Rock The Cam…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead on Lost Songs tour in Germany
Die Bilder vom Trail Of Dead Konzert im Strom in München gibt es hier.
Ribozyme aus Norwegen spielten auch und eröffnet haben The Coathangers
And here are the photos from the Trail Of Dead show.
Ribozyme from Norway played as well and the evening started with The Coathangers.
It was not so easy to get some answers out of David Thomas, at the Rocket From The Tombs tour he was unfortunately ill so thanks to the new world, we did the interview via eMail. Being engaged with Pere Ubu (new record out called The Lady From Shanghai) and this “reunion tour” with RFTT, he is a busy man and it seems he is not the man talking too much, which is alright, let the music do the talk. Here is my communication with David:
RTC: How do you feel to be on tour with a band which “was” years ago (it is a bit like history meets present)?
DT: I don’t have any feelings about it.
RTC: We are all not getting younger, what still drives you to go on tour and play live?
DT: It’s what I do.
RTC: Do you now reap the fruit of old labor with RFTT?
DT: This question leaves me speechless.
RTC: You had to go to hospital because of blood poison, how did this happen (and by the way thanks for getting back on tour)?
DT: How it happened is not really your business.
– fair deal, it was worth a try –
RTC: What made you start playing music?
DT: I can’t remember.
– now it gets interesting –
RTC: If not being a musician, what would you be?
DT:I don’t answer these sorts of hypothetical questions.
– lots of questions, lots of answers, unfortunately all the same, but hey that’s like it is –
RTC: Best song in which you were involved?
RTC: The song (out there) you wished to have written?
RTC: Imagine you are god and you are able to set up a festival of your
choice (even dead people or dissolved bands), name me the five headliners:
DT: I don’t make lists.
RTC: Will there be another RFTT album in the future (already songs written)?
DT: Yes.
With this last yes, the interview is over. Here are the pictures of the Rocket From The Tombs show and hopefully I see David Thomas again on stage with Pere Ubu or RFTT.
Du weißt nicht was du am Freitag den 26 April 2013 tun sollst?
Na dir kann geholfen werden! Beim Monster Bash in München gibt es einen Haufen Bands die gerne für dich aufspielen. Mit dabei sind unter anderem Rise Against, Pennywise, Flag, Millencolin, Polar Bear Club, Grade, Less Than Jake, Title Fight, AC4, A Wilhelm Scream, Nothington, Tim Vantol, und und und
Ja und hoffentlich ist Rock The Cam auch dabei.
You don’t know what to do on Friday the 26th of April? Just move it to Munich to the Monster Bash with lots of bands playing just for you! You will be able to catch Rise Against, Pennywise, Flag, Millencolin, AC4 and and and
Yes and hopefully Rock The Cam can join, see you!
Da sind sie wieder zurück, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Eine neue (gute) Platte aufgenommen (Specter At The Feast) und zum Glück auch auf Tour. Robert Been, Peter Hayes und Leah Shapiro haben die Muffathalle in München ausverkauft, dann wurde das Konzert in die Tonhalle verlegt und auch diese wurde ausverkauft. Gute Vorzeichen und niemand wurde enttäuscht. Gekonnt haben BRMC eine Mischung aus alten Hits, neuen Liedern und verschiedenen Spannungsbögen (härter, schneller, langsam, bluesig) auf der Bühne aufgeführt. Ein guter Sound und auch ein gutes Licht haben das Konzert super getragen. Auf der Bühne hat sich nicht so viel getan, typisch BRMC. Leah hat Ihren Beat fast schon stoisch aber treffsicher runtergespielt, Peter hat ein paar wenige Bewegungen gemacht und nur Robert machte ein paar wenige Ansagen und hat zeitweise auch richtig Gitarrenbewegungsaktion gezeigt. Schön schön schön, Danke Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
Finally back: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, it’s been a while. But not just back on tour but as well a good, new album out (Specter at the Feast). The Muffathalle in Munich was sold out and the venue was changed to the bigger Tonhalle and hey, even this place was sold out. A good omen for the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club show. After seeing and hearing that, I am sure nobody was disappointed. Peter Hayes, Robert Been and Leah Shapiro did a good job! There were old songs, new ones, slow ones, hard ones, bluesy ones, fast ones – the arc of suspense was well constructed. A good sound and a really good light show added to the overall satisfaction at this gig. On stage it was typically BRMC: Leah Shapiro beating the drums, Peter Hayes not really moving much and only Peter Been doing some little announcements and sometimes some great guitar rock posing. Lovely evening and hopefully Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will keep the motor going.
