Dave Abbruzzese on drumming for Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder, joining Guns N Roses & more!

the rock and roll and coffee show is brought to you by writers and Rockers Coffee Company keeping the music and memories alive with some damn good coffee be sure to pick up your rock and roll and coffee show coffee only at writers and rockers coffee.com and also brought to you by retroactive located at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach South Carolina keeping you retro with everything from 70s 80s and 90s Sho retroactive tocom it's the rock and roll and Rocky show yeah with Jo [Music] i s I actually saw you in Florida on I laa paloa I think it was 1992 is yeah yeah I saw you guys in maybe Orlando might have been Orlando yeah that was a good show that was fun show yeah that was one of your first big shows right or were you on tour before that uh no we were on tour before that done some we had toured with the peppers um when I was in pram for the laip thing and in the state and we were doing some you know it started off like 5,000 and then as we blew up and they blew up and smashy P blew up uh we were playing bigger shows few years at Palace we did together with Nana and then a couple other shows those were 25 5,000 and then um we did pink pop already at that point which was 5,000 so yeah we'd already we'd already kind of popped our proverbial large crowd Cherry at that point so yeah yeah was such a treat what a great summer yeah I remember that show was you guys and sound garden was there I believe uh and Ice Cube and Jesus Mary Chain and Lush and Ministry and Ice Cube was awesome man it was just great that was great probably the one of the I mean everybody that I'm still in touch with I mean we every time that that comes up or there's a photo we all every one of us it's like a knee-jerk reaction wow that was great summer you know but for Pearl Jam it was an incredible summer I mean we played for 30 35 minutes at 2 in the afternoon because we signed on before up so I mean it was awesome it was like go you know give it all you got and then you had the whole rest of the day to steal boats and go fishing and watch other bands hang out yeah did you do a lot of documenting back then did you take a lot of photos and stuff you know I was blessed with um parents that taught me at a young age to pay attention you know that if stuff sucked pay pay attention because you'll learn from it and it stuff's fantastic pay attention um because you'll want to remember it you know and um and so you know I still to this day nine times out of 10 if I hear a crowd noise I know girl Jam crowd back better or not you know um I remember every show uh but and on that tour um before that tour had happened you know we'd already sold a bunch of records and uh we were in Sony's very good braces so they had they were given us full of [ __ ] like um uh you know all a sudden before laa they they gave us all the state-of-the-art and you know they were back then the high a tape you know little handy cams uh and I carried a camera around a lot and so yeah we were we were documenting a lot of [ __ ] that's fun that's fun yeah it was great it was really great great now it now let's go back a little bit um you had mentioned your parents were they pretty supportive of your decision to go into the music business oh man I mean first of all you got to understand you're talking about rummer parents you know they were supportive uh before I mean they were supportive of me expressing myself with with sticks you know on a very loud instrument in my teenage and younger bedroom just you know and the fans practiced there and everything so they were incredibly I don't know if supportive is the right word patient and tolerant yes foremost and understanding and um a little oblivious and you know there's a whole lot of stuff there um but in that in that it all I guess sums up to be uh that's you know that yeah they were supportive you know when I was a kid um I had informed them that you know that I wanted I I I you know this is what I wanted you know I saw the band Triumph remember Triumph Rock sure um I saw them at Union Arena and one particular time you know I'd already been bitten by the bug I got to touch Angus Angus Young's leg Back in Black tour one of my first concerts ever went to got his leg you know yeah he we walked around I jumped over the the rail on the floor and Brian John was caring around and I touch his leg and I saw Ted Nan a bunch of times and and you know Van Halen and and I mean you know incredible incredible uh time at late 70s early 80s time saw journey and and Warner and all these great bands um but at this one particular show of Triumph Gil Moore the drummer had his Kick Drum going on his ball kit and the lights came up and there was 12 and a half thousand people all fisted in the air you know and I was at about midcourt uh at the arena and I just look around I remember that voice in my head that is actually my voice saying loud I want that I so I let them know you know I mean I think they already knew because it's all I did um between you know baseball and and drumming and and I let them know that you know I felt like I could always go back I'm get sorry uh I could always go back to school and stuff excuse me but I wanted to I want grow and uh you know the way I put it to him was that I could always re-evaluate my life I'm 25 this is a 12 13 year old kid talking I can always reevaluate my life and go back to school and stuff but I've got to give a shot and um and I remember calling uh you know right around the eve of my 25th birthday uh I was one of the headliners in front of 2 200 people with all of my my heroes Terry bosio Lou bson Jinger Baker all these guys um headlining the modern drummer festival and I called my folks up I said well what you know yeah yeah yeah I think it did yeah so in that you know um but I really you know I didn't know what I was really getting into none of my family or friend nobody was in the industry or anything I just I just had to play almost do it you know was the only time I I felt connected to anything or even myself when I was now and the way you found yourself into Pearl Jam was I thought pretty interesting because Matt Chamberlain you knew him right how did you guys know each other um well Matt and I we didn't really know each other at the time we knew of each other um he was in a a founding member of a really great band uh called Ten hands which you know I kidnapped a couple of M of ten hands uh my green romance Orchestra project after bam but um they were to me the most