The Highwire with Del Bigtree - ROCK ROYALTY JOIN FORCES WITH NEW SUPERGROUP, THE DEFIANT

Episode Date: November 9, 2023

Rock royalty graced The HighWire stage this week with the world premiere performance of “Dead Language” from their new band, The Defiant. Featuring Pete Parada on drums (The Offspring), Greg Camp on guitar (Smash Mouth), Johnny Rioux on bass (Street Dogs), Joey La Rocca on guitar and keys (The Briggs), and Dicky Barrett as lead singer (The Mighty Mighty BossTones), they tell their stories of the paths that brought this supergroup together, standing in freedom and the spirit of true rock ‘n roll.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-highwire-with-del-bigtree--3620606/support.

I don't know about you, but I think most of us around the world, especially speaking for myself, man, music has been such an important part in my life, especially rock and roll, you know, those moments where you just felt like you were all alone, those lonely moments, but you always had music to go to and sit there and, you know, think about your thoughts and what's going on, your emotions, whether it was a breakup or something going on or maybe just a teacher was being a total jerk that day. you always had another brick in the wall or something you could listen to that just said, you know what? I'm not all alone, man. Rock and roll knows the world is crazy too. In fact, I took that to another level. I got to do my own performing. I did some singing in bands. In fact, I got to even tour with my wife's band, the Lee Nestor band, and in one highlight moment we opened for the Gugu Dolls back in the day. So music has always been a part of my life, and it's always been there no matter how crazy the world was. It just, made me feel like everything's going to be all right until this happened.

Well, concerts are back. We opening with a bang. Some event organizers are finding new creative ways to ensure the show can go on safely. Preping for Lala 2021 meant a lot more than just picking out your festival outfit. In order to get in, you have to bring either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. Bruce Springsteen will return to Broadway as the first show to open since March last year, but on one condition. Attendees will be required to show proof of COVID vaccination. Harry Stiles asking his fans to mask up and show proof of vaccination. The Jonas Brothers, they are now the latest artist to require you to bring your proof of vaccination

card to their upcoming concerts. Maroon 5 says it's going to require proof of COVID vaccination to attend concerts. Thousands of fans pack the iconic Madison Square Garden Arena in New York City. Before anyone could get in to see the foo fighters, they were asked to show proof of vaccination. When it comes to my band and my crew, we want to make it as safe as a place as possible. But not everyone is happy the foo fighters are holding a concert for only vaccinated fans. To hold a concert that is for vaccinated people only is segregation. And to limit a concert venue to one group of people is horrendous.

The delusional evil idea that you get to do whatever you want and the rest of the world be damned is really terrible. You got to identify those people and bring them out into the open so you know who they are. If you're willing to walk among us unvaccinated, you are an enemy. I beg you and implore you to go and get jabbed if you're not already because you need the help. I despair seeing these people protesting against the vaccine. The vaccine protesting against their rights being violated because they might have to wear a mask. Jesus Christ, guys. This morning, Spotify's most popular podcaster, Joe Rogan, famously known for questioning vaccine safety,

may have caused the streaming platform a rock icon. Neil Young, I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines. People were distressed by the fact that Spotify was doing this misinformation. purposely is saying this stuff that he knows isn't true about COVID. I just called up my management and said, we're out of there. That is such integrity. The singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell has said she'll remove her music from the streaming service Spotify in a row about coronavirus misinformation on a podcast.

She said she stood in solidarity with Neil Young and warned lies were costing people their lives. Vaccine, vaccine. Vaccine, vaccine, I'm begging of you, please don't hesitate. Well, COVID definitely had its casualties, but probably one of the biggest casualties was rock and roll itself. It really felt like that was the day that music died, certainly in America and around the world, as some of our leading rebels, rock and roll rebels, all cowtowed to the system and the machine, demanded that anyone that came around them be forcibly vaccinated or don't come and see me sing. certainly stick with whatever the government's telling you to do, doesn't matter how untested

it is. It was a truly dark time, I think, in art, especially music, especially when we think of rock and roll being that rebellious spirit, that independent spirit. But as all things happen, out of those ashes is rising a phoenix in an incredible new band of guys that just said, all right, screw it. If we can't be in the bands we were originally in, it can't perform the way we always dream. Let's start our own band. That band is called the Defend. And they join me right now. Dickie Barrett, mighty, muddy, muddy boss tones. We've got Pete Perada from the offspring.

