Mike Schneider Interview | Flyers of Sunset Strip Book | May 2015 |
Ok.. First off.. I just want to say Im a huge fan of the idea of this book and have been waiting forever for it to be released as Im sure many other fans are also.. So with that being said, lets get to it! We are talking to Mike Schneider....the mastermind behind the book, idea, and creation.. So Mike tell us a little about yourself..
Mike: Hi Jill...I'm a single father, I have a 14 year old son named Harrison and we live in Waukesha WI.
I like long slow walks to a concert stage and I'm a Leo. Lol!
J - Where you in one of the many 80's hairbands that graced the streets of the sunset strip?
Mike: Yes, two bands.
J - Play instruments? sing? any releases?
Mike: Bass player and sang backups. No releases from any of the bands but recorded a four song demo with my first band Stagger Lee at Paramount Recording Studios. I'm hoping to have a couple of our demo songs placed on a very cool CD compilation called Rock "n" Roll Rebels & The Sunset Strip release by Eönian Records. Johnny X from The Wild and Adam Gifford from Paradise wrote the liner notes for the CD project...check it out...very cool stuff!!
J - What bands were you in? and with any other members who went on to other bigger bands?
Mike: Like I mentioned my first band Stagger Lee, was with them for about 3 years. After I decided to leave Stagger Lee, literally within an hour I hooked up with a very close friend of mine singer-songwriter Kirk Barry, we would go on to form Strip Teaze.
RIP Kirk.
As far as any band mates going on to bigger bands.....my very first band I formed back in late 1983 where I grew up in Oshkosh, WI. was called X-ITER. My singers name was Steve, well Steve, a very close friend of mine would go on to become the frontman for the great 80's band TUFF....that would be Stevie Rachelle.
My guitarist Steven Chrystal from Strip Teaze would go on to play with the legendary Lizzie Grey (London) and his band Spiders & Snakes
J - What was it like back then? on the Strip..
Mike: A life changing experience. It was a lot of work to hold a band together. Every band on the strip thought they would make it any way they could...beg, steal or borrow. Some made it....some didn't. I was one that didn't. But the memories of the Strip remain in my heart and soul as I'm sure it does for a lot of people.
J - And now over 20 years later what do you do now?
Mike: By day I'm a safety consultant, I provide OSHA compliance for manufacturing companies.
By night I'm a Rockstar in my own mind. Lol!!
J - What gave you the idea for the book?
Mike: Someone once told me I had a gold mine of memories with the flyers I collected. A little over a year ago I thought to myself I'm going to make a killer scrapbook and share what I've held on to now for years and that was my flyers. It was an era that defined the Sunset Strip and the limited edition Flyers of the Sunset Strip book captures that time.
J - Are these your actual flyers? or did you go on a massive hunt..
Mike: 95% of the flyers in the book I collected when I was out in LA, I collected hundreds of them. The rest were submitted by others.
J - Please explain the concept of the book.. are these original flyers, photo copies? etc..
Mike: The concept of the book...I wanted to put together something totally original and unique, a great conversation piece. I wanted to give the bands and their flyers the respect they deserve, so I put them into a cool scrapbook to share with everyone who loves or who was part of the 80's hair metal scene. The flyers in the books are reprints of the original flyers I collected.
J - Who are some of the bands in the book?
Mike: Of course I have my bands Stagger Lee and Strip Teaze in it. The book will also include bands like TUFF, The Wild, Paradise, Tara, Bang Gang, Syanide Kick, Doll, PairADice, Saigon Saloon and a bunch of others, 65 in all. I even have write ups on the famous clubs like Gazzarri's, the Cathouse, the Whisky, the Roxy, the Troubadour, the Country Club and The Rainbow.
I have to thank Gerry Gittelson from Metal Sludge for writing a good majority of the band and club bios. Thnx G!!
J - Did a lot of bands get involved and help donate stuff?
Mike: Yes, after I started to promote the book a bit guys from bands back in the day started to reach out to me and wanted to know if their band flyer was in the book. If I didn't have a flyer from them they submitted one which was very cool.
J - What are some of your personal favorite bands in the book?
Mike: I have a bunch of cool bands and flyers in the book...I have a Warrant flyer before they were signed to a major record deal in the book. Jani had signed my original flyer back in 97 so I knew I wanted that one in there. RIP Jani
I have a Bullet Boys flyer in there from 1988 before they made it big. I also have some Poison flyers in the book, they were just getting ready to release "Look What The Cat Dragged In" at the time those flyers were handed out. There's a lot of great bands and flyers in the book.
