WRIF Virtual Rock Room with Great White's Mark Kendall
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00:00Thank you so much for watching Riff TV.
00:02Now, this interview is obviously with video, but I don't interview everybody on Zoom.
00:07That's why I put it on my Talkin' Rock with Meltdown podcast.
00:10We talk to rock artists from all over the genre.
00:13So check out Talkin' Rock with Meltdown wherever you get your podcasts.
00:16And now, to today's video interview.
00:20And there he is, the legend. Mark, how are you?
00:23I'm doing good, man.
00:24Excellent. Good to see you.
00:25I'm just feeling at home, actually, right now.
00:28I'm getting ready to go on that Monster's Cruise and then play M3 and then get out to you guys.
00:36This is going to be the Smugglers?
00:39Yep, that's right. Yeah.
00:40Yeah, we never played there.
00:42No, it's kind of a newer building, a newer facility.
00:45But you're going to love it because Slaughter just played there about a month ago.
00:49And they got this gigantic American flag right over the stage.
00:53Yeah, I was just talking to another journalist about, you know, all the history we have there, you know, with Pine Knob and just the whole, you know, like when they changed the name.
01:08It was like, I don't know if it was offensive or just we had so much history, you know, I think people were happy when they changed it back.
01:18Am I right?
01:18Oh, yeah, for sure.
01:19Yeah, well, they changed the name because, you know, they got sponsorship rights, you know.
01:23Yeah.
01:24Oh, I see.
01:24Yeah.
01:25Yeah.
01:26Then they changed it back to Pine Knob.
01:28But, yeah, you guys have been coming here and playing here in, I mean, in Detroit for, it's got to be 40 years, right?
01:34I've even told somebody, you know, when our genre kind of was going through the 90s, you know, when, you know, the Nirvana and the new music and everything was happening, you know, we were still playing and still making music.
01:52And we had a number one song in Detroit, you know, it's like they're sticking with us, you know, they don't care what's swimming, but I right now, they still want to rock, you know, so I've always really loved that.
02:07Yeah, I don't want to.
02:09I know that you guys are in great white and I don't want to, you know, fish for comments, right?
02:13Or whatever.
02:13But I was just talking with Joe Perry last week and he said, and same way with Gene Simmons and all this stuff, but it's like there's something in the water in the Midwest, isn't there, when you come and play a rock show?
02:26Yeah.
02:26Yeah, definitely.
02:28No doubt about it.
02:29It's Detroit Rock City.
02:33You know, there's a reason they call it that.
02:35I mean, just all the legends come from there, it seems like.
02:41And there's definitely something going on there that you can feel and the fans just gravitate.
02:50I mean, they much just roll out of bed and just crank music or something.
02:55That's what it's, doesn't it seem that way?
02:57I mean, it does to me when we play there, it's always like a special deal.
03:02And we have so many friends, it's like our guest list, it's just, it was insane every time we play there, you know?
03:09Now, were you, speaking of Ted Nugent, speaking of the Motor City, were you influenced by Nugent growing up?
03:15Oh, yeah.
03:16Yeah.
03:16Yeah, Nugent was a big deal.
03:18You know, we played with them probably 10 or 15 times.
03:21And one time, this was, this is like my claim to a great moment.
03:25And, you know, we opened for Ted, and we were playing in London, Ontario, and I was on the side of the stage.
03:32And he's going, check this out, he's going, how about that great way?
03:36Because they got the rock and roll spirit, and there's a spirit in the air tonight.
03:41And he's going, yeah, you know, and then it was like he was talking nights about us leading into Wang Dang, Sweet Flint Dang.
03:51It was like, it was like the moment I liked, because when I was a teenager, that album, you know, it's such a big deal, you know, that, you know, to play with them, have them be really nice to me.
04:04And then we almost jammed with him this one time, when he was in Damn Yankees.
04:10He came, but he came down to the show, because we had ties with Jack Blades, and he was in Damn Yankees.
04:16And he came down to the show, but we didn't have time to jam with him.
04:20But he came backstage when we played some gig, because his wife was a fan.
04:28And he goes, this better be good, because Teddy will be watching.
04:33Like, that's not going to make me nervous, right?
04:35And he goes, I didn't know you could yank it.
