LIVE NIRVANA INTERVIEW ARCHIVE April 22, 1989 - Olympia, WA, US
Personnel
- Interviewer(s)
- Hanmi Hubbard
- Interviewee(s)
- Kurt Cobain
- Krist Novoselic
- Chad Channing
- Jason Everman
Sources
| Publisher | Title | Transcript |
|---|---|---|
| Current | Nirvana… A spiraling vision | Yes |
| N/A | N/A | Yes |
Transcript
As the balmy spring morning turns to early afternoon, a small car darts around the corner and into the driveway. "The soft relentless mountains glisten in the light of the trees, the flowers sing in D minor, and the birds fly happily…," chirps a grinning Kurdt Kobain, "crooner and gee-tar picker" of NIRVANA.
His car comes to a stop and he bounds out, arms full of groceries. "Hi! I'm Kurdt!" he exclaims.
He pauses briefly to greet one of his four cats and chat with a neighbor before leading me into the kitchen, and then the living room. A look of pleasant surprise crosses his slightly stubbly features as he discovers the rest of the band is already there. It is one of those rare occasions, other than a show, that all four members are contained in one room. Everyone sits calmly back… let the games begin.
Although Nirvana has only been together about a year, Kurdt, and bass player Chris Novoselic, go back a long way. "Chris and I, in Aberdeen, had been trying to form a band for about four years," Kurdt explains.
"We started jamming with just juuunky equipment! I had a bass amp called the 'PMS bass amp.' It said 'PMS" on it!" says Chris.
The room erupts into laughter with guitarist Jason Everman adding, "Pre Marshall Syndrome."
"It was the classic 'punk rock rags-to-riches' story," Kurdt laughs.
The pair were known (with four different drummers) "as the band that changed their name." Among the many ill-fated titles was Skid Row. About the likeness of their name to that of the popular hard rock band Skid Row, Kurdt responds with, "It makes me glad we didn't stick with that name!"
Jason adds, with a peculiar smile, "We might be touring with Bon Jovi right now if we had. Consider that factor."
Apparently there was another band called Nirvana in the '60s, who weren't very popular. "They're like bad early Bee Gees," moans Kurdt. "I hope they try to sue us… it'd be fun! We didn't know about them at the time, and when we heard about it we bought one of their 'Budget Collectable' records for $15."
"We read a story about one of the members… he was saying something about going to the Catalonia region of Spain to get inspired by Salvador Dali's vibes," Chris recalls.
The band a more original source for their name. "Ya see, I was in the middle of transcendental meditation, and I spiraled up to the ceiling and said 'Nirvana!' and sparks came out my belly-button!" vows Kurdt.
"Wow… It was excellent! I was there," Jason sighs.
I'd like to see that live. Speaking of live, Nirvana has the most energy and delivers more power than a lot of bands I've seen lately. In fact… I think I have seen Kurdt spiral up to the ceiling! Their music makes your head bob with a sort of carefree angst, leaving you with a smile on your face and a craving for more.
Be sure to catch NIRVANA and SKIN YARD on May 26, at 9:30 p.m. in the Lindbloom Student Center. For more information call KGRG at 833-5004 or The Current, at 833-9111 ext. 267.
© Hanmi Hubbard, 1989
Transcript
Tracy Marander: The cat was playing with it earlier…
Hanmi Hubbard: OK, hmm… How long ago did you guys form, as a band?
Kurdt Cobain: Jesus Christ…
Krist Novoselic: Maybe we should say our names so you recognize our voices — you ever done this before?
HH: Yeah… But then again it was just people I knew so…
KN: Usually when we do a recorded interview…
KC: Yeah, when we do a recorded interview it's always like one person's statement meshes with the others. And then it's just one person's…
Chad Channing: Well, you're more apt to answer that because you guys were in the band way before me and Jason.
Jason Everman: Yeah… Let's let Chris answer.
CC: Whatever year and title you give off is gonna do it.
JE: Yeah, we'll agree.
CC: Back in 1880…
KN: 1987…
KC: As a band, we've been around for about a year. Chris and I, in Aberdeen, had been trying to form a band for about… gee… four years? Would you count Bob as a “band,” sure?
JE: Are we gonna say our names and stuff?
HH: Yeah, we could do that.
CC: You had a band called “Bob”?
JE: Jason Everman — guitar!
