Maximise your reading pleasure and listen to The Fleshtones in action at La Locomotive back in 1987. Robert's bass is popping and The 'Tones are cooking in front of a crowd of fervent Parisian fans. [Real Audio - 34 minutes].

How did you join The Fleshtones?

What's your favorite memory of your years in the band? Your least favorite?

The first part is a hard one. The night we played at La Locomotive and Peter led the crowd into the streets of Pigalle and we climbed up in the trees, chanting the refrain to "Down The Track" all the way. But really - there are so many memories of driving into some tiny provincial European town, sound checking, maybe, then watching the faithful pour in, then hitting the stage and giving them the best show they've ever seen. I'm quite proud of that. It's no small thing.

As far as worst memories...I'd have to say either the tour of Italy that Peter did not show up for or the Decazeville incident, which was awful.

What musical qualities, positive and negative, do you feel the Fleshtones possess?

As far as my taste goes, and there's no accounting for taste, they are a great live band - one of the best, ever - with a dedication to style and delivery that is unequalled. Unfortunately, these qualities do not carry as much weight as they once did, apparently. I would be loathe to follow them on a stage. As Peter said on the liner notes to Vs. Reality, and I paraphrase, they "rescue and revivify the bones rummaged from the musical glue factory." Those may be my favorite liner notes ever. PZ is quite an under-rated writer/lyricist.

As far as negative goes, I can only say that my personal tastes run a bit broader than theirs and I have more interest in pop songs, folk music, Tin Pan Alley and the much-maligned singer-songwriter idiom. They are much less interested in that, which is actually one of their great strengths.

Why do you think the 'tones are not more popular?

I have no idea. I think it was Walter Brennan in "Meet John Doe" who said "The world's been shaved by a blind barber."

Which Super Rock recordings did you play on? (the two tracks on "vs Reality," "Teenage Zombie"...!). Do you appear on the two Kinks cuts on the '89 tribute album?

I am on "Whatever Makes You Happy" and "Way Down South" on Vs. Reality and "In My Eyes Your Dead" on Time Bomb. I'm also on every song on My Face Your Fist (Full Time Men) and Delegation Time (the 2nd Love Delegation release). That's it. I'm not on Teenage Zombie. That's Marek. I'm not on the Kinks tribute either.

Did you ever tour with the Full Time Men? There is a video of the 'Tones playing in Italy in '87 without, as you already mentioned, Peter.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know how I can get a copy of this!! I had no idea there was a video of any of that tour. This was the tour of Italy where Peter did not make it to the airport, for reasons that remain a mystery to me. We went anyway, hoping he would come join us. We went from town to town, not playing. It sucked. We were on a mini-tour with Elliot Murphy and the folksinger Phranc (!!) and we just kept waiting for Peter. Keith and I really wanted to play anyway. The fans were real disappointed and the promoters were losing out big time. Bill and Gordon needed a little convincing. Finally, we ended up in some town where we were sharing the bill with the Fuzztones, longtime arch-rivals of the Fleshtones. So we played and, if memory serves, it was great. Finally Peter showed up in Greece, where we shared a bill with The Hoodoo Gurus and Dream Syndicate. But that's another story...

The Full Time Men did one tour of France that was really awful. Very Spinal Tap-esque. Attendance wasn't great, distribution of the album "Your Face My Fist" was bad and that was when I started to want to do other things.

So what had happened to Zaremba to make him miss the Italian tour?

Honestly - I don't know. As far as personal issues, the Fleshtones were always very old school; not much heart-on-sleeve stuff. Actually quite refreshing in today's compulsively confessional age. At the time, though, I was really frustrated by the whole thing. None of the guys were interested in asking Peter what had happened, so everybody just let it go. We did a make-up show on a beach near Rome, and that was great. In the darkness, during the encore, Peter went deep into the ocean waves as we ended the show with the song "Endless Sleep" - about a guy who saves his girlfriend from drowning - "I saved my baby from the endless sleep..". Naked people running around. But that's another story..

Did you try to offer your own compositions to the band? If so, were you frustrated that the 'Tones did not record/play your songs?

