I feel badly for Sicks Deep. Well, not too badly, because they have the whole "on-the-brink-of-rock-superstardom" thing going for them. I do feel bad enough though, since they had arrived in Philadelphia just an hour before I met with them only to find out that they have no Satyricon to open for, and no show to play. The remaining dates on the "Return of the AntiChrist" tour have been cancelled. No one had thought to alert Sicks Deep to this development until after they had already gotten to the venue and found locked doors and ticket refund info.
I sat down with the band (along with their manager, publicist, and entourage-- a very entertaining group) in The Beer Garden, a foul-smelling bar decorated with patio furniture and Astroturf that's located in the back corner of Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market. I wanted to find out what all the buzz is about. I was pleasantly surprised by the easygoing nature of this collection of people, their friendliness and the eagerness of the band to talk about their musical lives, experiences on MTV, and pink-haired SuicideGirls. The guys seem unaffected by the stares they draw from the Amish women selling pretzels across the way and instead turn their attention to pitchers of beer and my tape recorder.
This self-described hardcore band from New York has existed in some form since early in the decade for approximately four years. Their current line-up consists of frontman Kelly Abe, guitarists Mike Zamir and Gavin Pirell, bass player Anthony Falsetti, and drummer Nick Andrews. They have only been playing together for a year. Big things have happened in that short time, and huge things are on the horizon.
Most of America is familiar with New York-based Sicks Deep because of MTV's Battle For Ozzfest series, a reality competition show with a decidedly heavy flavor. The show itself is part The Apprentice, part The Real World, and part This Is Spinl Tap. It is entirely Osbourne-helmed and features representatives from eight finalist bands (out of a pool of hundreds) living together on a tour bus and traveling with the Ozzfest lineup, performing all sorts of unglamorous backstage duties as well as crazy stunts like biting the heads off "live bats". At the end of the series, which is currently airing at The Ten Spot on Monday nights on MTV, one representative will win a spot on Ozzfest 2005 for his/her band, and all new musical equipment. Kelly, who represented Sicks Deep, was voted off by Sharon and Ozzy in Episode Five. However, all it took was those five episodes to propel Sicks Deep into the consciousness of even the most mainstream music fan. Now they're releasing CDs, playing shows like live music is going out of style, and talking to record labels about recording contracts.
Catherine Flecker: A lot of things have happened in the world of rock in the past year, good and bad. What I want to touch on specifically since it is so fresh in everyone's mind, is the fatal shooting of former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell. On your website, you listed him as one of the primary influences of your sound. What has been going through your head on this loss of a man who had such an impact on the metal genre?
Nick Andrews: I think that the whole thing with Dimebag was just such an unnecessary tragedy. Darrell's music, and everything about him, was a huge inspiration to us and it's really unfortunate to have someone as important as he was in the metal community taken from us in such a ridiculous way. Our hearts go out to all his loved ones and fans. It's a terrible thing really, and we'll miss him.
Kelly Abe: Speaking on behalf of Mike and myself, we grew up listening to Pantera, and we're in a band right now because of Dimebag's inspiration. Hearing about his death was almost like find out that one of your friends got killed, like one you knew personally. His impact was so huge in our lives. Coincidently, he was killed on Gavin's birthday, which is also the anniversary of John Lennon's death.
Gavin Pirell: When I was in grade school, John Lennon was assassinated on my birthday, and just recently, Dimebag Darrell was killed on my birthday. My birthday has been littered with memorials of fallen rock legends, which is pretty terrible. Everyone knows who Pantera is, even though they never went commercial. They stayed underground like Metallica did until they sold out. He'll be greatly missed.
CF: The fact that he was shot by a crazed fan while playing a show, while right there onstage-- is this something you're more likely to think of now while playing a show? Are you more aware of what's going on in the crowd?
