Roy Z

November 2001

Played on:
Balls to Picasso album
Accident of Birth album and tour
The Chemical Wedding album and the 1999-leg of the tour
Tyranny of Souls album

Name and instrument:
Roy Z, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Mellotron
What had you been doing before you started working with Bruce?
Before I started working with Bruce I was producing hardcore bands and writing and recording with the Tribe.
How did you come to work with Bruce?
I had my own band, The tribe of gypsies, and I was working with different bands, producing demos and 7"s. I just had a record deal in Germany with the Tribe of Gypsies and when I first met Bruce we were finishing that record.
Do you remember your first meeting with him?
I was at a studio here in LA working on my album at night and I guess Bruce was in during the day and then the guy at the studio said 'Hey you can work during the day tomorrow cause Bruce isn't coming in to work' so I went in during that day and there was this guy there banging his head to my music and it turned out to be Bruce. He really liked it and introduced himself and offered his assistance. For me it was awesome, and still is.
What was the reason for you parting company with him?
It was a hard decision for us. The tripe of gypsies had got offered a deal and we had just recorded the album with Bruce and he wanted us to tour with us and when he found out he realised he had to put another band together, so it was a hard decision for both of us. So it wasn't that I didn't want to work with him, it was just hard to prepare for a tour with Bruce when your own band just got a record-deal.
What have you been up to since?
[See reply above]
What was the reason for you to start working together with him again?
It's a weird story but this is what happened. I was in England and Paddy, Bruce's wife, invited us over for this July 4 gathering. So I was at the party and Bruce was telling me Skunkworks was going good but I said to him 'If you ever wanna go back to do metal you should call me cause I have some songs that are perfect for you' and two weeks later he called me and he said 'send me what you've got'. Then Bruce came over and we started finishing the writing for the album.
Do you have any fun Bruce anecdotes to share with us?
We've had a lot of fun, it's hard to pick one. I remember one thing, we were on the plane to Japan and he had the Edison puppet and everything he did and said was through that puppet. I remember getting ill and Bruce offered to fly me to a gig and it was a pretty far flight on one of these small Cessna planes and we landed in, I think it was in Nebraska, to refuel and I guess I didn't close my door right and when we were up in the air my door flew open. So we had to land again and Bruce grabbed the door and shut it and took off again. It was scary then but it's fun now.
What do you think of the time you were in Bruce's band?
How do you value your time with Bruce nowadays?
It's rated really high for me. To be honest with you, us writing together is really easy. We write a lot of things together, a lot of things that people don't get to hear.
What do you think of his other works?
Well, of course I really love what he does with Maiden. I liked Tattooed Millionaire when it came out. I worked at Tower records at the time and we used to play the heck out of that record. Everybody says 'Skunkworks' sounds Seattle but to me it sounds like Rush. There's a few songs on there that I really dig, I listen to it from time to time. The sounds are awesome, Jack Endino did a great job. It takes some balls to do that kind of album. I think, in a few years people are gonna like that album even more.

Roy's own question to himself:
Is there a chance for you and Bruce to do another record, if so what would it sound like?
Bruce and I have written and demoed 6-8 new songs. I hope we have a chance to finish the Trilogy that I have always invisioned us doing. The new material borrows from both Accident of Birth and The chemical wedding but It also has some new and fresh experimental ideas that really work with Bruce's voice. I think fans would go apeshit if this record ever gets done and released.