Chuck Shute Podcast

Tripp Eisen (formerly of Dope, Muderdolls & Static-X)

November 21, 2022 Tripp Eisen Season 4 Episode 298
Chuck Shute Podcast
Tripp Eisen (formerly of Dope, Muderdolls & Static-X)
Show Notes Transcript

Tripp Eisen is a guitarist & songwriter, formerly with the bands Static-X, Dope & Murderdolls. He is currently with Teeze/Roughhouse, Face Without Fear, and his new band, Project-X that will do Static-X material. He is very open in this interview about his legal issues, his feelings towards his ex-bandmates, his current musical projects and more. 

0:00:00 - Intro
0:00:43 - Tripp's Background
0:02:25 -Joining Teeze/Roughhouse
0:04:31 - Producer Max Norman
0:05:20 - Popularity of Roughhouse
0:07:10 - Bands in the 90s
0:08:10 - Audition with Marilyn Manson
0:10:40 - Mistakes w/ Roughhouse & Musical Styles
0:12:35 - Stuffed Doll & Trent Reznor
0:14:10 - Halloween & Manson Show
0:16:15 - Dope Formation & Gap Between Bands
0:18:35 - Dope Launch & Touring, & Broken Foot
0:23:16 - Joining Static-X & Murderdolls &  Leaving Dope
0:31:05 - Static-X, Touring, Girls Backstage & Rockstar Life
0:32:35 - Irresponsible Behavior, Arrest & Remorse
0:40:12 - Prison Experience
0:44:10 - Learning Experience & Preventing Mistakes
0:47:27 - Working Through Guilt & Moving Past Incident 
0:51:10 - Hiatus from Music & Keeping Low Profile
0:54:35 - Rebuilding & Offers to Rejoin Dope & Static-X
0:59:30 - Songwriting Disputes with Static-X
1:05:14 - Tripp's Version of Static-X Called Project-X
1:13:30 - Inspiring Other Musicians & Drugs & Alcohol
1:15:18 - Rock To Recovery
1:16:40 - Website, Social Media & Podcast
1:19:15 - Outro

Face Without Fear Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/facewithoutfear/

Rock to Recovery website:
https://rocktorecovery.org/

Chuck Shute website:
http://chuckshute.com/

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Thanks for Listening & Shute for the Moon!

Chuck Shute:

All right, my guest today is guitars trip Eisen, he was a member of static X, dope and murderdolls. If you know the story at all, you know that he had some legal troubles and that ended his career for a while. And he's very open and candid about that we're gonna discuss it in depth. Does he feel guilt? Does he deserve a second chance? I'll let you decide that plus he's going to tell us about the new projects he's working on including a new static X style band and a podcast about his time and dope and static X all this and more coming right up so yeah, so what I kind of want to do is just kind of tell your whole story because I think there's it's an interesting story and there's a lot of gaps that I don't know about you. I feel like I've learned a lot but I still Still I want to fill in the gaps. So if we could just start at the beginning I don't even know your I know a little bit about your background. You're from Pennsylvania. Are you from Lansdale? Is that the name?

Tripp Eisen:

No, no, I'm from a small town in argil. Okay, the small town in Pennsylvania I grew up in Slate belt.

Chuck Shute:

So what was your family upbringing? Like your brothers and sisters? Like what kind of were you the good kid? The bad kid? The band dork? Like what kind of kid were you?

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah, it was the band door. Me and my brother were both in you know, band, you know, like marching band concert band. You know, that was music from like, day one almost, you know, piano lessons and music and ban trumpet I played trumpet in marching band. So definitely musical background and I picked up guitar because a kiss and everything. So picked up guitar at age 13. So

Chuck Shute:

So 13 That's about the usually about the age of kids get into more like rock stuff rather than the classical and the boring music as I would call when I was a kid. Yeah. Yeah. So it was like kiss the main thing influence. I mean, I feel like that's a big one for a lot of people.

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah, kiss was big. I actually heard Alice Cooper School's out. And that was like, something that that was the first like metal guitar thing I heard on pop radio, like Darren and I like Wow, what's that? And I was like, wow, school's out. I was into that song, but didn't motivate me to play guitar kisses. What motivated me to play guitar and then everything, you know.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, so then you join the band. Tease. Was that your first band that you had been in? Are you had you been in other bands before that?

Tripp Eisen:

Oh, yeah. And since junior high, you know, playing concerts. I was on stage at age 15 playing concerts playing so I had Ted Nugent on recently right? Yeah. I ever did. Like live concert I did a couple you know, band things like with my rock band for like, you know, school performances but the first like real public live performance. We came out and I opened with great white buffalo just has like a little intro we didn't play the whole song but just like an intro was like So Ted Nugent kind of like sprung my rock'n'roll career out but but then we're playing kiss rush like cheap trick Ramones. A lot of cool covers. But T's came along when I was like 20 years old.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, so now Yeah, cuz they they start you join them in 86. Right. So

Tripp Eisen:

yeah, for like the band. I was going to see when I was a teenager I idolized them. They were like the local rock gods. They were like Motley Crue meets Twisted Sister. Shock rock, fire blood. And freak ins. The crazy stage show rags. Did you did you see pictures of them?

Chuck Shute:

i Yeah, I've seen the music video. I think what the era that I saw was more when it was like roughhouse. And it was they changed the name obviously. And it was kind of more glam rock. I didn't see the blood and the shock rock parts.

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah, the early when I went to see him they were like the shock rock. I joined them. We were still carrying over there was the poison Cinderella era, it was still but then, you know, slowly, because of Bon Jovi and guns, roses, gloves, and cowboy boots, and, you know, not as much makeup and I was more into the shock where I was in a wasp, Twisted Sister kiss, I was more into the crazy shot rock stuff. So when roughhouse change when they evolved, you know, it was still fun. I played it with rock and roll, you know, kind of metal some of the rich so it was fun.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, and then you guys got a record deal and your debut was actually produced by Max Norman told me about working with him because he produced all the Ozzy records and Megadeth and also dangerous toys which I'm a fan

Tripp Eisen:

of. Yeah, dangerous toys. He did armored saint. I think he did. Death Angel, another band from back then some really good metal bands. But yeah, it was great working with him. He was like, his British sense of humor. And every it was just great. You know, he taught us all Got the album wasn't quite as heavy as what we were hoping for, you know, he did dirty looks rough, you know, dirty. Yeah. Yeah that he did. So we wanted a harder edge like that. But, you know, he was he thought we would do better, you know, being a little bit more commercial. So it was an experiment.

Chuck Shute:

So what happened with that band? What was the peak of that? Like? Did you guys do any big tours with any bands? Are you just open mostly for when big bands would come locally?

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah, we played. We played our own tour we toured. And then we open up for a few national acts like we opened up for Eddie money at some arenas, and we opened up we replaced vixen on a tour. And then we did our own touring, you know, so but roughhouse. Previously, t's had their own following when I joined the band. When I was 2021 years old. It was like instant rock star. I was like playing and there was people lined up around the block. Already. They were already selling out because they made a name for themselves with a release. They put out a teaser album. I mean, you know, I was there. I was one of those kids waiting in line, you know? And then I got to join the band. It was like a dream come true. It was amazing.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, and then you ever made that music video tonight, which I think is kind of a catchy song. Guilty pleasure. I guess I liked it. Did they play on MTV?

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah, yeah, it was on MTV. It made they had something called the top. Whatever countdown at the time, and we got on the top countdown a couple of times. The debut of that video. Zakk Wylde and Ozzy we're hosting headbangers ball. Oh, that's cool. And then, but Adam. Adam Curry was one of the DJs that they viewed it to I think he did a little new segment about us. But I mean, we were in all the magazines Hit Parader. So it was like, my first go round. It was like, it was pretty crazy. We got on the cover of one magazine called rock scene. So it was a little taste of success. It was cool.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, no, I mean, you must have felt like a big rock star like you had made it. So then what happened with that band? I know the scene changed. But I think the band ended before that happened. Right?

Tripp Eisen:

It know, the scene was CIA was changing. I mean, I left the band in December of 89. So it was like, the end of the 80s. So it was kind of like, let's start the new decade was something different. I end up playing in different metal, you know, glam metal bands, you know, in the early 90s and stuff. So

Chuck Shute:

it was that way. And you did a couple projects with Dave weakly who was the singer in rough house, right. The right. You go.

