Interview:2025/08/29 Tyler Bates Live at Rocklahoma

Tyler Bates Live at Rocklahoma
Interview with Tyler Bates
Date	July 15, 2025
Source	Starcade Media
Interviewer	Clint

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Clint: We'll be right back. Here we are live at Rocklahoma 2025, just off the plane, just off the bus, Tyler Bates from Marilyn Manson here, wearing a No Lives Matter shirt here in the heart of Oklahoma. Welcome, sir. How are you?

Tyler Bates: I'm fantastic. How are you doing today, Clint?

Clint: No, this is great. Thanks so much for taking the time. I know it's a hectic travel schedule. You guys are playing the main stage here in just a couple hours, so thanks for stopping by. No, this is a blast. You guys are just really hitting the stride right now. From last year touring with Five Finger Death Punch, he's playing up here tonight as well, and now your tour this summer as well. You guys are really, just seems to be hitting on all strides right now.

Tyler Bates: Yeah. We have a great time, and we're really excited about, you know, what we've accomplished in the past year and what's in front of us the next year. Yeah. We've had a great response to One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1, and we look forward to sharing Chapter 2 with people before you know it.

Clint: Oh, cool. There's the Blabbermouth headline. Thank you, Tyler, and good night. No, this, the One Assassination Under God, that Chapter 1, it's so cliched. I hate to be that guy. I hate to do it. It's the best Manson album since, just take your pick, Mechanical Animals.

Tyler Bates: (?)

Clint: I'm serious, though. Like, I think "Sick is the Secrets Within" is the best Manson song in 20-plus years. I think it's...

Tyler Bates: Well, you know, obviously, that song means quite a great deal to Manson, personally. And, you know, the way he and I write together is, I mean, it's a very personal environment. It's just the two of us, and the songs are created on the spot together. And so there's a lot of, let's see, put it this way. As a film composer, I've become deft at helping empower stories with music, and help people tell the story in the way that they wish to tell it. And for whatever reason, because Manson has such a cinematic aspect to just his art, the way he looks at life, as a person overall, we really connect. And when we're creating music together, it doesn't really require much dialogue. We just kind of, you know, read each other and just kind of get into it and do it.

Clint: Well, it's tremendous. And it came, it just, when it came out last year in 2024, and then you guys went on the tour with Five Finger Death Punch, it was like, yeah, Manson is back. And it was in a big way. And so, you know, what, five years away from touring, away from recording, do you think that that maybe helped the creative process and really, like, helped reintroduce the band to new audiences?

Tyler Bates: Well, considering everything, you know, just life in general, you know, you know, I think he's entered another, a new chapter in life that has given him a perspective to draw from. And so, therefore, these songs are really weighted with a lot of personal thoughts and emotions, more than, say, some of the older material that was, let's say, based on the persona and the perspectives that he was interested in sharing or reflecting to people. So, you know, it's all incredibly valid. But, you know, the further you move through life, the more experience you have to draw from. And I think that that's very apparent in this music.

Clint: And with this album and the songs that you have, it's become one of those, we have a set list problem because the songs are so good and there's such a catalog to draw upon, especially on a show like tonight where you guys are playing on the main stage here, but the set's cut somewhat. How difficult is it to put together a set list at this point? And you know you've reached a point in your career when it's like, okay, this set list, we're just going to piss off a bunch of people because we can't get all this in, you know?

Tyler Bates: Well, you know, depending on the scenario, right? We're playing, this is a festival, so we're not sound checking. So, to pull out, you know, a rare song tonight would probably not be the greatest idea. But with every tour that we do, every leg, we are going to be introducing different songs. And I can assure you that through the rest of the year, there will be songs that have either never been performed before or very, very rarely in our set.

Clint: I always say that, like, I judge, and I'm a huge, like, Marilyn Manson fan from Smells Like Children. I never forget seeing a kid in middle school with that shirt on, and I didn't know wha tit was. I didn't know what it was. I didn't know what that name meant. I didn't know what the, I don't know what this is. But I was like, I don't, I got to find out. It seems like something that would make my parents and my grandparents just would hate this. And so, when you, when you, I always judge Manson's performances by, like, is ""Angel with the Scabbed Wings" in the set? And when I watched videos from last year, I mean, that's, like, the hardest song to me vocally, and I may be wrong, to pull off. I mean, that song is just so up and down and so, like, and he's, he's just killing it right now on stage, Manson. And, oh, it's a whole new level. He's, like, really dialed in, you can tell.

Tyler Bates: Absolutely. Well, he's so focused that he's really able to, while still losing himself in the music and in the performance, he's, he's really able to apply proper technique. So, it may sound like he's taking a chainsaw to his voice, but he's actually completely in control of it. And during the, the recording of these records that we've made recently, it's been a phenomenal experience because he's laying down some amazing performances for me to work with. So, I couldn't be more thrilled, and I'm happy for him. I think he's the best he's ever been all together.

