Needless to say, within the first minutes of our interview we stopped trying to label John.
There’s absolutely no pretension surrounding him, and the fact that there isn’t is almost maddening – why can’t he just be what we expect him to be? He’s made a name for himself within guitar circles for producing punishing riffs with a Telecaster and Marshall, an odd combination that stands in direct defiance of what many assume to be a standard-issue rock rig. He is upfront about his love for old country pickers like Jerry Reed, and peppers Requiem with some of the hottest picking you’ll ever hear on an album with song names inspired by torture devices. The former guitarist for shock rocker, Marylin Manson, John 5 is actually a friendly, passionate guy who is happy to answer any and all of your questions, whether its about his guitar or his floorlength leather coat.
#SUBSONIC TELECASTER FULL#
John 5 is a musician full of tough, disorienting contradicitions – things that might make sense if it wasn’t for his darker-than-dark image. From his best-selling instructional DVD, The Devil Knows My Name, which blends twisted horror imagery with lightning fast licks, to his new album, chock full of allusions to the darkest ports of human exploration, it would seem that John 5 has found a healthy musical and stylistic niche to exist in. They’re absolutely eating it up everywhere he goes, perhaps because it’s something different in a world of homogeneity. Between touring with Rob Zombie and playing clinics for Guitar Centers around the country, it seems that his subtly unnerving brand of gothic rock has struck a nerve with fans. With the release of his latest album, Requiem, John 5 has been a busy man.
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