Rob Zombie is not one to rest on his laurels. Indeed, his rate of productivity in the realm of music and film means hes one of the most interviewed artists on SuicideGirls this being his sixth one-on-one conversation with SG.
Mondo Sex Head, a collection of Zombie classics remixed and reinvented by the likes of Photek, Big Black Delta and Ki:Theory, has just been released, and a new studio album is currently in the works. In the live arena, Zombie recently signed on to co-headline with Marilyn Manson on the Twins of Evil Tour. The 28-date US jaunt kicks off on September 28th, and perhaps fittingly ends on Halloween.
Meanwhile, on the film front, Zombie is in the final stages of post-production on Lords of Salem, a movie he wrote, directed, and produced in association with the team behind the Paranormal Activity franchise. Its the latest entry in a filmography that includes such titles as House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects and Halloweens I and II. However, not one to be typecast, Zombies next movie marks a distinct departure from the cosy confines of the horror genre. We caught up with Zombie to find out more
Nicole Powers: Where are you calling in from?
Rob Zombie: Im in the recording studio right now working on a new record.
NP: So this is the new studio album that Ive been hearing rumors of.
RZ: Yes. Yes. Weve been working on it for a while. We should be done in about a month.
NP: How does this record differ from your previous ones?
RZ: Im really into this record right now. We have a long way to go, but its the most free sounding record I feel like Ive made in a long, long time. As time has gone on I feel at different moments in my career Ive made a record thats significant for that time period. With White Zombie, Astro-Creep was the significant record at that time for that band. Then the next one was Hellbilly Deluxe, my first solo record. You make other records and theyre cool and theyre good, they have good songs, but you havent really turned the page to a new thing. I feel like this record is the beginning of the next phase of what Im doing. Its just a big crazy live sounding record. I just love it. Its hard to describe, but every once in a while a creative vein opens up and you head off in a direction thats justyou dont question it because it doesnt happen that often, lets put it that way.
NP: I guess if you think about too much, youll over analyze it and then youll fuck it up, so you almost dont want to question it.
RZ: Yeah, I just like the idea of doing it right. Also, one of the things that I think is the reason for this freedom is, once you have success, whether you know it or not, you subconsciously want to achieve more success or maintain the success that youve had. So, obviously, if you write a hit song, you try to write other hit songs. Thats sort of the nature of the game. But, with the fact that nobody really buys records anymore, Im not really sure what constitutes a hit record or a hit song. Those rules dont quite apply anymore because youre not going to sell millions and millions of records no matter what you do. It just doesnt happen anymore really. So, because of that, you feel like, fuck it, who gives a shit? And because you feel that way, you almost feel like a new band does. Youre not chasing the dragon anymore, youre just being creative and coming up with great stuff. And thats usually when you do have hits, strangely enough, because youre just creatively free at that moment.
NP: Its the nature of need; When you need something too much, you often dont get it.
RZ: Yeah, basically. Because you just cant manufacture these things. Most of the time whenever Ive had a hit song or a big record its always come from something that someone said Oh, I dont even like that song [about] when you first record it. So its totally unpredictable. Thats why you always have to do what you find satisfying. You can never predict anything.
NP: So who are you in the studio with right now?
RZ: Right now Im just here with the producer [Bob Marlette]. The rest of the band is not here right now. They were here. They all went home for a while. Im just laying down vocal tracks and working on the arrangements and doing different things, so Im just here by myself.
NP: Whats the current line-up that youre working with?
RZ: The line-up is the same that it has been for a while. John 5 is still the guitar player, hes been in the band now for over seven years. Piggy D is still playing bass. Hes been with me for about six years. And Ginger Fish is still playing drums, and hes been around now for a year and a half maybe.
NP: And you guys are heading out on the "Twins of Evil Tour with Marilyn Manson in September. Thats a tour that shouldve happened a long time ago.
RZ: Yeah. It seems like an obvious tour, but Im kind of glad it didnt because Im running out of people to tour with. Its nice that at this stage of the game you can still put a tour together and it still seems exciting. Right before you called I got word that the ticket sales are just huge for the tour. So its great. People are into it.
NP: I understand youre going to be doing quite a bit of production on this tour.
RZ: Yes. A lot of production.
NP: What can people expect from the shows?
RZ: Well, its going to be huge and amazing but Im not going to tell anyone because were building it now and I want there to be some element of surprise.
NP: I like that. Im also really intrigued by this Lords of Salem movie that youve been working on. When are we likely to see it?
