When Will the Big Interview With Steve Perry Air Again

Interview
Steve Augeri
Interviewed: May 1, 2013
By: Joseph Suto

Steve Augeri may be best known more than for his time in Journeying as he replaced icon singer Steve Perry. Merely some tend to forget he also fronted Tall Stories, a band from New York Metropolis besides as a brief stint with Tyketto, another outfit who were popular in the 90s. We had the opportunity to talk to Steve and find out what he's been up to and what the fans can expect from him at one of his alive shows.

Rock Show Critique: It has been quite some time since you last played the area, can yous give the fans a rundown of what you take been up to recently?

Steve Augeri: I've been trying to figure out exactly how many years its been. Information technology's over ten years that'due south for certain. The last fourth dimension I was up there was when I traveled with Journey. You lot guys have some cold winters, I'm glad we're coming upwards in that location merely in time for jump.

After I left Journey and we parted, after nosotros went our separate means, I had some wellness issues to bargain with and that took a couple years and a little soul searching to see if I wanted to continue singing. When I decided that I absolutely did, I got myself together physically and mentally and formed a wonderful new ring called The Steve Augeri Band. And this yr nosotros've been going full steam alee and we're having our all-time year nonetheless. I've been releasing singles periodically over the last couple of years. Nosotros are releasing a brand new song chosen "For The Rest Of My Life". And then we're pretty excited virtually that and in add-on to playing the Seneca Casino nosotros're gonna do a little sightseeing likewise.

RSC: So who will yous be bringing with you lot to perform at Seneca Niagara Casino this Friday?

SA: We work with ii fantastic ladies from The Chicago area as my background singers. I actually have somebody making a guest appearance specially for this show, who worked with me in a band called Tyketto. So Brooke St. James my dear sometime friend has come to the rescue because my guitarist in the band Adam Kingdom of the netherlands was unable to make it. So Brooke e'er steps in and he comes to the rescue and he'll be playing the show with u.s.. He'due south always fantastic and amazing to hear. Then its the Steve Augeri band with Gerard Zappa on bass, Craig Pullman on keyboards and the fabulous and lovely and talented Michael Morales on drums and vocals and yours truly.

RSC: Are in that location any things planned with Tall Stories in the almost futurity?

SA: Well I speak to Jack (guitarist Jack Morer) pretty regularly and Jack what he does these days, autonomously from composing and writing for soundtracks, he does dance music for ballet etc etc. We're always open to getting together and playing a one off gig every now and and so. And that'south non out of the question, we always keep in bear upon. When the urge hits u.s.a. and we feel similar doing something specially for a charity or a proficient crusade. We're always up to something like that. But as far as a full-blown record, non in the works correct now. But I do have a single and was only speaking to Jack about a month agone and nosotros're planning on at the very least if not a Tall Stories release it volition be on the next Steve Augeri album.

RSC: Now when yous say album, Is at that place a plan to release a full album?

SA: Well my plan is to release a number of singles, an album total of singles then put it on a disc and sell information technology at the shows. They will e'er be available singly on itunes. When I've released anywhere from ten to fifteen songs I'll simply compile it on a CD and sell it. But as far as albums I may be incorrect just I think the trend these days are less anthology orientated and more single orientated. Let's say its taken me awhile to release a record for various reasons. Mainly because I recall if yous accept a proficient song put it out immediately. There'due south no sense in waiting an extra calendar week, or an extra month or an extra year to compile the tape. Nosotros're living in different times, with downloads versus CD sales it just seems the mode to go and information technology's a lot more fun.

RSC: You also did the Shine anthology with Tyketto? What was that feel like? The track "Get Me There" is one of your best.

