Recently, I had the chance to catch up with Patrick Stone, lead vocalist for Budderside. I spoke with him just before he was going on stage to perform as the opener for L.A. Guns on their latest tour. He invited me me into the Budderside bus where everyone was preparing for the show. The really interesting thing about Patrick, is that when you meet him, he’s a super gracious and humble guy. None of the better-than-you kind of rock star attitude, but just a real down to earth genuine guy who loves rock n’ roll. We talked at length about many subjects and the entire band are really a great bunch of guys. Have no doubt though, you’ll see the rock star emerge the second he hits the stage. Budderside puts on one hell of a great show. Check out my interview below as he talks about working with some of the legends of hard rock, his inspirations and hope for the future:
XS ROCK: So, tell me about the latest with Budderside? You guys are on tour with L.A. Guns right now. How long is the tour?
Patrick/Budderside: We are fresh off the Monsters Of Rock Cruise and are having the time of our lives. Yes, we are out with “our family”, LA GUNS! We’ve been touring with them since June, 2017 all over the States and the tour continues with them, up the east coast and back until March, 2018. Then it’s over to The UK for 2 weeks worth of shows there. No rest for he wicked…
XS ROCK: How’s the atmosphere touring with L.A. Guns?
Patrick/Budderside: It’s like something out of a dream, honestly. There is just a true sense of brotherhood and mutual respect. Endless laughs and smiles. We’re all just so grateful to be doing what we love. Most importantly we’re all delivering what the crowd comes for, leaving it ALL on the stage. Sweat pours from every pore, light shines from every soul…..
XS ROCK: So how long has Budderside been together as a band?
Patrick/Budderside: Officially
XS ROCK: Tell me a little about each of your bandmates.
Patrick/Budderside: The Stoneman is the hammer. Heart of gold with an iron fist.
Sacco is always positive and finds the best in every situation.
Colin is our reference point, a vegan humanitarian and politically correct.
Sam Bam Koltun only fills in when needed, but we have to mention him. He is the future of rock n roll, an amazing talent and has the best energy humanly possible.
I, myself, am an honest, authentic, courageous and powerful human being. I love this life and consider it a gift. I feel I was saved, given a second chance and in return live every moment with extreme purpose.
XS ROCK: Budderside seems like a rather unusual name for a rock band. Where did it come from?
Patrick/Budderside: That’s really the point. It’s an experience, another dimension. What the hell is a Pink Floyd, or a Lady GaGa? The name is original and that’s why it stuck. Originally it was a flub caught on recording. Our first jam ever together, improvising, I rhymed Genocide with butter-side accidentally. We listened back laughing. Rich asked Stone, “Did he say Budderside?” And I chimed “That’s the name of the band!”
XS ROCK: Tell me a little about your musical background? You mentioned that you were a roadie for Lemmy and the great Motorhead. But you also performed with ex-Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler’s former band Adler’s Appetite, right?
Patrick/Budderside: The only dream I’ve ever had was to be a star. Music is in the family blood. I sang my first words (literally the theme to Batman). Was given my first guitar by my late sister, Devon, at 8 years old. Started writing songs when I was 13. Moved to Hollywood at 17 and had many bands along the journey. I became a part of the Motörhead Family around 22. Soon after, I started touring with them as the guitar tech. Lem, Phil, Mikkey and Todd always encouraged and helped me hone my writing.
Aside from writing, dedicating myself to being the best singer and frontman I could be led to many opportunities including Steven Adler’s, Adler’s Appetite. I’ve been very blessed to have worked with so many of the greats in the biz. Destiny never kept knocking and with the support of my family, my band and Motörhead I was able to move on from singing for others, to fulfill my true dream with Budderside.
XS ROCK: Tell me about your time working with Steven?
Patrick/Budderside: Surreal. I Love Steven Adler to DEATH! Those songs kick in and there is no denying it. Appetite for Destruction rips your face off and singing it with its original drummer makes me the ripper, and I rip off every face in every place. No one can deny it.
XS ROCK: Were you happy to see him get the chance to go out and play with his old GNR bandmates on their recent tour?
