NIK TURNER’S HAWKWIND LAND AT THE TEN ELEVEN MONDAY, NOV 11

Space rock pioneer brings new band but familiar psychedelic sounds to San Antonio...

 

By Sanford Allen

WITH: Samothrace (Seattle) 11pm, Old & Ill (Austin) 10pm, Hedersleben (Germany) 9pm
Nik Turner's Hawkwind (UK) Midnight
RSVP 
All Ages Show, $10

When it comes to the space rock genre, few musicians have traveled the cosmos as widely as Nik Turner.


The 73-year-old former frontman/saxophonist/flautist of groundbreaking British psychedelic tribe Hawkwind has remained active at the most adventurous fringes of music since his 1976 departure from the group he co-founded. He’s dabbled in prog, psychedelia, punk, jazz, industrial and experimental music, collaborating along the way with artists such as Pressurehed, Helios Creed, the Moor and Inner City Unit.


Now, after the release of “Space Gypsy,” his first solo album in a decade, Turner is touring the United States with an ensemble billed as Nik Turner’s Hawkwind. The band plays San Antonio on Monday, Nov. 11, at the Ten Eleven (1011 Ave. B) with Samothrace, Old & Ill and Hedersleben. The show starts at 7 p.m.


Nik Turner’s Hawkwind, of course, is a different Hawkwind from the version of the band now helmed by guitarist and co-founder Dave Brock, with whom Turner has a long-running feud. Brock’s Hawkwind recently announced the postponement of a U.S. tour that would have been the band’s first in almost 20 years citing a “stress-induced illness” brought on by Turner’s decision to tour at the same time.


Even so, Nik Turner’s Hawkwind — stocked with veteran players including members of the U.K. Subs — appears to be warping space and time in a way that pleases the faithful. According to reports, the band is delivering stellar 90-minute sets that span strong new material plus longtime Hawkwind favorites like “Brainstorm,” “Silver Machine” and “D-Rider.”


We caught up with Nik by phone to ask about the new album, his strained relations with Brock and his ongoing musical journeys through the space-time continuum.


Q: Tell me about the new band. How did it come together?


A: I did some work with Cleopatra Records in the ‘90s. They did about four or five albums of mine, and then much later they contacted me to play on some tracks on an album being released by Billy Sherwood, who was involved in Yes, who was putting together an album called… What was it called? Ah, “Fusion Syndicate,” I believe he called it. He had people who were like a who’s who of prog rock and jazz, really — Billy Cobham, Jerry Goodman of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Rick Wakeman, people from King Crimson. All sorts of people, really. So, I played saxophone on a track, “Random Acts of Science,” on the first Fusion Syndicate album. From there, Cleopatra Records invited me to come to America to make an album and possibly do a tour. The owner told me he thought I was the best thing to come out Hawkwind, and he wanted to raise my profile. That was really nice of him. (Laughs.) He got a band together for me and invited me to go into the recording studio with the band he’d presented, which were all sort of people he’d worked with before. It was such people as Nicky Garratt, who plays with the U.K. Subs, and Jason Willer, who also plays with the U.K. Subs. The bass player was, um, a chap named Jeff Piccinini, who plays with a punk band in England called Chelsea, and Jurgen Engler, who was with a band called Die Krupps — along with producing stuff by Die Krupps, which I believe was just him, really. So, Jurgen was invited to produce the album. He also played synthesizer and he played some guitar. And before we recorded, we rehearsed a week, worked out the material. The band had songs already written, and I was invited to write some lyrics. It was all done to Cleopatra Records’ order, really. They wanted it to have a particular sound, and they wanted me to perform that sound, so we put the album together.


Q: So are the same people on the album the ones touring as your band?


A: That was in back in February or March, and I was over here and I did a couple of concerts. We thought it would be a good idea to be presenting publicly a version of Hawkwind’s “Space Ritual,” since it was the 40^th anniversary of the release of that album. It was actually released in 1973. So we put together this band, which was performing that and also recorded a new album with them, which was called “Space Gypsy.” We did a couple concerts — one in L.A. at the Echoplex and another at the SXSW festival. We’re now doing a tour with that band promoting the “Space Gypsy” album. Another thing about the record company, they want to raise my profile, so they’re making a film about me right now. I also did some recording at the time with other people for a solo album I’m putting together with Billy Cobham and Chris Poland from Megadeth — and Robbie Krieger is on it, from the Doors, Simon House from Hawkwind and Steve Hillage from Gong and loads of other people. I’m actually not sure of everyone who’s on it, but I know I’m on it! (Laughs.) It’s a prog-jazz fusion album, really, and I find that really exciting. But, right now, we’re promoting the “Space Gypsy” album, and I’ve been really surprised about the reaction we’ve had from the press. We’ve gotten all sorts of good reviews, and people love it. The audiences are loving the shows. We’re going all over the United States — 30 dates or something like that. And, um, we’re getting great reactions. I’m trying to make the gigs healing experiences, so people feel good and we raise their spirits and consciousnesses and their health level. (Laughs.) Just having a good time, really.


Q: It seems like the “Space Gypsy” album has a vintage Hawkwind feel to it —


A: It does. I think that’s what Cleopatra was after, really.


Q: Was that intentional from the outset, or did it just sort of evolve that way as you were working in the studio?


A: They tended towards that, you know. Well, we put the tour together to promote the album, but we didn’t get the exact same personnel as the album. We’ve a different synthesizer player, a young lady named Lana Voronina and different bass player, Bryce Shelton. Doing this tour has been really exciting, although it’s been a bit of a tenuous thing, actually. Some of the gigs aren’t in very big venues, and some of them haven’t got very good guarantees. It’s rather a budget tour, so we’re making inquiries of people who come to the gigs if we can stay at their houses so we don’t have to spend money on hotels and can keep the price of the whole thing down. It’s actually nice and very sociable. I think it’s a very nice sort of communication, basically staying with people and having a lovely time with people. We’re all friends, and we’re all happy to be there, and we’re really respectful of them. We just a have a great time together.


Q: Is it exciting for you that 40 years on you’re getting to play in front of multiple generations of Hawkwind fans and people are willing to open their homes to you?


A: What I’ve found quite peculiar really is that I did tours in America in the ‘70s, and since then I’ve met about three people who came to those gigs, whilst the majority of people I meet came to the gigs I did in the ‘90s with a band called Pressurehed or as a band called Nik Turner’s Space Ritual around that time. I actually am quite intrigued and find it quite nice that some of the people who come to the gigs had their first experience with Hawkwind through seeing my band in 1994. (Laughs) So it’s quite bizarre, really. We’re spanning the generations as well. I’m 73, and we’re playing to kids obviously much younger than that.


Q: On the new album, the lyrics pick up some familiar themes from early Hawkwind — drifting in space and being lost in time. What do those themes represent to you, because I notice you go back to them again and again.


A: Yeah. I think that’s endemic with Hawkwind, really. It’s what Hawkwind is about. When I was in the band, we used to write songs about that sort of thing quite consistently. But, as well, people are saying the new album, “Space Gypsy,” sounds like what Hawkwind ought to have sounded like after the “Warrior on the Edge of Time” album, and think there’s something in it, really. By the same token, the songs I’ve written I’ve tried to include my own ideas in it, such as... (Pause) Excuse me; I’m putting some chicken curry on my plate. Um, I’ve always been interested in mythology — all sorts of mythologies — and I’m also very interested in the idea of gods doing intergalactic interventions and things like that. I think ancient cultures are quite fascinating, because they knew stuff we don’t know. We can learn from them, because they seem to have known far more than we know — how to build a pyramid, for example. Those blocks of stone were so accurately cut you couldn’t get a cigarette paper between them, and yet we can’t build something like that now with all our modern technology. So, they were really advanced on what we know about. Also the Mayans. I think Quetzalcoatl came from Atlantis when Atlantis sank. I mean, I make up my own mythology, really. I studied Mayan mythology, and I found it was quite fascinating so… I think a lot of people came from outer space — people that lived in Atlantis — and with Atlantis came people like Quetzalcoatl, who went to different parts of the world and brought knowledge of astronomy, astrology, science, mathematics, agriculture, divinity and imparted knowledge to people in all these different cultures: Egypt, Samaria, Peru, India, all these different places. I find all these religions very interesting, and surely there’s some foundation for all of them. So little evidence is available that I think I can make up my own ideas about mythology and they’re as valid as any other, really. (Laughs.)


Q: Where does your interest in science fiction come from?


