ALTER BRIDGE's MYLES KENNEDY Couldn't Pull Off Acting Like A 'Rock Star' On Stage

ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS singer Myles Kennedy was recently interviewed for the “Journey Of A Frontman” podcast (web site). You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

Speaking about how he manages to have a strong stage presence without appearing pretentious while perfoming live, Myles said: “I just try to wear something other than a pair of sweatpants and a ripped-up t-shirt. I’ve always looked at someone like David Bowie and thought he presented himself so appropriately and so well. And I think a lot of artists and musicians would probably say the same thing. He was not only a musical icon, but obviously a total fashion icon as well; he just had a real great sense there for sure.”

He continued: “I think there are people who play the part of… whether it’s a rock star, pop star or a larger-than-life figure, there are people who do that well and that’s entertaining, and I personally love to see that. But, for me, I don’t think I could pull that off. I think I just have to be myself. There have been times throughout my career where I started to think, Oh, do I go that direction?’ and then I would see a picture or watch a performance and go, ‘No, dude. That’s not working.’ It’s too transparent. You just have to be you and do what you do and let the music speak for itself. So that will be my M.O. from this point forward and, I guess, to a point, always has been.”

Myles added: “Bringing David Bowie up as an example again, there’s somebody who would be somewhat of a chameleon onstage — he had that larger-than-life presence — and he could pull that off. Not only was he musically brilliant, but he also had this real ability to transform himself on the stage into this almost otherworldly figure. But I found that that was not gonna work for me early on.”

Kennedy and ALTER BRIDGE just issued their fifth studio album, “The Last Hero”, in October.

The band will embark on its first headline tour of 2017 across North America beginning on January 21 in Mobile, Alabama. “The Last Hero” tour will make stops in cities across the country such as Chicago, Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Las Vegas, Nevada before wrapping up in Seattle, Washington. The tour will commence after the band gets back from rocking the high seas on board ShipRocked.

Interview (audio):