Patrick/Budderside: I was so happy. It really seemed to be all he really ever wanted. Sent him a text as he came off stage with them and he replied that he was “on top of the world.” The whole band should be back together permanently, in my opinion.
XS ROCK: Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Budderside the first band that Lemmy and the guys in Motorhead signed to their new record label, Motorhead Music? That must have felt like an incredible honor.
Patrick/Budderside: You are correct. Like being Knighted By The Queen Of England, I would imagine!!! A blessing on the highest level. Something we will never take for granted. It’s why we work so hard. It’s how we find strength to move forward in the face of overwhelming opposition.
XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band?
Patrick/Budderside: Feeling like I had something to say, to share. I felt like words and melody poured out of me explaining my thoughts and feelings in ways I could never express in conversation. I always felt that music could reveal my intentions and deepen the meaning beyond the words because it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. The notes reveal the true emotion. The music and melody really dictates the truth about how you’re feeling. The two together dish out epiphanies with every phrase. Songs are transcendent. Putting that much effort into something demands your full attention, and if it’s sounds good, it’s message is obvious. Music makes me speak my deepest truth. It helps me cope with the feelings I keep inside. Letting it out sets me free. A band is a group, a family that believes in each other, no matter what. Our own little army against the world. For them to trust me to speak for all of us, makes it my job to say it right, to be true. My experience of this life is beyond any I’ve ever read or heard of, except one, It’s unbelievable, yet 100% true. There must be a reason I’m here. There must be a reason I survived. There must be purpose for my voice and guitar. It’s all I have. It’s all I’ll ever be. It’s all I want. My motivation for being in this band is to survive, for without it my soul would die a thousand deaths. Add in traveling the world, meeting thousands of people, making lots of money, dressing cool, having fun doing what you love, changing lives, inspiring others, the fans, the fame, the insane nights, the respect, the endless possibilities…the list goes on forever…. IT’S ALL OF IT!
XS ROCK: What image do you think your music conveys?
Patrick/Budderside: The light and the dark in us all. Making sense of it all. The human plight against self destruction. Truth. Non-conformity. Perseverance, recovery, evolution – Greatness.
XS ROCK: What are your current music career goals?
Patrick/Budderside: The new record with a top producer. (Huge announcement coming soon) Invade radio with hit songs. Bigger venues. More fans! An over the top theatrical show. Keep touring, non-stop….
XS ROCK: Which do you prefer? Writing new songs and recording or playing for a live audience?
Patrick/Budderside: They are equal to me. The two are extremely empowering. Both make us very excited, because I know we have to do bigger and better than before. Each are very challenging, therefore, very fulfilling.
XS ROCK: What are some of your song lyrics about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
Patrick/Budderside: Genocide: Evil starts small and grows until it swallows planets. Destroy it! Don’t give into evil, fight!
Ska Bra: Brothers fall, brothers betray.. Stand up for yourself. You’re not alone, you have yourself, your gifts. Use them as your creator intended and problems will fade….
Pain: Bad things are going to happen, people will be cruel. Liars and haters have no place in our space, feel their pain and let it make you wiser and stronger and wash them away… everyday.
That’s just the first three songs on the album, lol!
No subject is taboo. We speak of addiction, abortion, politics, Love, sex, religion, we experience life and have pushed the envelope in every direction and plan to keep doing more of the same In uncharted territory. We write about life and relate to all walks of it.
XS ROCK: What is the single most important thing to you as a musician?
Patrick/Budderside: Health- My voice, state of mind and well being.
XS ROCK: I would imagine that having been a roadie for Motorhead you should have some outrageous tour stories from the road. Do you have any that you can share either with Motorhead or any of the other bands that you’ve performed with?
Patrick/Budderside: Like 3 or 4 different girls in one night? Contests for the longest distance an object (golf ball, Cheeto, etc) could be hurled by a ladies privates down the hall of the tour bus? How many times naked psycho women, covered in their own feces got kicked off the bus in the middle of no-where? Getting through customs, only to find you made it through, unaware of large amounts of illegal narcotics in your bag? Causing an explosion big enough to stop a show mid song in front of 20,000 fans? Or “The Crazy Glue” story? These kinds of stories? HA HA!!!!