NA: Well, we haven't really played many shows since this happened. My perspective, personally, has definitely changed. On the brighter side of things, I hope this means that security [at shows] will get tighter. I mean, I know I've gotten into shows plenty of times without so much as a pat-down. In that situation, something could easily be brought to into a club that could hurt someone. It's how you perceive it, though. I think-- well at least I hope-- that this was an isolated incident and that the media won't blow it up to be something [that often happens at shows in the genre], which is doesn't.
GP: Its definitely a scary thing to think about, because you're very vulnerable when you're playing music. The only thing really on your mind is playing a good show and entertaining everybody. The last thing you're concerned about is defending yourself or worrying that someone would actually try to physically harm you. Any time you put yourself in a spotlight or in a position where you're visible [in the public eye], it can bring a lot of tension. Some people are capable of taking things to the level of hurting or even killing you, like with Dimebag or John Lennon. Every band has people that hate them for whatever reason, and it just shows that people can try to hurt you when you're at your most vulnerable, when you're trying to entertain. It kind of makes you wonder what you do it for.
Mike Zamir: We've actually been getting hate mail even before [the shooting] happened, with the Satyricon tour, because me and Kelly are Jewish. We get a lot of flak for that, for some weird reason. People are so stupid to be racist in 2005.
GP: It's such a shame that people bring their hate about religion when it has nothing to do with the music.
MZ: We were actually supposed to play at that same club [where Dimebag Darrell was shot] two nights later, and we had been getting a lot of threats. You never know. It really does hit home in that sense... it's frightening, definitely, but you just do what you have to do and pray for the best.
KA: Me and our manager, Adam, were actually talking the other day about going 50-Cent style and getting Gucci vests-- you know, the bulletproof Gucci vests. That might be a new direction for us, thugcore. Just so the fans know... keep a look out. Vests and helmets. (laughs)
CF: As far as Battle For Ozzfest goes, and your being on the show, do you guys find that you're attracting a new fan base that you might not have been able to reach previously? Is there a different kind of crowd at your shows?
GP: I'm enthusiastic, but there are ups and downs. Being on a show that plays on MTV at The Ten Spot really isn't the type of audience that listens to hardcore. This is going to mainstream audience, which I think is good. Think back over the past ten, twenty years. There's been times where hardcore music was really popular and a lot of people listened to it, and then it just sort of died out. Then it comes back, and goes away again. I'm hoping that the show can open people's eyes to what that sort of music is, and what Ozzfest is, and make people more aware of the underground bands that are out there and bring them to the spotlight and make it a bigger scene again. Of course you'll get people saying "oh, fuck you, you're a sell-out" just because you're on TV, but you'll get that anyway, regardless.
NA: Like Gavin said, people can think what they want about us, but if they come see us play, they'll realize that we're a real band. We write real hardcore music that we can actually play. You can talk as much shit as you want, but until you come see us play, you're not going to know what we're really about. We're not fake.
MZ: Word.
Anthony Falsetti: (nods his agreement)
CF: Closely related to what Gavin was just saying about "a show on The Ten Spot", we all know how MTV is criticized for catering to the mainstream and ignoring a lot of "alternative" styles of music, at least in the videos that they play. Do you feel as though Sicks Deep is accurately portrayed on Battle For Ozzfest? How about hard rock in general? Is the show fair, or does it just perpetuate a stereotype?
KA: I honestly don't think Battle for Ozzfest portrays any of the groups-- or metal in general-- in an accurate light. It really has nothing to do with the music at all. It's more of a fun show for people to watch and see some things that might happen backstage that are aside from anyone's musical associations (but not really). Really what it's done is put our names out there so that people can watch, see us, and discover our music on their own.
NA: It's been very good for exposure, but it was a musical competition only up to a point. We all thought we were going on the road with Ozzfest. We had our bags packed and we were practicing like animals, only to find out...wait, it's just one of us that's going. That was a surprise, we all had no idea we weren't all going until they dropped that on us. So there isn't really an opportunity to show our music.
GP: Most of the people who watch MTV don't even know what Ozzfest is, that it's a yearly thing that goes all over the country. But now, Battle For Ozzfest shows people that it's a huge event, so they can say "oh wow, that's a big thing, there's a lot going on, maybe it's something that we should check out." When they see that Sharon is involved, that makes it seem even more important-- everyone knows who the Osbournes are. It's helping a larger audience find out who we are.
