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Kelli Jo’s  ‘School of Rock’ brings you an exclusive  and in depth interview of Marty E, Drummer of  NYC’s Premiere Rock and Roll band…..The Dirty Pearls!! Go ahead….. you’ve picked your vein, and get your daily doseage of ROCK. It’s the equivalent of your backstage pass……….   

KJ: So….. in a pretty short time u guys have been making some pretty big waves in Rock and Roll in New York City. Opening for Twisted Sister at the Nokia Theatre? How awesome was that show????

Marty E: It was incredible! 4500 rabid Twisted Sister fans! I mean, shit, I remember walking around the place before we went on, just sort of taking it all in and thinking, “This is soooo cool! Man….these people don’t know who the fuck I am right now…but when they walk out of here, rest assured, they’re gonna KNOW!!” And they did! Hell, we had 14-year-old kids AND their Moms asking for autographs, which is high praise if you ask me…

KJ: So tell us about this movie you were in, Marty…… Hear its something bout Rock and Roll and is coming out soon…….

Marty E: It’s called, ‘The Perfect age of Rock and Roll’… I play a drummer named Bonzo in a fictional band called The Lost Soulz… It Starts Kevin Zegers, Peter Fonda, Jason Ritter, Taryn Manning, Lucas Haas, Jasin Cadic and me… some great cameos too… check it out on imdb.com – should be out in early 2009.

KJ: So it looks like Santa also brought you opening for The NEW YORK DOLLS at Irving Plaza this year! How did that feel in your stocking??

Marty E: Yeah, I mean….the Dolls are probably the most important New York Rock N’ Roll institution ever, in my mind….sure, there’s Kiss, and we played with Twisted Sister, and I’m friends with all kinds of musicians here from a few eras that I respect very much. But the Dolls….they set a standard with playing Rock N’ Roll that was true and real, warts and all….music that came straight from the street, the whorehouse (where they were comped), the clinic, the bar room floor, or your girlfriend’s apartment….and inspired so many in their wake. I mean, I respect a lot of bands, but few got to do what we did, which was open for the Dolls….IN NEW YORK….AND win the crowd over, too….which was an extremely intense and emotional experience….so, all told, it was probably the best Rock N’ Roll party ever, for me…..Plus, Sami Yaffa, the bass player in the current lineup, and a good friend of mine, used to play in Hanoi Rocks, which were another of my all time favorite bands…..so, it was sort if like killing two birds for me, ahahahahaha….

KJ: So your band The Dirty Pearls, and you, Marty have no doubt had a killer year. So what do you think was your biggest, coolest accomplishment of 2008?

Marty E: Well….I’d have to say that breaking the attendance record when we headlined the Bowery Ballroom was a real high (it had been previously set by Amy Winehouse)….that, and opening for the New York Dolls and winning that crowd over at the Fillmore East (Irving Plaza) was the fucking best…..doing that movie was pretty fucking cool….I made a lot of friends….had a drink now and then….had a time or two with some really cool chicks….I mean, to sum it up, 2008 was the year in which I lived the dream the most, and I have high hopes to continue to thrive in 2009…..and beyond….

KJ: When did u know that changing your name and city would change your life?

Marty E; i’ve always used the same name…ahahaha…I started out that way to keep high school girls from calling me when I played in Punk bands in College…..i’d have high school chicks looking me up in the campus directory and calling me at all hours of the night….I had remembered how Eric Avery from Janes Addiction went by Eric A for awhile….so I thought I should do the same….plus, people always butcher the pronunciation of my name anyway, and it pisses me off, ahahahaha….

I knew the first time I came to NYC that I belonged here and could accomplish something fucking great! I because when i went home it was not nearly good enough! NYC continues to this day to be the place where I can be myself the most – someone I like! it really is a beautiful city….and you know, it’s really great to be doing something worthwhile here after coming here almost nine years ago with practically nothing, and having known two people…..like Old Blue Eyes said, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” Well, like I told my family this past Christmas….I’m making it….here….although I’m still pretty fucking broke, ahahahahaha…..

KJ:Beautiful. So what does the E stand for anyway? Give a girl an E clue…….

Marty E: Everything. Electric. Energy…..Thats all you get.