CC: Chad… and I play drums.
KN: I'm Chris, the bass player.
KC: I'm Kurt, the crooner.
JE: Who does that leave?
KN: And gee-tar picker…
HH: So who was originally in the band?
KN: Us two, but like, three drummers. Is Bob in… Should we count Bob?
KC: It doesn't… Let's just say three drummers.
KN: Yeah, three drummers.
KC: They all had mustaches.
KN: Yeah, that was weird… Dale didn't have a mustache.
KC: Oh! Dale counts too. We've had four drummers. And Dale was like an honorary member of Nirvana forever — he's gotten the golden plaque. He's even going to be mentioned on the record because he plays on two tracks.
HH: Where'd you form — Aberdeen?
KC: No, as Nirvana we formed in Olympia and Tacoma.
HH: When did Bruce Pavitt first become interested in the band?
KN: How's he interested…?
KC: Well, actually it was Jonathan that was working on us for a while.
HH: When?
KC: Almost about a year ago, in fact during the time when we were having troubles with our other drummer we were kind of negotiating with Sub Pop to put out a single but we weren't quite ready. But we weren't quite ready to be a band, to be a permanent band, cause they weren't really sure if we were going to stick together or not so they needed some insurance. So we got Chad and played a few shows and…[yawns] So we got Chad and played a few shows and…
CC: And it worked out!
KC: And that's our insurance. So then we put out a single.
HH: So, OK, like the four of you as you are now have been in Nirvana about a year now then?
KC: Yes.
JE: Me and Chad played in a band together, a speed metal band called Stone Crow. Like four years ago.
CC: Did you know question number five?
JE: Why?
CC: That's what it is — what your earlier bands were.
JE: Yeah, I pretty much read it. I'm gonna screw up the whole thing.
CC: No, it'll be like, you answer it and we'll see if the question's right.
JE: You could just, like, put that answer after that question and pretend like I answered it on time.
KN: Psychic!
HH: Were the two of you in any other bands?
KN: No…
KC: Well, we played under different names. We actually played shows with our… second drummer… under such names as Skid Row, Pen Cap Chew…
KN: Bliss!
KC: Bliss…
CC: More names than I can count!
KC: Yeah, we were just known as the band that changed their name…
KN: Every show!
KC: Every show…
JE: It was a gimmick.
CC: I was in a band called Magnet Men which is how I met those guys.
KN and KC: Yeah!
CC: Yeah, I don't — I did meet you guys at that show, that's right! Because…
KC: We played with you and our drummer had such a crappy drum set that he borrowed yours.
KN: Yeah, and sho'nuff… we were amazed when we seen the North drum-set. So fuckin' far out, man!
HH: Who would you say has influenced your music?
CC: Mass...
KN: Mass...
KC: Too much…
JE: Personal influences?
HH: Personal or other artists…
KC: Well, before I knew better I imagine Led Zeppelin… [All chuckle]…
CC: The Pixies…
KC: The Melvins. The Melvins really influenced me because they lived in Aberdeen and I watched a lot of their practices. [Hanmi shows the band the next question on the list is about the Melvins]
KN: This is weirrrrd man…
KC: The Aquaman circles are coming out of the woodwork…
JE: Malfunkshun!
CC: Yeah, Malfunkshun, they were on the Island.
JE: Me and Chad have the big Malfunkshun influence… Cuz they're like, older than us and a cool band and we pretty much worshiped them.
KC: Basically I was a rocker-stoner. And then I got into punk rock and now I'm into both.
JE: I was a rocker. Then I was a punker. Then I was an… idiot. Well, I was always an idiot.
KC: We've just always had identity crises. We don't belong!
JE: Just don't fit…
HH: Do you listen to any bands that have a particular style that may surprise your fans or people that listen to your music?
JE: I listen to a lot of rap and hip hop. NWA.
KC: I like a lot of clean pop like The Vaselines and Beat Happening. Chad likes the Young Marble Giants — ooo, I answered for him!
JE: Oooo…
CC: Oh, they're great, I don't care.
HH: [Giggles] Your turn.
KN: I like bands with big fat drummers. Just whatever tape's laying in my van, I'll play it.
