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The DUKE SPIRIT
Now i have been lucky enough to have been in on what was a little secret called The Duke Spirit even before they were called The Duke Spirit, but increasingly they are anything but hush-hush nowadays. Miffed though I am at having to share them, with venues under their belt like Trash, The Isle of Wight and Glastonbury and with Reading/Leeds festival on the horizon, the British public are being let into the genius that is The Duke Spirit. Publications such as the Independent and NME have been lining up to lick the bands toes and are desperate to have been the ones seen to 'discover' what at least, most of London was already aware of.
This band know they are on the way to a scary level of success. The queues to get into their homecoming gig at the Buffalo Bar last month proved as much, but live they show the same level of respect to their audience they did when they started out, and portray the same air of seduction and captivation they always will. The music presents itself as a complete character in its own right - additional to the parts of the band put together, a wall of sound with gut-wrenching consequences, echoing and brooding, licking around the lyrics. If you want a bite of the Velvet Underground, Hendrix and Joy Division with its own style and persona wrapped in an incredibly attractive-without-effort package, this is what you want. Go get them. They'll be ready for you.
BRIT: You have just Played Glastonbury festival, was that a big deal to you?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: It was one of those things that, before you are actually there, seems ridiculously good - magical even- maybe because previously it has seemed so inaccessible. Once you are actually behind the scenes, watching your familiar gear get loaded onto a massive stage, well, you just smile and get on with it. By the last song, with people waving their arms in the air, we felt fucking rocking. Then I didn't want to stop...
BRIT: After the two UK tours supporting British Sea Power and The Vines plus the festival gigs have you had much time to relax?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: a few days of lazy nothingness, hangovers, comedowns, and meetings in the local caff for incessant chatter on every aspect of what we do as a band...kind of narcissistic fun. Then its time to go off and play or rehearse or meet important people and get overtired again. The drinking never stops which is a PROBLEM!
BRIT: The British press has become hungry for you, how have you found this >relatively new fame?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: Honestly does not feel like fame...Perhaps after a gig, when people come rushing up to us at the bar, then yeah, you feel a bit special, but otherwise, the press just gives you a good feeling, a mild sense of pride...but never satiates the desire to be better and reach more people and conquer more hearts...
BRIT: You have recently changed labels, how is that working out?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: much better indeed as our label boss is proving to be a great drinking buddy who also gives us presents like Charles Mingus albums
BRIT: What does the second half of 2004 hold for you? More gigs? More recording?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: next single out September, then album released October. Touring lots I expect = beers and hotels and talking total shit for hours in the van
BRIT: You are known for your effortless styling, would you ever get to the point of having stylists in for gigs and TV interviews?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: FUCK that. We had a shoot for Paris vogue yesterday actually! We just tell them this is how we look and that's final. We all like each others hair styles so why would we ask vacuous style whores to turn us around into their image of cool?? Absolutely nauseating...
BRIT: If you were going to make a mix tape for someone who would you have on it?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: nice...well, maybe...THE DELGADOS, SLY & FAMILY STONE, DEXY'S, THE SPECIALS, CANDI STATON, THE BEACH BOYS, DIRTY THREE, LIFT TO EXPERIENCE, IRMA THOMAS, M Y BLOODY VALENTINE, THE GUN CLUB, MODERN LOVERS, PIXIES, DEFENDERS OF THE HEART, THE BREEDERS, MUDDY WATERS, THE STONES, THE CONGOS, MINNIE RIPERTON, THE FLYING BURRITO BROS, ARCHIE BRONSON OUTFIT, BO DIDDLEY, PRIMAL SCREAM, SPRITUALIZED.
BRIT: Have you had any strange fan experiences yet?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: I met a guy who was really really young and had never been to a gig before, and he was so excited cos his ears hurt from the noise. That was funny. We met some older Dutch men who were quite intense and boringly serious.
BRIT: In typical SG style… name 5 things you couldn't live without.
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: my radio next to my bed, my hairdryer, my Dexy's album (young soul rebels), my boots and wine.
BRIT: Finally, what do you think of Suicide Girls?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: it's a bit weird... a softish porn or tantalising flirty site, right? I don't think its wrong, but I don't quite get it. Is that fair enough? You dirty bitches rrrrrrrgggghhh.
go see them at their website HERE - www.dukespirit.com
Now i have been lucky enough to have been in on what was a little secret called The Duke Spirit even before they were called The Duke Spirit, but increasingly they are anything but hush-hush nowadays. Miffed though I am at having to share them, with venues under their belt like Trash, The Isle of Wight and Glastonbury and with Reading/Leeds festival on the horizon, the British public are being let into the genius that is The Duke Spirit. Publications such as the Independent and NME have been lining up to lick the bands toes and are desperate to have been the ones seen to 'discover' what at least, most of London was already aware of.
