down the motorway into oblivion, Jack Daniels in hand, swigging brown ale from crates...a little like that, actually."
Earlier in the evening he introduced himself as a "beautiful wanker, a million times more beautiful than Donny Osmond." A couple nights
before, it was Milli Vanilli and by all reports, each night it's any fluffy pop gobster he can lash his tongue around. He then demands that
the half-interested crowd get their hands in the air, pointing out and bullying the "Fluffies" in the room. They're all waiting for the next
band, some glam bunch, to take the stage. Some folks accommodate the man, others don't. Most don't quite understand.
"He ain't pissed off," laughs bassist Jeff Hately. "He does this all the time." Blaze explains: "When we started, I'd go see other bands
and want something out of them. I would want that band to drag me off and force themselves down my throat. Sure, you can sit at the back
of the room and enjoy yourselves just fine, but when somebody comes up to you and screams, 'You better put your hands in the air or you're
a just like the rest of the saps out there watching TV! That's what I want, and if I went out and wanted to see a band like Wolfsbane I
would expect these things: aggression, sexuality, sensitivity and above all, integrity. I want to feel music, feel the anger, the sheer sex, the sadness."
America missed the boat with Wolfsbane. One of the finest artifacts of booze-crazed power rock to come out of British Isles in years,
their Def American debut, Live Fast, Die Fast percolates a cunning blur of grungy chops, soaring vocals and occasional guitar hero workouts.
Add to that a sense of humor, a big, wide, unshaven, unblushing, unhinged Blaze Bayley. The man's beautiful...or at least that's how he sees it.
"The only reason I tell the crowd that is because I'm so ridiculous. I'm up there getting totally sweaty, my hair clinging to my face, my
trousers drenched in sweat, falling over, getting totally wasted. How can I say I'm beautiful? How can anyone take me seriously?"
Rounded out by guitarist Jase Edwards and drummer Steve Danger, Wolfsbane formed five years ago in Tamworth, a rural English town.
"Imagine a small, midwestern American town, except with a castle in the middle-the kind of place you've got to get out of," says Blaze.
"There's a town center surrounded by a massive area of land from whence people come every weekend to get drunk and beat on each other.
I worked a shitty, nighttime job and we were all on welfare. It's the kind of place that makes you want to leave and for us working class
kids, the only way to do that is through sports or music. It's a trap, a real dead end. A lot of songs we've written reflect that frustration.
"I bought a microphone once and I wrote on it. 'I am a singer. People laughed at me, saying. 'He can't sing, they're a bunch of noise.
Do you know what those people are doing now? They're still washing up in the same hotel, doing the same job and I have been to Hollywood!
Met David Lee Roth! Been to New York! And where are they? Most of them haven't even gotten out of the country. Let's put it this way:
two years ago, I poured my heart and soul into a microphone. Now, I ram my guts into it.
"If you waste all your time, waste all your money in pubs every night getting drunk, you start to think of yourself as a waste. That's what
made me want to do this, do something so I could at least respect myself." I
to become one of NYC's most
popular bands. I didn't know what
to expect when I agreed to interview
them, but I hoped it wouldn't throw
my game off.
3:00 pm-Sindi arrives first,
followed by Gina, then Theo, finally
Becky and Squid. We are told there
is an hour wait for a lane, but when
I inform the manager that I'm from
Thrasher Magazine and these five
lovely ladies are none other than the
world famous Go-Gos, we are given
a lane immediately!
1st Frame
Felix: Okay, let's get started..
What size ball is everybody using?
Squid: The red one. Gina: 100lb. ball.
Theo: The pretty blue one. Sindi: The
big ball. Becky: A 400 lb. ball.
Felix: Well that was easy. How long
have you been bowling as a
band? Sindi: Over 2 years, nearly 3
years. Becky: Why does Squid have
the good shoes? Felix: Is it true
you're going to do a European bowl-
ing tour? Sindi: Yes, in the spring or
early summer. Squid: Yeah, by that
BOWLMOR LANES, NYC seemed to be the time my finger will have healed; I think
perfect place to meet Brooklyn's own
Lunachicks. Theo, Sindi, Gina, Becky and Squid
proved to be more than just pretty faces when
they took to lane #8; they showed themselves
to be pretty mean bowlers tool
Bowling with the
LUNACHICKS
by Felix Sebacious.
I hurt it bowling.
2nd Frame
Felix: Who are your influences? I
mean, who are some of your favorite
With a double 45 under their belts, (selling bowlers? Gina: Dinah Shore. Felix:
in excess of 8,000 copies), and an album due Excellent choice. Gina: And Theo.
out this spring (on Blast First records) the Sindi: The Coronet mother. Squid:
Lunachicks have risen from the underground Ralph Kranden and Ed Norton. Felix: I
78
know you girls bowl a lot on tour.
what are some of your favorite bowl-
ing alleys? Theo: Hershey Highway.