KC: I like, umm, Lead Belly, the blues singer. He's a crooner. I'm trying to think of something new I listen to… I listen to a lot of kids' records. Well, just children's records and sound effects records — I think I enjoy listening to that stuff more than Rock & Roll right now. As of now, I'm just. we're just kinda taking a break from listening to Rock & Roll.
HH: Do you think that's going to affect your music at all?
KC: It probably always has because I've never really listened… I've never been a big music fan where I'm totally obsessed with listening to music all the time, like every day. I mean I go through weeks of not listening to music at all. I don't think it's gonna affect us.
CC: That's kinda healthy cuz…
JE: It's totally healthy…
CC: Sometimes it's a lot better — I dunno…I prefer influence over environment of where I'm at….
JE: Internal influences as opposed to external ones...
CC: So it's not really influence, it's more yours…
KC: A chance to create your own…
CC: It's more what I see and what game I pick up in life.
KC: I'm always afraid of poisoning myself with too much influence…
CC: That's why I don't read!
KC: I suppose it's probably a subconscious thing.
KN: [Yawns] Excuse me…
CC: God bless you.
HH: How long ago did you start playing?
KN: When I was 18.
JE: Guitars?
HH: Whatever...
KN: I was force-fed accordion lessons.
JE: I was 15. I'm 21 now, so that's six years.
CC: I played violin when I was about 15. I haven't been playing drums that long really. I started playing guitar like everyone else, I really like the bass guitar.
KC: How long have you played drums now, about six months?
CC: No! A year, you said we'd been together a year.
JE: My mom finally bought me my first electric a couple months ago, so I'm pretty psyched.
KN: Yeah! We were a mariachi band. [Interrupted by the arrival of their friend Damon — greetings all round, explanation of what's going on…]
HH: Where do you see yourself in, let's say a year on from now… Will you still be on Sub Pop?
KC: Hopefully together. We will… We have definite plans for staying on Sub Pop.
CC: That's a safe answer.
KC: Yeah, that's a safe answer.
CC: That's all I'm gonna say.
HH: Has anyone approached you with, like, a major record deal? Or a large indie label?
JE: There's pretty much a full scale bidding war going on right now that we can't really talk about.
CC: Nor will we say it… For just the change in their pocket…
HH: Are you planning to tour this summer?
All: Yeah…
CC: May!
KC: We're planning on touring a lot. Let's see.
CC: Two months in the summer.
KC: We'll be leaving June…
KN: June! 15th!
KC: June 15th and we don't know exactly how long we're going to be out there for sure.
JE: That's a good roundabout date.
CC: Hope so. [All say farewell to Damon]
HH: What do you have planned for the tour?
KN: Rock & Roll!
KC: As long as we don't go on back roads in North or South Carolina.
JE: We're taking a great big fat strong guy to protect us. Look, look, look! Look at the bass drum, look at that!
KC: They look like lil' lollipops…
KN: You know those Union 76 balls? Those things are so rad…
KC: OK, so, we're going across these great United States for as long as we possibly can and hopefully more than a month.
KN: Six weeks to two months.
KC: We'll be coming back and then we'll take a rest then take off…
KN: For the continent…
KC: We'll be going to Europe in September.
HH: Are you planning on touring with anyone?
KC: No… We want to but we haven't found a band big enough. A band that we would benefit from doing the tour with.
HH: Where do you want to go most on the tour?
JE: The deep South.
KC: New York. The deep South back-roads…
JE: Lower Alabama!
KN: Towns that aren't spoiled like San Francisco or LA. Y'know, where people feel cheated.
KC: Places where they don't have the attitude. Where they don't have the attitude like, “I've seen everything.”
CC: Italy. I've always wanted to go there.
KC: We're looking for starving, hungry kids. Like in Ellensburg.
KN: Or in Seattle. There's hardly any all-ages shows.
HH: Have you played outside of the Seattle area before?
JE: Yeah, we've even played in California.
KC: We played in San Francisco…
KN: And San Jose.
KC: San Jose…
CC: Portland…
KN: Aberdeen…
KC: Don't say that!
JE: Ellensburg.
KN: Tacoma.
JE: Oly.
KN: Bellingham.
KC: Oh yeah… Enumclaw…
JE & CC: We almost played Walla Walla…
CC: That was in stereo, by the way.
JE: Full blown.
KN: We were supposed to play in LA but we got sick.
KC: We all caught bronchitis while we were down there.
CC: Sleeping outside — that wasn't fun.
