Rudy Sarzo
by Cindy Starr

Working Man’s Bass and Japanese anime

The only people who don’t know who Rudy Sarzo is by name are the ones who never bother to look up the names of band members, no matter how talented they are. If you’ve listened to almost any great band in the last 3 decades, you have not only heard Rudy Sarzo playing bass guitar, you have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the sound of his soothing and sizzling strings. From Ozzy Osbourne to Quiet Riot to Whitesnake to Blue Oyster Cult, Rudy has enhanced every musical group he has touched. He has lived a crazy life, a sometimes tragic-stricken life, but through it all his music has triumphed and risen above everything. Losing close friends and bandmates has not only inspired him to pay homage to them, but also to share their music with thousands of loyal fans and newcomers to the classic yet eternal rock and roll that is Rudy.

After blazing through the 80’s and 90’s in some of the most successful bands, Rudy is now still spreading his musical magic with “Dio Disciples”, a band that also boasts Judas Priest singer Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens  and is a consonant and congruent celebration of the late and consumate Ronnie James Dio, who Rudy used to play with in 2004.

  Rudy spoke of Animetal USA with great passion when I had the amazing chance to interview him recently.


I’ve heard and read about your newest venture that you’re busy with – Animetal, a metal supergroup with anime-driven look, complete with futuristic make-up and costumes that debuted at Japan's Loud Park 2011 Festival in 2011. Can you tell me a little about this?

Anime is used not only for entertainment, but also for artists to share their philosophies and points of view. I like to call it the Japanese CNN. Anime is played almost constantly in Japan and it really gives you a good sense of where the Japanese people happen to be at that certain time and place in history. Animetal USA was formed about a year and a half ago with our singer, Mike. He lived in Japan for about 3 years where he was a member of a group called Loudness. Him being a fan of Anime, he met with the record company about the idea of putting together Animetal USA which is basically a b and doing our own anime’ theme songs but in our own speed metal, heavy metal style. I was called because not only am I a bass player, but I do 3D animation. I’m a huge fan of Anime, it’s one of the most inspiring art forms today. The storylines are amazing, pretty much like metal music. Are you a metalhead? (me – to a degree, I like rock, heavy metal and classic). Well then you know there are so many fantastic lyrics and stories in heavy metal music. As an art form, there is no limit to your imagination with either anime or metal music.

On our first album, we have Travis on drums, but he’s been so busy with Judas Priest, that when we went on tour last October, we recruited John Dette, who played with Slayer and Testament. What Animetal means to everyone in the band, it’s a way to thank the Japanese fans for all of their support, all these years. When you take into consideration that I’ve been touring to Japan with all these bands for over 30 years, Ozzy, Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, Dio, this is more like releasing an album to the global market. The first album is very culturally specific to Japan, so it’s very different from anything I’ve ever done, musically because this caters to the taste of one specific culture. It’s very different than doing a metal record that appeals to just about everybody who’s a metal fan across the USA. So at the core of what we do with Animetal USA is to say thank you to the Japanese fans and to bring together both genres. To create an awareness of Anime in the metal world and vice/versa, which is such a perfect fit. When I was listening to classic rock in the 70’s I grew up with bands like Yes, Genesis, and with their progressive music, including Pink Floyd, there was always some cutting edge visual. Like with Anime, you have some of the most incredible visual artwork supported with some amazing music like we are doing with Animetal USA. To me, it’s not that different from the bands I grew up with being a fan and that I still listen to and are still significant in my life and the soundtrack of my life.

There have been two Animetal albums, Animetal USA in October 2011 and toured in Japan then this year, June 2012, we released the second album called ‘W’. in Japan. Then Century Media released basically what is a compilation of the first and second album in Japan, which is called the “Special Edition” which is available in Europe and United States and can also be downloaded on iTunes.


I have heard that Animetal is touring this summer, is that still on?

We also did one show at the Anime Expo in LA in June, which had about 75,000 people and was the first show outside of Japan. There is a tour being put together for the Fall/Winter and we’re being very careful about the dates, the countries, the cities, because when we played in Japan we were already catering to a very specific Anime and metal fan base. We are pretty much leaving it to building fate around Anime Expos that happen all around the world (Europe, USA, South America). As you travel around the world, you realize that we all have the same fundamental needs and that is one thing that Anime accomplishes at the core, no matter what culture you're from, if you’re a fan of Anime, you can relate to all of the characters and storylines. As a matter of fact, on our second album, we released a theme song for an Anime series that is a spin-off of one of the most popular Anime series . We’re getting deeper and deeper into the Anime experience and being embraced by the artists –( played with another Anime band, something project they came on sep then played together which is the ultimate camaraderie that you can have on tour with other bands – that was a wonderful experience).