A: I grew up on sort pulp science fiction and read Arthur C. Clarke and “Childhood’s End” and “I, Robot,” and lots of other books. I mean, I was turned on to them, really. As a teenager, I grew up in a town that was very close to an American air force base, and I palled up with a lot of Americans there. I sort ended up as a sports partner to all these fighter pilots. I’d play tennis with them, go cross-country running with them, went swimming in the sea — very cold swims — with them and stuff like that. And they gave me all this pulp fiction. (Laughs.) They gave me all their culture. I wore a leather jacket and Levis when nobody else had that sort of thing. I had a short, flat top haircut when I was 16. I wanted to join the American air force, which I thought was quite groovy. (Laughs.) Of course, I didn’t end up doing that. But I had been introduced to rock-n-roll and all the culture that was going down at the time, and I found it quite fascinating and learned a lot from it. I became involved in music through it, really. I was turned on to people like Earl Bostic. Do you remember him? (Laughs.) Perhaps you don’t. He had a record out called “Flamingo.” I became rather infatuated with it, and it inspired me to learn to play the saxophone, really. All that rock-n-roll that was going on, I found it quite exciting, and all the science fiction that I got into was sort of a spinoff of it. And when I met Bob Calvert, he turned me on to a lot more science fiction. I’ve always been sort of enthralled by it and ended up writing songs based around it — or from the angle of these mythologies. I’m really interested in Mayan mythology. I’ve spent time in Mexico and came up with all these ideas about how things worked — Quetzalcoatl gave his knowledge to the Toltecs, who were giants from Africa. I just sort of make things up, really. Anytime I come across an idea that intrigues me, I just write on it and turn it into a song.


Q: Speaking of science fiction, Michael Moorcock, the science fiction writer who was a frequent Hawkwind collaborator, lives close to Austin. Are you going to see him when you’re through Texas?


A: Oh, yeah, most certainly. When I was at the SXSW festival earlier in the year, I visited Michael while I was there, and I took the cameraman who was filming me. (Laughs.) He’d been filming me busking on the streets of Austin and playing with a thrash metal band who was also playing on the street and with a band who was playing Duke Ellington arrangements of “Caravan” and stuff like that. I was being filmed all the time, so we went to visit Michael Moorcock and had lunch with him, and they filmed me talking to him. He lives near Austin, only half an hour outside, actually.


Q: In Bastrop.

A: Oh, yeah, Bastrop. So hopefully, I’ll get him to come to the gig and do a bit of a rant, if I can. Although I’m not sure how he’s… Well, I mean, he’s healthy. He’s writing furiously, still churning a book out a day — well, not quite. (Laughs.) Something like that. No, but he’s had problems with his foot. I believe he’s diabetic and had to have a toe or two removed. He’s still quite able, though. I mean, we went to a restaurant and had lunch, and he was, you know, very sociable and very chatty, and we had a great time together because we were old friends. And hopefully I’ll get him to come down to the gig to perform with us. That would be very exciting.


Q: What should the audience in San Antonio expect from your gig.


A: Well, we’ve been attracting a lot of people who are really curious. There’s a whole thing going down on the Internet, and it seems there’s a lot of controversial misinformation and spurious rumors and so on. I don’t know who spreads it, but I see the results from it, and it makes me not want to go on the Internet. But, you know, I try to be as positive about it as possible. I’ve invited Dave Brock and Lemmy to get together onstage and possibly get a band together and perform the original “Space Ritual” on a world tour. Lemmy seems quite into it. I’ve spoken with him a few times about the idea. I’ve not spoken to Dave about it, but I suppose he’d let me know if he fancies the idea. Well, I don’t even think I have to make it that attractive. If he’s got any common sense, he’ll think a good idea, really, because it would do all of us a lot of good, and the fans would love it. I’d really like to do it for the fans.


Q: I may have seen the same spurious rumors you’re referring to, but my understanding is Dave cancelled his Hawkwind tour, claiming illness that he says stemmed from you touring as Nik Turner’s Hawkwind. Is that essentially what’s happened?


A: Um, it’s possible that’s what happened. Yeah, I think there was a lot of spurious information on the Internet about Dave getting ill, but then it turned out that somebody from the American embassy — where you have to go to get a visa — issued information basically saying Dave couldn’t get a visa because he’s got firearms convictions, drug convictions and GBH (grievous bodily harm) convictions. He couldn’t get a visa or a work permit, and in fact, the American tour was never going to happen, so far as I can gather. That’s the impression I get from the fact that they couldn’t get visas. I don’t know whether the other members of the band had the same problem. I mean, it’s not that easy to get a visa to come to America now. You have to have, um, special qualifications, really, one of which is you don’t have any convictions or if you have convictions, you have to produce all the documentation that went with the conviction. I haven’t done much research on it, but it seems like it’s difficult to get a work permit unless you’re squeaky clean, and I guess I happen to be squeaky clean because I don’t have any drug convictions or any sort of other convictions. I was sort of recommended for a work permit because of my unique talent. (Laughs.)


Q: So, given Hawkwind’s orientation around peace, community and alternative culture, is it disappointing that you and Dave appear to have been on the outs for so many years?


A: I think it’s very sad, really, because the whole ethos of what (Dave’s) Hawkwind is about at the moment is a complete antithesis of everything Hawkwind purported to stand for. It was all about alternative culture, alternative attitudes, not being materialistic, peace and love, and all the things that people who put their creative efforts into the band — Barney Bubbles, Michael Moorcock, the people that did the lighting and others who contributed to the band — represented. And Hawkwind doesn’t stand for anything alternative now. To me, it stands for corporate greed, really, and I think that’s sad, because that’s not what Hawkwind was about. Now, I’m known as the conscience of Hawkwind and I’m known as the keeper of the flame. These are sort of titles I’m happy to acknowledge, but I think that, you know, I’m sort of out in the wilderness, sort of lost in the dark. Hawkwind now isn’t what it should have been, it isn’t what it purported to be and it isn’t what everybody believed it to be. It’s just another band that’s turned out a bit like Spinal Tap, really. I was watching the film of “Spinal Tap” the other day and it very much reminded me of Hawkwind.


Q: Given that you’re playing smaller venues for smaller guarantees, how do you keep your head up and continue soldiering on when the financial rewards aren’t necessarily there?


A: I tend to look at the big picture, really, that it’s just the means to an end, you know? You’re producing an album that was done quite democratically, really, and everyone was given a say. I didn’t say, “You’re all doing my songs.” I’d say, “Alright, you’ve got songs,” and they’d say, “You can change the words if you like.” So, these are the band’s songs, and I value the band and I tend to value people. I’m quite happy for other people to have tracks on the album that they wrote. The single we’ve got was written by the drummer. I didn’t go, “Oh, I want to change the lyrics so I can claim I wrote it.” (Laughs.) So, I try to value people and respect them and make them feel good, really.


Q: The last time I saw you tour, Helios Creed was playing guitar with you, and I must say it seemed like a band where everyone was contributing something to the mix. It wasn’t just you and a collection of anonymous sidemen.


A: Well, that’s all going with it. The fact that record company wants to raise my profile, I see that as a good thing. The film we’re making, I’m trying to turn it into a science fiction sort of epic — a sort of Mickey Mouse visual effects sort of thing, but very exciting. I’d like to sort of produce something unique and creative and interesting that’s not been done before. The same way with the band — they’re all really exciting players and I get on well with them and we have a good time together. So I think, well, we’re not getting much money, but we’re laying groundwork. It’s a sort of one-step-at-a-time thing, and I mean everybody that we’re working with isn’t getting much money either. We’re not on a big-budget tour or anything. We’re living on people’s floors and enjoying people’s hospitality. I think it’s great. I’m 73, and I don’t know how much vitality I’ve got left in me. I mean, I don’t drink or smoke, I just practice music a lot and I’m not worried about whether I’ll have a heart attack tomorrow — although I might. (Laughs.) But then if I do, I don’t care. I don’t do anything that will make me have a heart attack, but I’m quite happy to go with the flow and make something exciting out of what we’ve got and the materials we have. You know, I’m doing it.

Sanford Allen is a San Antonio-based author and musician. His band Hogbitch recently released its first album on Dogfingers Recordings. His first novel, Deadly Passage, is due out in December, packaged back-to-back with Stoker Award-winning author Joe McKinney’s Dog Days.

LIVE ON KSYM's 3-YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!

http://www.alamo.edu/sac/ksym/index.htm

Tune in to KSYM 90.1 FM this Monday, August 15, 2011 from 7 to 10 PM to celebrate

 (3) Three Years of "Live on KSYM"

Past Live on KSYM hosts Mr.Brightside and Dtronik will be dropping by the studio to talk about the show, local artists and their favorite memories from previous Live on KSYM shows. A special appearance by the creator himself, Obi-Juan is also scheduled.

***** ATTENTION LOCAL ARTISITS *****

Live on KSYM is looking to showcase two hours of local music.

So that means they are accepting music files!

Music can be submitted in person at:

KSYM Box 51
1300 San Pedro Ave.
San Antonio, TX 78212or
Email the show at:

liveonksym@gmail.com

Congratulations to KSYM 90.1 FM for giving S.A. 3 years of LIVE, LOCAL, TALENT!!!

An Interview with Last Of Our Kind

When I first saw Last Of Our Kind over a year ago, I was impressed with the band's efforts to bring to the San Antonio music scene a new and exciting style of music that combined rock, jazz, Latin, R&B, and even world music. As far what they sounded like, Last Of Our Kind reminded me of artists such as Mana, Dave Matthews Band, Santana, and John Mayer (among others). But the band was able to do more than parrot these influences and they brought to the surface a sound that was personal, emotional, and even romantic.

