Flight to Dubai’s Atlas Abell on Sydney, Lockout Laws, and Serial Killers
Atlas Abell is the lead singer of Flight to Dubai, a band of rising-stars from Sydney, Australia, whose song Hail Damage was featured on our #35 podcast. They are just back from an Australian tour in support of their recently-released EP ‘Frontal Lobes’.
My favorite thing to wear onstage:
Boots, jeans, a good leather belt and a shirt that breathes. Our set has an unforgiving, fast paced, and brutal capacity – we need to tread the line between sturdy workwear and cool, comfortable clothing.
The last musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I bought and loved was:
I bought a Shure 55SH Dynamic microphone in 2012, first mic I ever bought. It gave me years of hard hitting performances, taking everything I could throw at it – it’s cactus now but it had a bloody hell of a run.
it’s so Roy Orbison
The musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I really really really want is:
A Waterphone. It’s been used in so many famous horror film scores and just fascinates me
According to Etsy, which seems to be the place to buy one, you will either sound like a horror film OR like dolphins and whales
The artist who has influenced me most is:
Roy Orbison. Outside of having the best pipes in the world, (tone, capacity, resonance – The Big O has it all) I think our relationships with the stage/audience have a lot in common with each other.
Something I wish I’d known before joining/starting a band:
To affect others is to affect yourself. Take the good with the bad and aim for balance.
I live in Sydney, Australia.
It is where my house is.
The general vibe of Sydney is:
Policed, controlled and Orwellian: Lock-out laws, social limitations and a quiet, dying streets.
The Sydney lockout laws were introduced by the government of New South Wales in February 2014 with the objective to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence. The legislation requires 1.30am lockouts and 3am last drinks at bars, pubs and clubs in Sydney.
the best place to play music here is:
Botany View Hotel. Good atmosphere, central to other venues and cold beer
the best place to SEE music here is
Marrickville Bowling Club. Big space with great sound and even better line ups, cheap beer and a bowling green
If you don’t know what lawn-bowling is, as I do not, this provides just one more excellent reason to go to Australia. – Ed.
My favorite local band (aside from my own):
Satanic Togas. With a Devo-esque rock n roll vibe, their live show is great, their music is spectacular and all the members are stand up blokes
I collect:
Nothing in particular and everything at once. I just have a whole bunch of weird or nifty knick knacks that I like, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Usually with heavy nostalgic connections, a lot of records, old games and VHS, books and trinkets fill my room
My favorite thing to watch on tv is:
Serial Killer Documentaries. Sounds heaps twisted but I find it fascinating that someone could be wired that way; to take a life in the first place is such a wild and foreign concept but to continue doing it out of compulsion or will is absolutely alien to me and, in turn, enthralling to learn about.
The Zodiac Killer. So. Much. Fun.
In my fridge you’ll always find:
Cold Water. I get hot so easily and find myself not just wanting but requiring it – someone indulging in my cool beverages has almost ruined relationships.
A winter indulgence that I would never forgo is;
A good, strong cup of tea. Hot tea can warm even the coldest of hearts
If you’re going to buy me a gift, say in the under-$50 range, I would like:
I wear a lot of rings and love old clothes but a good book or record never goes astray – play it safe and get me a Stephen King novel(la)
The last music I downloaded was:
Tyrannamen – Self Titled. One of my good mates showed me a while ago and one of their songs was in a dream of mine recently so I haven’t been able to get off this album.
In my heart I wish I was:
Secure.
because
Don’t we all want an eternally rational worldview?
A beauty staple that I’m never without is:
At the moment, a comb. I got a shit haircut recently, so I bought this sick metal comb and it’s been in my back pocket for weeks. Outside of that I’m already too beautiful for need of anything else.
My personal analysis of the current state of the music industry is :
There’s a resistance that’s fighting against the lacklustre, mainstream pop rock bullshit that’s plaguing this country/the world. Diversity is finding its way to the surface and issues are being dealt with, slowly, but surely. I don’t think music ever gets better or worse era to era but at least there’s music worth taking in at the moment.
The best place to eat breakfast in Sydney is:
Bar Italia in Leichhardt. Their big breakfast is second to none, not to mention great coffee and a solid menu
My favorite website is:
fallingfalling.com. It’s an accurate representation of the inside of my head.
Editor’s note: Wow, yes, definitely visit that site
when people come to visit me, particularly if those people are cooler than I am, I take them to:
My mum’s house. Mum’s place always has cold beer, spare beds, great food and terrible home movies – the perfect way to see if someone’s really cool is to see how they treat your mum.
favorite seasonal beverage:
Tooheys New/Negroni. It’s pretty much summer 9 months of the year here so cold beer is a must and a Tooheys New goes a long way. Negronis are for the long cold nights when the whiskey’s run out.
the last meal that truly impressed me was:
Ribs in Plum Sauce from PHO236 in Newtown. Talk about a flavour palette; that was a perfectly balanced meal.
What’s next for you, music-wise:
We’re working hard and playing hard. Flight To Dubai has taken off in every sense of the word. We’ve been writing like crazy and are really proud of our progress, our trajectory is looking good so now we’re just putting in the hard yards to try to reap what we’re sowing. Outside of the band a couple of side projects I’m in (DogDown and COBWEB) are both pottering along at their own pace and will have results to be judged soon enough.
Secular Pains on Clean Air, Sanford and Son, Mothers, and Hair
We thought that Secular Pains was a band, but it turns out that Secular Pains is a guy. His song “Cut My Hair” was featured on our #36 podcast, which is interesting in light of the thoughts he shares below on the subject of hair and mothers. He lives outside of Toronto, Canada, evidently not nearby any cities.