RZ: The movie is almost done. I just have to mix the sound and do a couple of little things like that in post-production, then it will be outThis time it was a little bit screwier with the movie because I was trying to make a record at the same time as the movie, going back and forth. Usually when I do one thing, I dont do the other, and I take long breaks between. This time I was trying to see if I could balance both at the same time, and because of that I wasnt able to lock in a definite release date yet, so I dont actually know when the movie is coming out yet.
NP: Right. Youve got a lot on your plate because youve also just bought the rights to the Philadelphia Flyers / Broad Street Bullies story. Why do you have an affinity to that tale?
RZ: Well, basically, I remember that story from when I was a kid. I was a big hockey fan when I was young in the early 70s. I remember all these characters and just the story of it all. I like sports movies, even if I dont know anything about the story, and this is a great story. This is one of those stories that everyone could get into even if they hate hockey and dont like sports. The characters involved are so outrageous and ridiculous. Ive just been looking for something different to do too. Because making horror movies is great, but thats not the only type of movies I want to make or the only type of movies I like. This is the perfect film to take me up out of that world.
NP: I was going to say its a massive departure for you from the horror genre, which is where youve been typecast. That must be kind of exciting for you. I mean, this is a movie that Ron Howard might make, but Im sure youre going to do it in a very different way.
RZ: Well, yeah, because its a really crazy story. Its a really violent story. The reason these guys became known is they basically were the ones that brought fighting and all this stuff to hockey. Its a very bruising, bloody movie. They basically intimidated their way to the championship. But, yeah, I dont like being typecast as one thing. Not that I never want to make another horror movie, and maybe Ill make 100 more, but I dont want to have to do it. I want to want to do it. I dont like getting stuck in anything.
NP: Does that go with music? Could we see a Rob Zombie ambient album for example?
RZ: Well, Ive always tried to vary up the sound a lot. I didnt want to get stuck in a thing like, oh, it has to be this, it has to just be heavy guitars and drums. Thats why, over the years, weve brought in mandolins, and sitars, and acoustic guitars, and hundred piece orchestras, and all kinds of stuff in all the records. Because I didnt want to get trapped in that thing where it has to be this, and any time you varied from it the fans dont like it. I think sometimes that becomes just learned behavior. I always liked bands that had that vibe where they could do anything and the fans are accepting of it, because thats part of the journey with the band. I never wanted to be, oh, it has to be exactly like this or its not right thats just seems so boring to me.
NP: I noticed on this remix album that theres a lot of light and shade. I know its a collaboration between you and KCRWs Jason Bentley, which is a very intelligent combination. Its a great mix of mixes. I was expecting it to be really heavy and grungy, and on the more industrial side of dance music, but theres a complete across the board mix. How did the project come about? Where these mixes that were done specifically for this album? Or are they ones that have happened over the years that youve just been collating?
RZ: No, they were done specifically for the album. Theyve been compiled over the last six monthsI just wanted it to be all over the place. I didnt want them to do what the fans would expect it to be because thats boring. I know some of the fans will love it and some of them will hate it, but thats going to happen anyway with everything. You cant guard against that. Pretty much, it is what it is. What I like about these remixes too is that they play better in places. You want to hear it at a club with people out and about
NP: Do you have a particular favorite track?
RZ: I like a lot of them. I mean, the ones I picked were my favorites, because there were more that I didnt like quite as much. I like different ones for different reasons. I liked Foxy, Foxy [Ki:Theory Remix] because I actually thought it was kind of better than the original song, the groove in it. I like Living Dead Girl [Photek Remix] just because it was this long atmospheric thing that almost had nothing to do with the original song. That was kind of cool. Truthfully, I wasnt really loving any of it until one night when I could clear my head. I was just driving in LA at night and the lights were zooming by, and I listened to the record and thats when I got into it. Sometimes I find that as life goes on, its cluttering your mind all the time. Its hard to just focus on the musicMost of the time people are listening to music and fussing around on their phone or the computer, theyre always doing something else. Its really only in the car that I find that I can focus on it. Theres this zen thing, driving and listening to music. That was the moment where I discovered the record for myself.
NP: I feel with music that sometimes its a situational thing. Theres music that I specifically like to listen to on trains, and music I like for parties, and music I like when Im hanging out by the pool, and theyre very different vibes.
