The Rising

Just minutes after leaving the massive Rocklahoma stage Marq Torien, lead singer of the Bulletboys, was gracious enough to sit down with Bring Back Glam! for an interview. During the chat, he talks about playing the massive festival, his love for Motley Crue and his adoration for Greg Leon. Transcription follows.

Bring Back Glam!: Marq, tell me what it was like playing Rocklahoma.

Marq Torien: It was really, really an amazing experience. Because of all the love out there. I could feel the love of every individual. It was just wonderful. I’m very happy that our band and our organization could be a part of this special event.

BBG: Before we officially started this interview you mentioned Greg Leon of the Greg Leon Invasion. Why is Greg so important to you and the Bulletboys?

Marq: Oh (long pause). He’s like an amazing cat. He like kind of taught us what to do. The right way to do things, he’s just a guitar hero. He just gave us idiots – me, Tommy (Lee), Vince (Neil), Nikki (Sixx) – all of us, we just to go see him play at the Starwood and the Whisky. I thought he was incredible. His voice, his guitar, he was like an icon to us. I haven’t seen him in 30 years.

BBG: I saw Greg play the national anthem yesterday. He was amazing.

Marq: Oh, yes, he’s an amazing, amazing guitar player. He’s like awesome. Myself, Jake E. Lee, George Lynch cats like that, we used to go watch him play. We wanted to figure out how he got his tone.A special L.A. feel to the way of playing guitar. It’s a bit – it’s not normal. I don’t know what it was, but we started playing different scales and modes.

BBG: So Greg Leon played really early in the day Friday. It’s kind of fitting that he opened the big acts of Rocklahoma.

Marq: Yes. He’s walking around here…Warrant kidnapped him. They were all like “Oh my God, it’s Greg Leon!” He knows music inside and out.

BBG: Who else have you reconnected with that you haven’t seen in a long while?

Marq: Uh, I haven’t seen Vince Neil in a long time.

BBG: So you’ve been visiting already?

Marq: He walked out and watched me on stage. He told me it was an incredible performance. He goes “They love you bro, because you love them a lot.” We just saw each other, and we asked why it had to be so long? He said it’s not going to be like that any more. Let me tell you something. When they (the organizers) asked me what day I wanted to play on, I said “I want to play the day that Vince is playing.”

BBG: So this means you’re a big Motley Crue fan?

Marq: Oh, yes. Nikki, Tommy, Vince. Fucking Mick, man. It’s amazing, they just have something. Hit record after hit record. Big, monstrous tours. Tommy Lee? Best drummer in rock.

BBG: So, “Smooth Up in ‘Ya” got a huge reaction from the crowd ---

Marq: Oh my gosh. The four of us have been playing together for quite awhile now. We just got back from Europe. It was an amazing experience in the U.K. The crowds are just incredible. There’s just so much love out there. I just feel really blessed because people really, really like me. I think because I don’t carry myself with attitude. I carry myself with humility and I try to be a gentleman. I’m the kind of a guy, that's sort of like a Labrador Retriever. Just calm.

Comments

[bobvinyl]

Whoa, what's up with that "Tommy Lee is the best drummer in rock" stuff? Best in his genre, probably, but when the field is expanded to rock in general, he drops fairly far down the list. He's a really good drummer, but a far cry from best in rock.

Also, based on the Bulletboys' music, I always thought he was way more in love with Van Halen than Motley Crue. If he liked MC so much, why didn't he put out third-rate Crue instead of third-rate Van Halen?

[HEATHER]

Marq was very sweet and he seemed genuinely excited to reconnect with some of his fellow musicians. I can see why people "really really" like him.

[Rob Rockitt, Hard Rock Hideout]

I saw the Bulletboys back in 95 I think, and they still sounded pretty good. Man oh Man, I don't know if I would have recognized Marq Torien without the blonde hair.

Rob Rockitt
Hard Rock Hideout
www.hardrockhideout.com

[Metal Mark]

I liked the first two albums, but never heard any of their stuff after that.

Bob-They sounded like third rate Van Halen instead of the Crue because...

A-They were signed by WB (Van Halen's label)
B-Ted Templeman (worked with Van Halen) was producing them
C-By 1988 the Van Halen of old were long gone so it was easier to copy someone who wasn't sitll productive. Motley Crue still had still had some good work left to come.

[bob_vinyl]

Thanks for the clarification Mark. I figured creativity wasn't the driving force behind them.

[aXe mAn]

Great interview! Marq and the Bulletboys rock! Plain and simple.

[aXe mAn]

Awesome! Had to read it again! I rule! You rule!

[aXe mAn]

I did not say that above topic...