Tripp Eisen:

He was the bass player. Yeah, he started bass player. Yeah, he became a really good friend. I had a lot of chemistry with Dave. So I invited him to play in the right van called the right. And that is a band I started with the drummer from dope drummer ended up playing in dope. So that's when like 9293 I started working with Preston Nash, the weekly played with me in that project and ego was more of a what I was ended up playing like industrial metal but, but rewind a little bit. I got the audition for Marilyn Manson in 96. So man, add in the Village Voice. I answered the guitar player one it was right after their second album, which is an EP you know, right before Antichrist superstar so they I flew down to to New Orleans and audition at Trent Reznor studio. It's pretty cool.

Chuck Shute:

Wow, how many people were going up against at that point?

Tripp Eisen:

There were 20 people chosen out of 400

Chuck Shute:

Okay, so you made down the final 20. And then was that when was John five in it, then? Oh, I'm

Tripp Eisen:

trying to oh, well, Zim zone was one of those 20 people. Okay. And he was he's the guitar player that was on Antichrist superstar. So, so yeah, so Zims um, and I wrote in the cab together to the audition was his real name is Michael so I wrote with Zims on and after the audition. It was it was a moment in time because it's like the audition was like you perform at Trent Reznor studio recording studio and they put on big speakers on over the PA their album, and you play four or five, six songs and you plug into a martial and you just play into their album and they sit on the couch watch you so you got to perform like a monkey and Madsen, Twiggy Pogo Trent Reznor and their manager result there was pretty a lot of pressure

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, so and that's before Manson was a big star obviously but Trent Reznor, he was pretty famous. So you knew this was going to be a pretty big project.

Tripp Eisen:

No, I mean, Manson was already infamous after the first two releases he put out he was already Oh, okay,

Chuck Shute:

this was after that. Okay, gotcha, gotcha. Yeah. Yeah, his first one was like 93 or 94. Right?

Tripp Eisen:

Right. 9495 was sweet dreams and And then I auditioned and 96 Right before antichrist. So the audition went so good, I felt so confident. And they said, hang around. And then they said, you're still in the running. And I went on and they said, they chose somebody. But hang on, you're still in the running. And we might call on you if something doesn't work out. So I was in touch with the manager, Tony cebolla, for a little while, I used to get into all the Manson shows is pretty cool.

Chuck Shute:

Just didn't didn't work out. So when you look back, though, like a rough house, and you left that band, I mean, that's a pretty big gap. For when you audition to Manson, like during that time, like what did you look back on roughhouse? That you learn from like mistakes that you may go, oh, I never if I ever get another band, I'm not doing this again.

Tripp Eisen:

Well, I, I, I would have not quit the band, I would have stuck it out a little longer, because I felt like wet and they were still playing the big crowds and why am I quitting? Because I was like, Oh, I didn't like the style, they were changing their style. It was getting to bluesy and to I don't know. So that's another reason it was musical differences, but and then they lost the record deal too. You know, it's like it just didn't work out was like a one shot thing. But I just learned that you know, you got to like change with the times a little bit more. You got to experiment a little bit more, you know, so I was big into Jane's Addiction at the time. So when Mansa came out, Jane's Addiction was like cutting edge, Red Hot Chili Peppers. I was like listening to some different things and I was always into thrash I loved Metallica, overkill, man of war Slayer. You know, all that stuff was playing into my development to like all my guys ruffles were always like, why are you playing with this clan band? You're into thrash metal? I'm like, No, I like both. I like both thrash and glam. I like Motley Crue and I like Slayer. And that's why I hit always Joey Jordison because Joey Jordison was like, Dude, I'm in the Slayer and I'm into Motley Crue. I'm into glam and I'm into thrash and like, there's this now. It's not as unique to be more diverse, but things weren't as diverse. You take it for granted now. Things were quite as good. Back then. Like it's like, Oh, are you a Thrasher? You know, you go to concerts back then it was be like, Oh, they're skinheads here at this hardcore show. They might want to beat up the long hairs. I mean, things were tense back and back in those days. Yeah, people are more open minded now.

Chuck Shute:

Right. So so for those eight years from 89 to 97, before you start form dope, you're just seeing like a bunch of different bands. Are you doing like day jobs and stuff too, or?

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah, so yeah, definitely. But that Manson audition was pivotal, though I didn't make it. In fact, in the running I was in the top five and the fact that I had an interaction with Manson and it's funny Trent Reznor. It was his you know, it was a funeral home turned into a studio it's it's amazing thing in New Orleans. And I had this little doll I should have brought it hey, this little doll it was like it looked like Chucky but it was this little stuffed doll about this big and it was like a good luck charm. I love this like this creepy doll is like, and Trent Reznor his dogs went into my bag where I had it and he pulled it down, they ripped it apart. They were stuffing everywhere. And Trent Reznor came over to me said, Oh, I'm so sorry, was that all precious to you? I'm so sorry. I'll pay for and he was apologizing to me. He had like two Rottweilers just some and I was like, that's where I gathered the stuffing, and I put it all together. I think this is like Sra. wasn't worth 50 cents in the thrift store. Yeah. So at that point, I used to joke around and bring it with me places put up on my app. So it was sentimental but the girlfriend my next girlfriend I had throughout all the dope and static X days she's took this doll she sewed it carefully sewed it back together for me. So I still have it. She sewed it back. So it's the Trent Reznor dog tragedy. That like real Chucky

Chuck Shute:

where it's like he's all sewn back together. Like

Tripp Eisen:

it was just so quick. I almost have like human type hair. I called it Billy it was my Billy doll. So it was kind of a little Junior Chucky but yeah, it was. But it was neat. You know, like an Manson Halloween of that year. Halloween of 96 I got to go to the show because called it the manager got on the list who was his Halloween show where Manson was going to commit suicide. I was like the rumor Manson's gonna commit suicide on stage on Halloween 96 Antichrist superstar. That was it was a thing. I guess.

Chuck Shute:

I didn't even know if I don't remember that. That's crazy. It was yeah, it was a thing before what did he do? I mean, he obviously didn't really do it but he did like a fake suicide or something or

Tripp Eisen:

I don't know. I don't know if he just started the rumor just to get some publicity. Who knows what I would maybe someone else started the rumor like Gene Simmons drinks cow's blood or Angus Young vomits on stage. You know, there's different rumors, but um, we went to the show so after the show, I'm hanging out and I wanted to say hello to man. So but he was busy doing interviews, I was hanging out with the rest of the band and Twiggy and all these guys and joking around with them. And I had Twiggy autograph my ass I got a picture that I'm gonna post. So later that night, I had given Twiggy a VHS tape, because I was like, I want you guys to remember me. So I did all this outrageous stuff that I can't even mention on this VHS tape. I filmed me doing all kinds of crazy stuff. And I gave it to Twiggy with a little note and then he as I was getting home from the concert, me and my buddy walked in and we had those old answering machines were like, leaving a message on a cassette right. As I'm walking in the door, Manson's leaving a voicemail for me, say, Hey, we got your tape here. We're watching it on the bus. And I pick up the phone and I'm talking to Manson. I don't know if I still have this on the cassette. And he's like, wow, you we love this. Man. Maybe we picked the wrong guy. And he's like, kind of busting symptoms balls on the bus. Yeah. Wow. Now watching this video, maybe we pick the wrong guy for the bad. Yeah. And he was just busting balls, but it was pretty funny. Wow, that's really cool. So

Chuck Shute:

then how did that did that have anything to do with you forming dope with epsilon Simon?

Tripp Eisen:

Not really just okay. funny coincidence that Edsel was friends with a couple guys in Manson ginger fish and Daisy. He was friends with these guys. He lived in Florida. Roommates with ginger something. So when he found out you got a guy like me who auditioned for Manson. And you know, I have this background. And I love Manson and dope is kind of a Manson you know, family oriented derivative type of band like similar elements. So I loved it, you know, the industrial metal. I was already doing that with ego. So it just was a natural progression. It wasn't a stretch, you know, to do dope. So it was a lot of fun. But yeah, it led it was like it seems like a long time like 89 to 96 When our district romance and late night when I started ego. So it was like it's just kind of I was writing songs. I remember some of the songs I was writing on the plane ride back from New Orleans. I was writing the songs, lyrics that ended up being on some static X albums later. Like some of the lyrics I wrote on that plane ride back from New Orleans and up on a static XL.

