31st May 1999
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Dregen has a pair of ugly, corny,
'un-rocky' black Adidas pants that he slides around in at home. Do you
have the same problem?
Juzy
Luzy
Nope. No black Adidas pants for me. I'd rather slip out of consciousness than into comfy clothes, and I rarely have a home.
How's it going in LA?
Andy Fleming
LA is a great place to go when you can't figure out where to go. Gypsy types just cannot settle and somewhere as cheap as LA is a blessing. After that, who knows? I know I won't be staying in LA, as it's a bit too full of shit for my liking, but I found some good mates over there and my apartment is so cheap that I can afford to keep it on for friends to visit, etc. When I went over there I was expecting some brain dead arseholes to bring up the song Turning American, as a lot of people still don't know what that song is about. Thankfully, our fans are as bright as I'd hoped. Seriously, you should go over. You can get by on $5 a day almost and holidays are very healthy for your head.
I can only play a few Ramones tunes and some old
Wildhearts on a crap guitar with no pick-up switch. All I know is power chords
and a coupla scales. Is that really enough to be in a half-decent
band?
Gavin Beckers
Of course it's enough. Jesus, that's more than Johnny Ramone. Just wear your guitar low and go mental. If you stand like a plank on stage people are gonna tie dogs to you and you will suck large blokes. Give 'em shit for me.
I was just wondering what your thoughts were on the
Happy Mondays reformation, bearing in mind that Shaun has openly admitted
they're only in it for the money. Personally, I'm gonna go and see them
because I've never seen them live, and if someone makes a few quid out of
me having a good night on the piss with one of my favourite bands playing, then
that's fine 'n' dandy by me.
Nick Clark
Happy Mondays reforming means there's at least one band out there who are "having it". Rock / pop (whatever people call it these days) is full of weak-willed, spineless babies who are playing the game just the way their record company wants them to play it. And as much as these back-less goons play the game, the time will come when they are skint. They have lost their record deal. Their band have split up. And then their precious 'mates' in the company will disappear like all the other faceless bureaucrats do when faced with faceless also-rans and nearly-weres. Jesus... when are people gonna realise that there is no guarantee that you are gonna make anything in this business. Money, even millions, dries up and then all you're left with is how much of a difference you made. String-drenched ballads and lame-assed plod rock for the over thirties is not going to change anything for anyone... ever. When I was a kid, if it didn't rock, fuck it. Nowadays, if it's on the fucking telly it's worth buying. Happy Mondays rock. Shit, even our piss-take new single Message To Geri rocks. Remember, if it don't rock, it's probably your fault. Someone's buying this shit. How about a MAKE ROCK BANDS ROCK campaign, anyone?
What do you think of marijuana and the current UK
laws concerning the use of weed?
Gaar
Sheepdug
I (like the majority of people in this country, which is why it hasn't been put to a national vote) think British pot laws are old-fashioned and ignorant of the basic facts surrounding the smoking of weed. Medically, it helps sufferers of MS, Parkinson's Disease and eating disorders as well as being an effective pain killer. Socially, it means less people down the pub and more chance of getting a table.
Do you have a favourite Motorhead song ?
Gaar Sheepdug
Motorhead... always Motorhead.
What's your current alcoholic beverage of
choice?
Gaar Sheepdug
Jack Daniels... always Jack Daniels. And good Irish whiskey.
Who are your favourite three guitarists?
Gaar Sheepdug
Devin Townsend, Dregen and Alex Kane (the guy I'm playing with now).
Have you played with any other bands with recordings available other than the Quireboys and Throbs? And of the recordings they released, are they any good, in your opinion? (Gaar Sheepdug
Thank God no. Earth Vs The Wildhearts was the first album I ever recorded.
I felt that some of the best songs from the
Endless, Nameless era were the B-sides of Urge, especially Zomboid and Do The
Fake. Why was it that these top tunes got consigned to eternal obscurity when
they are clearly such top tunes?
Chris
Jenkins
I read all the time that bands only put album rejects and sub-standard material on B-sides. This is, of course, rubbish. We always saw B-side recordings as an excuse to just get some more shit out to the fans. My favourite songs are on B-sides, and hopefully they will see sunlight as an album one day.
On the songs Bad Time To Be Having A Bad Time and Got It On Tuesday, there's a brilliant bit of lead guitar playing going on, kind of Stonesy and countrified. Who played this, you or Jef? Chris Jenkins
That'll be me. I was brought up on Stonesy-style guitar playing and can't shake it out of my system.
Do you really hate grunge music as much as you seem
to? I'm kind of biased because it was grunge that got me interested in
music when I was 13 but I never heard grunge as being miserable or boring, just
a different type of music.
