Interview by DJ
You guys have been around since 93 right? Can you explain in detail
how Meatjack was born?
Brian: MEATJACK formed in 1993 from the wreckage of a band who shall
remain
nameless. We had to change our name for legal reasons. There was a
small
lineup change and a change in our musical direction as well. So the
time
was ripe for a change all around. Thus was born MEATJACK. Jason and I
have
always been the nucleus.
Is there a meaning behind the name "Meatjack" ?
Brian: Not really. It was meant to be a bit ambiguous, as well as a
name
that another band wouldn't have (see answer above). Mike Hill,
MEATJACK's
original drummer, came up with the name. We figured that different
people
would come up with different interpretations of what they thought the
name
meant and we liked that idea as well.
What's the deal with the drummer situation? How is that going?
Brian: To say that it's been frustrating would be an understatement.
We're
having a hard time finding a drummer who can tour, that we get along
with,
and who can BRING THE ROCK. We're still looking for that full time
hometown
drummer that blows our mind, but we're going ahead with our plans to
record
a new album and tour with various friends helping us out because we're
tired of waiting.
Jason: At this point we have no choice but to become completely self
contained. Write the music, find a drummer to record it, find a drummer
to
tour. The bright side is that the drummer has to do what we say. We
don't
have to deal with (in retarded drummer speak) "How come you guys don't
listen to my ideas?" and "I wanna sing too."
I read you're going into the studio in the Fall, what are the details?
how
many songs are you recording?
Brian: We'll be recording around 15 songs or so. It will be enough
material
for our next full length CD, a CD EP, plus some additional projects.
We've
got a 7 inch picture disc featuring the artwork of Stephen Kasner that
will
probably be coming out around the same time as the next CD as well.
Jason: Q: What was the last thing the drummer said before he got kicked
out
of the band? A: Hey guys, I wrote a song!
The new SKIN video rules! How many were made?
Brian: We've started off with a small batch to see how they'll sell.
We'll
just keep getting more made if they sell well.
Jason: Q: How do you know when there's a drummer at the door? A: The
knock
speeds up and slows down.
Your music is in the John Waters' film "Cecil B. Demented", how did
that come about?
Brian: We were told that Mr. Waters was looking for heavy music when he
was
making "Cecil B. Demented" so we gave him our "Trust" CD. We didn't
think
much of it until we were contacted months later by the music
coordinator
for the film. It was definitely a cool experience and it was fun to
attend
the premiere. It would have been nice if our song was in the movie a
little
longer, but I can't complain. The whole song is on the soundtrack, and
I
highly doubt that we'll ever be on the same album as Liberace again.
Only
on a John Waters production would that happen.
How did the split with Damad come about?
Brian: We've known them for a long time. They would come out and see us
when we played in Savannah, Georgia and we became friends. While doing
a
show with them in Atlanta on our fall 1999 tour we thought that it
would be
cool to do a split with them and that was pretty much that. They were a
great band.
Jason: After consuming many beverages, I stumbled over to Brian from
Damad
and managed to spout out "split ten inch". We went straight to Josh
White
(CEO of At A Loss Recordings), who was also at the show that night, to
tell
him our idea. He must have had a few too many as well because he agreed
to
put it out.
How did the Meatjack/Superhighway Carfire split come about?
Brian: That was Infernal Racket Records idea. They wanted to know if
we'd
do a split for their label with Superhighway Carfire. We had never
heard
the band so we asked them to send us some music. It's always a good
idea
(but I guess not entirely necessary) if the bands that are on splits
like
each others music. We thought that they sounded great. Their new CD
fucking
rocks!
You've been on 9 U.S. tours, care to share any tour stories?
Brian: Uggh! I don't even know where to begin. There's been so many, so
I'll just pick one that's pretty funny. We played this crappy little
show
on a Monday night in Wichita, Kansas at Kirby's Beer Store. This place
is
about as big as most people's bathroom. We're a 3 piece band and I
actually
had to use milk crates as a stage extension so that we could all fit on
it.
