Brian "Damage" Forsythe
By Geordie Pleathur
(SugarBuzz Nation)
SugarBuzz Magazine
MISTER DYNAMITE!!! Sugarbuzz Interviews BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE from KIX, RHINO BUCKET, SNAKE-HANDLERS, AND PURPLE GANG!!! (-By Geordie Pleathur)
There are several articles about Brian Forsythe's various bands, still sadly M.I.A., from the SUGARBUZZ archives, ever since the server crashed. The talented Mister Damage has pretty impeccable taste, and the SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE family has basically, loved all of his bands. The SNAKEHANDLERS are one of the best underground/outlaw/insurgent/ country bands around. Acetate recording artists, RHINO BUCKET, continues carrying the torch for old-school, vintage, "Jailbreak"-era, AC/DC. The PURPLE GANG are club favorites of our El Lay staffers, and of course, KIX was the coolest major label metal band, in the eighties. Both MTV, and F.M. radio, played "Don't Close Your Eyes", until everybody hated it. They did the same thing to Soul Asylum-just played 'em to death! KIX were the hardest working band of the hair-band era. Onstage, they were incredible. Four stylish, charismatic, shaggy-topped, atomic bombs, blasting off, at once. Everyone moved great, rocked the fuck out. Steve Whiteman was an amazing frontman. If you loved 
Steven Tyler, as a kid...or Roth, Jagger, or Rod Stewart, in the Faces days...'any of the true, born entertainers, he obviously, was part of that noble pantheon. KIX always believed in putting on a big show. They were a spectacle, to behold! Whiteman's a vastly under-rated performer! Donnie wrote some unforgettable tunes. Brian Damage was the coolest guitar player, from all the glam-metal bands, he probably doesn't like being lumped-in, with.
A dashingly wasted, gypsyish aristocrat, Forsythe was like a Jimmy Vaughan, or Albert King, all trussed-up, to look like Johnny Thunders, or Nasty Suicide! He had loads of flair, and moved like a cat. Live, in asmall club, these guys were bloody brilliant! They all stomped and pranced like roosters, spinning, and twisting, twirling mic-stands like James Brown, or Peter Wolf, slashin' around, like swashbuckling switch-blades; duck walking like Chuck Berry, Angus Young, or Andy McCoy; and it felt like a cross between classic Van Halen...and the Ramones. Or the obligatory house party from one of those eighties summer sex comedies.
KIX totally bridged the different rock tribes, and brought people together. Remember: back then, especially in the midwest, a lot of metal-heads were violent, "River's Edge" hicks, and tragically misguided, macho-marines, from rural backgrounds of child-abuse. The tough guy, denim-wearers, with the big
Judas Priest back-patches, used to get real threatened, when the eye-liner wearing, "Devo fags", in the leather jackets, showed-up. Plenty of us punks liked KIX, in spite of Whiteman's high-pitched, signature, metal-screeching, and all their Hammer Of The Gods guitar-soloing, because KIX were FUN! It took a special band to bring the punks and metal guys together. Ya see----people still took their music dead-seriously, back then. It was a big part of our lives, our culture, our whole identities. Those were different times...Nowadays, some Myspace corporate knob-suit will try to convince you that Willow's "Whip My Hair" is the best new "Metal" song, 'cause it's all one great big, mish-mashed, commercialized, energy drink-sponsored, hodge-podged, ironic, emo-hip-hop-retro-garage-synth-pop-techno-devil's-horns-throwing, South Park fart joke. Modern music is seldom designed to hold any meaning, there's no sincerity, therefore, no risk. It's all smart-arsed. The fake new wave, gone sour, and remade into God-awful disco. The jokey, tongue-in-cheek, heavy-metal bands-like the Darkness, or Steel Panther...spandex, ha ha ha. The Beavis And Butthead shtick never gets old! Spandex! Ha ha ha! 
Spandex! Ha ha ha. Remember Quiet Riot? "Bang Your head, dude!" Get it? Spandex ha ha ha. What a laugh...'never gets old...The designer-label whores, and no-soul, corporate-rappers; the formulaic, Disneyfied, insipid, commercial country...and "nevermind" yesterday's politico-punks, who've gone conspicuously silent, since they've cashed-in, and made their own big money.
