It was such a troubled story losing their drummer during their first big tour and then they went through all those speed bumps...getting derailed, but the music lives on. The videos or the films, you can’t find many of them but you could see that there was nothing like this band. I always thought to be a musician you grow up trying to replicate your heroes and then you realize you can’t. You have to find your own homegrown version of who you are as an artist. If you can do that you can stand with it forever. You are an original. So to me, this was a courageous, brave band. It’s not about being a virtuoso on your instrument even though it’s all there, it’s about showing off who you are and where you came from. Jane’s Addiction had a lot of that in LA. We were surrounded by some great players and also some mediocre players with some great ideas. You realize who makes the imprint and who inspires you, and they show you a way that’s possible. I love the fact that in music, still when you put them on there’s no other band that really sounds like the Dolls. They were an original New York City band and I love hearing the city in the music. You know Van Halen could never come from anywhere but LA and the Dolls could be only New York. I remember hearing that they actually played at a place that was falling down because the building wasn’t cared for. Even though the building fell down it was one of their spots that they would play at all the time. I was thinking that’s just the perfect story. No one got hurt and at the same time the place they played actually fell down. The actual rafters cracked and came apart. To me when you put your finger on your favorite band or artist there are one or two that makes an imprint and you can always recall those people, those bands and those experiences and draw from it and try to reach that level. I always wanted to be an original drummer. Growing up, I always imitated everybody because I didn’t know how to find my original self until I found Jane’s because I was surrounded by three other guys who wanted the same thing. I want you to be original. Let’s not replicate our heroes but let’s draw from their power. That’s what I get from the Dolls. They are clearly one of a kind. Be brave like that as far as the music, the look and the style, the clothes and how they promoted themselves .... They were truly an original band.
you have a music concert.” You have these people that get together and come from different places and they grew up in different places but they are all in the same room and they jump up and down to the same beat and the same song while they sing the lyrics. Musicians really have this great magnet. People love musicians because it makes them feel emotions, it makes them get out of their own head more than a trip to a museum, or reading a book. It’s this union you have with the music and other people sharing that. The Dolls really had that. It’s like putting a bunch of different people in a blender, blending it up and then having a drink and thinking “oh it tastes so good.” Dan Shulman: I spoke with Dan Shulman, known as the bassist for the iconic band “Garbage” (Stupid Girl), and Run DMC regarding “Halloween Jack” and their tribute video to Sylvain Sylvain.... How was Halloween Jack born? Stephen and I have a long history of playing together in a lot of different groups. He playing percussion for a little band with me called Double D Nose and I was playing with his group Banyon. I jammed with him and Perry in an early version of Porno for Pyros. Then we all played in this club called “Club MakeUp” as well as Gilby who used to do sound for us back in the day for Double D Nose too. “Club MakeUp” was in Hollywood and sort of like a 70s glitter/ glam rock club. I decided that I wanted to do more
I loved that answer. Even today when we listen to the song that “Jack” did we had to put our balls on the table to make it sound like the Dolls. You’ve got a put your balls out to sound like the Dolls. You’ve really have to go for it and you can’t be worried about is it perfect or not? You’ve got to spend time with it and enjoy the moment and get people riled up. That’s what I love about music. I think Jerry Garcia said it and I still believe it “you don’t get a bunch of people together to jump up and down unless it’s a battlefield until
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