Not many people know that Firehouse were almost directly responsible for the beginnings of HardRockHouse.com. After missing Europe out of their touring schedule for well over a decade we followed their 2004 tour around the country and beyond venturing to Madrid for two nights and generally having a great time. After the tour was over we found that we had a shit load of photos from the shows and friends we had met along the way were asking for copies. With this in mind we put up a small site with some of the shots we had taken and, as the saying goes, from small acorns.....

FireHouse

Anyway with a headline appearance at Z Rock Part II in Dudley on September 24th lined up it seemed the ideal time to ctahc up with guitarist Bill Leverty and find out more about what is going on in the Firehouse camp...

Looking back on that tour were you surprised with the level of support and the crowd reaction after so many years away from the European circuit?

I honestly didn't know what to expect after not touring Europe for over 12 years. I was very surprised to see the audiences we had every night. I'm glad the fans enjoyed the gigs enough to want to see the photos. Very cool.

My main memory of that tour is the absolutely manic crowd reaction that the band received at the Caracol show in Madrid. How special a gig was that for the band?

That was our first time ever playing Spain. It was one of the best audiences we've ever had. I had a blast! 

Similarly the night before you played an unplanned acoustic show at Ritmo Y Compas. Is this something that the band does often and is the acoustic environment something that you enjoy?

We don't do that sort of thing very often, but the promoter (and a great friend) Kieran Dargan, set it up and we thought we'd go out there and have some fun.  

In hindsight, and with the reception Firehouse received on that tour, do you feel it was perhaps a mistake to have stayed away from Europe for so long?

Yes!!  

  

Bill Leverty

In the main the set for that European tour was built around the fist two Firehouse albums with a handful of songs culled from the, then new, ‘Prime Time’ CD. Do your shows in the US follow the same formula or do you expand the set with songs from other albums?

We try to play a balance between the songs the audience is familiar with and some new songs.  

Prime Time also saw you taking Lead Vocals  on ‘Holding On’ and ‘I’m The One’ as well as Michael Foster taking lead on ‘Door To Door’. What was the thinking in spreading the vocals across the band rather than having CJ singing all the leads?

I actually sang a song off of the O2 CD called "I'm In Love This Time" in 2000. CJ is our primary lead vocalist, but we have 3 other lead singers in the band and we thought it would be cool for the audience to hear the diversity. 

At roughly the same time ‘Prime Time’ was released you also released your debut solo album ‘Wanderlust’. Was a solo album something you had wanted to do for a while and why at that point in time rather than at any time previously?

I had a bunch of songs that fit my voice well and thought that I should record them. They were all finished shortly after the FireHouse CD was finished. It just happened that way, maybe because we took time off the road to record PRIME TIME, and I was able to have some free time to work on them. It's very hard to record when we're on tour.  

How easy did you find it making the transition to being the lead singer both on the ‘Prime Time’ tracks and on ‘Wanderlust?’

Singing is always a challenge, but I love it. Wanderlust was an opportunity for me to put out a CD that was a reflection of myself.  

‘Wanderlust’, with the exception of ‘Not Dysfunctional’ also saw you solely responsible for composing all of the songs. Did you find the song writing process easier or harder not having CJ to bounce ideas off?

 CJ also co-wrote "You're Not Getting Over". I find song writing to be a lot of fun once the song is started. Starting a new song can be very challenging at times. I take a lot of time jamming and when I come up with an idea that makes me excited, I work on it. Sometimes that takes a lot of time.  

The other noticeable thing about ‘Wanderlust’ was your decision to use Firehouse alumni Michael Foster and Bruce Waibel as your rhythm section. Did you ever consider using musicians from totally outside the Firehouse family for the project or was using Michael & Bruce always a given?

They were a given. They are both so talented and I felt that they would be perfect for the album.  

Both ‘Prime Time’ and ‘Wanderlust’ were initially released via your own imprint rather than through a record company. Was this a deliberate business decision on behalf of Firehouse or more a case of record companies being unable to see beyond short term profits and sign a band with a proven track record?

We were not happy with any offers made by any record labels and felt that we would be better off releasing it ourselves. We definitely made the right decision.  

 

CJ Snare & Bill Leverty

Your next visit to the UK was as part of the inaugural FireFest show in Bradford. The reviewers we had at that gig made you the band of the day. What memories do you have of the gig and how enjoyable was the whole weekend for the band?

That was such a cool gig! The venue is fantastic and the audience was amazing. I can't wait to play there again and thank everyone who came out. 

 

Moving on to Z Rock in September. Z records put out a Press Release on Thursday with a quote from your management/agent stating that: 

“We have heard several rumours to the effect that Firehouse would not be performing at your Festival in September. Please be assured that Firehouse is not only playing your event but excited as hell about the line-up you have assembled. Should you have any questions please direct them to me”

 

To be honest I hadn’t heard any such rumours. Do you know what caused such gossip and as far as you are concerned is there any problem at all with Firehouse proposed appearance at the festival?

 

I don't know, but I can tell you that I'm very excited to come back.

 

 Z Rock, I believe, will be the first true Festival type show that you have headlined in the UK. Do you still get nervous before shows such as this or do nerves no longer play a part after so many gigs over the years?

I get a little bit nervous before every gig. I think that's part of the energy that comes with playing live. 

Can you let us in on the type of set you are planning for Z Rock or is that something you decide upon closer to show time?

We'll decide that right before we hit the stage!  

 

  

 This summer in the USA the band aren’t taking part in any nationwide tours but rather playing a series of weekend dates across the country. Was this simply down to no suitable offers being made or a conscious decision on the part of the band?

Both.  

 In the time off between these shows are you involved in any other music related projects or is it more a case of enjoying free time with the family these days?

This is the first summer of my career where I've been able to spend some good quality time with my family. I couldn't be happier. 

 After so many years of success in the industry you must have many career highs. Looking back what would you say has been your proudest achievement as a guitarist/singer/songwriter?

Winning the American Music Award for best new rock band in 1991.  

Do you have any other ambitions as a musician that you feel are so far unfulfilled from a personal perspective?

I'd love to win a Grammy. I've got work to do!!  

 It’s obviously been quite a while since Firehouse released the ‘Prime Time’ album. What plans, if any, do you currently have to release new material in the near future, either as a solo artist or with the band?

We're writing all the time. when we have the right album ready, we'll release it, but not before.  

And finally is there anything else you would like to add that we haven’t covered.

Thanks so much for your support, and I look forward to coming back to Europe this year. All the best... 

 

Bill, many thanks for agreeing to the interview and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing you once again at Z Rock in September. 

 

Thank YOU Steve. Have a great weekend... Bill