Going With The Known Demons: An Interview With The Melvins
Posted in Current Faves, Interviews, Music |By Summer Hayes
Early on I knew the Melvins only by association, but it wasn’t until I saw them live that I realized how incredibly talented and unusually bizarre they really are. My initial introduction occurred in the early 90s when the surge of grunge-angst rock (aka Temple of the Pearl in Chains) emerged from the northwest shores of Washington State. Ironically, I was too busy listening to Faith No More and swooning over Mike Patton to delve into the unconventional, yet highly addictive, sounds of the Melvins (and to think that I was on the right track and didn’t even know it). Nearly ten years later, in late 2002, I went to New Orleans to check out Mike Patton’s latest creation, Tomahawk, only to discover that the Melvins were the opening band. I was hooked.
So you can imagine how excited (and nervous) I was when I arrived at One Eyed Jack’s in New Orleans to do an interview with those legends. I walked into the front bar and was greeted by their road manager Tim Moss (whom I later found out was the guitarist from PORN), who brought me to the red Matador room upstairs. I was under the false impression that New Orleans was going to be the last show of this tour, but when I asked Tim about it, he informed me that they would be playing a few more shows in the U.S. and then they were going to South America. While we were talking about the tour, Toshi Kasai (guitarist from Big Business) came in with a load of equipment, smiled, and apologized (unnecessarily) for interrupting. Soon, King Buzzo came through the door (well actually, his silver afro came in first), said hello, and politely offered me something to drink. Buzz then asked me if I lived in New Orleans. I explained to him that I actually was a native, but I was only visiting to celebrate my birthday. Buzz asked me if I was turning 21, and I voluntarily (and sarcastically) agreed that his calculations were correct.
Buzz: So why are you interested in doing an interview with us. . . first off?
Popshifter: Because you’re amazing.
Buzz: We’re amazing?
Popshifter: You are amazing!
Buzz: Well, we can never get enough of those compliments.
Dale: So keep ‘em coming.
Buzz: Keep ‘em coming.
Popshifter: Well, if you don’t believe me, then you guys don’t hear that nearly enough.
Buzz: We don’t. Nope. We’ll take half of that money in cash though, believe me.
Popshifter: Would you spend it at The Cracker Barrel?
Buzz: I wish!
Dale: Where?
Buzz: The Cracker Barrel. See you’ve gotta understand, when you’re on tour it’s better to go with the known demon than the unknown demon.
Popshifter: That’s true.
Buzz: You gotta know what kind of crap you’re getting.
Dale: Be careful what you wish for.
Click to read more from the Melvins on. . .
The perils of alcohol
‘Zines and Gene (Simmons)
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Days of wrath and angels
First albums and plans to take over the world