{"id":10010,"date":"2012-08-01T07:00:38","date_gmt":"2012-08-01T11:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southeastofheaven.com\/?p=10010"},"modified":"2012-08-01T14:22:03","modified_gmt":"2012-08-01T18:22:03","slug":"blowin-wind-with-wingers-kip-winger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/?p=10010","title":{"rendered":"Blowin’ Wind with Winger’s Kip Winger: “Metallica had some good stuff in the old days but now they\u2019re just musically bankrupt.”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Love ’em or hate ’em, there’s no denying the fact that if you were a teenager in the 90’s you’ve heard a Winger song. With hits like “Seventeen”, “Madalaine”, and “Can’t Get Enough”, Winger were one of the top tier hard rock bands of the early 90’s. All of the sudden, Beavis & Butthead began to show their hated of the band creating a growing trend to make it cool to hate Winger. As hard rock and metal started to see a decline around 1992, Winger was one of the bands that seemed to disappear. While many of their peers were putting out sub par material to try and keep up with the trend change, Winger managed to keep putting out the stellar album Pull which went sadly ignored.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

20 years later Winger is back on the road and flexing their skills to a whole new generation of fans in addition to their older fans. I was lucky enough to get the chance to talk to Kip Winger on the phone and we talked about his thoughts on social networking, what we can look forward to a Winger show in 2012, and just what he’d like to do to Lars Ulrich if given the chance. This was a really fun interview and I hope you all enjoy it!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Winger will be in town here in Atlanta on Saturday night as part of Wild Bill’s Summer Rock Series. Tickets can be purchased here: BUY WINGER TICKETS<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hey there Kip. Thank for taking the time out to talk to me today. How are things today?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everything\u2019s cool. Well, actually, it\u2019s really hot here in Nashville [laughs].<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Ah, so you\u2019re having the same hotter than hell summer that we\u2019re having here in Atlanta.<\/strong><\/p>\n

[laughs] Exactly.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Kip, I\u2019ve been a fan of yours for over 20 years so it\u2019s a real pleasure to talk to you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No problem Don. Thank you for saying that.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Ok Kip. To start things off, what is the one question that you get asked so much that if you get asked it again you\u2019ll just go insane?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh god there\u2019s a million of those [laughs]. Actually, my biggest pet peeve is when someone just doesn\u2019t do their homework before they do an interview. Other than that, I\u2019m pretty low key.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Yeah, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve been asked a zillion times about the Beavis and Butthead thing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not so much these days but I used to get that a lot.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

I always thought Winger got a bum rap. I grew up listening to any hard rock and metal that I thought was good. I could care less about what type of metal it was or if other people liked it or not. Winger was definitely, to me, one of the top tier bands.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. Yeah, we really did take a lot of shit from people [laughs]. Basically we were just a musician\u2019s band that tried to do songs that people could dig on. When I grew up I was into all those 70\u2019s bands that were good musicians and played their instruments really well. That\u2019s kind of where I was coming from. Let\u2019s put it this way, we\u2019re not a \u201csell the t-shirt\u201d kind of band. That\u2019s really not our thing. Our thing was focusing on the musicianship and the songs.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Anytime I hear someone knocking you I just have to say, \u201cGo and listen to what this guy can do. He\u2019s a solid and really talented musician so even if you don\u2019t like the songs, you can\u2019t say the guy isn\u2019t talented.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

I really do appreciate that. A lot of people just never got that bit. For anyone who\u2019s wondering about my abilities should give my classical stuff a listen [laughs]. The whole point for me was just being a good musician. There\u2019s always going to be a \u201cLars Ulrich\u201d type in the crowds trying to cut you down. [laughs]<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Winger\u2019s most recent album, Karma<\/em> ,was released in 2009. Are there any plans for a new Winger release any time soon?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m actually going to remix the first two records because there are some elements of the first two records that got missed in the mix. We\u2019re probably going to do a new album and then a 25th anniversary thing with some new mixes for next year.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

That would be so awesome to hear. Will the re-issues contain some of these great unreleased songs that have been circulating for years in the bootleg community?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh yeah. I\u2019m going through the catalog right now but we\u2019ll see what the record company wants to do. I\u2019m going to go through everything and just try to remix and\/or re-master it.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

