PipemanRadio Blacklist Union About Up In Smoke From Slay The Dragon

0:01 Hi, you have done to censure? Wow, pray young. Me some gold. There's some precious stones. Saverian now making bows cressively at the King Freequizy you actually Fried Fri from Toros some of this.

0:42 It's the pipe Man here on the Adventures Pipe Man W four c Y Radio. And I'm here with our next guest who has some killer new music. So let's welcome to the show. Tony West from Blacklist Union. How are you, good man? Thanks for having me. Thanks, Oh, my. Pleasure, my pleasure. And so I love this new single yet up in Smoke and the video is pre killer. So tell us a little bit about, you know, your creative ideas of making this video. I mean, the song's about pretty much trying to stay in the moment, you know what I'm saying, and which is not a hard thing to do. I tell my kids, I'm like, it's called the present because if you can actually stay in it, it's a gift, you know. And look at kids, like kids are in the moment all the time, like they don't have worries about you know, how am I going to pay this? Or what happened yesterday and stuff? You know what I mean? And we were all kids once and we all have that, you know, So that's kind of what that song's about. And you know, so much, so many songs I've written about this hideous relationship thing I went through and all that, and that's partly influenced by that. But a lot of the songs I don't know if you know, but like Men to the Jungle a bunch of times with the Shapibo Indians and the Amazon and Peru and so a lot of these songs are inspired by by those journeys and that you know, spiritual aspect of life.

2:06 Yeah, I'd like to hear more about those journeys because they were, uh as far as I know, a big, big part of healing a lot of your past to be able to be in the present. And so I want to hear about your journeys with it, because you know, everybody has a different journey, and I'm always curious, you know. You know, I had a gnarly you know, childhood. I grew up in New York and all that and came to la as a teenager and like teenage runaway basically, and you know, I went through a lot of things and I lost a lot of people, man like my my girlfriend was killed in a car accident on the road and my first wife died. And then the back to Momo record, you know, the fourth record I wrote with Todd Youth, who you know, I knew him since I was fifteen and he was my good friend. And Todd did many things. He played with Danzig, he played, he was all I mean, he played everyone from Glenn Danzig to Glenn Campbell, you know, but you know, and he died. And when he died October twenty seven, twenty eighteen, I was like, man, I can't let this ruin my life because you know, my wife's death and my girlfriend's death like that shit ruined. I'm not, but it destroyed my life. I let it destroy my life. And you know, drinking and using behind that kind of shit doesn't really help either. But anyway, when Todd died, I was I had learned through a friend about ayahuasca and I started researching in hardcore and I found the you know, the

3:40 grand Poohbahs so to speak of who does this, and it's the Shappibo Indians in the Amazon jungle in Peru. So you know, that's was the beginning of the deep, deep spiritual healing and that stuff, you know, you know, for the most part sober. And when I went there, I kept telling the Indians like, yo, I can't do drugs, Like I don't do drugs, and they're like, this isn't drugs, Tony, this isn't medicina because they couldn't speak any English, and and I was like, okay, and they were right. And you know, there's people who say, oh, I've done mushrooms or I've done this and that, and ayahuasca is you cannot compare it to anything. It truly, truly, truly is medicine, and it truly does take you to those other realms, these spiritual realms that we all know about, although we just forgot about because we've been so long and all that stuff. And so I was able to let go of so much sorrow. First of all, I had so much sorrow. You know, I knew I had sorrow, but man, you know, it was deep seated sorrow. And like my first intention, I remember, you have to have an intention every time you go do a ceremony, and my first one was to see all my people that are no longer here on this realm. And man, I saw all of them plus more.

4:55 You know, wow. But the inspiration and healing and all that stuff is just so deeply profound and beautiful. And you know the Letters from the psych Ward record is all about that, and so is this new one coming out, Slay the Dragon. You know, it's all about that deep, deep shit. You know, that's that's pretty cool, man, because I know a lot of people even there's another band, and my mind's drawing blank right now because I'm like, I'm sure you know, we're doing this interview now, and Ozzie just passed, you know, which is. That's just unbelievable. You know, Ozzie is one of the people that saved my life as a kid. I was just telling, you know, or my assistant here, and dude, I've met him so many times and he was always super humble, super kind, funny as fuck without even trying to be like right, I just had that and you know, I have goosebumps. And when I found I mean I definitely cried when I heard the news, and but you know, I could tell not so much with Ozzy. I mean, you could see he was not well. But I saw some pictures of Sharon from the event and I was like, oh, God, he's dying and I just saw them from her, not even from him. You know what I'm saying. It's weird because that day I was practicing vocals and you usually sing like twenty songs. I know, Ozzy, I studied Ozzy