Chuck Shute:

I'm just surprised that you didn't give up. Because you're thinking like you're you had it in rough house, you'd like your rock star. You made it but then it took like seven years like a lot of people in those seven years, might give up might start a family might get a different job or something and just given up on this rock star stuff, but you you just did you always like see have your sights set on continuing to be successful musician? Oh, yeah,

Tripp Eisen:

of course, always, always, never gave up on it. It seemed pretty. I mean, even right now I 10 years, I didn't play a play on stage. And I played on stage probably in 2016. So like, there's, there's periods of time that you know, it happens. And you just keep going. You know the story about Mark Twain, there's some people who reached their Zenith later in life, you know, so why can't you have different areas of your life and you progress, you learn? And yeah, it was it was to me it was I was younger was a darker time like, Oh, I was depressed. Am I ever going to do this again? And I just never stopped the Manson audition and meeting at Salt and sec. Everything plays together wainstein, always everything happens for a reason. I don't know if you truly believe that. But you know, it's it's a nice set that things happen for a reason. Well, look, preparation and believing in yourself and not giving up. You know?

Chuck Shute:

Yeah. So then you you form this band dope. And it's like your back basically, you guys put out this album. And then I mean, you toured with Slipknot stained Coal Chamber Fear Factory seven days. I mean, basically all the big bands of the 90s, early 2000s. Talk about what that was like to come back. That must have been funny like finally.

Tripp Eisen:

Well, it was a 98 was the club days for dope when we were showcasing an idea when we formed the band. And it was Edsel's vision. He had a couple guys, and I brought in Preston Nash on drums, and then the record deal happen and I was really impressed. And we're like the guy that the guitar player was just not cutting it. So my buddy AC Slade. I was like, gotta get AC in the band. No AC opened up for one of our shows. After the record deal. We did another show in New York and ACS band open up and like we gotta get easy. So we fought long and hard to get them in the band and months of bickering and debating and cajoling. Finally, AC becomes the bass player. And I was the bass player, but I convinced that soldier like let me play guitar and move AC into bass and be a better mix. So the results speak for themselves, right? Yeah, right. I mean the first tour we did the monumental first tour, which was only two weeks but it was so impressionable was all He, we opened up for orgy. And we were living in an RV. I mean, some bands go for years in RV. We spent a few months in an RV, but those few months were, you know, our hard times. My brother before

Chuck Shute:

you were signed or after you had been signed, is this is the tours,

Tripp Eisen:

we're signed. We're going on tour record company got us a tour. So this is 99. A couple months before the album released, you start touring pre album coming out. So we get going, and we're on tour on the orgy tour, and I'm playing in Minneapolis. I can't remember the name of the club, but it was princes club, a club that prints bill. And I'm always wanting to interact with the crowd. So I put my foot between the monitors, I put my foot out in the barricade. Then I go back and my foot gets caught in the monitor I go backwards and break my foot on stage. And I feel something crashing around in my booth and like this doesn't feel right. I ended up in the emergency room after the show that I started going to panic attack all my first tour I blow I'm blowing it Oh, I'm gonna have to wear a cast. My gonna have to go home. Well, luckily, just just a boot just had to put a boot on. So there's me. There's video of me playing with his boot on and I'm still jumping. I'm still jumping and just landing on my good foot. I can't sacrifice the show. We got to keep performing. And so it was like, Dude, you're struggling. You're not supposed to jump. You gotta heal.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, that was kind of part of your shtick early on was like the stage stuff like you jumped around ran and did lots of crazy stuff, right?

Tripp Eisen:

Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. It was pushing the limits to everything performing. And you know, bands like kiss Van Halen that never stop on stage as constant. You know, it's this show. It's not You're not going to just stand on a stand there and play, you know, it's like energy, energy. And there's been other people there's, there's certain key members and certain bands that inspired me, you know, obviously, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Angus, young prince, David Lee Roth, all of Van Halen, you know, just like there's certain performers that just step it up. And so, I'm on crutches now. The orgy tour is winding down, we're going over to the Fear Factory Tour on crutches, walking on crutches, and I got its boot on. So we get down to Orlando, Florida after like a 22 hour RV ride. My girlfriend flies down. But I'm like, air conditioning broke. So like we're taking this ride from Iowa to like Florida or something. And I'm up in the crow's nest in an RV. If you know what that's like sweating and like my foots. And we get to Florida and we're doing the first show is Fear Factory and static x. So we're backstage it was good to meet everybody at the House of Blues. I think Orlando and then Wayne and Ken Tony, like the guys from static actually meet me for the first time like, Hey, my name is Tripp. And I'm on crutches like Whoa, is that your nickname? Because you're always falling or something? It was just a funny moment. Because remember, like, Oh, your name is? Is that a joke? Your name's Tripp. And you're on crutches.

Chuck Shute:

I wouldn't even put that together. So that's, that's where you guys met? All the static X people is on the tour. So then when their guitarist leaves you You Are you the one that reached out to them to audition or they call you?

Tripp Eisen:

Well, the connection was made already. When you're on tour, you meet people. Yeah. Sometimes you connect. Sometimes you make a connection, and you remain friends. Sometimes you just tore buddies, like everybody's talking buddies. Pictures, but me and Wayne made a connection, which exchanged numbers. He's calling me, you know, we stayed in touch. So it was more than just touring. Like for some reason. We had a connection. We ended up with the phone. payphone all the time. At the same time. We're like on tour. He's getting to the payphone. I'm getting to the payphone at the same time to call her girlfriends. Now, that was a weird erasure of, well, why would you be using a payphone if you have a cell phone because we had cell phones out on tour. But at that time, you had a little code you put in the payphone is cheaper than calling from your cell phone. So you'd like alright, I'm going to call you from the payphone. And, oh, you're at the payphone already. Or let me know when you're done trip. Like we both end up at the payphones at the clubs at the same time. So we were, we had this connection and then like we start talking, he's into kiss and rush, I'm into kissing rush, the two bands that we grew up on and, you know, he's similar personality, we're like low key kind of and, you know, certain certain things that we connected on. So I exchanged numbers. I didn't exchange numbers with a lot of people, you know, but he's the one and so when their guitar player left I don't remember who reached out I don't even remember who reached out to who you They put word out or, but I already had Wayne's numbers. I just called them up. I said, Hey, I heard I heard Kouichi left, so maybe he didn't want to call me and steal me from dope. So maybe me calling him saying, Hey, dude, I'm at a dope. I'm free. I'm a free agent.

Chuck Shute:

So did you quit before you join static X?

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah, it's weird. Like Kouichi leaving steady X me leaving dope almost happened simultaneously is weird, right?

Chuck Shute:

Oh, I thought you left static x. Because you got that job. And then you quit dope. So you quit dope without a job lined up?

Tripp Eisen:

I didn't quit. I was fired.

Chuck Shute:

Oh, okay. I didn't want to fall off. I knew that. What was that for?

Tripp Eisen:

Personality, creative differences sort of thing. But it's not like the way Edsel tells us like, Oh, you were fired? Not so much. I was fired. And then he took me out to dinner a beautiful candlelit dinner. And he's like, listen, let's try to work something out here. So he wanted me to come back in the band. And I just, you know, we were talking about I said, Well, this I needed more of a piece of the action because I was like, you know, it was in the forming time of dope, and it wasn't like you're hired gun. You know, when we did dope. It wasn't like you're a hired gun is my band. It was like, Yes, his bands, his vision. But we're all in this together. We're all fighting hard. We're all getting street team together. We're all working hard putting gear in our cars and moving things around and promoting the shows and his and my girlfriend always went out flyering shows going to the Rob Zombie show, the ministry show the Nine Inch Nails show the Manson show handing out flyers or girl girls dressed up, sexy handing out when it comes to dope. Come see dope. So like, our girls are working together on this and, you know, so like, when I get fired? It's it's a long story. I mean, it's not it was a little bit because I was playing with Joey Jordison there was a little bit of jealousy going on. So I was playing with Joey Jordison in the region.

