Interview with White Boy and the Average Rat Band’s Mike Matney:

By: Lucy Hall

White Boy and the Average Rat Band Logo

     The not so average band, White Boy and the Average Rat Band began their musical journey in 1979. The band was formed by singer/songwriter/guitarist Mike Matney. In pursuit of his dreams, Mike ventured out from his home town to the music city of Nashville Tennessee. There he joined Kriss Famous’ act Tabu, replacing Ron Keel as lead guitarist. During this time he was given a nickname which would define his musical direction, White Boy. After departing Tabu, ever so resourceful Mike would go on to work in a record store and exchange his labor for recording studio time with the owner. During this time, he began his project known as White Boy and the Average Rat Band. Early band members included Tommy Altizer on bass, Seth Kelly rhythm guitar, and Tim Gilbert on drums. Later on, Darrell ‘Rambo’ Gibson would replace Altizer and Jerry ‘Hog’ Hogeston would replace Gilbert on drums.  

Band Promo Photo

     The band’s self - titled debut album was released in 1980. At the time the album had a very limited release, which elevated interest and curiosity in the band. The album would grow to be highly sought after by collectors worldwide and sold for hundreds of dollars. The album was so obscure and difficult to find that in 2010, a bootleg pressing began to circulate. This unofficial release was unauthorized and unknown to the band at the time. However, the bootleg ended up contributing to the band developing a cult following and becoming part of the American rock and roll underground.  In 2016 Mike was surprisingly contacted by Heaven and Hell Records CEO with an offer to re-master and re-issue the album. 

Mike Matney Stage Performance Photo

Interview with Mike Matney:

HEAVY MAKEUP: The band has been around since the early '80s.  What can you tell potential new fans about the band? How did the band form? How did you come up with your name?

Mike Matney: To try to make a long story short when I was young I got an opportunity to record in a small 4-track studio. The band formed as a result of the album. Before the recording and shortly after getting out of school I spent some time in Nashville. It was there I took Ron Keel’s place in the band Tabu when he left to play with Steeler. I was one of the only white guys in the band and somehow the name just stuck. I didn’t mind. I didn’t realize it but there was that song ‘Dirty White Boy’ by Foreigner in 1979 and we’re actually on the same bill as Lou Graham in August. Will be cool to meet him.

HEAVY MAKEUP: What would you consider to be the band’s main strength?

Mike Matney: The strength behind the name definitely lies in the studio. I love the creative aspect. To take what’s in my head and make it come out to where you can hear it is very satisfying. That’s my forte. Playing live is always challenging for me. I get stage fright. It’s also because I’m kinda a control freak. In the studio I'm a fanatic, I can spend two weeks on one guitar part. There are way too many variables live. That being said it’s thrilling, you have to think on your feet, and I love getting to meet all those people. I like to travel too. With the reissue of the White Boy And The Average Rat Band album by Heaven And Hell Records in 2017, the band hit the road and called it “The Back In The Rat Race Tour”.  In August we take off again to support the new Love My Ride album.

HEAVY MAKEUP: Your music appears to be heavily influenced by 70’s hard rock ranging from bits of doom metal to acoustic blues. How would you like people to view your music?

Mike Matney: Well that’s kinda an odd question for me because I’m used to being told that my music was quirky or different.  It’s not quite metal but not hard rock. I’m constantly faced with that genre problem. I totally get the 70s’ reference as I am a child of the 70s’. I guess I'd like people to think of the band's stuff as hard-driving, good timing rock and roll. Feel good adrenaline real songs.

HEAVY MAKEUP: The track “Section 387” has spoken word and a science fiction theme. What can you tell us about the track, and the inspiration for it?

Mike Matney: You are asking about a track from the first album. That track and “Neon Warriors” are two of the more popular tracks on the album. I will say this I was young, I did experiment, and I did inhale. I was always a big sci-fi buff. I read a lot. Looking back on it, ahh..nope can’t remember!

HEAVY MAKEUP: What part of the creative process do you enjoy the most?

