Interview with Lawrence Gowan and Todd Sucherman Part Six

[Rockwriter]

Wanted to let everyone know that the sixth and final installment of my recent interview with Todd Sucherman and Lawrence Gowan of Styx is now playing at We Will Rock You http://www.wewillrockyoublog.com/2009/0 ... -part-six/

In this segment we discuss Gowan joining Styx; early rehearsals; how the band has progressed since Gowan joined; and what is in the future for Styx.

Thanks again to everyone for your great support of this series! Two days ago I passed one thousand site views in a single day, several months ahead of my projections, so obviously I'm really, really pleased with that. Thanks!

Sterling

[Babyblue]

Going to check it Can't wait to see what Gowan has to say. He really must be a hoot?

[Toph]

Wanted to let everyone know that the sixth and final installment of my recent interview with Todd Sucherman and Lawrence Gowan of Styx is now playing at We Will Rock You http://www.wewillrockyoublog.com/2009/0 ... -part-six/

In this segment we discuss Gowan joining Styx; early rehearsals; how the band has progressed since Gowan joined; and what is in the future for Styx.

Thanks again to everyone for your great support of this series! Two days ago I passed one thousand site views in a single day, several months ahead of my projections, so obviously I'm really, really pleased with that. Thanks!

Sterling

Certainly doesn't sound like there was ever any "temporary-ness" assigned to this like we've heard from JY/Tommy in the past. I get that he was hired full time from day one. And the story continues to change with these guys....Dennis's story stays them same while the touring band's changes.

How do you know when Tommy Shaw and JY are lying?

Their lips are moving....

[Zan]

Certainly doesn't sound like there was ever any "temporary-ness" assigned to this like we've heard from JY/Tommy in the past. I get that he was hired full time from day one. And the story continues to change with these guys....Dennis's story stays them same while the touring band's changes.

Yes, great Genius. The public story changed - once the lawsuit was settled and both parties were able to move beyond the whole thing. 8 years ago, I might add.

Dennis'(s - for your benefit) story stayed the same?

"They won't return my phone calls."

"They'd been calling me, and I responded through my lawyer"

-Dennis DeYoung.

[Toph]

Certainly doesn't sound like there was ever any "temporary-ness" assigned to this like we've heard from JY/Tommy in the past. I get that he was hired full time from day one. And the story continues to change with these guys....Dennis's story stays them same while the touring band's changes.

Yes, great Genius. The public story changed - once the lawsuit was settled and both parties were able to move beyond the whole thing. 8 years ago, I might add.

Dennis'(s - for your benefit) story stayed the same?

"They won't return my phone calls."

"They'd been calling me, and I responded through my lawyer"

-Dennis DeYoung.

Your head is so far up Tommy Shaw's ass you can't see the truth - Dennis's story NEVER changed. Tommy's and JY's changed numerous times.

[Toph]

Certainly doesn't sound like there was ever any "temporary-ness" assigned to this like we've heard from JY/Tommy in the past. I get that he was hired full time from day one. And the story continues to change with these guys....Dennis's story stays them same while the touring band's changes.

Yes, great Genius. The public story changed - once the lawsuit was settled and both parties were able to move beyond the whole thing. 8 years ago, I might add.

Dennis'(s - for your benefit) story stayed the same?

"They won't return my phone calls."

"They'd been calling me, and I responded through my lawyer"

-Dennis DeYoung.

And before you start correcting grammar - exactly how far did you make it in school, intelligent one?

[Zan]

Dennis's story NEVER changed.

FALSE.

[brywool]

JY and Tommy didn't have to be honest with the fans. Neither did Dennis. The fans don't need to know the internal reasons.
However, from all accounts, Dennis was a control freak. From all accounts, the band didn't want to be a ballad band. From all accounts, DeYoung was fired once before. From all accounts Dennis wanted a different direction for the band than the band wanted to go.

Geez, not sure how clear it has to be. DeYoung on one side and Styx on the other is old news....
Why is this news in 2009?

[Toph]

Dennis's story NEVER changed.

FALSE.

Ah..WRONG (again)

[pinkfloyd1973]

How do you know when Tommy Shaw and JY are lying?

Their lips are moving....

[Babyblue]

How do you know when Tommy Shaw and JY are lying?

Their lips are moving....

[fsutall]

Thanks for posting these, Sterling. I love the new site! The interview with Bruford has been great too, though I wish he'd let you ask about Yes' infamous Union tour. I saw the Orlando show and you could tell there was a bit of tension on stage at times.