04:39After the show, he told me that I didn't know you could yank and crank on that thing like that.
04:43I can't tell from that song on the radio.
04:47That's funny.
04:48You know, I just talked to Richie Faulkner from Judas Priest yesterday.
04:51And I'll ask you the same question I asked him.
04:54What was the song that made you a rock fan?
04:56He said it was a voodoo child for Hendrix for him.
04:59But what about you?
04:59I think, you know, when I heard Waiting for the Bus by ZZ Top, that was a big moment.
05:10But also, I remember being a teenager and hearing Highway Star, and that kind of drove me into a coma, you know.
05:19That kind of was the song that gets you ready for school and whatnot.
05:28But, yeah, there's so many of them.
05:30I'm such a, like, geeky fan of music and bands and stuff.
05:38But the guys I listened to, it's funny, I kept changing.
05:42It was like I wasn't trying to be disloyal.
05:45It was just, I wanted to be Carlos Santana so bad when I was 14.
05:51It was like, please, God, just strike me and make me Carlos, you know.
05:55Because I loved the way he played that much.
05:58But then I'd switch to Nugent, and then I'd go to Billy Gibb and ZZ Top, you know.
06:03So, it's because they were all so great, you know.
06:06Yeah, have you had a chance to meet all these guys?
06:08Have you had a chance to meet all your rock and roll heroes?
06:10Yeah.
06:11Yeah.
06:11And here's what I have to say about that.
06:14Every upper echelon person I've met from Billy Gibbons, his wife, you know, Blackmore, whoever, have all been soulful, down to earth, greatest people ever.
06:27The only people that have ever been kind of short, or maybe it might be considered maybe a little rude or whatever,
06:36are people that think they're supposed to be up there with Billy Gibbons and be purple and stuff.
06:44But every band we've ever toured with, whether it be Judas Priest, Scorpions, you know, all these bands, they kind of took us under the wing and, you know, taught us things.
06:56And most of what I got from all that wasn't, you know, like how to play or whatever.
07:02I was told by Rudolf Schenker to kick out maximum amounts when you're on stage.
07:07But it was mostly how to treat people.
07:09That's what I took.
07:10Because they all treated everybody.
07:12The upper echelon bands, you know, the bands, the ZZ Topps and, you know, whoever, Scorpions and stuff like that, they want the whole night good.
07:21They want the opening acts to kick maximum.
07:24Right.
07:24And do well.
07:26They don't want everybody to suck and give them horrible lighting and, you know, then they're the bitchin' rock stars.
07:32They want the whole night.
07:33They want the crowd to get their money's worth.
07:36So I actually, touring with the Scorpions one night, I didn't have the greatest show of my life.
07:41And Rudolf Schenker said, Mark, you have to play hard out there, Mark.
07:44You have to play hard.
07:46Kick out.
07:47And all this.
07:48I never forgot that.
07:49And it was before cell phones.
07:51So I'm thinking I got away with one.
07:53It was a bad technical night.
07:55And, you know, and then he takes me down this hallway with his arm around me going, Mark, you have to play hard, man.
08:02Because I was distracted.
08:04When everything's going wrong and your amp's not working, you get in your head.
08:09And it's just horrible.
08:11And he noticed it.
08:12I thought I got away with it.
08:14Because it wasn't like it was going to get 200,000 hits the next day.
08:18You know what I mean?
08:18Right, right.
08:19We didn't have cell phones.
08:21Thank God that's over with.
08:23Now we can move on to the next show.
08:26That's done.
08:28But if, yeah.
08:30Does that phrase go through your head sometimes when you might not be having a great show?
08:33Do you think about that?
08:36Well, what I think about, you can't do anything about technical, but.
08:39Is I do, you know, forget about all the travel and whatever and just take that, you know, time on stage.
08:48I want to impress people.
08:51I don't want to just be entertaining or whatever.
08:55I want people to walk away going, holy crap, that was badass.
08:59Yeah.
09:00I mean, that's my goal.
09:01If I only end up entertaining them, then it is not the worst thing in the world.
09:05But, but I really want people to get their money's worth.
09:08That's, that's my whole goal.
09:10And yeah, sure.
09:11I learned a little something from, from that exchange.
09:15But, but like I said, these guys, they treat us so well.