KA: And now the SuicideGirls know who we are.
GP: Oh yeah, now the SuicideGirls know who we are. By the way, ladies, you can contact us on MySpace. That's MySpace dot com.
CF: Kelly, this one's for you. In the course of doing all of my prepwork for this interview, I read a lot of message boards. And it seems as though most times a girl mentions your name, it's usually in conjunction with the words "sex god". Is that something that you were prepared for? Does it change the way you carry yourself as a performer?
NA: Yeah, he's bought stock in Viagra. (everyone laughs)
KA: That might be a good idea. (laughs) But I was ready for that kind of attention. Going into the show, I had a basic idea of what to expect and what areas they would try and hone in on. As far as my awareness goes, I think I'm more aware of what I do now. I've got a side that's a little more serious, with a stronger work ethic, than what you see on TV. I work hard to make things happen for the band, behind the scenes. And now I have a more heightened consciousness of my actions.
NA: A lot of people now view Kelly as this sex hungry kind of guy, which , ya know, could be true. But of course they edit the piss out of the show, and that makes the audience automatically think he's [oversexed] because that's what they see. Kelly's a great frontman, and he really does have a serious side that isn't seen on the show. It's one of the driving forces behind our band.
GP: People criticize Kelly for all this sex stuff, but I don't know what they expect. Musicians, especially in this genre of music, don't follow the traditional conservative way of life of getting up, putting on a suit, going to work, coming home to watch the fucking Archie Bunker show, and then going to sleep. When you're in a band like this, you're into fucking, you're into pussy, and you're into getting fucked up and partying. Look at Sharon telling Kelly he's wrong for thinking with his dick. You don't become a licensed attorney like Kelly without being able to think with your head, too. So he hits on every girl. So what? So do I. So does Ozzy. So what the fuck? This is my response to all the people talking shit about Kelly and thinking he's a pervert or something.
KA: I think that a lot of what I do really isn't that dissimilar from what goes on in most male's heads. They just aren't put in a spotlight. I think that most guys go home at the end of the day and rub one out to something real nasty. I'm just willing to say it on television.
CF: Looking back to when you first stared playing music, did you all expect to be here at this point in your life, with the degree of success you're enjoying? Did you think it would happen earlier, or sooner, or even at all?
GP: When me, Mike and Kelly first met four years ago to talk about starting a band, one of the first things that came out of Kelly's mouth was "I am so sick of not being famous". Right then, after seeing his and Mike's personalities, I knew that we had the ingredients and the drive to take it to the next level. I knew it was going to go somewhere, even after just meeting them.
NA: I never expected to be here, where we are, right now. That's probably because I'm still the new guy, I've only been playing with these guys for less than a year. It's kind of surreal right now, but everyone in the band has a lot of hope and a lot of faith. We thank God for where we are right now. We've worked hard for it, and I think we deserve our success.
MZ: From day one, we knew what was going to happen. Me personally, I'm not surprised at all. People who came to the show would always say to us, even when we sucked, "How are you guys not famous yet?" They knew, and we knew, that we had it.
KA: Me and Mike have believed that we'd be famous since we started the band. We were just too lazy to make it happen. I don't know whether it comes from being part of the Chosen People, but our faith in God helped us out. We met Gavin, and he had the discipline to get everything started. I always believed that we'd get to this level, and I know we're going to go way beyond it.
CF: How did it feel when music became something that you do all the time, something to make a living out of instead of something that you did in your free time?
MZ: There's nothing I'd rather do. If it had taken my whole life to make it, and I had to live like a bum and eat out of the sewer, I'd gladly do it as long as I could play music. It's the only thing for me.
NA: We do this 95% of our lives now. The thing to remember is not make it a chore or job, because that takes the fun out of it. Everyone's got passion for the music. We're always trying to come up with something new, play something different, make ourselves better. Like Mike said, there's nothing more that any of us wanted. All the sacrifices that we made--and still are making-- are all worth it.