My favorite thing to wear onstage:
clothing
Why
I don’t like my parents seeing me naked.
Fully-clothed is the only way to be.
The last musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I bought and loved was:
Not sure I love any of my instruments. Although I have a fond attachment to my first guitar. It’s an acoustic black Takamine. I love it because it has conditioned itself to me and vice versa. Only I can play it, tune it, manipulate it…with everyone else it simply doesn’t work. I inserted some lame metaphors here but removed them. It’s also been through hell: soaked in the rain, frozen by many winters, cracked in more places than the logic of a politician…and it weighs less than when I bought it…due to the shavings lost from every performance.
[Editor’s note: Many of our artists share their editing process on these interviews (‘I inserted some lame metaphors here but removed them’). Editing itself is art. Editing art is art. Art is art. Editing is. Is.]
The artist who has influenced me most is:
Elvis. I guess because he was my childhood “hero” if I can put a label on him.
still interesting, after all these years
Something I wish I’d known before joining/starting a band:
Post 1999 girls aren’t interested in rockers and guitar players any more…they want guys who ride dirtbikes.
I live in this city:
Never. Will never live in any city. I like clean air and I generally don’t like people. And why do I write music? To share what I’ve found love to be in its most intense form…ultimately to make people happier…because I love them…but I guess I don’t like them.
I collect:
Records – like any other musician does. I acquired a factory sealed copy of the Lost and Found album. I opened and listened to it. That was cool.
my favorite thing to watch on tv is:
Sanford and Son
why
Why. That’s a stupid question.
In my fridge you’ll always find:
a countless number of condiments. You can always eat more when your food is covered in something. Like maple syrup. Maple syrup is wonderful. I’m going to eat some right now.
how they do it in Canada
if you’re going to buy me a gift, say in the under-$50 range, I would like:
A Spanish horror film from the 70s on DVD.
The last music I downloaded was:
My friend sent me some demos…and Teenager in Love.
In my heart I wish I was:
like Joan of Arc
because
of her level of devotion.
Interrogation of Jeanne by Paul Delaroche
Beauty staple that I am never without:
I suppose my long hair is my one vanity. I cut off my hair twice in my life. Once in high school I took a razor and removed all 24 inches of my thick Portuguese beauty staple. The second time I was coerced…or rather bribed. Let’s just say my mother offered my money to cut it off. Now, not selling out for money is an easy pride…but I needed the money. I was torn. It’s never just hair. Why is there such an obsession? I mean…we’ve all seen Tom Jones, Chuck Norris…or Robin Williams shirtless…I mean these men represent something…something virtuous…symbolic. It’s that conflict of pride and morals…image but not for image-sake. Anyway, I was torn. I spoke with my friend about it. Of course I alluded to the words of Brewer & Shipley, David Crosby, and one of my favourite lines in a song ever: “Mary loved her son, why don’t my mother love me,” resulting in my final argument, “what would Jesus do?” My friend gave me her answer: “He would probably listen to his mother.”
What would Jesus do?
My personal analysis of the current state of the music industry is:
I don’t really care too much about it any more. I found it’s best for an artist to not waste much effort on the industry. It’s a musician’s job to make music.
when people come to visit me, particularly if those people are cooler than I am, I take them to:
the country and light a fire.
favorite seasonal beverage:
water is my favourite thing to consume.
Give me a super-brief summary of your current musical status, in a bio kind of way:
I’ve given up on focusing on things beyond my control. I’m here to create. That’s in my control. I’ve wasted too much time and effort on bullshit marketing and “getting heard.” And no…I’m not talking about the bullshit of making music just for me either. That’s all bullshit too. Sure, think of it like a message in a bottle. It’s part of the world now.
Ben Farley on Lowell, MA, Butthole Surfers, and Bandmates as Friends with Benefits
Ben Farley (aka Benjamin Lee Farley, Benbo Benskie, Benjelly, Packrat, Toxoplasmodon, Venyamin Wetkoff, Benjamiah Bunkum…) was featured on Holy Crap Records Podcast #38 for his song “Let Me Live in Your House.” He reports that he has finally formed a band around his solo stuff: Ben & the Couch Crashers, and is also in the band PNDB.
My favorite thing to wear onstage:
Undies?
why
I’ve been in this one band called PNDB for 3 plus years and for the most part I’ve been wearing various cowboy hat/fancy jacket/tighty-whitie combinations. Drunkenly dropping trou in front of a roomful/not-so-full of people has been strangely and stupidly liberating. But now I have this gargoyle mask and yellow leisure suit. I’m tempted to start a whole other project around it but I think it’s gonna hafta be my PNDB shit from now on.
Suit and mask. Undies not pictured.
The last musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I bought and loved was:
I am currently still making payments to the gentlemen at the Tone Loft… a 1981 Gibson Sonex… I keep erasing the rest of my reply because no matter what I write it sounds creepy and/or vaguely sexual. But I love that guitar and it was instant symbiosis and being able to make tiny payments on it has been crucial.
[Editor’s note: If I had a dollar for every creepy/sexual guitar reference I’ve heard, I would not have to make a living as a highly-paid Editor.]
The artist who has influenced me most is:
Ooof. This is gonna take a while. But just this morning while listening to your podcast and hearing y’all talk about “Let Me Live in Your House” and feeling all good about myself, your mentioning Butthole Surfers got me realizing that, if I was to be put in exactly this current interview scenario, but also with a gun at my head for whatever reason (must be one o them SERIOUS interviews… ) Butthole Surfers might really truly be my biggest influence when it comes down to it.
image by Coleman Rogers
Independent Worm Saloon is the second CD I ever bought with my own paper route money, back in like 1996…? I should check my dates… Point being that I’m sure getting into BHS at 8 or 9 or 10 years old had a big ol’ influence on me and my not realizing that some people just aren’t ok with a noise track in between ballads or whatever I’m trying to say at this point.
