BulletBoys' Mick Sweda on Marq Torien Berating Warrant & Skid Row, "That's it for me" - Interview
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 6 янв 2022
- This is a full in bloom interview excerpt with guitarist Mick Sweda.
Mick talks about how BulletBoys formed out of King Kobra and working with vocalist Marq Torien.
Interviews & Excerpts:
BulletBoys Self-Titled Album FULL INTERVIEW:
• Bulletboys Inside the ...
Mick Sweda Talks Van Halen Producer Ted Templeman:
• BulletBoys: Mick Sweda...
Mick Sweda Talks About King Kobra Vocalist Mark Free Becoming Marcie:
• Mick Sweda on Mark Fre...
Hit the subscribe button & click the bell if you would like to be notified as new clips & excerpts from this interview are uploaded.
Song by FOOL OF FATE
#Bulletboys #Warrant #SkidRow #CheapTrick 
Видеоклипы
Bullet Boys first album kicked ass! Mick Sweda and the boys always delivered live.
I liked the second one more
Man that’s no lie!!! It was 🔥🔥🔥
Indeed, like both of em.
@@SonnyGTA really? i just got into these guys. got some covers on the 1st but they are pretty good
That second album kicked ass
Mick Sweda is a terrific player.
Mick sounds like a great down to earth guy.
I saw the bullet boys open for Cinderella and Mick Sweda blew me away I love his groove and his playing
I think I saw that tour too. There was another band with them too. Cant remember, maybe Britny Fox or one of those bands. Checking again I guess it was Winger but I don't remember ever seeing them but I guess I did on that night.
@@TheEWFX29 Cool story - but wow! I thought one would have remembered seeing Winger. Those guys were, and still are..... amazing. Incredible musicianship in that Band. You must have been pouring a few back and chasing some pretty L-Ties. LOL Been there myself. But I would have been glued to Winger.
@@TheEWFX29 it was winger was second act
@@jimmyz2098 I remember seeing Ratt, Kix and Britny Fox. Also Y&T, Ace Frehley and White Lion. I remember that was a 3 band show also but I don't remember Winger. I had like 11th row on the floor with a couple of friends. But I saw all those bands back then so its hard to remember all of them. .
Yes I remember that tour. I remember the lead singer of Cinderella starting the show on his piano as it was lowered to the stage from the rafters. Good times!
I’ll tell you what circus magazine metal edge & rip magazine they never told you this shit back in the day they made everything seem lovely and beautiful between the band members and life in general
As a lead guitar player working in approximately 20 bands/projects over the last 35 years or so. I can tell you, singers and their antics never ever stop. Lol, that's what makes it fun Or interesting most of the time!
Yeah, like Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley, and Ray Gillen… good times heh
As a guitar player we all know singers have LSD.
I'm sure you know what I mean.
Lead Singer Disease to all the uninitiated
Also Kevin dubrow was a bit of a douche in real life, just look up the QR poison tour
My background is similar. Played professionally from 1990-2010. Drummer and guitarist. Rock, funk, disco, top 40, jazz, R&B. I've played with many different singers. Thete seems to be a 3 stage transition. Older, more accomplished singers typically don't have an ego anymore. Life became work. It's a job. They have a skill to sell. But I watched so many start off humble, maybe shy, new, wide eyed and hopefully. That's phase 1. But I'll be damned if so many of them changed once they became more confident. I watched some ice guys turn in to real douchebags once they felt they were the star of the show. They felt their stock rise, and for some reason then should have MORE say in direction than everyone else.
Nobody cares about your wannabe rock star crap.
Mick Sweda is an excellent player/performer. Les Paul/Dialed amp...played with maximum balls.
Absolutely. I saw them open for blue murder and winger.
3:03"..his VOICE was STRONGER than the WEAKNESS of his CHARACTER" well said👍sounds straight outta Hamlet/Game of Thrones.
I wanna hear Marq's side..he had a voice unequaled ..before he blew out his vocal cords ..should've used a technique to protect them ...Saw the bbs on their first tour .. this guy is possibly full of crap .. ego is about being a rock star ..someone's toes always gets hurt ...even Sammy said that Dave ran the vh band ..there is 2 sides to every story...U wouldn't allow anyone to put you in a box i hope..
