Mick Sweda recently explained his decision to reunite with BulletBoys after previously stating the band was finished. He addressed the surprising turn of events in an interview with The Hair Metal Guru.
The guitarist’s comments came in response to a direct question about his apparent change of heart regarding the band’s future.
When asked about what changed since declaring BulletBoys done six months earlier, Sweda provided insight into the legal and personal dynamics that led to the reunion.
“Well, quite a bit. At the time I was referring to basically the past, which if anybody has ever heard me talk before, you probably know that I basically gave up my rights to the name back in 1993 when I left the band,” Sweda said. “And that was always part of what I wanted to realign. I wanted everybody to, you know, have their portion of the name back and sort of get the band on the right track and get everything sort of as it was back then.”
Sweda explained that previous attempts to resolve these issues had been unsuccessful. This made the recent developments unexpected.
“And there was never that was never on the table. There was never an opportunity for that to happen in the past. And of course after I say something like never, which I know better than to do, that comes on the table and now all of a sudden there are discussions and legalities are being worked out and things are coming to fruition that I never expected in the past,” he continued. “So that’s without going into all the gory details that is ultimately what ended up happening. Something became available to everybody, you know, for the betterment of the band, I think, and everybody agrees with that.”
The guitarist noted that the recent negotiations were markedly different from past attempts.
“Everybody seems to be in a much better place. The conversations were civil and productive and I never expected that to happen. So, yeah, never say never or say, ‘Hey, you didn’t let me finish,'” Sweda concluded.
This latest reunion marks another chapter in BulletBoys’ complex history of reunions and separations. The original lineup has previously attempted to work together multiple times over the years.
The current reunion represents the band’s most recent attempt to recapture their original chemistry. Wikipedia reported that the original BulletBoys lineup previously reunited for a hometown gig on December 30, 2019, at the Whisky a Go Go. That reunion lasted only until January 2022 when drummer Jimmy D’Anda and other members parted ways again.
The band’s previous reunion attempt faced significant challenges that ultimately led to its dissolution. Drummer Jimmy D’Anda explained that COVID-related “barricades” contributed to the 2019-2022 reunion’s failure, as noted by Blabbermouth. This suggests that external circumstances played a role in the band’s previous breakup.
The current reunion appears to be built on a more solid foundation than previous attempts. Blabbermouth confirmed that the original BulletBoys lineup consisting of Marq Torien (vocals), Mick Sweda (guitars), Lonnie Vencent (bass) and Jimmy D’Anda (drums) has returned to the live stage. The band has “come to some agreements that weren’t necessarily on the table before.”
Sweda’s enthusiasm for the current reunion is evident in his recent statements. “I love playing with these guys,” he said. This indicates that the personal relationships within the band have improved significantly since their previous attempts at working together.
