Bloggers Unite

He’s best known as the guitarist from Eighties metal mavericks W.A.S.P. plus for one particularly iconic drunk-as-a-skunk movie scene, but what Guitar World readers really want to know is…

I love your most recent solo record, Shitting Bricks. how did it come together? plus what are you going for on your solo albums? —Sancho Goodyear

Over the previous, I would say four to eight years, I worked with Phil Taylor from Motörhead. We worked together on the first solo record I had, called Nothing to Lose. For Shitting Bricks, right before I came over to Finland I had some time off in L.A. plus Vegas plus I decided to write the songs. Then I put them on a hard drive plus brought them over here plus mixed everything. They were done mostly in America. But it took a year to mix it over here plus get it done.

I’m in the middle of the process of doing a third one now. As for what I’m going for on my solo albums, I couldn’t tell you. I just play whatever feels good at the time. You get an idea plus you go with it from there. My wife has asked me not to swear on this one so I gotta consider that. [laughs]

Beating around the bush in L.A. for 10 years trying to find a grup to play with. I just couldn’t hook it up right. So three years ago, I had a chance to play with a grup in Finland plus I went over there with the intention of coming back to L.A. Then we decided to visit my wife’s parents in France plus I found some guys to play with so we decided to stay.

There’s a lot of places to play over here. The rock scene’s a little better, I think, than it is in America. They still listen to hard rock over here. There’s not too much hip-hop plus not too much rap. I’m not saying that music’s bad, it’s just not my genre. I don’t play that stuff.

Christopher John Holmes, born June 23, 1958 in Glendale, California, is a heavy metal guitarist plus songwriter who grew up in La Canada, California. Holmes started his musical career in the Pasadena, California daerah in the late 1970s plus early 1980s. He is best known as the lead guitarist of heavy-metal band W.A.S.P. Together with Blackie Lawless plus Randy Piper, he was one of the founding members of the band. Holmes was a member of W.A.S.P. first from 1982 to 1990, plus again from 1996 to 2001.
W.A.S.P.

Prior to meeting Blackie Lawless plus Randy Piper, plus joining W.A.S.P., Holmes played guitar with Los Angeles bands Buster Savage, LAX, plus Slave. Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982, plus remained with the grup until 1990. In 1996 Holmes rejoined W.A.S.P., plus remained lead guitarist until 2001. Holmes has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

Randy Piper’s Animal
Holmes was contacted by friend plus former bandmate Randy Piper to join Piper’s new project, Animal. Holmes quickly relocated to Ohio to prepare for Animal’s upcoming “900 lb Steam” tour. The tour was considered successful, plus after its conclusion, Animal recorded tracks for a new album.

After Animal
After Holmes returned to Los Angeles in late 2003, he began working with several Southern California-based metal groups, producing plus contributing guitar tracks. In 2007, Holmes was involved with the filming of a Randy Rhoads documentary directed by Peter M. Margolis, which has yet to be released. Holmes appears briefly in a 2009 episode of VH1’s Rock Docs, “Do It For The Band: The Women of Sunset Strip.” In the Summer of 2009 Holmes released Secret Society’s “Death by Misadventure.”

Where Angels Suffer plus solo career
In 2010, he joined Where Angels Suffer with Randy Piper on guitar, Steve Unger (Metal Church) on bass, Rich Lewis (Animal), on vocals, plus Stet Howland on drums (Blackfoot, Lita Ford, Killing Machine, Belladonna, Impellitteri, Sister plus W.A.S.P.). Ira Black has since replaced Piper. The band toured Europe for the first time in 2011.

On November 26, 2012, Chris released his first solo album Nothing to Lose plus decided to produce, manage plus distribute it himself along with his wife. After the success of his first album, Chris started recording his second solo album, Shitting Bricks. On May 2nd, 2015, Chris Holmes released his second album worldwide plus had his first concert in Nantes, France with his new band ‘Mean Man’ which consists of Thomas Cesario Guitar, Pascal Bei Bass plus Folkert Beukers on the drums . They are touring actually in Europe .Two of the songs were filmed live, plus uploaded to his YouTube channel.