Komplett unbekannt waren mir Transfer, welche für Black Rebel Motorcycle Club den Konzertabend eröffnen durften. Transfer kommen aus San Diego und bestehen aus Matthew Molarius, Jason Cardenas, Shaun Cornell und Andy Ridley. Die Musik ist gitarrenorientierter Rock und dies hat ja bei dem Line Up auch gut gepasst. In der ausverkauften Tonhalle in München konnten Transfer durchaus neue Hörer und Fans gewinnen.
Completely unknown was Transfer to me. They have been the opening band for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on this concert night. Transfer are from San Diego and the band members are (if I’m right) Shaun Cornell, Matthew Molarius, Andy Ridley and Jason Cardenas. Their music is guitar rock and therefore it did fit well on this night regarding the audience and the lineup. In the sold out Tonhalle in Munich/Germany, I’m sure Transfer did find new listeners and some new fans.
It was a pleasure for Rock The Cam to talk to Max. He is Canadian and the singer, songwriter and guitarist of the punk band Sonic Avenues. I met him for a little conversation (come on let’s call it interview!) before the gig at the Kafe Kult in Munich.
RTC: You are?
Max: I’m Max.
RTC: Your job in the band (Sonic Avenues)?
Max: Singer and guitarist and songwriter
RTC: And not the pin-up boy?
Max: Especially the pin-up boy (laughs).
RTC: What other bands were or are you in?
Max: I started in a band called The Kamikazes, we were from Montreal and released a 7” on Alien Snatch Records, that was a while ago, early 2000 (it was SNATCH!006) and I was just the guitarist in this band, not the songwriter, nor the pin-up boy, I was just a no name. Right now I’m just in Sonic Avenues, I sometimes fill in for Steve (Steve Adamyk) when he needs a guitarist.
RTC: What made you start making music?
Max: It started with the Ramones, I thought how easy it looked with the guitar.
RTC: How did you discover the Ramones?
MAX: My mom’s boyfriend bought a boxset – a compilation of rock songs when I was 12 or 13 and there was Blitzkrieg Bop on it and I was just wow (yeah dear reader, think about a wow-face, cause this was I was seeing). I could not stop listen to that song. I came to Punk Rock at that point but I didn’t start playing the guitar until 3 years after when I realized how easy it was to play the Ramones, I could use two fingers and move them around and keep that shape, so me and my friends set up a Ramones cover band.
RTC: So your mother’s boyfriend is to blame that your life goes down so much?
Max: Yeah (laughs), that complication, it had the Clash on it too. Rock The Casbah I was really impressed by that song, too, not their best song but a groovy one.
RTC: Can you make a living out of your music? What else do you do?
Max: No I work for the government. I’m a spy. Yeah, I’m a spy and I trick the weather, I make it like we want. I studied oceanography and weather forecasting, so this job allows me to do what I really wanne do. The genre music that we play is really hard to live off it, it is really for dedicated people – it is really DIY, we do everything ourselves: we write, we record, we play shows, we organize the shows, we do everything on top of the 40 hours week job, so I’m in it cause I like it!
RTC: What was the best song in which you were involved?
Max: Oh, I think it is a song that we never ever released, because it is really different, it is called “Rebirth Of A Dying Day”. It never got released cause it is really Beach Boys style but it is dark. A lot of key changes and I remember this is the song that taught me to do key changes and to do multilayer harmonies, it was a very powerful, pivotal point (for me).
RTC: The song you wished to have written?
Max: There are so many. Right now I go for Wouldn’t It Be Nice by the Beach Boys. That song got everything I like, it is catchy, it’s got complexity, it’s beautiful and it’s smart.
RTC: Are the Sonic Avenues Punk Rock?
Max: Definitely, in our blood!
RTC: You’re definition of Punk Rock?
Max: DIY, intensity, fun and without obligation!
RTC: Politics?
Max: No, not necessary, it sometimes spices up songs but I am not gonna include that in my songs for now.
RTC: How does your mother/father describes your music to their neighbors?
Max: I taught them what to say: Beatles speed up, dirtier and a little shittier! Hahaha
RTC: How do you pick your labels (Sabotage / Taken By Surprise…)?
