Guitarist Lassos Success His Way

He's a tattooed guitar slinger who covers Motorhead and scored tour sponsorship from Jagermeister. Rick Monroe plays hard-core, raw, in-your-face ... country.

Sarasota native Monroe isn't following the beaten path to Nashville success. He's an independent artist in a company (read: major label) town, but he's making it his own way.

"My label is called Divorce Records. It's about divorcing yourself from the system," Monroe says by telephone from a tour stop in Birmingham, Ala.

"I've had hands on everything. I get to see the industry from top to bottom," Monroe says. "And I'm making a living. A lot of people don't, although they've got the label contract and all the other things."

Major labels have their place, though, Monroe says.

"I don't get into bashing major record companies. They do an awesome job and they have their place in the industry," Monroe says. "But I make a good living and I don't have a need at this point. As of now it's not broken, so I'm not gonna fix it."

Part of going his own way has meant taking country music to some out-of-the-way places.

He's performed in Russia, Kosovo, China, Vietnam and all across Europe, places not thought of as country music strongholds.

"And they're not," Monroe says with a laugh. "But country music seems to relate to people and connect pretty well. It's been interesting. I've been fortunate in my travels, and I've filled up a couple of passports. "

One of Monroe's more unusual shows was a private party for former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev aboard the U.S.S. Sequoia.

"We were going up and down the Potomac, drinking vodka and singing Russian folk songs," Monroe recalls.

On his albums, Monroe sticks with more traditional country topics such as broken hearts and empty bottles - check "Dear JD," a track from his still-in-the-works "Get Loud, Get Lit" album. The track can be sampled at ww.rickmonroe .com. The hard-rockin' country shuffle is a humorous "Dear John" - or "Dear Jack" - letter to a popular Tennessee whiskey.

And philosophically, it's a short step from firewater to Motorhead. Monroe and his band have recorded a bluegrass-tinged remake of Motorhead's signature tune, "Ace of Spades."

"We do about 150 shows a year and sometimes road wear sets in," Monroe says. "You have to think of ways to break up the monotony - like a country version of a Motorhead song."

He hasn't heard from Motorhead supremo Lemmy yet, but he says some members of that band's road crew caught a Monroe show and "were cracking up at our version," he reports.

ON TOUR

Rick Monroe

WITH: Pat Green, Randy Houser and Cowboy Troy

WHEN: 10 p.m. today

WHERE: Dallas Bull, 3322 U.S. 301 N., Tampa; (813) 987-2855

COST: $15