Dura-Delinquent: Hans Takes A Licking But Keeps On Ticking!

Originally published in Teenage Kicks #1 (1997)

Interviews by: Michael Cronin, Devorah Ostrov & Michelle Castro

Story: Michael Cronin

Dura-Delinquent (L-R): Philipp, Hans, Nicolas & Jason
Photo: Devorah Ostrov - San Francisco, 1997

Dura-Delinquent kick ass. As a result of their raucous live shows, they also get their asses kicked on occasion. Almost always, they generate an extreme reaction from the audience, especially in San Francisco. 

Singer Hans Murnau has a penchant for diving off stage and hanging onto some unsuspecting guy in the crowd. Almost always he is punched, kicked, shoved, or hit with a glass. Maybe because his pants are usually unzipped at the time. At a recent Bottom of the Hill show Hans got cut dangerously close to his right eye. He climbed back up on stage, wiped the blood from his cheek with the back of his hand, and muttered, "Jesus died for you. I bled for you. I should at least be a fucking saint!"

Hans & Philipp
Photo: Devorah Ostrov - San Francisco, 1997

We made a valiant attempt to interview all four members (big mistake!) of the band after one soundcheck. Hans and Nicolas arrived early. Hans is quiet and reserved. It's Nicolas who greets us and sorts out problems at the door. Time went by: 90 minutes to be exact. The others missed the soundcheck. Jason arrives. He seems amused that someone actually wants to interview him. Finally, Philipp struts in on wobbly high heels, scarf trailing from his throat. What an entrance! 

We turn on the tape recorder. Hans is suddenly very vocal! The resulting interview was more like a photo op with quips, the boys trampling over most of our questions. Answers range from merely evasive to contradictions and outright lies. Mention the Stooges and a discussion of the 3 Stooges ensues. Can we take Philipp's raving about the merits of later-day Alice Cooper over his classic early albums seriously? Or Hans' preference for late '70s Ron Wood-period Stones over their classic work? The only thing we're told we can take seriously is Peter Pan.

Philipp: "That's the one thing we don't fuck around about — Peter Pan. Make sure to throw some Peter Pan into this motherfucker!"

Philipp
Photo: Devorah Ostrov - San Francisco, 1997

We subsequently bugged them individually to fill in the gaps. Somehow, through "divine forces," they all ended up in Monterey — Hans and Nicolas (guitar) are originally from outside D.C.; Jason Moore (drums) is from Oklahoma; and Philipp Stick (guitar) is from "the Mother Country." 

Nicolas and Philipp met at school. They knew Jason from a local record store. All of them being avid record collectors and "music fanatics," they decided to put a band together.

Nicolas: "We got together to play a show that was happening. We wrote a bunch of songs in like a week, that were sort of raw and just what we were inspired by at the time. Then we evolved into something more — our own style basically."

They've been kicking around the Northern California scene for about two years now. Their chaotic live shows are not to be missed. At a Purple Onion show, back in January, cups and ashtrays flew, instantly and constantly. 

Philipp dropped his pants and tossed them into the crowd — unable to find them later! He also demonstrated a knack for playing and humping the stage simultaneously. Hans did his best young Iggy/Lux impression — mic in mouth, dick in hand, he scaled the amps, jumped into the crowd and overturned tables. Nicolas and Jason kept a rock steady beat throughout the amped up antics. The messy aftermath was proof that this was easily one of the hottest, punkest, most fun shows of the year.

Hans
Photos: Devorah Ostrov - San Francisco, 1997

Hans: "People always throw shit at us in San Francisco. Especially at the Purple Onion. If I had a nickel for every ashtray thrown at me... The reaction thing is great, but I'd get bored if every time we played, I got a glass thrown at me. I mean, I'd get hurt, too. But it's only in San Francisco."

They've also done a brief U.S. tour, half with Chrome Cranks, half on their own; and last December they caused a commotion in Europe, playing two weeks' worth of shows in Germany, Holland and the U.K.

Hans: "Those were the best shows. I had the most fun. Not England — Europe. Just like, the crowds. A big crowd here is a small crowd there. The big night there, it was amazing! And they were totally receptive."

Nicolas
Photo: Devorah Ostrov - San Francisco, 1997

Nicolas: "We almost got banned from London!"

Phillip: "What are you talking about? It was the whole U.K.!"