incredible Vocal Band in the Dallas area you know um Earl Harbin another great drummer Mike Dylan and Matt Earl were just incredible you know and um Gary Mueller played the Chapman Stick which was new on the scene and played it so well it was just such an intense rhythmic uh entertaining and musical band and Matt got taken out of that band and went on tour with Edie recel andian and so when Matt split to go off with Edy uh he was doing a lot sessions with a producer called name dve Castell and so all of a sudden there was boy and Dave started calling me so you know it was kind of like I was following where Matt's where Matt left his Footprints I was you know kind of stepping in his in his uh in his place and um he was on tour with Pearl Jam they just hired him you know the Dave cruisen and Van parted ways and they hired Matt they had this this uh showcase been going on and [Music] um Matt while they were in New York got asked to join the G Smith band for Saturday Night Live and that was more aligned with what he wanted to do with his his career and uh so he was back in Dallas and he was Mike Dylan um and they were to Bar a bar and my band uh the band I was in Dr tongue we were playing that night and they just happened to come in and uh you know Matt was like he's kind of in the spot he's like he was talking to Mike about leaving PE Jam gig he didn't want to leave them hanging so they're kind of like who who could I recommend and Mike pointed out what about Dave you know because we were have playing and so uh you know it's a funny story because that night on the way home my snare drum bounced out of the back of my Ranchero I stopped at a stop like my snare drum [ __ ] and and at that point you know I had been playing since I was a little kid and I just felt like I kind of felt like you know I played it out I didn't know where else to go I mean the guys I was playing with to me were the top of the game and they were the guys I wanted to play with but again we didn't have any you know um Illuminati connections or uh parents in the industry or anything so I remember getting home and you know I made my 50 bucks from the gig and I knew it was going to cost me more than that to replace the two symbols I broke trying to impress Mike and Matt and my snare drums just rolled across [ __ ] hot you know I like man and it was the first time in my life that I had um instead of setting my drums up in my little onecar sand floor garage where we rehears I stacked him up in the corner of the living room I sat there and I sat that maybe I'm this this is you know I I just couldn't see any way to break through to the next level and I just kind of thought you know yeah maybe it's time and um the next day uh the phone bill was due and it was like I was like $4 short and I had sold my bike bicycle I was still four bucks short friend of mine bought my last joint for $3 and I found the rest of it in the couch cushions and I walked the place and I paid my phone bill and when I was walking back home when I got to the uh front yard starting up the sidewalk step I heard the phone read the phone and I went in and I picked it up and it was ma hey man you know you want to check out the F program but it was that close to like you know I mean that for the first time I decided eh and then you know again that all those chain of events the next morning and paying my phone bill and then you know as soon as I if anything would have been different I call but Matt had uh called Dave Castell and got my number and then called and asked me if I'd be interested in checking the band out wow so you were this close to Hanging it up yeah man yeah but you know that might not have lasted you know but that's how yeah I mean it but but everything could your trajectory could have been totally different yeah if I would have if I wouldn't have sold that juie if I would have smoked it instead of going to pay the phone bill you know whatever it was it's amazing how how how things work and you know and it um yeah I remember that feeling of like you know when I hung up the phone and I thought first I thought [ __ ] is yeah mother love what I don't I don't know anything about that because you're in Texas and they're in Seattle right well yeah and it just wasn't my kind of thing it wasn't the kind of music I listen to um I remember when sound garden had come through Dallas you know um but I just thought they had a cool name I never heard you know what I mean it was just I was just I was more into local music and sappa and uh you know Parliament and you know I was getting all these all these these guys Doug Neil and Robert Cooper and and uh you know Joey Ellis and Brian to these and and my friend John Anders they were all turning me on all this music um and and just yeah I was way off so how okay after you got that phone call how soon did you head out to Seattle oh man um I mean was it fairly quickly or it was fairly it was fairly quickly yeah they were in a rush for sure I mean they were checking out auditioning different people and all that um yeah Pat melato played with them um for a minute bunch of different but um yeah I went up few weeks later and and at that point you know I wasn't really that thank I wasn't really that into I wasn't really um I wasn't very even really excited about it um you know I I tried to make it through the 10 record when I was listen or the demo or the the cassette they sent me the learn the songs and at one point I actually called and uh and asked Eddie and Jeff if they wanted to learn you know to come up play the songs as they were on set and if they would have said yes I would I would have said no I wasn't really you you didn't like it that much I mean I it took me I mean it was I didn't even yeah it was years I was in the band for years before I actually listen to a full song off yeah so so when you got there you guys just started jamming and you just did your own thing to those yeah they said they said just just come up and let's just Jam okay so we went out went up and um I was playing on maxit and that's what um because he had left drum set up there and we just yeah we played and hung out and uh didn't really mess with the songs like every once in a while play but yeah then it was on on a on a I was supposed to go back home on Saturday and on Thursday uh we were leaving the rehearsal room and I asked Edie I said so you know when I leave here am I going to know I've got gig or and he said well I think we're GNA check out a couple other people and and I went back to uh room I was staying in and I thought that doesn't sit well with me so when I woke