粉
COMMON
ZRIDER
Dal Chamber
COAL
dchamber
THE FOLLOWING IS A TRUE STORY In 1987, four kids frem Berkeley started
a band. They played some shews, put out a record, dreve around the coun-
try, and then called it quits, a mere two years into their existence-short and
sweet. A short-lived garage punk band with ne MTV, ne big radio play, zere
advertising, and zere money? Who's going to remember them?
Everybody. Everyone I know can sing along to their songs. Members of this
band have gone on to grace stages under the monikers Schlong!, Shaken 69,
Big Rig, Rancid, and, mest recently, Cemmen Rider.
Meet Jesse Michaels. He sang fer this band called Operation Ivy. Maybe
you've heard of them.
I've heard many stories as to why Operation Ivy broke up, always some-
thing along the lines of: "We were getting too big" or "Jesse didn't want
to be famous." What happened?
There was a lot of pressure, especially for a bunch of teenagers who were
just in a garage band. It was cool, but it was also a lot of pressure. I can't speak
for the other people; but personally I was a confused individual and I wasn't
ready to be in a big band-emotionally, physically, or whatever. A lot of it was
my own bullshit.
Was it a collective thing? You did play a last show, a last party, or some-
thing like that, right?
Yeah, we did. We had good communication in that band, so it wasn't a sudden
thing, like someone slamming a door.
I've heard that you all were able to live off the royalties for a while. Is
there any truth to that?
I don't think anyone got rich in that band, but we made a fair living. The
record's become something of a phenomenon; apparently it's relevant to young
people coming up now, so people are still buying it. The record is almost gold
at this point, and gold is 500,000, which is really good for a record that doesn't
have advertising.
And for a band that was only in existence for two years, over ten years
ago. What was it about that band, or that record, that caused people to
buy it?
The bands I really like have a combination of sincerity and a powerful emo-
tional spirit; they're not just getting up there and performing. They're really put-
ting their hearts into it. Put simply, we were sincere, and I can say honestly that
Matt, Tim, and Dave are the best musicians that I've ever played with to this day-
they're just incredible at what they do.
Was the Big Rig Expansive Heart EP the only thing you've recorded on
between Operation Ivy and Common Rider?
Yeah, but we didn't really have any plan for it. One day I went to their practice,
and they didn't have a singer, so I sort of started to improvise. We just jelled, and
it worked out for that EP. It was open-ended, and we were thinking of doing it
mainly as a project.
That style was done so well also, as sort of a faster, heavier, melodic
punk sound. Would you be interested in doing something like that
again, or are you set on making music revolved around rock-steady
and reggae?
It changes all the time. I just do what feels right. I'm a strong believer in the
idea that it doesn't really matter what genre it is, if you put your heart into it and
you rock, it's gonna be good. I know my songwriting style is strongest in the areas
of melodic punk, rock 'n' roll, and rock-steady grooves-so I do it because that's
what I'm good at.
Speaking of Big Rig and cover art especially, you've done a lot of album
art for Lookout over the years. Do you paint and draw on a regular basis?
Right now I'm sort of in a no art-doing period, but I'm sure I'll get back into it
in the future. In fact, I did the cover for the Common Rider record, which a lot
of people will think is weird because it's so simple. I'm really getting into ex-
tremely simple designs, so that's what I'm doing artistically.
Had you done artwork for anything else?
I've done stuff mainly for bands. I did stuff for Filth, this kinda hardcore punk
band from the Bay Area, the local band Unit Pride, Neurosis, Christ On Parade,
and Against All Authority.
When writing and recording the Last Wave Rockers album, did you give
any thought to what fans of Operation Ivy might think?
I tried not to, but I can't help that. I really do look at being a musician as more
than just personal expression. It's a communication with an audience, and you
can't just tune them out and go, "I'm going to do whatever the hell I want 'cause
I want to express myself." I always aim to please. I always try to reach people
emotionally or speak to what they care about.
Would you like to talk about skating?
I used to be so into skating; that was my life before music. It was right in the
mid '80s in the days of Christian Hosoi and Tony Hawk, and Caballero was
huge and what was that little guy's name, the street skater from San Francisco?
Tommy Guerrero.
Yeah, Guerrero, he was my idol. The energy I would get from skating and music
are very similar-that just kinda soul energy that you can't put words to. It's just
pure expression. It's really honest and free. I got into skating by listening to punk.
These bands would sing about skating, even way back when, so there's always
been this connection, which is cool. I really like the idea of skateboarding as a
medium for breaking free of all boundaries and tearing shit up, which is kind of
the same appeal as punk rock.
Who are the friends you used to skate with?
In the Bay Area, I really cut my teeth with both music and skating with Noah
from Christ On Parade. Christ On Parade was a local East Bay band that played
really heavy, dark, hardcore music-they were awesome. I'm really excited
about being in Thrasher, because I used to read the thing like it was the Bible.
You skated the tennis court banks and all that stuff?
I skated the tennis court banks, and I skated this spot in Oakland that was
kind of a legendary spot. It was a closed-down miniature golf course called
Alcatel. We would skate the water hazards because they were drained, so it
was this little miniature pool. It was barely even a bowl, but people would come
there and rip.
Do you still keep in touch with Tim, Matt, and Dave?
Definitely. No matter what we've been through, we shared something
really amazing-so we'll always have that bond. Although I don't talk
to them that often, I'm always pleased when I get a chance to. I saw
Rancid at the Warped Tour in Tahoe, and they were totally incredible.
I'm not just saying that to hype my old band members or anything; I
thought that they were a really, really awesome band. I was very moved
by them.
Is there any possibility
of a reunion?
It's always dangerous.
to say never, but be-
yond that I'm not prom-
ising anything. I don't
think that it would be
something we would
think of, but as soon as
you say that it's never
going to happen, it'll
probably happen.
-Ryan Henry
ROADRUNNER1909 Roadrunner Records, Inc www.roadrunnerrecords.com Get COAL CHAMBER gear at WWW.BLUEGRAPE.COM
Produced by Josh Abraham Mixed by Jay Baumgardner, David Bianco and Dave "Rave" Ogilvie. Additional mixing by Amir Derakh
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