09:20You know, we were so green on Judas Priest.
09:22You know, we never played arenas every night and all this stuff.
09:26This is like new to us.
09:27We're green to Dell and they made us feel comfortable.
09:31So we've always treated our opening acts that, that way.
09:35You know, we always, you know, when we get an opening act or, you know, anybody that's
09:40ever opened for, I don't care if it's Shanker, the bullet boys, you know, we always, we always
09:45treat them with respect, you know, and, uh, have a good show, kick ass, man.
09:51Do your thing, bro.
09:52Yeah, that's the way it should be.
09:54And it's funny because the people that are on the upper echelon, they know they're there
09:58so they can be nice to everybody.
10:00I think it's the, the people, lower ones, they want everyone to think they're bigger
10:03than they are.
10:03So they act like jerks sometimes.
10:05Yeah.
10:05It's like, uh, you know, if somebody was saying to Michael Jordan, he couldn't play basketball.
10:12I don't think he's going to argue with that guy on the internet.
10:16That's true.
10:16So you bring in, uh, uh, uh, Brett Carlisle last year.
10:20Uh, yeah.
10:21I mean, you know, a 25 year old guy, I just saw the guys from Skid Row and of course, uh,
10:25Eric, I've seen them a couple of times now with Eric, but, uh, talk about the, uh, shot
10:29of adrenaline that, that, that gives your band.
10:32Well, here's the funny thing is, uh, we had, uh, Andrew Freeman in the band, but he, he
10:38was, uh, his loyalty was to last in line, which is, uh, you know, a great band with Vivian
10:46Campbell and Vinnie Apathy.
10:47And it's just a wonderful band and, uh, you know, they're making records and, you know,
10:52it's a big deal, but it's kind of a secondary band.
10:55It's like when Def Leppard's playing, Vivian has to go play with Def Leppard.
11:00So then he sits around.
11:02So he wants something to go to, but the only problem is when they get busy, we can't be
11:07having hodgepodge of singers all the time.
11:11So Brett sat in and he blew us away so bad that it, not only the people there that night
11:20and us, but it became world news.
11:22It was in Germany.
11:24I mean, Italy, the UK, all the dirt mags that are online that normally just want to seek
11:32dirt and find out, you know, horrible things about you so they can make that the headline
11:37said the guy's great and we'd be fools not to get them.
11:40So it happened quite by, not by design, but he was just sitting in and, um, he just brings
11:48it every night.
11:49He's just turned 26 and it's kind of funny, but when he stands next to us and we take photos,
11:55it's not like he's standing with, you know, Crosby, Stills, Nash or something, you know,
12:01nothing, nothing against him, but you know what I'm saying?
12:03It's like, he just looks like a dude in our band.
12:06It don't look like we got a 13 year old kid in our band and what the hell are you doing?
12:12You know, but he really brings it.
12:15And I've been having him out here where I've been recording down at Tracy G's who used to
12:19be in DL.
12:20Okay.
12:20Good buddy.
12:21Good buddy of mine.
12:22And we've recorded a lot of tunes and he's singing on new material and it's killer.
12:28The guy has such a good voice.
12:30Do you guys, does he ask you questions about the eighties and the stuff?
12:34Does he, does he talk to you a lot about that or no?
12:37Uh, a little bit, but I'm really surprised by his maturity at his age because I know I
12:44wasn't, you know, I was excited about everything and, you know, just wigging out and he's like,
12:51what's next?
12:51You know, he, I mean, he's not taking anything for granted, but he's not wigging out over
12:56anything.
12:57You know, he just goes on stage, handles his business and he's just a cool dude.
13:02I'm really surprised by that.
13:04Now at his age, you guys had money, you had fame, you had the chicks.
13:08How does it, how does a 25 year old guy handle that?
13:12He had chicks coming in.
13:14I'm talking about you.
13:16Oh, when you were 25.
13:19Um, you know, it, it, it was a little bit scary to be honest.
13:24Um, as far as just the whole arena, the environment, you know, we're coming out of people's backyards.
13:31I mean, we played clubs, you know, and, and so to get in that arena environment and having
13:38girls come down, I mean, I've never bragged about that because that's what they're coming
13:44to the show to see us.
13:46They're coming to be with us.
13:48It's not like, because I I'm great or because I'm very good looking.
