Talkin‘ the Talk With Don

Episode 122: Herman Rarebell (ex-Scorpions)

Drummer, pianist, lyricist, artist, and whatever else you can imagine is what makes up the life of legendary former Scorpions drummer, Herman Rarebell.  Since leaving the Scorpions in 1996, Herman Zee German has been a busy so and so.  Never one to sit still, Herman has returned in 2025 with a new release called What About Love as Herman Rarebell and Friends.
It was such an honor speaking with such a legendary, iconic artist and he couldn't have been more amazing.  We talked about the new album and why he chose to cover his favorite '80s songs.  We also talked about the Scorpions now legendary performances at the 1984 US Festival and the 1989 Moscow Music Peace Festival. It was just such a great conversation and I hope y'all enjoy this one.  

Episode 121: Tracii Guns (LA Guns)

In 1988, a friend of mine showed up at my house with a cassette and said, "Dude, you need to hear this song."  He put on the LA Guns debut album and played me the song "Electric Gypsy" and I loved it.  I picked up the album and played it until the tape was almost clear.  LA Guns has been at it for 40 years.  With 15 studio albums, 10 live releases, and countless videos, LA Guns, in 2025, is surely not going anywhere anytime soon.  
I had a chance to talk to LA Guns guitarist/songwriter/founding member Tracii Guns and I couldn't have had a better time.  We talked about the new album, being dorks in school, and our mutual love and admiration for Poison guitarist CC DeVille.  This was a lot of fun and I hope y'all enjoy it!!!
 

Episode 120: Keefy (Ghost Cult Magazine, Glacially Musical Pouredcast)

Check out my Patreon for some cool extras, including exclusive content not heard/seen by anyone but me. Your support is what keeps this podcast independent, so any and all support is greatly appreciated.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/talkingthetalk
Check out my Socials here: https://linktr.ee/southeastofheaven1
 
GHOST CULT MAG LINKS: https://linktr.ee/ghostcultmag
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Keef is one of my closest pals. He's an amazing journalist, an amazing podcast host, and he's a huge inspiration to me and has been for nearly 12 years. This is a do-over of a lost interview form last year, so better late than never! We talked about Ghost Cult, being a journalist, the stresses of it all, and why it is that we're insane enough to do this stuff as our passions!

Episode 119: Jacob Hellenrud (Children of the Sun, Nephila)

In 2019, I stumbled upon a young band out of Sweden called Children of the Sun.  Their debut album Flowers knocked me out with it's flower power Jesus Christ Superstar like qualities.  It was a beautiful album and I was a fan immediately.  Since then, Children of the Sun has grown personally and creatively.  They have performed countless live shows all over Europe and they continue to shoot for the moon. 
I have been friends with guitarist/songwriter Jacob Hellenrud for some time now and I FINALLY convinced him to be on the podcast after all these years.  Speaking English isn't his favorite thing to do but he made it his favorite thing for an hour or so just to talk to me.  We talked about the weird way Americans measure things, the growth of the band, his solo material, and the band's new album Leaving Ground, Greet the End. 
For more on Children of the Sun, head over to https://www.facebook.com/Childrenofthesuun
 

Episode 01 - On and Off the Records - God Street Wine - $1.99 Romances

Thanks for checking out the first episode of my On and Off the Records segment. This is where I will be joined by friends (and sometimes even members of the band of the said album) and talk about the history of the album, comments, and reviews, and finally revisit the album track by track.
To kick it all off, we'll dive into $1.99 Romances by '90s Jam Band Legends God Street Wine. Joining me as guests are none other than Lo Faber and Aaron Maxwell of God Street Wine.

Episode 01: Talkin' Music w/ Friends - Don and Nik discuss the Black Sabbath/Ozzy Farewell Show.

This is a first for this Podcast. This time around, my good friend/fellow podcaster Nik Cameron of the Glacially Musical Pouredcast got together with zero time notice to talk about the "Final" Black Sabbath/Ozzy appearance on July 5, 2025, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. As usual, Nik patiently dealt with my ADHD-ranting brain and did a great job wrangling us back on target. This was fun, this was different, and this was the first of many!
For the news/wordy side of things: https://www.southeastofheaven.com
For ridiculous pix and viny stuff:   / southeastofheaven  
Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/dond
Check out Glacially Musical Pouredcast: https://www.youtube.com@glaciallymusical355 

Episode 118: Ricky Warwick (The Fighting Hearts, The Almighty, Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy)

Since I first heard the iconic Scottish metal band The Almighty in 1990, I have been a huge fan of vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Ricky Warwick.  At a mere 58 years old, Ricky Warwick has lived the dreams many of us can ONLY dream about.  Ricky was handpicked to front a newly re-formed Thin Lizzy in 2009 and later co-founded the Black Star Riders with former Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham.  He has worked with amazing artists such as Joe Elliot of Def Leppard, Billy Duffy of The Cult, Lita Ford, and the legendary Irish punk rock band The Stiff Little Fingers.  
I had the honor of talking with Ricky from his home in California, where his family is safe and sound from the California Wildfires.  Ricky and I spoke about his forthcoming album Bloodties, the art and excitement of songwriting, and shared many laughs.  Ricky is an absolutely amazing human being and a talent like no other.  
https://www.rickywarwick.com/

Episode 117: Rebecca Markus (TV Tangents Podcast/TikTok)

Happy New Year!  2024 was an awesome year of interviews here at Talking the Talk, and 2025 is already shaping up to be awesome.  Kicking the year off is the hilariously kick-ass Rebecca Markus.  Rebecca hosts a podcast called TV Tangents and a TikTok account of the same name. 
Rebecca is a Gen X master when it comes to Gen X television shows and I have always loved her stuff and I was stoked when she agreed to be a guest. Besides, she LOVES Simon and Simon so I knew I'd found a new friend!
Rebecca was a great guest, and I think you all will enjoy this one. 
Check out TV Tangents here:
TV Tangents on Spotify