Boston Herald Interview with Nuno Bettencourt

[Mike]

The dish on Satellite: Rockers Bettencourt and Farrell bring their diverse pasts to the Party
By Jed Gottlieb
Monday, May 28, 2007

It used to be you were either metal or grunge, never both.

Now members of Stone Temple Pilots and Guns N’ Roses are happily cohabiting in Velvet Revolver. Goth Marilyn Manson and the thrash gods in Slayer are touring together. And, in maybe the most unexpected teaming, Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction and ex-Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt have formed Satellite Party - whose debut CD, “Ultra Payloaded,” hits stores tomorrow.

“Why do people think it’s so weird I’m working with Perry?” said Bettencourt, who grew up in Hudson and formed Extreme in Boston two decades ago. “When I listen to Jane’s, when I hear songs like ‘Mountain Song’ or ‘Stop!’ or ‘Jane Says,’ I don’t know, they sound like rock ’n’ roll to me. Jane’s and Extreme were both just rock bands.”

Bettencourt and Farrell met at a party hosted by Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who has been an Extreme fan since his days at Harvard in the mid-’80s (“That’s when he stole all my riffs,” joked Bettencourt). The reunited Jane’s Addiction had just fallen apart and Farrell was working on music for a new project. Moments after meeting Bettencourt at the keg, Farrell asked him to come over the next day and play on some tracks.

The sound Farrell was developing was far removed from Bettencourt’s Extreme days, but the guitarist dived into the project, turning Farrell’s ambient grooves into space rock with touches of metal, world music and alternative pop.

“I’m sure it’s not what he wanted it to be in the beginning, but that’s what was great,” added Bettencourt. “There was no plan. We just let it evolve and did whatever, and it forced me to do things that I wouldn’t do.”

A meeting of such different minds is a very L.A. thing, said Bettencourt, who now makes his home there. “People don’t discriminate out here,” he said. “No one thinks, ‘Oh, I can’t work with him because he’s pop or he’s alternative.’ People are really up for these eclectic combinations out here.”

Bettencourt should know - he’s pushing the eclectic envelope. Between making the Satellite Party record and touring it, he’s writing songs with Steve Perry of Journey.

“I’m now telling people I’ll only work with people named Perry,” said Bettencourt with a laugh. As two of the few guys in rock of Portuguese descent, they’ve been friends since Perry cold-called him rambling in Portuguese. “That’s the way it is out here. One day you’re working with Perry Farrell, the next you’re working with Steve Perry.”

jed.gott@yahoo.com

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNe ... id=1003396

[StickyFingers]

I like Nuno.

Humble and funny, like Pete D, people who are light years far from Dave stardome.

Respect.-