Could list a bunch more “serious” influences that make me sound deep or whatever but no one gives a shit, BHS 4 RNR HOF.
Something I wish I’d known before joining/starting a band:
It’s like being friends with benefits with each bandmate but everyone also kinda wants to get serious but it’s terrifying so everybody just sleeps with everybody else instead and local scenes get very incestuous. I forgot which way I meant that.
friends with benefits
Image by Brian Bailey
I live in Lowell, MA.
I was born in the area, grew up here and in the area, left for a while, came back. It’s kinda my favorite city in the world, at least out of the few dozen or so where I’ve lived/crashed/toured/etc
The general vibe of this city is:
Cautiously optimistic creative explosion. Because everything is falling apart around us, plus looming gentrification
Image by Coleman Rogers
Some examples of that vibe include:
Inspector 34, Angie Bruce, Michael F Dailey Jr, the Natty D’s, Kofi Edzi, Trope, Corner Soul, Kishor Hollenbeck (SP?), Corey Luebbers, Walter Wright, Nick Telles just moved here… too many musical and visual Masterminds and I really don’t fuck around with that word haha… But also there are more and more homeless folks downtown and fentanyl is killing everyone else and uhhhh wanna buy an old cotton mill? it’s haunted and at least one guy will ask you if Kerouac ever peed on anything in the building.
The best place to play music here is:
Tie: UnchArted Gallery and Warp & Weft. UnchArted is a miracle establishment run by the above-mentioned MIKE DAILEY, with rotating monthly art shows, nightly live music, music scene incubation, and some seriously great pizza (and beer). Warp n Weft is my ego’s choice because I never sing better than on that stage. Also a miracle establishment, for other long-winded reasons.
UnchArted. Art+Music+Beer+Pizza. Let’s all go to Lowell.
My favorite local band (aside from my own):
Inspector 34. Jimm Warren is a brilliant human and this band is his baby and it’s just the best and we feed each other’s egos and self-hatred in equal measures.
I collect:
Records until I’m broke again and then I sell them all back to RRRon. At the moment it’s pretty much gone. Now I collect a thousand pennies at a time and trade them for cigarettes.
My favorite thing to watch on tv is:
All-time? South Park. Lately, Impractical Jokers. Dumb name, great show. I want Trey Parker to somehow, one day, find and read this interview, and then invite me to hang out with him.
In my fridge you’ll always find:
Odors. Not aromas. Odors.
why
I am a disgusting person.
A winter indulgence that I would never forgo is:
Being caretaker of the Overlook
why
Dunno, I’ve just always been the caretaker.
Wamesit falls overlook, Lowell, MA
if you’re going to buy me a gift, say in the under-$50 range, I would like:
Cigarettes and weed
The last music I downloaded was:
San Cha. Recent Bandcamp find. Wacked-out operatic traditional Latin music but also nowadays skronky and she freaks out sometimes and…
In my heart I wish I was:
Bugs Bunny
because
I mean when he was alive.
A beauty staple that I’m never without is:
The staple that holds my upper lip in place.
why
You should see me without it, yowza.
My personal analysis of the current state of the music industry is:
Bandcamp solves everything
The best place to eat breakfast in my city is:
Club Diner at 3 a.m. Above-average diner food with the best kind of grizzled waitresses but mainly it’s the only thing open after last-call and hooooooooweee Good Times.
Club Diner, circa 1981. Let’s all go to Lowell.
my favorite websites or apps are
Bamscamp
why
Bamp scamp a damp a damp pow
When people come to visit me, particularly if those people are cooler than I am, I take them to:
Church
Why:
Weird em out early, you will have the upper-hand for the rest of their visit.
favorite seasonal beverage:
Blood of Christ
Why:
Around the holidays i get a lot of unwanted visitors who are cooler than me.
The last meal that truly impressed me was:
Paella at Warp & Weft.
why
Mouthfeel.
Tell us about your future projects:
Most excited about “The Self-Saboteur” ep I’ve been recording with Jimm. Should be out by March.
Equally excited about releasing the first Idiot Sect EP… High-speed thrash-grind mayhem. Also out by March.
And and and
New PNDB album in 2019…
Have begun a trillion other projects in the interest of getting it all out there before they nuke everyone and blame it on aliens.
Lil’ Tone on Brussels, Assassins, and Eating Wild Boar
Lil’ Tone is a French British multi-instrumentalist who fuses elements of psychedelia, hauntology, lo-fi rock & sonic fiction. His song `Black Rose’ by Lil Tone and the Unknowns was featured on podcast #37. It nearly made Johnny P weep with joy on his birthday.
My favorite thing to wear onstage:
My Monte Paradiso T-shirt. Last summer I was living in Pula, Croatia and went to the 26th Monte Paradiso Punk & Hardcore Festival that takes place in the Rojc cultural center, formerly a military casern back in the days of Yugoslavia. The t-shirt’s became a kinda good luck charm, that reminds me of those awesome vibes. When I’m down, I think a lot about that special energy I felt and created over there.
the shirt
the festival
The last musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I bought and loved was:
Korg Electribe 2. It’s key to my solo shows & it fits in my backpack. Ideal for gigs abroad !
Described by one user as ‘Almost the perfect groovebox !’
The musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I really really really want is:
A nice fucking studio. I’ve got a lot of instruments at home as it is, but I’d love to build/improvise someday a studio with a nice acoustics.
