From the depths of the big hair buttrockin’ 80’s spewed litters of squealy voiced pop metal bands who were forced to compete with each other for record deals, radio play and promo money within the narrow parameters prescribed by the corporatized hollow suits who ran (and continue to run) the big record companies. The “more outrageous than thou” gross-out contest that ensued carries on to this day as washed up, hair-metal-spandex queens like Poison, Motley Crue and Quiet Riot engage in pathetic, retrospective one-upsmanship—arguing among themselves about who did the most blow, threw the best parties and bagged the most Hollywood sluts.

Enter former Jackyl frontman Jesse James Dupree, who with his new solo release Foot Fetish, on V2 records, brings to the picked over table a CD of screaming, industrial strength rock with fetish overtones. Having forever preserved his legacy in the Rock n’ Roll Shitkicker hall of fame (along with the late Wendy O. Williams of the Plasmatics) by employing a chainsaw as part of his big rock show concept, Dupree continues to direct his career from his Kennesaw, Georgia home (the only town in the country where it is unlawful not to own a firearm......no kidding). In conjunction with his tour, a nationwide “foot fetish” competition is underway, searching for the sexiest foot and the gnarliest foot in existence. The winners in each category will get a free round trip whirlwind vacation to the fetish club capitol of the world London, England, courtesy Virgin Airlines. [Photos should be sent to FOOT FETISH c/o V2 Records, 14 E. 4th st. NY.NY, or visit JJD‘s website at jessejamesdupree.com for contest info.]
In our interview, Dupree comes on with a backwoods drawl and the manic, straightforward vibe of a southern construction worker—who could be your best friend or your worst enemy. Displaying a Rock n’ Roll work ethic uncharacteristic of most 2nd generation LA wussy rock poseurs, Dupree continues to grind it out both on the road and in the studio. Put the angry white pussy boys Kid Rock, Fred Durst or Eminem with JJD in a cage match smackdown and my money goes on Jesse. With the post-grunge era wounded and quiet hipster art vibes falling out of favor, JJD and his ilk float to the surface as markers to a generation of disoriented doom meisters, trading in their fading black garments for a new wardrobe of denim, leather and Iron Maiden T shirts.


Exotic: Tell me how you got into rock n’ roll.
Jesse: It beats the hell out of pouring concrete and the women are better. I have poured the hell out of some concrete and I’m not above doing it again if I have to. It’s all good and you do what you gotta do and I rock as hard as I can either way.
Exotic: Why did you start using a chainsaw in live shows?
Jesse: There just isn’t a more definitive instrument for rock n’ roll than a chainsaw. It’s loud, it’s abrasive, it’s aggressive, it’s destructive. It’s stinky. It’s everything that rock n’ roll should be. Why everybody isn’t using one is my question.
Exotic: When you were in Jackyl, you did like 100 shows in 50 days and 21 shows in a 24 hour period. What was the deal there?
Jesse: We started at 7:30 in the morning and would play a 30 minute show, take a 15 minute break to do a meet-and-greet with the people. Change the audience out for another fifteen minutes and then play another show. We started at 7:30 in the morning and ended up at 7:30 the next morning.

“There just isn’t a more definitive instrument for rock n’ roll than a chainsaw. It’s loud, it’s abrasive, it’s aggressive, it’s destructive. It’s stinky. It’s everything that rock n’ roll should be. Why everybody isn’t using one is my question.” Jesse James Dupree

Exotic: Where the hell did you do that?
Jesse: In Abilene, Texas.
Exotic: What was the idea?
Jesse: We were doing 100 shows in 50 days and we had some political stuff that came up with radio. We were averaging 2 shows a day and when that happened it meant that we weren’t going to be able to get 100 shows in 50 days. We were doing 90% of the shows on a flatbed tractor trailer and at 7:30 in the morning we would be in Kansas City. That evening we would be in Topeka and the next morning be in Lincoln and the next evening be in Omaha. It was going to mess our average up and it looked like we were only going to be able to get like 70 shows and we thought we were screwed. Instead of giving up I called the Guinness people and they gave me parameters to do 21 shows in a 24 hour period and make that part of the 100 shows in 50 days.
Exotic: So what was the Guinness World record that you set?
Jesse: The most shows in a 24 hour period and the most shows in a 50 day period.
Exotic: Talk to me about Foot Fetish.
Jesse: I’m proud of it. It is what it is. It’s just a rock n’ roll record and it’s music to get booty by. I didn’t try to chase any trends and I didn’t try to be something I’m not.
Exotic: How did the foot fetish concept come about? Are you a foot fetishist yourself?
Jesse: I don’t have to have one shoved down my throat to enjoy an encounter. But if you look down and see that those things are all taken care of and everything is in order then you know everything else is good.
Exotic: Talk about the TV appearances you’ve had with the Foot Fetish tour.
Jesse: Well, Cynthia Garrett was cool on Later and she did a great interview. She wasn’t overly controlling and she was really cool. Then on Craig Kilbourn we were just the musical guest and I smashed up the drumset and stuff and that cost me $3500. They charged me for microphones, drums and everything.
Exotic: What is the deal with this foot competition?
Jesse: We’re looking for the prettiest pair of feet and the gnarliest pair of feet and it doesn’t have to be your feet. Whoever sends in the photograph is eligible to win the trip to London, England and there will be separate winners in each category. Of course, the photos of the pretty feet are not hard to check out but the gnarly feet are pretty brutal. There have been some crusty knobs sent in.
Exotic: Are you the final judge?
Jesse: Myself and the other guys in the band. I guess we’ll be the ones who end up making the final decisions, but so far it’s just hitting stride and I think it’s got a long way to go. I think when we start getting toward the end of it we are going to start to see some really crazy stuff. You can go to my website at jessejamesdupree.com for instructions on how to enter.
Exotic: Are you getting any radio off of this record at all?
Jesse: The first track was like a top 15 rock track. It went to number 11 or something like that on the R&R charts. The new single “Losing my mind” came out a couple weeks ago and a little over a dozen stations are already spinning it.
Exotic: What do you listen to?
Jesse: The new Fuel CD is really good. But I’m a big Who fan and I love Quadrophenia.
Exotic: What do you think of the state of rock n’ roll right now?
Jesse: Unfortunately I think it’s controlled by the wrong forces. It’s always been the same problem with record companies manipulating things. I think that there is going to be a huge backlash because of all of the N’Sync kind of stuff and everything. I just think that tension is going to build up and rock will explode again. Brian Johnson from ACDC told me that the reason kids were not playing good rock n’ roll anymore is because it’s all already been done by good guys before them. Pretty cool.
Exotic: So what is the future for Foot Fetish?
Jesse: We’re going to do some tour dates and just rock until the end of the year and see what happens.
Exotic: Are you going to do another solo record?
Jesse: I don’t know. Right now might be the time to do another Jackyl record.
Exotic: Do you have any outrageous war stories from the road that you can tell me?
Jesse: None that my wife couldn’t use against me in court.