Is this something you would like to continue working on in years to come?

Yes definitely, It is something I’m very passionate about and it’s a dream to be in this band.

 


You are also known for your work as an avid computer digital animator. (When not touring or recording, he is a 3D technical director and co-executive producer at Ocean Visual FX in Southern California. Sarzo has demonstrated computer animation software at major tradeshows)

With Animetal USA, I was Responsible for special effects and video – worked for Dio created some of the Jumbotron footage that they used on tour It’s about being involved as not only as a musician but also as a filmmaker with the visual side of the group.


How did you get involved in this, or is it something that has always interested you?

My major in college was communication, I wanted to be a major motion picture director. Musicians, we’re storytellers. Artists of all genres, whether you’re a photographer or a musician, painter or writer like yourself, it’s all about the story. It’s all about sharing stories. So I wanted to tell the stories and be director, but there were a lot of clubs to play, so I continued telling stories through the music that I play and the hardware and the software to tell stories visually. In addition to doing that with music, I’ve been doing graphics and my motivation for that is I’ve always had a love for storytelling through the visuals. We have so many opportunities these days with technology to be incredibly creative with music. In the old days, you’d go into the studio, spend 6 months or whatever making a record, go on tour for about a year or so, come back, take a month off and then go back into the studio. Nowadays you can actually make records while you’re touring The ability to use social networking and youtube to keep up with your fan base has really mushroomed and these were not available ten years ago.


Are you still with Dio Disciples, your band that is a tribute to Ronnie James Dio?

Well it’s actually more than a tribute, it is Ronnie’s band. (LIST MEMBERS, ‘we were Dio’). It is celebrating his legacy. I was a member of Dio from 2004 until the day he passed away. Ronnie was a singer’s singer. His biggest fans were other singers. You know, the incredible kindness, talent, sense of creativity and humanity, the least you could do for such a friend is celebrate his music. He was an incredibly creative human being. This is what we do, we get up on stage it becomes a celebration. We all come together to perform and celebrate Ronnie’s memory. Friends getting together to celebrate one of the greatest voices, human beings, writer in rock and roll.


Dio Disciples have some tour dates coming up, correct?

Yes there will be some tour dates coming up and we will be announcing it through the proper channel. You will know about it and when they play in your area, we would love to have you as a guest. (me – Thank you very much, I would love that!)


Is it true that you’ll be temporarily replaced with James Lomenzo due to your busy schedule?

Yes, sometimes I’m not available and James from Megadeth performs.


I’ve heard that you are in a new band called Tred with former Anthrax singer Dan Nelson. (In addition to Dan Nelson, Tred features Adrenaline Mob guitarist Mike Orlando – ON TOUR -and Twister Sister drummer AJ Pero).

We are finishing the record and we are scheduled to release the album at the beginning of next year. You’ll be hearing a lot from Tred in the near future.


You’ve described the music as "tribal funk metal and different from anything I've ever done before. Would you like to explain to the readers how you became involved in this?

I’m glad you asked me that question because back in Fort Lauderdale when I was playing around there, when disco and funk came in and we had to mix it up, like Rolling Stones in one set then some Earth, Wind and Fire. Back in that day, there was no such thing as a tribute band. Every group would mix it up and play a variety, which was great, because as a musician, you got to learn all these different techniques. One of the techniques that I got to learn really well, because I had to, was playing funk, slap bass. There are so many great bass players who play like that, like Stanley Clark, (Earth Wind and Fire bass player – maybe look up) so I had to learn that really well, but since it was specific to funk, to R & B, I was not able to record that style for many years that I’ve been doing rock and metal. So in this band, it is metal, but there’s an element of funk that I apply to it and I’m able to play different every chord and it’s different than anything I’ve ever done before, so hopefully it’s something that’s fulfilling a musical need for me and I’m very glad that at this point in my career I’ve been able to play and record in that style.


Does this type of music take you back to the 70’s when you were playing slap bass?

We’re taking it beyond that because we’re not a funky band, we’re a metal band but we’re applying funk techniques but in a metal style. I did just enough of it with Ozzy to get away with it, because if you watch any of the early videos of me playing with Ozzy, there’s a song called “Suicide Solution” , you’ll notice I’m slapping. It was just enough so I wouldn’t raise a flag with Ozzy. I’m slapping but I’m not too funky with it.


Will you be touring with this band eventually?