SA: It was an interesting situation at the time Tall Stories was winding down. Although we were still together we were simply one-half the ring information technology was but Jack and I at the time. The guys in Tyketto asked me to write, we were neighbors they were downwardly in Jersey and I was living in Brooklyn at the fourth dimension. And they merely asked if I would come downwards and write a few songs with them. So I said admittedly sure. They all lived in this fantastic beach business firm in Belmar, NJ living the life of a stone ring. Their vocalizer Danny wasn't there and quite bluntly I couldn't understand why. They said he was living out of the country or living out of country. Then I never idea annihilation of it. Nosotros wrote for two weeks and at the cease of 2 weeks they explained that they had separate from Danny and they were offer (me) the job equally the singer. And then to make a very long story short, Danny and I are earth's apart singing wise. We're just two different kinds of singers. I thought it was wise and they agreed to have a brand new band name etc. etc. Considering the management was quite different than the typical Tyketto record. And just as nosotros were virtually to sign papers and release the record, the label in Europe got cold feet and said they didn't want to release the record unless it went under the imprint of Tyketto. So nosotros were kind of up confronting the wall and we had no choice merely to do and then. Every bit good as the record was and I capeesh you lot liking the song "Get Me There", the fans kind of got freaked out. And I don't arraign them because they were expecting more of the same except with a dissimilar singer. I retrieve the band stayed together for half dozen months, it was less than a year and and so we disbanded as well. Just I had a brilliant fourth dimension working with the guys. I had a slap-up time writing with them compared to Tall Stories who were going through a dark period and when I joined the Tyketto guys it was like a breath of fresh air. As if the clouds had cleared and there was this big sun, sunshine and really that was half the reason we called the record Shine. And that was probably going to be the name of the band besides. Information technology was a great feel, I never regret it and I think at that place was some actually great songs on the record too. Aye, I agree with you it was a pretty great ballad. Early in my formative years musically, I was a huge Rod Stewart fan. One of my get-go albums that I owned which was Every Picture Tells A Story. And the very kickoff single I owned was "Maggie May". It was engraved in my soul and it kind of has a piffling element of Rod in it.

RSC: Things didn't end the way y'all would have liked with Journey. What caused you to have trouble singing and how long did it take to get back to normal?

SA: Well it was a combination of a couple of things. It was excessive touring, the voice just never really getting the break information technology needed. On superlative of it I had acquired a bout of some serious, very rare pneumonia. When we travelled in the southwest of the country I somehow picked up this incredibly rare communicable diseases. It was so bad that they gave me an extremely high dose of antibiotic. The cure was nigh as worse every bit the disease. I was nearly paralyzed from the antibiotics. So that was the beginning of the end. There was never time to recuperate. I never quite was a hundred percent. One 24-hour interval it just came to a eddy. I needed to rest and they needed to keep on going. When I started with them in 98' we were playing 1500 seaters. We had worked our mode up through the years back to where they were in arenas, the big sheds and outdoor venues and playing 70,000 seat festivals. Basically the guys just weren't ready to stop and I just needed to. I couldn't persuade them to slow down the locomotive, it was on its way.
So I had to step off and I have no regrets. I'k just glad I'g singing again and doing what I dearest and going out and reaching the fans I fabricated along the way. On height of it having some fun writing some new music and playing that along with the Journey itemize, that everybody loves.

RSC: Looking back on your career does i album or vocal stand up in a higher place any other for you?

SA: Non particularly. Every song that you sing has its individual connection with. In that location was one song in detail that I have withal to do live with my ring "Alive and Breathe" that was on Arrival that kind of has a specialness to me. Another song was "Butterfly" that was on the Generations record, was kind of special to me it had a really deep meaning.

RSC: Friday when we come across you lot at the Casino practise you play a varied set list of your career?

SA: It depends on the show. Old depending on how we feel we kind of mix it upward. We used to play a lot of my solo stuff at one time. Nosotros may play a little less or a little more. Only certainly we hit upon all the Journey records that I recorded also as all the big hits.. All in all they're actually looking for a singer that sang with Journey and they're expecting to hear the Journey songs that they beloved. So start and foremost I'm gonna give them that. I'g gonna requite them what they paid their coin for and annihilation else is gonna be a little icing on the cake. Simply to keep information technology interesting and merely keep everyone on their toes.

RSC: Have y'all played "Wild On The Run" at all?

SA: You know we haven't. We've done "Sister Of Mercy", but nosotros haven't done "Wild On The Run". Although I'yard afraid we won't be doing information technology this time around up at Seneca, that's a vocal that is in the adjacent three that nosotros'll be working into our set. We'll probably be playing it in the summer. That'due south a good call on your function.

RSC: Well that was the offset song I ever heard you on.

SA: That was besides the vocal that Neal Schon had heard. The way he explains it he was driving his car down the highway somewhere in California and the vocal came on and he pulled off the road. He was trying to remember which Journey record it was on. He was trying to figure out when they recorded it and what album it was on. Until he realized it wasn't and they started doing some research and he and Jon (Jonathan Cain) decided if the band was to ever get on without Steve (Mr. Perry) they would look me upwardly. And so in 1991 we were label mates on Ballsy their ring being Bad English language and my band being Alpine Stories then that'southward kind of how that happened. Just allow's face facts I wouldn't exist here without the master Steve Perry himself. And then I owe everything to him in a roundabout mode. Without Steve Perry in that location wouldn't be any Steve Augeri. I'chiliad simply happy with the way things worked out is fine. I wouldn't modify a thing.

Exit a comment

carterclast1989.blogspot.com

Source: https://rockshowcritique.com/2013/05/interview-steve-augeri/

Share this post