RZ: Yeah. ExactlyIf youre in a club, a song that might sound really annoying on the radio comes on booming in the club and you go, Ah this is fucking great. It works great in that situation, but you wouldnt want to hear it somewhere else, so I totally agree. I just wishthere was a day where I used to just have a record or an album and sit in my bed and just listen to it and thats literally all I didNow I find that its hard to just listen to music, theres always something else going on.
NP: Plus, I dont think kids do that anymore. I remember going to the record store, and when I bought a record, I couldnt wait to get it home. Then Id play it over and over and over again until I sent my parents crazy. Now, if kids are listening to music, theyre doing it while watching a video on YouTube. And while theyre watching the video on YouTube, theyve probably also got a game going on too.
RZ: Yeah, theyre texting and doing other things.
NP: Music is much more the background for life.
RZ: Music is not as important as it once was. Yeah, its just one of the many things now. Before it used to be the only thing. I kind of miss that. But thats life, thats the way it is.
NP: Talking about situations and music, the new studio album, where could you see someone having the perfect moment with it?
RZ: Well, for me, I think for this record, theres two ways. When I was a kid, I used to always love listening to music on headphones in my bedroom at night. Because there was just nothing and you were just sinking into the music so hardcore that itd almost become like an altered state.Now, the other way I really like is driving in a car. Thats when everything sounds great to me.
NP: Is there anything else that youre listening to right now? Other peoples music thats hitting the sweet spot?
RZ: No, not really. Its funny, what I usually like to listen to when Im in the car, I like to listen to the radio, because I do miss sometimes, it doesnt really happen much, but I want to hear the DJs and hear the songs and the concerts coming up. Even though you get stuck listening to the commercialsI have satellite radio, but I think sometimes thats very isolatingI still like that feeling of theres a song, and theres a concert announcement. I feel like theres a community of people around this music. Whereas when you listen to satellite radio, somewhere theres a robot thats playing a group of songs to you and its not connected to anything. A great example of this, I remember reading an interview with Tim Burton and he said that he really likes watching movies on television because he said theres something about knowing that if you were sitting down to watch that movie at that moment so was somebody else. Its like were all watching this movie at the same time. But when you DVR or its on your TiVo, theres no feeling of that. Everybody is in their own little bubble, and thats cool too, but there was always something about like, you hear a concert announcement, the band is coming to town, theyre playing this song, and there felt this excitement about things that I dont feel quite as much anymore.
NP: Right. Like the Olympic ceremony tonight thats going to be on TV, thats going to be one of those event things that a lot of people are going to watch. And then people can talk about it the next day and have something in common. People used to have more of that with music when there was more community based radio.
RZ: YeahThats a good example. Everything used to be like that. Any stupid TV show, if you didnt watch it that night, you didnt watch it. So the next day, everybody knew what it was, whatever TV show it might be that youre talking about or song that you hear on the radio.
NP: Right, its not just the automation of radio programming, its also things like TiVo that are robbing of us that community spirit too.
RZ: Yeah. And it goes back to what you said before about going to the record store. First day the record comes out theres a line of people to buy it. Its exciting. As opposed to, I dont know, is it really that exciting to go to iTunes and hit purchase? [laughs] Thats not very exciting. Its pretty boring.
NP: I think thats why the live shows are all the more important. Thats almost the only time now where you feel that kind of shared excitement.
RZ: Yeah, thats why I love touring and thats why I love playing shows. Thats really the only thing that has not changed at all. Well, actually, let me take that back, its changed a little bit, but for the most part it hasnt changed at all. The one thing that has change and I fucking hate this is people filming the show with their phones.
NP: I knew you were going to say that.
RZ: And its not because theyre bootlegging I dont give a shit about that. Its just because I can tell theyre not watching the show. Theyre staring at their phone trying not to jiggle their hand too much. And you look out at a sea of that and youre like, this is ridiculous. These guys stand there as still as possible so they that they can go home and relive the concert later on their crappy little phone they shot it on. Its so dumb.
NP: I get annoyed with that too. As a fan, I just want grab the phone off people who do that and shake them, and say like, experience this with me, I want to feel your excitement. Because those people suck the energy out of a crowd.
RZ: Yeah, youre right. People dont understand, the show is good because the band feeds off the energy of the crowd. And if the energy of the crowd is not there because everybody is filming, the show is not going to be as good, and it just becomes an endless cycle
NP: And I think its fucking rude to just stand there with your cell phone.
