Please enjoy this repeat interview with the fascinating Jim Rose

I realized that I have never interviewed my long time pal Jim Rose. It has always been other people... Jim has been very kind and supportive to Punk Globe. He has written articles and also had a monthly collection of images from his many fans and friends... I decided it was high time that i did and interview and was so happy when he consented... I am in awe of Jim and thank him for taking the time from his Skype shows to so the interview... Enjoy!

Thanks so much for the interview. It has been awhile since anyone at Punk Globe has interviewed you. Where should we start?

Maybe with me congratulating your recent anniversary. Thank you Ginger for keeping it all alive in such an artist friendly way And I have a cool new way to do performance. I've been doing crazy house parties,clubs with bands etc.SOOOOOOOOOO all Punk Globe readers.Lets do a show or shows together. Here is a new performance concept to get promoters interested. Make an event out of it...come up with a title maybe like international freak night or something that fits more with what you are thinking... show my vid ( 30 minutes) and then ill come on via Skype and tell stories and maybe q and a ,,or a few stunts ,etc. for half an hour..its very easy to hook a computer to a TV and Skype these days. Thats all there is to it for this show. Most venues have TV or big screens. If not have them bring a TV in that night. You perform as headliner or opening depending on what you think is best. I live in a beautiful 11th century village in France now. No one speaks English here so I'm a little board, I do these things for just $100 If interested I can send you the full pitch for promoters.This new digital performance concept has worked great so far.Check out the vid and this will all make more sense





First and foremost I want to convey, that I am so happy to have witnessed Jim Rose Circus when The White Trash Debutantes played with you in Canada. Along with seeing you in San Francisco.

Ginger that show we did together was amazing. The promoter came out and asked if we wanted any heroin or coke. You and I looked at each other like he was the one who killed the Limburgh kid and at the same time said NO

That was a wild night. Then there was that obsessed girl that was chasing after myself and Lift from The Jim Rose Circus... The cops had to escort her away... You were living in Seattle when you first became involved with incorporating the sideshow/ circus freak element into the act?

Yeah I was doing spoken word stuff for about 10 people in the audience who wearing berets and snapping fingers. I decided to add some freak stunts I knew from my junky hustling days in Europe.From that point on there was a new tentacle to punk performance.


Tell us about some of your first shows?

Once I added freak stunts to spoken word I moved the performance to a middle eastern restaurant and performed with belly dancers and it became hip pretty quick. All the famous grunge bands in Seattle came to see it. This was before they got famous. Before the grunge thing.

Did you tour with the first incarnation of The Jim Rose Circus?

No the first incarnations were mostly just me and belly dancers.

In the early 90's you were asked to Partake in Lollapalooza, Tell us about some of the memorable shows that you played on The Lollapalooza stage?

Its pretty much all a spunk encrusted blur. Chris Cornell asked me to introduce Sound Garden every day.I loved that because they were playing the main stage.I only played the second stage that year.

Who else was playing that Lollaoalooza tour?

Red Hot Chili Peppers,Ministry,Pearl Jam,Jesus and Mary Chain

It was that Lollapalooza tour that captivated you to super stardom. Tell us the chain of events that happened?

Perry Ferrel saw me on Sally Jesse Raphael and booked us

Good ole Sally! After that more tours with bands happened. Tell us the bands you toured with?

We were the middle slot on the Downward Spiral Tour NIN headlined Marilyn Manson was the opener. Other than that we headlined all over the world for 25 years


You also took the act International tell us how that was?

The number one TV show in England heard about us from Lolla and did a feature on us (Eddie Vedder drank my vomit in it) and that created a huge buzz.

I have a new found respect for Eddie! Did you ever encounter any hassles at customs?

It was constant in those days. Lift would stick a small bicycle key in his butt and when they found it he would say: "That's were I keep my spare". I used to tell them that I enjoyed cavity searches and that they didn't even have to wear a glove."Unless you have a sore on your finger"

I can only imagine the field day you had..... Everyone wanted to meet you.. Who were some of your personal favorite people you met?

Bowie took us under his wing and was always there for us until he died. William Burroughs used to come to the shows a lot. Just about everyone at some point even Bono.There are tons of photos and stories on our Facebook.

Tell us about working with Rick Rubin? Did you know him when he lived in San Francisco and was hanging with Flipper?

Yeah I've known Rick forever.He really helped us. Maybe more than anyone.

Tell us about some of your stand out performers in the Jim Rose Circus?

Women Sumo Wrestling had Large Marge,Judy The Bull Moose Jenkins,Tundra and Gail Force.The Mexican transvestite wrestlers had Tickles Valdez,Low Blow Ventura,Billy Martinez The Barrio Bottom etc.

Tell us about The X Files and The Simpsons?

They aired within 2 months of each other and have become iconic episodes.Homer joins my circus as a human cannon ball.I was the lead murder suspect in a fan favorite episode.It always comes in at 1st or 2nd on fan favorite polls.

I loved The Simpsons stint! Brilliant! Tell us about your books that you have written?

Freak Like Me (several best seller lists) and Snake Oil.About how not to pay the dues to become street smart.

When is the last time that you performed live?

I am doing a lot of Skype shows as we speak. This new way of performing is amazing.

Tell us where you now call home?

Anjou France


I had read that you had been working with Microsoft and working as a consultant with PR Firms... Is this fact or fiction?

Fact

Tell us about what keeps you busy nowadays?

I'm doing 5-8 Skype shows a night

Do you have any Internet addresses that you would like to share with us.

https://www.facebook.com/Jim-Rose-Circus-73911349699/
jimrosecircus@gmail.com

Describe yourself in three words?

Relentless,relentless,relentless

I sure hop we can get you filmed for the Ginger Coyote documentary.. I'm sure you may know someone who could film you for One Finger Films and send it via the Internet. We will talk more!

Lets do this.

Tell us what is in store for you in the rest of 2016?

I used to tour the world every year and do about 120 shows.I now do 120 shows in 2 weeks on Skype.In 6 months time it has been like I have toured the world 9 times .Ahhhh technology.

Without leaving home! Are you keeping tabs on the election in the USA? Any thoughts about it? Were you feeling the Bern?

I Loved the Bern.I wish the U.S could get it together with some of his issues.Wow Donald Trump I really have no words for him.What an anomaly

Any last words for the Punk Globe readers?

I'm too boring, No one has read this far.