Somehow a Christmas tree ended up in a backstage toilet, causing extensive damage.

Nicolas: "They didn't give us enough beer that night, so we broke a toilet."

Hans: "Just let that be a warning to all you other clubs. Don't fuck with us, man!"

Dura-Delinquent have released a self-titled LP/CD and a couple of singles — "Sick on You" and "Take Me to My King." Their fuzzy, decidedly lo-fi garage sound lies somewhere between the Cramps and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. The catchiest LP track, "I Could Kick Your Habit," spotlights Jason's hopped- up Adam & the Ants/Bow Wow Wow-style drumming. Nicolas and Philipp strangle the two-guitar no bass sound for all it's worth on "All Lushed Up" (a "Sick on You" B-side). Han's sleazy, slurry vocals are consistent throughout. They also appear on the U.K. compilation 7" Gone, Got, Wretched. And a European-only single, "Kidnaped," was released as well.

Hans: "It's a different version, but we didn't mean it to be."

Philipp: "Shitty versions, badly mastered."

The band is not really happy with any of their recordings.

Philipp: "They're too clean. We're a lot dirtier than that!"

"Sick on You"
b/w "Head Ove High-Heels" & "All Lushed Up"

Nicolas: We've changed since the record. That was a year ago. I'm more proud of what we're doing now. Our next recording efforts are going to represent what we really are and what we're like live better. I think that's most important, being a good live band. We just want to write good music. That's what we're shooting for."

Their most recent demos are in fact among their best. "Lay it on Me" and "Her Caviar" solidify their early sound, while "The Hollywood Diet" and "My Baby Caught the Train" are longer, more jammy Stones-style blues. Nicolas' and Philipp's guitars are less at war here and more complimentary to each other. 

They hope to have some of the new songs out soon.

Before we wrapped, the band made a bid for our first cover. Regrettably, we informed them that it had already been promised to D Generation's guitarist, Howie Pyro. 

Philipp: "Howie Pyro?! You should have us on the cover!

Nicolas: "We're going to have a contract from now on. If you want us in your magazine, you have to put us on the cover!"

Philipp: "Howie Pyro came to see us in New York and bought our single. At least he knows what good rock 'n' roll is about!"

Clap if you believe!

Girlschool - Would You Buy A Used Washing Machine From These Girls?

Originally published in Rave-Up #4 (1982)

Interview by Devorah Ostrov

Ron Quintana showing issue #5 of Metal Mania to Girlschool
guitarist Kelly Johnson & drummer Denise Dufort 
during a record store visit in San Francisco.
Photo by Gil Weston (using Ron's Instamtic camera)

Still riding high on the UK chart success of Hit And Run and before the release of their third album, a short string of US dates (cheekily called the "Lock Up Your Sons" tour) brought Girlschool to the Old Waldorf in April. 

Following their soundcheck, we spoke to Kim, Kelly, Denise, and newcomer Gil about the tour, discovered what their parents think of their alliance with Motorhead, and uncovered scandalous tales of what went on at a real girls' school. Plus, Kim took the opportunity to quiz Denise and Gil about their work history experience! 

Q: With the massive success of Hit And Run, do the music papers tend to treat you with more respect?

Kim: I don't know. I think we got a bit of a backlash, didn't we? They built us up and built us up... We were always in the press for a while. And then we started doing really well, and the album started doing really well. Then suddenly, they thought they would start criticizing us!

Q: When you started out, did you have to prove yourselves to the audience because you were girls? Or didn't that matter to English audiences?

Kim: I don't know, really. We didn't think we had to prove ourselves, but I expect we did in a way. They [the audience] used to come along and pack down three drinks in the pub beforehand and then just come and have a good laugh. But a lot of them came back again because they liked the music.

Motorhead & Girlschool 
at Friars Aylesbury

Kelly: It's starting again over here because we don't know anybody and we're playing small clubs. 

Q: This is your first time touring America?

Kim: Yeah, it's been fab [sarcastically].

Kelly: Fun, fun, fun [also sarcastically].

Q: How are the mostly male audiences treating you here as opposed to England?

Kim: Really well, actually! We're quite surprised. A few of them know the songs. It's nice. We feel like we're at home!

Q: Have you been getting good reviews so far on the tour?

Kelly: Yeah! I don't know why. It's surprising.