J - What is some of the 'signed, cool vip stuff' ?
Mike: Yes, the signed stuff. After getting some of the submitted flyers I had the idea to reach out to others and ask if they'd like to donate a signed item(s) for the book. To my amazement I started to get a positive response and within months people started to send me their donated signed item(s). I received signed items from Larry Cornwall, drummer for Tara, Johnny X, singer/guitarist for The Wild, Adam Gifford, singer for Paradise, Mykel Sane, bassist for Saigon Saloon, my friend Stevie Rachelle, singer for TUFF donated a signed CD & DVD, Billy DVette, guitarist for PairADice donated...and a bunch of others. My son Harrison was excited to see all the cool stuff that was coming in for the book. Two items in particular that were donated for the book that really blew me away was the signed 20th Anniversary Cathouse memorabilia from Riki Rachtman and a set of Doll Promo flats personalized and signed by Kery Doll. The donated signed items will be placed in random Flyers of the Sunset Strip books as a little something special for the buyer of the book...the items are all original, no reprints of those!! A special thanks will be included in the book to all those that either donated a signed item(s) or submitted content for the book.
J - Now.. a little about the actual book...which look to me to be made of real metal? and have guitar tuning pegs?
Mike: The book cover is made of a thick gage aluminum and has a brushed finish. Yes, it has 4 working guitar tuning keys on it for esthetic purposes.
J - Please explain some of the designing of the book..
whats the size of the book?
Mike: The book cover measures 12x12 1/2, the book that the content is on measures 9x12. The design of the book cover was put together by myself and good friends John Trzesniewski, Ron Tushner and Taylor Deutsch. I had a vision of what I wanted the book to look like and with help from them it came to life.
J - How did you get the idea for the look?
Mike: Madonna's "SEX" book.
J - Whats it made of?
Mike: Blood, Sweat & Tears...and a shit ton of band flyers!!
J - How much does it weigh?
Mike: Comes in at a little over 6lbs.
J - These by far are some of the coolest books ive ever seen..How are you going about the selling of these, are there limited numbers?
Mike: There is a total of 60 limited edition books. They'll be sold on eBay one at a time in descending order starting off with book #60.
J - Are all the books the same?
Mike: Each book is 100% handcrafted, all have the same content but in different order, different color flyers etc...so no two books are a like in that sense. The real difference will be the signed item(s) in the random books. A signed Certificate of Authenticity will also be included letting the buyer know what item(s) they've received and who it is from.
J - Will there be any more made after these?
Mike: Not for this edition.
J - Do you see maybe a volume 2 down the road?
Mike: Maybe, we'll see how this one does.
J - Can you buy more then one?
Mike: Sure can!! Buy a couple if you want.
J - Do you ship world wide..
Mike: Yes, I'm shipping worldwide.
J - And of course the big question.. how much?
Mike: $240 USD
I've spent a year working on these...from the design process of the book cover, putting together the write ups and content, gathering the donated signed items, the submitted content and putting the books together again all handcrafted. There's a bunch of extra stuff in the books like band photos, replica show tickets, business cards and more. Hundreds of man hours were put into the books, they'll be well worth it.
J - Now you guys are going to be doing something special.. with book number 30.. tell us about that..
Mike: I wanted to do something special for the companies owner that made the covers for me. His name is Tom and owns Atlas Metal Parts Inc. here in Waukesha WI. So I decided to auction off book #30 with all proceeds from the auction going to a charity of his choice, I also know he is very involved with his church so it may be donated to them. He doesn't know that I'm doing this for him as of yet, he will very soon though.
J - Where can someone fine out info on the book? website? facebook? email for info?
Mike: I don't have website but for all info on the book and the release dates for the rest of the books through eBay you can check out the Flyers of the Sunset Strip Facebook page at..
https://m.facebook.com/flyersofthesunsetstrip
or email me at...
flyersofthesunsetstrip@yahoo.com
J - When are they going to be ready for the public!
Mike: Book #60 will be released Friday May 29. First come first serve basis. The rest of the books will follow suit. So keep a close eye on the Flyers FB page...release info for the rest of the books will be posted there.
J - What would you like to say to all the people out there that may be interested in THIS book... and why..?
Mike: First thank you to everyone that either donated, submitted or helped with the book in any way. To all those that "like" the book, commented on it, PM'd me about the book on FB...thank you!! This book means so much to me and I only hope that everyone can see the time and effort that was put into it.
J - Thanks Mike for taking the time to talk to us, and for making this incredible book for collecting the great memories...
Mike: It was my pleasure. Thank you Jill and Music Mayhem for the great interview.
