a more seasoned writer and a more seasoned player now. I've picked up the acoustic guitar, which is different for me. Mark and I jam together and it's a great time, quitting the magazine has made all the difference. Mark has been a great soundboard.
Mark:
I've never stopped playing, I play with the Cradle Robbers now but overall I've just never stopped. I love funk and jazz, and I like to play it. Different styles don't stop me (plays a mean bass on demand) playing hard and fast.
BRM:
Thank you again for a very special and intimate time with you.
Check out the Arizona's All-Star Rock Reunion
June 7th and 8th at The Venue of Scottsdale!!
June 7th - Surgical Steel, Kaiser, Whiskey Blu and Metal Elvis
June 8th - Surgical Steel, Rip & Tear, Whiskey Blu and Special Guests