This band know they are on the way to a scary level of success. The queues to get into their homecoming gig at the Buffalo Bar last month proved as much, but live they show the same level of respect to their audience they did when they started out, and portray the same air of seduction and captivation they always will. The music presents itself as a complete character in its own right - additional to the parts of the band put together, a wall of sound with gut-wrenching consequences, echoing and brooding, licking around the lyrics. If you want a bite of the Velvet Underground, Hendrix and Joy Division with its own style and persona wrapped in an incredibly attractive-without-effort package, this is what you want. Go get them. They'll be ready for you.
BRIT: You have just Played Glastonbury festival, was that a big deal to you?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: It was one of those things that, before you are actually there, seems ridiculously good - magical even- maybe because previously it has seemed so inaccessible. Once you are actually behind the scenes, watching your familiar gear get loaded onto a massive stage, well, you just smile and get on with it. By the last song, with people waving their arms in the air, we felt fucking rocking. Then I didn't want to stop...
BRIT: After the two UK tours supporting British Sea Power and The Vines plus the festival gigs have you had much time to relax?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: a few days of lazy nothingness, hangovers, comedowns, and meetings in the local caff for incessant chatter on every aspect of what we do as a band...kind of narcissistic fun. Then its time to go off and play or rehearse or meet important people and get overtired again. The drinking never stops which is a PROBLEM!
BRIT: The British press has become hungry for you, how have you found this >relatively new fame?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: Honestly does not feel like fame...Perhaps after a gig, when people come rushing up to us at the bar, then yeah, you feel a bit special, but otherwise, the press just gives you a good feeling, a mild sense of pride...but never satiates the desire to be better and reach more people and conquer more hearts...
BRIT: You have recently changed labels, how is that working out?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: much better indeed as our label boss is proving to be a great drinking buddy who also gives us presents like Charles Mingus albums
BRIT: What does the second half of 2004 hold for you? More gigs? More recording?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: next single out September, then album released October. Touring lots I expect = beers and hotels and talking total shit for hours in the van
BRIT: You are known for your effortless styling, would you ever get to the point of having stylists in for gigs and TV interviews?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: FUCK that. We had a shoot for Paris vogue yesterday actually! We just tell them this is how we look and that's final. We all like each others hair styles so why would we ask vacuous style whores to turn us around into their image of cool?? Absolutely nauseating...
BRIT: If you were going to make a mix tape for someone who would you have on it?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: nice...well, maybe...THE DELGADOS, SLY & FAMILY STONE, DEXY'S, THE SPECIALS, CANDI STATON, THE BEACH BOYS, DIRTY THREE, LIFT TO EXPERIENCE, IRMA THOMAS, M Y BLOODY VALENTINE, THE GUN CLUB, MODERN LOVERS, PIXIES, DEFENDERS OF THE HEART, THE BREEDERS, MUDDY WATERS, THE STONES, THE CONGOS, MINNIE RIPERTON, THE FLYING BURRITO BROS, ARCHIE BRONSON OUTFIT, BO DIDDLEY, PRIMAL SCREAM, SPRITUALIZED.
BRIT: Have you had any strange fan experiences yet?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: I met a guy who was really really young and had never been to a gig before, and he was so excited cos his ears hurt from the noise. That was funny. We met some older Dutch men who were quite intense and boringly serious.
BRIT: In typical SG style… name 5 things you couldn't live without.
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: my radio next to my bed, my hairdryer, my Dexy's album (young soul rebels), my boots and wine.
BRIT: Finally, what do you think of Suicide Girls?
LIELA, DUKE SPIRIT: it's a bit weird... a softish porn or tantalising flirty site, right? I don't think its wrong, but I don't quite get it. Is that fair enough? You dirty bitches rrrrrrrgggghhh.
go see them at their website HERE - www.dukespirit.com
RE: MY SET
ok ok ok the couch. listen up it was indeed foul. but i chose to lay on the thing *shudders*
it had been covered until recently with another fabric but all the delightful stains were the many many many spilled JD and cokes etc over the years. i liked the grubby factor vs my dynasty dress. i promise the next set is spick and span. fact. so calm yourselves.
apart from that, thank you very very much for all your comments, and for the ali sheedy references, its been a while since someone said it.
altogether now....
dont you, forget about me....dont dont dont dont...dont you.. forget about me.....
ok ok ok the couch. listen up it was indeed foul. but i chose to lay on the thing *shudders*
it had been covered until recently with another fabric but all the delightful stains were the many many many spilled JD and cokes etc over the years. i liked the grubby factor vs my dynasty dress. i promise the next set is spick and span. fact. so calm yourselves.
apart from that, thank you very very much for all your comments, and for the ali sheedy references, its been a while since someone said it.
altogether now....
dont you, forget about me....dont dont dont dont...dont you.. forget about me.....