GP: As this band has growing hunger by the month, some other things in our lives have been dissolving. Kelly had to give up law. Our manager is on the verge of getting fired from his job because he's out every day trying to help us. We're all about as broke as we can be without being on the street with a can. I have a bunch of college degrees, but I'm destroying my Masters' Degree because I don't have the time to sign up. We've all given so much. So, dammit, if we want to meet girls and fuck them up the ass and get wasted, then that should be a perk and not something we're punished for!
CF: Not that it's particularly relevant now, but how did you hook up with Satyricon for this tour?
Adam Goold, Sicks Deep manager: We got an email from the tour manger for Satyricon. Basically what happened was Infernal Majesty was supposed to be on the bill, but they dropped out at the last minute. Satyricon's tour manager is a big Battle For Ozzfest fan, and decided that instead of finding a replacement, he'd just put different bands from the show on. So he emailed us and asked if we wanted to be on the tour, and we took him up on that.
CF: So what's in the works for Sicks Deep?
GP: We just finished printing up our newest CD, which is actually an EP. The shows we're playing now are a promotion for that. It's called The Blackacre Sessions, and it literally just finished being printed up, so it should start being more widely distributed soon.
KA: We're also starting to talk with different labels and we'll be a lot more involved with that after the new year. We'll be playing a show with Madball, in Poughkeepsie, NY on January 28th. More info will be available on our site, www.sicksdeep.com. Gavin will also be making an instructional video on reading a map of the universe. (laughs) Right now we're looking forward to getting signed and start touring.
CF: And you've all heard of SuicideGirls...
GP: I have a thing for hot girls with tattoos. I love Suicidegirls. They're just hot, man. I can make a list, if you want.
CF: There's 471.
GP: Well, that's enough. (laughs)
NA: They're all hot.
CF: Well, guys, that's all I have. If anyone wants to say anything else-- (Gavin reaches for the tape recorder.) How did I know?
GP: (waxes poetic on his ideal Suicidegirl until the tape ends)
Sicks Deep is currently playing shows in the New York area. Their new EP, The Blackacre Sessions, is available now. For more information, or to contact the band, visit www.sicksdeep.com
I sat down with the band (along with their manager, publicist, and entourage-- a very entertaining group) in The Beer Garden, a foul-smelling bar decorated with patio furniture and Astroturf that's located in the back corner of Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market. I wanted to find out what all the buzz is about. I was pleasantly surprised by the easygoing nature of this collection of people, their friendliness and the eagerness of the band to talk about their musical lives, experiences on MTV, and pink-haired SuicideGirls. The guys seem unaffected by the stares they draw from the Amish women selling pretzels across the way and instead turn their attention to pitchers of beer and my tape recorder.
This self-described hardcore band from New York has existed in some form since early in the decade for approximately four years. Their current line-up consists of frontman Kelly Abe, guitarists Mike Zamir and Gavin Pirell, bass player Anthony Falsetti, and drummer Nick Andrews. They have only been playing together for a year. Big things have happened in that short time, and huge things are on the horizon.
Most of America is familiar with New York-based Sicks Deep because of MTV's Battle For Ozzfest series, a reality competition show with a decidedly heavy flavor. The show itself is part The Apprentice, part The Real World, and part This Is Spinl Tap. It is entirely Osbourne-helmed and features representatives from eight finalist bands (out of a pool of hundreds) living together on a tour bus and traveling with the Ozzfest lineup, performing all sorts of unglamorous backstage duties as well as crazy stunts like biting the heads off "live bats". At the end of the series, which is currently airing at The Ten Spot on Monday nights on MTV, one representative will win a spot on Ozzfest 2005 for his/her band, and all new musical equipment. Kelly, who represented Sicks Deep, was voted off by Sharon and Ozzy in Episode Five. However, all it took was those five episodes to propel Sicks Deep into the consciousness of even the most mainstream music fan. Now they're releasing CDs, playing shows like live music is going out of style, and talking to record labels about recording contracts.
