My interview with Michael Monroe was scheduled for 5.20pm. Its the last date of their UK tour and I was all prepped to find out from THE man how it had gone. But with a hour to go, Dante Bonutto of Universal Records (Michael Monroe are now signed to Universal subsidiary Spinefarm Records) calls me to say that Michael is not doing so great and needs to rest his voice before tonight’s gig and would I mind chatting to the other guys in the band? Well of course, Michael is the main man but with his line-up now including the likes of, Ginger, Sami Yaffa and Steve Conte, there’s enough quality coming off the bench to satisfy Midlands Rocks for sure.

So I head off to the HMV Institute in Birmingham hoping to catch up with the guys and record a decent interview for our regular podcast.

Well, that was the plan...

The rest of the guys hadn’t been informed that they were stepping in for Michael and were ensconced in the nearby Big Bulls Head PH and several pints of Magners into a party. On top of that there was a traditional Irish band playing a merry jig with full on fiddle and bodhran, so any plans of a group discussion suitable for podcasting were well out of the window. However, I was lucky enough to find a seat alongside guitarist Steve Conte and he was more than ready to step into the breach to discuss all things Michael Monroe Band plus a little more besides...

So this is the last date of your UK tour, how has it been?

Its been great, its the last one tonight so we’re gonna have a big party. We did some good ‘serious’ gigs in the middle but now its time for a bit of fun.

The tour has been for 13 dates that have included some smaller provincial towns. Was that a conscious effort by the band and by Michael to just get out there?

Well certainly not doing 13 dates in a row with just one day off...

Yeah, I noticed. And Michael’s feeling it a little now, how’s he doing?

Well for a lead singer, six or seven dates in a row is a lot. He’s not doing this interview, so that should indicate how he’s feeling.

So, Steve you brought your own band over recently and played The Robin and also here at the HMV Institute. How do you like linking up with the MM band and changing mode?

Well I’ve been doing this kinda thing my whole like, ya know? First my own band (The Contes), then the Dolls (New York Dolls), some for Michael, my other band The Crazy Truth... I’ll always do my own music but sometimes I like to get in the back seat and let someone else do the driving as I find that rewarding as well.

It wasn’t too long back that you released Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth. Is that the name of the band or the album...?

Kinda both... I wanted to be sure that people didn’t get confused with my own acoustic stuff and then the electric – The Crazy Truth is my electric side.

And does The Crazy Truth have legs or was it a one off?

No, no, I’m doing another album real soon, probably in the studio in May.

That sounds really busy, what with the MM tour hitting Europe soon. How do you fit it all in?

Ah, well that’s life isn’t it? Its great to be busy. You have to have multiple things going on to pay the rent. Even when I was on Mercury Records with A Company of Wolves, I still did work with and for other people, recording sessions, etc.

And you did some soundtrack work for an anime project didn’t you?

Ya know, if people call and they want my work (and they have a budget! Ha!) then I’ll listen to what it is. If I like it, then I’ll do it. I don’t do anything that I am embarrassed about – well not anymore anyway!! Ha, ha!

Anything, you would like to share???!

Noooooooo!!  (Cue much laughter from Ginger & Sami listening in)

So, you’ve been with Michael a short while now. Were you all on the ...Live in Helsinki album?

Oh yeah, Michael, Sami, Ginger and myself were all on that.

And are you on board for the full tour?

Yeah, we now have a little 3 week break and get a chance to go home and see our families, then we’ll get together again to play Spain, Italy...

Are you guys going to Japan? Is that still on?

I’m not sure at present. It depends on the situation over there with the nuclear issue and just simple things like water supplies. But we hope to.

We put on a fundraiser in Finland recently. It was Ginger’s idea and since we were in Finland Michael fronted it and the management put it all together and I think it raised about 30,000 Euros, which is great.

That was for the Red Cross wasn’t it?

Yeah. I’m personally cautious when it comes to charities but we trusted the Red Cross to spend it where it matters. I did a fundraiser after 9/11 where my cousin is a fireman and his whole firehouse died except for him... and I raised some money by doing a benefit gig and gave it directly to individual bereaved families but this thing (...the Japanese Tsunami) is such a big thing, you have to go through an organisation like the Red Cross.

How cool that you were able to do something that can hopefully make some kind of difference.

So Ginger is on board with the Michael Monroe Band, what has he brought to the picnic?

Michael & Sami started it off about two years ago when we were over in Europe with The Dolls. Then Ginger joined and then me. There were a few line-up changes until we got to ‘perfection’. Ha!

Were you part of the songwriting process for this current album – Sensory Overdrive?

Yeah, I’ve got two songs on it – Got Blood? and Center of your Heart - and I co-wrote a couple of others too. Ginger had a couple of songs he brought to it and then some others where we just had riffs and just started to play around with it. Each would chip in, maybe suggest a lyric line, ya know?

And it has been well received, some great reviews...

Yeah, the great reviews certainly don’t hurt. I think people are just coming out to the shows and just loving it. Certainly in the North of England and Scotland we have just had crazy shows. Glasgow was nuts, Newcastle too. Nottingham was great last night too. The further south we go the audiences get a little more... ‘polite’.

Do you mean London?

Well, ya know, there’s plenty going on there so you probably need to set yaself alight or something, just to stand out.

Hmmmm, and you can only do that a couple of times.

Oh sure, maybe twice in your career!! Ha!

So what do you think of the new New York Dolls album?

Well Sami and I didn’t do this one. We were already committed to Michael Monroe in LA, recording with Jack Douglas. They wanted us but we couldn’t work the schedules out. I haven’t really got into it that much. It sounds very different for a NYD album, lots of organ - a 60’s sound with very little guitar on it.

(at this point the Irish traditional band really gets going with Ginger & Sami slapping the table and joining in... At this point I think it wise to try and wind up the interview... I know when I am beaten!)

So what can we expect from a Michael Monroe live show?

There are two things... some ROCK and some ROLL... there’s stuff from Sensory Overdrive, some of Michael’s solo stuff, Demolition 23, some Hanoi Rocks and some choice old-school punk covers...

Sounds excellent. *Shouts* Cheers Steve, great to talk with you.