Canadian rockers Danko Jones were making their way across the world touring and promoting their excellent album We Sweat Blood (released Jan 2004 - Bad Taste Records) when I managed to interrupt their hectic schedule....
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BRIT: You're in Australia at the moment, how are you finding it?
DANKO: Just got back actually. I'm still a bit jet lagged but it was well worth the trip. We went during their "Fall" season but being from Canada it was still quite warm. The audiences were great! Any place that yields Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue, Natalie Imbruglia, and Nick Cave is well worth checking out.
BRIT: You have an extremely gruelling tour schedule this summer including venue and outdoor festival gigs. Which do you prefer and which country is your favourite to play?
DANKO: Not gruelling enough! I like it all but playing outdoors in the rain does suck. While the clubs are more intimate and can get more intense, outdoor shows have way more people and that's intense too. They kind of balance each other out.
As far as favourite places? I like playing wherever there is a stage, anywhere in the world. Being onstage is the most comfortable place in the world for me other than my bedroom. But if I have to choose it would probably be; Sweden, Holland, Japan, Spain and Germany.
BRIT: Touring so often you must be on top of one another a lot - touring and travelling - do you ever fall out?
DANKO: Do you mean sleeping in bunks on tour buses? Not really. I always take the bottom bunk. It's easier to get in, more headroom and the noise of the bus down there puts me to sleep faster.
BRIT: A lot of your songs are showing yourself as a bit of a laydeee lover, is this the real Danko Jones too?
DANKO: Every song in Rock and Roll sung by guys is about girls, whether it's a girl you see that you think is hot, or a girl you're going out with and you're in love, or a girl you were going out with and she dumped you -every Outkast song, every Sam Cooke song, every Kiss song. As far as me personally, I've only had compliments in that department, but I'm not one to brag.
BRIT: Quoting one of your songs, do you still think that if you want know how to play the blues then you have to get yourself a woman?
DANKO: YES and YES! Richard Pryor once said that in order to become a man you must get your heartbroken. I believe this to be true. After I got over a couple of heartbreaks I saw life through new eyes. For men, it's one of life's rituals. I can read people a whole lot better now too. But I can't speak for women. I only know of things through a guy's point of view.
BRIT: Are all your lyrics derived from personal experiences?
DANKO: Most definitely yes!!! We have a song called "Love Is Unkind" and I wrote those lyrics while I was going through a break up with someone about 5 years ago. We have a song called "Heartbreak's A Blessing" and that too was written during another break up. We have a song incidentally called "Suicide Woman" which is about an old girlfriend of mine. It was only
after we had recorded that song that I found out about the Suicide Girls. But I think you guys are a lot nicer.
BRIT: Kerrang! voted 'Dance' single of the week, how did that recognition make you feel?
DANKO: I love it. It's kind of full circle for me. When I was getting into music I used to buy import copies of Kerrang magazine back in Toronto and now I get a kick that we're in it. But after that I try not to think about shit like that too much. It's better to keep your head down and your nose to the grindstone.
BRIT: You rate word of mouth above advertising, and I have to admit it was how I came across you, in a world so saturated by advertising and market research why do you place such importance on personal recommendations?
DANKO: You would trust your friend who tells you to go check something out over an anonymous corporate ad, at least I would. And these days how many "Alternative" Major Label bands, who buy the right trucker hat, wear the right jeans and wear the right Band t-shirts are there? TOO MANY. A closer look at these bands usually yields NO BACK CATALOGUE, no history. These are bands created in an executive board room not in some garage. You never hear the term "Paid Our Dues" because no one does anymore.
Download these fucking bands to death. Or get us to open for them and then we'll see if they can follow that.
BRIT: What's on your stereo at the moment?
DANKO: C. Aarme - S/T, Hyprocrisy - The Arrival, Dimension Zero - Silent Night Fever, Blonde Redhead - Misery Is A Butterfly, Ron Sexsmith - Cobblestone Runway, Nevermore - Enemies Of Reality, Death Angel - The Art Of Dying, Kataklysm - Serenity In Fire, Brant Bjork - Keep Your Cool
BRIT: When did you decide you wanted to be a rock star?
DANKO: I don't consider myself a musician or a rock star. I consider myself a performer and I've wanted to perform in front of people in a rock band since I was 6 years old when I joined the Kiss Army.
BRIT: In typical SG fashion name 5 things you couldn't live without
DANKO: Music and Sex. You can keep the other three.
