Metal Maven
Starting in 2001, Vanessa Warwick had an official website with several interviews starting with the FAQ…
Whilst at MTV, you produced and presented Headbangers Ball entirely off your own back. Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?
I always prefer to work as part of a team! The whole process of television and film making is very creative and I value input from every person on the team.
If HBB or a similar show were to re-air, would like to present/produce it again?
My days at MTV were some of the best of my life - travelling the world, hanging out with bands, being backstage at big events etc. So, yes, if I was asked to present another rock show, I think I most definitely would!
Your work with Chrysalis takes you quite often into the mainstream. Could you see yourself presenting/producing a maintsream music show?
I believe in life that anything is possible! I have in fact already produced a mainstream music show. It was a major Latin pop music special called "Latino Loco" which aired on Channel 4 in December 1999 and featured Ricky Martin, Enqrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Carlos Santana etc. The skills for producing a heavy metal programme are no different from producing a mainstream pop programme ... and I always say that if I can interview Lemmy from Motorhead and Marilyn Manson, then I can interview anyone!
What was your all-time favourite interview for HBB and why?
That's really difficult to answer. I had so many great times. I particularly enjoyed working with bands like Korn, Machine Head, Deftones, Pearl Jam, and Sepultura before they became well known, as I knew they were something special and would be huge one day. I felt privileged to be introducing them to a new audience.
What was your favourite festival covered by HBB?
I don't think you can beat the excitement and energy of the famous Donington Monsters of Rock Festival. It was always such a great day out with an unbelievable atmosphere. I really miss that festival and hope that it will return one day.
What was your favourite HBB 'special edition'?
Once again, a tough question. I really enjoyed following Iron Maiden on the Monsters Of Rock South American tour. We visited Sao Paulo, Curitiba, and Rio and with Motorhead, Skid Row, and Helloween all travelling with Iron Maiden, you can imagine that it was pretty crazy and a lot of fun!
If you could interview any band/artist that are no longer together/alive, who would it be?
I would be interested to interview Jeff Buckley - a very talented young man and a great loss to the world. I would also love to interview Madonna and Debbie Harry, two of my favourite females who are still going strong. It was Debbie Harry who inspired me to bleach my hair at the age of 16 and I haven't looked back. Blondes definitely have more fun! As for Madonna, she is a role model for everyone and I would love to sit down and have a serious chat with her! We would cover every subject from hair colour to yoga.
What was your most embarrassing moment on HBB?
Probably at Donington Monsters of Rock. One year, I decided to wear some black leather trousers of Ricky's for the show, but found on the day that they didn't fit! So I had to wear some red PVC trousers with a red leather jacket and a red headscarf and it was all a bit much really ... but it was all I had with me.
Do you have any rock legends on your Christmas card list?
I get a Christmas card from Ozzy Osbourne every year ... and Korn came round to my house once, which was a bit scary!
Do you still DJ at rock clubs?
I do the odd bit of DJ'ing here and there. I DJ'd at Bret Michael's party for his film premiere in London.
What is your ideal night out?
Some great music, great company, and a bottle of Jack Daniels!
What is your ideal night in?
A hot bubble bath and a good book!
When was your last hangover?
I went to the Bulldog Bash Biker Festival a couple of weekends ago, and, as it was my birthday, I celebrated with champagne and rather a lot of vodka. Plus I slept in my car … so I had a serious hangover that weekend.
When did you last laugh so much it hurt?
I had a great time in Germany on a video shoot for Jim Capaldi. The crew stayed in a little motel we nicknamed "Bates Motel" and I stayed up all night with the crew, after the shoot had finished, drinking and playing Gloria Estefan records, as that was all they had in the hotel. I also had a right laugh at the Hard Rock Cafe 30th Anniversary party where I got in a cake fight and Britt Ekland tried to cut my hair off with a knife!
Who is the funniest person you know?
Dimebag from Pantera.
What is your idea of 'hell'?
Stuck in a traffic jam or stuck on a crowded tube train.
What is your most treasured possession?
Probably my car - a Mitsubishi FTO - black, sleek, and very fast!
What is your most treasured item of clothing?
