INTERVIEW – Traci Trexx (Vanity BLVD)
Published on May 17, 2011 by Christian Sellers · No Comments
Over the last decade there has been a renewed interest in glam metal, with groups from the 1980s such as Pretty Boy Floyd and Tigertailz making a return to the live scene, whilst new bands like Reckless Love update the formula with a modern edge. Vanity Blvd were formed in 2005 in Avesta, Sweden and soon found themselves in the studio working with Europe producer Chris Laney. Inspired by such legendary rock acts as Mötley Crüe and Kiss and fronted by a woman – a rarety for glam metal (Vixen aside) – the band have gained considerable acclaim over the last five years.
Guitarist Traci Trexx talks about his love of glam.
You would have been very young when the 1980s hair metal scene was at its peak. How did this kind of music first have an affect on you and what was the first metal album you ever bought?
“I did started it early..on the summer in 1987 with Guns n’ Roses when they first came out with Epitite for destruction..and Alice Cooper’s Constrictor and Trash album..my first CD in early ’90s album was Kiss Alive 3, and Love It To Death with alice Cooper. Very happy memory.”
When did you first embrace the glam image and difficulty in school or at work but dressing differently?
“It was in school days, I did my first “glam haircut” in 1994. I was fifteen-years-old then. I also had a Kiss Destroyer t-shirt too. That was it – ready to rock!! Yes it always brings biiig attention and big trouble with glam rock…at work I still sometimes have black nailpollish and some a little make-up..and always a rock ‘n’ roll t-shirt.”
Did you have a glam metal hero and who was on your bedroom wall?
“I still got ‘em all on my bedroom walls, haha. Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Alice Cooper, W.A.S.P., Guns n’ Roses, Poison, Ratt, etc. I cover all the walls and the roof too with all kinds of posters and magazine pics from old and new music magazines I can find. I’ve always thought it was fun to go to the local record store and terrorise the employees and convince them to bestow all their music posters to me.”
When you were a kid did you want to be a singer or were you always drawn to guitar?
“I always wanted to be like Alice Cooper or Freddie Mercury from Queen, but I sounded terrible. My guitar playing came very late for me. It started with an accident; I was dreaming of becoming a wrestling star in my early days but I broke my left knee, so I had to try something a little more calm and relaxing, like a rock n roll band. Probably much more healthy for my body.”
Did you perform many covers during your early shows and do you still play any of these today??
“No, I’ve never been a typical “cover” musician, I always play my own material onstage. Mayby one day we will come up with a cover that sounds like a Vanity BLVD song, just like Metallica had Am I Evil (Diamond Head) or Breed Fan (Budgie), or just like Kiss made their super cover hit, which I believed for many years was their own song – God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll to You (Argent).”
An obvious comparison to both your sound and image are bands like Vain, Kill City Dragons and Vixen, but how influenced are you by these?
“Vain we love a lot, Vixen too, but Cindi was more into the two first albums of Vixen more than I did. Some inspiration sometimes in the early days of my band Vanity BLVD, but we’re more into Saraya, Black Crowes, The Runaways, Mötley Crüe, Aerosmith, Circle of Souls, Guns n’ Roses. The darker and bluesier touch of Hollywood’s rock scene. Cindi’s influence had always been Whitesnake first. We has always been wery open-minded to all kind of music. All of you gonna see some very new inspiration and sound for our second album.”
The groups of the late 1980s were known for their hard partying and ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’ attitude. Do you share this philosophy at all and do you feel that you would have belonged on the Sunset Strip during that era?
“No, I never been into drugs and alcohol. I’m too smart for that crap. I’m more into the attitude and spirit of Alice Cooper and Gene Simmons. I’m just there for the music first; if the music sounds good (that is the most important thing) that will be my buzz and drug at the same time. And I have never been into groupies either, I’m more of a ‘dating kind of guy’ haha.”
There were many female sex symbols around that time, most notably Lita Ford. Who did you have a crush on??
“I always has a crush on Joan Jett, she is very cool rock chick with a good personality and amazing vocals that touch my heart. And yes, Lita Ford is a very cool chick too.”
For more information on Vanity BLVD visit the following:
- Official site
- Facebook
- MySpace
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