This week’s interview is with @the_johnny_bee

1. Tell me a little about yourself and how did you get in to drumming: ” I grew up and still live in the quad cities in Illinois. Me and my brother grew up with a dad that was in a band with his brother in the late 70’s early 80’s called the hooker brothers. So I have been around live music and influenced by great classic music for years. When I was 15 my brother was already a killer guitar player and he started to have people come over and jam with him. He taught me how to play guitar so guitar was the fist instrument I learned then his friend brought over a drum kit. After a few days I was curious and sat behind the kit I started playing beats and doing fills like I had been doing it for years. So to sum this up that was it I kept playing and my dad bought me my first pearl export black 5 pc kit and I’ve never stopped since. Self taught I’ve always played by ear I started at 14 and I’m 45 now so wow it’s been a crazy ride. So there’s your answer to questions 1 and 2 lol

2. Can you share some of the weirdest stories while you were on the road?

“Some weird crazy stories on the road well  I joined a band called Waco Jesus a very hardcore grind band I played with them for 13 years. Some Europe stories that were crazy were being in Amsterdam wasted hitting the smoke shops and checking out what we call on the road whack shacks but these are like dirty book store quarter booths with real live sex. Walking in right off the canal in the red light into a store front and paying 3 euro to go into a booth and jerk off while you watch people fucking it was kinda like that Madonna video where she’s dancing and the people’s window goes up and they are watching her but straight porn lol. Getting into fights ,Giant-lines of speed and cocaine were always around plenty of weed and endless alcohol and more killer shows than you could imagine I truly don’t have enough time for em all. One more that was crazy was we drove to New York to play in queens at castle heights metal club with exhumed oct 12th 1 month and a day after 911.We went to ground zero it was still burning they had it all fenced off and the fences had tarps so you couldn’t see through because they were pulling bodies out still we went to this bar and got drunk as fuck and talked to some local New Yorkers and they were super cool saw all on World Trade Center in shambles.”

3. What was the most interesting event that you were in and why?

“the most interesting event that I was in and why would be well how about an event I was at and that would be at a Tom Jones concert in Burlington Iowa around 2000 I’d have to say with my brother Dan. I won the tickets on the radio I always win on the radio for some reason we were working as industrial painters. We got off work I picked up the tickets and we hit a bar in town. Got drunk and headed towards Tom lol. We had some weed with us and burned a few bowls on the way. Got into the venue and then Tom cam out. We were ten rows back with floor seats still in our work clothes standing up 2 fisting beers we were the only people standing up. Everyone in there was 50 to 70 years old I’d say and were looking at us real crazy we have a lot of tattoos etc and had long hair at the time. Tom is about 4 songs in and then he plays it’s not unusual and we lost it we jumped into the main isle started dancing all the way to the stage Tom Jones was wiping off his nipples with woman’s panties they were throwing at him and we were literally right at the front of the stage looking up at Tom he was singing looking at us like wtf as my brother was raising the roof .Needless to say security came and ushered us back to our seats while still dancing they were actually laughing. There was an intermission cause the people there were old lol so we were on a balcony smoking and these old ladies came up and said they were up too watching us and loved it. We got back to our seats Tom fired up what’s new past cat I got into the main isle ran and slid on my knees like footloose and me and my bro started cutting the rug again. Now no one was standing or really dancing for the whole first half after we did this the whole area exploded and got up it was surreal something out of a movie.”

4. Do you have any exciting news or events that you would like to share?

I host a festival called full terror assault in cave in Rick it’s an extreme true open air fest some larger bands that have play would be napalm death, obituary ,overkill, m.o.d, death angel. I could go on and but it’s byob camping and crazy contests hopefully it will be going on this next year in sept some time look up full terror assault on Facebook or Instagram. If you wanna follow me on YouTube it’s John baker aka sleazy b there’s clips of Waco shows and full terror assault clips also look up anything Waco  Jesus the albums I drummed on are filth, Receptive when Beaten, and sex, drugs, and death metal I also jammed with the lizard man in a band called lizard skynard and about 20 other bands in the last over 30 years.”

If you like to learn more about John. The following contact information is below:

Instagram: @the_johnny_bee

Youtube Channel: Johnny Baker aka Sleazy B

Until Next time!