Chuck Shute:

That was the overlap was murdered dolls was in between,

Tripp Eisen:

right? Yeah. So I I, once again, I connected with Joey Jordison. We hit it off and he offers me he's like, dude, I'm, I'm doing a side project. You're awesome. I want you to play with me. I want you to play in my band. By my side project, which is a band The rejects that predates Slipknot, or was a contemporary with slipknot. From what he told me back then, the rejects were bigger and Des Moines, Iowa and the slipknot was my project that they all had from other bands. They were all playing. Wow, okay. Like we're so it's like, I don't know, the whole Des Moines Iowa scene, but apparently the rejects. So Cory Taylor, Paul Gray, different peoples of Slipknot, we're in the rejects at one point or another. So when I joined the rejects, Corey Taylor saw me once he said, Dude, you're in the rejects cool. I was in that band once. You know, it was like this cool thing. So it was a moment in time. So I was I went out and played with the rejects, did a amazing show, test show in Des Moines, Iowa, and working on music and stuff. And that sort of just didn't like, it's like, you got to be more dedicated to dope. And I was like, this is going to just help dope that I'm playing with Joey Jordison might help dope, maybe, you know, it's like, it's good vibe, but he just rubbed them the wrong way. It was an era where he, I don't know, if side projects, I don't know if they would look, it was everybody looks at things differently. So but that kind of led him to saying you're fired. But it also, there was another dynamic going on which story that's never been told, which is, we brought another friend of ours into the band, which is virus, aka Andre. So we brought the virus into the band. As a bass player, we were re re formatting dope. And, you know, there's different things happen. And it's a little bit political, but it ended up being you know, like, alright, we got another guy in the band. So it was kind of like firing me but then he wanted me back in and so it's not cut and dry. Like anything, families, bands. It's like the story's a little more complex. But you break it down was he just didn't like me playing with Joey Jordison. You know, now Edsel brags all his band. Oh, I got one guy from the misfits. One guy is playing with David Draiman. This guy's doing this. He's bragging about what everybody's doing. Whereas before, it was like, No, you gotta be more dedicated to dough, you know, and maybe back then there's a different dynamic on but but regardless, when I joined static ads, one of the first tours we got was opening for Slipknot all across Europe. And Joey Jordison said to me, he goes, Listen, you know, I don't like static X. You know, they're okay. I like him as people, but it's like, they're not my thing. Because you're, we're taking you out on tour because of you not because I like static exes because you're my friend. That's why you're going on tour in Europe. So that would have been dope. If I was still on dope x. So like, there's all these different dynamics going on at the same time. So, I think, you know, looking at it like, Oh, you were fired from dope. Yeah, it was, it was traumatic. But I still had playing with Joey Jordison. And I kind of found out who he left static X. And these are connections that I made good hearted, like, like, substantive connection with Joey Jordison on musical styles, and he was watching me from the side of the stage night after night. You know, he, like, caught my vibe. And he knew what I wanted to do. And he told me what the rejects was going to be. And I'm like, Dude, I you know, I know. I know, I can do it, too. You know, it was my type of thing. Glam just like to go back, rewind to tease, right. Shock, rock, glam shock rock. That's what the rejects was going to be the shock rock glam. I was going to bring a lot of my elements from tees and roughhouse in the rejects into the murder dolls. And you know what happened with the murder balls? It's that type of thing. Shot rock crew. Yeah, the world type of thing. So

Chuck Shute:

yeah, not a bad school. Good stuff. So yeah. So then you joined static x. And then it's like, I mean, like I said, you'd already kind of you'd made it once with roughhouse. And then you made it again with dope. And now you're like, basically, you're going to the next level of static x, because these guys did. I mean, you guys did some crazy you tour with everybody. I mean, oz fest, Ozzy Pantera Slayer, Linkin Park STP. I mean, is there anyone that you didn't tour with?

Tripp Eisen:

We didn't tour Rob Zombie.

Chuck Shute:

Or Marilyn Manson. I don't think Did you? No. No.

Tripp Eisen:

At a movie premiere? Yeah.

Chuck Shute:

Born and Sevendust. I mean, there was a Godsmack. I mean, those are some of the biggest huge bands. So life was good at this point then, right?

Tripp Eisen:

Yes, that we have Cantera Slayer? Extreme steel tour was one of the best. That's great.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, so yeah, so paint a picture like 2005. Like before, this incident happens where the world comes crashing down. Like life is pretty good, right? Like things are, but I see I've never been in a band. So explain this to me. Like, how common is it? I've seen like the dirt. So is it stuff as girl or girls coming backstage and on tour buses all the time? Is that just like a common thing in bands? Um,

Tripp Eisen:

it's not as crazy as what the 80s was. But yeah, it's semi common. Yeah, it happens.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, so this is something like your I mean, you don't have a girlfriend at the time in 2005. Your your single guy? Right. livin it up as the rock star life?

Tripp Eisen:

Yep. Live in? Yep.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, so you in your very, very open about this. You've talked about this. You made a mistake. We don't need to go into the details. But some things happen. You're arrested you you plead guilty, which I think is interesting, too, because you could have tried to get out of it or tried to hire a high price lawyer. But you fall on? Admitted your mistake even at the time. Right?

Tripp Eisen:

Right. Correct. Yeah. Okay. Well, it was it was like, You're not gonna fight it, you got a plea bargain. And you just, you know, you accept responsibility. I accept the responsibility. And I just took it, you know, I just did what I had to do. And it was it was, it was something I know, it's like, I made a mistake, I have to pay the price for it. And, you know, there was never like, oh, let's go to trial. It was never, never a consideration. So

Chuck Shute:

there were two incidents. Were those the only two incidents with with this situation? Or was there other things that just were never? Well, you never got caught for?

Tripp Eisen:

Well, yeah, no, I mean, this is all I know about. So it's like, yeah, it's it was it was an incident and you know, that like, yeah, like, what happens in rock and roll, you know, it's like you, you make mistakes, and you do things that are irresponsible. So I did something irresponsible. And I, you know, who knows, you know, a lot of people do a lot of different things, you don't know what the consequences are really to get, you know, held accountable, you know?

Chuck Shute:

Right? So because you're just so some you don't know, like, what's going on with some of this stuff with the girls like you don't know, their ages and things. When that because like, that's why I'm saying like, I don't know what it's like to be in a rock with other girls just coming in and out of backstage and the tour bus like, I don't know.

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah, I mean, yeah. I don't want to, like cast any aspersions of anybody else. But yeah, like there's a lot of irresponsible behavior going on. It's a culture you know, it's like, you know, what happened with me is is something that may or may not be commonplace in the music industry. Right. You know, there's a lot of people have told stories, we all hear the stories about the idols back in the day, Led Zeppelin kiss, you know, Motley Crue rat poison, all these crazy stories. And, I mean, there's a lot I'm sure there's a lot of responsible behavior that went on and all you can do is like pick up the pieces when when things happen, like what happened to me. I was held accountable and it's like yeah, You know, I speculate on it is, you know, I'm not comfortable speculating on that. Yeah, maybe other things that happened with other people and, you know, I don't I don't know. You know, it's just bad, bad decisions and you know, you try to overcome it. Yeah.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah. And you were never, like you said earlier, I think you were never really into the drugs and drinking stuff. So that was never your vice.

Tripp Eisen:

Correct? Yeah, the I was straight edge, I was always straight edge. So I don't have any excuse. I was drunk or high or anything. But, but I was, you know, I was, I felt like I was, you know, trying to be an example. Like, you can live a rockstar life and be straight edge like Ted Nugent, or Gene Simmons, there's straight edge rock stars out there, they kind of inspired me to, you know, be straight edge, and you don't have to lead that party lifestyle. But yeah, there's girls around. And, of course, you don't know the ages, the girls, and it's, you know, it's, it's a it's a dangerous thing. You know, you gotta be careful. And, you know, all my experience, like, like, trauma in prison, and going through all this. You meet a lot of people that talk to you about things that Hey, what happened to you? Or how could this happen? And other people come up, like, Hey, dude, I could have been made dude, you know? Like, are you okay? You know, it's like, everybody knows there's irresponsible behavior going on, you know? Yeah.

Chuck Shute:

Are you like when you're in a rock band like that? And there's this girl's flying left and right, like, is it just kind of a thing where she's good luck? And she's good looking? Do you not care about ages? Are you specifically looking for younger girls? And you're just not worried about ages? Not checking IDs or whatever?