up the next day I had called the management office um and I was going to tell Kelly that you know that I was going to split you know because it was to me it wasn't was wasn't wor hanging around another two days um if they were auditioning other people I didn't want gig because the other people weren so I called the office and he answered the phone he said hold on a second and then he got back on the phone and said um how soon can you be back with the pH so again like that close you know and so I uh I went back and a week later I was on my way uh to Seattle with a 24 foot truck with the drum set in the back of it oh man so when you when you made that move up there um the Seattle scene at that time was pretty close knit scene wasn't it were were all those bands pretty close but I mean because you're coming from out of town jumping into that how did that like my first day when I the first day I arrived in Seattle for the audition um I mean the office uh of Pearl Jam management and like on one end of the office 207 and a half dur street it's like go up a three story walk up and on one end was Kelly Curtis on the other end was Susan silver Susan managed sound garden Kelly managed Pearl Jam and both managed Alice Chains together also on the floor were uh Screaming Trees uh management and you know all these various Seattle bands they were all in that same room one big open room uh with a couple offic J and I mean yeah it was it was amazing like my first day arriving I'm going up stairs I had gotten off the plane and I was about an hour early for the meeting and so I fxed about Pioneer Square and then when I was going up the stairs this really you know just this like a sprightly cute girl was coming down and halfway down our path crossed and she just punched me in the stomach just out of nowhere pow yeah and was gory um who's uh Lane Staley's girlfriend and um yeah she socked me in the stomach and then laughed her ass off and it was just like wow welcome to Seattle and um you weren't laughing oh yeah I was it was just it was so unexpected and the sound that I made cracked me up but um funny you know yeah it was it was close snit and and it was a trip you know mean we when we left on our tour I mean everybody else uh Alice was heading out with Van Halen and town garden was going out I mean everybody was going at the same time so the office was just crazy you know uh everybody coming and going and getting so you know it was a trip it was such a fastpaced thing that it's almost like we all didn't have a whole lot of time to think about it just we were just jumping in with with both be and going and and then you know it was always great like you know the next time uh I saw like Sean Kenny and and those guys from Alice were in uh New Orleans you know and it was just you know it's just like we would run into each other on the road and it was always awesome uh you know and like we had made made it a point a few times shows of sound guard and then of course we did P all OFA thing so it was cool yeah it was it was a close s Community um but you know even if I would have been there years it it would have been the same because uh even though it was close-knit it was very kind of inverted group no one no one was very extroverted kind of you know yeah and nobody nobody was big at this time right this was before you anybody broke yeah yeah I saw down Garden were the Elder state you know well I saw Allison Chains with Van Halen on that tour and uh cool huh it's cool but at the time nobody really know who they were and they were getting booze you know did did you guys run into that same kind of situation too or or were you accepted right away pretty much um we fought for it part I mean that's the reason the only reason I I kind of like what the [ __ ] about the Rock Hall of Fame thing fact that the fact that when we went out I mean we went out with you know a quarter of a million dollars worth of debt try to pay off and no promise of anything no promise um and it's it is like you know the record label wanted us to go out with uh Azie Osborne because he's also an epic said no to that that's probably a good choice said not to that yeah it just didn't make any sense to us and we 14 of us in a 15 passenger van you know and uh the Chili Peppers asked us to jump in front of them for 30 minutes T night for 500 bucks a show and I mean we borrowed money from our manager brother because he said no to Azie the record company they weren't giving us any support at all we the first record came out under developmental de anyway you know like handshake so um our first tour I mean we were there were nights we played you know five place and there was play 250 club and there was know and but we from the moment our we first played together um and it was unspoken we just busted ass and every town that we played every show that we played it was literally that you know it would be like who are they and then be these little and and it was really amazing because you can actually physically see things changing when we first went to Europe our first show in London was Esplanade which was you know two 500 place but there was line around the building that that um but yeah we you know we were in Victoria Canada and I remember Jeff saying you know that you know we we really the record was was just about to come out or it had just come out like and it was like we got to sell at least 20,000 you know I mean that's where we were at start and we just played our asses off and when we got with the chili peppers and he wouldn't touch the video nothing was happening and we just worked our ass off and and and you know it just got to where I mean you could slowly see it happening and then the day that our t-shirts outf the Chili Peppers t-shirts in merchandise that's like okay it's going well something was happening yeah yeah yeah and then and like radio wasn't touching the music and MTV wasn't and then uh you know this the album sales were following us around show we did the next day um record company was getting orders recorded and before you knew it MTB didn't have a choice but to play radio didn't have a choice to play because we broken that threshold where they had to pretty amazing you know considering we we did two two we had two videos one of them was a live recording black and white second video out was another live show and that just wasn't doing that at the time at all yeah at all that's interesting to hear that story because I have a lot of uh people from The Rock scene prior to you you know from the 80s early 90s I have a lot of those guys on this show and they hearing