Greg Camp from Smashmouth, Johnny Ryu from Street Dogs, and Joey LaRocca from the Briggs. It's really an honor. I don't know for a fact. There's never been this much rock and roll royalty sitting at this desk. Probably we'll never reach this level again. So I want to thank me so much for joining us today. Thank you for having me. Thank you.

Thanks for having us. Dickie, you know, you came on our show. after you'd sort of been unceremoniously released from your late night talk show gig, Jimmy Kimmel, and then Mighty Mighty Boss Tones, didn't wanna sing with you if you weren't going to get vaccinated. So how did this all come together? Well, I knew some people.

I've been making music for a long time, and I didn't wanna stop making music. That's what I loved. That's all I really knew. And so I got in touch with some people. I got in touch with Greg hair, long time. a long time and dear friend and said, hey, what are you doing, buddy? And he said, well, let's try to write songs together. And then we incorporated Pete, and then we incorporated Joey,

and then we incorporated Johnny. And the song started to get really good. And we said, we might have something here. And if nothing else, we love being around each other and we love making this music. So we persevered and pursued it. And then we've now got an album coming out October 27th to make a short story longer. That's the whole, that's the nuts and bolts of the whole thing. So P. U.E, I mean, your story's somewhat similar. You were, your band, offspring, they were up and running, still out, touring. What went down there?

Yeah, I mean, in the summer of 2021, the whole music industry was trying to kind of figure out how to unring the bell of, you know, we've told everyone to stay home, don't come out to shows, no one, don't go out anywhere. Everyone was bombarded with fear for over a year. And then it was like, well, now we'd like people to start paying for tickets and T-shirts and coming back out again. And I think the industry as a whole came up with

the solution was the fully vaccinated tour, right? We'll make sure everyone in the bands and crews are vaccinated and that way we don't look like bad guys for going out and asking people to congregate again, but we need to coax people back out of their houses and try to get back to normal. And so when I saw that coming, I kind of knew it was going to be an issue and it hit ahead for me pretty quickly to where,

you know, my band's manager kind of came at me really aggressively and just got a crazy phone call out of nowhere where it was very abusive and threatening and he made it very clear to me that I was to get the shot or I would be replaced and no uncertain terms. And, you know, I tried to talk to the band about it, but they backed him up. And so overnight, I was gone just kind of erased. Had you been with the band? 14 years at that point. 15 years. Yeah, and then I found out I was replaced from my Southwest app

when my flight to rehearsal was canceled. And then my access to the work calendar was revoked. And then I was just gone. That was it. You know, overnight over this one issue. You know, I mean, 14 years, I never missed a day of work, a rehearsal, or a video shoot or a concert. And, you know, that was my priority for everything.

And was the concern in that, I mean, what was the concern that was voice? Was it your fact that you would be dangerous to the band or just it was how it would be represented to the world. I think that they wanted to be able to, like everybody else, to say, well, we have a fully vaccinated tour. And, you know, my point was that, you know, not everybody needs to do this. There should be nuance here.

There should be exemptions for people who've had a history of bad reactions like I had. And it didn't matter, you know, as much as a lot of people in the industry said, well, we've all, everyone's got to do this to protect the people that can't. If you were one of the people that couldn't, it was so like, well, no, we're not talking about you. We're talking about the nameless, faceless people that we just want to be the good guys here. And I think that was the thing. Everyone just wanted to look like the good guys. And no one wanted to take any grief or any trouble for having someone who was not going to get on board with it.