I'm so old, that I can actually remember the days when they still played rock'n'roll on MTV. The tightly-restricted play-lists of the increasingly merged and monopolized, mass-media, insist on irritating us, daily, with reality-show contestants, and the madcap shopping-antics, and plastic surgeries, of vapid bimbos, from show-biz dynasties. Music is dead, on the mainstream air-waves. It's all gutless, sexless, lifeless, sterile, robotic sound-tracks to mindless consumption. People used to get together. Rub shoulders, hook-up, high-five, share good times. KIX made each show into a big party-a reunion. They had an inspirational effect on people, empowering even the most-uptight, stonewashed, Iron Maiden, or Saxon fans, to let their proverbial monkeys out. Even the egg white stiffened, spiky-headed, gutter punks had to let their hair down. By the end of a KIX concert, the audience would be a drunken, soaking wet, stinky mess of smiles and smudged eyeliner. As Brian Setzer once sang, "We get together on a Saturday night, and watch each other's hair fall down."
My first KIX record was "COOL KIDS", and lots of fans, and even some band-members, are divided on that one, due to the presence of some syrupy, Aerosmith-slick, corporate song-doctors, and a temporary, fill-in guitarist, but "For Shame" made it on to probably, dozens of mix-tapes, I made back then, so it's still a sentimental favorite of mine. Their self-titled debut, "Midnight Dynamite", "Blow My Fuse" and "Hot Wire" were on perennial rotation throughout the blurry, whiskey sodden, late eighties, and early nineties. Whiteman had a way of getting you to sing-along to "Cold Blood", and "Yeah Yeah Yeah", that made you feel like he was an old friend, you'd grown up with. Though they never made it as big as Ratt, or Poison, one need only compare the back of the first Skid Row album cover, to any KIX publicity photo, to see where they got their whole image. The other KIX guitar hero, Ronnie "10/10" Younkins, went on to play in the Blessings, and the Slimmer Twins, with Jeremy White. The album he co-produced with Gilby Clarke, "Lack Of Luxury", reminds some of vintage 'Stones, and Jo Dog and Paul Black's Sonic Boom. Steve Whiteman and Jimmy "Chocolate" Chaffant's band, Funny Money, played the hairspray-metal, oldies-circuit, successfully, for years, bringing out all the aging, bleached-blonde, nail technicians, and their still-mulleted boyfriends, with the suspended driver's licenses. Brian Damage was in various Hollywood side-projects, like the Vagabonds, with various Bang Tangos; and also, the Rhythm Slaves, co-starring various Faster Pussycats, and Junkyards. Recent years have witnessed a major KIX revival, seeing these heroic, road-worn rockers gracing the stages of all the big, outdoor rock festivals, sans songwriter, Donnie Purnell.
RHINO BUCKET are signed to America's hippest underground record-label, Acetate, and continue to produce their brand of Aussie-influenced, blue-collar, beer-swillin' street-rock, to the delight of die-hard rockers, in hard-partying, draft-sticky bars, from coast to coast. The always gallant, Brian Damage, remains, by far, the coolest guitar player, out of all those glam-metal bands, that he probably still hates being lumped-in, with. Recently, we had the pleasure of chatting with the damaged one...
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: How were you affected by punk and glam rock as a kid? I know you're a bluesman at heart, but did you like Bowie, Slade, Mott, Suzi Quatro, The Sweet, etc.?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: I can find something I like in every era of music. I grew up more with The Beatles, Memphis soul and then southern rock.
Though I'm not a huge Bowie fan
there is a lot of his music that I do like. I love Slade! I used to see them on "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" and "Saturday Night Special", back when I was in high school. Mott the Hoople... some of it. Suzi Quatro, I just liked looking at her! I did like The Sweet , although, some of their stuff was pretty bubble gum.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: What do you miss most about Donnie Purnell?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: His songwriting.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: What was the alltime peak moment of the KIX rockstar experience? Best fun ever?!