KC: We were scheduled to play with Living Color in LA.
CC: But fIREHOSE bumped us off the bill — jerks!
HH: Where's your favorite place to play?
KC: Seattle. That's my choice anyhow…
HH: Is there a particular venue?
CC: I don't mind it, yeah. People...
KC: I dunno, we've played in different places. Definitely not…
JE: The Underground.
KC: Oh, really?
JE: Raven!
CC: I think there's quite a few cool places to play in Seattle.
KC: I don't enjoy playing the bars too much.
CC: Nah.
KN: It doesn't matter where you're playing!
JE: Chris why can't you do that? Goddamit…
KN: Too lazy to practice.
CC: I dunno, people are certainly a lot more into their music it seems around here than say, when we've done San Francisco. It's just like, even when we saw a show at the I-Beam — quite a big show and lots of people and it's like…
JE: Standing around.
CC: Yeah.
JE: Even though Mudhoney was rocking pretty much as hard as you can rock and people were just standing there.
KN: Just as long as there's a good crowd it doesn't matter — it's where the good crowds are. You can be in Ellensburg and have a good show. That's what's important.
CC: There aren't any in San Francisco!
HH: Do you have a particular show that stands out in mind as particularly good?
KC: Our last show.
JE: The Annex show…
KC: People were voodoo dancing…
JE: It was insane…
KC: I got sweat in my eyes and it burned…
JE: Yeah, me too.
KC: I actually sweated for the first time.
JE: I had chunks of hair hanging off the headstock of my guitar.
CC: Chunks...[chuckles]
JE: It was gross.
HH: How do you manage to keep going through your whole set? Cuz you're known as one of the most exciting bands I guess — you jump around so much…
JE: Steroids! [laughter]
CC: Vigorous training.
KN: Exercise programs. Thirty push-ups…
JE: We got a trainer that we're gonna take on the road with us. We work out a lot, as you can tell…
KC: I've got a Jack LaLanne record, that helps me…
JE: Aerobics…
KN: Whoa. Do you do it on, like, 78 speed?
KC: No, it's a ten inch and it's blue vinyl, it's pretty cool.
CC: Actually that's why we're so thin.
JE: Did Sub Pop put it out?
KC: It's a limited edition Jack LaLanne Sub Pop thing…
JE: Single of the Week — or Month… that's excellent…
HH: Who, as far as other bands, do you like to see live?
KC: Mudhoney.
KN: Mudhoney.
JE: Soundgarden.
KN & KC: Yeah, Soundgarden.
CC: No local bands.
JE: Forced Entry.
CC: Well, if I could see, who would I like to see? I'd like to see the Angry Samoans live if that would be possible.
KC: Are they still around?
CC: I'd sure like to see Bad Brains. That show's impossible. I'd sure like to see Shonen Knife. That would be a great show!
KN: Yeah.
KC: Shonen Knife. That's who we'd like to tour with in the summer. Something that our fans wouldn't expect. They'd get a big thumbs up.
JE: I like seeing Slayer live.
CC: Yes! Slayer live, yeah, that's good for me.
KC: I wanna see Iggy Pop.
JE: I saw Iggy in Frankfurt. And Lemmy was in the audience. It was excellent. Lemmy was right upfront getting into it. I saw Motorhead the next night so it was really cool.
CC: I think Dave went to those shows, he's got like a poster thing of Iggy Pop.
JE: Yeah, he was at one of the Metallica shows I was at over there, him and Renee.
HH: How long have you been working on the album?
CC: Forever…
KN: About half a week...
JE: We've been in the studio about four months… We changed locks on the studio when we went in.
KC: We wrote three new songs the week that we recorded the album. And I wrote lyrics to two of the songs ten minutes before I recorded singing.
CC: Sitting in a car.
KC: So we didn't work on the album for very long at all. It was two days I think.
KN: Two days and six hundred dollars!
CC: As far as the artwork and stuff, that's kind of taking a little time…
JE: Yeah, the packaging's taken way longer than the actual recordings…
CC: But I think the biggest delay is Sub Pop.
KC: It takes a long time to get things done, you have to wait for one record to come out…
JE: Yeah you have to wait for funds, for everything to click…
CC: It's not like Black Flag who can put out three new albums a year…
KC: We really haven't been waiting too long, I mean, we've only been Nirvana for a year. To have a single and an LP out…
JE: And Sub Pop just released the TAD album so I'm sure they want it staggered a little bit…
HH: When you first started, where did you get the material to play live?