Since then, the band has built up their name and reputation as a high-energy and dynamic live act. For proof of this last claim, look no further than the San Antonio Current’s Best of 2007 reader’s poll where guitarist and songwriter Amadeus was voted best instrumentalist—even though the band has yet to release their first CD. The band has also gone through some member changes as well, but, as evidenced by their set at Reggae Fest earlier this month, this was for the best as the camaraderie they now share and the fun they have on stage is undeniable.

The following is an interview I did with guitarist/songwriter Amadeus by email where we dicussed the history of the band, the songwriting process, and their plans for recording what will be their debut release. On the topic of songwriting, new singer/guitarist Bryan also adds in a few words on where he gets his ideas lyrics-wise...

First of all, how would you describe Last Of Our Kind and its sound to someone who is not familiar with the band? What can a person expect if they go a Last Of Our Kind show?

Last Of Our Kind is a music-lover band. We are classified under the rock genre but our influence is not limited to rock; you can hear the Latin, jazz, and jam band influence in our music. Each song is unique in a style and delivery that everyone in the crowd will enjoy…and not get burned out by hearing the same beats and style of songwriting for each song.

I guess that’s what makes cover bands so popular because people want diversity. Just borrow anyone’s iPod or look at their CD collection; it’s rare for one person to just listen to one genre of music.

So people can expect to see a band that will play a diverse range of music and will jam their hearts out for the crowd no matter how big or small. Expect us to give everything we got to make sure you had a memorable night!


What were the circumstances that led to the formation of the band? Where did your unique sound come from?

What led me to start a band was listening to a live CD of Dave Matthews on the way back from Austin after seeing a band called Vallejo. I loved hearing and seeing how people can get so into a band’s songs and I immediately started to call people up to start my own band.

The sound came from a myriad of influences that all the members brought to this band. And it goes back to where we don’t limit ourselves to one genre; if the song is good, we will play it!

Were you guys in any other bands that we might know of?

Mike(bass) used to be in these bands: The Focus, a top 40 cover band from 1999-2000, and Echo Star, a progressive metal-fusion band...until after joining Last Of Our Kind; Jose(percussion) used to be in La Trova, an acoustic Latin cover trio; Bryan(vocals/guitar) was working with Morris Orchids in their first year; And Peter, this is actually his first band, but he is an amazing drummer.


I like the name Last Of Our Kind and think that it’s very simple but memorable. How did you guys come up with the name?

Originally I wanted the name to be Dying Breed and call it DyBRE (die-breh) for short. But, amazingly, when I searched the name, there was a band already named that with the same DyBRE for short...

So I came up with the closest thing that I wanted to represent the music...there are not many people out there writing true original material...and the name Last Of Our Kind came to mind. I also wanted a name that had an acronym, so you will hear us referred to a lot as LOOK.

And so now you’ve played a few shows with the current lineup. How much time did it take to get everyone comfortable with each other performance-wise? How has the crowd response been towards the new lineup and songs?

Well, it only took two weeks to get everyone up and running to hit the stage...the response then was a very welcoming one. It took about 3 shows before we started to lock in on stage and feed off each other’s energy and especially the crowd’s. Our crowd has been growing...and really enjoys the new music a lot!


New singer/guitarist Bryan makes a wonderful addition to the band...What made you feel he was the right man for Last Of Our Kind?

It was simple. He had heart and love for music and you could hear that. When we auditioned him, he sang Last Of Our Kind songs as if he’d been with us forever and we liked that a lot and, as you’ve noticed, he is a wonderful addition to this band.


You also told me that since the last lineup change, you wrote a whole new set of songs. Did you already have these song ideas lying around or did you literally have to "start from scratch?" What’s the Last Of Our Kind method as far as working on a new song is concerned? How do you guys know if a song’s ready for the stage?

A couple of songs were completed but never had the right people to sing or play them. Now these songs are starting to surface, but half the songs were written from scratch.

Our method: I’ll bring a song to the band, and we will jam with it a couple of times to get used to the style. Then Bryan, Jao, and I will sit down and play the song acoustically to get the melodies sounding right and the structure tightened before bringing it back and working as the whole band to complete the song.

The day we can play the song without any stops or mistakes several times in a row and get into it like we would on stage is when we know the song is ready to go live.

Lyrics-wise, what was your inspiration for these new songs? I particularly liked "Walls."

Walls's lyrics were written by Bryan

Bryan: "Walls" is one of the newest songs we have written in our short stint. It was actually never going to be a song just some practice fun. But the bass line stood out and the chorus never changed: "And the walls are screaming, screaming, shout, shout..." I had originally started a verse with Mr. Picaso's name and from there I wrote the song describing the expressive nature of any painting. Hence, the walls are screaming. Inspirations for songs I write can stem from my own broken heart to an abstract juncture like "Walls." A bit of whiskey never hurts that imagination either.

Amadeus: As far as lyrics written by me, it would be my surroundings and current or past events that play a huge role...but I love to write the songs in a certain way to where it can have multiple meanings; so if you read the lyrics, each person can connect to them in their own way. You would be surprised how different your interpretation would be from the original idea of the song, but that is why they are written the way they are. Like the song Mirror Highway: "Mirror highway where you going to take me? To a land so beautiful where only gods will bleed" Or the song Eclipse: "The newborn sun has set again. This evening’s empire cups my hands" How do you interpret those lyrics? You’d be shocked when I tell you what those songs are about!


At Reggae Fest you had told me that you were going to be recording soon. Where will you be recording? Do any of you guys have prior studio experience or is this going to be a learn-as-you-go kind of deal?

We are looking into several places right now. As soon as we decide, everyone will know via our website or MySpace where we will be recording. And, yes, most of us have prior studio experience, but this will be Last Of Our Kind's first real recording.


As far as recording, what kind of project will you guys be working on? Will this just be a demo or an EP? Maybe a full-length album with packaging and the works?

We will be working on our CD, but the first 3-5 songs we record we will immediately post those on our site so our fans can hear what we have been working on. And if they can’t wait for the full CD, we will have an EP for them to buy. But it is our intention to have a full album out; we have enough material for 2 albums and were already working on material for a 3rd, so Last Of Our Kind is here to stay for a good while!

I want to thank for taking the time to fill this out. Any last comments you would like to make to our readers?

SUPPORT LOCAL & TEXAS MUSIC!!!!!! Go see Blowing Trees, Morris Orchids, Nico Adams Band, Sexto Sol, Brookfield, Vallejo, just to name a few, and especially LAST OF OUR KIND!!!!

And also we want to thank all the support from our friends, fans, and the media, especially SA Rocks...Thank you. Without you all, we wouldn’t be here...

---

The band is hard at work on their first CD, but there has been some recent activity in the LOOK camp as of late. This Wednesday, the band will be playing at Hooligans for a chance to win a spot on the AT&T summer concert series at 8:30PM sharp. Also, be sure to check out their MySpace page for further updates, live clips, and a work-in-progress version of the song "Firefly."

UPCOMING SHOWS
August 29, Holligans, 8:30PM
October 26, Rebar, 9:00 PM

Interview with The Rocketz

I recently had the pleasure of doing an e-mail interview with Tony Slash, singer/guitarist of Los Angeles-based punk/rock/psychobilly band The Rocketz, who will be performing here at Sam's Burger Joint on May 5th, "Pscyho de Mayo," with The Peacocks.



Just a little note here: this interview is kinda funny to me, because while I'm familiar with rockabilly music, I'm fairly new to the psychobilly genre and haven't had a lot of experience with this style of music. (I dig it, though!) So, you'll see where he corrects me several times!


Hey Tony! From my experience, a lot of people are not familiar with the genre known as psychobilly. So I thought we might start with the origins of the genre...rockabilly. This is one of the earliest forms of rock and roll, evident in the works of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, etc., combining elements of bluegrass, country and blues. What would you say are the defining characteristics of rockabilly music?

I have borrowed a quote I heard that Rockabilly is the punk rock of the 50’s. Lyric and subject matter was more taboo than mainstream music of that era, there was a certain, ethnic beat associated which in some parts was very taboo. Lots of rockabilly was very loosely arranged often breaking acceptable rules of song writing. Most of all the music was infectious, and very rockin’.

I would say that psychobilly retains many of the elements of rockabilly, but with a heavier, punker sound and darker themes...sort of what heavy metal is to rock. Would you call this an accurate description?

15 years ago I would have agreed, but now I would say that the psychobilly of today is closer to the metal you describe in the question. The term psychobilly indicates that there is an element of rockabilly, but more psychobilly bands are born from other than rockabilly genres, in fact only the stand up bass is common. You will often see the word “Psycho” rather than Psychobilly. Other genres retain more of the rockabilly influence, such as Cow-Punk, and Punk-a-Billy styles.

