Michael Anthony Talks Chickenfoot And Van Halen

Could any interview with any member of the new “supergroup” Chickenfoot be complete without some explanation regarding that crazy name? When the group’s bassist, Michael Anthony, talked with Detroit radio station WRIF recently, that was the first issue that came up, and much to everyone’s surprise, there actually is some logic behind the name choice.

Anthony admits that nobody seems to care for the name, but as he rightly points out, once you hear it you know who it is. It turns out the name was originally chosen when Anthony, Sammy Hagar and Chad Smith were jamming down at Hagar’s club. Since there were three of them, and a chicken’s foot has three prominent toes, the guys –- likely in the midst of a tequila-fueled evening – gave birth to the name that everyone seems to hate.

Anthony admits that they did spend some time researching other names and getting a bit frustrated when they plugged various selections into Google and discovered that another band was already using the name. When Google informed them that there were no results for any bands using the name "Chickenfoot,” Anthony goes ahead and admits that they “were just stupid enough to take it.”

Anthony also explains that the logo that they came up with for the band actually makes sense for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it kind of looks like a chicken foot and secondly, the peace sign, which closely resembles the logo, was referred to as “the footprint of the great American chicken” by some U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam era.

So, it appears that there is a little bit of history behind the choice of the name, although Anthony admits it was recognized only after the name had been chosen.

These days we also expect to hear something about the recent war of words that has been going on between Michael Anthony and Eddie Van Halen, and this interview did not disappoint. Anthony maintains that he never quit the band, despite Van Halen’s recent comments to Rolling Stone that he did. Don’t expect a lot of vitriol and insults directed towards Eddie however. Anthony doesn’t seem like that kind of guy and sounds like he would just like to move on and stop rehashing the past drama of his years with Van Halen.

Although he does not come right out and say it, Anthony does hint that life in Van Halen was a bit like living under a dictatorship. He seems quite happy with the way things work in his new band, and describes his later years in Van Halen as a more “choked,” indicating that he didn’t have the creative input that he may have liked and was more-or-less told what to play.

According to Anthony, the creative process at work inside Chickenfoot is much more democratic and each member is free to run with his own ideas and freely inject as much creative input as he wants.

There’s a lot more to listen to in this interview, including a little chat that the jocks have after they get off the line with Michael Anthony where they basically side with Anthony over the whole Van Halen thing. Going on my own gut feeling regarding that issue, I’d say that I have to agree with them.

Check out the full audio interview at WRIF.

Tags: Audio, Chickenfoot, Detroit, Eddie Van Halen, interview, Michael Anthony, WRIF Radio

Def Leppard On Cutting Edge of Live Rock Entertainment

Sure, Def Leppard has been around since their glory days in the 1980’s when hits like “Photograph” and “Rock of Ages” blared from car radios across the land, but that does not mean these middle-aged rockers don’t keep up with the latest in technology.

At their upcoming show at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena on August 23, the group will introduce to fans something they are calling “Rockzimity Marketing.” It’s all about delivering content to concert goers using technologies like Wi-Fi and Blue Tooth, by setting up “hot spots” at various locations in the arena which will transmit the content to fans who bring their Wi-Fi and Blue Tooth-capable devices to the show.

Upon entering the arena, the well-equipped fan will be greeted with a message from the band, which will welcome them to the “Sparkle Lounge,” which originally referred to the name of the backstage area where the band hangs out when they are not performing for their fans. It was also the name the group chose for the latest album.

There will also be an opportunity for tuned-in attendees to win a trip to the “Sparkle Lounge,” after the show, where they will presumably be able to mingle a bit with the band. There will also be discounts offered on select Def Leppard merchandise, giving ticket holders yet another reason to bring along whichever gadget they own that will allow them to tune into this unique medium.

“You have to differentiate your music in today’s industry and how you introduce things to your audience,” says frontman Joe Elliott. “This is the direction for the future of the way fans connect with artists, it also adds another dimension to our live performance by getting the fans involved from the moment they walk though the door — literally.”

One of the best things about this is that there are not extra charges of fees involved. None of that “standard text messaging rates apply” stuff or anything like that during the show, which make sense since this is being called “Rockzimity Marketing.” Who the heck would want to pay to be marketed to?

Still, this does sound like a cool idea and will likely make fans feel more involved with the show. The chance to win a backstage visit provides an additional benefit to those who tune into the new service at the show.

Tags: Blue Tooth, Def Leppard, Detroit, Joe Louis Arena, Rockzimity Marketing, Wi-Fi