I don't really have a treasured item of clothing but I love anything by Betsey Johnson. I also love my Diesel jeans!
What was your biggest fashion disaster of the 90s?
The red outfit I wore to Donington. Plus I look back at my hair and think "Crikey!" I think I look much better now!
If you could be based anywhere in the world but London, where would it be?
I absolutely love Miami...so I might move there if the right situation came up.
There was a Swedish metal site that referred to itself as an e-zine. Long defunct, Metal Shrine posted an interview that they conducted with Vanessa Warwick in December 2001. Enjoy…
What are you up to right now?
I am currently Head of Music Programmes at Chrysalis Television, the U.K.'s biggest independent production company. I direct concerts, documentaries, and music videos and I have worked with such artists as Motorhead, Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Craig David, Toploader, David Gray, Kylie Minogue, Slipknot, Outkast, Pink, and Emma Bunton to name but a few! You may have seen some of my videos - Motorhead’s "God Save The Queen", Doro’s "White Wedding", Blackmore's Night "Times They are A Changing".
What was your favourite interview for Headbangers Ball and why?
It's very hard to pick a favourite interview of all time for HBB - I enjoyed them all !! I always had a lot of fun with bands like Pantera, Korn, Machine Head, and Deftones as they had a great sense of humour and, as I hung out with them alot, I got to know them better so the interviews were more relaxed.
What band has been the most fun to tour with? And worst?
Machine Head were one of the most fun bands to tour with as we had a lot of laughs on the bus at night playing silly games. When Machine Head played London just before Christmas, I had a great night out afterwards with Robb and Adam as we visited several dodgy rock clubs and drank rather too much alcohol! Motorhead are also a lot of fun, but I can't keep up with their alcohol consumption!
During the Headbangers Ball era, was there any band that was acting so bad that you were thinking of not showing the interview?
The only interview I can remember that I thought was so bad was one with Zodiac Mindwarp because they just kept talking about drugs and not about music. It wasn't cool.
Were there any rockstar who you interviewed that turned out to be a drag?
Some rock stars have surprised me how different they are in person to what they seem like on stage, but, at the end of the day they are people, just like you and me. Lemmy can be a bit scary, but I respect him because he says exactly what he thinks and he won't tolerate any bullsh!t.
Was there anyone, during interview, who made a pass at you or were they all too scared of Ricky?
Ha! Ha!
Do you still have personal contact with anyone of the stars you interviewed?
Yes, I am still in touch with various members of Motorhead, The Cult, Machine Head, Def Leppard, Poison, Rammstein, Terrorvision, and quite a few more. Email is great for this! I am also good friends with Dregen and Nicke from Backyard Babies and went to the Kerrang! Awards with them last year!
What have you done since you left MTV?
Same answer as question 1. Plus I have done a lot of travelling to places like Jordan, Dubai, Mexico, and the Caribbean. I have also visited Panama, Costa Rica, Columbia and Peurto Rico. I particularly love Miami and Las Vegas and have been there several times for work and holiday.
In your opinion, which rockband from Sweden is the best?
Clawfinger and Backyard Babies.
Which rockband from Great Britain is sadly forgotten in rock history?
The Almighty.
Is Tyla the best poet since Charles Bukowski?
Eh?
How did you meet Ricky Warwick and was it love at first sight?
I met Ricky outside the Marquee in London at a Johnny Thunders gig, and yes, it was love at first sight. We got married six months later!
You used to DJ a lot, do you still do that?
I am always up for Dj-ing although I am often too busy to do much. I DJ'd at the after party for Bret Michael's film premiere in London for example, and I also do an occasional show on TotalRock Radio.
You used to play bass yourself. If you could pick any band member for “your band”, who would feature in your ultimate supergroup line-up?
My ultimate supergroup would be Debbie Harry from Blondie on vocals, Joey from Slipknot on drums, Munkey from Korn on guitar, Madonna on backing vocals, and Roger Sanchez on the turntables.
Tell us something nobody knows but only because they haven’t asked you yet. Something you've always wondered why interviewers never ask.
No one knows I have a degree in Medical Physics and Electronics; and before I got into TV I worked as a technician in a hospital!!