Tripp Eisen:

No, no, like, I mean, you're not looking for a, you know, a girl was attractive. And you know, guys just make bad decisions like that, you know, because obviously, besides ages, there's also diseases out there pregnancy, there's a lot of like consequences of bad behavior irresponsibly. But when you're living that lifestyle, you roll the dice and you do things that you regret, you do things you may not regret it, you may not have to suffer the consequences as I did, then you just keep people on going, you feel invincible, you know? What's kind

Chuck Shute:

of like? Yeah, I mean, in a way, it's like driving drunk, how many people have done that, and, you know, just not paid attention. And, you know, some people go to jail for that, and they kill people like Vince O'Neill, or they don't get caught. They don't get an accident, and they just move on with their life.

Tripp Eisen:

Right? Yeah, in my case, it's like, I accepted responsibility. I've talked about it. I don't like belabor the point about it is something that's not admirable, it's shameful. And it's something that I regret that a lot of remorse I've been through a lot of therapy and counseling, understand. motivations, understand, you know, the way I was thinking, it's called Thinking errors, cognitive distortions, you know, and you understand where you worth the time and, and things like that. So, if it can help anybody, you know, to say, You got to be careful, you know, and it's like, and I've, I've been told that by all kinds of people, hey, you know, should have been more careful, you should know that people lie about their age and things like that. So I was a teenager, I, I should, I shouldn't know that I should have known better. It's that simple. So but I look for, you know, records, or I look for, you know, forgiveness, maybe, you know, and that, you know, you can give somebody a second chance, and that you can learn from your mistakes, not ever make them again. Yeah.

Chuck Shute:

So you mentioned that you went through counseling. So what was the conclusion of all that counseling? Like, what did you learn about yourself and this behavior?

Tripp Eisen:

Oh, that's exactly what I just said. It's thinking errors, like, like thinking about things and not not considering the consequences. You just, you just go and you just assume things and you just thinking errors like, Oh, it'll be okay. And, and, you know, it's just like, without getting into details, you know, but you just you, you rationalize things and you assume things that you should know, so I've learned a lot about that. Many times over Yeah. Yeah. What, what do you a lot of go through voluntary counseling, because you got to stay on top of things. And just to you know, because people are judgmental, and rightly so they can be judgmental, so to know that I'm doing everything I can, in my power to make make people understand that I'm, you know, remorseful for what I did. I'm very Careful not to ever let that happen again, that people will evolve. I mean, as you get older risk factors go down, and it's not the same. You know, that's the same scene not the same world anymore. Yeah,

Chuck Shute:

yeah. So when you're in jail, talk about that time, because what is it like being stuck in jail? Your band is out on tour there. I'm sure they're doing great that I remember what tour they were on. They were probably on some great tour, you're stuck behind bars. I don't know how long you were in prison for? Was it a year or two? Or? Yeah, it was to Tuesday. Okay, so you're in there for Thanksgiving, Christmas? Days? Like, what is that? Like? I just, that's like, kind of one of my biggest fears is going to prison. I feel like that would just be so awful. Is it pretty bad?

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah, it's you, you look for, you know, you try to see, you know, you try to see good and different things, and you make the most of it, you know, if you're out if you're lost out in the wilderness, or your whatever, you're in some unbearable situation, you make the most of it, and you go into survival mode. And I'm shocked, I survived because I feel like I'm a wussy, you know, like, I can't, you know, I don't know how I survive gangs. And, you know, all these different things mean, around murderers and getting them scary stuff.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, I was gonna ask you, so like, how did the other prisoners treat you because on the one hand, you've kind of got rock star status, you've been in dope in the murderdolls, and sack X. But on the other hand, with those kinds of charges, that's kind of like a target in prison. Right?

Tripp Eisen:

It can be, but if you're honest about it, you defuse it. And I have a situation where I was honest about it. And people who would maybe move, beat up or murder, you know, people with certain charges, right? They they were understanding. They said, listen, that's not You're not a child molester. You got to know girls ages, you know, like, that's not molest molesting a child, you know, so people in gangs that would normally, you know, rough you up or kill you, or whatever, I, for some reason, maybe I'm stupid, but I said, let me just be honest. And they saw that empathy for me. And weirdly enough, you know, people I mean, hardcore, like skinhead, gang members. were scared. I was just like, you know, some, I'm just going to tell him, whatever, see what happens. And because I was upfront, and they respected me in some weird way, I was like, you know, I don't agree with people with swastikas on their arms. But, you know, I was just like, they want to do something, they're going to do something, what are you going to do? So I was honest, and they respected that. And they said, That's not, you know, we wouldn't harass you about that. Because you just gotta be careful. You know, and I've had corrections officers and different people in different situations, like actual police, corrections officers, officers, the court asked me question, what are you in for? And I tell them to go, oh, yeah, you gotta be careful these days. So, you know, I understand, like, I took responsibility, it's, it's, it's a, it's a thing. That's, that's shameful. And it's terrible mistake. But, I mean, I was in a situations I was in facilities with people that did horrible, horrible, horrible things, you know, so it's like, like, Thank God, you know, I just got this little bit to do here, and I'm gonna get all my life. So it's like you, you count your blessings, blessings, and you got to recover from it. So. So to some degree, yeah, good.

Chuck Shute:

Oh, I was just gonna say like, because I mean, my show is all about, like, learning and from mistakes. And I think that's all I'm trying to do. I'm trying to try to help you maybe some people think I'm crazy for for having me on the show, but I just want to learn about this and, and try to learn so for one, on the one hand, people that might be going down some sort of path like this, where they need to be more careful about checking ages, or, like you said, the thinking errors, but also I want to, and I'm not blaming the parents at all, like, obviously, you know, I'm sure that there's they feel terrible about what happened. But is there something if if people that have kids, what what could parents do to prevent this with their kids? Like, do they need to monitor their kids online behavior more? Because isn't that how you met some of these girls was online or something?

Tripp Eisen:

Yes. Yeah, monitoring, you know, it's like, but like, if I had a daughter or even a son, you know, you want to be careful and explain to them or go with them to the concert, you know, don't drop them off and then come back later, you you should monitor things and I mean, that's that's what I would do, you know, for sure so I think, yeah, there's there's a certain level I mean, you know, the industry is what it is. I mean, it's like, like, I don't want to pretend that the industry is this certain thing, and I'm just this outcast. I got in trouble for something maybe, you know, we're a lot of people doing it, possibly, you know? Well, yeah.

Chuck Shute:

Right. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, you you would know better than me. I mean, I'm not excusing condoning your behavior. Because even you admit that you made a mistake. But I always just look to understand, like, I know, with Janie lane. I'm a big Warren guy. Like, there's a poster back there if he could see it. But I know that, you know, there was a rumor, and I don't know if there was truth to this, that he that he was molested by an older rock singer. And I don't know, they never said who it was, or what happened, the details, but he ended up dying, obviously. So I'm just gonna throw that out there. Was that ever something that? Were you ever a victim of abuse yourself or as a kid?

Tripp Eisen:

No, absolutely not. I mean, and in my situations, everything was consensual, you know, it was consensual, and in the eyes of the detectives, and all the investigators it was always written is, it was a consensual experience. So, you know, I'm taking responsibility, but I don't want people projecting things onto things that are for real. So I guess at one point, I don't want to, like you said, you don't want to make excuses or excuse anything, but you want to be very clear. Right? You know, I'm not, you know, like, what you're saying, like, people did things back in the 80s, and 90s, all the way up to the present day, there's things going on, people aren't checking ID, and it's, you know, a tragic thing. And it's something to, you know, be aware of be more aware of your parents, and if you're a musician, be aware, you know, you're thinking, you know, your sexual desires, and you're not thinking straight, you know, yeah, drugs and alcohol to it, which I don't, never did. It's like, it adds to all that stuff. So it's like the buddy, gotta be careful. And for my, my situation, I hope to, you know, be able to show people I've, I've learned from my experience, and yeah, it's, it's, it's a tragic thing. But this is, this is something that, you know, goes on and needs to be addressed. I mean, as as best you can, yeah.

Chuck Shute:

How do you get through the guilt? Because, I mean, you gotta be guilty, feel guilty for, for what you did, you know, with the girls, and then their families. But then also, like, I heard you talking about how, you know, you're also hurt, obviously, your band and your career, and your own families and your friends, because they've got to deal with that. So how did you work through all that?