KJ: OK, nevermind then. Don’t ruin the mystique for everybody, Marty……you are killing me.:)

Marty E: I’m watching Oasis at The Garden right now and they are amazing!

KJ: Yeah, well. Um… i gotta Christmas tree and a uh, one of those French vanilla candles? ha. You Love Oasis. I think that is cute.

Marty E: No, just the real shit! They may be assholes, but they are assholes straight from the heart… and they fucking rule! If my life was made into a movie, the soundtrack could consist entirely of Oasis songs, and make perfect sense somehow. I really think they give everything of themselves to their music and their audience,….and that’s what a great band does…..

KJ: When did you pick up your first drum stick and just…. know?

Marty E: i think i was 3 or 4 years old when I got a little tin drum for christmas… it didnt help that one of my brothers was an avid drummer at the time as well….i guess the drums were the root of a sound i found to be powerful and commanding, like great music itself. And i was always a natural…..I found that playing drums was exrtremely fun for me, and consequently, makes me fun for other musicians to play with, which consequently makes us fun for our audience to watch! That being said, I enjoy singing and writing as well, you know? Sometimes, I wonder if I wouldn’t have done better as a lead singer or a guitar player….no matter, though…I think that I’m doing pretty damn well, ahaahahahaha!!! I sing here and there, and am happy holding up the rear, so to speak, and having everyone’s back….or is that the other way around? Ahahahaha…..

KJ: Awesome. so it was never hard?

Marty E: No… not at all. My brother showed me the basics and off i went…what it really comes down to is feeling the music….if you can do that, and have the rhythm in you, and a little bit of creativity and flair, the drums play you….or at least that’s what I think, ahahahahaha….

KJ: did you get good grades in school?

Marty E: yeah.. for the most part. I never reached my potential in that regard though, because I was too focused on other things…..

KJ: Yeah that was a way boring question…

KJ:. Tell me about the Birth of you and your band The Dirty Pearls?? I mean, not like your mom in the hospital and “it’s a boy!” but the coming together of the band and it’s inception.

Marty E: Well…. not too long after I left The Sex Slaves, and Tommy’s old band, Great Jones, broke up…a great Friend gave me Tommy’s number… we drank a few times… he wanted to put a band together, but it didnt really work out at the time.. he was working on getting Johnny B at the time as well….In the meantime, I started playing in The Union Dead and commuting back and forth from Philly playing with them.. and Johnny was doing pretty well in a band called Goodfinger….pretty soon Johnny teamed up with Tommy… and I was looking for another band to play with, here in NYC…I didn’t want to limit myself to playing in Philly once a week, when I could just go down the street…. and I answered Tommy’s “Drummer Wanted” ad on craigslist, not knowing it was his, hahaahahaha.. he made sure i felt like a real nerd for that one!

KJ: I love craigslist.

Marty E: so I went and Jammed, and something clicked.. and something didnt.. because the original bass player and co-guitar player left not too long afterwards ….then the Union Dead fell apart.. Johnny, Tommy and I started writing, and after a long, arduous process, I convinced Richie (Used to play in Drag Citizen) to come in, and Johnny found out about some genius bass player named Dougie who was moving to NYC and we grabbed him.. and WahLAH!

…the crazy thing about it though, is how 5 guys from 5 different corners who weren’t extremely familiar with each other somehow had this wicked chemistry writing songs and playing what we consider to be great Rock N’ Roll together….I mean, like I’ve said before, a band needs to have talent, ambition, brains, looks, and TASTE to do something great, I think….and I think we all have it….so, we’re all very fortunate to have each other, you know? And for me, I couldn’t ask for a nicer bunch of guys to play with, and feel honored the get onstage with them. I think they feel the same way, and I think our audience can tell…..and that, to me, is what the Dirty Pearls are all about – having a great time….so, you know….there are weird coincidences, but no accidents….I did throw my back out the other night though…ahahahahaha….