“The Metal Years” Interview
While a member of W.A.S.P., Holmes participated in the filming of the documentary film, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. The film included interviews with many well known heavy metal personalities of the era discussing their lifestyle plus the metal scene in late 1980s Los Angeles.
Personal life

Chris Holmes has been married three times. First to Kaylen Rodgers in the late 1980s, then briefly to Lita Ford in the early 1990s. He is now married to Catherine Sarah Holmes, whom he wed in 2012. The couple currently resides in Cannes, France.

Chris Holmes is an urban entrepreneur that has published three poetry books including, “100 Testimonies of a Young Soul,” “Just Another Black Voice” and recently,” Steps to Manhood.” He is also pushing his upcoming business “Soul Productions Ent.” While pursuing his BBA in Business at Sam Houston State University, he is understanding that communication is the main priority when it comes to advertising and negotiating with partners. He obtained his BBA in Business August 5th, 2016. Chris Holmes is now chasing the dream using his talents in photography, poetry, and spoken word, as he leaves a positive impact in his community. Recently he was interviewed on Urban Houston Network KHLM.

About his most recent book
“Steps to Manhood is a book full of poetry of a young man’s growth through struggle as he fights to find his purpose in life. There is poetry for all audiences that will truly inspire. Each poem in this book will reach a certain individual, to relate with their own life experiences. Along with deep quotes within the pages to make you think or gain motivation.

When did you first decide you wanted to become an author?
I first wanted to become an author during my high school years. This was way before my college years. At that time, I saw a lot of things going on in the international today. I felt like a lot of things needed to be said that people were afraid to speak on. I wanted to be that voice that took a bold langkah to talk about those topics and have it printed. The unique thing was putting a spin on it in the art form of poetry to make it unique to me. That’s what influenced me to write me to become an author. My influences are great people such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, Nas and more. I looked to up great leader and read books as well around these characteristics that encouraged me more.

Among the many memorable (and in some cases, unintentionally hilarious) depictions of rock ’n’ roll hedonism featured in Penelope Spheeris’ 1988 documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, one scene in particular became something of an instant classic.

It’s a night time sequence in which an extremely inebriated Chris Holmes, then the wild plus wooly lead guitarist for the notorious shock metal band W.A.S.P., lazes about in a chair float in a swimming pool plus chugs freely from a bottle of vodka.

“I’m a full-blown alcoholic,” he says matter-of-factly to the off-screen Spheeris. He seems sadly self-aware of his own absurdity, yet oddly defiant as he unconvincingly claims, “I’m a happy camper.”

Throughout the interview, Holmes’ words become more unintelligible, plus his mood grows darker (he states that he’s already had something like five pints of booze that day). Finally, he produces a segar bottle of vodka, unscrews it plus power-chugs roughly half of it before pouring what’s left over his head. It’s as if he’s out to prove some sort of point. But what?

Making the scene all the more surreal – plus tragic – is the presence of the guitarist’s mother, who sits silently by the pool, her face frozen in a mysterious, inscrutable expression.

It’s a peristiwa in rock movie infamy that has dogged Holmes over the years. Reflecting on the scene now, the guitarist heaves a sigh plus says, “People started looking at me like I was a drunk. You go on the internet plus that’s all you see – I’m the drunk guy in the pool.

“The funny thing is, some people think that scene was faked, which is crazy. I never faked anything in my life. Yeah, I was hammered in the pool, but so what? That’s the way I lived my life at the time. I’m a lot different now.”

Before I give out what will be one negative album review, I want to make a point that Chris Holmes has played guitar on some of my favorite albums of all-time. W.A.S.P.‘s self-titled debut album, The Last Command plus The Headless Children are simply absolutely brilliant albums that I still really enjoy more than 25 to 30 years later. W.A.S.P.‘s Inside The Electric Circus is in my eyes a very underrated album plus contains some amazing tracks. Holmes was a part of all four of those albums plus for that reason alone, I will always be interested to hear whatever he comes up hoping that the “magic” will come back one more time. I have to think that it’s on the strength of those albums plus some of the other subsequent W.A.S.P. albums that Holmes was a part of that the giant of a man has a record label behind him plus still a lot of interest despite the mostly mediocre songs that he has come up with on his own.