BRIT: And finally what do you think of the Suicide Girls?
DANKO: Like I mentioned earlier I only heard of you after we released our 2002 album, "Born A Lion" with a song called "Suicide Woman". But the site is fantastic and I was able to oogle at some Suicide Girls at SXSW this year, and of course the Probot video with Lemmy and Wino. I think Suicide Girls are hot.
You can check out Danko Jones on their homepage or the website for the radio show Danko does out of Stockholm, Sweden on 95.3 FM - It's called THE MAGICAL WORLD OF ROCK WITH DANKO JONES and all the old shows have been archived and available for all to hear at: www.themagicalworldofrock.com
**************************************
Laters gaters….glad you enjoyed the set
xb
******************************************************************************
BRIT: You're in Australia at the moment, how are you finding it?
DANKO: Just got back actually. I'm still a bit jet lagged but it was well worth the trip. We went during their "Fall" season but being from Canada it was still quite warm. The audiences were great! Any place that yields Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue, Natalie Imbruglia, and Nick Cave is well worth checking out.
BRIT: You have an extremely gruelling tour schedule this summer including venue and outdoor festival gigs. Which do you prefer and which country is your favourite to play?
DANKO: Not gruelling enough! I like it all but playing outdoors in the rain does suck. While the clubs are more intimate and can get more intense, outdoor shows have way more people and that's intense too. They kind of balance each other out.
As far as favourite places? I like playing wherever there is a stage, anywhere in the world. Being onstage is the most comfortable place in the world for me other than my bedroom. But if I have to choose it would probably be; Sweden, Holland, Japan, Spain and Germany.
BRIT: Touring so often you must be on top of one another a lot - touring and travelling - do you ever fall out?
DANKO: Do you mean sleeping in bunks on tour buses? Not really. I always take the bottom bunk. It's easier to get in, more headroom and the noise of the bus down there puts me to sleep faster.
BRIT: A lot of your songs are showing yourself as a bit of a laydeee lover, is this the real Danko Jones too?
DANKO: Every song in Rock and Roll sung by guys is about girls, whether it's a girl you see that you think is hot, or a girl you're going out with and you're in love, or a girl you were going out with and she dumped you -every Outkast song, every Sam Cooke song, every Kiss song. As far as me personally, I've only had compliments in that department, but I'm not one to brag.
BRIT: Quoting one of your songs, do you still think that if you want know how to play the blues then you have to get yourself a woman?
DANKO: YES and YES! Richard Pryor once said that in order to become a man you must get your heartbroken. I believe this to be true. After I got over a couple of heartbreaks I saw life through new eyes. For men, it's one of life's rituals. I can read people a whole lot better now too. But I can't speak for women. I only know of things through a guy's point of view.
BRIT: Are all your lyrics derived from personal experiences?
DANKO: Most definitely yes!!! We have a song called "Love Is Unkind" and I wrote those lyrics while I was going through a break up with someone about 5 years ago. We have a song called "Heartbreak's A Blessing" and that too was written during another break up. We have a song incidentally called "Suicide Woman" which is about an old girlfriend of mine. It was only
after we had recorded that song that I found out about the Suicide Girls. But I think you guys are a lot nicer.
BRIT: Kerrang! voted 'Dance' single of the week, how did that recognition make you feel?
DANKO: I love it. It's kind of full circle for me. When I was getting into music I used to buy import copies of Kerrang magazine back in Toronto and now I get a kick that we're in it. But after that I try not to think about shit like that too much. It's better to keep your head down and your nose to the grindstone.
BRIT: You rate word of mouth above advertising, and I have to admit it was how I came across you, in a world so saturated by advertising and market research why do you place such importance on personal recommendations?
DANKO: You would trust your friend who tells you to go check something out over an anonymous corporate ad, at least I would. And these days how many "Alternative" Major Label bands, who buy the right trucker hat, wear the right jeans and wear the right Band t-shirts are there? TOO MANY. A closer look at these bands usually yields NO BACK CATALOGUE, no history. These are bands created in an executive board room not in some garage. You never hear the term "Paid Our Dues" because no one does anymore.
Download these fucking bands to death. Or get us to open for them and then we'll see if they can follow that.
BRIT: What's on your stereo at the moment?
DANKO: C. Aarme - S/T, Hyprocrisy - The Arrival, Dimension Zero - Silent Night Fever, Blonde Redhead - Misery Is A Butterfly, Ron Sexsmith - Cobblestone Runway, Nevermore - Enemies Of Reality, Death Angel - The Art Of Dying, Kataklysm - Serenity In Fire, Brant Bjork - Keep Your Cool
BRIT: When did you decide you wanted to be a rock star?
