|
Amanda Dead Interviews
-Matt Kelly- drummer of 'Dropkick Murphys'
Amanda Dead: What's so great about Boston? I've visited once, ate some Duncan Donuts because there's one on every street corner, drank be-ah (beer), went to something called a “packy” to buy more be-ah, got beat up by some skins, and had sex with a random girl so other than that…what makes Boston great?
Matt Kelley:
I think due to Boston originally being an island, there's an insular mindset to Town and the surrounding neighborhoods that make up Boston. The attitudes, ideals, and local nomenclature of the people, while diverse, definitely create a certain "vibe" that outsiders can notice easily. Oh, and then there are our great sports teams, history of great bands, and our rich history. Yes, Boston is indeed the "Hub of the Solar System".
Amanda Dead: What do you think of commercial pop-punk like Blink 182, Fallout Boy and Good Charlotte etc.?
Matt Kelley: I met those GOOD CHARLOTTE guys and they seem nice and well-intentioned. With that said, I can't say I'd recognize a song by either them or FALLOUT BOY if I heard one. I have heard both bands but didn't really think much of their songs. They seem a bit sterile and devoid of the grit I like to hear in good music -- like a cleaned-up version of punk bereft of its danger and is more mass-market friendly.
Amanda Dead: What motivates you to write music?
Matt Kelley: The necessity to get it out of my head and onto the fretboard. Or sometimes, you pick up a guitar and squeeze a song out by sheer will power.
Amanda Dead: If you were to create a super group composed of musicians (alive or dead), who would be in your group, what instruments would they play and what would you call the band?
Matt Kelley:
Bon Scott- vocals
Angus Young- lead guitar
Malcolm Young- rhythm guitar
Cliff Williams- bass
Phil Rudd- drums
I'd call them AC/DC
Amanda Dead: Who are a few of your favorite artists?
Matt Kelley: AC/DC, IRON MAIDEN, COCK SPARRER, THE 4-SKINS, STIFF LITTLE FINGERS, AGNOSTIC FRONT, ROSE TATTOO, THE ABUSED, SLAPSHOT, THE POGUES, KILLING TIME, EYE FOR AN EYE, THE TAMPOFFS, L'INFANTERIE SAUVAGE, LED ZEPPELIN, RADIO BIRDMAN, STRONG STYLE, BULL THE BUFFALOS, et cetera, et cetera...
Amanda Dead: How did you celebrate the Red Sox's victory?
Matt Kelley: The band played in the victory parade on a flatbed truck with half the Red Sox bullpen. It was absolutely magical, and we didn't deserve to be there. We consider ourselves very lucky!
Amanda Dead: What do you think about our current president and the '08 presidential candidates?
Matt Kelley: I think he allowed our beloved Constitution to be further eroded and let some irreparable damage be perpetrated to the basic freedoms of Americans. '08 candidates? Ron Paul is the only one with what seems like the specific agenda to protect the Constitution and do what's right for our country as a whole. I don't agree with 100% of what he has to say but his qualifications are on par with or above some of the more heavily-hyped candidates.
www.dropkickmurphys.com
www.myspace.com/dropkickmurphys
|
Who's
Amanda Dead?
|
|
Amanda
Dead Interviews
-Erik Sprague-
'The Lizardman'
Amanda Dead:
Why did you choose to transform yourself into a lizard, why not a cat, a mouse or any other animal for that matter…why a lizard?
The Lizardman:
Personal aesthetic choice. When I was designing my transformation I considered a number of possibilities and not just animals. I looked at non-representational shapes and patterns, thought about a full body maze, and even considered writing a story to have tattooed over my entire body. Ultimately, it was reptilian scales combined with black markings that simply felt right and happened to nicely compliment other ideas I has such as teeth filing and tongue bifurcation.
Amanda Dead: If you had your pick of any profession, other then a performance artist, what would you choose to be?
The Lizardman: My initial thought would be to pick another performance career but I guess that is kind of cheating. I might also say author but a great deal of what I do now is writing the show, so that also seems like ducking the question. I'm going to go with game designer.
Amanda Dead: Is there ever a time when you wish people just didn't notice you? Do you have a certain outfit that you wear to help you blend in from time to time to escape the crowds?
The Lizardman: We all have our days. When I want to be left alone but have to go out in public I will cover up a bit more than usual. I have found that dark sunglasses, headphones, and facial expression can do wonders for keeping people at bay. If you know how it is relatively easy to project an aura of 'leave me alone' but some people can never be dissuaded from approaching. When you're lucky these people are the ones that turn your mood around in an instant.
Amanda Dead: What is the single most idiotic question anyone has ever asked you concerning your modifications? ("Did that hurt" is pretty much the universal idiot question, so anything other than that..oh and "What is the single most idiotic question anyone has ever asked you?" doesn't count, you can’t say that one either)
The Lizardman: It's a good thing you covered your ass there or I would have said that just to be a smartass. I like to say that while it is true that there are no dumb questions there are dumb people and we can usually identify them by the questions they ask. A drunk girl once stumbled up to me and asked 'Are you Irish?' That was pretty dumb
Amanda Dead: What style of music do you prefer and name a couple of your favorite bands.
The Lizardman: Ministry, Slayer, Slipknot, Ramones, Bach, Tchaikovsky
Amanda Dead: If you were to create a super group composed of your favorite musicians (alive or dead), who would be in your group, what instruments would they play and what would you call the band?
The Lizardman: I have never cared for the super group experiment. The musicians I like, I like for the work they have done with the other people and situations they found that clicked for them. They are not lego blocks to be randomly interchanged. I'd rather let them find their way to make the music and take it as it comes than try and play mad scientist. I wouldn't want other people playing director with my shows.
Amanda Dead: You have some pretty heavy modifications but have you ever looked at someone else's modifications and just went "what the fuck were you thinking?"
The Lizardman: All the time, but I don't mean it as a judgment rather I really want to know what they were thinking. If I see someone with facial tattoos, a bunch of transdermals, a subincision, stretched labia, or whatever I want to know their story.
Amanda Dead: How does your own personal socio-political beliefs align with that of the typical American?
The Lizardman: You'll have to explain to me what the socio-political beliefs of a typical American are first. I have gotten to travel extensively and meet a great many other Americans - they are incredibly varied and all unique individuals. To give you an idea of my own positions, consider this: I see no problem with standing on a public street corner screaming profanity and waving a loaded gun while performing an abortion without parental notification or consent during a protest against a tax increase.
www. thelizardman. com
www.myspace.com/the_lizardman |
|
