The Damned: British Punk Sensations Reveal Their Fave Colors, Loves, Hates & More!

The Damned circa 1982: Roman Jugg, Captain Sensible,

Paul Gray, Rat Scabies & Dave Vanian (photo from the I Had

Too Much To Drink Last Night bootleg)

Meet The Damned!

In 1982, four members of the Damned agreed to fill in this silly questionnaire for 

Rave-Up issue number 3. Dave Vanian wisely declined to participate and clearly some

of the guys took the task more seriously than others (hello, Roman!).

* You can read my 1998 interview with Captain Sensible here:  devorahostrov.blogspot.com/2016/12/captian-sensible-interview
* You can also read my 1985 interview with Dave Vanian & Roman Jugg here: devorahostrov.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-damned-rendezvous-at-alice-in-wonderland

Young Fresh Fellows: I Run Up My Phone Bill While Discussing "It's Low Beat Time" With Scott McCaughey

Originally published in American Music Press (October 1992)

By Devorah Ostrov

The Young Fresh Fellows (L-R): Kurt Bloch, Scott McCaughey,

Tad Hutchison & Jim Sangster (photographer unknown)

Interviewing Young Fresh Fellows vocalist/guitarist Scott McCaughey was an entertaining way to run up my phone bill! We were supposed to discuss the band's new Frontier Records release, It's Low Beat Time, which we did.

But we also talked about YFF's psych-fest version of Sony Bono's "I Just Sit There," which they recorded for last year's tribute album Bonograph. "Sonny's wife [not Cher!] called up the label and ordered 20 copies," gushes Scott. "They wanted to give them to people for Christmas presents."

Other topics of conversation included his thoughts about the group's 1987 hit single "Amy Grant" ("It's the stupidest song ever"), audience requests ("We've been known to try and play songs we don't know if somebody asks us nicely"), the Dictators (the Fellows are "super into" the Dictators), ex-Flamin' Groovies vocalist/Phantom Movers leader Roy Loney ("He's so rocking!"), and the vinyl vs. CD argument (of course, he prefers vinyl).

It's Low Beat Time (Frontier Records 1992)

Seattle-based for more than a decade, Scott and former Fellows guitarist Chuck Carroll originally hailed from the Bay Area. The move north was made with the intention of starting a BAM-type music 'zine for the Northwest. But as Scott explains, "In the three months since Chuck had checked out the scene, The Rocket had started and filled the void."

The pair stayed because they liked the city's atmosphere, and they even fell in with The Rocket's staff. In fact, Scott still writes a column on alternative music for the magazine.

Forming an idiosyncratic pop group of their own wasn't part of the agenda; it just sort of happened. "We just recorded a record," offers Scott ambivalently about the launch of a respected career which now spans almost nine years.

When I push him for more information, he adds, "Chuck and I had recorded a lot of junk on a four-track. We'd always sent tapes to our friends, and after we moved to Seattle we thought, they're gonna be expecting a cassette come Christmas, and wouldn't it be really funny if we sent them an album. Like, they'd be totally blown away!"

Flyer for the Replacements & Young

Fresh Fellows at the Gift Center in SF - 1992

In 1983, with Chuck's cousin Tad Hutchison on drums and Scott (credited as "Sled") temporarily on bass, the Fellows recorded their whimsical debut, The Fabulous Sounds Of The Pacific Northwest, on the exceptionally obscure PopLlama label.

"They'd never really put out any records," notes Scott of PopLlama. "They'd sort of put out a couple of cassettes. But when we came up with the idea to do this record, Conrad [Uno, label owner and producer] said, 'I'll record it and we'll put it out on my little label' — which didn't really exist."

Scott picks up the story a few months later: "When the record came out, much to our amazement, people heard it and liked it. We started getting letters from radio stations around the country that had it at #1! We thought, Wow! This is really weird. We weren't taking it at all seriously."

Before their second PopLlama release (1985's Topsy Turvy), Jim Sangster took over as the group's bassist, and Scott switched to guitar. "I'm too retarded to play bass and sing at the same time," he states. A couple of years later, the Fellows moved to the bigger indie label Frontier Records where they've since issued a string of eagerly received quirky LPs, including 1988's Totally Lost — after which Fastbacks' guitarist Kurt Bloch replaced Chuck Carroll.  

With Low Beat Time, the band Rolling Stone once described as "the Lovin' Spoonful at Buzzcocks' speed" still isn't taking it seriously. The 16 mostly snappy tunes (with the usual bits of oddness YFF is known for) shift and collide dramatically in style and mood, with tracks that careen from bopping beats to garage-punk wallops to organ-driven romps.

The Young Fresh Fellows in their snazzy Electric Bird Digest outfits

"Tad wanted this whole record to be a super-happy, up-beat dance kind of thing," observes Scott. "But we couldn't all agree to do the whole record that way, so we just haphazardly recorded a bunch of stuff."

He might be using the word "haphazardly" in a literal sense, as five studios in three different cities were employed in making the album. According to Scott, the plan was to "just go back to the basement, take a month, and get really out there." But their regular studio was booked by someone else and the guys were impatient to get going. "We wanted to get a record out this year," he comments, "for no particular reason. But Frontier thought it would be a good idea."