What is it that drew you in to rockabilly and psychobilly music? Was there a certain band that "turned you on" to it?

THEE band was The Stray Cats without a doubt my first exposure to “billy” music of any kind short of the Elvis records my Mom listened to when I was very young. It was only after I saw them that I looked for and found the rockin scene when I was a teen.

Psychobilly is heavily influenced by punk rock. Do you have a lot of punk influences?

I think Psychobilly is more influenced by metal nowadays, but we have a definite Punk influence ourselves, even in the covers we select- “1945” by Social Distortion and “Holiday in Cambodia” by The Dead Kennedy’s

Also, psychobilly music tends to integrate themes similar to those in b-movie horror flicks. Are you a fan of these kinds of movies?

I love horror movies and yes we use those themes, usually our songs have meaning other than that of the horror movie lyrics, but you have to really dissect the words to figure it out.

I understand that, although you are now the front man/guitarist of The Rocketz, you started out playing the double bass (or upright bass). That's a pricey instrument. Did you have to work your butt off to get your first bass?

I was in a motorcycle accident as a passenger and I was supposed to buy my first car with the settlement money, but I bought my first bass instead. It was only $1100 but in 1988 that was a lot of money.

Tell me about The Rocketz...what would you say makes this band stand out among the psychobilly genre?

Well, for one thing unlike the trend to use blood and makeup in our live set I go for the leather pants look, we don’t use any props, we just rock out and infect the crowd that way, also we still do incorporate a lot of rockabilly in our psycho-sound. Also unlike most bands of our genre the stand up bass accents our sound, but it is not the featured instrument, I feel our strength is our rhythm section and then the songs. I can’t put in writing why else we are different as it will look like the same reasons every other band puts down, you will just have to see us or get a hold of the CD.

Ok, last question...always have to ask a fun one. If you were going into isolation for a year and could take 5 CD's with you, what would be your 5 must-haves?

Stray Cats (Built for Speed), Rancid (Out come the Wolves), Ramones (Live), Cramps (Stay Sick), Green Day (American Idiot!)


Thanks, Tony, for doing the interview!

Learn more about The Rocketz at their website: www.therocketz.com or at myspace.com/therocketz. Also, The Rocketz’ debut album “Rise of The Undead” is available now on Hairball8 Records/Psychobilly*US. And, of course you can check them out live at Sam's on May 5th!

Reven Interview/Review

The group Reven and I have been talking about doing an interview for a while now, and we finally got around to getting it done. The band came up with an interesting idea...let’s do it like a listening party. You listen to a song, then ask us questions about it. Well, we sort of did it that way, only more of a long distance listening party. I listened to a song (or two) and e-mailed Jake questions.

When I received the 7-song CD, I listened to it a few times as I was doing other things, just to get a general feel for the album in general. I thought...good alternative rock, then upgraded that to “alternative metal” based on the fact that the singer’s voice is heavier than most alternative rock. But this is not really a band that can be defined by a genre label. Their songs and stylings are more diverse than that. So then I sat down and listened more closely to the 1st song. Thus began the listening party:


Ok, I just listened to "40 Day Low." On the surface, if I had to label Reven, I would say "alternative metal." However, I hear a lot of funk in that intro, and there are many interesting changes in rhythm and tempo throughout the song. Which leads me to wonder the age-old question interviewers always ask bands...yes...

Who are your influences?

"Alternative metal" is a new one for us!! "40 Day Low", was a complicated one for us, we argued about that song for weeks, BELIEVE ME!! That song was a BITCH to arrange!! And we could give the age old answer and list all sorts of bands from the popular to the obscure. And to be honest, we (as individuals) listen to and are influenced by completely different bands from one guy to the next. But when we write a song, we never want to say let's do this part like Tool or let’s strum this like Metallica. As a matter of fact, we tend to scratch songs if they remind us of a particular band, no matter in what writing stage we're in on the song. We tend to start with a riff and whatever mood it creates, we take it from there....

Listening to "Think" and "Black," I noticed that your songs vary a lot in style. What is your writing process? Do certain members of Reven tend to write all the songs or do you all pitch in ideas and come up with something from there?

"Think" was written in like 2 hours, it didn't need much change from it's original written form. The lyrics were finished in like 10 minutes and BAMM, just like that, "Think" was done. It was also the second song we ever wrote as a band. "Black" took a lot of push and pull!! The way you hear it on the CD is completely different from the first form it took. The arrangement took a while as well. "Black" also doesn't have any lyrics on the chorus, which is kinda weird for song writing but fuck it, it's our song, we can write like we want to!! We all really love that song. It starts off a bit nice and fluffy and then gets mad at you at the end!! Kinda like an ex-girlfriend. Our band "works" when it comes to song writing, no one ever says, "that sounds too weird, lets play it like they do on the radio". We all write music, EVEN OUR DRUMMER, and then we throw it in a pot and cook it up. Sometimes the heat gets turned up and your meal is served quickly and sometimes we have to let it simmer and cook nice and slow, either way, it's turkey time!! We have songs that sit on the burner for weeks until the mood is struck again and then we go back to work on it. There's gotta be the right aura in the room to work on some songs, you know?

As I listen to “Run,” I’m thinking, I wonder why so many more songs are written about pain and anger than about happiness. As someone who has occasionally been known to write poetry, I know that I tend to write about things that hurt me or made me angry. Do you find that to be true when you write lyrics?

I forwarded this to Joe... ...here's what he had to say:

In my personal experience, when you're hurt or angry the only thing that seems to be there, for comfort, is pen and paper. The way to get thru the suffocation of every day life. Paper seems to listen with infinite attention. And my pain and anger seem to be the only thing (sometimes) that makes it on paper. The happy sappy shit just has its own canvas. But just for you I will come up with a love song ............wait ? what is love? lol

Anymore: I like the way this one is structured. It slowly builds in intensity. Then near the end it drops back down then quickly builds back up into a shredding guitar solo, then dips back down again at the very end. It’s nice when songs break out of the traditional verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge/solo-verse-chorus structure. Is this something you do consciously or do you just “go with the flow”?

Anymore was the first song we ever wrote as a band and we still really love that song very much. I'm glad you appreciate song structure because most of our music doesn't follow suit if you listen carefully, except for "Run". We used to structure our songs "outside of traditional suit" on purpose. We all seem to want to do it different every time. Now, it seems we don't even make a conscious effort to make things different, it just kinda happens. Most of our songs end completely different than the beginning. Some of the songs I speak of aren't on record yet, but they will be this summer.....

Ok, “Wash Away”...another one with interesting structure. Where most bands would put a guitar solo in the bridge, here the guitar riffs during the chorus and the vocals are muffled. The bridge begins with something of a military cadence on drums with an eery “ooooh” over it. That dies out, then slowly the bass comes in alone, then the high-hats join in, then finally the guitar and drums get back into the rhythm of the song. Earlier you mentioned Tool, a band know for building their songs more on complex rhythms than on catchy guitar riffs. Do you guys play around with the rhythm a lot when writing a song?

Wash Away was our toughest song to write so far. Tempos and rhythm are a huge part of song writing, usually we get it where we want it right away, but sometimes we have to play it on stage or in rehearsal 1000 times before one of us says "the tempo seems a little fast" or slow or whatever. We don’t care too much about a catchy guitar riff, we go tend to go for a certain feel. A CD full of catchy songs gets old quick, however if you FEEL what is coming out of the speakers, you tend to hang on to that a lot longer...

Last song: “Walk on By”: The “bridge” on this one, with the la-da-da-da part, made it occur to me that several sections of Reven’s songs sound like something that might have just popped up in a jam. Do you guys sometimes just jam on a song until somebody does something and y’all go, “Hey, that sounded cool! Do that again!”?

YOU CAUGHT US!! But the actual answer is yes. We will work on a song and sometimes a jam pops up in the middle of it, sometimes it fits perfect and sometimes not. If it works and it's a little off of the rest of the songs feel, we’ll keep it. If it's too obvious, we trash it. Going into your rehearsal space and jamming is a good way too start learning everybody's weird little habits, it's cool. Also, if we find ourselves stuck in a rut, we jam! Sometimes we jam a drum stick into Steven's eye (he doesn't like that much).

Ok, I caught Reven live at Sam’s recently and you had just gone through some changes in lineup. You had a new drummer and your former drummer had switched to guitar. Have these changes made any difference in your style?

Of course, the changes in line-up creates a different dynamic man, we're all fucked up now, jk. But it takes time to let things simmer so we can start cookin' again. It's really nice having people like STEVIE and HENRY VAN DELDEN, that can switch up instruments on the fly, you know?

Also, that night at Sam’s, you introduced a new element...you did a really cool percussion intro to one of your songs with bongos and drums. Is experimenting with new instruments something you plan to continue?

Actually, we plan to continue it. The thing you saw at Sam's was a VERY primitive version of the percussive throw we have now. We love it mucho, mucho!! And we do plan on bringing new elements into out mix. I cant wait for the new record to come out!! It's gonna be insane! Some piano, organs, bongos, you might even hear a triangle!!!