Clint: I agree with you. And I think that for me, and this is a, you know, kind of an inside baseball little deep dive that we might go on here because I'm so, because my love of rock and roll, my love of heavy metal really comes from movies, from soundtracks. It was actually, and they're playing up here on the Renegade stage right after you guys, Alice Cooper, it was that Jason Lives soundtrack, the kind of the 80s Alice's return to form Constrictor album that was on that. And that set me on a course. So, with doing what you do, scoring countless amazing movie soundtracks, do you, like, were you someone that was, like, influenced by music and film? Like, how did you come to that sort of medium as far as musical expression?

Tyler Bates: Well, I was, at the time I started doing movies, I was really focused on writing with other artists and producing records. And as I met people, they would just, even at a barbecue or whatever, they'd ask me to score their low-budget movie. And, you know, I was really honest with everybody. I'm like, well, I haven't done this. But, you know, after I knocked out, like, 15 movies pretty quickly, and that 15th film was a bebop score, jazz score that Blue Note released. And at that point, I really thought that I wanted to pursue that dimension of my career. And so I definitely, I would say, depending on the scores I've done, it's definitely been inspired by my love and experience with rock music. I mean, before I even scored movies, I probably played a thousand shows.

Clint: Yeah.

Tyler Bates: So, you know, when I'm brushing my teeth in the morning, I see a guitar player, you know, even though I work with films. But, you know, the more I became experienced with films and collaborating with directors and producers and studio executives and reading scripts, you know, again, telling part of that story through music became something that I was really compelled to do the more I got into it. And I think that it's really informed my work, certainly with Manson and some of the other artists that I've worked with over the last, you know, 15 years or so.

Clint: Because it is such an art form. It's something that, to me, you know, I was such a fan of film that I was moved by so many of these scores, whether it be John Williams and Superman or Jaws or even James Horner in Field of Dreams. Those songs and those sounds, even if it's subtle, is a character in the film. And it, like in Jaws, that music was the shark, literally, because they couldn't get the shark to work or whatever, you know, and so those sounds became your subconscious view of what this, what a certain character does or what a menace does or what an antagonist is doing. So with all you've done with Halloween, with 300, I mean, you've worked with so many of the greats. And do you feel like that being able to influence people's emotions, like, is that like a something that you really get off on as an artist, like knowing that you're influencing emotion in a movie?

Tyler Bates: I would look at it more like I'm setting the table for them to experience emotions within themselves. So to have the most powerful response to something where, let's say we need to let out emotion in a story, a given beat, given moment, I like to prime the audience to tap into their own life experience and maybe, you know, prime them to access those emotions within themselves from their own experiences and relate it to the story. So I'm not one to typically twist your arm completely to tell you precisely how I want you to feel. So most of that should be on screen. So we just kind of, you know, I want to let the emotion out, but I also want people to feel it very personally. And the only way to do that is to to tee it up so that they can really be a bit introspective in those moments.

Clint: Do you have some favorite film scores that come to mind that that are ones that you alwayswould go to to to discuss is like, hey, this is like really one that stands out...

Tyler Bates: ... of composers that I other composers, right? Well?..

Clint: Yeah, other composers, films like I mentioned Jaws and like obviously John Halloween, John Carpenter's theme from that. And anything like that stands out?

Tyler Bates: Yeah. I mean, it's pretty, pretty much anything Thomas Newman ever did in the 90s. I mean, amazing. Chris Young did some great scores then to James Newton Howard did some phenomenal scores in the 90s. Like The Fugitive was so awesome.

Clint: Oh, yeah.

Tyler Bates: And then way back, of course, Bernard Herman, John Barry, definitely inspired me at times when I've had like a real more of a traditional orchestral, orchestral project to do. Watchmen. See?

Clint: Oh, yeah. That is that is awesome.

Tyler Bates: Rorschach.

Clint: So that was. Yeah.

Tyler Bates: So that film was really a great experience also for me, just the breadth that I was able to express in that with that orchestra was awesome. And so, you know, of course, you can't help but draw from experience. I mean, if there's anyone here today who's claiming that somehow Tony Iommi is not in their psyche, then they're they're lying.

Clint: Rob Zombie said that same thing. He's like, well, everything that's ever happened in hard rock is just been a derivative of a of a Black Sabbath riff. So, I mean, I and I there is to an extent I understand that for you. How do you sort of compartmentalize the onstage persona that you sort of have to have in a theatrical band like Marilyn Manson versus your sort of production side? That is like you're a technically proficient player. You play every instrument. You're in these films and you have to go through these processes. But on stage, it's a whole different ballgame. Is there like a process there? Where do you feel like you play kind of a character when you're in the band?

Tyler Bates: Well, I'm a Gemini, so what personality. Actually, you know what, to be fair, we all have our alter ego. And the fans here today are obviously going to behave and just express themselves differently than they might.

