R- I'm sitting here talking to my girlfriend and we are talking about different things and she's quiet a bit younger then me.. and just loves the era that I came from.. I mean its really who she is.. and even before that.. the Dolls.. she's the biggest 26 year old T Rex fan I've ever met in my life.. and she's an artist.. she's a classical painter for a living.. which is a hard life.. and she looks at me and says.. ya know what's wrong w/rock these days.. its so hetero.. and if you think about it.. its true.. no one is taking any risks.. its very macho really.. I'm talking about rock bands, hard rock bands, its like how agro can we be.. and ya know what.. al ot of that went away when the Trade Towers fell.. I don't know what your suburban ass is bitching about.. we just had to big buildings fall in New York, why don't you shut up and try and make the world a happier place? Ya know what I'm saying.. even from a visual stand point.. bands just don't even look that good these days.. I'm not saying that I look so wonderful now, I'm older now.. but we look pretty good.. ya know.. but give me something that's creative.. instead of looking at the band before, and getting more piercings then them.
 

J- So now onto your toilet seat painting....Where did you get the idea to do that?

R- Well I wanted to learn how to pinstripe and I started to learn, and started to learn how to airbrush ..I've always been graphically oriented.. and the easiest thing to paint on is a flat surface.. when your pin striping, cause generally you lay your hand down on the surface, to pull the line.. and I was like.. maybe I should spruce up these hotel rooms a little bit.. and I started taking pictures of it.. and Sludge wanted me to do a diary.. and I didn't want to do another one.. so.. I remember this Picasso quote that said painting is like keeping a diary.. so I said.. hmm.. that would be a neat idea, ill paint toilet seats and take pictures, and put them on my website... to that's my diary... see me progress...from the beginning of the tour, till the end, lets see if I get any better.. which is really putting myself out there if you think about it. I get horrible criticism.. I got a couple pin strippers.. go dude.. when your in Wisconsin, why don't we sit down for an hour.. let me help you... cause some of it is really good.. but your execution is not there yet...hahaha..

J- And you left these toilet seats behind right?

R- Oh ya.. I just left them there..

J- That's so funny...hahaha

R- So I just keep doing more and more.. and Spin magazine picked up on it.. and everyone was like you should do a show.. so when I got home.. I crammed I met a guy in Surgis S.D....who's from Vegas.. and has been doing it for 40 years.. and said I'm going to  get you there.. but your going to have to practice your ass off.. so we met back up after the tour. and he was really super impressed with how far I had come.. cause I really got into it.. and I just decided to start doing stuff.. and I had an art show.. with all of it.. I crammed.. that's all I did, cause on tour.. you cant play.. its the weirdest thing.. you get to play that hour and half.. or 2 hours.. but that's it, you don't have access to your gear, a guitar player can take his guitar in his room.. but I cant...ya know.. I don't have anything to play... so I was like damn it.. I'm gonna get good at this..
now its great to see it all come together.. I'm doing these big panels.. that are all elaborate.. and I'm thinking about having another show....

J- Now at the show.. you sold them right? Is there somewhere you can buy these?

R- Yes.. sold them there.. and you can get them on my website.. www.rikkirockett.com Ya they are there.. well actually they are at the Von Dutch store right now.. in Los Angeles... bunch of originals.. most of them are still there, I'm probably gonna go get them in the next week or two..

J- What's the price range for these..

R- Well I sold ones up to $1000.00 already.. most of them are gone now.. but there are a couple of them left.

J- Ok.. well we are about to the end of this.. what other projects do you have planned for the year 2003?.. besides Poison... how about animal rights? you always have a million things at once going on... hahaha..

R- Well one thing at a time.. as far as Poison we plan on touring.. so we are putting that together.. the movie.. which isn't that much.. just a lot of interviewing.. so Poison will take the summer away.. then I'm starting to fool around with clothing.. I haven't done that in a long time.. I'm wanting to play around w/that.. but really my extra time will be painting.. and working on my cars.. I'm a basic kinda guy.. I love muscle cars, and motor cycles.. honestly.. I rebuild motorcycles.. its just stuff I love to do.. I guess its the Pennsylvanian in me.. but I'm trying not to plan a lot of it.. cause Poison is going to take all of my summer away.. which is fine.. as far as animal stuff goes.. I'm doing something in Arizona.. next month, I don't even know what it is yet.. some big conference and a bunch of stuff. and I've been invited to be on the board...there is a lot going on down there.. people are very active.. and there is Pet Awareness day on Feb. 14th which is Valentines Day..

J- Ok.. out of everything you've ever done.. tours, videos, awards, platinum awards.. what do you think your biggest accomplishment was?.. that your most proud of..

R- (long pause) Its going to be more of a general answer.. I'm not trying to sidestep.. its just how I really generally feel.. I think setting  a goal and achieving it.. ya know fame is something other people give you.. and its a weird thing.. but my goal was to have a rock band .. and I set my goals.. and I got there.. that's my biggest achievement of my life.. carving out a carrier for myself doing something I love to do... that does not go without challenge with things.. on a daily bases.. but that's ok.. that's life.. either you make a goal.. and you accomplish it.. or you don't.. and I do. My new goal is to try and continue this.. turn the chapter.. progress .. really concentrate on going forward.. I really feel like there is too much concentration on what Poison was.. I went with it for a while.. and I'm proud of it.. and I tried to indulge everyone with it.. but as of this point... I cant live in the past.. we are a viable band.. we still have stories to tell.. we still have things to do.. I don't know how long it will go, no one knows.. we fight a lot.. we have a ton of disagreements, there is so much dysfunction it is incredible in this band, we make the Osbornes look like the Brady Bunch.. but.... there is dysfunction in the Rolling Stones too.. and a lot of people want to make fun of that.. wow.. they are so old... so what! Isn't that more of a testament of what they are doing? its an art form.. it isn't modeling.. hahaha..

J- Well that's about it...thanks soo much for doing it.. sorry it was so long...

R- Oh not a problem...thanks darling.........

 

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