Guitarist 'METAL' MIKE CHLASCIAK: 'Number One Priority Is To Kick Ass Live First'

Saviours of Rock conducted an interview last month with guitarist "Metal" Mike Chlasciak (HALFORD, PAINMUSEUM, SEBASTIAN BACH) after a "scorching" SEBASTIAN BACH gig in Melbourne, Australia. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Saviours of Rock: I think some people were a little surprised at how good the show was.

Mike: "This new band line-up is unstopabble. Everyone is there for the main reason being is to kick ass musically. The partying, the craziness is always nice and indeed somewhat necessary, but number one priority is to kick ass live first. That has always been my priority as a musician. Yes, it's easy to get caught up in the crazy schedules, the whole hoopla of rock 'n' roll, but very often I pull back and say .... prioritize. You know, I might not go and drink 'till 6 a.m. the night before the show, not because I don't want to, but because I don't want to disappoint the fans and myself with a shitty show from my side the next night. So, I guess to make the long story short, we are committed to kicking ass, ha."

Saviours of Rock: So there's a new SEB album ["Angel Down"] going out. Can you fill us in a little about it?

Mike: "It is going to be a great album. Will satisfy Baz's fans and will gain us all new ones. Performances are there, attitude is there, songs are there. It is hard to describe, but it will do Baz justice as an artist for sure and great things for us and a band."

Saviours of Rock: Plus you're on the new HALFORD album, and PAINMUSEUM. You're a busy man, Mike.

Mike: "Yeah, I have to keep busy or I'll quickly fade into depression. Weird fact, but it's true. And you know, I love what I do, so it is just natural for me to keep going. I have a lot to say musically and artistically. As I play with Bach, I'll also continue to develop as a solo artist."

Saviours of Rock: So how do you fit in a life with all that. Do you have a family? Is it hard to juggle?

Mike: "Yes, I do have a family, and a 2-year-old son named Steel. Which, by the way, was named by The Metal God, ha. It is the hardest thing to leave when I'm going away on tour or business. It sucks, actually, but this is the life I choose. Having a family is great, as it is a grounding unit when I return home from the tour. After so many hotel rooms, flights, parties and all that ... it's great to have a place that you can call home, and in the end it is the only thing that keeps me sane. It is not an easy life, but a rewarding one, so so far things have been going really well. You know, looking back at what I have been able to do and achieve in the last few short years ... I'm realizing that I'm very fortunate."

Read the entire interview at www.savioursofrock.com.