Guitarist with Slaughter And The Dogs, actor, script writer. Mick Rossi is a man of many talents, and it’s always a pleasure to engage with him. Here Mick takes time to answer questions regarding the second album by his new band Gun Street, a band formed in the wake of Covid, and whose debut album earned worldwide praise for its brilliant mix of punk and glam rock. It really took us back to the 70’s, to the music we listened to growing up.
Mick also talks about the court case he’s been fighting for the last three years. The attempt by other parties to claim sole ownership of the name SATD and the battles that followed would have broken lesser men, but when you’re right you have to make a stand. That court case has now been settled in Mick’s favour, and he’s free to use the name. Many thanks to Mick for taking time out of his hectic schedule to do this interview for Louder Than War.
LTW: The debut Gun Street album was received so well in many quarters; you must have been pleased with the reaction.
Mick Rossi: Richie, I wasn’t just pleased with the reaction to Gun St.’s first album, I was deeply moved by the response it garnered from friends and critics worldwide. When I started recording the album, I was at a point in my life where change was critical, and this is the album that freed me from my past. Now, I’m writing the songs I’ve always wanted to write, telling the stories I need to tell. And, I was truly blessed to be surrounded by great people, amazing musicians, an incredible engineer & mixer, my long-time pal, and Grammy nominated producer Craig Parker Adams. All of us working towards one goal. To make the best record we could make. It was probably the best time I’ve had in the studio.
Given that you’ve always seen yourself as a sideman in the vein of Mick Ronson, how difficult has it been for you to put yourself front and centre as a vocalist, both in a recording and a live setting?
That’s a good question. As you know as I’m a huge Oasis fan and Noel Gallagher once said that he spent 20 years perfecting the roll of the side man with Oasis. I understand that roll. Been there, done it and loved it big time. To be honest, Richie, I was quite excited about it, there’s a certain charge you get when you take a risk and I love that. Plus, I’d fronted my band The Duellists back in the early days in London. And when I joined the Heartbreakers with the brilliant Walter Lure RIP; Walter insisted from the very beginning that I sing the songs that Johnny Thunders sang live, so I really got a taste for it, I was with the Heartbreakers for 3 years and so I grew very comfortable on stage. Of course, guitar will always be my first love. So, I sing and play Guitar for Gun St.
I know that you’re in the middle of recording the second Gun Street album, how’s it going?
There’s no one recipe for magic but I feel there is something very special happening here. The album is called “Rock ’n’ Roll Soul”. I think that just about says it all!
You have some special guests on it too I believe?
Yes, I do. We have Mr. Glen Matlock on a few tracks; I have to say Glen is one of the greatest rock & roll bass players of his generation. Also, Howard Bates, my Slaughter & the Dogs bandmate adding those vintage ‘Zip’ Bates basslines. We have Morgan Fisher from Mott the Hoople / Queen guesting on two tracks, it’s full circle for me with Morgan because he played on the second SATD album ‘Bite Back’. Morgan is just world class and when you hear his work on my song called “Higher Ground” you’ll be blown away. It’s the lightning in the bottle you hope to capture.
When is the new album likely to be released?
I’m hoping late December 2024 or early 2025. Not really sure yet.
After the album’s release I assume there will be live dates to support it. Who will be in the live version of Gun Street?
So, looking forward to playing live with Gun St. On the skins we’ve got Mr. Mark Reback. He’s been with me through the last incarnation of SATD, then in The Heartbreakers with me and Walter and now Gun St. He’s an incredible drummer and a great guy, I love working with him. I’m thrilled to have Howard Bates by my side once again, he’s a wonderful bass player, a class act. We’ve known each other since we were kids. On keyboards we have Jerry Evans, formerly of The Duellists and a very gifted keyboard player, very inventive. He has his own unique style. That’s the band for now, there may be special guests who jump up for a number or two down the line, who knows.
It’s no secret that for the last three years, you’ve been fighting a legal battle to reclaim the name Slaughter And The Dogs. That case has now been resolved in your favour. You must be relieved it’s finally over. It’s also a vindication of the stance you took in fighting it in the first place.
That question carries a lot of weight. It was a long three years, very stressful and totally unnecessary. We are delighted by the outcome and that justice prevailed. The UK Trademark board saw through the shenanigans of the opposing party. I am a founding member of SATD, and a producer and I was the main songwriter. I put my heart and soul into building the brand up over many years. So, the move that was pulled to prevent me using my own bands name was a disgrace, but we won and we’re extremely happy. At this stage of our lives, having lived through all we’ve lived through, it was such a petty move to pull, it hurt a lot of people. I have to give massive thanks to Howard Bates and Moz Murray for their support. With Howard joining the fight, we were able to push it over the line to victory and reclaim our name.
You took a lot of flak from certain quarters over the case, what struck me was the way you maintained a dignified silence, given how much lies were told about you, how difficult was that? There must have been times when you felt like striking back. I have to say, I couldn’t help admiring your composure.
When you’re dumb, you don’t know you’re dumb! It’s as simple as that. And if one enters into combat with idiots …well, Where’s it gonna’ go? There’s never gonna be a resolve. Silence was my weapon and yeah sure, it was very hard sometimes not to respond to the attacks. There was a lot of hurtful things said on social media and many lies repeated over and over again, but if I had engaged with that, it would have made them feel relevant which they’re not. They are not relevant to me and haven’t been for a very long time. Engaging with me on any level was what they wanted, and I refused to give them that.
Your other great passion is film. You have built up a reputation as a screen/scriptwriter. What do you have in the pipeline?
I love movies and TV. I love acting and writing. I’m currently setting up a TV show in Manchester called BADLAND. It’s a crime genre, very gritty, very rock n roll. We have a great team on the ground in Manchester now and it’s moving forward. It’s a long hard road but we’re getting closer every day. As you know I’ve written several movies and been lucky enough to act in them as well. My next acting role is an indie movie to be shot in Nevada early next year.
1Your debut acoustic album All The Saints And All The Souls was so well received, are you tempted to do another one?
Never say never. I loved recording All the Saints and All the Souls. There’s a great honesty when it’s just you and an acoustic guitar. An authenticity that lends itself to the songs. I’ve already got another bunch of songs written for the next Gun St. album. I write all the time so yes, I’ll probably do several albums, acoustic and otherwise.
Any parting words?
Live in the moment. It’s all we have.
Join Mick Rossi’s group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slaughterandthedogs
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