their story of when you guys came onto the scene it's interesting to hear your story from your point you know you guys took over that scene yeah well it took us it took us a long time and it was a lot of work work um and it was a trip because we were playing you know three shows day off five shows day off seven shows day off for almost two years know um and so we didn't you know and at the same time we we sold a couple million albums we were still only paying ourselves 400 bucks a month you know uh so we didn't really feel like we were taking over anything you know we were just working we're just working yeah interesting yeah it was cool yeah so once you guys did hit get that success I mean how did that affect you personally did it a couple years later we're not there yet Dave um no it it didn't change much I mean again we were just working really hard and um you know my girlfriend Sherry um you know at the time she uh she worked for the band and and you know I I got this little modest house and used car and um you know I was able to pay off some friends bills and [ __ ] like that you know but it didn't really I think the only thing that changed was like you know if I wanted to get a tattoo on my face I could I didn't feel like I was going to have to out yeah yeah how how about the other guys did did it affect them um yeah yeah you know that was the it was yeah very much so you know it was an interesting thing you know and it's an interesting thing to see and and to to feel I mean you know it's like when you're working so hard towards something group people and you're struggling together um you know you you you're a tribe you're working towards the same thing and all of a sudden you know there was the ability for to live where they wanted to live how they wanted to live and do what they wanted to do as individuals and the first thing I noticed was that you know the um you know I mean the band we were such different individual um but when we were behind our instruments and together such an easy and unified Thing music came easy the uh the work wasn't work even though we were all killing ourselves we were working so well as a unit that it supported that it was like everything that I put in every time I broke a finger or whatever I was get it was like it was worth know from for what I was motivated by or what I wanted to do um and how I felt about things like all the sacrifices worth it all the reward deserve so um but then there came a time I mean you know I I remember doing an interview with Eddie where during the interview I was like you know it was like was so drastic from uh there was just so many different Dynamics and it was so drastic and I remember afterwards you know I I was like what the [ __ ] was that his response was I just [ __ ] but it was really just uh you know it was like we all had to develop our our shell I guess our our way of protecting ourselves from whatever it was everyone was always asking us at the time like how are you dealing with pressure how do you find the pressure of and it was like me I didn't pressure more pressure on myself than than I would allow anyone else know so I actually felt like the pressure know this ain't [ __ ] compared to pressure I felt like I was up trying to feed myself you know like know I'm I spent my whole life you know uh develop muscles you know and the ability to to to do what I do and I work so hard to get to a point where I could just say wow this is what I do you know and I can have a healthy and happy life and do things for people I care about take care of myself because of what I've always wanted to do so I you know to me the pressure had already happened but um it's different for different people you know and Persona is something of to me I didn't really feel like I had I didn't have walls around my house you know I people would come up take pictures in the windows you know we put up the stuff that made it to where if you took a picture in the window of my house it just reflected the camera back to you you know it was like but but I didn't put up walls when people would come up and you know be standing in the street I'd invite him up and cook him [ __ ] salmon you know what I mean it was like to me it was it was it was not a trip but other people in the band um it was it you know they had their own thing and and Persona isn't enough to defend yourself you know it's just yeah I'm trying not to say anything too mean about but what it comes down to is people you know um there was a point where Eddie had to be Eddie and and everyone else you know uh had to let is that is that when you first noticed that your relationship with him was starting to you guys are starting to separate um I always respected Eddie as a as a as a singer excuse me and um as a performer all that stuff you know I mean incredible um but you know I never really you know you know felt like he was all that genuine and and and I you know um it's like we could connect when it was two of us but when anyone was around I felt like and so um when it did finally come down to where again excuse me um that came out uh you know it's like was the only one that didn't roll my eyes at some of the [ __ ] I said why you know all that stuff and so it was just kind of one of those things um but yeah it was just I never expected that anyone would would mess with what we had going as far as interally you know and I certainly never thought that that man cowardly enough to not stand up try to keep the B froming yeah yeah well going into recording verses that was your first time with well not the first time in the studio because you recorded a few songs with them before but the first album with yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah and to me it was uh you know I mean we spent you know we got off the road and we spent a few months uh kind of woodshedding which was me and stone showing up early and and him playing riffs and me playing along and then the guys coming in and and us just jamming rering it and the way we did the ver record we left it open you know um we didn't really finish song we got great ideas and were determined that then got the studio we would finish him then uh keep fresh you know that can be expensive no no nah no we wake up at 10:30 in the morning we'd start recording um you know a lot of that record in my headphones click track and when I felt like I played the song well I've SE over bike and say that was song by dinner time they over it was pretty quick I mean even Eddie worked really quick lyrically that was the slowest part of the record was but but still I mean a lot of bands