Chris
Jenkins
To me, grunge was an anti-rock star trip, and being reared in the Seventies, the era of rock stars, I like a little pizzazz with my entertainment. Apart from Alice In Chains and Nirvana I can't say that it spawned a lot of ground-breaking stuff. You can argue the importance of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, but all I'd say in defence is "where's the pyro?"
I was wondering if you are planning on a video
release with promos, live and TV performances. It's really hard to get that
stuff!
James Kerruish
I hope to be releasing a compilation video of unseen Wildhearts gigs, dramas and happenings. It should be ready within a couple of months.
Is it true that you might be playing some acoustic
gigs this summer in Japan? We are looking forward to seeing you!
Shio Yamate
There is a chance that Clam Abuse will be playing Japan, too, but there are no dates booked yet. I have no problem playing Japan, as you already know!
On Fishing For Luckies what the hell are the little
ad libbed musical interludes all about? They do get on my tits, but not as much
as the ones on Therapy?'s infernal love which really suck ass.
Paul McNulty
They are just instant riffs. Sometimes, being in the studio gets unbearably boring. That's when thinking of stupid ideas and then recording them is essential entertainment. Unfortunately, we end up liking some of them, so you have to put up with our shit on albums. Sorry 'bout that.
How the hell can you still write songs with
brilliant riffs? If other bands had as many turn-abouts in their songs as The
Wildhearts they would have run out of riffs by the end of Earth
Vs...
Paul McNulty
Thanks very much. Other bands suck and I rock.
Have you heard the Pride And Glory album (you know,
Zakk Wylde and co)? The song Horse Called War has an intro / outro riff very
similar to the "call me to the table" bit from Do The Channel Bop.
Who is responsible for stealing this riff? I noticed that you both played at
Donington '94,and the riff appears on both Pride And Glory's album and
Fishing For Luckies, both released in '95...
Paul McNulty
"Call me to the table"???? I don't have a bit that says that! Either way I haven't heard Pride And Glory, but every riff ever written has been written before. Let's not be riff Nazis about this. A good secondhand riff is better than a bad new one. That is the law.
Stories by Therapy? and Shame On Me. Who had the
original riff?
Paul
McNulty
We did!!!!!!
What plans, if any, do you have for working with
Devin Townsend in the future? I heard this week that you're now involved
with Physicist (or Fizzicist). Is there much truth behind this rumour, and do
you plan to actually do a whole album together?
Stuart Bollocks
I still, as yet, don't know what this Fizzicist thing is all about, but Devin knows that all he has to do is ask me and I'll be there. We don't have any plans at the moment to work together and that's probably a good thing. The idea of him and me making music will make waves still and birds drop out of the sky. Men will openly weep and children will grow up with severe deformities. Animals will talk and trees will walk... I shit ye not.
I was wondering if you'd heard of any new bands
via the Internet. I was also wondering if you've seen any good bands in
America.
Ollie Johnston
I haven't heard anything on the Internet. I must admit I don't get excited about finding things out over the 'Net. I'm only doing this because you are. The only great new band I've seen in LA is Anti-Product, who are Alex's band (he's the other guy in Clam Abuse). Anti-Product sound like a cross between Frank Zappa and Cheap Trick.
The Friday Night Rock Show on VH-1 recently showed
the Anthem video. It was the first time I'd seen the video, and I was
impressed. It looked like you all had a laugh making it, so I thought I'd
ask you what your favourite Wildhearts video was (to make and to watch). I was
also wondering about your plans to release the promos as a full-length
video.
Alex
There are no plans to release the promo videos as they are property of E***W*** Records. Legally, it's a nightmare in the daytime. My favourite videos to make were Anthem (followed by a massive party) and I Wanna Go Where The People Go (filmed in New York and followed by setting fire to the Chelsea Hotel).
I've heard that you're gonna work with
Backyard Babies on their new album, so I expect a real ass-kicking record! Are
you gonna do any singing on the record, or are you just writing
songs?
Juzy Luzy
At the moment I'm just writing for them, but I wouldn't mind making a racket on their album. If you ask me, I think they should have me as producer... but maybe they want to use someone more expensive.
I read the latest issue of Young Guitar magazine. I
saw the photo session you did with Zakk Wylde, John Sykes and Tom Keifer. Can
you tell me about this session?
Chi-Hiro
Suidu
They are all really nice guys. John Sykes is a typical 'down-to-earth' Englishman, Tom Keifer is really laid back until he sings and then he turns into an air-raid siren, and Zakk is a good-ol' drinking boy who is roughly the size of a small office-block. I was late for the interview, so I had to do my bits afterwards.