Lol. Agreed
@@redskywalker3374 Well Sammy was wrong. Alex runs the band.
i went to meet the Bullet Boys at Tower Records before the show and Torien was the first one at the table. I walk up to the table, he was sitting and looking sideways and didn't say a word, didn't acknowledge me standing there or anything so i went over to Jimmy and could hear Torien say "fuck you" under his breath. Jimmy was totally cool, signed my cassette and everything.
Mick and Lonnie were cool too but being a drummer myself I naturally wanted to meet Jimmy more.
Saw the BulletBoys in Tokyo, October 3, 1989. I was stationed in Korea with the USAF and me and a buddy took a hop to Over for a couple of days. Excellent show. The encore was Lights Out.
Guitars on first album were the best. I use them as a reference all the time. "For the love of money" so thick.
I JUST LOVE THIS SHOW FIB ... IT TOTALLY BLOWS THE OTHERS OUT THE DOOR !!!!
HA! On both channels. I just responded to your message on the other channel. Thank you, Rick. Glad you dig it.
Love his guitar work. I learned all their songs back in the day.
What kind of dip shit post a picture of himself wearing a surgical mask
@@TheBigMclargehuge It's a snapchat filter, dumbass
Love this channel. Best interviews and the interviewees are always frank.
Swede is a killer guitarists. He should start his own band! Even now.
He's doing that "Hot Summers" thing, again.
Sucks that Marq seems to be the one at the center of all the issues with this band as his voice is freaking killer. That first album was raw, visceral and a rockin' good time.
Amen
Pretty common theme with a lot of singers.
@Carl Lucas Sings better then Roth!
@@jahiddle Maybe, but still an infamous DLR wannabe.
And there was originally a different singer/songwriter
Love these
I think Marq Toriens' legacy, at least for those that remember him, is that he's one of those guys that could sing/act like Diamond Dave, play guitar like Eddie, BUT he just never got it. There's more to making it than being able to play/sing. He almost seems more suited for musical theatre, where all he has to do is show up, get into costume and perform. He's like Tom Kiefer in terms of ability, but lacks everything else. Tom Kiefer can still open festivals as a solo act while Marq Torien is lucky to get a full house (billed as the Bullet Boys) at the Whiskey on a Labor Day weekend.
Best rock interviews,hands down
Yeah better than I thought it was gonna be
These guys were high on potential an low on success. Personally i think they were great.Having Ted Templeman (Van Halen) produce them gave them a great start 🤟
i saw that og tour
Templeman.
Templeman.
They came out to late. The first album was successful. By the time the second one came out Grunge had hit.
HE TOTALLY CORRECT ... THERE ARE GUYS THAT WORK HARD TO GET ALONG, AND THERE ARE MUSICIANS THAT HAVE SUCH HUGE EGOS THAT THEY CANT STAY LONG IN ANY PROJECT !!! MICK HAS ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN AS A TEAM PLAYER !!!
I thought that was a brilliant statement from Mick. The importance of overlooking those differences, sacrificing for success. It's so easy to get annoyed and bail.
I played Monsters of Rock on the Mountain this past year, right before Bullet Boys. I watch ed their show.... Original line up! They all sounded fantastic!!! The whole band!
i saw the BB yrs ago open up for Cinderella ..that was before Marq's vocal cords problem
What was the name of your band?
@@godetonter4764 Black’n Blue. it was my first show with them. 🤘🏻🤘🏻
@@DougErapps miss mystery
@@DougErapps were you the drummer? Hold On To 18 and Chains Around Heaven were some of the best songs from that entire genre. I saw you guys in Portland , Oregon open the show for Whitesnake and Dio many years ago . I don't think your debut was out yet
Mick seems like a really cool guy!!!
xoxo The Clarences
The story at the end is classic!
"I mean you guys wrote stuff like Smooth Up In Ya and Hard As A Rock... what were you guys trying to say?" Hahaha.
Great comment
LMAO!!! 🤣🤣🤣
Lmao...deep
That sht is so gay!
@@BubbaZen10 That "g*y sht" attracted more women back in the day than you ever imagined lol
First BB album still sounds as fresh today as the day it came out. A real gem.
Wow what great interview..
