Guns N’ Roses 1985 at Canter’s Deli Photo by Jack Lue
Paradise Kitty 2021 at Canter’s Deli Photo by Jack Lue
How do you relate to your counterpart in Guns ‘N Roses and have you ever met him or any other G’nR member? And do they know about Paradise Kitty? Rachael: I’ve known them all for a really long time. I’ve toured with Adler in the past, worked on Gn’R albums for my day job etc. We also have the pleasure of doing shows frequently with Dizzy. They all are really supportive of Paradise Kitty and love it. Before our second show they were tweeting telling fans to check us out. We didn’t want to move forward with this project without their seal of approval, so that meant a lot.
What other bands or projects are you in outside of Paradise Kitty? Any new releases coming up from your other bands? Jenna: We all have many projects we are working on always but most recently our lead guitarist Ariel Bellvalaire just released her new single “Elastic” you can find it on Spotify and wherever you stream your music. You should also check out her killer new video for it on YouTube.
You’ve had Courtney Cox from rival band The Iron Maidens play in Paradise Kitty before. What’s it like working with Courtney and have you done any shows with The Iron Maidens before? Rachael: Courtney and I played in Femme Fatale together before PK. The Iron Maidens are our comrades not our competition. We all love and support each other. They have been added to the roster at our booking agency so now we get to do shows together from time to time which is always a lot of fun for all of us. What could one expect from a live Paradise Kitty show? Jenna: You can expect the unexpected. We don’t do the normal tribute band schtick. We are our own characters slaying Gn’R songs with fun banter, slamming beats, and back bending guitar solos. You’ll come in looking for a good time but you’ll leave knowing it was a night to remember. What was the last show you played prior to the pandemic and how did the show go? Rachael: Right before lock down we closed out the Monsters of Rock Cruise. Those shows are always off the hook and so much fun!! We definitely went out with a bang!!! HIGHWIRE DAZE
April/May 2021
How has the pandemic affected Paradise Kitty? Have you performed any shows during the pandemic or have any on the schedule now? Rachael: We all really did our parts to honor quarantine and help the world self correct from this tough time. Until our recent photo shoots, we hadn’t even seen each other. Now that things are shifting we have shows in the works from summer out. We are also really looking forward to the Chris Jericho Rock & Wrestling Rager that sets sail in October. What do you hope the rest of 2021 brings for you, for Paradise Kitty, and for the music scene in general? Jenna: Prosperity, healing, and bring back the live music…. safely. Any final words of wisdom? Rachael: The last year has been really tough for a lot of people. Try to be patient with each other, love each other, accept the changes this has forced on everyone, and let’s all be better from this. Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions! Rachael & Jenna: Thank you for always supporting us!! Paradise Kitty is: Jenna Syde (Lead Vox), Rachael Rine (Drums) Ariel Bellvalaire (Lead Guitar), Hisako Ozawa (Rhythm Guitar), Terrii Kiing (Bass). 39