PopLlama publicity photo featuring guitarist Chuck Carroll

Two of the studios they used required a cross-country trip to Memphis.

One was Easley Recording, where Alex Chilton can often be found. If you listen closely, you can sometimes hear Chilton's hollow-body Gretsch on It's Low Beat Time.

"We didn't know it was his until we'd used it on a bunch of songs," swears Scott.

The other was Royal Studios, where they worked with the great Willie Mitchell. The producer of soul superstars like Al Green and Ann Peebles oversaw the album's title track as well as the Fellows' cover of the Young Rascals' "Love Is a Beautiful Thing."

Scott confirms that everything turned out to be "really cool" with Mitchell, although he admits to having some initial jitters. "Here's this sixty-year-old black guy who's been recording really talented soul singers for the last thirty years, and here's four jaded punk rock losers from Seattle, coming in and stomping around. We didn't know if it would work out at all."

The Young Fresh Fellows on the cover 

of Seattle's The Rocket - June 1984

YFF's punky treatment of the customarily earnest trad-folk tune "Green Green" took shape at Easley. It's a highlight of the album and features legendary bluesman Rufus "Walking the Dog" Thomas on guest vocals. How did this unlikely but perfect collaboration come about?

"We knew he was in Memphis," says Scott, "and we tracked him down. He said, 'Sure, I'll come over.' He'd never heard the song before, but he instantly got into it. He's like 75-years-old and still super-psyched about music." Apparently, it was Thomas' idea to do the song's intro as a solo, and he added some improvised scat vocals as well. "It was great!" enthuses Scott.

Back on home turf, the band hooked up with Kearney Barton, engineer of 1965's proto-punk classic Here Are The Sonics, which Scott rates as one of the ten best rock 'n' roll records ever made (YFF cover "High Time" on the tribute album Here Ain't The Sonics).

Barton got them the authentically primitive garage sound they wanted for two tracks — "99 Girls" and "She Won't Budge" — both of which stand out for being so overtly lo-fi. However, at one point, Scott was slightly worried they'd gone too far. "I was wondering if people would think there was something wrong with their CD when it got to those songs," he chuckles. "We tried to make those two songs sound like the Sonics as much as possible. We didn't overdub anything. Kearney would record the songs every time we played, but he wouldn't erase anything. So, we just picked the versions we liked the best."

Fabulous Peter Bagge-designed poster for

recent YFF shows in Seattle and Portland

So, it seems like they've had a jolly good time. But wasn't all that traveling and studio expense a bit of a strain on Frontier's finances? 

"Yeah, I was kind of wondering how that would go over," muses Scott. "We definitely spent more money on this record than we have on any other one, but they were like 'Okay.'"

In case you haven't caught one of their shows yet, the Fellows are just as weird and eclectic live as they are on record, and twice as much fun! "You could see us two or three nights in a row and not hear any of the same songs," remarks Scott. "Or you might hear 'Amy Grant' all three nights."

On occasion, their setlists include "76 Trombones" and "The Girl from Ipanema." And their performances are frequently compared to the crash-and-burn days of the Replacements. Actually, the only words I could decipher in the liner notes to a Spanish YFF release were "Sonics" and "Replacements."

Scott's happy with the comparison. "I think we're a lot more punk rock than people realize, people who have only heard one of our records. We totally charge live! We love to play super-loud and super-fast. Our shows are pretty much free-for-alls!"

Backstage With Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction: Idle Chitchat And Fun Photo Ops With Fanzine Journalists

Originally published in Rave-Up #14 (1988)
Interview by Devorah Ostrov & Sara Brinker

Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction

Back cover photo - Tattooed Beat Messiah (Mercury/Phonogram Records) 

Lovable British hooligans Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction recently roared into town in promotion of their new album Tattooed Beat Messiah. Following their boisterous show at the Stone, Mr. Mindwarp (a.k.a. Mark Manning, former art editor at Flexipop! magazine) had some time to kill and we had a tape recorder. So, we engaged in a bit of idle chitchat while Sara posed for an impromptu photo op in her custom-made jacket.

Rave-Up: When did you get your first tattoo?

Sara Brinker poses with Zodiac Mindwarp

Jacket and photo by: Vicki Berndt
https://vickiberndt.com

Zodiac: I was 14 years old. It was a skull and dagger tattoo, and it cost me about 20p. I had it covered up about four or five years ago.

Rave-Up: How did you like tonight's show?

Zodiac: The audience tonight was good. It reminded me of a London audience. London, and England, are crazy!

Rave-Up: You didn't seem too pleased with the stage divers.

Zodiac: They fucked up my microphone. Stay off my stage, fucking wild boys! I always try to give a good show, regardless of what the audience is doing. They pay their money, like everybody else. They paid to see a looney.

Rave-Up: Is that how you see yourself?

Zodiac: Yeah, I'm a dancing bear.

Rave-Up: Are you happy with the level of success that you have at the moment?

Zodiac: I actually want to follow Mötley Crüe and buy myself an island. I want to be bigger than Michael Jackson.

Rave-Up: So, who else do you listen to?

Zodiac Mindwarp on the cover of Kerrang!

Zodiac: I like Bruce Springsteen!

