May 17, 2007 / 445 reads
Interview by Maul Stanley of http://www.maulstanley.com
Rikki Rockett, are you a Star Wars fan?
Absolutely! I am indeed a Star Wars fan. I've actually been a huge science-fiction and horror movie buff since I was a kid.
What are your memories of the first time seeing a Star Wars movie?
I went to see the very first Star Wars in Harrisburg, PA, where I grew up. My best friend and I went to see it together and we were in line for something like three and a half hours! It was just nuts. I kept thinking, "Do I really want to keep standing in this line?" But the minute that thing started, I knew that movies had just gone to a whole new level.
Do you have a favorite Star Wars character?
Probably C-3PO. I just loved that guy! He was always the coolest character to me and I was actually pretty obsessed with him for awhile. He and R2-D2 are the only characters to appear in all six movies, so that's cool too.
Do you have a favorite line, moment or scene from any of the Star Wars films?
It's actually been awhile since I've sat down and watched the complete trilogy. I'm kind of saving it because I overdosed on it for awhile, you know? It's so easy to do! But I've always enjoyed that scene where Han Solo and Princess Leia started butting heads on the Death Star. That's where the whole story starts to turn around, about 2/3rds of the way through the movie. The classic 3-act structure worked beautifully in that film.
How do you think the prequel Star Wars trilogy compares to the original?
I realize this is totally pathetic, but I actually haven't seen the new Star Wars trilogy yet. I know it's horrible to admit something like that, especially since I'm such a major fan! I really do want to see it, I just haven't gotten around to yet. I don't even know what I'm waiting for! In truth, I have been a little busy for the past few years. Poison has been back on tour nearly every summer since 1999, so that's killed a lot of my hobbies! But I am looking forward to seeing the prequels and adding them to my collection.
Do you see any similarities between what you do with Poison and what George Lucas did with Star Wars?
The thing that always impressed me about the Star Wars universe was that everything looked used and worn. George Lucas was the first to do that. He'd created this futuristic, space-age movie but everything in it was dirty! The vehicles were dirty, the clothes were dirty, everything was dirty. With Poison too, everything was dirty. Especially in the beginning! Even though we were considered a glam band, we had still a certain unclean quality about us. We'd earn $100 bucks for playing a country club, then go to a second-hand shop to put together new outfits. That's why we used to look like we got dressed in the dumpster of a lingerie store! I think we lost some of that as we went along and people started making our stage clothes for us, but Poison and Star Wars both started out with that same element of dirt.
I would also say that both George Lucas and Poison pushed the envelope in what we set out to accomplish. Poison did it by combining so many different styles of music into our own brand of rock & roll. We shoved 40 lbs. of shit into a 10 lb. bag! Pop, punk, glam, glitter... you name it, we borrowed from it. Lucas did something similar by taking elements of science-fiction, action adventure and cliffhanger serials and combining them with revolutionary special effects and classic storytelling techniques. Whether you're doing sci-fi or rock & roll, it still needs to come from an original place, a personal place. If you can do that, you'll have a winner on your hands.
Do you have any parting words for your fellow Star Wars fans, Rikki?
May the Force be with you!