Something I wish I’d known before joining/starting a band:
Don’t think twice, just do it. Live fast, but don’t die young.
I live in Brussels, Belgium. I moved here 20 years ago with my family. It’s taking time for me to think so, but it’s a place I can really call home.
A city with street art is a good city.
The general vibe of Brussels is: a messy hell (and that’s how I like it)
The best place to play music here is:
Le Moerasque. It’s a park on the outskirts of Brussels that’s fairly close to my house and that few people in Brussels have ever heard of. I have my loner moments and nothing beats playing a guitar out in the open like that.
The best place to SEE music here is:
Barlok. Underground music only. It’s on its last legs and will apparently shut down soon, but I like that it’s been a home for so many people these last few years. Hopefully they’ll find a new venue !
Barlok. Groovy!
My favorite local band (aside from my own)
Bear Bones Lay Low. We’ve been friends since our teens. He makes great music and as a person he’s a friendly reminder to give no fucks, to enjoy yourself, and to never stop making music.
I collect cassettes.
It’s my way of supporting (local) bands and a way to briefly avoid computers.
In my fridge you’ll always find:
Beer
why
Belgium !
The last music I downloaded was:
Keel Her. She sent me a pre-release of her new album (and it’s awesome), shhhhhh !
In my heart I wish I was:
The stealthiest assassin there ever was. World leaders have been fucking up this world
My personal analysis of the current state of the music industry is:
I feed my passion, but my passion can’t feed me.
The best place to eat breakfast in my city is:
Turkish omelet at Emirdag Koftecisi. It’s close by, cheap, reminds me of Istanbul where my brother lives
My favorite websites or apps are:
Currently I’m switching between NTS, 6Music, Radio Panik, Radio Maestral, TapeOp, The Guardian, Reddit Jokes
[editor’s note: definitely click on those first five links. They will make you wish there were a million hours in the day.]
When people come to visit me, particularly if those people are cooler than I am, I take them to:
No plans, but we will return victorious
why
Euuuuh people who come to visit me will be treated equally. Fuck being cool, just stay true to who you are (that’s why I like you!). [editor’s note: hey!]
Favorite seasonal beverage:
My new favorite drink (for any season) is a corretto, istrian style. It’s coffee with mistletoe rakija. A close second for the summer is a Ginlet, gin with cucumber
The Italian word corretto corresponds to the English word ‘correct’ in the sense of ‘corrected’.
The last meal that truly impressed me was:
Wild boar in Chimay bleue brown beer sauce, marinated over a whole afternoon. One of the best meals I’ve ever had, a fantastic night out in the Belgian countryside with good friends, we cooked the poor three legged bastard !
In the Ardenne countryside, Lil Tone stumbled upon this boar statue, which he felt had been placed to honor to the fallen one they had for dinner
Tell us about your past/present/future in music:
In 2016, I started making music as Lil’ Tone, recording and performing either as a solo synth act, with a folk rock band or in spontaneous acts. In the early months of 2018, I started digging through tape sessions from when I started writing songs, roughly ten years ago. And what I found was a whole trunk of dizzy memories, and a lot of fooling around with my family and friends. It’s not always great music, but it’s not bad either. To me, it feels larger than that. Hearing something from long ago that’s raw, wild, unpolished, feels really rejuvenating and I’m happy to now have these old rags by my side again.
2019 will be no different. I’ve got a lotta music ready to release but the big one this year will be a synthpunk album, that features songs I regularly plat in sets and that explores themes such as pulp horror, lost futures, the collective unconscious & other blurred oddities. I’m hoping to play as many gigs as possible, touring in as many cities in and outside of Belgium as I can, meeting familiar faces and greeting new ones on the way.
.
Alvaro Gastmans of Hairy Nipples on Seville, Tintin, and what you should be wearing
Alvaro Gastmans has been in the Spanish band HAIRY NIPPLES for 15 years. The band just released a new mini-lp “X-bomb” (clifford records 2019); their song from this album ‘Like Everybody Else’ can be heard on Holy Crap Records Podcast #36. In 2007 Hairy Nipples won the prize for best Spanish garage band in the Pop Eye Festival, and were featured on 2 movies. Gastmans also has a solo career in which he is influenced by French music, especially by genius Serge Gainsbourg. He has released 2 solo albums and 3 EP’s. He is currently producing an electronic analog album, and making demos of future songs both for his solo project and Hairy Nipples.
My favorite thing to wear onstage:
Black shirt/jacket or a vest. I don’t like bands that play with the same outfit they’ve been wearing for the sound check or that have been wearing (and sweating) the whole day through; I think a concert is a special occasion, especially if you are on stage, and you should look smart to show the audience that you care. Never put on stage the same clothes you used to go to the supermarket.
The last musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I bought and loved was:
The volca analog synthesizers by Korg. They are so tiny they look like toys for kids, but the sounds you can get from them, combined with special effects and pedals, are absolutely mind-blowing. I can be for hours stuck on one loop just playing with the knobs and oscillators trying to get different sounds. I have a drum loop, a bass synth and a polyphonic synth and I am already thinking about getting some more. Although I have a rock background as musician, I always loved psychedelic music, and it was just a few years ago that I got into the 70´s and 80´s electronic music and kraut rock sounds, and I found it really interesting and since then I am totally into it!
The Volca by Korg: a diverse array of fat sounds!
The musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I really really really want is:
A Fender Rhodes 73 keyboard. Since I was a kid I loved the sounds you can make with that keyboard, and most bands I like have used it at some point; also the way it looks it simply beautiful to me. Stylish, simple, not very big but with a powerful stage presence.