Rave-Up: How do feel about John Cougar Mellencamp?

Zodiac: He's alright. I prefer Bruce, though.

Rave-Up: Did you enjoy New York?

Zodiac: It was filthy and unpleasant, and everyone had a very hostile attitude. They all sound like, "What's your problem?" "You got a problem?" "You talkin' to me?"

Rave-Up: Did you ride on the subway?

Zodiac: No, I've seen Death Wish!

Rave-Up: Did you see much of the Midwest or the Mojave Desert on your way to California?

Zodiac: No, except out the window.

Rave-Up: You guys should have rented some Harleys and gone out into the desert!

Zodiac: With our luck, we probably would've run out of petrol and starved on some desert road.

Advert for the 30th-anniversary tour of
Tattooed Beat Messiah - 2018/2019

Def Leppard: Two Punk Rock Fanzine Journalists Meet The Guitarist & Get A Peek At Joe Elliott's Naked Bottom!

Originally published in Idol Worship (September 1980)
Interview by: Devorah Ostrov

Def Leppard around the time of this interview - Pete Willis in the center

(publicity photo)

A picture of Def Leppard in an English music magazine caught my attention. They were wearing black leather jackets and sporting eyeliner; I thought they were kind of cute. And somehow, I convinced not only myself but Idol Worship photographer Vicki Berndt that we should give this "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" thing a try.

Friends reacted with disdain, and in-the-know record salespeople refused to play me their album. Undeterred, Vicki and I attended the Pat Travers/Def Leppard concert at the Oakland Civic Auditorium — where we instantly encountered a solid wall of 6,000 HM diehards, all dressed in jeans and Pat Travers t-shirts.

Me interviewing Pete Willis

Photo: Vicki Berndt (you can see her

in the mirror!)

As if that weren't enough, when we stumbled into the group's dressing room in search of a manager (the nice lady at the box office just handed us backstage passes with our tickets — probably because we looked like aliens from outer space; of course, we took it as a sign from God that an interview was preordained), we found Def Leppard's perfectly permed lead singer Joe Elliott with his spandex pants around his ankles.

With our hands over our eyes, we hurried back out to taunting yet fetchingly British-accented shouts of "I haven't got me trousers on! She saw me bare ass!"

Deciding to wait until after the show to inquire about interview possibilities, we spent a rather distressing few minutes mingling with the crowd while Def Leppard pounded out what sounded like the same song three times around. Then we hid in the bathroom until it was over.

Afterwards, I'm happy to report that we found the manager without seeing any other band member's naked bottoms. And after he made sure to tell us that Def Leppard is "hard rock" and NOT "heavy metal" (apparently, they're quite keen about that distinction, although I don't imagine anyone actually cares), he introduced us to the group's adorable and polite (and most importantly, pants-wearing) guitarist Pete Willis — who looked to be about 15 years old.

* * *

Q: How would you compare the "hard rock" [notice Idol Worship staffers are quick to catch on] scene in England to that of America?

Pete: It's pretty much the same. All the same bands draw the audiences. You have your trend music, like punk rock [quick glances at me and Vicki], but what draws the crowds is AC/DC and Van Halen, like that.

Twenty-five years later, I ran into Def Leppard's
pantless lead singer again. This time, I was with my hubby Mike,
and thankfully, I don't think Joe Elliott remembered me!
Photo: Diane Wade

Q: Could you describe the kind of image you're trying to put across?

Pete: I don't think we're trying to put across a different image. We just try to look good to the audience.

Q: Does the audience give you any trouble because of the way you dress? Most of the bands they like just wear jeans.

Pete: What's the point of wearing jeans when you can dress nice and come off well onstage?

Q: How are you being received in America?

Pete: It's alright. We've had really good audiences. You saw it tonight?  [I nod to indicate "sort of."] That's the way it's been on the tour.

Q: What was that wine you guys were gulping between songs?

Promo poster for On Through The Night,

the debut Def Leppard album we didn't bother

to mention during this interview.

Pete: It's only Joe who drinks it. I don't drink till I'm off stage. It messes me up. I just drink Coke. [He smiles innocently and holds up an empty bottle of Blue Nun.]

Q: What do you listen to at home?

Pete: UFO, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC... I also like jazz-rock, like Stanley Clark and Styx. It's really involved, not just party-time music.

The guys gathered up their stuff and wandered off to see Eddie Money, who was playing elsewhere. Meanwhile, we raided the dressing room for remnants of cold cuts, stale bread and cheese. Fun fact: Hard rock groups eat lots more than punk bands, leaving less food for hungry fanzine journalists!

Spandau Ballet: Martin Kemp Talks While I Mostly Just Stare In Awe At His Stunning Beauty!

Originally published in Rave-Up #3 (Spring 1982)

Interview by Devorah Ostrov

Spandau Ballet (publicity photo - Martin Kemp on the right)

Snobby, arrogant, pompous, vain, elitist socialites... Are these the adjectives that spring to mind when you think about Spandau Ballet? Well, you're wrong! "It's not very true at all," responds bassist Martin Kemp to the above charges. We're sitting in Rumors (his favorite Covent Garden pub), sipping cokes while he talks (and I mostly just stare in mute awe at his stunning beauty) about why the negative publicity surrounding the band's image is entirely unfounded.