And, you know, that's how it was. It wasn't just my band. This was industry-wide. Everyone was getting leaned on from band members to crew members. But it was interesting that most artists did not mandate it on their audiences, though, because mandating it on your crew and your band, good for business, mandating it on your audience, bad for business. And then that didn't make sense.

Like if you've got your, on the one side of the curtain, everyone is supposedly fully vaccinated, but everybody in the audience doesn't have to be, then what's the point of any of it? It was truly crazy. We were playing festivals and stuff where they'd say, well, backstage, everybody, everybody's going to be social distancing, required to wear a mask, we're going to check, COVID test before you get in there. This protocol was insane.

And then you'd hit the stage. I remember we played a riot fest in Chicago, then we hit the stage, and everybody in the audience was on top of each other, and your brain can't help going, well, these people don't matter, but what's going on backstage is a whole different thing. So I think that thinking to me was right there,

the hypocrisy right there. The rock and roll version of sit in the restaurant, you can take your mask off, stand, and it better be on them we're all going to die. Yeah, it wasn't about protecting people in any way. It was about protecting profits and getting the money machine rolling again. And, you know, that's just kind of how it shook out. Now, Greg, for you, a smash mouth. Greg won't say this, but it's important to point out he wrote the biggest,

the most popular smash malt songs. All right. The ones that your kids to this day still hum along to Greg, Greg, penn those. And do all you guys have kids? Is that, you know? Yeah. Yes. All right.

So Joey, how old are your kids? 13 and 8. Now, when it comes to this issue, was this all sort of new to you? Was it just COVID that sort of stepped over the line? No, not necessarily. I mean, it was always something philosophically that we just really were very cautious about, you know, in terms of that. And that's, Greg and I were, our families are very tight.

We were very close family friends and, you know, we shared a lot of similar views in terms of, you know, autonomy and things like that and medical autonomy and things. So that was definitely how, but, you know, we sort of found, we kind of found each other in that and sort of not, we didn't necessarily find each other in that, but in terms of the band in itself, I feel like we all kind of started to figure out where everyone kind of lied on, these things so Greg you even were involved in SB 27 a little bit right yeah my my wife you know was an educator and a protester and marching and all that you know Joey and my family marched and uh what was it Santa Monica yeah and uh you know stopping at the park on the way to the building but um yeah she was very involved in that so SB 277 for anyone out there that's

not aware because it's now some distance that we sort of get used to those of us that have been thinking about this for some time but that's actually sort of where I jumped in right at you know right around 2015-2016 is when I started working this documentary Vax and right at that same time SB 277 was you know in play in fact what was crazy for me is I remember I was working at CBS on the daytime talks to the doctors and I actually got a phone call from our executives that said come over to the stage right away we're taping a piece that we're going to and your show that's going live tomorrow. It's like a pre-tape show. And so I ran over and was sitting

backstage, you know, watching all the monitors. It was going to quickly do a paper edit because it had to be cut so fast. And outwalks Senator Richard Pan selling this brand new law idea he's got, you know, SB277. So that was literally the moment I was introduced to it was when he was presenting it to the world on our show. And I just remember I wasn't vaccinating my one child at that moment. I wasn't vaccinated as a kid. So for me, it was like, I'm not going to be like last of the Mohicans here. Like he wants to make it illegal to raise your kids the way I was raised. But it was really scary. It was really scary to the things that he was saying, just amazing, this idea that he would forcibly inject children and now they're going to have no choice. And so how many of you guys,

like, were already looking at this issue prior to COVID? Did any of you just wake up to it during COVID? I pretty much did. I mean, I kind of, I still just know that the, I just know that I don't trust Big Pharma or the government. I've had my own sort of passed with that in terms of, I had some addiction issues that were brought on by what the doctors were giving me. Uh-huh.