Something I wish I’d known before joining/starting a band:
A band is about songs. Egos can’t be the driving force of a band. To be more humble on your artistic proposal will help dealing with frustration.
I live in Seville (Spain).
I’d been living in the city of Malaga by southern coast of Spain for nearly 20 years, but at some point I wanted to have a family and I knew that if I moved to Seville I could have that life, so I did and I don’t regret the decision; I keep my band (Hairy Nipples) in Malaga though; It is only 200 km away so we still can rehearse and plan concerts.
The general vibe of Seville is: Heavily traditional. The weight of religion, traditional customs and a certain classism in all public domains (Holy week, bullfighting). I have the feeling that this sometimes suffocates the efforts of the underground artists that don’t have much echo or place on the cultural agenda of the city, but the artists and especially the bands are part of a very interesting scene that is trying to make this a more cosmopolitan and open-minded city.
The Holy Week processions in Seville are Spain’s most famous
The best place to play music here is:
“Sala X”. The place has a very good sound, in most concerts I’ve been I don’t recall having a bad experience; it also has a medium capacity which makes easier to bands to have a minimum audience and it is well located, not very far away from the center.
“A cracking little bar” – Google reviews
The best place to SEE music here is:
The Contemporary Art Museum (CAAC). Although it feels that every festival is on that same place, it is still one of the most beautiful places to see music here. The place is an old monastery with its architecture from the 15th century together with the facilities of the contemporary art museum, which makes a nice contrast. It is on the open air, and in the hot summers here it is the place to be in the evenings.
Seville’s CAAC is host to a lot of big festivals
My favorite local band (aside from my own):
Los Rosarios. They are pretty new but the members were part of other important bands from Seville whose I was fan as well. This new project sounds more like The Stooges, The Gun club, Velvet Underground with a electronic drum machine which makes them approach Suicide and other Spanish punk bands.
I collect:
Comic books. I am a huge fan of classic European comics and graphic novels. I was never interested in superheroes although I’ve read the most famous. I am also an amateur draw-er myself and I find great pleasure in reading and re-discovering my favorites books. “Tintin” and other Franco-Belgian characters are my favourites.
In my fridge you’ll always find:
Yogurts
why
I’m a father of a 4 year old girl
If you’re going to buy me a gift, say in the under-$50 range, I would like:
A comic book or a vinyl.
The last music I downloaded was:
Kosmischer Läufer vol.4. I´ve downloaded the other 3 previous volumes which were presented as “The Secret Cosmic Music of the East German Olympic Program 1972-1983” and that got me hooked, and I found a wonderful collection of space-kraut-rock music.
In my heart I wish I was:
More focused. I tend to do too many things at the same time and that makes the creative process extremely long and sometimes discouraging, especially right now that I am aware how short time really is.
A beauty staple that I’m never without is:
Bleu de Chanel perfume. It´s classy, fresh and a bit bitter; could be related to my personality?
This woody, aromatic fragrance is made for the man who defies convention.
My personal analysis of the current state of the music industry is :
Change is inevitable, but the music industry had to change quicker these last 10 years although they did not really wanted to; I don’t think it will disappear entirely, as music will still be considered a good which can be traded, but the way people consume music is way much different from the glory days of the record industry. I am also a secondary teacher and I see that among most of my students MUSIC IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS IT WAS, it is not defining personality or tastes in other areas. Fashion, technology and talent shows have taken the interest of most teenagers and art is not considered as something important. We have more music available than ever for little (or none) money, but musicians must earn some money to live and to pay their recordings as the “home studio” era is gone, mainly due to the poor quality that was hiding in most of these recordings. The interesting music will be there for everyone to listen to, but the way to get there is not through mass media or tv shows.
My favorite websites or apps are:
Amazon music unlimited. I had a 3 month free trial and I am understanding now the success of streaming platforms and the joy of creating playlists.
Favorite seasonal beverage:
Beer, especially abbey types (Chimay). I am half-belgian, it is part of my DNA I guess.
Supervillain’s Scott Thompson on Asheville, Mind Control, and Greta Van Fleet
Scott Thompson is the lead singer and guitarist of Rock-Trio Supervillain. (Scott has been featured in three Holy Crap Records Podcasts: #19, for his song “Your Team is Hot,” #33, in which he was our expert Christmas satanist, and most recently #36, for his song That Boy’s a Beast feat Nick Oliveri). Supervillain is currently writing and recording an EP that they plan to release in Spring 2019. He relocated to Asheville from Spokane, WA with Drummer Jeff Schell, and it was here in Asheville where they met Greg Ney (bass) who had just moved there from Boston.
My favorite thing to wear onstage:
My Sex Helmet. Because it is an Army Helmet with the word “SEX” in Gold Sparkle.
A sex helmet is both fashionable and practical
The last musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I bought and loved was:
7 Shots. Gotta get loose before you shake your Caboose.
The musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I really really really want is
The power of Mind Control over the Audience and maybe some rad Lazers. I would utilize the Lazers to distract from the mind-control in order to captivate the audience and seduce them into excessive commerce at our Merch Table. The ethics seem questionable but have you listened to Greta Van Fleet? It takes more than just ripping off other artists to keep the lights on in the Mansion. We know what you are up to Short-Hair Baby Plant.
Supervillain merch. You. Will. Buy. Some.
Something I wish I’d known before joining/starting a band:
The most important thing I would say is how important it is to engage with your audience and fans. When you are starting out it’s easy to get wrapped up in your own anxieties and overlook things like that.
I live in Asheville.
