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PopImpressKA Journal: Interview Series - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH Ace Von Johnson, the Lead guitarist for Faster Pussycat.

by Joshua Brito

September 27, 2015

Left: Ace at Cathouse

PJ: What would you attribute to the band’s success over the last 25+ years? Ace Von Johnson: I think the reason the band has been successful and stayed relevant is due to Taime’s lyrical approach and the overall attitude of the band. The style of music is timeless. It’s dirty, gritty rock n’ roll. That will never fade. And Taime has a sense of honesty in his lyrics that you can’t deny. Even if its strictly about sex, there is something there that people can relate to. Not to mention songs like “House Of Pain”, “Nonstop To Nowhere” and “Bathroom Wall” have become musical staples of that era. I think that sort of stuff keeps people coming back.

PJ: Do you see the younger fans of your music as being similar to those of the 80’s? If so then why?

Ace Von Johnson: Well, I wasn’t around for the bands heyday during the 1980’s, but I imagine there is a bit of a similarity in the sense that there are kids out there just looking for some good old fashioned rock n’ roll. The kind of stuff your parents usually hate. The difference between then and now, is Faster Pussycat was a new act at that time. Kids were being exposed to the band as they came up in the world, rising in popularity at the time, and following them from being a local band to touring with Motley, Kiss, Etc and being all over MTV. Now, a lot of the younger fans are discovering the band through their parents and other outlets, or even by doing their homework. Every kid out there today knows who Guns N Roses & Motley Crue are. So from that angle, you will have some fans who want to know more about the bands from that era, like LA Guns, Jetboy, etc. and thats how they get turned onto us.

PJ: What has the last year been like?

Ace Von Johnson: We’ve spent the last year touring America several times, and working on some new material. Some of the highlights include the Monster Of Rock Cruise, and the Cathouse Live festival that we just performed at.

PJ: If you could pick a dream stage where you would like to perform a full concert where would it be?

Ace Von Johnson: Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan.

PJ: How would you describe your writing style? Where do you find inspiration when writing a song?

Ace Von Johnson: Well, in regards to Faster Pussycat, I can’t say. None of the current releases feature my writing, although Im pretty sure down the road you will see some. You’d have to ask Taime where his inspiration comes from. If I had to guess, I would say sex, drugs & rock n’ roll.

PJ: What are the future plans for “Faster Pussycat”? Any new material?

Ace Von Johnson: Future plans for the band are as follows: Tour, put out a new record hopefully next year, tour some more and hopefully, stay alive. There is definitely new material on the way. As for when, who knows. Hopefully sooner than later!

PJ: If you could make 3 wishes what would they be?

Ace Von Johnson: Three wishes? I mean, I could go the humanitarian route and say I wish for world peace and to end hunger and that Donald Trump wasn’t a presidential candidate. But thats not my style. I just want all of my friends to be happy, healthy and successful. And I would genuinely like to see an end to all animals being unnecessarily euthanized, and for them to find good homes. Rescue an animal!

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH Ace Von Johnson, the Lead guitarist for Faster Pussycat was taken by Mark Lee especially for PopImpressKA Journal www.popimpresskajournal.org