And it had a terrible effect on my family life and this and that. And so I knew that I didn't trust Big Pharma. And I knew that, and I could see that the way it was reporting, the way it was unfolding during COVID, I could, I could see sort of the hypocrisy, you know. Yeah. And just the, like, I just, there were so many things that weren't adding up, but you could see how people were just being sort of brainwashed in the issue. You know what I mean? Yeah. And honestly, my friendship with Dickie, we had a, we had a sort of text thread that went across. across, you know, it wasn't about this issue, it was with other sort of Boston musicians.

Okay. And through that, like, it started out with little comments here and there about what was happening. And I think just sort of along the way, I've really educated myself a little bit more on the topic, but it's really just no further for me than I don't really trust the government

and I don't really trust Big Pharma, so that's a good starting point, you know. Seems like kind of a central theme of all rock and roll, I thought. It's certainly any sort of movement towards punk, you would think that that would be the case. There's nobody punk or that Johnny. I mean, have you, I honestly have sat and tried to figure out a reason why rock and roll went so hard. Why, why this?

Is it just money? Is it just, we just want to get paid? I think it was when you take everyone's income source away for over a year. You know, I mean, musicians are used to being on the road a lot, and you go through your cycle, you make your record, you're out on the road and everything kind of overlaps different artists, but everyone came off the road at once, and then everyone wanted to get back on the road at once. And I think when you've been out of a paycheck for a year like that, and this is the thing that's going to get you back to work, that was the carrot that was dangled. And, you know, when certain artists came out and started playing shows that were only for vaccinated or you had to show your card to get in, that set a precedent, you know, when some really large artists did that, then everybody else was like, well, they did that, so now we all have to do that. And that made it hard on everybody. There was a lot of like, come on, don't you just want a tour? Let's come on, let's get back on the route. Yeah, are you going to be that guy?

Or it was just like, let's just make this, even if the sacrifice, we've got to do it for people, do it for the music. You're being selfish. And then, and then that's how they would write you off, too. They would say, this is how they've decided we're all going to get back to work. And after all, we're. rock and roll or punk rock so you know you've done sketchy things like you've you've gone to the bathroom at CBGB's what's a little shot right okay are you drank at nine o'clock in the morning what's a little shot of this yeah really gonna be that big a difference we got it where this is how we're all getting back to work and if you even suggested

something else then you were you were you were against your friends going back to work you know is how it was sort of phrased you're like I have a family to feed how come you're against me going to work it's like not that yeah In fairness to the Boston's, they didn't really have an issue. I mean, told them early on that there's going to be a time when in order for us to play shows and in order for us to go on the road or fly or do anything, that we're all going to have to get vaccine, this shot. And I'm not going to do it.

And I'm not going to tell our fans to do it. And so there wasn't much objection to that. And at the beginning, they were, you're crazy. That's never going to happen. And then as it's happening, they're going, eh, it made people in the best. and there's a lot of Boston's uncomfortable, but no one said I had to do that. The problem they had was when I started getting involved

with Bobby Kennedy and he asked me to write that song. So that made, they didn't really, you know, the mainstream media was saying things about him that weren't necessarily true and they didn't really have the proper information, but that made them super nervous, some of them. You came on my show, and you started catching some visibility around the issue,

which I suppose have been one thing, I couldn't do it again. I know, but I couldn't do that. I told you at the time, I couldn't, you know, I couldn't be quiet. I couldn't signal, I don't know what, you know, like let people think one way or the other. I had to say, I'm not into this, I'm not doing it.

Right. So, but you do you. Right. I wasn't telling them what anybody what to do, but this is my decision. And I wouldn't pretend, I wouldn't get a fake card. I wouldn't like, you know, hide in the shadow. So because I didn't want anybody's choices based on my choice.