know the tracks are done and months later still working on lyrics but no we were in the studio for a couple of months and record done didn't you guys switch Studios for that record did you move no no we went from gallery of Potato Head uh which was our little 7 foot ceiling rehearsal space in the basement of an art gallery in Seattle uh we went from there to nasio San Rafel or you know North Center the vitology record did kind of okay okay yeah I thought I thought in the during verses isn't that where you went and you like loved it it was like paradise and then Eddie did not like it well and that was the thing about you know Eddie's trip where somebody had asked me what I thought about know I think it was Cameron Crow actually I thought look at this place incredible you know was beautiful and um you know I didn't know we were supposed to be upset about that but I mean it was Northern California Springtime [Laughter] incredible and I think I don't think Eddie you know it just like everything else back then you know um cover of a magazine cover mag you know way it was so but yeah no it was a beautiful place um but the definitely the polarization of of Eddie and I started at that point know it's kind of nurtury could see it like you know everyone else was just doing what they did and on one hand someone would say what do you think and it's like [ __ ] this place great course Ed like oh you know uh oh how can you write a rock record in a place like well we sure did you know not to mention that 10 record was done at Bridge Farm which talk about over the toop incredible place I but no one no one asked Eddie in an article what he thought about that yeah yeah well I think versus was your best record I think you brought another Edge to the band with your playing and I think that continued on to vitology and then soon soon as you were out of the band in my opinion I think they lost that edge again although 10 is a great record it just didn't have that energy that you added to it no 10 was 10 was a a great record um and Jim Palmer is amazing I'll say that and record they spent a few months with Farm um Tim is incredible guy incredible incredible producer and engineer and you know worked on some of the most influential and a you know he doesn't get enough credit for what did on 10 record um but it uh you know the vitology record in my opin the cassette that I had before I got kicked out of the band that record was to me the the best program record ever V yeah the version I had the way it sounded you know it it had the same kind of qualities of verses but way more honest sounding and uh Soulful but it was you know it was a record that would have made PE Jam paper and it was I was fired and um from what I and Eddie was given so when they let you go I mean how did that all go down I mean you had to be as shocked as I was shocked [ __ ] yeah well you know we had talked about doing maybe you know I little less guitar oriented on the next you know record and blah blah blah all this stuff and um you know we did our last show and the versus tour at in New York Paramount and I remember after the show I mean that tour to me that those shows that and uh after the show I went you know saying goodbye to everybody because I was taking off and uh I went and found Eddie he was talking to Ace Freely and I waited patiently you know for my bandmate to look over at me and so I could they see in Seattle and it took so long that Ace really eventually looked over at me like what's this guy standing here for you know it was like that and so I said Eddie I'll see you know good show Good Tour I'll see you in Seattle and he didn't say a word he just looked at it because he knew already that I was gone you know he knew before that show he knew the whole time and uh I'll never forget that you know like showed me a lot about it um that he could be like that and so uh you know when I got back um you know it was already kind of an uneasy feeling but um it's not something that I ever would consider happening you I spoke to uh my manager man and Eddie and him were on their way to airport to go down Orleans take care of that thing uh where Eddie had got some sort of scuffle with somebody um and you know Eddie was in the car with Kelly the manager and and it's like okay well blah blah blah blah blah and then as I was hanging up Kelly was like oh wait wait wait then I put the phone back said you know give Stone a call you want to talk to I like okay I called Stone we decided to eat breakfast the next day and I thought we were discussing you know what we what we were going to do next and uh uh he came in he sat down I was Da we're looking for another that was it just like that just like that but at least he had the [ __ ] balls B about it from what I found out later uh Eddie suggest have do it yeah I mean that happens a lot way yes it's ridiculous but not not yeah I wouldn't have thought it I always stone for for doing that because I know I mean the experience we had together after he said that pretty emotional sure sure so at this point at this point now I mean what what's going through your head did you have plans we I mean it probably took you a little bit to come up with what you were going to do right I mean what was going through your head at that time you know it was it was just way too much over was just like what [ __ ] I mean I called uh first thing I did was called my girlfri time Sherry and I was like [ __ ] fir she was like what and then I called my my best friend uh you know of many many years and told him in his first response I said I just got fired man I never fired anything and uh and his response without missing me said good you never [ __ ] quit that [ __ ] ban anyone I was just like you know it took me a long time to understand that right you know that that you know um I I did feel under appreciated I did feel um like you know like there was a dynamic that was wrong element of the band in that you know like I was the only one that celebrated our success I was the only one that like record went gold my my reaction was holy [ __ ] this is awesome and I ended up I ended up on a pay phone with the crew back at the hotel saying hey and all of us were celebrating while the rest of the guys were sitting at a table quietly eating their food I just thought wow we paid off our debt yeah I was like why can't you you celebrate what we've worked so hard I mean I remember when when Kelly mentioned our manager mentioned oh by the way album went old that's how it was while we were eating together and at the moment he said that I was still making sure that one of