You are reading an interview with Frenzal Rhomb
conducted by Rich on 7 March 2004
I caught up with Lindsay and Jason of Frenzal Rhomb after their set at Bristol University on the Dropkick Murphys tour. They were really cool, accommodating, funny as hell guys. Here’s what they had to say about The World Trade Centre, Russell Crowe, Lex, Good Charlotte, 16 year old lesbian punk rockers and a lot more . Rich:
How’s the Tour been going?
Lindsay:
Tour has been going tremendously. We have been having a tremendous time. Everyone on it is amazing. I especially like……(I should really take this time to explain a local obviously involved with the tour leaves the room.) ……….. Cool! That fuck-wit has gone, I fucking hate this fucking place, it’s full of cunts, and every band on this fucking tour is a fuck wit. And I’m really very sexually attracted to tall balding blonde guys. (I should also explain he was a tall balding blonde guy.)
Jason:
I was talking to someone. A chick. No wait. I was talking to a nameless, genderless person, and it started off talking about how I went to the curry mile last night in Manchester at three in the morning. Said person was with said other person, and other person refused to eat down curry mile because it’s all Indian restaurants all the way down as far as the eye can see. She refused to eat there because of the world trade centre. And I said “woah, back up”
Lindsey:
Woah woah woah
Jason:
“India didn’t have anything to do with the World Trade Centre. You know that don’t you?”
Lindsey:
Even if they are Pakistani restaurants, Pakistan has nothing to do with the World Trade Centre.
Jason:
And she said “no no, you don’t understand, you don’t understand. You weren’t there”. And I went, “no no, you don’t understand me, India didn’t have anything to do with the WTC. Nothing to do with it.” And she said “If you were there, if you were there then you’d know what it was like” and then there was some story about someone travelling on a plane with some ashes and because of that they had to divert the aeroplane and that’s why we don’t like any of those people. We have got a problem with all of those people. And I said “What people? What about the Bangladeshi’s?” “No No we can’t have them” “What about the Pakistani’s?” “No no no, anyone in that area is a no no no.” “What about the Australian aboriginals?” “They’re OK, we have got something in common with them.” “What about in Asia, the Japanese?” “Oh no, World War 2, my grandmother…” “What about Vietnam? I’m sure you have got a problem with Vietnam” “Yeah my Grandad fought in the war so we do have a problem with the Vietnamese” “Well what about the boar war?” “Well I know we have a problem with those but it was so long ago I think we’ll let that one drop.
Lindsay:
Ahhh, that’s unbelievable. Ok next question.
Rich:
You’ve been over here with Less Than Jake and now Dropkick’s and a headline tour yourselves, which do you prefer, headlining or supporting?
Lindsay:
I think the Bon Jovi tour was the best. Actually you (Jason) really liked the Isle Of White festival back in ‘69
Jason:
Yeah, hazy recollections.
Jason:
I said “There were twenty dudes from Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. They’re the ones. Twenty dudes. There are more than twenty dudes here, in this room. And you are blaming seven different nationalities.
Lindsay:
Half the world… Half of the World are to blame I can not eat a curry. Because of twenty imbeciles. “Twenty angry men from Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.
Jason:
It was after that a dude pulled out a flick knife and I just went “WHERE AM I?”
Lindsay:
I have to drink myself to sleep Rich. Drink myself to sleep. Not because any of this, but because I enjoy drinking. So…. The best tour. Well actually I fucking loved all three of them. In different amounts. The headline tour was pretty fucking cool because we got to headline. And see people who actually really liked us because people come for the headline bands. But they were all cool for different reasons but who knows? They all have their different merits, like Roger Merit from the Disasters. He has stars on his temples. I respect a man with tattooed stars on his temples.
Rich:
So now you’re over here you do you think the Aussie scene is coping without you?
Lindsay:
It’s gone to shit. It’s dying no one’s going to shows, they’re just sitting around at home listening to Good Charlotte with out us. We are the only link between those poor people and Good Charlotte. It’s terrible. Sad. Hopefully we’ll get home and do our little tour with The Bouncing Souls and it’ll be great.
Rich:
Speaking of Australian punk have you head the interview in Kerrang! with the vines?
Lindsay:
No. I saw the interview. And I looked at it, but couldn’t bring myself to read it. I head he was a rather outspoken or opinionated or…
Rich:
The journalist just turned it around and made him seem... lame.
Lindsay:
Yes, I believe that Ryan, Bryan. What’s his name, Ryan? Bryan Nicholls.
