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Joel McIver

Joel McIver

Joel McIver writes for national and international magazines such as Classic Rock and Rolling Stone as well as appearing on TV and radio. He has written 14 books, one of which, Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica (Omnibus Press, 2004), was a bestseller in many territories.

Asked to list the high points of his career so far, he writes: "It was a life-changing experience to meet Metallica, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, Dimebag (just a couple of months before his death), the guys out of Anthrax and Slayer more times than I care to remember. John Williams the classical muso, trying to speak down to my level. Mark Knopfler, sitting on a balcony overlooking Chelsea Harbour. Bassists: Lemmy, Bill Wyman, the godly Jack Bruce. All-round stars: Michael Hutchence, Tom Jones, Jon Bon Jovi, Mike Oldfield, Michael Nyman. Having a slash in the urinal next to John Simm (also in mid-flow) and having a chat. Having a curry with Rick Wakeman. Helping Bob Geldof write a letter to the Pope. Disagreeing with John Lydon. The Black Sabbath guys filling me with awe every time. The guys in Slipknot making out they knew more than me about death metal and me proving them wrong. Interviewing every extreme metal band under the sun – Satanists, murderers and rapists among them. Some of them were great, some of them made me feel disgusted. Interviewing all of Duran Duran – Nik Rhodes phoning me up and my wife answering the phone and being left speechless. Gene Simmons doing the same thing. Gary Numan. Martin Fry. Neil Finn. Midge Ure. Billy Sheehan. Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. Most of Deep Purple, many times. Boy George telling me about his sex life. Emails with Bjork. Alice Cooper, in shock, the week of 9/11. Dweezil Zappa, Faith No More, some of Green Day. Chris Rea being nervous of me! Peter Gabriel meeting my daughter. Queens Of The Stone Age, Madness, Machine Head. Ice-T telling me about life in the army. Status Quo telling me about evolution. Stewart Copeland telling me Italian swear words. Beth Orton making beans on toast. Having a go on various musicians' instruments. Standing on stage at Ronnie Scott's and pretending to be Miles Davis. Asking Liam Howlett of the Prodigy about Rage Against The Machine. Calling Chad Smith at home in LA. Calling Jim Kerr at his palazzo in Sicily. Telling Slash I'd heard him swear on Ant & Dec and him being mortified."

Joel McIver online

List of articles in the library by artist

Anthrax: The Original Skate-Thrash Nutters Speak

Interview by Joel McIver, Record Collector, Spring 2000

IN THE CLICHÉ-RIDDEN world of heavy metal, it's sometimes refreshing to encounter a band that redefines the genre without sticking to the tired old formulas. ...

Melissa Auf Der Maur: World Of Bass: Melissa Auf Der Maur

Interview by Joel McIver, Bass Guitar, April 2004

MONTREAL-BORN bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, something of a four-string legend on the alternative rock and grunge scene since the early 1990s, has recently released ...

Ritchie Blackmore: Renaissance Rebirth

Interview by Joel McIver, Acoustic, December 2004

FEW MUSCIANS possess an aura of mystery as impenetrable as that of legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, whose distinguished career has seen him compose some of ...

Bon Jovi: Bon Non-Jovial

Interview by Joel McIver, Record Collector, Summer 2001

IF POP'S MOST unpredictable comeback - from has-been oblivion to global success - was made by Blur between Modern Life Is Rubbish and Parklife, then ...

Jack Bruce: Back to Bass-ics: Jack Bruce

Interview by Joel McIver, Bass Guitar, April 2003

The bass maestro behind Cream, for several years now a successful solo artist in his own right, looks back on his remarkable career with Joel ...

Chemical Brothers, The: Right About Now . . . The Funk Soul Brothers!

Retrospective by Joel McIver, Record Collector, Spring 2000

THINK YOU KNOW about dance music? OK then, answer this question: which of the Chemical Brothers is Tom and which is Ed? Despite the fact ...

Crowded House, Neil Finn: Neil Finn

Interview by Joel McIver, Record Collector, Spring 2000

New Zealand's Favourite Songwriter Is Releasing A New Album Of Crowded House B-Sides And Rarities. Joel Mciver Quizzes The Kiwi King. ...

Cult, The: Lil' Devils: The Cult

Interview by Joel McIver, Record Collector, Summer 2001

Grunge and alternative rock defeated the Cult in the mid-90s - but now they're back in business. Joel McIver asks how they did it. ...

Miles Davis: The Re-Rebirth Of The Cool: Miles Davis at 75

Review by Joel McIver, Record Collector, Summer 2001

As part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of Miles Davis' birth, a classic reissue programme has begun in earnest. In the mode: Joel McIver. ...