6:26 like deep. You know, I could sing any Sabbath song man and with Ozzy, and you know, I studied him deep and he's such a big part of me. And man, there's no words. I mean, he's gone. You know. It's like what the fun you know? And I had an idea just like you too, like just everything and even now I'm thinking of all the different things and it all makes sense. And I said years ago before he was even ever sick. But when you know, Sharon kept trying again to retire, I'm like, man, if he retired, he would probably pass away because he loves the stage and the whole. He loves all of it so much, you know. And you know it's funny.

7:08 I went a similar pack to you, because you know, I grew up in Jersey. I was born New York. One day, not in nineteen eighty, my dad comes up to me, he goes, pack your bags. We're moving to California. In three days. Wow, And so where California did you move to? La? So? I lived that whole metal scene, the Sunset Strip, Troubadour Country Club. First first club show I ever went to in my life was Motley Crue before they even had an album, when they were like horror punk, and he was at the Roxy and they were trying to burn the Roxy down to bring Satan in and I'm like, oh my god, I'm never going to a real concert ever. Again.

7:51 That's the greatest thing I ever saw, you know, type of thing, you know. And then I did go to what was it, I think it was eighty two. I'm trying to remember which year, but New Year's Eve Ozzie played. I think it was the Forum, and I told my dad I was sleeping over my bro's house. He told his parents he was sleeping over my house, you know, the typical thing. And we went to Ozzy show. It was with Randy Rhodes, like a few months before he died, so I got to see Randy and then weirdes thing happened. We get home and I'm living in like Lakeland, Duro and Agra and I'm at the bottom by the lake.

8:32 So my parents went and my dad wouldn't see us and stuff, and my next door neighbor comes out. She sees us with all the Ozzie swag on, and she goes, hey, boys, were you just at the Ozzy concert? And we're like yeah, and we're like, oh fuck, we're in trouble now. And she goes, wait there, I'm gonna get my husband, and so we're like, oh crap. Husband comes out, brings us up to the house. He had a studio in the house wall to walk to set tapes. Turned out he was Azsi's promoter. Nice like it was like wild And then I did I had a history class at a Gora High that the only project we had to do was an oral report on anything anybody and I did mine on Ozzie and gun A. So the Ozzie runs deep here too.

9:25 Yeah, there's just no words, dude. Oh I don't even know. But really it actually does. I mean, my heart hurts, actually you know what I mean, because he has so much for me, you know, and so many others. I mean, everybody that was so loved, like he was loved dude for all his kookiness and all his stuff, like he was just accepted in love, like that's a beautiful thing, you. Know, totally, Like who would ever imagine, Like even you think about him even lasting as long as he did, who would Nobody would have ever imagined he lasted as long as he did, that all the Shenanigan that he got involved in. But I think I know right. I love the one story where there was protesters at his concert and he was wearing a dress and a wig and he got into the crowd and was protesting with them, and ship.

10:13 Like, that's so oddsy too, man, Like, it's just so amazing, And even right down to the end with the sense of humor, you're talking about how funny he was. Like I'm sure he saw when Sid proposed to Kelly, but before he got it out of his mouth, I was he's like, you know, fucking marrying my daughter, Like right to oh man, so wild. But I love your concept of your music and using that Hyauasca journey because it's kind of like music is the best therapy there is in my opinion, And so now you're taking everything to me that started to heal you and put it into your music so we can all heal too.

11:03 That's exactly right, dude, And I love you these last two records have really hit harder, way harder than our previous things, because everything's a frequency and a vibration, you know, and and and people don't know exactly why it might be hitting them harder, but it's true. Like my my friend calls it medicine music, you know, therapeutic. And the way I write shit also for myself, is the reminders on how to deal with things, you know what I mean, Like, you know, I'm not floating away like Gandhi, and you know, the staying in the moment thing is practice just like music, just like yoga, you know what I mean. And some moments are easier than others and so forth. But well, I'm also I'm an evational speaker and I'm a firm believer. Like it's it's not easy to be positive, like you don't just wake up and you're like that, it takes work, you do. It's much easier to be negative, you know. For sure.

