Joseph Michael knows what he wants and has haunted enough cities and circles to know how to get it.  He is not just the front man of Midnight Reign, he's the virtuoso that has alone created his own sound and style, a mix of heavy guitar, luminous strings, and punishing, classic heavy metal vocals that has swept out the back streets and dark spots of Los Angeles since 1999.  Scandal has pursued this band for years.  They have gone through several incarnations due to having to drop drummers with strange hobbies like alleged pedophilia and an abnormal interest in poo.  Yes, I said poo.    After all of these bizarre annoyances,   JM finally yanked on the reins and recorded the album Never Look Back himself.  With the album's release Joseph Michael's Midnight Reign has been steadily gnawing on the stale Hollywood scene and getting quite a response, so I just had to see what his response was.

MM: What was your process in the writing of Never Look Back?

JM:    LSD, whiskey, and an endless supply of stav paper.

MM: You've had a great response from fans.  Do you have a tour in the works?

JM:    We are currently talking to promoters in Japan and the U.K.

MM: What is the first thing you want to do when you get off the plane in Japan?  And, what will you do when they offer you kippers and blood sausage in the U.K.?  Are you ready to eat absolutely anything?

JM:  I'm up for anything...almost.

MM: I'm assuming you'll all be sharing a tour bus, do you think that will be an issue with you being outnumbered by women? 

JM:  That's never been a problem before...;)

MM: What's the chemistry like between you and the rest of the band?

JM: We hate to love to hate each other.  Seriously, it depends on the level of stress.

MM: What is your personal groupie policy?

JM:  Not applicable. 

MM: Not applicable on the groupie policy?  Oh, come on.  Give it to me.  There is no such thing as a non-applicable groupie policy.  Either you're not supposed to have them on the bus, maybe you have no interest?  You have a grudge against condoms and don't want to get a disease?  Are you a fucking Franciscan monk?  Or, do you have a female cohort that will tie your scrotum in a knot if you get caught?

JM: We have no official groupie policy.

MM: I understand you learned to read music by yourself.  How did you accomplish that? 

JM: Just reading, dammit!  If you want to do something, do it.

MM: What instruments have you mastered?

JM: What do you mean by mastered?

MM: Mastered as in mastered.  Completely fluent at playing.  Just pick up the sticks, strings, keys with a blindfold and make magic.  That's mastered.  Are you?

JM:  Yeah, it depends on the week.  I compose everything without the instrument first then work out the actual playing of  the parts later.  So there isn't anything I can't do musically.

MM: You've made it clear that the tracks on Never Look Back were written under the influence of drugs.  What was your intention in making that known?

JM:  I hate pussy ex-druggie apologists.  They had all this fun and then they say they regret this and that.  And most of them find God, which is funny 'cause like, where are they finding this God of theirs?  Is there some ex-druggie café where God and Jesus hang out or something?  I accomplished a lot of great work and had a lot of fun while under the influence.  It had its place. Am I saying that everyone should?  That's not my call.

MM: Do you still use?

JM:  Drugs, people, condoms?

MM: All of the above, and in what frequency and context:  all together, or can you not mix that kind of cocktail?

JM:  No, not really.  But, I can't honestly say I'm completely sober.

MM: Tell me the story of your two drummers.

JM:  Which two?  There's the half Chinese half Black one, the Mexican raping one, and the fecalphiliac pedophile one.

MM:  I choose B, the Mexican rapist and C, the one into doo doo.

JM:  The Mexican rapist...  He liked to bring S&M girls to the lockout (we didn't even have an apartment at this point).  We were throwing a party for our friend Emil and the drummer and I got into a fight so I left, and he and the great baldano (Jason Johnson our old guitarist) stayed behind and were drinking and talking.  I came back the next morning and found an empty bottle of Jack Daniels and a used condom on the floor along with some “brown love stains.”  I called the guitarist and he told me that whilst drinking outside and playing acoustic guitars an unfortunate Mexican stumbled by and was offered some drink and music.  Well, it went bad and the drummer says
“hey let's roll em and take his wallet,” and you can use your imagination.  Our guitarist left at that point and what happened is left up to question. The other guy used to sit outside of our bathroom and masturbate while we would be using it.  And, he raped a fourteen year old punk rocker girl in our bassist's bed.  We threw him out and he just found a ladder and climbed back in.  He was sleeping in my bed the next day when I came home from work (I used to be a phone sex operator).

MM: Why did you go public with that?

JM: Just for journalists like you to salivate over.

MM: I can't say that I personally salivate over excrement, but I'll ask around to see if anyone does and I'll get back with you with their contact information. You've lived in both cities, New York and L.A.  What's your call on the differences in their music scenes?

JM: Music scenes aren't “scenes” so much as they are business environments for merchandisers, clubs, bookers, talent buyers, and so forth to make money off of ignorant musicians who lack the drive and talent to say no to these people.  Everyone's selling the magic bullet.  It's no different in any city.

 MM:  You're talking the politics of music scenes, which is very true when considering the sharks in the music business.  Have you kept control over your masters?  Would you or have you whored out to a record company for the right price?

JM:  No, I own everything.  I do the marketing, accounting, writing, etcetera.

MM: If you could piss on any national monument, anywhere in the world, which would it be?   Why?

 JM:  Our government seems to be doing just fine on its own seeing as how underfunded our National Parks and monuments are.

MM: Are you a big supporter of the National Parks?  Are you an environmentalist?  Save the wolves?  Save the polar bears?  Whales?  Squirrels? Britney Spears?

JM:  Whales, squirrels, talentless pop stars, my heart goes out to them all. That's what it's all about, kids.  Saving the world and the squirrels with music, keeping the bathroom door locked while in use, loving and hating your band mates, the true power of good old no. 7, and the importance of changing your sheets.  As for the groupies, ladies, I guess you'll have to find out on your own.