Melissa Reese: My Bandmates 'Are Like Big Brothers To Me'

[Funky.Monkey]

Melissa Reese: On the Road with Guns N’ Roses

November 11th 2016

Melissa Reese, the keyboardist for Guns N’ Roses, is on a global tour with the legendary rock band.

How did you get into scoring for film and video games?

I first got into it with my partner Bryan “Brain” Mantia. He was brought in as a co-producer on some of the tracks I was working on with another producer. He and I actually ended up hitting it off better than either of us did with the other producer and that’s where it started. We travelled to LA to record some demos for Sony, and from there the phone never stopped ringing.

How would you describe your songwriting process?  

It depends if I’m working alone or collaboratively. It sounds funny, but by myself, my ideas usually come to me when I’m in the shower. There are times when I will purposefully take a shower just to get ideas flowing. I have a higher success rate in the shower than my car. I keep my phone in the bathroom with me in case inspiration strikes, and then I have to jump out and record the idea really fast so I don’t lose it. Then when I get out and dry off, I sit down and flesh the idea out.

When I’m working with a partner — Brain specifically — one of us will start something. Then we’ll do this routine where we’re constantly kicking each other out of the driver’s seat and adding our own layer onto what we’re doing. In that case, I handle all the melodic elements, and he handles the percussive side. I handle all the beautiful aspects, and he handles all the dark, gritty, vibey ones.

Can you tell us about your experiences on this historic reunion tour with Guns N’ Roses?  

The fans are great. My bandmates are the coolest, most chill dudes ever. They’re like big brothers and mentors to me. For me, the most fun has been playing CenturyLink Field because I’m from Seattle and I’m a huge Seahawks fan, so I dressed up in crazy Seahawks gear. The crowd was totally lit!

Continue here: https://roli.com/article/melissa-reese-interview

 

Edited November 29, 2016 by Funky.Monkey

[AxlRoseCDII]

Nice little read, I see no reason to hate her- if you don't like the second keyboardist role, understandable but the big 3 are responsible for her being there and not her. Hope she adds a lot to the next album, it's never bad to have some new blood in a band.

[The Holographic Universe]

I think she is super cool. How lucky is she to be a part of this reunion.

[Gackt]

She's cute 

[StrangerInThisTown]

I'd just like to know how old she actually is lol. Seems shes hiding her age from the internet

[Swedish]

I like Melissa, Melissa's cool.

[PsychoKiss344]

Melissa is da bomb.

 

[-W.A.R-]

26 minutes ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

I'd just like to know how old she actually is lol. Seems shes hiding her age from the internet

wikipedia says she learned protools at 17 and her first project came out in 2007 

i'd say shes roughly 27 years of age 

[Magnus Cavalerra]

45 minutes ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

I'd just like to know how old she actually is lol. Seems shes hiding her age from the internet

She's about 32, i remember someone here found it by stalking her sister facebook and counting their high school graduation year.

[StrangerInThisTown]

28 minutes ago, Magnus Cavalerra said:

She's about 32, i remember someone here found it by stalking her sister facebook and counting their high school graduation year.

That's..some next level shit CSI:MYGNR shit right there. She looks like 16..wtf.

[-W.A.R-]

1 hour ago, Magnus Cavalerra said:

She's about 32, i remember someone here found it by stalking her sister facebook and counting their high school graduation year.

damn i shoulda added more years to my estimate

funny enough 31 was my blind guess so i was more right with that   

[Magnus Cavalerra]

1 hour ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

She looks like 16..wtf.

It's because she has Asian blood.

[megaguns1982]

2 hours ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

I'd just like to know how old she actually is lol. Seems shes hiding her age from the internet

Id say mid 30s. Makeup slapped on with a trowel

[killuridols]

It makes sense now to me why she's been added to the band.

She's into movie soundtracks and those things Axl LOVES and he thinks will end up doing if/when he's not in GN'R anymore.

Hopefully, Melissa inspires, encourages and help Axl to open the vault and finally release his CD 2, 3 & 4.

Please....

Pliiiiiiz...........

[IncitingChaos]

Still waiting on the Axl and Melissa duet on the next album 

[Słash]

She got more fame and love from the fans than Dizzy could ever get in the past 25 years Hahahahaha

[cooker]

I honestly forget sometimes that she is in the band. She seems nice enough though. 

[Tom-Ass]

10 hours ago, AxlRoseCDII said:

the big 3 are responsible for her being there and not her. 

I'm sure Duff and Slash insisted they have an annoying, useless, green haired raver chick in the band or no reunion..