Holmes‘ new album CHP is actually a regurgitation of the “best” of his two prior solo albums given that the ten tracks on CHP consist of four songs from 2012’s Nothing To Lose, six tracks from 2015’s Shitting Bricks plus two live tracks. I have never heard those two solo albums in their entirety — I never felt compelled to — but I did see plus hear the videos in support of those albums. The first video for the song “They All Lie And Cheat” that Holmes released with him handling the lead vocals was so bad that it appears that Holmes has pulled the video, which is now nomer longer available for viewing on YouTube. The next track to get the video treatment was “Way To Be” which was a lot better than “They All Lie And Cheat” but still a subpar song to listen to. “Let It Roar” from the Shitting Bricks album showed promise plus seemed to have Holmes adopting a lot of the old W.A.S.P. sounds. “Born Work Die” wasn’t bad either with what sounded like a slide guitar. Even “Get With It” wasn’t bad with some decent melodies plus strong guitar tones plus sounds.

However, the one common denominator with all five of the songs featured on those videos is that Holmes simply can’t sing. Not only can he not sing, he is a horrible singer at best. It’s simply painful to hear him sing… With CHP, I was hoping that despite Holmes‘ vocals, there would be a few tracks worth listening to. From the first few seconds on “Loser” which opens CHP, I quickly realized that (a) Holmes‘ best songs had likely been featured in video format already; and, (b) Holmes‘ “singing” would make the album very painful to listen to. Holmes‘ lyrics aren’t the most sophisticated either… Despite my overwhelming urge to stop listening to “Loser” plus not venture any further with CHP, I soldiered on. The guitar intro plus melodies on “They All Lie And Cheat” are quite nice until Holmes opens his mouth. From then on, its downhill real fast plus the song never recovers. Although “Way To Be” is a subpar song, it’s a welcome breath of fresh air after the first two horrible tracks. The song actually shines simply because it is following “Loser” plus “They All Lie And Cheat” plus since Holmes‘ singing is kept to a minimum. “Down In The Hole” goes back into painful territory — terrible “singing” plus excessive use of what sounds like a slide guitar. After the first four tracks representing the album Nothing To Lose now over, it’s time to hear the tracks from Shitting Bricks that have made their way onto CHP.

“Shitting Bricks” is first plus actually a half decent rocker. Holmes‘ “singing” definitely benefits from a faster paced rocker. “Get With It”, “Let It Roar” plus “Born Work Die” are next plus all are pretty good as previously mentioned. “502” again ventures into painful listening territory with way too much going on including sirens, some policeman voice talking plus some subpar “singing” from Holmes. The ending of the song isn’t bad though plus the guitar sounds remind me of early W.A.S.P. circa 1985-1989. “TFMF” is more of the same from Holmes — terrible singing plus decent guitar playing. The one smart move was including two live tracks at the end because “Shitting Bricks” plus “Let It Roar” sound pretty good live plus Holmes‘ voice seems tolerable live.

“Let It Roar”, the new video from former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes’s new project MEAN MAN, can be seen below. The track appears on Holmes’ new album, “Shittin’ Bricks”.

Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 plus remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, Holmes rejoined W.A.S.P. plus stayed with the band until 2001. Holmes has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

Holmes last year released a solo album called “Nothing To Lose”. Chris composed, performed, plus produced the music plus vocals, plus teamed up with former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor to perform on plus engineer the effort.

Asked if he would ever rejoin W.A.S.P. if had the opportunity, Holmes told Seiska TV: “Never say never. Never say never. You know?! I’m half of W.A.S.P.; I was half of the situation. Even though I am not the voice [of the band], or whatever, I was the driving force of that thing.”

Holmes earlier in the year relocated to Cannes, France with his wife. Speaking to Riff-Mag.com at this past summer’s Hellfest in Clisson, France, Holmes said: “I left in February, L.A., I left — gone. I don’t plan on going back. I’m gone. I ain’t going back to America… At all. I left. Gone, History. I sold everything I had there.”