13:53It's just because I have a guitar and I'm playing in an arena, you know, if I, if I was in a
14:02cubicle somewhere, I don't think they would look at me twice.
14:05Yeah.
14:06That's funny.
14:06So you just mentioned, uh, you know, uh, working on some new stuff.
14:10So what can you tell us?
14:12Yeah.
14:13Um, just putting stuff together.
14:15We're, we're getting ready to collaborate with the band.
14:18Uh, we're kind of busy for the next couple of months.
14:21So I'm just trying to cram it in every time I can and have Brett out here because he lives
14:26in Alabama.
14:27I'm in LA.
14:28So I have to fly him out.
14:30He stays at my house for like a week at a time.
14:32And, uh, we drive down to Tracy's.
14:35He lives an hour away.
14:36And so, um, we're just trying to put together.
14:39We're also talking about how we want to do it.
14:41You know, we'll want to put out, just keep it old school and put out like 13 songs on
14:47a record, or we want to do a couple of videos and put out maybe five songs at a time.
14:53I mean, the world's changed so much that we're, you know, we want to talk to a lot of people
14:59and see what the best way to do that is.
15:01We're not really sure.
15:02So I'm just, in the meantime, just making music.
15:05Yeah.
15:06Yeah.
15:06So do you guys have anything demoed out or, I mean, or you guys, yeah, I've been making
15:11demos.
15:11Yeah.
15:12Yeah.
15:12We're making full demos.
15:13Um, not with the whole band.
15:15I'm just doing it with the drum machine.
15:17I'm playing bass.
15:18I'm playing all the guitar.
15:20Brett's harmonizing with themselves and me.
15:23And I'm going for finished songs.
15:26I mean, I'm finishing the songs, playing them for the band, but they want to collaborate
15:31on some things and throw their ideas in.
15:33And I want that too, you know?
15:36And one thing I don't do is just like shoot things down too quick.
15:41I, I try it.
15:42I live with it.
15:43And then that way I can tell them why I like it or why I don't like it, you know, intelligently
15:50instead of somebody comes with an idea and go, no, man, my idea is already the greatest.
15:56So I kind of learned to, uh, you know, that's part of collaborating.
16:00You want to give everybody a chance to, you know, make it a group effort.
16:05Yeah.
16:05And so do, do you have any timeline as to when the whole band might, you know, would it be
16:10like after the summertime, after touring, you guys?
16:11Yeah.
16:12Yeah.
16:13Yeah.
16:13Cause we have so many gigs.
16:15Um, when we go to record, it's really difficult to play gigs in between that.
16:21I don't really like to do that.
16:23I just, I want like, you know, maybe three weeks straight where we don't have a show.
16:28Right.
16:29That way we can get things done and everybody's there every day, you know, it no longer takes
16:35six months to do a record.
16:37I mean, our last one we did with Michael Wagner only took us really about six weeks, you know?
16:44So we didn't have the lyrics.
16:46Yeah.
16:47Yeah.
16:47Right.
16:48Um, would you like with this one, would you put the, uh, would you like just soak up and
16:52listen to the demos for a while and then get in the studio and be like completely prepared?
16:56Then he'd take, you said it takes three weeks.
16:57Well, uh, like right now the band's listening to this stuff and they want to get together
17:04and, you know, I want to see, you know, they, they say they love what I've done, but they
17:12also want to, you know, jam and maybe something might change.
17:18Right.
17:18So that's, I guess that's what I'm saying.
17:20It's like, if, uh, if, if, if you guys get done with all the demos with all their ideas
17:25and everything, then you can live with them for a little while.
17:26Then you go in and record them.
17:27Is that how, is that kind of how it works?
17:28Yeah.
17:29Yeah.
17:29That's exactly, uh, like before we did the last album, we got in this kitchen area and
17:34it was like, what do you got?
17:36And I'd play him this riff and they go, that's pretty cool.
17:39Let's work on that.
17:40Then we go out in the practice room and we hash through and try different parts and, you
17:45know, just do it that way.
17:46Most of the stuff, we're still old school in the sense we all get a room and we jam, we
17:52play because a lot of things happen when we do that.
17:55Uh, we can't like send each other our parts in an email.
17:59Right.
17:59Right.