Tripp Eisen:

Oh, it was it was difficult, but a lot of people, you know, understand the culture. And understand that there's a culture, irresponsible behaviors, rock and roll. I mean, you know. So I mean, that's like, you want to pretend that it's not what it is, it's rock and roll. It's, I should have known better. But there's a lot of things that have gone on from these days to present day, you know, and it's like, all you can do is say, it's something that is nothing anybody can be proud of doing drugs, young girls, alcohol, and every other kind of responsible behavior that, that you can say it's something that goes on and, you know, just to be more careful and learn from it. Learn from other people's mistakes.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, I mean, it seems like something that's gonna haunt you, like, do you still feel like you have to register as a sex offender? Is that still a thing? Or do you like it's so you want to get off?

Tripp Eisen:

Right, right. Yeah. It's something that it's limited. It's definitely, though. Yeah, it's something. It's like. Yeah, it's, you know, what I mean, you know, it's, it's hard to talk about because it's something that I'm trying to move past, right. So it's something obviously, like, I've talked to everybody in my life about it. I've talked to the members of static X dope. I've talked to everybody about it. And seemingly, people were pretty understanding, you know, I mean, the people in my life were understanding by talk to you, you know, off the air. You know, if there's a certain thing that people can understand, like, you know, you made a mistake is the mistake forgivable or not forgivable? All right. Being with someone who's underage and going through this and understand the circumstances is it something forgivable? I hope it is, you know, I feel like it is because I've hung out and talk to people in the business rockstars that Backstage hanging out one on one. And nobody treats me like a pariah. They treat me with respect the How are you doing? Are you okay? Questions like you're asking me, you know, an interview situation asked me, you know, one on one. Are you okay? Some people don't address at all. It's like, Hey, Tripp, how you doing good to see you hugs and everything else. Because in a way they know they understand. It's like, what happened to you, dude? Well, they they understand they don't got it. Very few people explained to me all the details, they kind of understand what I went through. And it's what what I did they understand what I did what I did, it was irresponsible. They understand how it can happen, you know, just like you've implied, you know, how does this happen? You kind of people kind of understand how it happens. It happens with irresponsible parents, irresponsible musicians, combined, too. And, you know, things happen that are unfortunate and shouldn't happen.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, well, I just try to encourage everyone to make good choices for sure. And obviously, we've you've made the mistake, and you're hoping to learn from it now. So what did you you get out of jail? Whatever would have been like 2007. You didn't start face without fear until 2019. So what are you doing for that hiatus? That's like 12 years. What did you do during that time? Were you just in hiding kind of or

Tripp Eisen:

I played music, I was going out to shows I was hanging out with people I was hanging out with people that I knew from back in the day bands, I go out to shows and hang out with people that I was touring with. Hung out. You know, I when I run into people, anybody I run into that I was on tour with or that I knew from different musical professional situations. Everybody treated me good. i There was like maybe one incident where a comment was made. After I left, someone told me Oh, someone called you a name after you left. But then the next time I saw that person who I won't name, the next time I saw that person Hey, doing trip? How you doing? How's it going? Now? What's the real person everybody puts on? X? phony, real phony real? I don't know, you know, Why call me a name. And then you see me face to face. And you're like, Ah, how you doing? Maybe calling me the name was just a virtue signal in front of everybody. And this is the real him? Or is this the real him? And who knows? You know,

Chuck Shute:

but uh, you regret? So I was gonna say, Do you regret being away for so long? Like, do you wish that you would have came out of prison and just said, I'm back? This is what I do. This is music. I'm starting my band right now. Like, do you have any advice? For other, you know, quote, unquote, canceled celebrities or musicians? Like should they just get back on the horse right away? Or should you hide out for a little bit?

Tripp Eisen:

I felt like keeping a low profile was maybe doing something like, like still rebuilding things in my life. And, you know, doing counseling, and showing people like, I'm not right out there again, you know, so I kind of did it, I kept low key on purpose. I regret it now. I should have came out and just play because I wasted a couple of years there. And I could have been, you know, I was writing music the whole time from Oh, seven straight. I was writing music writing lyrics. A lot of the stuff I have out now with face about fear is stuff that I worked on those kind of quiet years. So I kind of regret not doing I could have I talked to the authorities. And they said, you know, you can you could tour I could have toured in oh seven, you know, I could actually, I could have been doing stuff. So, you know, things happen. Like I said, for things happen for a reason. So, you know, I was I was engaged, and I got married. So I was trying to build a life, you know, that those years, I was trying to build a life. And so I kind of laid low on purpose or but I kind of regret it now. You know, because face of that fear was actually began in 20. The seeds of it began in 2015. So I started music in, like, auditioning musicians in 2015. So it was like, you know, it was like, oh, seven, it was 567 years, then then I started working on some, you know, who's going to be in my band? And, you know, I started working with some musicians and you know, people, obviously, like, My past is there it is what it is. And, you know, you know, people were understanding they wanted to play with me, you know, did you

Chuck Shute:

ever think of doing like, behind the scenes kind of stuff like producing bands or managing bands or giving guitar lessons or things like that, like being in the kind of behind the scenes more?

Tripp Eisen:

No? Nope. Because I feel like, you know, a certain person said to me, dude, this is the quote, I can name names here. And so dope said to me, dude, this is America. Everyone deserves a second chance. You're a good person. You rebuilt your life. You deserve a second chance.

Chuck Shute:

He said. Yeah. So he's supportive of you.

Tripp Eisen:

He was he was he was

Chuck Shute:

Eric was also had your back initially, but then maybe later didn't or something.

Tripp Eisen:

Right? So the fact that I rebuilt relationships in 2012, and so offered me to join dope. So, nevermind 2015 was phased out here in 2012. Just a couple years later, he offered me to join dope. He's like, hey, why don't you come play with dope he wasn't, didn't mention one peep about my background or my legal troubles. So 2012, he was like, let's go do let's do some shows. Let's get let's get you out there. So I had to go through through some red tape. It didn't work out. But it very well could have it didn't work, not working, and didn't work out because some legal things at the time. So we were going to press go and keep going 2013. And it got so involved, and he had my back 100% He wanted me to be his business partner at that point in time. It's, you know, and then I then I reconnected with Tony Campos reconnected with them, you know, so I was I was reconciled with everybody and reconnecting with people. So, but what went wrong? And obviously, that's the question of what went wrong. You know, and that's there. And my issue right now is like, I had people that had my back and look past everything that you and I are talking about, now, look past all these things. And basically, let's go it's worked with trip, write songs together, making plans together and everything else. So that to me was, it was like 2016 2017, when we reunited static x and I was on, even though it wasn't playing, I was on top of the world because I'm like, reconnecting with all my old dudes. And we're writing songs and working on something together. They don't mind that I had this background. And we're working together on stuff. So what happened? Pretty cool, right?

Chuck Shute:

Yeah. So what happened? Why did it fall apart?

Tripp Eisen:

What happened is, if you read any of the articles or interviews I've done, or press releases is, I didn't like what they were doing with the music, you know, didn't like, you know, music is everything. Writing songs is like, the heart and soul of everything, right? Performance is great. That's why I wouldn't ever want to not perform. But writing songs is the meat of everything, writing songs, a song you heard on the radio, writing music, is where it's all at. So you know, so I didn't like what they were doing with the music. You know, we had the static X songs and some unreleased material, they start changing it. And Tony was originally like, I want everything to be authentic. And there's something changed, something changed. And then the song start. And these are songs that me and Wayne wrote. So I'm supposed to sit there and be like, oh, yeah, just do whatever you want with them. And they weren't communicated with me. And I didn't like it. So I end up having to get a lawyer because they weren't communicating, you had to wire up and you know, you know, sending a letter, it just sucked, like we were working well together. And then so now they kind of use my background as an excuse, like, oh, yeah, and they kind of like position that well, that you didn't even, I mean, not that they weren't concerned about, like, addressing the press, they will, why you work on a trip well, because everyone deserves a second chance. He's a good person, he did his dues, he made amends, and he's getting his life back together. And the context of what I did, what I did was a certain level of crime. Obviously, you don't want to work with somebody who did certain things. All right. So it was enough to work with me, and to carry on working with me make plans in dope in 2012 static acts in 2016. So and I reunited with roughhouse so there's dope, static X. roughhouse, three bands, I was in signed with all working with me all accepting my past and saying, let's go do let's go Rex from rough house. Let's go trip from stoke. Let's go trip from static x. So what went wrong? That's why I have to do some interviews. I need to talk to people and get the word out that this is not something's not quite right here. You know, it's like they have my back and now they want to stab me in the back. These are songs that I wrote with Wayne, and no, we're gonna change them. And guess what? They changed them? I couldn't stop. You don't cost too much money. It costs too much money.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, you still get the songwriting credit but ultimately, it's they owned the songs or something or they can change his static X song. So right or the How does that work?

