Interview: Bobby Dall, Poison

THERE IS NO ANTIDOTE

POISON, with yet another storming slice of hit singles under their collective rhinestone-studded belt, are finally, at last, and not a moment to soon, coming over to these shores to regale British fans with their inimitable brand of 'rock 'n sleaze.' Riff Raff caught up with Bobby Dahl while he took a few days off recuperating from finishing their latest LP -- the wondrous Flesh and Blood -- and preparing for pre-tour rehearsals.

I first saw the band at a 'playback situation' TV show being filmed in Ibiza in 1987. Since then they've played and conquered pretty much the rest of the globe, but the UK has been left out. Bobby was keen to stress their live status elsewhere:

Yeah, we've played the States, Canada, Japan, Australia, everywhere. We've headlined the entire world except for Europe. We're large in every country except Europe. That's why we're coming to Europe first this time. In the past something has always happened, and we didn't manage to make it for business reasons, so this year we said we want to get to Europe first so we don't miss it again.

They're coming over this time, in case you've forgotten, as part of the Donington package, which will be schlepping around Europe as well as playing the 10th UK 'Monsters of Rock.' the first time they supported AEROSMITH was at the now infamous Texas Jam. Bobby is quick to say:

I speak for the whole band when I say that Aerosmith were one of our major influences."

The first album he ever bought was by them, so what's it like touring with a band who are your heroes?

It's mindboggling! It takes your breath away a little bit, but it's good fun. It makes you a little nervous, but it also makes you go out there and do your best.

In retrospect, their best didn't seem good enough. Even with a debut album that shifted a very respectable number of copies, they were hardly given the keys to the City of Angels. I asked Bobby whether they're being taken more seriously now, since they almost used to be dismissed just because of the way they looked -- "just another pretty boy band from LA":

Yeh! In the old days people wanted us to just go away! But we didn't, so they they've got to take us seriously now. We haven't and nor do we intend to, so they're finally given in.

In the band's own words, Look What the Cat Dragged In was an invitation and Open Up and Say Ahhh was the party. What does that make number three? "The day After!" apparently. And was this the difficult 3rd album? Perish the thought:

We had a lot of material to choose from. We all four write constantly. I feel this third album was easier than the second. I was more scared on the second because everybody's waiting for you to fail. Going into this one, I had a lot more confidence, I think we've become better songwriters.

And players?

Yeh. You can't spend four years touring nonstop and not get your licks down. This third record is an autobiography of all the ups and downs we've been through in the business. It's a little more autobiographical than the other albums, a little deeper, a little more sincere. But it's also fun and kicks ass.

"Poor Boy Blues" is the one track on the new album which especially documents the problems, although it ain't too specific and neither is Bobby. All he'll say is...

We have been shafted, through many ups and downs with business situations. We're coming up now. It's sorted out.

The money is finally coming in then?

Yeah, we've all bought our houses.

That's a far cry from the days when they all shared a small apartment. Bobby remembers:

Back in the beginning it was fun. Nowadays we are separated. We spent so many years together back then, we need a little time away from each other now, but were closer than ever now. We get on better and don't get on each other's nerves so much.

Do they still party together and, if so, how often?

Of course! I don't keep track. You've got to have a good time in life, but you've got to remember you have to live the next day.

So what's the Poison secret?

To have his much excess as you can and still keep being successful.

To ensure success with Open Up and Say Ahhh in the US, a compromise changed cover was necessary. Bobby managed to find some fine footwork to explain that it wasn't actually censored:

We had to change that in some markets because certain stores, like K-Mart wouldn't carry it. [And they say life doesn't imitate art! - thanx SPINAL TAP] A lot of bands won't change the record cover. We decided that we wanted to be more polite to the fans than that. In America you've got the chains and in some small towns that's possibly the only place in the entire city you could buy a record, and rather than just stick to our egos, we'd rather make sure the kids can get the record.

So how do you feel about censorship in rock?

Anyone who wants to censor rock can suck my dick.

Now, come on Bobby, don't beat about the bush, what do you really think about it?

Anyone who gets into censorship can go straight to hell. There's nothing polite I can say about it. Just remember World War Two and Hitler, and how that started with censorship. I don't know what the world's coming to. Censorship is wrong in any way, shape or form. I think it should be up to the individual to decide what they want to see, read, or hear.

So, unequivocally anti, except where K-Mart's concerned. 



Look What the Cat Dragged In was recorded in 12 days. Open Up and Say Ahhh took about two months and Flesh and Blood was done in 6 weeks. So they're not getting into that time-consuming pattern of taking longer and longer with each album.

No, we shortened it up this time. I think a lot of times when bands fall into that dreadful pattern of taking longer and longer it's got a lot to do with the producer. Bruce Fairbairn produced us this time around, he's much more efficient, and, I feel, a better producer.

Why was he chosen?

Because of his work with bands like BON JOVI and Aerosmith. He's got a lot of successes under his belt. We met him and clicked, and we felt it was a step up. We've never worked with the same producer twice.

Wouldn't they have you again? Bobby laughs:

No, that isn't it, we like to move on. I think when bands use the same producer time and time again they become very sterile. We want to work with as many different people as possible. With Poison it really is the band that you're hearing, not the producer.

So, why do you have a producer at all? Will Poison be going it alone 4th time around?

No, you need someone in there to help make the decisions. You need someone there with some outside objectivity, otherwise it's just band member against band member. A producer stops us from fighting.

Disappointingly at this juncture Bobby resists the offer to start a few rumours. That's what they used to do and I'd have thought he'd leap at the chance to make up some real corkers, but after chuckling, thinking about it, and chuckling again, he just said:

We don't need to start them anymore. They start on their own. But if I can think of any real good ones, I'll ring you later.

So much for a wacky last paragraph! Back to basics then, what are the kids at Donington going to see?

Kick ass rock n' roll from start to finish. Poison, rolling in the mud, getting down, getting dirty, having fun.

And you can't say fairer than that!

Jo Bailey
Riff Raff
July 1990

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