For 14 years, Chuck Garric has been holding down bass duties for the legendary Alice Cooper
On the eve of Alice Cooper’s Atlanta performance, I had the pleasure of talking with Chuck and we talked about all kinds of cool shit! We talked about what Alice Cooper song he would love to play live that he hasn’t already, playing bass with a pick vs. with his fingers, and how important Beasto Blanco is to him. This was a truly great conversation and I hope you all will enjoy getting to know Mr. Chuck Garric.
Chuck, thanks so much for taking the time out to talk to me today!
Oh yeah, it’s all good, brother.
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Chuck, you’ve got quite a history behind you so I’m really excited to talk with you.
Thank you so much, Don. I’ve been fortunate enough to play with a couple of the best in the industry, Alice Cooper and Ronnie James Dio. I mean, Coop and Dio have contributed so much.
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You have been with Alice for quite a while now. Being that you’ve been in the band for so long, do you feel like you have kind put more of yourself into these songs than you did say when you were first starting out and just playing these songs you had learned?
Absolutely. These songs have become my own. They’re part of me. I don’t think about them while playing them as much as I did when I was learning them and becoming a touring member of the band. They’re engrained in me and it’s been my life now for 14 years. It feels very natural.
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So before we get to far into this interview, I have to ask, what is the one question you get asked so much that if you get asked it again, you’ll kick something.
[Laughs] I think the question I hate the most is, “What’s your favorite place to play? What’s your favorite city?” I mean, how do you answer that? Wherever I have a fucking bass in my hand. Hell, I don’t get to see the city anyway [laughs].
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Chuck you’re about to release a new album with Beasto Blanco. What sets this album apart from the debut?
We’re just setting ourselves up right now. You’ve got to think of the first record as this new band. What sets the 2nd record apart from the first one for us is that we are really developing our own sound and our own confidence in what we do. We needed to figure out who Beasto Blanco is and what we are about. We’ve had the opportunity to tour Europe and the States and figure out who we are in front of a live audience and it’s been amazing.
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I’m sure a huge misconception that people may have is that it’s easy for Beasto Blanco because of your history with Alice Cooper but in some ways it makes it harder.
Absolutely. Well, I don’t know if it makes it harder but it doesn’t make it any easier. People do think that being in Alice Cooper means we’re going to sell out shows and that’s not the case. That’s what I do love about the music industry. You’ve got to go out there and prove yourself. I think it’s only going to make us better. When we go out there and we get to that point to where we are packing in clubs and doing well, then we obviously have proven ourselves and earned that. The people aren’t going to come see us just because I’m on stage with Alice Cooper. I mean, sure, there’s going to be some diehards that will come but the rest of the people are going to have to hear about it.
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Another thing people probably really need to know is that Beasto Blanco is its own entity. You’re not going to get up there and play a whole set of Alice songs.
Exactly. That’s one thing we wanted to shy away from. Alice’s daughter, Calico, is in the band and myself and it would be easy for us to do a bunch of Alice Cooper songs all night but what good is that going to do anybody. I don’t want to be a cover band and I never had a desire to go out there and tour on a side project that does covers. With Beasto Blanco, it was important for us to establish ourselves as not a side band. Beasto Blanco is a band with original material, it’s own stage presence, it’s own life, and it’s own beating heart.
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Will you take Beasto Blanco to another level once this album is released and maybe try and do some more touring?
Yes, that’s the goal; to take this to the next level whatever that level may be. Everybody’s definition of that is different. We’ve definitely developed a bigger following and we’re getting more attention now. We’ve already got several dates in November booked already and we’ve got several dates in January including the Monsters of Rock cruise that leaves out of Tampa, Florida in February. We are definitely going to tour more with this record.
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I really wasn’t on the wagon with Beasto Blanco until I gave the first album a listen and what I really dug about it was how different it was from Alice Cooper and that you really were establishing your own identity as an artist.
Thanks, brother. That really means a lot to me. That’s definitely what we’re trying to do. You’re not the only one who’s just now discovering it. That, for me, is killer. We’re still seeing sales come in for the first record as more people are getting hip to this thing.
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Being that you worked with Ronnie James Dio, what’s your opinion on the former members of his band hitting the road as two different acts and performing all his songs?
Well, I know that everybody needs to work. Most of the people I know in this industry, it’s their life, it’s their passion, and it’s the way they support their families. It’s what they do. You’re also talking about someone who left a legacy that is very, very deep rooted in rock and heavy metal. Why not pay tribute to such a great individual that we all miss so very much and cherish so much. I did have the pleasure of playing, touring, and writing with Ronnie and I think at this time, the way that the industry is, when you lose someone like Ronnie or Lemmy, it’s kind of hard because who’s going to replace them? Everyone’s just trying to figure out what’s next with our icons; our real rock stars. We’re just trying to carry the torch. As far as them doing the songs, I say great. More power to them. Those guys are killer musicians and they need to work. They’re also very passionate about Ronnie’s work.
See, that’s what I love here. I love that you’re taking the influence that working with these amazing people has had on you and creating something new to keep the ball rolling.