18:00Yeah.
18:00Although, although many bands do do that, but I hear what you're saying.
18:03You're old school in that way.
18:04And you want to kind of get in the room and kind of feel each other out.
18:07Only because a lot happens that wouldn't happen if you did email, emailing, you know, uh,
18:14something might happen with the drums that wouldn't even be happen unless we're playing
18:18and looking at each other, you know, a lot of things stem from, from jamming.
18:24Uh, so yeah.
18:26No, that's cool.
18:27Um, I mean, uh, as far as new music goes and stuff, is there anything currently or within
18:31the last couple of decades that might influence you?
18:33Any bands that you, that you're digging on?
18:35Like, uh, kind of, I guess for lack of a better term, um, modern bands?
18:40Um, you know, I, I don't know about influencing me as far as like me changing the way I'd ride
18:48or anything, but when we played with Greta Fleet, one thing I did love about them was
18:56they plug in tune and play.
18:58You know, there's no tapes rolling or background vocals on tape or anything, you know, they,
19:05they might be a little out of tune and that's okay, you know, and I liked how down to earth
19:10they were and how raw they were.
19:13They just plug in and go.
19:16And like, they're talking to me two minutes before they went on stage, you know, they weren't
19:21like, Oh, we got staged with two high fives and wig out and everything.
19:25It was like, yeah, man.
19:27Oh, you'll get, I've got to go.
19:29Yeah.
19:30They're from here.
19:32You know, it was just like, I loved it.
19:34You know, it just reminded me of a band that got better because they played together in
19:40a garage.
19:41Maybe they weren't so good at first and then, and then they kept playing together and they
19:46got better and better and better.
19:48You know, uh, that's what it reminded me of me when I was young, trying to improve.
19:55Yeah.
19:55You know, uh, very human.
19:57And I like to see that with the younger bands that, you know, they, they're not really machine
20:05driven.
20:06They're, they're more like, dude, quit making that mistake or I'm going to kick your ass.
20:12You know what I mean?
20:15It's like, I, I, there's something about that.
20:17I, I just, you know, I actually kind of miss actually.
20:21Yeah.
20:21Those guys are right here in Michigan.
20:23They, they were playing, uh, in 2016, I think they were playing, you know, uh, uh, what is
20:28it like street fairs, you know?
20:30And then they just blew up.
20:32Yeah.
20:32Yeah.
20:33They blew up playing arenas, you know, uh, they're real down to earth too.
20:38And they're, um, nothing gets them too excited.
20:42I mean, they're just like cool, you know?
20:44So I like to see that they're not overwhelmed by any stretch.
20:48Yeah.
20:48You just mentioned the thing that's kind of, that seems to be the thing nowadays is, uh,
20:52our bands using tracks are not using tracks.
20:54You know what I'm saying?
20:55It's that's like, you just talked about the rags.
20:57It seems like that's, that's what's something that's what people talk about all the time.
21:00I just don't like, uh, one thing I'm not a fan of is auto tune.
21:04Yeah.
21:04Because I think it's really changed for one country music and, and just music in general.
21:10It, you know, when you're a fan of a singer, they, it's because they have a certain
21:15style and, and you're like, God, I love the way that dude sings, man.
21:19That Steven Tyler, he's so bad-ass.
21:22He didn't, he don't sound like anybody, you know what I mean?
21:24He, he gets so into it and, uh, you know, he just squeezes the maximum out of everything.
21:31But when you put all that through auto tune, everybody kind of sounds similar.
21:35So you can, you can't say that anymore, you know?
21:38And, and that's what I don't like.
21:40I don't like the perfection stuff.
21:42Um, I've even had conversations with Joe Wallace and other people and they feel the
21:47same way.
21:48It's like when the Eagles play together, the reason they sound like the Eagles, cause they're
21:52playing together, you know, you don't have to put it through machines.
21:56And one thing we don't do is like, look at a computer and see the bass note, miss the
22:01kick drum by this much.
22:03If it sounds good to our ear, it is good.
22:07Yep.
22:07That's the way we treat it.
22:08We don't fix anything.
22:09We don't turn it into a machine.
22:12I mean, we can make it perfect right on the grid every time, but you're really, you're,
22:17you're sucking you and element out of it.
