EMQ’s With FRANK MEYER
EMQ’s With FRANK MEYER
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with USA Rock legend, Frank Meyer! Huge thanks to him for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
I am Frank Meyer and I sing and play guitar. I am known for being the frontman of Los Angeles punk rock ‘n’ roll band The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, European sleaze-metal band Trading Aces, and former guitarist of L.A.punk legends FEAR. I also sang with James Williamson of Iggy & The Stooges, played guitar with Handsome Dick Manitoba of The Dictators, and made an album with Eddie Spaghetti of The Supersuckers. So kind of a musical whore, I guess….
How did you come up with your band name?
I have spent my whole career as “the singer” or the “the guitarist” of whichever band I was in. So when I made my first solo album, Living Between The Lines, I decided to strike out under my own name for the first time.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
I am from Los Angeles, California. I was actually born in the Bay Area, near San Francisco, but I’ve spent my whole life in L.A. I grew up in the 1980s and ‘90s, so when I was a kid I got to see Guns ‘N’ Roses, Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and all those legendary bands when they were in the clubs. These days there’s still a healthy rock ‘n’ roll and punk scene on the West Coast, that’s for sure.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
My most recent album is my debut solo effort, “Living Between The Lines”, on Kitten Robot Records. Before that it was a collaboration album with Eddie Spaghetti called Motherfuckin’ Rock ‘N’ Roll. That was the first time I had my name on the front of an album. But I still play with punk vets The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, who released a couple of new singles last year.
Who have been your greatest influences?
My most obvious influences are The Stooges, Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Cheap Trick, MC5, Alice Cooper, old Aerosmith, and stuff like that. I like to mix ‘70s punk with classic rock and a dash of old school hard rock.
What first got you into music?
The earliest music I remember being obsessed with was stuff on the radio in the early ‘80s like Billy Squire, Joan Jett, and the Go-Gos. Then I heard Van Halen and immediately wanted to play the guitar. The next big one was probably the New York Dolls. Huge Johnny Thunders guy. But it was the Stones and Petty that kinda taught me how to write songs, in terms of learning structure and hooks.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
I would like to make a kick-ass song with David Lee Roth that sounds like Van Halen in 1978!
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
The US Festival in 1983! They had Rock Day, New Wave Day, Country Day, and Metal Day. My parents wouldn’t let me go because I was a little kid and it was a giant 4-day festival but it looked sooooooo fun!!!!! The lineup is insane and featured everyone from The Police, INXS, Van Halen, The Clash, Judas Priest, Pretenders, Joe Walsh, Scorpions, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Ozzy, and a ton more!
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
A jar of shroom-infused honey. This couple came to a Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs gig we did in Woodstock, New York with Fishbone and brought the whole touring company these jars of psychedelic honey and we all ate some and tripped balls all night into the next day. I sat on top of the tour bus and watched the sun rise with Dix Denney of the Wierdos.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Support your local rock ‘n’ roll bands. Buy their music and merchandise, go see them play, buy them drinks. Rock ‘n’ roll is starting to become a lost art, so support your local artists.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Eddie Van Halen. He died too young. He had more music in him. His smile was so infectious. His playing was so unique. He was just a huge inspiration on my whole life.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I get to travel the world doing what I love. Meeting new people, trying new food, seeing new places. And playing guitar every day. I love it. What do I hate? Delays at airports!
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Streaming music should pay the artist better. We get such a tiny cut of it after the streaming service and the label, but WE made the product! Again, it goes back to the artist being underappreciated, undervalued, and underpaid.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
“Exile on Main Street” by the Rolling Stones is a favorite. It’s a double album and kinda has every style I like: rock, blues, soul, country, gospel, and more. The songs are loose yet tight. The production is lo-fi and hi-fi at the same time. It has great songs and big attitude.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?
Vinyl for sure is the best overall format. CDs sound great, but I never listen to them anymore. Tapes suck. Downloads sucks too, but are probably what I listen to the most, truth be told.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
That’s tough because I’ve been playing gigs since I was 12. I’ve done over 50 this year so far, played over 150 last year, and 150 the year before. I tour like crazy in my own bands and as a guitar-for-hire for other bands, so there’s A LOT OF GIGS!!!!! That being said, when I sang for James Williamson of the Iggy and the Stooges for awhile, our live set included Stooges songs plus songs we wrote together for our band the Pink Hearts. So that whole experience was pretty mind-boggling. The first show we did together in L.A. was definitely one of my all-time favorites.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Well, when I’m not a musician, I am a documentary film director and an author. I directed the films Freestyle 101: Hip-Hop History and Risen: The Story of Chron “Hell Razah” Smith, and wrote On The Road With The Ramones, Van Halen: A Visual History, From Dude To Dad, and many other books. So when I’m not making art, I’m making art.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Steve Martin to pick his brain, Bill Hader to make us laugh, Buddy Guy to jam with, Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu for inspiration, and my wife because she’s my best friend.
What’s next for the band?
We are about to start my first UK tour! Very excited. Here’s the dates:
Wed 4 Bannermans, Edinburgh with Shock And Awe
Thurs 5 Trillians, Newcastle with Monkeys Blood
Fri 6 The Twa Tams, Perth (FREE!)
Sat 7 Mini Monocle, Loughborough (FREE!)
Sun 8 Mist Rolling Inn, Nottingham
Mon 9 Victoria Biker’s Pub, Coalville (FREE)
Wed 11 The Big Red, Camden with Silk Road (FREE!)
We are also recording my second solo album in the UK with producer Dave Draper (Michael Monroe, Wildhearts) while we’re out there. After that, we are touring Germany and France in late-April with the awesome Detroit band The Strains. Then we do some U.S. dates before heading to Spain in November for another tour. We’ve also got a new Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs album called Split Personalities on the way, and a new Trading Aces album out by the end of the year. Busy busy busy!
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
IG/FB @thefrankmeyer
There’s a long-standing food-based debate here in the UK. And we’d like your help. So… A Jaffa cake – is it a cake or a biscuit? Discuss!
I go with a biscuit because of its size. Out here we have a cookie called the Mallomar that is pretty close and even though it has layers and stuffing, it’s still bite sized and cookie-shaped. So it’s a biscuit…NOT A CAKE, DAMMIT!
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