MICHAEL T. ROSS
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 3rd November 2010.
We chatted to Michael just after Easter last year. He had been part of the then new Hardline album "Leaving The End Open" and was touring with Lita Ford.
We thought it was about time we caught up with the man again to find out what he has been up to since then.
Hi Michael, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. Hope you are well?
Michael: Everything is great! Appreciate you having me here Jon and glad to talk talk music with you.
Has 2010 been a good year so far?
Michael: It has been good and the music has kept me busy with a lot of recordings and gigs.
We last spoke to you in spring 2009 around the time of the last Hardline release “Leaving The End Open”. How has the album performed since release in terms of sales, airplay, reviews etc.?
Michael: I don't know specific numbers because Serafino at Frontiers Records deals directly with Johnny on the business end but telling by the response I've received as a band member, it has done very well. It was released on Frontiers based out of Italy and distributed worldwide. The feedback has been so warm welcoming from the fans, so overall, we are very pleased with the outcome of this release. There was a great deal amount of airplay when it first came out and the reviews were positive with some claiming it is one of their most favourite melodic rock CDs they have now.
With time for reflection, is there anything you did on the album you would like to change, or are you still really proud of the release?
Michael: With Johnny Gioeli producing the record at his studio, I was able to relax, have a good time and lay down some cool stuff. Johnny is so talented and has an ear for great melodies, which I utilized with him to create awesome keyboard lines. Guitarist Josh Ramos did a great job and was the main writer on the album. He would come down from San Francisco to Los Angeles to pick me up, then we would go to Johnny's studio about an hour away. Josh's style of playing fits perfect with Hardline music because he is so melodic, emotional and spiritual, making the music so magical when Johnny sings over it.
Is there any talk of a new Hardline album? If so, any sort of idea when you might start work on it...and when it might be released?
Michael: I don't believe so, at least not at this time. Based on the intervals of Hardline's releases being Double Eclipse in 1992, Hardline II in 2002, Hardline Live at the Gods in 2003 and Leaving The End Open in 2009, it may be awhile before the next. I do hope I'm wrong and Johnny calls one day in the near future and says there is going to be a new record and also, a new tour, something I've been hoping for since it's been a long time since our last show.
What other albums have you worked on since the Hardline release? Anything really stand out as being a cut above?
Michael: I think the keyboard work I did on the new Lillian Axe record called Sad Day On Planet Earth turned out nice. Guitarist Steve Blaze is an amazing musician and I also have the privilege to work with him in Angel. We recently spoke and discussed plans for me to track some keyboards on their upcoming release too. Other recordings include Markonee (Italy), Alen Brentini (Croatia) and Gaia Epicus (Norway).
You have done a lot of touring with the wonderful Lita Ford. Are there any more shows on the way, or is she taking a break at present?
Michael: The band has been on hiatus most of this year, while Lita continues with a busy schedule doing other concerts and appearances. Since joining her band in 2008, this is the first down time I've had, which has given me the opportunity to work on with other artists. We had a great time in the last two years performing at festivals such as Bang Your Head (Germany), Sweden Rock Festival, Rockwave (Greece) and supporting Motley Crue at the Gods of Metal in Italy. I can't wait to go back out on tour with Lita again, it is a blessing being in her band and apart of the family.
Do you get a real buzz from being on the live stage, or are you more pragmatic and treat it as a means to pay the bills?
Michael: I love being on stage and those moments are priceless to me but on the other side of it, yes, I like to get paid for my work. When I turned professional it had its ups & downs, especially I learned early on, not to charge my close friends, so there are exceptions to the rule. I don't have a day job, music is it for me. If I didn't treat my music career as a business, I couldn't put cereal on the table.
Since our last chat you’ve performed at the NAMM trade show with Arturia keyboards. What was that like? Is it a weird experience performing when people have actually come to look at something else, or do you treat it as a challenge to get their attention?
