Interview With 40 Ft. Ringo
Interview By Keith McDonald
Not many people, especially today, realize that 40 Ft. Ringo is a band that features
two former members of the 80’s band Trixter! Steve Brown and PJ Farley enjoyed some
success as the guitarist and bassist, respectively, for the former ‘hair band’.
We sometimes forget that when Trixter came out these guys were very young and even though
the band didn’t last very long, Steve and PJ still had more to offer as musicians.
They have just released their debut album via Universal Music in Japan as it has seen some
early success. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Steve who gave me some insight
on his new project. You can check out their website at www.40ftringo.com.
How did 40 Ft. Ringo start?
40FT. RINGO was born in late 1999....the need to create " THE HEAVIEST MELODY BAND
IN THE WORLD". Mission accomplished
How would you describe your music to people who have never heard of the band?
"HARD POP THAT ROCKS FOR A GOOD TIME"
What are your current tour plans?
Right now we are working out plans for a EUROPEAN TOUR for October, then Japan. We'll
see how things go.
How important is it for a band like 40 Ft. Ringo to tour?
It's very important but without the label’s support we can't. Touring is very
expensive. But things are going well with CD sales, so it's time to get out and ROCK THE
WORLD.
How much of a change have you seen in touring since your early days with Trixter? Is
it harder?
Not as much fun. Bands nowadays don't know how to party. I don't think it's harder to
tour but labels hold out on sending bands out on tour because of the money it takes to
fund a tour. some labels feel that touring doesn't sell that many records.
Does being former members of Trixter hurt or help the band?
It helps because of the contacts, but it hurts because we are judged by TRIXTER.
Sometimes A+R people have their minds made up before they even hear it.
Do you feel Trixter was given a hard time because of the era that the band came out
of?
Not really. You can say what you want but we did well + had a blast. Over a million
albums sold, 3 #1 MTV videos, 3 BILLBOARD TOP 100 singles. Tours with KISS and the
SCORPIONS all around the world. We lived the life that most people dream of.
I see you have a Japanese release. Will there be other releases around the world or
will you just sell it through the website?
We are doing licensing deals with foreign markets. That means we still own the master
tapes but we "rent it out" to labels to use for period of time and we are free
to make as many deals as we can. we are on Atenzia records for Europe...14 Countries and
UNIVERSAL for Japan + Asia.
How strong is your market in Japan these days?
We're doing very well.40FT. RINGO " FUNNY THING" sold over 2500 CD's in 5
days in Japan. UNIVERSAL is doing a great job.
Do you still speak with the other members of Trixter? Would you ever consider
working with them again?
I spoke to Pete last week. He's doing great. We have some TRIXTER plans upcoming.
TRIXTER"ALIVE IN JAPAN" CD for November release. VH-1 is doing new show called
"BANDS REUNITED" that we might do. We'll see what happens. Never say never.
Is there anything you'd like to promote or plug?
If you want to get a CD that will make you feel great, then buy 40FT. RINGO "FUNNY
THING". GO TO WWW.40FTRINGO.COM
to buy CDs + merchandise.
What's the future for 40 Ft. Ringo?
Hopefully we get back to the Top but everyday for us is great. Making music for a
living is an awesome way to live.
Band Website: WWW.40FTRINGO.COM