Do you use your dictaphone to record song ideas
that you have, or do you agree with whoever it was that said that if you forget
an idea that you had then it wasn't any good in the first place?
Jamie Marsden
I used to use a dictaphone until I had it stolen, and then I figured that if you can lose it don't use it. No one can steal what's in your head, so that's my method of choice. Whoever said that quote sounds like a very wise man.
Though I'm a fan of The Wildhearts, I was never
fortunate enough to see them live, so I bought a bootleg (titled Greetings)
which features songs from the Reading Festival when Danny broke his knee. What
would be the one live recording you would recommend to someone who never saw
The Wildhearts live? Also how does it feel to see a band like The Offspring get
major success from a novelty song when songs like In Lilly's Garden and
Weekend go unheard by millions?
Adam
Brown
Of course, I'd recommend our new live album Tokyo Suits Me, as it's fucking amazing. I don't think anything about The Offspring. I'm glad that The Wildhearts were the band that we were. Having hit singles shouldn't happen to every band, or who would stand out as being cool? The Wildhearts will be remembered as a band with great songs rather than just one big one.
I've always liked p.h.u.q. and Fishing For
Luckies (the Japanese versions) the best, and I noticed that those two had
something in common. They both have those between-song riffs. Were you ever
planning on making them into a full song? How did they come about? Have you
ever thought of writing a bridge for Shandy Bang? That song rocks too hard not
to have one!
Makito Kawata
The incidental pieces of music are a result of us messing with ideas before we get a chance to write them, thus ensuring that we get bored with them very early on and never do anything with them. It must have made a change, having a band with too many ideas! Going back to old songs and re-arranging them doesn't make sense to me. I've got too many new ones.
I just wondered whether Tokyo Suits Me is gonna get
a UK release, 'cos I've heard 56 seconds of Caffeine Bomb and simply
have to hear the rest.
Shteevan
I don't know when Tokyo Suits Me will get a British release, but if it doesn't happen within a couple of months then I can't see it happening. English record companies never did like the band and I can't see that changing. What a country to live in, eh?
More questions for Gee... Do you like bands like
Placebo, Stone Roses, Seahorses, The Model Rockets, Everclear and
Stereophonics? Have you heard Narcotic from Liquido? The Nita Nitro chorus
should say "Nita Nitro she's LOCA TAMBIEN..." I mean, I'm
Spanish, so I know what I say! Are you mates with Chris McCormack and CJ?
What's the meaning of Be My Drug? What's the meaning of
"headfuck"? Can it be translated as "prick
teaser"?
Paco Tomas
Never heard Liquido. I like some Stone Roses stuff and I love Nancy Boy by Placebo. I think The Seahorses are shite. Be My Drug is a drug substitute song, placing love in its place. This usually ends up being just as ugly as addiction and the cold turkey lasts longer. I am of course friends with Chris McCormack and CJ, they're good guys. "Headfuck" means simply fucking with your head. Thanks for the Nita Nitro translation. I got it from a comic book called Love And Rockets which is set in Mexico.
Have you ever written a tune when you're off
your head, then woken up and thought 'what a load of
bollocks'?
Lee
Bartholomew
Yes, but it didn't take until morning to realise it was shite.
I just wondered why you have like three silicon-breasted women behind you in the photos in Kerrang!. Bella
It was a very pleasant experience, and one I would recommend to all of my friends, both male and female.
You mentioned that on the Clam Abuse album there
will be some tracks from the gig at the 12 Bar Club included. Have you decided
what tracks will be on it yet?
Richard
Allars
In the wonderful world of Clam Abuse, things change on an hourly basis. And the mini-album that we were expecting to make turned into a full length album of amazing songs and bizarre performances. The show at the 12 Bar therefore bears no resemblance to the madness on offer. To include it would be like having Wildhearts cover versions on my solo album. Gotta keep moving forward. I'm sure you wont be disappointed with the results.
How do you pronounce the p.h.u.q. album title. Is
it 'fuck' or 'fuck you' or is it an abbreviation for
something?
Martyn Brown
If the customary U is removed from following the letter Q then pronunciation of said Q is rendered K, thus making the word 'phuq' sound like 'fuck'.
How did you react when EastWest pulled the original
cover for the Greetings From Shitsville single?
Martyn Brown
I was heartbroken that the 'pitta bread' shot was refused the go-ahead by E***W***, especially since the supposed 'offending' picture has since been printed in Kerrang!.
Which do you prefer to be, pissed or
stoned?
Martyn Brown
I don't prefer either, as they co-exist side by side in the task of making the day more bearable.
What with you saying that there's a song called
Message To Geri (referring to Geri Halliwell) on your new album and her new
album being called Schizophonic, are you trying to soften the blow before
announcing some sort of twisted collaboration?