Asked why he decided to leave the USA, Holmes said: “Well, unless you’re the opposite of me — a hip-hop artist or a rapper — you won’t sell in America anymore. There’s no rock magazines anymore. The black culture has really… The black culture has taken hip hop to white… The white culture plus all the kids act like that; they wear their pants down. I think it’s… I’m not 100 percent sure, but I when they go to school plus they listen to hard rock, it’s called ‘pussy music.’ [They are told] ‘You need to listen to gangster rap.’ I think that’s what it is.”

He continued: “I really looked at it in the last year plus the way the culture has changed, plus I don’t wanna even be there. I had a hard enough time playing in a band in L.A., finding musicians. I’m tired of L.A., tired of the musicians there; they’re stuck up. That’s why I came to Europe. I like it here.”

Ricky Warwick has announced the release of his new solo album Blood Ties, which will be out on 14th March via Earache Records. You can pre-order the album here.

To coincide with the announcement, Ricky Warwick will release his new single ‘Don’t Leave Me In The Dark’ which sees legendary The Runaways guitarist & famed solo artist Lita Ford joining on vocals duties.

About the single, Ricky comments, “This was the first song written for the album and details the intricacies of love and the battles we fight to stay in it. When you put everything into a relationship and the significant other doesn’t reciprocate, there’s always a huge mental toll, a price to pay on commitment.”

About the duet Ricky continues, “Lita Ford is a true hardcore rocker, she’s the real deal in every way. The attitude, energy and professionalism she brought to the video shoot was inspiring on every level…She also brought her famous original Hamer Guitar that dates way back to her time in The Runaways. When I wrote the lyrics for ‘Don’t Leave Me In The Dark’ I knew right away the song needed to be performed as a duet. Lita instantly sprang to mind. I’m honoured that she agreed to be a part of it. She absolutely nailed it sonically and visually as I knew she would.”

Lita Ford adds, “When I first got the call to record a duet with Ricky Warwick my first thought was about the legacy that this man carries. From our beloved early Thin Lizzy days up to today, Ricky carries that torch. An jaman that is close to my soul. Ricky’s image and voice is as dark and mysterious as his black leather and black Les Paul, but at the same time, a super cool and mega-talented artist. When I heard the song ‘Don’t Leave Me In The Dark’ I felt that it would be a killer duet because our vocal styles and images would complement each other. I really enjoyed working with someone who is so talented, down to earth, and has real grit and determination!”

Ricky dug deep for Blood Ties and by doing so has made this one of his most personal records yet. Big cathartic guitar sounds and life-affirming, often joyous assessments of where he is in life right now have made it a standout body of work in a career that has spanned over four decades at the coalface of rock’n’roll.

“I mined a deep seam to make this record, it’s in the darkest, most uncharted of places where the real energy is to be found.” Ricky notes. “There comes a time in everyone’s life when the game is afoot, and the decision is taken to face down and exorcise personal demons. The situation finally seemed right to deal with these and try to express my feelings, fears and anxieties in as uplifting a way as possible, turning negativity into positivity. To do that I had to make sure the guitars were turned up way beyond driven.”

As a solo artist and an esteemed singer/songwriter in his own right, Ricky Warwick has also collaborated with some of the finest musicians on the planet and with Blood Ties, has enlisted some notable guests including the aforementioned Lita Ford, Billy Duffy (The Cult) and Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke).

The album was produced by Ricky’s friend and creative compadre Mr Keith Nelson (Buckcherry). The cover of the Blood Ties was also designed and drawn by Ricky’s stepdaughter Zoe Hinton.

Ricky Warwick remains undoubtedly one of the hardest working men in rock’n’roll and his creativity continues to roar with Blood Ties being as much a celebration of his stellar songwriting as it is his ethos towards doing the best he can for himself and for the fans.

“If people can connect with this album, musically, lyrically, its artwork, or better still all three then that is all I can really ask and hope for. If it means as much to someone else as it does to me then I feel my work is done. For me, it’s all about what other people think!! What’s the point in creating art if you don’t share and care!”