Clint: I've seen a lot of craziness out there. Just prepare yourself.

Tyler Bates: Yeah, but everyone's zipper is up from what I understand today. But anyway, no, but we all have that within us. And I just honestly, there is nothing that beats playing music, especially with musicians that you love. And, you know, in an environment like this where we all are very supportive of each other and want to lift each other up. That is that is amazing. So you can kind of just get swept away by it like a wave, you know. So the music, the whole vibe, you can't help but get up for it. You know, you can't be a scarecrow in the back. You know, Manson's music definitely makes you move, you know, so you can't help it as a musician. But yeah, we all have an alter ego. Do we not? I mean, come on.

Clint: Yes. I'm like Dwight Schrute. Mine is like my alternate life is I'm still a paper salesman. It's just I have the superpower of I can fly. That was Dwight's. That's kind of me. I'm like in my alternate state. I was hosted a podcast and got to talk to cool people like you all the time. And I get to do that. It's so cool. And, you know, I think that events like this for you guys, do you have a preference whether it comes to a set like this where it's I mean, there's 30,000 people here today? And here in a couple of weeks, you're going to be in Kansas City, my hometown at the Midland Theater, a great venue. But as a headlining set, it's going to be longer. Probably, you know, you guys do like an hour and 40 or something in there. Do you have a preference either way, whether it be like kind of the short, shortened set or the longer one?

Tyler Bates: You know, it's kind of it's kind of interesting. Some things are a seven course meal and some some things are like an amazing cheeseburger or whatever you want to call it. But I love it. I love it all. It's obviously different in a festival. You're not necessarily getting the depth of an artist's capabilities. Right? But we love to make the most out of our hour when we go up there and we hit it really hard and we enjoy it. I would be happy to play a three hour show every night if that were appropriate, but it's not. But I do enjoy the longer shows because we can introduce more songs.

Clint: Right.

Tyler Bates: And, you know, going back to what you were talking about earlier, we can bring up some of the songs that might not work as well in a one hour show where we really need to keep the ball in the air the complete time, you know, the whole time, keep the energy way up. So they... I love them both. We're so excited to play tonight. And we just came off of an amazing show in Mexico a couple of weeks ago.

Clint: Oh, yeah.

Tyler Bates: And that was I mean, that was just unreal. It was over 200,000 people. And..

Clint: Wow. Really?

Tyler Bates: Yeah. Yeah. I we didn't even have an idea that there were going to be that number of people because...

Clint: ... it's usually how it works. It's like Metallica in Moscow. It's like, oh, there was a million people there. You know, like, is that I'm sure you were violating some ordinances. You know what? We don't care. It's rock and roll. That's what we do.

Tyler Bates: Yeah, it's you know, I mean, there's nothing there's nothing that I can think of this better than then stepping up and playing music. And again, every time I have the opportunity to do it and my mind and my body are ready for it. I'm into it, man. I'm going to do it till I'm dead. You know

Clint: I love I'm so thankful that you were able to stop by today. Tyler, I reached out and I was like, there's probably no way. I mean, you know, I asked for Piggy D first. I'm just kidding. I reached out to you. No, I'm just absolutely kidding.

Tyler Bates: That's appropriate.

Clint: That is not what happened. I was like, if I if you know, you shoot your shot. That's what they say to like, you know, like Taylor Swift, Travis, Kelsey shot a shot with Taylor Swift. You know, I'm from Kansas City. We went Super Bowls in Kansas City. I don't feel like football at all.

Tyler Bates: But I mean, I'm a huge football.

Clint: I'm a huge football fan in LA. So I don't even know what that would mean.

Tyler Bates: Oh, it's it's way more complicated.

Clint: I'm just going to give it a rip. I'm going to give it a shot. You were a Rams fan growing up. Became a Raiders fan when they moved. And now Chargers.

Tyler Bates: You got about 45%.

Clint: Okay. Okay. Okay.

Tyler Bates: This is a long story. So I'm not going to get I'm not going to get into it. I am a Tennessee Titans fan because I was an Oilers fan as a kid, really just to piss off my dad because they were the worst team in the league. And they had powder blue uniform.

Clint: I love those uniforms. (?)

Tyler Bates: So those guys became my childhood heroes, you know, and I stuck with the team. Steve McNair was was amazing. Oh, yeah. And so they were always an underdog, always, always had less than most of the teams, you know, just nothing was as like as posh as like, you know, the Rams have always had had a lot of money behind them. I love the Rams. But if the Rams and the Titans play, I'm kind of pulling for the Titans. However, this year they're going to win about three games.

Clint: So they play the Chiefs this year. Kim Ward's a rookie. We're going to see how things go. Tyler Bates. Who would have thought we would wind up talking some NFL today. Thanks so much for hopping on here on the road to rock. Have a great set tonight, man. And thank you so much for stopping by.

Tyler Bates: All right. Thanks a lot.

Clint: Appreciate it.