13 QUESTIONS WITH STEVE BROWN OF 40 FT RINGO (formerly of TRIXTER)

Anyone remember the band TRIXTER? Come on, now...show of hands, people. C'mon, get 'em up...and not just the fat kid in the back of the class. I know there's more of you that remember this band from Northern New Jersey. OK, no one's raising their hands. Well, in case you DON'T know who they are, they were one of those late-to-the-game late 80's/early 90's rock bands whose debut disc was all over radio and MTV. You might remember songs like "Give It To Me Good", "Surrender" or "One In a Million"...their second disc for MCA, 'Hear!' brought the band a million dollar deal, and when it was released in 1992, it fell flat on its ass because grunge had officially hit big, and gutted everyone remotely connected with a "hair band".

STEVE BROWN played guitar and did the bulk of the writing in Trixter. After packing up shop and picking himself up after Trixter's demise, he's made his way back into the music bidness with his band 40 FT. RINGO (along with Trixter bandmate PJ Farley). The band have released their debut disc, 'Funny Thing' internationally, and are working on a U.S. distribution deal to get the disc released in the states.

Since so many of us that work on this Godforsaken website are from New Jersey (Shhh...don't tell anyone), we figured we'd catch up with Steve, a fellow resident of the armpit state, who made his mark in the music business and subsequently fell on his ass...and ask him some stupid shit.



SteveC: You've thrown your hat back into the musical ring with your good buddy PJ Farley and 40 FT. RINGO, and you've got international distribution taken care of. How goes the hunt for U.S. distribution and promotion?

Steve Brown: With the cd selling well in Europe the buzz is starting to build here in the USA. We're waiting for the" right deal" not just "any deal" that comes our way. 'Funny Thing'comes out july 23rd in Japan on UNIVERSAL,who is working the cd as a major priority and we have major support from all the Japanese media.We're very excited about that.

SC: You guys are from North Jersey, so I'm going to assume you're familiar with "The Sopranos" (they film all over the area, so even if you haven't seen the show, you've probably seen them filming episodes). Ever gone to the Bada Bing (otherwise known as 'Satin Dolls' on Rte 17 South)?

SB: Hell Yeah, PJ and I have paid for a few girls "COLLEGE TUITION" (why is that in parentheses? oh wait, I get it...he's making a funny. sorry, sorry...continue) ... he,he,he.We hang there w/ Gandolfini and have a blast.Satin Dolls rocks!!!!
(Whether or not Steve actually "hangs with Gandolfini"...ie, James Gandolfini = Tony Soprano remains to be seen. If you spent several hours in a North Jersey strip club working on your TV series, would you want to go BACK to hang out? Maybe. We'll ask around)

SC: As a resident of Jersey, you're familiar with that all-night oasis of greasy, fat-filled joy, The 24-hour (or close to it) DINER. In your experience, which Jersey diners serve up the best post-drinking-binge feast, and which diner food will have your ass bleeding, crying, and blowing chunks for days on end?

SB: What else would I say.......SUBURBAN DINER in Paramus.The one that's in the "GIVE IT TO ME GOOD" video.Great food, Nice Place, always some hot chicks there late at night. Rock n roll diner. The worst......North Arlington diner......lame food.They all need the 40FT. RINGO TURKEY CLUB.....that is 40 slices of Turkey w/ Bacon On wheat bread with a side of Russian dressing...........niceeeeeeeeeee!!! Good for hangovers.
(and now we know which member of 40 FT RINGO has the worst smelling farts. Turkey, Bacon, and Russian Dressing? Holy shit. Literally)

SC: Does TRIXTER still sell CDs in 2003? If so, how many months would you have to wait until you collected enough royalty/publishing cash to buy yourself a brand new Lincoln Navigator (base model - approx $44,000 ..tricked-out 22-inch rim model - approx $53,000)... That's our roundabout way of trying to figure out how many units you're moving weekly (yes, we could have just asked directly, but where's the fun in that?)

SB: Yes we do still sell TRIXTER CDs.I wish I could get the exact amount, but royalty checks still come in a few times a year which is nice.I'm still saving to get the new "P.DIDDY" NAVIGATOR.....I hope it comes with a bunch of Body guards that will take the fall for me if I ever shoot some one @ a night club (heh... Making fun of rappers shooting people = always funny).

SC: With melodic crunch-rock bands like GOOD CHARLOTTE, BLINK 182, LIT, NEW FOUND GLORY, CHEVELLE, and JIMMY EAT WORLD already taking up space on rock radio, how much room do you think there is for a band like 40 FT RINGO to fit in before people eventually get sick of the trend and move on (much like they did when hair bands were beaten to death in the early 1990s)?

SB: I think there is always room for a timeless sounding rock band like us.We can get airplay all across the board,from CHR to Active rock.So whatever the trends are,don't really apply here because 40FT. RINGO has a timeless sound.
(folks, mark the date AND time of this response on your calendar... roughly July 2003... I'm not saying Steve's wrong, but let's revisit this comment in a year, shall we?)

SC: Trixter had a relatively big payday when MCA released Hear! (I remember getting the CD single with all of you guys in bald caps when I was spinning records at my college radio station), but then the disc tanked, the market shifted, and ka-put. You guys were off the radar (in the U.S. at least)... At what point after that did any of you have to go out and get day jobs? ... or DID you have to go get day jobs? How much, if any, record company cash did you guys have to recoup after the release of Hear!?

