Takin' A Ride

When I got offered the chance to interview Wendy O Williams before the Plasmatics played at the Belly Up Tavern, I had to take it. Only I was terrified. I didn’t know what to expect and I was nervous as hell. Wendy O Williams was kind of scary to me.

I showed up early for soundcheck. I wasn’t 21 yet, but got into the soundcheck through the back door and talked with Wendy’s manager and partner, Rod. Knowing that Wendy didn’t drink, I asked it if it would be ok if I drank some whiskey during the interview to calm my nerves. He said it would be ok. We talked for a bit and he told me some stories about Gene Simmons of KISS. When I asked him what Wendy is like, he told me that Wendy was a “sweetheart”. I also saw Richie Stotts backstage. He said the same thing. “Wendy is a sweetheart”. This eased my nerves a little.

So we did the interview. Turns out Wendy really was a “sweetheart”. Started off a little rocky, but I ended up having a great conversation with her. She made me feel really comfortable. We had to stop the interview when Rod came in saying soundcheck was on. Wendy then cut several promos for me. She was on a roll and didn’t want to stop, but Rod said she had to get to work.

I ended up staying around backstage and eventually snuck into the Belly Up to see the show. Being a total idiot, I took full advantage of being able to drink at the bar and don’t remember the actual show itself. I do remember telling everyone backstage that I loved it and was blown away. I also remember riding home on the back of my roommate’s motorcycle, which was an incredibly stupid thing to do, especially considering that a friend of mine had died recently doing the exact same thing. I was also very hungover the next day. But I got the interview and some kick-ass promos. Hear it all below.