Hi Eric, first of all let me thank you for the interview and for the short but amazing performance at the "Live Club" in Trezzo last year. Let me ask you how did the collaboration with "Twin Dragons" begin and how is the italian tour going?
It was a bit of a nightmare. I was a special guest on that tour but I didn’t feel very special. The band backed me up for about a 45 minute set before they played with their own singer (Nathaniel Peterson) and closed the show. The drummer didn’t know or care to learn my songs, the band leader/singer couldn’t give a shit and everybody just seemed to move in slow motion. Other than that I had a good time traveling in Italy. The guitarist Fabio Cerrone and Bassist Don Roxx and I toured together after the Dragons tour. We played this awesome show in a place called Filadelphia , the town looked very similar to the USA’s Philadelphia. It took about ten hours to get there but it was well worth the trip. The whole town including the Mayor and his family came out to watch us rock out in the town square. I love the people of Italy. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

Do you think there will be 2 more twins (Dylan & Jake) in the future to keep the rock n roll flag high?
No we are done having bambinos, my wife and I had a dream to have two boys and it came true.

Should they ever decide to become rockstars, which advise would you give them first?
Finish School first, learn as many instruments as you can, take some singing lessons, don’t drink or smoke, be good to your mother and you may have a chance. If they decide to do something else with there lives were fine with any avenue they choose to take but they still have to learn how to play an instrument.

I was reading somewhere that your secrets to stay young are "true love" and Guinness...
I drink a lot of Guinness but instead of getting younger, I get fatter .. where I'm wrong? Yeah that Guinness business doesn't really work, it gets me fat too… hmmm how about True love and light beer.

Both your wife and your mother have italian roots; did you ever went to visit your italian relatives? what do you like most of Italy? Can you speak a few words of italian?
I can’t really speak Italian but I can make a few words out accompanied by the hand waving gestures. My favorite city in Italy is Vicenza. I lived there when I was a boy; my father was stationed there in the 70’s. There is so much I love about Italy; the women have beautiful smiles and mysterious eyes, the smell of the ocean, summertime at Lake Como and Lake Garda, the cafes by the coliseum in Rome, The hotel Anita and Sito del Municipio in Cupra Maritima.

From Italy you went back to the US and started playing with Kid Courage and 415 ... tell us about that your first steps in the music business.
I started out struggling just like everyone else. 415 eventually morphed into the Eric Martin band, we played dive clubs for band house rent and toured with anybody who would take us along for the ride all through the early 80’s. In the middle 80’s I was signed to capitol records as a solo artist and had minimal success with a couple records and movie soundtracks. Billy Sheehan gave me a call in 1988 and we started MR. BIG shortly after that. I got lucky and somehow caught the public on a good day with my little campfire ballad “To be with you”. That song and a handful of other made it possible to load up our passports with stamps from around the world. It’s funny we have toured with anybody and everybody for years and I’m still paying the bills from music. I love my job.

I read you like working with Photoshop; did you see the funny photomontages the Paul (Gilbert) uploaded on his website? What do you think?
Can you tell about the Mr Big reunion with the original line up? Paul is very funny he’s the creative force behind the MR. BIG machine. He does everything with a bit of tongue in cheek. When I first met him in the rehearsal studio in 1989 he had orange and green day glow amps, fringe on his guitar and some kind of shiny looking skinny jeans. The drills and the dollar bill suits came much later. The reunion has been wonderful, not only do I get to rock out with some of the greatest musicians on the planet but I get to have my old friends back. I missed the camaraderie of the group. The bond that we have now is so much stronger than it was in the yesteryears.

Have you ever been contacted by anyone from Italy to arrange some gigs in our Country?
We have talked about touring after Japan and Europe is a must. But we are going to take one day at a time and concentrate on what’s in front of us right now. I would love to go back to Italy, I’m pretty sure Billy would too considering his beautiful wife is from there.

What about “Mr. Vocalist” 1 and 2?
The MV projects are doing great, “Mr. Vocalist” is like my alter-ego gig. Sony international signed me last year to do these albums of smash hit covers with my own arrangements and style. It’s like a cross between Frank Sinatra and Rod Stewart.
I played a show in Tokyo last month that was filmed for a DVD that comes out in June.

I read in an interview that you'd like to work with Joe Perry in order to see him laugh! What would you do to succeed in?
I don’t remember that but I would love to work with Joe Perry none the less; He’s a hero of mine. I love his guitar playing and his amazing songwriting. I was a big fan when I was a kid and it blew my mind when MR. BIG toured with Aerosmith in Europe in the 90’s and I got to hang with him and the band. You know I bet it would be pretty hard to make Joe Perry laugh, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him crack up before.

I know you like playing with Playstation ... are you a Guitar hero addicted? Will you buy the Aerosmith edition?
Actually my wife Denise is a Guitar hero fanatic!! She can kick ass on “Walk this way”. I’m in to sports and shooter games like Madden and the “Call of Duty” series. I need my play station on the road; nothing beats the jet lag like Lego Star Wars!!

We talked about the past, let's talk about the future: what are you going to do next?
After the Asian tour I’ll try to learn some Italian words because you never know we may be stopping by.