DANKO: I don't consider myself a musician or a rock star. I consider myself a performer and I've wanted to perform in front of people in a rock band since I was 6 years old when I joined the Kiss Army.
BRIT: In typical SG fashion name 5 things you couldn't live without
DANKO: Music and Sex. You can keep the other three.
BRIT: And finally what do you think of the Suicide Girls?
DANKO: Like I mentioned earlier I only heard of you after we released our 2002 album, "Born A Lion" with a song called "Suicide Woman". But the site is fantastic and I was able to oogle at some Suicide Girls at SXSW this year, and of course the Probot video with Lemmy and Wino. I think Suicide Girls are hot.
You can check out Danko Jones on their homepage or the website for the radio show Danko does out of Stockholm, Sweden on 95.3 FM - It's called THE MAGICAL WORLD OF ROCK WITH DANKO JONES and all the old shows have been archived and available for all to hear at: www.themagicalworldofrock.com
**************************************
Laters gaters….glad you enjoyed the set
xb
UPDATE:
I have Danko Jones, Million Dead and Eighties Matchbox interviews on their way folks, but am going to wait until my first set goes up before I post them.
Apologies...but hopefully they'll be worth the wait....until then heres my review of Eighties Matchbox B-Line Distaster's gig earlier this year
xb
******************************************
Prior to attending The Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster gig I had their critically acclaimed album 'Horse Of The Dog' on repeat to get me in the mood and couldn't help noticing that for someone so young, lead singer Guy McKnight claims that he's a man rather a lot and in my wise old age of 26 I smiled wanly at the folly of youth.
Stood near the front of the stage a few hours later that smile was surreptitiously wiped from my face and replaced with a very bitten lip. Not since the Elvis '68 comeback special has a man, yes God damn it a man, stood so casually, caustically, exactly representing just what sexual deviance is.
After dragging my eyes away and around the venue (Fortress Studios) I could see that every man, woman and dog was following my thought pattern - well for safety purposes I'd like to think not 'exactly' the thoughts I had in mind, but anyway I digress.
When I saw them last it was in Reykjavik and I couldn't see the stage for flailing limbs and overexcited punk metal fans and thanked my lucky stars I had a good view this time. I brought a friend with me who didn't really know Eighties Matchbox's particular brand of psycho-billy punk rock but she along with everyone else within the four sweaty dark walls were moving as much as they could.
Admittedly this wasn't a great deal for although the sold-out venue provided enough space, the audience were inexorably drawn towards the stage until I felt there might be more than an outside chance of someone falling pregnant.
There have been comparisons to the Cramps, Nick Cave and Iggy Pop, but I still think a demonic Elvis fits the bill. The writhing, sweating, pouting figure of lead singer Guy McKnight flanked by a wall of sound clambering all over the stage, the speakers, and over anyone who could get themselves close enough.
This is what guitars were made for. This is what all those 'Hollyoaks' goth wannabes need shoving right up their asses. Fuck stripy tights and corporate shiny Nu Metal sing-alongs. This is what you need a heavy dose of, and no spoon full of sugar will save you from the true taste.
Eighties Matchbox are, in actual fact, the nuts. Watching them live is as close as you can get to wrestling with a tornado - even though it rips through you leaving you feeling sweaty, breathless and beaten you can't help but look up from the debris and thank them for it.
Although it's nothing like as much fun as seeing them live you can find out more about Eighties Matchbox by checking out www.eightiesmatchbox.com
I have Danko Jones, Million Dead and Eighties Matchbox interviews on their way folks, but am going to wait until my first set goes up before I post them.
Apologies...but hopefully they'll be worth the wait....until then heres my review of Eighties Matchbox B-Line Distaster's gig earlier this year
xb
******************************************
Prior to attending The Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster gig I had their critically acclaimed album 'Horse Of The Dog' on repeat to get me in the mood and couldn't help noticing that for someone so young, lead singer Guy McKnight claims that he's a man rather a lot and in my wise old age of 26 I smiled wanly at the folly of youth.
Stood near the front of the stage a few hours later that smile was surreptitiously wiped from my face and replaced with a very bitten lip. Not since the Elvis '68 comeback special has a man, yes God damn it a man, stood so casually, caustically, exactly representing just what sexual deviance is.
After dragging my eyes away and around the venue (Fortress Studios) I could see that every man, woman and dog was following my thought pattern - well for safety purposes I'd like to think not 'exactly' the thoughts I had in mind, but anyway I digress.
When I saw them last it was in Reykjavik and I couldn't see the stage for flailing limbs and overexcited punk metal fans and thanked my lucky stars I had a good view this time. I brought a friend with me who didn't really know Eighties Matchbox's particular brand of psycho-billy punk rock but she along with everyone else within the four sweaty dark walls were moving as much as they could.