"All that press came about when we were just doing the odd shows here and there. We weren't advertising in the music press or different magazines which every group used, obviously because they couldn't get enough people into their shows to fill them up."

Martin on the cover of The Face - March 1981

"We had quite a lot of friends anyway," Martin continues. "We didn't have to advertise because with all our friends coming to see us, the places that we played were packed out anyway. If we had advertised, there would have been too many people and they wouldn't have been able to get in." 

In fact, British music papers still seem unsure whether to love Spandau Ballet or condemn them. For the most part, the writers appear somewhat perplexed about the band and the vibrant New Romantic scene which has sprung up around them.

"When they saw the kind of people we were..." Martin flashes a flawless smile as he trails off. Luckily, he quickly picks up where he left off because he really is so drop-dead gorgeous, I need to check that my jaw hasn't fallen open. "At first, there was a big thing about how all we did was go to champagne parties and things like that. They were guessing what type of background we came from. It's rubbish!"

Now that Martin's on a roll, I'm momentarily saved from having to make any sort of coherent comment and can return to simply staring at him. "They thought it was all a joke. They didn't think the music would turn out to be any good. When we brought out the first single, everyone said, 'It won't last. They won't be able to write another one.' We brought out the next one, and they said, 'Well, it won't last for long anyway.' Brought out another record, 'Well, it's not bad...'"

You would not believe the commotion this publicity 
photo caused when it arrived at Rave-Up HQ!

I somehow manage to nod appropriately at this point, and at the same time display my fabulous wit by mumbling, "Uh-huh." At any rate, Martin is encouraged to carry on.

"When we started turning out the records, we knew what the opinion would be. If we turned out a slightly bad record, they would write, 'RUBBISH! Chuck it out the window!' So, we make sure that everything we put out is perfect, a really good record. That way, they can't just slag it off."

Spandau Ballet's live debut took place in November 1979, when they played to an invited audience at a private rehearsal studio, only days before their official first show at the Blitz. But tales are told of a teenage power pop outfit that included Gary Kemp (Martin's older brother) and Steve Norman.

However, Martin maintains that other members of the group had no prior musical experience. "The first thing I played was bass for Spandau Ballet," he states. "I learned the lines half by heart, and then I just worked things out in my head. The first thing Tony [Hadley] ever really sang was 'To Cut a Long Story Short.'"

He also doesn't deny that Spandau's look took shape before its sound. Which doesn't mean the music isn't important to them, merely that their style-conscious stance wasn't invented for the first photo session.

Spandau Ballet (publicity photo)

L-R: John Keeble, Gary Kemp, Tony Hadley, Martin Kemp & Steve Norman

"It's never been contrived," Martin asserts. "Before we ever dreamed of getting a group together, we use to go to clubs every night. If you're mixing with those sorts of people, obviously the main thing in life is to get your clothes right. If your clothes aren't right, you can't mix with the people in the clubs, can you?" I shake my head to indicate, "No, of course not!" His eyes are the most incredible shade of blue.

"There are loads of people that have been dressing in a similar way," he resumes. "It was just us who got the look together. Plus, when we got the group together, we knew we weren't going to dress like everybody else in leather jackets and jeans. We just stuck to the same thing we've done since we were 14 — dressing up and having fun. But now we played music."

Martin & Gary Kemp on the cover of

 Smash Hits - 1982

Where do the Spandau boys get their clothes? It's my first articulate question!

"It depends... I might pick something up at the jumble sale, which is just as good as having something made. You can get a shirt for 50p or you can get a shirt for £50. It's exactly the same. If you can wear clothes well, it doesn't matter how much you paid for it or where you got it from. It will look good once you put it on."

So, how responsible is Spandau Ballet for setting the New Romantic fashion trends?

"Not at all in London; not with the people that we mix with. There isn't one person who sets the clothing trends and everyone else follows. But outside London... People who are my age have got the initiative to dress in their own style. They follow Spandau, but not in the sense that they copy us piece-for-piece. They all dress differently. When we go up north, we can see the differences, and that's good. That's the way it should be! The kids that are buying our records, like 14-year-olds, obviously they haven't really sussed it yet. They copy us, but that's all right."

Spandau Ballet recently issued the soul-infused single "Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" ahead of their forthcoming second album (due to be released in early 1982). The song peaked at #3 in the charts, and the band undertook a handful of live dates. But according to Martin, no full-scale tour is currently planned.

Spandau Ballet (publicity photo)

"We haven't played in ages," Martin observes. "We hardly ever play, but when we do, we try to make it special. The last time we played, we did Ibiza. A lot of English kids go to Ibiza for their holidays, and we thought by doing that, it would be pretty special. We played a great club and went on just as the sun was coming up. It was terrific!"

Martin won't divulge too many details about the new LP. But he does tell me, "The next album is going to be completely different from Journeys To Glory because we're doing a lot more in the studio. We had the material for the first album a year previous to recording it because we were playing the songs at gigs. It only took us about six weeks to record it. We tried to capture the sort of atmosphere we had at the live shows — like the HMS Belfast — and put it on the album. It's a timepiece."