I am curious about the name Reven. I learned at Sam’s that it is not pronounced like “Raven” or “Reeven” but like “Rev-en” with a short “e” as in “reverend.” Where did this name come from?

It came from a chemically induced night!! ha! Reven plainly said is never spelled backwards!! But it means a lot of different things, to some is the opposite of never (forever). I like to think it represents the duality of man! But we leave it up to the listener. The real meaning will be told after our 6th or 7th album!

You also recently made the finals in the Emergenza Festival. (Congrats!) What was it like participating in Emergenza? Was the competition fierce?

YEAH!!! Emergenza has been a nail biter!! We are all anxious to make it into the next round. It's been tough, there are some REALLY talented bands competing and some of them have been doing it for a while, we've got our work cut out for us. June 9th is the City Finals, we're selling tickets for them, and it's being judged by industry professionals so I guess you could say everyone will have to bring their A Game!


So, there you go. This was a really fun way to do a cd review, show review and interview at the same time! Good luck with the new lineup and the Emergenza finals, guys!!

You can check Reven out at http://www.myspace.com/revenrocks.

An Interview with Druggist

Blake, Steve, & Zack

The Druggist sound is hard to define and impossible to ignore. It's a very open, very patient mix of influences and styles that is part indie rock and pop with a tinge of alternative country influence as well. Anyhow, no matter what genre or music scene you're into, it's impossible to contest this fact: Druggist writes great songs.


The band (Blake: vocals, guitar, bass, etc; Justin: drums, vocal, guitar; Steven: bass, vocals, guitar; Zack: lead guitar) has been very busy since their inception nearly a year ago. Besides the shows and requisite promoting, the band has also been doing a lot of writing and recording as well. Their first CD, Early Michael Keaton, was entirely self-produced (recording, artwork, pictures, etc) and will be available on May 27th ("...unless something really bad happens," Blake jokes). In addition, the band will also be throwing a same-day CD release party which will take place at The Lounge and will feature bands from San Antonio as well as the Total Foxes from Austin. Coincidently enough, it was at The Lounge a few weeks ago where the band was willing to take some pre-gig time to discuss their history, the CD, and the songwriting process within Druggist, the band.


Justin
Before the formation of Druggist, everyone knew each other from other bands or, in the case of Blake and Steve, high school. They met in a physical science class, became friends, and were playing in bands — sometimes together, sometimes apart. "Me and Steven were in bands in high school like The Hermans and he was in The Heart Attacks and The Great Fantastic," Blake recalls, "and I was with Justin in Leaving Muldoon" [absolutely no relation to the similarly-named Muldoon, also from San Antonio]. Blake also remembers Zack's pre-Druggist band, however, it's a past the lead guitarist would rather not divulge ("No, it's a rumor," he jokingly offers). And although Druggist has been together since last May, Blake and Steven still write and record with their former projects, International Colouring Contest and The Great Fantastic respectively.


Early Michael Keaton was recorded where band rehearses—in a warehouse. Blake works there in the daytime and has afforded the privilege of using some of the space for rehearsing and recording after hours. "We recorded it in the middle of a bunch of wheelchairs and tools and stuff..." Blake says. "That was our inspiration for this album...," Zack interjects. "I don’t know if you’d know that [recording environment] by hearing it...," Blake finishes thoughtfully before joking, "We're, like, power wheelchair core."


Seriously though, there are some benefits to recording in a warehouse and Blake returns to the thought of how the site has added to the recording itself: "I've been trying to do the drums with no effects at all because it already sounds pretty cool in there. Like when we practice it just sounds cool and there's a lot of weird natural reverb in that room. It's really cluttered but the ceiling's really high with cement walls, so it's weird sounding..." Four of these songs recorded in the warehouse can be heard on their MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/druggist); however, only three of those mixes will make it onto the CD.



When it comes to songwriting and arrangements, Druggist prefers to keep things simple and open-ended; an idea is shared and everyone gives it a shot. "It [song idea] comes to the table and all of us try to play it and if you can’t come up with a part for it, then...it kind of gets phased out...," Blake says. "Everybody plays what they write." Sometimes playing what they write involves switching instruments for a song or taking turns with the singing (even Justin, before a recent injury kept him behind the kit, would sing and play guitar as well). "There’s no one style...," adds Steve. "If somebody has a song or melody or if they have a complete song, they just show it to the group where we work on it and elaborate on just a riff. So it's song-by-song as opposed to one systematic..."
"...Layer upon layer," Justin finishes. Steve agrees before assuming a mock-authoritative tone, "We have to do it this way or it's not a Druggist song."

---

It's still another month-and-a-half away, but here's a flyer from the Druggist CD release party:


But they have plenty of shows scheduled before and after, so definitely check them out when you get the chance. As always, check the Druggist MySpace page to confirm show dates and locations.

Shows (all at The Lounge)

Saturday, April 22
Friday, Apr 28
Friday May 12
Friday, Jun 9
Saturday, Jun 17

Psychoholics Interview

I recently had the honor to do an e-mail interview with Charlie George of the Psychoholics. This band has been around for close to 15 years. I remember seeing them "back in the day" at Sneakers. It's really cool to see a good local band sticking around for so long and still kicking SA's butt!

The Psychoholics will be playing tonight (Fri Mar 17) at The Irish Pub. Check 'em out!

The Interview

The Psychoholics have been around in San Antonio for about 15 years now. That's a long time in a town where bands spring up and disappear almost monthly, it seems. What is it about the Psychoholics that has allowed the band to persevere where so many bands have failed?

Probably that we've all known each other for so long that we are like brothers. We fight like brothers but we're still family. Several of us our from military families and we're brought up with certain moral beliefs about loyalty. Also, we have nothing better to do.

The band has been through numerous changes in band members. So much so that you have a "family tree" on your website that graphically details all the changes in lineup. Do you think these changes have held the band back or contributed to its growth as a band?

Well, we've all at least known each other since High School. This band has had around 28 different members since we started in 91, but right now, 3 of us are original members. We've all quit, played in other bands and come back. We just like the familiar old songs I guess. We know what to expect from each other. We've weeded out the people we couldn't work with and stuck with the ones we can.

How has the Psychoholics music evolved over the years? How has your style changed since the band started out?

We started out pretty much as a punk-pop band and that hasn't changed much. When we were doing it in the early 90's, it wasn't that cool, now there's a lot of bands with that sound, so it's come around. The core of our music is punk-pop but in the last few years we have made our sound very eclectic. We touch on folk, country, hip-hop, metal, psychedlia, etc. The idea of this band is not to pigeonhole ourselves into one genre.

Who were your influences at the beginning? Have any newer bands had an effect on your music?

Personally, I have a triumvirate of influences: The Beatles, The Sex Pistols and Pink Floyd. I think our singer Tim shares that as well, although he's probably also heavily influenced by the Stones, Zeppelin. I also listened to Lou Reed a lot back in the day. Other guys in the band dig Rush quite a bit, something Tim and I don't share. Green Day, the Foo Fighters, Louis XIV, Strokes, Gorillaz, etc.

I caught a Psychoholics show back in the day at Sneakers. The main thing I remember is one of the band members running around in a Gumby costume. I have also heard about an Energizer Bunny costume. How did the costume idea come about and do the Psychoholics still do this?

Gone are most of the clubs with big stages like Sneakers and Rock Island. It's a bit difficult to pull off shows like we used to in these small clubs. We used to really like to catch peoples attention and hold it there, even if they weren't into the music, you could still have fun at our shows. We would have dancers on stage, Godzilla fighting batman, etc. We still try to be flamboyant in the way we dress and try to bring out a lot of lights, fog machines, props, toilet paper guns, etc.

I had to leave that show early and go to work, but I heard that the singer "exposed himself" at that show. Some people said he didn't. Do you remember, is it true?

Ha ha. Tim used to wear this rather elaborate outfit that was kind of like a flesh-colored body stocking. Attached to it he had this kind of home-made “cabbage-patch” penis. It was made of pantyhose nylon and stuffed with cotton. It had thick carpeting for cubic hair. It was also about 14 inches long, so if somebody thought that was his real endowment they either need glasses or have a vivid imagination.

As veterans in the SA music scene, what changes have you noticed in the local scene over the years and what changes would you like to see in the future?

Howbout an actual SCENE? This town can be so apathetic. Also there was a few bands in the mid 90's that seemed to break up right when they were getting really good or on the verge of something. Then there's the bands like us that just overstay there welcome. You can't get rid of us!

The Psychoholics are currently working on releasing their first CD in 10 years (one of the songs, "Mardi Gras," is on the SA Rocks jukebox and sounds great!). You've been working on recording these tunes for some time now. How's that going? When do you project the CD will come out?

Hopefully this summer. We've pushed it back a dozen times. It's mainly a money problem at this point. We agonized over the songs, title, cover art, for over 3 years now. It's finally mixed and ready to be mastered and pressed. All we need now is the money to get that ball rolling. We're saving.