Right. I wanted their choices to be thought out and based on, you know, their own sort of, which is what I did. Who is the, for you guys, I mean, as you sat there, and you know, obviously for us, it's just, you know, people that watch rock and roll, you're all like these superstars. Was there one superstar that sort of just turned on, and went and went for the vaccine that really hit you,

like, oh my God, that's it, this is always. over, they're gonna go, like, I can't believe that person turned. Is there like one guy or one band or? I can't point to one person and maybe these guys could, but the whole genre, like to, like, for me, I thought we were in training for these days. I thought punk rock was like someday, you know, maybe not right, you know, maybe we're very comfortable right now

and everything, but when the shit hits the fan, let's go punks. And I said that and I look back and it was like, you go. You go, tell us what it's like. Just me? And then luckily I found these guys. I mean, you're thinking about punk, right?

It's always anti-establishment. It certainly has an anti-government spin on it, like, you know. I wouldn't put anarchy on it, but it certainly is a resonating theme. But you would imagine that if all the people, the punkers, we're going to know when the government has stepped over the line and will be the ones. And clearly. At least question authority. I named an album question the answers. Right, right.

And I was like, and I know, it was question the answers, questioning, everyone was like, okay, let's, they're giving us the answer. Your own research. Right, Dr. Google. Yeah. It was an amazing time. It was amazing to me that we just lived through something

that was basically, trust the experts, do no research, you're smart, do your own research, do your own reading, and you're an idiot, right? I mean, like, we've never seen, And we were all, I mean, our generation at least, and I guess I'm probably a little bit older to some of you, but either way, in school it was like, ask, there's no such thing as a dumb question.

Ask questions. And suddenly we live in this time, like don't ask any questions at all, or you're an idiot. I went from read a book to, don't read a book. Not just an idiot, but you're dangerous. Dangerous. Yeah.

Right. To me, that was kind of terrifying, because if you say, well, you can't question that or we can't talk about that, or we're not going to ask questions here, then my interest is piqued, because it's like, well, why not? Like why is that off limits?

And why should anything be off limits? Especially with such an unprecedented time that we are all living through to pigeonhole everybody onto this one path and that's it. That's your only option here. Don't question anything. Don't ask, don't talk about it.

That was really a giant red flag for me. The idea that these mandates were targeting children as well was what was, for me, that was the part where I was like, I can't believe there's so many people that are quiet on this issue and are making children participate in this too. It was never any of the data or evidence to suggest that it was even remotely a good idea. But we just kind of all went along with it and putting our children at risk the way that we did. Well, people moved into self-censorship, too.

Like when my situation deteriorated and I put a statement out of like, here's why I'm not in the band anymore, here's what's going on for me. I heard from people all around the world overnight. like oh my god thank you for saying something i feel the same way i thought i was the only one and realized like we've been bombarded with this message and this propaganda of you're the only one that feels this way you're the you're the outlier here you're the only one who has questions you're and it was very shaming and it kind of cowed a lot of people into themselves of like well i don't want to lose anything socially or i don't want to lose anything in my workplace and and i think the more people that spoke out it really kind of gave everybody else a more

of a voice to have room here. And I heard from plenty of people in the industry and actors and things, people wrote to me privately going, hey, thanks for saying something. I wish I could, but I don't want it to cost me anything. And my answer was like, well, it's gonna cost you now or it can cost you later. You know, for me, I've got two daughters

and I'm like, what kind of world do I wanna leave for them? I wanna show them that, you know, you either fight to keep the rights you have, it's so much easier to do that than to try to get them back once they've been taken away. Yeah. And yeah, so for me it was really alarming to find out how many people felt that way, but had

been kind of shamed into silence. Well, I was going to ask you, I mean, you know, even though all these bands went along with it, was there a decent percentage that were like, clearly like, I'm not down either, but I'm just going to do it, or did you feel like everyone kind of just bought in? Everyone just bought in. Really? I think. Pretty good percentage.