Kim: I don't know why, either. But yeah, they've been really good. They think we've done these amazing things, like going way over the top, you know. And we're saying, "Wait, are they talking about us?" 

Q: Where have you played so far?

All Together: Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Trenton, New Haven, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland...

Q: New Haven? Trenton? No one ever plays there!

Kim: We'd never even heard of New Haven and Trenton.

Q: Did anyone come to see you there?

Kim: Yeah! I suppose because they don't have many bands there.

Q: They didn't care who you were!

L-R: Denise Dufort, Kelly Johnson, Kim McAuliffe and Gil Weston
(publicity photo)

Kim: Exactly! We did a gig in Portland [Oregon], and that was sold out — 3,000 people! We were looking at the city and there was nothing to do at night. So it must have been a big event. A gig!

Q: Is the Old Waldorf the smallest place you've played in a while?

Kim: We've played a few over here that have been about this size. But we've never played to people sitting down eating dinner!

Q: Motorhead played here last year. It was amazing! 

Kim: Yeah, right! Steve, one of our guitar roadies was with them. He said they didn't have any tables or chairs for them. But they knew about it in advance. If we'd known... Nobody tells us anything! [Note: Most of the tables and chairs were removed before the show started.]

Q: Did your parents warn you not to hang around with Motorhead because they were a bad influence?

Mercury/Polygram Records publicity photo

Kim: No, not really. They all really like Motorhead. My mum and dad went to their last concert at the Hammersmith. They're really into the band; they helped us a lot in the beginning. They never said, "Oh no, we don't want you to do this. We want you to become a secretary." They helped us all they could. We're pretty lucky, really. 

Q: Did any of you actually work as secretaries?

Kim: I worked in a bank, that's pretty close. [Pointing at Kelly] She was various things. What were you, Gil?

Gil: A skivvy.

Denise: I used to sell washing machines and 'fridges and stuff in a big chain shop. They sold kettles, tea sets, paint, posters...

Kim: Did you ever sell anything?

Denise: Yeah! I used to get wages, but I'd get a commission on top if I sold a washing machine. I sold four in a week once.

Q: Were you more influenced by male heavy metal groups or Suzi Quatro and other female rockers?

Kim: Neither! I used to love Led Zeppelin, and I suppose they influenced me quite a bit. But we...

Kelly: She actually loves them!

Kim: I do, yeah! I think they're one of the best bands ever in the whole universe! I don't know really, there's so many. I think David Bowie is a pretty common hero with this band. He's just terrific! He's my hero. [Gil was wearing a David Bowie t-shirt.]

Q: Did any of you go to a girls' school?

Kelly Johnson posing for my camera at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and walking
down Hollywood Blvd. before the show - Los Angeles, California, 2004 
(Photos: Devorah Ostrov)

Kim: I did, yeah. Denise did. They're good fun! I used to have great laughs at school. We used to cause riots!

Kelly: She used to beat people up!

Kim: I didn't beat people up! We just used to go out and get pissed at dinner time, go back and create havoc, you know. There wasn't much they could do with six or seven drunken girls. Our school had the highest pregnancy rate in London. We all had our own boyfriends who'd come and pick us up after school. I used to have this cute boyfriend with a motorbike who'd pick me up. But while we were at school it was just a lot of girls together. Like it is now, actually. From one girls' school to another!

The opening group, Stepmothers, start their soundcheck and everyone gets distracted...

Kim: Is this the support band? They're really good! They're heavy. I thought they were going to be punk rock. Or are they heavy?

Q: They're heavy metal punk rockers! The heavy metal kids don't like them because they're too punk rock. And the punks don't like them because they're too heavy metal.

Stiff Records advert for the US release of Hit And Run (a combination
of the first two UK albums) plus exciting tour information!

Kim: We had exactly the same problem. When we came out, it was the new wave era in Britain. So, when we used to play new wave clubs, they didn't like us 'cause we were too heavy metal. When we played heavy metal places, they didn't like us 'cause they thought we were too much like new wave.

Kelly: We got a little confused. We developed this neurosis.

Q: What did you finally decide you were?

Kim: The kids decided what we were.

Kelly: We wanted to be labeled!

Kim: We got labeled in the end 'cause Motorhead came along, saw us, and wanted us to support them on tour. We said, "Yes!" And then of course we started to play to all heavy metal audiences. After that, we were labeled as HEAVY METAL!