SB: That was a weird time, we had a great expectation for Hear!. MCA gave us a million dollar deal which was nice but we were caught in the grips of "ANGST USA"....grunge killed the game for us. But we did the best we could and in the end some of us had to get day jobs and start fresh. The biggest lesson all musicians have to learn is "you have to have multiple streams of income" coming in, because a band can end at any time and you have to constantly make money.Musicians don't get paid vacations +health benefits.We learned the hard way.Pj + I started a very successful cover band here in Jersey called SUGARBELLY. Going strong for 5 years paying the bills and still Playing music.I also have a recording studio that I use to produce bands.That's something that I love.I have some artists that will be big in the near future.www.mojovegas.com.As for having to give Mca cash back....we kept it all, which is rocks.One win for the artist.Being that Major labels rape bands constantly.One thing I always try to do is help new bands "see the big picture of this crazy biz".

SC: What are your thoughts on the February 20th tragedy in West Warwick, Rhode Island at The Station where nearly 100 rock fans died during a fire at a GREAT WHITE concert? (we ask because we know Great White was one of the bands who wasn't too nice to you guys when you were coming up)

SB: A terrible tragedy....we lost some great friends + fans in that disaster. Why those freaks used Pyro is beyond me (See? Months later and no one can provide a decent explanation as to WHY the band/club was blowing off a sparkler in such a small room).

SC: Hypothetical situation: A major promotions firm (let's say CC Entertainment ...hell, they own everything anyway) offers you a few million bucks to reunite with TRIXTER, and do a year-long tour, with a package of other bands from that era (ie; like the glam metal package tours that are circling the globe right now). Considering all the work you and PJ have put into 40 FT RINGO, do you take the cash and lose all the 40 FOOT momentum, or tell 'em to go screw?

SB: Of course we would take the cash and do a TRIXTER reunion. But I would also use that time to promote 40 FT RINGO as well.All the Trixter fans love 40 FT RINGO, so that would be a win-win situation. We should be releasing "TRIXTER: ALIVE IN JAPAN" this October. Live cd with one new TRIXTER song.

SC: If there were one (or more, we don't care) celebrity/rock star (past or present) that you could toss into a woodchipper, thereby silencing him or her forever, without any reprocussions/lawsuits/consequences, who would it be and why?

SB: Eddie Vedder because he's such a miserble pussy (hah...making fun of Eddie Vedder = ALWAYS funny).

SC: You've gone from playing bars in Jerkoff, NJ to living the Rock and Roll dream of playing arenas in front of thousands of people, videos all over MTV, money, and girls with big boobies screaming your name... ALL THE WAY BACK to playing bars and state fairs in Jerkoff, NJ. What was the official point at which you (and the rest of the rest of the Trixter guys) were "humbled" and what was your thought process at that moment?

SB: I think we were always humble.We never dreamed that we would acheive all that we did.everyday was like Christmas.Mission accomplished 100 times over.We knew to always enjoy every moment and we did.As I've said before,TRIXTER got to do what 99.9% of musicians never get to do.We hit the BIG TIME, so when it was over,we knew it and moved on. 40 FT RINGO is now rocking for us.

SC: Hypothetical situation #2 - Your mom packs your lunch for you, but instead of packing a nutritious apple or orange in with your juice box and sammich, she accidentally puts a hand grenade in your lunchbox...a hand grenade that blows up in your hands and face. Remarkably, you live, but your hands have been blown off and your eardrums have been destroyed, eliminating your ability to ever play guitar, sing, or hear...ever again. How's Steve Brown going to pay the bills?

SB: I would play guitar with my feet....STEVE BROWN will always rock!!!
(Alrighty, let's get cracking on blowing this guy up, folks... I need video of a mangled Steve Brown playing the guitar with his feet. YES, that's a JOKE you jackasses. Don't anyone go out and do it)

SC: According to your Website, Mojovegas.com, there's a LIVE TRIXTER disc titled "TRIXTER : ALIVE IN JAPAN" slated for release in "early 2003". Assuming that you're doing this more for an international audience rather than one in the U.S, how many copies of a live Trixter disc do you think you're going to sell? (Please don't say a million. We smell bullshit like three day-old Gorilla poo 'round here).

SB: We hope to sell 2 thousand to all the real fans who've supported us from the beginning and now.
(Goddamn. honesty. We like honesty 'round here)

SC: Of all the bands you've toured with, which one(s) treated you like gold, and which one(s) deserve to be chopped up, thrown into plastic bags, and scattered throughout random sections of the Pine Barrens?

SB: THE GOLD TOURS = POISON, KISS, SCORPIONS, STRYPER, DON DOKKEN

SB: THE CHOPPED UP = starts with a G and ends with an E (and in-between the "G" and "E", you just MIGHT find the letters "R-E-A-T W-H-I-T" ...but then again, you never know. Steve might be talkin' about someone else entirely...maybe)

Now THAT was a fun interview (for me, at least...because I'm from the same part of New Jersey this guy is from, so I can relate to some of what he's talking about). Anyone who DIDN'T feel like they got their money's worth from that one...well, you can eat a dick, because you didn't pay for it. So there. Nyah.
CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL 40 FT RINGO WEBSITE

CLICK HERE FOR A 40 FT RINGO E-CARD (it's only about 94kb, but we can't get the F-ing thing to show up on the page right without looking like shit. Just download it, Unzip it, and play it in your web browser. Make sure you have Macromedia's Flash Player installed, or it won't work)

CLICK HERE TO VISIT MOJOVEGAS.com, Steve's Recording Studio/Music Business website.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT SUGARBELLY.net, the official site for Steve and PJ's cover band.

AND FINALLY... CLICK HERE TO ORDER A COPY OF 'FUNNY THING'', the debut disc from 40 FT RINGO (only available as an import...but you DO get two bonus tracks)