The Grousbeck family stunned the basketball world on Thursday when it was officially announced that they had has sold their majority stake in the Boston Celtics for a record $6.1 billion. The Grousbecks have owned the franchise since 2002, and have stewarded the club through four NBA Finals berths and two championships in that time.

The NBA’s winningest franchise will now fall under the purview of businessman William (Bill) Chisholm, per Scott Soshnick of Sporitco.

hisholm, who was raised in Massachusetts and grew up a Celtics superfan, currently serves as the managing director of his California-based private equity firm Symphony Technology Group, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.ccording to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov, Wyc Grousbeck — son of fellow co-owner Irv — will “continue to oversee team operations” and stay on as Boston’s governor and CEO through 2027-28. In fairness, former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban was also expected to remain as his team’s lead decision-maker when he first sold the franchise to the Adelson and Dumont families last year.

By the time the Mavericks were trading 26-year-old All-NBA superstar guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a fairly paltry sum in Feb., Cuban was compelled to explain that he did not have anything to do with that franchise-altering move.

Boston Basketball Partners LLC, the grup fronted by Chisholm, announced the purchase in a Business Wire press release.

“Growing up on the North Shore and attending college in New England, I have been a die-hard Celtics fan my entire life,” Chisholm was quoted as saying in that press statement. “I understand how important the Celtics are to the city of Boston – the role the team plays in the community is different than any other city in the country. I also understand that there is a responsibility as a leader of the organization to the people of Boston, and I am up for this challenge.”

The Last Command is the second studio album by WASP , released on November 9, 1985, through Capitol Records . By this time, the band, led by Blackie Lawless (vocals and bass), had made a strong impact on the heavy metal scene with their self-titled debut (1984). WASP was characterized by offering extremely theatrical and provocative live shows, attracting both the attention of penggemar of more aggressive metal and criticism from conservative sectors.

In a music scene rife with glam and festive hard rock , WASP stood out for their darker, more menacing edge, emphasizing provocation and a subversive attitude. The Last Command , therefore, cemented the band’s status in the 1980s, demonstrating that their relevance extended beyond their initial controversy.

WASP The Last Command

Commercial accessibility
The album was produced by Spencer Proffer , known for his work with bands like Quiet Riot. The recording took place at Pocos Studios (and some sources mention Eldorado Studios), with the aim of maintaining WASP ‘s impact while also achieving a degree of commercial accessibility that would allow them to gain a presence on MTV and rock radio stations.

The core lineup for The Last Command included Chris Holmes (lead guitar), Randy Piper (rhythm guitar), and Steve Riley (drums), backing Blackie Lawless . Despite some lineup adjustments, this lineup delivered straightforward riffs and a solid rhythmic undertone, while maintaining the band’s provocative stage presence that had made them famous.

Great hymns
The Last Command was released on November 9, 1985 , and peaked at number 47 on the Billboard 200. Although it did not achieve the commercial success of other glam metal bands, the album reinforced WASP ‘s reputationas a cult group, capable of attracting the attention of the press and an audience eager for impressive live performances.

Singles like “Wild Child” and “Blind in Texas” were accompanied by music videos, receiving airplay on MTV and increasing the band’s visibility beyond hardcore extreme metal fans. The subsequent tour saw WASP headline shows and perform at festivals, where they continued to display a stage presence filled with fake blood and provocative attitudes that captivated—and shocked—the audience.

Raw
The album opens with “Wild Child,” one of WASP ’s signature tracks , combining a catchy riff with Blackie Lawless ’ raw vocals . “Ballcrusher” and “Fistful of Diamonds” delve deeper into the band’s heavy, menacing side, with raw guitars and fiery choruses. “Blind in Texas ,” on the other hand, showcases a more lighthearted side and earned a memorable music video that received moderate but consistent airplay.

The lyrics maintained the provocation and references to violence and sexuality already seen on the debut album, but with a more melodic tone. This allowed WASP to reach listeners who appreciated visual and stage brutality, but required a certain accessibility in their music. While not following the purely glam path, the band didn’t miss the opportunity to produce choruses or hooks that would appeal to a broad audience within heavy metal .