Admittedly this wasn't a great deal for although the sold-out venue provided enough space, the audience were inexorably drawn towards the stage until I felt there might be more than an outside chance of someone falling pregnant.
There have been comparisons to the Cramps, Nick Cave and Iggy Pop, but I still think a demonic Elvis fits the bill. The writhing, sweating, pouting figure of lead singer Guy McKnight flanked by a wall of sound clambering all over the stage, the speakers, and over anyone who could get themselves close enough.
This is what guitars were made for. This is what all those 'Hollyoaks' goth wannabes need shoving right up their asses. Fuck stripy tights and corporate shiny Nu Metal sing-alongs. This is what you need a heavy dose of, and no spoon full of sugar will save you from the true taste.
Eighties Matchbox are, in actual fact, the nuts. Watching them live is as close as you can get to wrestling with a tornado - even though it rips through you leaving you feeling sweaty, breathless and beaten you can't help but look up from the debris and thank them for it.
Although it's nothing like as much fun as seeing them live you can find out more about Eighties Matchbox by checking out www.eightiesmatchbox.com
right then i am just about to nip on a plane to iceland but before i go i will leave you with Dave Wyndorf's interview:
******************************************
Monster Magnet are as close to what Jack Daniels and a large joint would sound like if such things were able to musically voice themselves. Rock with a definite roll, rasping and bullsome with a psychedelic haze they are longstanding kings of hedonistic guitar fuelled attitude, just don't try and tell them that rock is dead....
BRIT: Mr Wyndorf, the current monolithic baby tour has been approached in 2 formats with you playing some venues with a hit based format and others with what you phrased as a music based format. What made you decide to do this?
DW: The psych shows this summer are the beginning of the expansion of the Monster Magnet universe. Who's to say a band can't put out different vibes for different tours? It's an experiment to see if the crowd can bust through any pre conceived notions of what Monster Magnet is 'supposed' to be like live. I'm confident in the music as well as in the stereotypical big rock blitzkrieg. It's a risk but what the hell. So get ready to writhe your naked ass to the mindless groove!
BRIT: Are you looking forward to playing the Donnington Download festival?
DW: Download is a half an hour set and a media glom. I'm ready.
BRIT: Are you going to have time to check out the SG burlesque show?
DW: Where?! When?! Color me THERE!
BRIT: You have had Glucifier supporting you through this tour - which other bands should we take note of in your view?
DW: Witchcraft, White Stripes and the new Fall album
BRIT: Would you follow in the footsteps of bands such as Motley Crue and have an authorised biography of your life or the band?
DW: A bio would destroy my life as I know it. Dr. Jekyll doesn't want to know MR. Hyde.
BRIT: Monster Magnet live are a true show, which bands inspired you?
DW: The Ramones, Iggy and the Stooges, the MC5, Hawkwind, the Butthole Surfers, Mudhoney, Portishead
BRIT: Which places do you think are best to play live?
DW: Working class areas - the people know the value of the ROCK!
BRIT: Do you ever get frustrated at the current music scene?
DW: Who doesn't? The Mainstream music System sucks big fucking moosecock and everybody knows it. What's worse is that there are Millions of suckers out there that actually like this shite! AND the press goes right along with it because of advertising $$$$$. Especially in England and the US. Shame Shame!
BRIT: What was the last record you listened to?
DW: Blaxploitation Vol.2. White stripes - Elephant. Ghost. Nancy Sinatra. Vivaldi. Massive Attack. Grand funk railroad, live.
BRIT: What's your opinion on the mp3 situation and the legal battles surrounding downloaded music?
DW: You can't un-invent the wheel. But it does piss me off when people think art is free because it's not. The common vibe on 'free' denotes a lack of respect. That is directly reflected in popular taste. It's no mistake that there's more product but less quality out there. Because one can get things for free - they care less. Bye Bye Art! Hello crap!
BRIT: And in typical SG style... List 5 things you couldn't live without...
DW: 1. Chocolate 2. Intellectual stimulation (and all that this implies) 3. Creative outlets. 4. Nature. 5. Family.
BRIT: Finally, any thoughts on the suicide girls?
DW: Interesting concept. Hope it helps more than it hurts (cyberland can do serious damage to the easily damaged ego) Would LOVE to hook up for an all out Roman style orgy of excess on stage at a Monster Magnet show. The people loooove it! I loooove it!
