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© Jodie Cunningham

Jason Sutter is living his dream. The likeable Los Angeles-based session star has made his name playing with the likes of Chris Cornell and Foreigner, but as we sit with him backstage as he prepares to take to the stage with yet another dream gig – the New York Dolls – we can't help but get the impression that with the Dolls he's found one hell of a match.

How did the Dolls gig come about?

"Morrissey got the Dolls back together and there was another drummer (Gary Powell) doing the gig that Morrissey had set up. Keith Carlock was doing a gig, kind of a lounge thing, with David (Johansen) and then Keith got busy and called a buddy of ours Brian Delaney who started the gig. When the Dolls decided to keep the reunion going David was like, 'Hey Brian do you wanna give a this a go?' So Brian ended up putting his rock hat on and doing the gig. I ran into Brian and told him I'd love to do the gig because I was a huge Dolls fan. Brian was having a baby this summer and couldn't do the gig and I literally finished the Foreigner tour on a Sunday and Brian called me on the Tuesday so I jumped on the tour. It was one of those dream come true kind of gigs. It's funny that a lot of my friends in LA are doing gigs playing music they don't like at all. It's a great gig but you might be playing with Josh Groban or something. So for me I've been really lucky to do gigs with bands that I have on my iPod."

"...at rehearsals Earl Slick has a switchblade on his amp and a knife in his boot! These guys are the real deal, no question."

This gig must be a big change from Foreigner

"Coming off Foreigner this is such a refreshing gig because it's so loose and authentic. Foreigner was a little cleaner. One of the coolest things about this gig is getting to play with the Dolls but also that Earl Slick is playing guitar and Kenny Aaronson on bass – these amazing New York sidemen. Every day this summer was like rock history lessons."

How about the differences in terms of drum sound?

"Foreigner was more the drums were tuned super low and flat, real '70s/'80s vibe. Otherwise though I use the same set up, a Ludwig 26", 14", 16", 18" very Bonham, Black beauty snare and giant Paiste 2002 cymbals. As far as how I play it was autopilot because while Dolls changes night-to-night Foreigner was the same, from the stage banter to the songs, everything was the same. With this gig anything can happen. T's more raw and from the heart and gritty, which is where I started as a drummer."

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