When BLACK STONE CHERRY were in the UK last month it was like having family back after being away for an extended holiday. Not only do these guys rock (quite literally) at what they do they are damn awesome people as well. They are back home now and looking to start working on new material to follow-up current album Folklore & Superstition, so we won't see them again for a while, so to help fill the gap a little, lets get to know their vocalist Chris a little better in the continuation of our Getting To Know You series:
What were you doing when I interrupted you to do this?
I was talking about Wagamamma chicken soup! I was saying how I’d like to have the chicken noodles tonight, but minus the onions and the chicken, so I get just the noodles and the broth kinda thing, you know what I mean? The broth is warm, it’s kinda good for your throat. And I talked to my fiancée earlier so I was looking on the internet for, er, ‘bedroom fun’...
Date of birth?
4th June, 1984.
Where did you go to high school?
What little time I was there- Metcalfe County High School.
When you were at high school, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I didn’t really do much in school, which I regret now. If I hadn’t been fortunate enough to be in a band that got to do all that we do, I’d be up shit creek without being able to go to college and get the proper education to get a job. I mean, I’m not saying I’m ignorant, I’m a very smart person. I just didn’t apply myself during school, but I got a guitar when I was 13 which is round the first year of high school, and that was all I cared about from then on.
What was the first instrument you ever played?
The first instrument I ever actually played was the saxophone, and I was horrible at it. Horrible! I wasn’t that bad, but I don’t think I was any good... I did for about a month or two in the school band, then I was like “No… no…” Then I went to drums in the high school band, and then I started playing guitar when I was about 13.
Tell us about the first band you ever played in.
That was actually with John Fred [Black Stone Cherry’s drummer]. It was myself, John Fred and a friend from back home, and we could never get through a song! We never had a band name, it was just the three of us on the weekends. John Fred’s mom came down and she was like “Y’all play that song!” so we played all of about the first eight bars of ‘Back in Black’ on repeat, like forever. We were just learning the songs back then that kids learn – well maybe not ALL kids learn. Thank God our parents taught us the right shit. We had AC/DC, Mountain- a lot of great classic rock stuff.
What’s your favourite food?
I’ll be honest with you man, I cooked me some chilli the other night and it was the best thing I’ve ever eaten. That or Mexican food, those two.
Beverage of choice?
Mountain Dew.
Biggest pet peeve on the road?
Going to get something out of the fridge and it’s already gone. Like today, for example, I hadn’t eaten all day, we’d been doing press, so we came back and I’m starving, so someone offers me a doughnut and I’m like “Shit, I don’t wanna eat a doughnut.” So I ate a doughnut. And then I knew we had some Doritos, but I’ll be damned if they weren’t all gone. I got furious for a second, cos it’s like everytime you really want something it’s never there, but if you don’t want it, it’s always there.
Track of the moment?
Honest to God, my brother’s band, cos I just got done mixing their stuff. They’re called WillowShade. They’ve got old stuff on their MySpace right now, but pretty soon the stuff I just got done mixing and producing will be on there. There are actually two tracks I like most- one’s called ‘Until We Meet Again’ which is a really kind of a pretty song, and the other’s called ‘Cats in the Shadows’ which is also their original band name.
Album of the moment?
Probably Ben Harper and the Relentless Seven – ‘White Lies for Dark Times’.
Movie of the moment?
That’s a tough one, we’ve been watching a lot of movies on the bus. I gotta say though, the one that I’ve watched the most is ‘Robots’. I really like cartoon movies! My DVD collection at home is a bunch of horror movies, based-on-true-story movies and cartoon movies! That movie could make me cry, and I like movies that make me cry. Green Mile man- c’mon!
When you look back on your career what has been the most prominent moment?
Download Festival this year. The four of us standing on stage together, and everybody that ever told us we might as well cut our hair, go to college and get jobs had to eat their words when they get on YouTube and watch 70,000 people scream ‘Black Stone Cherry’. That is the ultimate- the biggest thrill of everything so far.
Random fact about you?
I wear size eleven shoes.
Pick up Black Stone Cherry's latest offering online HERE.
Miss the previous getting to know you's? Click HERE to get to know MADINA LAKE'S Nathan Leone and work your way back through the series...