Perhaps not surprisingly, Spandau's sound is more influenced by club-going rather than listening to records by other bands. "I'm usually more aware of records in clubs," notes Martin, "like when I'm talking to people and records are playing in the background. That's where I hear records."

Martin Kemp (publicity photo)

Also, probably not surprisingly, Spandau Ballet doesn't feel like they're in competition with other New Romantic-type bands.

"It's not really a competition because, for us, it's fun! There's groups like Duran Duran... There's no competition because what we're doing is pretty much in front of what they're doing. It's like watching ourselves in the mirror; they're just copying everything that we did three months back. It doesn't worry us."

Bitchiness? Perish the thought! Spandau has no reason for such pettiness.

"In England, we sell more 12-inch singles than any other group," Martin remarks. Have I mentioned that his eyes are the most amazing shade of blue? I think I probably have.

Oh dear, I've lost my focus (again). When I come back down to earth, Martin's still talking about their sales figures or sound or something. I'm sure they've unnecessarily turned up the heat in this pub.

"With our experience in clubs, we know what a good club sound is, whereas other groups don't. They're more interested in their live performance, and they make their records like that. For us to make 12-inch singles is easy! It's no trouble. We know what people want to hear at clubs, and we just do it."

I feel a teeny bit guilty for not holding up my end of this conversation, so before Martin hurries off to his next appointment, I ask about the band's recent (May 1981) New York show at the Underground Club, Spandau's only Stateside appearance to date.

Chrysalis Records advert for Journeys To Glory

"New York was great!" he enthuses. "The best thing I've ever seen! Everyone was dressed up. I popped out about five minutes before we went on, and there were 600 people dressed up over the top. It was a really big place, and there were still people queuing up to get in. It's the same as it is over here. People are ready to slag us off, bury us — but our records are so good they can't put it out of their heads, so they have to take notice of it. There's no way we're going to stop making good records. So, they'll just have to keep on listening!"

Sigh... He's so dreamy.

Motörhead: We Talked To Lemmy About "March Ör Die" & Got The Scoop On New Drummer Mikkey Dee For AMP #1

Originally published in American Music Press #1 (October 1992)
Interview by Devorah Ostrov & Schneider

Motörhead at the time of this interview

L-R: Lemmy, Würzel, Mikkey Dee, and Phil Campbell

March ör Die (WTG/Epic) is Motörhead's latest offering, but it comes with a new drummer.

Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor has been officially replaced by mighty skins-basher Mikkey Dee, whose claims to fame include stints with King Diamond and Don Dokken.

Although Philthy parted ways with the group once before (to work on a project with Brian Robertson; he returned a couple of years later), this time, his departure looks to be more permanent and not without some turmoil.

Philthy seems to have left/been sacked early on in the recording process, as he only appears on one track: "I Ain't No Nice Guy" (which also features Slash on lead guitar and guest vocalist Ozzy Osbourne). Tommy Aldridge — previously with Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers, and Whitesnake among others — plays drums on everything else except "Hellraiser," which features Mikkey. To get the scoop, we spoke with Mikkey and iconic Motörhead frontman Lemmy.

Back row L-R: Phil Campbell, Mikkey Dee & Würzel

Lemmy front and center!

AMP: Mikkey, what's the first thing you did when you found out you were Motörhead's new drummer?

Mikkey: I gathered my thoughts and thought about how I was going to approach the whole thing. I had to sit down and kick back for a while and think about it.

AMP: You didn't shout "Whoopee!" and get drunk?

Mikkey: Oh, I probably did — but it wasn't just because of being in Motörhead. I get drunk all the time! I was happy, don't get me wrong. I was super happy! But work comes first. After I got my shit together, of course, we went out and shot down a couple of tequilas... and fifteen beers!

AMP: How did you originally meet Lemmy and the guys?

Mikkey: I've known these guys for years! King Diamond opened for Motörhead in Europe in 1987. Lemmy actually asked me at that time if I wanted to join the band, but I turned him down.

AMP: Was this when Philthy had quit before?

Mikkey: No, this was when Phil was back in the band again!

AMP: What?! Phil was in the band and Lemmy asked you to join? This sounds like a big scandal!

Mikkey: Not really. They had problems with him. It's no secret. Not personal, but playing-wise. As Lem says himself [in someone else's interview] when Philthy came back, it didn't sound as good as it used to, and he didn't seem to have that much fun. When they toured with King Diamond, they kind of fell in love with my drumming, and we got along good. We were talking about it, you know, and we always kept in contact over the years.

AMP: Lemmy, tell us about the new album, March ör Die. Does it reflect your state of mind at the moment?

The classic three-piece Motörhead lineup (circa "Ace of Spades")

L-R: Lemmy, Philthy, Fast Eddie Clarke

Lemmy: It's not completely autobiographical. If it was, I'd be baring my soul to the nation — and I do that all the time! Basically, what I'm saying is that we're all fucking doomed, so there's no need to lay down and whimper about it.

AMP: "Cat Scratch Fever" was a cool choice for a cover song. Has Ted Nugent heard your version?

Lemmy: Yeah, he doesn't like it. Probably because it's better than the original!

