ROB ZOMBIE Talks Music And Movies In New Video Interview

ARTISTdirect.com editor Rick Florino conducted an interview with Rob Zombie at a recent stop on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour. Watch the chat below.

Zombie aired his feelings about two of his more recent band members — bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson and drummer Tommy Clufetos — being hired away by Ozzy Osbourne for his touring band. Nicholson was hired by Ozzy in 2006 while Clufetos left just months ago, leaving Zombie in desperate need of a drummer. Zombie told the Artisan News Service, "I think there's ways to do things and I think there's ways to not do things and I think the way they've chosen to do things is not how I would do things; I think it's kind of rude."

Zombie added, "I mean, if my guys that I have wanna go play with other people, that's fine; I don't own them. But I think there's ways to do things in a respectful way and there's ways to just be shitty, and I feel that the way things have gone down lately has been pretty shitty . . . I'm just happy because every time I've lost somebody, I've gotten somebody ten times better, so I'm thankful for that. So if somebody's band wants to be made up of my cast-offs, enjoy."

Zombie told The Pulse of Radio his current band, which features guitarist John 5, bassist Piggy D. and SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison, is the best he's ever had. "Yeah, this is the best it's ever been," he said. "I mean, it always gets better and better, but I really can't imagine it ever getting better than this because everybody in the band is such a perfect fit for what we need to do and, you know, there's been times where there's nice people in the band or good players, but they just sort of weren't the right person but they could fake it onstage. But this is the first time we've really had four people that are all like-minded. I don't know, it's just perfect. I mean, we would all be friends if we weren't in the band. We're all that same type of personality, it's great."

Clufetos said in a recent interview about his decision to join Ozzy's band, "Ozzy called me to join his band, and how could I say 'No' to Ozzy Osbourne? It's the pinnacle, so that's why I did it."

Zombie and Ozzy have been friends in the past. They collaborated on a song called "Iron Head" for Zombie's second solo album, 2001's "The Sinister Urge", and Zombie directed a video for Ozzy's 2001 single "Dreamer". Zombie has also toured with Ozzy several times.

Zombie is currently co-headlining the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival with KORN and will hit the road with ALICE COOPER this fall.