KC: The material?
HH: Yeah…
KC: Well, I wrote — I guess I wrote all the songs before…I don't understand what you mean?
HH: Like, what did you play when you first started? Did you have songs already?
KC: Yeah, we already had songs…
KN: Most of the stuff that was on our demo…Did you hear that old demo of ours? It had like Hairspray Queen on it and Aero Zeppelin…
KC: Just songs that were outtakes from… [Hanmi and Chris discussing an unofficial recording of the “Bleach” sessions quietly] Where'd you get that?
HH: Sub Pop.
KN: Oh… bootlegs out there already…
HH: It was before the test pressings, it was just a tape.
JE: It was probably the tape I made…
HH: It says “Nirvana LP”…
JE: Yeah that's the one I made.
KC: What were we talking about?
KN: Where did we start for material, we started jamming with just junky equipment — I had a bass amp called the PMS bass amp [laughter], it said PMS on it man! And what was it…?
JE: Pre-Marshall Syndrome.
KN: Then I had what? An Epiphone bass or a Hohner bass…
KC: It's the classic punk rock rags to riches story.
KN: The drum set was just a piece of shit…
KC: They were tin cans!
KN: We would buy parts off stoners' kids who'd wanna buy a gram and then sell a drum stand for ten bucks and it was just like “Alright!” It was just junky old Sears stuff. Then we'd still smoke pot with them after so y'know…
KC: We were considered a legitimate band as Skid Row for about three months with our second drummer, we played a few shows and we wrote a lot of songs which were outtakes of what we — a lot of them are what we play now still…
HH: This has nothing to do with the band Skid Row that's currently….
KC: Oh yeah!
KN: One original member!
KC: They wanted to buy the name from us!
HH: Did that surprise you when you saw that name?
KN: Oh yeah!
KC: Yeah, it made me think, “wow, I'm glad we didn't stick with that name…”
JE: But we might be touring with Bon Jovi now if we had… So consider that factor…
KC: There is another band from the Sixties called Nirvana.
HH: Is there?
KC: Yes, and they were not too popular.
KN: They sucked…
KC: They're bad, they were like bad early Bee Gees and I hope they try and sue us — it'll be fun.
CC: Valerie at the diner was like, one of her boyfriends was in that band.
KC: Really?
CC: Yeah that's pretty weird…
KN: Whoa...
KC: Oh yeah, you told me about that.
HH: Is that where you got it from?
KN: No, we didn't know about this.
KC: No we didn't know about it at the time and then when we heard about it we bought one of their cult budget collectible records for fifteen dollars and who knows where it is now. It was bad.
KN: I've got it.
KC: We read this…
KN: There was a story on it in Strange Things magazine — you ever read that magazine, it's from England ?
KC: We read this story about one of the members of that band and he seemed like a real contrived pompous dork.
KN: Has been.
JE: A never-was…
CC: Never was, never has been.
KC: What was some of the things he was talking about Chris?
KN: Something about going to the Catalonia region of Spain to get inspired by Salvador Dali's vibes!
KC: [Laughs] Yeah! Stuff like that man! And he was just so close to stardom all the time in this band but they just didn't quite have it.
KN: [Observing something else] This could be a cool postcard…
JE: It's mine buddy!
HH: Where'd you get the band name from?
KC: It sounded good, I dunno…You see I was in the middle of transcendental meditation and I spiraled up to the ceiling and I said “Nirvana!” and sparks came from my belly button.
JE: Wow, it was excellent, I was there…
KC: He got blinded.
KN: Damaged eyes…
HH: Are there any plans to move to Seattle so you're all in one place?
KN: Nah…It's a rat hole.
KC: No, we like to not practice. Should we practice today? Could we swing getting you home kinda late?
CC: That depends on what you're talking about, you talking about I have to take a 2:40 ferry.
KN: 2:40 at night?
KC: Oh! 2:40 at night? No problem!
JE: Chad, Chad… Chad… You'll be home.
CC: Yeah but still I don't wanna do that but that's just something I can get.
JE: You'll catch a ferry before that. No problem, cuz I'm not gonna stay that late. Probably.
KC: OK, we'll have an acoustic mariachi set.