RZ: Yeah, what we do a lot of times is Ill just stop the show and wait for everyone to put their phone awayAs soon as they put their phones away, you can feel the show jump up to a whole other level. Its so funny.
Mondo Sex Head, a collection of Zombie classics remixed and reinvented by the likes of Photek, Big Black Delta and Ki:Theory, has just been released, and a new studio album is currently in the works. In the live arena, Zombie recently signed on to co-headline with Marilyn Manson on the Twins of Evil Tour. The 28-date US jaunt kicks off on September 28th, and perhaps fittingly ends on Halloween.
Meanwhile, on the film front, Zombie is in the final stages of post-production on Lords of Salem, a movie he wrote, directed, and produced in association with the team behind the Paranormal Activity franchise. Its the latest entry in a filmography that includes such titles as House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects and Halloweens I and II. However, not one to be typecast, Zombies next movie marks a distinct departure from the cosy confines of the horror genre. We caught up with Zombie to find out more
Nicole Powers: Where are you calling in from?
Rob Zombie: Im in the recording studio right now working on a new record.
NP: So this is the new studio album that Ive been hearing rumors of.
RZ: Yes. Yes. Weve been working on it for a while. We should be done in about a month.
NP: How does this record differ from your previous ones?
RZ: Im really into this record right now. We have a long way to go, but its the most free sounding record I feel like Ive made in a long, long time. As time has gone on I feel at different moments in my career Ive made a record thats significant for that time period. With White Zombie, Astro-Creep was the significant record at that time for that band. Then the next one was Hellbilly Deluxe, my first solo record. You make other records and theyre cool and theyre good, they have good songs, but you havent really turned the page to a new thing. I feel like this record is the beginning of the next phase of what Im doing. Its just a big crazy live sounding record. I just love it. Its hard to describe, but every once in a while a creative vein opens up and you head off in a direction thats justyou dont question it because it doesnt happen that often, lets put it that way.
NP: I guess if you think about too much, youll over analyze it and then youll fuck it up, so you almost dont want to question it.
RZ: Yeah, I just like the idea of doing it right. Also, one of the things that I think is the reason for this freedom is, once you have success, whether you know it or not, you subconsciously want to achieve more success or maintain the success that youve had. So, obviously, if you write a hit song, you try to write other hit songs. Thats sort of the nature of the game. But, with the fact that nobody really buys records anymore, Im not really sure what constitutes a hit record or a hit song. Those rules dont quite apply anymore because youre not going to sell millions and millions of records no matter what you do. It just doesnt happen anymore really. So, because of that, you feel like, fuck it, who gives a shit? And because you feel that way, you almost feel like a new band does. Youre not chasing the dragon anymore, youre just being creative and coming up with great stuff. And thats usually when you do have hits, strangely enough, because youre just creatively free at that moment.
NP: Its the nature of need; When you need something too much, you often dont get it.
RZ: Yeah, basically. Because you just cant manufacture these things. Most of the time whenever Ive had a hit song or a big record its always come from something that someone said Oh, I dont even like that song [about] when you first record it. So its totally unpredictable. Thats why you always have to do what you find satisfying. You can never predict anything.
NP: So who are you in the studio with right now?
RZ: Right now Im just here with the producer [Bob Marlette]. The rest of the band is not here right now. They were here. They all went home for a while. Im just laying down vocal tracks and working on the arrangements and doing different things, so Im just here by myself.
NP: Whats the current line-up that youre working with?
RZ: The line-up is the same that it has been for a while. John 5 is still the guitar player, hes been in the band now for over seven years. Piggy D is still playing bass. Hes been with me for about six years. And Ginger Fish is still playing drums, and hes been around now for a year and a half maybe.
NP: And you guys are heading out on the "Twins of Evil Tour with Marilyn Manson in September. Thats a tour that shouldve happened a long time ago.
RZ: Yeah. It seems like an obvious tour, but Im kind of glad it didnt because Im running out of people to tour with. Its nice that at this stage of the game you can still put a tour together and it still seems exciting. Right before you called I got word that the ticket sales are just huge for the tour. So its great. People are into it.
NP: I understand youre going to be doing quite a bit of production on this tour.
RZ: Yes. A lot of production.
NP: What can people expect from the shows?
RZ: Well, its going to be huge and amazing but Im not going to tell anyone because were building it now and I want there to be some element of surprise.
NP: I like that. Im also really intrigued by this Lords of Salem movie that youve been working on. When are we likely to see it?
