Bringing The Good Vibes—Jolly Rox!
here was a small moment where glam metal appeared to rule the world, as Mtv took its first baby steps to expose the genre and grow it into a fledgeling of debauchery. This was an extreme music subculture with no middle ground. Its artists were either loved or loathed, forging a truly polarizing lifestyle. Regardless, glam metal was necessary in a time that addressed the emotional and hormonal concerns of every kid on a mission to mentally divorce their parents.
Glam metal has made its comeback recently, with things like the release of The Dirt, a story of Motley Crue. The more prominent hair metal bands of the 80s have resurrected stadium tours with their brothers and started documenting their stories. Whenever our modern world seems to slip back into boredom, someone will always find a way revive us with entertainment that challenges those tired, puritanical postures.
That’s what Jolly Rox is doing.
The Florence based group is sweeping away the dust of a prudish atmosphere and prescribing classic, uninhibited fun. With a sound reminiscent of bands like Ratt, Hanoi Rocks, and Dangerous Toys, Jolly Rox has successfully brought back the nostalgic memories of epic power ballads and emotional overdrive. They’ve been busy touring Europe with Pretty Boy Floyd and The Midnight Devils. I took a listen to their latest EP (2018), and their 2011 album, Welcome To My Twisted Room. The music transported me right back to my earliest exploratory years. The sound is a perfect time capsule of warm bass wrapped around a shiny teenage fantasy.
CG: It's a little easier to independently promote your music overseas now that we have social media, Spotify and the like now.. but touring overseas is another story. Have you guys played in the US yet? If not, are you thinking of it for the future? How hard is that for you?
JR: Hello! Christine, first let me thank you for having us in your amazing magazine. We think you are doing a great job here and we are thrilled to be here with you!
Now back to your question— Yeah, indeed it is! Many people of our generation complain that today there are no labels and no one investing in new musicians/band or underground music projects, but I see that as an opportunity. As you pointed out, now thanks to social media we can easily publish and release our work and have it delivered at little cost all over the world. Of course, there are challenges along the way; you have to be very careful in how you invest your resources in the project because there is nobody to back you up financially, and you have to do everything by yourself. It is what it is, so it’s better to focus on the positive side of it. Touring is a completely different animal, because on tour there are no “few clicks shortcuts”. Everything is real and old school and you have to plan each step very carefully. We haven’t played in the US…..yet! But of course crossing the ocean and touring in America is one of our main goals. In Italy, the majority of people listen to mainstream or Italian pop music—there is very little space for metal in general, so for a band like us, looking overseas is a natural part of the plan. Organizing a Tour in the US is not an easy feat! You need a lot of planning, logistics, contacts; and you need to invest a lot of money. But let us say we are keeping a sharp eye on it and we keep making plans about it. So watch out!
CG: I'd love to get a little history on you—can you let us know how long you've been together now, and who produced Welcome To My Twisted Room (2011)?
JR: We started production of Welcome to my Twisted Room 4 years after Jolly Rox was born. It was 2009 and another world; different from today, and let me tell you, producing it was really an adventure back then! We faced a lot of challenges; we had to change producers and our recording studio twice, we had to do the mixing twice since the first one didn’t meet our standards. But towards the end (with the label) we had the mastering done, and our first full album was out… and now we can say we are really proud of it. After that, we released two more works. Jolly Rox in 2013, and Dreamers’ Paradise in 2018. Both contain some very good stuff and are still in our set list today. Now, we have three new singles ready to be released as we speak, and we are working on a new video clip and new songs as well!
CG: From your video on your Youtube Channel I saw the band had a few lineup changes. Can you tell me about that?
JR: Keeping a band together is not an easy task. It’s something you learn along the way. And you have to find members with the right mindset and attitude. Yes, the band underwent a few lineup changes, and with the pandemic we were forced to stop. But now, with the present lineup, we’re all on the same page. We work as a team and share the workload in the most professional and friendly way. It’s not easy since we all live in different parts of Italy, but almost every week we have an online meeting to keep each other up to date with progress, to share ideas, and keep a positive and productive vibe rolling. Also every week or so we make a live stream on IG to keep the fans involved and make them part of the project. Sometimes there will be a livestream from the rehearsal room, or a livestream where we just chat with the fans that want to interact with us.
