Static-X interview
by Debbie Seagle
Back to Part I
RNW: With all of the bands
that there are to be put in front of somebody who could do something for
you, put in front of the A&R guys, its sometimes luck of the draw.
I mean, you all have to be talented to get where you are, but just to be
able to get into that group of people that get shown to somebody who can
make a difference is fabulous.
TC: It was a great stroke
of luck I guess.
RNW: But then the talent has
to take you from there and it seems like you guys have been able to do
that, so that’s an accomplishment on your side. You’ve done an awful
lot of touring on the first album.
TC: Yes, awful being the operative
word.
RNW: Do you not like touring?
TC: Um, no, don’t get me wrong.
I do love touring, its just when you get to the 20th and the 22nd month
of it, you know? It starts wearing on ya.
RNW: Its definitely a different
life style and you do find yourself needing a vacation from that.
TC: Oh yeah, absolutely.
By the end of it, we were all ready to just kill ourselves, die and go
home.
RNW: You just want to sit
in your own living room and watch TV.
TC: I’m telling ya, the day
I got home was Sunday, and I sat around in my living room in my underwear,
watching football all day. It was great! (laughs) I hadn’t
been able to do that in almost two years.
RNW: Isn’t that the perfect
day?
TC: Yeah, it was great!
RNW: I wouldn’t mind doing
that . . .
You’ve toured with an awful lot of bands
too. You’ve really gotten a good cross section of bands in your genre
and around your genre. Do you have a favorite band that you’ve toured
with, or a favorite road story?
TC: I think the most fun we’ve
had was probably, if I had to single out one band, I guess it would be
Fear Factory. Cause we did several tours with those guys and they
were the first band to take us out. And they really taught us a lot
about how to tour.
RNW: About production and
what have you?
TC: Yeah, and just how to
carry yourselves out there, as a band and as professionals. They
really taught us a lot and we had a lot of fun with those guys too.
I’ve known Dino for a long time. I’ve known Dino back home in the
old death metal days when we used to play in the back yards in south-central
(Los Angeles) and Watts.
RNW: Wow, that’s a scene,
huh?
TC: It was definitely a scene,
yeah.
RNW: Now you also did two
stints with Ozzfest, right?
TC: Oh yeah.
RNW: That’s the ultimate gig
for hanging out with your brothers and playing music.
TC: Oh yeah, its like summer
camp.
RNW: I know. Everyone
I talk to, from Pantera and others on the main stage, on down to the first
act on the third stage are like, we’re just so glad to be here and playing
with our brothers. We’re having a ball grilling out and hanging out
and playing and traveling and seeing the fans. It’s a really good
experience. I understand though, that out of that came a to-do with
video rights to a performance. What was the story there, and what
was it like to deal with Sharon Osbourne? She carries a pretty big
stick as far as Ozzfest is concerned.
TC: Are you referring to the
home video?
RNW: Yes.
TC: Yeah, I really don’t know
what’s going on with that. All I know is that its got something to
do with the legal rights and we’re not getting clearance on them for some
reason or another. And, not much we can do about it really.
So its just sitting there.
RNW: Up to the courts now?
TC: No, I don’t think we’re
going to go that far, you know? I think at this point, we’re just
considering it a loss. There’s nothing we can really do about it.
And the sad thing is, we were just caught in the cross fire between her
and another party, but I won’t go into details.
RNW: No, that’s cool.
You don’t have to go into it any further. I understand.
You’ve changed guitarists since your first
album. Now you have a new guitarist and a new CD coming out called
“Machine.” How does “Machine” compare to “Wisconsin Death Trip” and
what will the fans find most interesting about it?
TC: Well, you know how I refer
to the music as “evil disco?” This time around, its more evil
and less disco.
RNW: Okay, so a heavier sound?
TC: Yeah, this record came
out a lot darker, a lot more aggressive.
RNW: Is there a reason for
that? Kind of a change in your thinking and song writing styles?
TC: Yeah, I think touring
for 22 months had a lot to do with it. We were all pretty strung
out and angry about touring. And then, you know, plus touring with
Pantera. That influence did a bit too.
RNW: Tell me a little bit
about the first single, “This Is Not.” Did you do a video for that?
TC: Yeah, we did. We
shot a live video for that in LA, right before we went out on tour.
We did a couple of warm up shows at a couple of clubs that we used to play
all the time. Back when we were a local band. So, we
shot a video for it, and it’s a high energy live video. Its really
cool. We just got the final cut for it a couple of days ago.
RNW: What is the premise for
the song “This Is Not?”
TC: Its one of those touring
things, you know, where you are sitting on the bus for 14 hours, middle
of the night, and one of those long drives. You’re like, I want to
go home.
RNW: So you all aren’t doing
the video games and all of those things that keep you busy for those 14
hour drives?
TC: Well, for me, some games
I can’t play while the bus is moving cause I’ll get motion sick.
RNW: Oh man, been there.
I can’t read in a bus. That just makes me totally sick.
TC: Yeah, I can’t do that.
RNW: Then you are bummin man.
TC: Yeah, sit back and watch
a movie man. That’s about all I can do really, watch TV.
RNW: You need to get books
on tape or something, cause there is nothing worse than that motion sickness!
For those who haven’t seen you live, what
can they expect from a Static – X show? What’s the experience?
TC: You can expect lots of
energy, heavy guitars, disco beats and screaming and what-not. And
above all, they will have a good time.
RNW: Fan participation?
TC: I’ll go over there and
beat them over the head (laughs).
RNW: I’m sure that some of
the fans would like that!
TC: Yeah, I’ve met a few.
RNW: Lot of crowd surfing
and things like that?
TC: Oh yeah.
RNW: Tell me what’s going
on with your current tour. I see you’ll be headed for Europe and
parts unknown. Do you look forward to any place in particular?
TC: In Europe?
RNW: Anywhere.
TC: There’s a few places we
haven’t been to before like Belgium and Sweden that I’m looking forward
to. And Amsterdam is always fun (laughs).
RNW: Oh yeah, I understand
Amsterdam is a fun town . . . And you will be coming back here in
June right?
TC: Yeah, the Pantera tour
starts June 20th, I believe, and will make its way through until about
the end of July I think. I’m really looking forward to that tour.
It’ll be great to get to see Morbid Angel, Slayer and Pantera for a month.
RNW: That’s quite a line up.
TC: Its going to be great.
RNW: Do you feel a lot of
camaraderie with those types of tours?
TC: Definitely. Particularly
for me. I’m just a huge fan of all those bands. As soon as
I’m done playing, I’m jumping back into the crowd and watching the show,
you know?
RNW: Well, that’s the best
place to see it from. You’ve got to get into the mosh pit.
Where do you think the music of Static – X is headed in the next five or
ten years? Or, for that matter, where do you think rock is headed
in general?
TC: I don’t know. I
haven’t looked that far ahead, you know? I’m living in the now.
I think I speak for the rest of the band, I don’t think any of us expected
to get as far as we’ve gotten, so to be where we are now, we’re just like,
wow. And we’re seeing where it takes us.
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