Full disclosure, I love 30 minutes outside of town but as far as why Supervillain chose Asheville as our Homebase, Asheville is a Music City with Tourism Traffic that also has easy access to other large markets within half a days drive. When we relocated here we were a little worried about the “Rock Scene” as Asheville generally isn’t a “Rock” town but we have been pleasantly surprised so far.
The general vibe of this city is Diverse. You can walk into a club and see Punk Rockers, Goth Kids and people of all races and genders hanging out.
The best place to play music here is:
Anywhere other than Catawba Brewery. Catawba Brewery paid us $500.00 to NOT play a show and we are banned for life. It wouldn’t be fair for me to judge the other venues around town after just over a year in town. Fleetwood’s, The Odditorium, Yacht Club, Sly Grog, The Fairview Tavern have all been cool to us but right now I am really digging 27 Club, That’s my spot.
27 club features chaise lounges, pit bulls, and a cement cave for bands
The best place to SEE music here is:
The Orange Peel. Because I am a corporate shill! No, the Peel is big enough to host National Touring acts but still small enough to feel intimate. I really like the sound there also.
My favorite local band (aside from my own):
Lo Wolf. If Hank Williams Identified as Patti Smith and developed a dark sense of humor and sarcasm that would be Lo Wolf, right now that’s probably my favorite local artist but you said bands didn’t you? I can’t really do anyone dirty by picking just one. I am thoroughly impressed with all the kids from Sane Voids, Styrofoam Turtles and the dudes from Gak and SawZaw are great also.
In my fridge you’ll always find:
Orange Juice. For screwdrivers.
A winter indulgence that I would never forgo is:
Bath & Body Works Signature Collection Winter Indulgence Moonlight Path Silk Radiance Body Lotion
This ultra-nourishing formula glides on easily and evenly to lavish skin with moisture, leaving skin luxuriously soft and beautifully scented with the exclusive Moonlight Path scent.
Currently discontinued. If you really need it you gotta buy it for $10 on ebay
The last music I downloaded was:
Anthem of the Peaceful Army – Greta Van Fleet
why that
Good fucking question, bleh.
A beauty staple that I’m never without is:
Electrical Tape
why
For Nipples.
A woodstove is the new rock & roll lifestyle signifier
the best place to eat breakfast in my city is:
Stoney Knob Cafe The food is just as good as the decor and ambiance. You need to go!
my favorite websites or apps are: Voice Memos(iPhone), Notes (iPhone) I am constantly writing stuff and being able to record it or write it down and have it stored in iCloud for safekeeping keeps me sane.
my favorite place to be outdoors in my city is:
Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary.
Although Technically just outside of town I really enjoyed walking the trail there and listening to podcasts in the mornings.
favorite seasonal beverage:
Noble Blood Orange Cider. I don’t like Beer or Cider normally and I am not sure if this is seasonal or not but when I attempted to acquire a Growler at Asheville Brewing Co. they told me it was limited time only and they required me to sit and drink ten pints and drive home VS. Taking the Growler home and drinking it, WHY?!
Asheville’s own Noble Cider
the last meal that truly impressed me was:
The Vault Burger. I am easy to please and The Vault makes a mean burg.
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Greg Guevara of Anti-Social Club on DC, Type A, and Fugazi
Greg Guevara is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for Anti-Social Club, whose song Six Feet Under was featured in the Holy Crap Records Podcast How to Get the Fans to Sing. The Anti-Social Club formed around 2001, and after completing their first album (Otherwise Bleak eXistence) in 2008, took an extended hiatus during which they pursued day jobs, family life, and other musical projects. But realizing that A-SC had a lot left in the tank, in summer 2017 they reunited to write and record their second album, Dark Before the Light, released in November 2018. More info at facebook.com/antisocialclubdc.)
My favorite thing to wear onstage:
Visually interesting and dark-colored long-sleeve t-shirts. I like for the shirt to blend in artistically with the music, and what I play usually has dark (and hopefully interesting!) elements to it. T-shirts are comfortable and the long sleeves are versatile — you can roll ’em up or keep em down depending on what works best for the environment you’re in.
Dark! Interesting! Long-sleeved!
The last musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I bought and loved was:
Boss VE-5 Vocal Performer. It gives me powers on stage that I never had before! Being able to readily program and control specific voice effects from my mic stand is a wonderful thing, allowing me to deliver a performance that’s more closely in line with what I’d like to do artistically for each song. That said, I’ve made it a point to not use the pitch correct feature (I want to remain authentic in my crooning!), and to limit the effects to only what I think is needed and avoid overuse.
Boss VE-5 Vocal Performer: a mobile personal effects processor and phrase looper for vocalists, rappers, DJs, and the rest of us
The musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I really really really want is
My own self-sufficient studio and rehearsal/jam space. Okay, that’s technically more than one item, but really I see the whole collection of instruments, recording/mixing equipment, and amplifiers as a single interdependent ecosystem, and I really really really want such an ecosystem in my house! I own several elements already (e.g. a few guitars, bass guitars, amps, effects processors, etc.), but I’m trying to build a space that would allow me to play and record any “major” rock instrument (i.e. guitar, bass, drums, keys, and mic’d vox) — or have band mates and fellow musicians over to rehearse or just jam — at any time and on a quality setup. And why? Because a) it would enable me to write, play, and record music much more readily, and b) having all that firepower on hand would just f***ing rock!
Anti-Social Club in their current rehearsal space
Something I wish I’d known before joining/starting a band:
It’s really hard to find the right people to play music with, and to keep everyone working collaboratively and productively toward the same goal over the long term. If/when you do, magic happens. If/when you don’t, things eventually fall apart. I wish I had realized earlier that being in a band is about so much more than the music. It’s like being in a family, with all the joy, drama, success, stress, teamwork, dysfunction, pride, frustration, and achievement that comes with it. To succeed in the long run (and “success” may be as simple as continuing to play nicely together), you need to pay attention to and nurture the relationships at least as much as the music itself.