Mike Matney: Listen, I had a straight job and a boss, I gotta wife who likes to boss, I got a record label guy I call boss and then there’s the big boss upstairs. When I go into the studio with my music it’s the only place I get to be boss. When I got out of school and moved back to the farm from Nashville I built a nice recording studio based on what I’d seen in Nashville. My wife calls it the Doghouse. I’ve recorded a lot of the new tracks for the Love My Ride album there. Sanctuary!

HEAVY MAKEUP: Your debut album was initially released in 1980. It had a limited release which led to the album being sought after by collectors. In 2016 Heaven and Hell Records contacted the band to re-issue the album. What are your thoughts on the album becoming a cult classic and the re-issue?

Mike Matney: I've been asked this before. First off I'm humbled by the fact that it happened. As the story goes there were only two-hundred and fifty of them, to begin with. As kids, we had scraped the money together for them. We basically gave them away, and sold a few. I had a friend here whose family was originally from England and their dad was a collector. It wasn't till years later I found out from him what the album was doing. He didn't live to see the reissue but he did get to see that we played The Whisky A-Go-Go in Hollywood. That freaked him out. The guys at Heaven And Hell Records opened the door for us with the reissue. We were always a somewhat obscure band. Now with the reissue, the new album and some digital marketing there’s beginning to be a little more recognition.

HEAVY MAKEUP: You have sat in as a guitarist for Dr. Hook, played festivals with Blackfoot, and you have toured with Zebra. Of all the people you have worked with who has inspired you the most, or has been the most memorable? Any highlights to share?

Mike Matney: Let me clear something up. I never played guitar with Dr. Hook. What I did have the good fortune to do was spend some time with his producer Terry Smith. Through him, I got to meet some really big names at an early age. I did play guitar for a few shows with David Allan Coe. He fired me. Again I was really young and at the time I had a wee bit of a drug problem. I got the job with him and met Terry as well as many others through my friend Kriss Famous. I met Kriss in a music store in 1980. I took Ron Keel’s place in his band just as Ron left for LA. One of the highlights for me was through Kriss and Terry two weeks out of high school and moving to Nashville I was able to get my mom and dad backstage at the Grand Ole Opry to meet Roy Acuff.

HEAVY MAKEUP: You have visited many places and venues during your career. The band has performed at the famed Whiskey-A-Go-Go more than once. What places or venue stands out as the most memorable for you?

Mike Matney: In August it’ll make four times for me playing The Whisky. The vibe in Hollywood is awesome and that is such an iconic venue. It’s hard to get your mind around who all have gone before you when you walk down those stairs to the stage. So yea, The Whisky. I did have the privilege of playing with Canadian blues rockers Zedhead in Sweden one time and that was a pretty cool gig. I’m also fond of The Funhouse in Seattle and The Tonic Lounge in Portland. Did I forget to mention Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia?

HEAVY MAKEUP: How has the internet helped your success?

Mike Matney: Good question yes and no. The album and the band have always been shrouded in obscurity an enigma of sorts. All kinds of crazy rumor and conjecture about us and our ‘cult following’. It was really collectors and a select few had access. So the legend grew. With the internet all that changed. For example the other night one of the publicists we hired ask me about our SoundCloud account and just for giggles I hit one of these little marketing companies and promoted a track I had pre-released within hours it had 20,000 listens...in Vietnam. Cracked me up but undeniably the internet has had a profound effect. Heaven And Hell found us through the Metal Archives. 

HEAVY MAKEUP: What can you tell us about the band's current work, the new album, and tour plans?

Mike Matney: Thought you'd never ask. The new album Love My Ride is a culmination of years of work. It was recorded in several different studios and had some really pro-people involved with it. I can't wait for you to hear it. It'll be here July 15th and it'll be available everywhere. Lotsa lotsa guitar! I tell people it has guitars, cars, women, weed, and Jesus on it. We head out in support of the new album in August. The tour starts in Montana at the Rockin The Rivers Festival. There we are on the same bill with Zak Wylde, Cheap Trick, Dokken, Lou Graham, etc.. Then on to Spokane, Seattle, Portland, Hollywood, Vegas, Nashville and more. I hope everyone will come hang out with us along the way. You to Lucy!! Thanks for taking the time to interview me. You Rock!!!

