A wise man once said that its better to burn out than fade away. For Johnny Rock, the aging bad-boy frontman at the center of Denis Learys Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, theres also the third option of hitching your dimming star on to a talented young female singer. (The fact that this mini-Joan Jett is also his long-lost daughter from a one-night stand and has the hots for Rocks longtime guitar player only makes things that much more complicated.) Once upon a time, his New York scuzz-rock band the Heathens had their next-big-thing moment, until Johnnys selfishness and appetite for destruction deep-sixed any chance of long-term success. Now, along with his reunited group, hes got another shotassuming he doesnt screw this one up as well.
Like his previous show for FX the 9/11 PTSD dramedy Rescue Me the 57-year-old comedians latest project (premiering on July 16th) revels in pushing the limits of acceptable TV antihero behavior and proudly displaying his patented foul-mouthed, fuck-you brio. Rolling Stone talked to him about the joys of playing a hedonistic has-been rock star, David Bowies comedy fanaticism and why he now owes Louis C.K. money.
Denis Leary: The Upside of AngerWet Hot TV Summer Preview: From 'True Detective' to Caitlyn JennerEmmys 2019: 10 Biggest Snubs25 Songs That Are Truly Terrifying
Why a series about a middle-aged, coke-snorting one-hit wonder?
When I went to Emerson College In Boston, I know all these guys that became musicians people who would end up playing in Ozzy Osbournes band, the Del Fuegos, Raging Slab. These were dudes who thought fame was everything. But what was interesting to me was: What about the people still living that old-school rock & roll lifestyle, but they had a single and went away, or they never ended up making it what the fuck do they do now?
Johnny and his guitar player, Flash [John Corbett], are like an old married couple.
Theyre like the Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Nineties CBGBs bands. Johns character has a little bit of Richie Sambora in him as well when its time for a solo, hes the star of the show, yknow? I like the dysfunctional-family dynamic of a band, and those guys are the fucked-up, bickering parents that keep everyone together. Its the Mick and Keith thing.
Your character takes a lot of his recreational lifestyle from Keiths playbook.
I got to hang out with the Stones round the Voodoo Lounge tour, and those guysI mean, Mick takes care of himself, but Keith, its almost beyond a lifestyle how he functions. Hes never really high or drunk, either. Its different if you dont have his genetic gift, or youre like Johnny and drinking Jack Daniels at 9 a.m. to find your muse. Me, Ill take coffee, thanks.
How did you get actual rock stars like the Afghan Whigs Greg Dulli, Dave Grohl and Joan Jett involved?
I met Dulli when I was first working at MTV on Remote Control in the 1980s, and I knew I wanted him to help out with the songwriting and composing the music for the Heathens. Ive known Dave for decades, and Joan and I do this concert every year for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. But heres the fucking galling thing: I told them, So, I just want to improvise a few scenes, have you talk about the band. And I filmed them for two hours and they were all fucking hilarious! Like, Im not really a rock star, so how are you guys so funny? And on my turf thats what really fucking pisses me off. What cant they do? Fucking unbelievable.
Stand-ups are like rock stars, arent they?
The similarities are kind of astonishing. Rock stars love comics. Once, I was hosting a show and David Bowie was there. I went out to have a smoke, and theres Bowie, one of my favorite rock stars of all time. And all he wanted to do was talk comedy! [In British accent] Whats Steven Wright really like, Denis? Whats Bobcat Goldthwait really like? I just had five minutes with my hero, and he just wants to know about stand-ups!
Youre writing, producing and sometimes directing the show, and starring in it its the Louis C.K. model of showrunning.
Yeah! My usual guys, like [Rescue Me co-creator] Peter Tolan, they were all busy on other projects, so I just thought I should write it and produce myself; I know what I wanna do so why not just do it? But people forget that other than Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, FX wasnt really doing comedy. Louis C.K. changed that, so I guess I should be giving a percentage of the shows profits to him. [Pauses] Fuck, now I owe him money! If this is successful, Im fucking screwed.