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Interview with Robbi Black - Alleycat Scratch
Hi Robbi, Thanks for taking time to answer these questions
No problem.
Please start by telling us about the history of Alleycat Scratch. When was the
band formed, how did you meet, and have there been any particular
highlights in your career etc.
Well this is always the most ever asked question. So if you dont mind im gonna give ya the short version.
Devin and Justin originally met in salt lake city. They became friends and moved to redwood city to try and make some noise, in the bay area scene. They met up with a couple guys singers, drummers and boa. Boa became a member right away. Tommy came next the original singer and then myself.
The highlights came with shows as we would open for top touring acts like (pretty boy floyd, tuff, Vain, Babylon a.d. and many more. We didnt have a deal so those shows and the epic after parties were really our highlights to that point. The LA years so much more came. Endorsments, sold out headlining shows. tons and tons of sales on our first record "Deadboys in trash city". Magazine covers and the biggest highlight never came really. A European tour and a deal with warner brothers records.
All came to a hault with drugs and other personal differences. We went out collectively still on top.
Please give us an up-date on the bands members in the year 2009
Alleycat Scratch is not a working band. Our members remain together as the band
that made it all happen however we are not all best of friends anymore. Devin Lovelace guitar. Bobby (boa ) Dias on bass. Eddie Robison vocals and Robbi Black drums remains our final line up.
"Deadboys in Trash City" remains a classic and the latest reissue by Demon Doll
Records is much welcomed since the album has been out of print. There was also another reissue by Regenerantion Records a few years, which sold out fast. There seems to be renewed interested in 80's Hard Rock. Any plans on grabbing the sticks and calling some of the guys from back then?
No. When Boa signed the regeneration deal we were all planning a comeback show. If even just one. Devin decided he wouldnt do it and didnt want us to do it with another guitar player, which was suggested. so we respected that and moved on.
Demon Doll Records also put out "Cheap City Thrills" and "Encore". Can you
tell us a bit about the history of those albums and can we expect more releases from the vault?
No more recordings were ever made by Alleycat Scratch. With me at least. We did the cheap city thrills demo a few months after I joined the band. They Allycat pre robbi had a demo with some songs never heard but i dont know if they will really ever put it out. Encore as our last recording as a band done by grant eddies brother. It was suppose to get mixed and mastered and it just sat really for 15 years till I signed it over. So the only other recordings out there are a remix disc of encore songs plus camcorder recordings of some live things we never put on recordings. Boa was to release that 2 years ago and well I look forward to hearing it.
Demon Dolls Records seems to be the premier label for Glam/Sleaze artists.
How did you get involved with the label?
I met johnny many years ago doing some recordings from his then boiler room studios. Then as he was putting together a nice list of underground bands from Hollywood (the lost years) i call them. I just happened to be friends with all of those bands as we were all tight nit back then. So I put some contacts together for him and he ran with it. Many more will be coming trust me. BIG BIG ones.
Please describe the Hollywood scene/The Strip back in the day when Alleycat
Scratch played the clubs?
Oh my fucking GOD! Pardon my ligo but Ill tell you. It really is indescribable. Im asked this a lot by the newbies in the wood. you REALLY had to be a part of it to know what I mean but it was like living a crazy reality show life with 1000's more charecters. Unreal. Seriously the best days on earth for most of us.
Of all the bands you played with who were your favorites?
Obviously Alleycat. Then I would say Revolution Hazy, The crue tribute, dramafiend, and Love Hate was pretty damn cool too.
"Deadboys in trash City" was released in 1993 when the scene was dying. You also
planned a European tour, which unfortunately got cancelled. Can you please tell us a bit about those days and what caused Alleycat Scratch to break up?
Another tough one. That was a hard time as it was the end of an era for us and a beginging of comething fresh scary and new. All we knew was alleycat so when we started Jammin in other things it was really a strange wake up call. We ended the band mutully and while still on top rather than take the warner deal and tour. Heavy drugs were in the band and a lot of small term oil surrounded what we did so for all out best interest. Splitting was the only option. So there it was.
Much has changed since the good old days. Back then you were handing out
flyers and tapes and now it's mostly via the internet. What do you
think about the state of the music industry today?
Well its a new generation. So to me to answer that with intelligence is kinda mute point. when we were growing up there was cassettle recordings.Pagers. We recorded in studio on 2 inch reel tapes and bownced it down from there. Now days you have a pro tools or logic program you can make a record in your house. There are Mac computers I-tunes and cell phones. so total time and landscape makeover and I like aspects of both generations. however flyering was always a great way to pick up and talk to girls. Internet is ok but ya never know what your gonna get.
ahh well.
What do you think is the biggest achievement of Alleycat Scratch?
I think the fact that we really did make our little stain on the rock industry world wide. Its small beans comparing to likes of poison. But on an underground level we were definatly one of the top 5 Bands to ever play the strip in our era. Had we got to LA in 1987 maybe we would be doing this interview from sunset plaza terrace and Id be buying you lobster and drinks haha.
Can you reveal the future plans of Bobbi Black?
If You mean Robbi Black I can answer this. Dont know Bobby black haha! (Note: Sorry, I fucked up - I think Bobby Black was the character in Ford Fairlane played by Vince Neil :) At this time im helping build a band out of LA Called Madlife. They have a jager and monster sponsorship. Just opened the rockstar mayhem festival with Marilyn Manson and Slayer. Fun gig with 30,000 strong. Great guys great band and some good songs. Also playing gun for hire right now for recording sessions and live performance too.
Thanks for answering these questions. Any last remarks feel free to write to write whatever you want
Just to the millions of kids that wanna do the "rock star" thing. Take it for what it is while you are going through it. Appriciate the ride as it may not always be so glorious and when its all said and done. You will have memories of your life to think back upon. Some look back and are like yeah that was amazing. Others
choose to not remember. Eitherway always ALWAYS have a back up plan. Like nasa. Nothing lasts forever and well. Ya only live once right? So live it up. Live it hard and deal with it all when the smoke settles.
Im OUT!!! Robbi Black
P.S. On a personal note: Thanks for the great music the past 16 years. "Deadboys in trash city" will forever be a classic.
Thank you and thank you for the time and interview it's really inspiring to know people really still dig what we put our hearts and blood and tears into some many years ago. cheers!
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Written by Michael - 12/11/2009 |
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