Band Promo Photo

     Throughout the 2000s the band played several gigs on the southern rock circuit which included festivals with such acts as Blackfoot and Black Oak Arkansas. They have performed at such famous venues as The Whiskey-A-Go- Go, in Los Angeles, California and The Funhouse in Seattle, Washington to sold-out shows. The band’s music has been used in radio show intros and even a skateboarding DVD by Boston skateboard company Fancy Lad. Currently, the band is on the Rat Race Tour which previously kicked off at the ‘Rockin’ the River Festival’ along with Zakk Wylde, Cheap Trick, Dokken, Warrant, Lou Graham and Asia.     

Early Band Promo Photo

     White Boy and the Average Rat Band have been described in various ways from punk, proto-metal, and blues-rock to doom metal due to their very diverse style, sound, and influences. It seems that the band’s appeal does span from classic and southern rock styles to punk and metal but the best way to describe them is raw, powerful, pure, unapologetic, old school rock and roll.

Self Titled Debut Album Cover

Love My Ride Album Cover

Current Band Members:

Mike Matney: Lead guitar and vocals

Darrell "Rambo" Gibson: Bass guitars

Jerry "Hog" Hogeston: Drums

Split Sydney Retrospective and Interview with the East Coast Rocker, Chris DeLisa:

By: Lucy Hall

Chris DeLisa Performance Photo

     One man, two sticks - big sound! For a drummer to have had such volume from his kit, and a right foot that could have moved mountains; Chris DeLisa was completely oblivious to the mark he had made on both the 80's club scene and cult movies when he began his career in music.

Chris Delisa Performance Photo

     During the decade of excess when many vain rockers were more concerned with working on their hair rather than their sound; Chris DeLisa and his band Split Sydney were focused on playing unadulterated rock and keeping it real with their audience. They exerted a profound and acutely recognized influence on the rock club scene during the '80s and '90s. The band unintentionally wrote revolutionary compositions with a heavy sound and performed energetic rock anthems because they were creating the music they loved and not what was expected from a hard rock act during that era. 

Split Sydney Concert Flyer

HEAVY MAKEUP: What was it that shaped you into the amazing drummer you are today? What was the appeal for you to stick with drumming?

Chris DeLisa: Well, I actually started drumming when I was about two or three years old. I started banging on anything I could find be it boxes, pots or pans. I would use wooden spoons for drum sticks; just anything my mom had lying around. I was banging all the time. My parents were like "This kid, all he does is bang on things". My dad worked and I had a stay at home mom. You know, I love music and my mom always played music around the house. So, we always had music around. My dad got me my first snare drum when I was around five years old but I really took to it around the age of seven or eight. It was at that age that I got my first drum set and started playing along with records.

HEAVY MAKEUP: Your band Split Sydney was portrayed by the fictional rock band Jaded in the horror cult classic, Neon Maniacs. How did the project come to you?

Chris DeLisa: Well, the deal with that was Split Sydney actually didn't star in the film. The recording was ours but actors played the part of the band in the film. How the project came about was we were recording tracks in North Lake Studio in Westchester County and Eddie Solan was the engineer. He worked with KISS in the early days and he was good friends with Ace. He worked with KISS prior to the band making it in the Bronx. Eddie was recording tracks with us and he said there is a horror movie and they need a song for the soundtrack. He said he thought that "I've Had Enough" was a great song. We were like sure we will do it! I think the movie was filmed in Glendale L.A. We recorded the track in New York. We specifically recorded that song for the movie but that is not us in the movie. Those are actors. I found out that the film has a huge cult following. It's kind of really campy! But man, looking on Rotten Tomatoes it has a 4.8 out of 5 ratings. It continues to have a huge cult following to this day. I have it on DVD and it's funny that I saw the movie at the theatre when it initially came out.