11:58 Listening to this dude, doctor Joe Dispensa. Have you heard of him. I've heard the name, but I haven't heard his stuff. Amazing dude, Like it's basically rewiring your brain, like you know, someone like me who grew up in this abuse verbally abusive, physically abusive, you name it, you know home as a child. That stuff sticks in your brain, man, like, yeah, told you know what I'm saying, Like, you know, I told bad things about myself as a kid, and like believed that stuff. And I remember one time, you know, this therapist was like, you know that's a lie, right, So it's love that she's like, I remember, I went to say something and I cry because no one ever said that to me before. But you know, yeah, it's rewiring.

12:41 This dude, doctor Joe Despense is really great. He talks about, you know, rewiring in the power that we have. And it's funny because all the things he talks about I discovered on my own in the Ayahuasca ceremonies too, you know what I mean. And again again, we all know these things, but we just forgot, you know, yeah. Most yeah, well that's what happens. You know, you go through life and all this shit is thrown your way, and yeah, you do kind of forget because you get caught in the darkness sometimes, right right. Yeah, And it's not easy to get out sometimes either, you know. No, not at all. People never do you know kills them. Yeah, exactly, which it's a blessing that you found. I always say to people, find what works for you, you know, Like even with my kid, you know, I had this horrific childhood that I gravitated to motivational speakers, like I was.

13:35 I was listening listening to Tony Robbins and Niam's books when I was eleven years old, you know, and that was my like way to kay deal. And then the mashpit has always been my way of dealing. Oh yeah, walf was huge. Yeah for me, punk rock was saved my life. Punk rock, no doubt. Man. It's like people don't get it with the mash pit. It's not about going into hurting main people. It's about going in gain your sh shit out so you don't hurt the name people on the outside. That's exactly right. But then you know, I remember as a kid, you know, all the jock I call it jock rock, like some of the hardcore like you know, maybe swinging and stuff and like punching kick in. Yeah no, I'm not into that right right, Like I like the circle pit, the camaraderie, the family, the somebody falls you pick them up like and it's just listen.

14:27 When I've had shit happened in my life, like really like deaths and deep shit, I go in the pit and just let it all out there, you know, no doubt. So you got the album dropping in September, Slay the Dragon. What else can we expect from that album? Uh? You know, Up and Spoke. Everybody's got to check out the video. It's cool as hell. Just videos. We just shot two new videos over the weekend and Houston, Man, there were long days too. Those were like twelve hour day Saturday and Sunday. For the next singles, It's called Dying for You as the next single, and the one after that is called can You Heal Me?

15:11 And then there's twelve originals on the new record. There's no covers. We haven't done any covers for this record, but there's some good deep cuts. Man. There's one called do It for the song that we added to our set, which is just amazing. And you know the last two records too is you know, our our rhythms, you know, have become a niche of our sound. You know that the drums in the in the bass, and I'm big on Tom drums man, because like Tom drums bring like. It has the Indian you know aspect, you know, and yeah, spiritualness to it and stuff. But man, it's a kick ass record and I'm really proud of it. So and I wrote this one again with Chris Johnson, our producer who's produced all our records. This is gonna be our sixth and after Todd died, you know, I tried to find a songwriting partner and you know, that's like trying to find a wife and what you call it. I just said to Chris, our producer, was like, why don't we just write the record. I mean, you know our sounds.

16:08 You know my voice better than anyone. He helped me develop my voice basically, so you know, me and him wrote, Chris Johnson wrote, Me and him wrote the whole Letters from the Psych Word record and this record Slate the Dragon. Although I did write a few songs with our manager Paul Crosby, who used to be in Saliva so nice. Yes, I saw about that. That's pretty cool too. And I do love the like Indian drumming type of thing. I always have, Like I remember, even when I wasn't supposed to like them, way back in the eighties, I was totally into like Adam and the Ants, not Adam Am, but Adam and the Ants. Yeah, and bow wow wow because of that same drum stuff. Right, Like you listen to songs like Dog Eat Dog and ant music, the drums in that is just so killer, you know. Yeah, So tell everybody how they hit you guys up on socials on the web. Uh, you know, check out all your new music, check the old stuff out, merch tour date, it's all that.