AMP: Motörhead's last album, 1916, was killer! But if you weren't already a Motörhead fan, you weren't likely to hear about it. What happened?

Lemmy: No promotion. Our record company's got no budget. They're the low man on the totem pole. We're with WTG, which is a subsidiary of Epic, which is a subsidiary of Sony, etc., etc. We've got no chance.

AMP: Oh no! Does that mean March Ör Die won't get any promotion either?

Lemmy at the Omni in Oakland - 1988
Photo: Devorah Ostrov

Lemmy: We got a billboard on top of the Rainbow, but I haven't seen anything in the papers. I don't think Tommy Mottola [head of Sony Music Entertainment] is very interested in Motörhead. We've done a video this time, though. A real video — for the song "Hellraiser" with Pinhead!

AMP: Do you think MTV will show the video, other than on Headbanger's Ball?

Lemmy: Probably not, but I hope they do. It's a shame to make a video and have no one see it. The only thing that I can promise you, is that this band delivers and always has delivered!

AMP: Mikkey, are you worried about the fan reaction to your replacing Philthy?

Mikkey: No, not at all. I know they're gonna be skeptical. They're gonna watch me. But I'll tell you, they're not gonna be disappointed.

AMP: Do you get to change any of Phil's drum parts when Motörhead play live?

Mikkey: I get to do whatever I want. Philthy did some cool shit and he did some goofy shit. There's drum fills, like in "Ace of Spades" — that little break. I could do something incredible in there. But I don't wanna do that. I wanna keep it as simple as he did because that's the way the kids wanna hear it. Certain trademarks have to be there. Actually, what I might do is add more drums. I don't think Philthy really built up to some of the choruses. I think a song should lift, and that's where I think his weakness was. He was pretty monotone over the songs. I wanna make it more exciting! Give it a kick in the ass!

AMP: What are the similarities and differences in playing with King Diamond and Dokken, as opposed to Motörhead?

Lemmy and Pinhead from the video for the "Hellraiser" single. 
The song was also featured in the film Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com

Mikkey: They're all very, very nice guys. But musically, there are no similarities. Being in Dokken, I entered a different kind of music scene than what I was used to in King Diamond. I was suddenly up against Slaughter, Warrant, Poison...

AMP: The MTV hit-making machines!

Mikkey: Exactly! MTV, money — the business, crap, bullshit! And that was a very big difference. That's what I like about Lem and Wurz [Würzel, guitarist] and Phil [Campbell, guitarist]. By playing with Motörhead, it was suddenly fun again. I'm back with a really heavy band, and that's where I belong. I realized that playing with Dokken.

AMP: Lemmy, do you listen to your own records?

Lemmy: I listen to 1916 quite often. I hadn't listened to any of the others for years. But when they were reissued on CD, they sent me a box and I listened to 'em. They were really good!

Lemmy & Würzel (with Philthy on drums) at the Omni - 1988

Photo: Devorah Ostrov

AMP: Mikkey, do you have a favorite Motörhead song?

Mikkey: I've got tons of 'em! "Ace of Spades," of course... "Killed by Death," "Traitor," "Metropolis"... The whole new album is a smash to me! I wouldn't have joined the band if I didn't like what they were coming out with today.

AMP: Were you guys in LA during the riots?

Lemmy: We were right in the middle of recording "Hellraiser."

Mikkey: We were in the studio while Wurz was putting down the guitars. We had to get out of there. We were just a couple of blocks away from where Reginald Denny got beat up — where it all started. We were seeing people on the street with fucking baseball bats, and pickup trucks with 15 guys in the back. I had my new Corvette parked right out front, and I said, "I'm outta here!"

AMP: With the political climate at the moment, we're wondering which presidential candidate you might vote for — Bush or Clinton?

L-R: Würzel, Lemmy, Phil Campbell & Mikkey Dee

Lemmy: I wouldn't vote for either of those mealy-mouthed bastards! Tipper Gore [wife of Clinton's running mate Al Gore, and founder of the P.M.R.C.] has ruined the last chance for anything good. And I can't believe Ross Perot has dropped out. He probably got a phone call in the middle of the night with someone saying, "It's your ass." And the next day, he dropped out.

AMP: One final question, Lemmy... Motörhead is supporting Ozzy Osbourne on what he says will probably be his last concert tour. Do you have any retirement plans yourself?

Lemmy: No plans yet. You fuckers stick with me. You'll get what you deserve!

* You can find my 1989 interview with guitarist Phil Campbell here: devorahostrov.blogspot.com/2019/02/Motorhead-Phil Campbell

The Groovie Ghoulies Reflect On Their Low-To-Mid-Profile In This 1997 Interview With Teenage Kicks

Originally published in Teenage Kicks #2 (Fall 1997)
Interview by Devorah Ostrov

Groovie Ghoulies/The Donna's split single (1998)

Teenage Kicks' photographer Sara Brinker took this fab
photo during our interview! 

Every time I see the Groovie Ghoulies, I'm knocked out by how much fun they are!

Lead singer/bassist Kepi is a non-stop bundle of pogoing energy. Guitarist Roach looks beautiful while tossing candy and toys to the crowd. And new drummer Panic (a Chicago native, he was formerly with the Queers, the Riverdales, and Screeching Weasel; he replaced Wendy earlier this year) keeps a fast 'n' furious beat with a big smile on his face!