HEAVY MAKEUP: While performing "We Had Enough" Jaded looks like trouble; shrouded in the dark, dimly lit fog-filled stage, the singer cracking whips, jerking back quickly from the microphone while the band is rocking hard. They look like glam rock outlaws. With that said, compared to the fictional band how would you describe Split Sydney's onstage persona?

Chris DeLisa: We were more raw edge like I said before and I would classify us closely to Guns N Roses. We wore jeans, t-shirts, bandanas, we had no makeup, and we had long hair. We weren't glam what so ever. We actually were the opposite and that's why a lot of people liked us because there were a lot of bands that had that look with the makeup and stuff. We weren't doing that we were just totally more about the music. However, we did have a big stage show. We had lights, bombs, and flames. It was one of the most amazing shows that were actually in a club. We had like ten thousand watts of lights and flames that shot up to eight feet high on each side of the drum riser. I remember feeling the heat off of the flames and we had a licensed pyrotechnic do the bombs on stage, so our shows were unbelievable. I mean for a club it was as if we were playing Madison Square. I mean it was an insane show with lights and sounds. The cost was probably twelve or thirteen hundred for us but we were making good money at that time. But yea the band was more raw edge and not so glam and it was more about the music and stage show rather than an image.

HEAVY MAKEUP: How did you get involved with Sabian Cymbals?

Chris DeLisa: I was actually working on 48th Street at a famous music store called Manny's Music. The store opened in the 50s and Hendrix, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin shopped there. It was probably the most iconic music shop in the world. A friend got me a job down there and I worked there for two years on 48th Street Music Row. It is gone now because they knocked it all down. Sadly, the entire block and everything are gone. While I was working there I got a call from a friend that said Sabian needs a rep. So I started out as a West Coast rep and ended up getting a job with them and was the regional manager for ten years. I was able to do clinic tours with a lot of famous drummers such as Neal Peart of Rush whose drum set was all over Canada and Western U.S., Ray Luzier of Korn, and Todd Sucherman of Styx. I became really good friends with those guys so it was a fantastic job. I would travel all over the West Coast.

Young Chris DeLisa and His Kit

You can read the complete Chris DeLisa Interview and Neon Maniacs - Cult Movie Review in HEAVY MAKEUP: A Book about Camp that Rocks! The 80's Volume One set for release Dec. 2019 -Jan. 2020.

Allan Love Retrospective and Interview with the Wizard of Sound and Stage:

By: Lucy Hall

Allan Love in Godspell

      The chiseled, bare-chested frontman with cascading curls, snug flared jeans and a voice that drips with emotion, soul and fire; a sight to behold, a living legend, a golden mythic demi-god of rock. Could I possibly be describing Robert Plant or Roger Daltry? Not exactly, but close, very close. I'm speaking of Allan Love. His looks, powerful voice, and energetic stage presence was evidence that he was destined to be a pop icon. 

Allan Love in Tommy

Allan Love Interview:

HEAVY MAKEUP: What or who got you into performing?