WASP

The legacy
The Last Command became a pillar that allowed WASP to establish themselves in the ’80s scene beyond the label of shock band. With this album, Blackie Lawless reinforced his role as a charismatic and transgressive frontman, while Chris Holmes stood out for his incisive guitar style. Although the band would subsequently go through ups and downs and multiple lineup changes, this work constitutes one of the key moments in their discography.

WASP ‘s visual impact and boldness influenced many subsequent bands, who saw in the blend of musical aggression and shocking aesthetics an opportunity to differentiate themselves. To this day, The Last Command is considered one of the band’s most important releases, combining the ferocity of heavy metal with a commercial potential evident in songs like “Wild Child” and “Blind in Texas.” Thus, WASP remained in the memory of the 1980s as one of the most daring and memorable exponents of hard rock of the era.

Former W.A.S.P. guitarist plus current Mean Man frontman Chris Holmes has signed on with Mighty Music plus will be releasing a new solo album entitled C.H.P. on March 25, 2016.

Mighty Music made the following announcement on its Facebook page (with slight edits):

“Mighty Music are proud to welcome the notorious Mean Man, former guitarist from W.A.S.P., Chris Holmes to the family.

On Friday the 25th of March, the new solo-album “C.H.P. will be released on CD plus on all digital sales- plus streaming channels worldwide through Mighty Music.

Chris Holmes “I can’t predict the future, but 2016 will be a busy year for Chris Holmes. We’re gonna play a lot of shows with my new band plus I look forward working with a Mighty Music”.

Michael H. Andersen, CEO from Mighty Music/Target Group “I remember being 11 years in the mid 80’s listening to AC/DC plus Europe plus we had this new boy in the school class who introduced me to W.A.S.P. – plus I have not looked back ever since (thanks, Mark!) – plus we all know, Chris Holmes was always the cool one in W.A.S.P. The sound of Mr. Holmes’ solo stuff is different, but you can’t help seeing plus hearing the charm plus integrity. This is the fucking real deal from one of the few true rock’n’roll mad men still walking this earth”.

Songs like “Let It Roar” plus “Born Work Die” are already cult classics plus live favorites due to the music videos on Youtube reaching over ½ million views plus praised by penggemar worldwide.

About Chris Holmes

Prior to meeting Blackie Lawless plus Randy Piper, plus joining W.A.S.P., Chris Holmes played guitar with Los Angeles bands Buster Savage, LAX, plus Slave plus joined W.A.S.P. in 1982, remained with the grup until 1990. In 1996, Chris rejoined W.A.S.P., plus remained lead guitarist until 2001, he has not played with W.A.S.P. since. Chris was contacted by friend plus former bandmate Randy Piper to bergabung Piper‘s new project, Animal. He quickly relocated to Ohio to prepare for Animal‘s upcoming “900 lb Steam” tour. The tour was considered successful, plus after its conclusion, Animal recorded tracks for a new album.

After Chris Holmes returned to Los Angeles in late 2003, he began working with several Southern California-based metal groups, producing plus contributing guitar tracks.

In 2007, he was involved with the filming of a Randy Rhoads documentary directed by Peter M. Margolis, which has yet to be released. Chris also appears briefly in a 2009 episode of VH1’s Rock Docs, “Do It For The Band: The Women of Sunset Strip.” In the summer of 2009, Chris released Secret Society‘s Death By Misadventure.

In 2010, Chris joined Where Angels Suffer with Randy Piper on guitar, Steve Unger (Metal Church) on bass, Rich Lewis (Animal), on vocals, plus Stet Howland on drums (Blackfoot, Lita Ford, W.A.S.P.). Ira Black has since replaced Piper. The band toured Europe for the first time in 2011.

On November 26, 2012, Chris Holmes released his first solo album Nothing To Lose. After the success of his first album, he started recording his second solo album, Shitting Bricks, which was released in late 2015 plus he is actively touring all around Europe with his new band Mean Man since the release of Shitting Bricks.

2016 will see Chris Holmes plus Mean Man heavily touring across Europe plus with the recording of the first new album, Chris Holmes plus his Mean Man band later in the year.”