Rich:
Craig.
Lindsay:
Craig Nicholls, (Laughter). Ryan’s the guitarist that looks a bit like me. Sorry. Yes, he’s going to be a very strong force in the musical world after he learns to spell.
Rich:
What do you think about The Living End?
Lindsay:
Fucking like The Living End now. It’s good fun. It’s good ol’ fun sudo political punk pop. It’s good. The guy can sing, play guitar, they’ve finally got a good drummer.
Rich:
When first started out what bands were you listening to?
Lindsay:
When I first started out Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Nirvana…
Jason:
Nickelback, before they were popular.
Lindsay:
I was playing Nickelback in 1992 before anyone was playing Nickelback.
Rich:
Before Nickelback even played Nickelback.
Lindsay:
Yeah that’s exactly right, I invented that shit. And for a time Frenzal Rhomb. I played Frenzal Rhomb for a bit. Me and Tom were talking about when we first heard of Frenzal Rhomb and when he first heard….. no I can’t remember the story. It was probably good though. Oh That’s right. This is the story. When he was eleven a sixteen year old lesbian introduced him to Green Day and the Descendants. Pretty good story. It’s got something in it. Something about it?
Rich:
So how do you think tonight’s show went?
Lindsay:
Great, tremendous. I’ve got to work out what the fuck is going on with that amplifier.
Jason:
Was that the amp?
Lindsay:
It could have been the fold back guy but I’m pretty sure it was the amp because it was coming from the back as well. That amp was stupidly quiet but feeding back the whole fucking night. Did you notice though now he (the fold back guy) was changing things all night? The guitar was chasing me around the stage. We have problems with monitor guys. The really don’t have a skill. Besides going like this. (makes gesture)
Jason:
That’s going to come up great on the tape.
Lindsay:
For the benefit of the tape I’m simulating someone going “What? What? What do you want? Ah fuck ya. It was good, it was good fun. It was the first time I wore a dress on stage in a little while. I felt very liberated. It was good fun. I got spat on, Jason got spat on. I didn’t release it was me, I thought it was just you {Jason} that got spat at and I was like “ah that’s fucked” then I was playing guitar and I looked down and saw this bit of spit and almost fucking threw up. The thing is he {spiting guy} was dancing along for the rest of the set, bopping his head along with his little gay beard, jumping around and I’m thinking maybe some places it’s considered a term of affection that you spit on someone if you like them maybe? Maybe it goes back to some feudalism or some Neanderthal think like if you saw a lady or a man you like you’d spit on them and you’d grab them by the hair or the beard drag them out a reap them senseless. So maybe that was what it was? I dunno. I guess we’ll find out.
Rich:
OK…some question people have asked me to ask. Why all the hate for Russell Crowe?
Lindsay:
Have you heard is band?
Jason: HE SUCKS
Lindsay:
His band is possible the worst thing…. Well his acting sucks, his attitude to people sucks, his attitude to women sucks, but his band is worse. He thinks he’s in fucking Hollywood, he’s allowed to fucking get in a band and people are just gunna come see him for the music you know? As if they give a fuck about the other five fuck wits in the band. So we don’t like Russell Crowe very much. And that’s about it so we wrote a song about him.
Rich:
Why did Lex leave the band to do dance?
Lindsay:
Well Lex is a very complex individual, you know he’s like…… Some see him as a revolutionary, as a visionary we see him as a fuck wit. As a cunt. And he doesn’t really like good music. And he didn’t like anything except for certain things which laws in certain countries prohibit you from liking in a sexual nature. So errr….. we had to let him go. No no, it was a group, mutual decision, with musical differences, the split was amicable and we all remain firm friends.
Rich:
Jason, How big is your middle Dreadlock?
Lindsay?
Ah the dog shit? How long's you’re dog shit? It’s pretty fucking big. 2 ft. It’s a large thing. It’s modelled on his cock.
Rich:
Last question, is there anyone else you are going to write song about?
Lindsay:
We’ll probably write a song about you. {Rich}. We’ve written songs about stuff. “Richard The New”, which is about you. And I’m going to write a song about the 16 lesbian who introduced tom to punk rock. There’s something in that.
Rich:
Thanks a lot guys
Lindsay:
No bloody worries at all Sir. Now tell your dad that we understand he’s had a bit to drink but it’s not OK. Thanks to Dan and Nanette for arranging everything and Jason and Lindsay for being wicked guys.
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