Allan Love: Okay, this could be quite long. It was 1965, I was nineteen and living with my wife and two-year-old son, (together with the rats) in a run-down, 1-bedroom tenement slum in the "Worlds End" Chelsea, (this was before it became fashionable). The whole area was full of salt of the earth people but the area had been earmarked for demolition. In hindsight, I think the local council just wanted to break the hearts of the community, who knows? Anyway, we were the last ones living there waiting to be re-housed. The Worlds End had a very colorful community, infamous for villains, larger than life characters and a whole bunch of very successful but seriously dodgy, thieves. These people relished life and went about their daily routines, mostly in the pubs, getting pissed, before going off to rob jewelers and the wealthy people's houses. Come on, it wasn't such a bad life, lots of spare time on your hands and plenty of money. So, here was me, nineteen, very impressionable and thought I might join this merry band of geezers and go thieving. How else was I supposed to make my way in the world? That was before my then, father in law, Stan, got me to join the local boxing gym where he was the head trainer and saved me from a rather iffy career path. This was the start of my boxing career (or so liked to call it. LOL!) I was an amateur and boxed for the then famous, Chelsea Boys Club. I used to sing while I trained driving everyone mad, whilst the other guys were huffing and puffing and generally being macho. I was the little songbird, (more like a puffin) and going about my daily grind, warbling, until one day my personal trainer, a stocky black guy named, Sammy, (a contender for the lightweight championship of England) said I'd make a better singer than a boxer. Oh, did I mention, this was after he'd picked me off the floor after three rounds of sparring with a "know nothing" professional that knocked ten kinds of shit outa me. LOL! This was when I decided that I was never going to be a pro boxer, more like Popeye in shorts that were ten sizes too big for me and tattered boxing boots. Anyway, onwards and upwards; I had some friends from the Worlds End that told me that there was an amateur theatrics' company that was looking for boys to be in the chorus of a musical they were performing. An Ivan Novelo piece called "Perchance to Dream". It was a singing part, so I went for an audition and the director asked me to join the company. He was gay, I think he fancied me but what the hell, that's another story. So, after the show had performed in public, I decided that I enjoyed the experience so much that I'd needed to sing for a living. This was the start of the incredible journey. Have I bored you yet?? LOL!

HEAVY MAKEUP: Allan Love boring...never!

Allan Love: I found a manager, the now deceased, Derek Chicksand, a guy who knew a bit about show biz and together we created the band, "Opal Butterfly". I think you know the history of that band so I won't go into the saga.

HEAVY MAKEUP: You started in the psychedelic band Opal Butterfly and the glam band Merlin before having a solo career. Did you ever feel unsure of the direction you wanted to take your music in?

Allan Love: Yeah, I was a victim of my looks, image, and personality. Everyone in the industry saw me as a huge star, "Allan is like, this person or that person, we can mold him, get some writers and producers and let's make a major star." All bullshit really, but I fell for it. I got locked into various record companies without too much success, because no one knew what to do with me and I was just so grateful to be there, I didn't complain. In the early days, I didn't write much, didn't have a lot of confidence in myself as a writer so I never really pushed. It was only in later years that I got serious about writing and by then it was a little too late for my personal performing career.

HEAVY MAKEUP: How did starring in the film, The Apple affect your career?

Allan Love: Well the movie was, in its day, a huge budget movie. The German government along with Cannon Films had put up the money for the production and we were whisked off the Berlin for a four-month shoot. The cast, chorus, and crew were vast, maybe 300 to 400 people, all in 5-star hotels, food, limo's everywhere, extras, maybe 1,000? I thought I was going to be the next John Travolta. This was it, the break I was waiting for, the time I could show the world what I had and boy, was I going to show them. After the film had been wrapped, I decided to go to L.A. to figure out my way forward. I arrived and was treated with huge respect as the movie was being cut at Fox and it was the talk of the town, a huge budget movie. Cannon had all it'd finance in the movie and no one knew what or when it was going to be previewed. I was invited to every party in town, all the agents wanted to meet me, I saw directors, producers, casting directors, I was in awe of the whole procedure, but it was time to go home to England and back to reality.

HEAVY MAKEUP: You played the lead role in The Who's Tommy at the Queen's Theatre. How were you feeling at that time? What was it like to work with Pete Townshend?

Allan Love: Probably the highlight of my career, Pete and the rest of The Who, became great friends. Pete was still crazy in those days and he'd come to my dressing room every night and drink Remy Brandy, the guy used to live on it. We would go out and get totally fucked up. Wow! We also had a really good working relationship, a genius, probably the best rhythm guitar player I ever met. Love the guy. We did a lot of TV shows where Pete would play and we'd sing together great days. If there was a role, I think I was born to play, it was Tommy. I loved every moment of my time in the show, great cast, and great production.

Allan Love in The Apple

Check out Allan's Website for Rhocky's Bar:

www.rhockysbar.com

You can read the complete Alan Love Interview and The Apple - Cult Movie Review in HEAVY MAKEUP: A Book about Camp that Rocks! The 80's Volume One set for release Dec. 2019 - Jan. 2020.