I think there's a decent amount of people in the shadows and still, you know, and still, you my you know I like go for it dicky but we can't you know we don't they don't want to upset that apple cart and it's yeah have have fun I heard from plenty of bands the first couple months after I was replaced that were on the same festivals as my former band and they were writing me going why aren't you here like we're not vaccinated we're on the same show like there's no reason for you to not be here and I said I know that and you know so other bands have made other decisions like we're just going to fake it It will, you know, just stepping in there. Yeah, plenty of people working on fake cards and whatever to keep things going.

But same as Dickie. For me, I didn't want to do that because then I've lost my voice. Now I'm in the shadows. Now I can't show my kids how to stand up for themselves. Yeah, I mean, I think that that's one of the things. Like, people would come up to me, you know, how do you get a fake vaccine card? And I'm not going to judge people. I just think that's what they want you to do.

Like, you know, getting vaccinated and having a card or having a fake card does the same thing for the government, which was you are not. not standing in the truth. You're compromising yourself and that's all that really matters here. Joey, you were in L.A. through all of this. I mean, you were really, you know, in the epicenter of the insanity. How hard was it to find community? Well, Greg was still in L.A. at the time, too, so we had each other. And our families who were, you know, we kind of had each other. So that was, and remember, we were sitting in, in his backyard and we were sitting there. Six feet apart. A couple of months in it just going like, what is going on?

What is happening? And I remember even thinking at that particular time going like a couple months, this is going to blow over. Like this will be, you know, this is just everyone's got this hype going on and this stuff of that. Like everyone, we have a short tension span as a society. This will be over. And they just kept going and we're like, what is happening? I'm sitting in front yard homeschooling our kids.

And you see this couple jogging down the street with a mask and rubber gloves on. And we're like, we've got to get out of it. Get him. I can't get him. My kid seeing that. Like, I don't even want to answer what's happening there. At some point, they had to go, are we really going to have to hang out with Dickie? Where did she move, right, when you pick up?

Well, we got an RV. Cool. And we went up to Idaho and Montana and sort of like zigzagged across the country. Ended up in Georgia for a few months. Went to Tennessee. Went Nashville for a few months. Back to L.A. and that's when you go, man, once you see everywhere else

and see how some people live, and then you go back to Los Angeles, sorry, Los Angeles, you know, we're out of there. So we ended up in Nashville. Oh, cool, yeah, Nashville. It is true when you go back to L.A. in the middle of that, it was like, it was truly dystopian. I mean, you know, here's, as long as you avoided the whole foods, you know, you didn't really know there's anything going on.

That's where they got to went like masked Nazi crazy. But I remember I went into Los Felas. I was back there. And I remember just driving up the road And I just saw all these people like standing Like in these perfect six feet apart lines Outside of every store like five people here Five people there like green acres

I was like what is I couldn't figure out what was going on Like how are they so perfectly it didn't happen here in days And then I got out to walk around I saw the little stickers And they're only allowing like two people into a store at a time or something And everyone's standing on their sticker I was like Oh my God this is absolutely insane You still see them on the sidewalk They're still there

I think they should be probably just like etched into stone and like, you know, marbleized so that we would never forget how far this insanity. Well, let's, you know, so obviously you all, you know, found each other. You got through this. What is it like now to actually having come through these sort of dark times of being playing music again with each other, what's that experience like? Awesome. Yeah. It's exciting. It's fun.

I mean, I can't believe I've got a band of such talented people. that are willing to play with me and the product the music sounds great it's fun to you know be on stage with guys that think the way you do and speaking for myself but go ahead yeah it's nice to be in a situation where you can where you can be yourself and you can speak your mind like you know we don't agree on every issue and we shouldn't like I think that's like as a society we've moved to a place where if you disagree with somebody on one thing you have to cut them out of your life and I'm like when in the history of the world has anyone ever

done that and how boring to just be surrounded by an echo chamber of people repeating talking points like that sounds excruciating yeah so not all of our wives have been together yet but the ones that have i'm like oh i'm just seeing the future like how amazingly explosive that's going to be when they get together your classic catchphrase find your people yeah you know how long you've been recording now with each other how long you've been writing together on for this album's about a year and a half I mean, it came together, I mean, once Dickie started kind of calling around and putting us together, and we started kicking song ideas around, you know, and that was about spring of 22. And I would say by late summer, we were pretty deep into recording, you know, for the album.