Michael: XYZ singer Terry Ilous introduced me to Sean Weitzmann at Arturia, who runs their Augora Hills office just north of Los Angeles. I immediately fell in love with their products. I ended up demonstrating the Origin Version 1.1 keyboard, which is made in France, at the NAMM show. It worked out great and getting to show off the Arturia sounds was a lot of fun. It was a blast having Rudy Sarzo at the Sony booth next to me. Overall, it was a success and it was nice to demo such a great keyboard company to so many people.
With the Origin, I finally had something special to expand my arsenal of sounds, creating my own patches by connecting independent modules from the Minimoog, ARP 2600, CS-80, Jupiter-8, Moog Modular & Prophet VS. NAMM is an interesting and challenging place to perform at. I like the music convention atmosphere, seeing all kinds of people as an audience whether they were beginning guitarists looking for pedals and curious about keyboards or drummers looking for sticks and passing by. It is my job to get their attention and interest, and at the same time, please the fans, journalists and be ready for professional musicians with technical question.
You had another trade show a few months later, this time representing Korg keyboards. Do you expect to carry on working with several manufacturers, or would you prefer to make closer ties with just one? Any chance we’ll see a Michael T. Ross signature model coming out?
Michael: I believe you are referring to the Italy Music Show that I played in Bologna in May, which is similar to the NAMM show. I did perform for Korg keyboards for this event, a company that I have been using for many years. When I played with Missing Persons at BB Kings in New York City in March, I added Arturia along with the Korg keyboards and got a nice blend. I hope to work again with Arturia because I believe in what they do and for creating an amazing board. I will also follow along with Korg and support what they put out, but sure, an MTR Series board, sounds cool to me with any of these great companies.
Do you have many other live shows on the way? Anything you are particularly looking forward to?
Michael: I have shows with Croatian guitarist Alen Brentini starting November 5, 2010. We will be playing songs off Alen's latest and upcoming releases., which I also played on. We will be supporting Richie Kotzen at Boogaloo in Zagreb, Croatia on November 18th and looking forward to kick some ass at that show.
Where do you see your musical career heading? Is there a master plan or do you take one day at a time?
Michael: I would like to continue performing with Lita Ford, finish my solo record and continue special guesting on upcoming records. Oh yeah, and fulfil my dream one day of playing keyboards for my favourite band Thin Lizzy.
You said last time you were thinking about getting your first tattoo. Did you get one, and if so what?
Michael: I chickened out but still would like to one of these day. Funny you remember that. When I am totally ready, I know the artwork would be the purple rose on the Black Rose album cover by Thin Lizzy.
I’ve seen a picture of you wearing some sweet black and white platforms? Do you have a secret shoe fetish, and is eccentric footwear something we should keep an eye out for in the future?
Michael: Haaaaa, you noticed!!!! Well, I'm a big fan of keyboard oriented bands like Yes, Dream Theater, Queen, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. But I also listened to new wave as well because the keyboards are so fat and cool. And growing up in Los Angeles, I grew a divine taste for glam rock. All of this combined, my choice of wardrobe didn't require only leather jackets, dog chains and Harley Davidson boots anymore to me. So, I like to break out with the platform shoes and colourful scarves now and then. I then found myself blending the two together, creating this metal glam niche and enjoying that look.
Any question you love being asked that I’ve missed? If so, what’s the answer?
Michael: You covered a lot, appreciate the good questions.
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
Michael: I'm going to finish packing my luggage and get ready for my long flight.
Anything else you would like to mention?
Michael: Thank you for having back again, I've always been a big fan of your site! Oh, and I would like to mention the upcoming shows...
November 5- Rock Caffe (Pula, Croatia)
November 6- Club Pepe Rosso (Rijeka, Croatia)
November 11- Bluesiana (Velden, Austria)
November 12- Risto Birreria Accademia (Venezia, Italy)
November 17- Klub Sax (Zagreb, Croatia)
November 18- Boogaloo (Zagreb, Croatia) supporting Richie Kotzen
November 20- Rock City at The Soundcave (Uster- Zürich, Switzerland)
Thanks again to Michael for his time.
http://www.myspace.com/michaeltross