"I Can't Do Without You" (on the setlist as "I Can't Live Without You") was my song. I changed the lyrics and the Full Time Men recorded it as "Can't Say No" for Your Face My Fist, but Keith cut it from the record, not telling me until the last minute. That also led to my departure. We performed another song I wrote called "Heavenbound Train" but it was never recorded. I came up with the fuzz bass riff for "Candy Ass" at a soundcheck and was surprised to see it become a full composition on Powerstance - with no credit given to me.

However, Your Face My Fist does include a terrific song you co-wrote with Keith called "Wreckin Ball". Would you care to talk about this one? Did the 'Tones ever perform it?

Thanks a lot. I like that song, too. That's my piano playing debut, too. I can't remember if the Fleshtones ever did that one - and occasionally the Full Time Men still perform around town and I wonder if they ever do it. I doubt it. Keith always had lots of ideas for great rock and roll songs and I've always liked writing lyrics for other people to sing. Perhaps I'll put it into my set. I can't sing it like Keith did though - what a powerhouse vocalist.

Did you have to push to get "Moment of Weakness" by Cryin' Out Loud on The Big Bang Theory compilation? It is different from the other material and runs counter-current - stadium power-pop à la Cheap Trick - to the Fleshtones' material.

Not at all. When that album was being compiled, Peter and Keith asked if I had anything on tape, and all I had was "Moment Of Weakness" and another song. I'd recorded them in '85 - before I met The Guys. The Full Time Men played that song, although it was considerably stripped down and less grand (in a good way) when they/we did it. More like an early Who song - less Cheap Trick. Keith was/is actually more into Big Rock than the other guys. When it comes to presenting a song, attitude and execution can really make a big difference. The Guys could be gloriously ragged. We did some goofy covers when I was in the band. We covered Cameo's "Word Up" and the a cover of REM's cover of the song "Superman"

What else did Go Van Gogh record?

Not much. Nothing on a label. Just some cassettes after I left the band. We recorded nothing when I was with them. Vic Varney - it was his band - still records and recently produced a fantastic CD on his own.

I have a set list from your time in the band; if you remember, who originally did "Iron Curtain" ?

Sadly, "Iron Curtain" I don't remember.

In my memory the late 80s Fleshtones shows were quite chaotic, a little rough at the seams; was this you feeling too, and why?

When I was with the band, we were at our best when we walked the thin line between chaos and tightness. Occasionally we lost control, but that's rock and roll, right? That's what makes them great.

What made Zaremba rip into you about Yoko Ono one night?

I have a vague memory of this. All The Guys hate Yoko and credit her with breaking up the Beatles and taking all the piss and vinegar out of Lennon. When Peter's ire was up, he could be pretty harsh. I remember several incidents where he ripped into me about various things. But I have no hard feelings. The Fleshtones are like a family with a code of honor, ethics and style. Sometimes I went against the grain, either by accident or design. Peter's passion for his opinions and his ability to reign supreme in an argument are legendary.

So what exactly happened at Decazeville, France when you toured with the Lyres in '87?

Pull up a chair. Essentially, Jamie Starr happened. He was our driver/soundman/tour manager. He was from Minneapolis and had supposedly worked with Prince, but he turned out to be a pathological liar. A strong personality, he and Peter immediately clashed and did not get along. Jamie did some good stuff - got us road cases and wireless transmitters, but once we got to France for our tour with the Lyres, he started trying to divide and conquer the band. Very manipulative. Playing band members off each other.

Gordon - who I love - was always a bit of a loose cannon and Jamie honed in on him and messed with his head. He also kept bad mouthing Peter to the press! He wanted to be the star, note his name. And he was jealous of Peter.

It all came to a head in Decazeville, where I seem to recall the audience was particularly rowdy and Jamie got into some altercations. He had a bad attitude with the promoters, who were small time and hadn't acquired a PA that met his specifications. He was making decisions for the band and saying we wouldn't play and he refused to let anything go. I can't remember some of the details, but we did finally play and Peter slammed a microphone stand into the mixing desk in front of Jamie, who was a big guy and claimed to be a Viet Nam vet. Then Jamie got all his equipment, put a very inebriated Gordon into the back of the van, and abandoned us in the middle of France. No Gordon. I don't know what happened to him...I can't recall if he headed back to NYC with Jamie or what.