my fingers was the knuckles still in place I was like you know because I you're trying to bend it we had another show [ __ ] sake you know and he said that and and I just remember my my instantly my my voice in my head said it's worth it you know and and I looked up from my hand and no one else was smiling and that's what my friend meant I was like look you know you don't you don't feel like it's like you feel like you earned what you got and everyone else seems like they're entitled know you're proud of the work that you did and everyone else you know seems like doesn't you know like does you know it's like one of those things where and that was the trip and when I got fired it was like H but it was so intense um at that point you know and I didn't it was like I mean everything was new money was new everything was was different and you know the last time I sat down and would just be by myself not you know when I was Dave Dave Pearl Jam uh was when I left went Seattle you know I became Dave new guys Pearl Jam and here I was back and I was sitting there go what the [ __ ] you know and I was right back to that same place that I was before like I really want to do this anymore and luckily enough uh I went down to Texas with Dave Castell that producer who G hat my number went into his Studio scooped up uh Gary Mueller uh or scooped up Paul slavens singer for 10 hands Matt chamberlains band I was talking about before Ed and and darl Phillips from Dr tongue and Doug Neil and all these people that I admired so much and I drug them all into a studio and we just started recording like wow this is fantastic and so I basically said you know I had the we withth all to say what would it take for each of you to give me a year in your life and he found his Ranch on 600 acres and uh you know turned it into the studio and all these guys uh took a year off from what they were doing and we just like a bunch of kids with most elaborate toys got and as Paul so so when that when that news when it the word got out that you were no longer in the band did you get other offers from bands did people call you w you oh yeah yeah the the first thing you know yeah many many and still to this day um but you know music was it so personal and so much of my identity with myself at time based around music and to be fired like that it shook really it shook more of me I was 20s and but i' never really had to grow up I didn't I I left school way early uh my social scene was basically you know behind my kid so um yeah it was like all of a sudden I was you know an adult adult in an adult environment but kid and um so it was tough there was a lot of anxiety and there was just a lot of emotions that I had no [ __ ] clue what they were what you know how to deal with them and I really I became afraid of putting myself inable position and uh the first call A A laorel Jr uh Dr his father um got in touch with few weeks after I got fired and usually tours with Gad and all these I was like my heroes again and he said Dave come come on let's go to Europe come on we'll we'll just throw a kid on your back and we'll travel by train and we'll do some improv shows and it was like you know that's a legend ask me to take the seat of a legend and I just I couldn't do it I didn't have the heart know and I got a lot of different things that came up but I was in that same place where I guess I was afraid you know really literally uh I was just fearful of of everything just seemed too much at that time it took me many years to to kind of like settle into figuring out who I was I was about it grow up um and you know in that time also uh you know I my attorney um was also at guns and& rast attorney she had told me that Axel wanted to talk about you know me joining guns and all this stuff and and so that came about Axel and I you know spoke a whole bunch and and uh you know and that we worked towards play a little bit all that stuff but again that you know it was weird when I when I started doing that you know the important thing to me was you know that literally Kelly Curtis progam manager and I was heartbroken really you know I I didn't look at anything like business I didn't see business as business I I you know everything was relationship between people and I was shocked that he was able to and the band were able to kind of cast me ins side and then treat me so [ __ ] badly protect their business you know um you know still to this day when I see the quot that Jeff Amon said that I was more comfortable rockar than blah blah blah and that's why I was it was like that I still like this most [ __ ] my life so um but that sort of stuff and so when I was talking to Guns and Roses management about you know connecting and doing all this stuff I was honest about know big machine I I I you know like I've already been chewed up spit out and I'm not really again but at at one point uh you know when we were working on music I I was Doug management for G&R said you know what do you think and I was well I think maybe you know this music it's not really Guns and Roses maybe act should do his own thing you know it was like idea was me and pod boy play his snails on drums double druming more electric you know uh Robin Fain from 90 tales on guitar Which F incredible Duff was still there at the time dizzy was still there at time um and ax Axel was actually there at time at rehearsals and you know it was like that's nice it was an amazing thing yeah and I really like that guy like a lot um but it got to a point where it wasn't making sense you know that it was you know was like the ideas that that were being thrown around musically and then playing Guns and Roses song like wow this thing and so I'd mentioned that and management said well here's the deal you know just go along with it we're you know the basically the idea was let Axel do his thing without Flash and uh you know when it when it doesn't suceed then maybe that'll be his motivation get slashback and that'll be your in because he doesn't want Matt back and I was like what the [ __ ] I mean that went against it was like the opposite of what you know what I what I want part of and it put me in this really terrible position so I'd gotten to know Axel in such a way where I had a lot of respect for what he was wanting to do and I also understood the amount of Courage for him not only to want to do it after what he had been through um but for him to be so dedicated to uh to you know just be willing to be Axel Rose again um you know he's he's a [ __ ] tough [ __ ] but he's senstive [ __ ] you know he's got he's he's a real dude and and um but to