Gina: Vaseline Alley. Sindi: What is
she saying about me? Becky: Clown
Alley, San Francisco.
3rd Frame
Felix: Who started the band-I
mean bowling team? Gina: Jesus.
Felix: Does he have a last name?
Gina: No, just Jesus. Theo: Hey,
Squid's winning! Felix: How did you
come up with a name like Luna-
chicks? Gina: Because we couldn't
think up a better name. Sindi: It's a
damn good name! Theo: Sindi
thought it up-she said we're just a
bunch of raving Lunachicks, and it
stuck. Felix: Have you bowled
under any other names? Theo: We
tried Canned Squid. Squid: I wanted to
call the band Go Home. People would say
'What's the name of your band?' and we
would say 'Go home!' I even called all
our friends and told then that was the
band's name!
4th Frame
Felix: What do you do in your
'spare time? Becky: I like to cook;
I'm a gourmet chef. Sindi: Lounge:
I'm a professional lounger. Gina:
Bowl, and comb my nostril hair. Felix:
Yes, one can tell. Theo: I like to pick
my nose and eat it. I also babysit for
young boys. Felix: Who goes to a
Lunachick's show? Theo: People
like Juice Newton and (cated on page 92)
X
KILLING TIME
Questions by Pushead
BAND MEMBERS
Anthony Comunale (vocals): Age 23;
Previous Bands-Token Entry, Gilligan's
Revenge: Occupation-sheet metal
worker; Influences (lifestyle)-Donald
Trump, Mike Milken, Gordon Gecko;
Goals-to make it to Wall Street.
Alex Gopoian (bass): Age 17, Previous
Bands-currently in Inside Out; Occu
pation-senior in high school, works in
video store, Goals-make a lot of money
in any type of business area; Influences
(music)-old rock and roll and jazz art-
ists, Rush, Van Halen, Black Sabbath
Carl Porcaro (guitar): Age 22; Previous
Bands-Breakdown: Occupation-esti
mator in construction business; In-
fluences (music)"Music has always
been important to me and I like all
types of music. I always liked people
who played with style, soul, balls and
heart": Goals-"To do what I enjoy and
hopefully be able to make my way
without having to compromise myself
and to regret as few things as possible."
Anthony Drago (drums): Age 19,
Previous Bands Breakdown; Occupa
tion-college and store detective; In-
fluences (lyric)-Bob Dylan, Cat
Stevens, blues and folk artists; In
fluences (music)-Old style metal.
Aerosmith, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin: In-
fluences (lifestyle)-Frank Sinatra;
Goals-Stay in the music field and to
be happy and content with myself as
I get older. "To do it my way"
What is it like to make the name transi
tion from Raw Deal to Killing Time? How
is the overall response from those who
know you and those who don't?
Carl A name is a name, it's the
substance that matters. It was only a
matter of getting the new name out and
getting people to remember it.
Drago If there was a setback at all,
it was temporary. Right now, we're get-
ting a great response wherever we play
We didn't want to change the name, we
were forced to due to copyright laws.
It was difficult for us at first and we were
expecting the worst, but it never came
today our overall response is excellent.
Are lyrics important?
Drago-Yes, they're extremely impor
tant. I can only get into a band if I can
relate to them through their lyrics
Lyrics should work together and compli
ment music in order to create emotion.
If a song doesn't create a feeling in the
listener's mind, then it is unsuccessful.
Carl-Being more on the music side.
it's strange, but I think lyrics are impor-
tant too. A lot of people who only play
and write music feel that lyrics are just
filler; something for the singer to sing.
But for me, it's the combo of the two
SLAP
SHOT
that makes the song. Even though I don't write lyrics myself, I like to have lyrics in our songs that I can
relate to. I like to give Drago ideas and work with him as much as I can.
Alex Using lyrics as filler is wrong. A band has to put forth a message to the public. That's what gives
bands images, makes stars, and makes kids dig it.
Do you think the collapse of the Iron Curtain will bring more people together?
Drago
You're probably asking the least politically conscious group of guys around.
Carl-Thoughts like this don't enter our minds much. I'm not saying we're a bunch of empty heads, but
they definitely don't play a part in what we do as a band, lyrically or in any way. If prodded to answer
a question like this, we feel that broad political movements like this can't do anything to either unity
or separate people. It's everyday, one-on-one interaction between people that unifies or separates them.
Being under one political roof doesn't mean you're together. Look at the United States.
What do you think of identity and individuality?
Carl-It seems to me that it should be a part of everyone. Everyone's got their own identity. Everyone's
an individual. If some people are not, they've based their lives on someone or something else.
Drago-Individuality shouldn't be something you strive for, it should be there for you. You shouldn't try
and make yourself an original.
Carl-It is something to strive for as a band. That's one of our biggest concerns now. As we progress
we want to retain our originality, our musical identity and our voice. (Continued on page 92)
X
O