Exclusive Interview with Eerie Von

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We’re stepping out of our usual realm of nerdery today to bring a special announcement and interview with Eerie Von of Danzig fame. See, Eerie Von was not only the bassist for Danzig, but he was also the photographer for The Misfits. Maybe you already knew that, but some of you probably didn’t. Just covering our bases.

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to document a band on tour. So, in short, Eerie Von’s book Misery Obscura is out today from Dark Horse and it contains images from his collection that span metal tours from the ‘80s to early ‘90s. Von will be in NYC on January 8th, 2010 to promote his book at Generation Records and he’s bringing along a few friends for an in-store acoustic performance. Lyle Preslar from Minor Threat and Mike D’Antonio from Killswitch Engage will be jamming with Eerie. If you’re into that sort of thing – and you probably should be – and want to get your copy autographed by Eerie then pre-order at Generation Records now.

(More on Time.com: The Top 10 Everything of 2009: Albums)

In conjunction with Dark Horse, Techland is running the first half of an interview with Eerie to whet your appetite. Dark Horse will run the rest of the interview later this month, so be sure to check back with them. Actually, we’ll tell you when it’s live.

For more info on Eerie and his book signing check out Dark Horse, Eerie’s blog or his MySpace page.

And now the interview and exclusive look at 9 pages from the book.

How long have you been taking photographs, and what made you want to become a photographer?

Started taking and developing photos at 13, around 1976-77.

Many of the earlier photographs in the book are in black and white, while later photos are in color.  Do you have a preference when shooting?

I prefer Black and White, plus I could develop the negs and print at home. Later on color just became easier, to shoot, cause I no longer had my own Darkroom set up.

Of all the bands you played with on tour (Minutemen, Metallica, Soundgarden, etc.) who was the best in your opinion and why?

We did the most shows with Metallica, but when you’re talking about Slayer, Soundgarden, White Zombie, Manson, Type O negative, Black Sabbath, you can’t go wrong. I enjoyed all of them, but would have to place Metallica, White Zombie, and Type O, as some of my favorites. Besides just being able to see these bands every day, we got to be friends too.

What was one of the biggest hurdles to overcome while touring and recording?

Getting videos played was always tough. Didn’t do too well on that front. Other than that we didn’t have to struggle much. If you came out to see us play, you went home a believer.

How did this project end up at a comic book publisher?

Just lucky I guess. Dark Horse is a great company, and the timing was right. A lot of people who work there are fans too, so they wanted to be involved.

Favorite camera?

Nikon.

Favorite record shop?

Bleeker Bobs NYC.

Favorite bass?

Fender Jazz.

What do you think of music culture today?

There’s always gonna be scenes. Local scenes, ones of particular genres, like Spook-a-billy, tied in with the pin-up thing, just tons and tons of underground ways of life. It’s awesome. Every night somewhere there’s some show going on.

Favorite album of all time?

November Coming Fire (Samhain), How the Gods Kill (Danzig), 12 Hits from Hell (Misfits).

More on Time.com:

TIME Cover Story: The Decade From Hell

The 50 Best Inventions of 2009

Tech Buyer’s Guide 2009