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Our first trip to Japan! We definitely got the rockstar treatment over there! The girls were cute, too!
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Ever jammed with Jimmy James from Hangmen, Coma-Tones, Rock City Angels?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: No, I haven't, but he used to work in a vintage guitar shop in Silver Lake, and I would go in there, and hang out, and talk to him about guitars.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: When Kix were huge, what other bands, from that era, did you share a camaraderie, or keep in touch with? Did you like Cinderella? Which of the Rocklahoma bands were still most vital? Who still "has it"?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Was Kix huge? I must've missed it. We
didn't really feel like we fit in with those other bands. We were friendly towards them when we did shows, but other than that, we didn't hang out with them. I personally kept in touch with Robbin Crosby, and Dean Davidson, after touring with those guys, but most of the bands I hung out with were lesser known bands, from either DC, or NYC.
I Like Cinderella and I think they're one of the bands that held up through the years. We did a show with them, this past year, and they sounded great! I really like Tom Keifer's playing. The other guy, Jeff, is a little too Jake E. Lee for me.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Have you listened to the new Rock City Angels records?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Yes, Bobby Durango and I chat, from time to time, and he sends me his CDs to check out. He's still sounding good!
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Ever see Tex and the Horse-Heads, or Lords Of The New Church?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Never saw Tex And The Horseheads. I did, however, see Lords Of The New Church, on several occasions, in several venues, including the Camden Palace, in London. I was friends with Stiv, and had the pleasure of hanging out with him. He used to come to Kix shows in NYC. He also showed up at the Marquee Club, in London, when Kix played there.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: What
did you think of THE CULT?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: I've always liked them for some reason.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: I know that Billy Burke is a big fan, and even cites you as an influence. Are you familiar with the Humpers, or Vice Principals?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: No, I'm not. Maybe I should check them out.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: I saw some hilarious pictures of Steve all glammed-out, in Dollsy drag, from some recent shows. Are you familiar, at all, with Detroit's Trash Brats?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: No, I've never heard of them. Steve's wife dared him to do it.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Discuss the shows the Purple Gang played with the Joneses. Is it true you turned down an invitation to join the Joneses at some point?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: We did one show a few years ago at some club in East L.A., the place was packed with young (and some old) glam rockers. That's another band I wasn't familiar with, except that I had heard their name, and of course, Frenchie used to talk about them.
No, I was never asked to join the Joneses. You have to
remember, I'm from the east coast. I didn't move out here until 1993, so I missed that whole Raji's scene.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: What do you think of Hanoi Rocks and Andy McCoy? Have you had any interest in the reformed NY Dolls? What do you think of Steve Conte's playing, and are you interested in the Jack Douglas produced Michael Monroe band?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: I was a Hanoi Rocks fan. I liked their whole vibe. My ex-girlfriend, from back in the Kix days, was way into them, and turned me on to them. The only album I really like, though, is "Two Steps From The Move". I got to see them at Hammerjacks before Vince Neil killed Razzle. They were awesome! Andy McCoy's stage presence is incredible!
I saw the reformed NY Dolls out here at the Avalon a few years ago. They were okay. Steve Conte's a good fill in guy.
Ginger (The Wildhearts) invited me to the 
Finnish Consulate general's house here in L.A. where Michael's band did a private party to debut their new record. It was cool to see them playing in someone's living room! I have not actually heard the record.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Did you prefer Circus Of Power or D-Generation?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: A little of both. Of course, I lean a little more toward Circus Of Power, because Ricky and Gary are friends of mine.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Georgia Satellites or Jason And The Scorchers?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Although I do like Jason and the Scorchers, I'm a way bigger Georgia Satellites fan. Love Dan Baird! His solo stuff with Brendan O'Brien on guitar is amazing.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Are you 
currently reading the Keith bio?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Of course! There would be something seriously wrong with me if I wasn't! It's really good by the way.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Ever meet Cheetah Chrome? Michael Rank from Snatches Of Pink?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Cheetah Chrome-yes, when he and Stiv were doing the Dead Boys reunion. I drove down to a Red Roof Inn, somewhere outside of DC, to meet Stiv one morning, and he was sharing a room with Cheetah. Cheetah was laying on the bed, sipping a pint of Jim Beam, and looking like Uncle Fester.