It was a chump gig, but it was on the way to where we were playing the
next
night (which was only an hour and a half down the road), plus it's a
Monday, so a lot of times you get what you get. We thought we had
nothing
to lose. There ended up being about 3 people at the show, we didn't get
paid shit and no one was offering to let us crash at their place. We
always
try to "cheap it" on tour by crashing at people's places instead of
spending money on a motel. Also, we have a lot more fun and get to make
friends all over the country that way. Anyway, while I'm loading out
this
young black man who looks a lot like that he-she in The Crying Game
comes
up to me. He introduces himself as Andre (pronounced AHN-DREY, emphasis
on
BOTH syllables). I thought he was hitting on me because that's the kind
of
vibe he was giving off. I, desperate to find us a place to sleep,
explained
that the show was a bust and that we were looking for a place to crash,
blah, blah, blah. He says that he lives right around the corner and
that we
can crash at his place. I tell Jason that I think I may have found a
place
for us to crash, but I think that this guy is hitting on me. He says
that
he doesn't care as long as we have a floor to sleep on, fending the guy
off
will be my problem, not his. We get to this guys house and the first
thing
that we're greeted by is this intoxicated woman coming out from the
house
next door saying "Welcome to the hood! Ha ha ha!" One thing to mention
here
is that ghettos look different across this country. Apparently we were
in
the Wichita ghetto. It looked like a much nicer place than the
neighborhood
that I live in here in Baltimore, so I had no idea. We go in, put our
beer
in the fridge and promptly notice that there's two couches, one of
those
old giant console stereos and NO OTHER FURNITURE WHATSOEVER IN THE
ENTIRE
HOUSE. There's this old man sitting on one of the couches. He
introduces
himself as Andre's uncle, Percy Star. Is that a rock n roll name or
what?
Our projectionist J.R. starts videotaping because the scene starts to
get
surreal. Andre talks about, and shows us pictures of his career as a
male
model and Percy has stories about every single town in the U.S. since
he's
apparently hitchhiked everywhere. Eventually the conversation turns to
getting fucked up. Percy, this 56 year old man, starts talking about
how he
just started doing crack a couple of years ago, right after his nervous
breakdown. Okay. Andre starts to single out each band member one by one
to
hit us up for money which he wants to use to go get a little crack for
himself right down the street.
Jason: For the record, none of us smoke crack.
Brian: Right, so we're getting more and more nervous about this whole
thing. J.R.'s got a new video camera, I've got a big ass wad of cash
that
I've been meaning to convert to money orders and send home since we
don't
feel safe about travelling with that much money, plus we've got a whole
van
full of music equipment. One funny excerpt from the video footage has
Andre
trying to hit up Jason for $10. Jason explains that we only made $6 at
the
show that night and we've got to get to Salina tomorrow. Andre then
says
"Okay, how about $5?" Eric, our drummer at the time, goes out to sleep
in
the van. He immediately runs back in the house to inform us that there
are
about 10 police cars descending upon the house next door. It's
apparently
some major crack house bust or something. We've had enough of this. We
start grabbing up all of our gear and heading for the door. Andre's
telling
us that there's nothing wrong, that we don't need to leave. We tell him
that we're just going out to the van to get something but we've got
everything that we came in with in our hands. Another funny part of the
videotape has Jason running down the driveway while shooting footage.
It's
totally Blair Witch style, you just see movement and hear running. Then
he
says "Oh shit! The beer!" Then you see the camera go back in the house
and
it's placed sideways on the kitchen counter while you hear beer bottles
clinking together, being shoved into a bag. We got the fuck out of
there.
We were so adrenalized that we were just shouting while driving down
the
road for an hour. We ended up sleeping in our van at a truck stop that
night.
What was the craziest thing you've seen at a show?
