Is there a better host, I think not!! Eddie Trunk has been in the business for over thirty-five years, interviewed the best of the best in the music industry, he is best known for hosting “That Metal Show” for fourteen seasons on VH1 Classic. On August 17th at the Rainbow Bar and Grill in West Hollywood, California. Eddie Trunk hosted the “Sirius XM Hair Nation Festival” press conference with selected press and some of the artist’s that will be on stage in less than a month at the “Hair Nation Festival”. Among some of the artists attending the press conference for photo ops, audio and video interviews were Lita Ford, Tracii Guns, The Bulletboys, Pretty Boy Floyd, Junkyard, Gabbie Rae, Brent Woods (guitarist for Sebastian Bach).
Music Life Magazine had the pleasure of sitting down with Eddie Trunk to discuss, what he expects to happen hosting the “Hair Nation Festival” Saturday September 17th at Irvine Meadows, Irvine California. Upcoming projects, “That Metal Show”, hosting and being one of the judges, or not?, at the “Sirius XM Hair Nation Battle of the Bands” later this evening at the iconic “Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood California.
You’re hosting the first Hair Nation Festival at Irvine Meadows, Irvine California. Can you give us a rundown of what you expect to happen and what the fans can we expect to see?
Well, what’s going to happen I would hope is a lot of great performances and a lot of great fans and a lot of people. I’m told that there’s going to be more people there than they had in a while so I’m really excited to hear that and I think it should be a great day for the bands and the fans and I am looking forward to it.
Is there any certain part of the festival you are looking forward to?
You know, I’m very lucky that I get to host a lot of events very similar to this all year, in different ways I get to see these bands all the time. I’m really excited to see this happen at Southern California because some of these bands were born here and made their name and reputation here, but for me I see all these guys quite a bit. But ones I’d say I’m looking forward to more or the one’s that I don’t get to see all that often. Curious to see what “Yngwie Malmsteen” does because he doesn’t usually play on bills like this, I’m sure he’s just going to go off as he usually does and maybe some of the bands on the lower end of the bill that don’t play all that often and that will be exciting to see.
Europe has a summer festival season. Over the last few years there’s been a growing trend here in the United States, there’s “Rocklahoma” which you host. “Aftershock” going on its sixth year in Northern California, and we have “Knotfest” in Southern California, which this year it will be “Ozzfest/Knotfest”, to name a few. And in September the “Hair Nation Festival”. How important is it for these festivals to keep the music industry live and well?
I think the festival scene and the growth of it is really, really important. I think that we’re seeing that more than ever with all the bands that are touring and how the different ways bands are touring, you got bands plan cruise ships, you have bands playing corporate gigs, you have bands reuniting, you have bands splitting up, you have all these different ways of people trying to figure out to reinvent their live shows. And I think that’s a by part near fact that a lot of them aren’t selling records,
Tracii Guns: Eddie, you’re too smart.
And you’re seeing L.A. Guns holograms, I heard this year there’s going to be a Tracii Guns hologram?
Tracii Guns: Yeah, that… Not yet… [laughter]
That’s right, everybody wants to do find a way they can stay home and still get paid.
But the reinvention of live and whether their festivals, cruises whatever and where it’s all heading yes. Because it’s unfortunate they couldn’t make any records, or money selling records.
You’ve started the process of writing another book, an autobiography. What made you decide to write your story and not a continuation of “Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal”?
Because I was worried that if I did a third volume of the book the way I was doing them, I was worried that the band pool which starts to get a little too diluted. My second book did very well but not quite as well as the first book because the second book had the next tier of bands in it – not the household names. So, then go to a third tier of those bands, you’ve got another step down in its popularity that just there’s a reason it’s going to draw less interest. So I am aware of that, I don’t want to overdo that formula too much. And the other reason was, is that the thing when I did press for my first two books, the thing that people continually asks me was, “What are you going to do with your book, what are you going to do with your story?” We want to know all the dirt; we want the stories behind the stories. So I figured now, after almost thirty-five years in the business, now it’s time to tell my story. So, this will be a completely different book and it will be the stories and how all these stuff happen and not necessarily so many photos.
You’re a busy man, guest spots, charity events and as we spoke your book, your weekly radio show, “Trunk Nation” on “Sirius XM channel 39. Is there anything else that you’ve been working on?
Yes, as you mentioned, I do two national radio shows a week, “After Show” on FM radio that’s syndicated. And I have this “Sirius XM” show, I have a podcasts that’s free available every Thursday and working on the next book. I’m also currently hosting a series for “AXS TV” called “Reel to Real” done every Tuesday, it’s a documentary film series and I’ve got a really exciting new radio thing that’s getting announced in the next couple of weeks and I’m working on three new TV shows and I’m hoping that somebody picks up “That Metal Show” and I can continue doing that too but that’s out of my control, so we need to find out.
That was my next question. Any new developments on finding a new network for “That Metal Show”?
I don’t know. I don’t honestly own the show, it’s out of my control so honestly I have no idea, there is going to be an attempt to shop it, there is going to be every attempt made to find a new network for it but if that happens, I have no idea and I don’t control it so I don’t know.
Later this evening, you are the host and one of the judges for the “Hair Nation Festival Battle of the Bands, at the iconic Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood California. Seven unsigned bands are competing for two spots to play at the “Hair Nation Festival” on Saturday September 17th. What is it you’re looking for, or what will catch your attention that this band will be a good fit for the festival?
Well, I’ve decided that I’m not going to judge. I have four judges that I picked and they are going to do the judging. I’m going to host and I’ll be running around doing a bunch of different things and I didn’t want it to feel that I didn’t give the bands the attention needed. So as a result, I’m just going to host. So, the judges will make that decision, I’ll be the tie breaker if need be. So, that’s the plan but I think what you’re looking for is the total package, great songs, great performance, great playing but for me first and foremost, great songs.
Thank you very much for your time. Look forward to seeing you host the “Hair Nation Festival”
You’re welcome.
All photos by Tammy Greene
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