Monster Magnet's official web site
******************************************
NEXT UP will be Danko Jones...watch this space
******************************************
Monster Magnet are as close to what Jack Daniels and a large joint would sound like if such things were able to musically voice themselves. Rock with a definite roll, rasping and bullsome with a psychedelic haze they are longstanding kings of hedonistic guitar fuelled attitude, just don't try and tell them that rock is dead....
BRIT: Mr Wyndorf, the current monolithic baby tour has been approached in 2 formats with you playing some venues with a hit based format and others with what you phrased as a music based format. What made you decide to do this?
DW: The psych shows this summer are the beginning of the expansion of the Monster Magnet universe. Who's to say a band can't put out different vibes for different tours? It's an experiment to see if the crowd can bust through any pre conceived notions of what Monster Magnet is 'supposed' to be like live. I'm confident in the music as well as in the stereotypical big rock blitzkrieg. It's a risk but what the hell. So get ready to writhe your naked ass to the mindless groove!
BRIT: Are you looking forward to playing the Donnington Download festival?
DW: Download is a half an hour set and a media glom. I'm ready.
BRIT: Are you going to have time to check out the SG burlesque show?
DW: Where?! When?! Color me THERE!
BRIT: You have had Glucifier supporting you through this tour - which other bands should we take note of in your view?
DW: Witchcraft, White Stripes and the new Fall album
BRIT: Would you follow in the footsteps of bands such as Motley Crue and have an authorised biography of your life or the band?
DW: A bio would destroy my life as I know it. Dr. Jekyll doesn't want to know MR. Hyde.
BRIT: Monster Magnet live are a true show, which bands inspired you?
DW: The Ramones, Iggy and the Stooges, the MC5, Hawkwind, the Butthole Surfers, Mudhoney, Portishead
BRIT: Which places do you think are best to play live?
DW: Working class areas - the people know the value of the ROCK!
BRIT: Do you ever get frustrated at the current music scene?
DW: Who doesn't? The Mainstream music System sucks big fucking moosecock and everybody knows it. What's worse is that there are Millions of suckers out there that actually like this shite! AND the press goes right along with it because of advertising $$$$$. Especially in England and the US. Shame Shame!
BRIT: What was the last record you listened to?
DW: Blaxploitation Vol.2. White stripes - Elephant. Ghost. Nancy Sinatra. Vivaldi. Massive Attack. Grand funk railroad, live.
BRIT: What's your opinion on the mp3 situation and the legal battles surrounding downloaded music?
DW: You can't un-invent the wheel. But it does piss me off when people think art is free because it's not. The common vibe on 'free' denotes a lack of respect. That is directly reflected in popular taste. It's no mistake that there's more product but less quality out there. Because one can get things for free - they care less. Bye Bye Art! Hello crap!
BRIT: And in typical SG style... List 5 things you couldn't live without...
DW: 1. Chocolate 2. Intellectual stimulation (and all that this implies) 3. Creative outlets. 4. Nature. 5. Family.
BRIT: Finally, any thoughts on the suicide girls?
DW: Interesting concept. Hope it helps more than it hurts (cyberland can do serious damage to the easily damaged ego) Would LOVE to hook up for an all out Roman style orgy of excess on stage at a Monster Magnet show. The people loooove it! I loooove it!
Monster Magnet's official web site
******************************************
NEXT UP will be Danko Jones...watch this space
good day to all and sundry
*curtseys*
i have been thinking for some time about what exactly i will use this space for and have decided that to start with it shall be reviews and interviews with some of my favourite people.
first up on the interview front will be mr dave wyndorf of monster magnet...so to warm you up for that, here's my review of their gig here last month:
Monster Magnet liveShepherd's Bush Empire, London. 16th April
I went to meet my lovely sex pot friend Leila (of Duke Spirit legend) earlier this week for a long gossip the night after Monster Magnet had wooed me once more. She earnestly enquired: "So how was the band anyway? Aren't they some weirdo stoner rock group or something?" I replied something along the lines of 'holyfuckinshitesexyguitarstonerrockwooobooojayyka' and glazed over with a demonic grin on my face.
It was back in 1998 when I stood in front of the main stage at Reading Festival on my own, gripping a can of Guinness, exceedingly pissed off at my then boyfriend, muttering about where I'd like to shove said can when Monster Magnet appeared on stage. I hadn't really heard of them back then, after all I was only a teenager from the country rather too obsessed with the likes of Prodigy etc, but it didn't take me long to forget I had a boyfriend at all and get swept away, Satan-saluting as if there were no tomorrow. Dave the-devil-may-very-well-care-but-I-fuckin-don't Wyndorf shouted "it's half two in the muthafucking afternoon - lets rock like its half two in the muthafuckin morning" and lo, so we did. It was at that moment I found my god. Well, I found rock.