Martyn Brown
I would love a twisted collaboration with Geri H, but let's see how the future pans out, eh?
I've just read the Kerrang! stuff about you and
Geri! Gan on sonna, get stuck in there! I can just imagine the headlines now...
Geordie rocker gets it away with Geri! Fuckin' great, give her one from me
too!
Scott Ellison
Well I'm not promising anything, but I'll see what I can do!
I don't suppose you'd be willing to send me
a signed picture of you?
Sarah
I'm afraid I don't have any pictures of myself. I think it's a bit wanky to have piles of your own photos. I'm sure, at some point in the not too distant future, I'll get a fan club type information base on the go, and they will handle all the photograph distribution and mail-outs, etc. But until then, the best I can offer is a measly reply to your wonderful emails.
Well, I go to the UK and you come to the States, I
get back and now you're touring the UK. Something personal against me,
Ginger? Anyway, after you rip up the other side of the ocean are you heading
back over this way? Any full-time band members yet? Do you have a US record
deal or should I just plan on ordering it from the web site? And finally, any
plans to tape the shows? Some of us can't make it back there on such short
notice and would definitely like to be able to jam the tunes. It'd be a
great way to introduce more people to your new stuff. Oh yeah, any plans for
the Millennium yet? (Damn, we Yanks ask a lot of questions, eh?)
Jeff Hall
I'm not going to have full-time members in the solo thing. If I want the best, it stands to reason that they will already be working. I don't know anything about American releases yet. I'm sure there will be one, but I have to record it first. But I'm blessed with good fortune so I'm sure everything will go as smoothly as a good shit. I've got a lot of things I wanna do for the Millennium, but none of them are anywhere near to fruition so I'd better keep them to myself.
Ginger, I held out as long as I could, but wound up
buying the Landmines And Pantomimes CD a few months ago. Tell me, in the mid
section break of Weekend '96, do I hear strains of Kiss's Flaming Youth
and Psychomania by The Damned? Just curious. Also, at Amazon.com, artists are
encouraged to email comments on their releases that are offered for sale on the
site. These comments are then posted for shoppers to read. Have you considered
it?
Blake Johnston
Flaming Youth? Well spotted and damn right. Before I found out that Gene Simmons likes fucking 17-year-olds, I had utmost respect for all things Kiss. Now they seem like a bunch of harmless old duffers who should hand in their library tickets and give their money to Weight Watchers. But hey, I may be a fat, ugly, senile old pervert myself one day, so I should watch what I say. The Amazon.com thing sounds interesting but to tell you the truth, sitting on the Internet bores the living hell out of me.
Do you think that the Internet is the future of
music retail? Surely you, with all your troubles with record companies, would
love to be able to be the only person in charge?
Mark Cormack
The future of music retail? And replace going to the shops and meeting people? I sincerely hope not, don't you? What then? Straitjackets become the future of fashion? Anything that stops people doing things is not going to work... and if it does you are looking at evolution turning us into one boring bunch of motherfuckers.
On the Clam Abuse tour, are you going to be playing
all new material or will there be Wildhearts tracks slipped in as
well?
Toby French
I can honestly say that I haven't got a clue, mate. I'm sure when it gets closer to the time I'll have more idea, but for now all I can say is that it's going to be very strange. For all of us!
If you had to have sex with three men, which three
would you choose?
Simon
Engelhart
Unfortunately, I am simply a raving hetero. Men just don't do it for me, I'm afraid.
As a fellow fan of Kiss, Cheap Trick and classic
Aerosmith, I was wondering what you made of their recent attempts to return to
their roots (Psycho Circus, Cheap Trick '96 and Nine Lives respectively)?
Although there is a definite reek of dollar bills, do you think the new
material is a scratch on the old stuff?
Wayne McCrory
I don't think that anything could touch the old 'Trick, 'Smith and Kiss stuff. I'm pretty unforgiving about this. Aerosmith have been there and back more times than most, so they deserve much respect for that. Cheap Trick just don't write them any more - who knows why? And Kiss are just plain embarrassing.
Maybe you've answered this before, but where is
the 'fuck' piece in The British All-American Home Boy Crowd from? It
seems familiar, or at least the guy's voice does.
Keith J
I don't know where he's from. I think we just taped him from the radio when we were pissed or something. There are hundreds of tapes doing the rounds like that. It's just a case of putting them out before anyone else.
How do you feel about the fact that two artists
(Nuno Bettencourt and Geri Halliwell) have used the name Schizophonic for their
albums?
Kris C
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Glad to have been of service.
Why is orange jam called marmalade?
Martyn Brown
Maybe strawberries had copyright of the name.