Formed by Kepi nearly a decade ago, the Sacramento-based band named after a Saturday morning cartoon has developed a fanatical (and in large part teenage!) following. Their hyper poppy/punk tunes owe an obvious debt to the Ramones musically, while Kepi's hook-filled lyrics are populated by horror show heroes like Bigfoot, Pumpkinhead, King Kong, killer computers, a Beast with Five Hands, and Graveyard Girlfriends.

Poster for The Muffs/Chixdiggit/Groovie Ghoulies

show at The Middle East - July 23, 1997

Lookout Records signed the Groovie Ghoulies last year and released the super entertaining World Contact Day LP. The label has also reissued the group's first two albums: Appetite For Adrenochrome (1989) and Born In The Basement (1994).

Their latest offering, Re-Animation Festival, is due to hit record stores in September. But before all that...

An opening slot on the Muffs/ Chixdiggit tour brought them to the Fillmore — where we gave Kepi an adorable toy tambourine, met temporary fourth Ghoulie B-Face (who can usually be found with the Queers), and interviewed the band.

Kepi: B-Face joined us on tour...

Teenage Kicks: He just got onstage and wouldn't go away?

Kepi: Yeah, in Boston. He got onstage and we couldn't get him off.

Teenage Kicks: Since B-Face is playing bass, are you just singing tonight?

Kepi: Yeah... and playing tambourine!

Teenage Kicks: I'd like to go over the group's history. Other interviewers haven't really gotten into it.

Re-Animation Festival (Lookout Records - 1997)

Kepi: Because it's too messy; there are too many ex-Ghoulies.

Teenage Kicks: Were you living in Sacramento when you started the band?

Kepi: I had a Groovie Ghoulies in Sacramento, but it was very short-lived, and it goes way back. The band was pretty much formed in Los Angeles, and Roy McDonald [former drummer for Redd Kross, now with the Muffs] played the first show. It's been going pretty steady since the first album came out, and the singles just prior to that.

Teenage Kicks: What brought you back to Sacramento from Los Angeles?

Kepi: I started going out with Roach. We went to high school together. We were graduates of Roseville High School! And then we started dating again later.

Teenage Kicks: When did you get married?

Kepi & Roach: 1990...

The Groovie Ghoulies at Sin City Swingers Club (perhaps in Norway?)

Teenage Kicks: Roach, did you play guitar before you joined the band?

Roach: I used to play as a kid. Then I didn't play for about five years. The first time I played electric guitar was with the Ghoulies.

Kepi (to Roach): You rock!

Teenage Kicks: There was a big span of time between Appetite For Adrenochrome and Born In The Basement...

The Cramps & Groovie Ghoulies at the

Fillmore in SF - Halloween 1996

Kepi: Five years... There were some singles, something almost every year — a Ramones' tribute ["Pet Semetary"], a Troggs' tribute ["Girl in Black"], and a couple 7" singles. But y'know, it was real low-profile. It's less low-profile now. We're low-to-mid-profile now!

Teenage Kicks: How did your signing with Lookout Records come about? It seems like the perfect label for you guys to be on.

Kepi: All their bands put in a word for us — the Queers, the Smugglers, Pansy Division... They all said, "Sign these guys!" And they did. It's good; they take care of us.

Teenage Kicks: What's the story behind Wendy's departure?

Kepi: We went on tour with the Queers in February or March, and she couldn't do the tour. While we were on that tour, we met Panic. We were trying to plan the rest of our year as far as touring and recording, and she couldn't tour.

Teenage Kicks: Why not?

Kepi: She has a good job; she has a house and a car.

Teenage Kicks: She's a grown-up!

Groovie Ghoulies circa mid-1997 

(publicity photo)

Panic: I don't own any of those things.

Kepi: He was a homeless pedestrian. So we said, "You're in!"

Teenage Kicks: Panic, you used to be in Screeching Weasel and the Riverdales...

Panic: Yeah, but I just became really disgruntled not touring.

B-Face: But now he's gruntled!

Panic: I am really happy to get back on the touring circuit again!

Teenage Kicks: I saw your Halloween show last year with the Cramps...

Roach: That was fun!

Teenage Kicks: I think Lux is from Sacramento.

Kepi: Yeah, he has a degree from Sac State. When we played with them, he said, "Did you know there's a Groovie Ghoulies in LA?" I said, "Yeah, that's me!"

Roach (with Wendy in the background) and Kepi Ghoulie
Photos: Devorah Ostrov

Teenage Kicks: Is Halloween always a big night for you guys?

Kepi: This year we're playing in Holland. It's the start of our European tour. We're playing with the Smugglers and Mr. T Experience.

Teenage Kicks: It's a Lookout package tour!

Kepi: We're touring with Mr. T, and the Smugglers are either just starting a tour or finishing one up. It just so happens we're all in Holland that night. It'll be one big party!

Appetite For Adrenochrome 

(Crimson Corpse Records - 1989)

Teenage Kicks: Where else are you playing in Europe?

Kepi: All I know is Italy.

Teenage Kicks: Is the band well-known in Europe?

