How was working with those two? You worked with them in the studio too.
JB: It was great. Even though Dio is the king of metal, he’s also a sweetheart. Meat Loaf is a force of nature, still, to this day. It felt pretty legendary when he came on the set, ’cause you know he hadn’t sang in a movie since…
KG: The Spice Girls movie.
JB: Rocky Horror Picture Show. I don’t think he sang in the Spice Girls movie, I never saw it.
KG: He played the bus driver.
JB: He swears that he didn’t sing since Rocky Horror.
Was there any pressure to censor yourselves as a result of School Of Rock and Nacho Libre attracting a young audience?
KG: That Jack stepped out of the family entertainment role that he was comfortable in and had to do a salty R-rated comedy? Is that what you’re asking?
Yes.
KG: No. That’s actually Jack’s real, normal mode of humor.
All the time?
JB: Yeah, we all knew that it was going to be rated R from the beginning, and New Line, if anything, was saying: ‘Let’s make it more R-y.’
KG: Even though there’s virtually no sex and no violins.
JB: (laughs) Kyle, I think you’re confused. Violins don’t make a movie rated R. It’s violence.
How’s the tour going so far?
KG: We’ve only had one show so far, but it’s been great.
Are you guys using a backing band or is it just The D?
JB: We have a full band this time. But we start off the show just me and KG. It’s kind of a high-concept show, in the spirit of Pink Floyd The Wall or ‘Mr. Roboto.’ We’re telling a story, we’re not just playing a bunch of songs.
It’s a full narrative.
JB: Yeah, we start off in Kyle’s apartment…
KG: What was the story of ‘Mr. Roboto?’
JB: The story of ‘Mr. Roboto,’ it was set in the future and rock and roll was illegal. Robots from Japan were enforcing the no rock-n-roll rule.
KG: Oh you mean like their economy cars? Who was Kilroy?
JB: Kilroy was the lead singer. He was the hero. A hero would rise.
KG: (laughs)
He was defying the mandate.
JB: To stop the Japanese robots.
KG: This is basically like that, only there’s two Kilroys. Two heroes will rise.
Are there robots?
JB: No, there are no robots trying to stop rock from happening. It’s a lot different. And it’s a lot funnier than Pink Floyd The Wall. It leaves it in the dust in the funny department.
Are there any balloons?
JB: There are no balloons, but we do recreate the landscape of Hell. In exact detail.
KG: (laughs) You’ve been there? How do you know what it looks like?
JB: We sent someone down, got some aerial photos.
Are you excited to play MSG?
JB: Hell yeah.
KG: It’ll be legendary.
Tenacious D will be appearing at Madison Square Garden in NYC on Friday, Dec. 1 with special guest Neil Hamburger. The Pick Of Destiny is in theatres now. Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny is available in discerning record stores everywhere. Visit tenaciousd.com for more.