KN: We should go play at Reko/Muse and…
KC: Or do a video — we should do a video today. I don't mind either way.
HH [Speaking to Chad]: You don't like Saturdays?
CC: It's everybody's day off.
KN: We never practice — that's something you oughta know, we don't practice.
JE: I wouldn't say we don't practice. I practice to a tape all the time.
KC: Yeah, we all practice in our rooms to the tape.
JE: That's a serious answer. It is! It's what we do.
KC: I think the reason we don't practice is…
KN: When we play I get pissed at myself that I should practice more.
JE: In a way it's good we don't practice because we don't really get sick of the songs.
KC: The songs are so repetitious and easy it's…It's easy to get tired of them.
JE: Yeah, when we play ‘em live they're still fun to play. That's the problem with a lot of bands that practice five times a week, they just get totally burned on the songs and…
KC: It's like déjà vu, “Oh yeah, these songs…”
KN: Maybe that's why it's exciting, if we're supposed to be exciting to see, I guess…
HH: Jumping around?
KN: Because we never play, so when we play we're so happy that we're playing that we just hit the ceiling.
KC: The testosterone starts a-flowing…
KN: We're all celibate too so that helps.
KC: All these pent-up sexual frustrations coming out.
CC: Devouring drugs.
JE: Heavy drugs.
KC: None of us do drugs. Chris and I are starting to drink again — if we drink two nights in a row it's a binge.
KN: I'll drink Monday night too.
CC: I smoke every now and then.
KN: I don't care anymore.
KC: We're pretty much — we're not anti-drug, we just choose not to do it.
JE: That's just the way it is.
HH: Who came up with the slogans on the back of the shirt?
KN: I did.
KC: Chris did.
HH: The total opposite then of what the band stands for?
KC: Yeah, exactly. Not necessarily ‘stands for' though.
CC: We don't mind.
JE: We just wanted a totally extreme statement.
KC: We wanted to be rebellious.
CC: We wanted to be cool, and boring, and rebellious.
KC: I was thinking our next t-shirt should have flowers all over it and nothing else. To counteract that.
CC: Sure, that's a great idea.
HH: Did any of you go to college? [laughter]
CC: I went to OC for a while…
KC: Why didn't you say ‘did any of you graduate high school'?
CC: I'm a high school dropout but I got into OC.
JE: I graduated early from high school.
KN: I graduated a year late. Like when I was a senior, the freshmen were all like born in 1970, y'know? And I was a senior and thought “gee, I started school in 1970… I've been at school as long as you guys have been alive. In public education.”
KC: I just couldn't believe you were all math majors…Cuz I had like, theater studies…
JE: Yeah, math was my favorite subject for sure.
CC: History.
KC: We're philosophers. We're philosophy majors.
KN: Just get me drunk, I'll talk your ass off.
HH: Then where did you go to high school?
KN: I went to Aberdeen High School.
KC: I don't even remember high school
JE: It's a bad trip, pretty much.
KC: I went to Aberdeen. I lived in Aberdeen all my life up until two years ago.
CC: Great place.
HH: Why did you move to Olympia?
KC: Well, I was three months behind on my welfare stricken house and I was afraid that the landlord was going to call the cops on me. So I moved up with my girlfriend in Olympia.
HH: Do any of you have other jobs or anything?
KN: I work at a Sizzler, [Scoffs] I do!
CC: I make 5.50 an hour dishwashing at Streamliner diner.
JE: I don't work.
KC: I don't work.
HH: You just live off shows then, or try to?
KC: [Laughs] Yeah, let's just say we do.
CC: Jason is a millionaire.
JE: Yeah, I inherited millions.
KC: One of us has a very rich parent…
CC: Which one can it be…? A — Kurt. B — Chris. C — Chad. D — Jason…
JE: One of us is Shirley Temple's child. Shhhh! You don't have to put anything about that!
KC: Don't say that. Please don't say that. Seriously…
HH: Why'd you name the album “Bleach”?
KC: Well, I don't…
KN: We were cruising around the Bay area…
KC: With bronchitis.
CC: Yeah, getting sick.
JE: With Bruce Pavitt.
KC: And Bruce suggested “Bleach.”
KN: It was fucking weird too.
CC: We were all delirious and sick and sad…
JE: We had Merciful Fate going on the stereo.