Catherine Flecker: A lot of things have happened in the world of rock in the past year, good and bad. What I want to touch on specifically since it is so fresh in everyone's mind, is the fatal shooting of former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell. On your website, you listed him as one of the primary influences of your sound. What has been going through your head on this loss of a man who had such an impact on the metal genre?
Nick Andrews: I think that the whole thing with Dimebag was just such an unnecessary tragedy. Darrell's music, and everything about him, was a huge inspiration to us and it's really unfortunate to have someone as important as he was in the metal community taken from us in such a ridiculous way. Our hearts go out to all his loved ones and fans. It's a terrible thing really, and we'll miss him.
Kelly Abe: Speaking on behalf of Mike and myself, we grew up listening to Pantera, and we're in a band right now because of Dimebag's inspiration. Hearing about his death was almost like find out that one of your friends got killed, like one you knew personally. His impact was so huge in our lives. Coincidently, he was killed on Gavin's birthday, which is also the anniversary of John Lennon's death.
Gavin Pirell: When I was in grade school, John Lennon was assassinated on my birthday, and just recently, Dimebag Darrell was killed on my birthday. My birthday has been littered with memorials of fallen rock legends, which is pretty terrible. Everyone knows who Pantera is, even though they never went commercial. They stayed underground like Metallica did until they sold out. He'll be greatly missed.
CF: The fact that he was shot by a crazed fan while playing a show, while right there onstage-- is this something you're more likely to think of now while playing a show? Are you more aware of what's going on in the crowd?
NA: Well, we haven't really played many shows since this happened. My perspective, personally, has definitely changed. On the brighter side of things, I hope this means that security [at shows] will get tighter. I mean, I know I've gotten into shows plenty of times without so much as a pat-down. In that situation, something could easily be brought to into a club that could hurt someone. It's how you perceive it, though. I think-- well at least I hope-- that this was an isolated incident and that the media won't blow it up to be something [that often happens at shows in the genre], which is doesn't.
GP: Its definitely a scary thing to think about, because you're very vulnerable when you're playing music. The only thing really on your mind is playing a good show and entertaining everybody. The last thing you're concerned about is defending yourself or worrying that someone would actually try to physically harm you. Any time you put yourself in a spotlight or in a position where you're visible [in the public eye], it can bring a lot of tension. Some people are capable of taking things to the level of hurting or even killing you, like with Dimebag or John Lennon. Every band has people that hate them for whatever reason, and it just shows that people can try to hurt you when you're at your most vulnerable, when you're trying to entertain. It kind of makes you wonder what you do it for.
Mike Zamir: We've actually been getting hate mail even before [the shooting] happened, with the Satyricon tour, because me and Kelly are Jewish. We get a lot of flak for that, for some weird reason. People are so stupid to be racist in 2005.
GP: It's such a shame that people bring their hate about religion when it has nothing to do with the music.
MZ: We were actually supposed to play at that same club [where Dimebag Darrell was shot] two nights later, and we had been getting a lot of threats. You never know. It really does hit home in that sense... it's frightening, definitely, but you just do what you have to do and pray for the best.
KA: Me and our manager, Adam, were actually talking the other day about going 50-Cent style and getting Gucci vests-- you know, the bulletproof Gucci vests. That might be a new direction for us, thugcore. Just so the fans know... keep a look out. Vests and helmets. (laughs)
CF: As far as Battle For Ozzfest goes, and your being on the show, do you guys find that you're attracting a new fan base that you might not have been able to reach previously? Is there a different kind of crowd at your shows?
GP: I'm enthusiastic, but there are ups and downs. Being on a show that plays on MTV at The Ten Spot really isn't the type of audience that listens to hardcore. This is going to mainstream audience, which I think is good. Think back over the past ten, twenty years. There's been times where hardcore music was really popular and a lot of people listened to it, and then it just sort of died out. Then it comes back, and goes away again. I'm hoping that the show can open people's eyes to what that sort of music is, and what Ozzfest is, and make people more aware of the underground bands that are out there and bring them to the spotlight and make it a bigger scene again. Of course you'll get people saying "oh, fuck you, you're a sell-out" just because you're on TV, but you'll get that anyway, regardless.
