I have been sooo freakin busy, and had soo many computer problems..that I missed
a month of interviews,so here you go..and Ill try and get 2 up for this month..
Stevie has been someone Ive been a fan of for a long,long time..
I think Tuff didnt
get the exposure they should of, and they certainly should have had a heavier
first single..
cause the heavy stuff rocks! anyway, Stevie is still out there..pluggin
away..
and hes here to tell you about the rise and fall of the band..and
the many new adventures on his own..
enjoy....
J-how long were you in the band before they got signed?
S-I joined Tuff in July of 1987 and we got signed in the summer/fall of 1990.
Our debut release on Atlantic Records "What comes around...goes around" came out
in May of 1991.
J-how did everyone get along in the band?
S-We all got along great. But like all bands, families and relationships thing
got tense at times. Myself & Michael looked at everything in a different light
than Todd & Jorge did, and we all had our own little jobs in the band.
J-How important was the look of the band in those "hair band days" compaired to the
music...?
S-The look was very important back then. Just as the dragons & castles played
an important role in Dios album covers, song titles, stage set, etc...Alot of
people wanted to point out image related issues about Poison, Warrant, Tuff &
anyone who looked better than the average rock band. Fact is Iron Maiden had an
identity along with Judas Priest and even Tesla. We all did our own thing and
people categorized accordingly. I read reviews of ours that talked about the shape
of Jorges guitars and what color head band I was wearing. Never even mentioning
weather we sounded tight or if I sang in key or not.
J-do you ever look back at some pictures and say "what was i thinking?
S-"Yes. But then I slap myself and say "I was 21 and thats what was going on
in 1987". I also look at my high school photos of me with feathered hair and
a members only jacket and say the same thing. "What the f**k"!
J-what was the biggest crowd you played for?
S-Probably about 5,000 or so with Tuff. Oddly enough C.W.A. played to about
10,000 in San Diego at The Super Bowl pep rally in 1998!
J-Whats the craziest thing a fan has ever done to meet you?
S-Knocked on my Hotel room door to ask for asprin. She said she had a headache
so I let her in, gave her some tylenol and then we had sex. I guess Tylenol
really works.
J-In the late 90's the members started to change in the band..tell us why..and who
changed..
S-Todd Chase quit in December of 1991. Me & Todd had butted heads alot more
often as the years wore on, eventually he got fed up with me and quit. We are
better friends today then we were then. Michael Lean quit in August of 1993. He
left because he was trying to start a business and raise his son. Tuff had scheduled
a fall tour and I know he really wanted to go but it just would'nt work
with his new project so he said you gotta fine someone else. Michael and I still
talk quite often. Jorge & I played with 2 different drummers and 2 different
bass players up until the fall of 1995.
J-How many cds did you record w/the new lineups..and how did the music change?
S-Tuff recorded several songs in so many situations its hard to define it all.
Some of our CDs had multiple drummers, bass players and producers on them.
Its safe to say that we got much harder as time passed. Tuff in 1987 was a very
pop/glam sounding band. Also very young & very novice. The whole band could'nt
legally get into bars at that time. By early 1990 we had been influenced by Skid Row, GNR & Metallicas heavier approach. Even though our most recognized song
was a ballad we had some much harder tracks that went un-noticed. Spit Like This
& Good Guys Wear Black were live faves to our male fans.
