The Metal Mike Show

VHS Archives #126: Metal Mike talks to the Quireboys (1993)

With the London Quireboys back in the news these days, it’s a good time to resurrect this interview from the Metal Mike Show with Spike and Guy Griffin. The year was 1993 and the Quireboys were out supporting their newest album Bitter Sweet & Twisted. This is just a quick clip regarding opening for big bands such as The Stones, Bowie and Aerosmith.

Unfortunately this is the last clip I have on tape from the Metal Mike Show, a cool local rock program that helped compensate for the loss of the Pepsi Power Hour. Mike used to go to Sam the Record Man and talk to Al King about new releases. I think in the pilot episode, Rush’s Roll the Bones was brand new. So that gives you an idea of the time frame. Mike also talked to local bands like the Groove Daddies and big stars like Poison. Great show.

Anyway, here’s Spike and Guy: formerly the Quireboys!

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VHS Archives #55: One of the best interviews with Bret Michaels of Poison that you’ll find (1993)

“Richie takes a little getting used to.  He’s a strange cat.” — Bret Michaels

In 1991, a new cable access show catering to metalheads hit the local airwaves:  The Metal Mike show, with host Mike Coughlin.  Since MuchMusic’s Power 30 was declining in quality, there was a vacuum for another good metal show.

Check out this terrific interview with Poison frontman Bret Michaels in 1993.  The band had parted with C.C. Deville and were re-emerging the middle of the grunge era with Native Tongue. Today it’s considered to be their best album, but nobody cared in ’93.

Metal Mike eases Bret in comfortably but then hits him up with a tough question:  what really happened with C.C. Deville?  And Bret doesn’t hold back.  Fist fights, drugs and alcohol all came into play, and the trainwreck MTV Awards appearance all contributed.

They move on to finding Richie Kotzen.  Pay attention and notice that the fit seems awkward.  The clues were there.  “He sometimes can be kinda weird,” says Bret of his new bandmate.  There was no question of the man’s chops, however, nor his stage presence.  Check it out.