I\u2019m really psyched to hear my favorite Winger album, In the Heart of the Young,<\/em> re-mastered and re-released.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks man. Yeah, it\u2019ll probably be heavier. I mean, not heavy like Slayer [laughs].<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Looking back on Winger\u2019s catalog, what album would you say best represents what you and Winger are all about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The latest record, Karma<\/em>, is really just the years coming together and gelling after 20 years of us just knowing who we are and knowing how our songwriting partnership works. I would really point to that record as the record of who the band really is. Not because it\u2019s our latest record because before this one I would say Pull<\/em> was that record.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

In addition to Winger, you\u2019ve been doing many various projects ranging from classical music to doing acoustic tours. I really enjoyed the work you did with Jordan Rudess\u2019 on his album The Road Home<\/em> where you did the Gentle Giant stuff.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks. Yeah, I was a huge fan of that Gentle Giant stuff. That\u2019s where I come from. I\u2019m actually coming from an older generation. I was playing in a band with my older brothers so the catalog that I draw from is from one decade earlier than what most people my age were drawing from. I was listening to all that early Gentle Giant and Yes stuff. That\u2019s where I cut my teeth.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

So you\u2019re really into a lot of that classic prog stuff.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, that\u2019s where I originally came from. I mean, Winger was like a pop prog band. Some of the music, if you take away the pop melody and lyrics, is prog.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Is there anyone else you\u2019d like to see yourself doing another project with?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m actually talking to Robert Plant\u2019s drummer Marco Giovinni. We\u2019re talking about maybe doing a project. I\u2019ve always wanted to do an album with Andy Timmons. To be honest with you, I\u2019ve really grown into this classical thing and kind of moved on into that world. I\u2019m working with a lot of people in that world. A lot of the people in the rock world don\u2019t really understand it but it\u2019s the natural progression of growth where I\u2019m going musically. For me, it\u2019s the next logical step to be able to compose the music and put it in front of 45 players or something. That\u2019s just more along the lines of where I\u2019m heading.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always enjoyed the versatility of your work. As a fan of an artist, it\u2019s always cool to see and hear someone exercising their talents.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I appreciate that man. It\u2019s always great to know that someone\u2019s out there listening.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Kip, I\u2019m curious about your thoughts on social networking. Do you feel like Social \"\"<\/a>Networking has kind of diminished the rock star icon status now that fans can have a direct connection with their favorite bands?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, somewhat. It doesn\u2019t affect me personally because I\u2019m not one of those people that wants to isolate myself from everybody. I don\u2019t put myself on a pedestal or make myself into a god. That\u2019s not where I\u2019m coming from. I think the new rock stars are the people that are in touch and really connected with their fans. It\u2019s a whole new template but it\u2019s a little more real and accessible than it was before.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve noticed that you don\u2019t have much of an online social networking presence. Is there a reason for that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have a Twitter account where we tweet my gigs and what not. I don\u2019t use twitter to say stuff like, \u201cGod. I just took a shit and there\u2019s corn in it.\u201d [laughs] That\u2019s not my thing. I\u2019m really private and it\u2019s just boring for me. \u201cMy dog just chased a rabbit!\u201d I mean, who gives a fuck about that? I mean, some people do and they eat that shit up. It\u2019s just not for me and probably to my own detriment [laughs]. I probably should be one of those people but I just don\u2019t have the time to sit around and do that.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Scott Ian from Anthrax seems to tweet like 75 times day or something. Even then I\u2019m find myself saying, \u201cI could care less how much you love the Sopranos\u201d or what you\u2019re making for dinner. I almost feel like I know too much about some of my favorite acts that do this so much.<\/strong><\/p>\n