The Psychoholics will be performing at The Irish Pub tonight for St. Patrick's Day. What can we expect from this show? Tell the people why they should come to this gig.

You'll GET LAID. We've always tried to make ourselves THE holiday band. We play Xmas, Halloween, Valentine's Day shows. When we do, we really try to get into the spirit of that holiday and make it an appropriate “event”. This is the Irish Mardis Gras. It's St. Patrick's Day and it's at The Irish Pub. That's “THE” Irish Pub. Last year we played there on St. Patty's. It was packed to the gills from 5pm on. The night crowd was pandemonium. That was a Thursday, this year it's a Friday, so it should be totally off-the-hook. Don't tell the fire marshal.

An Interview with Mario from Reader

Interview: alfonso
Photos: courtesy of Jennytron (jennytron@gmail.com)

2005 was a very good year for the San Antonio-based indie dance rock collective known as Reader. In addition to playing shows and developing a loyal fan base, the band has also managed to record, produce, and design their first release, the beat box 5" EP—a package that sounds and looks amazing. Releasing a quality product is no easy or cheap endeavor but the band was able to manage costs through their own resourcefulness and live shows. And as anyone who’s seen them in 2005 would attest, a Reader show (part rock show and part dance party) is not to be missed.

Near the tail end of the holidays, I was able to interview Reader guitarist Mario through email. As instantly likeable and down-to-Earth as you can get, he talked about the band’s beginnings, the current EP and the one in the works, as well as the live experience that is a Reader show.



How long have you guys been involved in the San Antonio music scene? What types of bands did you play in?

I have been involved for around 10 years or so. Everyone else about 5 years or so. We played in a variety of bands before the formation of Reader, ranging from instrumental post-rock, indie rock, electropop, and metal.


What were the circumstances that led to the formation of Reader? Were you all friends beforehand who just decided to form a new band?

The band started with the breakup of The Echidnas and The Jupiter Mission. Joe played bass in The Echidnas and I played guitar in The Jupiter Mission. We had talked about playing together for a while. Joe and I got together and started playing as a two-piece: Joe on drums and me on guitar. We got a hold of David (bass) because Joe knew him from another band and he lives around the corner from our practice spot. Joseph came into the picture when Joe invited him to a practice. I knew him from seeing him at shows and seeing his old bands play. As a side note, my sisters went to high school with all these guys so I would see them at their parties and whatnot. Joe told us about Miranda when she used to play in The Sexy Robots. We invited her to a practice and she liked what we were doing and we liked her vocals and energy to write music so she was in the band.


What does each band member offer to the overall sound and presentation of Reader?
Oh ok... let’s see.
Miranda's vocals are a strong factor in our sound and I think they catch the ears of people; her lyrics are catchy in the sense that people remember them and some seem to relate to them. Joe's drumming is creative, and he is willing to try something new but also keep it solid. He also helps with structuring the songs. With that, David keeps his bass loud and funky, but also adds some good-rocking, hard-hitting tone to the mix. Joe and David play off each other well since both play bass. In fact, all of the musicians play bass or have played bass in the past. I think I add just the right amount of guitar—not too over-the-top but not in the background. I like playing stuff that is fun but also add some good ambient and experimental sounds to the band. Last, but not least, is our man Joseph. Besides the fact that he plays, like, three instruments (keyboards, sax, and guitar), Joseph adds energy to our live shows and overall fun to the whole band. His sound is loud and noisy but very rhythmic and experimental.

As far as seeing us live, we generally like to dress in brown or in some kinda khaki. Miranda is usually in black, and David usually does the same route.



How does the band go about writing songs?

If one of us comes up with something at practice, then we just go with it. We write a lot of the music first and then we show it to Miranda and she writes lyrics—either on the spot or she has some already. We then just try and organize it as much as we can. Lately, a lot of our new songs have been longer so we have been trying to cut them down but still get a good song out of them.


Let’s talk about the beat box 5" EP. When and where was it recorded? How much time did it take to record?

It was recorded in late April 2005. We recorded it at Joseph’s house and our practice space. As a side note, Joseph is now recording bands at blacklion recording! It took us about two weeks to record. We did it fast because we wanted to make some kind of impact and we wanted people to hear our music.


I was especially impressed with the overall packaging. What was Jujubee Press's involvement as far as pressing the EP? How did Reader hook up with them?

Well, Joe and his sister are Jujubee! So we just did it in-house, so to speak. They created the artwork layout and we just went over what we liked and didn’t and played shows and paid for the whole CD. We did it all by ourselves and all with local people.


In the multimedia section of the EP, there’s a video for the song "Pledge." How much work was involved in finding a location, shooting, etc.? What previous experience did Joseph and Joe have in video editing?

Joe found us the spot and rented it out for a day! We were there for at least...6 hours. To my knowledge, Joe and Joseph are amateurs at video editing but they knew a lot of stuff by reading it and just trial and error.


As far as the beat box 5" EP is concerned, are there still copies available? Where can everyone pick up a copy?

We do still have copies and you can pick them up at our shows! We are going to probably have some for sale at 180 grams record store soon.


You’re also working on your next EP. What are you doing differently this time around? Are you making any drastic changes to the recording process or song writing?

We are taking our time this time around. We are also trying to push ourselves more than last time. We just want it to sound as good as it can to us and to critics of music in general. As far as making changes, the ones we are making are somewhat different. Joseph is playing guitar on three of the songs, more percussion is being used, and I’m trying to get a more organic sound out of my guitar rig. We are also trying to get the drums and bass sounding really good. We want Joe and David to carry the overall rhythm of the EP.



What can people expect when they see a Reader show?

Silly string, party poppers, and sweat! Also, Joseph running around or knocking me down. Broken drumsticks and people dancing on and off the stage.


Who are your favorite bands to play shows/hang out with?

Animals ofthe Bible, Yoshimoto, The Spark, The Mechanical Walking Robotboy, Girl(s) in a Coma, dancelikerobots, Prepare To Defend It, Wholesale Piracy...etc.


Reader recently played a show in the Rio Grande Valley. What was that experience like? What kind of music scene do they have down there?

It was fun but we didn’t get to play that long. We played a house party that got raided about three songs into our set! But the response was great!! The people liked us and we are in the process of trying to get back there soon!

The scene down there is diverse to say the least. The scene seems to be split into this real mainstream scene and this DIY[Do It Yourself] scene. So the DIY scene has diverse bills. You can see an indie hardcore band, punk band and an eight-bit shit band all in one night!



What was your favorite Reader show in the past year?

Oh wow. This past show with Japanther was great! Also the October show with dancelikerobots and Moonlights Reminder was real good! The show at 180 grams with Attractive and Popular was also very fun.


Any final thoughts or comments you would like to share with everyone?

We thank everyone for the support! Please try and make it out to our shows and dance! Also, there are a lot of good bands in town that need to be seen and it's good to know that, right now in town, it seems like people are supporting live music again!
Take care and be safe
READER!

Reader have, so far, scheduled two shows for 2006. The first is a benefit scheduled for this Friday the 13th at the Black Lion, located at 2411 Broadway . The second is scheduled for February 25th, again, at the Black Lion.

Interview: JCM of The Killing Floor, by Anthony Castilla

Thanks Anthony and JCM for doing this great interview!

JCM

Anthony: What made you pick up the guitar? Was it a song or artist, and how long have you been playing?

JCM: Music has been in my blood ever since I can remember… My dad is a percussionist/drummer and my mother would see my father perform during the weekends while she was pregnant, so I guess I was doomed to be a musician…

I’ve been playing guitar for about 20 years and it still brings me tears of joy and frustration…

Was the guitar your first instrument of choice?

No, drums were my first instrument of choice, and I played drums during my early teens in middle and high school. My mom couldn't afford or didn't have room for a drum kit. I happen to think she couldn't handle me beating on drums 24/7, and she was also thinking of our neighbor’s sanity.

Where did the nickname "El Diablo" come from?

My parents used to call me that when they'd see the videos I used to watch on MTV's Headbanger's Ball, and my album collection didn't help either. I still get teased about AC/DC “Highway To Hell” .

I do remember also way back someone mentioned to me that I play like the devil himself. I guess I should have taken that as a compliment. But the devil always loses…

But more recently Darren, a good friend of mine, is so knowledgeable in everything from music to history from any era, time and just anything, I stuck that name on him… But I think Darren is Cartaphilus, too much knowledge for one man is kinda scary and plus he doesn't age…lol!

I might be speaking out of turn but I think we both come from the hard rock to metal to shredder era, when players like Yngwie and the Racer X type guys came out did you automatically say, "I have do this stuff"?

…Yeah I did… I am guilty of coming from that kind of schooling. I was in my mid to late teens and it was great and healthy in a sense of discipline to strive to be a virtuoso. It took so many hours of my teenage life that I missed my high school's prom and a teenage social life too. I basically became a hermit, recluse for a while…lol

I was guilty of that but learned how to write songs instead practicing from sun up to sun down-haha. I found Jimmy Page and the Edge from U2 to be my turning points after the shredder era, but it helped my dexterity out practicing a lot, how about you?