We kept going. I recall some fans helping drive us around until we hired some French guys to take over.

Was that the end of Gordon's "official" days with the 'Tones?

No. He continued being a part of the group until after I left. He and I roomed together a lot and hung out a good bit. I was friendliest with him. Whenever he missed a show - once in a blue moon - I missed him dearly. He is a powerful presence. And he's incredibly, terrifyingly smart. All the Fleshtones are. I don't know what Gordon's up to these days. I know he had doctor's orders to change his lifestyle and that led to his leaving the band semi-permanently. Last time I saw him - a couple of years ago - he looked good.

Why did you leave the band?

I wanted to pursue being a songwriter in a different vein. Plus, I wasn't enjoying playing with The Guys anymore. We had personal differences as well as musical ones. It was a hard decision to make because there was so much about being a Fleshtone that I loved. And I'd learned a lot from them in the eighteen or so months I was with the band. But it was the right thing to do. No regrets.

Do you ever catch a Fleshtones show these days? Have you seen a Fleshtones show since you left the band?

I feel remiss that 11 years have passed and I haven't seen them onstage at all. I run into Peter and his wife and son occasionally. I keep planning on going to a show, but somehow I don't. I will, though. I have no ill will toward them.

How would you sum up those eighteen months you were a Fleshtone?

I learned a lot from The Guys. When I joined I was young and relatively ignorant of many things and they imparted to me valuable knowledge that has enriched my life immeasurably. They introduced me to Sonny Boy Williamson, Frank Sinatra Jr., The Stooges, Jack Lee, The Seeds, The Creation, early Yardbirds and Kinks, Lee Hazelwood, Humble Pie, The Faces, and countless other Super Rock Hall of Famers that I can't recall at this moment. Many of these avatars of soul were brought to my attention through extremely low fi equipment - a hand-held tape recorder in the back of a converted bread truck, our touring van on a couple of jaunts through France, or a shitty car stereo, or a walkman. But the music made its way to my bones and there it has remained. I can never repay that debt.

But they taught me about more than music. They shared their love of tab collars, three button jackets, pegged trousers, Chelsea boots, silk scarves, Mardi Gras beads, a well-cut suit and the value of a good haircut. I say all this with no archness. They taught me a great deal about the power of visual style. The irony is that at the time I sometimes rebelled against it. I was young and sometimes a little full of myself. As I've made my way in the world as a performer and a man, the lessons have come in handy.

Peter is a consummate frontman and it was an intense pleasure and privilege to share a stage with him. Gordon's presence was akin to tapping into some kind of dangerous and effective stimulant. I miss him a lot - we had some adventures! And Keith's passion and dedication to rock and roll are inspiring. Bill still amazes me as a drummer and a man. They called him the Cary Grant of rock and roll - and he still is. But he's not just an extraordinarily handsome man - his powerful, effortless musicianship are not to be underestimated.

I'm really glad they are still at it - delivering an endangered art form to a fervent audience and showing the kids how it's done. They are the Iron Men, the Masters, and I feel lucky to have served on the frontline of a cause that still needs converts and folks to keep the flame alive. I don't worry that the fire will die, though. Not as long as the Fleshtones are still alive and active and spreading the word.

What did you do after you left the 'Tones in '88?

I got married, went back to tending bar, and started concentrating on songwriting. I took a detour in the mid-90s when I got into acting and, as you know, ended up in London and the UK doing "Buddy" (Robert played the leading role in the mega successful Buddy Holly musical in the West End of London for a year - ed.). But I returned to music full force a few years ago and that remains the focus of my life. That and my son Jack. I am a stay-at- home dad these days. Best, and hardest, gig ever.

How did you come to play Buddy Holly in a West End theatre in London recently? What did you gain from the experience? Would you like to do more theatre work?

I heard they were having auditions in NYC, so I went and eventually made the cut. It was a fantastic experience - it really honed my abilities as a performer/frontperson. I sang 17 songs a night an average of four nights a week in a 3 hour play. For a year.

I wouldn't rule out any more acting in the future, but I am very focussed on my music these days and have no time for anything else.

Please tell us about your new CD "...to this day" which you have written, recorded and released yourself?

Here's my bio. You can get more bio info on my website, if you like at: http://www.robertwarren.com