L-S-D is a real thing. It seems so may of them are Drama Queens. And Smooth Up In Ya.... One of the all-time great love songs. Brings a tear to my eye.
Lead singer disease baby the downfall of a lot of bands.
I hate that these guys cant stay together. I love BulletBoys. One of my favorite bands. That incredibly sexy groove they can play is just great.
I remember walking 6 miles to my local record store called "The Other Record Shop" in Maryville Tennessee and perusing around and the owner,....knowing my taste in music,..said,.."man you gotta check these cats out!!!". Of course,...it was Bullet Boys. Took it home,...and it didn't leave my cassette player for many many months. Just a killer 80s hard rock album. The production is raw. The songs are visceral. The guitar tones are amazing for that period. The lead guitar work is unique and gritty. But,...I had no clue Terien was a pole smokin prick. No idea. Nevertheless,....a classic album IMHO.
According to Bobert R.I.P. :( who grew up in the same neighborhood and grew up with the same friends as Marq he was a great guitarist and would show up to weddings and parties in his bulletboys leather jacket living the life style but really only had good things to say about him. Eitherway I got to see them as my 2nd live band ever and man were they good, I miss the late 80's early 90's BBoys :(
I had no idea John Oates was in King Kobra.
Saw them in 94' or 95' in Evansville, IN @ "Funky's II". Think Mick was gone by then, Marq and Lonnie were the only original members I believe. Small night club venue, had a Ozzy tribute band called "Crazy Train" open for them. Alcohol fueled back in those days for me but the show was great.
Why sabotage the momentum of your own record? It's bad enough they had to fight against the onset of the Seattle grunge scene, and then Marq puts the kibosh on his own record? If he did this to spite the rest of the Bulletboys, didn't he realize he would kill his own career too? Cutting off his nose to spite his face -- only an unhinged person would do something like that!
He's a very strange combination of stupid and crazy.
I think it was in Rudy Sarzo's book Off The Rails where I read after Randy Rhoads death Ozzy was ready to hire Marg Torien as Randys' replacement but Tommy Aldridge and Rudy put a stop to it as the guy seemingly had no ability to play in the proper keys that the songs were in.
I read that too…what a trip.
I had no idea he was that good on guitar, to even be mentioned in the same sentence as randy Rhodes lol
I heard the album before I saw the video for Smooth Up in Ya. Amazing vocals and sound than I saw the video for said song and immediately Marq gave off a David Lee Roth vibe and I knew they would have a problem keeping his ego in check.
Mick is freaking AWSOME
HAHA that last story.
Over the years, I've read Bulletboys' information on Wikipedia. According to Wikipedia, this band has had so many lineup in the bands existence. Reminds of Whitesnake, so many lineup changes.
True, although David Coverdale is more a ruthless and brilliant businessman devoted to massive success, whereas this Marq Torien guy seems to be more of a self-defeating character.
@j freed I couldn't agree with you more about Coverdale. Coverdale is very smart. I heard an interview with Marq Torien on the Classic Metal Show (CMS) which was done in 2018. This interview was with Chris Akin and can be found on You Tube. Marq is very good talking with both sides of his mouth.
Do they give LA Guns a run for their money?
@@jayberwanger It’s always a payoff. Torien guy gets the stupid short-term payoff to enjoy being an egotistical & mouthy idiot, and the smarter Coverdale guy looks to enjoy a longer-term payoff of massive success.
@@j_freed I wouldn't call Coverdale that smart.... He fired their money maker.... John Sykes.
I was scrolling a little too fast and read this as “ToiletBoys” 😂 😆 😝 New band name, called it!
Fun band. Great live show back in the day.
Their first three records are good. They really progressed before imploding.
The Bullet boys (Marc playing guitar) played a small venue here. His 10 watt amp blew and he threw a fit. Pouted on his bus and wouldn't come out for the few fans to autograph stuff.
Backhanded compliments apparently apparently a thing for Rick Nielsen, at least in my experience. As a bombastic solo acoustic act, I opened for Dick Dale one time at a club out in Rockford, IL around 2004 or so, and Rick’s son Daxx was on drums (super nice guy by the way). Rick showed up early enough to watch me play almost my whole set. Afterwards, he came over to me by my merch table and said, “That was a lot of notes. That’s more notes that I play in, like, two days.“ I said, “Guess I’ll just go ahead and take that as a complement.“ He said, “Do what you gotta do.“ So I put that quote on my tour posters, and it made for great promo. I did what I had to do. Haha
My girlfriend at the time did not appreciate the smooth up in yah tune.