Tripp Eisen:

Its like, like I said before, it gets a little complicated sometimes. Because it was Yes, I got credit. For some songs and other songs I didn't get credit for. So it's like the songs I didn't get credit for is where I'm kind of hurt. I mean, it's hurtful, very hurtful when you wrote stuff. And then someone's saying, Oh, he's lying about that. They know I'm not lying about I'm telling the truth, but they're gonna say online. So just listen to this. He said, he said thing. Like, he said, she said, he said, Whatever it gets, it gets crazy. But it's it's a sad thing. Because these are songs I wrote with Wayne. And even about Wayne songs that I didn't write with them. They're changing those. So they're given the fans this watered down. Let's put our name on everything to make more money for us type of thing. So yeah, I'm accusing them of doing it for the money sucks. I have to say this sucks. Because I love these guys. On one level, I was working with them. I wish I could work with them. I wish I could work with them. But they decided to change everything. And they knew I would have protested it. So they had to kind of like change the game here. So

Chuck Shute:

is this something that you can work out like with the reconciliation? Or is this something that's going to have to go through lawyers or

Tripp Eisen:

I've tried, I've tried, talk, talking to them reaching out to them, but they're like, Go away, go away. You can't hurt us go away. We got you got you. You know, it's like, it's almost like, gotcha. Ha ha. So at this point, all I can do is express the fact that they did this. It's not right. I get credit for a couple songs. Yes. So they can say, well, we gave credit go away. Yeah, they gave me credit for a couple of songs that were written and copywritten. Back in 2005. But there's songs that we worked on since then, since 2016. There's songs that I worked on with the members of static X. How do you

Chuck Shute:

is there a way to prove that or how does that I mean, is it just like you said, he said, he said, Do you have like timestamps on this stuff? Or how that works?

Tripp Eisen:

Yep. Yeah, timestamps. I can prove everything. Oh, okay. Lay it on the air. I can. I can. I'm planning my own podcast. It's going to be called the dope on static X podcast. So I'm going to go kind of behind the scenes on some of this stuff. Talk about good memories, like I just talked about tonight. Talk about what what's going on with static x now? What's going on with the album, they put out what what, how they really did it. And some of the Insight information that I have. Just, it's it's sad, unfortunate, but there's still people that want to, you know, kind of rip people off even to this day, it's just sucks. But unfortunately, like, well, then take them to court. It's not that easy. I talk to the highest level attorneys. It's like $3, chasing after $1. Yeah, you can stop somebody, but you know, people steal things all the time and get away with it. Unfortunately, unless you're you know, unless you're Disney or Marvel is something big, you know, which is one of the same salary. You Yeah.

Chuck Shute:

So what are you doing with musically? Oh, sorry, yes, I'm else,

Tripp Eisen:

but I can prove it. I can prove these songs are mine. I got the old cassette tapes. I got the CDs. forensically, they can be proven what the date is, I mean, just little progression of things. You can listen to something and go alright, that's that music that goes with his vocal. And I got I got stuff like archive that, like in storage that, you know, you know, of demos that I haven't unearthed yet. Like their original demo for di MF die. You know, that song of the day? Yeah. murderdolls. So dope die.

Chuck Shute:

That's dope. Yeah. No, sorry. That's dope. I love that song. That sounds great.

Tripp Eisen:

I co wrote that was Edsel, right. Just their biggest song, biggest song. I can't find the original demo. I know it's somewhere I have it somewhere in the archives. I just haven't found it. I found my original demo for the only. And it's pretty cool here in the original demo, and I want to release the stuff I want to give people behind the scenes who like it who understand things. But But yeah, it's unfortunate that to prove something in court cost so much money, like I said it's $3 to snap to $1. So they kind of negotiated with me but then negotiated with the idea that what are you going to do about it? We're static x so what are you going to do about it? And they kind of know the thing so things that they offered me we've negotiated for a little bit, but I just I didn't feel good about it. And Wayne's memories. Important thing to me Wayne's memory, they claim to want to honor Wayne but changing lanes music to such a degree. And cool, you know, so I feel like I gotta, I gotta speak out. I gotta release stuff. I'm gonna be releasing my own, you know, unreleased static X. music and stuff to show people from The original versions of things, and it's gonna be cool, you know, people be able to hear you know how the songs originally were, and they can decide for themselves.

Chuck Shute:

Okay. And then are you doing a version of static, static, static acts like a band like a Project Act? Is that what's going to be called?

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah, what I have is working on face without fear. That's my main project of fear. We were doing some static songs, we were covering a few static EQ songs we faced up here are the guys who are really talented that I'm working with. But I want to release the static EQ stuff. So this has really believe it or not nothing to do with static x what they're doing, I would be doing this. Regardless, Wayne's widow, x or wife was going to release wainstein, Wayne's material. Okay, if she would have released it. I'm sure she would have made sure it was as close to the original as possible. I'm sure she wouldn't say hey, let's, you know, put other people's names on songs. So it probably would have been handled a little better if she did it because it was her husband, you know. So I want to release the stuff. more true to form. I don't care if it doesn't sell. I don't care. You know, I want people to hear the songs in the form, not about money. It's about the integrity of the music. And making it is true to form isn't out. There's unreleased demos or unfinished demos. You got to finish them, but you keep them true to the original intent. And then you just finish them, you know, as opposed to

Chuck Shute:

be Wayne sing.

Tripp Eisen:

I have Wayne's vocals. Yes. Can I release them? Yes, I can, will release some. Maybe Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. But regardless, I want to put out the music with the new singer I'm working with I got a singer that's very much a Wayne style that I'm working with. I'll be announcing who that is. He's a big Wayne static fan. And he loves Wayne's style. I got a bass player, I got a drummer. So it's kind of a static X band.

Chuck Shute:

Is there any x members of static static X in the span?

Tripp Eisen:

Just me? Yeah, but yeah, I call it Project X right now. Static X was called Project X. When I was at them in 2016, I label everything Project X, there's a secret project X Project X, you know, so it was something that I was like a nickname for the project. We're working on Project X. So somehow, all of a sudden, Project X became project regeneration. You know, so it's like, it's a, it's kind of a cool, like, kind of my calling it a project. So Project X, my new Project X, which is going to be a static EQ style band is going to have a different name. I just haven't released the name yet.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, so you'll do that and face without fear. You'll have those two bands.

Tripp Eisen:

Right. I'll have two bands. I got I'm actually doing rough house as well too rough house, right. Yeah, that's right. You did? So yes, like, similar thing. The static X band to the Project X band. I'm just taking my time on it. I wanted to start releasing stuff. I want to do a teaser and kind of like introduce the world to these guys. I'm working with and the music because the music is awesome. It's it's songs that were worked on for static X songs from 2016 2017 2018 that we were working on that they're never going to do. Because Can

Chuck Shute:

you say any song titles or anything?

