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On January 30, 2010, I sat down with legendary metal vocalist James Rivera (Hestar, Seven Witches, Vicious Rumors, Flotsam and Jetsam, Killing Machine, Destiny's End, Distant Thunder) before his show at The 19th Hole Bar and Grill in The Woodlands, Texas with his tribute band Sabbath Judas Sabbath. This was my first ever interview.
Ok. I'm here with James Rivera for Sabbath Judas Sabbath, and let's start with your main band, Helstar. You released a new album King Of Hell about a year ago. How's it doing?
It's doing well. I mean, we're still touring on it, and we will probably still be touring on it most of this year because the new album probably won't be coming out until 2011. There's a small chance it might come out in November of this year, but we're still in the midst of writing it right now. And The King Of Hell was such a strong comeback record after so long...it's one of those things where we kinda feel like maybe we should ride on it for a couple festivals this summer in Europe, then release the new album.
Ok. You're also fronting Seven Witches. At least, you did some touring last year and you're doing the Triton Power Cruise this spring. Do you have any other plans with Seven Witches?
Well, actually the Seven Witches thing is done, unfortunately. Don't ask me, but Jack Frost decided he doesn't want anything to do with metal anymore. All this energy we put into it... I'm a little disappointed, but its his thing, so I move on...and I won't be doing the Triton Power Cruise. He's still doing it with a guest singer, but I think a lot of fans are gonna be disappointed and go, "Its not even Seven Witches" so, you know, whatever...
Let's talk about what you're doing tonight, Sabbath Judas Sabbath. You're doing Judas Priest and Dio-era Black Sabbath songs. But you do this all over the country and Europe, too, but its not the same band. You've got...
Five chapters. And I'm working on a sixth now for the midwest and east coast areas.
So, where are these five or six chapters at?
The main one, of course, is here in Houston. There's another one in Tampa, Florida. There's another one in El Paso, Texas, just because of where its at on the map. Its twelve hours between here and there. There's on that's lying dormant in Phoenix, but they may want to do a show with me in April. There's another one in Salt Lake City, Utah that does Salt Lake, Vegas, and that area, and San Diego and all that. And now, the one in Slovenia. That's my European band, which is probably going to be the busiest band now. We're just coming back from doing some dates over the holidays. The shows were unbelievably successful, and now an agent has picked me up, and dude, we're gonna have a field day with this stuff over here.
And that one covers all of Europe, right?
Yeah, but, you know, in time it could lead to... I need one in Germany. Now, I need one in Holland. Its a franchise. Its finally made me into a Tom Jones, which is my idol, but a metal Tom Jones.
You even did a show where you were a co-headliner and Warrant was one of the openers. Is that right?
The thrash version, the thrash Warrant, not the Warrant from here.
ok. I just saw Warrant on the poster...
Haha... It was the thrash version. At the same time, there was a band from Germany called Warrant, but they were full on destruction thrash, and they got pretty big. So when they got big, the Warrant here was starting to get big and people were real confused, so no. It was that Warrant.
Well speaking of festivals, Who are some of the bands you like to play with?
Well, you know, just about all of 'em, every band I played with. I've played with a lot of big bands, from big bands to bands at our level, to bands that are smaller. I think that all of 'em are great, and I think, for the most part, for me, especially being a musician, doing this for a living... when you finally meet those ones that are bigger than you, for the most part, most of them are cool. Some of them quote/unquote live that "I'm a rock star. What do you want?" But most of them are good people. So you start looking at yourself, like we're all in this together. So, I'd say they're all a bunch of fun to hang out with. I've met some dicks, but most of them have been great people.
When you played in Vicious Rumors, on of the guitar players was Brad Gillis. That seemed a bit different for him to be in that kind of band. How was that?
Well, it was, but he did a bunch of great solos on the record, and he actually helped with some the vocal melodies. The guy's got a metal heart. He was in Ozzy. But, when you go and make millions off of Night Ranger, do you blame him? His passion, though, was to always to play in a heavier band, and he got to do that in Vicious Rumors.
Ok. Something else I've seen you do onstage that not too many people know about, you do impersonations. I've seen you do a Paul Stanley, a Bobby 'Blitz', and a Don Dokken with a bad voice that sounded like Lemmy.
Ha ha ha
Do you have any others?
Oh... Dio on Thanksgiving...(In high Dio voice). Ok everybody. Sit down. We're all gonna eat. You, you, you. White meat for you, you, and you...
Ha ha ha That's great! What are some of the biggest shows you've done? You play all the big festivals. What's the biggest crowd you've played for?
Um...I'd probably have to say...Bang Your Head, 20-25 thousand.
With Vicious Rumors?
With Vicious Rumors and Helstar.
I saw Vicious Rumors on the DVD.
That's probably the biggest festival.
Well, that's about all I've got...
Hey, I loved those. That was awesome, Jody. You did a kick ass job. Tell them to give you a raise. ha ha
Claudia said to tell you 'hi'.
Ok. Awesome!
Thanks again.
No problem.
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