XS ROCK: What’s the strangest request that you’ve ever received from one of your fans?
Patrick/Budderside: You want the gritty, I’m guessing. I mean, I’ve had people ask me for my pants, my shirt, even my guitar.
To be honest, we’re the ones with strange requests. Ha! We’ve all been offered “things” we had to check in with one another to make sure we wouldn’t regret it later. We help each other avoid those. If you’re looking for “group-sex” or “submissive gimp” scenarios, weird shit like that pops up all the time. “The Crew Are Kings of Filth and Dirt”! We leave those requests to them. I can only speak for myself when I say, I’m up for all of it with “the right person”. I’m not easy.
XS ROCK: Are your friends and family supportive of your choice to play in a rock band?
Patrick/Budderside: Yes, completely. We could not do it without them. This band is so much larger than the 5 or 6 of us. We consider a lot of our closest friends and family a part of the band. There is a lot of love and Faith going around.
XS ROCK: What advice do you have for new bands trying to get started?
Patrick/Budderside: Work hard. Play all the time. Write more songs. Save your money. Be true. Be honest. Love the people you play with. Be original. Talent and dedication will get you there. Be smart. Do it all yourself!!!! You don’t NEED ANYONE! People will want to help you if you are TRULY AMAZING!!!! Get out there and show them….
XS ROCK: Budderside puts a lot of energy into your live show. What are your favorite tracks to play live?
Patrick/Budderside: Thanks, Bobby. It was amazing to have you right up front. Your anticipation feeds us. Everyone is dying for a great show. It’s all about getting outside of ourselves. I can’t be afraid, I know what you came for. Here it is. All of me, all of Stone, all of Rich, Colin…. we know life is short, you paid good money, let’s fucking party! From start to finish, it’s all one track to me. Like children, I treat every song equally. You never know what song is going to connect most with who. All of them have so much meaning…. Unity!
XS ROCK: Which band or artist originally inspired you to perform? Why?
Patrick/Budderside: So many. Probably Prince. I wanted to be just like him. That movie, the songs, the band, the guitar, the girl. Perfect! Again, picking one is impossible!!! Aaaaahhhhhhhrrrrrggggg…..
Metallica – power – musicianship
Billy Idol – image – hits
Pink Floyd – imagination
Beatles – Harmony
Michael Jackson – entertainer
Motörhead – Fear me!!!!
…. the list goes on and on….
XS ROCK: If you could design a dream tour for your band, who would be on the bill?
Patrick/Budderside: Love this question. At this stage: Muse, 30 Seconds To Mars and Budderside or Foo Fighters, Dead Sara and Budderside
XS ROCK: What do you consider your greatest accomplishment so far?
Patrick/Budderside: Can I say 3 things? Sobriety, integrity and Budderside.
XS ROCK: If you weren’t performing in a band what kind of career do you think you would have?
Patrick/Budderside: A successful one! Ha! Lol! No, I can usually accomplish whatever I set my mind to, but one thing about the music business is that it’s ridiculously challenging. I can’t imagine anything more so. I would get bored of anything else. It has to be music. I love acting, as well, but it’s not the same. Budderside or death!!!
XS ROCK: What do you think of the current music scene?
Patrick/Budderside: Alive and well. Bands that are as good as our heroes make a name for themselves so fast. A good thing gets around with the click on the phone. A great live show can still change your life and bands are out there working harder than ever. Only the strong survive and only the best can make it work. I’m enjoying live music more than ever. The more we’re out there doing it, the more we see and respect. We are so excited and honored to be a part of it.
XS ROCK: For anyone that doesn’t know you, what would they be surprised to know about you?
Patrick/Budderside: I’m a Jedi… Ha, no, but I am a huge Star Wars nerd!
XS ROCK: Is there anything that you’d like to promote or say to your fans out there?
Patrick/Budderside: God bless you! Thank you! We love you! Please engage with us on our social media platforms.
IG: @budderside
TW: @budderside
FB: Budderside
www.budderside.com
… and you must visit our videos:
XS ROCK: Thanks again Patrick for taking the time to talk with us at XS ROCK!
Patrick/Budderside: Thank you, Bobby. It means the world to us.