Max: Actually we are first on “Going Gaga” records, we talked to Ian about it cause we were looking around for a label and then we decided to keep it in our group of friends, so I asked him. I knew he released his own records and he is doing a really good job at it, so I trusted him with my heart. It was „do our record if you want“ and he was into it, luckily. And he knew Michael and Franz and this is how the connection was.
RTC: What do you expect from a label?
Max: I expect them to do a good production; I want the record to sound as good as possible and to do as much promotion as they can. Honestly my mind has been blown away by the work of Michael and Franz. They are the best, like Michael just drove us for 1 ½ week through Europe, that’s way over my expectations. He is the best and I hope we keep working with them in the future. I feel right now Sonic Avenues has a really good cruising attitude like we have Dirtnap in the states that we trust with our hearts and then we have people here in Germany that are the best at what they do.
RTC: You still remember you 1st record?
Max: It was a tape of Faith No More – The Real Thing.
RTC: And the last one?
Max: Digital Leather – Modern Problems, the new one which I think is excellent on FDH and on LP (as well on P.Trash)
RTC: Are you a record collector?
Max: Yes, but not like a freak, I don’t go and smell the record like lot of people do. I am in for the music but not for the piece of material, I don’t mind if my records are beaten up or I drop them – I don’t care.
RTC: How do you sort them?
Max: Organized chaos (laughs loud). I have a feeling were I put them last time and just go there and it is always plus/minus 10 records.
RTC: OK, now imagine you are god and you could choose the 5 headliners for a festival (even dead people or dissolved bands), gimme the names?
Max: 1) Dictators
2) Exploding Hearts
3) Ramones
4) Beatles
5) Zombies, cause it is the best show I have ever seen. They did the reunion concert in Ottawa two years ago – the best!!! It was same singer Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent on keyboards just like on “Odessey And Oracle“
That’s all, the Steve Adamyk Band / Sonic Avenues concert was about to start and here you can find pictures of it and if you want to know more, go to their next show and ask yourself!
Mudhoney was on tour and I had the chance to have a quick chat with The Freewheelin‘ Mark Arm at the Feierwerk in Munich. More than 50 years old, but still rocking (go see a show!) he is no stranger to the world of music. A bit of small-talk, cheeeeese for the picture, some mails and here is the interview – with some funny answers.
RTC: Hello Mark, what is your job in Mudhoney?
MA: My job is to pleasure myself and the other members of the band.
RTC: Any news about new material from Mudhoney?
MA: Yes, our new album Vanishing Point will be released on April 2, 2013.
Vanishing Point is made up of 10 songs, all recorded and mixed by Johnny Sangster.
All the photography is by Emily Rieman and Jeff Kleinsmith did the design.
If you play the record loud enough, it will increase your animal magnetism which, if I understand physics correctly, is why you get all the chicks when you play it at the correct volume.
RTC: You are not touring so much in Germany, is there a reason for this?
MA: We will play 6 shows in Germany on our next European tour:
Düsseldorf – Zakk (May 21), Bielefeld – Forum (May 23), Leipzig Werk2 (May 25), Berlin – Festsaal Kreuzberg (May 26), Hamburg – Fabrik (May 27) and Frankfurt – Zoom (June 3).
This is the most shows we played in Germany since 1995. I’m not sure why that is exactly. We have only been able to do short tours of two or three weeks for the last decade. We can’t go everywhere. Unfortunately, Germany has been somewhat neglected by our booking agent.
RTC: Any news / planning for Green River?
MA: Not really.
RTC: What was your personal highlight from the Rocket From The Tombs / Mudhoney tour?
MA: We only played one show together, the one you saw in Munich. Unfortunately David Thomas was in very poor shape. He left the hospital early to go out on tour, but he was in need of much more recovery time. I’m a big fan of Pere Ubu and Rocket From The Tombs, but it was difficult to watch him. He could barely climb the stairs.
RTC: What do you like more, touring or recording?
MA: I like both equally and differently. Recording is an exciting process in which you get to watch ideas because something concrete.
The immediacy of playing to real live people who enjoy what you’re doing is pretty hard to beat.
RTC: What is the difference between touring in North America and Europe?
MA: North America has way more dead spots. Outside of Portland OR and Vancouver BC, Seattle is pretty far removed from the good spots. The biggest differences are population density, cultural variety and good wine that is connected to place and tradition.
RTC: Beer, wine or water?
