Jonathan Weiner, Kerrang!, Winter 2018
Kerrang!'s Person Of The Year has had a transformative 12 months - and where he goes from here is anyone's guess...
It's been a huge year for you, but which keywords distil your 2018 experience?
"The guiding principles [have been] gratitude and spontaneity. I'm grateful not just for the career that I'm allowed to have, but also the support from the fanbase I've received over the past year and a half. As for spontaneity, I've been looking for open doors and thinking very openly in terms of where to go next. There have been times in my career where my friends and I have chased a very specific goal we've had in mind. I don't need that kind of goal at this point. I'm happy just seeing what opportunities come up what opportunities seem interesting."
What's the most important lesson you've learned over the course of 2018?
"Mental health is like physical health: if you wake up and feel less than 100 percent, it's up to you to do something about it. Maybe you need to take it easy, maybe you need to stay off social media for the day, maybe you need to see a doctor or a professional. And there is no shame in taking care of yourself - in fact, it's one of the smartest things you can do."
Is there one particular memory from the year you'll cherish?
"I was in China, and we played a large venue where I did probably a 90 or 100-minute set. The organisers had told me that as soon as I finish, I should get off the stage, into the car and out of there because the exit for all of the fans was pretty much right in front of that driveway. I did that, but on the road I got a text from our production manager to say, 'It's been 15 minutes and the fans are still here singing your songs.' I said, 'Oh no, do they think there's going to be another encore?' He reassured me that they knew there wouldn't be, and that they just wanted to be together there singing the songs. About 45 minutes after the show, they were still in the venue and obviously had no intention of leaving. The staff had to politely request that they leave. They explained that they loved that they were still there and having such a great time, but the folks working needed to lock the doors and go home! I thought that was amazing."
What have been the biggest challenges of coming back as you have?
"I'm sure there are moments where I didn't say the right things, moments where I wasn't feeling up to the expectations of fans. I do four or five shows a week and some days it's a little harder to be that guy. But the fans are understanding. At the start of this solo journey, I acknowledged that one of the things I had to come to terms with was the idea that I'm going to make mistakes."
What are the moments that have really made you laugh?
"The fans are constantly doing things to make me laugh or entertain the band at the show. One night, they all showed up with printed masks of my face, taken from weird moments on my social media. One of the faces had huge, insane eyes, and shark teeth. We grabbed one of those masks and kept hiding it in different places on the bus to scare each other. You'd be in the front of the bus and hear someone in the back scream, followed by, 'DAMMIT MIKE!'"
Dressing up as Run-DMC at Halloween looked like a lot of fun...
"I've always loved dressing up for Halloween. It's one of my favourite holidays. I think I've posted photos of my costumes for as long as I've had social media. My favourite costume was probably 'Teen Wolf', complete with the basketball uniform and hair on my face and hands. That was a few years ago, and I don't think I've ever topped it."
What's your New Year's resolution?
"Improvise more!"
Do you have any plans for the holidays?
"I always like to lay low for Christmas. We do Christmas Eve with my wife's family, and then Christmas Day with my family. Other than that, I might take a little vacation. I feel like I earned it."
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