I live in Washington, DC. I was born and raised here. I actually live in the Northern Virginia suburbs in a town called Springfield, but we area locals all pretty much call it DC for simplicity (or the DMV if you’re slightly more hip). I moved away for a time when I was younger (two years at West Virginia University and five years in the Army, first stationed in Alabama and then Germany), but after my tour was up I came back to DC because a) I had a lot of family and friends in the area, b) the job market here was good, and c) it was still “home” to me. I may or may not stick around here forever, but overall I still like it. Oh, and the music scene is actually quite good!
The general vibe of Washington DC is:
Uptight/stressed, filled with “Type A” personalities, and overly political. Some examples of that vibe include The Beltway, The Marine Corps Marathon (which yes, I have completed!), and Donald Trump
The capital beltway. Has a lot of traffic.
The best place I’ve played music in DC is:
Jammin Java. It is a relatively small venue (capacity ~200) but has a great vibe (plus decent food/drink selection) as well as a nice stage and really good sound setup, which is perfect for a lesser-known “indie” band like mine. The staff and owners are friendly and approachable, and are very supportive of both local and touring/national acts. As a local musician, I always feel like they go out of their way to provide a quality setup and experience for both performers and audience, and as a result it’s also relatively easy to get a decent crowd to come out there and enjoy some good live music.
Jammin Java in Vienna, VA (DC area)
The best place to SEE music in DC is:
To me, 9:30 Club is the holy grail of local venues. It’s a large but not overwhelming size (can fit about 1,200 people) with good sound quality, plus good food and a few bars for easy drink access. But what sets it apart for me is that it often hosts many of my favorite bands within my most favored genre (i.e. generally ’80s- and ’90s-influenced alternative rock). Bands I’ve seen there include The Church, Love & Rockets, Peter Murphy, The Dandy Warhols, Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven, and several others, and the shows have always been memorable. (And I’ve missed way more cool bands there than I’ve been able to see!) The venue also has a certain rock-and-roll attitude and local lore about it that seems to have carried over from its previous, much smaller location (which it moved from in the mid ’90s). There are some newer and apparently more hip venues popping up around DC (for example, the oft-praised Anthem on the sparkly new DC Waterfront), and I appreciate those places too. But for me, nothing quite tops 9:30 in terms of witnessing some of the best live rock music in a straight-up rock-and-roll setting.
In 2018 DC’s 9:30 Club was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by Rolling Stone Magazine
My favorite local band (aside from my own)
Fugazi is one of the DC punk/alternative rock music scene’s biggest success stories. That may not make them “local” in the intended sense of the word, but they are still local to me! I love the energy and vibe and creativity of their music, which would be enough on its own to make them one of my favorite bands (even though they unfortunately haven’t recorded any new music or played any shows in many years). But probably the most impressive thing about them is that even though they gained widespread notoriety and a fair amount of commercial success, they always managed to maintain the feel of a “local” band, and achieved success very much on their own terms. They never sold out to anyone, even though they had ample opportunity to do so, and were very much about maintaining artistic integrity and remaining accessible to the fans first and foremost. That’s an approach I very much admire and hope to emulate in my own music.
Fugazi, the originators of contempt for the music industry
In my fridge you’ll always find:
Rotting vegetables. The best intentions are often eclipsed by even better temptations.
A winter indulgence that I would never forgo is:
Extra comforters and blankets on the bed. The best antidote to bitter cold is to wrap oneself up like a burrito and wait for spring.
The last music I downloaded was:
Spectrums II. Spectrums (available on Bandcamp!) offers some really nice instrumental music with a cool Church-y vibe to it (as in legendary Australian psychedelic rock band “The Church”, not as in church/religious music). Their guitarist David is a good friend of mine (in fact they opened for us at our recent album release party) and I was happy to support a fellow local musician.
A beauty staple that I’m never without is:
Hair styling gel. Without it, I inevitably look like a young Albert Einstein who just got up on the wrong side of the bed.
The best place to eat breakfast in DC is:
Silver Diner. They’re open 24/7, they have a wide variety of tasty breakfast options (including lunch or dinner if you don’t feel like eggs and bacon), and they have a mini functioning juke box at every table. What’s not to love?
The Silver Diner
My favorite websites or apps are:
Spotify (premium version) because I simply love having the ability to call up almost any song I want to hear at any time and hearing it right then and there in all its glory. Pandora (free version) because when I don’t know what I want to hear or I want to discover good new music, this site is great at presenting me with songs that I really like and otherwise would have never heard in a “radio with very few commercials” type of format. Bandcamp because, as I’m only recently discovering (and thanks in no small part to the Holy Crap podcast!), it’s a broad and deep treasure trove of independent and lesser known artists who put out some great and pure and powerful music — it’s like the ultimate digital underground. And Soundhound because when I hear something I like and don’t know what it is, 9 times out of 10 I can get the hound to sniff it out for me and then add it to my collection. The music listening world has changed, and in many ways much for the better!
(Although one important caveat: As an artist it’s really pitiful that Spotify can’t find a way to pay bands a royalty of more than about $0.003 — yes that’s a third of a penny — per song stream. Perspective: one would have to play an Anti-Social Club song on Spotify about 333 times before we’d get a dollar for it — to split between the band members, of course. At that rate, it’s a real rip-off for the musicians while Spotify execs undoubtedly line their pockets pretty well. None of the streaming services pay all that great, but Spotify is one of the worst offenders. Still, it’s a double-edged sword — stay off the platform and miss out on the capability to reach a much wider audience. Sigh…)
The last meal that truly impressed me was:
Thanksgiving dinner at my in-laws. My family does Thanksgiving right.