Wasn't something she could get behind lol 😆
Too bad for you, Buddy. I guess we've all been there at one time or another. LOL
But she could get in front of or under!
Marq Torien : Douchesius Maximus
Smooth up in ya is a great tune
I'm a complete type of person. I buy full catalogues of a bands albums. I have all bullet boys albums. But i gota say only album i listen to is the first album. They great live on that first album tour
TROUBLED CAT!!!!! Hahahahahahahahahaha MICK!!!!!!! Legend!
- Marq was BadAss in the early days of the BulletBoys, commandeering the stage like a young David Lee Roth. But his ego was huge and hard to get along with. Then the Seattle Grunge scene came along and many of the bands from the 80s fell by the wayside.
Love em or love em more!!
I think the biggest question here is…….why do you spell Mark with a “q”?
Trust me when I tell you, Mick is being completely nice about Mark. Yep, his real name is Mark Maytorriena. From Montebello California. He was a good friend of mine as we were a competing band with his back in the day. He would hang out with us all the time. Mark even was my roadie when we played at Knott's Berry farm and sang with us when our vocals would be shot from too many gigs in a row. Mark would literally call me up crying, wondering why our band was blowing his away! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He had such an ego even back then. I'm surprised he went as far as he did. We reconnected after many years and he invited me to a gig bulletboys were doing in Redondo Beach. I was excited thinking maybe he's grown up and changed after all these years. I couldn't make it as a gig popped up and I called him to tell him I wouldn't be able to see him. He went off like a rocket! Telling me he would never invite me to another gig again. I know this guy like the back of my hand. Thought he was David Lee Roth back in the day. I mean literally would act like the people he idolized and then talk trash about them in the same breath! You should have heard when he called me telling me he was going to be the new guitar player for Ozzy Osbourne! I couldn't believe it cuz he was so so at best. And sure enough many years later I've heard Rudy Zarzo's version of exactly what happened. Mark and his own egotistical mind thought he had to get and he was terrible at the audition from what I hear. So many stories to tell about this dude and his problems.
I ran into the guy a few times here and there around the So. Cal club scene. It was great. I never got close to the guy and didn't want to. I just kept my distance and laughed at him. When someone is that out of control, it's almost like a comedy show.
@ yeah that really pissed me off because I called profusely and apologized that I couldn't make his show. I mean here we are all grown up with kids and stuff and I'm telling him, look dude there's more gigs I can come to. Said he would never tell me or invite me again. Acted like a total girl or ex-lover I had jilted or something. Here I was thinking he had changed. I think we spoke briefly for a second one time or text or something like that after that. I couldn't believe someone would act like that, you'd think he'd appreciate that I had a show cuz I have bills to pay! Haha. My parents didn't give me s*** like his did.
@@acepaul407 yeah I used to be in that scene also.. literally freaked me out the way some people acted. But nobody and I mean nobody, acted like Mark Maytorriena.. and what's with changing your name? Ashamed of who you are and your god-given name? 😂
@@grumpyoldrockers1048 by any chance are you Andy from the band Roadwork?
@@salg4478 .... Ssshhh, yes I am...lol 😂
Rick fucking Nielsen FTW!! 😂
I learned their set on bass in 2 days and went to fill in and audition for them at a club in Akron, OH. Their bass player freaked out when they asked if I could do a song and I never got the chance. My cousin played drums for them, and begged me to do it. I guess the guy was on substances and they wanted a steady bass player. so I spent 2 days playing it and drove hours to just hang out with them. Later on the tour, Marc threw an expensive snare drum at my cousin in a parking lot, that was it for him. Marc was nice to me, but I could tell he thought I was not worthy to be up there with him.
Did you audition at The Agora?
@@michaeloedy1568 no it was Tim Ripper Owen's club. I forget the name now. I drove 4 hours one way from Erie, PA. Slept at a rest stop 2 hours after a long ass day/night.
@@chrisfry7915 Cool. I think it was last called Travelers Tavern. Tim sold it after being on “Bar Rescue”.