Like, it moved really fast because it was exciting. Like the way the songs were coming out, I think it certainly for me reinvigorated my creative spirit that I think had been diminished. And I, you know, when my situation went down, I thought I wasn't. I was done, I would never play again. Like you're gonna be blacklisted from the industry, you're not gonna be allowed to work. And then you have to realize, no, you don't need somebody's permission to create.

You don't need someone's permission to be an artist and when did we set into that mindset. So it was very grateful to get the call from Dickie and to be able to meet all these guys and to start crafting this thing that we all feel really good about. So when is the album coming out? The album's coming out tomorrow, Del.

Thank you for asking me. October 27, so a year and a half in the making, And is there like a title track or something that, you know, you're reading out with a music? You know what? I mean, I remember, like, my wife was in music. And I remember, like, trying to figure out, like, which is that, like, radio hit or something. It's, like, one of the biggest arguments you ever have in a band. No one can really come to, you know.

Like, it doesn't feel like a record or a project that was written for unvaccinated people that think the way, you know. Okay. Like, it really feels like a very universal. Like, in, there are times where I'll hear. these songs where I know where Dickie was coming from when he wrote it, but I'm like, I'm thinking about an interpersonal relationship that I, and to me, that's the metric of a good song anyway, but that it transcends all of that. So our hope is that it was born out of this weird thing, but it's going to be this unifying thing, not just for people that think the way

we do, but for, you know, the same way any of our other musical projects. Yeah, the overall message of the band, I think, is unifying. It's just bringing people together. Like that's what it's about. We're tired of being divided. We're tired of watching society be split into two and people forced to take aside and, you know, brother turning on brother kind of thing. So the overall message to me really is about bringing people together and getting us back to a hopeful place where, you know, I think we lost a lot of community in our hearts

over the last few years. And we're just trying to be, you know, a kind of band that can bring people back to that, like back to community and, you know, loving your neighbor again. and having friends again and having the different points of view and that's okay, like that's how it should be. Who's fun again? I mean, honestly, that's one of the things like going to LA. I still am like, you guys aren't having any fun.

You're all like taking everything really seriously, you know? I think that's so well put because it's exactly what we're having in it. And when I was here, you know, last time I was, what am I going to do? I'm down in the dumps. What's going to happen next? Would, you know. And through these guys and I'm near tears, listening to the things they're saying because it's sort of unspoken.

We just became brothers through all of this, through both the creative part of it and through what we were going through. And plus we're all dads and that kind of thing. And just to hear them speak right now, I might be too emotional to get up on that stage. The things that have said have honestly been pretty sweet. So rumor has it that tomorrow you may be in. inducted into the punk rock Hall of Fame? Is that they didn't take that away from you?

I don't think they're inducting me into it, but I think, no, they can't take that away from me. But I will be at the punk rock museum. All right. I believe tomorrow and giving tours. It's something that old punk rockers like myself are invited to do. I think the guy from the stray cats was there last month.

And it's a bit of an honor. And it's nice of them to ask me and we'll see. We hate you. Get out of this museum. You're too punk. Through all this, through all this. Like being rockers, having kids, it always seems like a total juxtaposition, right?

You've got to create this really safe, comfortable environment for your kids, and then you're out there, you know, rocking it out. What is it like? Like having them watch you go through this. And, you know, how much are your kids in your thoughts as, you know, you struggle to get through it and then get to playing music again? And how much does it affect you? I mean, the kids really just want to, I don't know,

I'm sure it's the same with these guys, but I know that each month that goes by without playing music, they're like, Dad, you've got to get out there on the road. You've got to start playing again, man. Yeah. You're starting to crack a little bit. My kids were excited, like, oh, oh, you're going to go see Dell. Tell them we said hi.