Marty E: Thats the short abridged version…

KJ: You no doubt know that New York City has always been a place to create a scene. Tell all of the pupils here at KJ’s School of Rock about what is currently happening to the New York City Rock and Roll Scene……

Marty E: 2008 was a year in which Rock N’ Roll really came back to life again in NYC, after a dormant period that lasted a few years. There are a lot of really fucking good bands w/ really cool people happening here again…I’m proud that the Pearls are smack dab in the middle of it, because that’s what it’s all about, really. I really hope it lasts. When bands support each other, it just winds up being a better party for everyone, and it happens more often, ahahahaha. I love checking my friends’ bands out almost as much as I love kicking out the jams with my own.

KJ: Any advice for kids wanting to move to NYC and join a rock and roll band?

Marty E: YES. Spend time learning your instrument first, and learning your own approach and your own style…listen to a lot of different kinds of music, and learn how to appreciate them as much of it as you can; be open minded. And listen to the whole ensemble,,,if you’re a drummer, don’t just listen to the drums; listen to everything, individually, and as a whole….listen to the vocals…the guitars…bass…keys if they’re there…AND the drums….get a knack for what kind of chemistry is going on, the groove, the little nuances….it will make you better in terms of being a versatile and instinctive musician….and don’t just listen to your idols….shit, I LOVED Guns N’ Roses, right? Well, through them, I got into Hanoi Rocks, and through them I got into the New York Dolls and the Damned and Aerosmith….and through all of them, THE ROLLING STONES…..etc….there’s a lot of great music out there, and the more you expose yourself to, the better off you’ll be in so many ways. If someone says it sucks, fuck ‘em,,,,your music is yours….

KJ: Shit… I LOVE those bands too. Especially Guns N Roses. But you know that! Haha….

Marty E: As far as moving to the big city goes….it takes ambition, commitment, and BALLS. Don’t EVER let anyone tell you that you can’t fucking do it. You can, and if you keep your eye on the ball, you will. Don’t fret about the doubters and the haters….you’ll get your last laugh, and won’t have to say a word. Like Steven Tyler said, “See what happens next week.” Save your money…you’ll need it, and it will go quicky…if you’re coming to NYC, sell your car…if you have friends there (wherever you want to go to live your dream), hit them up for tips on where to get a reasonable place to live and/or a job that won’t break your back but will pay the rent….or a band that needs you, for that matter….they will probably help you….that’s how it works….(and when you DO get there, make sure you help your friends coming in behind you, ok?)….

Once you get there, go to shows…check out bands,,,,drink cheap beer….that’s how to make friends…there will be other people at shows doing the same thing you’re doing….be cool, and hang out….if you have a “style” onstage, you should probably make it your style offstage as well….make friends with bartenders,,.(I can’t emphasize THAT enough)…..a wise man once told me that you aren’t gonna find the Dolls in the Village Voice Classifieds section….and more often than not, you aren’t going to find them in fucking Craig’s List either (and if you do, you might already know them, like I did, ahahahaha)….people in NYC and in LA usually will size you up pretty quickly, and will decide if you’re worth checking out in a minute….and you will do the same….so go out and see and be seen….

Be as nice and cool and polite as possible…you never know who you might be talking to….or who they might know….that being said, don’t let anyone fuck with you….ever….and remember, you can almost always avoid trouble without getting hurt…..

Always promote yourself….and be confident.,…as if your life depends upon it…because it does…..failure is not an option….starving a bit, being cold, uncertain, and struggling? Yes,.,,,but never failure…..fuck that….

Blah blah blah, you know, all that shit….

…but what the fuck do I know? ahahahahahaha….

KJ: Any future plans/goals for The Dirty Pearls and 2009??

Marty E: Well, we are really gung ho about continuing to play big shows and having a great time. There’s a LOT in the works. We set the bar high for ourselves…which seems to be working well so far. We have some killer new songs that need to get recorded, and we are very serious about recording a full-length album this year, no matter what. So, we are very excited to see how that all unfolds…so, keep your eye on us…we are heading straight fot the top…and hold on tight, Baby, because we’re taking you with us, ahahahahaha!!!!

“I’m not this way because I’m in a band, I’m in a band because I’m this way!” – David Lee Roth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9_QvLI6lzs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlhMt9naaIs

Check out more of The Dirty Pearls

http://www.myspace.com/martye

http://www.thedirtypearls.com

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3043338/