17:12 Yeah, We're on everything across the board, all all platforms, and you can find us on Spotify. We have plenty of killer videos on YouTube. And like I said, this is gonna be our sixth record, full length. You know, we have a lot of music out there and a lot of stuff. But you know, I do want to say one thing, you know, with Ozzie dying and all this stuff is like, you know, back in the day, you know, Ozzie gave people like Motley chances or you know, he brought people on the road that no one heard of, and you know people did that, you know what I mean back in the day, And like you know, I've been saying lately, like you know, I'm sure Steven Tyler and Joe Perry are going to do another Aerosmator. It's just going to be inevitable, you know. But like even Angus from ac DC or six from Motley or Duff and Slash and Axel and Del James Axle's right hand man, and like, you know, please give Blacklist Union a chance and take us on the road, you know, with you guys, and so we can carry the torch of rock and roll.

18:08 And because there's people that know about us, but there's lots of people that love rock and roll that still don't know about Blacklist Union, you know what I'm saying. So I've been saying to these people, like, please give us a chance, like we won't let you down. And you know, it's not only the music you got. First of all, you gotta have the songs, and you gotta have I always say, you got to bring the wow factor because if you don't have the wow factor, that you're wasting your time. And you know, our live shows are better than the record, you know, And that's what I work my ass off to be a good singer and stay in shape and all that stuff. But look, we're looking for someone to give us a break, whether it's even you know, the Steel Panther guys or the buck Cherry guys, or someone that will take us under their wing for a while and let us do direct support for them, you know, and to to create another scene, to create some rock and roll for every one, for the masses. People need rock and roll. I have a thirteen year old daughter, dude, and she'll play me the ship she listens to. I'm like, what the I'm like me because the lyrics. You know, I consider myself a word smith. I love writing lyrics, one of my favorite things.

19:16 And you know, these people on so much new stuff, it's like they say this shit man, where it's just like it's about the dope, the bitches, the money, you know whatever, these negative things, but they flat out say it. And I was telling my daughter, yeah, there's a lot of way to say those things, but not saying it that way, Like you know what I'm saying totally. So people need rock and roll, man. Look at the whole world's gonna be affected by Ozzie dying, you know what I mean. Like, people want and need rock and roll now, especially in the UK and Europe and South America and Australia and stuff. The US is a little behind on that shit, you know what I mean? Oh yeah, totally rock and roll.

19:58 Like people skip LA entire nowadays on their itineraries and stuff. You know. It's just it's not what it used to be, not when I was haunting LA. It's not like that. But I'll tell you what. It's wild too, to your point. So I do festivals all over the US, UK, Europe. Just got back from incarceration. That's why I have no voice. And and one thing I noticed over in Europe. In the UK, yeah, there are bands that I was into in the eighties that I thought were gone, and they weren't gone. They were just over there all this time because the people love music so much, and you know, the creativity like of some of these bands, Like I was instantly thinking of you when you're just talking about like I just did hell Fest and you have these bands like Hailong and you know other bands that are like spiritually based but like have this cultish fall over there and the coolest shit like that would probably be a good tour for you to get on with. Heylund.

21:08 Check them out if you've never checked them out. They're h E I, l U n G h G I l U n G okay, and they put on this show like even if you don't like their music, they put on this show that's absolutely insane, and people over there like they're like a cultish following for this band, like big time, you know. And I saw it kind of in you because of watching the video and the same type of spiritual thing and with the hyahwa waskin all that just it all goes hand in hand. But I also do all the Danny Wimmer festivals, and so I'm gonna shout out right now in case Danny hears it himself. He's got to check you guys out, because he is the guy in the US nowadays that takes bands under his wing, you know, like it's wild. The festival I just did, which is at Shawshank Prison a few years back, it was banned. Okay, they did the old school shit. They invaded the festival. They like pulled up into the parking lot and started playing They're called Silly Goose. Wimmer was out there when they were doing it, and they ended up playing the real stage the next day.

22:24 And I've played a bunch of the festivals since, so I'm just putting that out there in the universe for you. Thank you, sir, you got it. Any other last words you want to share with the Lizends that we haven't covered already. Well, I mean, if you haven't heard Black List Union, check us out. If you love rock and roll, I always say, we have a money back guarantee if you buy a record. If you love rock and roll, you buy our record, you hate it, money back guarantee. And I bet you never have to do that because people it yet. But there's always one guy, you know, right. But yeah, I'm looking forward to all new music and everything you're doing. I'm glad you're on this journey because I think the whole world needs this journey right now.