Brian: I've seen a lot of crazy shit over the years. I don't know if
this
is the craziest but one of the more interesting things that I saw was
at a
show in Pittsburgh. The band that played before us got attacked by the
audience while they were playing. I guess the audience didn't dig their
"rock star" attitude and high tech, industrial/metal music. It was kind
of
funny to watch them try to play their show (with their elaborate stage
props, costumes, etc.) and fight back at the same time. They finally
ended
their set in a huff and went back to their bus. I think someone had
fucked
with their bus as well. I guess the kids weren't having any "rock star"
bullshit on that night.
Jason:
Yeah, I remember that. The band came in and acted like total
jackasses. They we're supposed to be hot shit because one or two of
them
used to be in Marilyn Manson. They we're scheduled to headline but
decided
that first would be a better spot. They ended up playing for an hour
and
they didn't want anyone to go on before them.
Brian: But they stalled for time.
Jason: So as a result the first band couldn't even play because one of
the
members had to work a night shift. Everyone was fucking with them.
Throwing
things and chanting "MEATJACK!" After the brawl started I just stood
back
and giggled my motherfucking ass off.
Which do you prefer vinyl or cd?
Brian: I don't think anything sounds better than nicely pressed high
quality vinyl played on a high quality sound system, but I listen to
CD's
more often because they're more convenient. Can't really listen to
vinyl on
a walkman, a boom box or in the car.
Jason: Q: What do you call a drummer who just broke up with his
girlfriend?
A: Homeless.
Best live band?
Brian: Okay, we're getting into some pretty tough areas with this
"favorite" this and "best" that. I like soooo much different stuff for
soooo many different reasons. Once again, I'm just going to pick some
random shit for these categories. This is by no means my absolute
answers
on anything, now or ever. The last band that I saw live that really did
it
for me was The Melvins. I've seen them a bunch of times and they're
always
great. I saw them last month and they were just amazing. Something to
aspire to. Mastodon, Stinking Lizaveta & Keelhaul kick major ass live
as well.
Jason: I agree with those and will add Swarm of the Lotus, AC/DC, and
KISS.
Brian: Me too.
Top 5 favorite bands?
Brian: Melvins,Devo,Led Zeppelin,King Crimson,The Beatles (+ many, many more)
Jason: ZZ Top,KISS,Led Zeppelin,Stinking Lizaveta,AC/DC
Top 5 favorite albums?
Brian:
Black Sabbath-first album
Devo-Duty Now For The Future
Divine Horsemen-Snake Handler
King Crimson-Starless and Bible Black
Celtic Frost-Into The Pandemonium (+ many, many more)
Jason:
ZZ Top-ZZ Top's First Album
Melvins-Stoner Witch
Judas Priest-Hell Bent For Leather or British Steel
AC/DC-Powerage
Stinking Lizaveta-III
Favorite Movies?
Brian:
Rear Window (most Hitchcock films really)
Dr. Strangelove (Kubrick is another one of my favorite directors)
Taxi Driver
The Exorcist
This is Spinal Tap (+ many, many more)
Jason:
Donnie Darko
Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park
Boogie Nights
Requiem for a Dream
Inside Amber
Brian: Also, we both seem to have this weird obsession with that super
cheezy "Flash Gordon" movie that Queen did the soundtrack for.
Is your music drug influenced?
Brian: Yes and no. I've had my experiences with drugs, good and bad.
There
certainly are doors of perception that can be opened by drugs, but I
pretty
much got all of my drug experimentation out of my system when I was
much
younger, before I started writing music. I'd be more likely to say that
our
music is influenced by life. Drugs was one of life's experiences for
me,
but it's not everything.
Jason: Q: What did the drummer get on his I.Q. test? A: Drool.
Anything you'd like to add?
Brian: Yes, thank you for your interest. Anyone else interested can
check
out www.meatjack.com. Take care.
Meatjack Website
At a Loss Recordings
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