[Rockwriter]

Thanks for posting these, Sterling. I love the new site! The interview with Bruford has been great too, though I wish he'd let you ask about Yes' infamous Union tour. I saw the Orlando show and you could tell there was a bit of tension on stage at times.

I was supposed to interview Trevor Rabin at the Atlanta date of that tour. Had a backstage pass and all, and had waited in the backstage enclosure for more than an hour when finally an assistant came out and told me that the band were cancelling all access passes for that night. The explanation was, they were fighting so much backstage that they did not want anyone back there to see it. LOL.

Sterling

[LordofDaRing]

I can remember an interview with Tommy early on saying that the door was still open for Dennis.

[Jodes]

True.. but look at the context.. that was just as the BNW tour was starting, and honestly nobody knew what the future of Styx had in store.. Glen mentioned that he signed up for a six week tour and ended up spending 4 years with the band..

Of course at that time the door was still opened, because many thought Styx without Deyoung wouldn't have been successful (I'm sure Tommy, Chuck and JY saw things differently though).

Who's to really say.

[LordofDaRing]

Geez, not sure how clear it has to be. DeYoung on one side and Styx on the other is old news....


Don't ever discount the fact, which has never been disputed by JY, Chuck or John that they were the ones fully prepared to replace Tommy with somebody else in 1983 when he voluntarily hit the road. And like Sterling has alluded to many times, things between JY and TS business wise were not always on the same side. I think JY was plenty pissed at TS well after Edge came out for joining Damn Yankees. Of course now (1998 and beyong) it is Dennis and his greedy lawyers that caused them to lose a follow on contract with A&M. It was quite clear from marketing that A&M wanted nothing to do with Styx post Edge, despite a hit single and a pretty good album.

[Zan]

I can remember an interview with Tommy early on saying that the door was still open for Dennis.

I think it was an inside joke after DDY made almost the exact same comment about TS just before Styx "regrouped" after Tommy "joined" Damn Yankees. I don't think even at that point, the door was ever open for Dennis to return.

[LordofDaRing]

Hmmm you might be interpeting a bit. I can't site the source of my interview Zan, but I was like the rest of you when Gowan showed up and saying WTF? And I remember feeling a little better about it when I read that entire interview. I think DDY said the same thing, that early on it was communicated to him that the door was open. If that had never been the case, they should have made it clear from the outset.

[Rockwriter]

Hmmm you might be interpeting a bit. I can't site the source of my interview Zan, but I was like the rest of you when Gowan showed up and saying WTF? And I remember feeling a little better about it when I read that entire interview. I think DDY said the same thing, that early on it was communicated to him that the door was open. If that had never been the case, they should have made it clear from the outset.

In Rock PR Speak, "The door is open" generally means, "We're going to see if we can sell tickets without him, and if we can't he'll be back." LOL, kinda like Yes without Jon, but in that scenario it's not going so well, some shows are being canceled and I predict Jon will be back.


Sterling

[LordofDaRing]

You got that right Sterling

[Zan]

Hmmm you might be interpeting a bit. I can't site the source of my interview Zan, but I was like the rest of you when Gowan showed up and saying WTF? And I remember feeling a little better about it when I read that entire interview. I think DDY said the same thing, that early on it was communicated to him that the door was open. If that had never been the case, they should have made it clear from the outset.

You say interpreting, I say understanding....

But you're right - it is up to interpretation, just like every fan's vision of how things allegedly went down with the band. Yet, so many of them post their opinions as undeniable facts. Funny, isn't it?

Of course you felt a little better after reading the interview. Part of PR is to make your fans feel happy and verklempt. What would be the point of dropping a bowling ball on their toes when you're about to embark on an expensive and lengthy tour?

Same goes for Dennis - why would he shoot himself in the foot by crying foul that early in the game?

Besides, I think it took Dennis awhile to come to the realization that his band had really moved on. Can't say I blame him, just saying I think he was the last to figure it out.

If they had "made it clear from the outset" then that would have likely made for an even bigger mess than what we had in 2000 with the lawsuit. Maybe there WAS a slight chance at the time of Dennis rejoining - so long as he was willing to play by everyone else's rules, which we all should know never would have happened.

Information, as you pointed out in another post, is on a "need to know" basis. At the time, we heard what we needed to know.