Kepi: We're low-to-mid-profile in Europe. The first record sold more over there than it did here. And we have a German single out, and we're going to do an Italian single. So, there's people who know of us.

Teenage Kicks: Out of curiosity, how have you avoided being sued over the group's name?

Kepi: I think we give the cartoon more fame than it had on its own in the last 20 years! And we spell it differently.

Panic: On this tour, some promoters have used their own creativity. We've been called the Groovie Goodies, and just Groovie.

Kepi: If they can't figure out how it's spelled, they can't sue us. "We're the Groovie Goodies! Why are you suing us?"

Lookout tour poster for The Mr. T Experience

and The Groovie Ghoulies

Teenage Kicks: I want to talk about some of the songs you cover — like "Singing the Blues." Black Oak Arkansas and Dave Edmunds both cover it...

Kepi: I know Marty Robbins, but I don't know who else did it.

Teenage Kicks: And you cover Herman Hermits!

Kepi: They're just catchy.

Teenage Kicks: And Neil Diamond, and the Partridge Family, and "She Hangs Out" by the Monkees...

Kepi: Yeah, people ask for that and "Singing the Blues." I hope we can turn them on to some songs like the Cramps do. Like 14-year-olds who are just discovering punk rock — if you can turn them on to the Stones or Neil Diamond or the 13th Floor Elevators...

Teenage Kicks: At least you guys pick songs that are fairly easily tracked down. With the Cramps, you have to do some major research!

Kepi: Yeah, you have to get into the R&B history of some one-armed blues guy who plays in a cardboard box or something.

Panic: I had a big argument with someone who said covers were a waste of time — the songs had already been done, and bands should just write all original material. But it's like, if people didn't cover songs, I wouldn't have found out about anyone, really.

World Contact Day
 (Lookout Records - 1996)

Teenage Kicks: Or if someone you like talks about other bands they like in interviews... That's how I found out about a lot of groups.

Kepi: The Stones did that! The Stones turned me on to a million blues bands.

Teenage Kicks: Mass from Squirt Gun produced your new album, Re-Animation Festival.  Did you know him before that?

Kepi: We'd met him once or twice. Panic knew him. Panic and B-Face have recorded multiple albums with him. He just told Lookout that he wanted to work with us.

Panic: What I like about Mass is, he's real patient with people. And he'll get the best performance that he thinks he can out of you.

Teenage Kicks: I love your cover of Daniel Johnston's "To Go Home" on Re-Animation Festival. I'm not familiar with the original version, but I'll take a wild guess that it doesn't sound like something the Ramones wrote.

Kepi: No, it's shockingly different!

Advert for the 2016 remaster of Born In The Basement

Teenage Kicks: And you do a song called "Maze Effect" by Daniel Janish. Who's that?

Kepi: He's a friend of ours in LA. And we do "If You Need Me"...

Teenage Kicks: The Stones!

Kepi: Yeah... Robert Bateman and Wilson Pickett wrote it. But it's pretty much the Stones' version.

Poster for a Groovie Ghoulies show in Spain

Teenage Kicks: Yet you make everything sound like a Groovie Ghoulies' song!

Panic: When I first heard Born In The Basement, I didn't think about which songs were covers. They really put their own spin on them, which makes it more interesting than just copying a song. It really impressed me.

Teenage Kicks: Are you guys ever gonna run out of monsters to write songs about?

Kepi: No! We have "Chupacabra" on the new record. As long as they keep spotting new monsters...

Teenage Kicks: What is a Chupacabra?

Kepi: It's a Puerto Rican, blood-sucking alien. It attacks goats and other farm animals.

Teenage Kicks: Have you ever seen a monster?

Kepi: I've seen one flying thing, a very fast object in the daytime. It was weird. But we don't have time to look for monsters, unless they happen upon the freeway while we're driving. Actually, there was a Bigfoot sighting in Florida last week, and it ran right into the middle of the road. So... if we're lucky!

Teenage Kicks: I heard that "Graveyard Girlfriend" is gonna be the first single off Re-Animation Festival. That's such a great pop song!

"Graveyard Girlfriend" b/w "Trick or Treat"

and "Devil Town" (Lookout Records - 1997)

Kepi: Thank you. I try to write songs that I want to hear. And y'know, if you do something you like, you play it forever! Like "Beast with Five Hands"... People ask me, "Aren't you getting sick of that?" No! There's no song we do that I'm sick of. If you write a song, you should be prepared to be stuck with it. When I write a song, I try to remember: This song's gonna haunt me and I better like it!

Teenage Kicks: I want to ask about the song "Punk Pt. II" [from World Contact Day]. Are you addressing it to Sid Vicious or someone else in particular?

Kepi: For me, it was actually Johnny Thunders and Stiv Bators, but it could be for whoever you miss. That's one of the few songs I've written that's reality-based. I was watching the Swinging Udders and thinking about how many great bands there are now. And I was wishing that these people could still be around to see... If they just could have seen the scene blow up — Rancid and Green Day, y'know. And it's just sad that all my heroes are fucked up or dead.

★ ★ ★

Click here to listen to the Groovie Ghoulies cover of "To Go Home"

from the Re-Animation Festival album.