Absolutely. I’ve worked with Alice and as far as live performance goes and how somebody puts together a set, Alice is the best at it. I’ve been eyes wide open for 14 years watching these guys work and the ideas that come across the table regarding sets, set lists, lighting, the whole thing. I’ve learned a lot and I will and have applied that to Beasto Blanco. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be an Alice Cooper show or anything like that. It’s going to be us but you’re going to see a show and you’re going to get your money’s worth. I personally like doing the original stuff contributing more from an artist standpoint and give them some original material. Let them know what I’m capable of and that’s what I’m doing now. I’m putting myself out there and showing the world what I can do.
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What Alice Cooper song has yet to make a set list since you’ve been in the band that you would love to play?
Oh man. I personally always loved “Unfinished Sweet.” Now it has been in the set in the earlier days and we’ve rehearsed it but we’ve never played it live once since I’ve been in the band. Every year we go through a bucket load of songs and say, “Hey, what about this one?” and then we try to put some of those in and figure out where they fit.
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Dennis Dunaway is such an underrated bassist. When having to learn some of that classic Alice material, what stood out to you the most about his playing on those classic albums?
That’s a great question. I think learning those songs just came very natural to me because there sort of is this kind of street punk style that Dennis plays with. It’s not school taught. It’s more playground, barroom type bass playing. It’s very aggressive and it’s played with authority. Dennis is a real, true artist and he’s up there with players like John Entwistle and Jack Bruce; guys that put their stamp on the band with their bass playing. The one thing I love about Dennis’ bass lines is that they sort of tie everything together and are such an important part of the song. There’s so many recognizable bass runs in those classic songs that are key and as important as the lyrics or guitar solos. They are very important to the song and that’s not easy to do.
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Aside from Alice’s band (which I envy you for), if you could play in any band for just one night who would it be and why?
Man, if I could be in AC/DC, that would be the ultimate for me. There’s just something about how Malcolm and Cliff sort of stand back and rock and then move forward to the microphones to sing and then move back. I love that motion and that presence. Every night when I’m on stage there’s a couple of songs that we play where I’m peddling 8th notes and kind of do that whole vibe that Cliff would do and while I’m doing that, in my imagination is going, I’m just thinking, I’d love to do this with AC/DC. I’d love to look over and see Malcolm and Bon and Angus for just one moment in time. That would be great.
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Some bassists look at those who play with picks and consider them “less” of a great player. What’s your opinion on that?
I could give two shits about what those people think to be quite honest with you [laughs]. That’s just someone else’s opinion. Are you really going to say that because you don’t play with your fingers, you’re not a real bass player? I mean, that’s just bullshit. I do both. I started off as a finger player. I mean I fucking love Steve Harris but I also love Gene Simmons and Bob Daisley and Dee Dee Ramone. I mean, are you going to tell me that Dee Dee Ramone isn’t a real bass player because he doesn’t play fucking jazz riffs with his fucking fingers? Are you fucking stupid? That shit just drives me nuts.
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Hell, you’re the one playing with Alice Cooper. Not them.
[Laughs] I actually played with my fingers when I first started with Alice and it just didn’t work. It didn’t sound right so I just went to pick playing. It’s a totally different tone. When you’re taking fingers vs. a pick, what’s the one thing that’s totally different about them? Tone. If you’re in the studio and a song calls for a specific tone and the better tone for that song comes from playing with a pick, why would you not make the song better? You’re being an idiot. You’re not giving the song what it needs in that case. Not only that, playing with a pick looks cool [laughs].
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As an audience member, I want you to play with a pick because you can’t throw me your fingers. Or I guess with Alice, you could throw fingers.
[Laughs] I can throw you one finger that’s for sure. [Laughs]
What do you think is one of the most underrated rock bands of all time?
Man, that’s a good fucking question. One band that I love is the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. There’s just something about the way that those guys played and their songs. It sounds like Bon Scott on vocals sometimes. They did some really cool stuff. “Midnight Moses”, they even did a version of “School’s Out.” There’s some really great stuff from the Alex Harvey Band. I think they’re killer.
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IF Hollywood was to make a movie, what famous actor would play you?
I’ll tell you right now. If Hollywood made a movie about me, either Hugh Jackman or George Clooney should play me [laughs].
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What is one hard rock/metal album that nobody should live without owning?
Oh man, that’s another good one. Rainbow’s Long Live Rock N’ Roll. I think the songs are stellar. Each one is so different and unique in its own way. You’re hearing Ronnie really finding his way with his lyrics, his voice is just amazing, it’s just got this life to it. You hear so much from metal to the ballads to standard rock songs. It’s just the best.
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Chuck, I want you to finish this sentence: If I wasn’t a musician, I would be…
If I wasn’t a musician, I’d be a drummer [laughs].
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Chuck, finally, I guess you can just tell me when the new Beasto Blanco album is going to come out.
I can’t give you an exact date but I can tell you for sure that it’ll be out in October.
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Chuck, thanks so much for talking with me today. This was really a blast getting to know you.
Thanks so much, brother. You are really good at what you do and it’s been a pleasure talking to you, Don.
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