Tales from the Stage is Michael Toney's sophomore book, which features fifteen interviews with some big names. Tales goes beyond the stage to look at personal lives, backstage and every other facet of the lives of some of the biggest personalities in heavy metal. It's entertaining and deeply personal- I loved the interview with Tim "Ripper" Owens. Worth a read for every fan of heavy metal, Tales can be purchased from www.talesfromthestage.com.
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PG: Hello Michael! Congratulations on the publication of your book, Tales from the Stage! You mentioned in the preface you wrote this book during a stint of unemployment- where did you get the idea to undertake such a book?
MT: Hello back, Pit Goddess! Have you ever wanted to do something really bad, but just didn't have the time to do it due to your work schedule? When I lost my job, it was important to me that I did something worthwhile during my downtime. Hard rock/metal music has always been a passion, so it just made sense. I never thought it would blow up the way that it did, though!
PG: You also mention you were unable to include any interviews from bassists, haha! Do you have any theories about why?
MT: Oh, man. I tried. I really did. I don't have a therory on that, but they were impossible! Michael Anthony, David Ellefson, Juan Croucier, Robbie Crane. They just weren't into the idea at the time. Keep in mind that I told them that I would be grilling them for over an hour on a bunch of personal and professional issues. I learned that statement alone tends to turn people off, but I needed to forewarn everyone that it wasn't going to be a normal 15 minute interview! |
| Tim Ripper Owens (from talesfromthestage.com) |
PG: What kind of feedback has Tales received so far?
MT: Everything has been incredible! People are amazed at how most of the participants lead such normal lives, but are so honest about their past. We have sold books in 18 counties, and our fan base continues to grow. Over 3 dozen reviews have been published on the book, and they have all been amazing. Tales is basically 15 biographies in one book, so the metal fans worldwide are eating it up!
PG: Have you always been into heavy metal? What are some of your favorite bands?
MT: Metal became very important to me in 1980. I play drums, and it was awesome playing along to my favorite records at the time. Now I prefer the less commercial stuff. Armored Saint, Kill Devil Hill, Alter Bridge, DC4, and old WASP are some of my favorites that I listen to consistently.
PG: How did you decide who to interview? Was there anyone you really hoped to feature, but couldn’t include?
MT: First and foremost, I hoped to interview some of the artists that I grew up listening to that weren't real commercial. The first two guys I approached were Jeff Duncan from Armored Saint and Jay Reynolds from Malice/Metal Church. Once they agreed to do the book, I had a little confidence and momentum behind me and secured Chris Holmes from WASP, Bruce Kulick from Kiss, Ripper Owens, and Eddie Trunk. It was pretty easy after that. My dream interview would be Jake E. Lee. Ironically, I know Jake and even visited with him about participating, but he is a very private guy. Hopefully he'll agree to being in a future volume.  |
| Brian Tichey featured with Tales. (From www.talesfromthestage.com) |
PG: Did you have a favorite interview? Were any of the interviews particularly revealing or personal for you?
MT: Man, I loved them all. They were all a blast to research and to interview. I thought that Chris Holmes was incredibly revealing, and most people agree with that assessment. Ron Keel and Brian Tichy will shock some people. Ron tells some great stories about Black Sabbath and working with Yngwie Malmsteen, and it seems Brian has played with every metal band out there. If you need laughs, Paul Shortino's interview is a riot! It's hard to single out just one interview, as there is so much information in each one.
PG: What was the most challenging thing about the project? The most rewarding?
MT: The most challenging thing was securing the photos, and getting the appropriate permissions. I worked with a lot of semi-pro, and amateur photographs who gave me some incredible stuff. I enjoyed working with all of them, but it was challenging. The most rewarding thing has been to get emails from fans across the globe. Some tell me that the book has changed their life, and the way they look at the music industry. It's always awesome to hear someone say "I never liked Tracii Guns till I read your book. Now I think he's awesome!" That happens with several of the artists on a consistent basis, and it's always cool!
PG: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in writing about metal music and metal musicians?
MT: Do it for the love of the music, with no intent of making money from it. If you end up making a few bucks from it, bonus! If not, hopefully you learned a lot about the process, made a couple friends that you would have met otherwise, and are further ahead now than you were prior to writing the book.
PG: Do you have a volume 2 in the works?
MT: Yes! We'll start the process for Volume II in December/January. My guess is that it will be out in August 2013. |
| Betsy Bitch and her copy of Tales! (from Talesfromthestage.com) |
PG: Where can people get the book?
MT:www.talesfromthestage.com We ship all orders priority mail the day you order. You'll have the book 3 days, or less after you order. Also, our website contains a bunch of great content. Book excerpts, book reviews, interview spotlights, and our latest feature; Video Interviews. When I see the guys from the book in person, which is fairly regularly, I'll do a quick 3-4 minute interview with them serving as an update. Eddie Trunk, Oz Fox, Ron Keel and others are currently featured. They are very entertaining, and have some great content on them, so I hope people will check them out.
PG: Thanks for your time! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
MT:I just appreciate you talking with me, and hope that your fans will check out Tales from the Stage. I promise that they will be thoroughly entertained and educated by it!