MA: Wine. I spent many years drinking a lot of beer. I quit drinking for a few years when I learned that I had Hepatitis C. After I successfully completed a grueling 11 month treatment and was told I could drink in moderation, wine seemed like the most exciting option. I’m astounded by all of the different ways grapes can taste and I’m up for the surprises wine can offer, even the unpleasant ones. I hope to get my hands on some aged Riesling while in Germany.
RTC: Do you practice a sport? How does it work out while being on tour?
MA: I’ve been trying to get a handle on surfing for the last 7 years. The problem is that I don’t live very close to surf. The closest place to Seattle is about 3 hours away. It took me a few years to come to terms with the idea that it’s actually good to get in the cold water.
I’ve only been able to get on a surfboard twice while on tour. Once in Australia in 1990 well before I had any idea what I was doing and once in Brazil in 2008. We are rarely tour near surf and we don’t have much time when we do.
RTC: What else would be your „dream“ job (engine-driver, astronaut, doctor…)?
MA: My dream job would be living in a warm climate and learning to surf better, but who is going to pay me to do that?
(Anybody out there? If yes, hey count me in as well, seems like a decent idea!)
RTC: Can you make a living out of your music? What else do you work?
MA: I don’t know. Due to family and work obligations we can’t tour very much. I don’t know if we would make enough money if we quit our jobs and toured all of the time. To tell you the truth, I don’t want to be on the road all the time and I like not being dependent on music for my income. This frees the band up. We can do what we want without worrying if people will like it.
My day job is in the Sub Pop warehouse.
RTC: Some other bands from your neighborhood went quite big, why did this not happen with Mudhoney? Was it that you would have had to sell your soul (and musical freedom) or have they been just more lucky?
MA: Yes, a few bands became very big, but many many more bands in our neighborhood have not had the success that we have, and still continue to have. I am very happy with what Mudhoney has accomplished and I know that the other members of the band feel the same.
RTC: What made you start making music?
MA: I’m not sure really. Music was always in my house. My mother was an opera singer and she made me take piano lessons. I hated that and classical music bored me to tears, but I loved rock ’n‘ roll. Perhaps I was drawn to loud rock music because my mother hated it so.
RTC: Do you think you can still connect to people through your music? How/why?
MA: Yes, by playing our music. I do not have an answer as to why.
RTC: Any tip/s for a new band what they should do / think about in their music career?
MA: Do what you want to do and don’t worry about what other people think. There’s nothing you can do about that.
RTC: How did / do you chose your label?
MS: Sub Pop was started by friends of ours who we knew before it was a label.
RTC: What did change in music biz from your beginning until today?
MA: I don’t care. The music „business“ means very little to me.
RTC: Are you a record collector?
MA: Not so much these days. Steve is. That’s his job actually.If I spend too much time in a store, no matter what kind of store, I get a headache.
RTC: Do you still remember your 1st record you bought?
MA: The first 7″ I bought was „Yo Yo“ by The Osmonds and the first album I bought was „Desolation Boulevard“ by The Sweet
RTC: And the last one?
MA: A digital version of the Oil Tasters album from 1982. I would happily buy the new Pissed Jeans album „Honeys“ if I didn’t get it for free.
RTC: How do you sort your records?
MA: Alphabetically by artist. Compilations have their own section.
RTC: Do you care about 1st press or color varieties?
MA: Not really.
RTC: What was the best song in which you were involved?
MA: I don’t know. I got to sing Over And Over with the DKT/MC5 and Fun House with the Wylde Ratttz (which included Ron Asheton). Both of those songs are pretty great.
RTC: And which is the song you wished to have written?
MA: Happy Birthday, the publishing royalties would be massive.
RTC: Any band you want to do some namedropping for? If yes, name and why:
MA: I think I just mentioned Pissed Jeans, right? I also love Obits & Thee Oh Sees. Tar Halos from San Diego have 2 great records they released last year: tarhalos bandcamp page
I hope to play with them when we go to California in April so I can see them. Also, His Electro Blue Voice from Italy have released some awesome stuff.
RTC: Imagine you are god and you are able to set up a festival of your choice (even dead people or dissolved bands), name me the 5 headliners:
MA: Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band
Hawkwind (with Lemmy)
Void
The Birthday Party
Howlin‘ Wolf
John Coltrane….The list could go on.
All there is to say, go and see Mark Arm and Mudhoney live and check out the concert photos from the Mudhoney gig in Munich here.