She's a D.J on 97.1 fm,a stand-up
comic and a host for not one - but two killer comedy
shows in Hollywood! And
when Sheena's not busy performing clubs like the Laugh
Factory or on the radio, she's being roped into shocking
Publicity Whore interviews by yours truly. Publicity
Whore sat down to see what LA's controversial queen
of controversy had to say about life, love and that
damn
P.W: Word has it
Sheena you have earned the nickname the "Queen
of Observation." What's the story behind this?
Sheena:
Well, I seem to have been born with this uncanny knack
to notice oddly accurate (however irreverant) things
and blurt them out on-air or on stage. When I was co-hosting
the 'Nastyman show' on 97.1 FM, he began calling me
that and it kind of stuck as a radio nickname. My humor
has always been more observational than introspective,
which is why I play a lot off the audience on stage.
P.W:
Describe how 'Sheena Metal's Freakin Rock Review' got
started and are you still doing it? Who
are some of the bands you've worked with over the years?
Sheena:
'SMFRR' started out as a one-woman show I did in college,
with 'Sheena' as one of the 20 characters I played.
I'd already done a lot of guest starring on friends'
cable shows as many of my different characters and decided
that I wanted to do a show of my own. Sheena seemed
liked the easiest character to build an entire show
around. It was between her and my serial killer clown
character. I guess that I made the right choice. I did
the show from April 1991 until July 1998. It was loads
of fun and thrust me headlong into the music biz, where
I've worked with literally thousands of bands.
"Killer
Klowns From Outer Space-
an American Classic"
P.W:
What advice can you offer to someone trying to break
into the radio business? Tell us about some of your
difficult experiences getting started, and what lessons
people can take away from it.
Sheena:
Don't expect to get a show at a big station right away.
It's going to be lots of work and baby steps to get
there. Find a small station somewhere (internet, cable,
college, etc.) and cut your teeth on that while you
put together a killer demo. Also, intern at a big station
and learn how radio really works. It's an industry that's
always changing and you've got to keep up on it. I'm
always willing to help people who want to get jobs in
radio because no one helped me and I had NO idea what
I was doing. It's just my dumb Irish luck that I've
made it this far.
"Where's
me freakin lucky charms?'
P.W:
Is LA really the entertainment capital of the world,
or just hyped up bullshit?
Sheena:
LA is absolutely the entertainment capital of the world.
There is no other place like it. It has the most interesting
energy, It almost pulses. You can feel it when you drive
done Sunset Blvd., or up Melrose. LA is truly a living
entity of its own, which was built up around the entertainment
industry. I can't imagine living or working anywhere
else.
P.W:
What are your favorite comedy clubs to perform at in
LA and why?
Sheena:
The Laugh Factory in Hollywood. It's got a big, warm
room with an awesome vibe and some great comics. Everyone
there is like a tight-knit family. It's as much fun
offstage as on.
P.W:
Do you think it is easier or more difficult for women
to break into the radio business than men? What are
the advantages of being a woman?
Sheena:
It's
really hard for women to break into radio. It is perhaps
the hardest branch of entertainment for women to break
into. There are really no advantages that I can think
of.
P.W:
You've developed a solid resume as a writer for all
sorts of publications in LA. Did you intend to become
a journalist, or did that just 'sorta happen' and you
ran with it?
Sheena:
You know, almost everything in my career just 'sort
of happened'. I never intended to be a journalist, a
talk radio host or a stand-up comic. But working in
this business in like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride... it whips
you to and fro and you hang on for dear life and hope
you don't get run over by it. I take the jobs as they
come - and I'm thankful for them! Writing is a blast
and I love it. I enjoyed writing for the L.A. Times
the best, I think, because the piece was casual and
observational.
Mr. Toad's - worth the price
of an E-Ticket!
P.W:
Do you think of yourself as a comedienne first, and
then everything else follows? Explain how you prioritize
when you have multiple pursuits going on at once?
Sheena:
I think of myself as an entertainer really. I'm certainly
a humorous person... but I'd be funny if I was a school
lunch lady. That's more who I am, than what I do. I
don't really prioritize. I love everything I do equally
and I try to inject humor into all of it.
P.W:
What was it really like working with Sam Phillips at
97.1 fm. We've heard she's an energetic 'spirited' one...
why did the show get pulled from lineup... honestly?
Sheena:
The show didn't get pulled. Sam quit and was replaced
with Krystal "The Princess" Fernandez who
is one of my best friends.
P.W:
I read somewhere that you are "A dichotomous blend
of female emotionality and male sensibility." Can
you translate these big scary words for our bong tipping
Publicity Whore readers at home?
Sheena:
Wow. That sounds like my Oprah Winfrey Show intro...
"Please welcome a dichotomous blend of female emotionality
and male sensibility... Sheena Metal!" Well, I've
certainly got a guy's head. I think that intellectually
I'm much more male. Women tend to inject emotion into
everything.... which often scares me. You never know
what you're gonna get from girls. I know how to keep
my girlie emotional needs out of the entertainment industry.
Which is a good thing, I hope.
P.W:
Eminem, love him or hate him?
Sheena:
Love him. He makes me laugh.
Will the real "M &
M" please stand up...
P.W:
What is one book everyone should read before they die?
Sheena:
Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol".
P.W:
Where are you from originally and how did you get introduced
to the entertainment business in the first place?
Sheena:
I'm originally from New Haven, Connecticut. I moved
to Huntington Beach when I was 13 and have lived in
the San Fernando Valley since I was 23. I first got
introduced to entertaining when I was five and stumbled
upon my mom's box set of Gilbert & Sullivan's "H.M.S.
Pinafore." One listen to that, and all dreams of
becoming a doctor where lost.
P.W:
And for the male readers at home, are you single? What's
the deal here? do you find it difficult to date in LA
being a celebrity?
Sheena:
I am always in and out of being single. I'm such a workaholic
that most people tire of my endless working after awhile.
It seems like fun to date a celebrity - until you do
it. My public life is forever seeping into my private
life, and it takes a special person to handle that.
I have been told that I'm great in bed - which always
makes me laugh because I'm certainly not anyone's idea
of a sex goddess. I guess I get an "A" for
effort in that regard.
"Sheena
and Mike Marino"
P.W:
What shows do you have coming up that people should
know about? Do you have radio shows people can listen
to currently?
Sheena:
I'm at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood every Friday at
midnite where I emcee and do comedy. The show is called
"Sheena Metal's Midnite Madness." I also host
and promote 2 music shows: "Sheena and Friends"
every Thursday at the Sherman Oaks Lounge and "SONGS
ROCK" at the Joint every Wednesday. I also do music
shows at the Derby and the Lava Lounge.
P.W:
And lastly, what do you think about those entertainment
loving, freedom fighters over at Publicity Whore Magazine?
Sheena:
I love those guys! As a matter of fact, I slept with
the editor to get this interview. And as you can see,
It was well worth it!
KNOW
OF A COMIC
WE SHOULD INTERVIEW?
THEN TELL US!
interviews@publicitywhore.com