Yes, we do want to take this around the world, but we’re very careful with the steps because this is a very significant band to everybody.


Then you had a long relationship with Blue Oyster Cult and played with them for five years -Your recent departure from them - was it due to your involvement with ANIMETAL USA and your ongoing work with the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp?

Absolutely, that’s exactly what happened. BOC deserves a permanent bassist and it got to the point that I was so busy with other things, like Rock n Roll Fantasy Camp, I do about 8 or 9 of those a year, and those are so rewarding, at this point of my career, my physical biological clock.


How does it feel to inspire and mentor kids with rock and roll dreams every year at Rock n’ Roll Fantasy Camp?

I’m at a point now that I’m into sharing my experiences and knowledge with others and Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp has been such a significant vehicle for me to do that, that it’s become one of the most rewarding experiences.


Your book, Off The Rails was written almost 6 years ago and has been widely acknowledged as a true and fascinating account of touring with Ozzy in the beginning of his solo career. Is it hard to believe it’s been 30 years?

Yea but it feels like yesterday. I don’t even know what the years look like because I’m so connected to that time period. I think a lot of experiences you never disconnect from, whether how bad or painful they might be. Yea, the crash was painful, but before the crash I had some incredible wonderful memorable experiences with Randy and Ozzy and Tommy (?) and Sharon and everybody so I tend to gravitate toward those, toward the positive experiences and of course not deny the negative, the painful ones. Neverless, you have to celebrate having these wonderful experiences in life.

Randy in LA in the late 70’s was the local guitar hero, that girls and guys would come by and watch play. I saw him go from that to becoming a global guitar hero with Ozzy. Ozzy allowed him to go to the next level as a guitar player, a performer and a musician. I got to experience both and it was quite an experience! When I think of Randy, I don’t just think of one specific quality, I think of all of the qualities, composer, friend, musician, performer, everything about him. And by the time he passed away, oh my God, everything you hear on records, he was beyond that. I was blessed to watch him and realize that while he was still alive by going on stage with him every night.


If you could sum up your experience playing with Ozzy in one word/sentence, what would it be?

I think it was the most significant period in my career. 90% of what I’ve learned about the music industry I got to experience during that time. Experiencing all of that for the first time was just amazing. Amazing. You are somewhat of a legend, having played with so many amazing bands, Ozzy, Quiet Riot, Dio and Whitesnake. You were with many bands during their insanely popular years and were even voted 1983's Top Bassist by the readers of Circus magazine.


What was it like playing with Quiet Riot in the music crazy 80’s?

We were the first band to have a debut album that reached #1, a metal band, on the Billboard charts, that was of incredible significance, especially at a time where we were in the company of albums like Police’s Synchronicity and all of that. Going on tour, that was just an amazing period. “Cum On Feel The Noize” was being played on MTV every half hour, that was just an incredible time. Also, playing the OzFestival, it all was an incredible ride, you know?


Tell me a little about your early beginnings in Florida and the East Coast.

We moved to Miami from Cuba in 1961 and in 1964 we were relocated to New Jersey when the Beatles play on Ed Sullivan. There was definitely a fever going on in that area, New York, New Jersey. The very next day you know, you could see all the kids combing their hair forward. That’s when I really got the fever to play rock . A couple of years later, my parents moved back to Miami, and in those days, there were really no bands, there were kids and every block had a little band, so there were no bass players, just drummers and guitar players, so I volunteered to play bass and ever since that’s what I’ve done. Musically, culturally, once I became a serious bass player, the inspiration and the competition was fierce. In the same circuit, Lil Lee, the bassist from David Letterman, he was one of the guys in the other bands, so again, an incredible inspiration as a bass player and a singer too. You really had to step up to even get a gig around town because so many musicians were so good, so yea I was glad that I was living in Florida. I played the whole Ft. Lauderdale bar scene, which was amazing until disco came in and sort of killed everything (laughs). To me rock is the more definitive expression of freedom, and to me, coming from a communist country, freedom is so precious. Rock defines me as a person who values freedom. Out of all states, being free is the ultimate experience, so Rock to me equals freedom, Rock is the ultimate physical expression.


Between Rock n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, Animetal USA , Dio Disciples and Tred, Rudy is one busy bassist. But his love for rock music and playing this instrument has never waivered once in his life. He continues to be inspired and to inspire others each passing year. The world is extremely lucky to have such a down to earth and amazingly talented performer as Mr. Rudy Sarzo. Thanks again Rudy for taking the time to talk to us and for continuing to bring the world your great music.

 
 
 
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