Horns and Halos
Monday, July 30, 2007 at 09:54AM 
Recently, Bring Back Glam! spoke with singer/guitarist Acey Slade about his new project Trashlight Vision. During the interview, Acey talks about his band's new album, the current state of commercial rock radio and a possible Murderdolls reunion. Transcription follows.
Bring Back Glam!: Tell me about your band Trashlight Vision.
Acey Slade: We’re a dirty, punky rock n’ roll band and I’ve got Steve Haley on guitars, Roger Segal on bass and Jonny Chops is our new drummer.
BBG: What drove you to form Trashlight Vision?
Acey: As Joan Jett says “I love rock n’ roll!” I didn’t feel like there were too many dirty, rock n’ roll bands around anymore. I was playing in the Murderdolls, I knew eventually Joey (Jordison) was going to go back to Slipknot and I was going to have to find something to do afterwards. It’s a funny thing, the Murderdolls. I love – or loved, depending how you look at it, that band. If it were up to me, Joey would not have gone back to Slipknot. It’s a weird thing for a band to end during a successful run, and everyone’s getting along and everything’s cool. What I loved about the band, is because we were very similar…Murderdolls was a dirty rock n’ roll band, but I didn’t just want to repeat what I’ve already done. Everyone used to say the Murderdolls were like the Misfits meet Motley Crue. Now some people are saying that Trashlight Vision is like Guns n’ Roses meet the Ramones.
BBG: Are you telling me the Murderdolls are officially done?
Acey: No. It’s just going to be a timing thing. I’ve got a tour, with Wednesday (Wednesday 13, lead singer of the Murderdolls) it’s not that there’s any weird feelings. We’re all in agreement that anything we would do in the future would have to be a pretty close resemblance to the original line-up.
BBG: So you are hoping for a Murderdolls reunion with all the original members?
Acey: Yes, absolutely.
BBG: Tell me about Trashlight Vision’s new CD Alibis and Ammunition?
Acey: It’s a little strange. The album has a little jet lag to it. It’s been out in Europe and Japan for eight or nine months now. It’s a little weird for us…we’re kind of sick of the record already. I love it though. We did it totally DIY, recording mostly while on tour and I think that kind of reflects a lot of it. It has a live feel. I’m just happy to have it in stores. I don’t give a shit if it spawns a number one hit single or whatever, I’m just happy people can go into a record store and pick the thing up.
BBG: Well, what are some of your favorite tacks on Alibis and Ammunition?
Acey: “Dead Waves on the Air” is probably my favorite, because it’s basically just fucking kick ass. It’s an off the hook track…and I think it’s a statement to how bad radio sucks these days. Here in New York, the one rock station we had – the one rock station we had – went talk! Then, what’s even funnier…they just went back to playing music and they went back to the same play lists they had before. It’s the same old stuff: Staind, System of a Down…but, like, two records back. It’s just fucking ridiculous. Another track on the album I like a lot is Nola. I wrote that about New Orleans, my favorite city. I actually wrote that song before the whole Katrina thing. We worked really hard on that song. From the first inception to what it eventually became. It was funny, we always came back to it. It was one of those songs that no one was really blown away by. We wrote that song, and everyone was like “Meh, it’s not that good.” Well, a few months ago I said “You remember that ‘Nola’ song? I’ve got a new part for it.” Then everyone started thinking it was cool. We did this for like a year. When we nailed it, we all looked at each other and said “Damn! This song is cool!” It has a different feel than the rest of the album.
BBG: You said your album has been out in Japan for several months. It seems like American rock bands are massive in Japan right now. Why?
Acey: We’re taller! I go to Japan a lot. To them…we’re someone they see on TV that they don’t see on the Subway. I think that’s a problem with rock in general today. In America, the guys you see on T.V…do look like the guys on the subway. Where as, in Japan, even if you’re dressed like the guy at the gas station, you’re still taller, your hair color is different, different features…you are just different by default. In America…it’s like, who cares about seeing the bands when it’s like looking at idiots on the subway.
BBG: Drummer Jonny Chops is the newest member of Trashlight Vision. How did you find him?
Acey: Believe it or not, we posted bulletins on our Myspace page. We had people come form England, Sweden and all over…and Jonny is from Philly. I’m from Philly originally, and the other two guys are still down there. It just happened that Jonny was like four miles away.
BBG: Who has Jonny played with in the past?
Acey: No one really.
BBG: No one?
Acey: Nope. He’s never even mentioned any names to me. I guess if they’re not important enough for him to mention, I guess they must not be that important period.
BBG: Art is very important to you. When did that become a hobby?
Acey: I grew up in the suburbs of Pennsylvania. The only – only - sanctuary I had was art class. In my school, I was the “hair farmer.” The poser. There was me, the punk rock kid and the goth-industrial kid. We all kind of looked at each other and went “Alright, none of us have parents that can buy us BMWs and none of us play sports. We better look out for each other.” There were not enough of us…but we all had hairspray and eyeliner in common. We were all really supportive of each other artistically and musically. A lot of those kids in my art class were not musicians. I just always respected bands that did their own artwork.
(Editor's note: The Ghouls on Parade Tour will be coming to a city near you in the fall. The boys will stop in Cincinnati on October 13, with special guests Drugstore Valentine. For dates, please visit www.myspace.com/trashlightvision).
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