Deftones, The: Tasteful ’Tones

Interview by Joel McIver, Bass Guitar, June 2003

Deftones bassist Chi Cheng takes Joel McIver through the highs and lows of being in one of the world’s top alternative metal acts. Just don’t ...

Dismember: Cutting Crew

Interview by Joel McIver, Metal Hammer, June 2004

If death metal floats your boat but you're fed up with operatic vocals and politely duelling guitars, why, take a listen to Sweden's most brutal ...

Faith No More: You Gotta Have Faith

Interview by Joel McIver, Terrorizer, February 2003

IS NU-METAL your fault?(laughs) Well, it’s kind of interesting. When we split up in 1998 there was this wave of nu-metal bands that used us ...

Judas Priest: British Steel, Stronger Than Ever:

Interview by Joel McIver, Quietus, The, March 2010

Joel McIver talks to Judas Priest about drugs and alcohol, the domination of heavy metal, and their classic album British Steel ...

Kiss And Make-Up: Gene Simmons

Interview by Joel McIver, Bass Guitar, August 2003

Joel McIver asks entrepreneur, record company head, insatiable groupie-pleasurer and – oh yes – unfeasibly long-tongued Kiss bassist Gene Simmons about his four-string habits, and ...

Madness: Mad About The Boys?

Retrospective and Interview by Joel McIver, Record Collector, Summer 2001

North London ska legends Madness ruled the world for a decade. Now they're back with a new album. Joel Mciver speaks to the original nutty ...

Megadeth, Where Is Thy Sting?

Interview by Joel McIver, Record Collector, Winter 1999

After sixteen years at the forefront of speed metal, Megadeth are releasing a new album, Risk. Joel Mciver finds controversial frontman Dave Mustaine a reformed ...

Mötley Crüe: Nikki Sixx Speaks

Interview by Joel McIver, Bass Guitar, June 2003

The Mötley Crüe survivor talks to Joel McIver about business manoeuvres, string-boiling and how saliva can make your bass sound better. ...

Motorhead, Lemmy: Bassically Speaking: Lemmy

Interview by Joel McIver, Bass Guitar, June 2003

ALTHOUGH THE WORLD of metal is full of fearsomely talented bass players, many of which have appeared on these hallowed pages in recent months, few ...

Motorhead, Lemmy: Mil-Lemmy-Um: The Man from Motörhead

Interview by Joel McIver, Record Collector, 1999

The artist formerly known as Ian Kilminster waxes lyrical on guns, drugs, feminism and ancient rome. Joel McIver meets rock'n'roll's elder statesman, Lemmy. ...

Gary Numan: Paranoid Android

Interview by Joel McIver, Record Collector, Summer 2001

GARY NUMAN is fortunate enough to be among the privileged group of individuals who have spoken to Record Collector not once or twice, but an ...

Mike Oldfield: Ring Out The Old . . .

Retrospective by Joel McIver, Record Collector, Spring 2000

EVERYONE KNOWS the haunting opening melody of Tubular Bells, but it means different things to different people. If you're in your 40s or over, you ...

Ozric Tentacles: Wizards Of Ozric

Interview by Joel McIver, Record Collector, 2000

Hippies and new age chancers the Ozric Tentacles are still tripping the light fantastic after 18 years. ...

Jaco Pastorius, Weather Report: The World’s Greatest Bass Player?

Retrospective by Joel McIver, Bass Guitar, October 2003

HEROES COME and heroes go. Most rise to the top and stay there for a while before their star fades; a few endure for a ...

Ronnie Scott: Jazz Club … Nice: Remembering Ronnie Scott

Retrospective and Interview by Joel McIver, unpublished, 2000

The legendary nightclub Ronnie Scott's is celebrating its fourth decade this year. Joel McIver meets manager Peter King - a man who really has seen ...

Slayer: All Aboard The Slay Ride

Profile and Interview by Joel McIver, Record Collector, 1999

Slayer vocalist Tom Araya discusses his band's blood-soaked life and times ...

Slipknot: To Be... Or 'Knot To Be

Profile and Interview by Joel McIver, Record Collector, Spring 2001

TAKE THE INTENSITY of an old-school thrash metal band like Slayer and add the Noughties awareness of a media-straddling figure such as Eminem. Mix in ...

Venom: Poison Us: Venom

Interview by Joel McIver, Record Collector, Summer 2000

FEW BANDS can claim to have started off a whole musical trend; even fewer can claim to have started two. Newcastle band Venom recorded three ...

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