I still noodle every now and then with picking, three-notes per-string runs, hammer-on and pull-offs, and legato licks, and blah, blah, blah, exercises.

But I see that as just that - exercises. When I pick up a guitar now, it’s more of a writing process on how I feel that day or trying to experiment on different compositional things. But when I get bored, then theory or combining different scale exercises to get out of a rut of sounding the same always seems to work. My goals are to create without thinking, to be spontaneous without prediction as an entertainer, writer, singer, and guitarist. I still have to work very hard in all four areas to keep proficiency. As far as performing I just let it flow but most important to me is to be musical and entertaining.

I feel that the shredder era was the best because thereafter it got really boring. If it wasn't strumming at 120 miles an hour, reckless, sloppy or d-tuned to B-flat then you weren't cool. Now I understand that trends come and go, but there has to be a balance too and I've never let radio decide for me what was in or out. I love to listen to Nirvana and Steve Vai, then maybe Dream Theater to Freddie King and not have a problem with any styles or era of music. There’s a band that I heard on the radio, Avenged Sevenfold, that I was totally blown away. So I think guitar solos are coming back. But it will come back different as trends usually do.

I notice you play bluesy rich stuff nowadays. Since when and why?

Texas, Chicago and all style blues I've been always into… In the radio waves back in the ‘80’s were SRV, Jeff Healey, and Eric Gales to name a few and then early ‘90’s came Ian Moore, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Johnny Lang. At that point in time I had made up my mind that I had to learn to sing and be a front man if I was to create and express my own material in my own way. Till this day it’s been the hardest thing I've ever had to learn to do and I'm still learning. To sing and play guitar at the same time without losing the in sync thing was the first challenge. Then writing lyrics and coming up with original material and then presenting them in front of an audience was the next.

Blues and true Alt Rock/Blues Rock (not industry-labeled alternative rock) seems to have lost its place in this overprocessed sounding music these days. What would you like to change about this? Or would you change anything?

There soo much talent out there that will never see the light of day on radio because it doesn't sound like today’s trends. I think that is really sad. It’s not like that in Europe, Japan and other countries. There are a couple of friends of mine that have been asked to tour Europe because they are still well known and received but that's not the case here.

I would love to see a radio station that would play signed, unsigned, unknown, local and regional acts. But that would be a big risk and I know it’s all about paying the bills. .

There are other ways to promote and spread your music. Internet sites like this one and public access TV shows and college radio stations do the underground and local music scene a big service and justice. So with that being said… Thank God for the internet sites and public access TV shows that promote local music. You talk about a labor of love that we, the music scene, need to help, support, sponsor and show the love right back.

What is next for your band The Killing Floor?

We are going to the studio in mid to late February and hopefully a release by March ’06. We have a couple of gigs lined up in January 2006..

Sam’s Burger Joint Jan. 7th

The Rox Room on Jan. 27th.



Your personal performance live with TKF is something to be seen. I hear you take cell phones and make your guitar talk and have sex with it, do you just go for it?

LOL having sex with my guitar?? It was safe sex btw… The guitar was plugged but I wasn't stepping barefoot on a puddle of water. Anyway all kidding aside, it's just a moment thing that I get into the zone and I'm proud to say that not all of The Killing Floor’s performances are ever the same good or bad. I do have bad nights too. There's something about being spontaneous. It's kinda like flirting with danger that can sometimes backfire and trust me it has…

What would be a dream gig for you?

mmm… I wish my bro Anthony Castilla, from Spitfire, would come and see a Killing Floor show. That would be the first one… Yep I put you on the spot now, lol! It’s all brotherly love.

What was your best and worst show?

The best: A gig at Broadway 50/50 and meeting one of the drummers from Toto and his compliments on us not to change our sound and to keep doing our thing. Rick Sanford, of Legs Diamond, as a special guest for The Killing Floor and doing six tunes with us was the next.

Now the worst… There were quite a few of those too…lol! Let me see… A gig in College Station… The drive back almost killed us… We were all dead/beat tired and we had to wait until 2:00am to get paid. Then the four hour drive back to SA was so grueling. I remember being very sleepy to the point of passing out while driving on the highway and it was freaking cold too…

But the worst was an Austin booking gig that failed to happen. What was strange was five days before the gig our cars were breaking down and we counted fifteen different bad things happening to all of us that would prevent us from not making to Austin. Up until the day we had to leave we were still having problems. When we finally made it, they cancelled the whole show because of lack of promotion. Then to add salt to injury we landed a last minute plug and play gig a few streets down and then David’s bass amp takes a shit and fries on the third song. What a nightmare and after that happened... I felt I was in the Twilight Zone...

What bands have you been in since you have been playing guitar or bass?

I played bass for Double Clutch and I just recently quit. I play guitar and do oldies but goodies for The Psychedelic Jukebox w/ Mark Carrillo and of course I sing and play guitar for The Killing Floor.

What guitar player or guitar players Alive or Dead would you like to trade notes with? Like a Jam session vibe?

Oh man… Jimi Hendrix, SRV, Eric Clapton, Eric Gales, Ian Moore, too many to list here… I think Jimi would be my first choice.

Steve Vai too… But I would need a week to get my chops up to par. So hermit, recluse state here I go again and let's relearn all the bags of tricks of shredding licks. I would also have to dust off my Ibanez RGs and get used to playing 9-46 strings again too... Shit life can never be that simple right…lol.

Where can we get more info on you ( what website)? Where can we buy your CD’s?

http://www.thekillingfloor.net/

www.myspace.com/thekillingfloor

http://www.thejcmexperience.blogspot.com/

What advice would you give a new guitar player starting out?

Nothing in what you are learning or doing is in vain. But you have to keep proficient and always reinvent yourself, for nothing worth having is ever easy. Play from your heart and let your mind guide you and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Always record yourself for there’s nothing more humbling than hearing the playback, and listen. Listening is the key to your answers.

You're stuck in a Biodome for one year. What gear would you take with you?

For one year??… That's an easy one.. Give me an acoustic steel string guitar, a box of compositional notebooks and blue Papermate pens, and twenty packs of GHS 11-50 guitar strings (I break a lot of strings), and I'm ready… Now take me to your leader…lol!

JCM thank you for your time. You rock, brother.

…Thank you Anthony and Rowan of SA Rocks…

Interview with The Scene producerJennifer Broich

Special thanks to The Scene for photos and captions

For the past nine months, Jennifer Broich has produced The Scene, a cable-access show that can be seen every Tuesday night (Wednesday morning) at 12:30 AM on Time Warner Cable channel 20. An all-inclusive music show, The Scene covers local as well as national musical acts (ranging from jazz to death metal). But it's a lot of hard work--something that, Jennifer admits, can be a bit daunting at times. But in exchange for her efforts and sacrifice, she has gained her own "kick ass" show, a devoted crew, and friends all over the country. In the following interview (done by email) we talked about her musical roots, the show, and the steps she has taken to succeed.


Let's start from the very beginning. What types of music did you listen to while growing up?

Let's just say I've been a rocker since I was a kid. My parents and uncles used to be into the old classic rock and metal. Basically, it grew from there. As far as I can remember, music was such a huge part of my life, it reflected how I lived, how I dressed, who I hung out with, how I thought and acted. Every song I know has some sort of memory, some sort of thought that brings me to some point in my life.

Getting into the music business started when I was in high school. I knew I wanted to do something in music. I bought all kinds of books about the music business and different careers you could have in the field. I started college and got into marketing/business so that I could open up my own record store. Then what do ya know, in college, I finally got a job at a record shop.

Wherehouse Music is where it really started to consume me. I worked there for 3 1/2 years and did a lot of networking, promotions, and marketing. I even got a job working for TVT Records as a field marketing rep in San Antonio. I joined street teams for labels and got myself out there. Right before Wherehouse closed, a friend of mine who worked with me (now a part of my crew) introduced me to this guy named Robb Chavez. He had a show called Robb's Metalworks. He asked me to do interviews for him and I was really skeptical at first as I am really camera shy. But I figured this was the way to go so I started doing interviews for Robb. I started being on TV, making even more connections, and learning about the media aspect of music.

Things didn't last with Robb. He took another path and so did I and Matt Mirabella, a camera guy of his. I didn't want to stop doing the show so I thought of doing my own show. Along the way came the rest of my crew, little by little, and we started The Scene. Everything just kind of fell into place and the rest is history! Now we have a great crew and team and The Scene has taken on great success in San Antonio.


How did you get into the heavier, more underground types of music?

That came from Wherehouse Music, I started really getting into all kinds of rock while I worked there. My supervisors and even some of my co-workers really started schooling me on rock, metal, classic rock/metal and from there I just started getting into everything. Started learning the names behind the music, the details of the bands I liked, and history of the music.