KC: Bruce took advantage of us having bronchitis and talked us into calling it “Bleach.”
KN: No, really, we drove to San Jose for nothing.
JE: For nuthin'! It was hot…
CC: Well actually it's cool though — I like it.
KC: It's a cool name.
JE: It's catchy.
CC: It can stand for almost anything you want it to say.
KC: Cleaning out your needles — and acid wash.
JE: Acid wash. We get lots of free advertising on TV and everywhere else.
KN: You sterilize things with bleach, y'know.
KC: I was just going to say I don't particularly like people that wear acid wash clothes that's all.
JE: Especially if they're in Celtic Frost.
CC: Yeah... yeah.
HH: How long are you going to be in Europe?
KC & KN: We don't know.
JE: Forever.
KC: As long as we can, maybe we'll stay there.
JE: Relocate to Germany
CC: Yeah, we know some people we might try to...
KC: We might try to become po-ta-to farmers.
JE: Or move to Amsterdam and become junkies and pretty much live on the streets.
KN: I'm going to move to Yugoslavia.
CC: I'm gonna get a farm in Frankfurt hills.
Kurt [In Swedish accent]: Squat and tour.
HH: What countries are you going to go to while you're there?
KN: Poland…
JE: Eastern Europe — the Soviet Union!
KN: We're going to go way back, to like Siberia. Just weird places like in China, remote parts of China.
JE: Mongolia, Tibet.
KC: Hike with the Buddhist monks.
KN: Because we want to relay the message of Rock & Roll. Music's a universal language!
JE: We're going to play in places that don't have electricity — it's going to be something else…
KN: We'll spread the good word, my brother!
KC: Spread the gospel brother! [Degenerates into all calling each other "brother" in mock voices]
KC: We scream that at people out our windows.
KN: I like the Smithereens — I do.
KC: The Smithereens, yeah!
JE: Metallica.
KC: The Pixies! By the way, let's go for Pixies.
JE: Pixies and Metallica.
KN: Will it screw up the tape?
JE: We'll just turn it down a little. Just for atmosphere.
KC: This record just like screams atmosphere.
HH: Is there any place you want to go or…? Anything you want to do while you're in Europe?
JE: Visit my friends, people I used to live with.
KC: I want to collect religious artifacts.
CC: I want to go to Spain and bounce on the rooftop that Damon did.
JE: That'd be cool.
CC: I wanna go to Spain and get picked up and kidnapped. Never come back here.
HH: Why is that, do you not like Seattle?
CC: I don't like anything here, I just wanna go home. No, I want to go somewhere where I can't understand anything for the most part. Where I can say “wow, this is weird,” just somewhere completely different. And then they'll feel the same about me and we'll get along just fine. I want a whole new world — something to discover. [All now in background talking about the record they're putting on]
KC: Hey, they're really ripping it up — he just winced.
TM: Oh, is that the new one?
JE: They're pretty high dollar — you can change guitars every song. That's pretty cool.
KC: Who are they?
JE: Raven.
KC: Haven't they been around for a while?
KN: The legs weigh a ton, man...
JE: They're on the comeback trail pretty much.
CC: Me too.
HH: When did you record the original version of Spank Thru?
KC: January '87.
HH: Over a year ago — two years ago!
KC: No, I think it was '88, January of last year. When did we record the demo with Dale? Just about a year ago, right?
KN: Yeah, March — last year.
KC: OK, I guess it's March. I thought it was January? I'll find out for you.
KN: No, cuz I was laid off. I was laid off from a painters.
KC: January of 1988. January 23rd 1988.
TM: And a week later Jonathan called.
KC: Yeah.
HH: Did you send the demo to them or…?
KC: No, we made 'em sweat.
HH: Did they ask for it?
KC: No, Jack Endino gave it to them.
HH: Oh, really? Who recorded it?
KC: Jack Endino. [Everyone pauses to listen to the Pixies “Doolittle” album]
KC: Pixies are my favorite band.
CC: Right now they're unbelievable. They're great.
HH: If you could choose who would produce, would you want to be produced by anyone other than Jack?
KC: No. Not me.
CC: Probably not.
KN: Quincy Jones. John Paul Jones. Tom Jones.
KC: Davey Jones.
CC: Maybe the guy who produced the Pixies' “Surfer Rosa” album?
TM: David Bowie produced “Raw Power.”