22:20And it's okay to listen to something and say, damn it, man, that's smoking.
22:25That's just so good.
22:27You know, at, Oh, wait a minute.
22:29No, it isn't.
22:30Look, look right here.
22:32Yeah.
22:33Right.
22:33As long as it sounds good.
22:34Right.
22:35Yeah.
22:35As long as it sounds good, it's good.
22:37Right.
22:37I mean, you know, we got to trust our ears, you know, some way.
22:40Yeah.
22:41Corey Taylor told me one time when there's one stone sour record they did, they actually
22:44threw a blanket over the computer screen because they just wanted to record.
22:49There you go.
22:50That's what I'm talking about.
22:51It's like, you can record quicker with it because you can do edits and, and it's good
22:56for that.
22:57You know, I like recording on two inch tape, especially the drums and bass, because there's
23:02definitely something to say about analog, the sound.
23:05It's so real that you envision people playing.
23:08I was at my drummers not long ago.
23:10He was playing foreigner four on a vinyl.
23:13And I go, holy crap.
23:17I forgot all about that sound.
23:20You know, I mean, digital is great.
23:24Okay.
23:25It's fine.
23:26But I think we were kind of tricked into thinking it's better because clear.
23:30It's almost like they took certain EQ out to make it clear.
23:35But when you're away from analog for a long time, you go back and listen to 404 Eagle, you
23:42can hear what's missing in a way there.
23:45It still has all the punch, all the, all the kick drum, all ballsy as hell.
23:51But there's, there's this element of warmth in there that, that isn't with the digital.
24:00And that's why they're always comparing it to analog.
24:02If you've ever noticed, they're always going, it goes so fast right now.
24:06You can't even tell it's not, you know, or whatever.
24:09So in other words, what they're saying is they want to make it sound like analog, even
24:14though it's digital.
24:15Yeah.
24:15You know what I mean?
24:16So, but when you go back, I've been away from it for so long that I, it kind of blew
24:20me away actually.
24:21No, I'm a big vinyl fan.
24:23I listen to it.
24:23I listen to records every single day.
24:26That's just how it is at my house.
24:27But yeah, you just, you just mentioned Aerosmith.
24:29But they're about to, I do believe, talk about their final tour.
24:34Do you ever think about your final tour?
24:37Not really.
24:39I'm sure there will be, you know, a time where maybe we're not physically able to do it or
24:46whatever, but my energy is such like, I've been sober for like 15 years and I, I have
24:54that teenage energy that music gives you when you're that age.
24:58Like it actually gets me super excited.
25:03Like if I leave my guitar for two days and go to play it and something good happens, it's
25:07like I, I, it's some kind of a, I don't know if you call it a high, it's just a, a certain
25:14feeling I get that I even got when I was young.
25:19So yeah, I could imagine that, you know, you know, God, my knees hurting so damn bad.
25:25And you know, my elbows, my breathing, what it once was, I'm getting tired too easy.
25:32You know, if something like that happens, sure.
25:35I would, you know, but that's good, man.
25:38They had a hell of a run.
25:40It's one of my favorite bands and I'm pretty close to Steven Tyler.
25:44I mean, I've hung out with them and he's a good dude, man.
25:48He, he really gets into the music.
25:51He can really feel that stuff and he's very, very talented, man.
25:55He takes it serious.
25:57Well, we'll tell you what, we're looking forward to seeing you guys coming up at a smugglers
26:01on a May the 5th and a wine doc and, uh, you know, uh, don't be jealous and I'm going
26:07to be here in Detroit while you're sailing the high seas and the monsters of rock cruise.
26:12Yeah, we're going to do that.
26:15And then, then we're going to get over to smugglers.
26:17It's going to be cool, man.
26:18I think my friend Don Jamison is going to be on that cruise, correct?
26:21Is that right?
26:21Oh yeah.
26:22Yeah.
26:22Yeah.
26:23Don's badass.
26:23He's a great guy.
26:25Yeah.
26:25Don's really nice guy.
26:26Very personable.
26:28He, he hangs out.
26:30He talks.
26:30He's a great guy, man.
26:32Yeah.
26:32Well, uh, Mark, always great to a touch base.
26:35Uh, I appreciate the time.
26:37Thanks for, thanks for having me, man.