When he's not making gold records, he's splattering the silver screen with a high-grossing horror flick he's either written, directed or both.
While it is admittedly becoming less and less novel for today's artists to tackle such hybrid careers, shock rocker Rob Zombie has somehow managed to be all things to all fans—seemingly satisfying the voracious appetites of both his rock and "reel" followers by alternately doling out just the right amount of deliciously demented eye and ear candy at just the right time.
Seems like just yesterday when the KISS Army was up in arms about Gene Simmons and his dalliances with Tinseltown, claiming that Hollywood's bright lights had caused their beloved fire-breathing demon bassist to lose focus on the band and music that prompted the movie execs to call in the first place.
So the Crawler had often wondered just how the prolific Zombie not only walked, but so successfully blurred, the lines between his multi-media flights of fancy.
Just a couple days shy of Zombie's favorite holiday, Halloween, yours truly was able to ask just that during a press conference the man born Robert Bartleh Cummings in Haverhill held to announce the release of his first disc in nearly four years, Hellbelly Deluxe 2, and the launch of his first worldwide tour since 2007.
"Well, I certainly do not want to speak for KISS," was his quick preface, "but, in general, there is a big difference between being a rock star and an actor. They are entirely different animals, and it would be very easy for a fan to wonder how this person in this movie reflects on the band they are in. For what I do, the fan base is actually very much the same, so it all seems to make sense, I guess. I mean, I am going on tour to promote the release of my new disc, Hellbilly Deluxe 2, yet I have no illusions about it. I will definitely be signing as many DVDs as Halloween as I will Hellbilly. And that's fine."
Other conference highlights include Zombie's explanation of the decision to revisit the Hellbilly title more than a decade after the original was first released:
"It's kind of the cool thing to do right now, and I had thought about it for a while. But really, I wasn't going to reference the name again unless it made some sort of sense, you know? It couldn't be like, 'Well, he just sort of slapped that name on there.' And as I got into recording it, it did, in fact, feel like the perfect companion piece to Hellbilly 1, so it all fell into place."
Last but not least, the man who directed the most successful Halloween movie ever shared his views on favorite—and most reviled—All Hallow's Eve treats.
"I am a big fan of candy corn and get excited when it comes out. But that said, the day after Halloween, I don't want to see one of the damn things. As for worst treat& without a doubt—toothbrushes. That was the trend for a while… really, a toothbrush? I think a kid would prefer you just punch them in the face."
Since this interview, a last-minute label hop to Roadrunner Records' Loud & Proud imprint has pushed the Hellbilly release from Nov. 17 to "early 2010." But the lead single "What?" is already available on iTunes, and the tour—which includes a Dec. 2 House of Blues in Boston play and a Dec. 3 Mohegan Sun stop—is in full swing.
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Meanwhile, in local news, celebrated swingers the Gypsy Wranglers have signed on to a Nov. 7 Wendell Coffee House (wendellfullmoon.org) bill aimed at raising funds for the Temenos Retreat Center. That same evening, Bob Belniak and his New England Society of Doo-Wop will set up shop at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee for an "Oldies Revival Show" featuring The Sharades, Johnnie & Joe and the Demensions. For tickets or more info on the latter, please call (413) 786-1929."
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