23:08 They really do. Yeah, I always say, I don't know if you've noticed, but the world's gone batshit crazy. Oh listen. I from traveling to outside the country, you just realize how crazy shit is too, you know. And was going to Peru. I remember the first time I was there, and like we were in these villages. I mean, to get to the jungle is like a whole journey in itself, but these villages where I'm like, you know, these people have nothing, like they have no windows where the windows go there's no glass, there's no doors, and I'd be like, at first, I was like, these people have nothing, but they have everything because what they have is family and community and love and they take care of each other. Man, you know what I'm saying.

23:49 Like I was like, wow, Oh, I told you no, because I go to Costa Rica all the time surfing, and I go like way off the beaten path, you know, and the people like they have nothing, nothing like you're saying. A Tico house has basically got It's like you're camping, you know. And they're always happy, right, and they're always doing stuff with family. And I saw that in Bali too, same thing. It's like, and you got we got it wrong here in the US, man, Oh, I'm telling you, trying to survive and pay these crazy bills and all this stuff, the rents and the groceries and the gas and all the nuttiness, you know, and those people got it going on.

24:31 They hardly have any possessions. They don't even need them. They don't care, you know what I mean. No, And you know, the whole disappearing like I always thought. You know, man, I love New York and the energy and the dada and the fast base and blah blah blah blah until I went to Costa Rica and like you're sitting there with the whole town walking to the beach two hours before sunset just to experience the sunset. That's it. Yeah, See we all lost that, like we lost that ship here in the US. No doubt. Do you live in New York now? No? I live in South Florida, where it's really fucking crazy.

25:12 What part I'm in, uh wet near West Palm Beach. I live on this island called Singer Island, so I'm kind of separated from the crazies. But literally my studios in Wellington, so I have to drive by mare A Lago to get to my studio, and there's so many people. I know that they need a hyahuasca ceremony because they are batshit crazy right now. Man, you know they do them in Costa Rica. I know. Well, that's what I was gonna mention earlier, but I'm drawing a blank. There's this band. I'll know it as soon as I you know, like, hang, I'm like, there's this band. I've interviewed a couple of times. I've gotten friendly with him. He as he owns a hyahuasca like thing in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica.

26:01 Oh please let me know. Yeah, I'm gonna look it up when I remember, and then I'll email you info because he if nothing else good to connect with too, and maybe you guys can tour together since you're on that same journey. You know, he who was into it too. I went to see The Cult a couple of years ago, and Ian Astbury is a huge influence on me, especially as a kid, and he's always had that Indian spiritual kind of flair thing, you know, right. But I saw them play at the Greek Theater like two or three years ago, and he, in the between songs said I want to thank Mother Ayahuasca. I was like, what the help is? WHOA? Yeah, So he's hip to it. People are hip to it, and especially as an artist, like do yourself a favor and do it man, because it's so healing, and it were like instruments, you know, we have to stay in tune.

26:52 And I always say, you know, like a drain for instance. You know, if a draine is clogged with like hair and all this shit, the water stops flowing, right. So if we're clogged up as humans with sorrow and pain and regret and remorse and resentment and all these things. We can't be a proper flow of energy because a true artist will tell you it ain't about me. Man, I'm just a channel, you know what I'm saying. But how the hell am I going to be a channel if I'm clogged up with all this pain? Dude, No, you can't, you can't be. And then you know, there's a whole rabbit hole. But then people take meds or whatever like that's even that's a whole thing. But I don't fuck with anything.

27:33 But like, I'd rather do stuff like Ayahuaska than big for any big pharma share any day. I always say, you know, and this is from my experience. I know people need it. And I'm not a doctor by any means, never played one on TV either, But my experience has been that the pharmaceuticals are worse than street drugs, dude, And that no doubt because street drugs at least you in the two weeks, say maybe if you had a physical addiction or you know, the depression that comes with the kicks and all that two weeks, you're out of the woods with the mad thing. Six to nine months of losing your mind. Yeah, and that shit happened to me twice and I'll never ever ever do anything like that again.

28:20 You know, no doubt. And it's like even okay, so they keep legalizing marijuana everywhere, but they're doing the same thing. They're taking this man and this organic stuff and they get mad science, like man made science. The shits stronger, there's more ways to do it. And then you see people yeah yeah, yeah, it's just like they're just zoned out their mind and it's not better, you know now that they have control over it, you know that to your point. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Reallyuid, Well, thank god we got people like you and artists like you so you could be, you know, a voice for all the rest of us. And I'm thank you for that. And thanks for being on the Adventures of Patment.

29:08 Yes, sir, thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Patement on w for CUI Radio.