hear that when management said that to me it put me in this position of like I can't be honest know he and I were in my car here this rental car that I had and I was driving around in LA with him and I just I I wanted to tell him so bad I wanted to say look man you're you're being [ __ ] you're being this is how they're playing you and and because this guy you know it's like I I play music with my friend not a guy I'm not a drummer in a [ __ ] you know like that it doesn't work that way and so all of a sudden I realized about myself that wow I'm not you know music isn't a business but this guy I've got a choice to make right now either I can Embrace this incredible contract they're willing to give me and all this money and all this [ __ ] and all you know Axel was giving me a lot of power man decisions as a businessman I would have uh you know um because business shitty I would yeah great [ __ ] whatever matter business decision like versus you know buying another house and having a future that's set and all this stuff sure business-wise [ __ ] them know but this was my [ __ ] friend who we were about to go to war together against the world he wanted guns bigger War it's like no we're not going to do that unless we're like this you know and so it was like I you know I had to quit I had to tell I had to tell and I couldn't tell him why because I didn't want to shake his foundation either sure he asked right uh no I didn't give him the chance to ask I wrote him a letter I told him I no I I said it in a way that didn't give him the chance I told him I wanted to a musician first Ro then I did that on because I knew that uh that his reaction Fury his reaction saying that infuriating and it was he he I got a call from my friend Kim at Rolling Stone and she said are you okay and I yeah why I just got off with Axel I was like oh how is he and uh how's he doing and then my and then my phone rang and no [ __ ] uh I put it down on the table and Sher and I sat on the couch and axel went off on a stream of Consciousness rant like my own personal non-music [ __ ] angry act show he was let have and that was that know um but yeah I had I it was heartbreak because I I had um begun to develop relation ship where I felt like he trusted me and I trusted him and that was I mean we spent many many months cultivating Rel even before we played together because that's that trust was so important to him you know and even when we decided that it was going to work after we got together in Jam um he wanted paper between us before we started working on music you know because his trust is viol or you know MH and uh so yeah it it it really yeah know that's when I kind of went n big machine and the whole business of of rock and roll and music I just sure you know it's understandable with what you've been through yeah and it just it it's it's yucky you know but it's interesting now 55 years old and I feel like far as my uh better than ever as far as my head space and and how I feel about you know myself and relationship to people I meet and relationship that I have all that stuff um I feel more prepared now to do what I did in my 20s than than ever so um we'll see how the body H up but I feel like in the next year or two I I'll def take steps towards getting out and right get oh you froze up yeah um did you ever get a chance to talk to Axel afterwards no no I've never you know and it's only in the last six months that I've actually let the truth of that know okay I haven't spoken about it uh at all many many years um but you know it's like I've always wanted to you know now that I see guns out and doing their thing and and I saw a video of that performing and there was just a look in his eye and U and his demeaner that I I felt like at this point um his life won't be damaging say what I had to say you know and uh you know and and [ __ ] I mean you know who am I it's like it's a business know and it was a business decision that had millions and millions and millions of dollars behind it for that manager and that Rec to do what they did and lo and behold it worked worked the way they wanted it to and I saw Axel performing and I just thought you know what yeah it won't it you know at this point hopefully um if he ever hears it um maybe it'll just be one little piece of his heart that able to get back you know I can't imagine I take up a whole lot of space but at the same time um I did you know I really did and do care about so yeah yeah you know I felt like it's it's enough enough time has pass that the trth people w't hurt anybody sure sure um now before we froze up you did say in next couple years or so you you would get back out there that's where we were at froze yeah I feel like I have something to offer and and and even more importantly I feel like just it's time you know there's some other things that uh will come out in time you know about uh things that have happened in my life and all this stuff but right now it's safe to say that you know if if universe is willing out [ __ ] out of yeah yeah I'd love to see you back out there I watch your um your YouTube channel with you recording your drum sessions and stuff oh yeah yeah so amazing yeah it's a lot of fun man I just love I still love playing you know as as much as ever you know and biggest thing is that you know my relationship to music is and always has been you know know a direct fear of my relationship with myself and yeah did I hear correctly um as far as other artists go that Joe Satriani gave you a call at one point and you kind of told him to go pack sand or something no I [ __ ] up man yeah he he had called me and and I'll be honest here I'll be honest he had called me and at the time I was doing way too much blow you know so I I had just a an air of myself that was like I remember the phone call and I and I looked back at it with embarrassment as well as you know a chuckle um but here I'm talking to Joe Satriani on the phone and he's wanting me to come in and excuse me work on his next record with him and he had worked with Jonathan by know actually side note that Jonathan was the one who went down the hill at the site and got the snare drum I threw off bill after the after recording um but I was telling Joe like you know yeah your last records were so mechanical sounding maybe we got to do something raw and just go in there and the [ __ ] am I what' he say um not much he wasn't expecting that answer right that reaction no but really what it was it was you know as well as the drugs was all just a part of the reacting to that Fe I spoke up earlier know I was looking for a way to justify