Joe Perry Talks Hollywood Vampires Tour, Gear and Aerosmith's Future

When Alice Cooper decided to pay tribute to his Seventies drinking buddies—a group of late-night partiers dubbed the "Hollywood Vampires"—he used the nickname for a new band featuring an impressive batch of artists and released an album of classic covers and a handful of original tunes.

The album is a pretty good indication. But once you make the record, the goal is to out-do it when you play it live—and that’s what we’re doing. Although there are a lot of guests on the album who won’t be with us on stage, the core band is the one I’d pick if I was going to go out and tour by myself. Everyone is a great player and we’re all friends as well as fans of the music we’re playing. We’ll probably change the set a little bit as the tour goes on, but only because there are so many great songs we want to play. The guys we’re paying tribute to were all pioneers at what they were doing. They all passed way too soon, but we’re showing that their music lives on. Those guys are alive when we play these songs, and that’s why this is going to be a really special tour.

Alice was thinking of doing a covers record and the idea came up a to do something that was more of a tribute to the guys he used to drink with at The Rainbow as well as a celebration of their music. We’ve all known each other for years and can certainly say we’ve all paid our dues entertaining people one way or another. So this is a tip of the hat to the great talent and songs these guys have left behind, but it’s also about the vibe of being friends and never thinking it was ever going to happen—and here we are.

The original stuff on the record was pretty much done by the time I showed up. I came in while they were laying down tracks and was literally working right down from the studio they were in. I remember they kept calling me up and asking me to come over and sit in and play. One time they said, “Hey, tomorrow we’re going to be cutting a track with Paul McCartney. Do you want to come over?”—and I was like, “Um, yeah! OK!” [laughs].

I’m really happy he did it because he’s been talking about it for years. It’s given us a chance to take a break and has worked out well for everyone that he’s finally getting to do it. I know he’s doing some gigs and going on the road after he releases the record, but the main thing is he’s having fun doing it. That’s why you do a solo record—to explore new music and work with different musicians. As long as he’s doing what he wants, that’s what counts.

I’ve been doing a lot of writing and recording. Originally, it was just going to be instrumental, but since I had so many tracks someone suggested I have a couple of vocalists come in that I never have a chance to work with. I’m not sure when it will come out, but I did release a single recently online with Terry Reid called “I’ll Do Happiness,” to give people a taste of what’s going on. People are really going to be surprised to hear some of this new stuff. It’s a whole different kind of energy than some of the other solo records I’ve done.

Playing with these guys and seeing how far we can push it. I always play every show like it’s my last, whether it’s with Aerosmith or the Hollywood Vampires. It’s all about taking everything we’ve learned over the years and bringing that energy to the stage and giving the audience something they’ve never seen before—and maybe never will again. This is a unique band and it shows as soon as we walk onstage—the energy, the songs, the whole thing. Plus, there’s that extra layer of paying tribute to some of the best artists rock and roll has ever seen. We all have the same idea as to why we’re here and what we’re doing it for.

Jul 1 - Bethlehem, PA: Sands Bethlehem Event Center
Jul 2 - Mashantucket, CT: The Grand Theater at Foxwoods Casino
Jul 3 - Atlantic City, NJ: Borgata Resort Spas and Casino Event Center
Jul 5 - Milwaukee, WI: Summerfest BMO Harris Pavilion
Jul 7 - Aurora, IL: River Edge Park,
Jul 8 - Orillia, ONT: Casino Rama Entertainment Center
Jul 9 - Niagara Falls, NY: Stage at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino
Jul 10 - Brooklyn, NY: Coney Island Amphitheater
Jul 12 - Kettering, OH: Fraze Pavilion
Jul 13 - Mt. Pleasant, MI: Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
Jul 14 - Cadott, WI: Rock Fest
Jul 16 - Clarkston, MI: DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 18 - Fargo, North Dakota: Scheels Arena
July 22 - Rohnert Park, CA: Weill Hall
July 23 - Jacksonville, OR: Britt Pavilion
July 24 - Saratoga, CA: The Mountain Winery
July 25 - Paso Robles, CA: Mid State Fair

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James is a guitarist and freelance writer who's interviewed some of the biggest names in music. He is the author of four books and his writing credits include work for Guitar World, AXS and Yahoo! as well as for his hometown newspaper where he writes on a variety of topics with both passion and humor. As a guitarist, he's performed everywhere from local bars and nightclubs to some of the biggest stages in front of thousands of music fans.

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