Q:   Hi Rik, I was just thinking the other night that I had heard sometime way back that ANGEL and Legs Diamond had played together.
I have a couple of questions for you:

RIK:   O.K.

Q:  I've seen many pics of you with your former bands, but I don't recall seeing anything fairly recent. Do you still have long hair?

RIK:  chuckling::, Yes, actually, I do. But I just let all the layers grow out, and it's all one length. I trim it every few weeks, but it's still long. I must admit, that it does sometimes get in my way, and I think for a moment about cutting it shorter, then I pass on it. My fiancé still likes it longer too, telling me she's going to kill me if I cut it short, lol... I just tie it back with a hair-tie to get it out of my way. It hurts getting it caught in my armor...

Q:  Just curious. I remember when I first saw Gregg Giuffria after he had all his hair hacked off. I was bummed!

RIK:  yeah, well, that happens. It's a big step. Of course, he can always grow it back, unless it's thinning. I haven't seen Gregg after he cut his hair. I believe he 'went corporate'.

Q:  Do you feel that Felix was a good choice to replace Mickey?

RIK:  MMMmmm, Not in my heart of hearts, no. I always dug Mickey's 'look', and thought he was perfect in his look for the band. It was part of Angel's 'selling point' for me when I got into them. Not being fruity or anything, but I look at overlall marketing with image. And, after only seeing what the band looked like on the sleeve of their first LP, in the studio, none of us had any idea, back then, what they looked like 'Live'. So, when I walked into that record store, flipped thru the racks of new releases, and saw that cover for Helluva Band, I was momentarily shocked. I was like WOW!!!!, So THAT'S what they look like in costume! F*CK, I'm getting this RIGHT NOW! So, I thought Angel's overall look was very appealing. I thought "These are some pretty good-looking band-members, never having seen another band with their looks so perfect. Imagine my feelings when I'd heard that Mickey was getting dumped, and all my efforts to get a crack at trying to join Angel. And I had J.R. Smalling, (of KISS fame), making the calls for me, to Angel's Mgt. However, Angel, in a pinch for time, and during a tour, needed someone fast, someone that they knew better as a player, so, I was told they just grabbed up Felix. Once again, the brass ring of a dream-come-true, was denied me.

Q:  I'm not knocking Felix as a musician at all, but I've always had mixed feelings about whether he had the right "look" for ANGEL.

RIK:  I felt the same as well. I guess Felix just 'worked out' for them, and they decided to keep him. I know he was never a big fan of the white 'pajamas' as he referred to the costumes. I've often heard of Felix being called "The Farmer" (or Hick).

Q:  I'm not trying to kiss your a$$ or anything, but I've thought for many years that you had the perfect look to join ANGEL.

RIK:  It's O.K. I get it. No insult taken. And, I thank you for your candidness. Many people felt that I would have been the perfect choice to replace Mickey Jones. In later years, like when I was finally in L.A., after being ousted from WASP, when Gregg Giuffria had me sit down at his table at the Rainbow (Bar), he did, in fact, verify, to me, that "Your name kept coming up on the road, many times. And, you, in fact, would have been a great replacement for Mickey, you had the look that would have complemented Punky on the other side of the stage, but we were pressed for time, and needed to replace him fast, with somebody we knew, so we chose Felix". Even Punky's wife (at the time), Fran, thought I was a dead-ringer for Punky himself too, after seeing photos of me. While playing the N.J. clubs, I was approached, by, and became good friends with Barry Brandt's cousin Patty Brandt. (It was a huge Brandt clan).

She marveled at how closely I resembled Punky, and gave me some personal photos of Barry, taken at his Aunt Esther's home, posing without his shirt on, in front of the fireplace, with the "ON Earth" album display behind him on the fireplace mantle. When I showed it to Barry, years later, He FLIPPED OUT! He yells: "HOW DID YOU GET THIS?!? THIS IS IN MY AUNT ESTHER'S HOME!!! WHAT ARE YOU 'MATT HELM' OR SOMETHING?!?!? We busted up laughing because Barry's usually very quiet, and hardly ever speaks out loud like that. Matt Helm was Dean Martin's character in the Spy-spoofs of the 1960's James Bond films, which is what made it so much more funny...I told him his cousin Patty gave it to me...(I still have it too). Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated. Cheers, Rik