Rob Zombie on Lords of Salem and new album

  • Breaking
  • 14/05/2013

Rocker Rob Zombie is something of a renaissance man.

After finishing his latest film, The Lords of Salem, the director turned back into a musician and began working on his latest album, Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor.

"The record was done at that point but what I did was I finished Lords of Salem, I finished editing this movie in a barn, I put a barn out by my house, stripped the editing bay out, moved the recording studio in, went right into recording the record and just stayed away from California where we normally would record," says Zombie.

"We were out in the sticks. Stayed there for a couple months and this is the record we made and much like Lords of Salem in a sense even though the projects aren't connected I feel they both have the same, free spirit of like not worrying about you know, 'Oh, is this what anybody expects? Is this what anybody wants?' I always feel when you think that way that's usually when you do the best stuff because when you're concerned, 'Oh, is this what they want?' that's when you always over think everything and it just doesn't work so...that's really what took place."

Now that Lords of Salem is in US cinemas and the album has been released, Zombie plans to tour.

"The first touring starts in June 29 and I'm headlining the Mayhem festival which goes all summer in the US till' you know from June 'till August. After that I'm not really sure yet. Well, there's things in the works but I only know concretely what I'm doing 'till August."

Zombie plans on bringing his show to Europe. He likes the way fans there appreciate his music and movies.

"I read this quote from Woody Allen and he was referring to the way Europeans have embraced cinema compared to Americans where in America you're only as good as your last thing is the way that they'll look at you whereas in Europe you're only as good as your best thing. So, if the best thing you did was 20 years ago they'll still treat you like that's where you're at. It seems like that's just a different thought process. Americans are more like, 'What's new? What's the next thing?' Out with the old, in with the new perhaps."

And there's something else he really likes about Europe.

"They still have record stores, records and CDs and vinyl!"

Record stores are a dying breed in the United States, but they seem to thrive overseas.

"We used to always do in-stores when a record came out. Like at Tower Records or somewhere thousands of kids would show up. I haven't done one of those in the states in 15 years. Still do 'em in Europe. Last time we did one in Germany I was like, 'This is so weird. I'm in a record store. There's a line of kids down the street to sign a record.' It feels like almost 20 years ago in the states. It's just weird."

After tackling film and music, it seem inevitable that Zombie would try his hand at a stage musical. Though he has no plans to do it, he does have some ideas.

"I really thought my first film House of 1000 Corpses could work as like a Broadway musical because I feel like it has those elements of ridiculousness that could translate to the stage of somewhere between Hairspray and Rocky Horror Picture Show on stage because it's just the characters are that ridiculous, the scenarios are that ridiculous, it just feels like that. As things change...I look at Broadway the way I do Las Vegas and I used to go to Las Vegas and it always said Sammy Davis Jr on the marquis and now it says Motley Crue just like you come to Broadway and you used to always see Annie Get Your Gun and now it says Spider Man it's like the crowds just change and I feel like soon maybe in 10 years or 20 years there will be a group of people that now are bringing their kids to Broadway like 'Oh, House of 1000 Corpses musical. Let's go see that.' It sounds ridiculous but I feel that it could happen."

The Lords of Salem is currently playing in US cinemas.

APTN

source: newshub archive