Death Of The Real Decadent Rock Star

Arthur Karras of Beat magazine spoke with former White Lion frontman Mike Tramp about his solo career and asked him if there is still a place for the classic rock star today. “In the 80s and 90s we saw the last of the real decadent rock stars,” Tramp said. “You look around today and most of the big rock stars are gone. You get a band like The Darkness, they’re simply re-living something they saw on a video clip as they were growing up. They’re trying to make Spinal Tap serious. The real rock stars, like Bowie in the 70s Ziggy era, are gone. You look at Ozzy, he’s on TV and he’s really popular today, but most people are laughing at him and that’s sad. I lived that whole rock star dream. When White Lion were massive, and you’re surrounded by money and fame, it’s hard not to get sidetracked.”