ROB ZOMBIE Guitarist JOHN 5 On Solo Career: 'I Am Doing This For The Love Of The Guitar'

Diane Webb of YesterdazeNews conducted an interview with former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 prior to his October 28 show at Tony V's Garage in Everett, Washington. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the response to his latest solo album, "Season Of The Witch":

John 5: "It's very positive, which makes me inspired to make other records and do tours, because I am doing this for the love of the guitar and all that stuff. I just love to go out and play. This is a strange thing, but I love to be this far away [points to interviewer sitting next to him] from the fans. That's how it is. I just, I don't know, something about that really is exciting and there's a lot of energy out there in the crowd. It's not like they [the crowd] have to be jumping around or anything because the music is so technical and stuff, people are just watching and stuff, but there is a really great energy out there. I love performing and then, after this, in a week, I'm going to be doing Knotfest with twenty-five thousand people [with ROB ZOMBIE]. It's really fun. I couldn't be in a better position. Zombie is so cool to say, 'Yeah, go play some shows.' It's just guitar. People are, like, 'Why don't you get a singer up there?' I'm, like, 'I have a singer, it's Rob Zombie. My favorite singer ever.' It really works out well."

On how the TV show "Hee Haw" and country music factors into his guitar playing and live shows:

John 5: "With this show, I do some music that would be on the 'Hee Haw' show, but I also really enjoy rock, hard rock, metal and there's just a great amalgamation for everything that goes on up here. You'll get pummeled with the same kind of thing, but then we'll go to western swing or something strange like that. The crowd, it's so different, but they like it. It's a breath of fresh air up there."

On the status of the next ROB ZOMBIE studio album:

John 5: "We are still in the process [of creating it]. It's going really well. I'm so excited because I'm a ZOMBIE fan. If I wasn't in the band, I'm a ZOMBIE fan and I'm a WHITE ZOMBIE fan. It's really exciting. It's really exciting. I mean, it puts a smile on my face. I can't wait for it to be done and for us to start playing it live."

On whether he still gets "starstruck":

John 5: "I get starstruck… I don't know because a lot of my heroes are my really good friends. Really good friends; close friends where I can say, 'Hey, dude. I have a flat tire. Can you come pick me up?' My buddies will, but my buddies are Ace Frehley [ex-KISS] and Peter Criss [ex-KISS] and Gene Simmons [KISS] and Nikki Sixx [MÖTLEY CRÜE] and Rob Zombie and all these people. It's really surreal. It's great. I would have never have thought or never would have guessed this."

On whether his teenage kids are aware of his status as a prominent rock guitarist:

John 5: "Ever since they were infants, I would sit on the couch and play guitar constantly, which I still do. I play guitar so much, maybe more now, but my son is coming to Knotfest and it's really neat to have my kids there because they didn't go to a lot of shows because they weren't really into it, but they grew up [with it]. When we were recording [MARILYN MANSON's 2000 album] 'Holy Wood', they were right there in the studio with Manson walking around in his underwear and stuff like that. They've seen it all."

"Season Of The Witch" was released in March.

John 5's solo band THE CREATURES includes Ian Ross on bass and Rodger Carter on drums.