When egos collide!
Mike sounds like such a level headed guy. He was dead on about having to suck it up in a band and deal with A-hole egocentric band members - having to swallow pride to keep it together. There's always one guy that turns into a real P.O.S. once a record deal happens and money starts to come in. Sometimes two guys. The y become a cancer and seal the demise of the band and any prior success. So basically, you work your whole youth to chase a dream, get there, then 2 of your once friends torpedo the whole thing w asinine decisions that only a 4th grader could come up with. Bravo Mick Sweda!
Unfortunate that some of the psychoses that drive us to be excellent also sometimes leave us as insufferable dicks.
Smooth Up - The production, the guitars, and especially the vocs - was somehow cliché and absolutely fucking stellar at the same time (my opinion). Like fast food, cheap, bad for you, sometimes just delicious. Learning that solo challenged me at the time.
And those vocs were some kind of Coverdale/Roth hybrid. All the more sad to see it self destruct.
That band could have been more popular. It’s a shame they didn’t last longer
Marq played LT Harris in Police Academy movie
The ol' LSD-Lead Singer's Disease.
In the summer of either ‘85 or ‘86, me and several of my bandmates at the time went to an outdoor show at a place called “Trout Air” at the time that was on some land near Forest Lake, MN.
Band lineup that day was:
1. Bulletboys - Who I admit I wasn’t familiar with.
2. Accept
3. Ratt
4. Iron Maiden
I remember none of us really knew who they were cuz we were such big time Maiden-Heads back in those days. All the ragweed and other stuff out in that big unkept field was evidently attacking Bruce Dickinson’s sinuses and making him sneeze. Just imagine him up there singing and then very suddenly hitting what sounded like that final high scream not for “Number of the beast” followed by, “AAAAAAACHAAAOOOOOWWWW!!!!!!😤😤😤. For about 3 songs all he could do was stand sort of leaning forward, pinching his nose shut with one had and holding his mic and stand in the other - his long hair shifted forward blocking his face. Felt kinda bad for him but it was funny as hell at the same time. Sorry, not much to say about the BB’s…. It seemed though that EVERybody rocked!
Right place right time, sounds like a stunning experience. I wish we could go back. I saw Monsters of Rock in 88 in a bucolic Wisconsin setting, and it was a similarly beautiful day, and it was May and the pollen was crankin.
love it. you got L.A. sleaze and New wave of british heavy metal plus German metal in one day
Looking at all the big hair in the pictures from the 80s it looks like those old 50s and 60s photos of female country singers like Dolly, Loretta, and Tammy. The bigger the hair the closer to God.
It's really too bad cuz your first album was kick ass amazing
These guys are still around, as far as I know. Last I know, there current bass player Chad McDonald has been playing with a group I know called Mick Adams at Stones tribute band based here in the Phoenix area. I wonder if anybody in this comment section knows a band called Omen, another SoCal hair band from around the same time. I friend of mine, and old drummer who has played with my band, Classic Example named Steve Wittig was the original drummer for Omen and did two stints with them. Omen has a pretty good following in Europe...
ZAZA is an awesome album. mine is a beautiful song
Mine is the worst song on the album 😅
I.always thought they give Britney Fox a run for the money... Lol. 😆
Rick Nielsen for the _dead pan_ win. ☺😀😁😂
Lol. Torien got Ricked! Lmao!
Man Mick is speaking the truth....wish I had known him back in the 80's.....lmfao lazy self involved nothing burgers were the majority of the poofboys back then. 5 hours getting ready for the evening and no time to practice or help market the band.
Mick is a hometown boy
All jokes aside Marq hasn't stopped playing that I know of and can still bring it. So i gotta at least respect that
So Orlando Bloom started a Heavy metal band?
Ok so who tried out for Ozzy? On guitar Mick or Marq?
LMAO!!! Hell I had forgotten all about bullet boys. I never got into much of bands like them. Black Sabbath and other harder bands was my thing. Still a piece of rock history in a time I really miss. Besides Metallica,"I mean their early stuff. Not that black album crap." Sorry guys,but you went on a weird path after justis.
Ummm daaauuumm. I'm getting old.
I bet some of the guitar world and other mags posters either me or some of my friends had slapped all over ever bedroom wall would probably be worth a few bucks today.
