A month from today, on 27 July 2019, this #izzyconcert2018 petition will finally officially close.
Looking back over the past year of campaigning to spread the word about the petition to reach Izzy Stradlin fans across "Planet Earth", several positives stand out, including:
- how well #TeamIzzy pulled together on social media and in real life;
- the launch of a new place on Facebook, The Izzy Stradlin Appreciation Group, where posts about this petition will always be welcome; and
- the founding of Bucket O'Trouble, the Izzy Stradlin cover band.
It is this last one that we are celebrating as the "big success" of the petition. Have a look through the interview with the band (image attached, and text pasted in below) and be sure to click on the links at the end to connect with them if you haven't done so already. Every Izzy song, every cover version, means so much to us.
Take care everyone, and keep listening to more solo Izzy.
- Carlene
#believeinIzzy
Celebrating one year of #Izzyconcert2018
We didn’t get Izzy, but...
We got Bucket O’Trouble: Steve on guitar and vocals, and Jeff on drums
Over the past 12 months since the launch of our online fan petition asking star guitarist Izzy Stradlin to consider performing his solo music again, Izzy’s fans have been able to access and enjoy some energetic cover versions of his “garage rock” style songs, thanks to regular YouTube instalments from a Massachusetts-based musician duo called Bucket O’Trouble – the Izzy Stradlin cover band.
Bucket O’Trouble was formed as a reply to the call of the petition, which since 27 July 2018 has seen well over 2,000 fans adding their names to the ‘Izzy Stradlin Solo Concert Fan Petition’ page at change[dot]org.
There hasn’t been any response (so far..!) from the Guns N’ Roses founding guitarist and hit songwriter, but something wonderful happened anyway – two musicians, Steve on guitar and Jeff on drums, realised that there were hundreds of solo Izzy fans just like them all around the world needing to hear those songs performed, and they decided to do something about that.
Come on now inside and meet Bucket O’Trouble – here they are sharing what it’s been like filling up their lives with Izzy Stradlin chords and beats.
– The ‘Comfort Zone’ Interview, by Carlene Bender
Interview with Bucket O’Trouble
Tell us about that “lightbulb” moment when you decided to form an Izzy Stradlin cover band.
"Jeff and I have known each other since we were 12 and have been in various music projects off and on for over 20 years now. We were in-between things and he had some new acoustic songs he came over to record since he just picked up guitar recently, this was last August I guess. I asked if he wanted to collaborate on some catchy tunes since he was headed in that direction. I sent him some Izzy songs as ideas of what it could sound like, and that turned him on to the Izzy solo stuff...
"At that time I was following the petition campaign from a distance and noticed the community building up. I saw pictures of you and others putting up posters in various countries, the “where’s Izzy” milk carton art at the Gunners Circus exhibition in Japan, the media coverage in different languages, and felt like I needed to be part of it.
"So I suggested to Jeff, hey let’s just play these Izzy songs – there are people out there who would be more excited for that than some originals we might cook up.
"Jeff had the idea to start with ‘Hammerhead’ to see if it got a good response from the Izzy petition community – it did, and here we are."
I love it that it was the Izzy concert petition that spurred you into that burst of creativity! It’s interesting that you two always preferred the catchy tunes – is that why the band was named after that catchy old Izzy tune?
"When I was trying to pick a name, I thought to search his song titles. I wanted to find something that had the edge that our sound had and ‘Bucket O’Trouble’ seemed perfect, especially with the word ‘Trouble’ in the title.
"I knew we would be best at the edgier, or, to use one of Izzy’s words to describe early Guns, ‘raunchy’ type songs.
So far you’ve got nearly 30 covers on your YouTube channel. How do you manage to keep up that output?
"We’ve done a lot in seven months! Jeff and I just work really well together, and we are ready to play when it’s time.
"And it’s fun – we are keeping it fun. We could record it instrument by instrument, piece by piece, with overdubs and all that, but it’s a fun challenge to capture it all live without any overdubs: what you hear and see is real and what it is, and what it is is passion and a love for the songs."
You are actually doing what we were asking Izzy to think about doing – put on some kind of performance of his solo material. But tell me – how do imagine Izzy might feel looking at your videos?*
"The idea of this cover band was exactly like you said in the petition – let’s see and hear Izzy’s solo songs any way we can, and if he isn’t ready to come out yet, then we are filling the space until the real deal comes back along.
"I hoped if he saw our videos he would first understand it’s just two really inspired fans appreciating his work, and that they are live raw tracks that aren’t mixed or mastered at some pro studio – I hoped he would think it’s cool that we put the garage band vibe to his songs, and maybe it would remind him of jamming them out for the first time in some rehearsal room somewhere. And maybe it would excite him to get that feeling again himself."
The full-length interview, which is twice the length of this article, is available to read in The Izzy Stradlin Appreciation Group (it is a closed group) on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/groups/827946737541259/permalink/877352865933979/
#izzyconcert2018 links
Add your name to the petition or share the shortcut url: http://tinyurl.com/Izzyconcert2018
Twitter: @izzyconcert2018 @TriniBoogie
Instagram: @izzystradlinconcertpetition
The Izzy Stradlin Appreciation Group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/827946737541259
Connect with Bucket O'Trouble
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdk50lwICKe2njrh-P3oVMw
Twitter: @BucketIzzy
Facebook: @BucketIzzy
Instagram: @izzystradlincoverband
Email: izzystradlincoverband@gmail.com
Made exclusively for this interview! Here’s a video link of Bucket O'Trouble playing ‘Got Some News’ from Izzy’s 2002 album, On Down The Road: https://youtu.be/hsAbSSUVJc0