See, that\u2019s what I thought but I mean some people eat that shit up. My wife is a songwriter\/producer and she wrote and produced the single for Megan and Liz called \u201cAre You Happy Now.\u201d These chicks have like 10,000,000 hits on YouTube, they tweet every 5 minutes and their fans love that. It\u2019s the new thing but I guess we\u2019re too for it maybe [laughs].<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I remember reading all those rock magazines as a kid, reading interviews with you, Nikki Sixx, Sebastian Bach or whoever and wondering what it would be like to just have a conversation with you guys and talk about music. Nowadays there\u2019s no mystique. There\u2019s no mystery and sometimes I wish there was because I find myself feeling like I know a little too much about some of these people.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, there\u2019s plenty of mystery with me [laughs]. You won\u2019t find anything out there about me [laughs]. I think that this is the day and age where the average joe can be famous and all of these things like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have enabled that. There\u2019s that kind of thing especially in this day\u2019s human mentality where everyone wants to be noticed or get some recognition and mostly it\u2019s for the wrong reasons in my opinion. It is what it is and I\u2019m not calling it stupid or anything. It\u2019s just not for me and I find it incredibly boring. I just don\u2019t know where these people get the time.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Kip, I have to ask you a serious question. If you could hit any member of Metallica with a dart who would it be?<\/strong><\/p>\n

[laughs] Oh man. I don\u2019t know but I would like to write Lars Ulrich a drum concerto and see if he could play it.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Lars can barely play his own stuff these days.<\/strong><\/p>\n

[laughs] I mean, that whole bullying mentality was just so ridiculous. Back then, they were acting like children; like bullies. I don\u2019t know them now but back then they were just like little kids. I grew up with brothers and we teased each other and beat each other up and shit like that. I can dig on it but why not do it to my face [laughs]. Hell, you\u2019re still buying their stuff right?<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Man, I haven\u2019t bought a Metallica album since 1991.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Metallica had some good stuff in the old days but now they\u2019re just musically bankrupt. They\u2019re in it for the t-shirt sales and the ticket count and all that stuff. All the Metallica fans will probably read this and go, \u201cAw, you\u2019re an asshole. Who the fuck are you?\u201d I\u2019m just saying that I know good music.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

The last time I remember seeing Winger here in Atlanta was on the \u201cIn The Heart of the Young\u201d tour with Extreme and Tangier at the Civic Center. I\u2019m really looking forward to seeing Winger back in Atlanta this week.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wow. That\u2019s a bit of a blur [laughs]. I do like Atlanta though. The fans there are great. Where are we playing anyways? [laughs]<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

You guys are playing at a venue called Wild Bills which has a huge stage and a pretty kick ass PA system.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Is it any good [laughs]?<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Oh yeah, it\u2019s a cool venue. It\u2019s normally a country bar but they do a Summer Rock Series every year where they bring in bands like Cinderella, Jackyl, Dokken, bands like that.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh right. Yeah, we have a place like that here in Nashville called Wild Horse Saloon which is basically a country bar but they do a rock series.<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

So being a fan that hasn\u2019t seen Winger in nearly 20 years, what can I look forward to from the Winger show on Friday night?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, we do all the hits and we do a bunch of the new songs so it\u2019s pretty much a straight down the pike mix of the most popular songs plus some new ones. We only do one off of Winger IV. We do a couple off of Karma, and all of the hits off of the first three albums. It\u2019s just a little bit of everything. Lots of solos ]laughs].<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

I know that you have been doing some amazing acoustic shows for a while now. Will you incorporate that at all into the Winger set?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you. No, we don\u2019t do any of that. It\u2019s just a straight ahead rock show. I\u2019ve been touring acoustic for years and years. The last time I played Atlanta was a really long time ago though. It\u2019s just straight ahead rock and people seem to like it. We\u2019re a lot better than people seem to remember us being [laughs].<\/p>\n

=================================================<\/p>\n

Kip, thanks so much for taking the time out to talk today. It was really a great time getting to know you and I\u2019m looking forward to seeing you guys on Friday night.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you Don. You have a good one.<\/p>\n

For more on Winger, head on over to http:\/\/www.wingertheband.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Love ’em or hate ’em, there’s no denying the fact that if you were a teenager in the 90’s you’ve heard a Winger song. With hits like “Seventeen”, “Madalaine”, and “Can’t Get Enough”, Winger were one of the top tier hard rock bands of the early 90’s. All of the sudden, Beavis & Butthead began to show their hated of the band creating a growing trend to make it cool to hate Winger. As hard rock and metal started to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[194],"tags":[810,809],"class_list":["post-10010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews","tag-kip-winger","tag-winger"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10010"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10010\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}