That's cool. And so they, like, I like that their, you know, heroes are like you and Bobby Kennedy's like, is Bobby going to be there? I was like, Bobby's not going to be there. No. So, but... Good heroes to have. Thank you.

Yeah, indeed. I think for me for speaking out, the reason that I decided to was my kids. Like, that was it. You know, I had a friend of mine a few months back say, yeah, but did you make any difference, really? And I kind of looked at him and was like, well, it's not the point. I wasn't trying to change the world. I had an audience of two. And if I can't show them how to stand up for themselves, that there's no opportunity, there's no job, there's no situation. There's no situation, financial, whatever, that's worth giving up your sovereignty, your bodily autonomy.

Like, when your kids are teenagers, they stop listening to you, but they're watching. They watch your actions. And the only way you can get through to them is by showing them something. So it's like, you know, watch dad set himself on fire, see how this goes. But this is how important this issue is. And, you know, not just around, you know, the vaccine mandates and stuff, but you should always be protecting yourself and what you really believe in. and don't sacrifice that for anything. And to me, that was the whole point.

Yeah. Sometimes you don't hear about it until 10 years later, but when you're making the right decisions in front of your kids, like sometimes it feels like they're not even listening, but then 10 years will go by. They're watching. I feel the same thing. I just want my kids to believe in themselves

and know that your truth can never be compromised. And if you stand in that, it always works out. Sure, there's pain. There's, you know, I keep thinking like things that, you know, We've lost. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt you. That's what I was raised with. It is literally the opposite now. Now it's like words are deadly. They need to be censored. You know, they can crush people. And I just, we've sort of lost our strength as a species, or at least as a culture here in America. And I just think,

and rock and roll, in the middle of this, rock and roll represented that the most. Like, the rebellious spirit is dead. It's like we're just, no, we're as compliant as everybody else. I grew up thinking this was the greatest country on earth, even with all its problems. And that today is something to frown. Like, you know, you get looked at, like, what do you do, some kind of, you know. Well, look. Can't say I love America? What's the matter?

I know. I think that's changing, though. And I think there's a lot of hope. I think that there's a lot of silence. When I look at just the COVID vaccine, 30% of this country rejected it completely, at least. I mean, if we were going to, you just go by the number CDC says. That means quietly, a third basically, this nation said, no way, even though we didn't know each other were here, we weren't able to communicate with each other with the most oppressive

propaganda that has ever hit $10 billion. I think they spent, U.S. government spent on, you know, having a 24-hour news feed telling us we're all going to die if we didn't get the vaccine. I just think about that 30%. And then I think about the fact that how many people only got the vaccine under duress because they were going to lose their job or going to lose their kid or going to live. all threats that were made, huh? What do you put that number at?

I would have to say with this particular vaccine, I think a lot of people were questioning how fast it was made, I think you could say, you know, probably nearly 50% of those that only got it under duress. I think the rest that had been given would have waited a year to see how it all panned out, wouldn't have rushed in, didn't feel like it was that big a deal. So I think when you look at it,

I actually believe that at least 50% of this country we're in a space of like this wasn't the right thing to do and whether they went along with it or not, which is why I think your album is going to be a huge hit. I think you're representing what, and I'm just talking about American. You imagine the world. I mean, you guys have all been international rock success,

and now you're actually speaking to a community that needs you. Millions and millions of people, I think, are waiting for this album. So we're going to hear a song from your first album by The Defiant. What's the song going to be? The song's Dead Language. Dead Language. All right, dead language by the Defiant. You heard it here first. Album drops tomorrow, expecting all of you to check that out. Rock and roll royalty in the house. That's the Defiant,

the brand new album dropped tomorrow. If we're really being honest, I know all you rockers out there are psyched to be able to actually support a band that still believes in rock and roll. Grab it wherever you can find an album. Look at all those places. It's going to be available. So amazing.