RZ: The movie is almost done. I just have to mix the sound and do a couple of little things like that in post-production, then it will be outThis time it was a little bit screwier with the movie because I was trying to make a record at the same time as the movie, going back and forth. Usually when I do one thing, I dont do the other, and I take long breaks between. This time I was trying to see if I could balance both at the same time, and because of that I wasnt able to lock in a definite release date yet, so I dont actually know when the movie is coming out yet.
NP: Right. Youve got a lot on your plate because youve also just bought the rights to the Philadelphia Flyers / Broad Street Bullies story. Why do you have an affinity to that tale?
RZ: Well, basically, I remember that story from when I was a kid. I was a big hockey fan when I was young in the early 70s. I remember all these characters and just the story of it all. I like sports movies, even if I dont know anything about the story, and this is a great story. This is one of those stories that everyone could get into even if they hate hockey and dont like sports. The characters involved are so outrageous and ridiculous. Ive just been looking for something different to do too. Because making horror movies is great, but thats not the only type of movies I want to make or the only type of movies I like. This is the perfect film to take me up out of that world.
NP: I was going to say its a massive departure for you from the horror genre, which is where youve been typecast. That must be kind of exciting for you. I mean, this is a movie that Ron Howard might make, but Im sure youre going to do it in a very different way.
RZ: Well, yeah, because its a really crazy story. Its a really violent story. The reason these guys became known is they basically were the ones that brought fighting and all this stuff to hockey. Its a very bruising, bloody movie. They basically intimidated their way to the championship. But, yeah, I dont like being typecast as one thing. Not that I never want to make another horror movie, and maybe Ill make 100 more, but I dont want to have to do it. I want to want to do it. I dont like getting stuck in anything.
NP: Does that go with music? Could we see a Rob Zombie ambient album for example?
RZ: Well, Ive always tried to vary up the sound a lot. I didnt want to get stuck in a thing like, oh, it has to be this, it has to just be heavy guitars and drums. Thats why, over the years, weve brought in mandolins, and sitars, and acoustic guitars, and hundred piece orchestras, and all kinds of stuff in all the records. Because I didnt want to get trapped in that thing where it has to be this, and any time you varied from it the fans dont like it. I think sometimes that becomes just learned behavior. I always liked bands that had that vibe where they could do anything and the fans are accepting of it, because thats part of the journey with the band. I never wanted to be, oh, it has to be exactly like this or its not right thats just seems so boring to me.
NP: I noticed on this remix album that theres a lot of light and shade. I know its a collaboration between you and KCRWs Jason Bentley, which is a very intelligent combination. Its a great mix of mixes. I was expecting it to be really heavy and grungy, and on the more industrial side of dance music, but theres a complete across the board mix. How did the project come about? Where these mixes that were done specifically for this album? Or are they ones that have happened over the years that youve just been collating?
RZ: No, they were done specifically for the album. Theyve been compiled over the last six monthsI just wanted it to be all over the place. I didnt want them to do what the fans would expect it to be because thats boring. I know some of the fans will love it and some of them will hate it, but thats going to happen anyway with everything. You cant guard against that. Pretty much, it is what it is. What I like about these remixes too is that they play better in places. You want to hear it at a club with people out and about
NP: Do you have a particular favorite track?
RZ: I like a lot of them. I mean, the ones I picked were my favorites, because there were more that I didnt like quite as much. I like different ones for different reasons. I liked Foxy, Foxy [Ki:Theory Remix] because I actually thought it was kind of better than the original song, the groove in it. I like Living Dead Girl [Photek Remix] just because it was this long atmospheric thing that almost had nothing to do with the original song. That was kind of cool. Truthfully, I wasnt really loving any of it until one night when I could clear my head. I was just driving in LA at night and the lights were zooming by, and I listened to the record and thats when I got into it. Sometimes I find that as life goes on, its cluttering your mind all the time. Its hard to just focus on the musicMost of the time people are listening to music and fussing around on their phone or the computer, theyre always doing something else. Its really only in the car that I find that I can focus on it. Theres this zen thing, driving and listening to music. That was the moment where I discovered the record for myself.
NP: I feel with music that sometimes its a situational thing. Theres music that I specifically like to listen to on trains, and music I like for parties, and music I like when Im hanging out by the pool, and theyre very different vibes.
