Singer Vows to Give Fans Money’s Worth : Prolific writer and guitarist John Hiatt is on tour for his latest album, ‘Perfectly Good Guitar.’

At a recent gig in Santa Barbara, Lenny Kravitz started about 40 minutes late, and, both before and after the performance, tried to inflict $23 T-shirts on an unsuspecting public. Isn’t that about enough to have Mother Teresa and her dream date, Father Time, reaching for those brass knuckles along with those backstage passes?

Well, we’ll have none of that at the venerable Ventura Theatre Wednesday night, according to headliner John Hiatt. That ever-clever singer/songwriter, who has forced critics to invent new adjectives since 1974, promises to start on time and sell affordable T-shirts that won’t shrink to fit your cat after one washing. Hiatt has a new band, which will doubtlessly play tunes off his eleventh record, “Perfectly Good Guitar.”

Perhaps because it’s no fun if you can’t complain, the title tune refers to those rock stars who kill perfectly good guitars. He’s right. He’s kidding. He’s serious. He rocks. That’s classic Hiatt. Others must agree. It would take about half of this Life section to list all the artists who have recorded Hiatt songs.

Usually a solo artist or a guy with a new band for each album, Hiatt tried the super-group thing last year when he joined forces with Nick Lowe, Jim Keltner and Ry Cooder and made one album as Little Village. They clearly weren’t a Traveling Wilburys II, and the “Little” part pretty much summed up the record sales--everyone went back to his solo career.

Now back on the road with a new band, Hiatt seems to be in his element--away from his Nashville home. He’s on a serious road trip this time: The band’s in Italy. In a recent interview from Pisa, Hiatt insists that the Leaning Tower is in no danger of falling.

Hey, man, does Italy rock?

You can’t get a good cup of coffee, but yeah, man, Italy rocks. These people go nuts for rock ‘n’ roll. And that tower, it’s not leaning that much. The guy didn’t have his level obviously, but it’s not leaning that much.

How’s “Perfectly Good Guitar” doing?

In Italy? Oh, you probably mean in America; it’s doing very good. It’s the best yet. It’s bigger and better, and more people are buying it.

I saw Pete Townsend kill his guitar at a Who concert in 1969. Did you ever kill a guitar?

That’s a grand rock ‘n’ roll tradition. I never broke a guitar on stage, only at home when I was in a bad mood. But hey, timing was never my strong suit.

So your pet peeve is rock stars breaking perfectly good guitars, mine is rock shows that start late and zillion-dollar T-shirts that shrink.

If you come to the Ventura Theatre show, you’ll see a show start on a time, plus we’ll have budget T-shirts.

So, is there anyone left who hasn’t recorded a John Hiatt song?

How soon will you be making a record? I have a saying that there’s nothing wrong with your next project that a John Hiatt song won’t fix. Actually, I’ve been bugging Ray Charles for a long time to do one of my songs called “Lipstick Sunset.”

How many John Hiatt songs are there?

They say 600, but they’ve been saying that for five years.

What comes first, the riff or the lyrics?

The riff comes first. Here’s how it works: Riff, chords, melody, then anywhere from two days to a year, the lyrics.

The critics have always loved you. Do you care when you’re labeled a singer/songwriter?

I don’t care what they call me as long as they call me something. A singer/songwriter, that’s OK. Guitar god, that’ll work too.

So you moved from L. A. to Nashville in 1985. Now you don’t care about the Dodgers anymore?

Hey, I love the Dodgers, but the Kings, now that’s my team. Before they changed to black, before Sylvester Stallone started going to the games, back when they had Marcel Dionne and the Triple Crown line, I was a season ticket-holder. It only cost a couple hundred bucks for a season ticket, which is probably what a game costs these days.

What’s up in Nashville?

Sports or music? Musically, I’m barely there anymore, so I don’t really know. When I am there, I don’t hang out much, oddly enough. But judging by the commercialism, it’s sounding pretty weak.

Early in your career were you wrongly marketed as an angry young man?

Naw, I was presenting myself that way. I did a tour with Graham Parker around 1982 that I remember well. I went to his dressing room to introduce myself. He was just about to go on and I spilled a beer on his shirt.

You’ve been around. Who’s got the best beer?

I dunno, man, I haven’t had one in nine years.

What was a strange John Hiatt gig?

In the ‘70s, I was booked at this college in Bedford Stuyvesant in New York. I was a folk singer playing colleges while students ate cheeseburgers; that kind of thing. Anyway, not one person came to the gig. Plus it was suggested to me that I not go anywhere in the neighborhood.

What happened with Little Village?

I wore ‘em out. You know, I was the youngest guy in the band, and a couple of those guys now are ready for a gurney.

What advice would you give aspiring musicians?

Don’t lose your focus on the surrounding circus. Be true to your music and everything else will pan out. Just get in your van and go play.

What’s the most misunderstood thing about John Hiatt?

I think it’s my sense of humor. That’s why I married my wife. She laughs at most of my jokes, and she thinks I’m funny.

Who are some of the new bands you think are cool?

Oh man, have you ever heard that Jesus Lizard band? Now that’s a scary bunch of youngsters. I’m starting to get into Fugazi; and Flaming Lips, oh man, I like them. I think it’s scary though when record companies refuse to nurture new artists. I mean, Nirvana just sold nine million albums and the company had some sort of problems with their new stuff. If you sell nine million albums, they should let you fart on the album if you want to.

So every time you make a new album you recruit a new band?

Well, it sure seems that way. I always try and keep them together, but I’m a marked man. When I was in kindergarten, they sent me home with one of those notes pinned on me that said, “John does not get along well with others.” But the band I have now is a scrappy little group. I want to keep these guys. I’ve got Davey Faragher on bass and Michael Urbano on drums from Cracker. We stole them from Cracker because we’re cooler. We’ve also got the three-guitar attack, just like Molly Hatchet. On this tour, we’re gonna sweep across America like a giant broom.

Do you guys play some of your older stuff like “I Don’t Even Try”?

Oh yeah, we play all that stuff.

That’s my favorite John Hiatt song. Sometimes girls can work you. I know the girl in that song.

Yeah, we all do. I’m telling you, women sure can work you. You know, my mom’s been dead for 10 years, and she’s still working me.

So what’s next for you?

We’re going to make live recordings of all the American gigs for a live album that should be ready in a year. The working title is “Older, Louder, Faster, Now.”

Details

* WHAT: John Hiatt.

* WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday.

* WHERE: Ventura Theatre.

* ETC: Tickets are $18.50. For more information, call 648-1888.