I remember in the leadup to that first album they were being promoted as the "next Van Halen." I thought that wasn't a good idea. I liked their music, but they weren't anything like the cultural tidal wave Van Halen was. Their cover of Tom Waits's "Hang On St. Christopher" is excellent.
Better than excellent
Wow! This makes me sad those 2 albums were SMOKIN!
Debut ~ album, Freak Show, & Za Za. Acid Monkey?
This music had become a cartoon by the late 80s.
I saw the BulletBoys open up for Cinderella.. many years ago now ..Marq would jump around sometime like Dave From VH..I never really liked Skid Row or Warrant ...Personally
But my amp goes to 11
I was in a band that opened up for them when they played a club, Marq was the only one in the band who hung out with us and wasn’t a prick!
That's because the other guys stayed as far from Marq as possible so you were stuck hanging with only him. Lmao. I'm joking
Guys not even the original singer for the bullet boys Charlie Wayne Morill wrote all the best stuff
That was back in in Doug Marks band Hawk. Marq replaced Charles.
Two things I can't tolerate is sh#t talkers and big egos..I wouldn't tolerate it either..a band is we...not me
WHO?!?!?
I think they should just be judged on those first three albums, I liked them a lot, after the band broke up a lot of bad ideas were put out. The songs that didn't get airplay were my favorites from the debut, like Shoot the Preacher Down!
And Warrant had a ton of hits, Bullet Boys had even MORE MISSES
The second album was SO much better than the first. Songs were much better.
Every time I've tried to see this band they've canceled. I'm done!
sounds a bit like Dubrow
I forgot about these dudes 30 years ago and can't stop laughing their stil a band.
What's the name of your band?
@@photographervideographer2697 It's called growing up and getting a real job like all the idiots in the bullet boys should of done by 1995. Just admit I'm right and you're wrong while I continue laughing at those complete bozos and you.... btw their demise was for two reasons, low level talent from the start and allowing Warner bros to make them into the image of Van Halen. Again I'll continue to have my daily laugh riot as long as I read that 100% crap bands like the bullet boys actually believe their anything anybody would like, appreciate, or waste time paying to ever see. Wait.... hahahaha hahahaha hahahaha hahahaha man it feels good to laugh at them and your stupidity is a close second. Congratulations!!
Some bands do realize that the time is over, success has come and gone and it's time to pack up. Bands like this, Quiet Riot, Warrant, etc... just continue to play little clubs and outdoor gigs. Maybe they make a living; cool for them. IDK...
Always loved their music. Sweda had an unusual guitar style but it in a good way. And this doesn’t surprise me that Torien was a douche. Always gave off a Roth vibe… both talented singers but essentially jerks to work with. Lol
Mick has always been cool I met him when he was in king kobra
I remember them on MTV smooth up in you
One of the male guitarist on bullet boys, reminded me of this one HOT chick that worked in the deli at a grocery store by my house, she looked exactually like him, the same grocery store to this day is by my house.
I've known Marq for over 30 years. He's not at all what they make him out to be. Maybe he had a different relationship with Mick, but I personally never saw any arguments or anything in the studio or anything else. They both are gois guys, but sometimes people just don't like each other or just one person does not like the other. But Marq has always been a straight up guy to me.
Dude looks like Lorne Greene from Bonanza 😅
That’s why everyone in a band calls it LSD !!!!
I remember the bullet boys being the biggest carbon copy of van halen that's all I remember about them
At 52 years old trying to start a working band with older stubborn guys is next to impossible. Always people putting out ads and never amounting to anything becaue of the reasons stated here with work ethic and dealing with personality differences.it gets worse as you get older ...old stubborn men.
Young kids couldn't handle fame money
I remember watching that Ozzy/Bullet Boys concert live on PPV in 1989. When BB got booed, Marq *seemed* kinda like a d!ck, telling the fans "you see the exit signs", or something like that. Backstage, Lonnie was a little more diplomatic and just shrugged it off like "they just love Ozzy".
But recently, I've been seeing a lot of interviews and people saying how nice Marq is, and he even sounds like a really nice guy in the interviews. Did he change? Or was he really nice to some, and difficult for others? It is pretty cool though that he was in Ratt and almost landed the Ozzy gig.