Rockers say the darndest things: some quotes from 2013

I interviewed quite a few rockers last year. Here’s some of the things they said.

“To me stoner rock is just non-commercial rock that pulls from every great era... And as far as the stoner element, I mean, yeah, it’s always cool to smoke pot.”
—Brant Bjork of Vista Chino

“Most people would probly be amazed at how easy it is to make weapons.”
—Reverend Peyton on the “spud gun” used in his band’s video for “Mama’s Fried Potatoes”

“I think that the inventors can do anything they want, and nobody can say anything otherwise.”
—Jason Newsted of Newsted on the current Black Sabbath

“Eventually somebody said, ‘You know, this guy’s actually been around for a long time! He’s not going away. He’s not dying of an overdose, he didn’t drive his car off a cliff.’ No, I wasn’t about that.”
—Blues legend Taj Mahal on himself

“For us it’s not an easy process, because we already know the movie before the music is made, and yet we have to try and scare ourselves by pretending to be an audience that doesn’t know what’s going to happen.”
—Goblin keyboardist Maurizio Guarini on whether he’s ever scared himself with his compositions

“It was quite terrifying and wonderful all at the same time.”
—Joanne Shaw Taylor on playing in front of Buckingham Palace to a TV audience of 17 million

“If you look at the album art, it’s all propaganda-type artwork, and the message behind that is ‘Everyone has a voice. It’s time to use it.’ ”
—Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule on his band’s latest album Shout!

“The first time you see him play, there’s nobody like him… [He's] almost terrifyingly good.”
—14-year-old Quinn Sullivan on his mentor Buddy Guy

“Technique can go in any direction. It’s not really about that, it’s about the music, and where the music comes from. And when it comes from your heart and your soul, that’s the important thing.”
—Sonny Landreth defending Joe Satriani on charges of wanksterism

“I probably would have made more money.”
—Dave Wyndorf of Monster Magnet on whether, looking back, he would have done anything different during his band’s 25-year career