Dman138: Are all these New York based bands?
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Dman138: What bands did you play in before you started in DANZIG?
Youth: I played in many. I started in a band called Agnostic Front when I was 12. Then I started a band called Warzone...did that until I was about 15. Then I joined Murphy's Law in '86. I was in that band for about 10 years. Right before joining Murphy's Law is when I met Joey (Castillo) because he use to play in this band called Wasted Youth. They were on tour in New York and they played at CBGB's. I was a big Wasted Youth fan so we became friends and they crashed at my place.
Dman138: What year would say that was?
Youth: '85 maybe. And then Lazie started to road manage Murphy's Law. So that's how I've known Lazie forever. Anyway after Muphy's Law I was in a band called Home Wreckers. We put out one 7inch. After that I joined Dgeneration. We did 2 records on Columbia and toured with a bunch of well known bands such as Kiss, L7, Social D, and Green Day, but the record just never sold. And then I did the Chrome Locust record. We only did about 5 or 6 shows and that's when I got the call for DANZIG.
Dman138: Are all these New York based bands?
Youth: Yeah, they're all New York bands. That's were I'm from originally.
Dman138: Most of these sound like NYC hardcore bands.
Youth: Yeah except for Dgeneration was more of a Rock band.
Dman138: When did you start to rehearse with DANZIG for the first time?
Youth: It was like July or August of this year.
Dman138: So you did not play on the new Danzig6:66 album, but you just finished up the first DANZIG 6 tour which also featured Samhain. I know you played both sets (Danzig/Samhain) How did that go?
Youth: It was killer! I mean at every show we did the kids went nuts. It was great. I mean I trip out sometimes when I'm playing and I'll look and it's like "man, I'm on stage with Glenn Danzig." It was an honor.
Dman138: It must have been intense doing double duty.
Youth: It was cool! The Devilock, the blood show, the boots, and playing those Samhain songs was great...I love that stuff. Most of those songs I already knew from being a fan.
Dman138: How many songs did you have to learn for this tour?
Youth: I had to learn about 40 songs total. 12 Samhain songs and the rest DANZIG songs. There's alot of songs we didn't do that we will do on the next leg. I had about 4 weeks to learn them.
Dman138: When did rehearsals for the tour start?
Youth: DANZIG rehearsed from the end of September until the tour started. Samhain had about a weeks worth of rehearsals.
Dman138: Before being in DANZIG were you familiar with any of the history?
Youth: Oh yeah. I've been a Misfits fan since I was a kid. I've seen them a few times in New York City. I also saw Samhain's first show at the Rock Hotel. Even the DANZIG stuff I was a fan of. I always liked John Christ's guitar work. I would sit there and learn these songs...so before even being in DANZIG I knew many of the songs.
Dman138: Any tour plans for the near future?
Youth: Yeah we're supposed to go to Mexico and South America in February. Then to Europe and then back to the States to hit the places we missed on the first leg.
Dman138: And the Samhain reunion is now over?
Youth: That's done, never again.
Dman138: Any bands that you would like to take out on the road?
Youth: I want Cradle of Filth.
Dman138: You haven't recorded in the studio with DANZIG. Will you in the near future?
Youth: Yeah in January we'll go into the studio to work on some European B-Sides.
Dman138: How do you like playing with Joey and Lazie?
Youth: I love it. It's great! I learned playing in punk rock bands... it's all about feel. I think that's why we, Lazie and Joe, play so well together because we all grew up on the same kind of music and learned how to play the same way. Which is all about feel. And it's the same with Glenn.
Dman138: Did you ever play musically with Joey or Lazie before DANZIG?
Youth: One summer me, Joey, Lazie, & Dave Cushner who was in DANZIG for one show had a band called Chronic Halitosis. We did all punk rock covers. Lots of Black Flag and Misfits.
Dman138: So you knew Dave Cushner?
Youth: Yeah he used to be in Wasted Youth towards the end.
Dman138: I'm glad to see the new line-up getting along so well.
Youth: Yeah, it's great. It's a real band. Everything a band should be.
Dman138: Do you have any personal favorites from the new album?
Youth: I love playing Lilin "live." I like Unspeakable and Satan's Child. I like them all. There is not one song I don't like off the new album.
Dman138: Any songs you might play from the new album that were not played on the first leg?
Youth: We might be doing Firemass and Cult With Out A Name.
Dman138: At the Portland sound check we saw you bust out into "Mommy."
Youth: Yeah, with Steve on vocals. We've done a few songs with him. He sounds just like Glenn.
Dman138: Anything you want to say to the fans?
Youth: Thanks for all the Demon MF's out there. We appreciate all the support especially from The7thHouse.
"FANGS" to TODD YOUTH for the interview.
~THE END~