Ian Astbury of 80′s punk-rock band The Cult lived out his dream when he was selected to fill in for the late Jim Morrison with The Doors of the 21st Century back in 2002. In a recent interview, he recalled how he became influenced by The Doors in his youth and what it was like to tour with them.
“They were really influential,” Ian said as he explained that reading the book, No One Here Gets Out Alive by Danny Sugarman and Jerry Hopkins, as well as hearing the song “The End” in the film Apocalypse Now in his late teens moved him deeply.
When Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger revived the group and renamed them The Doors of the 21st Century in 2002, they invited Ian to step in for Jim Morrison. “They waited 30 years to do that, so I was really honored to be asked,” said Ian but he noted, “it was a really long courtship, over 10 years, not overnight.”
Although he did about 150 shows with the band over five or six years, he said that’s not as many performances as bands do today. “The European tour was 6 shows.”
“We went to places they never went to,” he continued. “We got to perform “L.A. Woman,” which they never did live.”
Ian considers The Doors his mentors. “I look up to them and they gave me so much.”
To listen to the complete interview, click here.
Liz Bradley | dave.fm