NA: Like Gavin said, people can think what they want about us, but if they come see us play, they'll realize that we're a real band. We write real hardcore music that we can actually play. You can talk as much shit as you want, but until you come see us play, you're not going to know what we're really about. We're not fake.
MZ: Word.
Anthony Falsetti: (nods his agreement)
CF: Closely related to what Gavin was just saying about "a show on The Ten Spot", we all know how MTV is criticized for catering to the mainstream and ignoring a lot of "alternative" styles of music, at least in the videos that they play. Do you feel as though Sicks Deep is accurately portrayed on Battle For Ozzfest? How about hard rock in general? Is the show fair, or does it just perpetuate a stereotype?
KA: I honestly don't think Battle for Ozzfest portrays any of the groups-- or metal in general-- in an accurate light. It really has nothing to do with the music at all. It's more of a fun show for people to watch and see some things that might happen backstage that are aside from anyone's musical associations (but not really). Really what it's done is put our names out there so that people can watch, see us, and discover our music on their own.
NA: It's been very good for exposure, but it was a musical competition only up to a point. We all thought we were going on the road with Ozzfest. We had our bags packed and we were practicing like animals, only to find out...wait, it's just one of us that's going. That was a surprise, we all had no idea we weren't all going until they dropped that on us. So there isn't really an opportunity to show our music.
GP: Most of the people who watch MTV don't even know what Ozzfest is, that it's a yearly thing that goes all over the country. But now, Battle For Ozzfest shows people that it's a huge event, so they can say "oh wow, that's a big thing, there's a lot going on, maybe it's something that we should check out." When they see that Sharon is involved, that makes it seem even more important-- everyone knows who the Osbournes are. It's helping a larger audience find out who we are.
KA: And now the SuicideGirls know who we are.
GP: Oh yeah, now the SuicideGirls know who we are. By the way, ladies, you can contact us on MySpace. That's MySpace dot com.
CF: Kelly, this one's for you. In the course of doing all of my prepwork for this interview, I read a lot of message boards. And it seems as though most times a girl mentions your name, it's usually in conjunction with the words "sex god". Is that something that you were prepared for? Does it change the way you carry yourself as a performer?
NA: Yeah, he's bought stock in Viagra. (everyone laughs)
KA: That might be a good idea. (laughs) But I was ready for that kind of attention. Going into the show, I had a basic idea of what to expect and what areas they would try and hone in on. As far as my awareness goes, I think I'm more aware of what I do now. I've got a side that's a little more serious, with a stronger work ethic, than what you see on TV. I work hard to make things happen for the band, behind the scenes. And now I have a more heightened consciousness of my actions.
NA: A lot of people now view Kelly as this sex hungry kind of guy, which , ya know, could be true. But of course they edit the piss out of the show, and that makes the audience automatically think he's [oversexed] because that's what they see. Kelly's a great frontman, and he really does have a serious side that isn't seen on the show. It's one of the driving forces behind our band.
GP: People criticize Kelly for all this sex stuff, but I don't know what they expect. Musicians, especially in this genre of music, don't follow the traditional conservative way of life of getting up, putting on a suit, going to work, coming home to watch the fucking Archie Bunker show, and then going to sleep. When you're in a band like this, you're into fucking, you're into pussy, and you're into getting fucked up and partying. Look at Sharon telling Kelly he's wrong for thinking with his dick. You don't become a licensed attorney like Kelly without being able to think with your head, too. So he hits on every girl. So what? So do I. So does Ozzy. So what the fuck? This is my response to all the people talking shit about Kelly and thinking he's a pervert or something.
KA: I think that a lot of what I do really isn't that dissimilar from what goes on in most male's heads. They just aren't put in a spotlight. I think that most guys go home at the end of the day and rub one out to something real nasty. I'm just willing to say it on television.