RZ: Yeah. ExactlyIf youre in a club, a song that might sound really annoying on the radio comes on booming in the club and you go, Ah this is fucking great. It works great in that situation, but you wouldnt want to hear it somewhere else, so I totally agree. I just wishthere was a day where I used to just have a record or an album and sit in my bed and just listen to it and thats literally all I didNow I find that its hard to just listen to music, theres always something else going on.
NP: Plus, I dont think kids do that anymore. I remember going to the record store, and when I bought a record, I couldnt wait to get it home. Then Id play it over and over and over again until I sent my parents crazy. Now, if kids are listening to music, theyre doing it while watching a video on YouTube. And while theyre watching the video on YouTube, theyve probably also got a game going on too.
RZ: Yeah, theyre texting and doing other things.
NP: Music is much more the background for life.
RZ: Music is not as important as it once was. Yeah, its just one of the many things now. Before it used to be the only thing. I kind of miss that. But thats life, thats the way it is.
NP: Talking about situations and music, the new studio album, where could you see someone having the perfect moment with it?
RZ: Well, for me, I think for this record, theres two ways. When I was a kid, I used to always love listening to music on headphones in my bedroom at night. Because there was just nothing and you were just sinking into the music so hardcore that itd almost become like an altered state.Now, the other way I really like is driving in a car. Thats when everything sounds great to me.
NP: Is there anything else that youre listening to right now? Other peoples music thats hitting the sweet spot?
RZ: No, not really. Its funny, what I usually like to listen to when Im in the car, I like to listen to the radio, because I do miss sometimes, it doesnt really happen much, but I want to hear the DJs and hear the songs and the concerts coming up. Even though you get stuck listening to the commercialsI have satellite radio, but I think sometimes thats very isolatingI still like that feeling of theres a song, and theres a concert announcement. I feel like theres a community of people around this music. Whereas when you listen to satellite radio, somewhere theres a robot thats playing a group of songs to you and its not connected to anything. A great example of this, I remember reading an interview with Tim Burton and he said that he really likes watching movies on television because he said theres something about knowing that if you were sitting down to watch that movie at that moment so was somebody else. Its like were all watching this movie at the same time. But when you DVR or its on your TiVo, theres no feeling of that. Everybody is in their own little bubble, and thats cool too, but there was always something about like, you hear a concert announcement, the band is coming to town, theyre playing this song, and there felt this excitement about things that I dont feel quite as much anymore.
NP: Right. Like the Olympic ceremony tonight thats going to be on TV, thats going to be one of those event things that a lot of people are going to watch. And then people can talk about it the next day and have something in common. People used to have more of that with music when there was more community based radio.
RZ: YeahThats a good example. Everything used to be like that. Any stupid TV show, if you didnt watch it that night, you didnt watch it. So the next day, everybody knew what it was, whatever TV show it might be that youre talking about or song that you hear on the radio.
NP: Right, its not just the automation of radio programming, its also things like TiVo that are robbing of us that community spirit too.
RZ: Yeah. And it goes back to what you said before about going to the record store. First day the record comes out theres a line of people to buy it. Its exciting. As opposed to, I dont know, is it really that exciting to go to iTunes and hit purchase? [laughs] Thats not very exciting. Its pretty boring.
NP: I think thats why the live shows are all the more important. Thats almost the only time now where you feel that kind of shared excitement.
RZ: Yeah, thats why I love touring and thats why I love playing shows. Thats really the only thing that has not changed at all. Well, actually, let me take that back, its changed a little bit, but for the most part it hasnt changed at all. The one thing that has change and I fucking hate this is people filming the show with their phones.
NP: I knew you were going to say that.
RZ: And its not because theyre bootlegging I dont give a shit about that. Its just because I can tell theyre not watching the show. Theyre staring at their phone trying not to jiggle their hand too much. And you look out at a sea of that and youre like, this is ridiculous. These guys stand there as still as possible so they that they can go home and relive the concert later on their crappy little phone they shot it on. Its so dumb.
NP: I get annoyed with that too. As a fan, I just want grab the phone off people who do that and shake them, and say like, experience this with me, I want to feel your excitement. Because those people suck the energy out of a crowd.
RZ: Yeah, youre right. People dont understand, the show is good because the band feeds off the energy of the crowd. And if the energy of the crowd is not there because everybody is filming, the show is not going to be as good, and it just becomes an endless cycle
NP: And I think its fucking rude to just stand there with your cell phone.
RZ: Yeah, what we do a lot of times is Ill just stop the show and wait for everyone to put their phone awayAs soon as they put their phones away, you can feel the show jump up to a whole other level. Its so funny.