Rock Is Life actually interviewed Dave Meniketti in the fall of 2007. When
it came down to transcribing the phone interview, it was discovered that
the
audio
was indistinguishable. After much begging and pleading, Dave
agreed to answer the questions via e-mail. Okay, we only had to ask once.
Dave is quite the guy to answer the same questions twice.
So, you probably
want to know what lead to an interview with the Y & T frontman. Well, for
the first time in their 30 year career Y & T released their first-ever
live DVD entitled Live: One Hot Night (DVD
Review). The DVD showcases the
band at the height
of their 2007 World Tour.
On top of that, Dave and company have been cranking
out the Y & T reissues left and right on their official website. Dave also
gave a great interview for us a few years ago (HERE) when
we were still trying to make a name for ourselves. For that, I will
always be grateful.
RIL: If I knew absolutely nothing about Y & T, how would
you describe the group’s music to me?
DM: Melodic hard rock with passion
and energy.
RIL: Y & T has been around 30 years and you’ve just recently
released your first ever DVD, Live: One Hot Night. Why such a long wait
for your first
DVD?
DM: We never thought much about a DVD until about 3
years after we re-formed in 2001. Around that time, we spent most of our
off time from the road getting
the rights back to re-release our classic albums on CD and also releasing
2 CDs under the UnEarthed Titles of songs that never made a Y&T album.
Then it was just up to finding an appropriate venue and the right company
to do the production work to our liking. We did so with E-M-S because they
approached us while on tour in Europe and showed us that they would do a
good job and make something special out of the package.
RIL: With such a vast music catalog, was it difficult deciding on a set
list?
DM: Yes, it is always difficult to craft a set list from all the songs
we would like to play. This is why we typically play 2 or more hours a night,
so we
can feel that we satisfied ourselves and the fans to the best of our abilities
given time restrictions.
For the DVD we wanted some classic favorites but we
also wanted some songs that were never included on any previously released
video or live album of
Y&T’s.
RIL: Why did you choose Holland for the show?
DM: The timing was right, the
venue was right and the production company was close enough to that show
to make it a perfect choice. Of course the only
imperfect things that happened were that myself and 2 other band members
were ill when we recorded the DVD. Also, the club decided to turn off the
air conditioning system before the show started and that made for a very
uncomfortable temperature to play a show, especially a show as important
as this was. I hate the way I turned into a sweaty mess by the 4th song on,
it made it very hard for me to watch myself in that condition. Nevertheless
we were able to pull off a good show out of it, warts and all.
RIL: Did you get to decide which extras to include with the DVD?
DM: Yes,
the production team wanted every last second of what was filmed to be on
the DVD but we trimmed that back a ton, so it was not too much for
the fans to digest.
RIL: Have you thought about a music video retrospective DVD of Y & T?
DM:
Yes, and I had started on that exact thing about 2 years ago but got too
busy to finish it myself. So this year I will commission someone else to
finish the project.
RIL: How is touring with Y & T today different from touring
with them in the eighties?
DM: There is less concentration on business matters
and that is replaced with
a much more immersed feeling about what we are doing each night on stage.
We feel like we are taking in each moment and enjoying it that much more
passionately now that we don’t worry about releasing a hit single or
climbing the music charts. The interaction with our fans has become much
more personal now. It’s a good feeling and is making the last few years
more enjoyable than I could have imagined it would be like at this time of
our career.
RIL: Are their any plans for a new Y & T album?
DM: We had plans to get
started on writing some time this year, but the way shows are coming in for
2008 it’s looking like we may have to plan
for 2009 to be more realistic for writing new material. 2008 may indeed end
up being the busiest year ever in Y&T’s touring career if all the
dates that are planned actually come through.
RIL: Do you think recording and releasing material today is easier or tougher
than it was twenty years ago?
DM: Releasing new product is easier, thanks
to the Internet, but much harder to make as big of an impact in the music
business. The climate is always
changing in the rock business and for the last 15 years it’s been brutal
to bands like ourselves, but there is always an up side to everything. And
that upside is the closer relationship most bands now have directly with
their fan base to communicate quickly about new products and take the pulse
of the fans with immediate reaction. Plus it forces many bands to take projects
and releases into their own hands which can be a very liberating experience.
RIL: Do you think that the Internet (whether it be Internet radio, legal
downloading, MySpace, streaming audio, etc.) is a good tool for musicians
or is it a bad
thing because it hinders profits?
DM: As I mentioned above, mostly I believe
it’s a good thing. Illegal
downloading sucks but you can’t stop it so you just move on and use
the medium for what good you can get from it and there is much to be had.
RIL: Will you be remastering any more Y & T albums?
DM: Yes, we will
look towards the first 2 records that we released on London Records in
the 70s under the Yesterday & Today moniker. We also just
released a 2 CD set of our 2 CDs that we released in the mid 90’s.
It’s titled “Incorrect Species” and is available now. Beyond
that, we’ll probably move on to new material.
RIL: Will you be releasing any more Unearthed collections?
DM: We would have
to find many more musical gems amongst our old tapes in order to make it
worthwhile to the fans. That might happen, but I think it’s
not so likely at this point.
RIL: How did your guest appearance on Lizzy Borden’s new album
(Appointment with the Devil) come about?
DM: Simple, I was asked if I would play a solo on one of their tunes and I said
yes. I was approached through a mutual friend.
RIL: Y & T played Rocklahoma last year, which was dubbed the Woodstock of
Hair Metal. You’re not really a hair band, so did you feel out of
place?
DM:
At times, yes I did feel out of place. It was as if we were one of the
few bands that weren’t trying to act like we were stuck in one moment
in time. It was still a monumental event for the US since these types of
festivals
are few and rare. We may play next year’s version of Rocklahoma.
Thanks and we hope to see many of our fans on the road this year and the
years coming. Keep rocking hard! I know we will.
DAVE
MENIKETTI
