Q+A: Mark Slaughter ‘Vegas is the heart and soul of the band’

By Jerry Fink (contact)

Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007 | 10 p.m.

They're national acts with Vegas roots.

Vince Neil, lead singer of Motley Crue, lives in the area. As does Quiet Riot lead singer Kevin Dubrow. And of course Slaughter, which originated in Las Vegas 17 years ago and is still based here.

“Vegas is the heart and soul of the band,” said founder and lead singer Mark Slaughter, who left Vegas 10 years ago and settled in the Nashville area while the rest stayed here.

Neil, Quiet Riot, Slaughter and rocker/violinist Antonio Pontarelli -- a foreigner from Southern California -- will perform Saturday at the Henderson Pavilion.

The Slaughter band will be without founding drummer Blas Elias, who is performing at the Venetian with Blue Man Group.

Slaughter's debut album in 1990, “Stick It To Ya,” included three singles that made Billboard's Hot 100, “Fly to the Angels” (19), “Up All Night” (27) and “Spend My Life” (39).

Mark Slaughter talked to the Sun by phone from his home.

QTo what do you owe your band's longevity?

If you love what you do, it transfers over. I think people certainly see it in our faces -- that this is what we live and this is what we love doing. We're not druggies. We're not drunks, but we might have an after-dinner drink. Other than that we keep it focused on life and on what's important. What's important is family and friends. You start there. (Bassist) Dana (Strum) and I have been working together since 1985 or '86.

How do you differ from other metal bands?

This is one of the few bands, especially from our genre, that had the freedom to write, produce as well as perform our own music. That sets us apart already.

Which of your records do you like best?

Our first ones. I look at music as an artist does a painting. That painting becomes the hourglass of that time and whenever you hear that song it's like flipping over the hourglass and then the sand brings back all those memories -- of where you were at that time, of who you were with and everything else. Our music at that point -- because of the success we had with “Flight of the Angels” and “Up All Night” -- (they) were such staples in our career because their success was life-changing for us.

Do you ever run into the Killers, another group that originated here?

I haven't, but Dana has, because he still lives in the Las Vegas area. I'm very aware of their music -- and I'm also aware of Crystal Method. One of the principals in that group, Scott Kirkland, was from Las Vegas. He was a guitar student of mine. I taught him years ago, just when I was leaving Vinnie Vincent Invasion. I'm extremely proud of what Scott has done.

So many musicians live here, but there are relatively few jobs. Why?

It's canned (music) now. You can digitize a whole orchestra. It puts musicians out of work. When I was a kid I attended K.O. Knudson (Middle School), on Sahara Avenue. A gentleman from the Glenn Miller Orchestra taught there and told me about the old days, all the way back past the Rat Pack days. That's when it was all going on, musically.

What was it like to grow up in Vegas?

Great. I was around all these great jazz musicians. It was wonderful. I'm not saying jazz influenced my rock 'n' roll career, but it gave me a template.

Any thoughts about today's up-and-coming musicians?

I call a lot of groups out there right now the angry young men of rock. It's all about anger. A lot of those bands are going away because it's just one facet of emotions. Our band is about being out on the town in Las Vegas. That's what our music reflects and that's the way we still are.

Jerry Fink can be reached at 259-4058 or at jerry@lasvegassun.com