[AxlRoseCDII]

10 minutes ago, Tom-Ass said:

I'm sure Duff and Slash insisted they have an annoying, useless, green haired raver chick in the band or no reunion..

To an extent, yes. Both parties made compromises to make this happen. The third guitarist position is gone and Axl gave Slash Coma and DTJ. Slash and Duff agreed for there to be a second keyboardist and after Pitman bit the dust they most likely all agreed that Melissa was the fit candidate. Axl most likely offered them legitimate reasons for a second keyboardist and Slash and Duff agreed- if they were really against it, the reunion wouldn't have happened.

[DieselDaisy]

If they were not under gag orders, and agreed to interviews like normal bands, you know Slash would say something like, ''yeh man, when all things are considered she pushes us musically, getting us to where we want to go blah blah'' (the usual Slash gibberish), but we all know the truth that she is there at Axl's insistence, and that Slash had to accept the Axl dick up the arse because Slash wants the money and the reunion too much - Duff also.

Slash has had three bands since Guns, Snakepit #1, Snakepit #2 and The Conspirators and at no point did he desire one keyboardist let alone two of them!! Reportedly he was against Dizzy's inclusion, back in 1990!

[starlight]

Slash even accepted Beta and Fernando's presence around him, he couldn't care less about Melissa being in the band

[BorderlineCrazy]

16 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

Slash has had three bands since Guns, Snakepit #1, Snakepit #2 and The Conspirators and at no point did he desire one keyboardist let alone two of them!! Reportedly he was against Dizzy's inclusion, back in 1990!

Wow, all this time I thought it was Slash the guy playing guitar in Velvet Revolver 

I don't think Slash HAD to agree because he wanted the money. I'm sure he doesn't WANT 2 keyboardists but I think it doesn't bothers him (as it used to back in the day) as long as it doesn't fuck with the sound. I don't see Melissa ruining songs like Jungle or Nightrain, so I guess it doesn't bother him having her adding her things to the CD songs or some Illusions songs that might require her input.

[AxlRoseCDII]

34 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

If they were not under gag orders, and agreed to interviews like normal bands, you know Slash would say something like, ''yeh man, when all things are considered she pushes us musically, getting us to where we want to go blah blah'' (the usual Slash gibberish), but we all know the truth that she is there at Axl's insistence, and that Slash had to accept the Axl dick up the arse because Slash wants the money and the reunion too much - Duff also.

Slash has had three bands since Guns, Snakepit #1, Snakepit #2 and The Conspirators and at no point did he desire one keyboardist let alone two of them!! Reportedly he was against Dizzy's inclusion, back in 1990!

Where's does having two keyboardists ruin the integrity of the music? It's not like she's playing piano over Jungle or Its So Easy, she's playing hidden synth, chord matching the band to make the music stronger, and backing vocals- it's a legitimate job. So what if Slash and Duff agreed to it? Axl didn't force them to agree, he offered his legitimate reasoning why he believe Guns needs a second keyboardist- I understand a lot of people view Axl as some kind of dictator, but does his opinion not matter at all? If he wants a second keyboardist, he's gonna tell his band members why and meet them in the middle as a compromise. Maybe she'll have a role on CD II.

[DieselDaisy]

8 minutes ago, AxlRoseCDII said:

Where's does having two keyboardists ruin the integrity of the music? It's not like she's playing piano over Jungle or Its So Easy, she's playing hidden synth, chord matching the band to make the music stronger, and backing vocals- it's a legitimate job. So what if Slash and Duff agreed to it? Axl didn't force them to agree, he offered his legitimate reasoning why he believe Guns needs a second keyboardist- I understand a lot of people view Axl as some kind of dictator, but does his opinion not matter at all? If he wants a second keyboardist, he's gonna tell his band members why and meet them in the middle as a compromise. Maybe she'll have a role on CD II.

She isn't even plugged in. She just jumps up and down like she is having sex behind the keyboard. And the reason ''people view'' Axl ''as some kind of dictator'' is because he is one. By all means: give the name back to Slash and Duff; allow Slash and Duff to make 40% of the decisions; make a sweaty rock n' roll record. Isn't going to happen, is it?

 

[Gorthar]

4 hours ago, cooker said:

I honestly forget sometimes that she is in the band. She seems nice enough though. 

This is the truth right here. I was at the Detroit show and I'm damned if I can remember paying the slightest bit of attention to her. I'm not even sure I saw her (although I was on Duff's side of the stage). I suppose if they showed her on the big screen I guess I may have...