Aerosmith News

Boston.com
By Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein
June 30, 2009

Oh, the stories Joey Kramer can tell. The Aerosmith drummer has seen and done a lot in his 40 years rocking with Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, and Tom Hamilton. Kramer chronicles some of those (mis)adventures in his memoir, “Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top,’’ which comes out today. There’s talk of his drug addiction, depression, and dysfunctional relationship with dad. We talked to Kramer during a break in the band’s summer tour.

Q. How are the shows?
A. Pretty good. I can’t complain. The band’s getting back on track.

Q. Tell me about the book. Why now?
A. Basically, I want to be of service and help folks out.

Q. Of service to whom?
A. Anybody that relates to stuff that’s happened to me along the way - my anxiety, my depression, the drugs. If I can help someone, I’ll have accomplished my goal.

Q. Isn’t it hard for people to relate to the drummer for Aerosmith?
A. Anybody can crash and burn. Just because I’m a so-called rock star, that doesn’t mean I can’t suffer.

Q. A lot of the crazy drug stuff I’d already read in “Walk This Way,’’ but I had no idea about the depression. It sounds like it snuck up on you.
A. It did. And it did because I hadn’t dealt with the death of my father. I let myself get distracted and, combined with other relationships gone awry, that put me in bad shape.

Q. Did you talk to the band before writing this?
A. I did. Steven, particularly. He and I are really close. We’ve been brothers for a very long time. He said, “As long as it’s the truth, it’s OK.’’ I don’t portray anybody as a monster.

Q. You had a tortured relationship with your dad. Isn’t that always the way?
A. I didn’t comprehend it when I was a kid, but the way he disciplined me, which was abusive, was my fuel. I wasn’t [drumming] to please him, but the big thing he related to was the almighty dollar, so when I started making some of those, he paid attention.

Q. Aerosmith has been way up and way down. If you drew the arc of the band, what would it look like?
A. W.

Q. Have any regrets about the past? I mean, you write about Steven passing out in Portland [Maine] and having to cancel the show.
A. Regret is a negative. All that stuff - the angst, the anger, the emotional turmoil - adds up to what we are today.

Q. And what is that? How long can the train keep rolling?
A. This train is pretty strong. I don’t see an end in sight any time soon. I like to think we’ve got the goods. No matter what’s put in front of us, we get it out of the way and keep moving.

Boston.com