The following night, I when to see them at the Bayou in DC, and Cheetah invited me to sit in on "Sonic Reducer". I wasn't familiar enough with the song, so I chickened out! I've always regretted that.
Later on, Kix did a show with them
at the Ritz in NYC.
I don't know who Michael Rank is.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: What do you recall about interacting with various Guns N Roses?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: We opened for them in 1985, at the Troubadour, before they were signed. We hung out a little that night after the show, but that's about it, except for Duff, who became friends with Ronnie, and would show up backstage, when we played shows in L.A. Oh yeah, then there's Steven Adler who I ran into in my drugged out days in the mid-90s... that's a whole other story!
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Have you heard the Robert Plant/Alison Krauss stuff?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Yes. Not really into it.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: What do you remember about Wapakaneta, Ohio?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: It's a 
little rockin' oasis in the middle of nowhere! The club, Route 33 Rhythm and Brews, where I've played with Rhino Bucket, would be packed at 6:00pm for sound check.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Your red leather KIX jacket was almost as iconic as Iggy's "Raw Power" jacket to a generation of eighties metal kids. Why did you sell it and how much did you get?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: It didn't fit anymore and had been hanging in my closet for years taking up space. I've been trying to clear out a lot of my old stuff and instead of throwing it away or giving it to Goodwill I thought I'd give someone the opportunity to own it. I got about $375 for it.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: How is the campaign to finance the next Rhino Bucket lp coming along? Do you like any of the other Acetate bands?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: We surpassed our goal! We should've set a higher goal! Now we're trying to figure out how to finance our trip to Europe in January.
Most of the Acetate bands are pretty good. I'm going to see 
the Hangmen play this weekend with new addition Ron "Rontrose" Heathman on guitar.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: "Country Rock Is Neither". Who are some of your All-time fave Country artists?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams, James Intveld, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, I know there's more but I'm brain dead right now for some reason.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: The films of John Waters? Weirdest thing about Baltimore?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Yes I'm a fan of John Waters' films, especially, "Polyester". The weirdest thing about Baltimore is probably John Waters.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Last time you painted a house?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: I attempted to paint my girlfriends house back in 2001. Or are you referring to painting billboards? The last time I did that was 1998.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: What do you think of 
Charlie Sexton?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE:He was good with Bob Dylan.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: "Moonlight Mile" or "Sway"?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: "Sway"
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Last good AC/DC record, in your opinion?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: "Back In Black".
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Do the new airport machines make you feel safer while travelling?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: You mean the scanners? For me, it depends on who's flying the plane!
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Who are you currently listening to when not making your own music? Favorite CONTEMPORARY, current bands?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Uhhh...
hmm...
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Is "Kool Kids" your favorite?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Yeah, right. ...and sports, too, not!
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: All-time most under-rated rock groups?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Rhino Bucket, Kix, The Inmates, Lords Of The New Church, Delta 72, again, I'm brain dead, today.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Didn't KIX play some shows recently, with the THROBS?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: We may have, I think we did, at the Crazy Donkey. I never have time to check out the openers.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: Is your old lady writing for any cool rock mags, nowadays?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: No rock magazines, she only 
writes about cats now. The last rock thing she did was Lemmy's book "White Line Fever". She doesn't like being referred too as my "old lady"! Sorry I showed her the question.
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: No offense intended. It's just an expression. "White Line Fever" is an incredible story! Check it out, kids! I used to love reading Janiss Garza's stuff in "Rip Magazine"! Current operations, future plans?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: Rhino Bucket and Kix. I also get together during the week with a friend of mine, who owns a studio, and we record stuff for TV and movies.
Future plans? More rockin'!
SUGARBUZZ MAGAZINE: What did I forget to ask you?
BRIAN DAMAGE FORSYTHE: What my name is. What my dog's name is.
The new Rhino Bucket record "Who's Got Mine" is coming out in stores February 8th, Pre-orders ship January 15th. Go to http://www.acetate.com/ for more details.