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Crank-it-up, no-frills rock 'n' roll is at the heart of Buckcherry
Photo courtesy of Andrew Brown
Buckcherry, whose album 15 was a platinum-seller, will perform Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum.
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Published: November 27, 2008
It was 5 p.m. on a Friday in Winston-Salem -- happy hour -- and guitarist Keith Nelson of Buckcherry, a rock band that is well-known for its penchant for having a good-time libation or 10, was stuffed in a tour bus. He wasn't exactly sure where he was at the moment, but he was more than ready to announce the official Buckcherry Drink of the Day.
In fact, from the clinking of ice cubes, and the odd sip or slurp, Nelson -- who is incredibly fit -- was already getting happy, or, as the case may be, happier.
"The Drink of the Day, today and everyday, is the vodka tonic -- simple, refreshing and, when made right, tastily potent," Nelson said, laughing. "And go easy on the tonic. A perfect celebratory cocktail."
Buckcherry was formed in 1995 by singer John Todd and Nelson -- the band name was taken by playing around with first and last name of rocker Chuck Berry. After years of moderate success, the band is riding high atop a seemingly endless wave of events to celebrate.
In the immediate, the band's new album, Black Butterfly, debuted in September in the Billboard magazine Top 10 album charts and is continuing to steadily sell. The disc's first single, "Too Drunk…," is a staple on Alternative radio, and is selling well as a download and a ringtone. And the band, fresh from Motley Crue's Cruefest Tour, has just joined Avenged Sevenfold for a red-hot tour that will carry the band through the holidays.
This way of life is typical for Buckcherry, which, since the release of the platinum-selling album 15 in 2006, has not stopped to take a breath. The band was surprised by the extreme success of 15 -- which included four hit singles, including the enormously popular "Crazy Bitch" and "Sorry," and a Grammy nomination. The band's belief in the album, which it had financed, was justified, and Buckcherry spent 25 months on tour, having fun, rocking hard and spreading the word.
"We were out there a long time, but it's easy to forget that a lot of people had written us off, as for years (2002-05) there was no Buckcherry," said Nelson, who, with Todd, spent part of the five years between the band's second album, Time Bomb (2001) and 15, jamming with the band that eventually became Velvet Revolver.
"We lost members, but that was merely a flesh wound, because we eventually found the right people for this band (Stevie D., Jimmy "Two Fingers" Ashhurst, Xavier Muriel). Right now, everybody in this band can really play -- and everyone wants to go out and be great every night."
There was no downtime when the band finally came off the road. It caught its breath, then hit its rehearsal space to write songs. Then, with Nelson and Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith) producing, Buckcherry entered the studio to record Black Butterfly.
"There was no vacation as most people think of it," Nelson said. "The writing, rehearsing and recording of the album was the vacation. And nobody complained. We are a true band. We enjoy each other's company. And we are what we do -- which is play turn-it-up, no-frill rock music.
"There are different moods to what we do, but the ideal is the same -- get in your face and don't back off."
Songs were written and demos recorded between October of last year and May. Nelson said that the band's way of recording -- hammering the songs to a point where everybody agrees on how the song should sound -- cuts down on time spent in the studio.
"The songs on the new album are the songs that all five of us could agree were ready to go," Nelson said. "There are a couple of good ones left over, but the fans will see those.
"The hardest part for us, once we start writing, is knowing when to stop. We have to force ourselves to step back and say, ‘OK, we've got it.'
"By the time we start recording, there is little wasted space or effort. We are a live band.... there is no pretense. What you see and hear is Buckcherry, warts and all."
The new album hits all the usual topics -- sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, but it examines the topics from a variety of sides, pros and cons. Toss in a couple of songs about child abuse inspired by Dave Pelzer's book, A Child Called It, and the result is pure Buckcherry -- the same in many ways, but a little bit different in ways that draw attention.
The album adheres to no trends, nor does it chase a demographic. It is loud, old-fashioned, guitar-driven rock music, capped by a great singer.
"I'm not naming names, but there are bands out there right now that feel it's more important to look the part before you can really play," Nelson said, wryly. "Give their fans $200 and let them loose in a Hot Topic store, you wouldn't be able to tell the band members from the fans.
"With us, there's no big production around the band, no bells and whistles. We just go and play, have a good time ... and it sure seems to be working."
He laughed and said, "It sure looks like this band has gotten to the point where we have a career, but I'm not ready to rest too easy."
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