Tales From the Crypt

You may remember Johnny Crypt as the bassist for the '90s band L.A.Guns. (A group that must hold the title for the most frequent band member changes in Rock n Roll.) Since his departure in 1999, Johnny has been quite busy. His latest musical effort is a project called PLaZMaHoLiX. I caught up with Johnny via email and discussed his musical background, his days in L.A. Guns, his new project and everything else in between. Check it out

OK, the requisite, getting-to-know-you stuff. Where are you living?
I'm living in southern Cali.

Any current projects going on?
I have a thing I work on from time to time called PLaZMaHoLiX

Who are you currently working with?
I'm not working with anyone right now. I've taken a break from bands.

Will you be hitting the road anytime soon?
There are no plans to tour.

How would your describe your current style of music?
It really varies for me. I learned to play guitar to rock stuff like Zeppelin and KISS, but I find myself listening to Manson, NIN and Rob Zombie. So when I write it can be anything from a rock song to industrial mayhem.

What do you do for fun?
I chill with my wife, we go for drives down the coast, or will go away for the weekend, stuff like that.

Into the Porn scene?
If you mean do I download a lot of porn the answer is yes :)

What Web sites do you frequent?
Mostly stuff that has to do with me making music on the computer. You know, sample sites, etc. ...

What bands are you into?
Marlyn Manson is God. I listen to Rob Zombie, N.W.A., Sly and the family Stone, James Brown. Basically I'll listen to anything that's good.

Any special interests besides music?
I'm going to school to get a bachelors degree in Information Technology. Then probably get Microsoft certified.

Any interest in underground films?
Not that I could name any, but again anything that's done with any sort of conviction of passion I usually like. So perhaps you could suggest some if you are into them.

What do you think about currently trendy Electronic/Techno music scene?
I really love the electronic/techno stuff, actually more than rock. I like when bands combine hard electronic/techno and heavy guitars.

What's your take on the Rap/Hardcore scene?
Again, another love of mine. I think Straight Outta Compton has to be my all time fave. I was listening to run DMC back in the early '80s when they first came out. I really like how that style of music has
evolved.

I'm sure you're aware of the current "Hair Bands" revisited trend going on right now. A lot of people think it's major milking of the 30-somethings who bought the records in the '80s. How do you feel about it?
Yes, I believe that's exactly what it is.

How did you get into music?
I started playing guitar seriously when I was 16 (messed around with it since I was 6).
A couple of friends from high school and I put a band together and started learning KISS songs. Those days were really fun, playing music for the sheer love of playing music.

What was the first band you were in?
Hmmm ... when I was 8 I was a drummer in a band called Riley's Raiders .. hahaha. We used to play to Partridge Family records and pretend we were famous. We played in the backroom of our house in south Philly. My first real band was called Ambush ... wow, huh?

What did you get from that experience?
There's nothing like the first band or first few bands. This is the time when you discover just how much of a powerful influence music has on everyone.

What is the best band or project you were involved in?
Probably Guns, definitely pro players that's for sure, always a treat to hear Tracii and Steve play. Besides that, my favorite band was Boneyard.

What time frame were you in L.A. Guns?
From 1995 to 1999

Do you still talk to any members of the Band?
No.

During your time with Guns, did you actually enjoy being in the band?
Yes I did, I enjoyed it immensely. It's an experience I'll always treasure.

You originally played guitar for L.A. Guns but switched to bass. Do you like playing bass as much as the guitar?
Bass was a totally freeing experience for me. I had no references like I did on guitar, in other words I didn't learn anyone else's licks, so it was wide open. I got to play bass like a guitar player, and since I've always wanted to be a drummer it was even better. Bass is kind of a percussive instrument, so there I was nested between Steve and Tracii. Another thing that was cool was, Steve plays drums like I would, so each of us could kinda tell what the each was going to play.

Why did you leave the band?
I think it had run its course. They wanted to put the original lineup together and do a record. I think perhaps someone thought they could recapture something, I don't know. But I decided at that point to leave.

How do you feel about free music on the net?
Music on the net is a great thing. The only people complaining about it are the people that have already made it in the music industry. Go figure.

My hope is that there will be another main source for music other than MTV.
The Internet has just begun to scratch the surface. How do you feel about MTV today?
MTV has to pay its bills, it has programs targeted toward a younger audience. They pretty much did what they had to do, there's still good stuff on MTV, it's just not the same as it was in the beginning.

Do you Vote?
The only time I ever voted was on this last election. I will never do it again, I think the way everything went down was BS.

Eva Dark ( evadark@toosquare.com