Masters of noise, heaviness and chaos
from LabProductions.com July 2002
Masters of noise, heaviness and chaos. The Melvins.
King Buzzo lets us know.
LAB: How has the response been to the new album, when playing it live?
Buzz: The fans seem to like it. We are having a good time on tour.
LAB: What about the Fantomas/Melvins Big Band record that was just put out? I am curious to how it has been received?
Buzz: I think people like it. It’s hard to tell. We didn’t take a poll or anything. A lot of people can’t really handle anything that is different. Maybe they’re dumb or something, you know?
LAB: The Hostile Ambient Takeover record is great, definitely a good representation of your sound.
Buzz: Thanks. With the live one, (Colossus Of Destiny) I think a lot of people can’t handle the facts, they don’t understand. It’s a strange record; it is supposed to be strange. You know saying it’s not really a band, more of project type situation, they get all bent out of shape because for some reason they have some preconceived idea that we are one way or another. It’s getting quite ridiculous, all things considered, because with all the crap that’s out there --for them to think certain things about a band like us, it’s really dumb, you know? I think, anyway.
LAB: Are there any pending shows with Fantomas coming up? I saw on your site that there was a Halloween show….
Buzz: That will be a Fantomas/Melvins Big Band Halloween show in New York. It’s going to be great.
LAB: How’s the experience been with Ipecac Records with Mike Patton? Is it better than your previous experiences with major labels, or other labels that you’ve been through?
Buzz: It’s fine. We really didn’t have a bad experience when we were with Atlantic. It was exactly what we thought it would be. It wasn’t like a big surprise; they didn’t try to make it like the Stone Temple Toilets or anything. We pretty much did what we want, which is the same as what we do now. That’s why it wasn’t a whole bunch different. We wouldn’t have stood for that shit anyway.
LAB: So why did you move from Atlantic to Ipecac.
Buzz: It was very simple. We didn’t sell millions of records so Atlantic dropped us off the label. We start looking for another label, and Ipecac wanted to do records. It’s really that simple. No master plan, no weird arrangement.
LAB: We caught up with Tomahawk when they were in town, and Mike was saying how much he dug playing with Fantomas. He said it was his favorite project that he has ever done, that you guys really had your shit together.
Buzz: Great. I’m glad he liked it. He is kind of a hard read some times. (laughs)
LAB: I read that you designed a distortion pedal for DOD?
Buzz: I didn’t really design it. They just took a look at a Blue Box by MXR that I was using and made a distortion box version of my Blue Box. That’s all it was. It wasn’t me designing it. More like them ripping off the design themselves. I really had nothing to do with the design.
LAB: They were trying to emulate your sound or what?
Buzz: Yeah. They liked the sound I was getting on this certain thing, this certain song, and that’s what it was.
LAB: Do you use it? Or endorse it or does it have your name on it? Like a signature model?
Buzz: I don’t have any kind of endorsement by any means with anybody. The guy that did it isn’t even there anymore. Gone completely. He got shit-canned.
LAB: I read that you recorded a song for a porno called Between the Cheeks 3.
Buzz: Who me?
LAB: The Melvins. Directed by Gregory Dark? Any truth to that?
Buzz: Uh, yeah. Lets just say there is. (laughs) Yeah, great Greg. You bet. Pornographer. All true.
LAB: Any particular music catch your ear lately?
Buzz: Nothing comes to mind. Well, we like whatever band we happened to be touring with. Oh, and we like Sammy Hagar’s era of Montrose.
LAB: Ah, the red rocker. Looking forward to any extra curricular activities while in New Orleans?
Buzz: We love New Orleans, its always fun. The whole underwater voodoo vibe. I like just walking around, looking at strange people.
LAB: You had a second guitar player with you last time you rolled through New Orleans. He looked kind of like Buddy Holly. Is he a current member or someone you brought around with you for awhile?
Buzz: Yeah, Dave Stone. He’s not a permanent member. Just having fun with him for a while. But you never know what the future may hold.
LAB: He with you on this tour?
Buzz: No, he’s off doing other stuff right now. He’s working on a solo record, and did a whole tour with Unwound. He did play on some of the new record, as well as the Fantomas/Melvins Big Band record.
LAB: I really liked Colossus Of Destiny. My initial thoughts were somewhat mixed on it, but after listening to it several times I think it was a really nice arrangement of noise. Especially being live.
Buzz: Well thanks. We had a real good time recording that record. A lot of people have a problem with it, I don’t understand it. Do they lead such boring lives that they actually have a problem with that record? How could anyone that’s a fan of our band have a problem with anything we put out?
LAB: I saw that there was a new web site coming out for melvins.com. I saw some of the artwork, it is just tremendous.
Buzz: Yeah, we are working on it.
LAB: I was wondering if you had ever gone on the Internet and looked at fan sites, or read what fans write about you online?
Buzz: I never paid much attention to that. A friend of mine printed out some stuff once from these bulletin boards, where people can just go a write whatever they want. They were pretty amusing, but I never look at it myself. Never. Some of the stuff is so off base, so completely weird, so unbelievable. I’d like to leave it as it is. It is not like I can change it. Let people think what they want. It’s good. I think it would be boring if I got in there and started correcting people about things of that nature. Just let it have a life of its own.
LAB: I wouldn’t imagine that you’d write in and put your two cents in, but more just curious if you got a kick out of it or anything.
Buzz: I really just don’t pay attention. I don’t have the time to do that sort of thing. What I find really amusing is the fact that the people now have a forum to write in what they think of our records, as if anybody gives a fucking shit as to what they think about the record, you know? You could take everyone’s opinions off these lists and sites, add them all together, and it will still mean less than what we think of our own records. For some reason they get some kind of charge out of it, like “here’s what I think…” I’m just kind of iffy on the whole thing. That people can put down what THEY THINK on a worldwide basis, what a pompous nature of that whole thing.
LAB: Hmm, that’s interesting. I think that it’s more of a way for fans to communicate with each other, basically to interact with like-minded individuals.
Buzz: Right, well they sent us some of these hilarious ones about us, like how Colossus Of Destiny is such a rip-off, and we fucked them over, I just cant believe it. It just shows how little they know about our band. If anybody could rip on our band for being weird, they have their heads so far up their asses about what we do. I couldn’t possibly begin to correct it. It’s so stupid and so far off, I just don’t know where to begin.
LAB: So you just perpetuate it and agree with it….
Buzz: I don’t do anything. I just find it weird. I mean, the type of underground band that we are, for someone is supposed to be a fan of underground music has a problem about what we do is absurd.
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