CG: What's the tour been like in Europe this summer? You guys look like you're having a lot of fun on stage.. what happens after the show?
JR: This summer we were able to work two different tours across Europe, and it was a blast! First, we did Italy and Germany on our own, and then we joined the Italian and Swiss league of the Hollywood Sunset Sleaze Tour headlined by Pretty Boy Floyd. We do really have a lot of fun on stage and this is the most important thing.
Music is about emotions, involvement— and you must be 100% involved on stage if you want the crowd to participate and really feel what you are playing and what you’re doing. People go to live shows to have fun, to party… so when you walk on stage, even if it’s your “job” to perform a great show, it is essential to have fun and make sure everybody knows you love being there with them.
We all grew up looking at the big rock stars from the 80s doing wild after show parties, but today is a bit different. We are very focused on the show and on stage; we push ourselves to the limit to deliver the best possible show. When we finish, we actually need to recover and hydrate. Sometimes we share a beer to celebrate, but no wild stuff. Times have changed.
Being on stage is just a part of the deal; you need to be proactive and help the other bands if needed. You need to interact with the fans at the venue, you need to attend to the merchandise, you need to take care of the socials—and then is 3 am and you still need to go the hotel, shower and catch a quick nap and be on the road early the next day.
CG: Glam metal was the climax of hedonism and sensualism back in the early 80s.. I remember it! We got away with everything. The era has changed... I'd dare say society can seem a tad more puritanical than it used to be. Do you find yourselves having to be more careful on tour? On social media? What's it like being a Glam metal band in 2023?
JR: You are damn right! Society is completely different right now. More than puritanical—I would define it as hypocritical. There is an excess of politically correct mumbo jumbo that is all but a facade. Glam metal is, among other things, hedonism and sensualism, but there is nothing wrong with that. It’s part of the style and part of the show. A society that criticizes glam sensualism and then generates billions of dollars on pornography is just nonsense. No, we don’t feel that we need to be more careful on tour. Besides, despite what mainstream communication is saying, in the real world people are smart enough to understand what you are doing; to understand that what you do is a form of art, and that sometimes a line in the lyrics (or the f word on stage) is just part of the show. Same thing on social media. Being a Glam Metal band in 2023 is fucking awesome! Glam metal is about style, is about Rock and roll, is about having fun, having dreams and believing in those dreams. We do not see anything wrong with it. We have a project we work on hard every day to grow. If some puritan feels offended by that, well the internet is a big place and there are many venues, many shows and many music styles. So make a different choice.
CG: Pretty Boy Floyd's been around for more than a hot minute.. tell me how you got hooked up with them?
JR: Pretty Boy Floyd is a glam icon, and we were so thrilled to be part of their tour! Basically, the story is simple. Our agent, Black Dog Booking Management, told us about this opportunity with Pretty Boy Floyd and Big Tuna Entertainment, and we just said “Hell Fucking Yeah!” We jumped aboard with all the enthusiasm possible, and it was great! On tour we bonded with everyone. There was an amazing positive vibe of collaboration with everyone. Members from both bands (pretty boy Floyd and The Midnight Devils) were in the first row supporting us every night, and everyone was always ready to lend a hand and make everyone’s life easier on tour. We were a team—and for many of us, it was the beginning of a real friendship that made the experience even better!
Between 2007 and 2008, Jolly Rox opened for internationally renowned bands like Nasty Idols, Wednesday 13, Erocktica, Pretty Boy Floyd, Britny Fox, Bullet Boys and Bud Tribe. Highlighted by excellent guitarists, the music of Jolly Rox is all about one thing—having a great time. You can wash away that daily grime with these guys and their spirited blast of 80s energy.
Find them on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@JOLLYROXcrew
