I first learned about Bob Forrest when I received a press kit for The Bicycle Thief’s You Come And Go Like A Pop Song in 1999. The bio largely talked about how Bicycle Thief leader Bob Forrest was an influential musician and integral to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in their early days. Fast forward a decade or so, when I worked at The Hornblow Group – former management for Bob and The Bicycle Thief, beyond They Might Be Giants, OK Go and Mike Doughty –I found a handwritten letter in my desk from RHCP frontman Anthony Kiedis about Bob and what a great person he is.
Around the same time that I found that letter, I was watching VH1’s Celebrity Rehab and noticed that Dr. Drew Pinsky’s head counselor was a man named Bob Forrest. Immediately I put it all together and realized this to be the same Bob Forrest from The Bicycle Thief, who had previously been part of Thelonius Monster. Since then, Bob also played a key role on the VH1 spin-off series Sober House.
Within the past few years, Bob has expanded his horizons even further beyond music and counseling. He wrote a memoir, was the subject of a documentary and launched a podcast. But to bring things full circle, his music career has resumed with the upcoming release of a solo album, Survival Songs. In support of the new release, Bob will be appearing at Joe’s Pub on October 20th for a 7:30 p.m. show.
Bob kindly answered some questions for Downtown about a variety of topics. Let’s just say that his first-ever concert in New York City should have been recorded.
What do you wish more people knew about Bob Forrest?
Bob Forrest: Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” What’s the opposite of that? Between the documentary, Bob And The Monster, and my book, Running With Monsters: A Memoir, anyone — who wants to — can know anything about me. But honestly, the older I get, I think you can judge a person by their kids and how they’ve turned out. I have two boys. They’re both kind, sweet and thoughtful.
Some people know you as a musician, others for your recovery work, others for your podcast which bridges those two careers. How do you usually respond when someone asks you what do you for a living?
B: A little bit of this…a little bit of that…sometimes as little as possible.
Having released a lot of music, appeared on TV, started a podcast, written a memoir and starred in a documentary, you’ve seemingly covered all entertainment grounds possible. Or is there a field or occupation you haven’t yet tried which you one day hope to?
B: I aspire to be a teacher of how to help drug addicts really recover. I’m writing a book right now describing what I think 21st century drug treatment should be.
You earned a lot of new fans and followers as a result of the VH1 shows you appeared on. How much of your musical fan base do you think is aware of your TV appearances?
B: I think that everyone aware of me as a musician is also aware of me being on TV. Fans have told me how shocked they were to see me on a TV show, but it’s cool. Even my all-time hero, Paul Westerberg, couldn’t believe I was on reality TV. The interesting thing is that a huge part of the Celebrity Rehab audience has no idea I play music. I’ll get e-mails from people who have heard some song on Beck’s record asking if it’s me singing. My own girlfriend didn’t know I was a musician until the talk of this album coming out. She just always thought I was a drug counselor. Doesn’t come up a lot when you never play.
For someone who hasn’t seen you live before, what should be expected from your Joe’s Pub show in New York?
B: Since I perform so infrequently, my advice is to be patient. It takes me a while to get into a groove. I get nervous but it’s like riding a bike – about halfway through I really start to know what I’m doing. I talk a lot, because I want intimacy. I’ve seen some of my heroes – like Steve Earle, Ryan Adams and Lucinda Williams — performing acoustic in the raw like this and they have a way of creating intimacy that I eventually get to in a talkative, roundabout way.
What do you remember about your first-ever gig in New York?
B: The first time I ever sang in New York was with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1983. It was at the Pyramid Club in the old East Village. I sang a song we wrote that day called, “Going To The Pyramid Club.” Richard Lloyd [from Television] got up and we all played a few songs together. We met him that day on St. Mark’s walking around. Those were the good ol’ days.
What led you to starting a podcast?
B: I had a weekly radio show here in LA for years called, All Up In The Interweb, and when it switched they wanted me to do a podcast. And I didn’t even know what a podcast was. Then Obama came to be on Marc Maron’s [WTF? Podcast] and I thought, “These podcast things are serious!”
Other than your own, do you have a favorite podcast?
B: I love Chris Kirkwood’s [from the Meat Puppets] podcast and obviously Maron’s. I’ve been listening to different podcasts and they are only as good as the people doing them – the host, the guest, whether they are funny. I’m not into subject matter podcasts. I’m into the people. But podcasts are here to stay. For sure. Bye-bye radio.
When you’re not working, what do you like to do with yourself?
B: Hang with my son Elvis. I’m a Wednesday night and weekend dad, so that’s top of the list. I like movies but there are not many good ones to see. I still go to record stores all the time. I have a ranch in Joshua Tree, so I like to go out there and try to reset my central nervous system.
Finally, Bob, any last words for the kids?
B: Fuck heroin. Try and follow your bliss.
-by Darren Paltrowitz
