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THE HANGMEN MORDRED
(From page an) to live where we'd party
all night long. The song is about wak
ing up and everything is horrible. The
sun shining through the windows is
killing your eyes, there's nothing on
TV, you're hung over. It's about an
awful day
What are your other songs about?
They're all pretty depressing.
There's a lot of desperation in the
songs. Hollywood has a lot of that.
A lot of people are really struggling
and going nowhere.
Does that make you sad?
Well, no, it's just something to write
about. I mean, it does, but what can
you do? It's like looking out the win-
dow. That's what a lot of the songs
are about-what I see. A lot of the
songs are about this city. Some of
them are just words that feel good
together. They don't mean that much,
really, they're just words I like.
You're not trying to reach anyone?
I don't know. I think we have
something that a lot of other bands
don't. Some of the records I first
listened to changed the way I thought
about music-hopefully we can do
that for someone too.
At your show, you covered the
Flaming Groovies song "Slow
Death." Brian, you pantomimed
sticking a needle in your arm dur-
ing the song, was that something
from personal experience?
No, it's what the song's about. A
lot of my friends have gone through
shit. I've been at parties where we
have to save people. Finding them
purple and out of it and throwing
them in the shower so they don't die.
Just trying to revive friends. It's sad.
It really scares me.
Do you think people listen to the
anti-drug ads?
Past a certain age, I don't think a
TV message is really going to affect
anyone. If they're going to make any
headway in steering people away
from drugs, they're going to have to
aim for the young kids. Once people
hit a certain age, it doesn't matter
what you tell them.
But doesn't finding purple people
and having to save them make you
think about the reality that's star-
ing you in the face?
It's scary as hell. But those people
saw the commercials on TV and they
didn't pay any attention.
What are your goals or dreams?
To be able to make a living. We're
really happy right now. The band's
always been pretty much on the up
and up, just a slow up, but it's always
been up.
(From page 83) et cetera-otherwise no
one's going to hear what you're say
ing and it's all big waste of time, ex-
cept for your own personal gratitude.
You always have to compromise
when it comes to business, but that
doesn't mean your music always
loses integrity.
(Gannon) I don't want to put down
pop music just because it goes for
the norm. Pop music has importance
in American culture, especially with
our generation; it's part of us. That's
why covering a Rick James classic
is neat, and why people love hearing
it live-because it's had importance
to them at some time in their lives.
Everyone remembers that song
What other interests do you have?
(Art)I'd like to hang glide, but now I
just ride my motorcycle around. I
used to skate often but I don't any
more. People who skate on my level
don't exist in the state of California.
(Gannon) I like to write. One of my
aspirations is to have some writing
published. When I was younger,
before I was really involved in the
band, my two things were writing and
drumming. I was pretty much a drum
nerd. Now, and I think I can speak
for the whole band, our focus is whol
ly on Mordred. When you get to this
point as a band, there's not much
else. If you don't focus, nothing will
ever really happen.
Does Mordred have specific
message it's trying to put across?
(Gannon) No. We love to play music.
We're in it for the fun, although our
songs, especially the ones I write, are
often real serious. But that's the stuff
that moves me the most. I can't be
moved by funny songs. Musically, we
would like to move people; to stir peo-
ple physically and emotionally when
they hear one of our songs. I think
that's the importance of art in all
ways-it's there to move people. But
we don't take ourselves too seriously
and we don't want to be taken too
seriously. We're not an intellectual
thrash band, we're humans with
human feelings, and we're not afraid
to express them. I think that's a big
problem with heavy metal. The
people in the bands aren't stupid, but
they're afraid to do something that's
not "fuckin' heavy" They're afraid to
reveal their real feelings.
Anything else you'd like to say?
(Art) When they're driving, I think
people in cars should actually think
about their next move, rather than let-
ting the guy behind them run into
their car. I like heavy metal music, but
I don't like heavy metal on top of me
when I'm riding my motorcycle.
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