You could say Phil Varone is a Renaissance man, or as he calls himself “middle age crazy and loving every second of it” when describing his amazing life. You’ve seen him on the reality show Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew, on the Showtime series Californication, probably on a Vivid swinger’s DVD, as one of the founding members and drummer for Saigon Kick (presently on a reunion tour) as an author (he just released his bio Un-Philtered: Real Life On and Off the Rock ‘n’ Roll Tour Bus) and in many incarnations doing what he seems to do best…working hard and having a great time doing so. I had a chance to have a sit down with this Long Island-born guy as he and Saigon made their way through town.

Rock Star/Porn God. If you had to pick to be only working at one, which would it be?

Well, I will always be a Rock Star, so I have to go with that.  Porn God does have a great ring to it tho…

Tell me how the Saigon Kick reunion came together and how long (are you) going to be out with them and for many dates?

It started about 3 years ago with talks. There was a lot of baggage that came with playing again and we all wanted to just talk things out and see if it was possible to play. It’s safe to say that we equally wanted to play live again and I have to say it’s been more fun than I ever thought. We played 5 shows initially to get a feel for it. We sold out all 5 shows and had a great time, so I’m sure there will be more shows in the future.

What are your plans for Un-Philtered? Will you be getting off the Saigon Kick tour and doing a book tour or just simply trying to get the word out about the book when touring with the band?

My plan with Un-Philtered is to have a bestseller and total literary domination. Ha! But for now, just promote the hell out of it and every other project I have going on. I’m very fortunate that all of my projects can be promoted together, so it makes it way more fun.

Is rock and roll always on the back burner, or is it more that you see yourself as a musician first and the adult work is the drumming beat that plays behind your kick drum?

The adult side just happened. I’m a universe guy and just following how the path was laid out. Let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger and I never want to say, I wish I had done that. I’m middle age crazy and loving every second of it. I’m a drummer and always will be. I play my drums as much as I can, so why not do it all.

Has the mandatory condom laws in adult movies affected you? What’s your overall feeling about them?

They haven’t affected me personally since I shoot with condoms because we are swingers. In the lifestyle we use condoms and when I shoot real swingers, we still use condoms. With that said, I think the condom law is pathetic. The sad part is, when there is a bunch of money funding a lie campaign to sway voters, it’s impossible to get facts and truth to the voters. This law can never be policed since California is broke and can barely take care of the important issues at hand. The constant stream of lies and made up statistics is offensive but happens when certain people have ulterior motives.

As a guy who has had his life chronicled by documentaries and on a TV series, what’s your overall feeling about reality TV presently and are there any of those moments or shows you regret now doing?

Well, reality TV is huge because the viewer gets caught up in other’s lives. Let’s face it; we either hate someone or pull for them to succeed. Either way, it’s always fun to take a peek inside a world that you’re not familiar with and see how others live. I think that the amount of reality shows on TV is because of the demand. As far as my TV stuff, I did what I did and have no apologies or regrets. It’s just scripted reality and entertainment and the checks cleared.

(This one is kind of personal, but might round-out a good off-topic tidbit about you…if you dare). Being of east coast Italian descent myself, I find it a constant source of irritation that I can’t find good Italian food in this country really other than on the east coast (in the NYC area specifically). Seeing how much you have and continue to tour can you recommend any other city’s Italian restaurants or is my prejudice true?

That’s funny. The person who knows about the food in the band is Jason. He could do a travel book on all the great places to eat. I’m a simple eater and can find something good anywhere. I like to cook too, so at home I do that a lot.

What’s happening for you in the near future with adult movies?

I’m going to continue making them for as long as possible. I love working for Vivid and they have given me so much freedom to shoot what I want and edit the way I want, so as far as I’m concerned, I never want it to end. As long as there are swingers that want to shoot, I hope to be there to shoot them.

What’s happening generally for you in the near future…and where can fans find your wares?

I’m going to do as much as possible in all aspects of entertainment. I’m very grateful to be working with these amazing companies and people and I look forward to continuing for a very long time. You can find my movies on www.vivid.com or www.philvarone.com.  For my book, go to www.riverdaleavebooks.com. My sex toys line is in stores everywhere as well. If you go to philvarone.com, it’s a one stop shop for my career.

Drumming as you age…discuss. Have you had to alter your playing due to any physical limitations of aging. Do you just grow bored with playing a certain way and look for new challenges?

That’s a good question because I complain about my old bones everyday. I forgot how hard the drums are! Ha. It’s a challenge to remember the stuff I played 20 years ago that’s for sure!! But it’s like riding a bike and I’m having a blast, even with all the aches!