KLIP:
What was the first album you ever bought?
Klip: This is an often asked question. My first album was a choice between Sly and the
Stones Greatest Hits and the Beach Boy’s Endless Summer greatest hits collection. It
was very agonizing, I couldn’t afford both, a lot of hits on both albums I wanted, but I went
with the Beach Boys.
Was there ever a moment when you kind of realized… “wow, I finally made it”?
Klip: You know there’s all kinds of moments… the first time you play to a crowd, the first
time someone sings along with your song, the first time someone recognizes you, the first
time you get a record deal. You know... all kinds of things.
What do you look for in a backstage Betty?
Klip: A lot of heavy drinking. You know liquor is quicker. But I also like the girls that are
really into the music. You can always tell when people are real music lovers and they
want to talk to you about it. I like when they're just curious about stuff, curiosity is good for
people. There's nothing worse then people that don't listen or that don't seem curious.
You taught your Tenacious D bandmateJack Black how to play guitar, have you taken
Darryl under your wing as well?
Klip: JR was a lost cause, he fancied himself a bass player for about five minutes. That
was the actual Trainwreck; JR on bass. But he’s got some cha-risma and the ladies like
him, so I’ll just put him up front and he’ll be my puppet… he will be my sex puppet!
It seems Jack has been very supportive of the Wreck, did he initially harbor any anti-
side-project sentiments?
Klip: No, no, no… no, I mean he keeps really busy too, so I think he understands that it’s
fun to work and do different things, so you know it’s not a big deal.
Do you have any good psycho fan stories?
Klip: They definitely come around. The thing I notice about them is how similar the psycho
fans can be, it’s almost like they went to psycho fan school or something. They usually
have the same weird glazed look and kind of get in your face a little bit. But the only one I
can think of is the mother-daughter team, they followed us to the hotel and wanted some
mother-daughter action. The mom was missing some teeth and I think the girl was about
16. It just didn’t feel quite right… didn’t feel quite right.
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DARRYL:
If you could tour with any band, who would it be?
Darryl: Right now... Kings of Leon or Eagles of Death Metal. Or all-time choice.. maybe the
Allman Brothers. Those dudes knew how to ride the road…and I feel akin-like asthetic to
them.
Do you ever worry that some of the Wreck's humor is lost when you tour the southern
states?
Daryl: What's interesting is that's where the mullets show up, and one of our biggest fan
bases, is in Oklahoma City… we were like the Beatles last time we went thru there...
what's I hope is fun about us is that we are embraced in our characters with sincerity and I
think that's cuz we celebrate it, we're not commenting or making fun of the southern
culture… we're all about it. I have spent considerable time in the Ozarks of Arkansas
where my mama lived just outside Fayetteville and so, I for one gots the south in me.
Have you ever found yourself intimidated by any of the mullets you've encountered in
your travels?
Darryl: I have, but those are the doods that usually give me props on my coiffure... I also
seek the eyes of a mulleted fan and I give him the brethren nod of appreciado... but yeah,
we have seen some amazing versions of la mullet... saw one dude with a skunk -striped
one, that was eggtremely bahdass.
If you could bar one band or musician from being heard within 100 miles of a major
city, who would it be?
Darryl: John Tesh
Where does Darryl Donald go for musical inspiration?
Darryl: I go to classic rock. There are a few newer bands that I appreciate like Kings of
Leon are kickin my arse right now.. and I like Guided by Voices, My Morning Jacket,
Radiohead, Built to Spill, Pavement, The Pixies… but when all else leaves me feeling
empty or under satiated, I head to classic rock—Beatles, Zep, Clapton, Velvet
Underground, Sabbath, ELO, Hall and Oates, Air Supply, Kenny Loggins…ya know the
classics…
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JOHN B. SHREDMAN & BOY JOHNNY:
So how did you guys hook up with Trainwreck?
Shreddy: We met Klip and Daryll in Columbus, Ohio when they came through town to play.
Knowing that they couldn’t do it alone, they had to call upon the help of the best Columbus
had to offer… US.
Boy Johnny: I was working at a restaurant called "Max & Erma's". I quit to go see
Trainwreck play in Cleveland. I think they liked my unfounded level of commitment so
early on, so I was asked to join after original bassist, Chester Schlemanski fell ill to a rare
strain of polio.
Do things get musically competitive between you guys?
Boy Johnny: We've discovered new ways to deal with our competitive nature on stage.
Sometimes Shreddy will be taking a solo, and I will whisper in his ear as he's playing, and
I say: dude, I hate you. I think sometimes it messes him up.
Shreddy: Sometimes I’ll "conveniently" spill my beer in the "Boy Johnny dance zone" just to
see what happens. It’s all in good fun though.
How'd you guys first get into music?
Shreddy: It was just always around me when I was growing up. My parents introduced me
to all different kinds of music at a very early age. Like pre-birth. Then guitar just seemed
coolest to me when it was time to learn an instrument. I thank Slash for that.
Boy Johnny: My dad is a drummer, and my mom is a pianist. They made me do it. It was
very convenient that I ended up loving to do it. I started on the piano when I was learning
how to walk, then the drums in elementary school. Then I picked up guitar when I saw
Wayne’s World in 5th grade.
A lot of people bitch about living in Los Angeles, how do you guys feel about it?
Shreddy: Well, being a man of excess, I thoroughly enjoy the physically enhanced people,
and the abundance of places to satisfy vices... whatever they may be.
Boy Johnny: I love the traffic and stinky bums
Do you guys ever get homesick at all?
Boy Johnny: No, Shreddy and I are making a strong effort to just transplant everything we
liked in Ohio to LA.
Is that a lot?
Shreddy: Yeah, like house parties, waffle houses, good corn, vast flat fields suitable for
farming, you know, that kind of thing.
What do you do to pass the time on the road?
Boy Johnny: I like to listen to music that the rest of the band thinks is gay, so I use my drive
time as an excuse to do that.
Do you have a particular favorite for that?
Boy Johnny: Michelle Branch… that drives them crazy.
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