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Johnny P of the Egg Eaters is Po, the youngest female Telletubby
Johnny P is the co-founder and star of the Holy Crap Records Podcast. He is also co-lead-singer and bass player for the Egg Eaters, co-other-person in Bad Banker, and he is also in the imaginary bands Man Schaft and The Deodorants.
My favorite thing to wear onstage:
Teletubby Costume. Because I hate music that is “good for you”
“Po” costume, purchased at a second-hand costume store in Branford, CT
The last musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I bought and loved was:
I love my pan guitar. Sound is great. Fret is great. No one else likes playing it – but I do.
Made in Japan baby! Johnny P’s pan guitar. Plus some bills.
The musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I really really really want is
A bass amp. Because I don’t like having anyone have any say on how loud I can play my bass.
Something I wish I’d known before joining/starting a band:
Be more bossy.
Johnny P demonstrates his typically shy and deferential self
I live in Black Mountain, NC. It is the best place ever. A bunch of grown ups who still act like delinquents. Everyone owns a bar, plays in a band, or plays soccer.
My favorite local band (aside from my own):
The Dirty Badgers. They have the most good songs.
In my fridge you’ll always find:
Salami. We’re vegetarians as of December ’18- but we didn’t finish the salami – so it will be in the fridge forever.
A winter indulgence that I would never forgo is:
The Idiot Mountain Run. I invented this event. We tape ice-cold beers to our hands with duct tape and then run up a mountain. And then drink the beer. And then walk down the mountain.
The idiot mountain run. The name says it all.
The last music I downloaded was:
Sharon Van Etten – Comeback Kid. 80 sound – I love
A beauty staple that I’m never without is: Doc Martens. They’re tough.
My favorite websites or apps are:
Candy Crush. Guitar Tuner. I crush candy and tune my guitar.
My favorite place to be outdoors in my city is
Soccer field. So I can kick people
The soccer fields in nearby Asheville, NC, self-titled ‘beer city, usa’, attract childlike adults
When people come to visit me, particularly if those people are cooler than I am, I take them to
The Odditorium, in West Asheville. Reminds me of CBGBs
The Egg Eaters at the Odditorium
Favorite seasonal beverage:
Glue Wine. Why not walk around with a mug of hot wine? [editor’s note: he means Glühwein, literally “glow wine” or German mulled wine.]
The last meal that truly impressed me was
There was some killer strudel in Austria. It was just killer.
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Why Cinnamon Kennedy of the Egg Eaters smiles vaguely at strangers in the grocery store
Cinnamon Kennedy is the co-founder and co-editor of the Holy Crap Podcast and Music Magazine. She is also the drummer for the Egg Eaters, and one half of Bad Banker, a band that sort of exists.
My favorite thing to wear onstage
Sleeveless shirts. Because I have some biceps, like Larry Mullin Jr. I put in some work there. I want people to see
Me. Iconic U2 drummer circa 1987. Pretty much identical.
The last musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I bought and loved was:
A pawn-shop violin. Actually I requested that this be purchased for me. I’m terrible at it and I almost never play it. But I like looking at it.
The musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I really really really want is
A looper. Bad Banker is a two-person band, and when two people in a two-person band don’t really know how to play, you gotta start making shit up
(check out me and John learning the looper here)
Something I wish I’d known before joining/starting a band:
The drummer is seated, and in the back. Therefore, nobody in the audience can ever see the drummer.
The Egg Eaters at the Town Pump in Black Mountain. Do you see me here? Nope!
I live in:
Black Mountain, NC. Because it’s the sha-zizzle. The general vibe of this city is `it’s ok to wear yoga pants’. Everyone at the grocery store knows everybody else. Since I teach yoga to a lot of people in this town, and also have extremely poor vision, I have to smile vaguely at everyone in the grocery store because it’s safe to assume that I know them but can’t see/recognize them.
Black Mountain. Probably you should move here.
The best place to play music in Black Mountain, NC is
The Town Pump in Black Mountain. It has probably smelled like beer for over a hundred years. I have received two marriage proposals from blind-drunk strangers at the town pump. Thumbs up
The best place to SEE music in Black Mountain, NC is Pisgah Brewing. They have kombucha. As a non-drinker, I love a place that thinks to stock interesting fermented-mushroom-yoga-drinks for those of us who need it. Honorable mention is Grey Eagle because they have tacos.
In my fridge you’ll always find
mayonaise
The last music I downloaded was
‘The Lust I Lost’ by the White Eyes. Because I have the best job in the universe #holycrappodcast4ever
(Check out our mini review of the album 可笑的一天 here)
A beauty staple that I’m never without is
My yoga mat. Because if you can move, you’re beautiful. But much more important than that, if you can move then you can fucking move.
The best place to eat breakfast in my city is
I don’t eat breakfast. I’m too vain.
My favorite websites or apps are
wikimedia commons, freesound.org, bandcamp, spotify, youtube. It’s the age of aquarius! I would not want to be alive anytime but NOW! This is IT, baby!
When people come to visit me, particularly if those people are cooler than I am, I take them to
Dynamite Coffee on highway 70. Because they have a record player, and people are allowed to just get up and put on whatever record they want. This kind of behavior is not encouraged outside of small towns. It’s a good reason to live in Black Mountain
Dynamite Coffee on highway 70 in Black Mountain
The last meal that truly impressed me was
puff pastries filled with cranberry and camembert from Trader Joe’s . I ate them yesterday. Still thinking about them.