Imagine the scenario; you’re a promoter and DJ of some years alongside of being one of those people who religiously sat up until stupid o’clock b.c (before cable) watching the WWF and its roster of superstars, which back then included the Ultimate Warrior, Mr Perfect, Bret Hart . . . hell if you’re reading this, you were probably up too. Those were the days of Motley Crue, loud guitars, big drums and often even bigger hair. How we wished that maybe, just maybe, one of those superstars would pick up the microphone and . . .
Shout it Out
Loud!
Bring on the Pain! Words: JJ Haggar • Pictures: Paul Townrow
I
t never happened of course, but fast forward to 2005 and the dream for any wrestling fan worth their salt is coming true as the WWF moved over, ate up WCW (and anybody else in the way), became WWE and spat Chris Jericho onto a world stage. Chris and co-founder of Fozzy, Rich (ex Stuck Mojo), met at some of the WCW shows while Stuck Mojo was working with Dallas Page. Thus was Fozzy born. They played a couple of shows and came up with the concept that all the cover songs they were playing were really theirs that were stolen from them while they were stuck in Japan for 20 years in an unbreakable record deal. With some success under the belt, they began to tone down the concept and their debut album, which didn’t exactly set the world on fire, opened the door just enough for them to have a second album come out this year called All That Remains. So when the phone rang to say that the band had a matinee show in Manchester in the afternoon, but were looking to blast down the M62 to Liverpool to play a second show and then jump on the ‘Wheels Of Steel’ to perform a DJ set, the gauntlet was thrown down. Could we do it? Could they do it? Damn fuckin’ right was the answer to both. Jericho was flying in from Japan to do the UK tour, then straight after the last date in Liverpool, was jumping on a plane back to America where he was due in Austin, Texas the very next night for a live WWE performance. He says: ‘I’m not tired of it, I’ve been wrestling for fifteen years and I have accomplished more than I ever thought I would. I still love wrestling but when other things come up, such as Fozzy, you can’t go into it half hearted, not if you’re me!’ Extra curricular activities are nothing new for members of the WWE. The Rock has gone into movies and done very well: ‘Yeah it’s something that I would like to do, I’m sort of dabbling with it with the day
job! I see what I do as performing a role and a character within the WWE, but at the moment the music is what I’m here for’. ‘I’ve been playing in bands since I was fourteen years old, it’s something I have always loved doing, a long time before I became a serious wrestler. To be able to record with such great people as Rich from Stuck Mojo or Zakk Wilde (who guests on All That Remains), then come over here to the UK and play sold out shows is just amazing, then the cherry on the cake is ending the tour in Liverpool because I am such a huge Beatles fan’. Chris Jericho in the WWE is exactly the same as Chris Jericho in Fozzy: ‘ It’s
what I pride myself on, we give the fans 100%. They leave knowing that they’ve had the best of me, they know that they got their money’s worth. So the next time I am in town, they will come to see me again’. Judging by the performance given in the Krazyhouse, Chris certainly gives more than his all. Out of the traps like a 30 year old Jon Bon Jovi, Chris rules the stage. He has the moves, the look and with many of the tracks played from the second Fozzy album, he has the songs, the band even manage to squeeze in a cover of Judas Priests Screaming For Vengeance before leaving a packed house gagging. Will he come back? ‘I would love to come back to Liverpool again, do the tour
of the city, either with some of the other guys from the WWE or with my wife’. So does this mean the end of wrestling is on the horizon for Chris: ‘My contract is up before the end of the year, I have achieved so much, but I feel that I still have something left, if I had to walk away, I could, but I’m not ready to do that just yet. If it was all I had, maybe, but with Fozzy as well, I would be a fool not to push both buttons at the same time. With the band I am in control, total control, it’s not always like that in wrestling. Compromise is the hardest word in the world’ So does Chris feel he needs to be WWE champion again before he leaves? ‘I’ve been the World Champion once and I can do it again, so yeah, I want a crack at the title once more - who wouldn’t, but I don’t feel that I need it. Now, I just go out there and have a good time. It’s entertainment, so is Fozzy, but in a different way - Fozzy is not a WWE project, it’s my band! They don’t sell my CD at the souvenir stands like John Cena. The Fozzy record is in record stores all over the world, the album has the band on the outside, not a WWE belt. It sells because of great music, people buy it cause they want it for what’s inside’ After the sweat-filled performance I drove Chris over to the apartment booked for him. He grabbed a shower, then returned to the club to do his DJ set. Along the way, we chatted about life, love, and mostly music, just like two normal guys out for the night in Liverpool. Chris Jericho deserves all that he can get in life, he has no ego, no attitude, he was just Chris. When the lights go up he becomes the Y2J monster we all associate with the name, but the rest of the time he is just a man who loves what he does and loves life. I felt like I had known him for 20 years after he left Liverpool and I never even knew him for 20 hours. If you love wrestling then give him your support, if you love good honest rock music, All That Remains is available in all proper record stores right now, (SPV records), or check the website for news, updates and all that jazz. www.fozzy-rocks.com O
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