Tripp Eisen:

Oh, I'm once called the forgotten man. Once called uncontested. So that might that might change. But those are the names right now. They got cool lyrics and stuff. It's definitely studied. And Tony Campos co wrote the songs. So these are some of those working with him. Recently, some of this were written, you know, maybe four or five years ago, some of the material. I gave him a bunch of my music in 2016. I said, Tony, check this out. Let's get started gets back together. So basically, yes, I'm taking credit. And pretty much he admitted it in so many ways that I'm the one who got the reunion going, you know, I called him up in 2016. He's like, No, I'm not really I don't know. You know, that I said, well, let's just do it, man. Let's work on some music. I got these get these old songs. We got some other new stuff we can work on. Then he said, Okay, let's do it. So yeah, I got the I got the reunion going, you know. So it's like something that he wasn't interested in doing. He turned Wayne down but he said yes to Tripp kind of weird, right? Yeah, what Wayne asked him in 2013 LET'S GET STARTED gets back together. Let's get a new record deal. And it's like, no, don't want it not interested. Screw you. Then I asked three years later I said to Tony LET'S GET STARTED gets back together with not meant much more than a couple of days because Okay, let's do it. I sent him two CDs worth of material to review He said, This is all the material I got working on here, some old songs. Here's a bunch of new stuff, your stuff I wrote in the last 10 years, my quiet years that I worked on. And he, he went through it all. I said, go through all the songs go yes, no, maybe. So then we'll trim out the SS for sure. The maybes. So we have some on the back burner. And those clear those out, he went through my two CDs for material went through it all. And we started picking out the cream of the crop. And some of those songs, face the fears using some of the songs, we're dealing with Project X. But they didn't end up with static X. And I believe, of course, I'm biased, but I believe the sound more like static, external, new static XML, you know, but fans have to judge for themselves. You kind of like when you put an album out and says static X. And you listen to the album, it's like, yeah, static X with the names, they're kind of like, influences your opinion. But I don't feel it's static X ish enough. I think like, they change the songs too much. You know, SATA gigs is simple. You know? It's, it's simple. Yeah,

Chuck Shute:

I look forward to that. So when will that stuff be out?

Tripp Eisen:

ASAP. Um, we're working on it right now. We've been working on it for a while, you know, so it's like, I take my time with things. There's no rush, but I'm hoping to have something so in the next few months, like, like to release one or maybe two songs, to give people an idea and, and maybe shoot a video with these guys, you know. So I'm really excited about these guys become friends. The guys are like, you know, they, they're fans. A couple of guys are in the 30s. They're fans. So they kind of feel the vibe, but I want to keep a strict like static X vibe to it. So that's something I feel like Project regeneration, Volume One, in my opinions is just, you know, it's not quite static XRP they change the songs too much. And they change, flip things around too much. But I think you know, my project, we're going to pay attention to detail. And it's going to be definitely more of a static sound. Okay, cool. Well, look, we're going to be covering some static exons to just like, here's our version, and then you'll be doing live shows as well. I'm not sure I'd like to but face that fear is playing live. So I'm not sure the Project X. It depends, you know, if we all feel good, we all jam and group feel good together. We haven't worked jammed together in a room yet. So this is like remote working on things. Right now. So if it all feels good, we'll play a show for sure.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, have you guys haven't toured with face without there, you've done shows, you haven't done like a full on tour. Right?

Tripp Eisen:

Right now we haven't toured, it's just been some one off shows COVID Kind of, you know, damp and things and we had a drummer desert for a while for like a year, we didn't have a draw, I was working with three different drummers. And to find the right drummers is a you know, but we finally got a guy now. So, you know, I got a drummer for face that fear and a drummer for pride for a while I was using one guy for both projects. But now I got a guy for each project. And it's, you know, I'm excited about all of it. I mean, the phase not fear stuff is like, I love the music. And it's like, we have full albums worth of material. I want to get it out there too. We're probably going to put an EP out first though. Some different things we're going to release first. Yeah. Well, so

Chuck Shute:

part of the redemption, I think for people is, you know, good things that they're doing in the world. Like, tell me, do you have any stories of people reaching out to you and saying how your music has helped them? Like I hear I feel I feel like every musician has a story like that.

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah, yeah, we yeah, we've, we've gotten like, yeah, definitely some people from back in the day that, you know, send messages out. And, you know, oh, trip, you know, you were so nice to me. And you, you know, you know, we really, you know, inspired me and stuff like that, like people from back in the day. And, and those stories are always encouraging and inspiring itself because I got stories about meeting rockstars bad stories, and then great stories, stories, and someone was a jerk to me. And stories were, they were just inspiring, you know, and just like amazing stories, so stuff like that, like, no, so yeah, I mean, those kinds of things inspire me because I know, I mean, you know, you have an influence on people. And I like to, you know, I felt like I was a positive influence on fans being straight edge and you don't need to do drugs and alcohol. But, but dude, it's like people close to me. I've had people super duper close to me that know that I don't do anything. And still they went down the road of destruction and addiction and suicide, and I've lost so many people to suicide in the last couple of years. It's just heartbreaking. heartbreaking, you know, so here and then a couple people to drug overdoses, you know, losing weight and Joey Jordison the two people that you know, believed in me and gave me a chance and worked with me are gone. On because of drugs and alcohol, you know, just just sad. I mean, there's other other issues too health issues and stuff that play into it. But yeah, it's rock drug addiction. It just, you know, those are things that are just, you know, speaking of which, like, I know, sometimes you talk about charities and stuff, there's, you know, to recover rock to recovery, you know that?

Chuck Shute:

No, I'm not sure if I'm familiar with that one. Tell me about it.

Tripp Eisen:

Rock to recovery. It's a it's an organization. I, I haven't reached out to them. But I was like, you know, Wayne, I think it's, they deal with this some famous musicians, I think he's based out of California. I shouldn't do a little more homework on it. But I think that that's the group that I was referred to by Waynesville manager saying, like, I was trying to get Wayne to go here. And I was never able to, but I'd like to work with them as a charity, just because you want to do something positive, because that's how Wayne, you know, struggled. And that's, that's what eventually, you know, ended his life. And I know Joey Jordison struggle with addiction and stuff like that, too. So, you know, do something positive and, you know, work with a group like that, for awareness and everything like that. It's never, I mean, people who are addicted, don't want to deal with it, obviously. But you got to, you got to talk to people, if you love someone, and they're there on something, or they're just feel hopeless. You've got to, you know, try to get them help and show them that you care?

Chuck Shute:

Absolutely. Well, I'll put that link in the show notes. And then is do you have a website? Or you're not on social media? I don't think so. Is there any other way for people to follow? What's going to be all the stuff that's going to be coming?

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah, well, face without fear. Has social media. Okay, so I'll be using probably the face of fear websites, we'll use them to promote the other projects but but eventually get Project X will have its own, you know, YouTube channel, and social media. But yeah, face without fear can be found. There's no other band with that name. So we can find the band on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram very easily. And then there's a face of that fear.com. And there'll be a trip isand.com. Very shortly, it's already built, which is a matter of, it's going to be really within the next week or two. I'm going to launch trip isin.com which will also kind of host my suit my soon to be released podcast. So yes. So the via the podcast gratuitously is going to be named the dope on static x. So it's going to talk about dope. Fond memories, the fact that you know, I worked with dope from the beginning. And there's a lot of good memories there. Talk about murderdolls talk about static X. Talk about, you know, good memories from all those days, different tours, different albums. Like we'll focus on different episodes, there'll be an episodic thing, like a limited, maybe 12 Episode type of podcast. So I'll talk about scene album, one episode, the shadow zone album, another episode, murdered all is another episode, dope, another episode, and then the new static x, which I'm sure it's gonna make them uncomfortable. Talk about that another episode and talk about some of the behind the scenes how the song developed, what my role was in certain songs that I was and wasn't credited for. And, you know, just get that out there. Because I feel like, I gotta get it out there. And maybe somebody will be interested in like, Hey, I love this album. How was it? You know, how was it written and stuff like that? So, you know, if people love the new static X album, you know, I'm proud of certain things on it because I wrote, you know, they charted on iTunes, they charted on a lot of things with songs that I wrote. So you're gonna be proud of that.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, well, cool. Look for all that stuff.

Tripp Eisen:

Right now, that present day that had charted? So like, I shouldn't not be proud of

Chuck Shute:

you. Yeah, no, very cool. You've had a prolific career. It's a it's amazing, all the things you've done. So we'll look forward to new music and that podcast, very cool.

Tripp Eisen:

Yeah. Excellent. Yeah. So Yeah, true. bison.com and then the podcasts for that.

Chuck Shute:

Okay. Well, thanks so much trip. I'll talk to you soon. Thank you. All right, bye. Well, very habit, trip eyes and open up about a bunch of things, including his legal troubles, his current issues with his ex bandmates, other musical projects and more. And I understand there are some people who will never able to get past what he did and that's okay. You have the freedom to follow his new products projects and go see him or if you never want to support him or anything he does you have that right to, but hopefully you at least listened to this episode and heard what he had to say before he made that decision. If you enjoyed this interview, check out some of the other ones I have and make sure to subscribe for future episodes. If you hated this interview. You should still check out some of the other episodes and subscribe because you might like some of the other ones. Thank you for listening and all your stuff. work, have a great day and shoot for the moon.