um the fact that I was mature that I wasn't able to deal with or find a way understand kind of what I did so trip done myself for a while and then I went the other way and and worked with Incredible uh guy Martin Bard for a couple years on on you know understanding [ __ ] I was what I been yeah it was awesome but before that I was trying everything just normal know yeah crazy well I'm glad to see you're still playing drums because I know you do you do some stuff here and there right oneoff stuff for people and you still do yeah oh yeah always in session session and working on my own mus which I just do for um yeah let me ask you this I know you've addressed this issue before um but with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame how that went down I know you've talked about that but since that time has passed have you gotten past that kind kind of or is that still uh I never you know it's interesting a lot of people when they read the words that I've written um on social media they put a bitterness to them that I don't have okay um and I and I've tried hard you know yeah I quit school when I was old but I managed to somehow be able to to express myself like get point across but social media it's a thing you know people their head uh people that don't know me they assume that I'm bitter or upset instant it's that attitude words that I write about that um you know my whole thing with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was it's just so hard that is ridiculous oh yeah we worked so hard um as a band and literally you know at the time the Rock Hall of happened over 50% of what they would live iote and all of the success that they had [Music] it was shocking and you know Dave cruzen he's a great guy had have gotten know really well but had exchanges and and communicate together um and I like the guy a lot and um you know for the for them to say that know that they only recognized made contributions to B success like to me it was such a slap in the face and and I was surprised stand up I just thought it said a lot to me about that you know that I didn't and I don't know what it was that uh kept that from being point exension I mean that band that I was fought with just right one always and so I was really surprised I just can't help along with many other yeah yeah yeah no I agree but yeah I as far as as far as I mean that's it's still it is what it is yeah yeah well you know and the world knows that you out of all the drummers you probably made the biggest contribution to that band well you know Stone goser said they'd have been just as successful with any other I don't think so I think you brought something to them I don't either and that you know that in itself is is uh something that still I think if there's anything that still the wrong way might yeah do you think you um you ever talk to those guys again um I don't know I wouldn't have problem it you know I but um I you know I don't know I it's funny people ask me all the time talked any of them and uh I haven't I've talked Matt da and Jack iron but I haven't spoken or heard in many many many years yeah well maybe when you get back out there in a year or two you'll cross paths again and uh well it'd be amaz I've always had the uh the high hope to perform some of those songs again of the band but I mean yeah but it'd be fun yeah sure sure yeah and then I wanted to talk to you too about your um free association records is that something you still gotta go um you know it's it was just kind of a you know with the grro guys you know was kind of the way I function like you know when I had my commercial Studio I didn't charge people work it this is like it to me it's free ass record yeah it was just basically you know kind of a tongue and cheek thing about uh my accountant telling me when when I was sending out the green romance Orchestra CDs um people would send me a check to the PO box and I would you know they send me a so many of them had nice letters attached to them I would answer the letter on the check put the check in with a couple of CDs and mail it off and my accountant at the time was like what are you what are you doing you know it's like for every every order you get you send out two or three albums and you send the check back you know what you're supposed to do yeah so it became kind of a running joke and and yeah I've never run it like a label or anything it just basically okay yeah ass record yeah that's fun that's fun yeah all right man well listen it's been an honor to talk to you Dave well it was a treat I enjoyed it you know I I actually when I went to sleep last night I'd worked a bunch I've been doing a lot of mixing and and I got into this flow last night on this on this work and uh when I looked up and the sun was coming like oh [ __ ] and so I went to sleep I tried to but I was like every hour I was like looking at the alarm like oh [ __ ] I don't didn't want to be late or miss it you know that's why I I finally said ah [ __ ] it you know yeah yeah yeah and I said you know let's do it and uh when when I was in the shower I was like man you know hey you can be sleepy and honest it's easy it's like that it made me feel really good about where I'm at at in my life that I don't have to be rested and on my game because I I live my life pretty straightforward and honest days so yeah you seem happy you seem happy I am you know it's like uh yeah like I said it's I've had a my life has been it reads really well and the chapters are thick and way diverse and at this point um the benefit of like I said at the beginning my folks teaching me to pay attention paid off yeah I pretty good yeah except for these goddamn I got my motorcycle ride I hit a [ __ ] big hole in the road my clack two teeth came out yeah so I've got that going for me but I hate the dentist but I figure I got to get it fixed because it's just you know the look that's not working for me yeah yeah yeah well as we get older we care less about those type of things right yeah you know yeah that's true excuse me wow this cold is killing me yeah man I appreciate it thank you man it's nice to meet you thanks for the the thoughtful questions and the patience to allow me to answer them yes sir

Channel: The Rock N' Roll & Coffee Show

Views: 53,444

Keywords: Pearl Jam, Dave Abbruzzese, drummer, David Abbruzzese, Vs., Vitalogy, grunge bands, Seattle, Seattle scene, 90's grunge, The Rock N Roll & Coffee Show, The Rock N Roll and Coffee Show, podcast, Eddie Veddar, Stone Gossard

Id: hJH63OLD0Z0

Length: 74min 19sec (4459 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 11 2024