METAL Injection has just released a batch of never before seen interviews from Ozzfest 2007. One person who the video on demand site had the pleasure of interviewing was Jamey Jasta, vocalist of HATEBREED and KINGDOM OF SORROW. The interview touched on many subjects, including his recent stint hosting Headbangers Ball:
Metal Injection: The whole MTV thing, I'm sure it did a lot of good for your band, but also within the hardcore metal community, they saw a negative aspect to it. How do you feel about that whole experience [at Headbangers' Ball]?
Jamey Jasta: That was only just in the beginning. Because every show I went to, even the small DIY hall shows, any kid that might have said something negative is instantly 'Yo, what's up. Oh my god. Let me get a picture with you. Let me talk to you about my band.' And, you know, I did the same thing. When Biohazard blew up, I was like 'oh, what the fuck? Now they're on TV', same with Sick of it All, like why do they have a video on MTV? Every kid does that. You want it to always be your small private little thing. But half the kids that talk shit are so all over me and enthused when they see me. And, its a very vocal minority, its such a small group of people that make the most commotion. 'Oh, I can't believe he's hosting a show on MTV'. Well guess what, I made a real change. It will be forever felt in music.
Bands have careers because of some of the work that I've done. Even a band like God Forbid, a band that I love, that I've taken on the road with me all the time, I love the band. Its make me happy when they can go and they can do this, and I see that my work helped. So, I can't really worry about a couple of kids who were on the message boards. They don't really have a negative effect on me. I think, really, when they say my name, it actually brings me more success. I really believe in that. I think the more you talk about somebody, the more you put it out there and make them more successful. We've only gotten bigger and more consistent with our records.
Metal Injection: How much say did you have into what they were playing?
Jamey Jasta: With the first couple of programmers, it was easy because I was really just grilling them all the time, and then as many staff people changed, which it is, its a revolving door over there, and now there's nobody left. Even the last programmer, Vinnie Peri who was a great guy, loved the scene. Its a big political game. The major labels, like Epic, they want Mudvayne, they want Korn there, Universal, they want Godsmack and the other labels want Rob Zombie and all these bands that really don't need the exposure. I was trying to play Pig Destroyer and Madball and Sworn Enemy. Pretty much every time I put a request in, it was played. Especially with booking the guests, which was great. We had Crowbar on, we had Napalm Death on, we had Sick of it All, Sworn Enemy, I mean just so many great shows. I'm writing a book about it, about the first 100 episodes. My first guest was Ricky Rachtman and my 100th guest was Lemmy from Motorhead, and I interviewed Metallica, Iron Maiden, Dio, Slash and Duff, it was amazing. It was unbelievable.
To go from living with my one crack head uncle, who is now dead, God rest his soul, to living with my other uncle who has cerebral palsy, sharing rooms, living in bunk beds, sleeping on the floor, with these posters of these guys on my wall, then to being their peer, sharing the stage with them, playing Giants Stadium with Metallica on Tattoo the Earth, then interviewing them as the host of a show that I watched religiously. Its unbelievable. Just goes to show that you got to stay focused on what you want.
The entire interview, as well as interviews with DAATH, CHTHONIC, and LORDI can be viewed here here
