Interview by: Anthony Bernardi
Photos by: Ryan Hensler

It’s not very often you get to meet one of many that helped shape your musical universe.
On Tuesday March 13th I had the privilege to sit down with Paul Caiafa of the band. Wait you don’t know who that is? Okay, lets try this.

It’s a rainy day in Portland Oregon as I walk up to the side of one of the city’s famous clubs, The Hawthorne Theater. I am greeted by two others from another magazine. As we start to chat about other gigs and exchanging cards the road manager comes out and lets us know that it will be a few more minutes as he is getting his make-up on. Now this is my first face to face interview and well I am more nervous than a virgin on prom night.
So I let the other two go ahead of me since they were doing a video interview and I needed a few extra minutes to not lose my dinner and relax.
Your turn man just head on up, I reach the top of the steps and I am greeted by the Vegan Monster himself, Doyle Von Frankenstein formerly of the band the Misfits and Head shredder of DOYLE.

“Sit down over here” I sat across from a legend and I didn’t throw up! I am quite proud of myself for that accomplishment.
This is what we chatted about.

EE: On behalf of Empire Extreme, we thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with us, and personally this is a true honor.

DVF: “No Problem Bro”

Wolfman: anything that is illegal that is spoken of is highly hypothetical…..

All: hahahahahahahahaha…….

EE: Growing up in New Jersey what were your musical influences.

DVF: Ummm, well Alice Cooper, Bowie, Led Zeplin, Aerosmith, Deep Purple, then the Misfits,the Ramones, Sex Pistols you know shit like that.

EE: What was your first live concert

DVF: Queen

EE: what was that experience like?

DVF: it was great, Madison Square Garden. It was day at the races. Yeah I love Queen.

EE:so you have been in this industry since you were sixteen, you had guitar lessons from Jerry Only and Glen Danzig Himself what made you change from Roadie to center stage shredding?

DVF: Umm, I guess it was more fun.

EE: Was it the limelight?

DVF: LIMELIGHT! Hahahahaha, I still haven’t seen that, Where the fuck is that bro, hahahahaha It’s all the luxuries you know that we embellish, our yachts, our mansions our helicopters you know shit like that.

After the laughter died down we continued…….

EE: What was your first Guitar

DVF: 1955 Les Paul Junior not a junior but a special maybe, it was flat it doesn’t have like the arch top.

EE: So your sixteen and you just replaced Bobby Steele as the guitarist for the Misfits what was your first show like?

DVF: Umm I don’t Recall .

EE: So when your up on stage do you see a lot of old metalheads, mainly Misfits fans?

DVF: I see a demographic from five to sixty five.

EE: So your’e getting ready to head to the UK for the second half of this tour is there any particular Venue your’e looking forward to playing?

DVF: Anyone that aint in this country!

EE: being on the road has to be hard, and looking at you are in top physical condition, and your on a strict Vegan diet how does that affect  you while traveling?

DVF: It doesn’t affect me at all, I eat like crazy. We are always cooking food,and are sponsored by a company called Trifecta, every Friday they will deliver us a bunch of
Vegan meals in a box full of dry ice, and we have a happy cow ap, you want to go to a restaurant and bam your there.

EE: If you could give your younger self any advice what you tell yourself?

DVF:Umm, there is so much shit but then if I change all that shit then I wouldn’t learn anything, and I would have to learn it now and I don’t want to learn it!

EE: any regrets at all?

DVF: Naw Fuck it!!!

EE: Okay I am a big nerd and use this as my closer if you had to choose Star Wars OR Star Trek?

DVF: Star Trek the old episodes, the new Star Wars movies I didn’t like any of them.

So, there you have it, this was an honor for me as my first big sit down. I Hope I get another opportunity to see these guys play again. I mean shit who wouldn’t want to be serenaded by the Wolfman and Doyle Von Frankenstein. Thanks for taking the time to read about my adventure into the head of the Vegan Monster……….

Catch you all on the flipside

Klownz

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Anthony Bernardi

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