CF: Looking back to when you first stared playing music, did you all expect to be here at this point in your life, with the degree of success you're enjoying? Did you think it would happen earlier, or sooner, or even at all?
GP: When me, Mike and Kelly first met four years ago to talk about starting a band, one of the first things that came out of Kelly's mouth was "I am so sick of not being famous". Right then, after seeing his and Mike's personalities, I knew that we had the ingredients and the drive to take it to the next level. I knew it was going to go somewhere, even after just meeting them.
NA: I never expected to be here, where we are, right now. That's probably because I'm still the new guy, I've only been playing with these guys for less than a year. It's kind of surreal right now, but everyone in the band has a lot of hope and a lot of faith. We thank God for where we are right now. We've worked hard for it, and I think we deserve our success.
MZ: From day one, we knew what was going to happen. Me personally, I'm not surprised at all. People who came to the show would always say to us, even when we sucked, "How are you guys not famous yet?" They knew, and we knew, that we had it.
KA: Me and Mike have believed that we'd be famous since we started the band. We were just too lazy to make it happen. I don't know whether it comes from being part of the Chosen People, but our faith in God helped us out. We met Gavin, and he had the discipline to get everything started. I always believed that we'd get to this level, and I know we're going to go way beyond it.
CF: How did it feel when music became something that you do all the time, something to make a living out of instead of something that you did in your free time?
MZ: There's nothing I'd rather do. If it had taken my whole life to make it, and I had to live like a bum and eat out of the sewer, I'd gladly do it as long as I could play music. It's the only thing for me.
NA: We do this 95% of our lives now. The thing to remember is not make it a chore or job, because that takes the fun out of it. Everyone's got passion for the music. We're always trying to come up with something new, play something different, make ourselves better. Like Mike said, there's nothing more that any of us wanted. All the sacrifices that we made--and still are making-- are all worth it.
GP: As this band has growing hunger by the month, some other things in our lives have been dissolving. Kelly had to give up law. Our manager is on the verge of getting fired from his job because he's out every day trying to help us. We're all about as broke as we can be without being on the street with a can. I have a bunch of college degrees, but I'm destroying my Masters' Degree because I don't have the time to sign up. We've all given so much. So, dammit, if we want to meet girls and fuck them up the ass and get wasted, then that should be a perk and not something we're punished for!
CF: Not that it's particularly relevant now, but how did you hook up with Satyricon for this tour?
Adam Goold, Sicks Deep manager: We got an email from the tour manger for Satyricon. Basically what happened was Infernal Majesty was supposed to be on the bill, but they dropped out at the last minute. Satyricon's tour manager is a big Battle For Ozzfest fan, and decided that instead of finding a replacement, he'd just put different bands from the show on. So he emailed us and asked if we wanted to be on the tour, and we took him up on that.
CF: So what's in the works for Sicks Deep?
GP: We just finished printing up our newest CD, which is actually an EP. The shows we're playing now are a promotion for that. It's called The Blackacre Sessions, and it literally just finished being printed up, so it should start being more widely distributed soon.
KA: We're also starting to talk with different labels and we'll be a lot more involved with that after the new year. We'll be playing a show with Madball, in Poughkeepsie, NY on January 28th. More info will be available on our site, www.sicksdeep.com. Gavin will also be making an instructional video on reading a map of the universe. (laughs) Right now we're looking forward to getting signed and start touring.
CF: And you've all heard of SuicideGirls...
GP: I have a thing for hot girls with tattoos. I love Suicidegirls. They're just hot, man. I can make a list, if you want.
CF: There's 471.
GP: Well, that's enough. (laughs)
NA: They're all hot.
CF: Well, guys, that's all I have. If anyone wants to say anything else-- (Gavin reaches for the tape recorder.) How did I know?
GP: (waxes poetic on his ideal Suicidegirl until the tape ends)
Sicks Deep is currently playing shows in the New York area. Their new EP, The Blackacre Sessions, is available now. For more information, or to contact the band, visit www.sicksdeep.com