CC: Really?
JE: We'd like to maybe go into a better studio next time.
KC: But we still have to have Jack Endino looking over his shoulder all the time.
JE: Go bigger, bigger studios…
HH: What else is coming up for you guys?
KC: Well, we've thought about putting a couple of singles out before the New Year.
HH: From the album or new stuff?
KC: We're not sure yet.
HH: What about compilation work?
KC: Oh! Yeah! We're going to have one cut on this compilation from Australia with all these other bands doing just covers. That'll be cool. And we're also putting something out on a single with a band called Alphabet Swill. We're doing a Neil Diamond cover.
HH: Which song, do you know yet?
KC: We don't know.
KN: I don't know about “I'm a Believer” cuz…
CC: The Jazz Singer!
KN: Yeah! It's got an organ in it — how are we gonna do that? That's like the whole part of the song…
KC: So? That doesn't matter.
HH: Just play it on the guitar.
KC: Yeah, just play the organ on the guitar.
JE: We'll get one of those gee-tar synthesizers…
KN: No! No technology.
KC: Because it's the only good Neil Diamond song! All his other songs suck.
CC: I didn't know there was good Neil Diamond songs.
KN: What d'you know?
HH: Is there work supposed to be coming from C/Z next month too?
KC: Uh yeah…
JE: Daniel House.
KC: I've heard so. What song is it going to be? I forget…
JE: Mexican Seafood. Wasn't it?
KC: Oh…
JE: Is that what Daniel wanted?
KC: Which is one of the outtakes from the Dale demo.
HH: Is there any way to get a hold of that?
KC: Sure. I got one.
HH: Can I have it?
KC: Yeah, I'll copy it off. It's a lot more punk rock, raw…
KN: RAW! [Everyone starts discussing the stereo system]
KC: Is that all the questions?
HH: Pretty much. What about shows in the area, like in the colleges, all-ages?
KC: Yeah, that's practically all we ever play.
HH: And you have a show coming up at The Vogue?
KN: At The Vogue.
KC: And with Mudhoney at the Moore Theatre…. June 10th?
JE: 9th, it got changed.
KC: We play with Mudhoney on the 9th.
JE: And TAD. At the Moore Theatre.
HH: Oh, really? That's going to happen?
KC: June 9th.
JE: Friday. Six dollars.
KC: It's going to be the extravaganza of the year.
JE: Sub Pop showcase.
HH: Anything between then?
JE: Hopefully.
KC: What was the question…?
HH: Shows…?
KN: If someone calls us up we'll play.
KC: We plan on having a show in Oregon.
JE: There's a possibility of a show at the Central, May 9, too — I don't think I told you guys yet.
KC: Oh really? May 9th.
JE: I'm not sure. The guy called me.
CC: Where at?
JE: The Central.
KC: We shouldn't do that.
JE: We shouldn't? I don't care.
KC: We shouldn't play during May because June is a big thing — we need to let them sweat.
JE: That's true.
HH: Would you be interested in playing a show at, like, Green River Community College?
KC: Sure.
JE: That's out in the woods isn't it? We almost played Walla Walla.
HH [Responding to something from Kurt]: Yeah, when they played Nirvana the other day it was cuz of me. No they don't have a single — the guy asked if I could get one. Do you have any extra copies of “Love Buzz,” do you have any at all?
KC: Yeah.
JE: Kurt's got a shitload!
HH: Could I buy two of them from you?
KC: Yeah.
HH: I owe KGRG one. I've got to get one to the radio station.
KC: Oh, they didn't send one? Jerks! I've got about twenty singles.
CC: I've got ten.
KN: I've got one.
CC: Oh, wait, I sold one. I've got nine.
HH: Well, that's about it. Any public announcements?
CC: Yeah, that I'm in love with myself.
JE: And I'm in love with Chad.
KN: Eat porhk suckah!
KC: Eat pork?
KN: Aaron, my roommate, went to this soup kitchen in Las Vegas and he's walking down these stairs and there's this big cartoon painting of this pig in a cop uniform and in this little balloon it said “Eat Pohrk Suckah!” Then he walked in there and there's like ham sandwiches, bacon, everything was like ham.
JE: Porcine.
KN: Yeah, eat por-kee sucker!
JE: Porcine meat products…
© Hanmi Hubbard, 1989