From Worcester’s Sunset Strippers to Hollywood’s Sunset Strip

By Kristie Bartlett

Anyone familiar with the local music scene over the past decade will instantly recognize these bands: Left Behind, Demons Alley, and 80s tribute the Sunset Strippers. They’ll also recognize the name Joe Gigolo, the stage name of Joe Giglio, drummer extraordinaire for all three bands. Joe, a Marlborough native, was the madman behind the skins, kind of a cross between Tommy Lee and Animal from “The Muppets.” All you had to do one take one look at him, listen to him play one song, and you knew this guy belonged in LA. He just had “It.” And sure enough, Joe headed off to LA in December of 2008 ~ but instead of it taking him years to start making a name for himself out there, within 2 weeks he was playing twice a week in Hollywood for The Haptones, an all-star house band that gets regular visits from members of LA Guns, Poison, Iron Maiden, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Guns n Roses, and other legendary bands.

After being put out of commission for 4 months due to a car accident, Joe started working at a high-end rehearsal studio in LA where, says Joe, “I met EVERYONE!” From there, he started picking up session work ~ and then, in kind of a modern take on a starlet being discovered at the soda shoppe, Joe was chosen to be on VH1 Classic’s “Rock n Roll Fantasy Camp.” Talk about getting to rub elbows with some of his idols! “They brought in Rudy Sarzo, Kip Winger, Mark Hudson, Ace Freely, Michael Anthony, Brett Michaels, Lita Ford, Bruce Kulic, Teddy Andreadis, Billy Sheehan, Matt Sorum, and Lemmy…Lemmy!”

Since the show wrapped, Joe’s been working on original material with the Proton Saints (the band from “RRFC”), shooting a couple of videos, and “…weeding through some offers…some turn out to be BS, but that’s Hollywood.” Joe, who’s planning a Sunset Strippers reunion show back here in Worcester for sometime later this summer, took some time to answer questions from this terribly jealous, Sunset-Strip-sleaze-groupie-wanna-be/80s-metal-band-obsessed writer.

So was your arrival in LA like the opening scene of “Welcome to the Jungle,” you stepping off a bus right onto the Sunset Strip, not knowing anyone, or did you already have connections out there? Pretty close! When I got to LA, I didn’t have a job or a place to live. Luckily, I had a few really good friends out here and I already had a few connections.

You mentioned getting a lot of session work, and I know that’s a gig a lot of musicians around here are interested in ~ How does that work, are you hired per day, per album, etc.? Session work is cool. The pay varies ~ it can be hourly, by day, or by song.

How did you end up on VH-1’s “Rock n Roll Fantasy Camp?” and what was it like? Ah, that’s a tricky one to answer! Let’s just say being cast on the show was very cool. I was really happy when I found out I was gonna be part of Rudy Sarzo’s band, too! As far as being on the show, it was a surreal experience. There’s SO much sh*t that goes into these shows. Since “RRFC” is a reality series, the cameras were always on! There was always a mini crew running around you ~ a couple of cameras, a producer, a couple of audio guys, lighting techs, etc. At times things were really frustrating (to say the least). But all in all I had a blast doing the show!!

Have you gotten to see a lot of shows out in LA or have you been too busy working? I have actually made it out to some pretty cool shows. Since so many musicans live in CA, there are a lot of jams in smaller clubs. I’ve seen “Camp Freddy” ~ Dave Navarro, Matt Sorum,Travis Barker, Jerry Cantrell, “Halloween Jack” ~ Erick Dover, Gilby Clarke, and Steven Perkins ~ and “Volto,” the side project Danny Carey of Tool has going on.

What has being part of the LA music scene taught you? It’s taught me that there are sh*tty players everywhere!!! 🙂 People say it’s all about luck and connections out here and that’s kinda true.

We all have visions of the LA/Sunset Strip/80s hair metal scene that we got from videos back in the day…is there still that glam-seedy scene out there? I don’t think you can ever get rid of the seedy side of the Sunset Strip or Hollywood. The 80s scene is still alive and kicking. It’s not what it was, but you can go out on any given night and you’ll hear stories about how people used to be lined up around the block to get into the clubs. It’s rough for local bands here now ‘cause it’s mostly pay to play.

Is there still one musician that you’re dying to meet/work with? I would love to work with Alice Cooper. I have met him a few times, but there is a long list of drummers who are in line for that gig 🙂

So you’ve done TV, you’re in a rising band…what’s next for you? It’s funny ~ I’ve been recording, am in the early stages with another original rock/metal band in addition to The Proton Saints, I did the TV thing, and all I really came out here to do was touring work, so that’s what I hope to be doing more and more of.

There are lots of musicians who’d love to follow in your footsteps ~ any words of advice on how to get a foot in the door in LA? LA is a really hard place to make it. The best advice for someone moving here is to realize that it takes time and you have to work for it. So many people think they will move here and be famous in 2 minutes. They blow through their life savings in 6 months and move back to Dumpwater Falls all pissed off at Hollywood. The other thing that happens to a lot of people is they get here and get caught up in the scene and spend all their time at The Rainbow talking about the project they are gonna start. You have to want it bad enough AND go after it (but that goes everything in life).

www.JoeGiglioDrums.com, www.facebook.com/protonsaints

Top photo courtesy of Robert Knight

JUST confirmed! Sunset Strippers ~ Doug Payne and Stiff Johnson from Touch 2 Much, Dave Meyer from Demons Alley, and Jane Pansky ~ reunite Sat., Aug 27 at the Lucky Dog!!!