When I entered Shepherds Bush Empire on Monday night I was more than a little excited. Sadly we were a touch too late and I was a touch too excited to pay much attention to Glucifier (the support band) although I rather like them, yes indeed. We ensured we had the best seats in the house as the band appeared on stage Wyndorf was looking altogether rather good, and I began making many approving noises re his ability to wear leather trousers so well.
This is in fact part of what makes Wyndorf a true rock front man. Seriously, how many men do you know who aren't rock gods who can wear leather trousers and a handlebar tash and not look stupid, let alone ooze sex. I have no idea how old he is these days but given the amount of illicit substances he previously consumed and the lifestyle he has led age suits him and you can call me Mabel if it isn't so.
Monster Magnet live are a not just a gig, they are a show with true stage presence. Admittedly most of the presence is held within the front man, his ego and possibly his trousers, but it isn't just this which sets them so far apart. What is unusual is the incredible standard of the musicians and the production. The set was so tight that when my eyes were closed it sounded like the CD but with much more, not less, as I have sadly found with many other rock bands.
Monster Magnet may not suit everyone but their calibre is such that they have outlived many trendier groups, still fill shows, and sell shitloads of records. It's about behaving badly, shaking your money maker, playing the part, and playing stoner psychedelic metal rock of the grade A variety.
They ripped through their set with wall-to-wall appreciation, blasting out such favourites as 'Space Lord', 'Bummer' and 'Powertrip' along with tracks from their latest album - 'Monolithic Baby'. I felt euphoric and slightly dirty by the end but in a very good way if you know what I mean.
If you want to read more or possibly see Wyndorf's moustache then check out Monster Magnet's Official site
*curtseys*
i have been thinking for some time about what exactly i will use this space for and have decided that to start with it shall be reviews and interviews with some of my favourite people.
first up on the interview front will be mr dave wyndorf of monster magnet...so to warm you up for that, here's my review of their gig here last month:
Monster Magnet liveShepherd's Bush Empire, London. 16th April
I went to meet my lovely sex pot friend Leila (of Duke Spirit legend) earlier this week for a long gossip the night after Monster Magnet had wooed me once more. She earnestly enquired: "So how was the band anyway? Aren't they some weirdo stoner rock group or something?" I replied something along the lines of 'holyfuckinshitesexyguitarstonerrockwooobooojayyka' and glazed over with a demonic grin on my face.
It was back in 1998 when I stood in front of the main stage at Reading Festival on my own, gripping a can of Guinness, exceedingly pissed off at my then boyfriend, muttering about where I'd like to shove said can when Monster Magnet appeared on stage. I hadn't really heard of them back then, after all I was only a teenager from the country rather too obsessed with the likes of Prodigy etc, but it didn't take me long to forget I had a boyfriend at all and get swept away, Satan-saluting as if there were no tomorrow. Dave the-devil-may-very-well-care-but-I-fuckin-don't Wyndorf shouted "it's half two in the muthafucking afternoon - lets rock like its half two in the muthafuckin morning" and lo, so we did. It was at that moment I found my god. Well, I found rock.
When I entered Shepherds Bush Empire on Monday night I was more than a little excited. Sadly we were a touch too late and I was a touch too excited to pay much attention to Glucifier (the support band) although I rather like them, yes indeed. We ensured we had the best seats in the house as the band appeared on stage Wyndorf was looking altogether rather good, and I began making many approving noises re his ability to wear leather trousers so well.
This is in fact part of what makes Wyndorf a true rock front man. Seriously, how many men do you know who aren't rock gods who can wear leather trousers and a handlebar tash and not look stupid, let alone ooze sex. I have no idea how old he is these days but given the amount of illicit substances he previously consumed and the lifestyle he has led age suits him and you can call me Mabel if it isn't so.
Monster Magnet live are a not just a gig, they are a show with true stage presence. Admittedly most of the presence is held within the front man, his ego and possibly his trousers, but it isn't just this which sets them so far apart. What is unusual is the incredible standard of the musicians and the production. The set was so tight that when my eyes were closed it sounded like the CD but with much more, not less, as I have sadly found with many other rock bands.
Monster Magnet may not suit everyone but their calibre is such that they have outlived many trendier groups, still fill shows, and sell shitloads of records. It's about behaving badly, shaking your money maker, playing the part, and playing stoner psychedelic metal rock of the grade A variety.
They ripped through their set with wall-to-wall appreciation, blasting out such favourites as 'Space Lord', 'Bummer' and 'Powertrip' along with tracks from their latest album - 'Monolithic Baby'. I felt euphoric and slightly dirty by the end but in a very good way if you know what I mean.
If you want to read more or possibly see Wyndorf's moustache then check out Monster Magnet's Official site
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