Gary Allan Fields Questions at Fan Club Party
Gary Allan welcomed several hundred members of his fan club party to Rocketown, a club in downtown Nashville, on Tuesday afternoon (June 9), and fielded questions in between his songs. For those of you who weren't there, here's the scoop:
When will his new album be released? In the fall. Right now, he's only completed four songs, he said. He also played his new single, "Today," a ballad about one guy's really bad day -- which is actually an awesome day for his ex.
Why isn't he playing at the nightly concerts at LP Field this year? Nobody asked him, he said. Plus, this is the first summer he's taken off (partly due to the recession, he admitted), and he's just trying to lay low by the pool.
Why doesn't he win awards? "So much of that goes back to politics," he said, "and I'm not into politics." He went on to say that awards are all about trading votes and echoed a fan's comment that it's all bulls--- anyway.
Is he going to make a live album? Yes, even if he has to pay for it himself. He would also like to make a live DVD because he considers his current band the best he's ever had, but it's up to his record label to release a DVD with all of his music videos. And he hasn't even been to the label's office in about four years, he said.
Why was he wearing a bandage around his wrist? He had a few drinks late one night, slammed his hand against a table, bent it backwards and pulled back all the tendons, he said. When he went to grab a coffee mug the next morning, he couldn't even hold it up. He noted that he'd had an MRI Tuesday morning, but it seemed to be strong enough to play some guitar.
Why wasn't "Like It's a Bad Thing" released as a single? There were plans to use it in a Chevy Camaro ad with Dale Earnhardt Jr., but the car company pulled the ad when the recession hit.
Is he playing the East Coast soon? Yes. His manager said that he'll play about 100 shows between July and December, coast to coast. Some will be with Jack Ingram, but most will be at festivals, where he'll be playing full sets.
Is he going to make a Christmas album? It's up to the label, although he has already recorded about six Christmas songs over the years, he said.
Is he going to record a duet? Yes, you can expect a cover of Buddy Miller and Julie Miller's "Gasoline and Matches" with LeAnn Rimes. "I think when somebody wants to dirty up their image a little bit, they come to us," he said.
How does it make him feel to see his most dedicated fans all in one place? "I hope none of you come over and trash my car," he joked, apparently alluding to his recent court case involving a stalker.
Why did he take "Smoke Rings in the Dark" out of his concert set list? "You can't play 'em all," he said.
Allan also raffled off several of his stage shirts, including the one he wore in the "Songs About Rain" video. Later, he auctioned the shirt he wore in the "Her Man" video for $525 -- a relative steal compared to the $5,000 bid for a pair of his well-worn jeans. All funds will go to the Vanderbilt Medical Center in memory of his late father.
His manager also indicated that plans are in the works to host another fan club party in Las Vegas in advance of his New Year's Eve show at the House of Blues. When the audience was asked if they'd be willing to come for that, they roared their approval.