As a young woman, were your ideas for a new show taken seriously? Who were your early supporters?

It was definitely was a challenge but, you know, I really didn't have much trouble. I was very confident in it and I really knew my shit (excuse my cussing) so I wasn't intimidated by anyone, or at least if I was, I wouldn't show it. I believed in myself and because of that I got people to take me seriously. I didn't just talk the talk, I walked it. I give much credit to my crew (Matt, Gonzo, Lanni, Will, Larissa, Carol, Guillermo, Raul). They have helped me put this show together and make it a serious media outlet that has given us the name and reputation we have today.

Gonzo & Jenn in a drunken metal bliss at a show!

The Edge Magazine has been one of our biggest supporters. They have really taken us under their wing and Toni has really been a great mentor for me. We work in conjunction a lot of time with The Edge Magazine. So, as much as they support us, we support them and all they do. They are one of the biggest music media outlets in Texas and we are proud to say they are The Scene's biggest supporters.

Rock City Bar and Bonds 007 Rock Bar have also been big supporters of The Scene as well as Mike of MT Productions, a local promoter. We held our premiere at Bond's 007 and had a great turnout. [We] also had my birthday bash this past October there and the turnout was remarkable. It was absolutely inspiring to see how many people support The Scene and me as the producer, we are very thankful for that.


How would you describe The Scene to someone who’s never seen the show?

The Scene is a public access music TV show that covers all of the San Antonio & South Texas music circuit—not just the bands but everyone who contributes to the scene. You have the people that own and run the venues, record the local band's music, promoters, production companies, [and the] radio stations who put on shows and play the music on the radio—that makes up a music scene. You also have people that are involved like The Edge Magazine and SA Rocks who take a big part of the SA music scene by helping support local bands/outlets and distribute information to the public. There are so many things going on in the music scene, so many people that are involved in some way or the other, not to mention there are different types of scenes: the punk scene, metal scene, college music scene, etc. That is what The Scene is all about, we want to document on TV who these people are and what they do to make up a music scene.

Matt interviews Trevor of the Black Dahlia Murder


Do you have any interesting stories about the very first episode that aired on March 15, 2005?

Well, I will say this: having the opportunity to interview Slayer, Killswitch Engage, and Mastodon for one of our first shows, even before we were on the air, was a huge honor and an interesting story to tell in itself. We thought that was the best way to kick off the show and show [everybody] that "Hey, if The Scene got Slayer, then they must be pretty cool and important" haha...Well, at least that is what we had hoped for people to think about our show.

We actually should have aired sooner than March 15. But what happened was since it was our first time doing this, my editor, Will Shipley, didn't put the show in the right format speed. And so there we go: having to pick up the tapes from TWC, then re-record them onto VHS in the right speed, then drop them off again, and wait another two more weeks for our show to finally get aired. We were definitely at the edge of our seats by this point. We were so anxious!


How do you decide who’s featured? Does a band have to play heavy metal?

I make the schedule every month. My co-producer Matt usually helps me decide. We go over what footage and what bands we've covered so far and then just kind of take it from there.

I actually like to schedule the local bands with a national act that is similar to their style. Reason being, I have to send out copies of our episodes regularly to the record labels and publicity companies to keep them updated on our show. I figured this is a good way to help out the local bands here. You never know when a record label is checking out our show one day and may just take interest in the local band we are featuring. So I make that a point to pair up national acts with local acts. I also take more consideration to the local bands we cover that show interest in being on the show—those who follow up and take an interest in when their episode will air. I try my hardest to get those more deserving bands on air faster.

We cover all kinds of rock music. So, no, they don't have to be heavy metal. We have even covered a jazz band called Alex Skolnick Trio and an all-cello band called Apocalyptica. I would like to diversify the show by covering different styles that are in some way related to rock or, for example, blues, jazz, Latin rock/pop, punk, alternative, ska, rockabilly, metal, industrial, etc. I'd even like to do a feature one day on DJ's and show them spinning and putting on their mix!


How much work actually goes into producing an episode each week? Do you have weekly meetings/brainstorming sessions with the crew, editors, etc?

There is a lot of work, believe it or not, that goes into putting an episode together. Lanni Harrison, my primary editor, takes at least 12-24 hours a week to put an episode together. It isn't the easiest of work, and many times you have problems w/sound, lighting, etc. She has to try and get things right and that is what is time consuming. We used to have weekly crew meetings but with everyone's schedules conflicting, it's difficult to get us all together once a week. We correspond frequently through emails and by phone. We also see each other and discuss the show at shows we are covering.

Matt & Lanni shoot commentary for an upcoming episode


Come the new year, we are going to recruit more people and will be more consistent in having, at least, bi-weekly meetings. But it is definitely important to communicate when having a show like The Scene. That is a vital part of our team, communication. Matt and I usually meet once a week to go over upcoming shows we have booked and scheduling. Gonzo and I meet once a week as well to go over the website and updates on what's coming up. We update our website every week so Gonzo, our webmaster/photo goon puts in much time a week on the website.


Have there been times where you felt completely overwhelmed by producing the show, saying to yourself something along the lines of "What did I get myself into"? What do you do to de-stress?

Oh yeah, definitely. There have been times when things have been a mess or my crew isn't getting along or something isn't getting done—and then it all gets thrown on me. I hear it all and I am the one who has to clean up the mess, so it is extremely stressful. I never have thoughts of regret but there have been a couple of times that I just felt it wasn't worth continuing and just wanting to quit. When things get that hectic, I take a deep breath, throw on a good tune, and remember why I started the show in the first place, and that's my de-stress method. I am a very laid-back person, usually pretty mellow, so I tend to handle things well.

I take care of my crew, if there is anything they need, I do my best to compliment their needs and even wants. I make sure conflict doesn't arise and if there is even a hint of it, I try to resolve it before it gets out of control. I take care of my crew and they are important me so they know they can come to me with anything.


Tell us about a moment within the past eight months where you felt that all the work, stress, and sacrifice was really worth it.

My birthday bash at Bond's 007. When I saw how many people showed up and the turnout we had, that made me feel so good. I felt so accomplished. It was so great to see how known we were and how recognized The Scene had become. That was our first time putting on an event. I picked five bands and they all agreed to play the show. I got my friend Mike of MT Productions to book the show and get it together and he did a great job.

We did what we could to make it a great event. We gave away free stuff and had some great live music from local Texas bands! It was a great and memorable night (well what I remember of it, haha!). I was also very proud when we had our first annual Halloween Hellfest at Rock City Bar, we had an excellent turnout for a Tuesday night. The place was really packed and in our appreciation to those who showed up and supported us, we gave away free Jell-O shots, liquor shots, and free prizes & swag.


Are you satisfied with the time slot for the show (Tues. night/Wed. morning at 12:30am)? If not, are there any steps you can take to change it?

I am not 100% satisfied but I am grateful we are at least on the air. I would like our show to air either Sunday nights between 10:30-11:30 or sometime during the week around that time. Our time slot is too late for some folks, so I'd like to have an earlier slot. There is really nothing we can do about our time slot at Time Warner; every year you go through a raffle with all the other shows and what ever time slot you get is pretty much what you get. The cool thing about it being after midnight is we have no restrictions; we can show anything we'd like, be it nudity, explicit language, drinking, etc. No barriers after midnight!


What can you tell me about the parties The Scene has hosted around town? Are there more parties in the works?

Like I was saying earlier, we just had a couple in the month of Oct. which were our first. They were both a great success with killer turnouts. We are in the works right now of planning our annual Christmas Party. At our parties we like to have live bands play, give-a-ways, and we also film and take photos for our show and website. We are going to be working on our new intro for the show so we tend to put clips of people hanging out in the scene. Also on our website, we put pictures of people partying or hanging out in the scene. We also give away copies of our episodes at the parties so people can check out the show.


Speaking of the website(http://thescenerocks.com/), I was very impressed with its design. What can people expect by logging on?

Thanks. Gonzo takes much pride in that website! He puts forth much effort and a lot of work in it. He is always open to ideas and is pretty [much] on top of keeping it updated. People can expect to get an idea of what our show is like. It also entails the latest news in the music world and gives people a heads-up on what events/shows are coming around town. We also have a message board on there in case people want to post. You also get bios of the scene crew and get to know us a bit.

Gonzo takes a picture of crew member Renee for the website


What plans do you have for the future of the show?

Too many to mention! I just plan on doing more to the show, getting more people involved and making it more successful…Maybe even create short feature documentaries of different aspects of the music scene. We are always open to new ideas.


A very special and heartfelt thanks to Jennifer Broich for taking the time to fill out this interview and for sending the pictures (as well as captions). Be sure to catch The Scene every Tuesday night(Wednesday morning) at 12:30AM on Time Warner Cable channel 20.

The Scene's schedule for the rest of the year(borrowed from the website):

December 6: Uli Jon Roth, Judas Priest
December 13: Opiate for the Masses, Bleeding Through
December 20: Pigface, Empathy's Gone
December 27: Suicide City