ZAKK WYLDE Talks About OZZFEST, SCOTT WEILAND And DIMEBAG

Deb Rao of Glam-Metal.com last Friday (July 15) conducted an exclusive interview with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Glam-Metal.com: Zakk, I saw you perform with BLACK LABEL the past two nights, and your show was simply phenomenal. How is everything on Ozzfest going so far?

Zakk Wylde: "It's awesome. We are having a great time. I haven’t had the chance to see [IRON] MAIDEN or [BLACK] SABBATH yet, because a lot of the times we have to get out of town real quick, right after our performance, because there is traveling. You know a lot of times people think you are hanging out, but you can't. But Ozzfest is cool, you meet a lot of great people. We have been signing at the FYE tent at whatever chapter of the BLACK LABEL that we are at, whether it is Hartford, Jersey, whatever. We have met a bunch of super-cool people that will be friends for life. That is always a bonus. After we're finished meeting people at whatever chapter we are at, I get a couple of minutes to warm up and get onstage and the next thing I know, we are back onstage again. Ozzfest just got started, at this point it's just before the machine blows wide open, and everyone knows what they are doing."

Glam-Metal.com: What exactly is "Suicide Messiah" about?

Zakk Wylde: "I actually wrote that song about Scott Weiland [VELVET REVOLVER, ex-STONE TEMPLE PILOTS]. A buddy of mine, who is one of my best friends, is like the Captain Shield of BLACK LABEL. He is a NYPD narcotics detective and ended up busting Scott. You know in certain parts of town, you know if you are down there, ya know what is going on, and he said, 'Dude this is Scott.' I love Scott, he is amazing. He is like 'Dude, I got a problem, and I gotta stop.' So that inspired me to write 'Bow Down, You Chose Your Maker, He Never Gives, He is always a taker, he is the Suicide Messiah.' Everyone I have ever know, I have never done that stuff in my life, always winds up dead or broke from doing that crap."

Glam-Metal.com: Yeah, I recently saw you perform at the WAAF beach party earlier this year, and you did a very heart moving tribute to Dimebag. Tell me about that special guitar that he had made for you.

Zakk Wylde: "Dime said, 'Zakk, I can't wait for you to see what I got you man.' I said, 'Christ, what did you get me now dude?' I was hoping he got me a 15-inch dildo to stick up my ass. (Laughs) He said, 'Well, it is not 15 inches, it is 22 inches.' I said, 'You know if that thing is under 15 inches, I ain't talking to you no more.' (Laughs) So I got this guitar, after he passed away and he never got to say, 'Dude, did you like it man,' and stuff like that."

Read the entire interview at Glam-Metal.com.