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Fozzy.
 Fozzy, the American rock super-group started by WWE wrestling superstar Chris Jericho and Stuck Mojo guitarist Rich Ward, are thankfully not bypassing Adelaide on their Australian tour. "We've been doing a lot of touring this year", vocalist Jericho tells me. "We've been to the UK three times so far this year, and we're going back there again in October, to Ireland and Scotland as well this time. We've got a tour of Canada in November, and are doing a bunch of dates in the 'States in December, so things are going to be getting pretty busy for us. We've had this summer off, but now it's time to get back into the groove, and Australia's the first place for us to conquer."
Fozzy's live act has apparently changed quite a bit since the band's inception in 1999; for example, they no longer engage in an over-the-top practice they once had of having four (occasionally five) people playing guitars on stage at the same time. "That was something we did maybe five years ago; we had four guitar players in the band for a while, just for fun," Jericho informs me. "When we started the band, we played a lot of covers, and there was more of a fun type of vibe about us. Over the years, though, we've built up a fan base, built up the players in the band, and done a lot of other things to make this more of a successful rock'n'roll band. There's not as much of the free full-on jam that we used to do; we really concentrate on the songs and the set instead. But we pride ourselves on the fact that we have a great show: very energetic, and with a lot of crowd participation; we just make it a great time for everyone. I don't think I can honestly say that we've played one gig where the people didn't have a great time, because you can tell from the reaction of the fans if they're enjoying themselves or not."
The band have largely dropped covers from their live act, although Jericho reveals that they still do a couple. "We do two in the set now,"he says. "We've been playing them so long that we've added certain things, certain elements, so they feel like Fozzy songs at this point anyway. Even though they're not our songs, they're very much like our adopted children by now. We still love playing them, so they'll probably always be a part of our set."
Jericho's fame as a wrestler as well as a rock musician prompts me to ask if his wrestling career has helped his musical career, and vice versa. "Well, in some ways the fact that I'm a wrestler has helped the band, and in some ways it's hurt the band because a lot of people say things like, 'Well the guy wrestles, he obviously can't sing. This must be some kind of a novelty thing,'" he admits. "The fact is, though, that we've worked very hard over the years to become a credible rock and roll band. Our latest album, 'All That Remains', has definitely done that for us; I think everybody who's heard it is pleasantly surprised to discover how good it is. It's just one of those things. It doesn't matter if I'm a florist or an undertaker or a cabdriver; either the music is good or it's bad, and that's all that matters, but I think people are kind of approaching this band in a different way."
Regarding their tour here, Jericho says, "We're excited to be coming to Australia. The new record has done really well there - I think it's our best-selling country per capita - so we're really happy to get this opportunity to come over and play; it's a big honour for us to know that people in Australia are really digging what we're doing. I've been to Australia three times before, wrestling, so I know how the people there are; they're very friendly, and like to have a great time and a few beers; they remind me a lot of people in Canada, which is where I come from originally. So, yeah, we're looking forward to just having a great time, putting on a great show, having a great party afterwards, and saying hello to all of our Australian friends."
James Brazel
 | Fozzy play at Fowlers Live on Wed 7 Sept. 'All That Remains' is out now on Riot. |
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